HT Staff

Got money? HT editors tell you the best value for your $$$.

As editors of Home Theater, everyone asks us questions about the consumer electronics business. This is fine—it's our duty to help those who may not have the time to spend all day playing around with really cool gear. Some questions are easy, like "How do I hook this up?" or "What does anamorphic mean?" Unfortunately, the one question we get all the time is not as simple to answer: What gear should I buy?

Big plasma displays are among the home theater industry's most desirable and expensive products. Only a handful of companies have ventured into the market for truly big plasma screens.

Long one of the audio industry's most respected equipment makers, Canada's Bryston has made an impressive move into the home theater market with several new products. Notable among them is the 6B-ST amplifier, a three-channel powerhouse capable of 250 watts/channel into an 8-ohm load or a whopping 400 watts into 4.

Never a company to rest on its previous accomplishments, Mississauga, Ontario-based Sonic Frontiers International is pushing the limits of home theater performance with the Anthem AVM 20, its newest multi-zone preamplifier /processor/tuner. With inputs for up to 7.1 channels of audio, and full bass management capabilities, the AVM ("Audio Video Master") is certain to please the most exacting movie and music fans.