The Hisense AX5125H soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer and rear speakers (the latter simply posing "in front" for the photo). (Rick Broida/Yahoo)
Your TV is only half the home-theater battle. For the best possible experience, you need a soundbar in the mix — something to surpass the small, weak speakers built into that flat-panel screen. Recently I rounded up the best soundbars, and imagine my surprise when my top pick — the Hisense AX5125H — got a hefty Black Friday discount. I considered it a superb deal at the $350 regular price, but if you act fast, you can scoop it up for just $250.
Indeed, deals like this tend to expire (or sell out) quickly, so if you've been looking for a TV audio upgrade, don't wait. It might be a while before it comes around again.
There's a reason for the hype surrounding Apple AirPods Pro — many reasons, in fact. For starters, they offer rich, crisp sound and superior noise cancellation, allowing you to enjoy music, podcasts, audiobooks and more without outside commotion getting in the way. This model also allows you to control the volume simply by swiping the stem, and you'll even receive four pairs of silicone tips in different sizes for customized comfort. At $189, this is the cheapest we've seen them!
Never lose your luggage, purse, car, keys — anything, really — again. Just attach one of these smart tags to the item you want to track, and you'll be alerted to its whereabouts via your phone. The deal on this four-pack brings each tag down to about $16 (they typically retail for $25 to $30 a pop). Grab a few for your, er, forgetful family members...
Make fighting with your family members over power outlets a thing of the past, courtesy of this electrifying gadget. It's equipped with five AC outlets and four USB ports, enough for everyone to charge their iPads, iPhones, MacBooks (you get the picture) all at once. Oh, and it's so much sleeker than having a power strip on your floor — and you won't have to worry about tripping over it.
No, it's not a massive discount, but this bestseller is within a dollar of its all-time low (and it's retailed for as much as $20 in the past).
This little gadget will give you an instant upgrade to the performance of your TV.
Whether you'd like to drown out the sound of your neighbor's bagpipe lessons or the roar of the garbage truck as it comes down your block, these noise-cancelling earbuds have you covered. Boasting up to 24 hours of listening time, they offer a top-tier listening experience and even offer an IPX4 waterproof rating, in case your workouts get extra sweaty.
Ready for some Apple picking? Yes, we realize it's not fall, but you'll want to pluck this bad boy from the ol' Amazon tree and add it to your cart because it's currently down to its all-time lowest price — and this is the most recent version! As the unofficial Goldilocks of tech (less bulky than a laptop but larger than a smartphone), this tablet keeps you connected on the go or at home, and you can use it for everything from reading books to taking notes to watching videos.
Broida named this the "best overall tablet," owing to its "under-the-hood improvements, including a faster processor, more RAM (4GB instead of 3GB), Bluetooth 5.0 (up from 4.2) and a USB-C charging port."
Check out his roundup of the best tablets of 2024 for a full review.
Don't need a full-size laptop but want a versatile screen for reading, streaming movies, browsing social media and more? Check out this Apple iPad Mini. It has an advanced A15 Bionic chip (meaning it's powerful and fast), has 64GB of memory storage, offers all-day battery life and has a small, 8.3-inch liquid retina display screen. It's also on sale for its lowest price ever at 25% off.
"My bigger iPad Air recently just broke so I was debating between getting another or getting the iPad Mini. I am so happy that I chose the Mini," said one shopper. "I love that it is light enough to carry around wherever I go but still has a bigger screen than my phone so I can do work/school on it. I have also been reading on it a lot and think that it is the perfect tablet for reading."
If you don't like overcomplicated electronics, you'll like the Hisense AX5125H. It doesn't force you to create an account or deal with apps, and it comes with a superb printed instruction manual.
A 5.1.2-channel soundbar for $350 is already a solid buy, but lop $100 off that (nearly 30%) and it's approaching "steal" territory. Plus this is the lowest price on record for Hisense's system. Just take note that Amazon is currently showing at least two weeks for delivery — plenty of time to get it under the tree if that's your goal, but no good if you're in a hurry.
Read more:
Let me be blunt: Most TV speakers suck. But it's easy to understand why: There's just not a lot of room in those flat-panel cabinets for anything but small, underpowered cones. A soundbar — basically an array of speakers designed to sit below the screen — not only adds a lot more juice to the audio, but also points it in your direction instead of down or at the wall.
A system like this takes things a step further, with a wireless subwoofer to really amp up the bass and wireless rear speakers for a true surround-sound experience. This also supports Dolby Atmos content, which gets you even closer to movie-theater audio.
Feel free to read the whole thing if you like, but here's the upshot: The AX5125H isn't a "smart" soundbar, meaning there's no app for tweaking settings and no Wi-Fi for connecting to voice assistants, but some users might actually prefer that. Indeed, this system is very easy to set up and use (just plug in all the speakers and they automatically pair), with a detailed print guide to help you along the way. If your TV has an HDMI ARC port (most modern ones do), you'll be able to control everything using a single remote.
The AX5125H sounds terrific, with plenty of bass thump and truly wonderful surround sound. (If you've never experienced movies and TV shows this way, get ready for some fun.) Surprisingly, there's an HDMI pass-through port for connecting an audio receiver or game console, something that's missing even on much pricier systems.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
