Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router

The Dream System For the high-end audiophile who's coming to terms with the digital age: a price-is-no-object home media package

Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router

Wireless routers may not sound sexy, but they're essential in connecting more than one computer to broadband Internet services. The Netgear WPN824 is one of the first to use multiple-antenna technology, covering up to ten times the distance of regular wireless networks. And that blue light supplies a nice disco vibe. $100, netgear.com

Pioneer S-LF3-CR Speakers

Kiss tinny sound goodbye: This three-speaker system will give your MP3s a presence that will fool all but the most trained audiophile into thinking you're playing a CD. The model-thin speakers (just two inches deep) look great with a flat-panel display but still pump out crystal-clear audio with impressive range and plenty of volume. Splurging? Add the Pioneer VSX-74TXVi receiver amp (not pictured, $1,700), which lets you connect your iPod and "up-samples" compressed digital music for improved fidelity. $600, pioneerelectronics.com

Niveus Media Center Denali Edition Panasonic TH-42PX50U Monitor

For a true top-of-the-line system, you need to bite the bullet and shell out for a megacomputer and a big-screen display. Niveus has become the leader in building media-center PCs to strict audiophile/videophile standards, and its new Denali Edition incorporates high-end sound and graphics cards plus an HDTV tuner that can not only receive broadcast HD programs but also record them right on the PC. We paired it with Panasonic's gorgeous TH-42PX50U 42-inch plasma screen, a razor-sharp high-res display with deep color saturation, excellent contrast and enough brightness to look great even in a well-lit room. Niveus, $4,799, niveusmedia.com; Panasonic, $3,000, panasonic.com

(Posted October 6, 2005)

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