LATEST ADDITIONS

Do it yourself (DIY) speaker builders gravitate to one of several suppliers to buy the parts they need for their projects. One of the biggest is Parts Express, and they had a small booth on the show floor this year. The elegant cabinet shown here, with the arched side walls now popular on many an upscale commercial design (almost invariably made in China), can be had for $129.77 (each) in polished black, cherry, or maple, ready to be filled with the drivers and crossovers of your choice.

Hitachi joined the parade of manufacturers showing ultra slim flat panel models with this 1.5-inch thick concept design.

VIZIO introduced more new flat panel displays at CES than any poor scribe should have to deal with. So I'll mention only the largest sets in both the plasma and LCD premier lines. The 1920x1080p VP504F is a 50" plasma ($1699) with Silicon Optix REON video processing. As of now the VP504F is the only set in the new VIZIO line, either LCD or plasma, that uses the REON, though more are possible before the new lines start showing up in stores in May and June. A contrast ratio of 30,000:1 is claimed.

PSB Speakers showcased the Synchrony, the latest in their statement products. As with all PSB speakers they combine exceptional musicality with technical excellence. The new design is a departure from past models using a compact footprint that takes up less space and exhibits a modern sculptured finish. There are seven models in the series including two full-range towers, two compact bookshelf-style models, two center-channel speakers od different sizes, plus a “tri-mode” surround speaker.