Flat-panel
LCDs are starting to light up the TV world, and Sharp's 30-inch Aquos LC-30HV2U
is one of the largest so far. With its wide 16:9 screen and 1,280 x 768-pixel
(WXGA) resolution, the set is a respectable HDTV monitor, and its 3 1/2-inch depth
makes it suitable for wall mounting. The Aquos panel boasts a viewing angle of
170°, and its contrast ratio is rated as 500:1. It has a built-in NTSC tuner and
detachable speakers. To keep the panel slim, all connections are made to an external
hub (not shown), which has VGA, component-, composite-, and S-video inputs. A
table stand (shown) is supplied, and wall-mounting brackets are available as an
option. The Aquos is said to have a lifetime greater than 60,000 viewing hours.
Price: $8,000. www.sharp-usa.com,
800-237-4277
Hitachi
Yeah,
we know the story - you've spent a bundle on a new digital TV, and now you think
you don't have enough left for a progressive-scan DVD player. Luckily, players
like the Hitachi UltraVision DV-P725U aren't too pricey. In addition to its
progressive-scan output (and, yes, it performs 2:3 pulldown to compensate for
frame-rate differences between film and video), it can play CD-Rs and CD-RWs
with MP3 files. There's a headphone jack with a level control for private listening,
virtual surround sound for two-speaker setups, and 2x or 4x zoom. Composite-
and S-video outputs round out your video hookup options, and it also has both
coaxial and optical digital audio outputs. A universal remote is supplied. Price:
$190. www.hitachi.com, 800-448-2244
Polk Audio
Designed
to keep your surround sound options open, Polk Audio's FXi50 surround speaker
lets you switch between dipole operation (recommended for side walls) and bipole
operation (better for rear-wall placement). Two baffles are set at a 45° angle.
One holds the single 6 1/2-inch midrange/bass driver and a 1-inch dome tweeter,
while the other has a second tweeter and the dipole/bipole switch. Bandwidth
is rated as 40 Hz to 27 kHz. The vented, solid-wood cabinet measures 10 1/8
x 14 7/8 x 8 7/8 inches and is finished in black. Wall-mounting brackets are
supplied. Each FXi50 weighs 15 pounds. Price: $600 a pair. www.polkaudio.com,
800-377-7655
Creative Labs
You
can free those MP3 files and DVD soundtracks from your computer speakers by
bridging your PC to your audio system with Creative Labs' Sound Blaster Extigy,
which connects to your PC via a USB port. The Extigy can turn stereo audio into
5.1-channel sound for playback on a multichannel system, or it can create a
virtual surround sound effect if you have only two speakers. Its Audio Clean-Up
mode removes scratches, pops, and hiss from recordings made from analog sources,
while Time Scaling speeds up or slows down playback without changing the pitch.
There's also a Dolby Digital decoder, a coaxial digital input, and multichannel
line-level analog outputs. The front panel has an optical digital input and
output, a minijack analog input, and a microphone input with level control.
Price: $150. www.creative.com,
800-998-1000
Pioneer
The
21st century in car audio is speeding up, and you get to ride shotgun with Pioneer's
DEH-P90HDD in-dash CD receiver. A built-in 10-gigabyte hard drive is the centerpiece
of the digital head unit, which also has a Memory Stick slot for playback and
file transfer and is ready for XM satellite radio (you'll need to buy a separate
receiver, antenna, and subscription to hear XM channels). You can rip music
to the hard drive straight from the CD player (the tray is behind the flip-down
faceplate), which also plays MP3 files, but only using Sony's ATRAC3 compression
at either 105 or 132 kilobits per second. A built-in Gracenote database automatically
provides artist and title information. The head unit is rated to deliver 50
watts into 4 ohms to each of four channels. Price: $2,000. www.pioneerelectronics.com,
800-746-6337
Mitsubishi
Once
you've got Mitsubishi's WS-65611 65-inch rear-projection HDTV, you won't need
much else to start enjoying high-def broadcasts. The set has a built-in HDTV
tuner as well as wideband component-video, RGB, and RGB+H/V high-definition
inputs, plus three FireWire connectors for digital signals. Two additional component-video
inputs are ready to accept signals from a progressive-scan DVD player. The set
uses 7-inch CRTs to produce a wide 16:9 aspect ratio picture rated for 1,200
lines of horizontal resolution. A VGA input will accept computer signals, and
there are five composite/S-video inputs as well as a coaxial digital audio output.
Dimensions of the two-piece, 340-pound cabinet are 59 1/8 x 62 x 28 1/4 inches.
Price: $4,799. www.mitsubishi-tv.com,
800-332-2119
Tannoy
Adding
magnetic shielding and a new finish, Tannoy has upgraded its Mercury mX speaker
line to the mX-M series, comprising (from left) the mX1-M, mXR-M, and mX2-M
bookshelf models ($270, $200, and $370 a pair), the mXC-M center speaker ($270),
and the mX3-M and mX4-M tower designs ($530 and $730 a pair). The mX4-M is 37
inches tall and combines two 6-inch ceramic-coated paper-cone woofers with a
1-inch soft-dome tweeter. Frequency response is rated as 31 Hz to 20 kHz ±3
dB, sensitivity as 91 dB. The center speaker has dual 4-inch woofers and measures
161/2 x 6 x 7 3/4 inches. The mXR-M is designed to be hung on a wall. All models
come in either dark oak or light cherry vinyl finishes. www.tannoy.com,
800-565-2523
Denon
Your
wall will never sound the same after you hang Denon's stylish D-107 minisystem
on it. A vertically loaded CD player/ receiver with top-mounted controls, a
pair of two-way speakers, and an unusual-looking bass module make up the slim
system. The player/receiver and speakers are less than 3 1/2 inches deep, and
each sports a brushed-aluminum finish. The CD player can handle CD-Rs or CD-RWs
with MP3 files and displays filenames in its illuminated LCD window. The bass
module has dual 43/4-inch drivers and is designed for floor placement but can
also be wall mounted. System power is rated as 80 watts total, and there are
auxiliary stereo inputs as well as an optical digital input. If the wall won't
do, the system comes with mini stands for shelf placement.
Price: $749. www.del.denon.com,
973-396-0810
Samsung
With
128 megabytes (MB) of built-in memory, Samsung's YP-700H Yepp MP3 player can
keep you rocking on the run for hours. Besides playing both MP3 and Windows
Media Audio (WMA) files, the player uses Samsung's proprietary 2XMP3 compression
software to store data more efficiently and speed up file transfer. You can
expand its memory by popping in a SmartMedia card (though you'll have to buy
the card), and a USB port lets you transfer music directly from your PC or Mac
using RioPort organizing/transfer software (supplied). The Yepp also makes a
handy voice recorder since it weighs only 2 1/2 ounces and measures 2 1/8 x
4 x 5/8 inch. A remote control/FM tuner connects inline with the supplied earphones.
Price: $299. www.samsungusa.com,
800-726-7864
Onkyo
A
back surround channel is no sweat for Onkyo's TX-SR600 receiver, which decodes
Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES (Matrix and Discrete) 6.1-channel soundtracks and
is rated to deliver 80 watts of continuous power into each of six channels.
It can apply Dolby Pro Logic II processing for surround playback of stereo sources
and offers 13 digital signal processing (DSP) modes. Wideband component-video
connectors (two inputs, one output) let you switch HDTV signals, and a multichannel
analog input allows hookup of a DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD player. One coaxial
and three optical digital audio inputs, along with five S-video inputs and two
outputs are also available. A universal learning remote is supplied. Price:
$530. www.onkyousa.com,
800-229-1687
Acoustic Research
The
best speakers in the world can't make up for deficiencies in human hearing -
Acoustic Research says you need its TDS202 Sound Enhancer to do that. The device
aims to improve stereo audio by enhancing certain higher frequencies that we
have the most trouble hearing as well as by compensating for the masking of
quiet sounds by louder ones and of short ones by longer ones. Hookup couldn't
be simpler - the Enhancer has only one set of stereo inputs and outputs. The
circuitry is passive, requiring no power (though it has an on/off switch). Overall
dimensions are 7 7/8 x 2 1/4 x 5 1/8 inches. Price: $120.
www.acoustic-research.com,
800-969-2748
Esoteric Sound
Visiting
the past may be physically impossible, but you can at least listen in on it
by spinning your old vinyl records on the Rek-O-Kut Rondine 3 turntable from
Esoteric Sound. Its motor provides 12 different fixed speeds from 16 2/3 to
90 rpm, including, of course, 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm. The spindle and height-adjustable
aluminum/magnesium arm are designed to minimize friction, and the turntable's
feet are said to keep vibrations from reaching the platter. The 12-inch platter
can accommodate 17-inch transcription discs. There's a pitch control with a
range of ±15%. Including the transparent dustcover, the Rodine 3 measures 18
1/2 x 15 x 6 1/2 inches. Price: $1,200. www.esotericsound.com,
630-960-9137
Alpine
Traveling
by car may be long and boring compared
with air travel, but if you've got one of Alpine's Type-S subwoofers onboard,
your wheels will definitely rock. The SWS-1241 sub has a 12-inch Kevlar-reinforced
paper-cone driver and a bandwidth of 26 Hz to 2 kHz, while the 10-inch SWS-1041
has a bandwidth of 30 Hz to 2 kHz. Both are rated to handle 200 watts continuous
power and have a heat-transfer plate to keep things cool. Prices: SWS-1241,
$150; SWS-1041, $135. www.alpine-usa.com,
800-257-4631
Bag End
The
folks at Bag End like their subwoofers to go low, low, low. The InfraSub-12
is just such a bass monster, with a 12-inch driver and an amp rated to deliver
400 watts. The sub's ELF (for Extended Low Frequency) dual integrator is said
to keep the frequency response flat (±3 dB) from 95 Hz down to an impressive
- if inaudible - 8 Hz. Measuring 18 x 15 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches, the sub weighs
57 pounds and has line-level inputs and high-pass outputs for the left, center,
and right front channels as well as left and right speaker-level inputs.
Price: $1,670. www.bagend.com,
847-382-4550
Fisher
The
DCS-TS750 DVD Home Theater System from Fisher comprises a DVD player/amplifier,
five minispeakers, and a subwoofer, plus an unusual feature called TVGuardian.
Dubbed a "foul-language filter," TVGuardian monitors a DVD-Video's closed-captioned
signal, checking each word against a built-in dictionary. When R-rated words
are detected, the audio is muted. The amp is rated to deliver 200 watts of total
power to the speakers, and there are two analog stereo inputs so you can hook
up other audio sources. The DVD player can read CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3 files.
Price: $300. www.fisherav.com,
818-998-7322
Sonance
What's
that rumble? Look up - it could be Sonance's Virtuoso A800DR in-ceiling subwoofer.
Or maybe check the walls for the A800D in-wall model. Each has an 8-inch long-throw
aluminum-cone driver and a rated bandwidth of 35 to 250 Hz. A stand-alone amplifier
rated to deliver 150 watts (not shown) powers each Virtuoso and houses the sub's
variable-crossover, level, and phase controls. The A800DR (shown) measures 12
inches in diameter and has a 5 7/8-inch mounting depth. The
in-wall sub is also available without the amplifier as the P800D, with a rated
bandwidth of 40 to 150 Hz. Prices: A800DR and A800D, $799; P800D, $349. www.sonance.com,
949-492-7777
Madison Fielding
Speakers
in disguise - that's the idea behind Madison Fielding's PlanterSpeakers line,
which comprises several weather-resistant designs to mimic outdoor planters.
The Terra Cotta series includes three polyethylene models disguised as flower
pots, with single 5 1/4-, 6 1/2-, or 8-inch full-range drivers ($699, $999,
and $1,199 a pair). The Flagstone planter (shown) has a three-way speaker and
can hold large flowering plants or a small tree ($2,999 a pair). If planters
aren't your thing, there's the Flagstone Siena bench, with a 5 1/4-inch coaxial
tweeter/midrange driver in each leg and an 8-inch woofer inside the platform
($999). And don't forget the Marc Anthony subwoofer, shaped like a Doric column,
with an 8-inch driver ($799). www.planterspeakers.com,
914-939-8500
Bang & Olufsen
Making
a style statement on Internet music, Bang & Olufsen introduces its UFO-shaped
BeoSound 2 portable player. The silver-finished device has symmetric controls
for convenient handling, weighs only 4 ounces, and measures only 2 3/4 inches
in diameter. It plays music files in the MP3, Windows Media Audio, and AAC formats,
provided they're on a Secure Digital card; a 128-megabyte card is included.
You can transfer files to the card through the player's USB port, and each charging
of the built-in lithium-ion battery is said to last 10 hours. A charging base
and headphones are supplied. Price: $695. www.bang-olufsen.com,
847-590-4900