Getting a new TV can be both a blessing and a curse. It can mean redecorating a room or at the very least figuring out what kind of speakers will best complement it. You guys tend to want big tower speakers that can overwhelm a space while us girls want something that's, uh, more attractive.
Powerful portable speakers can transform a digital music player into a stereo system or change a personal video player into an on-the-go mini-cinema. The speakers shown here look good, sound better than you'd think by looking at them, and are surprisingly inexpensive. I sampled JBL's latest gear while at CEDIA.
There's no shortage of camcorders or portable navigation devices out there, but here are a few that offer the basics plus a few unique perks. Available in surf-inspired colors like yellow, white, and a turquoise-blue, SANYO's Xacti E1 camcorder (right, $500; us.sanyo.com) is truly waterproof - and minus any bulky casing.
• LaCie Hub ($80; lacie.com). Prevent a peripheral pileup with this handy hub. The eye-catching gadget enables you to connect as many as six devices simultaneously - such as external hard drive, keyboard, mouse - via four USB and two FireWire ports. It comes bundled with eight flexible cables.
Taking the Big View The ceiling-mounted Yamaha DPX-1300 DLP projector (foreground) beams its image onto a custom-made 140-inch diagonal Stewart FireHawk screen.
During the summer, I'm usually on the run all day without ever coming home for a pit stop. That's not a big deal, except sometimes my devices can't keep up with me. But Sennheiser's MX75 headphones ($50), part of its new Sport line, are up to the task. Not only are they durable, sweat-resistant, and lightweight; they're also amazingly comfortable.
As a performer, you've done everything. Do you prefer TV, movies, singing, or the stage? I would say the Broadway theater - it's so much at the heart of things. But I just signed on to do a new sitcom on NBC, Twenty Good Years, and it's incredibly fun. We're going to have a ball on that show. It's a real treat to vary my diet.
John Chance was a typical Sound & Vision reader - at least, until a year ago. That's when he turned his love of A/V gear and do-it-yourself projects into a custom-installation business. Back in 2002, this New York City fireman designed and built an addition for his house that included a home theater.
Getting a new TV can be both a blessing and a curse. It can mean redecorating a room or at the very least figuring out what kind of speakers will best complement it. You guys tend to want big tower speakers that can overwhelm a space while us girls want something that's, uh, more attractive.
