Netstreams DigiLinX Audio System
July/August
Polk LC265i-IP In-wall IP Speaker System
July/August

To be named as a product of the year, a component has to be firing on all cylinders — breaking new ground in both innovation and performance. This year's winners in Multiroom A/V give us an exciting glimpse of audio distribution's future. The collaboration that NetStreams and Polk Audio announced in 2003 finally came to fruition in 2006, and it was worth the wait. The performance and expandability of this truly forward-looking, entirely IP (Internet protocol)-based audio system leave nothing to be desired.

NetStreams' DigiLinX ($7,270) is a fully IP-based system that has virtually no limits to the number of zones or sources it can support. Plus, its StreamNet technology overcomes a major problem with IP distribution — delay — so music is in sync as you walk from room to room. Network-friendly devices such as Escient and ReQuest music servers simply plug into the SwitchLinX Ethernet switch and instantly become available to every listening zone in the house. DigiLinX supports legacy sources such as CD players and satellite-radio tuners, too. Also, the SMM100 Streaming Music Manager grabs music from any shared music folders on your network. Since the system is entirely IP-based, control via desktop, laptop, or any Web- enabled device on the network is no problem.

While you could add NetStreams' SpeakerLinX amps to drive any speaker, the Polk LC265i-IP in-wall speaker ($1,449) is literally tailor-made for the job. With IP distribution, the digital signal is kept full-bandwidth right until it reaches the onboard amps, producing purer fidelity, with no signal loss or chance of picking up line noise. And every LC265i-IP in an IP system is an independent zone, so you can log in with a Web browser and select sources, change volume, and make bass, midrange, and treble adjustments. Also, the Performance Optimization Wizard ensures you get the best sound possible in your listening environment by letting you tweak the speakers' DSP to correct for anomalies caused by less-than-ideal placement. All of this adds up to one of the best-sounding in-walls I've heard, with tight, punchy bass and an incredibly wide soundstage.
netstreams.com
polkaudio.com
— John Sciacca