Best home audio products of 2015
B&W 685 S2
Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
The good: The Bowers and Wilkins bookshelf speakers offer excellent sound quality in an attractive, stand-mountable package. Their versatile sound can handle both music and movies well. The redesigned tweeter offers better insight into recordings without becoming harsh, and the new tweeter cover is a godsend for parents.
The bad: Bass could go deeper; somewhat uninspiring looks.
The cost: $700
The bottom line: Whether you listen to death metal or nature documentaries, these are astoundingly good speakers and an excellent deal at this price.
Pioneer SP-SB23W
Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
The good: The Pioneer offers outstanding sound quality for a sound bar, particularly when it comes to the blend between the sub and the main cabinet. Performance is even more impressive considering the size of the tiny wireless subwoofer, which is easy to hide in the room. And there’s also built-in Bluetooth for audio streaming.
The bad: The style won’t wow you, and the sound bar’s relatively chunky size might block your TV’s remote sensor. The included remote is mediocre and there’s no front-panel display for visual feedback while making adjustments.
The cost: $349 to $400
The bottom line: It’s the best affordable sound bar if you care about sound quality, with its outstanding performance making up for some of its design limitations.
Onkyo TX-NR646
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The fully-loaded Onkyo delivers cutting-edge technologies such as both Dolby Atmos and DTS-X surround formats, in addition to AirPlay, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Its sound quality is excellent for movie replay with exciting sonics and class-leading dynamics. Its superb connectivity includes eight HDMI inputs (one front, seven rear) and two outputs in addition to a phono input.
The bad: The Dolby Atmos height channel capabilities are limited to only the front left and right channels, not the surround height channels, and the receiver is only DTS:X compatible until an update is released this year. Its external design is generic and bulky, and the user experience isn’t helped by its terrible remote and an ancient menu system.
The cost: $526 to $600
The bottom line: Considering the Onkyo’s generous feature set and superlative sound, it’s one heck of a value.
SVS Prime Tower
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The tower is a well-built and great-sounding speaker for the money. The “3.5-way” design offers significantly more detail than standard two-way offerings. The speakers are capable of quite deep bass and work well in a home theater context. They’re available in a stunning high-gloss black finish.
The bad: The sound’s highly detailed character can lack intimacy. The rear panel’s twin bass ports need a foot or more of clearance from the wall behind the speaker.
The cost: $500
The bottom line: The SVS Prime Tower’s highly transparent sound will appeal to audiophiles hankering for big-speaker sound at a price they can afford.