Extra Big Ass Speaker Gallery

We've been running up and down the stairs at the Grand Hyatt, at one point getting totally lost in some labyrinthine maintenance hall, a la Spinal Tap. The elevators are packed with the gentlemen we described in our first post talking about tube amplification, something called "ambiophonic sound" and the relative sexiness of Diana Krall in piano black or pine matte. (Elvis Costello should really say something!) As we mentioned, the draw is speakers, nerdy men's haute couture, pairs that cost more money than your car. A press release from a company called Salager Sonics states that choosing their speaker means not having to "weigh your listening pleasure and your kids' college education in the balance." They're completely serious. More »

Home Entertainment Show 2007, or If It's Not $100,000, It's Crrrrrap!

The increasingly unaptly named Home Entertainment Show opened its doors today in NYC at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Terminal (now through Sunday, $25-$35). I say that because there are no TVs, or indeed any video technologies, on display. No projectors, no mention of DVDs, let alone HD DVD or Blu-ray. In fact, few or none of the companies you know of that build home entertainment products are here. More »

Up Close and Personal with Krell's $1,200 iPod Dock

Looking for a way to pamper your iPod? Audio giant Krell showed off its first ever iPod dock at the Home Entertainment Show 2007 in New York today. The $1,200 dock (which is the most expensive iPod accessory out there) was just finished yesterday. Krell reps affectionately call it "The Kid." To serious audiophiles who scoff at the iPod, Krell has this to say: "You can ignore or you can embrace it." From the looks of the dock, we're glad they did the latter. – Louis Ramirez More »