CES 2014

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Brent Butterworth  |  Jan 10, 2014  |  0 comments

What might have been the most anticipated speaker launch of CES definitely delivered when GoldenEar demoed its new Triton One flagship tower speaker. Walking around the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, I kept hearing showgoers rave about the Triton One's sound -- no big surprise, considering that speakers like the Triton Seven have gotten such glowing reviews in Sound & Vision and other publications.

Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 14, 2014  |  0 comments
GoldenEar Technology introduced its new 3D Array XL soundbar (Spring, $1500). It's wide enough to accommodate a 70-inch HDTV, and as a passive soundbar requires an external AVR. GoldenEar recommends separate surrounds and a subwoofer for optimum results (not included), though it can operate without them.
Lauren Dragan  |  Jan 06, 2014  |  0 comments
All these years I've been reviewing headphones, and I thought the point was how they sounded. How wrong I was. Stockholm company Happy Plugs has re-educated me on the definition of earbud. According to their philosophy, headphones are "the most contemporary fashion detail of them all."
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 10, 2014  |  0 comments
Instead of formally exhibiting at the CES this year, Harman International set up shop in a large ballroom at the Hard Rock hotel. When we were there, the place was jumping, despite the relatively remote vernue.
John Sciacca  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  0 comments
There’s been a lot of talk at the show about 4K – or Ultra High Definition, if you prefer – but no one is talking about how you’re going to move that signal from one side of your house to the other. Well, HDBaseT wants people to know that its technology is ready and waiting for the 4K revolution, and that it can send 4K video – along with full-resolution audio, control, Ethernet and power – over a single Category rated cable up to 328 feet!

Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  0 comments
Sharp’s new AQUOS Quattron+ TV line is being pitched as the company’s solution for consumers who want a new set capable of handling Ultra HD content, but don’t want to pay a premium price for it. What Quattron+ brings to the table is added resolution: By dividing up subpixels in the display, Sharp is able to double the vertical pixel count.
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2014  |  0 comments
Here's just a smattering of the audio/video products honored in the 2014 CES Innovations Awards, chosen because they might not otherwise appear in this year's CES coverage (mine, at any rate). Clockwise from top left: The Pioneer Elite SC-79 receiver ($3000) serves up nine channels of D3, the company's version of Class D amplification, and every D3 model we've heard so far has lived up to the promise of energy efficiency combined with great sound. This is Pioneer's top-of-the-line model; we've got a review of the less expensive SC-71 in the pipeline. Jamo's Torsten is the brand's first soundbar. The Sharp SD-WH1000U Blu-ray player uses WiSA wireless technology to wirelessly deliver uncompressed 24/96 PCM and 1080p, effectively freeing high-res audio and video from their wired chains. Would'nt it be great if surround receivers could do the same? Bang & Olufsen's BeoLab 18 tower speaker has a tweeter on top firing into a diffuser and four mid-woofers in an extraordinary looking column enclosure; more here. To see more honorees (and we've omitted quite a few good ones!) see the CES website.
Bob Ankosko  |  Jan 07, 2014  |  0 comments
Hisense is not exactly a household brand but the Chinese-based company came out swinging at a pre-CES press conference touting aggressive plans to grow its business in the U.S. and become one of the world’s top three TV manufacturers. The company, which opened a U.S.-based subsidiary in Atlanta more than a decade ago, sells boatloads of TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other products through Walmart, Best Buy, hhgregg, and Costco.com. In TV alone, it produces more than 10 million sets a year globally.

Hisense executives are counting on the new Android-powered H7 VIDAA series smart televisions to meet their goals.

Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 08, 2014  |  0 comments
Roku has joined forces with Chinese TV manufacturer, Hisense to offer a Roku TV. When the TV is first turned on, it will display a Roku home page similar to the menu on a Roku Box streaming device
Al Griffin  |  Jan 07, 2014  |  0 comments
As promising as the first two OLED TVs to hit the market, a pair of 55-inchers from LG and Samsung, were, there was one problem with both: their screens were curved. That’s why the 55-inch OLED model hanging in Chinese TV-maker Hisense’s booth caught my eye.
Brent Butterworth  |  Jan 07, 2014  |  0 comments

I didn't expect to find any high-end tower speakers amongst the car audio stuff in the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center -- until I stumbled upon this new model from Hybrid Audio Technologies.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 08, 2014  |  0 comments
While every manufacturer is making speakers in any color you want, as long as it’s black, id America is breaking the mold with their colorful new portable Bluetooth speaker, the TouchTone. This is a compact speaker that won’t break the bank - it’s available now for $80. It comes in a variety of colors, with an even greater palette available soon.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 08, 2014  |  0 comments
iLuv offers a plethora of portable wireless Bluetooth speakers. Not surprisingly, at CES, they expanded their lineup in this popular category. In particular, three portable speakers caught my eye: the SyrenPro, Wavecast, and Rollick.

Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  1 comments
SANUS gave an X-ray view of its upcoming In-wall Power and Cable System that’s designed to make it easy for homeowners and DIYers to install flat-panel TVs – and soundbars – on the wall and hide the wires without having to hire an installer and/or an electrician. The basic kit includes a single- or double-gang in-wall receptacle, a matching in-wall AC connection box, and an extension cable that plugs in to an existing AC outlet. You can basically think of it as a safe, uncluttered way of running an extension cable in the wall along with all of the necessary AV connecting cables. The wide ELM809 in-wall mounting box is designed to go behind wall-mounted soundbars and provide access to AC as well as AV cables that are hidden in the wall. The basic package will sell for $99 with the soundbar solution being priced at $49. Both products should be available this spring.
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 10, 2014  |  1 comments
Brent Butterworth covers the details on the new Infinity Reference Series below. Here’s a look at the three-way center ($499). Its vertical orientation for the midrange and tweeter is, in my opinion, the only proper way to design a center channel speaker —other than using a speaker identical to the left and right, which can only work if the screen is very high or acoustically transparent, or the system is used for music only with no images.

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