Series 2

Doug Schneider saw this virtual golfer as a photographer's challenge. He managed to capture the swing and the ball's launch pretty well, don't you think?

The loudest display at a show like CEDIA is never the biggest. Here, an unknown manufacturer of small speakers cranks a drag-race scene. A crowd formed, so the strategy worked.

We thought this was a simple and effective display. Basketball on the left, Pinnacle SUBcompact 6 subwoofer ($499) on the right.

Thiel demonstrated the much-anticipated CS3.7 ($9990/pair) -- which has been shipping for a few weeks -- with a pair of SS1 subwoofers ($2900 each). The sound was utterly clean and precise -- sonic hallmarks of Jim Thiel-designed speakers. [www.thielaudio.com]

We were lamenting the absence of big, showy displays at this year's CEDIA, and then we discovered the carnival that SpeakerCraft was sponsoring for attendees.

A major event at CEDIA is the Technician Olympics, which pits installers against each other in various custom-installation-related events. Here we see the race to thread wiring through a wall. The fellow in the white t-shirt won.