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CES 2014
HDTV Goes Head-to-Head with HDTV+
Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2014
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.
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CES 2014
Metra’s Soundbar + Subwoofer + Wall Mount = Awesome
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2014
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
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
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.
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CES 2014
China Makes its Move
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 09, 2014
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.

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CES 2014
The High-Tech Solution to Remote Control Lost and Found
John Sciacca  |  Jan 09, 2014
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!

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CES 2014
You Can Rain on iHome's Parade
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 09, 2014
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.

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CES 2014
Cerwin-Vega expands the XD Desktop Series with Classic Looks and Sound
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 09, 2014
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.

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CES 2014
Focal Is Flaxen
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 09, 2014
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
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).

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