Steven Stone fires up the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?78">Manley Snapper monoblock tube power amplifier</A> to determine whether or not it's finally time "for tube power amplifiers to make an inroad into home theater."
From the February issue, Steven Stone installs the $3300 <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?96">Plus Piano Avanti HE-3200 DLP projector</A> into his HT system, prompting him to comment that "for such a tiny projector, the new HE-3200 has an absurdly long name . . . and maybe even a better picture than the HE-3100."
Format wars got you down? Steven Stone settles in with the <A HREF="/dvdplayers/104lexicon">Lexicon RT-10 universal disc player</A> to see if you can have it all in one box. As SS notes, the RT-10 performs well with "All discs great and small."
Joel Brinkley sets up the top-of-the-line <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?84">Sony DVP-NS999ES DVD/SACD player</A> to see what the latest in a long line of great machines can do. AJB finds that they may have reduced the price, but not the quality.
Plasma screens have not taken over the market yet, as Michael Fremer notes in his review of the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?135">Hitachi Ultravision 65XWX20B rear-projection CRT HDTV</A>. "If space is a constraint," says MF, "be prepared to spend at least twice as much for a smaller screen" with plasma. If you've got the room, then according to MF, the Hitachi may be the way to go.
Steven Stone gets his hands on the <A HREF="/videoprojectors/204infocus">InFocus ScreenPlay 5700 DLP projector</A> and stacks it up against the competition. "Perhaps," SS explains, "the new ScreenPlay 5700 will help tilt the scales of consumer interest more towards DLPs."
Steven Stone sets up the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?113">Vienna Acoustics Strauss surround speaker system</A> and puts them to the test. Stone emerges with a smile on his face, declaring, "I'll miss them when they're gone."
In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?41">Sony Grand Wega KF-60DX100 rear-projection TV</A>, Tom Norton points out that "while the plasma and DLP technologies have been generating much of the latest buzz, the less glamorous LCD remains a serious contender." TJN reveals just how serious in his report.
Michael Fremer looks for sound value as he reviews the <A HREF="/speakersystems/104alon">Alón by Acarian Napoleon surround speaker system</A>. Can an audiophile speaker designer put it all together in a single six-piece package for under $3k? MF sets them up and files his report.