Bob Ankosko

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
CEDIA 2013
More Backyard Fun: The SonArray Sound System
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 27, 2013
If you’re going to rock out in the backyard, don’t skimp on speakers. Among the dozens of products on display in the expansive Dana Innovations booth at CEDIA 2013, the one that caught my eye was the “SonArray by Sonance.” For $2,499, you get eight outdoor satellite speakers plus an in-ground subwoofer (that bronze mushroom top in the photo). With stealthily strategic placement in your landscaping, Sonance says you can serenade a 2,000 square foot area. The sound? Way better than you would expect.
CEDIA 2013
Ferrari Lovers Take Note: The F1 Lounger
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 27, 2013
If the bright red leather and distinctive stitching reminds you of an exotic car, it’s no accident. First Impressions Theme Theaters, the Miami-based architectural design firm specializing in home theater, custom built the $3,500 theater seat for the owner of one of the most stunning cars on the planet, the Ferrari 458 Italia. Note the carbon-fiber cup holders. Oh, and around back there’s even a tool pouch.
CEDIA 2013
Vantage Shows Off Equinox System in Room With a View
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 26, 2013
Vantage demonstrated its Equinox family of home-automation control products in a posh 5,000-square-foot penthouse apartment at the Four Seasons hotel with spectacular views of downtown Denver. The homeowners are avid art collectors who use the residence as a second home when they’re in town and chose Vantage because they wanted an unobtrusive and easy-to-use control system for entertainment (music and TV), climate control, security, cameras, and—most important—lighting to accentuate dozens of prized paintings. Motorized shades and a TV lift are also covered under the Vantage control umbrella.

Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
Artison Shows Off its Masterpiece
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 26, 2013
Artison has turned the soundbar concept on its ear at CEDIA 2013. The Masterpiece LCR DualMono MK2 on-wall speaker system produces three front channels from two speakers flanking the TV. Each enclosure is made of extruded aluminum and comprises a “curved line array” of 16 tweeters with a pair of carbon-fiber woofers mounted above and below for a system total of 40 drivers.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
Bang & Olufsen Embraces WiSA, Unveils Wireless Speaker Technology
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 26, 2013
Bang & Olufsen returned to CEDIA after a several year absence to announce a high-performance wireless speaker platform that supports up to eight channels of uncompressed 24-bit audio at sample rates up to 96 kHz. The platform is based on the WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) open standard and incorporates proprietary processing.

Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
OSD Audio Bows Bluetooth Rock Speaker
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 26, 2013
Bluetooth is fast becoming a fixture inside the house and now OSD Audio is taking the convenience of wireless streaming outside with two Bluetooth-enabled outdoor speakers: the BTR-800 rock speaker ($350/pr) and BTP-650 patio speaker ($290/pr). Both models are weather-resistant two-way designs with a reception range of 150 feet (unobstructed) and 75 feet (obstructed), according to the company.

The BTR-800 combines an 8-inch woofer and 1-inch soft-dome tweeter in a faux rock enclosure offered in three landscape-friendly colors: canyon brown, granite grey, and slate grey (shown). Available in white or black, the BTP-650 has a 6.5-inch woofer and includes speaker cable, a power cord, and mounting hardware.

Continue Reading >
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.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
Bringing Artwork to Life
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 25, 2013
Nestled among the few dozen companies exhibiting at CEDIA 2013’s Media Preview was Soundwall, a Boulder, CO-based startup specializing in speakers that masquerade as art (or is it the other around?). The artwork of your choice is printed on a foam-core board mounted in a 2.5-inch-deep frame that hangs on the wall. Left- and right-channel exciters attached to the back of the board (and powered by a small amplifier), vibrate the “canvas,” turning it into a speaker.
Continue Reading >
Audio Video News
Energy Introduces Power Base Soundbar
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 04, 2013
Energy today introduced the Energy Power Base soundbar, which is available on Amazon.com for $399 now and will roll out to retail stores in October.

Continue Reading >
Premiere Design
Meridian DSP7200 Digital Active Speaker
Bob Ankosko  |  Aug 31, 2013
Sonic Splendor

Timing is everything when it comes to great comedy—and great sound. And time alignment is one of several refinements Meridian has made to the popular DSP7200 tower speaker it introduced in 2007—one of the most technologically advanced speakers on the planet. But before we get into what the company has done to improve this already remarkable speaker, let’s take a quick look at what makes it special in the first place.

Continue Reading >

Pages

X