HDTV
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Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-110FD 50-inch plasma HDTV
$6,000, February/March 2008
This truly Elite plasma went head to head with the cream of the LCD crop, Samsung's LN-T5281F 52-incher, and came out on top thanks mainly to the incredible strength of its reproduction of blacks. As Al Griffin noted, "the Pioneer's color balance was close to perfect." He then praised the set's "all-around knockout performance." Welcome to the state of the art.
pioneerelectronics.com
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Sony Bravia VPL-VW60 1080p SXRD Front Projector
$4,999, January 2008
You'll get punchy contrast, sharp images, and quiet operation from this fine front-projector.
sonystyle.com
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Samsung LN-T5281F 52-inch 1080p LCD
$4,500, February/March 2008
Delivers the deepest shadows of any LCD we've tested to date.
samsung.com
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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
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Toshiba Regza Cinema Series 52LX177 52-inch LCD HDTV
$3,000, October 2007
It has excellent out-of-the-box picture quality and a wide array of picture adjustments.
tacp.toshiba.com
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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
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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
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A/V ELECTRONICS
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Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH A/V Receiver
$1,599, January 2008
Tons of useful features backed up by stellar A/V performance.
pioneerelectronics.com
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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
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Denon AVR-4308CI A/V receiver
$2,400, February/March 2008
A truly outstanding receiver that sports a sexy HD interface, built-in Wi-Fi, and a plethora of value-added functions.
usa.denon.com
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SPEAKERS
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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
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Outlaw Audio LCR Speaker System
$3,894 (as tested), January 2008
A basic-looking but high-performance, high-value six-piece system.
outlawaudio.com
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Boston Acoustics Horizon Home Theater Speaker System
$1,800 as tested, February/March 2008
Unfatiguing in lengthy listening sessions, the Horizons also break the mold of the rectangular box speaker.
bostonacoustics.com
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HDTV
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Samsung LN-T5281F 52-inch 1080p LCD
$4,500, February/March 2008
Delivers the deepest shadows of any LCD we've tested to date.
samsung.com
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Sony Bravia VPL-VW60 1080p SXRD Front Projector
$4,999, January 2008
You'll get punchy contrast, sharp images, and quiet operation from this fine front-projector.
sonystyle.com
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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
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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
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Toshiba Regza Cinema Series 52LX177 52-inch LCD HDTV
$3,000, October 2007
It has excellent out-of-the-box picture quality and a wide array of picture adjustments.
tacp.toshiba.com
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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
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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
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AUDIO ELECTRONICS
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Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH A/V Receiver
$1,599, January 2008
Tons of useful features backed up by stellar A/V performance.
pioneerelectronics.com
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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
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SPEAKERS
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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
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Outlaw Audio LCR Speaker System
$3,894 (as tested), January 2008
A basic-looking but high-performance, high-value six-piece system.
outlawaudio.com
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Aperion Intimus 6 Series Home Theater Speakers
$2,582, July/August 2007
This system, built around Aperion's top-of-the-line towers, features all the qualities this Web-based company is known for: superb construction, conventional but well-executed design, and laid-back, unfatiguing sound. A risk-free 30-day in-home trial helps take the sting out of buying sound-unheard.
aperionaudio.com
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Hsu Research VTF-3 MK 3 Turbo 12-in Powered Subwoofer
$799; without Turbocharger, $699; Turbocharger purchased separately, $199; May 2007
It's a big boy, but this monster subwoofer with attached optional port extensions was the clear winner for musicality and low-end output in a face-off of five mid-priced subs.
hsuresearch.com
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HDTV
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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
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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
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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
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Sharp Aquos LC-52D64U 52-inch LCD HDTV
$3,000, November 2007
High fashion meets solid performance in this big-screen LCD.
sharpusa.com
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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
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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
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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
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AUDIO ELECTRONICS
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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
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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
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SPEAKERS
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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
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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
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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
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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
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