OTHER TECH

The List Page 3

Network A/V

Philips WAC700/WAS700 Music Center $999, July/August 2006 Simplicity of setup, ease of use, and slick industrial design are the hallmarks of this wireless streaming music system. philips.com Yamaha MusicCAST $2,000 and up, July/August 2006 A sophisticated, expandable wired or wireless multiroom audio system with Yamaha's full-featured MCX-2000 server at its core. yamaha.com/yec Qsonix Q100 Digital Music System $5,495, April 2006 Quite expensive for a two-zone music server, but this system's giant touchscreen interface is so cool and engaging we can't help ourselves. qsonix.com HP z556 Digital Entertainment Center $1,500, February/March 2006 A slim profile and the ability to record three TV shows simultaneously (including one in high-def) make this Media Center PC a winner. hp.com Sonos Digital Music System $1,199 (two-room system), February/March 2005 Elegant, expandable system to spread music from your PC or audio gear around the house. sonos.com Escient Fireball SE-80 music server $999, October 2005 A new low price for Escient's friendly Music Manager user interface, along with wireless PDA control and other features. www.escient.com Olive Symphony Digital Music Server $899, December 2005 Its lack of an onscreen TV user interface is notable, but the otherwise sophisticated Symphony excels on sound quality and features like built-in wireless streaming. www.olive.us

A/V Receivers

Yamaha VX-2600 $1,000, June 2006 An excellent receiver that offers great sound and the ability to upconvert low-resolution video sources for output to HDTV sets via its HDMI output. yamaha.com/yec Denon AVR-5805 $6,000, May 2005 10-channel behemoth with high-end sound and truly amazing multiroom flexibility. www.usa.denon.com Onkyo TX-NR1000 $5,000, June 2005 Excellent performance, sophisticated features, and a future-proof modular chassis. onkyousa.com Yamaha RX-Z9 $4,499, May 2004 THX Ultra2 certification, 51 surround programs, 9 channels - and that's just the beginning. yamaha.com/yec Yamaha RX-V657 $550, October 2005 Integrated XM satellite radio tuning, good sound, plus Yamaha's extensive surround mode options. yamaha.com/yec Pioneer VSX-815 $365, July/August 2005 Easy auto setup stands out at this price and combines with solid audio performance. www.pioneerelectronics.com
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