Jon L. JacobiFreelance contributor, TechHive
Jon is a Juilliard-trained musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time (late 70s) computer enthusiast living in the San Francisco bay area. jjacobi@pcworld.com
Best TVs: Our top picks, plus plain-language explanations of the most important specs and features
There are plenty of great smart TVs. Our guide cuts through the alphabet soup to tell everything you need to know to buy the one that's right for you.
Sony A9F Master Series 4K UHD OLED TV review: A top-notch TV with the best sound in the business
Sony's XBR65A9 65-inch 4K UHD OLED TV offers great color, excellent blacks, and wonderful HDR. It also offers the best sound in a flat-panel TV, bar none. The only problem is that there's a significantly cheaper, but highly worthy competitor in the LG's E8 series.
Marley No Bounds XL Bluetooth speaker review: Floatable, sustainable sonics
Kudos to Marley for using recycled materials in the No Bounds XL waterproof Bluetooth speaker. But its sounds mediocre at low volumes, and only average when you crank it.
LG E8PUA 4K UHD TV review: Approaching TV nirvana
LG's 55-inch OLED smart TV is simply one of the best TVs money can buy. It delivers luxurious color, real blacks, smooth motion, and the best interface and remote in the business.
Sony XBR X900F 4K UHD TV review: Great image processing, but restrained color
Sony's XBR X900F can handle just about any kind of material with aplomb, including HDR. But its color palette is subdued and light bleed on black backgrounds is noticeable with the Xtended Dynamic Range function engaged.
Samsung Q8FN 4K UHD TV review: A great TV and a comparative bargain
It doesn't come with the One Connect breakout box you get with the Q9FN, but it offers nearly the same performance as higher-end model for $700 less.
Fluance Ai40 Bluetooth speakers review: DSP power delivers sonic goodness
Fluance's Ai40's are affordable Bluetooth bookshelf speakers that sound great thanks to subtle psychoacoustic tricks applied by a DSP.
This smart TV shines with HDR, but Vizio's new array backlighting is more prone to artifacts and there are holdover processing glitches from last year.
Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker review: Great sound and nostalgic design
You'll pay extra for the branding, but this is a strong and well-designed speaker, even it it isn't built by the company famous for its "Marshall stack."
Hisense H9E Plus 4K UHD TV review: Smooth action and good color, but it's not overly bright
The H9E Plus is the most affordable 120Hz TV we've seen, and the extra 60Hz do make for about the smoothest motion in its class. But HDR still doesn't pop as with some similarly-priced models.
Samsung and LG are bringing 8K smart TVs to market
Samsung and LG both announced 8K TVs at IFA; Samsung the 85-inch Q900 with picture tweaks and a database of upscaling templates, and LG an 88-inch OLED
Soundcast VGtx Bluetooth audio transmitter review
Though it's expensive, the Soundcast VGtx can broadcast Bluetooth for a moderately greater distance than the average transmitter. It also has an optical pass-through, which can be handy in home audio systems.
Edifier S2000 Pro review: Bluetooth speakers on a whole other level
The excellent-sounding S2000 Pro speakers have more in common with studio monitors than your average bookshelf or Bluetooth speaker. Top notch stuff at a very reasonable price.
Samsung Q9FN 4K UHD TV review: Top-tier goodness, now significantly more affordable
Samsung's Q9FN TV offers better blacks than last year's model, and is arguably the best TV on the market. The series is also a lot less expensive than it was last year.
Nuheara IQbuds Boost review: Fine tune and augment your hearing experience
These Bluetooth headphones sound great with music, and they can help compensate for minor hearing loss. Think of them as hearing aid lite.
Articles by Jon L. Jacobi
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