The latest version of Yamaha's flagship A/V
receiver, the RX-Z11 (around $5499), features an abundance of processing modes --
including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio -- along with HDMI audio upconversion and
networking capabilities via Windows Vista. It also provides up to 11 channels of
amplification. All of this requires serious
connectivity.
Boston Acoustics' new Horizon speakers are
said to allow "customers to express their personal taste and style and individualize
the look of their systems." This means they can tailor the speakers' look with
grilles in eight different colors. We, however, were excited by the good design sense of
the drivers and cabinets, and the low prices. The floorstanding MCS 100 shown here costs
$499 each.
Cabasse is well known for its spherical
speakers. The new Alcyone ($299/pair) uses a single 4" full-range driver, but it was
the speaker's magnetic
mounting system that impressed us most.
Doug Schneider's
flat-panel quest may end with the Toshiba Regza 42LX177 (around $2200 when available).
It has the 120Hz frame-rate conversion he wants and a sharp,
bright picture too. This monitor and the 92-series Sharp models are the very best
we've seen at CEDIA this year.
Also from Toshiba is its third generation of
HD DVD players. Shown is the $499 A-35, which has 1080p/24-frame video. The new A-30 and
A3 are also available at lower prices: $399 and $299 respectively. All of the new Toshiba
players will be bundled this fall in a "Five free movie" promotion.
Another new HD DVD player, this time from
Integra. The DHS-8.8 ($1100) has a built-in HQV Réon VX 1080p scaler and offers bitstream
digital output.
The Snell Illusion A7 is so new that little
information on it exists. What we were able to find out is that it's the
seventh-generation A7 reference speaker from Snell and it's tri-wireable. Oh, we also
found out the price: $35,000 per pair.
