Rockford Home Updates Product Plans
By James K. Willcox -- TWICE, 1/24/2005
Las Vegas — After several months of tweaking, the Rockford Home Group said the NHT Xd DEQX Calibrated DSP speaker system began shipping to select specialty retailers this month.
At International CES, here, the group also showed its updated NHT Super Audio line of value-priced, high-performance speakers and said that NHT's new Room 2 Room series of modular multiroom components will ship in the second quarter. In addition, the Fosgate Audionics FAP T1+ surround processor/preamp began shipping this month with a Dolby Pro Logic IIx upgrade, the group said.
As for the much-awaited Xd speaker system, home group managing director Chris Byrne said the company wanted to ensure that every last detail was repeatedly reviewed and tested “before letting the first NHT Xd package out the door.
“We're working closely with our partners, DEQX (Digital Equalization and Crossover) and PowerPhysics to ensure that our end-users achieve the same remarkable level of accuracy as that experienced by the media who sampled the system earlier this year,” he said. DEQX supplied the calibrated DSP, while PowerPhysics contributed the four One-Cycle Sound amplifiers that power the system.
The Xd system consists of three components: a pair of two-way acoustic satellite speakers; an XdA hybrid outboard unit that contains the DEQX-calibrated DSP and the PowerPhysics One-Cycle Sound amps; and the XdW powered bass module, which sports two active, opposing 10-inch drivers and a PowerPhysics 500W amplifier. The Xd speakers are biamped and feature distinctive cabinet baffles and massive heat sinks in the rear to handle the substantial power. The system can also be configured for multi-channel applications, and the company says in the near future it will offer a backwards-compatible, 2.4GHz digital wireless option for the bass module.
At CES, the company also said that in the second quarter it will begin shipping its Room 2 Room line of compact, stylish multiroom components. The Room 2 Room series consists of two amplifiers — a 50 wpc channel stereo model and a 100-watt mono amp — a multiroom preamp/switcher, an FM/AM tuner and a 10-outlet power center. The company says the modular approach allows installers to add or replace components as needed without having to disable an entire system. All models can be powered via a 12V trigger to power up the system when any one component is switched on. The 301 mono amp and 302 stereo amp carry suggested retail prices of $225 each; the 201 multiroom preamp has a $400 SRP; the 101 FM/AM tuner is $150; and the 601 Power Center, which has 10 AC power outlets and full surge protection, is a suggested $150.
The new Fosgate FAP T1+, at a suggested $3,300, is an upgrade to the currently available FAP T1 surround processor/preamp. It now includes Dolby Pro Logic IIx, RS232, and onscreen display option via component video outputs.
New cabinet geometry designed to reduce diffraction is a key element of the new Super Audio selection, scheduled to ship this quarter.
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