LATEST ADDITIONS

At one rung below Velodynes cost –no-object top line comes the new Optimus series, in three sizes and two finishes. Shown here, the 12" model in high gloss black (high gloss cherry is also available) which puts out 1,200 watts RMS (2,400 dynamic peak) of power. Add in 7-band room equalization and a remote, and the $1,800 price doesn't seem so stiff. Those looking for perhaps a little less bass could investigate the Optimus 10 (10" woofer, $1699) or the the Optimus 8 (8" woofer, $1,299).

Monster Cable and SpeakerCraft put on quite a party Friday night. After Monster's Dealer of the Year awards were handed out, the Doobie Brothers took the stage at the Wells Fargo Theater and rocked out for an hour and a half. Man, those old guys can still kick it pretty good.

Unveiled first at Samsung's line show a couple of months ago, news of the BD-P2500 Blu-ray player was embargoed until the launch at CEDIA, but the 2550, an identical player intended exclusively for Best Buy, let the cat out of the bag well before that. The 2500 is fully compatible with BD-Live, including 1GB of <I>onboard</I> memory&#151;none of this memory-stick nonsense. Also, HQV processing is back&#151;huzzah! It should be available in October for $500.

In a strong design departure from its previous projectors, Mitsubishi is introducing the Diamond Series, which dovetails nicely with the company's rear-pro and LCD top-of-the-line series of the same name. The HD6500 (pictured, $2500) claims a dynamic contrast ratio of 15,000:1, while the HC7000 ($4000) boasts an incredible 72,000:1 thanks to a new iris. Of course, I'll believe it when I see it for myself, but the demo in a semi-dark environment looked pretty good, and from past experience, I expect it to look great in a more controlled environment.