Creative Japan announced the Sound Blaster 5.1 VX (SB-5.1-VX), this entry-level sound card offers the 5.1-channel support, Line-In and Mic-In inputs as well as front, rear, center and subwoofer speaker outputs. The 5.1 VX is compatible EAX and CMSS technologies and works with Windows XP and Vista, and this low-profile card connects to your computer via a PCI slot.

The Creative's Sound Blaster 5.1 VX should be available this month for an unknown price.

Polk Audio released its VM series of loudspeakers, originally introduced at the 2007 CEDIA Expo. This series consists of one floorstanding model and two wall/stand/shelf-mounted models, VM Series models feature Narrow Baffle Geometry in satin-finished, extruded aircraft aluminum cabinets. All three VM Series models are magnetically shielded and feature Polk's proprietary "Dynamic Balance" mineral-filled polypropylene drivers and 1-inch ferro-fluid–cooled anodized aluminum tweeters.

The floor-standing VM30 (MSRP $1,149.95 each) features two separate acoustic chambers. The upper chamber contains two 4" midrange drivers and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter. The lower chamber has four 4" bass drivers and four critically tuned 4" planar bass radiators.

At half the height of the VM30, the VM20 (MSRP $529.95 each) is an ideal on-wall companion to flat-panel displays. By pairing a 1" aluminum dome tweeter with two 4" mid-woofers and two 4" planar radiators, the small loudspeaker delivers startlingly powerful full-range sound. Wall/shelf mounts are included, and floor stands or table cradles with tempered glass bases are available.

The VM10 (MSRP $329.95 each) can be used as L/C/R or surround speakers, making it an ideal complement to the VM30 and VM20. It incorporates two 3" mid-woofers and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Wall/shelf mounts are included and a handsome stand with tempered glass base is available for table or shelf mounting.

The new Tannoy Arena Lite is a 5.1-channel speaker system for the home theater enthusiasts, it combines the gorgeous styling of the "Dual Concentric" equipped satellites and center channel from the award winning Arena home theater system with the performance of the 300W TS10 subwoofer.

Each tweeter incorporates a titanium dome and neodymium magnet assembly coupled to a rear acoustic cavity and features the "WideBand" technology to deliver low colouration and remarkably detailed sound. At 300W RMS, the BASH amplifier utilised in the TS10 subwoofer has a patented high efficiency power amplifier circuit topology to feed the 250mm down firing woofer which delivers tremendous performance from a compact unit.

Also optional stands have swivel mechanisms for a precise adjustment, wall mounting plates and have been designed to hide cables. The Tannoy Arena Lite speaker package is on sale for a "mere" £899.95.

The Tannoy SFX 5.1 released a few days ago is a sleek and stylish 5.1-ch. home theater speaker package available in black or silver high gloss finish for £279.90. The system comes with four single driver satellites and one twin driver center channel supplied with wall brackets and speaker cable.

According to Tannoy the "WideBand" technology has been incorporated into the satellites and center channel speakers to extend high frequency response up to 78KHz (I highly doubt this as we aren't supposed to hear anything above 20KHz), however this technology has been incorporated to improve sonic detail, imaging precision and overall system integration. The powered subwoofer delivers 100W and features a long throw 200mm driver to deliver punchy bass. Also it offers line and speaker level input and an automatic power on/off function.

All speakers have a nominal impedance of 6 ohms, a maximum sensitivity of 85dB, a frequency response of 140Hz - 78kHz (-6dB) and are magnetically shielded.

AKG is going to release earlier this month a couple of new headphones, the K512 ($60) and K514 ($80). The first one is based on a sealed design while the K514 model employs a semi-open design.

Specifications (K512):
► Frequency response: 18Hz ~ 20kHz
► Nominal impedance: 32Ω
► Sensitivity: 97dB/mW
► Power handling: 200mW

Specifications (K514):
► Frequency response: 18Hz ~ 22kHz
► Nominal impedance: 32Ω
► Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
► Power handling: 200mW

Both headphones feature adjustable headbands, imitation leather earpads, a 2.5m OFC cable and come with a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter. Each model has its own color, Pearl Gray for the K512 and Tobacco for the K514.

Alienware released a new High-Definition Media Server designed to match the Hanger18 Media PC with interesting options like a dual layer Blu-Ray burner, the support up to four CableCards (Windows Vista Ultimate required) and 4TB of hard disk drive storage in RAID 5.

The HD Media Server case is built in aluminium and can be rack mounted, hidden behind the front panel the hot-swappable hard disk drive bays can carry up to four HDDs. For the technical specifications, the HD Media Server uses Intel Core 2 Quad 45nm processors with Intel X38 chipset motherboard, a 7.1-ch. sound card and an ATI 2400 HD Graphics with DVI to HDMI Adapter and 1080p output. The Alienware's system comes equipped by default with Microsoft Windows Vista Premium.

Danish manufacturer Tangent has added a fifth model of radio tuner in its range. The Cinque is the first Tangent's radio to offer both DAB radio and CD player. The CD player plays audio CDs as well as MP3 and WMA file formats. Compatible DAB and FM/AM version, the built-in radio tuner has 12 memory presets and auto tune function. Other features include an alarm clock with snooze function, a remote control and a 3.5mm input jack for connecting an iPod or other MP3 players.

Made up of wood, the cabinet comes in four different colors: Walnut, White Gloss, Black Gloss and Red Gloss. The Tangent Cinque will arrive this month in two different models, a non-DAB model will cost £239.99 while the DAB model will be £189.99.

Esoteric announced the A-100, a triode tube based power amplifier. This flagship tube power amp incorporates the Esoteric's latest technology, it features a proprietary circuitry designed to enhance the audio quality.

Tha A-100 delivers 2x 45W from 4x KT-88 tubes in UL-push/pull. The VBS technology compensates the fluctuations in bias voltage and the ZVS circuit stabilizes the cathode follower DC output level to improve operation of direct-coupled circuit components for a better linearity. The Esoteric A-100 also works as an integrated amplifier by selection on a switch between Direct or Line In input.

This power amplifer weighs "only" 40kg and comes equipped with a remote control, it will release in February this year at a price of $19,000.

iRiver has recently unveiled the UNIT 2 an all-in-one solution for streaming your personal content such as music, movies and photos to your TV. There is no word on availability yet but the price should be comprised between $800 and $1,000.

The iRiver's UNIT 2 features a sleek, minimalist design that enhances any interior, it offers advanced multimedia functionalities which includes audio, video, pictures, CD player, DVD player, DivX player, FM Tuner, VoIP phone, VoIP Video Phone, SMS/MMS, Web Browsing and Web Mail.

A 7-inch color touch screen makes navigation easy and the built-in stereo speakers hidden behind black grills produce every nuance of your favorite music and video entertainment. Other features include WiFi capability, a remote control, a built-in mic and a 30GB hard drive along with 2GB of flash memory.