hi-fi

With Acura's new generation of cabin tech, the TSX offers all the modern conveniences, including a fast and good-looking navigation system, and an audio system with excellent sound and all the audio sources you could ask for. The fact that Acura adds a wagon version for the TSX mix makes it an even more attractive tech cruiser.

Although the TSX Sport Wagon features a well-designed engine, it doesn't push the car into new realms of efficiency, nor does the five-speed automatic transmission. This old-school tech may not win any fuel economy awards, but it does make the TSX … Read more

I'm hearing the same story over and over again: two-channel audio is coming back strong. Home theater sales are flat or dipping, but high-end sales are more than taking up the slack.

Talk is cheap, but I can't remember when we had this many high-end audio shows in North America. The Salon Son & Image is being held at the Hilton Bonaventure in the heart of downtown Montreal. The show expects to host 10,000 to 12,000 visitors from Canada and the U.S. The show opened on Friday and will run through Sunday. Tone Audio magazine … Read more

From the string of hybrids we've seen at CNET lately, the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, the Infiniti M35h, and the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, it's clear that you can do a lot more with the technology than get good mileage. Although all of these cars get better mileage than their conventional gas engine equivalents, they also get considerably more power. Forget the mild-mannered Prius, these hybrids are exciting.

Volkswagen's Touareg Hybrid makes use of a supercharged direct-injection engine and an electric motor to hit 60 mph in about 6 seconds. It also represents a new generation of Touareg, featuring … Read more

At one time a tech powerhouse, neglect has let Acura's top sedan, the RL, fall behind its competition. Although its five-year-old tech is by no means bad, it hasn't taken advantage of some current advances. Its engine is solid, but doesn't exploit modern efficiency technologies, it still uses an old navigation system, and Acura has even given its other, less expensive sedans better tech updates.

Acura has made a few important updates, such as giving it iPod support and Bluetooth streaming as audio sources. A six-speed automatic transmission keeps the drivetrain from being completely moribund. And its … Read more

Last year, Infiniti released the M56x, its top sedan loaded with a big displacement V-8. That car offered the power one would expect from a luxury sedan, but the engine was caveman technology. This year, Infiniti shows it can do high-tech motive power equal to the level of tech in its cabins. The M35h hybrid couples Infiniti's tried and true V-6 with a next-generation hybrid power system using lithium ion batteries.

The M35h drives exceptionally well, running in EV mode over a wide range of speeds. The hybrid system boosts power substantially over that of the gas engine alone. … Read more

BMW established its 7-series as a tech powerhouse, so adding a hybrid system is like sprinkling a little extra crazy on top of Charlie Sheen. The 7-series already features a strong array of driver assistance features, such as a night vision system, a navigation system with lush topographic maps, and an audio system that produces superb sound and includes onboard music storage on the car's hard drive.

But with the ActiveHybrid 7, BMW also demonstrates that it can do a gas electric hybrid powertrain. Although the car gets the best fuel economy of the 7-series model line, it is hardly a fuel sipper. Rather, the hybrid powertrain makes it the second most powerful of BMW's 7-series models, right below the V-12 760i. More power and better fuel economy? That seems like a worthwhile addition.

Read our full review of the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7. … Read more

Since Jaguar changed ownership from Ford to Tata, the company might be forgiven some time spent finding focus, but the new XJ Supersport shows that the company hasn't missed a stride. This car, while showing off a new era of Jaguar design, embodies all we would expect from a sport/luxury sedan. A supercharged V-8 gives it immense power, while road-holding technologies give it good cornering capability.

Cutting-edge tech includes a virtual instrument cluster, providing excellent display flexibility but unfortunate graphics. The stereo is the real luxury element here, a system designed by Bowers and Wilkins with 20 speakers … Read more

BMW 7-series models often don't live up to their potential. They sit in traffic with 8- and even 12-cylinder engines idling away, never approaching their full horsepower. Even when their owners take them out on highways, the tachometer rarely gets even halfway toward the redline. But the new 740i is a BMW you can really drive.

Sure, it only has a six-cylinder engine. But this engine has twin turbos, and is an updated version of what had previously been used in the 335i. It only produces 326 horsepower, which may sound low for a big sedan. But in 99 … Read more

Music is all around us, it's just that very few people actually listen to it. Sure, you have music in your car, iPod, or computer, but is the music just a soundtrack to other activities? If music, a la carte, can't hold your attention from time to time you're definitely not an audiophile. Worse yet, you're missing a lot.

Think about it: the people who made the music sweated the details, agonized over the sound, the mix, and the performance for weeks or months. The composer tweaked the work to the nth degree, and still, very, … Read more