New Products - October 2003 Page 2

Linn linn -1003 - new productsA complex home theater needs a preamplifier/processor like the Linn Kisto to keep things as simple as possible for the operator - you. The austere front panel hides an elaborate interior that can control up to four external devices through infrared-flasher outputs, plus four 12-volt triggers for things like lighting and curtains. You can hook up a computer keyboard to help in configuring the Kisto, and the large display lets you view setup menus. There's Dolby Digital EX decoding for 6.1-channel playback as well as Dolby Headphone virtual surround. The Kisto is loaded with six optical and six coaxial digital audio inputs as well as twelve composite-, four component- and six S-video inputs, plus one set of pro-style RGB+H/V BNC connectors. Wait, there's more: two RS-232 ports and an Ethernet jack for external control. Price: $12,995. www.linn.co.uk, 888-671-5466

Parasound parasound -1003 - new productsWhat do you do when you have two channels but only enough room for one speaker - like when you want to extend your whole-house audio system to your shower? That's where that Parasound C 70 coaxial in-ceiling speaker comes in. Based on Parasound's single-channel C 65, the C 70 has input terminals for a pair of channels and a transformer that blends them into a mono signal. The design is said to ensure that the speaker's impedance (8 ohms) and output level are the same whether one or both channels are connected. The 1-inch soft-dome tweeter can pivot up to 15°, and the 6 1/2-inch woofer is made of a polypropylene/mica composite. Frequency response is rated as 58 Hz to 22 kHz ±3 dB. Price: $325 a pair. www.parasound.com, 415-397-7100

SpeakerCraft speaker craft -1003 - new productsThinking about in-wall speakers? SpeakerCraft was definitely thinking of you when the company designed its MT8 line of in-walls, led by the three-way MT8 Four (shown). The 1-inch tweeter and 2 1/2-inch midrange driver are coaxially mounted in a module called the Uni-Pivot, which is installed below the 8-inch woofer. The inverted array makes it easier to aim the treble toward the listening position. Frequency response is rated as 38 Hz to 22 kHz ±2 dB, and all three drivers have front-mounted EQ switches to compensate for room acoustics. Cutout dimensions are 9 1/8 x 15 1/8 inches. The speaker connectors are multiway binding posts. Price: $2,500 a pair. www.speakercraft.com, 800-448-0976

InFocus in focus -1003 - new productsThe latest in DLP technology, Texas Instruments' Matterhorn chip, is at the heart of the InFocus ScreenPlay 5700 video projector. Images have a native 16:9 aspect ratio with 1,024 x 576-pixel resolution. The contrast ratio is rated at an impressive 1,400:1, and a Faroudja DCDi deinterlacing chip converts input signals to progressive-scan. You can hook up a high-definition video source to the two component-video inputs, the VGA connector, or the DVI input (which complies with HDCP copy protection). There are also one composite- and two S-video inputs, plus USB and RS-232 ports for system control. The ScreenPlay 5700 weighs only 9 1/2 pounds. Price: $4,999. www.infocus.com, 888-282-7529

Sonance sonance -1003 - new productsThe Sonance Trio Triple Tuner is designed to distribute AM/FM radio to three rooms or zones simultaneously. The three tuners are fully independent, so each zone can pick a separate station. The Trio is also equipped with Radio Data System (RDS) technology, which lets you display stations' call letters or scan the airwaves for specific program types. It will even scroll artist and song information on the front-panel LED, if the selected station supports RDS. Browsing the dial is even easier with 45 station presets, accessible via the front panel or remote control. One coaxial AM and two coaxial FM connectors let you connect the Trio to external antennas, and there are rear-panel RS-485 and RS-232 ports for hookup to external controllers. The rack-mountable Trio even has a front-panel headphone jack if you want to distribute audio just to yourself. Price: $885. www.sonance.com, 800-582-0771 Omnimount omnimount -1003 - new productsSince those new LCD and DLP (Digital Light Processing) front projectors are relatively lightweight compared with traditional tube-based models, you might want to pair yours with a compact projector mount like the Omnimount PMD-1. Intended for projectors that weigh less than 30 pounds, the PMD-1 is made of steel and uses a ball-and-clamp design that's said to ease image positioning. And once you've got the projector in its final position, you lock it in the mount by tightening a single bolt. Need to replace the bulb? The sliding mounting plates let you quickly take the projector down and put it back up with a minimum of realignment hassles. The mounting plates even accommodate a padlock if security is an issue. Price: $150. www.omnimount.com, 480-829-8000 a/d/s a/d/s -1003 - new productsPart of the a/d/s/ HT series of home theater speakers, the HT400iw in-wall model will trade you a slice of sound for a chunk of drywall - a 6 3/8 x 14 7/8-inch chunk, to be precise, although the speaker's outside dimensions are 7 1/4 x 15 7/8 inches. Its mounting depth is 3 1/4 inches. The speaker has a pair of 5 1/4-inch copolymer woofers flanking a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter, and frequency response is rated as 45 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB, sensitivity as 89 dB. There's a tweeter-level switch to adjust the treble to your liking. You can easily paint the white-finished frame and grille to match your walls. Price: $400 each. www.adst.com, 800-876-0800

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