LATEST ADDITIONS

CEDIA 2013
PowerBridge Makes DIY In-wall Power Extension Easier
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 27, 2013
In addition to launching four new in-wall power-extension kits at CEDIA, PowerBridge announced that a new AV category is now recognized in the National Electric Code 2014 – and that PowerBridge is the only in-wall power manufacturer recognized by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors.
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CEDIA 2013
Tutti-Frutti All-Rooty
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
Monster now makes headphones for the Skittles crowd, but unlike Skittles, these babies are $170 a pop (MSRP). Although there were none on display at Monster’s press event, Monster also announced their own tablet in matching, candy-licious colors. Little Richard and Teenage girls world-wide rejoice!
CEDIA 2013
HDMI 2.0’s Dirty Little Secret
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
How much bandwidth is enough for the upcoming HDMI 2.0 standard? Well, if all you want to do is watch what you’re watching today, your current cable will work. Even if you want to watch 4K material, the standard developing HDMI Forum says you don't have to get new cable provided your cable meets the latest HDMI 1.4 spec. Step in Noel Lee of Monster Cable who is worried about future requirements for 8K and beyond. Monster announced their new cable will be capable of 31.5 Gbps, well over the 18 Gbps the HDMI forum says is required for 60 fps, 4K material. Nothing available yet, just the promise, but I’d believe the head Monster. Or else!
CEDIA 2013
ELK Products Offers Wireless Convenience and Automated Damage Control
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 27, 2013
At ELK Products’ press conference on Thursday, the company introduced several new additions to its Two-Way Wireless security and control product ecosystem. The ELK-6030P Wireless Pet Immune PIR motion detector is designed to be used with ELK Products’ M1 Cross Platform Control along with the ELK-M1XRFTW Two-Way Wireless Transceiver. Some of the notable features of the ELK-6030P are easy installation with a keypad-initiated walk test mode, two selectable sleep mode duration choices to help extend battery life, and a built-in security/convenience bright-white LED.
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CEDIA 2013
DACs All Folks
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
Rotel’s RDD-1580 (top unit in picture) uses two Wolfson WM8740 digital-to-analog converters instead of a single converter in a configuration Rotel claims reduces noise and distortion. A front panel USB port accepts output from Apple iOS devices like an iPod. But most people will opt to stream music from their device to the Rotel via an included Bluetooth dongle that would plug into the USB port. A pair of coaxial and a pair of optical connections on the back should handle connections to a CD, DVD or Blu-ray player. The converter comes with a remote control or you can select which source to convert via the front panel buttons. Both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR outputs are available, the latter a very nice touch indeed. No pricing has been announced yet.
CEDIA 2013
Rotel - No Substitute for Raw Power
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
The RMB-1585 is a new flagship multi-channel amp from Rotel. High current class AB topology delivers 200 watts to each of its five channels via two massive toroidal transformers. Rotel credits the use of a total of 120,000 µF of British-made BHC “Slit Foil capacitance and the use of six output transistors per channel for the RMB-1585’s power delivery capability. This 80 pound behemoth offers both RCA and XLR inputs. From my perspective the $2,999 pricing is in line with separates of this quality and in many ways it’s a bargain!
CEDIA 2013
V is for Vertically
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 26, 2013
The KEF V300, part of a KEF’s new V series, is a nice desktop system for anybody with a tall monitor. The three piece system is comprised of two tall, narrow and relatively thin (about 3”) free-standing speaker panels. Driving them is a control unit that features two 50 watt Class D amplifiers. Each speaker has two 3-1/4” low frequency drivers and between them a 3-1/4” Uni-Q driver that fills in the midrange and high frequencies. The control amplifier has a single HDMI input and an optical digital input. Hooked to your TV’s HDMI audio return channel, you would control the volume by your TV’s remote. This ensemble looked very attractive, and being KEF, I would expect a clean seductive sound, albeit one unable to alter the laws of physics in the bass. For that, KEF has left you with a subwoofer output (RCA) on the rear of the control amplifier.
CEDIA 2013
Salamander Designs Teams with Leon Speakers
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 26, 2013
Salamander Designs, the Connecticut-based maker of fine entertainment furniture and accessories, introduced hand-crafted center and LCR speaker options for its Synergy and Chameleon AV cabinet lines at CEDIA 2013. Featuring high-quality Peerless woofers and cloth-dome tweeters, the speakers are built to order by Michigan-based Leon Speakers and integrated into the cabinets on mounting brackets that permit the angle of the speaker to be adjusted for optimal sound dispersion.
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CEDIA 2013
Zipato Delivers Automation in a Box
John Sciacca  |  Sep 26, 2013  |  First Published: Sep 27, 2013
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CEDIA 2013
Size Doesn’t Matter, It’s How You Mount It
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 26, 2013
Sonance announced Soundbar, a non-powered center channel with adjustable widths meant to exactly match your TV. Soundbar are available in two sizes, one to match TV in the 50” to 65” diagonal range, the other for TV’s in the 70” to 80” diagonal range. However both are true three-way designs, offering six 4.5” Kevlar + Nomex lower frequency drivers and three 4.5” coaxial (midrange / tweeter) drivers. The units ship with all required mounting hardware. Pricing has not been finalized but expect at or under $2,000.
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