To see what’s cutting the edge of residential technology, the annual Custom Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) trade event is the place to be. This year’s show drew nearly 30,000 attendees to Denver to discover the latest news in home entertainment, lighting, automation, and networking. - Rebecca Day
 

Leading role
The C3X projector boasts 1080p resolution, the highest available for a residential TV, while coming in at half the weight of similar models. The extremely compact C3X is a design statement for those who want to celebrate the video source of their home theaters. Sim2USA, Miramar, Fla. www.sim2usa.com

[Reader Service: January 2008 #201]
 

Free speaker
The NAC Sound Omni is designed to deliver music to a 360-degree soundfield, providing consistency to all listeners in the room. Made of ceramic in several finishes, the NAC Omni speaker can rest on a surface or hang as a pendant. NAC Sound, Distributed by Sonance, San Clemente, Calif. http://www.nacsound.it/eng/ indexeng.html

[Reader Service: January 2008 #202]
 

Barely there
The Visual Performance series represents the new, trimmer look of in-wall speakers. The 0.2'' bezel whittles roughly 1¼2'' off the frame of typical in-wall speakers, creating an understated look. The design is available in rectangular wall-mount or round ceiling-mount versions in a variety of performance and size options. Sonance, San Clemente, Calif. www.sonance.com

[Reader Service: January 2008 #204]
     

Bar none
While most sound bars include speakers for left-, center-, and right-channel sound, the SlimStage40 (designed to fit beneath 40''-to-46'' flat-screen TVs) includes all the amplifiers and speaker drivers required to reproduce a complete, simulated five-channel surround-sound experience. Soundmatters, Reno. www.soundmatters.com

[Reader Service: January 2008 #203]

Watch the stars
The iSky’s fiber-optic ceiling and uRay LED lighting strips give home theaters perceived height and dimension and provide subtle accent lighting to offset a completely dark room. The iSky solution secures easily to finished drywall or drops directly into grid ceilings for installation flexibility. St. John Group, Bellingham, Wash. www.stjohngroup.com

[Reader Service: January 2008 #205]