INDIANAPOLIS
– Home-theater and multi-room
A/V suppliers plan to unveil a host of new electronics
options for retailers and electronic systems contractors
(ESCs) at the CEDIA Expo.
In networked multi-room A/V systems, attendees
will find SpeakerCraft’s first system and new options
from ClearOne.
In A/V receivers, new models will be displayed
with multi-room capabilities by Rotel, NAD and Sherbourn,
whose latest model will also incorporate the
brain of a Control4 home-control system.
More audio components will also network with
PCs and stream music from the Internet, including a
CD player/ripper from NAD for use with a companion
hard-drive music jukebox.
New multi-room amps and amp/switchers will also
debut.
Here’s what you’ll find:
NAD Electronics
will launch at least nine new
audio products, expand its selection of networked
audio components, and enter three new markets —
iPod-docking speakers, wireless USB DACs, and
hard-drive music jukebox.
Anthem’s
Statement M1 single-rack-size Class D
mono amplifier delivers 1,000 watts continuous into
8-ohm loads at an estimated suggested $3,500. It
also delivers 2,400 watts continuous on a 120-volt
15-ampere electrical circuit when driving 3-ohm
loads. Into 2 ohms, it delivers more than 2,000 watts
depending on line voltage regulation, the company
said.
AudioControl’s
Architect Model 210ES amplifier
drives up to eight speakers at 240 watts per
channel into 2-ohm loads. It’s bridgeable and meets
Energy Star 2 requirements, consuming less than 1
watt during standby. Features include signal-sensing
turn-on, dual speaker output terminals per channel,
and five-year parts and labor warranty. Pricing was
unavailable.
Bryston
is exhibiting its D series of eight-channel
commercial amplifiers. The $1,195-suggetsed D-
65Z is rated at 8×65 watts into 4 ohms, all channels
driven. The $4,850-suggested D-130Z is rated at 8x
130 watts into 4 ohms, and the D-250Z at $6,350 is
rated at 8x 250 watts.
ClearOne
is launching a IP-based encoder and
IP-based decoder that installers will be able to use
the HDMI, DVI and DVI-D ports of A/V devices to connect the devices to the company’s DigiLinX IPbased
networked-A/V system. When sources and
displays are connected to a DigiLinX network, users
can simultaneously stream multiple streams of
multichannel audio and HDCP-protected video up to
1080p 3D throughout the house. A virtually unlimited
number of sources and displays can be networked,
the company said.
Control4
is expanding its line of home-control
touchscreens and launching its first centralized
lighting-control system. The new touchscreen is a
7-inch portable model with full-color capacitive LCD
touchscreen and wireless two-way control of a Control4
home-control system. It comes with tabletop
charging stand from which it functions as a tabletop
touchscreen. Its suggested retail is $999, and a
$399 license adds intercom capability.
Home Automation
is launching an iPod Touch/
iPhone app to control its 16-zone Hi-Fi 2 multi-room
audio system and control an iPod/iPhone docked in
the new HAI Dock, which can be connected to the
Hi-Fi 2 or to other brands of multi-room audio systems.
Also new is a HAI MicroControl home-energy
management system, which uses wireless ZigBee.
Lexicon
is debuting a surround-sound preamp/
processor incorporating Harman’s proprietary QuantumLogic
Surround 3D (QLS 3D) post processing
delivers up to 12.4 channels of surround sound from
mono, stereo, and multichannel sources. The flagship
four-rack-tall MP-20 media processor will ship
in the first quarter at a price above its predecessor’s
original $11,000 to $14,000.
Rotel
is 7.1-channel preamp/surround processor
features 3D-capable HDMI 1.4a inputs and outputs,
HDMI audio return channel, iPod/iPhone-compatible
USB port, and included stereo Bluetooth. The
$2,199-suggested RSP-1572, which replaces the
RSP-1570, will be the brand’s first product with included
stereo Bluetooth and first A/V product with
front-panel iPod USB input, HDMI 1.4a and HDMI
audio return channel.
Current Rotel products incorporate HDMI 1.4 to
passthrough 3D 1080i broadcast programming, but
the 1.4a inputs and outputs will pass through broadcast
3D 1080p, the company said.
Many of these features were planned for the previously
announced $3,999-suggested flagship prepro,
the 7.1-channel RSP-1580, which was due in the
first quarter but has been put on hold for a planned
revamp of the company’s A/V receiver line.
Compared to the preamp/processor that it replaces,
the new model adds more HDMI inputs for a total
of six, two HDMI outputs, 10-band parametric EQ,
and onscreen display over HDMI.
The front-panel USB input accepts audio in digital
PCM form from a connected iPod or iPhone. Via
an included stereo Bluetooth dongle, the preamp/
processor streams stereo music from any handheld
device equipped with stereo Bluetooth.
Remote Technologies
is unveiling seven multiroom
products from the company include a distributed-
audio switcher/amplifier, two multi-room amplifiers, an iPod dock, a central control processor and
handheld remote. The amps ship in November. The
others ship in September.
The $1,799 AD-8 eight-source, eight-zone distributed-
audio switcher/amp features 16 Class D
amplifier channels and preamp. For larger installs, it
can be tied to the $699 4×50-watt channel CP-450
Class D amp and the $1,499 16×50-watt CP-1650
amp.
The $499 XP-3 central control processor integrates
control of a home theater system and other
connected in-room systems when used with one of
the company’s remote controls with embedded wireless
RF.
One such remote is the new $699 T2-Cs+, a second-
generation model with 433MHz RF for one-way
control and 2.4GHz ZigBee for bidirectional control
when used with RTI’s control processors and other
ZigBee-enabled A/V components and home systems.
It features faster 532MHz processor and 2.4-
inch LCD touchscreen.
The $599 RTiDock, available in rack-mount or
desktop chassis, lets users turn their iPod into a
home-wide music source when the iPod is placed inside via a sliding tray.
Sherbourn Technologies
is launching a new
A/V preamp processor with integrated Control4 processor,
a companion 7×350-watt multichannel amp,
and a 3D enabled A/V receiver.
Both the pre-pro and AVR are the company’s first
with ability to support 3D broadcast content, 3D
game content, and 3D Blu-ray discs. The pre/pro
features Control4 network control capability. Prices
and ship dates are unavailable.
The PT-7020C4 A/V pre-pro features five HDMI
inputs, dual 32-bit DSP processors, balanced XLR
input and output connections, Genesis/Torino
1080p scaler, and full-color OSD that is displayed
over live video.
The PA-7350 multichannel amp puts out 7×350
watts into 8-ohm loads with all-channels-driven via a
high-efficiency fan-less Class H design.
The SR-120 3D 7.1-channel AVR also features
balanced inputs, 7×120-watt internal amplification,
massive toroidal power supply for quiet and efficient
operation, full-color onscreen display superimposed
over live video, and two-zone capability (5.1 plus 2
channels).
Vantage
, a supplier of lighting, audio and hometheater
control systems is launching the eight-zone
850D-DA Digital Distributed Audio Amplifier which
features six amplified zones and two line-level outputs
to add amps for two additional zones. It’s rated
at 12×50 watts into 8 ohms and 12×75-watts into 4
ohms.
