Q: I need to put a small and discreet security camera in my office, something that can record in the dark and is motion-activated. What would you recommend?
A: I recommend the $19.99 Wyze Cam, which has just about everything you could ask for in a small security camera. The Wyze Cam is a small cube about 2 inches on each side, mounted on a foot with an extending leg. It has motion-sensing as well as a microphone and speaker for two-way communication. It can see in the dark and does not require a monthly subscription fee. It is easy to set up and use, works with Amazon Alexa and can be viewed on your smartphone. (Note that 5 GHz networks are not supported, and it must be used with 2.4 GHz networks.)
At the price, this all seemed a little too good to be true, so I ordered one to check it out. I expected it to feel flimsy and cheap, but it is surprisingly solid. The 1080p video looks very good, and the night vision is surprisingly clear and color-accurate. All the features were easy to access and worked as advertised. In short, it's a winner. Visit wyze.com to see the camera and its functionality firsthand. It's quite impressive, especially for under $20.
Time's running out
If you have your eye on any Emotiva product, act on it this weekend. The company's president, Dan Laufman, issued an announcement that prices will rise July 1 — that's Monday — because of new import tariffs on goods coming from China.
In his announcement, Laufman said that the past few times new tariffs were introduced, the company absorbed them without increasing prices, but that is no longer economically feasible. The price increases will apply to all the company's products, even those made in the United States, because some of their parts are imported from China. The announcement did not say how much prices will increase, but the tariffs went up 25%. You can read the announcement at bit.ly/2Y81SJK.
Which Emotiva products would I consider? The $399 a pair Airmotiv T-Zero tower speakers have been a huge hit with readers. The $429 TA-100 receiver and $399 A-300 amplifier are two other great products I heartily recommend. I have been testing the A-300 with the new $650 a pair Magnepan LRS speakers (magnepan.com), and it drives them effortlessly, delivering very impressive sound. For any $399 amplifier to work so well with such exotic, demanding 4-ohm speakers is quite an accomplishment. I will have more about both products in an upcoming column.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
