New Products

We seem to be going through a mini-renaissance in the hallowed tradition of the American hi-fi show, what with this year's burgeoning crop of existing shows and welcome upstarts. Yet Southern California audiophiles, despite living in what some would consider the nexus of the audio industry, haven't been treated to a good show for years.

Cue Acoustics, whose r1 iPod dock we thought highly of back in 2009, has an interesting new set of bookshelf speakers in the works.

Always looking for new ways to make good on their promise to let users stream all the music on earth in any room, Sonos today announces a new player - the Play:3 - and a new naming scheme for their product line.

With a pair of new smart TVs, Best Buy's not looking to win prizes for putting out the biggest or most full-featured devices in their class. But the Insignia Connected TV (available in 32" and 42" sizes, at $499 and $699 respectively) is aiming to bring a new class of consumer into the smart TV market.

There's little question that Pioneer's Elite-branded Kuro plasmas were among the best - if not the best - televisions ever produced, with black levels still unmatched, in the opinion of most.