World News

Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 Smart Speakers: First Impressions

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Ryan Waniata

We’re within the midst of a sonic revolution.

That’s in response to multi-Grammy-winning engineer, and Sonos Soundboard member, Manny Marroquin. The daring assertion got here throughout a panel loaded with chart-topping producers and engineers as a part of a two-day Sonos press occasion to unveil the model’s all-new sensible audio system, the Era 300 and Era 100. The subject of the day? Spatial Audio.

The “sonic revolution” that Marroquin, super-producer Giles Martin, and the opposite bona fide music tastemakers on the Sonos panel are so enthusiastic about is the growing availability of music produced and performed again in spatial audio codecs like Dolby Atmos Music. It’s an rising new strategy to engulf your self in sound. And Sonos needs to assist lead the cost.

The new system tasked with bringing Sonos’ spatial audio ambitions to life is the Era 300, a $450 speaker that appears like a futuristic sports activities area and sounds fairly revolutionary in its personal proper – particularly when fed well-mixed Dolby Atmos Music tracks. Utilizing a strategic assortment of focused drivers, the Era 300 beams multi-channel sound all through a listening area with a formidable burst of energy and immersion.

Interestingly, the opposite new speaker within the Era sequence, the Era 100 ($249), doesn’t supply the identical multi-channel listening expertise. Serving as a alternative for the beloved Sonos One sensible speaker, the Era 100 gives some spectacular upgrades, however its sound is confined to conventional audio codecs. It does share some Era 300 DNA, although, together with new methods to play, upgraded controls, and a extra sustainable design.

I received an opportunity to spend some restricted time with each new Era audio system forward of their March 27 launch. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come back from Sonos.

Era 300 First Impressions

A white Era 300 speaker sits on a small table facing left in a demo room.

The Era 300 is well one of the distinctive speaker designs I’ve come throughout. Carved into a cool, futuristic orb, the speaker stands 6.3 inches tall, over 10 inches vast, and about 7 inches deep, making it a bit smaller than Sonos’ Five speaker. The firm says the 300 was constructed from the bottom as much as supply the perfect spatial audio expertise you may get in a single speaker.

Wavey grilles alongside the 300’s entrance and prime overlay an environment friendly configuration of six drivers inside. Those embrace two woofers for bass, a entrance tweeter with a customized waveguide to optimize readability, an upfiring driver to bounce pontificate your ceiling, and two beamforming facet drivers that make the most of part cancellation with the highest driver to assist get essentially the most out of spatial audio codecs like Dolby Atmos.

Both Era audio system share new controls, together with a dimpled quantity slider that Sonos reps assured us is particularly designed to preserve you from by chance blasting your eardrums, and a microphone mute change to lock out Amazon Alexa. (Unlike different Sonos sensible audio system, the Era line doesn’t at present assist Google Assistant.) The speaker’s onboard microphones now allow you to calibrate the sound to your room instantly, or iPhone customers can use Sonos TruePlay for elevated accuracy.

A person uses the touch control volume slider on a Sonos Era 300 smart speaker.

Sonos has additionally improved the connection choices for the Era line, together with Wi-Fi 6, USB-C to attach an analog system or Ethernet by way of an optionally available adapter, and Bluetooth connection (lastly!). You can after all nonetheless make the most of the Sonos S2 app to stream from a number of providers, pair two Era 300s or two Era 100s collectively, or group them with different Sonos audio system or soundbars for multi-room audio or encompass sound.

As for the sound efficiency, whereas I spent only some minutes with the 300, I used to be instantly struck by its highly effective and expansive sound for each Atmos and stereo music. An Atmos mixture of The Beatles’ “A Day within the Life” was served up with large punch for the speaker’s dimension, with massive bass, a large and detailed soundstage, and tightly balanced instrumentation that put vocals out entrance. Though the sound by no means totally reached behind me, the speaker deftly swirled the music’s synth results and strings out to the facet and above it, with vocals vertically stacked on prime of one another for a dimensional impact.

Trying one other Beatles tune, “Come Together,” I received a style of the almost-live sensation that first received me enthusiastic about Dolby Atmos Music at a multi-speaker demonstration throughout CES 2020. The devices had been surprisingly effectively separated for a single sound supply. I may really feel my arm hairs increase a bit as the electrical keys wafted towards me from far left and doubled vocals cut up aside, permitting the frequencies to play in opposition to one another in attention-grabbing new methods. Even on this small pattern dimension, it was clear the 300 has severe expertise, sounding extra full than most single audio system I’ve auditioned.

That visceral impact when the music is extra deeply spaced and emanates from throughout you is finally what Sonos hopes will draw individuals to the corporate’s expensive new spatial audio vessel. But there are some limitations at this stage. The speaker can at present solely entry Dolby Atmos Music from Amazon’s Unlimited service (extra are anticipated to affix it). And although the Sonos board assured us most new music is being blended in Atmos in addition to stereo, Atmos tracks from any service are nonetheless in comparatively quick provide.

In addition, whilst you can join analog audio gadgets, with out an HDMI port or a viable workaround, just like the HomePod’s Apple TV connection, there is not any strategy to supply Dolby Atmos out of your TV instantly.

We did get to listen to two Era 300s as encompass audio system in reference to a Sonos Arc soundbar, and the ensuing mixture of upfiring and side-firing drivers at each the back and front of the room created spectacular immersion. This sort of setup could be poised to compete very effectively with premium Atmos soundbars like Samsung’s Q990B encompass system. But it will be good should you may substitute a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a single Era 300 (or a pair of them).

Era 100 First Impressions

The white Sonos Era 100 smart speaker sits on a light wooden stand in a demo room.

Spatial Audio is absent for the Era 100 and it was given much less time within the highlight than its sibling for a lot of the press occasion. That stated, whereas it is thrilling to see what the Era 300 does with an ideal Dolby Atmos combine, the Era 100 may make the larger splash as a alternative for the extremely in style Sonos One sensible speaker.

Though it’s almost an inch taller, the Era 100’s minimalist, pillar design is similar to its predecessor, and Sonos says it’s made to slot in just about all the identical locations because the One. Like the Era 300, the 100 is at present confined to Amazon Alexa for sensible management, too. However, enhancements like the brand new onboard controls and upgraded connections in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, and USB-C for analog or Ethernet enter with a separate adapter add as much as a formidable function set in your cash.

But it’s the Era 100’s shiny new drivers, together with twin tweeters in stereo up prime and a totally redesigned woofer, that might actually seal the deal as a worthwhile improve.

In our preliminary demo, the Era 100 appeared to showcase a notable leap in readability and articulation over its predecessor. Where the Sonos One’s midrange can sound a bit smoothed over, the Era 100’s got here off extra refined, making midrange and treble-forward devices like guitar, piano, and particularly vocals sound extra current and impactful. Bass can also be notably elevated, and with the few songs I heard, it sounded extra musical, too.

Again, these sound impressions are primarily based on a really small pattern dimension, however from my preliminary listening, Sonos’ entry-level sensible speaker appears to have stepped up its sport. Though its worth is barely increased, that looks as if a good commerce for upgraded efficiency and options. The solely detraction in the mean time is an absence of Google Assistant compatibility, however I’d be shocked if that did not arrive down the road.

Sustainably made, constructed to final

A factory assemly of the Sonos Era 100 smart speaker with screws and bracing.

Sonos centered a lot of its Era audio system press occasion round Dolby Atmos Music, nevertheless it was evident that making its audio system higher for the surroundings – and simpler to restore for years to come back – was simply as necessary within the Era design philosophy. The firm goals to be carbon impartial by 2030 and web zero by 2040, and the Era lineup represents a major step towards that objective.

The new construct methods embrace the whole lot from sourcing a unique coloration of white that works with the brand new 40% post-consumer plastic exteriors to Sonos-branded screws that substitute the overwhelming majority of glued-together bits you’d discover in Sonos audio system previous. From the grilles to the motherboards, the brand new audio system are designed to be repairable in and out.

Sonos engineers additionally advised us they had been in a position to scale back the quantity of standby energy the Era audio system draw by 2/3 over earlier fashions. That equates to lower than 2 watts of idle energy, and a a lot decrease carbon hit total.

Conclusion

I’ll have to spend rather more time with the Era lineup, however this was an auspicious first look. They’re designed for very completely different musical experiences, and there’s little question that the Era 300 is a dear enterprise at this stage within the Dolby Atmos lifecycle, however each gadgets confirmed off progressive design alongside spectacular efficiency. I’m excited to get them in for a deeper analysis however up to now, whether or not in spatial audio or stereo, the way forward for Sonos audio system appears to be like very encouraging.

Sonos has opened up pre-ordering for the Sonos 100 and Sonos 300 forward of their March 27 launch.

The submit Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 Smart Speakers: First Impressions first appeared on HouseTheaterReview and is written by Ryan Waniata

World News

Designing Audio Cables To Preserve Music’s Finest Details

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Home Theater Review

“Great cable comes from so much more than just a heavier gauge and good intentions.”
– David Salz, President Wireworld Cable Technology

The post Designing Audio Cables To Preserve Music’s Finest Details first appeared on HomeTheaterReview and is written by Home Theater Review

World News

HomeTheaterReview’s 4K/Ultra HD TV Buyer’s Guide

Posted on March 3, 2021 by John Higgins

At this weird moment in history, most of us are consuming even more media at home than ever before. Although “What TV should I buy?” is an ever-present question for those of us who work in consumer-electronics journalism, we’ve never heard it more than we have this year. And that makes sense. At least for the time being, the home theater or media room has almost completely replaced commercial theaters as the first screen on which many people view new movies. And with HDMI 2.1 starting to permeate the market, a new wave of televisions is hitting store shelves (real and virtual), with a whole host of new features listed in bullet points on the sides of their boxes.

If you’re having trouble sorting through all the acronyms on those lists, we’re here to help. But before we dive into specific model recommendations, it may help to explore the different types of display technologies, how they work, and what they’re good (and not so good) at.

What’s the difference between LCD and OLED?

LCD: The most ubiquitous TVs today are of the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) variety. To understand where LCDs get their name, consider that there are multiple layers to a television panel – including polarizing films, electrodes, reflective surfaces, glass, color filters, diffusers, and so on. In the case of LCDs, there’s a layer of liquid crystals, which control how much light generated by a backlight (almost always LED these days) reaches our eyes. When a variable voltage is sent through the liquid crystals, they change position to allow the light to pass through, hit a color filter, and generate the colors you see.

The major problem with LCD is that all those liquid crystals can’t block every bit of light coming from the backlight, so black levels and contrast ratios suffer. Manufacturers have combatted this by using full-array local dimming (FALD), which separates the backlight into numerous zones, allowing for a finer control of backlight intensity at different points in the image. This has led to a substantial improvement in contrast levels over the years, but LCD is never going to deliver perfect black levels or contrasts.

Less-expensive LCD TVs cut costs by relying on edge-lit local dimming instead of a full array of lights behind the screen. As you can imagine, though, since the dimming lights are only along the sides of the screen, this approach isn’t as successful as FALD in ensuring that any particular spot on the screen is as dark (or as bright) as it optimally should be.

Contrasts and black levels can also be affected by the type of LCD panel used. For TVs, the primary panel types are vertical alignment (VA) and in-plane switching (IPS), or some variant of IPS. You might also have heard of twisted nematic (TN) panels, which are used mainly for computer monitors because they’re cheap and response time is lightning fast, but their color reproduction is awful and viewing angles are terribly narrow.

Although their viewing angles aren’t as wide as IPS panels, VA panels provide the best contrast for LCD displays. In fact, IPS panels can be subject to what’s referred to as “IPS glow,” where light blooms from the corners of the TV and adversely affects black screen uniformity. Because of this, the majority of LCD TVs use VA panels, especially at higher prices.

One of the big benefits of LCD TVs is that they’re extremely energy efficient and, in general, will be less of a power hog than an OLED. The light output of LED-backlit LCDs is also higher than comparably-priced OLEDs, which is becoming more important with the prominence of Hight Dynamic Range (HDR).

Many LCD TVs also get a boost in light output from something called quantum dot or quantum film technology. Pretty much every LCD manufacturer has, or likely will soon, include their version of this nanoscale semiconductor technology. Many manufacturers use “Quantum” somewhere in the name or marketing – including Vizio and Hisense – but you also will see similar technology referred to as “QLED” by Samsung and TCL, “Triluminos” by Sony, and “NanoCell” by LG. The technology was at first offered only on the pricier LCD TVs from most manufacturers, but it’s starting to make its way to lower-priced models such as Vizio’s M-series, which starts at $400, and Konka, which is entering the US market with a $370 50-inch quantum-dot display.

But what exactly is quantum dot technology, or QLED, or whatever you want to call it? In short, a layer of nanocrystals added to the panel during the manufacturing process. The particles on this layer range in size from two to ten nanometers and are photo-emissive, so when they’re hit by the photons from the LED backlight, they emit a specific wavelength of light that is dependent on their size (smaller tend towards green while larger tend towards red). The quantum dots improve the brightness of the display, increase the possible color gamut, and retain color accuracy as the image gets brighter.

OLED: The undisputed technology king of contrast ratio and black levels for TVs is organic light-emitting diode (OLED). Unlike an LCD, which requires a backlight, OLEDs emit their own light when hit with an electrical current. When they’re not receiving an electrical current, they emit absolutely no light whatsoever. Since each pixel can be individually controlled, only the part of the image that needs light produces it.

The incredible black levels and contrast ratios of OLED TVs result in a more three-dimensional appearing image. Among other OLED TV benefits, they can be very thin, since no space is needed for a backlight, and there’s no perceivable color shift or loss of brightness when sitting at relatively extreme viewing angles.

OLEDs, however, are not yet able to match the light output you can get from an LCD television. The maximum brightness you’ll get from the brightest OLED is around 800 nits (and that peak brightness diminishes the closer you get to a 100-percent white screen), while the brightest LCDs can exceed 1,600 nits peak brightness. But while that means some HDR highlights might not pop as much on an OLED as they would on an LCD, the overall visual impact of the image is greater on an OLED due to the deeper blacks.

As an OLED reaches full brightness, there’s also the chance that it will lose color accuracy, although that can usually be handled by a decent calibration. An interesting development is that we may soon see OLED displays that incorporate quantum dots (Samsung is reportedly hoping to release this hybrid technology next year), which could mean an increase in brightness and wider color gamut for OLEDs.

If you’ve looked into buying an OLED TV, you’ve almost certainly heard about the dangers of burn-in. While I won’t dispute the possibility, the chance of it happening is relatively small, especially on modern OLED displays. It would likely take many hours a day for many days in a row of watching a picture with static images (such as news channels that have ticker scrolls) for the panel to have any significant image retention. Still, the possibility is still there, no matter how remote.

The most significant drawback of OLEDs, though, is cost. The least expense OLED TV this year is LG’s 55-inch BX for $1,400. Prices have been dropping across the board each year, but you’re still looking at a premium of at least $500 over a roughly comparable LCD TV. This might partially be the result of exclusivity: Until this year, only two manufacturers offered OLED TVs in the U.S. But this fall, Vizio is releasing its first OLED, and it was reported at CES 2020 that both Konka and Skyworth will also be joining the fray.

What features should I look for in a new TV?

Resolution: Just as we’ve all started to get comfortable with UHD (or 4K) TVs, the consumer electronics industry is shaking things up again by introducing 8K-capable displays at the higher end of the market. But unless you have an absolute need to be on the bleeding edge of technology (and unless you spend your evenings swimming through your vault full of gold coins), there’s no good reason to get one yet.

In order to actually see the increased resolution of 8K, you’d need to either sit ridiculously close to your screen or have a really big screen (e.g., no more than 3.5 feet away from a 55-inch TV or 5.5 feet away from an 85-incher). Then there’s the fact that there’s almost no 8K content available to watch. There have been a few movies filmed in 8K (and I do mean a few) and some sports content, but we are still years away from a steady flow of 8K content.

“But next-gen consoles!” I hear you cry from our comments section. “Sony and Microsoft say they can output 8K!” First, thank you for not typing in all caps. Second, yes that’s true, but the likelihood of seeing any appreciable number of games rendered in actual 8K resolution anytime soon is incredibly small. More likely, any content you have will be upconverted to 8K.

There are other 8K considerations (HDMI cables, internet speeds), but I’ve already said more about resolution than really needs to be said. 4K is great. Wait for 8K.

HDR: There are currently five types of high dynamic range (HDR): HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG, and Advanced HDR. HDR10 is the most ubiquitous of these, and the most widely supported. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision differ from HDR10 primarily in the fact that they rely on dynamic rather than static metadata. To understand what this means, consider that most HDR content available today is mastered to standards far beyond the capabilities of today’s displays. The metadata included with HDR video allows the display to know what the peak brightness and chromaticity of a given video are, so that it can tonemap the video to match the capabilities of the display. Static metadata provides only the minimum, maximum, and average brightness for an entire film. Dynamic metadata, on the other hand, delivers this information on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis, which enables the display to deliver a more precise tonemap from moment to moment.

HLG, aka Hybrid Log Gamma, was developed by the BBC in Britain and NHK in Japan. It can be interpreted by SDR displays as an SDR signal, and by HDR displays (that accept HLG) as an HDR signal. Its primary application is in television broadcasts, and we’ll likely be seeing it applied in that capacity more often over the next few years.

Advanced HDR was developed by Technicolor and is actually comprised of three different HDR standards: SL-HDR1, SL-HDR2, and SL-HDR3. As of now, there’s no Advanced HDR content, and LG recently pulled its support of the format, so it may soon become a casualty of the HDR wars. There’s a chance the HDR10+ will be the next casualty now that 20th Century Studios abandoned it in favor Dolby Vision. For now, though, it still is used by some streaming providers, such as Amazon Prime Video.

HDMI 2.1: Enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting this new HDMI spec, and some of its features, such as eARC, have been appearing on consumer electronics devices for a while now. But the biggest change from HDMI 2.0 isn’t features, but bandwidth. The former is capped at 18Gbps, which has been fine up until now for 4K signals at 60Hz. HDMI 2.1, however, provides up to 48 Gbps, which will support resolutions up to 10K with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. You can read more about HDMI 2.1 here.

Obviously 10K resolution won’t be a concern for quite a few years (considering 8K isn’t yet worth our time and 4K is still really hitting its stride), but that boost in refresh rate is huge, especially for gamers. Next-gen consoles will have an HDMI 2.1 connection and support 4K at 120Hz, so if you’re planning to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X, finding a TV with 4K 120Hz support should be high on your priority list.

Other Gaming Considerations: There are a few other features that are of utmost importance to gamers, either for better performance or better quality of life. Input lag measures, in milliseconds, how quickly a button press on a controller translates to an onscreen action. Ideally this number will be in the mid-teens or lower. When it starts climbing above 30ms, some gamers will feel the lag. In order to get low input lag numbers, most televisions include a specific Game Mode.

Some TVs have an auto low latency mode (ALLM) that will switch the settings to the best gaming setup the TV can provide when it senses a signal from a video game. It’s a nice bonus to not have to worry about finding the TV remote to enable gaming mode or switch to a game picture mode.

Another big gaming-centric feature is Variable Refresh Rate, which locks the refresh rate of a game to the display to avoid any screen tearing. Tearing occurs when the TV receives the next frame of video while it’s still flashing the previous frame, causing moving parts of the screen to have jagged edges and look torn apart.

Enough with the tech lessons! Which TV should I buy?

The Best TVs for dark media rooms and home theaters:

If you have the ability to control the light in your viewing room, then you’ll want a television that has the deepest black level you can get. If you’ve read all of the above, you’ll already know that that’s an OLED. And the overall best out there right now is the CX series from LG.

It looks the same as last year’s excellent C9 series, but LG has added a 48-inch size to their 55-, 65-, and 75-inch offerings, so you’ll be able to find the right size for your room. The CX comes with the new Filmmaker Mode, developed by the UHD Alliance, which disables post-processing on the TV and displays the movie or TV show as intended by the creator. All CX models also have HDMI 2.1, a native 120Hz panel, and support 4K/120, which should also make them appealing to gamers.

If you’re not dead-set on buying a new TV immediately, you should also keep an eye out for the new Vizio OLED coming soon. Pricing is a couple hundred dollars less than the CX series (comparable to LG’s BX series), and Vizio’s OLED may very well stand up to LG in terms of performance.

Best TVs for brighter rooms:

If your room has a lot of ambient light, or if you aren’t able to suitably control the light level, then you’ll need something bright to combat it. For such rooms, we really love the Hisense H9G (review coming soon). It has significant light output that will overcome ambient light and glare, making it a great choice for daytime viewing. Viewing angle performance leaves a bit to be desired (it is a VA panel, after all), and out-of-the-box color accuracy isn’t the greatest, so for top performance you’ll want to get it calibrated. But it’s also just under $1,000 for a 65-inch TV, making it a great value.

If you want something with better color accuracy out of the box (much better, actually), look to Vizio. Its P-Series Quantum X from last year (reviewed here) is an absolute light cannon, and I have every expectation that this year’s update will be, as well. The 65-inch 2020 model is also listed at $1,500, a cool $700 less than the version Andrew Robinson reviewed last year.

The Best TVs for gaming:

This might sound familiar. The LG CX series is an excellent choice for gaming. It has HDMI 2.1, a native 120Hz panel, enough bandwidth to support 4K/120 from next-gen consoles, as well as VRR support, Auto Low-Latency Mode, and exceedingly low input lag in game mode. Add to that top-notch black levels, contrasts, and color, and your games will look incredible.

But if you aren’t up for spending $2,300 for a 65-inch LG CX, you could spend about half that for a 65-inch Sony X900H. It touts many of the same gaming features as the LG CX, or at least it will with an expected firmware update later this year (hopefully in time for next-gen console release).

A great 4K HDR TV for budget shoppers or first-time 4K buyers:

If you’re just looking for a solid, all-purpose UHD/HDR TV and the aforementioned prices are daunting, the TCL 5-series offers decent performance for a bargain price. The $629.99 65-inch TCL 65S535 is a QLED set (so it has quantum dot technology for better brightness and color gamut coverage), and has some features you’ll find on higher-end sets, like ALLM for gaming, eARC, Dolby Vision support, and full-array local dimming. It also uses the Roku smart TV platform, which has been a favorite around these parts for a while now. Of course, you won’t be getting the performance of displays costing two, three, or four times as much, but if you’re upgrading from HD for the first time, prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the picture from this little overperformer.

The best TVs for big families (or watch-parties with your friends):

When it’s less risky to have big groups of people over again, it’s going to be important to have a television that gives good performance no matter where you sit. As mentioned above, one of the drawbacks of LCD TVs (especially those with VA panels) is mediocre viewing angles. Colors get screwy and the image gets more washed out as brightness suffers. So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, look for an OLED if you expect to have your media room full of viewers. The LG CX will accommodate a group sitting all around the room and still give excellent performance for all. If you want to trim a couple hundred bucks off the price, the BX series gives similar performance, although with somewhat lower peak-brightness levels.

Our favorite TV overall:

You probably could have guessed this from reading all of the above, but my all-around favorite TV for 2020 (so far, at least) is the LG CX. There are some pricier OLEDs, such as LG’s ZX series or Sony’s MASTER Series, and these do offer a bit of a performance bump compared with the CX, but I don’t think it’s commensurate with the price increase. The CX series is also available in a wide range of sizes, from 48 inches up to 77 inches, making it easy to find the right display for your room and your preferred seating distance. Simply put, the CX has everything you could reasonably ask for in a TV right now, except for eye-reactive brightness levels. So, unless you watch movies and TV in a brightly lit room, it’s the TV to beat for now.

Additional Resources
• Read HomeTheaterReview’s AV Receiver Buyer’s Guide.
• If you want more in-depth coverage of individual products, visit our TV category page.

World News

HomeTheaterReview’s Wireless Over-Ear Headphone Buyer’s Guide (December 2020 Update)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Dennis Burger

HomeTheaterReview Wireless Headphone Buyer's Guide

When Jerry Del Colliano wrote the original version of this buyer’s guide back in 2018, the headphone jack was becoming an endangered species. Apple had just done away with the 3.5mm audio output on its iPhone 7 the year before, ushering into the era of wireless portable listening for Cupertino-philes. In the two years since, wireless headphones (and even earphones) have only become a more essential element of everyone’s travel (or even commuting) kit.

Since then, Bluetooth 5 has also taken over the market, meaning that today’s wireless headphones perform better than ever before, offer better battery life, a more reliable connection, and less latency. Simply put, if you’re still dangling a cord between your mobile device and your cranium, you’re missing out on some of the most compelling new products from some of the most revered names in headphone manufacturing.

Major mainstream brands like Beats, Bose, Sony and other mass-market brands obviously dominate the market. But even more boutique, professional, and/or audiophile companies like Bowers & Wilkins, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica have fully embraced Bluetooth as the preferred connection for on-the-go listening.

So, assuming you haven’t departed the over-ear headphone train entirely for the upstart “True Wireless Earphone” category, how do you pick between the multitude of wireless cans on store shelves these days? It really comes down to what your needs and preferences are. But before we dig into the specifics…

Let’s Talk Tech

While the wireless aspect of this guide was driven by market pressure, the over-ear part may not seem so obvious. We decided to concentrate our efforts there because over-ear cans offer the best mix of comfort and – just as important – performance. On-ear headphones, while more compact, aren’t generally as comfortable and don’t always provide as much sound isolation, nor can they support drivers as large as most over-ears can. And in-ears just don’t work for all listeners.

Most of the over-ear wireless headphones released since we last updated this guide rely on Bluetooth 5, as mentioned above, which not only improves connectivity but also speeds up the pair process and allows for features like multi-point, meaning you can connect your headphones to more than one device. You might have your laptop and mobile phone connected simultaneously, for example, so you can enjoy Netflix or your favorite games from one device, but switch over to the other at the touch of a button when a call comes in.

Some headphones support NFC pairing and others don’t. Some smartphones support NFC pairing and others don’t. But even if you’re in the “don’t” category, it’s really as easy as putting the headphones into pairing mode (which generally involves holding down the pairing button or a dedicated sync button for a few seconds and listening for some sort of Vegas-like chime), navigating to your settings or system preferences on your mobile device, finding the headphones, then pairing them. After that initial pairing is made, connecting your headphones to your mobile devices is often as simple as turning them both on.

At least, that’s true in principle. More and more wireless cans these days actually require that you bring an app into the pairing process, which may be seen as a minor inconvenience. The best of these apps, though, add essential features like custom EQ settings and other sound-tuning features, as well as multiple levels of customizable active noise cancellation.

Battery life on today’s over-ear wireless headphones is generally awesome. 20-plus hours is more common than anything less. Some headphones can last 30 hours or more, but that can sometimes come with added weight, which over time can be somewhat fatiguing or lead to uncomfortable temperatures, neither of which is preferable.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at our recent favorite wireless over-ear headphones, starting with what matters most to Home Theater Review readers: sound quality.

The Best Sounding Over-Ear Wireless Headphones

If your attitude toward wireless headphones could mostly be described as “seething resignation” and you’re simply looking for the best sound you can get from the current crop of mobile-friendly over-ears, we think your best bet is the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphone (reviewed here). It’s hardly the sexiest headphone you can buy right now – far from it, in fact – but in terms of sheer audio quality, it’s difficult to beat. Mind you, that’s not a reference to the out-of-the-box sound of the XM4, which is a little lacking in the upper-midrange to mid-treble. Thankfully, though, the custom EQ built into the Sony Headphones Connect app allows you to dial in absolute sonic perfection in just a few seconds. Tweak the 2.5K and 6.3K bands just a smidge, and what you’re left with is one of the most sonically neutral (not to mention detailed and expansive) portable over-ear headphones on the market, wireless or not.

The WH-1000XM4 is also super-light and incredibly comfortable, and its noise-cancellation is, in some ways, better than the reigning ANC champion, the Bose 700. But we’ll dig into that a bit more in the next section.

If the Sony is a little too drab for your tastes, we also really like the sound of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless (reviewed here), which is a lot more stylish to boot. By default, the sound of the Momentum 3 is in a lot of respects very similar to that of the WH-1000XM4, just with a bit more low-bass (a little too much for some of us) and a little less consistency at the high end. Depending on your taste in sonic profiles, you may actually prefer the sound of the Sennheiser overall, especially if you’re into bass-heavy tunes.

That said, the Sennheiser Smart Control app only offers three bands of graphic EQ to the Sony’s five bands, which means you can’t dial in true sonic neutrality with as much precision on the Momentum 3. The app also offers a sort of amorphous tonal balance EQ function that you might like, but we preferred the graphic EQ.

So, in the end, while we prefer the sound of the WH-1000XM4 overall, the Sennheiser is a very close second place in this category, and its styling and build quality might make up for the differences in sound quality, if that’s important to you. The Sennheiser also offers pretty decent active noise cancellation, but if that’s high on your list of priorities when shopping for over-ear wireless cans…

The Best Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones

For the longest time, this category was dominated by headphones that didn’t exactly sound great, but nonetheless ruled on airplanes and subways for obvious reasons. In recent years, though, ANC headphones have gotten much better in the sound-quality department, so much so that you can actually use them for music listening rather than just binging your favorite podcasts on cross-country flights.

Unsurprisingly, Bose is still the first name in noise-cancellation, and with good reason. Its NC Headphones 700 offers truly incredible ANC, while also sporting a design that’s a far cry from older Bose models, along with fidelity that won’t make you cringe. If you’re looking to block out the drone of a jet engine while not looking like an absolute dork – and while actually getting some enjoyment out of your music – the Bose 700 is hard to beat.

That said, in the past we would have had to give any competition in this category a patronizing “runner up” prize. But in recent years, other companies have really started to catch up to Bose in the ANC department. And in some ways, they’ve gotten better. The Sony WH-1000XM4, for example, may not be able to best the Bose 700 when it comes to blocking the very lowest of low-frequency noise. But when it comes to cancelling out the midrange and low-mid-frequency sounds like the hustle-bustle of traffic, the chatter of crowds in a coffee shop, or the constant background din of a packed office environment, the XM4 actually manages to top the Bose. (Granted, we know those things aren’t necessarily as much of a concern in the midst of our current pandemic, but 2021 ain’t that far away!)

So if you’re looking for a great set of ANC cans, the first question you need to ask is what sort of noise you want to cancel. Are you a frequent flier? The Bose is probably still the better pick. But if you’re looking to put the kibosh on more pedestrian noises and background chatter, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is our current favorite.

The Sexiest Over-Ear Wireless Headphones

The mere existence of this category is likely to send audiophiles into fits of apoplexy, but for the rest of the world, saying that headphones are a style accessory falls deep into “Well, duh!” territory. So if you’re not as persnickety about sonic perfection and you want to look good while rocking out on the go, we’ve got you covered as well.

For our money, there simply isn’t another wireless over-ear headphone on the market that’s as stylish, luxurious, and well-built as the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 (reviewed here) – especially the new Carbon Edition. The materials, the design, and the tasteful but eye-catching accents all speak to a headphone that looks like it costs way more than its $399 sticker price. True, it’s not quite as portable as other offerings in this list. And its app lacks EQ functionality, so you can’t tailor the sound to your tastes. But the PX7 has a laid-back vibe that works great with Yacht Rock music and hip-hop alike. It also has pretty good noise-cancellation – not up to par with the Bose 700 or Sony XM4, but still good enough to knock the edge off the world around you.

If the B&W PX7 is just a weensy bit too flashy for your style, we also love the somewhat more traditional look of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless (reviewed here). Don’t mistake “traditional” for “boring,” though. The metal arms of the M3W, combined with the genuine leather headband and exposed wiring, combine to create a look that’s equal parts retro and luxurious. The Sennheiser also folds down into a super stylish hatbox-shaped carrying case that takes up less room in your bag, backpack, or carry-on. Given the choice between the two, we would have to give the edge to the B&W overall in terms of look and feel, as well as durability. But the Sennheiser delivers better and more consistent sound quality overall, and its looks just may fit your preferences better.

The Absolute All-Around Best Over-Ear Wireless Headphones (for Now)

The “for now” caveat in the subheading above is important, because we’ve all just witnessed the brouhaha surrounding the release of Apple’s new AirPods Max, which many early reviews are touting as the upstart king of the hill in terms of over-ear sonic performance and noise-cancelling alike.

That said, until we can actually get our hands on the AirPods Max (no easy task given that Apple is out of stock for at least the next 12 to 14 weeks and retailers like Crutchfield aren’t expecting stock until mid-January at the earliest), we think the Sony WH-1000XM4 is the all-around best wireless over-ear headphones you can actually buy right now. And it’s seriously debatable whether the AirPods Max will be better enough to justify their $549 price tag.

Simply put, the Sony XM4 ($350 retail, $278 street price most days) can be dialed in to nigh sonic perfection, and its active noise-cancellation is in some respects a close second to that of the Bose 700, and in other respects actually better. The XM4 is also one of the lightest and most comfortable wireless headphones on the market, and its 30-hour battery life potential is class leading. We also love its fold-down design and its touch-sensitive controls, which manage the near-impossible task of actually being intuitive. The only real downsides are the fact that you need to tweak the EQ settings to achieve all of that sonic perfection mentioned above (details about which you can find in our full review), plus the fact that the WH-1000XM4 looks meh and feels plasticky.

Granted, we’ve been using the XM4 daily for nearly four months now and it still looks like it did straight out of the box, so we have no durability concerns. It’s just that if you’re picky about how your headphones look, you might want to dress the XM4 up with a custom skin.

A slightly more objective criticism is that the Sony XM4 doesn’t stack up to the Bose 700 in terms of call quality, either. But other than that, we love everything about the WH-1000XM4, and we can’t imagine that the AirPods Max will be a smarter purchase, even if it does sound and look a little better. But we’ll have to wait and get our front paws on Apple’s new flagship cans next year to know for sure. And you probably won’t be able to buy them before then anyway.

Of course, new wireless over-ear headphones are hitting the market at an ever-increasing rate as more companies embrace our wireless future. So be sure to keep an eye on our Headphone + Accessory Reviews page if you’re not quite ready to buy right this moment. As new offerings become available, we’ll also keep this guide updated.

World News

WhatsOn: The Slasher Trope Gets a Nostalgic Revamp with AHS: 1984

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Olivia Deveau

American Horror Story: 1984 [Netflix and Amazon Prime | HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1]

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s long-running franchise has built its foundation on trying to be the weirdest, most artfully disturbing and disgusting show on an elite network while maintaining thought-provoking storylines. Some past seasons have achieved this — Murder House and Hotel — while others fall disappointingly short.

1984, the franchise’s ninth season, takes the campy nostalgia and decade parody that was infused throughout Coven, Asylum, and Freak Show, and combines it with the slasher mystery that is present in every single season for a nine-episode run that is wholly expected, but also proves the writers have a few more tricks up their sleeves after a disappointing previous few seasons.

With a leading cast that took a gamble with no recurring fan-favorites — Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson are noticeably absent — and a plotline that seems geared towards a younger audience, AHS: 1984 surprisingly pulled through with pleasing results. The ninth season tackles slasher film tropes head-on, specifically those that dominated the 1980s and ’90s. Five friends decide to escape L.A. and work as counselors at a sleepaway camp and soon find themselves in the murderous midst of a slasher rampage eerily similar to that of real-life serial killer Richard Ramirez — who, played by Zach Villa, makes an appearance in the show.

With episode titles like “Slashdance,” “Red Dawn,” and “Final Girl,” this season relies on its audience to have a knowledge of pop culture history extending to the ’80s, but understands that most of these references and nods to iconic tropes are part of the zeitgeist. In this way, Falchuk and Murphy’s latest creation is one of the most inclusive AHS seasons to be released in a hot minute. It is camp, encapsulated: viewers don’t have to frantically search for Easter eggs hidden in moral lessons, or think about where we go when we die — although the concept of purgatory is explored, but in a fun, fake-blood way. Yes of course, there is societal commentary by way of the leading villain, but not so much that it’s shoved down your throat via musical numbers or meta-commentary.

Falchuk and Murphy prove that, with a franchise as successful and twisted as American Horror Story, sometimes, less is more. Yes, the usual push towards a rejection of the patriarchy and how religious fervor can sometimes do more harm than good is present, but that is to be expected with every release from these creators. Surprises abound, but not ones that you have to think too hard about, and the panic in the show is not so much exaggerated as theatrical. You do not have to get attached to the characters to enjoy them, and there are so many real-life connections to point to, from the Satanic Panic to serial killers that actually terrorized neighborhoods at the time.

AHS: 1984 is now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Viewers should note that both streaming services have the same audio and visual formats, so it really comes down to which you personally prefer. It should also be noted that one of the films the show references is Friday the 13th. Coincidence? Probably, but still pretty cool.

Other view-worthy highlights:

Netflix:
The Crown: Season 4 [Dolby Vision, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] — Longstanding fans of Netflix’s award-winning original series have been waiting with bated breath for Princess Diana’s appearance, and season four finally gives it to them — along with a bit of Margaret Thatcher for good measure. Emma Corrin has been cast perfectly as the beloved Lady Di, who enters the scene in the ’80s and quickly proves to be more than Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) bargained for. Following a more morose season, season four is all about the glamour and intrigue of the ’80s and the queen’s conflict with Thatcher — played by Gillian Anderson, who was most definitely born for this role. The show’s knack for perfectly casting its characters coincides nicely with the plotline that fans have been waiting for: veteran viewers and newcomers alike will not be disappointed. Stream the entire season on November 15.

The Life Ahead [Dolby Vision, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] Sophia Loren makes her grand return to the screen in this Netflix original directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti. Loren stars as Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor who now runs a daycare and is saddled with the care of an orphaned Senegalese boy, Momo, with whom she develops a bond. The heartwarming if clichéd story is a triumphant return for Loren, one of the last few great stars of Hollywood’s golden age. The film is now available to stream.

HBO Max:
His Dark Materials: Season 2 [HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] — Based on Philip Pullman’s darkly enchanting series that tackles themes of adolescent trauma and mental health, the HBO drama returns for a second season. Whether or not you’ve read the books, the show is a truly remarkable adaptation of a vast universe of multi-dimensional characters. The entire first season is available to stream on HBO Max, and the second season premieres on HBO and HBO Max November 16.

Between the World and Me [HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] — This compelling adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book combines footage of the Apollo Theater’s 2018 stage performance with documentary footage of the actors and archival footage as well as animation. Powerful and timely, HBO’s new release is an essential piece of art. The new film, directed by Kamilah Forbes, premieres on HBO and HBO Max on November 21.

Hulu:
No Man’s Land [HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] — This unexpected Hulu Original follows Antoine, a young French man who is searching for his sister in the midst of the Syrian civil war and who ends up joining an all-female Kurdish militia. A dose of thrilling drama from a service that doesn’t always have the best luck with its original releases, No Man’s Land premieres on November 18.

Apple TV+:
Fireball [Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos] — Werner Herzog’s third 2020 release pairs the famed German director with Clive Oppenheimer, a Cambridge University volcanologist, as they try to understand the history and geology of meteorites. Interviewing a range of personalities from a jazz musician to a Jesuit priest, the co-directors explore “space rocks,” and why they are so fascinating and have been a human fascination since the beginning of time. Herzog and Oppenheimer’s film feels less like a straightforward documentary and more of an artful exploration that answers questions in a more dynamic way than other science-based films. The documentary is available now to stream.

Amazon Prime Video:
Small Axe [HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1] — Starting November 20 and every consecutive Friday until December 18, Amazon Prime is releasing a new film from Steve McQueen, each of which focuses on Black life in London, specifically the West Indian community and the racial injustice and prejudice they have faced. Each film focuses on a different time period, from the 1960s to the 1980s, with familiar names starring, such as John Boyega and Letitia Wright. Mangrove premieres on November 20, followed by Lovers Rock on November 27, Red, White and Blue on December 4, Alex Wheatle on December 11, and the series culmination, Education, on December 18.

Additional Resources
• Read Home Cinema’s Streaming Future Is Now at HomeTheaterReview.
• Read WhatsOn: Rashida Jones and Bill Murray are the Duo You Never Knew You Needed at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Read WhatsOn: Open Your Eyes to Another Dark Drama from HBO at HomeTheaterReview.com.

World News

HomeTheaterReview’s AV Receiver Buyer’s Guide (November 2020 Update)

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Dennis Burger

It’s an incredibly confusing time to be shopping for a new AV receiver. Of course, if you’re not a hardcore home theater enthusiast, it’s probably always a confusing time to be shopping for an AVR, but this particular moment in time is a bit of a head-scratcher for all of us. As such, we’re introducing an interim update to our buyer’s guide for AV receivers from a slightly different angle than previous updates.

Simply put, our best buying advice for new or upgrading home theater enthusiasts is that if you’re thinking about buying a new AVR right now, you may be better off either waiting another six months or so, or perhaps buying a 2019 model instead, for reasons we’ll discuss below. Or maybe not. Hopefully you’ll be able to answer that question for yourself by the end of this diatribe.

The number one reason why right now might not be the best time to buy a new receiver is simple: HDMI 2.1, the long-promised upgrade of the perennial digital audio and video interconnect protocol, is finally here. And we’re starting to see new AVRs with HDMI 2.1 connectivity at every price point roll out from many of the major brands.

But there’s a problem with most if not all of them. As it turns out, the chips used by these HDMI 2.1-compliant receivers aren’t actually compatible with at least some of the HDMI 2.1 sources on the market, like the Xbox Series X. While these receivers will pass through 4K/60 video just fine, they reportedly deliver nothing but a black screen if you attempt to pass through 4K/120 or 8K/60 video content. We’re not certain yet if these issues also affect the PS5 — we’re getting conflicting reports — nor do we know what the solution will be, but it almost certainly won’t be a software update.

Before I dig too much deeper, I’ll once again inject my standard caveat here at the giddy-up: If you’re a home theater enthusiast and a regular HomeTheaterReview.com reader, this guide is not for you. You probably already know what you’re looking for in a new AVR and you’re just waiting for reviews to confirm your suspicions. If the new AVR your heart desires isn’t the subject of a full review yet, it hopefully will be soon. Hold tight.

As always, this guide is for the burgeoning, new, or curious home theater shopper who feels overwhelmed by options, doesn’t have time to dig through all of the standalone reviews to find the right model, and probably doesn’t even know what all this HDMI 2.1 business is about.

We’ll start, as always, with a sort of Choose Your Own Adventure for AV shoppers, except that none of the choices is likely to result in your untimely demise.

First Question: Is now the right time to buy a receiver?

If you’re not a gamer? Absolutely. If you are, though… Well…

Since the advent of digital video, namely HDMI, prospective AV receiver shopper have had to struggle with the issue of whether a new purchase made today would be obsolete by this time next year. For the past few years, that’s hasn’t been quite as pressing a concern, but has become one once again. As a result of the pending release of HDMI 2.1, most AV manufacturers didn’t fully flesh out their 2019 model lineups as fully as they’ve done in the past.

So, as we stand here approaching the end of 2020, many of the most compelling AV receivers are actually 2018 models with a handful of features borrowed from the HDMI 2.1 specification tacked on. Namely, features like Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

The full spec, though, will also include support for up to 10,240 × 4,320 resolution video (“10K”) at refresh rates up to 120 frames per second, which your next TV and/or gaming console may support. But perhaps most importantly for video gamers, the HDMI 2.1 will also support Variable Refresh Rate, one of the most intriguing new features of the next-gen video game consoles. Again, though, only after the manufacturers get the issues with the current HDMI 2.1 hardware mentioned above sorted out.

Those of you who don’t dabble in video gaming may not be familiar with the concept of Variable Refresh Rate, but it’s been a thing in PC gaming for a while now. Simply put, the graphics processors built into video game consoles aren’t always capable of maintaining a constant refresh rate (or frame rate, if you will). When the action onscreen gets intense — when there are more baddies to battle or more complex architecture to explore or rapid changes to the scenery overall — the graphics processor gets bogged down a little and can’t render new images as consistently.

With VRR properly implemented, and supported by every relevant device in your signal chain (console, HDMI cables, AV receiver, display), the display will be able to sync with the graphics processor and avoid problems caused by a mismatch between the TV’s refresh rate and the video game console’s. It’s a lot more complex than that gross oversimplification would indicate, and we probably need to do an entire article soon on the workings and implications of Variable Refresh Rate. Just know that if you’re a gamer looking to purchase one of the next-gen consoles, and you’re pretty sure you’re going to buy a new TV in the next five years or so, you likely want to go buy an AV receiver that fully supports HDMI 2.1. But again, just be aware that the current crop of HDMI 2.1-equipped receivers has problems.

If, on the other hand, you’re not a gamer at all and have no intention of ever being one, the question becomes a little simpler: Do you plan on buying an 8K TV in the next few years? If so, it definitely makes sense to hang onto whatever AVR you currently have and wait for a 2021 model equipped with corrected HDMI 2.1 hardware. If not, you may be safe buying one of our recommended AVRs below from 2018/2019. Just understand the consequences of doing so.

Either way, for now the only way to be certain you’ll get 4K/120 or 8K/60 video to your display while also enjoying surround or object-based sound from your receiver is to connect your source component directly to your 8K TV and then route audio from the TV to the receiver via eARC. And that’s true whether you have a 2019-model AV receiver or a 2020 model.

Second Question: How many speakers do you need?

So, let’s say you’ve dug through the previous wall of text and you’re still pretty set on buying an AV receiver. Read over the latest AVR reviews and you’d be led to believe that anything less than sixteen channels hardly counts as a proper home theater these days. Don’t feel beholden to this notion. Even if you want to build a full-blown object-based* Dolby Atmos/DTS:X sound system with speakers on every flat surface of your listening room, you might find that — depending on the depth of your room from back to front — you won’t necessarily hear an appreciable difference between four and six overhead speakers. Indeed, if you have a room that’s not all that deep, you may also find that it isn’t really worth it to go with seven speakers at ear level versus five.

(*For what it’s worth, I’ll be using “object-based” as a shorthand for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X throughout this guide. You don’t really need to understand what that means, but in case you’re curious: these 3D surround sound formats rely on audio objects to position sounds in three-dimensional space. Instead of a mixer saying, “This bullet moves from the front right speaker to the left rear surround,” he or she assigns the sound of the bullet to a virtual object that moves through 3D space. Your AV receiver or preamp then decides which speakers it should use to deliver that sound based on the layout of your speaker system.)

Atmos and DTS:X speaker setups follow the old convention of 5.1 and 7.1 channels, with the addition of an extra dot and an extra numeral: e.g., 5.1.2 would be a simple 5.1 system (five ear-level speakers and at least one subwoofer) with the addition of two height (or ceiling) speakers. 7.1.4 would be a 7.1 setup (5.1 plus two rear surrounds in most cases) plus four overhead speakers. Why didn’t they go with something easier to understand, like 7.1+4? Honestly, I don’t know.

At any rate, if you add up the first numeral and the last, and you know how many channels of amplification you need, since most subwoofers have their own built-in amps. For 5.1.2, you need seven amplified channels — the same as you’d need for a 7.1 setup. For 5.1.4 or 7.1.2, you need nine channels of amplification, and most AV receivers that are so-equipped can easily be configured for either setup.

Many such receivers also allow you to add some number of additional outboard amps to the equation if you want to expand even further. But if you’re willing to pay the price, you can easily find good mass-market AV receivers with 13 channels of amplification built in — enough for a 7.1.6-channel setup.

“But wait!” I hear you asking: “What about 7.2.6 channels?” Yes, you’ll often see receivers that use a 2 instead of a 1 in the second digit. This sometimes means that the receiver is capable of sending unique low-frequency signals to two independent subwoofers in your room, each of which can be EQ’d and delayed separately. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes it just means that the receiver has two subwoofer outputs that operate as if you took a single subwoofer output and stuck a y-splitter on it. That’s an important distinction that we’ll touch upon later, once we start to narrow down our choices.

And hey, if you don’t care about Atmos or DTS:X, that’s cool, too. Not everyone needs overhead speakers. In fact, when I’m reviewing an object-based receiver, I hang temporary ceiling speakers then pull them down when I’m done. For day-to-day listening, 5.2 or 7.2 works great for me. I find the aggressive mixes of most Atmos and DTS:X movies to be kitschy and distracting.

The good news is, if you feel the same way, there are still some really solid options for simple ear-level surround sound systems, even though object-based surround dominates the discussion. Or you can simply buy one of the fancier models and ignore the outputs you don’t want to use.

Or, as of late summer 2019, you can opt for a solution that’s somewhere in the middle. Many offerings from this year’s new slate of receivers feature a technology called Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, which applies processing to your ear-level speakers to create the illusion of overhead speakers where none exist. Make no mistake about it: this processing is subtle. In other words, it’s not going to sound as if you have four in-ceiling speakers installed at precise locations overhead. But it does add a convincing height element to the mix, extending sound effects upward and overhead, just without any sort of pinpoint specificity and without any of the shifts in tonality and timbre that have plagued previous technologies that purportedly serve the same function, like DTS Virtual:X. For my in-depth impressions of this virtualization technology, check out my standalone review of Marantz’ SR6014 AV receiver.

Before you make any decisions about whether to go with (or forgo) a full-blown Dolby Atmos/DTS:X setup, though, you really should seek out a demo and hear the difference for yourself, since this is a very subjective consideration. It would be a shame to buy a 7.1-channel receiver now only to realize six months down the road that four overhead speakers really make your tasty bits tingle. You also may find the subtlety of Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization underwhelming, no matter how much I like it. The good news is, most AVRs that support this new height virtualization technology also feature enough amps and speaker connections to hook up a genuine object-based speaker setup.

Third Question: How many watts per channel do you need?

Figuring out how much power you need from an AV receiver is tough, partly because power ratings can be wholly misleading. You might find a great AVR that meets all of your other needs and see that it lists 200 watts per channel on the side of the box, only to read the fine print and discover that said 200 watts is only achievable if you connect a single speaker to it and play homebrewed recordings of Rainforest Pygmy chants at midnight on the summer solstice. I’m exaggerating a little, but not by much.

A more realistic example: you may find that an AV receiver that boasts 125 watts per channel on the side of the box only really delivers 55 watts of clean power per channel once you connect two speakers to it and feed it a full-frequency signal — and even less than that by the time you connect seven or nine or however many speakers.

The bottom line is this: how much power you need really depends on how big your room is and the specific characteristics of the speakers you’re installing in it. If you want to understand more about the relationship between speakers and amps, you can read my primer on the topic: How to Pick the Right Amp for Your Speakers (or Vice Versa).

Fourth Question: How many HDMI inputs do you need?

Whatever answer you come up with, add at least one to the total, just to be safe. The good news is, most AV receivers these days offer seven HDMI inputs. The bad news is, that’s exactly how many HDMI inputs I need for my main media room (Roku Ultra media streamer + Control4 home automation controller + UHD Blu-ray player + Apple TV 4K (mostly just for Twitch, which Roku lacks) + Kaleidescape movie server + PlayStation 4 + Nintendo Switch), with no room to grow. Who really needs an Xbox anyway, though?

Ultimately, this consideration can keep otherwise great receivers out of the equation, even if you only need a simple speaker setup without a ton of power. The simple fact of the matter is that, as mentioned above, you can leave speaker outputs unused, and even drive small speakers with huge amps with no problem. But if you have more HDMI sources than you have HDMI inputs, adding an external HDMI switcher can make your AV system unnecessarily complicated to control.

Fifth Question: Do you want a fancy audiophile brand or something you can buy at Amazon or Best Buy?

You may be asking right now: “What’s the difference?” That’s not an easy question to answer, but you’ll often find that most of the AV receivers you’ll find at your local big-box store sound remarkably similar, as long as you ignore their room correction software and assuming they deliver equal power. And I mean actual equal power, not the number on the side of the box.

Step up to an audiophile offering, though, and you’ll likely find that you get better, more robust amps with more realistic power ratings, so you have a better idea of how the receiver will perform in your room. You may not get quite as many features as you will on the current crop of big-box-brand receivers, mind you, but it’s up to you to decide how important those features are.

What you’ll also find is that stepping up to an audiophile brand likely gets you better room correction, which is really the number one differentiator between most receivers, at least in terms of how they sound. If you want to understand the differences between the most common room correction systems, read my updated primer on the topic: Room Correction Revisited.

Sixth Question: Stop asking me questions and just tell me what to buy!

That’s not a question, but I hear you.

A lot of people will likely disagree with this advice (pop a bowl of popcorn before dipping into the comments section, because this is going to lead to some Real Housewives-level drama), but most people who want a mass-market receiver should just buy the Denon or Marantz model that checks off all the right boxes in terms of HDMI inputs, speaker outputs, amplification ratings, and price (in pretty much exactly that order of priority).

That’s not to say that other mass-market manufacturers don’t make receivers with a lot of compelling features. If you’re already invested in Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom streaming ecosystem, a Yamaha might make more sense for you. If Sony’s five-year warranty sparks joy in your heart, sure thing — get a Sony. But remember: if you already knew those things, this guide isn’t really for you.

For most people, a Denon or Marantz offers the right mix of features, performance, reliability, and — most importantly — ease of setup. Their setup wizard holds your hand through the entire setup process in a really intuitive way.

What’s more, while most AV receiver manufacturers rely on their own proprietary (and often lacking) room correction systems, Denon and Marantz use Audyssey, which I didn’t really dig just a few years ago, but which has developed into a very respectable room correction and auto-speaker calibration system in recent years. (Compare my original primer on room correction to the updated guide to see just how much Audyssey advanced recently.)

In case you didn’t know already, Denon and Marantz are sister companies. The main differences between them these days mostly boil down to their amplification and a resulting subtle difference in sound. If you tend to use your AV receiver mostly for movies, Denon may be your better pick. If you do a lot of music listening, you might prefer Marantz’s HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) circuitry, which contributes to a sound that many people describe as more musical.

If you want an audiophile receiver, my advice used to be simple: just get an Anthem. Anthem Room Correction is one of the three best room correction systems on the market (the other two being Dirac and Trinnov, the latter of which is limited to super-expensive preamp/processors).

But we’re also starting to see new AVRs from brands like NAD come out with a new implementation of Dirac that’s seriously enticing. The NAD T 778, for example, is a fantastic high-end receiver. But it does ask a lot of you in terms of setup, making it less than ideal for the home theater novice.

The bigger problem, though — with the NAD and Anthem receivers alike — is their reliance on older HDMI 2.0b technology. Anthem has yet to make any firm commitments to a timeline for HDMI 2.1. The NAD, on the other hand, does benefit from modular construction, which means that it should be eligible for an HDMI 2.1 board upgrade at some point without having to replace the entire AVR. But there’s no indication yet of how much that may cost (previous NAD HDMI upgrade boards have ranged in price from $299 to $699).

On the buying advice…

With all of that said, if you desperately need a new AV receiver right this very now and you simply cannot wait for all of the new HDMI 2.1 models to start rolling out so we can give this guide a proper 2020 update, here are our favorites as of June 2020.

Our Favorites

Let’s start with the simplest AV receivers and work our way up from there.

If you just need a simple 5.1 or 7.1 receiver without all the fuss and muss and 8K or next-gen gaming isn’t even on your radar…

Marantz has a pair of really compelling slimline receivers that may be perfect for your needs, assuming what you need is straightforward simplicity and a chassis that’s a little less obtrusive than most.If you just want five ear-level speakers, the NR1510 is a 5.1-channel offering that takes up half the space of a normal AV receiver, making it a great option if big black boxes aren’t your thing. The NR1710 ups the channel count to 7.1, which may be enticing if your room is a little deeper and there’s plenty of space between your seat and the back wall. The NR1710 also supports Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, which the NR1510 doesn’t, so if you’re interested in experiencing a subtler form of object-based surround sound without installing ceiling speakers or height modules, it may be the better pick. You can also upgrade the NR1710 to a true 5.1.2 object-based setup, should you decide to install overhead speakers or up-firing speaker modules.

Since you’re getting so many features in such a slim package, there are potential downsides. Neither of these relies on Marantz’s HDAM circuitry (so ignore what I said above about the general sonic differences between Denon and Marantz), and output is limited to 50 watts per channel. The NR1510 also only has five back-panel HDMI inputs (and one around front), so if you have a lot of HDMI sources, the NR1710 would be the better pick (it has seven HDMI inputs on the back and one up front).

The NR1710 will also scale video from your HDMI-connected source devices up to 4K, whereas the NR1509 offers no video scaling. That’s an important consideration, even if you don’t need the two extra channels of amplification. In short, between the two I think the NR1710 is the better pick for most people, even if your speaker system is limited to 5.1 and even if you don’t care about Height Virtualization.

If, on the other hand, you don’t mind installing a full-sized receiver, and you’re looking for something cheap and reliable, I really like the $499 Denon AVR-S750H. Yes, this 7.1-channel receiver supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (in a 5.1.2-channel configuration–which, if you’ll remember, means 5.1 plus two overhead speakers), but that doesn’t mean you have to configure it as such. You can use it as a 7.1 or simple 5.1 receiver with no problems. If you do so, it also supports Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Its 75 watts of power per channel means that it’s a better choice than either of the slimline Marantz offerings if you have a mid-sized room or less sensitive speakers, but of course it does take up more space than either of those models.

One other significant advantage over the slim Marantz models is that you can use the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App (an extra $19.99 purchase) to tweak the settings of its room correction to deliver better results in your room. With a total of six HDMI inputs (five ’round back, one up front), the AVR-S750H is a little limited in terms of connectivity, but if that’s enough for you, have at it. Perhaps more importantly, though, it doesn’t feature video upscaling, so if you watch a lot of 720p TV channels on a 75-inch 4K TV, you might instead step up to something like Denon’s $599 AVR-S950H, even if you don’t need as many HDMI ports as it provides (seven ’round back, one up front).

Another slight step up would be the $799 AVR-X2600H, which adds second-zone preamplifier outputs and a step up to Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction.

If you’re willing and able to spend a little more for better performance and more flexibility but don’t need 8K…

The next significant step up is Denon’s $1,099 AVR-X3600H. This 9.2– (not 9.1-) channel receiver is where you start to get into independent measuring and setup of more than one subwoofer, which usually (although not always) results in smoother, more even bass response from seat to seat in your listening room. It also includes the best form of Audyssey room correction in MultEQ XT32. If you want to go Atmos and DTS:X, the AVR-X3600H is good for a 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 setup without additional amplification. Or you can simply rely on its Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization technology.

And if for some reason you find that its 105 watts per channel of amplification isn’t enough for you (if, say, you move it to a bigger room), the AVR-X3600H has 7.2-channel preamp outputs, meaning you can add your own external seven-channel amp to the equation and just use the receiver as a preamplifier. A total of eight HDMI inputs (seven around back, one up front) mean that most people will have a little bit of headroom in terms of digital AV connectivity. Just know that this product’s successor is already slated for a July 15 release date.

For the semi-equivalent Marantz offering, I really like the $999 SR5014. Unlike the aforementioned NR1509 and NR1609, this one does feature Marantz’s own proprietary amp circuitry, so you’ll likely find that its sound is dynamic and more musical to your ears than that of the Denon AVR-X3600H. It does offer slightly less power per channel, though, at 100 watts, and is limited to seven amplified channels, not nine.

Otherwise, their feature sets are pretty comparable: both offer Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom streaming, along with support for all of the current AV standards. The Denon offers a second-zone HDMI output, which the SR5014 lacks. Also, the SR5014 lacks a feature from last year’s Marantz offering at this level, the SR5013: multi-channel analog inputs. This may be important if you have an audiophile Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray player with DVD-Audio and/or SACD playback capabilities. If you want the multichannel analog inputs from last year, plus the Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization from this year, you’ll need to step up to the $1,499 SR6014, which also ups the output to 110 watts per channel and the amplified channel count up to nine.

If you need a bit more power and aren’t a gamer…

I mentioned in the updated intro to this guide that the summer/autumn 2019 offerings from most AVR manufacturers weren’t as fully fleshed out as in previous years due to the impeding release of HDMI 2.1, which are still rolling out as we speak.

As of this writing, the two AVRs with HDMI 2.1 capabilities that we can recommend with some reservations are the Denon AVR-X4700H ($1699) and AVR-X6700H ($2499).

The AVR-X4700H features nine channels of amplification with dynamic power rated at 125 watts per channel and can function as an 11.2-channel preamplifier if you want to bring your own amps to the party. The X4000H level is the most popular model in any given year amongst HomeTheaterReview readers, and for good reason: it may not feature the absolute max in terms of output and channel count, but it’s a hell of a bargain in terms of output for the price.

The AVR-X6700H, meanwhile, features eleven amplified channels (with dynamic power rated at 140 watts per channel), meaning you don’t need additional amps for a 7.2.4 setup. Connect an extra stereo amp, though, and the X6700H will be able to process up to 13.2 channels of DTS:X Pro audio via a future firmware update.

Bot the AVR-X4700H and AVR-X6700H deliver a whole host of features new to this year’s lineup, including:

- 8K passthrough and upscaling.*
- 4K/120Hz.*
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for reduced lag, stutter, and frame tearing when gaming via next-gen consoles.
- HDR10+ pass-through capabilities.
- Quick Media Switching (QMS).
- Quick Frame Transport (QFT).

But as I mentioned above, the HDMI chips used by these AVRs have exhibited problems delivering the top two features with HDMI 2.1 sources like computer video cards and at least one of the next-gen consoles. So if that’s why you’re planning on buying them, you should hold off for now and maybe wait for next year’s equivalents, or possibly a rolling fix from Denon.

If you want to go big and go home with Atmos and DTS:X (and can wait a bit for HDMI 2.1 functionality)…

It’s highly unlikely that someone looking for this sort of shopping advice would need or want anything more than the products mentioned above. But on the off-chance that you have a good reason to expand beyond four overhead speakers (maybe you have a couple of rows of seating in your media room, for example), Denon’s AVR-X8500H 13.2-Channel AV Receiver is a beast of a machine. For Dolby Atmos, it can be configured for 7.2.6- or 9.2.4-channel listening, although with DTS:X material its limited to decoding of 7.1.4 or 5.1.6 channels for now. And with 150 watts per channel of output, it’s plenty powerful enough for most rooms and most speaker systems. It’s also eligible for upgrades down the road, although we’ve heard no official word yet about when an HDMI 2.1 upgrade will be available (the rumor mill has it at early 2021). You can read our review of the AVR-X8500H for a complete rundown of its features and capabilities.

If you’re interested in one of those audiophile offerings mentioned above…

You might want to wait until Anthem’s new lineup starts to roll out in December. Just to reiterate the deciding factors mentioned above: they have more robust amplification than most mass-market receivers, and their Anthem Room Correction system is absolutely aces. Could you get better results with an AV receiver equipped with Dirac room correction? Maybe. If you really understand room acoustics and know what you’re doing.

If that’s the case, you might instead opt for NAD’s newer T 778 AV receiver, which not only boasts the latest version of Dirac, but also a beast of an amplification section and support for Bluesound, which is — in my opinion — a much better wireless multiroom music system than Chromecast, which the Anthems support.

In either case, you have to consider that audiophile receivers rarely follow the same yearly update cycle as mass-market receivers do, and their manufacturers rarely buy in the same volume as mass-market AVR makers, so these boutique brands don’t have HDMI 2.1 capabilities yet. But they do feature upgradable hardware and will benefit from HDMI 2.1 replacement boards when the chipsets are available and fully tested. In an interesting turn of events, it’s looking as if this circuitous route to the new HDMI standard will actually prove to be the better choice. Yes, you’ll have to wait a little longer, but at least you’ll know you’re getting HDMI 2.1 switching and passthrough that actually works.

Unfortunately, Anthem’s new AVRs as well as NAD’s lack 7.1-channel analog inputs, so if you need those your shopping options are a little more complicated. Why would you need those? If, for example, you have a fancy audiophile universal disc player with its own internal DAC that you prefer. But if that’s the case, chances are pretty slim that you’re reading an AVR buyer’s guide, so you go do you, Boo.

If none of the above gives you concern, you may still be left wondering which specific model is right for you.

In short: The Anthem MRX 540 if you just want a 5.1- or 5.2-channel sound system and have a relatively small room.

The Anthem MRX 740 is a better choice if your room is a little bigger or you want to up the channel count to 7.2. The MRX 720 also features 11.2-channel preamp outputs if you want to go full-blown Atmos/DTS:X and don’t mind bringing your own amps to the party.

If you want the biggest, most speaker-packed all-in-one audiophile Dolby Atmos/DTS:X solution without adding amps, the MRX 1140 is where it’s at. It offers 11 amplified channels and 15.2-channel preamp outputs. If you’d like to audition any of these Anthem receivers to hear if the difference is worth it for you, you can find your nearest dealership by following this link.

And if you want something in between the MRX 740 and MRX 1140 in terms of channel count, with a somewhat more intricate room correction system, the NAD T 778 may be right up your alley. It offers nine amplified channels, but with 11.2 channels of preamplification (if you’re willing to add your own outboard amplification). The one major drawback of the NAD, though, is that even if you’re fine settling for HDMI 2.0 for a while, it only features five back-panel HDMI inputs, which may or may not be enough for your home theater system. If you’d like to audition the T 778 to hear it for yourself, you can find your nearest dealership here.

Wait, I have a few more questions…

Are you leaving anything out?

Lots of stuff. Like Auro3D (another 3D surround sound format with limited distribution). And oodles of considerations in terms of multi-zone AV distribution. And advanced control systems. And wireless music streaming. And so on.

I also left a lot unsaid in terms of HDR10, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log Gamma, and copy protection support, because all of last year’s offerings are pretty much on the same ground when it comes to all of that. Many have even stepped up the copy protection to HDCP 2.3 already. And needless to say, once the new HDMI 2.1-equipped receivers get their issues sorted out, all of them will, too.

Why are you leaving stuff out?

Mainly to keep this article from being 50,000 words long. But also, because this isn’t a guide for home theater enthusiasts, as I mentioned from the giddy-up. I’m focusing on the features and functionality that are most crucial to most normies.

Why didn’t you recommend the AV receiver that I love the most?

Because, again, if you already have an AV receiver that you love the most, this guide isn’t for you.

How much are these companies paying you to only recommend their products?

Exactly zero dollars. Although the former PR guy for Denon and Marantz did take me out to dinner two years ago when I was in San Diego, and it was pretty delicious. But he’s not with the company anymore.

What do you think of the new mid-engine Corvette?

I like it. It’s Zora Arkus-Duntov‘s lifelong dream finally realized, and I absolutely love the C8.R GT car. That said, it breaks my heart that they discontinued the Velocity Yellow Tintcoat finish . The new yellow metallic finish looks gaudy AF, and lacks the warmth and heritage of previous Corvette yellows.

Wait, what were we talking about?

I’ve honestly forgotten at this point.

Additional Resources
• Read Room Correction Revisited at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Read How to Pick the Right Amp for Your Speakers (or Vice Versa) at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• If you want more in-depth coverage of individual products, visit our AV Receiver category page.

Era 300 First Impressions

Era 100 First Impressions

Sustainably made, constructed to final

Conclusion

What’s the difference between LCD and OLED?

What features should I look for in a new TV?

Enough with the tech lessons! Which TV should I buy?

The Best TVs for dark media rooms and home theaters:

Best TVs for brighter rooms:

The Best TVs for gaming:

A great 4K HDR TV for budget shoppers or first-time 4K buyers:

The best TVs for big families (or watch-parties with your friends):

Our favorite TV overall:

Let’s Talk Tech

The Best Sounding Over-Ear Wireless Headphones

The Best Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones

The Sexiest Over-Ear Wireless Headphones

The Absolute All-Around Best Over-Ear Wireless Headphones (for Now)

American Horror Story: 1984 [Netflix and Amazon Prime | HD, Dolby Digital+ 5.1]

Other view-worthy highlights:

First Question: Is now the right time to buy a receiver?

Second Question: How many speakers do you need?

Third Question: How many watts per channel do you need?

Fifth Question: Do you want a fancy audiophile brand or something you can buy at Amazon or Best Buy?

Sixth Question: Stop asking me questions and just tell me what to buy!

On the buying advice…

Our Favorites

Login

Register