PREMIERE DESIGN

Video projectors are always front and center at the CEDIA Expo, and this year is certainly no exception. Among the many introductions in this regard will be the Starlight 3 from French maker DreamVision.

After designing and building direct-radiating speakers for over 20 years, Markus Duevel decided to try a different approach. Years of experimentation resulted in a unique combination of horn loading and omnidirectional radiation, and Duevel now offers several models, including the flagship Sirius.

Located in Memphis, TN, EgglestonWorks has long been known for exceptional speakers. Among the company's newest models is the Savoy, which is designed to meet the ultimate goal of music without compromise.

Ever since its founding in 1926, German speaker maker <A href="http://www.elac.com">Elac</A>&#151;short for Electroacustic&#151;has never been one to rest on its laurels. Its engineers continue to improve the company's already well-regarded speakers with refinements and innovations that push the performance envelope. Take, for example, the FS 609 CE, Elac's flagship tower speaker that packs a lot of advanced technology into a slender form factor.

In 771 C.E., a huge bronze bell was cast by King Hyegong of the Silla Empire in what is now South Korea to honor his grandfather, King Seongdeok. Called the Emillé Bell, its remarkable sound can be heard evenly in all directions, and its reverberations last for three minutes, longer than any other bell in the world. Some 1220 years later, Korean high-end audio maker Emillé Labs took its name and inspiration from the famous bell, handcrafting all of its tube-based electronics, including the new Rapture monoblock power amp featured here, to sound as incredible as the company's namesake.

When Lars Engstr&#246;m built his first first amplifier at age 12 in his native Sweden, he could hardly have foreseen where it would take him. But his passion and talent for audio engineering eventually led him to found <A href="http://www.thelars.se">Engstr&#246;m & Engstr&#246;m</A> in 2009 with his nephew Timo, an industrial designer whose skills complement those of Lars perfectly.

When I first saw a photo of this speaker, it reminded me of a Mexican chiminea, a free-standing clay fireplace with a bulbous lower body and tall, thin smokestack. But the only heat generated by this bad boy is of the sonic variety. Born of a collaboration between Serbian ribbon-speaker specialist <A href="http://www.raalribbon.com">RAAL</A> and American pro-audio designer <A href="http://www.requisiteaudio.com">Requisite Audio</A>, the <A href="http://www.raal-requisite.com">RAAL Requisite Eternity</A> is the world's only speaker with a cast-bronze woofer enclosure.