New Products

Though KEF did not physically attend the CEDIA 2022 in Dallas last week, the iconic British brand was there in spirit. Hours before the Expo opened its doors, the company announced the addition of two THX-certified models to its line of architectural speakers — an in-ceiling/wall subwoofer and its first a three-way coaxial design.

The show in Dallas is over but the memories remain. It was no ordinary expo, three years have passed since I last attended a CEDIA, and the relief in seeing folks face-to-face and getting hands-on with gear was palpable. So too was the sense of having fast-forwarded to the future, the changes in tech reflected skipping right from 2019 to 2022, instead of seeing the usual yearly increment. Here's a slice of what got my attention on the show floor, our Sound & Vision Editor's Picks for CEDIA 2022.

This year at CEDIA Sony had a huge booth containing three home theater demo rooms. There’s the mega-system with the VPL-GTZ380, which I describe in this post. But that projector’s $80,000 price point and 10,000-lumen output are beyond what most home theater owners want to spend or need in terms of output. However, the company is quick to point out that in terms of how the image is created—with three of its new 4K-native 2160 x 3840 resolution SXRD chips its Z-Phosphor light source, and the X1 Ultimate for projector processor—the three new laser models share the same hardware with the big pro model.

Subwoofer aficionados in America still know the Velodyne name, despite the company having gone dormant and changing ownership in 2019. Founded in 1983, Velodyne Acoustics received over 200 patents for subwoofer-related technologies. The new ownership, located in Hamburg Germany, has partnered with Origin Acoustics to bring the brand back to the U.S., albeit strictly through the CI (custom install) channel. That means if you want to buy one, or just find out how much they cost, you’ll have to contact a custom installer

Pro Audio Technology (PRO), the Lake Forest, CA-based company specializing in professional-grade high-end speaker systems, is wooing CEDIA showgoers with a slender in-wall/ceiling speaker for installations where space is limited but performance is crucial.

It’s been three years since I last attended CEDIA and one of the most notable changes in the product mix is the prevalence of 4K UST (ultra-short throw) projectors. These projectors are designed to sit right underneath the screen and project a big image. At this show, the standout UST demo belonged to Epson and its new EpiqVision LS800 projector, a new model that offers several advantages over its predecessor, the LS500. It’s my first hands-on experience with one and what I saw left a strong positive impression.

AudioControl is celebrating 45 years in the audio business with a series of new products aimed at the custom installer, a few of which are sure to catch the attention of home theater enthusiasts.