The best surround-sound speakers for most people
By Dennis Burger
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If you’re looking for an affordable, high-performance 5.1-channel home-theater speaker system, we recommend an ELAC Debut system comprised of the company’s C5 center speaker, two F5 floor-standing speakers, a pair of B5 bookshelf speakers, and the S10EQ subwoofer. We came to this conclusion after nearly 25 hours of research and more than 60 hours of calibration, testing, and listening panels that evaluated 13 complete surround-sound systems over the course of more than a year and a half.
How we picked and tested
For this guide we limited ourselves to surround-sound speaker systems that ranged in price from $500 up to roughly $2,500, which seems to cover the gamut that most people are looking to spend for a really good setup. You could spend less, but less-expensive systems, almost without exception, comprise much smaller speakers, which makes it more difficult to achieve a satisfying blend between the main speakers (responsible for delivering most of the midrange and high-frequency sounds) and the subwoofer (which generates deep bass).
For now, we’re also limiting our consideration to 5.1-channel speaker systems. The “5” stands for two main speakers positioned to the left and right of the TV, a center speaker between them, and two speakers in the rear of the room for surround-sound effects. The “.1” is the subwoofer. After weighing the pros and cons of more than 50 speaker packages, we whittled the list down to 10 of the best-reviewed and/or most-discussed systems to bring in for testing and comparison.
Our pick
Thanks to its full-size center channel and beefy tower speakers, the ELAC Debut Series system sounds great even in larger rooms. Photo: Dennis Burger
The best surround-sound speakers for most people is the ELAC Debut Series 5.1 Speaker System comprising the company’s C5 center speaker, two F5 floor-standing speakers, a pair of B5 bookshelf speakers, and the S10EQ subwoofer. This system is nearly identical to the basic ELAC Debut Series 5.1 system offered as a bundle by the manufacturer, with one significant difference: That bundle relies on the company’s standard S10 subwoofer, which we recommend skipping in favor of the S10EQ.
Taken as a whole, the ELAC Debut delivers the goods in all of the important ways a home-theater speaker system should. Its sound, especially in the critical midrange frequencies, is well-balanced, smooth, and neutral. When properly positioned, the speakers also do an excellent job of projecting the sound into the room and working together to create a cohesive soundfield.
In lieu of physical controls, the ELAC S10EQ subwoofer relies on a mobile app (iOS and Android) for any and all adjustments. It also includes built-in room correction for the sub. Photo: Dennis Burger
If there’s one significant knock against the ELAC Debut system, it’s that its subwoofer, for all its technological innovations, lacks a bit in the way of very deep bass output. This doesn’t keep the sub from delivering a healthy kick, mind you. But in The Force Awakens, for example, when Poe Dameron is first captured by Kylo Ren, you don’t hear the ultra-deep, resonant rumble of the blaster-bolt hovering in midair that you can hear with more powerful subs. It’s simply inaudible here. Otherwise, the ELAC Debut’s sound is excellent for the price, and it’s definitely the system we recommend for most people.
A big upgrade
KEF’s Uni-Q concentric driver design results in enhanced clarity and wonderful dispersion. Photo: Dennis Burger
For significantly better sound (for significantly more money), look to the KEF Q Series speaker system. During our testing, we all agreed that it’s a higher-performance speaker system in virtually every respect, and we’d pay the extra money if we were buying speakers for ourselves: four of the KEF Q100 bookshelf speakers, a Q200c center speaker, and a Q400b subwoofer. When listening to music, the instruments maintain more of their own individual identities. In dense action-movie sequences, the shattering glass and whizzing bullets sound more like distinct elements of the sound mix rather than an outright cacophony.
If you’re the kind of person who’s ever walked out of a movie theater to complain to the manager about a poorly calibrated sound system, the KEF Q Series is well worth owning, despite the relatively high cost. For everyone else, though, we still think the ELAC system is a better value.
A great low-price option
The fact that the Pioneer SP-PK52FS system still belongs in the same conversation with two other speaker systems that cost roughly three times as much (or more) says a lot about it.
The SP-PK52FS boasts strikingly realistic midrange and a powerful-sounding subwoofer. Unfortunately, its center speaker sounds a bit inconsistent from seat to seat, its subwoofer didn’t blend quite as seamlessly with the main speakers (regardless of crossover setting), and its subwoofer struggles to deliver much in the way of deep bass. The system as a whole also lacks the detail and clarity of our two top picks, and was shoddily made. One of the floor-standing tower speakers, for example, came out of the box with a significantly dented corner. It wasn’t chipped or scuffed; it was dented and crumpled, like the corner of a mishandled cardboard box.
Even taking those quality-control concerns into consideration, this Pioneer system is still a great bargain due to its speakers’ excellent performance (and not just in a “for the price” sort of way). But even ignoring the physical flaws, we still preferred the sound quality of the ELAC system overall.
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Whatsapp starts rolling out two-factor authentication
Whatsapp is one of the biggest messaging services out there, so it’s a little surprising that it hasn’t supported two-factor authentication. That is, until now — as noted by Android Police, people using the beta version of Whatsapp are starting to see the option to turn on this extra security measure.
You’ll find option in the settings menu; when you turn it on, Whatsapp asks you to create a six-digit passcode that you’ll need to enter every time you try and log in to the service on a new device. You’ll also need to add an email address that you can use to reset your passcode in the event that you forget it.
Once that’s set up, the phone number associated with your Whatsapp account will be protected. Since Whatsapp logins are tied to a phone number rather than an email address, the usual method of texting a randomly generated authentication code to your phone won’t work here — hence the user-generated passcode. Either way, it’s good for the service to finally add a way to keep accounts more secure.
Source: Android Police
Facebook buys CrowdTangle to help publishers track content
The name CrowdTangle may not be familiar to you, but Facebook just snatched up the company to help its publishers track how content moves around the internet. CrowdTangle’s platform launched four years ago, giving companies a real-time look at content performance to gauge if posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social channels are effective.
CrowdTangle set out to help activists organize social activity, but that venture wasn’t profitable. The company then took the tool that displayed engagement and transformed it into a standalone product. That activity dashboard is used by the likes of BuzzFeed, CNN, ESPN and other big name media companies and brands. As The Verge notes, you can partially blame the tool for a lot of the repetitive content on the internet these days. When a publisher sees a quick post with the latest trailer from The Walking Dead is doing well, that video clip starts to show up all over the place.
Facebook is currently dealing with a major issue of fake news stories being wildly popular on the social network. Thanks to so-called “filter bubbles,” users can tweak settings to only see stories they agree with, creating echo chambers for over half of adults who get their news from the site. Even after it ditched human editors, the algorithms that replaced them are still having issues determining what’s real and what’s not. It’s easy for these types of stories to get pushed around the internet once they start trending and get picked up by Facebook users and publishers alike.
Facebook didn’t disclose the purchase price, but it did say that CrowdTangle will remain open so that publishers can use it to keep track of performance. “We think Facebook is the single most powerful platform in the world in connecting people to each other and to stories they care about,” CrowdTangle said on its website. “And at a time when there is a revolution taking place in how people connect with the world, our team is passionate about building tools that help publishers get the data and insights they need to succeed.”
Via: The Verge
Source: CrowdTangle
UK bookstores found selling banned US bomb-making handbooks
Three major online retailers in the UK have been listing a number of bomb-making manuals on their websites, according to The Guardian.
These books were originally made back in the 1960s for US military personnel and include titles like Improvised Munitions Handbook, Boobytraps, and Explosives and Demolitions. But since the end of the Vietnam War, these books have become popular resources for terrorists of all stripes. Thomas Mair, the man who assassinated Labour MP Jo Cox, reportedly owned a copy of Improvised Munitions, for example.
The surfacing of these books for sale on the WH Smith, Amazon UK and Waterstones websites, has at least one of the companies scrambling to scrub the listings. WH Smith shut down its entire website for more than four hours on Thursday to eliminate the offending material, however it appears they are still available on Amazon and Waterstones.
“We offer millions of titles on our website that we don’t stock as, like other major book retailers, these titles are supplied through a distributor,” a WH Smith rep told Ars Technica. “On this occasion, a small number of books which breach our guidelines have been shown as available on our website, and we have taken immediate action to remove them.”
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Guardian
Apple Said to Release Curved, Bezel-Free 5-Inch and 5.8-Inch iPhones Next Year
Apple will release new 5-inch and 5.8-inch iPhones with curved, bezel-free designs next year, according to Barclays Research analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O’Malley, and Jerry Zhang.
The analysts, citing sources within Apple’s supply chain following a trip to Asia this week, said the borderless design will allow for the new iPhones to be the same overall size as current 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
Larger and Bezel-less – iPhone 8 design didn’t sound 100% locked down but we believe the move is to a bezel-less design with screen sizes getting larger and curved edges in the original envelope. The iPhone 8 moves to 5″ (from 4.7″) and the Plus moves to 5.8″ (from 5.5″).
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, the analysts said only the 5.8-inch model will use OLED display technology, which can be sharper, brighter, and more energy efficient than LCD technology. Apple’s primary OLED suppliers are said to be Samsung and LG, joined by Foxconn-owned Sharp by 2018.
The research note corroborates KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in March said Apple will launch a 5.8-inch iPhone with a curved OLED display and glass casing next year. Japanese website Nikkei said the larger-screened iPhone will be a premium model, positioned alongside 4.7-inch and 5-inch iPhones with LCD displays.
It has been widely rumored Apple will achieve a bezel-free design by removing the iconic Home button on the next iPhone. Barclays, however, does not believe the Home button will move to an in-screen solution. It does expect the screen will “extend vertically as well as horizontally,” but exactly how remains to be seen.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tag: Barclays
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Apple Honors Veterans Day With New Section on App Store
Apple today opened up a new section of its iOS App Store called “For Those Who Serve” in honor of Veterans Day today, November 11. The company said that the collection of apps within the new category focus on “the latest military news, essential health and wellness info, and other valuable tools for everyday life.” Each app in the section can be found listed below.
News
– MarinesMobile [Direct Link]
– US Army News & Information [Direct Link]
– The Official U.S. Navy App [Direct Link]
– AF Link [Direct Link]
– Military News from Stars and Stripes [Direct Link]
– Military 24/7 for iPhone [Direct Link]
Resources
– Hero Care by American Red Cross [Direct Link]
– Blue Star Families [Direct Link]
– USAA Mobile [Direct Link]
– Transition by Military.com [Direct Link]
– USCG HSWL [Direct Link]
– Base Directory [Direct Link]
– RallyPoint [Direct Link]
– Vetmoji [Direct Link]
– Army OneSource Services Locator [Direct Link]
Wellness
– Charity Miles [Direct Link]
– Sesame Street for Military Families [Direct Link]
– PTSD Coach [Direct Link]
– Moving Forward [Direct Link]
– Stay Quit Coach [Direct Link]
– MOVE! Coach [Direct Link]
– Navy PRT [Direct Link]
– Mindfulness Coach [Direct Link]
– Army First Aid [Direct Link]
– Headspace [Direct Link]
– Calm [Direct Link]
Apple CEO Tim Cook also tweeted out support for military veterans this morning, including those working within Apple. There’s a new “Saluting Our Veterans” section on Apple Music today as well, featuring playlists filled with music handpicked by “a diverse group of former service members.”
Proud to work alongside these & many more veterans at Apple. We honor all the brave men & women who sacrificed for our freedom. #VeteransDay pic.twitter.com/6muFEDAspH
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 11, 2016
Veterans Day is held annually in the United States on November 11, as a way to celebrate and remember individuals who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Tag: Tim Cook
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Three New iPads Said to Launch in March, Including Bezel-Free 10.9-Inch Model
Apple will launch a trio of new iPad Pro models in March, including refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions and an all-new bezel-free 10.9-inch model, according to Barclays Research analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O’Malley, and Jerry Zhang, citing sources within the company’s Asian supply chain.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, the analysts said the 10.9-inch model’s borderless design will allow for it to be the same physical size as the current-generation 9.7-inch iPad Pro. That means the display itself will need to have an edge-to-edge design, possibly signaling the removal of the Home button.
Multiple rumors have claimed Apple is developing a new iPad in the 10-inch range, but the exact screen size has varied in each report. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro will launch in 2017, while Japanese website Mac Otakara said a new 10.1-inch iPad Pro will launch in early 2017.
Barclays, like Kuo, expects the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro to be a “low-cost” model alongside the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which the analysts do not believe will be refreshed alongside the larger tablets. Instead, the research note said Apple will continue to produce and sell the iPad mini 4, released in September 2015.
Mac Otakara previously said the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will feature a True Tone display like its current 9.7-inch counterpart, using advanced four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the color and intensity of the display to match the light in the surrounding environment.
That report said all three new iPad Pro models will gain quad microphones, compared to the current dual setup, and retain 3.5mm headphone jacks.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also said to gain the 9.7-inch model’s same 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and True Tone flash.
More “revolutionary” changes to iPads, including a switch to OLED displays, are expected in 2018, according to Kuo’s earlier report.
Related Roundups: iPad mini 4 (2015), iPad Pro
Tag: Barclays
Buyer’s Guide: iPad Mini (Caution), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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AirPods Production Said to Begin in December in Limited Quantities
Ever since Apple delayed the launch of its all-new AirPods beyond the late October timeframe it originally promised, saying it needed “a little more time” before they are ready for customers, there have been conflicting rumors about when the wireless earphones will actually be released.
The latest word comes from investment bank Barclays, which in a research note we saw said AirPods should enter production in December. That means AirPods could still feasibly be released in time for the final weeks of the holiday shopping season, although a January 2017 launch as previously rumored, or later, is possible.
Barclays said the initial production run will be “fairly small,” totaling between 10 million and 15 million AirPods to start. Depending on demand, the limited supply could result in a scenario where AirPods stock is quickly depleted upon launch, resulting in extended shipping estimates akin to a new iPhone launch.
Earlier this week, an employee at Apple reseller Conrad reportedly told a customer it will receive AirPods stock on November 17. As we noted at the time, it is entirely possible the employee provided inaccurate information. Apple lists AirPods as both “coming soon” and “currently unavailable” on different parts of its website.
Tags: Barclays, AirPods
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Crafts Marketplace Etsy Now Accepting Apple Pay on the Web
E-commerce site Etsy, which gives independent crafters a place to sell their wares, today announced that it has begun accepting Apple Pay through both its desktop and mobile websites.
Etsy previously accepted Apple Pay within the Etsy app for iOS devices, but with support for Apple Pay on the web, Apple users can pay with Apple Pay using Safari on any supported Mac or iOS device. Etsy is accepting Apple Pay payments in Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Just as it does in Etsy’s iOS app, Apple Pay enables buyers to complete their purchases quickly without needing to add their billing or shipping information at checkout. And as with all other Apple Pay transactions, Apple Pay transactions on the web are encrypted using the mobile wallet on the buyer’s device.
To use Apple Pay on the web while shopping on Etsy, buyers simply select Apple Pay at checkout and then authorize the payment using Touch ID following a prompt on their iOS device.
Apple Pay on the web was introduced with iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, giving Apple Pay users an alternative to payment services like PayPal. Since Apple Pay on the web went live, many websites and payment providers have implemented support for the feature, and it is on its way to being widely accepted.
With Apple Pay on the web, purchases made on a Mac are confirmed through a connection to an Apple Watch or an iPhone, with the purchase authorized via Touch ID. On iOS devices, making a purchase using Apple Pay on the web is similar to making a purchase within an app.
Apple Pay on the web requires iOS 10 or macOS Sierra, along with an Apple Pay-compatible device. On Mac, a purchase needs to be confirmed with an iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone SE, or Apple Watch, while mobile web payments are available on the above listed iPhones and the following iPads: iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and all iPad Pro models.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Etsy
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I dropped my LG V20 and you’ll never guess what happened next…
Dammit.
That was all I could say when I bent over and picked up my LG V20 and looked at the camera glass. I had it in my pocket at my desk, and when I got up to go answer nature’s call it slipped out. It landed on my carpeted floor. And the glass covering the camera assembly shattered.
I’ve dropped phones before. In fact, I’ve dropped phones in this very same spot sitting in this very same chair. This is the first one that was damaged. My Sherlock Holmes-like powers of reasoning tell me it must have hit the edge of the chair mat (just one of those cheap vinyl things from Office Max, the kind with horribly sharp teeth on the back) just at the right spot. There’s nothing else there for it to hit, and it looks like something impacted it right at the edge of the cutout for the main camera.
Somehow, I blame Phil for this.
I ain’t even mad. I can’t be — I dropped it. Everything still works and the film over the glass kept any wayward splinters out of the carpet fibers (and out of my feet) so this is just a matter of aesthetics. But I also know I’m not the only person sporting a brand new V20 with a busted window because the internet exists and we tell each other things. Some folks say they never dropped it and it just broke, others say they dropped it and didn’t think the fall would be enough to cause any damage, and others say they knew the gig was up because of how or where they dropped their phone.
This applies to every expensive thing. I don’t think there’s any particular defect with the V20. A very clear thin piece of glass is held tightly in place and any impact could be enough to crack the glass. Science, yo! The laws of probability say that there are enough people who bought a V20 that some of them will break the glass.
Be careful. Buy a case. Try not to drop your phone.
LG V20
- LG V20 review: Built for power users
- LG V20 specs
- All LG V20 news
- LG V20 vs. Galaxy Note 7
- Discuss the V20 in the forums!
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