Creative unveiled in Japan the new Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 external sound card delivering true 5.1-channel surround sound via a single USB connection. The model, SB-SR51-XFI, will feature Creative's X-Fi 24-bit Crystalizer and X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround technology as well as Dolby Digital/DTS decoding with pass-through 24-bit/96kHz outputs. There will also be Directsound, EAX and Open AL API support.

It will be available during the second week of May for a price expected to be less than $90.

Onkyo has announced the launch this month of three new home theater-in-a-box systems, each consisting of a flexible HDTV-capable A/V receiver with DTS and Dolby Digital processing only, five or seven surround-sound loudspeakers, powerful subwoofer, and an included iPod docking station on two of the systems.

HT-S3100 - 5.1-channel amplifier with passive subwoofer. Price: $379.

HT-S4100 - 5.1-channel system, 200W subwoofer and dedicated iPod dock. Price: $479.

HT-S5100 (pictured) - 7.1-channel system, 3x 1080p compatible HDMI inputs + 1x pass-through, 130 Watts per channel amplifier using Onkyo's Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT), 290W subwoofer and dedicated iPod dock. Price: $579.

We've found on Philips' site a new home theater system or named micro theater system by the company. The MCD289 is a nice looking system with its sleek design and piano black finish. It plays DVD, DivX and USB direct playback with 12-bit/108MHz video processing and features a class-D amplifier (2x 20W + 100W) along with a wireless subwoofer to offer a stylish and clutter-free solution.

Priced at $459 the MCD289 will comes with table-top and wall-mount options.

NuVo will begin to ship in June 2008 its new M3 music server (NV-M3-500) with a storage capacity expanded to 500GB. This music server has the ability to stream standard compressed and non-compressed files in most formats including WMA with DRM support, MP3 and WAV across your network. The unit features a capacitive touch front panel interface with OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, backup of audio files on a connected PC or on a portable player using USB connectivity, simultaneous output of three audio streams (RCA), and instant compatibility with downloaded and subscription-based music.

It will retail for about $3,000 while the 160 GB NV-M3 music server remains available for $2,300.

Panasonic rolls out three new entry-level home theater systems with Kelton Subwoofer, 1080p Up-Conversion with HDMI, Dolby Digital & DTS decoders, integrated Universal Dock for iPod and VIERA Link. There are two 1000W systems, the SC-PT660 and the SC-PT760 which includes tall boy speakers and wireless rear speakers. There is also the SC-PT960, it delivers 1250W of power and includes front tower speakers, wireless rear speakers.

Prices from official Panasonic's store are $299.95 for the SC-PT660, $399.95 the SC-PT760 and $499.95 the SC-PT960.

Pioneer has released the DV-410V, a new DVD player (maybe the last ). It has HDMI output with 1080p upscaling, a front-in USB lets the user play music or watch movies from a USB memory stick and JPEG browser functions. In addition, the DV-410V has Virtual Surround Sound, which enables surround sound effects from just two speakers.

It's now available in Europe for a price of €149.

Sonus Faber has recently announced the relaunch of its most renowned Minima Amator bookshelf speaker. Named Minima Vintage, this speaker will get exactly the same design, but with better characteristics and new components inside to improve the transparency and sound reproduction. It features a 28mm ultra dynamic silk soft dome ferrofluid tweeter paired with a 120mm cellulose acrylate cone driver mounted in a vented cabinet. There is no word on pricing or availability at this time.

Specifications:
► Frequency response: 55Hz ~ 25kHz
► Nominal impedance: 8Ω
► Sensitivity: 84dB/mW
► Power handling: 25W - 100W

In observance of the 500th anniversary of the birth of legendary architect Andrea Palladio, Sonus Faber has created a unique Limited Edition of the prestigious Homage line. Cabinets are crafted from natural blond maple, with fittings in silver and palladium, and a woofer phase plug shaped from genuine Vicenza stone.

This ultra-limited series comprises three models available worldwide, 100 pairs of the Guarneri Palladio two-way monitor (€10,000), 50 pairs of the three-way Amati Palladio (€20,500) and just 25 pairs of the £32,500 Reference Stradivari Palladio speaker.

The SE-DHP3000 headphones are the first from Pioneer to use the 2.4GHz transmission band. Capable of operating within a range of up to 30 meters in opposition to less than 10 meters for infrared transmission, the SE-DHP3000 is also lightweight with its 350g (Battery included). The base station/charger (SE-DRS3000C) doubles as a Dolby Pro Logic II and Dolby Headphone D/A converter with two optical digital inputs including one pass-through, one coaxial digital input and one analog audio input (RCA).

They are planned for Mid-May in Japan for roughly $390.

The new $2399.99 Marantz MM8003 eight channel power amplifier is the perfect complement to AV8003 pre-amplifier/processor. This amplifier is equipped both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA input jacks as well as gold-plated speaker connectors, and with 140W per channel, it can easily drive a complete 7.1-channel speaker system. Remote control input and output jacks allow external component control along with output channel relay on/off and slow start to power-on mode.