CEDIA 2012

When we looked at Ultralink's UCubes miniature desktop speaker system last year, we were, overall, impressed with how they sounded, but felt that those who wanted serious bass from the tiny desktop system might be somewhat disappointed. There's only so much a tiny 2.0 system can do. Physics, you know.

Well, it looks like Ultralink's been listening, because today they introduced the $220 USub - what they claim is the world's smallest powered subwoofer.

Under-TV speakers should have taken off years ago. They give you all the benefit of a soundbar but they’re a lot easier to install. Just place one  under a flat-panel TV, connect a cable or two, and you have a reasonable facsimile of home theater sound in a matter of minutes.

In a sign of the times, Sony and Control4 announced today that a pair of Sony's top-of-the-line ES receivers (the $2,099 9.2 channel STR-DA5800ES and the $999 7.1 channel STR-DA2800ES in particular), would include Control4 automation right out of the box (single-room, entertainment-center-specific flavor only), with upgradability to a full Control4 Activation License available for $300 through your friendly neighborhood system integrator.

As S+V tech editor Al Griffin and I were wandering the floor of the Indiana Convention Center Friday afternoon, we came across the Mozaex booth. The music server manufacturer had some of those on display, ordinary enough for CEDIA - but wait. . .

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.

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.

Runco unveiled several new projectors at CEDIA, all of them sporting some big brightness figures.

How big? Well in one case they’re claiming 94 foot-Lamberts. That’s LED LCD territory.

Get your wallet home equity line of credit ready.