Announcement
Apple AirPods 5 Bring Open-Ear ANC for $129
Apple's AirPods 5 offer open-ear ANC for $129 in the U.S. A $149 version adds wireless charging and volume swipes. Stores are due to get them September 18.
Deals on the rack
All deals →
8%OffAmazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus at $189.99 for TV Audio
$189.99$207.19 Typical
From the desks
From the audio desk
Speakers
How to Connect JBL Speakers to a Phone, Computer or Each Other
To connect JBL speakers, get one playing from your phone first, then link the second through a system both models share. Stereo comes last.
Home Theater
Where to Place a Subwoofer for More Even Bass
Compare a front-wall spot and a front corner for your subwoofer from each seat you use. Keep the one with the fewest booming or missing notes, then recalibrate.
Headphones
All guidesWhy Do My Bluetooth Headphones Keep Disconnecting?
If your Bluetooth headphones keep disconnecting, first work out whether the sound skips, pauses or cuts off completely. Each has its own fix.
Speakers
All guidesSurround Sound Speaker Placement for a 5.1 System
Where to put surround speakers in a 5.1 setup, from the center speaker to the sub, and how to test every channel from your seat.
TV and Soundbars
All guidesHow to Reset a Samsung Soundbar
To reset a Samsung soundbar, try the power and TV-output checks first, since a reset wipes your settings. Here's each step on an HW-Q600C.
Home Theater
All guidesHow to Connect a Subwoofer to a Receiver, Amp or TV
Hook up a subwoofer with one RCA cable from a receiver's sub out, or use the sub's own speaker-level inputs when your stereo amp has no sub out.
Turntables
All guidesHow to Clean the Stylus on an Audio-Technica AT-LP60-BT
To clean the stylus on an Audio-Technica AT-LP60-BT, use a soft brush from rear to front only, with the tonearm at rest and the turntable unplugged.
Streaming and Connections
All guidesHow to Connect Multiple Bluetooth Speakers to One Audio Source
To connect multiple Bluetooth speakers, pairing isn't enough. Pick both outputs on a phone that supports it, or link the speakers, then check the stereo rules.
The signal path
System before product
01SourceThe player, phone, console, or turntable that makes the signal.
02ConnectionHDMI, optical, Bluetooth, analog, and the settings that route it.
03OutputSoundbar, speakers, headphones, receiver, and their channels.
04RoomPlacement, distance, and what the space does to the sound.