Scott Wilkinson

Turntables remain the source device of choice for many audiophiles who prize analog sound, but friction in the bearings makes it difficult to keep the platter spinning at a constant rate, which is critical for high-quality playback. One solution to this problem is suspending the platter on a cushion of air, an approach championed by <A href="http://www.bergmannaudio.com">Bergmann Audio</A> of Denmark in its new Sindre airbearing turntable, which debuts at CES next month.

Ever since <A href="http://www.oppodigital.com">Oppo</A> introduced the BDP-83, I've thought it to be among the best Blu-ray players money can buy&#151;and at $500, it doesn't even cost all that much, especially compared with, say, the Denon DVD-A1UDCI, another universal player that lists for $4500. Now, Oppo has introduced an upgraded version, calling it the BDP-83 Special Edition, for a list price of $900.

CES spawns a number of satellite events, including T.H.E. (The Home Entertainment) Show, which focuses on high-end audio. Among the exhibitors this year is <A href="http://audience-av.com/main.php">Audience</A> with its new ClairAudient LSA 4+4 speaker, a mouthful of a name for a product that is said to provide an earful of great sound in a relatively small package measuring 17 x 15 x 12 inches (HxWxD).

CES is three weeks away, and my inbox is already filling up with new-product announcements. Among them is the X260.5, a new monoblock power amp from <A href="http://www.passlabs.com">Pass Labs</A>.