New Products

Bose You can hear the effects of Moore's Law - according to which the number of transistors that can fit on a silicon chip doubles every 18 months or so - in Bose's Wave music system. Thanks to newly compact electronics, the latest Wave has room for two 26-inch acoustic waveguides, which are said to enable it to produce half an octave deeper bass than previous models. Also onboard are proprietary signal processing for improving sound clarity from the 2 1/2 -inch drivers and a Talk Radio mode that compensates for the annoying low-frequency boosts some AM stations use. CDs load through a slot, and the Wave can play discs with MP3 files. The austere front panel has no controls - they're all on the supplied credit-card-size remote. Choose between platinum white or graphite finish. Price: $499. bose.com, 800-444-2673 Bang & Olufsen And you thought Pam Anderson had nice curves! The oval design of Bang & Olufsen's BeoCenter 2 DVD player qualifies it as a potent head-turner, and you just may fall in love when its doors glide open like wings at the touch of a button. This beauty plays CDs with MP3 files, measures just 14 5/8 inches wide, and has an AM/FM tuner, too. Cable clutter is reduced because all the connectors are on a separate, proprietary "socket unit." Add a pair of BeoLab 3 speakers, and the package becomes a space-age minisystem. Each aluminum speaker cabinet holds a 3/4 -inch tweeter and a 4-inch woofer plus two 4-inch passive radiators (one on each side), which help the speaker move more air for those deep bass notes (down to 50 Hz). Prices: BeoCenter 2, $4,100; BeoLab 3, $3,000 a pair. bang-olufsen.com, 866-520-1400

Sony Hanging on the wall alongside your plasma TV, the speakers of Sony's DAV-LF1 Dream System make a stylish, modern statement. And that statement is clear and uncluttered thanks to a technology dubbed DIAT (Digital Infrared Audio Transmission), which allows the surround speakers to be wireless. The system's DVD/Super Audio CD player (right front) transmits uncompressed audio to both of the rear satellites, though you still have to plug them into a power outlet (they're wired together to share the juice). They also have binding posts in case you want to make direct connections. The subwoofer, which isn't wireless, has a 7-inch driver and a 170-watt amplifier. Only 7 inches thick, the player/receiver loads discs vertically, so you can hang it on the wall just like the speakers. Mounting hardware is included. Price: $2,000. sonystyle.com, 800-222-7669