Perfect Bass Forever?
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 7:10 PM ET
By Shane Buettner
Paradigm is rolling out its PBK-1 Perfect Bass Kit as an optional upgrade for its entire subwoofer line. For $299 you can use the included microphone and tailor your sub’s response. The microphone and supplied software are based on the ARC system Anthem uses in its surround processors (Anthem’s parent company is Paradigm) and measure several different in-room positions to calculate correction for a variety of listening positions. No sub should leave the dealer without it!
Focal Went Upside My Dome
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 6:58 PM ET
By Shane Buettner
Audio Plus’s John Bevier totally brown-bagged me. He grinned unabashedly and led me to a darkened demo room. To see what? To hear what? Soon, I was watching a 2.35:1 image on a really big screen. Universal’s Wanted on Blu-ray, an absolute guilty pleasure, roared into its dynamically brutal train crash sequence. The sound was spacious, articulate, and punchy. You figured it out before I did, but the cute little Dome system pictured above, with speakers the size of grapefruits, is where all that sound was coming from. Walking among Focal’s impressive (and sometimes imposing) line of speakers had been a setup from the start. The Dome costs $2,500 for a 5.1 channel system, and in addition to the splashy colors, they can be mounted on stands, on wall, or plopped onto a piece of furniture. They can be swiveled any which way for optimal sound. This is a design solution that rocks!
Revel Subs Revisited
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 8:55 AM ET
By Tom Norton
We reported on the news Revel subs in our pre-CEDIA entries, but nothing in the photo there gave an idea of the size of the Revel Ultima Rhythm2, shown here with Revel's Kevin Voecks. This 225 lb. monster will also sell for $10,000 when it debuts later this year.
The smaller Revel Performa B150 will sell for $4000 when it appears at about the same time. One downside to the latter is that it has droppped the three-band parametric EQ that graces the current Revel Performa B15a. The philosophy behind the omission is that EQ for the subwoofer alone does not cure problems above the subwoofer range. And full-range EQ is now far more widely available, and cheaper, than it was when the B15a was released about eight years ago. Still, in my experience sub-based EQ is better than none at all, and avoids EQ elsewhere--which many audiophiles prefer to avoid.
LEDs and SIM2
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 0:39 AM ET
By Tom Norton
With its new Mico 50, SIM2 was just one of a number of manufacturers introducing new single-chip DLP projectors using LEDs as a light source. More details below.
LEDs and SIM2 - II
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 0:30 AM ET
By Tom Norton
Here are the details on the SIM2 DLP projector with LED illumination. Expected price is $25,000. Available soon.
Big Samsung
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 0:17 AM ET
By Tom Norton
Samsung wasn't showing much new that we hadn't seen or reported on before, but one new introduction was the LN 65B650 65" LCD HDTV. Nothing 2010 cutting edge here--no LEDs, no local dimming, just straight engineering with a claimed peak contrast ratio of 100,000:1, online TV widgets, 120Hz features, fast 4ms response time, Energy Star compliance, and more. $6000, available now.
Have a Seat
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 0:12 AM ET
By Tom Norton
Home theater seating manufacturers are a fixture at CEDIA, and their exhibits often attract as many weary show-goers as buyers.
La Vida Loca
Posted Sat Sep 12, 2009, 0:07 AM ET
By Tom Norton
The new IDT HQV "VIDA" advanced video processing IC improves on the performance of the Previous HQV processors with advancements in noise reduction, adaptive de-interlacing, scaling and detail enhancement.
Auto HQ, in particular, is a brand new feature that can improve the performance of poor video sources, a capability that was startlingly evident during the show on noisy and detail-starved material downloaded from UTube. While it couldn't be said that the result was HD or even particularly good SD, it was far more watchable than before.
IDT, the chip maker who purchased consumer HQV technology from Silicon Optix last year, will soon make the new chip available to end-unit manufacturers for a variety of products including disc players, televisions, computers, and outboard video processors.
Happy 20th Anniversary, CEDIA
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:49 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Thank you, Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, for fostering the growth of an important industry, for staging an annual milestone in audio/video consciousness, and for encouraging a/v excellence in general.
Crestron Bows Adagio Home Theater Line
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:45 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
One of custom installation's most prominent brands introduces a line of home theater products. The AMS-AIP Adagio Media System includes a receiver-like component, multizone distribution for four to six rooms -- expandable to 24 -- HDMI and DVI switching, easy setup via front panel or Adagio Composer software, QuickSwitch HD technology, Audyssey MultEQ XT auto setup and room corection, Gennum VXP video processing, and a choice of 12-button keypads or LCD controller. For a signal source, Crestron offers the ISERVER networked audio server. Other possible accessories include the MLX-2 LCD remote, and CEN-IDOCV iPod dock.
NuVo Renovia May Be Harbinger of Future
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:43 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
As greenfield home development dwindles, NuVo's Renovia may be the whole-house audio system of the future. We'll repeat the name, Renovia, and assume the hopeful implications are obvious. Don't want to poke holes in your older home for new wiring? Just use the existing power wiring via HomePlug 1.0. The system can cover up to 12 rooms with 50 watts per zone. If the two built-in AM/FM/Sirius tuners don't offer enough entertainment, throw in the Music Port Server, which adds XM, internet radio, Pandora, and RadioTime. Command the 320GB hard drive from any network-connected computer or touchscreen and bask in the auto synchronization tool.
Focal Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:42 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Of the two towers and one stand-mount labeled "new" at the Focal booth, the center of attention was the 30th anniversary tower, the 826W, at left, price n/a. New beryllium-tweeter models included two more towers and another stand-mount ranging from $4495/pair to $12,495/pair.
Mordaunt-Short Speakers Very Shiny
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:40 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Mordaunt-Short's Performance 2 grabbed our eye immediately with its high-gloss black lacquer finish. The very chunky two-way monitor goes for $4500/pair. More accessible, perhaps, is the new Aviano line, a little of which is lurking in the background of the pic. It includes two towers, two monitors, center, and two subs ranging from $495/pair for the Aviano 1 two-way monitor to $1495/pair for the Aviano 8 three-way tower.
HD Fidelity Speakers Feature Laser Alignment Tool
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:37 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
American Recorder's HD Fidelity speakers can be purchased with a setup kit that includes an SPL meter and something else that piqued our interest. See the thing jutting out of the speaker on the right? That's the laser alignment tool, your new best friend for correct speaker placement. Great Sound Begins with a Great Setup, says the company.
Samsung Builds Blu into Bar
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:35 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Samsung's HT-BD8200 soundbar has an integrated Blu-ray player, wireless sub, 300 total watts of power, 2.1-channel virtual surround technology, wi-fi readiness, Netflix savvy, and Pandora compatibility for $800. Also shown were a Blu-less bar, plus a couple of HTiBs, one based on a slim tower, one based on small satellites.
Yamaha Wireless System Goes Proprietary
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 7:32 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Yamaha used a proprietary wireless connection for the yAired music system. Unlike, say, Bluetooth, it has no compression, no latency, and no delay. Look for the MLR-140 in mid October.
RBH Has 20 Grand Worth of Joy
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 12:31 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
If you've got $20,000, you can have the RBH 8300SER, which has enough bass to operate without a subwoofer. It rocked the house. The center is the 6100SER and the surround is the 66SER.
Genelec Does Double Demo
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 12:30 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
This Finnish manufacturers specializes in active, meaning powered, speakers. Its demo reviewed the reasons, which include eliminating impedance interaction between amps and speakers, and crossovers that don't heat up and waste juice. There were two demos, one of which featured the gigantic HTS3B shown here. Dynamics and admirable bass control were what we heard.
Sherwood NetBoxx Trawls for Content
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 12:26 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Lots of audio/video receiver makers are showing net-enabled receivers (and rarely calling them receivers). Sherwood's NetbBoxx R-904N has seven times 100 Class D watts and ships with both a front-panel USB input and a wireless dongle. Video is output at 720p/60. Compatible content sources include YouTube, Shoutcast internet radio, CinemaNow, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, and Amazon VOD. Shipping in October for $649, but not in white, the photo notwithstanding.
Paradigm SE Series Fits Between Studio and Monitor
Posted Fri Sep 11, 2009, 12:23 PM ET
By Mark Fleischmann
Paradigm's new Special Edition Series, shown, is positioned between the Studio and Monitor lines. It includes a tower, two monitors, and sub starting at $299 for the SE1 monitor. The sub's feet can be detached and reattached so it can be used front- or down-firing. At the bottom of the picture are two six-sided subs which use PerfectBass equalization and vibration-canceling circuitry. The smaller one is the Sub 2 ($3499). The larger one is the Sub 1 ($7499) whose 4500-watt RMS amp runs six 10-inch drivers at 126dB and 40Hz, and down to 7Hz. At the top of the picture is the Millennium 20, a hybrid in- or on-wall speaker for $529 each. Not pictured is the upgraded Signature Series which uses a corrugated surround that allows the woofers to produce more output. That in turns means the tweeter and midrange don't need to be choked down. The S1 now comes with a choice of beryllium ($799) or aluminum ($599) tweeters. Sister brand Anthem showed its BLX-200 Blu-ray player ($799). Anthem's first receivers are promised for the first quarter of 2010.
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