Steven Stone

Maine is know for occasionally hostile weather, so it should come as no surprise that a company based in Maine should develop an all-weather speaker designed to handle even the most extreme conditions. Terra speakers "All Climate" models use a molded one-piece enclosure, cast aluminum mid/bass driver baskets, titanium dome tweeters, and a spiderless magnetic fluid centering system for their bass drivers. Available in a variety of colors, they have a sound that is both well grounded and liquid. Priced around $330 each, the Terra AV series will make any ground squirrel stop and take notice.

Although exhibits at THE SHOW were primarily an example of how out of touch some high-end audio manufacturers are with reality, Magnepan's Wendell Diller demonstrated that given a deadline with a wad of money at the end a fertile mind can find a way to solve a technical problem. True dipole ribbon speakers don't lend themselves to in-wall placement, but when the owner of a large and well-heeled casino chose Magnepans for their high-roller suites Diller devised a way. He automated his panels so when the video display is turned on the panels swing away from the wall, ready for action. With an adjustable angle and automatic reset if bumped, these Maggies are ready to deliver more sparkle than a trough full of slot machine quarters

Earthquake Sound's head designer demonstrates why you don't want to walk around holding their new floor-shaking driver. Made to mount under a wooden floor, this new pistonic vibrator can make things go bump in the night, day, or even the middle of the afternoon.

NAD's new M5 CD/SACD player features AES/EBU PCM digital output, separate 2-channel and 5-channel analog outputs, bass management for SACD, Burr Brown 24 bit 192 kHz audio DACs, and pure class A discrete gain modules. With a suggested list price of $1,799.00 it complements the rest of the NAD Master series of components.