LATEST ADDITIONS

Less is more, the old adage has it. Torrance, CA-based Nirotek America has taken the concept to an extreme with its recently unveiled NIRO 1.1 and NIRO 1.1 PRO home theater audio systems. The systems are claimed capable of delivering full Dolby 5.1 surround sound performance from a single speaker.

As the US stumbles forth into the age of digital television, Zenith is pretty much sitting in the catbird seat. That's not because Zenith and its parent company, LG Electronics, make a slew of HDTV-ready monitors, integrated HDTVs, plasma displays, and LCD TVs (they do); nor is it because they're one of two major manufacturers of ATSC set-top receivers (they are). It's because Zenith holds the patents on the 8VSB modulation system employed for terrestrial digital television. As each new Zenith receiver and integrated HDTV comes to market, the company is pretty much in the lead with the latest 8VSB demodulator chipsets.

New this month, <I>Guide to Home Theater</I> brings to you the internet's largest community of qualified audio and video buyers and sellers, powered by industry leaders Videogon. Visitors to guidetohometheater.com will find a new "<A HREF="http://marketplace.guidetohometheater.com">AV Marketplace</A>" link that connects directly to the most robust venue for buying and selling used and new Audio and Video equipment on the web. Services also include an online Bluebook for quick evaluation of used equipment prices, online used equipment forums, member product reviews, information on manufacturers, and a member feedback system.

Harman/Kardon
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, as the saying goes. Truth be told, Harman/Kardon's AVR 630 A/V receiver is more than just beautiful. According to Harman, this 7.1-channel receiver is the first of its kind to feature a quadruple-crossover bass manager that lets you select different crossover frequencies for the front, center, surround, and rear speakers. The AVR 630 also includes A/V sync relay and RS-232 connectivity. Think we're done? Not even close. It also can handle all of the popular surround sound formats, including Dolby EX and DTS ES, and it has built-in MP3 and HDCD decoding. For $1,299, this thing of beauty truly will be a joy forever.
Harman/Kardon
(800) 422-8027
www.harmankardon.com