Dyson AM05, $400, www.dyson.com

The Dyson AM05 bladeless fan and heater is much cooler than its predecessor. Its new motor spins 33 percent faster, moving more air, hence, cooler.

The company said it redesigned the impeller, which forces air through the combination fan and space heater, so that it now moves air more quietly and in greater quantities.

Dyson engineers reshaped the impeller's blades, which are asymmetrical, to help keep down the noise. That was important because they also increased speed to 9,000 rpm, 33 percent more than the AM04.

When heating, AM05 is about as loud as a laptop fan, a little louder on the highest fan setting. But it's not as loud as a 20-inch box fan. It does have a more refined look than a box fan. The AM05 has a cylindrical base with a sculpted vertical oval that guides the air flow.

In 30 minutes the heater achieved a 4-degree temperature increase in a 10-by-10-foot office. In cooling mode, with the fan on high, the AM05 moved enough air to flutter papers on the desk about 4 feet away.

The $400 AM05 is made in four colors. Blue and white are available online from Dyson and a metallic nickel color is in Best Buy stores. A model with a black nickel finish will be available April 1.

A HIGH-END SPEAKER designed for TV

Sonos Playbar, $700,

www.sonos.com

Sonos is no longer ignoring the television set. The company's new Playbar began shipping Tuesday, allowing customers to improve the sound of their TVs while also connecting them to Sonos speakers throughout the house.

The 35-inch speaker will be familiar to those who know Sonos' other products. It is sleek and easy to set up, and the sound is loud and clear. Like other Sonos products, it is best controlled through the company's smartphone and tablet apps, but the volume can also be controlled through the television's remote. The speaker costs $700 and also requires a bridge that connects to a wireless router.

The Playbar contains a few nice television-specific features. There is a nighttime listening mode, and when the user presses a moon icon in the app, the system brings up typically quiet sounds like dialogue while lowering the volume on the loud sounds that are likely to wake people sleeping elsewhere in the house. A dialogue-enhancement feature works to bring out dialogue from background sounds.

NEW YORK TIMES