Bob Ankosko

If you’ve ever wondered why major TV brands feature their own branded channels on the home screen of their TVs, LG has shed some light on the question. The OLED market leader announced that it intends to become a player in the media/entertainment space and is making a $750 million investment in its webOS smart TV platform over the next five years to make that happen.

Mozaex founder Douglas Kihm has been thinking about building a pair of super headphones since he was a kid, a dream he has finally realized with the BluWavs, which he is billing as the "world's first 7.1 discrete HD headphones." Each of the bulbous earcups contains five mini drivers, including what he calls a "vibration subwoofer" that literally shakes your head for a tactile experience. Each set of headphones comes with the Blender Console, which looks like a '70s-era equalizer and is available in analog and digital versions. In addition to a 15-band EQ for the front L/R channels, the blender has discrete level controls for each channel so you can really screw up...er, personalize the sound.

The 7.1-channel surround field was impressive while listening to DTS HD Master versions of the soundtrack for Tron Legacy, Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Live and Omar Hakim's Listen Up live jazz jam. Package prices range from $1,295 to $2,595, depending on the version of the Blender.

When a music aficionado moved into his newly renovated 2,500-square-foot home in New York City’s trendy Soho neighborhood, he wanted crisp, clear sound and a way to easily control music and lighting throughout the house, so he hired a Manhattan-based audio/video design firm to make it happen.

NAD is aiming to take value and performance to new levels with the latest addition to the flagship Master Series, the M23 “hybrid digital” stereo power amplifier.