LATEST ADDITIONS

New from Marantz is the BD7003 Blu-ray player, shown here atop the SR6003 AVR. At $800, it quite pricey for a Profile 1.1 player, though it does play all recordable formats, which many BD players don't. Notice the gently curving facia on both units, an elegant design statement.

With one of the longest model designations in the industry, Epson's new top-of-the-line 1080p projector will be available in two versions—the Pro Cinema 7500 UB (<$5000) and the Home Cinema 6500 UB (<$3000). Both include HQV Reon-VX processing, a purported contrast ratio of 75,000:1, Fujinon lens, and high-speed auto iris. The Pro version includes an extra lamp, ceiling mount, ISF certification, longer warranty, and anamorphic scaling with an optional Panamorph lens. Both should be available in December.

The BD1 control center from the Thiel Zoet collaboration is shown here driving multiple Thiel SCS4D speakers. The current version of the controller can only accept optical and coaxial digital signals, and can distribute Dolby Digital and DTS audio as well. However, TrueHD and DTS-HD MA will have to wait for another version (I'm guessing the BD2) that will come out sometime next year.

The Thiel SCS4D is an the IP addressable version of their SCS4 debuted at the last CES. The SCSrD is powered by 250 watts of class-D amplification. The Cat5e cable in the back and the power chord are the only indications that we're not in Kansas anymore.