Mark Fleischmann

Without any perforations in its surface, how does the RockSolid rock speaker emit sound? Using its polyurethane composite surface, which serves as a driver, excited by underlying magnets. Finishes include sandstone, charcoal, red rock, and custom versions. Pricing will range from $500 for a single speaker to $900-1000 for a dual version.

Paradigm's new Special Edition Series, shown, is positioned between the Studio and Monitor lines. It includes a tower, two monitors, and sub starting at $299 for the SE1 monitor. The sub's feet can be detached and reattached so it can be used front- or down-firing. At the bottom of the picture are two six-sided subs which use PerfectBass equalization and vibration-canceling circuitry. The smaller one is the Sub 2 ($3499). The larger one is the Sub 1 ($7499) whose 4500-watt RMS amp runs six 10-inch drivers at 126dB and 40Hz, and down to 7Hz. At the top of the picture is the Millennium 20, a hybrid in- or on-wall speaker for $529 each. Not pictured is the upgraded Signature Series which uses a corrugated surround that allows the woofers to produce more output. That in turns means the tweeter and midrange don't need to be choked down. The S1 now comes with a choice of beryllium ($799) or aluminum ($599) tweeters. Sister brand Anthem showed its BLX-200 Blu-ray player ($799). Anthem's first receivers are promised for the first quarter of 2010.

This Finnish manufacturers specializes in active, meaning powered, speakers. Its demo reviewed the reasons, which include eliminating impedance interaction between amps and speakers, and crossovers that don't heat up and waste juice. There were two demos, one of which featured the gigantic HTS3B shown here. Dynamics and admirable bass control were what we heard.

Yamaha used a proprietary wireless connection for the yAired music system. Unlike, say, Bluetooth, it has no compression, no latency, and no delay. Look for the MLR-140 in mid October.