Thiel's new 3.7 loudspeaker replaces the 3.6, a model that has been in the line for 13 years! The 3.7 (shown in prototype form only and not actively demonstrated) looks radically different, with its new cabinet design and cone material. Particularly interesting is the design of the coaxial midrange-tweeter driver. The ring-like midrange that surrounds the tweeter is ribbed for rigidity, and driven by a 3-inch voice coil at the center radius of the driver. Shipment is planned for early spring, at a price to be announced later. A new center channel will also be designed around the new coaxial driver, but is still some ways from completion. .&mdash;<I>TJN</I>

Conrad-Johnson has two new home theater components to go with its current CAS200 6-channel preamp. The latter offers no processing, but instead relies on the Dolby Digital and DTS processing in most DVD players. To go with this, an updated universal DVD player will be available both from C-J and McCormack (essentially the same player, but with different face plates). It's an extensive updating of the previous McCormack player, using premium parts, and will be called the Conrad-Johnson Edition of the McCormack UDP-1. The price will be $3995. There will also be a MET150 multi-channel power amp ($8500) in the spring, with 150Wpc into 8 ohms and single ended triodes used for voltage gain, with solid-state output stages.&mdash;<I>TJN</I>

The line of speakers from the Italian company Bolzano Villetri may not have been the best sounding at the show (though they may have had the must <I>unique</I> sound) but they were certainly the most unusual (obvious from the photos), and possibly the most gorgeous as well. Briefly, they consist of drivers firing upward and downward, in most cases two woofer-midranges and two small tweeters. The resulting sound fires out on all sides, for a (nearly) omnidirectional sound. The largest floorstander shown, the Great Torre, is priced at $9000. The slightly smaller Piazetta (love those names&mdash;sounds like a small pizza) goes for $6000 (its 6.5-inch woofers would likely be a good match for a subwoofer), and the short Cantora center is $3000. Also shown was a smaller line of speakers using similar technology in less complex enclosures (no prices available yet). But even those were beautiful.

Genesis Advanced Technologies had two major new introductions, plus new subs. The Genesis 3 employs midrange/tweeter line arrays in a dipole configuration, together with an on-board subwoofer. But the new, small F7.1p ($2950-$3250/pair, depending on finish) might be more home-theater friendly. I heard them in a 2-channel configuration, along with the new S2/8 sub ($TBD), and they sounded very honest and neutral. And while they could be used with a Genesis center, they are small enough that they could work nicely in all channels. A bit pricey, perhaps, but Genesis speakers have never been low-end designs. &mdash;<I>TJN</I>