Since the introduction of my blog last week, I've received a good deal of information from a variety of sources, both personal and professional, that I want to share with you. The swift response is just an indication of the interest in this topic.
Unless you've been living off the grid in upstate Montana, you should know by now that the times—yet again—are a changin'. It's no secret that the movie and music industries are experiencing some serious problems. Yet, the passion and desire for great music and movies certainly hasn't diminished, it's just the delivery method that's going through some radical changes.
New technologies have a way of becoming less expensive over a shorter period of time with each passing year. Case in point—the RX-V663 A/V receiver from Yamaha, which provides a complete 7.1-channel system (95Wpc) with some of the most advanced features available in an AVR for less than $600.
NAD has created a very bold new look with the Viso Five (pictured) and Viso Two integrated DVD/Surround Receivers. The Viso Five is a five-channel surround AVR with a built-in DVD player and AM/FM tuner, while the Viso Two is a 2-channel system. The Viso Two also contains a DVD player, though there is no onboard surround processing other than Dolby Virtual Speaker, which provides a simulated surround effect with only two speakers. Both are XM ready and can accommodate NAD's new IPD-1 iPod dock. Available in early '08 the Viso Five is $1799 and the Viso Two is $1299.
NAD's C 175 Compact Music System is a unique product that is half the width of traditional components, It can sit on a shelf or table but don't let its small size fool you. it is fully functional with a CD player, AM/FM Tuner and a 2 x 24 watt amplifier.
PSB Speakers showcased the Synchrony, the latest in their statement products. As with all PSB speakers they combine exceptional musicality with technical excellence. The new design is a departure from past models using a compact footprint that takes up less space and exhibits a modern sculptured finish. There are seven models in the series including two full-range towers, two compact bookshelf-style models, two center-channel speakers od different sizes, plus a “tri-mode” surround speaker.
At the Meridian suite in the Venetian, in the midst of their digital speaker systems and high-end components, was the portable F80. Like so many high-end manufacturer's, Meridian is courting the lifestyle consumer, which includes support for iPod users. The F80 is a portable, 2.1 channel, iPod speaker system that comes in five Ferrari colors.
The use of music servers rather than CD/DVD transports was a common occurrence among high-end manufacturers at the Venetian exhibits. By using servers, they can store high resolution, loss-less files that are far superior to standard CDs, which are limited to 16bits.
TAD, a division of Pioneer, responsible for the development of high-end audio products showed a prototype of a new Class A mono-amp that will be out later this year. It's made using aluminum plating and a cast iron base. After 5 days of running continuously, the chassis was barely lukewarm.