CEDIA 2010

KEF’s new T-series of super-slim speakers – claimed by KEF to be one of the world’s thinnest, high-performance home theater and flat-panel audio systems – combine two big innovations: a new super-duper-slim bass and midrange driver; and a large, fully vented new tweeter developed straight from the company’s high-end Concept Blade project. The cabinets are only 35mm deep and looked really excellent hanging on the wall next to the flat-panel TV in the booth. Two different satellites are available ($499/pair and $349/each) and systems with matching subwoofers start at $1,499.

Krell is finally about to ship its Evolution 555 Blu-ray player ($15,000, November), and a rep was quick to point out that it's not a rebranded Oppo—it was designed and built from the ground up by Krell. It has most of the bells and whistles, including access to Hulu and Netflix, WiFi, UPnP (not DLNA), and an iPad control app; 3D will come in a firmware update next year. Processing is provided by Sigma Designs VXP, and if you connect it to a Krell pre/pro via HDMI, it will jump right to the disc menu, skipping all those pesky trailers and FBI warnings.

The 2D LG AF115 projector was not on demo, but at $2300 when it becomes available in November, it's the lowest price LCOS model we know of.

At $15,000, the new LG CF3D, shown here vertically behind a highly reflective glass case, utilizes two separate optical paths to provide a full 1920 x 1080 3D image using polarized passive glasses on a silvered screen. The demo, however, was disappointing. While the booth was not light controlled, the main problem was a very soft-looking image. Teething or setup problems, perhaps? The projector is in production now, and will be available here in November.

The DreamVision Starlight2 ($9,495) was being demonstrated on a 120" wide, flat white, Perfect View screen, with a fixed Schneider anamorphic lens. Scenes from both Avatar and Dark Knight looked terrific, which did not surprise me given my experience with the DreamVision Starlight1 and the same lens (Home Theater, October 2010).

As part of a suite of energy saving products aimed at saving up to as much as 60 percent of home energy usage, Lutron is introducing a plug-in appliance module that will integrate with the company’s current RadioRA2 lighting control system. The new module turns off standby power to electronic appliances when not in use, which Lutron says can save up to 10 percent of a home’s electricity usage. Installation is simple: plug the appliance into the module, and then plug the module into the wall. After installed and programmed into a RadioRA2 system, appliance control can be incorporated into whole-house scenes, such as “Goodnight” and “Away”. Scheduled to be available in December of this year, the module will have a list price of $149.

Meridian plans to address itself in a more targeted fashion to affluent consumers who are not necessarily techies, we learned after arriving early to a press party at the Georgia Aquarium and wandering into a dealer meeting. The company, famed for its bleeding-edge DSP-driven active loudspeakers also plans to discontinue any products (such as passive speakers and amps) that don't bear the "Meridian DNA." That would be roughly half its line. New products to be officially announced in January include the DSP3200 flexible-mount compact digital active loudspeaker and the Audio Core 200, a stereo audio controller/hub that brings together myriad audio sources, connecting them via SpeakerLink to any of Meridian’s DSP speakers. The Aquarium contains the world's largest tank full of amazing aquatic life. And the Cerviche Shooters were fabulous.