Today's Show:
Every year CE Pro puts together a list of the top 100 custom electronics dealers in the country.  Then they poll those top dealers for their favorite brands to sell in 37 different categories.  Of course half the picture for dealers is how much profit they can make selling a particular product, but the other half of the picture is reliability and returns. We like to look at the list to see what all the custom home theater installers are endorsing. If you've narrowed a purchase down to two brands, it may help to swing your vote.

Custom Installers' Favorite Brands
We won't cover all 37 categories.  To get all the info, you need to read the article.

A/V Receivers
  • Integra (46%)
  • Denon (36%)   
  • Marantz (31%)
  • Pioneer (19%)
  • Sony (17%)

Bookshelf Speakers
  • B&W (25%)
  • Klipsch (22%)
  • Triad (17%)
  • Paradigm (14%)
  • Canton (11%)

DVD Players
  • Sony (43%)
  • Integra (34%)
  • Denon (29%)
  • Pioneer (25%)
  • Marantz (23%)

DVRs
  • DirecTV (23%)
  • Dedicated Micros (16%)
  • TiVo (13%)
  • Sony (4%)
  • Comcast and Motorola (3%)

Floorstanding Speakers
  • B&W (27%)
  • Klipsch (23%)
  • Triad (13%)
  • Paradigm (13%)
  • Canton (9%)

Front Projection TVs
  • Runco (43%)
  • Sony (38%)
  • JVC (14%)
  • Marantz (14%)
  • Digital Projection (13%)

Home Theater Amplifiers
  • Integra (23%)
  • Lexicon (21%)
  • Rotel (16%)
  • McIntosh (13%)
  • JBL (13%)

In-Wall / In-Ceiling Speakers
  • Speakercraft (48%)
  • Sonance (25%)
  • Triad (23%)
  • B&W (22%)
  • Klipsch (16%)

LCD TVs
  • Sharp (50%)
  • Sony (48%)
  • LG (37%)
  • Samsung (25%)
  • Runco (20%)

Media Servers
  • Kaleidescape (50%)
  • Escient (39%)
  • Request (23%)
  • Crestron (10%)
  • Elan (7%)

Plasma TVs
  • Pioneer (56%)
  • Runco (39%)
  • LG (28%)
  • Pioneer Elite (25%)
  • Samsung (22%)

Rear Projection TVs
  • Sony (38%)
  • Mitsubishi (29%)
  • Samsung (26%)
  • JVC (6%)
  • NuVision (4%)


Who's Cuisine Reigns Supreme?
Sony, appearing in 6 of the 12 categories we looked at. Still the 800 lbs. gorilla.