Apex Portable DVD players will soon be as affordable as their home-component brethren if Apex's PD-200 has anything to say about it. Its 7-inch (diagonal), widescreen LCD will look fine in an economy-class airplane seat, and its zoom function will get you closer to the fine details. In addition to DVD-Videos and CDs, it plays CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3 files. There are composite- and S-video outputs as well as a coaxial digital audio output for hookup to a home system. A single charge of its battery pack is said to last 31/2 hours. The PD-200 measures 71/4 x 23/4 x 7 inches and weighs 61/2 pounds. Price: $450.
www.apexdigitalinc.com, 800-284-8828
Rio The Rio brand is synonymous with MP3 capability, so of course the first minisystem from SonicBlue to bear that name, the very affordable Rio EX1000, can play CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3 files. The system's backlit LCD can show CD Text information and MP3 filenames. Its amp is rated to deliver a total of 120 watts to the speakers, with 80 watts going to dual subwoofers. Naturally, no "executive" minisystem would be complete without an AM/FM tuner, a cassette recorder, five equalizer presets, a 24-track programmable memory, and a full-function remote control. Price: $300. www.sonicblue.com, 877-737-5298
Dunlavy If you like tall speakers, you might want to consider Dunlavy's 52-inch-high SC-III.A for the main channels in your home theater or as a stereo pair. The three-way design combines a 10-inch down-firing woofer with a symmetric array of two 61/2-inch midrange drivers and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter. Frequency response is rated as 27 Hz to 20 kHz ±1.5 dB and sensitivity as 90 dB. Each SC-III.A weighs 85 pounds and has a footprint of 11 x 14 inches. It comes in natural oak, black oak, or cherry hardwood veneers. Price: natural or black oak, $5,495 a pair; cherry, $5,995 a pair. www.dunlavyaudio.com, 719-592-1159
