New Tech for the Ultimate Home Theatre System

Owning the best television, speaker or audio component in the neighborhood (or city) often carries a hefty price tag, though. Many people – heck, most people – can’t afford them, but if you’re wondering what the absolute top of the line is, here are a few of the things we saw that have us wishing we win the $675 million Powerball jackpot.

Samsung KS9500 SUHD TVs – Samsung and LG both like to claim the crown of picture superiority, but the truth is the two come at it different ways – and both succeed. This year’s line of “Super Ultra High Definition” sets use what’s called Quantum Dot technology, which enhances brightness and uses less energy. It also supports HDR – high dynamic range – a technology that improves the contrast and colors of images. The end result? A stunning picture that’s noticeably better than years past. As for the price? Samsung’s not talking – but high-end sets are never cheap.

LG Signature OLED TVs – Not only do these sets put out absolutely stunning images, with some of the darkest black color you’ve ever seen, they pull a disappearing act when they’re turned sideways, with a ridiculous 3mm depth. The color range and brightness of this year’s models are higher than previous OLED (organic light-emitting diode) sets from the company – and, with the addition of HDR, they squeeze every ounce of clarity out of a 4K images. They’re certain to be super pricey, too – so ultimately, the choice may come down to brand loyalty for top-end TVs among videophiles.

Samsung 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player – 4K Blu-ray could take home video to the next level and Samsung (SSNLF) is working with Hollywood studios to make it happen. This high-end blu-ray player will be out in March (price still unannounced). And Warner Bros and 20^th Century Fox (FOX) have committed to delivering 100 4K UHD discs this year – and will begin releasing the high quality discs simultaneously with DVD and traditional blu-ray versions for new blockbuster releases, including Mad Max Fury Road and The Martian.

Mark Levinson No. 519 Audio Player – This ultra-high end component will play just about any kind of music, from LPs to CDs to high-resolution audio files. While it could be used in a home theater, it’s really not meant for that. Instead, this is for the die-hard music lover, who wants to be able to distinguish every single note. It’s due out in six months, but start saving now. It will carry a $17,000 price tag.

JBL Everest Speakers – If you do win the PowerBall, you might want to put these speakers on your shopping list. The ultimate in high-end, they come with a custom color finish (including Ferrari Red) and even the manufacturer refers to them a “a statement piece”. They’re enormous, weighing hundreds of pounds and are physically huge. But that all pales in comparison to the price tag: A whopping $90,000 per pair.