Think for a minute about all that has changed on the home theater/home entertainment front during the past decade. In 2000, the video source of choice was the VCR and all your music was on compact discs. Televisions were CRT-based monsters incapable of what we now commonly refer to as “high-definition.” DVDs were just catching on, the terms “Blu-ray” and “HD DVD” hadn’t even been coined, and you were one of the lucky few if you had something as advanced as a 5.1 speaker setup.
Category: Audio
Audiophile Gear Maker Linn Gives Up on CDs
Perhaps it’s an anomaly, but perhaps it’s a sign of things to come: Scottish high-end audio gear maker Linn has announced that, as of 2010, it will no longer manufacturer CD players. Instead, the company will focus its efforts on digital streaming systems that focus on “Studio Master Quality” downloadable material, which can be offered at substantially higher bitrates and resolutions than the CD-standard 16-bit, 44.1KHz samples used in compact discs.
The company will continue to support its existing CD players and audio systems, so current customers need not worry. And that’s probably a good thing, since the company’s current CD player has a retail price in the neighborhood $6,600.
BodySound Gives Home Theater Furniture High Quality Audio
You may have a smartphone, but do you have smart furniture? BodySound Technologies Inc has created a new line of “specialty furniture” with a 7-speaker personalized surround sound system built into it. Recliners, connected rows or curves of seats, love seats, or couches– BodySound says it has a variety of furniture that is “wireless and compact to provide full impact, large scale sound” in smaller spaces.
The company claims its technology will automatically adjust the volume to match the users’ settings, providing a sound that is both crisp and clear, preserving every detail of audio information. Each seat powers its own 7-speaker system with a built-in multi-processor and 650 watt amplifier.
LaCie Blows Out the Jams with New Sound2 Speakers
Accessory and peripheral maker LaCie has announced its new Sound2 Speaker system designed for use on Macs, PCs, or any other A/V device (like, say, a media player) that needs some premium quality audio output without a ton of bells, whistles, and blinky LEDs. The Sound2 Speakers look like just a roudn grille that balances on a desktop, but connect up using USB or a line-in port and pump tunes with up to 30 watts of power.
The Sound2 Speakers were designed by LaCie favorite Neil Poulton, and the company partnered with French high-end audio company Cabasse to dial in the loudspeaker technology.
iLuv Shares Its i1166 9-inch Portable Media Player
It’s been a long time coming but iLuv’s 9-inch i1166 portable media player is reaching the market, offering a consolidated way for video fans to watch their favorite content anywhere they go on a screen slightly larger than a postage stamp. The i1166 features a 9-inch display for viewing video from a variety of sources including DVDs (Divx certified!), USB drives, and SD/MCC memory cards…oh, and did we mention it supports video and audio content from iPods? Just pop in any compatible iPod to watch video content on a big 9-inch screen—and the i1166 even comes with its own remote control because, with a 9-inch screen, you’ll need to take a few steps back.
Bose SoundDock 10 Sports Bluetooth Dock, Deeper Lows
Audio gear maker Bose has unveiled the Bose SoundDock 10, an iPod-compatible one-piece speaker system that the company claims offers the sound of a much larger, pricier piece of gear thanks to newly designed large-magnet woofer and two new “Twiddler” transducers which combine the roles of tweeters and mid-range drivers.
“The SoundDock 10 system is for people who want the sound quality of a primary music system for their iPod or iPhone,” said Bose Home Entertainment VP Phil Hess, in a statement. “We started with a clean sheet and a clear goal: to deliver unparalleled audio performance without the need for complicated equipment. We then developed new technologies to deliver that performance without compromise.”
Quick and Easy Home Theater Enhancements
Spending a lot of money on your home theater and then not getting the most out of it is like eating pizza without tomato sauce. It’s really just a bunch of cheesy bread. To get that special sauce for your room, we recommend making a few simple adjustments and enhancements to let your theater truly shine. From a budget system to a high-end pin-up of a system, the following tips will get you dialed in, quick.
Budgeting for Your Home Theater
Want a sexy new home theater in your living room but don’t know where to begin? A good jumping-off point is your budget. It can be very difficult to come up with the right amount to spend on decking out one’s pad, especially if you’re a newcomer to the hobby and don’t know what gear and materials you need. This short guide will help you get on the path to budgeting for your home theater though, as well as getting the most from every dollar.
Emerald Physics CS3 Loudspeakers
We know a good-looking pair of speakers when we see them. And though they’re no KEF Muon or Harmon Kardon GLA-55, Emerald Physics’ new CS3 loudspeakers make an impression.
From the front, they’re just giant wooden slabs with drivers up top, but spin them around, and you’ll realize there’s no cabinet to these speakers at all, just two arcing spine to prevent that table-like-front from dropping backward. This type of open-baffle design can produce more accurate sound because it doesn’t have a box to “color” the sound.
Bang and Olufsen BeoVision 4-103 103-inch Plasma Television
The Danes over at Bang & Olufsen don’t do small, don’t do cheap, and don’t do basic, which is why the company’s latest plasma television should come as no surprise to the cult-like fans who follow the company religiously. The latest BeoVision 4 set dwarfs the existing 50- and 65-inch screens that make up the line with a cinema-like 103 inches of screen size.
If that number sounds familiar, it should. Panasonic was technically the first to tread into this obscene territory with the TH-103FP9, released in Japan back in 2006 to the tune of $70,000. As it turns out, Bang & Olufsen’s version uses the same panel, which isn’t a total shock considering the dwindling number of plasma panel manufacturers lately.
