Meet the All-Stars

Meet the All-Stars

After printing the long list of nominees in the previous issue of E-Gear, here we pay tribute to the products that made the cut—The 2001 E-Gear All-Stars.

We’ve used them, abused them; and now we’re recommending them and giving them the E-Gear seal of approval.

To be considered for an All-Star award, the product had to be reviewed within the pages of E-Gear. Because every editor had his or her favorite, we sat down over coffee and fought it out. With little to no bloodshed in the end, we finally agreed the following 10 products are worthy of being named into the

E-Gear hall of All-Star products.

And now, we present to you, the 2001 E-Gear All-Star winners.

Klipsch Synergy System 6

By Mike McGann

It’s easy to remember when a great sounding home theater speaker system required an investment of $5,000 or more. Thankfully, prices have dropped, and companies have decided to do battle in the price ranges most normal folks can afford. In a year filled with tons of great speaker systems, we felt like the Klipsch Synergy System 6 offered the best mix of value and performance.

After getting this system broken in, we were blown away by its clean, well-detailed sound reproduction. Even when matched to higher end gear, pricey separates or receivers costing three times as much as the Klipschs, their performance proved to be a revelation, time and again. As good as inexpensive speakers have become, these Klipschs have raised the bar for everyone in this price range to aim at, combining excellent high-frequency reproduction and solid, even powerful mid-range and bass.

There’s no question that Klipsch’s horn-loaded tweeters help the system’s high-end performance, but the combination of super-sturdy cabinets and solid performing woofers complete the package. There’s no better value in speakers today.

As good as inexpensive speakers have become, these Klipschs have raised the bar for everyone in this

price range to aim at, combining excellent high-frequency reproduction and solid, even powerful mid-range and bass.



ADA CINEMA RHAPSODY

By Mike McGann

In picking what we felt was the best new pre-amplifier/processor on the market this past year, we had a tough time, what with amazing products from Parasound, Lexicon and Audio Design Associates.

But time after time, we kept coming back to ADA’s Cinema Rhapsody. Okay, we’d be the first to admit, it’s not the simplest unit to set up. That’s not because of a poor interface but, rather, because there are so many options and it takes some time to figure out what sounds best in what room and with what equipment. When you get it all dialed in, as we managed to, what you get is nothing short of amazing detail and crystal-clear dialogue on movie soundtracks, with virtually no coloration. With such lush detail, flexibility and sheer sonic quality, we’d be hard-pressed to find a better pre-amp/processor. There’s no question that this unit is a winner, even if only by a nose.

With such lush detail, flexibility and sheer sonic quality, we’d be hard-pressed to find a better pre-amp/processor. There’s no question that this unit is a winner, even if only by a nose.

Research in Motion RIM 957 Wireless Handheld

By Janet Pinkerton

If you travel wondering what disastrous or fantastic messages have landed in your e-mail in-box while you are on the go, Research in Motion’s RIM 957 wireless handheld puts your e-mail account, peace of mind and no small amount of control into the palm of your hand.

This 5.3-ounce device gives you a window into your e-mail account, with complete control over the messages. No more consolidating messages among pagers, laptops and desktops, just drop the RIM 957 into its charging cradle attached to the COM port of your PC.

The RIM 957′s QWERTY keyboard and thumb-operated trackwheel make writing and handling messages a breeze. Navigate e-mail and organizer features via an easy-to-read, 20-line LCD, intuitive icons and sensible drop-down menus.

The wireless two-way messaging networks serving the RIM 957 allow you to send and receive messages in a matter of seconds and store messages for delayed delivery, should your RIM 957 be turned off or if you are out of network range.

Long messages? No problem. The RIM 957 downloads long messages in sections, tacking each section seamlessly onto the last for easy reading.

The RIM 957 started out as a corporate tool, integrated into corporate e-mail servers, but, thanks to deals with wireless service providers such as GoAmerica!, this elegant little device is now available to the rest of us.

The RIM 957 started out as a corporate tool, integrated into corporate e-mail servers, but, thanks to deals with wireless service providers such as GoAmerica!, this elegant little device is now available

to the rest of us.

Sony KV-36XBR400 TV

By Mike McGann

This should have been a tough choice, but, in the end, it wasn’t. Sony’s KV-36XBR400 has raised the performance bar so far for direct-view TVs that, frankly, nothing else comes close. Whether you plan to watch weak local UHF TV stations, an anamorphic DVD or an off-air HDTV signal, this set stands above the rest.

As a Wega, it sports a perfectly flat tube, cutting down on reflections. Sony’s Digital Reality Creation, essentially a built-in video scaler, doubles the amount of picture information on screen without a massive increase of artifacts. Even off-air pictures look fairly smooth and clean, in part because of the DRC and in part because this TV may have the best analog tuner ever built into a TV, showing a minimum of ghosting and snow, even on weak UHF signals.

When showing pictures in 16:9 format, this set wastes nothing, crunching all of the lines down into the space, offering staggering amounts of detail. DVDs look lush and film-like, and HDTV is stunning. If there’s a better direct-view TV anywhere, we haven’t seen it.

If there’s a better direct-view TV anywhere, we haven’t seen it.

Runco VX-101c Projector

By Mike McGann

Is there a better inexpensive front projector on the market than Runco’s VX-101c? As near as we can tell, nothing comes close.

For about $10,000, you get a bright DLP display and an excellent scaler, matched perfectly to the display. Did we say bright? Try watching a conventional CRT display in a room with a light on, or a window open.

Setup is a simple, no fuss, no muss affair. Once installed, you won’t need to do anything until you change bulbs, after about 2,000 hours of use. The menu system is simple to use and not much more complicated than using a regular TV. The bundled scaler boosts resolution to match the resolution of the screen so you get every last, little bit of the DLP’s detail. Black levels, while still not at the same level as CRT, are vastly improved over other DLPs.

In this price range, and well above, there’s nothing that can bring home a true home theater feel and picture. If you’ve outgrown your rear-projection TV, this may be the perfect display for you.

In this price range, and well above, there’s nothing that can bring home a true home theater feel and picture. If you’ve outgrown your rear-projection TV, this may be the perfect display for you.

Tivoli Audio’s Model One

By David Dritsas

Why would a magazine, who’s motto is “The Sport of Digital Living,” name an old-school analog radio one of its top-10 products of the year 2000? Well, the best way to tell you is that of all the new products that have come across my desk this year—including MP3 players, MiniDisc players and robotic pets—the Tivoli Audio Model One was the one that everyone wanted.

What makes it so desirable? Well, for starters, it looks really nice, much better than the cookie-cutter black-box radios you find at the local “junkmart.” I have one on my desk, and I’m not parting with it; some co-workers wanted it for their kitchens.

Secondly, it’s built much better than the average radio. The design is by Henry Kloss, a home audio legend. It has a superb mono-speaker that sounds better than some comparable stereo speakers I have heard. Tivoli also added more connections than usual in the back, including a standard antenna jack, a smaller FM antenna jack, a recording-out jack and a 12- to 16-volt port.

The tuner dial is especially nice. With a 5:1 gear ratio and some added technology adapted from cell phones, it tunes in stations with effortless precision. For station surfers like your’s truly, it holds a big advantage over digital tuners, which are terrible for station exploration. Although $99 may seem a bit high for just a radio, believe me, it’s well worth the price.

Why would a magazine, who’s motto is “The Sport of Digital Living,” name an old-school analog radio one of its top-10 products of the year 2000?

Blaupunkt RNS 149 TravelPilot

By Jamie Latshaw

It’s rare among this staff that we find a product that makes everyone say, “Wow,” but the short time we spent with the Blaupunkt RNS 149 TravelPilot navigation system had all of us asking, “How much?”

The answer ($1,799.95) was a bit discouraging, and we decided, even though we loved having the TravelPilot’s friendly voice to guide us, we’d have to live with paper maps for a little longer.

But, since the original story ran in the Summer 2000 issue of E-Gear, Blaupunkt dropped the price of the unit to $1,299, which means (and I won’t write about it here, as to not steal the limelight from the RNS 149) there is even more in the world of navigation from Blaupunkt.

The RNS 149 is only the beginning of what the company plans to do in this category. There’s much more to come, but the RNS 149 broke ground for the company in aftermarket navigation.

Blaupunkt brought its experience from manufacturing TravelPilot navigation units for Mercedes and Audi to the non-Mercedes and Audi driver. The RNS 149 is the first one-piece in-car navigation unit made close to affordable for the masses. It is easy to use, fun to use and helpful. Plus, in the same small package, you get the company’s DigiCeiver radio technology, which converts radio frequency signals into the bits and bytes of digital data.

The RNS 149 is the first one-piece in-car navigation unit made close to affordable for the masses. It is easy to use, fun to use and helpful.

B&K Components AVR-307 A/V Receiver

By Mike McGann

In a year of amazing a/v receiver introductions, B&K’s impressive 307 stands out above the rest. Combining stylish looks with impressive audio performance, B&K has created the standard for receivers.

Our reviewer, Joe Hageman, suggests that the 307 has the best laid out front panel of any high-end receiver he has tested. As is the case with most high-end receivers, the 307 handles Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround EX and is THX Ultra certified.

While all the bells and whistles are nice, sound quality is the final test of any good audio gear. Here, B&K has truly come up with a winner. Detail is exceptional, with a deep and pleasing stoundstage, yet never does the sound become shrill. With 150 watts per channel, the 307 is fully capable of all the heavy lifting you need when it comes to movie soundtracks. Put simply, the 307 does everything you ask of a receiver and then some, which is why it’s one of our favorite products of the year and truly an All-Star.

Put simply, the 307 does everything you ask of a receiver and then some, which is why it’s one of our favorite products of the year and truly an All-Star.

Olympus C-2020 Zoom Digital Camera

By Grant Clauser

The land of digital cameras has gone from desert to mega mall in a few short years. Even just a year ago, most consumer-grade digital cameras felt more like little computers than cameras, and often the results were full of compromises. Thankfully, that has changed. So, now you can walk into most electronics or photography stores and find an assortment of digital cameras that take great pictures and are easy to use.

Among the best of the recent breed in digicams is the Olympus C-2020 Zoom. I spent a lot of time with the C-2020, using it in varying conditions and subjects from iguanas lounging under a Mayan temple to my daughters running around in my backyard. I can happily say that it performed expertly in all situations.

Key to the C-2020′s performance is the camera’s fast and extremely accurate auto settings, as well as the highly flexible manual overrides. In a nutshell, this is a smart camera.

Poor usability was a problem that plagued many digicams, including Olympus models, in the pre-2-megapixel days. With the launch of the C-2020, Olympus showed that it’s “got it.” The C-2020′s icons and menus are intuitive enough for most first-time users to figure out. The basic commands are easy to locate, and the advanced commands are not hidden in 19 submenus.

Of course, the bottom line is in the results, and the C-2020 takes great pictures. The 2-million-plus pixel images show excellent detail and color accuracy. Many of the prints I’ve made rival film, and some can be seen hanging in my office now.

Key to the C-2020′s performance is the camera’s fast and extremely accurate auto settings, as well as the highly flexible manual overrides. In a nutshell, this is a smart camera.

Samsung N2000 DVD Player

By Grant Clauser

DVD was a great thing when it first launched. Now three years later, it’s still a great thing, and Samsung’s N2000 DVD player with Nuon makes it better.

Of all the DVD players that crossed over my threshold in the past year, the N2000 was the only one that really did anything different or interesting, and, for me, that’s important. The interesting part is due to the Nuon processor that drives the machine.

Adding Nuon to a DVD player is like adding Windows to a PC (without the crashes); it lets your DVD player do more. Nuon technology, which came from a company called VM Labs, gives the user more control over movie playback, allowing for smooth forward and backward scanning, more powerful and detailed zooming and easier access to settings.

Applications can be designed for Nuon, either on DVDs or built into the player. The N2000 features a Virtual Light Machine application that displays psychedelic images on your TV when playing CDs. For some reason, I was really thrilled by this feature.

On top of that, Nuon turns the N2000 into a video game machine. Presently, there are only a few titles that run on Nuon. Hopefully, in the coming months we’ll see more games for the system.

Of course, the most important feature is movie playback, and for that the Nuon performs well.

When you add all the features up, the Samsung N2000 makes an interesting and functional addition to any home entertainment system.

Of all the DVD players that crossed over my threshold in the past year, the N2000 was the only one that really did anything different or interesting, and, for me, that’s important. The interesting part is due to the Nuon processor that drives the machine.