Top-rated reviews of the week (photos)

Here's our weekly roundup of the new products CNET reviewers liked best.

LaCie 2big external hard drive (4TB, USB 3.0)

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The LaCie 2big USB 3.0 is fast, has a great design, and includes a PCI-e USB 3.0 add-in card. It's extremely easy to change the drive from one RAID configuration to another.

The bad: The 2big is rather bulky and comparatively expensive.

The bottom line: The LaCie 2big USB 3.0 is an overall excellent external hard drive.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $474.99 - $549

Maingear F131 desktop PC

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: Better application performance than PCs that cost twice as much; strong gaming performance should play almost any game on the market smoothly and with high image quality; room to expand memory and hard-drive storage; USB 3.0 jacks prepare you for future external devices.

The bad: Garish (but fortunately optional) side panel art.

The bottom line: Ignore the side panel. Maingear has an outstanding deal in this high-end F131 gaming desktop, which is one of the fastest PCs we've seen all year. We recommend this system without hesitation to serious PC gamers and those interested in a high-performance, high-value computer.

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Price: $2,495

Samsung PN50C8000 plasma TV

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: Excellent black-level performance; accurate color overall; properly handles 1080p/24 sources; excellent bright-room image for a plasma; numerous picture controls and tweaks; sleek styling with inch-deep panel; superb streaming and widget content via well-integrated Apps platform; very good 3D picture quality.

The bad: Less energy-efficient than LCD models; duplication of Apps and widgets can be confusing; optional dejudder processing introduces artifacts; does not include 3D glasses; terrible remote.

The bottom line: Samsung's PNC8000 series plasma TV produces one of the highest-quality pictures we've tested this year in both 2D and 3D modes, yet costs less than its direct competition.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $1,477.00 - $1,899.98

Shure SE425 sound-isolating earphones

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The Shure SE425 earphones provide fantastic audio quality and a durable design. The package includes useful extras such as a case, a quarter-inch adapter, and the Shure Fit Kit.

The bad: The Shure SE425 earphones will not fit all users comfortably, and they take some effort to put on. Shure has eliminated its modular cable design.

The bottom line: The Shure SE425 sound-isolating earphones are an excellent choice for eclectic listeners who demand stellar audio and a high-quality design.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $293.69 - $299.99

Sony Cyber-shot TX9

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: Speedy shooting performance; slim, stylish design; plenty of fun, useful features; very good low-light photo quality for its class.

The bad: Soft photos, videos; poor battery life; 3D photos are of limited use.

The bottom line: As long as image softness doesn't bother you, the fast-shooting Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 is a quite capable camera for taking photos under a variety of conditions without much effort from the user.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $372.71 - $399.99

T-Mobile G2

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: The T-Mobile G2 boasts a premium design and easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard. It's the first smartphone to support T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, and offers speedy performance and good call quality. It ships running Android 2.2 with the stock Android interface.

The bad: The G2 doesn't offer tethering or mobile hot spot capabilities. We have some concerns about the slider hinge.

The bottom line: Some minor issues aside, the T-Mobile G2 is one of the carrier's top Android smartphones, offering an excellent QWERTY keyboard, speed, and plenty of features.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $199.99

Alpine INA-W900 in-car GPS system

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Alpine INA-W900 features a super crisp screen for video playback and source selection. Full speed iPod integration for audio and video are rolled in without the need for additional accessories. The navigation system features responsive destination entry and an accurate external GPS antenna.

The bad: Interface resolution is inconsistent between the navigation and source selection modes. The unit doesn't feature Bluetooth hands-free calling or audio streaming.

The bottom line: The Alpine INA-W900 is a solid choice for most users' in-car entertainment and navigation needs, but it will require a few upgrades to match our current favorite in functionality.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $739.50 - $1,095

Apple TV (Fall 2010)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Costs $99; rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store; 99-cent HD TV show rentals on some Fox and ABC shows; supports Netflix streaming; incredibly small design; outstanding user interface; can be controlled by iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch; streams music and videos from PCs and Macs running iTunes; promising future AirPlay functionality should be available in November.

The bad: Very limited selection of TV shows, especially compared with Amazon Video On Demand; confusion between what's available on Apple TV iTunes Store and PC-based iTunes store; doesn't support the full suite of media apps (Pandora, etc.) available on the iPhone and iPad; can't connect to older, pre-HDMI TVs.

The bottom line: The Apple TV's new low $99 price makes it an easy impulse buy for Apple fans looking to bring Netflix into the living room, but you may want to wait until more content--or Apple's forthcoming AirPlay update--becomes available.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $94 - 99

Samsung Craft SCH-r900 (MetroPCS)

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: The Samsung Craft is the 4G-enabled phone for MetroPCS. It has a bright, crisp AMOLED display and it supports 32GB expandable memory and HD video playback.

The bad: The Samsung Craft's processing speeds were slow, and 3G support is limited.

The bottom line: The Samsung Craft is one of MetroPCS' most advanced feature phones, and its 4G capabilities are an added draw for those in the carrier's LTE markets.

Read CNET's full review
Price: $299

Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV

Editors' rating: 3.5 out of 5

The good: Fast components; includes Nvidia's 3D Vision support; Blu-ray drive.

The bad: Expensive for a midsize laptop; poor battery life, despite a gigantic battery.

The bottom line: Unless you're a huge 3D fan, the high price is a bit of a stretch for the 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV, but we do appreciate the 3D Blu-ray playback.

Read CNET's full review
Price range: $1,387 - $1,599.99