OTHER TECH

I positioned the front L/R satellites on knee-high stands about a foot to either side of my 42-inch widescreen Toshiba TV, the center speaker on top of the TV, and the surround satellites about 4 feet to the side and slightly above and behind my listening position. The L/R satellites, slightly shorter and narrower than a DVD box, and less than 5 inches deep, contain multiple keyholes and mounting slots on the back and are light enough to put nearly anywhere.

Most theater-in-a-box systems pay little attention to video, and if they do their video output is fairly basic. The MegaTheater 510, however, offers not only standard composite-, component-, and S-video outputs, but also a variety of progressive-scan video options. These include an Auto mode that looks for a digital flag on the disc indicating whether the material is derived from a film or video original and then applies 2:3 pulldown for film-based programs, manual Film and Video settings, and a pair of enhanced modes.

The Smart enhanced mode uses the Film setting with the addition of vertical filtering for what Cambridge claims are smoother, softer images. The SuperSmart mode looks for the video or film flag, and then performs pixel-based motion-adaptive deinterlacing, making on-the-fly adjustments. According to Cambridge, the technique preserves image resolution on still sections while also reducing combing artifacts on moving sections.

The audio setup options are more limited. For example, you can adjust the left/ right speaker distance only in pairs, not independently, and only in rather coarse increments of 3 feet, with a maximum distance of 15 feet. I challenged the MegaTheater 510 system to The Majestic, a movie about movies with a charming plot that includes many movie clichés along with some impressive cinematography and a pleasantly varied, highly musical soundtrack. The MegaTheater 510 rose to the occasion as much as Jim Carrey, in one of his few straight dramatic roles.

Dialogue sounded present and natural. I heard no sibilance, nasality, thinness, or muddiness on any voices in the film, ranging from a warbling elderly woman to gruff G-men. The movie includes ample jazz-band and boogie-woogie piano music mixed toward the front, and the system treated it with respect, presenting it clearly and with natural tonal balances. The percussive piano transients struck with the same force as the hammer on the strings. The BassCube earned its credits when Carrey's Mercedes plunges off the bridge and hits the water. The dramatic music and low-frequency effects that accompanied the car's sinking thundered from the subwoofer with impressive force. The sub couldn't produce the very deepest bass, although you wouldn't expect that from a driver and box this size. The blend with the satellites was very smooth.

I tried all of the system's progressive-scan video modes and settled on the SuperSmart mode, which gave a convincingly cinematic presentation. However, all of the modes, including SuperSmart, displayed noise and digital artifacts in dark scenes on my TV. But the artifacts didn't show up on other TV sets, suggesting the possibility of compatibility issues with certain TVs.

For pure audio I spun Carrie Newcomer's new CD A Gathering of Spirits. Her rich alto voice poured from the speakers with the naturalness I remember from her live performances. I kept wondering why the system would not switch from Dolby Pro Logic to two-channel stereo, when I realized that it had. The imaging was so good that I didn't notice from the listening position that the center channel had muted.

In a patriotic mood, I popped in the CD American Jubilee to hear William Schuman's orchestration of Charles Ives's Variations on 'America' as performed by Eric Kunzel leading the Cincinnati Pops. This one sounded better in Dolby Pro Logic playback, as it improved the depth and breadth of the performance. Unfortunately, for all its wealth of features, the MegaTheater 510 lacks Pro Logic II, which would have given an even better surround effect. The sound was a bit on the bright side and the bass a tad puffy, but overall the reproduction was worthy of a considerably more expensive system. The orchestral bells a couple of minutes after the opening seemed so real I nearly jumped from my seat.

The Cambridge SoundWorks MegaTheater 510 system justifies its price purely as a compact audio system, especially with the ability to play home-burned CDs containing MP3 files. Having a progressive-scan DVD player that can also display JPEG images on CD adds considerable value. This system can serve as a great entry into the realm of home theater, or if you're already an enthusiast, as a satisfying second system for a bedroom, a den, or even a vacation home. Cambridge may have shaved a few corners to keep the cost down, but overall the MegaTheater 510 is a very worthwhile investment.

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Cambridge Soundworks, Dept. S&V. 100 Brickstone Sq., Andover, MA 01810; www.hifi.com; 800-945-4434