Science & Technology
/Knowledge

Sound Advice: Sparing no expense? Consider this OLED TV
Q. I have seen your articles about excellent TVs for the money and the law of diminishing returns, but I am someone who wants the best and does not mind paying for it. What would you recommend for a price-no-object TV over 75 inches in size?
—G.F., Milwaukee
A. I recently had the opportunity to spend a lot of one-on-one time with the new ...Read more

Sound Advice: Car refrigerator makes an ideal man cave accessory
Some of the most popular, best-received product recommendations and reviews are for items and categories that many readers are unfamiliar with, such as the RF skin-tightening machine. This week I have two excellent products in the same vein.
The first is the Artestia Car Refrigerator. To call it a “car refrigerator” is selling it short ...Read more

Sound Advice: The best Bluetooth speaker options for patio listening
Q. I once had a Sony stereo boombox with detachable speakers that I used for listening to music CDs on my patio. I am thinking of replacing it by transferring the CD music to my wife's Amazon Fire Tablet and listening with Bluetooth speakers that can be paired for a stereo sound. What high-quality Bluetooth speakers do you recommend that can be ...Read more

Sound Advice: Stereo receiver options and CD player upgrades
Q. My Onkyo stereo receiver recently failed and is not repairable. Is the Marantz NR1200 stereo receiver a good replacement for my Onkyo? The Onkyo adequately powered my Bose 301 speakers for musical enjoyment from a CD player, and for TV sound from my Samsung Smart TV. The sound from the Bose speakers was satisfying in our 15-by-23 living room....Read more

Sound Advice: Bring the movie theater home with high-end projector
Q. I love movies and mainly stream from various sources, using a 65-inch LG OLED coupled with a ZVOX sound bar you recommended. I am really satisfied with the package. We have friends over to watch movies but are limited to no more than six people at a time because of the room where we have the TV. We want to have more than six people over for ...Read more

Sound Advice: Portable speaker, grooming kit both good value buys
Q. If I get the Tribit StormBox Blast speaker can I use it with my Blu-ray player (with analog audio outputs) and video projector for movie night?
—L.R., Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania
A. Use a stereo RCA-to-3.5mm connector and a long auxiliary cable to connect the player and speaker. Get a long cable so you can put the speaker under the ...Read more

Sound Advice: Headphones that will block out engine noise when flying
Q. You have written about noise-canceling headphones for flying before and I hope you can help me with a recommendation. I am interested in headphones with good sound but most importantly, very effective noise cancellation that makes the sound of the airplane engines as unobtrusive as possible. My budget is up to $200, maybe $250 if it makes a ...Read more

Sound Advice: Going electric in the home and garden, including lawn mowers
Q. I saw your columns about the special promotions on the Ryobi 18V ONE+ cordless power tools and even bought a couple. That leads to my next question, do you have any experience with cordless electric lawn mowers for use in a small yard? I am in the market for one, and with California laws banning sales of new gas mowers I think I am ready to ...Read more

Sound Advice: The TCL 6-Series 4K TV stands alone as product of year
Sound Advice Product of the Year 2023: My annual product of the year goes to the single product that impressed me the most over the prior 12 months. This year there were several standouts but only one clear winner: the latest TCL 6-Series 4K smart television. Incorporating advanced technologies like a QLED display, Mini-LED backlighting along ...Read more

Sound Advice: Smart TV recommendation and upcoming Super Bowl sales
Q. I’m looking for a small (24-inch or 32-inch) smart TV and am finding that many cannot add streaming apps. Do you have a suggestion for a small model with streaming?
—J.S., Milwaukee
A. Check out the 24-inch Westinghouse Roku TV sold at Best Buy. It is $159.99 and often on sale for much less. (I just picked one up for myself for only $79...Read more

Sound Advice: Knowing when it's time to replace vintage audio gear
Q. I have a Sunfire True Subwoofer Junior that needs repair or replacement and wanted to get your thoughts before I proceed. Bill Flannery (now retired) at flannerysvintageaudio.com is a personal friend of the designer Bob Carver, and a mastermind regarding Sunfire and Carver gear. The website states, “all subwoofers with serial numbers ...Read more

Sound Advice: USB flash drives are long lasting, but you should still have a backup
Q. I have many important files and photographs backed up on a USB flash drive. I am worried about losing them due to data corruption with age. How long do these drives last?
—U.L., San Jose, California
A. A quality flash drive will last more than 10 years or 10,000 usage cycles if stored properly, in a dry place away from temperature ...Read more

Sound Advice: Will new headphones need an amplifier to work?
Q. After reading your recommendation I ordered the Hifiman HE400se headphones from headphones.com for $109. Now that my order is placed I am reading that a headphone port is insufficient and you really must use a headphone amplifier with these planar magnetic models in order to get adequate loudness. Is this true and if so, what do you recommend...Read more