Yamaha
Taking over the flagship position in Yamaha’s receiver fleet is the RX-Z1.
It decodes Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES (Matrix and Discrete) and performs Dolby
Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 processing to deliver surround sound from stereo
sources. It also has 41 digital signal processing (DSP) modes to create a variety
of different acoustic environments, including Cinema DSP, which simulates the
acoustics of a movie theater. It’s rated to deliver 130 watts to six main
channels and 45 watts to two front-effects channels. Three wideband component-video
inputs can switch high-definition TV signals and progressive-scan output from
a DVD player, while a six-channel analog audio input lets you hook up a DVD-Audio
or Super Audio CD player. There are eight optical and three coaxial digital
audio inputs. A touchscreen remote is supplied. Price: $2,799. www.yamaha.com/yec,
800-492-6242
Sunfire
The True Subwoofer Super Junior from Sunfire promises big bass with room to
spare. The dual, flat-diaphragm, long-throw drivers, only 61/2 inches
in diameter, are on opposite sides of a 9-inch cube. Despite the diminutive
dimensions, the wee sub has an onboard amp rated for a whopping 1,500 watts
of average power. The rated peak sound-pressure level is 108 dB from 22 to 100
Hz. Volume and phase are both continuously adjustable, and you can set the crossover
anywhere from 35 to 100 Hz. Speaker-level inputs and line-level inputs and outputs
are gold-plated. The black lacquer-finished Junior weighs only 29 pounds. Price:
$995. www.sunfire.com, 425-335-4748
Velodyne
With their titanium-color finish and acoustically transparent bars protecting
the tweeters, the speakers in Velodyne’s Deco system are sure to give your
home theater a distinctive look. The computer-designed cabinets eliminate parallel
surfaces to reduce internal standing waves that can cause response peaks and
dips. The five satellites, each with a 3/4-inch silk-dome tweeter and a 4-inch
woofer, have a rated frequency response of 80 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB. The
subwoofer’s Class D digital amplifier is rated to deliver 600 watts of
average power to the 8-inch front-firing driver, and its cabinet measures 11
x 11 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches. Bandwidth is given as 25 to 120 Hz. Price: $1,499.
www.velodyne.com, 408-436-7270
Sony
You’ll see TV in a different light the moment you turn on Sony’s KF-60DX100
Grand Wega HDTV monitor. The 60-inch rear-projection set uses a novel design
in which light passes through three XGA LCD panels and is then focused onscreen
by a wide-angle lens system. The 16:9 screen’s antireflective layer is
said to reflect 80% less light than conventional rear-projection screens for
a higher-contrast picture. A built-in scaler converts standard interlaced signals
to progressive scan with 2:3 pulldown processing. The set contains an NTSC tuner
but must be used with an outboard HDTV tuner. With both, you can watch a high-def
program beside an analog one. There are two component-, four composite-, and
three S-video inputs. The Grand Wega measures 63 3/4 x 43 1/2
x 21 3/8 inches and weighs 132 pounds. Price: $8,000. www.sonystyle.com,
800-222-7669
Wharfedale
Designed to be seen as much as heard, Wharfedale’s Zaldek speaker line
comprises seven models. There are center, surround, and subwoofer designs as
well as the flagship Zaldek 2000 tower (shown), which combines dual 8-inch polypropylene-coated
woofers with a horn-loaded tweeter and midrange driver. Frequency response is
rated as 30 Hz to 20 kHz –6 dB, sensitivity as 91 dB. The 9 1/8
x 39 x 12 3/8-inch MDF cabinet is finished in black with a titanium-color
baffle and port that complement the metallic-blue woofer cones. Price: $600
a pair. www.iagamerica.com,
781-440-0888
Zenith
You’ll have a tough time finding a DVD player with progressive-scan video
that’s cheaper than Zenith’s DVB216. Besides sending progressive signals
through its component-video output, the Zenith player can read CD-Rs, CD-RWs,
and discs with MP3 files. Composite- and S-video connections round out your
video options, and you get both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. An
attractive silver finish makes it look pricier than it is, and a backlit universal
remote control is included. Price: $160. www.zenith.com,
847-391-7000
Atlantic
Technology
With its up-to-the-minute decoding capabilities, including Dolby Digital EX
and DTS-ES (Matrix and Discrete), Atlantic Technology’s first preamp/ processor,
the P-2000, is ready for home theaters with two back surround speakers in addition
to the usual five satellites plus subwoofer. Besides Dolby Pro Logic II and
DTS Neo:6 processing, which can provide 5.1-channel output from two- and four-channel
sources, the preamp features Cirrus Extra Surround processing, which can do
that plus derive a back surround channel. And if you have a DVD-Audio or Super
Audio CD player, the receiver provides bass management for its six-channel analog
audio input. There are seven S-video inputs and two component-video inputs as
well as outputs for a second zone. A backlit remote control is supplied. Price:
$1,699. www.atlantictechnology.com,
781-762-6300
Stomp
With everybody and their goldfish burning CDs these days, professional-looking
labels for your discs and jewel boxes will help your recordings stand out from
the crowd. Available in PC and Mac versions, Stomp’s Click ’N Design
CD-labeling software has templates and graphics for labeling CDs and DVDs, 3-inch
discs, jewel box covers, Zip discs, and even videocassettes. You can import
your own images or use the 5,000 supplied photos, backgrounds, and clip-art
images. If you want to jump right in, the label wizard will get you producing
graphics in minutes, and aspiring entrepreneurs can even put bar codes on their
designs. Price: $20. www.stompinc.com,
949-250-6771
Definitive
Technology
In debuting its StudioMonitor 450 and 350 speakers and SuperCube I and II subwoofers,
Definitive Technology has combined them with existing models to create complete
home theater systems. The StudioCinema 450 system (shown) has a pair of Model
450s, a SuperCube II, a C/L/R 2000 center speaker, and a pair of BP2X surrounds.
The magnetically shielded Model 450 speaker has a 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter,
a 6 1/2-inch midrange driver, and a 10-inch woofer. It measures 8 3/8 x 11 1/2
x 13 inches and has a gloss black finish. The SuperCube II, with its 8-inch
active driver and dual 8-inch passive radiators, is said to take the system
down to the sub bass-ment, going as low as 14 Hz. Price: $2,707. www.definitivetech.com,
410-363-7148
Blaupunkt
It’s like having a car CD changer, only without the CDs or the changer
— Blaupunkt’s MDP-01 mini hard drive can store up to a gigabyte of
MP3 music for the road. You download files from your PC using the supplied USB
reader/writer; the drive has a proprietary connection to your Blaupunkt head
unit. At only 5 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches, it should be easier to install than
any changer, and its brushed-aluminum sides and acrylic cover make it look better,
too. Ripping software is included. Price: $849. www.blaupunktusa.com,
800-950-2528
Proton
Aiming to give you more options in the high-performance video arena, Proton’s
34-inch HWT-36A HDTV monitor has four separate component-video inputs, with
three capable of accepting either high-definition TV or progressive-scan DVD
signals. High-def video can also be fed through the VGA and FireWire connectors.
The widescreen set’s TrueScan circuitry converts interlaced signals to
progressive format with 2:3 pulldown. Dual-tuner picture-in-picture lets you
preview analog channels without flipping, and the built-in speakers have a three-way
design for improved audio clarity. Both a dedicated TV remote control and Proton’s
SRC-2000 touchscreen universal controller are supplied. Price: $5,000. www.proton-usa.com,
562-404-2222
Integra
Digital Light Processing (DLP) video technology means you don’t need a
big box to get a big picture, and Integra’s DLV-100FP1 front projector
is the latest proof of that. Connected to an outboard high-definition TV decoder,
it can project HDTV images up to 100 inches diagonal. It has 15-pin RGB (VGA)
as well as composite- and S-video inputs. A USB port lets you navigate the setup
menus with a mouse, and a CompactFlash card slot lets you view pictures from
a digital camera. The projector’s native resolution is 1,024 x 768 pixels,
but when it’s paired with Integra’s FPV-1 digital video processor,
all incoming signals are converted to that resolution in progressive-scan format.
Price: $10,500, with FPV-1; $7,000, projector only. www.integrahometheater.com,
800-225-1946
Sound
Advance
In-wall speakers still too distracting for you? You can turn your sound completely
invisible with Sound Advance’s SA2. The 14 x 21-inch hybrid planar-magnetic
speaker is designed to be installed inside a wall — way in. Once it’s
put in the cavity and the opening covered with the supplied vellum overlay,
you can paint or wallpaper over it to match your room. The two-way speaker uses
different sections of its planar-magnetic transducer to produce both high and
low frequencies, for a rated frequency response of 70 Hz to 20 kHz ±4
dB. Mounting hardware is included. Price: $999 a pair. www.soundadvance.com,
800-592-4644
Legacy
Symmetry is in — at least as far as Legacy Audio’s four-way Helix
speaker is concerned. A single tweeter bisects the driver array, separating
two pairs of 6-inch midrange drivers and two 15-inch woofers. The eighth driver,
a copper-anodized 15-inch subwoofer powered with a built-in 1,000-watt amplifier,
fires from the rear. Frequency response is rated as 16 Hz to 25 kHz ±0.5
dB. The Helix stands 701/2 inches tall, and its pedestal is 21 3/4 x 3 3/4 x
23 inches, including the supplied heavy-duty casters. Each speaker weighs 280
pounds. Price: $38,000 a pair. www.legacy-audio.com,
800-283-4644
Bell'O
Designed to hold plasma TVs — even those huge 61-inchers — the Bell’O
PVS-4260 plasma TV stand also has room for other components in your home theater
system. With three equipment shelves made of tempered safety glass, the stand
can hold your receiver, DVD player, and center speaker with room to spare. The
dark metallic frame is scratch resistant and powder coated. The TV mount can
be adjusted to the size of your set, and the stand’s maximum overall dimensions
are 46 x 61 x 33 1/4 inches. Price: $1,100. www.bello.com,
732-972-1333
Athena
The Point 5 home theater system from Athena comprises four S.5 left/right speakers,
a C.5 for the center channel, and a P.5 powered subwoofer. The magnetically
shielded S.5 has a 4-inch woofer and a 1-inch dome tweeter with a rated frequency
response of 60 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB. The C.5 is the same except it has
two of the woofers; dimensions are 15 x 5 5/8 x 6 1/4 inches.
The P.5 sub has a down-firing 8-inch driver, line- and speaker-level jacks,
a crossover variable from 50 to 150 Hz, and a rated frequency response of 27
to 150 Hz ±3 dB. Satellite finishes include cherry vinyl with black grilles
or gloss black with black or silver grilles; the sub is available in black only.
System price: $800 (speakers also sold separately). www.athenaspeakers.com,
416-321-1800
Ten
Lab
To watch analog TV programs from parts of the world that use a variant of the
PAL or SECAM broadcast-video standards instead of our NTSC system, you’ll
need a video converter like TenLab’s TR-1000Pro. The device morphs signals
from any of the six standards it recognizes to any other and has a built-in
time-base corrector. There are two composite- and two S-video inputs, and the
converted signal can be routed through composite-, component-, or S-video outputs
with either 480 (NTSC) or 576 (PAL) lines of vertical resolution. Price: $1,599.
www.tenlab.com, 818-706-8120
Signature
Wire
Custom installers will enjoy Signature Wire’s ControlPlus cable, which
is designed to simplify cable routing for keypad-controlled home theater systems.
It bundles four 16-gauge copper strands with four pairs of 24-gauge Category
5E cable inside one insulating jacket. The Cat 5 cable integrates with your
keypad or control system while the four copper conductors can deliver speaker-level
signals. Now aren’t you glad you had to string cable only once? Price:
28¢ a foot. www.signaturewire.com,
888-715-1555