Tom Norton

Revel has announced a whole new range of on-wall speakers designed for use with other components that dwell on the walls. The line, an unusual one for this audiophile-oriented company, also includes a wireless subwoofer.

A year or so ago I reviewed an Arcam AV receiver. It was one of the best sounding pieces I have experienced. But its HDMI inputs were switching only--no audio over HDMI. That has been corrected with the new AVR600 ($4000; $4500 with Internet LAN connectivity). It will also decode all of the latest audio formats, including DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. It's also one of the first AVRs to feature Dolby Volume. 120 Wpc, availability expected in late November.

Proficient is not a new company, but this is its first line of receivers. Of the three designs here (one of them 2-channel stereo), the M80 ($1250) is the most interesting. Rated at 130Wpc x 7, it offers full decoding for DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. Available early in 2009.

Here's a better shot of Sony's VPL-VW70, one of the two new projectors Sony introduced at the show. More details in our report on Sony's press conference, below.