Reviews

Vizio SB3820-x Review

bradriddle Articles, Reviews

I don’t think anyone who has read through this website thinks there is any doubt I believe buying a soundbar is a bad decision. I’ve explained, at length, in the past why a soundbar isn’t conducive to quality audio. But despite my pleading, the widespread interest in soundbars continues unabated.

So I decided to find a soundbar that I could test and see how it stacked up against some of the cheap speakers that I’ve reviewed.

I decided to go with the 38″ Vizio soundbar as it is currently the best seller on Amazon for soundbars. It is the sound bar that comes with the Vizio SB3821 and Vizio SB3851. If anything represents the zeitgeist on home theater audio today, this is it.

As promised, its much sleeker than a regular pair of bookshelf speakers. It is even smaller than a pair of Micca Covo-S mini speakers.

IMG_20151211_181241608.jpg
Vizio Soundbar in between a pair of Dayton B652’s and a pair of Micca COVO-S

Continue reading →

Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Vs Micca MB42X

bradriddle Reviews , ,

One of the toughest things to do when buying speakers is picking between two good choices. You have to weigh your options between the various strengths of speakers which reviewers always hold in high esteem. It is therefore key to understand the differences between them so that you make an informed decision.

Both the Pioneer BS22 speakers and the Micca MB42X are commonly chosen as the first speakers for a new audio enthusiast. They are both speakers which are well regarded and get lots of praise from enthusiasts.

There are good reasons to choose one versus the other. The Pioneer BS22 is clearly a cut above the Micca in performance, but the Micca MB42X costs 30% less and has a much more compact size.

wpid-img_20151109_223321529.jpg
Pioneer Bs22 and Micca MB42X

Continue reading →

Pioneer BS22 vs Dayton B652-Air

bradriddle Reviews , , ,

When looking at speakers, a common thing to wonder is what are you getting for your extra money. While bother the Pioneer BS22 and Dayton B652-Air are considered “good for the money” and “budget” speakers, the Pioneer speaker costs twice as much.

I will use this post to help explain what exactly you’re getting for twice the money.

wpid-img_20151109_223300006.jpg
Pioneer BS22-LR Alongside Dayton B652-AIR

 

Continue reading →

Dayton Audio B652 vs. Dayton Audio B652-AIR

bradriddle Reviews , ,

Dayton Audio makes two versions of its well-received B652 speaker. The first costs $40, and the second has an upgraded tweeter and costs $60. I’ve reviewed the Dayton B652 here, as well as the Dayton B652-AIR.

Dayton B652 (right) and Dayton B652-Air (left)
Dayton B652 (left) and Dayton B652-Air (right)

Continue reading →

Field Report: Summer Audio

bradriddle Articles, Reviews , , , , , ,

No matter what you’re doing this summer, chances are some tunes will make it that much better. The thing is, the places where we want to listen to music in the summer aren’t in our living rooms, home theaters, or our listening rooms. Its on the beach, at a BBQ, on a boat, out at a campsite, or on our deck. I kicked off my summer this year at a rented house over Memorial Day weekend with a group of people. I decided to make use of some speakers I had from an early review and spend a little bit of money to make sure we were never at a loss for some quality audio.

earlysummerreview

Continue reading →