Thin speakers launched by Phase Tech for wall and stand mounting by thin TVs can be used with the company’s new three-channel mini amp, which attaches to the back of a thin TV.
The $350 P3-35 mini amp measures 8 by 4 by 1.1 inches and is rated at 3×35 watts into 8 ohms or 2×50 watts to drive passive soundbars or passive separate speakers. It includes optical and analog inputs. The single optical input would connect directly to a TV to accept 2.1 and 5.1 Dolby Digital or two-channel PCM, depending on what the TV output delivers.
When the amp is set to three-channel mode and sees a 5.1 Dolby signal, it down-mixes the surround channels into the front three channels. If the amp is driving a PhaseTech passive soundbar, the soundbar would use its side-firing drivers to broaden the soundstage.
When the amp is in three-channel mode and sees a 2.1 signal, it recreates a center signal.
With a 5.1 signal, the amp delivers better channel delineation, the company said.
The amp also features stereo Bluetooth and can be controlled via RS232 or IR. With IR learning, it can be controlled from a TV remote.
Other features include a line level subwoofer output and Dolby Digital decoding.
In thin speakers, one of two models is the $600-each two-way Teatro TCE1.0, which is called a center-channel eliminator speaker because a pair reproduces left, center and right channels. The TCE1.5 achieves this by including a center-channel woofer and tweeter in each cabinet along with left- or right-channel drivers. The result is center-channel audio that sounds as if it is coming directly from the TV screen, the company said.
The TCE1.0 is 26.5 inches tall and 6.75 inches wide with a 2.5-inch depth at the center tapering to 1.5 inches at the edges. It can be wall- or table-mounted.
