John Higgins

Former Former Senior Editor, A/V

After receiving his Bachelor in Music with an Audio Production focus from Ithaca College and Master of Music in Keyboard Collaborative Arts from the University of Southern California, he began working for Home Theater Magazine in 2003. His time in the print and online publishing world has been spent as a writer, editor, copy editor, researcher, and test lab technician. Before joining Digital Trends, Higgins was the Managing Editor of Tech at Reviewed, part of the USA Today network, where he led the website's tech coverage. He has previously written for Wirecutter, IGN, Projector Central, T3, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater Magazine covering projectors, televisions, headphones and earbuds, sound bars and speakers, and monitors. He is a yearly attendee at CES and an ISF level 3 certified calibrator. In addition to his career in publishing, Higgins has been a professional musician since the late 90s, having performed on piano in solo recitals, as a collaborative partner with various singers and instrumentalists, and with the Pacific Symphony. He also is an accomplished guitarist and, with his pop/rock band, has played such hallowed L.A. venues as the Troubadour, Roxy, Viper Room, and House of Blues. For 10 years, he was a teacher and music director at a private school in Los Angeles, and following his teaching career spent some time in the film industry as a post-production sound editor and composer. Originally from just outside Boston, Higgins has been a Los Angeles resident since 2001 where he lives with his wife, son, two rescue dogs, and parrot. When not working, he spends his time watching TV shows about cooking and serial killers, preparing for his next D&D session, ignoring the growing list of games in his Steam gaming library, and building Legos with his son.

The new Strato M lowers cost of entry into the world of Kaleidescape

The Strato M is financially an easier way to get a Kaleidescape, but content output is limited to 1080p.

News         April 3

Sony bolsters its soundbar and projector 2025 lineups

Sony is adding two new soundbar setups, rear speaker add-ons, and the new Bravia Projector 7 in 2025.

Features         April 2

Why you shouldn’t always trust manufacturer’s lumens specs

You might not be getting the brightness you think you are.

Features         March 28

Apple HomePod with Screen: everything you need to know

Rumors of an Apple HomePod with a built-in touchscreen have been around for years, but it now seems it could be a reality.

Guides         March 27

Samsung begins release of 2025 QLED TVs and soundbars

The Samsung QLED TVs and soundbars are starting to roll out for purchase. Today, Samsung has announced pricing and availability for the QN900F 8K (the 65- and 75-inch version), QN90F and QN80F 4K QLEDs, and the HW-Q990F and HW-Q800F soundbars. The 85-inch QN900F and entire QN990F 8K and QN70F 4K series will be released at […]

News         March 26

Samsung Q990D flagship soundbar gets firmware update that makes it inoperable

Firmware update 1020.7 has caused Samsung soundbars to get stuck in eARC mode, making the soundbars unusable.

News         March 21

Samsung responds about firmware that bricked the Q990D soundbar

Samsung has told Digital Trends it is taking immediate action to resolve the issue of non-working soundbars due to a firmware update.

News         March 21

Google’s Android Beta 16 includes support for Auracast

The new Android beta build adds Auracast support with Samsung Galaxy One UI 7 devices, Android 15 and Pixel 9 devices.

News         March 13

LG provides pricing for the 2025 G5 and C5 OLEDs

The LG C5 and G5 series will be available in March, with setup and soundbar deals available for those that purchase them by the end of the month.

News         March 11

TCL’s QM7K might be the midrange TV to beat, and its just been released

The TCL QM7K is the second TV the company has released already, early in 2025.

News         March 10

Soon you’ll be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos Music in Cadillac EVs

Dolby Atmos Music will be supported in every 2026 Cadillac electric vehicle and select 2025 models through Apple Music and Amazon Music.

News         March 10

Nearly 1.6 million Android TV devices have been infected by Vo1d malware

While Vo1D hasn't reached the US in any sizable numbers, it's a reminder to keep all your connected devices secure, including TVs.

News         February 28

Hisense QLEDs didn’t have quantum dots? A new lawsuit claims just that

A class action complaint filed on February 25 claims that certain Hisense TVs didn't contain the quantum dots promised.

News         February 26

A portable ultra-short throw projector? Optoma has you covered with the Photon Go

The Optoma Photon Go looks to be the smallest and most portable ultra-short throw projector we've seen.

News         February 21

A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store

After originally being released five years ago, a full-functioning Apple TV app has come to Android devices.

Audio / Video         February 12

Upcoming Amazon event invite teases a new AI-powered Alexa

Invites went out for an Amazon event in New York City on February 26, and all clues point to an Alexa AI announcement.

News         February 6

Sonos troubles continue as it lays off 200 employees

Layoffs at Sonos epitomize its bad year. Time will tell if the restructuring can help the company regain its direction.

News         February 6

Super Bowl 2025 will be broadcast in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time

Comcast and Dolby are pairing up to broadcast the Super Bowl with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for Xfiniti customers.

News         February 5

LG Display confirms what Panasonic told us at CES — new four-layer OLED is here

A brand new four-layer OLED panel structure technology has been confirmed by LG Display.

News         January 15