OTHER TECH

Other cool features include exclusive source control, which gives priority control to a certain zone, and the ability to choose which sources are available on a zone-by-zone basis, great for "reserving" a stream on the M3 for your listening. Zones can be grouped together in large areas (for playing the same source), but they still allow independent control and volume adjustment. Plus, a password-protected zone-lock feature can be useful for avoiding Risky Business incidents while you're away.

Performance Undoubtedly, the Grand Concerto's coolest feature is the keypads, and the OLED displays look great. The 2.7-inch screen shows as many as eight lines of extremely bright text that's readable in virtually any lighting. An adjustable "time out" can dim or turn off the display after a set time, a feature that will be welcome in bedrooms. Each pad also includes an IR sensor that can be enabled or disabled.

The keypads use capacitive touch and are completely devoid of "hard" buttons. The result is a very sleek and modern look, especially with the black bezel. (White, almond, and ivory bezels are also available.) My first keypad samples were from an initial production run and were a bit hypersensitive, picking up some commands while my finger merely hovered near the panel. Fortunately, NuVo addressed this issue, and the current keypads respond only when touched.

There are only eight "buttons" on the keypad screen, and most handle multiple duties; for example, the play/pause key does double duty for cycling through the tuner bands when playing the radio. This keeps the pad clutter-free, but it also means that getting to a specific song or source often requires multiple button presses.

The NV-T2FX tuner comes with antennas for both off-air and XM reception and includes a combiner for sending both signals over a single run of RG-6 coax cable. Each tuner also features an auxiliary input, enabling connection of two additional sources to the system. The tuner's front panel is packed with buttons offering full control over all functions, and it also displays the currently selected station, signal strength, and XM channel metadata.

Because of the limited number of buttons on the keypads, hardcore channel-surfers might feel frustrated. Fortunately, multiple stations can be stored as presets and selected from the "Favorites" menu. The tuner supports RDS information from FM stations that broadcast it, and this info scrolls across the keypads, making it a "poor man's" alternative to XM's metadata.