Debbie Stampfli

For the indecisive consumer, Pioneer just made your life a whole lot harder. The company unveiled a new lineup of A/V receivers at CES for every budget, need, and desire. As one of the first companies to deliver iPhone and iPod certification in its AVRs, Pioneer focused on the growing populace of iPhone and iPod users in its new group. The top new models (including the VSX-919AH and VSX-1019AH) employ this certification, and each one includes features that bring out the best in your iPhone or iPod. One of these new features includes a full color graphic user interface with album art and information. This way you’ll be able to see exactly what you are listening to.

Home theater devotees tend to be homebodies at heart. After all, for the quality of the experience, movies look best in dark, windowless rooms with no sunlight. But, for an alternative theater experience, take your movies outside. There are a number of weatherproof options that will entice even the most devout indoor movie lover, with speakers, flat panels, and enclosures that withstand heat, water, and whatever else you can throw at them. Maybe going outside isn’t as scary as you thought.

It’s the great debate of home theater enthusiasts: Should you compromise your room’s uncluttered design in order to accommodate a bigger speaker system? Whether you’re a minimalist with a taste for high-quality sound or a home theater fanatic who doesn’t have room for an ordinary speaker system, it’s time to consider in-walls. These nearly invisible speakers can give you outstanding sound without taking up space, and they show off your room’s design in an unobtrusive way. If you’ve never thought about in-walls, it may be time for a change of heart.