LATEST ADDITIONS

LCD televisions with LED backlighting were all over the show (but c'mon Toshiba and others, they are LCD TVs with a new form of backlighting, NOT LED TVs), and Toshiba's 670 series with local dimming are among the best. We know, because you'll see a review of one in our November 2009 issue.

Those who love high-end subwoofers may find no greater joy than wandering the aisles of the CEDIA Expo, the place where most speaker manufacturers choose to debut their boldest new bass boxes. I've seen quite a few promising new subs in the...

Yup, they're actually calling it the SCS, and yup, that does stand for "suitcase sub." Companies like this are like manna to journalists. The narrow vertical sub hugs the wall and packs in dual 5x7.5-inch drivers, which yield an active cone area of 12 inches, powered by 300 watts. Probable price $4000, shipping in 30 days. We didn't let it distract us from the excellence of Wisdom's Sage Series line source planar speakers, the L100i and C150i, which speak like oracles through a woven screen.

A notable speaker brand makes common cause with a distinguished acoustics consultant to create home theater systems worthy of the description high end. The CinemaPlus systems will combine design, engineering, and support from PMI -- Anthony Grimani's company -- with acoustic treatments from MSR and speakers from Triad. The curved baffle wall shown in the picture is part of the package. It is modular and scalable. Systems will start at $46,550 for a small room (2000-2999 cubic feet), rising to $88,650 for a medium-sized room ($3000-5999 cubic feet), and topping off at $105,350 for a large room (6000-12,000 cubic feet). Are you reading this, Mega Millions winners?