Audio Video News

Sennheiser IE 800 Earphones
When a company that’s been making headphones since 1945 announces that its latest earphones deliver “detailed lifelike sound” with a super-wide frequency range of 5 hertz to 46 kilohertz, your ears perk up. The heart of Sennheiser’s IE 800 “ear canal phones” is a miniature, 0.28-inch wide-range driver that’s said to eliminate slight jumps and delays in music repro- duction that occur with the multidriver configuration used in some high-end earphones. Other sound-enhancing features include a venting system that reduces distortion (notice the tiny silver ports) and an absorber that prevents high-frequency resonances from masking quiet sounds in the midrange.

For Any Ear: Sennheiser provides a selection of oval and round silicone adapters to ensure a perfect fit. Price: $787.
Sennheiser • (860) 434-9190 • sennheiserusa.com

Marantz SR7007 A/V Receiver
Think of the SR7007 as a classic-brand A/V receiver with cutting-edge features. You’ll be ready for video’s next revolution thanks to 4K upscaling and networking support with AirPlay compatibility that lets you wirelessly stream music from the Internet or the iTunes library on any PC/Mac or Apple device so you can enjoy playback on your main system and throughout the house. Additional highlights include Dolby Pro Logic IIz with height-channel pro- cessing, seven 125-watt channels, seven HDMI inputs, and a phono input.

Simple Setup: You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to get the SR7007 up and running. An onscreen Setup Assistant guides you through system setup and calibration, which uses Audyssey sound-enhancing technologies to tailor the sound to your room. Price: $1,800
Marantz • (201) 762-6500 • us.marantz.com

Toddy Smart Cloths
Todd Gabel was so repulsed by greasy-fingerprint-smudged cell phones, tablets, and other gadgets that he researched, designed, and brought to market Toddy—a microfiber cloth that helps keep your touchscreen devices and flat-panel TV shiny and clean. The handkerchief-sized cloth absorbs oils and has a plush side for cleaning and a patterned-silk side for polishing. Germinator on Board: An antimicrobial coating is said to prevent the spread of bacteria and protect the cloth and your electronic bling against microorganisms that contribute to mold and mildew (yuck). Dozens of colors and patterns are available, so you can make a fashion statement while you’re wiping the crud off your phone. Price: $10 each or $20 for a three-pack
Toddy Gear • (866) 238-3255 • toddygear.com

Edifier Luna5 Encore IF500 Audio Dock
From the side, Edifier’s iF500 iPhone/iPod sound system looks like a football, teed up and ready for kickoff. Looking at it head on, it could be an alien aircraft that has just abducted an iPhone (even intergalactic types love Apple). With 32 watts powering a 5.75-inch woofer and 20 watts driving a 2.75-inch midrange driver and 2.5-inch tweeter, the 15-inch-tall system promises a sonic punch. Highlights include a floating dock that reduces vibration and resonance, an FM radio, and an auxiliary input.

Distortion Be Damned: A microprocessor analyzes the output signal and automatically throttles back the amplifier to prevent overload, producing sound that is “clear, detailed, and without any strain or distortion.” Available in black or white. Price: $250
Edifier Technology Co. • (817) 810-9191 • edifier.us.com

Wolf Cinema Reference Series Projectors
Ready for some serious home theater action? Wolf Cinema’s flagship REF-700 and REF-1000 three-chip DLP projectors deliver high-fidelity images on screens up to 14 and 18 feet wide, respectively. A precision VariScope lens system enables a wide variety of content—from 16:9 to CinemaScope 2.35:1/2.40:1—to be viewed without an external anamorphic lens. 2D and 3D versions of each model are available, the latter of which includes four pair of custom glasses. Multiple video inputs plus IR and RS-232 control allow seamless integration with most home control systems.

Tweak Heaven: Options include six high-contrast lens packages, advanced video processing with custom film algorithms, and “triple flash” 3D imaging technologies. Prices start at $75,000 for the REF-700 and $85,000 for the REF-1000
Wolf Cinema • (510) 843-4500 • wolfcinema.com

Terra LS.32 Outdoor LED Lighting And Sound System
Transform your patio into an illuminated musical paradise with the LuminSound LS.32 system, which combines a 50,000-hour LED lamp and a 5.25-inch coaxial speaker in a 32.5-by-7-inch black polypropylene column with a wraparound aluminum speaker grille (available in black, copper, or silver). You can order the weatherproof system with an angled light that shines up or down, or pay extra to have two lights installed. Securing the LS.32 is a matter of bolting the supplied 30-inch PVC pipe to the column and sinking it into the ground.

Aim to Please: The LED lamp pivots so you can adjust the lighting, and the speaker cylinder occupying the top third of the column can be rotated 355 degrees. Price: About $800 each
Terra • (207) 725-1005 • terraspeakers.com

Newer Technology Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet
You can turn any electrical outlet into a USB charging station with Power2U, which adds two USB ports to what otherwise looks like an ordinary AC receptacle. Installation is as easy as replacing a conventional outlet and requires a standard 15-amp circuit. To conserve energy, the UL-approved outlet delivers only as much power as is needed by the device being charged and turns off the juice when the cable is removed. Available in white, almond, ivory, and black. Price: $30 Road Tested: Power2U received the Handyman Club of America Seal of Approval by netting a 92 percent approval rating among more than 150 club members who installed and used the outlet.
Newer Technology • (815) 308-7001 • newertech.com

Pro Control PRO24.Z Remote Control
The super-sleek Pro24.z can control an unlimited number of devices and boasts an LCD touchscreen display, soft buttons for custom labeling, a programmable joystick, color-coded keys for DVR control, and a dozen backlit hard buttons that can be programmed for common functions. The remote’s lithium-ion battery can be recharged by setting the handset in the charging cradle or by plugging it into a PC using the supplied USB cable.

Supercharge It: When paired with the ProLink.z processor, the remote becomes a two-way ZigBee controller that offers advanced, through-the-wall communication with a variety of devices, including receivers, HVAC and security systems, lighting, and Apple devices. Price: Remote and processor are $449 each; the less powerful Pro24.r remote and ProLink.r processor are $249 each
Pro Control • (952) 224-5020 • procontrol.com

Toshinaer Outdoor HDTVS
Considering the average American spends more than four hours a day watching TV, it’s not surprising that some of us want to take our favorite pastime outdoors—and we don’t mean on a tablet or smartphone. Toshinaer moves the big screen poolside with a line of weatherproof flat-panel HDTVs featuring 1080p resolution, a powdercoated aluminum casing with an anti-reflective tempered-glass screen cover, marine-grade speakers, and a thermostat-controlled internal cooling system.

Sun Detector: A built-in photo cell automatically brightens the picture on sunny days and dims it when the sun goes down. Prices: $4,600 and $8,600 for 42- and 52-inch LCD models; $26,000 for a 60-inch LED-backlit model
Toshinaer • toshinaer.com