CES 2014

MartinLogan Makes Some Wireless Noise with Crescendo

Darryl Wilkinson | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

At CEDIA2013, MartinLogan teased us with a sneak peak at a prototype AirPlay/Bluetooth speaker that was absolutely beautiful and sure to sound fantastic thanks, in large part, to its use of MartinLogan’s amazing Folded Motion tweeters. The new Crescendo wireless stereo speaker has burst out of its prototype cocoon and become an official product that includes AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. The remote control, normally an item manufacturers tend to overlook, included with the Crescendo is made from extruded aluminum and is extremely well designed with rubberized button caps that are easy to find and use without looking at the remote. Twin Folded Motion tweeters flank the central 5x7-inch woofer. The tweeters are also positioned to fire away from one another to the sides of the room, a design that helps to dramatically widen the stereo soundstage of the Crescendo, and it includes a subwoofer output. The gorgeous sound machine will be available in “early 2014” for $899. Of all the small speaker systems I’ve heard so far at CES2014, the MartinLogan Crescendo is unquestionably at the top of the tall stack.

CES 2014

HDTV Goes Head-to-Head with HDTV+

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.

CES 2014

Metra’s Soundbar + Subwoofer + Wall Mount = Awesome

Darryl Wilkinson | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Metra Home Theater hates cords and cables more than you do. The company’s new 3.1 Audio Mount Sound Bar combines an active soundbar with a 160-watt class D amp with a wall mount capable of handling 50- to 90-inch TVs. But Metra didn’t stop there. It also incorporates a powered subwoofer into the mount itself, possibly making the 3.1 Audio Mount Sound Bar the world’s easiest-to-install and cleanest-looking AV system ever. The MSRP for the 3.1 Audio Mount Sound Bar will be $899 with the product shipping early this year.

CES 2014

In-wall DIYing Without Frying Yourself from SANUS

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.

CES 2014

Bang & Olufsen Makes Wireless Audio Essential

Al Griffin | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Bang & Olufsen’s CES press event was held in a comfortable, stylishly decorated room that drove home the company’s message of merging good sound with good design.

CES 2014

China Makes its Move

Thomas J. Norton | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

It's been suggested that the next manufacturers to break into the HDTV market will be Chinese. That's not surprising as many current sets branded by manufacturers from Japan and Korea are often subcontracted, in whole or in part, to Chinese factories.

CES 2014

The High-Tech Solution to Remote Control Lost and Found

John Sciacca | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Admit it: At some point you’ve wandered around your house looking for the remote control. Or maybe it was your car keys. Or your wallet. Whatever. You’ve spent long, panicked minutes hunting through pants' pockets, couch cushions and looking under furniture trying to find some small device before. Now Stick N Find has an affordable 21st Century way to help you find your stuff!

CES 2014

You Can Rain on iHome's Parade

Ken C. Pohlmann | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

iHome's booth is a must-see on my yearly tour of the floor. They always have lots of cool stuff. This year, the iBN6 caught my eye; it is a waterproof Bluetooth stereo speaker. It also doubles as a speakerphone, and features NFC (Near Field Communications); you can take calls through the unit or your paired phone. It was a winner of the CES 2014 Innovation and Design award, as well as an iLounge Best of Show award.

CES 2014

Cerwin-Vega expands the XD Desktop Series with Classic Looks and Sound

Leslie Shapiro | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Stopping into the Gibson tent at CES was like stepping back in time - back to when speakers looked like speakers and had full, balanced sound. The main CES show floor was full of tiny earbuds and tons of tinny portable wireless speakers, but here in the tent, Cerwin-Vega was showing off their new line of active desktop speakers, and I was glad I stopped by.

CES 2014

Focal Is Flaxen

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

The 6.5-inch woofer in Focal's Aria 906 monitor is made of a hollow flax fiber sandwiched in a layer of transparent plastic-like glass tissue. The combination is light and tough and we've never seen the like before. The tall stand-mount also includes a one-inch aluminum-magnesium tweeter. The monitor began shipping in October 2013 for $1499/pair and can be accompanied by a matching center; a sub will follow in May 2014. Three towers are also available. In an adjoining room Focal showed its first soundbar, the Dimension, which will get separate coverage. The products are made in France so you know they'll be delicious.

CES 2014

Yes, You Can Afford Totems

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Canada's Totem Acoustic has been making great speakers for the high-end market for quite some time, and by high-end standards, they're not all that expensive. But Totem reaches into the most affordable territory yet with the Kin monitor. It has a four-inch honeycomb paper woofer, 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, and (despite its modest size) dual terminals for biamping or biwiring. The Kin ships in May for $499/pair, and can be bought in odd-numbered lots for surround use. There will also be a Kin sub ($699).

CES 2014

Velodyne Shows Wireless Sub

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

The Velodyne Wi-Q 12 sub ($899) is wireless, omitting needless and inconvenient cabling and operating up to 50 feet from the transmitter. It has auto EQ, efficient digital amplification, remote control, and a 12-inch driver. There's also a 10-inch version, the Wi-Q 10 ($799).

CES 2014

The iUi Design Bass Jumper takes Sound to New Heights

Leslie Shapiro | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

iUi Design’s Bass Jumper is an adorable little speaker designed to clip onto a backpack or parachute pack ready to leap off any building, antenna, span, or earth - the four elements that make up B.A.S.E. Jumping. A rather clever play on words, don’t you think?

CES 2014

Jabra Solemate Mini: Good Things Come in Small Boxes

Ken C. Pohlmann | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

The CES can be exhausting. After awhile, after thousands of linear feet of aisles, the products start to blur. The only products that stand out are the brightly colored ones. Oh! What’s this? The Solemate Mini. Small, cute, wireless. And, it's BRIGHT YELLOW.

CES 2014

The Questionably-Named, Award-Winning speeCup adds Siri/S Voice Commands and Gesture Control

Leslie Shapiro | Jan 09, 2014 | 0 comments

Portable Bluetooth speakers seem to be multiplying like bunnies here at CES, so it must take something very special to earn a CES 2014 Innovations Award. The speeCup managed to break through the clutter with a really great set of features, and a design that’s just begging to be in a cupholder on your next road trip or out on a bike ride. In fact, I’m dying to get home and try this one on my beach cruiser.

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CES 2014

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