Click here to read about the changes in the Awards Criteria Click here to continue to AVRev.com's "Hall Of Fame" List   Gear We Love The Most 2006 Winner! Vizio P50HDM 50-Inch Plasma HDTV Vizio knocked the world on its rear with the introduction of the P50HDM with a magic price point of $1,899 and its distribution at mass market retailers like Costco. Is it the most high performance plasma ever? No, but at its price it is unbeatable but what Vizio’s 50 inch plasma did was make high end home theater affordable for every day Americans. Click here to read more...

Introduction Anthem, known for value-priced audiophile-grade electronics, quickly established itself in the high roller market with their D1 AV preamp. With surprisingly good sound, at a price lower than you might expect from the big boys, Anthem quickly became the value leader in the home theater industry. With many market changes, specifically a fast-changing HDMI switching space, Anthem is back with a new flagship AV preamp called the Statement D2. Its goal is clear: to dominate and conquer the world of high-end AV preamps. The Anthem D2 is priced in with some heavyweights with a retail tag of $6,699. Description Visually, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the Anthem Statement D2 and the now discontinued D1 unless you are looking for the fine details up close. They both are five-and-seven-eighths inches tall by 17-and-a-quarter inches wide by 15-and-one-quarter inches deep. The same elegantly simple brushed aluminum faceplate houses the same buttons and layouts for both. ...

Introduction The days of floor-standing speakers are numbered. I’m sure this statement is going to be met with a barrage of e-mails to the contrary, but alas, it’s true. The end may not be tomorrow or the next day, but it is coming. When that day comes, there will be two schools of thought: embracing the growing trend of satellite/subwoofer or on-wall/in-wall speaker systems and not embracing it. To all those who haven’t gotten with the program: you’ll only have yourself to blame. And here’s why. While home theater is a booming business with seemingly everyone wanting and/or having some form of AV system in their homes, whether it’s a dedicated room or a living room system, one thing remains constant: it’s the more lifestyle-oriented products, specifically flat panel displays and pint-sized speakers, that are truly driving the marketplace. And why shouldn’t they? More often than not, satellite speakers are better-looking, more budget-friendly and fit ...

All About Convergence: 2006 Edition By Adrienne Maxwell September 2006 What is convergence? In a world that’s growing ever more connected, perhaps the better question is, what isn’t convergence? The simplest definition I found for the word “convergence” at www.dictionary.com is: “The process of coming together or the state of having come together toward a common point.” Of course, the site goes on to provide definitions of the word’s specific meaning in mathematics, physiology, biology and even commodities trading. Try to narrow down to the word’s meaning to consumer electronics circles, and you’d still have to wade through myriad possibilities, from telecommunications companies that are merging voice, data and video services to the portable-electronics trend of housing a cell phone, camera, MP3 player and PDA in one handheld device. Okay, what if we narrow it down even further, from consumer electronics to home entertainment? You’ll soon see that even this encompasses a whole lot of stuff, but ...

Introduction Consumers are constantly searching for the latest and greatest products and this is especially true in the world of consumer electronics. A high quality product with a unique look, employing the latest technologies and selling at the right price, will grab the attention of most consumers. Over the past two decades, Anthony Gallo has been manufacturing a different kind of loudspeaker: a round one. In fact, the company does not manufacture any traditional rectangular, box-type speakers. Home theater and audio enthusiasts have become highly familiar with Gallo’s satellite product offering, based on a small spherical enclosure which helps minimize standing waves and cabinet distortion and thus deliver highly transparent and accurate sound. The company’s top-of-the-line floor-standing model, the Nucleus Reference 3.1 loudspeaker, was born out of years of research with this technology and targets value-oriented consumers who are shopping for unusually high performance without breaking the bank. Set-Up The floor-standing Gallo Reference 3.1 loudspeakers have a totally unique ...