Best Products of 2015: Home Theater

LG's 4K OLED casts inky shadows so black, they simply swallow the competition

By Caleb Denison Published December 30, 2015

best products of year home theater 2015 dt bestof lg ef9500 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Winner
LG EF9500 4K Ultra HD OLED TV

Each year, we get to review the best TVs from all of the top manufacturers. Usually, picking the “best” is an arduous task – the competition is fierce and plentiful – but making a call this year was a piece of cake. Frankly, LG’s first flat 4K Ultra HD OLED TV is everything we were hoping to get in 2015 … and then some.

Contrast is perhaps the most important aspect of a TV’s picture quality, and when it comes to contrast, OLED technology reigns supreme. Since OLED pixels are self-emitting (they make their own light) they are able to go completely black when turned off. True black is the basis for the best possible contrast, and, ultimately, picture quality.

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The brightest LCD TVs in the world may dazzle with their brilliance on the short term, but OLED’s deep blacks and a complete absence of halo effect and other backlight anomalies wins out on the long term.

There is no television that can do what the LG EF9500 can do

Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic all deserve recognition for redefining what LED televisions can, do. But OLED remains vastly superior, and now a 55-inch or 65-inch OLED isn’t much more expensive than a competing flagship LED TV.

With LG’s best OLED yet, expect those perfect blacks, brilliant and luscious colors, and one of the thinnest TVs you’ve ever seen. It makes everything you watch look its absolute best. You’ll also get a slick motion-controlled remote control and our favorite smart TV interface, WebOS.

Bottom line: There is no television that can do what the LG EF9500 can do. Own this TV, and you’ll be the envy of everyone on the block … at least until LG comes out with its next OLED TV.

Runners up

Sennheiser Orpheus

Sennheiser-Orpheus — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Don’t get hung up on the $55,000 price – yes, we know it’s more than your car – Sennheiser’s Orpheus headphone system gave us the most moving, life-altering sonic experience we’ve ever had. Imagine being placed on an emotional roller coaster where the soundtrack is the ride. More importantly, though, all the next-gen tech at work here will change headphones in the future, and that gets us really excited.

Sprout by PS Audio

Sprout-by-PS-Audio — Image used with permission by copyright holder

No audio device introduced in 2015 makes as much sense as the PS Audio Sprout. This handsome all-in-wonder is a phono preamp, headphone amp, DAC, Bluetooth receiver, and speaker amplifier, all housed in a super-handsome, compact chassis. After using it daily for six months, we’re convinced we can’t live without it.

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Editor at Large

Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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You Asked: soundbar space woes and best big TV bets

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On today’s You Asked: What if your soundbar blocks the bottom of your TV? What’s the best, biggest TV I would personally buy for $5,000? What’s the best-sounding bedroom TV for dialogue clarity?
When you need more soundbar space

Peter from Prague currently has an older 32-inch TV with a central pedestal stand sitting atop his Blu-ray player. That arrangement allows for the five inches of clearance needed to accommodate their 5-inch-tall soundbar system. Peter is looking to upgrade their TV and has noticed that most stands don’t leave much clearance between the bottom of the TV and whatever it sits on. What are his options?

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Apple is eyeing AirPods with camera and health sensors as a priority

Simon Cohen wearing Apple AirPods 4.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat for an interview with Wired and dished on Apple’s focus in the foreseeable future. Health and wellness stood out as a recurring element. AirPods, which recently landed a hearing assistance facility, are visibly at the center of those ambitions. Now, Bloomberg reports that the earbuds will soon add cameras and health sensors to their arsenal.

At one point in time, Apple was reportedly working on integrating cameras into the wireless earbuds, but the project was put on ice. It seems that the recent explosion of AI-based workflows across nearly every product category inspired Apple to revive the endeavor.

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LG for the holidays: Take $400 off the 77-inch LG C3 OLED TV

LG C3 OLED

With Christmas nearly here, we’re guessing there’s at least a handful of shoppers running around stores, scouring aisles for TV deals. And while most of the smaller TVs are at astronomically low prices, the larger, more advanced sets are often still expensive. This is why it’s a great idea to take a look at markdowns on slightly older TVs that are still sold brand-new, like this fantastic LG offer:

For a limited time, when you purchase the LG 77-inch C3 Series OLED through Best Buy, you’ll only pay $1,900. Mind you, this TV once cost $2,300 at full price. We reviewed the LG C3 Series back in 2023, and editor at large Caleb Denison called it “a stellar TV.”

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