Adcom
Here in the 21st century, audio has gone multichannel and video's gone high-definition. With Adcom's GTP-860 preamp/processor, it all comes together. Not only does it decode 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES DVD soundtracks, but its pair of component-video inputs can switch HDTV signals. Stereo sources can be processed for multichannel playback using Dolby Pro Logic II or Adcom's proprietary 7.1m2 system. There's a multichannel analog input for hookup of a DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD player as well as three coaxial and three optical digital audio inputs. The five regular A/V inputs can convert composite to S-video and vice versa. Chassis dimensions are 17 x 5 1/4 x 15 inches, and it's available in black or silver. A universal learning remote is supplied. Price: $1,500. www.adcom.com, 480-607-2277
Bose
Looking something like a mini footstool, the Bose Free Space 51 outdoor speaker wants to give sound in your backyard a step up. Its 4 1/2-inch full-range driver, made of a polymer/paper composite, fires down from the top section, and the sloping sides of the domed port below disperse sound omnidirectionally to cover a wide area. The driver's back wave is channeled through the hollow posts to the central port to enhance bass response. The speaker's durable weather-resistant cabinet is designed to live outside year round, blending with garden plants thanks to its light-green finish. You can partly bury the base, but it also has mounting holes for attachment to a deck. Diameter is 12 5/8 inches, and height is 14 1/4 inches. Price: $449 a pair. www.bose.com, 800-444-2673
SmartDisk
Ever thought you'd be able to stuff a photo album and a CD collection in your pocket? SmartDisk's FlashTrax portable hard disk makes it possible thanks to its 30-gigabyte hard drive. You can look at pics on the 3 1/2-inch color LCD screen, zooming in as you please, and there's also a slide-show function. Hook up your headphones (none are supplied) to listen to MP3s, or share your music using the built-in speaker. File transfers are lightning fast-up to 480 megabits per second (Mbps)-via the USB 2.0 connection, and the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is said to last about 3 hours per charging. Included with the FlashTrax are a USB cable, AC adapter, remote control, Mac and Windows software, and a composite-video cable for viewing pictures on a TV. Price: $500. www.smartdisk.com, 239-425-4000
Denon
A thoroughly modern digital surround receiver like Denon's AVR-2803 will help you keep up with the ever-changing world of home theater. It's rated to deliver 90 watts to each of seven discrete channels and has 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding. Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 can process stereo sources for multichannel playback, and Denon's Widescreen 7.1 mode derives 7.1-channel sound from 5.1-channel soundtracks. You can connect a DVD-Audio or SACD player to the receiver's multichannel analog audio input-it's said to provide bass management for this and all other sources. A Cinema Equalizer function compensates for movie soundtracks that are overly bright. The Zone 2 controls, including volume, are fully independent. Price: $799. www.usa.denon.com, 973-396-0810
DreamVision
Smooth and nicely detailed-and that's just the projector itself. High-definition images produced by DreamVision's DreamWeaver DLP (Digital Light Processing) front projector will also look pretty sharp, with a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. It uses Texas Instruments' second-generation HD2 DLP chip and has a Faroudja DCDi processor for de-interlacing standard-definition images. Contrast ratio is rated as 1,500:1. Video inputs include two component, one VGA, one DVI, two composite, and one S-video. There's also a USB port and an RS-232 port for computer control. The flying saucer-shaped projector has a diameter of 17 1/4 inches and weighs 9 1/2 pounds. Price: $10,995. www.dreamvision.net, 800-663-9352
Terk
Everyone gets annoyed at TV commercials that blare at you much louder than the shows they interrupt, but with Terk's VR-1 TV Volume Regulator, you'll be reaching for the mute button a little less often. The VR-1 makes all channels, video sources, and, yep, those pesky commercials come out at the same easy-on-the-ears volume. Noise-reduction circuitry tames the hiss in audio signals, and response time is said to be about about 0.002 second. Connecting the VR-1 to your system is simple-it has one pair of analog stereo inputs and a pair of outputs. An AC adapter is supplied. Price: $50. www.terk.com, 631-543-1900
Tributaries
When you have components using composite- and S-video outputs hooked up to the same A/V receiver, switching between sources can be a challenge. But not with Tributaries' C2SX composite to S-video converter, which will get your connectors speaking the same video language. The simple device hooks onto the end of a composite-video cable and splits the signal into luminance and chrominance elements for output as S-video, though overall signal quality remains the same. The CS2X is completely passive, requiring no external power. And feel free to call it an S-video to composite converter-it's bidirectional. Price: $30. www.tributariescable.com, 800-521-1596
Rotel
DVD-Audio playback is starting to become available on even entry-level players, but Rotel's RDV-1060 aims to keep a share of the format on the high end. The company's new reference DVD-Audio player has a fully isolated, linear power supply for improved voltage stability. It uses Cirrus Logic/Crystal Semiconductor 24-bit/192-kHz digital-to-analog converters and Analog Devices amplifiers for all six output channels. For DVD-Video, there's a progressive-scan component-video output as well as both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. It can also play CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3 files. An RS-232 port, back-panel infrared input ports, and a 12-volt trigger help the RDV-1060 slip seamlessly into a whole-house control system. Price: $799. www.rotel.com, 978-664-3820
Chesky
Known mainly for its audiophile album releases, Chesky Audio has now introduced the C-1 tower speaker. It stands 45 inches tall, and the driver complement comprises a 1-inch cloth-dome tweeter and a pair of 6 1/2-inch woofers-one hidden from view in a ported subenclosure for an extended bottom end. Frequency response is rated as 40 Hz to 25 kHz ±2 dB and sensitivity as 89 dB. The speaker terminals, which accept both bare wire and spade lugs, have large knurled knobs for easy connection. Finished in high-gloss acrylic and textured black, the C-1 has a footprint of 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Weight is 80 pounds. Price: $3,995 a pair. www.chesky.com, 800-331-1437
