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Ears On
Tannoy i30 iPod Docking System
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 17, 2008
Sometimes it makes me nervous to lift an iPod-compatible compact audio system out of the box. There are plenty of them out there and I want to review only the exceptional ones. From time to time I pull off the wrapping and know I'm looking at a loser before the iPod even touches the docking connector. Flimsy construction usually leads to flimsy sound. On the other hand, some systems also make a fine first impression. The Tannoy i30 is a case in point. It was packed better than most of the surround receivers I reviewed, in charcoal-colored non-disintegrating foam. At a solid eight pounds, it felt good in my hands.
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Other Tech
Stealth Theater
 |  Jan 16, 2008

From thin flat-panel TVs to champagne-finished receivers, there's more hot electronics gear today than ever before. But no matter how sleek components get, sometimes they just don't "go." Other factors like the shape or function of a room, the décor, or a significant (and significantly influential) other dictate what you can put in a room.

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Audio Video News
Apple Does High-Def Download Rentals
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 16, 2008
The Blu-ray folks who have been guzzling champagne for the past week might want to put the cork back in the bottle and put it in the fridge. Yesterday's raft of Apple announcements included the company's entry into high-def movie downloads and deals with several major studios.
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Audio Video News
Glassy Loudspeakers
SV Staff  |  Jan 15, 2008
While everyone seems to be trying to minimize the look of the loudspeaker, a few companies including KEF, Martin Logan and Sonance are hoping to turn a few heads with theirs. The most recent entry into the designer speaker market is Waterfall...
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Custom Installation Equipment Reviews
I Want That!
Dan Daley  |  Jan 15, 2008

<I>Seale Moorer's life|ware product makes home automation more accessible, affordable, and sophisticated.</I>

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Audio Video News
Plasma's Got Game
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 15, 2008
What a difference a year makes. It wasn't long ago when LCD sales were trumping plasma in flat-panel land. But manufacturers like LG and Panasonic now expect higher plasma sales in 2008, according to Reuters.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
DVD Review: Monsieur Hire
Sol Louis Siegel  |  Jan 14, 2008
Kino
Movie •••½Picture •••• Sound ••• Extras •

Director Patrice Leconte's fine adaptation of a Geo

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Tower Speaker Reviews
B&W 683 Surround Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 14, 2008

Founded in Worthing, England in 1966 by the late John Bowers, B&W (more formally known as Bowers and Wilkins) is now one of the best-known names in the industry. While the average man in the street might wonder when the car manufacturer started making speakers if you mention B&W, it's one of the first names that comes to an audiophile if asked to make a list of the top speaker companies in the business. And unlike many of its competitors, B&W makes only loudspeakers&mdash;unless you count its new iPod speaker system as a major departure.

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Audio Video News
Toshiba Takes an Ax to HD DVD Prices
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 14, 2008
Are you hankering to get into high-definition disc consumption at a bargain price? Toshiba has just made its HD DVD players even more attractive with big price cuts--though as a statement on the format's future, the move is ambiguous at best.
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Other Tech
Dynamic-Range Rover
 |  Jan 12, 2008

What's the Next Big Thing in high definition? 3D? 4K? 5G? Nah. Several industry experts who've seen prototype displays suggest that high dynamic range will be the newest technology to turbo-charge video. We're talking video with pitch blacks and blinding whites.

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