Are you in the market for a giant-sized speaker but your wallet is not correspondingly giant-sized? Then check out the Legacy Whisper XD. Weighing 210 lbs, 63"x17"x13", the Whisper XD is for large spaces, and the somewhat bass-heavy sound at SSI suggested that it was not feeling quite at home in the small hotel room. The price is $20,000/pair—not exactly spare change, but you get a lot for your money: a 10-driver system with four 15" subwoofers, four 7" Rohacell-reinforced midwoofers, a 3" ribbon midrange, and a ribbon tweeter. The system includes a DSP crossover with room correction.

John Atkinson adds: I have heard the Whispers sounding excellent in larger rooms at other Shows, but at SSI, the bass heaviness of their sound, driven by Ayon tube amps and CD player, reinforced the idea that if you want a big speaker, you had better have a big room.