Change of view: The 3-D steamroller is far from flattening the opposition, but it is picking up pace. Sony is giving it a nudge by paying some attention to the sound that goes with it. It has just unleashed a pair of 3.1 channel sound bars, the HT-CT350 and HT-CT150 3.1. The big innovation is HDMI 1.4. This latest version of the must-have digital video connection is something of a leap forward from the previous 1.3 version. The newest flavor of HDMI includes an Ethernet connection, allowing the three new Sony products to share the broadband connection of another broadband-capable device, such as a high-grade TV. Of greater interest to TV fans is that 1.4 does a much better job of supporting 3-D television image resolution and sound. In using this connection, the trio can fulfill the audio potential of 3-D and also serve as a communication bridge between different 3-D devices, so a DVD player can pass its image through one of the HTs and get a maximum image quality on a 3-D TV. It brings 3-D gaming and home-theater systems closer to reality.

The HT-CT150 comes with 340W of power (three 85W channels and an 85W subwoofer) and is designed to match Sony's 2010-model 32-inch BRAVIA HDTVs and their black minimalist styling. The HT-CT350 operates with 400W (a trio of 100W speakers and a similarly powered subwoofer). It includes a bracket that attaches via a wall mount with a table stand for 2010 BRAVIA sets of 40 inches or above. The CT150 costs ¥39,800, with its larger sibling adding ¥10,000 to the price tag.

Shelling out big bucks for a 3-D TV would seem to be sufficient, but if you have made that large an investment then you may want to complete the picture (so to speak) by cranking up the sound production to match. One concern may be if your apartment is small and the neighbors can hear. Then the increased sound of the CT350 might be wasted. Moreover, these two are intended to match up with a Sony TV and while crossing breeds might work with canines, the results in AV electronics are more problematic. www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201003/10-0309C