Sometimes true surround sound is overkill. While chair-bouncing sound pumping out of a phalanx of speakers in the living room intensifies movie viewing in the living room, it’s often easier just to set up a smaller home theater system — like the Sony DAV-F200 — and call it a day.

The two 450-watt speakers and a subwoofer simulate surround sound. A glassy black central control panel that plays DVDs and CDs can sit on a stand or even be mounted to a wall. It converts standard DVDs to the high-definition 1080p standard and sends them over an H.D.M.I. cable to a high-definition TV. The speakers have a “dialogue enhancer mode” that isolates and heightens spoken parts of a film so the actors word can be heard over soaring soundtracks or explosions.

The device can also extract audio from compatible MP3 players and thumb drives. (Fans of MP3s can turn on the portable audio enhancer to smooth out compressed music files.) With an optional adapter, music lovers can connect their iPods and Bluetooth-enabled cellphones and laptops to the home theater system.

The DAV-F200 will be available next month, but Sony hasn’t yet set a price.

TAKEN FROM www.nytimes.com



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