Monster Cable's Beats by Dr. Dre headphones ($349) create an effective seal around the ears to keep noise out, and they are powered, so they will work with essentially any source, especially iPods. We found them especially comfortable -- no small consideration with headphones.

The Pro-Ject Perspex turntable has some advanced features, including a carbon-fiber tonearm and an opposing-magnet suspension. The platter is made from MDF and vinyl. It costs $1995 including the 96C Evolution tonearm.

The JBL WEM-1 is a 2.4-gigahertz transmitter and receiver that bring wireless connectivity to any speaker and amplifier. The system comes with its own remote control and costs $359.

This is the planar-magnetic tweeter for MartinLogan's newest speaker,...

MartinLogan also debuted the Feature center-channel speaker, which does use an electrostatic panel for the midrange, along with a dome tweeter and dynamic woofers. The Feature is fully powered and will sell for around $1500 when it is available later in the year.

Monitor Audio's PL15 ($4800) is a DSP-controlled subwoofer that uses a 15" C-CAM (ceramic-coated aluminum magnesium) woofer. It has a ten-band graphic EQ built in and four preset EQ curves. The various finish options for the PL15 looked opulent. [www.monitoraudio.com]

Another new super subwoofer is Paradigm's Signature Sub25, which has 5dB more output than the current Servo 15 subwoofer. This may be the only time you'll see this subwoofer's 15" driver. Its 3" peak-to-peak excursion was seen as a possible hazard, so Paradigm has made the Sub25's grille non-removable. [www.paradigm.com]