HDTV

Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR5 52-inch LCD HDTV
$4,300 (list), December 2007
Although this is one of the pricier 52-inch LCD HDTVs on the market, Al Griffin couldn't deny that Sony has scored with a 1080p mega-set that is "its best-performing, most feature-laden LCD yet." Movie fans, he said, "will enjoy its deep shadows, natural color, and crisp detail," while sports nuts will love the "solid, lag-free picture" from the TV's 120-Hz processing and "wide (for an LCD, that is) viewing angle."
sonystyle.com

Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD 50-inch Plasma HDTV
$4,000, November 2007
The deep black of this late-gen Pioneer plasma simply has no peer.
pioneerelectronics.com

JVC LT-47X898 47-inch LCD HDTV
$3,300 (list), December 2007
120-Hz motion processing, along with solid blacks and one of the widest LCD viewing angles we've seen.
jvc.com

Sharp Aquos LC-52D64U 52-inch LCD HDTV
$3,000, November 2007
High fashion meets solid performance in this big-screen LCD.
sharpusa.com

Optoma HD80 1080p DLP Front Projector
$2,699, October 2007
It's lean on set-up features, but if it fits your space, this 1080p DLP is a fabulous value.
optomausa.com

Panasonic TH-50PZ700U 50-inch 1080p Plasma
$2,400, July/August 2007
We loved this plasma at its original $3,500 price; its current street price makes it a steal.
www.panasonic.com

Philips 42PFL7432D 42-inch LCD HDTV
$1,500, September 2007
An excellent LCD picture, good image tweaks, and Ambilight make for a good value.
philipsusa.com

AUDIO ELECTRONICS

Meridian G95 DVD Surround Receiver
$8,495, December 2007
A high-performance all-in-one for the highfalutin crowd, with a big-ticket price to match.
meridian-audio.com

Yamaha RX-V1800 A/V Receiver
$1,300 (as tested), December 2007
Excellent audio performance combies with a top-flight video scaler, 4 HDMI 1.3 inputs, and other modern features.
yamaha.com/yec

SPEAKERS

Paradigm Reference Signature Series Loudspeakers
$9,395 (as tested), December 2007
Superb, neutral sonics and a massive 15-inch servo sub that takes no prisoners.
paradigm.com

Genelec Play 6020 Home Theater Speaker System
$3,999 (as tested), December 2007
Installation is tricky, but these compact powered monitors are the real deal.
genelecusa.com

Axiom Epic 80/500 Home Theater Speaker System
$3,332 (as tested), November 2007
You'll get neutral and highly dynamic sonics in this system from Web-retailer Axiom.
axiomaudio.com

Definitive Technology ProCinema 800
$1,099 as tested, November 2006
Top-mounted passive radiators in the tiny satellites extract surprising bass from this value-priced system that earned one of our 2006 Editors' Choice Awards.
definitivetech.com