Sony SDM-HS95P/B

It takes a moment to recognize the Sony SDM-HS95P as an LCD monitor. With its glossy screen and molten-looking bezel/stand, it might just as easily be a frame for an art print (Salvador Dali leaps to mind). The HS95P's performance on our graphics tests might make everyday visuals look more like art; its excellent detail in our group portrait photo test screen contributed to the highest overall graphics score we've seen for a 19-inch monitor lately. It beat out close competition to rank as the high scorer on text as well, becoming the first monitor in several months to garner an Outstanding rating for both text and graphics.

No aspect of the HS95P's aesthetic design is neglected; it includes a back cover and a clear plastic strap to keep cords tidy. The way the bezel curves down from the sides of the screen, appearing to drape to the work surface, provides easel-like stability as well as visual interest. That said, I'd have preferred more flexibility; this monitor provides only tilt adjustment. A monitor with such panache would look out-of-place set atop a phone book, but without height adjustment, that's exactly where it will be.

Upshot: The Sony SDM-HS95P displays graphics beautifully on a glossy screen, and the easel-like stand looks striking. Height (and swivel) adjustment is all that's lacking.