There's no need to wait six more days to get Black Friday specials. I have found three "early Black Friday" offers on products I have highly recommended in the past few months.
The first is the Cambridge Audio Yoyo(S) Bluetooth speaker. These speakers are some of my favorites because of the fantastic sound generated by their balanced mode radiator (BMR) drivers. BMR drivers are flat discs that move back and forth as the surface of the disc ripples, creating wide-range sound that is also very accurate. Everything about the Yoyo(S) has high-end panache, from the packaging and beautiful worsted-wool finish to the sound quality. It also has gesture control that allows you to control the speaker by swiping your hand above it, hands-free phone capability and long battery life.
It usually sells for $179 and is an excellent value at that price. Through Cyber Monday (Nov. 26), the Yoyo(S) can be purchased for only $139 by using the coupon code 22YOYOSMALL on Amazon or cambridgeaudio.com. It's an excellent opportunity to get a high-end product from a premium brand at a great price. If you want a speaker that's even better at an even bigger savings, the Yoyo(M) can be purchased for $249, reduced from $349, by using the coupon code 28YOYOMEDIUM. Previous Cambridge Audio speaker deals have sold out quickly, so if you want one, I suggest that you act quickly.
Next is the new ZVOX AV201 Television Speaker, which makes television dialogue much easier to hear and understand. It is available for $179 on Amazon and zvox.com.
A super stocking stuffer is the Sbode Sport Bluetooth Earphones, which I praised for their comfort, sound quality and value. They've been a near-universal hit with readers, as well, with a 4.5-star rating on Amazon and many of you writing to ask about buying additional pairs after Sbode sold out more than once. The earphones are a bargain at the regular price of $23.99, but through Dec. 20 you can get one set for $18.49 or two for $35.49. The online coupon is applied by checking a box at checkout, and no code is necessary. Sbode earphones are available exclusively at amazon.com.
A CD throwback
Q: OK, all you millennials, I realize that I'm about to reveal my advanced age, but I'd like to think I'm not the only one with this question. The old Bose CD systems had changers that could hold five discs and allowed you to shuffle and play songs at random. Is there any system like that available these days? It would be nice if it could be connected to a turntable to play my large collection of vinyl records.
A: There are still a few shelf systems with CD changers on the market, though there is certainly a lot less variety than there used to be. I would check out the $199 Sharp CD-BH950 system (sharpusa.com), which has a five-disc CD changer with random playback capability, an AM/FM tuner with 40 presets, Bluetooth, a USB port and an auxiliary input.
You can connect a turntable containing a built-in phono preamp to the auxiliary input. A good choice would be the $99 Audio-Technica AT-LP60 (audio-technica.com). If possible, place the turntable on a different shelf than the music system so vibration from the speakers does not cause feedback in the turntable.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
