Everything should be big with the movies – a big screen via TV or projector, and a big sound to match. Stepping up from stereo to multichannel audio is your ticket to mega-movie performance in the home.
These are the products that have wowed us over the last 12 months of our magazines Sound+Image, Australian Hi-Fi, Best Buys Audio & AV, and Audio Esoterica, and which represent our recommendations of the very best audio-visual kit available in Australia today.
For the full details on each and every winner, check out the Special Awards Issue of Sound+Image magazine, on sale now in print and digital editions. Print subscriptions here; digital issues here!
Now let's meet the winners!
Televisions
TELEVISION OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2000
TCL RP630 Roku TV
AU$699/AU$899
Judges Comment: TCL brings a Roku TV to Australia, and we love it, from the smart interface to the marvellous compatibility. For the money, this is a brilliant bargain.
Click for our full review
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TELEVISION OF THE YEAR OVER AU$2000
Samsung QN95B Neo QLED
AU$3695 (65-inch)
Judges Comment: Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs can deliver bonkers brightness, but their best trick is handling all manner of content without requiring adjustment.
Click for full review (note, this is the UK review)
Projectors
AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2500
Epson EH-TW6250
AU$2099
Judges Comment: Epson’s little projector comes with Android TV smarts inside and some key benefits of 4K, delivering great images at an attractive price.
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AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR AU$2500-AU$5000
BenQ X3000i
AU$3299
Judges Comment: This is a smart projector with good gaming credentials but also great TV and movie performance, with Android TV smarts plus detail, colour and brightness beyond the X3000i’s price level.
Click to read our full review
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AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$5000
Epson EH-LS12000B
AU$8999
Judges Comment: This is a magnificent home cinema projector, notably in bringing laser UHD delivery at a thrilling price, and a stunner in performance terms.
Click to read our full review
Surround System
SURROUND SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
Sony HT-A9
AU$$2499 (+ ~$900 for the subwoofer)
Judges Comment: We can hardly begin to tell you how much we like this system. We’ve been recommending it like crazy, because it solves so many problems, and it sounds bloody brilliant. We recommend adding Sony's SA-SW5 for the full effect.
Click to read UK review; Australian review in S+I #349
Receivers & Processors
AV RECEIVER OF THE YEAR
Marantz Cinema 60
AU$2600
Judges Comment: Versatile, powerful and helpful, the seven-channel Cinema 60 delivers the complexities of a modern AV receiver in a user-friendly and musical package.
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AV PROCESSOR OF THE YEAR
Anthem AVM 90
AU12,499
Judges Comment: Anthem’s top AV preamp and processor delivers up to 15 channels plus four differentiated subwoofer outputs, along with a brilliantly versatile virtual input system and our favourite flavour of room correction.
Soundbars
SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$500
Yamaha SR-C30A
AU$399
Judges Comment: Yamaha’s SR-C30A combo produces competent subwoofer-supported TV sound at what is a nearly-miraculous price.
Click to read our full review
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SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR AU$500-AU$1000
Polk MagniFi Mini AX
AU$799
Judges Comment: Polk offers an impressive subwoofer with a little lozenge rather than a wide bar, and the combo proved itself across both movies and music.
Click to read our full review
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SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR AU$1000-AU$2000
Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3
AU$1599
Judges Comment: This powerful bar-only solution from Bowers & Wilkins loads up on tech yet remains wonderfully simple to set up and use.
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SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$2000
Sennheiser AMBEO Max
AU$3199 currently
Judges Comment: Sennheiser’s original Ambeo soundbar has new abilities and a reduced price, beating all newcomers to regain our top soundbar award.
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SOUNDBAR SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
JBL Bar 1300
Price: AU$1999
Judges Comment: Pull off the ends of JBL’s Bar 1300 and they become battery-powered wireless rears, or even standalone Bluetooth speakers. Put it all together with a generous subwoofer and enjoy true Atmos surround.
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SOUNDBAR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Samsung HW-S800B S Series
Price: AU$999
Judges Comment: Samsung has had great soundbars ever since opening its Californian audio lab. But this one achieves an extra- ordinary slimdown of the bar without much compromising on either facilities or performance.
Click to read our full review
