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COMPACT BINOCULARS
First Class
Leica Trinovid 8x20 BT
Whether you're taking in the second inning or the second act, compact binocs bring you closer to the action without weighing you down. At the popular 8X magnification level, the titanium-finished Trinovids provide ultrasharp, color-neutral optics free of reflection artifacts. Thoughtful details include a silky-smooth focus wheel and pullout eyecups for unspectacled peepers. The 8-ounce binocs will fit in your pocket, thanks to the two-hinge, bifold design and the roof-prism layout (which puts the thin barrels in line with the eyepieces). Bausch & Lomb's larger Custom 7x26s may excel in low light, but you'll take these everywhere.
Trinovid 8x20 BT: $420. Leica: (800) 222 0118, www.leica-camera.com.
Business Class
Pentax DCF MC 8x22
These bifold roof-prism compacts offer multicoated lenses that perform well in high glare and rubber-covered barrels that give them a stable feel. The wheel is stiff, but a few turns takes the focus from very-near-field to infinity, helping you lock on targets quickly. Twist-out plastic eyecups promise durability, but glasses wearers should try before buying; they may have trouble positioning these welterweights (10.6 ounces) without image blackouts.
DCF MC 8x22: $290. Pentax: (800) 877 0155, www.pentax.com.
Coach
Nikon 8x21 CF Medallion S
Low-priced binocs often compromise optics to cut costs, but not these. Unlike the other models, this 8.5-ounce pair uses a "reverse" Porro prism, or offset, design that puts the front lenses closer together than the eyepieces. The focus wheel is slow, but a wide field of view makes it easy to track swift-footed athletes or varmints. The rubber, fold-down eyecups and plastic body could be sturdier, but it's better that Nikon economized here than with the lenses.
8x21 CF Medallion S: $117. Nikon: (800) 645 6687, www.nikonusa.com.
HOME THEATER SYSTEMS
First Class
Nakamichi SoundSpace 12
Theater-in-a-box brings the multiplex to your living room sans complications. Just add a TV, and your DVD blockbusters (and audio CDs) will explode with surround sound. SoundSpace 12 bombards the easy chair through one center speaker, four satellites, and two subwoofers. A diamond-shaped player with one CD/DVD and twin CD drives feeds a DTS/Dolby Digital-capable tuner. You also get two remotes: a handheld for SoundSpace itself, and a universal tabletop unit for all your equipment. We're just sorry Nakamichi wouldn't send us its primo SoundSpace 21 system, which costs $15,000 and weighs 400 pounds.
SoundSpace 12: $6,000. Nakamichi: +1 (310) 631 2122, www.nakamichi.com.
Business Class
Bose Lifestyle 50
Lifestyle 50 uses 10 fist-sized speakers to carry surround sound's center and satellite channels, assisted by a compact subwoofer. Its Videostage 5 decoding pulls vivid details from any audio source, including DVD, HDTV, and regular stereo, and it handles all conventional surround formats. A slick touchscreen remote conducts the symphony of equipment - even if it's playing in another room. The six-CD changer is nice, but the Lifestyle 50 lacks a DVD player - a clear drawback to an otherwise fantastic package.
Lifestyle 50: $3,699. Bose: (800) 650 2673, www.bose.com.
Coach
Pioneer Entertainment HTZ-55DV
Pioneer's system sticks to the standard home-theater arrangement: a center speaker, four satellites, and a subwoofer, the last of which carries enough bass to knock down a small child. The player has one CD/DVD tray, and after a bit of setup, the remote promises baked-potato viewers couchbound convenience. The HTZ-55DV beats its price peers, though cost-conscious videophiles might also consider Sony's likeable DAV-S500, at $600.
HTZ-55DV: $925. Pioneer Entertainment: +1 (213) 746 6337, www.pioneerelectronics.com.
PRESENTATION CONTROLLERS
First Class
Interlink Electronics RemotePoint RF
Appearances count when you're running a presentation, and a remote pointer lets you strut your stuff rather than hunch over a laptop. RemotePoint RF uses 916-MHz radio signals instead of infrared, so you can roam up to 100 feet away and you don't have to maintain a line of sight to the receiver. A thumb-operated rocker on top controls cursor movements while your index finger handles mouse clicks underneath. With the included software, you can configure four topside buttons to execute PC macros or special functions like spotlight and zoom. The wand also has a laser pointer - which is best used judiciously, if at all.
RemotePoint RF: $249. Interlink Electronics: (800) 340 1331, www.interlinkelectronics.com.
Business Class
Logitech TrackMan Live!
This little clicker uses the 27-MHz radio band, and its 30-foot range is plenty if you don't plan to cruise the back row Phil Donahue-style. Your thumb moves the cursor with a small trackball, and the three buttons that flank it work as left-click, right-click, and up/down scroll - or you can program them to perform other standard ops. The TrackMan Live! can't do RemotePoint stunts like zooming in, but its smooth black exterior looks more elegant.
TrackMan Live!: $149.95. Logitech: (800) 231 7717, www.logitech.com.
Coach
Synergy SlideShow Commander
This software turns any Palm-based handheld into a PowerPoint controller. Thumbnails of your slides appear on the LCD, and you can mark them up and zoom in using your PDA's keys and stylus. You don't have full mouse capabilities, but tabbed pages hold a timer and your notes. Slide changes can be slow, and your Palm must stay tethered to your PC via sync cable or cradle, but it's the only way to run a slick PowerPoint show while retaining geek cred.
SlideShow Commander: $49.95. Synergy Solutions: (800) 210 5293, www.synsolutions.com.
