The company has achieved servo-level performance without the servo. The SUB 12 and SUB 15 possess higher playing ceilings and so much more. The new models’ unique amplifier/driver configurations allow them to play louder and lower than any other subwoofers in their price range. Unlike many designs on the market, not a hint of low-frequency extension or output was sacrificed to keep their size compatible with today’s living spaces.
Were you one of our readers drooling over the Philips Cinemawide display we covered in an earlier blog post? If so, get out your chequebooks and a pen with LOTS of ink. The display should be available in Europe "as early as June" and it will only set you back a mere $6400 CAN (or so, depending on the exchange rate)
Acoustic Preference, established 2001 in Slovenia-EU, has just launched a number of new speakers models and a new website.Although aren’t available at North American stores, they are available directly from the manufacturer.
Below is a highlight of the company’s Gracioso speaker.
“Gracioso 1.0 is a speaker for those with the highest taste in performance and design. As it is aesthetically striking with its complex hardwood selected materials, so is the full embodied, warm, dynamic and transparent sound it produces.
Vizio shipped 14% of the LCD TV sets sold in the US in Q4, passing Sony and second only to Samsung.
Some would say this is proof positive that in these tough economic times, price is a considerably higher factor influencing purchasing rather than picture quality, features and brand reputation.
LCD sales will drop 16% globally, according to Displaysearch LLC, the first time in the industy's history.
The Vector 5.1 is a compact system and is being marketed as an "affordable" option, ranging in price from $199 to $499 USD.
There are three models in the series: the wall-mountable V10 satellite ($299/pair), the $199 V20, which can be used as a centre channel or left/right satellite, and the 100-wat VW-8 sub ($499 each). Both the V10 and V20 boast cabinets made of high-density molded polymer. The MDF front baffles are coated in high-gloss black or high-gloss white lacquer.
Nexus by TruAudio is a collaboration between Nexus and TruAudio. It is a 4-source, 4/8 zone, or 6/12 zone multiroom audio control system that's available with iPod/MP3 integration and user-friendly keypads.
Nexus by TruAudio will carry a 5-year parts and labor warranty.
The companies have announced that the product will be available in March 2009.
For more information, please visit http://www.nexusaudiosystems.com/
Completing the trifecta of disturbing news today, budget brand Vizio has decided to cease production of plasma displays and focus solely on LCDs. Vizio announced no new models at last months CES show in Las Vegas and is rapidly running out of its current inventory. That leaves only LG, Samsung and Panasonic still making PDPS. Bad news for videophiles everywhere! According to Vizio co-founder Laynie Newsome the decision was sparked by the fact that plasma sets simply dont show as well as LCDs in big box retail showrooms due to their bright flourescent lights.
it was with great dismay that the Canada HiFI staff learned of the rumour currently circulating the internet about the possible demise of Pioneer's plasma TV division. Allegedly stemming from a report in Japan's Nikkei newspaper, the company will also allegedly be spinning its DVD player division off into a joint venture with Sharp. This comes after the news last year that following this current 9th generation of PDPs, Pioneer would be outsourcing the production of their plasma glass to Panasonic due to soaring costs and shrinking margins on their high-end PDPs.
Pioneer has neither confirmed nor denied these rumours.
All of us here at Canada HiFi are hoping for some sort of resolution that will allow Pioneer to continue manufacturing their outstanding displays.
According to a confirmed report from the good folks at Engadget, Mitsubishi has temporarily suspended production of their Laservue TV sets due to "a problem with manufacturing equipment used to produce (them)". Laservue is a new technology launched in 2008 by Mitsubishi that offers more of a colour gamut than LCD or plasma, is very bright and can reproduce very deep blacks. Mitsubishi has confirmed that they will re-commence production sometime in "early 2009". More to follow...
Thiel's new bookshelf speakers stand nearly 18 inches tall and are 8.5" wide. Its dual front ports flank the magnetically shielded coaxial driver array, which is centred within an aluminum baffle. The driver array features a 6.5" woofer with metal diaphragm and a 1" metal dome tweeter.
Canton has added three loudspeakers to its flagship Reference line: the Reference 5.2 DC, Reference 7.2 DC, and Reference 9.2 DC.
The Canton Reference 5.2 and Reference 7.2 are floorstanding models with three-way bass reflex systems. Each has a two-chamber monocoque enclosure with curved side panels that are pressure-laminated.
The Reference 5.2 features two 7.5" woofers, a 7" midrange, and a 1" ceramic dome tweeter. The Reference 7.2 uses dual 7" woofers with the same midrange/high frequency driver complement.
Now that the high definition disc format war has come to a close, the number of Blu-ray players in consumer homes' is steadily climbing.The benefits that a 1080p Blu-ray picture can bring to our television screens at home are undeniable.But the picture improvement over the standard DVD format is only half the story - the other half of the story is in the sound.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should preface this article by saying that I am the proud owner of a Pioneer PDP-6010FD, a 60-inch 1080p KURO series plasma, which is one of the highest-rated displays of the last several years. It was a monumental purchase for me and it changed the way I watch films and television. Since the day I brought it home I was confident that I was watching one of, if not the best picture, a human eye could hope to see for years to come. But technology has a time-line of its own.
Boston Acoustics has added a pair of models to its SoundWare speaker line, which is characterized by a polyhedron shape that makes it easy to be placed in tight spots.
The XL is geared toward commercial applications, and the other is a 100W powered sub that has been designed especially to work in tandem with the XL.
Starting with the release of the animated film "Bolt", Disney will be experimenting with a new release schedule for their Bluray and DVD titles. The Bluray version of the film will be released on March 22 two days prior to the DVD release on March 24. Those who purchase the BD will also get a DVD copy of the film AND a Digital Copy playable in iTunes or WMP.
Anthem has updated Audio/Video Master 50v preamplifier/home theater processor with a built in tuner and independent source selection for recording. It combines A/V performance-enhancing technologies with whole-home entertainment control that makes it possible for users to direct audio and video program materials throughout their homes.
Cambridge Audio revealed the second version of their Azur 640R AV receiver, which now features full HDMI 1.3b reception.
The new Azur employs a Cirrus Logic/Crystal chipset with twin 32-bit DSPs and full support for Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution and the new Lossless Dolby True HD and Master-HD Audio formats, as well as SACD and DVD-Audio.
The V2 can transcode analogue video to HDMI via a single cable and CA's CAMCAS quick installation feature.
Features:
a true power output of 7x100W RMS per channel at 8ohms
The Polk PSWi225 subwoofer features wireless 2.4 GHz RF signal transmission and works with any audio system by way of a simple pairing action.
The compact (12" x 13" x 12”) floor firing powered subwoofer weighs 21 lbs. and features a 100W amplifier that can deliver 40-180 Hz response to anywhere in the room.
The Polk PSWi225 will begin shipping in March 2009 for an MSRP of $399.
Aside from the expected new product introductions from most A/V component manufacturers, this year’s CES showed off a number of OLED displays, 3D displays and first Blu-ray players from many manufacturers.
LG Electronics showed off a near production model of a 15-inch AMOLED widescreen display (yes, there are other variants of OLED technology if you haven’t heard yet).At just 1.4 millimeters thick, this screen is said to be suitable for small TVs and laptops.It has a 1,366 pixel by 768 pixel resolution and a lifetime of 30,000 hours.
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Completing the trifecta of disturbing news today, budget brand Vizio has decided to cease production of plasma displays and focus solely on LCDs. Vizio announced no new models at last months CES show in Las Vegas and is rapidly running out of its current inventory. That leaves only LG, Samsung and Panasonic still making PDPS. Bad news for videophiles everywhere! According to Vizio co-founder Laynie Newsome the decision was sparked by the fact that plasma sets simply dont show as well as LCDs in big box retail showrooms due to their bright flourescent lights..jpg)
