Latest Home Entertainment Reviews
SEE HOME ENTERTAINMENT STORIES BY CATEGORY
Reviews
Reviewed: 5 ‘commuter headphones’ that put the bass in your face
These popular headphones are plenty loud and bass-heavy, and will liven up any commute—unless the commuter is an audiophile.The Game Room
The PS4’s revamped streaming services are no replacement for Netflix or Spotify
They're not bad services, but they won't have anyone dropping their existing subscriptions.Reviews
Sonos Play:1 review: A powerful gateway drug to the Sonos universe
The Play:1 lets you get your Sonos on for less than $200.Reviews
Plantronics Rig review: This excellent headset’s killer feature feels like a gimmick
The Rig is an excellent all-around headset with some unnecessary features that drive up the price.Reviews
Kindle Paperwhite review: Ebook reader gets warmer, faster
The new Kindle Paperwhite is like the old one, but with a better backlight and upgraded software.Reviews
Jawbone Mini Jambox review: Great sound, even smaller size
First Jawbone made the original Jambox. Then the company made the device bigger. So it was only logical for Jawbone to then make it smaller. But is the Mini Jambox half the speaker or twice the performer?Reviews
Review: Razer’s Kraken 7.1 headset delivers great virtual surround sound at a reasonable price
Razer’s latest headset serves up (virtual) 7.1 surround sound in a gorgeous shell.Reviews
Review: 5 Premium noise-canceling headphones for peace and quiet
We take a look at five premium noise-canceling headphones designed to give you some relief from the noise of the outside world.Reviews
Review: Razer’s Hammerhead Pro earbuds look silly, sound great
These eye-catching earbuds sound great, but they’re a little too expensive for what you get and lack valuable features.Reviews
Review: Bass runs in the family with Logitech UE 4000 and UE 6000 headphones
Logitech's UE 4000 and UE 6000 use different designs: The UE 4000 is an on-ear headphone, while the UE 6000 is an over-ear, noise-canceling model. But they're otherwise similar, with very good midrange and treble that can be obscured by too much bass.Reviews
Review: MEElectronics’s A161P In-Ear Headphones are a best buy
MEElectronics’s A161P looks modest, but it offers impressive headphone value at $129 (and even more so at street prices). It’s easy to recommend for just about anyone.Reviews
Review: Sennheiser MM 450-X headphones combine noise cancelation and Bluetooth
Sennheiser's MM 450-X combines noise-canceling and Bluetooth technology in a lightweight travel headphone. Does Sennheiser’s audio expertise make for a high-end travel headphone worth having?Wearablog
Review: AfterShokz Bluez are surprisingly comfortable
These wireless bone-conduction headphones are quite comfortable, but perhaps a tad expensive for the sound quality.Reviews
Review: Beacon Audio Phoenix is an unimpressive portable Bluetooth speaker
For just $100, you can own the highly portable Bluetooth Phoenix speaker, but its audio quality and controls leave a lot to be desired.Reviews
Review: Big Blue Media Tower mostly disappoints
The Big Blue Media Tower lives up to the tower part of its name. But it wouldn't make much sense in your entertainment center.Reviews
Review: Zooka wireless speaker bar mostly disappoints
The Zooka Bluetoth speaker sports a clever design. But it's tough to recommend regardless.Wearablog
Review: AfterShokz Sports M2 are unusual fit tech headphones
AfterShokz newest wrap-around bone-conduction headphones are an improvement over the first-gen models.Updated
Review: Marley’s Chant speaker sounds portable and inexpensive
The Marley Chant is inexpensive, compact, and light, and it includes a clever, custom-fit canvas bag. But you shouldn't expect audiophile-quality sound.Reviews
Review: Cerwin-Vega XD3 speakers offer big, but unbalanced, sound
Cerwin-Vega's XD3 speaker system won't earn any accolades for balanced audio, but that may not be what you're looking for.Reviews
Review: Four Bluetooth speakers that fit in your bag
A compact Bluetooth speaker lets you enjoy your music anywhere your legs will carry you, without the hassle of wires. We tested four comparably priced and sized models: the Beats Pill, Braven 650, CubEdge Edge.Sound, and Definitive Technology Sound Cylinder.Updated
Review: TiVo Mini is a cheaper way to share (most of) the TiVo love around the house
The TiVo Mini lets you access live, recorded, and (some) streaming content from your TiVo Premiere on other TVs around the house. And it works pretty well for the most part.Reviews
Review: Paradigm Shift A2 speakers offer flexible inputs, perky sound
The Shift A2, from venerable speaker maker Paradigm, offers good sound (and just as good looks) in a desktop speaker than can be run solo or in pairs.Reviews
Review: Sonos’s Playbar is a great soundbar for its price
The Playbar is one of the best soundbars in its price range, but it can’t compete with a midrange AV receiver and a 5.1-channel speaker configuration.Car Tech
Review: Griffin Technology iTrip Auto
For car stereo systems stuck in the no-input dark ages, Griffin's iTrip Auto will broadcast your iOS devices music as an FM station.Reviews
Review: Jabra Solemate beats Jambox at its own game
The Jabra Solemate takes many design cues from the Jawbone Jambox. And it makes a couple small improvements, too.Reviews
Review: NuVo Wireless Audio System takes a few steps forward, and a couple back
NuVo Technologies is mainly on the right track, but most people won't benefit from the features that render the players in this system so expensive.Reviews
Review: Arcam rPAC is a quality headphone amp and USB DAC at a nice price
At just $249, Arcam's rPAC is a reasonably priced combination of a dedicated headphone amplifier and a USB digital-to-analog converter, and it performs incredibly well for the price.Reviews
Review: Logitech UE Smart Radio a solid music-streaming radio hampered by software
The UE Smart Radio is a capable music streamer with access to both your local tunes and all the online services you could want. The rechargeable battery makes the compact unit even more portable. What holds the Smart Radio back from being a better product is the flaky desktop and mobile software.Reviews
Review: Scosche RH656 headphones
The RH656 is a good-looking set of headphones that offers big sound, though you can find better accuracy elsewhere.Reviews
Review: Philips SHB9100 Bluetooth headphones offer comfort and good sound
Philips’s SHB9100 Bluetooth headphones offer a nice balance between comfort and good sound, and the inclusion of a wired option is handy for those times you forget to charge. However, the SHB9100 isn't for you if you depend on your Bluetooth headset for making phone calls.Reviews
Review: Westinghouse Unplug is a solid, affordable portable Bluetooth speaker
Westinghouse's $100 Unplug Bluetooth speaker is portable and rechargeable, and it offers sound quality that rivals that of the popular Jawbone Jambox.Reviews
Review: Play rock star-created delays with the Flashback X4 Delay
The FlashBack X4 is a ton of fun. It sounds great whether using it as a looper or as a delay.Reviews
Review: JBL Micro Wireless is an impressive portable Bluetooth speaker for the price
JBL's Micro Wireless Bluetooth speaker fits in a (big) pocket and weighs next-to-nothing, yet it sounds good and is surprisingly inexpensive.Reviews
Review: Roku Streaming Stick brings streaming to your MHL-enabled HDTV
Why bother with a set-top box when you can save space and cable clutter by using a set-side stick? That's the basic rationale behind the Roku Streaming Stick, a device that looks like a USB flash drive but delivers the same high-def media streaming functionality as Roku's current high-end box, the Roku 2 XS.Reviews
TV holiday specials and Christmas episodes
Looking for some good (or so-bad-they're-good) holiday TV episodes to stream? You've come to the right place.Reviews
Gift Guide: 9 great Blu-ray box sets
Blu-ray box sets make great gifts for the movie or TV lover on your holiday list. Here are nine of best for 2012.Reviews
Review: Panasonic Viera P55VT50 is an imperfect, pricey plasma TV
Panasonic's high-end 55-inch plasma set offers very good performance and all the latest features. However, its remote is sub-par, and you can find comparable picture quality for much less.Reviews
Review: Sony Bravia KDL-46HX850 offers solid features and performance
With very good picture quality and excellent connected features, the edge-lit Sony Bravia HX850 LED HDTV offers excellent value for its price.Reviews
Review: Sony Alpha SLT-A57
Sony blends image quality, ease of use, shooting options, and reasonable price in this advanced camera for consumers.Reviews
Review: Sony Alpha SLT-A77
The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 differs from conventional DSLRs, and is more useful and fun to shoot with.Reviews
Review: Incase Sonic is a solid all-around headphone
The Sonic is not an audiophile headphone, but its warm, natural sound; comfortable fit; and attractive and practical design make it a solid buy, especially at street prices.Reviews
Six great Spotify apps for music discovery
Spotify Apps, which work within the desktop software, are a great way to discover new music.Reviews
Review: HiddenRadio speaker is clever but disappointing
The Hidden Radio is clever, cute, and very portable. But its sound quality and usability are disappointing.Reviews
Review: Altec Lansing’s InAir 5000 is an impressive AirPlay speaker system
The inAir 5000 from Altec Lansing is an excellent AirPlay speaker system that's easy to recommend.Reviews
Now Streaming TV: Catching up for fall TV
With new seasons just getting started, now is a good time to catch up on some TV shows you may have missed.Reviews
Review: Sony Pulse Wireless Headset delivers satisfying audio for a very reasonable price
Sony’s new wireless gaming headset looks and sounds great, but there are some things you should know before you buy.Reviews
Sony’s 4K TV: A First Look
The images are stunning, but sales are likely to be hampered by a high price and a lack of content.Reviews
How many speakers is enough?
Choosing the right amount of speakers for your home entertainment system is like picking the firmness level for your side of a Sleep Number bed. In other words, it’s extremely personal.Crowdfunding Spotlight
Kickstarter Spotlight: An iPad airplane stand and two AirPlay audio receivers
A regular roundup of kickstarter projects.Reviews