LATEST ADDITIONS

Bass: It is undoubtedly the most misunderstood aspect of a home theater system's performance and, in some ways, the least appreciated—especially among the higher-end ranks. Bass' bad rap (no pun intended) derives from a number of sources, but its fundamental undoing is its poor implementation in the vast majority of audio systems—from the genius who cruises around with 10 $50 monotone subwoofers in the trunk of his car to the home theater owner who hasn't put forth the considerable time and effort it takes to properly calibrate low-frequency output. Poor-quality subs, of which there is no shortage, are as much to blame in this situation as user error. The bottom line is that quality bass performance is critical to any audio, music, or home theater system, and its journey begins long before the signals ever reach our speakers.

Plasma, that sexy, newfangled display technology, is growing by leaps and bounds. Not long ago, 42-inch-diagonal, 16:9 panels were the only game in town. Then came the 50-inch HD-ready models from a small handful of manufacturers. Now, we're seeing a few behemoth models in the 60- and 61-inch categories from a few bold manufacturers like Marantz, Zenith, LG, and NEC. Runco has also jumped into the fray with the PlasmaWall PL-61cx, a 61-inch panel and the subject of today's review.

There are some things you just don't expect to find together—say, peanut butter and foie gras or Anne Rice's vampire Lestat in a Garlique commercial. Other combinations may be more desirable and more elusive: a multiterm politician with integrity, for example, or computer products that not only work as advertised but do so consistently (wow, what a concept!). Rarer still is that mythical, mystical creation, immortalized in song and story and lusted after by speaker designers since the invention of the voice coil: the bookshelf speaker with bass.

Hitachi's latest addition to the HD market is the 43UWX10B rear-projection HD monitor, a 16:9 version of the 43-inch 4:3 set I reviewed back in February. Hitachi has taken a proactive approach in developing convenient-sized rear-projection displays for smaller home theaters: This unit's modest 20.625-inch depth and 39-inch height make it a great fit in a bookcase or for use in a small room, and the 43-inch screen is becoming a very popular size for rear-projection TVs and plasma flat-panel displays. I should point out, though, that this is a 16:9-shaped screen and 43 inches is its diagonal measurement, so it's not as big as you might think. Nonetheless, Hitachi has packed a lot in this small package. The 43UWX10B has many operational and engineering features that make this HD unit worth a closer look.