New Products

• 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).

DOME IF YOU WANT TO So you need to pimp your ride with the ultimate speakers because your car tunes are that important - and you wanna shut up the dude down the block who goes on about his titanium tweeters (that match his titanium wheels, naturally)? Throw in a set of Focal's high-end Utopia BE component speakers, and tell that sucka that titanium is just so '90s.

SXRD FOR ALL Sony raised the bar when it debuted its SXRD front projectors a couple of years ago, although they also set a new standard for price. Today, the vibrant high-def images SXRD is known for can be yours for just $5,000 (!) from the VPL-VW50, a front projector that'll bestow upon you all the 1080p-res goodness you can stand.

THE NICOLE RICHIE FACTOR They've each got six drivers, an aluminum cabinet, and a precision crossover, but Paradigm's Millenia Series speakers will get noticed first for their rail-thin style - designed to complement (all together now) flat-panel TVs.