Premiere Design

In this blog, I often focus on products that are at home in a home theater, but when a press release about the new <A href="http://www.perreaux.com/products/eloquence/250i_-_250w_stereo_integrated... &#233;loquence 250i</A> reached my inbox, I was intrigued. It claims to be the world's most powerful Class AB stereo integrated amp, so I had to investigate further.

One look and you know this is no ordinary speaker. The flowing, liquid lines of the Muon reflect the highest artistic expression, and rightly so—after all, it was created by renowned designer Ross Lovegrove for pre-eminent British speaker manufacturer <A href="http://www.kef.com">KEF</A>.

If you thought 1080p is as good as it gets, think again. Long known for its reference-quality audio products, <A href="http://www.meridian-audio.com">Meridian</A> now offers a video projector with <I>five times</I> the resolution of 1080p. Dubbed the 810 Reference Video Projector, this 140-pound behemoth uses three D-ILA panels, each with a resolution of 4096x2400 for a total of nearly 10 megapixels.

After 60 years of making some of the finest audio components available, <A href="http://www.mcintoshlabs.com">McIntosh Laboratory</A> is celebrating its quadquindecennial with the reissue of two classic models—the C22 preamp and MC75 monoblock power amp that were first introduced in the early 1960s. Both units have been updated with the latest features and manufacturing techniques and will be sold as a limited-edition "Classic System" including one C22 and two MC75s.

<A href="http://www.bowers-wilkins.com">B&W</A>'s Nautilus speakers are not new&#151;they were introduced in 1993&#151;but they remain unequaled in the sheer beauty of their design. And that design isn't merely for the sake of visual impact&#151;it's a classic case of form following function.

If CES 2009 was any indication, it looked like Philips was getting out of the consumer-electronics business, seeing as how the company had no booth or press conference this year. We know for sure it won't be selling TVs in North America, having reached a deal whereby Japanese electronics manufacturer Funai will market Philips and Magnavox TVs in the US and Canada while Philips concentrates on Europe and key emerging countries.

Unless you're a serious audiophile, you might not know the name <A href="http://www.goldmund.com">Goldmund</A>. After 30 years making ultra-high-end audio components, this Swiss company is expanding into the realm of home theater. But if you think it's simply offering projectors and surround-sound systems, think again. When you contact Goldmund to discuss home theater, you'll be talking about a <I>complete</I> media room that the company will design, build, equip, and calibrate from beginning to end.