The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $200 on a 55-inch Sony 4K 3D Smart TV

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Pioneer VSX-1131 7.2-Channel AV Receiver

Street price: $400; MSRP: $500; Deal price: $340

A nice deal on this receiver, which rarely drops below $400. At $340, it’s priced as low as we’ve seen it.

The Pioneer VSX-1131 is our runner-up pick in our best receiver guide. Chris Heinonen writes, “…the Pioneer VSX-1131 is a good choice. It has most of the same features as our top pick, plus an additional HDMI input for seven in total. Like the AVR-S720W, the VSX-1131 has AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Dolby Atmos, and integrated Wi-Fi support. It will convert an analog video signal to HDMI, too, so you need to run only a single cable to your TV. It even offers the component-video and phono inputs that the Denon model lacks, though it will accept only 480i over component, so you can’t have your older Wii console or other device set to 480p mode. It also features Google Cast for Audio support, which we really like to see.”

Sony XBR55X930D 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart TV

Street price: $1,700; MSRP: $1,700; Deal price: $1,500

This is a competitive price for this television and the lowest we’ve seen it, $200 below the prices we’ve seen recently. As our main pick’s price has risen again post Black Friday, this is a good bet.

The Sony XBR55X930D is our runner-up pick for best TV. Chris Heinonen writes, “If the Vizio P65-C1 is unavailable, if you need a 55-inch TV instead of a 65-inch one, or if you like the idea of integrated apps, get the Sony XBR X930D. This model uses an edge-lit backlight that isn’t as great as the Vizio set’s full array, but it is better than the rest of the competition and capable of producing bright HDR highlights. Running Android TV, the X930D gives you Google Cast support as well as integrated apps plus voice control from Google.”

Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Headphones

Street price: $400; MSRP: $450; Deal price: $350

Matching the best price, which we’ve only seen once before, these headphones are a nice drop below their street price.

The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Headphones are our luxury pick for the best noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. Geoff Morrison wrote, “There’s an understandable desire for a set of headphones that does it all—noise cancellation, Bluetooth support, and sound quality—and does it all well. Until this year, you couldn’t really find anything that did all of those things; you could have two, but not all three. The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless comes the closest, though. It has fantastic sound quality (it’s also the luxury option in our best Bluetooth headphones guide), and the noise cancellation is good, but—and here’s the catch—it’s still not as good as that of the Bose QuietComfort 25.”

Oster Versa Performance Blender

Street price: $200; MSRP: $250; Deal price: $150

This is a great deal on our top pick blender, matching the lowest price we’ve seen this year. This Oster blender has been particularly stubborn about not getting discounted much this year.

The Oster Versa is our top pick in our guide to the best blenders. Lesley Stockton wrote, “We don’t think you can beat the value of the Oster Versa Performance Blender with Low Profile Jar. It performs as well as blenders twice the price, making silky smoothies, purees, and blended cocktails. It has one of the best combinations of variable and preset speeds we’ve found, and its controls are more intuitive to use than those on other models we’ve tried. The Oster Versa has a broader range of speeds, and the motor runs more quietly than equally priced blenders do. It comes with features usually only available in more expensive machines, like a tamper and overheating protection. And at 17½ inches tall to the top of the jar, it will fit under most cabinets, unlike many high-performance blenders.”

Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Sony Releases PlayStation Communities iOS App

Sony has released a new PlayStation Communities iOS app that allows players to interact with fellow PS4 gamers from their Apple phones and tablets.

The app works much like a forum portal: Players using the app can search for, join, and interact with groups, where they can post messages and images on a community wall. Members can stick to chatting about gaming or join groups to set up multiplayer games.

PlayStation Communities are places where you can find players who have similar interests and preferences.
Within a Community, you can join parties and launch into games with other Community members, or talk about your shared interests. For instance, if you’re having trouble finding players to tackle Destiny’s newest raid, Wrath of the Machine, a Destiny community may help you fill out your fireteam.

The PlayStation Communities app joins two other Sony apps for its console – a flagship PlayStation app released three years ago, and a PlayStation Messages app released in 2015.

PlayStation Communities is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.

(Via The Verge.)

Tags: Sony, PlayStation
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Sony made a Walkman for ‘Final Fantasy XV’ fans

Final Fantasy XV is about to make it’s long, long anticipated debut tomorrow, so get ready for the hype (and merchandising). We’ve already seen a FF XV branded Audi A8, of all things, and Sony has now revealed a limited edition Final Fantasy XV Walkman, headphone and portable speaker. The A-Series Walkman with Hi-Res audio support comes with etched pixel versions of Noctis and Co. on the back, special icons and a fancy box. It starts at 33,880 yen ($300 or so) for the 16GB model.

You can also pick up branded hear.on MDR-100A headphones for 29,380 yen ($260) and a hear.go SRS-HG1 Bluetooth speaker. Walkman owners can even grab a High-Res version of the Final Fantasy XV soundtrack for a mere 6,000 yen ($53 or so) and get a free large-format (20-inch by 28-inch) poster thrown in. If you’re enough of a fanboy to crave all this stuff (maybe you should try the game out before getting too excited), we’re sad to tell you that these goodies are for Japan only and aren’t likely coming to North America or Europe.

Via: The Verge

Source: Sony Japan (translated)

The best $200 in-ear headphones

By Lauren Dragan

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After researching every new pair of in-ear headphones released since our last update in 2013, we think the Sony XBA-H1 are the highest-quality ones you can get for $200 or less. We spent 35 hours researching and testing for this guide, reading myriad reviews and performing a listening panel for our top 16 headphones with four audio professionals. Seventy-five percent of our professional listening panel agreed that the XBA-H1 was the best-sounding set of the entire bunch.

Who this is for

In-ear monitors are made for use on the go. They should be compact, portable, and easy to pop in a bag (in a way that over- and on-ears can’t dream of doing). They should isolate external noise so you can listen on a noisy plane or street and not have to crank the volume, yet still be comfortable in your ears so you can listen for a few hours and not have your ear canals ache.

Unlike less expensive in-ears that can lack in bass reproduction, clarity, and depth of sonic field, the best $200 headphones can rival similarly priced over-ears for sound quality.

How we picked and tested

Comparing 16 sets of headphones in our listening panel. Photo: Lauren Dragan

When buying in-ear headphones, you need to account for sound and build quality, but fit is also of utmost importance. When you find a pair of in-ear headphones that are liked by many different people—with very different ears—you’ve found something special.

A good pair of in-ear headphones should sound even across the entire frequency range. In other words, the bass guitar shouldn’t overpower the lead guitar, the lead guitar shouldn’t make you lose detail in the vocals, and the vocals shouldn’t have consonants that are painfully, piercingly loud. The headphones should have crisp, clear details (without being harsh), and a low end that has pitch and form to it (not just be whump whump whump).

To narrow down what to test, we read copious reviews, looked at major manufacturers for new releases, and talked to audio professionals. We made a list of the 15 top-reviewed or most promising headphones between $150 and $250 to test against our previous winner. Then, we conducted a back-to-back comparison listening panel with four audio professionals.

Our pick

Our top three are so close, there’s really no wrong choice. (from left to right: Sony XBA-H1, Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3, and NAD Viso HP20). Photo: Lauren Dragan

Our top pick are the Sony XBA-H1 because three-quarters of our panelists agreed that they were the best-sounding headphones, and the great price only makes them more appealing. Incredibly balanced, clear, and with a soundstage that defies their price range, the XBA-H1s sound equally good on every kind of music. Rock, pop, classical, jazz, hip-hop—you name it, the H1s deliver.

The highs are clear and clean, with no obvious spikes or peaks that might distract you. The mids are full and detailed, and the lows have pitch and form with no woofing, booming, or bleeding into other frequency ranges. To give you a better idea, instruments just sound “right.” If you know what an acoustic guitar sounds like in person, or a certain vocalist sounds like in concert, the XBA-H1s create that sound as accurately as we’ve heard in this price range.

The Sony XBA-H1s would be perfection if they had a remote and mic. But they don’t. In general, people shopping for $200 headphones are prioritizing sound quality above other features, so the H1 gets a pass in this respect. But if you must have a mic, check out our runner-ups.

The warmer-sounding runner-up (with remote and mic)

If you want in-ear headphones that sound great, look beautiful, and have a remote and mic, the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3s are for you. They come in four colors: black, silver, gold, and red. The Apple-enabled remote and mic is unobtrusive on the thin and light cable, and they are comfortable, even on all of our panelists’ diverse ears.

The main difference in sound between the Bang & Olufsens and the Sonys are that the H3s have a slightly rolled-off high end and very slightly less-defined bass. This can actually be preferable to people who are sensitive to sibilance or who like a “warmer” sonic profile (think tube radios and vinyl records). But the mids are just as enjoyable and do a great job of making pianos and guitars come to life. This means that the H3s are great on acoustic music or anything where analog instruments are used (e.g., rock, jazz, classical).

Boosted bass and treble for a livelier sound

The NAD Viso HP20 is another great choice for a bit less than $200. Whereas the Bang & Olufsen pair is a classical-lover’s dream, the NAD set would be adored by those who like things that rock. They come with an Apple-compatible remote and mic, a solid build, and black and silver options. The cable is linguine-style: flat and slightly fat, which some people prefer (to avoid tangling) and others dislike (because it adds heft). The heavier cable plus the shape of the bud that sticks out of the ear can make the NADs feel a little less stable in your ears than the Sonys or B&Os.

Slight comfort issues aside, the NADs sound really great. They have a bit more high-end intensity than the Sonys (and a good bit more than the B&Os). So if you’re someone who likes that bit of extra volume to add detail to consonants or fret noise on a guitar, you’ll adore the HP20s.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from The Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

Digital cameras can basically see in the dark now

We all love a good camera. But for many, photography isn’t a just a hobby, it’s a way of life. While you could put faster film in an analog camera to boost low-light performance, digital cameras offer flexibility at a level we couldn’t have dreamed of 20 years ago. They’ve now progressed to a point where top-of-the-range devices have ISO performance so impressive that they can capture video in almost pitch-black conditions.

Testing out Sony’s new A99 II, YouTuber Bramansde shows what can be achieved with ISO boosting alone, recording a crystal clear image in a room lit by only two candles. We’ve already started putting the A99 II through its paces, and are loving it so far, but this video is too impressive not to share:

We apologize for making your Christmas list that bit more expensive.

Source: Bramansde (YouTube)