__ Best __ - Great stuff - tested and approved in our top-secret labs.
50-BOTTLE WINE CABINETS
__ First Class: __
__ Sub-Zero Model 424 __
A trip to the wine cellar has its charms, but high-rise dwellers in particular will appreciate having a selection of bottles close at hand - stored, of course, at the appropriate 60 percent humidity. The Sub-Zero earns its place on the top shelf with two independently adjustable temperature zones, letting you chill tonight's chenin blanc while you age next year's syrah. An electronic panel monitors conditions inside the dishwasher-sized cabinet, and a thick glass door blocks oxidizing ultraviolet light. Shelves faced with unfinished cherry wood help maintain humidity, and you can stain them to match your decor.
__ Model 424: $1,600. Sub-Zero: (800) 222 7820, www.subzero.com. __
__ Business Class: __
__ EuroCave La Vieillithèque V056 __
The French guard their wine's organic vitality as if it were national honor, and EuroCave supports the effort with military exactness. The V056 does more than control humidity and prevent temperature swings from tiring the wines. The windowless cabinet also protects its precious cargo from vibration damage with rubber-padded shelves and a structurally isolated compressor. And La Vieillithèque's ventilation system circulates air to eliminate odors - but not before purifying it with an active-carbon filter.
__ La Vieillithèque V056: $1,145. EuroCave: +33 (4) 72 53 76 32, www.eurocave.com. __
__ Coach: __
__ Marvel Industries Wine Grotto 61WC __
There's a place for everything in this cabinet, with five pull-out, chrome-plated wire racks and two fixed shelves with enough headroom to hold magnums. A refrigerator-style thermostat dial sets the temperature (though there's no control for the humidity level). The Wine Grotto's standard tinted glass keeps it dark inside, or you can opt for a solid door. For the coordination-conscious, color choices include almond, white, black, and stainless steel.
__ Wine Grotto 61WC: $1,050. Marvel Industries: (800) 428 6644, +1 (765) 962 2521, www.marvelindustries.com. __
IN-EAR PORTABLE HEADPHONES
__ First Class: __
__ Stax SR-001 MK2 __
Why settle for mere earphones when you can take professional-quality "earspeakers" on the road? Stax, a name synonymous with premier studio sound, produces portable electrostatic speakers so powerful they require a separate driver unit (a pocket-size device that uses two AA cells). But the acoustics more than make up for the inconvenience: Soft-tipped pads extend the bass into your ear canal, while remarkably thin transducing diaphragms translate every detail. You hear each breath, each fingernail brushing a string, dissected and spread out with clinical precision against a background of absolute silence - you'll marvel at how much your ear can discern.
__ SR-001 MK2: $455. Stax: +81 (492) 58 3988, www.stax.co.jp. __
__ Business Class: __
__ Sennheiser MX5 __
Styled similarly to other earbuds in the personal stereo accessories aisle, Sennheiser's MX-treme series features a crispness and broad frequency range that lift these phones closer to the pro audio realm. Turn up the top-tier MX5s and they bathe your head in sound, without going muddy. They beat even Sony's competitive Fontopia buds, thanks to stronger bass and less hiss. Quick adjustments are a breeze with the volume-control slider on the 3-foot cord.
__ MX5: $44.95. Sennheiser: +1 (860) 434 9190, www.sennheiserusa.com. __
__ Coach: __
__ Aiwa HP-V165 __
Aiwa's HP-V165 earbuds are among the most bass-capable in any class, but their higher frequencies are wonderful as well. Flexible silicon rubber caps help them fit comfortably without falling out - and seal out such distractions as chattering coworkers and whining children. Like the MX5 phones, the HP-V165s have a volume slider, and earbuds and cord both wind neatly into a compact round case.
__ HP-V165: $18. Aiwa: +1 (201) 512 3600, www.aiwa.com. __
HOME-AUTOMATION CONTROLLERS
__ First Class: __
__ Crestron Electronics SmarTouch STS __
You've smartened up your home to the tune of $4,000, stringing together voice, data, cable, and alarm lines and attaching X-10 switches to everything from sprinkler to stereo. It's time to put yourself in control. The stylish SmarTouch STS color touchscreen is a geek's dream, allowing you to play music from the patio or close the downstairs drapes when you step out of the shower. Beyond room-to-room roaming, the wireless RF controller even lets you set rules to heat the Jacuzzi by phone. The Net interface gives you complete home-control away from home, too, and the screen doubles as a lightweight browser and email client.
__ SmarTouch STS touchpanel: $2,275. Crestron Electronics: (800) 237 2041, www.crestron.com. __
__ Business Class: __
__ JDS Technologies Stargate __
A wall-mounted command center instead of a mobile remote, Stargate adds voicemail and speech synthesis to home automation, announcing things like "The garage door is open" while you sidle up to the menu-driven keypad. Though it isn't IP-networkable, Stargate rules on the telephone lines: The system turns your household phones into an intercom, paging you when the doorbell rings or recognizing caller-ID codes to declare, "Mom is calling."
__ Stargate control panel with keypad: $1,699. JDS Technologies: +1 (858) 486 8787, www.jdstechnologies.com. __
__ Coach: __
__ Custom Solutions HomeVision __
Thanks to HomeVision, you can control the whole household with the television remote. Use your TV/VCR whipper to set up various if-then rules right on the screen, then keep clicking to issue commands. Or call them in remotely using touch-tone codes. HomeVision also recognizes caller ID, so it can turn off the soaps when your boss phones. And the integrated astronomical clock will trigger lamps and window shades precisely at sunset and sunrise.
__ HomeVision controller: $1,000 (with caller-ID device). Custom Solutions: +1 (407) 726 8864, www.csi3.com. __
