The 642e SB subwoofer uses a sealed cabinet sporting a foot-wide, forward-firing driver, and packs 300 watts. Only low-level inputs and outputs are provided, but amenities include low-pass filter bypass, standby, and phase. The continuously variable low pass ranges from 40 to 140 Hz (I chose 70 Hz), with an 18-dB-per-octave upper slope. The sub's level control is hidden behind the front grille, though, making adjustments a bit of a pain.

I placed the front speakers in the usual sweet spots in my room, and after playing with the C.O.R.E. settings, ended up pulling the 6200e LRs away from the wall about 4 feet to tame a lower-mid boost and solidify the imaging. The surrounds went on my side walls, 3 feet behind and 2 feet above the listening position.

C.O.R.E. appears on the three front speakers to allow fine-tuning of their frequency response. One switch varies "high-frequency energy" according to room type (reverberant, damped, and THX/average). I chose the reverberant (rolled-off) setting; my room's absorption is close to the THX spec, but I simply preferred the darker sound. The "location" control boosts the upper midrange if the speaker is placed behind a projection screen or curtains; I chose the THX/normal setting here. The "boundary compensation" control decreases the lower midrange bump caused by proximity to a hard surface; I set the 6200e LRs to the flat THX/normal setting, and the 6200e C to the compensated position.

Music Performance After giving the speakers some break-in time, I started my music audition with 2.1-channel playback and quickly appreciated the prowess of the stereo pair and sub.

Introducing Joss Stone is actually the 20-year-old powerhouse's third release. Just like Aretha, Gladys, and Janis, this bluesy singer can pour her heart into a song. "Tell Me 'Bout It" is an upbeat R&B tune, and its driving retro-mix kick drum was handled nicely by the subwoofer in taut hits, with only slight resonances on a few particular notes at loud levels. The musicality of both the sub and the satellites' woofers was evident on the complex bass line - clean and tight. The wonderful background harmonies had good clarity (and imaging) that balanced nicely with the muted horn stabs. This crucial midrange was just a bit forward for my taste, but not a serious issue. Upper-midrange clarity was good, and was improved when I removed the metal grilles. "Tell Me 'Bout It" has a gritty quality (with record scratches) that could be annoying on harsh tweeters, but the timbre here was natural and smooth. This is a great song with a great groove, and the system nailed it.

If you've not seen it, the latest surround-sound concert video from Peter Gabriel, Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped, offers an incredible performance. "Come Talk to Me" starts with Gabriel's voice stark and clear, mixed primarily to the center channel. The 6200e C center provided controlled sibilance, and a warm, natural presence that persisted off-axis. The full weight of the song kicks in with a massive wash of sound, and the system responded with good dynamics and detail. The surrounds - set in bipole mode - were fully exploited here, with piano mixed to the right rear, guitars to the left. The system kept everything in place, creating an immersive circle of sound. Only when pushed to the loudest levels did the surrounds tighten up a bit with reduced dynamic linearity.