Richard Byrne

A console TV earns its keep on four specs, and everything else is decoration: a native 120Hz or higher panel, at least two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, variable refresh rate support, and input lag low enough in Game Mode that you feel the difference. Get those right and the picture processing almost writes itself. Get … Read more

Dolby Atmos used to mean spending four figures. Those days are over, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars under 500 dollars now put real overhead effects on your TV for the cost of a decent mid-range tablet. I spent the last two months cycling through eight of them on the same 55-inch set, same HDMI … Read more

Apartment audio fails for physical reasons long before it fails acoustically. There is no room behind the sofa for two rear speakers and their cables, the media console is 12 inches deep, and the wall you share with your neighbor is the one your subwoofer sits against. That is why the best wireless surround sound … Read more

The best center channel speakers for dialogue in this roundup is the Klipsch R-52C, a compact two-way cabinet with dual 5.25-inch spun-copper woofers and a 1-inch aluminum tweeter loaded into a 90×90-degree Tractrix horn. It is the rare center that stays articulate at low volume, drives easily from a modest receiver, and fits most media … Read more

The best tower speakers for vinyl listening are the Polk Audio T50, Klipsch R-26FA, and Klipsch R-610F, with the Polk Signature Elite ES60 as the pick for people who want a softer, longer-session sound. All of them are passive floorstanding speakers, which means they need a stereo amplifier or AV receiver behind your turntable. That … Read more

The best wireless multiroom speakers for whole homes are the Amazon Echo Dot Max for the widest, cheapest way to fill every room, the Sonos Era 100 for the most repeatable single-room speaker, and the Sonos Era 300 when one room needs to sound like a cinema. We spent weeks with all twelve systems below, … Read more

If you have a pair of passive bookshelf speakers sitting on a shelf, they are doing nothing on their own right now. A stereo amplifier is the box that turns them into a music system: it takes the weak signal from a turntable, streamer, TV or phone, adds volume control and tone shaping, and delivers … Read more

Whole house audio is a multi-room speaker system that plays one song in sync across every room of your home, or a different song in each room, controlled from a single phone app or voice command. Picking the best smart speakers for whole house audio comes down to one decision made before you unbox anything: … Read more

The best soundbar under 300 dollars right now is the Polk Audio Signa S2. It is the only pick in our test group that pairs a wireless subwoofer with an ultra-slim 2.15-inch body, a dialogue mode that actually works on quiet TV shows, and HDMI, optical, AUX and Bluetooth connections in one box. We spent … Read more

The best outdoor speakers for patios in fall into two families, and the wrong one will frustrate you. A wired passive pair gives you real volume and full sound, but it needs an amplifier, outdoor-rated wire and a hole in your plan. A Bluetooth portable gives you music in ninety seconds with no install, at … Read more