CEDIA 2009

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CEDIA 2009
LG SL90
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2009  |  First Published: Sep 10, 2009  |  0 comments

At LG's press conference, we got our first look at the new SL90 series of LCD TVs, which sport LED edge lighting. This precludes local dimming but allows a super-slim profile of only 1.15 inches. Also of note is LG's "single layer" design, in which a single piece of glass covers both the screen and narrow bezel. Two screen sizes will be available later this Fall—42 inches ($2100) and 47 inches ($2400).

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CEDIA 2009
Look Ma, No Wires
Tom Norton  |  Sep 09, 2009  |  0 comments
LG has brought wireless to some of its new LCD HDTVs. The flagship 55-inch, 55LHX (shown, $4799) offers wireless operation of up to 30 feet between the supplied media box to which the sources are connected (shown on the right in the photo) and the set itself. Just as important for enthusiasts, however, is the set's LED backlighting with local dimming, for a claimed 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.
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CEDIA 2009
Lutron Honors Dealers at Georgia Aquarium
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2009  |  First Published: Sep 10, 2009  |  0 comments

Despite the economic hard times, lighting-control leader Lutron continued the tradition of honoring its best dealers at a big soiree, presenting its Excellence Awards in various categories. The event was held Wednesday evening at the Georgia Aquarium, said to be the largest in the world. After the ceremony, attendees were allowed to roam the exhibits, which are home to a huge variety of aquatic life, including whale sharks and beluga whales. The eel pictured here looked pretty happy to see all the visitors.

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CEDIA 2009
Marantz, Despite Absence, Makes Presence Felt
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 27, 2009  |  0 comments
D&M Holdings will not be exhibiting at CEDIA this year. That means no Denon, no McIntosh, no Escient--and no Marantz. However, Marantz issued some new product announcements two weeks ago. The highlights include four new Blu-ray players. Two of them are full-fledged universal players with SACD and DVD-A, including the flagship UD9004, with Silicon Optic Realta video processing for $6000. Three new a/v receivers include the affordable NR-1501, a slimline product that delivers a pretty full feature set for $600. Step up to the SR5004 ($850) or SR6004 ($1250) for the height-enhanced Dolby Pro Logic IIz listening mode and an iPod-compatible USB jack. Some two-channel products were also introduced. See our news item on Denon's product announcements of a few months back.
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CEDIA 2009
Mark Levinson Amplifies
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009  |  0 comments
Mark Levinson has announced a new No.500H series of audiophile power amplifiers with a new balanced CFA (current-feedback amplifier) design. There are four different models in the lineup: the monoblock No.531H ($6500 each), the No.532H (2 channels, $8000), the No.533H (3 channels, $10,000), and the No.535H (5 channels, $12,000). All are rated at 300 Watts per channel into 8 ohms except the No.535H (200Wpc), and all are expected to ship in October.
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CEDIA 2009
Mark Levinson No.500H Series
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 03, 2009  |  6 comments

New at CEDIA from Mark Levinson is the No.500H series of power amps, including the No.531H (mono, 300W, $6500), No.532H (two channels, 300Wpc, $8000), and No. 533H (three channels, 300Wpc, $10,000), and No.535H (five channels, 200Wpc, $12,000), all with a frequency response from 10Hz to 20kHz and THD less than 0.5%. A new circuit design emphasizes current-mode operation, which is said to be much faster than conventional voltage-mode operation. Independent power-supply components for each channel maximize isolation and improve imaging, and all models provide both single-ended and balanced inputs.

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CEDIA 2009
Martin Logan
Tom Norton  |  Sep 14, 2009  |  5 comments
Martin Logan was featuring its flagship electrostatic speakers, but also in attendance was this small, stand/bookshelf design that incorporates An AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter--a technology developed by Oscar Heil in the 1970s and made popular, briefly, in a series of speakers from ESS. The demo was brief, but the sound very promising. The speakers will be available in February 2010, with models at $400 and $600 and a pair of floorstanders also are in the works. Here they were used with a pair of the currently available Dynamo 700 subwoofers (wireless, $695 each--there's also a larger $995 Dynamo 1000))
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CEDIA 2009
MartinLogan Dynamo
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 31, 2009  |  0 comments

Among the subwoofers being introduced at CEDIA this year are MartinLogan's Dynamo 700 ($700) and 1000 ($1000). The Dynamo 1000 sports a 12-inch driver, while the 700's measures 10 inches. These are ML's first subs to feature built-in wireless RF receivers, eliminating the need for unsightly cables, and both models can be oriented as down-firing or forward-firing

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CEDIA 2009
Micromega AP180
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 02, 2009  |  1 comments

Here's an interesting item—a 3-channel, class-D integrated amp from a French company called Micromega and US distributor Audio Plus Services. The AP180 provides full HDMI audio decoding and 180Wpc for three speakers in a home-theater setup, all for $2500. To complete a 5-channel system, Audio Plus Services recommends pairing the AP180 with the PW400 ($2800), which provides 400Wpc of class-D power for the front right and left speakers while the AP180 powers the center and surrounds.

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CEDIA 2009
Mirage Explores the Virtues of Compactness
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 27, 2009  |  0 comments
Two new satellite/subwoofer sets from Mirage include the MM-8, a sleek little cube with a high-gloss black finish hand-sanded to perfection (says here). The accompany sub has an eight-inch woofer and dual passive radiators. Price: $800 for the package. Mirage also plans to show the MX Home Theater System, with five palm-size speakers, reviewed in our print counterpart.
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CEDIA 2009
Mitsubishi Puts On the Squeeze
Tom Norton  |  Aug 31, 2009  |  0 comments
Mitsubishi is launching its new HC3800 HD home theater projector. Priced at surprisingly low $1500, it uses the latest DLP chip from Texas Instruments, is specified at 1200 lumens with a 500:1 ANSI contrast ratio (3300:1 full on/full off), has a claimed lamp life of 5000 hours in its low, lamp-life conservation mode, and weighs a mere 8 pounds.
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CEDIA 2009
Monitor Audio Silver RX
Tom Norton  |  Sep 14, 2009  |  1 comments
Monitor Audio announced the new SIlver RX series of loudspeakers, incorporating features developed for the company's more upscale Platinum and Gold lines (the Platinums are reviewed in the October 2009 issue of Home Theater). The Silver RX line includes seven models, from the small Silver RS 1 bookshelf ($675/pair) to the large floorstanding RX 8 ($1750/pair).
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CEDIA 2009
Monster Makes HDMI Thin and Fast
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 10, 2009  |  1 comments
The continued flattening of video displays makes bulky premium HDMI cable look ever more like an anachronism. That's why Monster Cable has introduced the SuperThin HDMI cable. It's 75 percent thinner than Monster's usual HDMIs. A sexy swivel adapter further enhances its flexibility -- and, by the way, Monster's flat-panel screen mounts are now less than a half-inch thick. Another Monster product is billed as the world's fastest HDMI cable, carrying 21Gbps up to 50 feet, with the help of active circuitry from Gennum. Monster's Noel Lee: "Consumers need to be freed from the fear of obsolescence." After all, with analog cables, "you never had to worry about your cables expiring." More Monster news covered uninterruptible power supplies, powerline conditioners, high-end Turbine earbuds, and other headphone lines. They don't call this company Monster for nothing. Ever the party animal, Monster always throws a party at major shows, and this year's CEDIA party will be called "The Recession's Almost Over Party." That's the kind of attitude we like.
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CEDIA 2009
Mordaunt-Short Aviano
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 02, 2009  |  0 comments

In addition to the Performance 2 bookshelf, Mordaunt-Short is unveiling an entire line of home-theater speakers at CEDIA. Dubbed Aviano, the line includes two floorstanders, two bookshelf models, one center, and two subwoofers. All feature curved front baffles and proprietary driver designs with prices ranging from $500 to $1400 per pair; the center and subs fall within this range for single items.

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CEDIA 2009
Mordaunt-Short Performance 2
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 02, 2009  |  0 comments

Well-known British speaker company Mordaunt-Short is introducing a new 2-way bookshelf model called the Performance 2. Priced at $4500/pair, this little gem is designed to be a no-compromise speaker with a 6.5-inch aluminum mid/bass driver and 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter with a transmission line behind it to allow much lower frequencies and more controlled resonance.

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