Series 1

On the first day of CEDIA Expo, the shuttle buses to the Convention Center and RCA Dome were standing room only.

Speaker guys get all the girls. Paradigm's Mark Aling poses with the Caster Communications PR gang.

A Magnepan multichannel-music setup is no hot news -- we've heard such a system many times. But this year Magnepan outdid itself -- the MG3.6/Rs ($4375 per pair) and an unnamed prototype center-channel speaker sounded better than we've ever heard driven by Bryston amplification and with an Esoteric DV-50 universal player as source. The midrange transparency of this system was irresistible. [www.magnepan.com]

Andrew Welker (left) and Martin Tustin-Fuchs of Mirage pose with one of the new OMD-28 floorstanding speakers ($3750 each) in a glossy bird's-eye maple finish, a real ShowStopper. [www.miragespeakers.com]

To our eyes, CEDIA Expo is larger and more crowded than ever this year, and it even spilled out onto the street. "Win this car!" read signs on this classic Mustang and the Chrysler Imperial behind it.

Wilson Audio's display area was awash in vibrant glossy color. We wish we had a dollar for every fingerprint put on the speakers during the show. [www.wilsonaudio.com]