New Products

Bowers & Wilkins DB Series Subwoofers
England’s most famous speaker brand uses three words to sum up its new DB Series of subwoofers: Precision, accuracy, and power. The line starts with the compact DB3D ($2,500) and moves to the mid-sized DB2D ($3,500) and, finally, the DB1D ($4,500)—B&W’s most powerful subwoofer yet. All models are rated down to 10 hertz and feature dual, opposing 8-, 10-, or 12-inch drivers driven by 1,000 (DB3 and DB2) or 2,000 watts. Diamonds Are Forever: At the core of all three models are the Aerofoil bass drivers used in B&W’s 800 Series Diamond speakers and a custom processor with dynamic equalization. Setup is described as simple thanks to a dedicated app that guides you through the process. Available in gloss black, satin white, or rosenut woodgrain. Price: $2,500 to $4,500

Bowers & Wilkins • (978) 664-2870 • bowers-wilkins.com

Elite Aeon AR100H-CLR Ceiling Light-Rejecting Screen
In case you haven’t noticed, today’s projection screens are getting more specialized, even sophisticated. Take Elite’s 100-inch AR100H-CLR. Intended for use with a tabletop ultra-short-throw projector that sits inches from the wall, the screen’s “serriform microstructure” is said to prevent overhead lighting from washing out the image by absorbing 95 percent of the ambient light coming from above.
Contrast This: The 16:9 screen is hailed for its lightweight split-frame construction, wide viewing angle, neutral color temperature, and killer contrast, which is described as 100 times greater than that of standard matte-white screens. Its “edge-free” thin-bezel design also looks great; Elite even throws in an LED backlighting kit. Price: $999 ($799 for the 90-inch AR90H-CLR)

Elite Screens • (562) 483-8198 • elitescreens.com

Oppo UDP-205 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Think of the UDP-205 as a supercharged version of the award-winning UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray player, revered for its reference-quality video per- formance and ability to handle multiple audio and video formats and discs. Seeking to deliver the best of both worlds, Oppo has elevated audio performance to reference level with the addition of a high-precision digital clock, jitter-reduction circuit, and built-in headphone amplifier.
Audio Gone Wild: Digging deeper reveals the player’s audiophile heart—a pair of ESS Technology’s flagship ES9038PRO 32-bit DACs that feed both standard RCA and balanced XLR stereo outputs. To ensure the upgraded audio section gets a thorough workout, Oppo has added optical, coaxial, and asynchronous USB digital inputs. All this behind an elegant brushed aluminum faceplate. Price: $1,299

Oppo • (650) 961-1118 • oppo.com

Pioneer XDP-30R Audio Player, SE-CH5BL-K Earbuds
To elevate on-the-go audio fidelity, Pioneer recommends pairing the XDP-30R music player ($400) with a set of matching ear- buds. Matching because the SE-CH5BL ’buds ($90) support the player’s 2.5mm balanced-audio output, which is said to reduce noise and improve stereo separation. Both also sport a 3.5mm minijack for connecting to standard unbalanced devices. Made of aluminum (black or silver), the player has onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for hassle-free streaming and supports resolutions up to 192-kilohertz/32-bit plus 5.6-megahertz DSD files in addition to providing ready access to Tidal and TuneIn internet radio.
Gigabytes Galore: The player’s 16 gigabytes of internal storage is expandable to 528 GB with two 256-GB micro SD cards. The icing on this hi-res cake? A patent-pending “airflow control port” that’s said to improve tonal balance by adjusting low-frequency sound pressure in the earbuds. Price: $400, $90

Pioneer • (844) 679-5350 • pioneerelectronics.com

Onkyo NCP-302W Wireless Speaker
Don’t let the understated look of the NCP-302W fool you. There’s a lot going on in this foot-long speaker, starting with its 1-inch balanced-dome tweeter and dual 3.25-inch woofers, Bluetooth streaming capability, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, and resident support for TuneIn internet radio and the streaming services Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, and Deezer.
Pick Your Platform: App-controlled wireless distribution to speakers in multiple rooms is possible through the FireConnect protocol—which is compatible with a number of Onkyo products—and DTS Play-Fi, both of which must be enabled via a firmware update. The NCP-302W also supports Google’s Chromecast platform, which makes it possible to cast music from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to the speaker (once Chromecast is enabled via a firmware update). Available in black woodgrain or white with a natural woodgrain trim. Price: $350

Onkyo • (800) 229-1687 • onkyousa.com