LCD screens tend to have washed-out blacks, but B&O addresses this problem through the use of a contrast screen, a piece of polarizing glass placed over the LCD panel. (Many CRT-based sets of the mid-1990s employed similar screens.) Based on our brief experience with the TV, playing only a James Blunt DVD, the blacks do seem impressive for LCD. B&O says the contrast screen is treated with anti-reflective coating, but we did notice some reflections of room light.

The company supplies a sleek motorized stand with the BeoVision 7; the set may also be removed from the stand and mounted directly on a wall. Because of the horizontally mounted DVD player, the set measures 7 inches deep—about three inches chunkier than a typical LCD flat-panel.

Two speaker options are available. The vertically oriented BeoLab 7-4 sits in front of the stand's leg and uses the same Acoustic Lens Technology found in the company's high-end freestanding speakers. It's intended for use as a center speaker in a surround-sound setup. The horizontally oriented BeoLab 7-2 mounts under the screen; it's a stereo speaker, so it can be used on its own, or as a center speaker in conjunction with a surround system. The TV's $13,250 price includes your choice of the two speakers.

The BeoLab 9 could be considered a scaled-down version of the BeoLab 5, the radical speaker B&O introduced a couple of years ago. For the tweeter, the BeoLab 9 uses the same Acoustic Lens technology pioneered in the BeoLab 5. The tweeter points straight up and reflects off of a half-cone mounted above. The benefit is that the tweeter's response is essentially the same across a 180-degree angle, whereas a typical baffle-mounted tweeter suffers significant treble rolloff as the listener moves to the side. B&O also says the Acoustic Lens eliminates direct reflections from the floor and ceiling.

Unlike its older, larger brother, the 30.2-inch-high BeoLab 9 does not use the Acoustic Lens for its midrange driver. Instead, the 5-inch midrange is baffle-mounted above a 10-inch woofer. All the amplifiers are packed inside: one of B&O's 500-watt digital ICEpower amplifiers powers the woofer, and two 100-watt hybrid amps (with analog amp circuitry and switching power supplies) for the woofer and tweeter. As in the BeoLab 5, the company's Adaptive Bass Control circuitry automatically samples the room acoustics and the speaker's placement, and adjusts the bass response to compensate.

The entire base of the $9,995-per-pair speaker is swathed in fabric grille cloth that is available in black, blue, dark gray, and red—and can be changed by the user to adapt to new decor.