Magnepan's Wendell Diller promised to demonstrate "an intriguing solution to the center channel," which was nebulous enough. Imagine my surprise when he demoed his new solution with a stereo! A three channel stereo, true, but a stereo nonetheless.

The system consisted of Bryston $2395 BCD-1 CD player, three $7500 Bryston 28B SST monoblocks, and $4995 SP-2multichannel preamp/processor, not to mention a pair of Magnepan 1.6s ($1775), a CC3 center channel speaker ($995), and a prototype ceiling-mounted magnetic planar speaker (price TBD) with a motorized lift that pulled it up to the ceiling when not in use (that's what Wendell is pointing at in the picture).

Wnedell pointed out that the CC3 carried most of the center signal, but feathering in just a little sound to the upper speaker lifted the center image so that it would appear to come from the screen of a large display—or, as in the case of Wendell's demo, to a height appropriate for the line-source-like 1.6s.

"The reason we're using three-channel stereo is that it illustrates the importance of center channel height even better than video, where the image obscures the directionality of the sound." It was a convincing demo. I look forward to seeing where Magnepan goes with this—and we may well find out at CES 2008.

Don't get me wrong, I heard some very good two-channel sound at CEDIA—Thiel and Wisdom Audio leap to mind—but arriving at the Edge Electronics/PBN Montana room at T.H.E. Show was a breath of fresh air. Why? The Denver Convention Center is a noisy place and even the "rooms" are merely shells set up within that vast space. The Denver Athletic Club is both solidly built and quiet.

Edge's Steven Norber was demoing his $5600 GCD CD player, a prototype preamp (price and name TBD), and G8 statement monoblocks ($9500/pair). PBN's Peter Noerbaek brought along his Montana XPS floorstanding loudspeakers ($17,500/pair) and they were big.

Norber had spotted us dining in the DAC lounge and promised he had a special musical treat for us and he did indeed. It was a recording of didgeridoos, silver Tibetan bowls, and some form of synthesizer, and it created not merely a new sonic landscape, but an entire sonic world. The bass was extremely extended and the soundstage was three-dimensional and immersive.

One listener said, "I've never heard anything quite like that," which, of course, is what you say when you don't quite know how to react. It was more complementary than "Is it supposed to sound like that?" (I heard JA ask that once—and the manufacturer enthusiastically said "Yes!") I loved the recording and the system's performance myself.

Nils Lofgren's Acoustic Live was also stunning-sounding—and surprisingly intimate, given the size of the XPSes. The system was obviously well sorted out.

Once again, I was treated to a demonstration of Eminent Technology's $12,900 TRW-17 rotary woofer and once again I was baffled by its seeming lack of practicality, while being amazed at its creative approach to producing the lowest notes.

For $12,900, you get the motor (pictured) and bass manager and amplifier. However, you also need to build a room adjacent to your listening room (or, more likely, home theater) in which to house it. A vent or crawl space ports the bass into the room. And then, you'd better really brace your room, the bass chamber, and, most likely, your foundation in order to handle all the stress 5–7Hz puts on your structure.

At The Home Entertainment Show this year, as last, ET built a braced and substantial chamber, but the effect was more of the structure rattling than a sense of deep, deep bass. It was fun, but also annoying.

If you've got the room, the budget, and the inclination, the TRW-17 does add a whole new dimension to the term "bottom octave."

Meridian’s collaboration with Ferrari bore fruit as the F80 CD-Radio. "CD-Radio," by a long shot, is an unworthy designation for such an unusual device. Sure, it is an AM/FM radio of high quality and, yes, it will play CDs and DVDs and do all sorts of other neat things but you can go to www.thef80.com for all that info. What I want to tell you is that this $2999 clock-radio is drop-dead gorgeous and is a serious audio instrument. In a press conference room that I estimate was 25'x50' with 15' ceiling, Meridian's Bob Stuart popped in first one disc and then another to the amazement of the press crew. The f80 really filled that larger-than-domestic and nearly bare room with balanced sound. Now, I am not saying that it will replace a full component system for you or me, but I cannot think of another product that compares with it for size, appearance, or performance.

That's a pretty snazzy new pre-pro from NAD, the T-175 ($1999). It sports four HDMI inputs, lots of analog and digital audio inputs as well as "legacy" video sources. Of special note is the inclusion of Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction, with a custom response curve option developed with PSB's Paul Barton. In addition, this is one of the first of a new generation of AVRs, pre-pros, and processors that are compatible with the potent Audyssey Pro Audio Calibration intended for professional installation. Others capable of Audyssey Pro include NAD's T775 and T785 AVRs, and Denon's AVR-5805CI, '5308CI, '4308CI and '3808CI AVRs. Also on Audyssey's lists are the Denon AVP1HD pre-pro, the Integra DTC-9.8 and OnkyoPro PR-SC885 pre-pros, the Integra DTR-8.8 AVR, the Crestron Adagio Media System, the Phase Technology dARTS system, and, of course, the Audyssey Sound Equalizer.

Panamax's $2000 MAX 7500 PO is billed as "home theater management." Its 720VA isolation transformer is designed to optimize the performance of digital sources and video displays and isolate them from audio circuitry. It also offers extremely sophisticated ground isolation.Voltage regulation and balanced power are also provided.

With an optional ethernet card, it also offers remote diagnostics.

MartinLogan showed some enticing and very reasonably-priced two-ways with real electrostatic drivers. The Purity (left) and the Source (right) are similar in size and appearance (at least so far as the electrostatic elements are concerned), but differ significantly. The Source ($2000/pair) uses an 8” woofer and has a wedge-shaped base that allows you to tilt the entire speaker to suit the needed vertical listening angle. The Purity ($3000/pair) has a pair of 6.5” woofers and a 200W digital amp, which permits it to be driven by a CD player or preamp or, even, by an MP3 player.

All of us have excuses for why we cannot acoustically treat our rooms but a lot of the underlying reason is that many are not convinced that they should make the physical or financial effort. I’ve discovered what I think of as training wheels for room acoustics. Tom Gorzelski of mytheater acoustic panel showed me his simple and inexpensive kits; these are enough to get anyone started. The panels are only 1" thick and, with their polyester filling, light enough to hang with a single nail. Don't expect them to work into the bass, therefore, but Tom acknowledges that they are most effective at 1–2kHz. Also, they come in packages of four 24x40 panels ($120) or two 24x24 panels ($45) because you cannot expect just one to make a difference. Still, hanging a 4pack of the bigger panels should reduce reflections if placed at ear level and, especially, at the first reflection points on the side-walls. It's likely you'll like it enough, perhaps, to do even more.

Furman's Reference line of power conditioners are handsomely packaged and feature packed. The $1499 20A SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator has linear filtering technology, multi-stage power surge suppression, extreme voltage shutdown, a detachable module for telco surge suppression, as well as three pairs of HD ready cable/satellite TVSS isolated F-connectors.

The $889 7A IT-Reference 7i supplementary symmetrically balanced power conditioner is designed to supplement an existing power conditioner or serve as a remote power conditioner—for a source component or projector, say. It also has linear filtering technology, extreme voltage shutdown, and multi-stage power surge suppression, as well as discrete symmetrical balanced power to lift ground loops and video bars.

The $1999 15A IT-Reference 15i discrete symmetrically balanced power conditioner offers the same features with 15A capacity, as well as the detachable telco/HD F-connector module.

The $3500 20A IT-Reference 20i discrete symmetrically balanced power conditioner has the same feature set as the 15i, but with 20A capacity (duh). In addition, its four filtered outlets are completely isolated from one another and Furman's newly refined dual-screen filtration technology is claimed to offer "the widest bandwidth of noise reduction available enabling it to uncover unprecedented levels of video and audio detail."

The IT-Reference 15i and the IT-Reference 20i also both feature Power Factor Technology to provide current on demand for power amplifiers and subwoofers.

Linn was showing its new reference standard digital player, the Klimax DS, which it is dubbing "the first authentic hi-fi product to stream digital music over a standard home network." Not impressed? How about this: it is capable of utilizing Linn's 24/96 downloads and, according to Rikke Ravnborg, director of marketing, is sonically superior to Linn's long-term digital reference, the CD-12.

"It's a Klimax," said Ravnborg, "so we had to set high standards. We met them." Details, such as price, are scarce, so we'll go straight to Linn's big man Ivor Tiefenbrun for the straight poop. When he tells us, we'll tell you.

MIT's Bruce Brisson was determined to shrink his Multipole technology so that his patented networks did not requite bulky boxes near their cables' termination. Naturally, he thought surface-mount components were the way to go. That was until he began measuring them and discovered that SM components were variable and many didn't measure well.

So, measurement king that he is, Bruce developed a way to measure and match components. The result is his new MPC-Multipole connector, an RCA termination that has an MIT network designed to increase what he terms the cable's articulation bandwidth.

Installers run the cables they need and then terminate them to MPC-Multipole connectors. Price TBD.

See any networks in the photo above? Well, every termination has one—and the rack is still neat and organized.

MIT's top-end cables will still sport network boxes—at least until Brisson makes another breakthrough.

Similar to the MPC line level terminations are MIT's Multipole In-Wall termination systems, shown here by Kent Loughlin. The five-way binding posts fit into an ordinary on-wall quad box and come in three configurations: 11 pole, 15 pole, and 21 pole network. No soldering required.

The 11 pole AVt is $19/channel, the 15-pole Shotgun is $399/channel, and the 21-pole Magnum is $599/cannel.

Parasound's Richard Schram was delighted to show off the San Francisco company's Model 2100 preamplifier. This $600 preamp is designed for the guy who has a multichannel system—possibly even an expensive one—who feels let down when he listens to his two-channel music.

"There are two reasons for this," explained Richard. "One is that most multichannel systems don't have a decent phono section, which this does, both MM and MC. Also, most bass management only works for multichannel inputs. The 2100 has analog bass management, which includes a variable (20–100Hz) low-pass filter."

Oh yeah, it has a front-panel input for an iPod that features 12dB gain to bring it up to line source level.

No wonder, Richard's excited. Now we are, too.

Canton's Frank Göbl is a busy little beaver. He wondered what it would be like to put the components of Canton's successful Ergo line into new specially designed cabinets that could bring the prices down by 30%. "Cost efficiencies have enabled us to do this without sacrificing sound quality or beauty," said Canto USA president Paul Madsen.

All of the models feature Canton's ADT-25 aluminum-manganese–dome tweeters, with newly developed, flared, "transmission-style" faceplates. The midrange and bass drivers are all aluminum-cone units designed and constructed by Canton. One striking feature is the shiny silver (aluminum, technically) mounting plate surrounding each driver. (Folks who want less bling can use the grilles.)

Shown is the $1000/each Chrono 509 DC.

The tweeters and midrange drivers, followed by the crossover, and, on the 807 and 809, the ports are now downward-firing rather than front-firing.

"I re-radiused the flare of the midrange driver," Gøbel explained. "This made the driver stiffer at the voice-coil and more compliant at the surround. The driver, technically speaking, is somewhat less pistonic at frequencies outside its range, but more linear within it.

"I also changed the surround for the tweeter, which affects dispersion. In fact, along with the crossover changes, the new Ventos are easy to place and sound more relaxed without any loss of detail."

Prices remain the same as for the older models.

Naim's long time a-borning $4750 Supernait is finally here. The Supernait's 80Wpc amplifier section is based upon that of Naim's NAP200, giving it 400VA output transient capability.

The Supernait's unusual preamp section accommodates six analog inputs and five digital inputs via its built-in DAC, which handles sampling rates from 32kHz to 96kHz. Digital inputs include two S/PDIF coaxial, two TOSlink (which Naim suggests are "ideal for connection to a computer . . . with perhaps a dirtier-than-normal power supply, as the optical connection isolates the two separate grounds"), and a front panel–mounted mini optical jack.

The Supernait also features two resistor-buffered subwoofer outputs, DIN-4 preamp outputs (for bi-amplifying), and a mini headphone jack. It can be used in conjunction with Naim's Flatcap2x, Hicap2, or Supercap2 power supplies.

Wilson's flagship speaker has gotten a make-over, including a new midrange driver that, the company claims, has even "greater clarity, tonal density, and truthfulness" than the original.

The new titanium oxide tweeter also affords improvements, John Giolas explained. "It's sweeter and more resolving, and has an even lower noise floor, making it the perfect companion to the new midrange."

The new drivers necessitated a new crossover for the Alexandria, with the result, Giolas said, of even greater authority and extension in the bass—a result of Wilson's ability to hear "deeper into the crossover" because of the new tweeter and midrange.

The final change is the one that visually differentiates the new Alexandria from its predecessors: a tempered-glass "window" (it's a door, really) reveals the new crossover and the re-engineered resistor plate.

The Alexandria Series 2 will retail for $148,000/pair and older models are upgradeable. Prices for upgrades have not yet been set, but "they will be on a scale, based on the age of the Alexandria being refitted.

A beaming Gregg Dunn hailed me over to the Cary booth and said, "I know what you are looking for!" He was right. In his hands, he was holding the new Cary Cinema 11V, the video-input/processor that mates with the Cinema 11 (now 11A) audio-only pre-pro that I found to be a really wonderful performer in my July column. What the 11V adds is a useful array of video (and audio!) inputs and outputs but, most significantly for audiophiles, it strips the hi-def audio content from HDMI inputs and pipes it through a proprietary digital connection to the 11A. Add an RS232 connection and the two are linked to work as one, although they can function independently. Specs are decidedly cutting edge, with six HDMI 1.3 inputs and capability for 1080p video at 120Hz!

There was a lot to see in the Lenbrook Group rooms and I was pleased to see that the anticipated T-175 multichannel pre-pro was ready for prime-time. However, the unit that caught my eye was a little stereo unit, the T-715. This trim, $499 beauty has a 25Wpc amp, a CD player, an AM-FM tuner, and a subwoofer output in addition to the usual audio line-level inputs and outputs and headphone jack. It also sports a USB input for playback of MP3s or of anything streaming off the Internet. It's just about the size of a shoebox. Add a pair of small speakers, like PSB's $279/pair Alpha B1s, and you have an ideal and compact second system.