Boston Acoustics stunning new speakers

The Audiophiliac (L) poses with Boston's Eli Harary

Boston Acoustics was in Manhattan earlier this week to demonstrate its new Vista Series speakers. Boston kicked up the styling and all of the speakers feature radical "wave-like" curves and drop dead gorgeous lacquer paint jobs. The high gloss black was beautiful, but the cherry wood was a knockout! Really hot stuff and durable too -- one of Boston's people actually took out his keys and tried to scratch the speaker's paint -- but the finish remained pristine.

That's nice, but wouldn't mean much if the speakers didn't sound great. The demo was strictly two-channel and used the VS 240 bookshelf speakers ($400 each) with the VPS 210 subwoofer ($1700).

For most of the demos the sub was turned off and the little speakers made enough bass on their own. The sound was dynamic, very pure and clean, I can't wait to get my hands on the Vista models at home.

The speakers feature newly designed tweeters and woofers, most models are available now at selected Boston dealers. The line also includes a tower, the VS 336 ($1700 each), a center speaker, the VS 325 C ($900), a LCR speaker, the VS 224 and larger bookshelf model, the VS 260. Both sell for $700 each.

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We got a picture of the stunning author, but not the stunning speakers.

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In the past I've been quite fond of Bostons when it came to the mobile market. Their 10.5 Pro sub is still one of my all-time favorite subwoofers, and their RM9 6x9 made for one of the smoothest-sounding rear fill units ever assembled; it was hard to go wrong with that speaker, with any front stage setup. It'll be interesting to see if they really can pull off the transition to the home marketplace. I wasn't nearly as impressed by their earlier computer speakers, or with that relatively pricey table top radio of theirs.