New Products

PADDED ROOMS Inspired by control panels on kitchen gadgets, the keypads in NuVo's Grand Concerto whole-house system have no pushbuttons. Instead, the panel responds when something - a fingertip, usually - disrupts the electrical field underneath a button icon, so nothing can get stuck.

SAY WATT Canton's CD 3200 is textbook modern speaker design: a slim aluminum cabinet, sexy styling, and ... an amplifier? Well, that's different. Once you've plugged this tower in, it'll deliver a nominal 200 watts to, uh, itself.

A NEW LIGHT So you think you know the big benefit of NuVision's 52LEDLP TV just from the name, do you? Well, yeah, having an LED "illuminator" instead of a regular lamp will get you better contrast, but did you know you also get a much longer life, full brightness as soon as you turn it on, and less power consumption?

LARGE AND IN CHARGE Are you serious about home theater? No, are you serious? Okay then, you may be worthy to own the Sunfire Theater Grand Receiver 3. Among its legendary features: HDMI switching, three (!) subwoofer outputs, and a power rating that'll make lesser receivers cower - 200 watts for each of the seven channels.

• Fatman iTube ($650; www.fat-man.co.uk, distributed in the U.S. via bluebirdmusic.com). So it's the holidays, and you want to get something that will truly impress your iPod pal.

MORE IS LESS Just a couple of years back, high-def front projectors priced less than 3 grand were seen about as often as a giant squid. Today, Mitsubishi's HD1000U is tagged at less than half that, and its DLP light engine can blast 720p-format HD images onto your wall larger than any TV screen.

For $400 (Xbox 360 not included!), this space-saving system delivers 155 watts via four compact satellites, a center channel, and a sub­woofer that neatly houses a Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1 receiver (leaving only a small display unit outside).