Q: I’ve been patiently waiting for ZVOX to restock the AV855 soundbar so I could purchase one for my parents. You previously mentioned that ZVOX would honor the previous $100 off promotion that many of us missed when they sold out the first time. Now that it is back in stock, how do we get the $100 off promotion?

— S.W., Livermore, California

A: That offer was $369.99 with a coupon code SAVE$100 for a final price of $269.99, with free shipping and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee on zvox.com. So far this year the AV855 is the most popular product I have written about, and reader feedback was copious and almost 100% positive. The AV855 does a great job bridging the gap between an expensive home theater soundbar and a dialogue-clarifying TV speaker, bringing a built-in subwoofer, hi-fi sound quality and easier-to-understand voices to an affordable price point. The HDMI-ARC connection makes setup extremely easy and your TV remote will control everything seamlessly without any additional setup steps. I commented that I did not miss my reference $1,800 soundbar when testing the AV855, and that is high praise from someone like me.

The AV855 received a lot of positive press, and as you noted it sold out within days of launch. At the time ZVOX said they would repeat the introductory offer so everyone who missed out could get an AV855 at the same price. Now that they are restocked they are extending the offer until June 30, despite higher costs from increased tariffs. Prices will be going up afterwards. That is unfortunate but understandable, and I am gratified they are keeping their promise despite this situation.

Q: What screen would you recommend for use with a high-end projector?

— N.L., Edina, Minnesota

A: A good screen will benefit any projector, from basic units to a top-of-the-line model. No matter what screen you buy, I recommend a 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio and a gain between 1.1 and 1.3. Gain measures screen brightness and though brighter is better, if you go above 1.3 you can start to see sparkles and other artifacts in the image.

I recently had a chance to try a 145-inch Elite Screens Yardmaster Plus indoor-outdoor screen. It is by far the finest screen I have ever used, and worth the cost premium over a no-name screen from Amazon. Every frustration I have ever experienced with other screens was a nonissue with the Yardmaster Plus. Despite the very large size, it was easy to set up for the room with its variable height settings. The screen material has an ideal 1.3 gain, providing a bright, beautiful image and the screen material is easy to snap on the frame and wrinkle-free once attached. Many screens require tremendous tension to secure the screen material to the frame when it is folded out, making the last few snaps difficult if not impossible to attach. Not so with the Yardmaster Plus.

At elitescreens.com you can watch a video of an outdoor showing of a “Harry Potter” movie on a 200-inch Yardmaster Plus screen. It is amazing to see a home presentation that big! I think the 120-inch size is optimum for most home users and runs $455.50. Bigger and smaller sizes are available as well. In fact, Elite has screens for most every application, including budget-priced screens, Golf Impact Projection Screens for golf simulators and ambient light rejecting screens to be used in overhead room lighting. I haven’t seen special discount codes for this product, but the Elite website does have an outlet store for those who are looking for a bargain.

Contact Don Lindich at www.soundadvicenews.com and use the “submit question” link on his site.