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CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: New Speakers
Brent Butterworth  |  Sep 10, 2012

I go into every major audio/video trade show thinking I won’t hear much in the way of new speakers, yet every time I encounter new designs that leave me surprised at least and sometimes downright shocked. This year at the CEDIA Expo, I heard what is certainly one of the best audio demos I’ve ever heard — and maybe even the best.

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CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: New Soundbars
Brent Butterworth  |  Sep 10, 2012

Even though soundbars were pioneered by midline speaker companies like Definitive Technology and Polk, TV companies such as Samsung and Vizio kinda took over the category with ~$300 self-powered models that you didn’t have to connect to a receiver.

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CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: New Sim2 Projectors
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 10, 2012

With their usual Italian flair, Sim2 showed off their latest projectors.

The two big announcements: A dual-lamp, high-brightness projector for “media rooms” and a 4K DLP projector (sort of).

All the info after the jump.

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New Products
New Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector is 4K($)
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 10, 2012

Almost lost between the 4K TV hoopla and the Control4 partnership, Sony announced a new 3D SXRD projector, the VPL-HW50ES.

There’s not a ton different than the slightly less expensive Sony VPL-HW30ES projector we reviewed, but probably enough to justify the higher price for some.

All the info we’ve got, after you clicky clicky…

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CEDIA 2012
Is It Art, or Is It Home Theater?
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
StealthCoverArt is a subsidiary of invisible speaker manufacturer Stealth Acoustics. StealthCoverArt makes it possible to choose a frame that fits over your flat-panel TV and then pick from a large selection of Stealth’s artwork, provide your own photo to be printed, or commission an original painting to use as the image that fits inside the frame and hides the TV. When you’re ready to watch TV, the canvas rolls up inside the frame, revealing the flat-panel behind it. Stealth Acoustics’ Image Series includes two-way customizable on-wall loudspeakers with completely flat front radiating surfaces that can be covered by an “Image Wrap” laminated finishes designed to match the screen image used in the StealthCoverArt frame. Pricing varies depending on size, style, and choice of image.
CEDIA 2012
You Won’t See Lutron’s New Cable Guide On TV
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
Lutron used CEDIA 2011 to announce the company’s ground-breaking wireless, battery-powered, insulating honeycomb cellular shades that could be remotely controlled through handheld remotes or when integrated with Lutron RadioRA 2 lighting control systems. This year, Lutron announced additions to the wireless shade lineup, but these shades have wires – guide wires, that is. In most respects identical to the original wireless honeycomb shades, the new cable-guided shades have a thin cable running from top to bottom along the left and right sides of the shade. The cable prevents the shade from swaying, so it’s ideal for use on French doors or windows with heavy airflow. The cable guides also allow the shades to be used to cover skylights or angled windows. (Lutron says the shades will work in situations with angles as shallow as 30 degrees off horizontal.) The new shades will begin shipping in January of 2013. Pricing was not immediately available but was not expected to include a significant premium over the original shade configurations.
CEDIA 2012
World’s Largest Bookshelf Speaker…
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
But only if you have the world’s largest bookshelf to put it on. Pro Audio Technology isn’t a common household name, partly because the company’s speakers – capable of “producing the bone-jarring explosions or visceral slam found in today’s high quality recordings” – are rather big, designed to usually be built-in or hidden behind acoustically transparent screens or wall panels, and are pretty darn expensive. This speaker was on display, no doubt, to generate plenty of “wow” buzz, which it did even though it was not hooked up. Inside Pro Audio Technology’s booth, however, several of the company’s new, smaller, less-expensive speakers were put together in a multi-channel system that was amazingly clean and articulate at regular, keep-my-hearing-intact listening levels. They did let the system out of its cage, though, for a brief moment at the end of the demonstration; and it simply took everyone’s breath away with it’s dynamic and powerful sonic output.
CEDIA 2012
Universal Flat-Panel TV Soundbar Bracket
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
For folks who don’t want to put extra holes in their walls when adding a soundbar to a flat-panel TV, SnapAV offers a $79.95 universal bracket that attaches the soundbar directly to the HDTV. Depending on the height of the table stand that comes with your TV, you may be able to use the same bracket to mount your soundbar to the TV even if you don’t plan on wall mounting the TV. Fake fireplace is optional.
CEDIA 2012
SnapAV Empowers Installers With Ease
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
The new WATTBOX line of rack-mount and standalone power surge/conditioners and power strips from SnapAV got the VIP treatment in the SnapAV booth at CEDIA. WATTBOX models utilize compact chasses with greater spacing between individual outlets, and the rack-mount models can even be angled and recessed when installed in a component rack. Optional 1 RU front-mounted faceplate units are connected to the outlet bank by an RJ45 cable along with a separate power cable. The front faceplate displays voltage and current along with dual conveniently located charging ports. SnapAV says the new metal chassis products start at $59.95 (up to $489.95 MSRP). The optional display sells for around $120.
CEDIA 2012
Omnimount Says This Desk Won’t Make Your Butt Look Fat
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2012
Although it’s not something that’s specifically used for home theater, mount-, bracket-, component rack-, and furniture-maker OmniMount says anyone who works in front of a desk for any length of time longer than about 15 minutes will stand a chance of staying at least a bit more fit than they would otherwise using the company’s awesome adjustable-height workstations. The $699.95 OmniMount DESK65 is a freestanding lift/lower desk (available in Birch or Cherry) that has approximately 20 inches of instant, tool-free height adjustment. The adjustable height feature is designed to allow the user to sit or stand at any time while slaving away in front of a computer screen – or, in the configuration pictured above, in front of two computer screens. The $399.95 WORK20 is an add-on desk mount that supports two monitors (or a laptop and monitor side-by-side).

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