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Some of the most affordable front projectors are coming from the pro divisions of well-known companies. Want to pay around $2,000 for an LCD projector? Consider the Panasonic PT-L300U. It hails from the Presentation Systems Group of the Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company, but don't let that deter you. This projector is fully home-theater-worthy. Judging from the happy-android family pictured on the cover of the instruction manual (as opposed to happy-android executives), that must be intentional.

My friend Gene is a professional musician. Back in the early '80s, he used Klipsch Heresys as PA speakers in clubs. One hot August afternoon, I dropped by his Greenwich Village apartment. Just for fun, he set up the Heresys at home. Hot damn, I was absolutely floored! The first LP (remember, this was in the pre-digital era) he played was the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. Oh man, I thought I knew that record inside out, but not like that—the Klipschs sounded like a mini version of a concert system. We listened at extremely high levels, easily 100-plus decibels. Gene's neighbors must have thought Mick and the boys were gigging in his apartment.

<I>Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, Barbara Hershey, Kim Stanley, Scott Paulin, Lance Henriksen, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed, Levon Helm, Donald Moffat, Mary Jo Deschanel, Jeff Goldblum, Harry Shearer. Directed by Philip Kaufman. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. Two discs. 193 minutes. 1983. Warner Bros. 24499. PG. $21.99.</I>

John J. Gannon checks out the <A HREF="/surroundsoundpreampprocessors/1003integra">Integra Research RDC-7 Preamplifier-Processor</A> and opines, "I'm happy to report that Integra Research has actually delivered."