Sound Advice: Hot soundbar is back in stock

Q: I’ve been waiting for ZVOX to restock the AV855 soundbar so I could get one for my parents. Now that it is back in stock, will ZVOX honor the previous $100 off promotion that many of us missed when they sold out the first time?

A: That offer was $369.99 with a coupon code SAVE$100 for a final price of $269.99, with free shipping and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee on zvox.com.

As you noted it sold out within days of launch. At the time ZVOX said it would repeat the introductory offer so everyone who missed out could get an AV855 at the same price. Now that they are restocked, ZVOX is extending the offer until June 30, despite higher costs from increased tariffs. Prices will be going up afterwards. That is unfortunate but understandable.

So far this year the AV855 is the most popular product I have written about, and reader feedback has been copious and almost 100% positive. The AV855 does a great job bridging the gap between an expensive home theater soundbar and a dialogue-clarifying TV speaker, bringing a built-in subwoofer, hi-fi sound quality and easier-to-understand voices to an affordable price point.

The HDMI-ARC connection makes setup extremely easy, and your TV remote will control everything without any additional setup steps. I did not miss my $1,800 soundbar when testing the AV855, which is saying a lot.

Q: What screen would you recommend for use with a high-end projector?

A: A good screen will benefit any projector, from basic units to a top-of-the-line model. No matter what screen you buy, I recommend a 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio and a gain between 1.1 and 1.3. Gain measures screen brightness, and though brighter is better, if you go above 1.3 you can start to see sparkles and other artifacts in the image.

I recently had a chance to try a 145-inch Elite Screens Yardmaster Plus indoor-outdoor screen. It is by far the finest screen I have used, and it’s worth the cost premium over a no-name screen. Every frustration I have experienced with other screens was a nonissue with the Yardmaster Plus.

Despite the very large size, it was easy to set up for the room with its variable height settings. The screen material has an ideal 1.3 gain, providing a bright, beautiful image, and the screen material is easy to snap on the frame and wrinkle-free once attached. Many screens require tremendous tension to secure the screen material to the frame when it is folded out, making the last few snaps difficult. Not so with the Yardmaster Plus.

At elitescreens.com you can watch a video of an outdoor showing of a “Harry Potter” movie on a 200-inch Yardmaster Plus screen. It is amazing to see a home presentation that big. I think the 120-inch size is optimum for most home users. It lists for $455.50. Bigger and smaller sizes are available, as well.

In fact, Elite has screens for most every application, including budget-priced screens, Golf Impact Projection Screens for golf simulators and ambient light rejecting screens to be used in overhead room lighting. I haven’t seen special discount codes for this product, but the Elite website does have an outlet store for those who are looking for a bargain.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.