These three-channel LCR bars from Artison deliver the center channel from the top, and the left and right channels at the bottom. Without grilles they're only 1.8 inches deep. The Masterpiece is $2500, the Portrait $1800, and the Sketch $1200.
Want to use AirPlay to connect your Denon XX11-series a/v receiver to your iTunes library? There's an app for that, and while it's a $49 value, you can get it as a free upgrade for awhile starting in November. Denon also has a separate receiver-control app for iThings.
Look carefully at the HSi-430 in-ceiling speaker at the Boston Acoustics booth and you'll see the slot-shaped vent holes just outside the surround. This one has a round grille but there are also square-grille and subwoofer versions, all selling for $250/each. Boston has added a skinny tower to its Reflection line, the RS326, $1000/each. And its TVee Model 30 bar earns its $600 pricetag with separate EQ modes for both music and TV/video soundtracks. It has built-in Dolby Digital (but not DTS 5.1) decoding, which should at least suit ATSC broadcasts which use DD.
The McIntosh MX150 pre-pro ($12,000) can reassign its XLR and RCA ins, a boon to those into triamplification. Its Room Perfect room correction uses 121 test tones to massage your room with 112 octaves of wonderfulness. While the USB input cannot accept 122 source components at once, it can recognize that many one by one. Let us gloss over the MVP 881BR, an $8000 Blu-ray player with non-3D-savvy HDMI 1.3. That brings us to the binding posts that made our eyes pop out of their sockets. They were on the back of an MC302 power amp. The top hex piece unscrews as you'd expect, while the bottom round piece floats. Details? You want more details? It uses electricity.
The front of the Classé CT0M600 mono-block amp does double duty as faceplate and ventilation panel, with heat vented around the dove grey center papel. The 600-watt amp costs $6500 -- multiply that by five, seven, or whatever. To go with it you may want the SSP-800 pre-pro which is HDMI 1.4 compliant and goes for $9500. The company also showed the CP-800 stereo preamp with iPod-savvy USB input, jitter reduction, and bass management, the latter unusual and welcome in a two-channel piece. Price TBA.
The Rotel RKB-1508 delivers eight channels of 65-watt Class D. That enables it to be small, run cool, and shave your power bill. Just the thing if you need to jam an eight-channel amp into a tight spot. Price $1199.
The CM8 tower is now shipping at $2200/pair. This slim three-way tower includes two five-inch paper drivers, Kevlar midrange, and aluminum tweeter with the famous Nautilus waveguide in the rear.
If you're near New York City and want a taste of 3D home theater technology, head to the Discovery Exhibition on 44th street, at Times Square. It's home to the public exhibit of the 3D Experience, a 3D entertainment and technology event sponsored...
The DreamVision Starlight2 ($9,495) was being demonstrated on a 120" wide, flat white, Perfect View screen, with a fixed Schneider anamorphic lens. Scenes from both Avatar and Dark Knight looked terrific, which did not surprise me given my experience with the DreamVision Starlight1 and the same lens (Home Theater, October 2010).