Peter Pachal

NEVER COMPROMISE Going with an HTiB system generally means settling for convenience over performance, but Onkyo's HT-S990THX bites off a chunk of both. Not only is the included receiver rated to deliver an impressive 110 watts to each channel, but the speakers have big enough woofers (5-inchers) to actually do something with that power.

BACK IN BLACK The Optoma HD7100 front projector takes contrast to a new level with Texas Instruments' DarkChip3 DLP technology, providing an impressive 5,000:1 rated contrast ratio. So no matter how dark things get onscreen, the picture stays sharp and detailed.

THE NICOLE RICHIE FACTOR They've each got six drivers, an aluminum cabinet, and a precision crossover, but Paradigm's Millenia Series speakers will get noticed first for their rail-thin style - designed to complement (all together now) flat-panel TVs.

CLEAR CENTER Nothing that special about supermodel-thin speakers (3.5 inches) made to match flat TVs . . . unless they're designed to give you three channels of sound from just two speakers.