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Audio Notes

SpeakerCraft MDU ceiling-mount speaker

Among SpeakerCraft's new releases is the MDU, a ceiling-mount speaker designed for minimal installation hassle for apartment dwellers. Its ported enclosure houses a 4-inch woofer and 0.8-inch dome tweeter and has a pivoting bracket that allows the speaker to be angled toward the listening area. The company also debuted a line of ultra-wide-dispersion in-ceiling speakers under the AIM Wide banner. They share the footprint and woofers of the AIM 8 series but employ a radically different upper-frequency module. Its dual 1-inch tweeters and dual 2-inch midrange drivers are set at fixed opposing angles from each other. The AIM Wide series will initially comprise two speakers, the models Two and Three, which are suitable for use both as main speakers in a multiroom audio setup and as surround speakers in a home theater.

Thiel launched a bookshelf speaker, the SCS4 ($1,000 each), a two-way design that can be used as a main, center, or surround speaker. The company also introduced its much-anticipated CS3.7 floorstander. We couldn't get a price, but it will arrive in December. A company called Amina Technologies showed a "Plaster-in-Wall" speaker, the AIW5, whose NXT flat-panel speaker technology allows it to blend completely into the wall or ceiling in which it is installed. And new from Sonance is an eight-channel distribution amp, the Sonamp 875D, which pumps 75 watts to each. The amp, which will work with a number of control systems, AMX and Crestron included, is set for December delivery.

Control and Multiroom Notes

Philips Pronto TSU9600 programmable remote control

Philips showed a new Pronto remote, the TSU9600, which is equipped out of the box to control Lutron RadioRA lights and shades (with mood settings) and Escient FireBall products. The remote, which has a 3.7-inch VGA screen (flush-mounted to repel crumbs and other debris) with a 160-degree viewing angle, sports built-in Wi-Fi and a stylish black front panel with blue-backlit buttons. The TSU9600 will be available in October for $1,299. AMX introduced its Mio Modero R-4 remote control, which is a cross between a standard-looking handheld remote control and a color LCD touchpanel; it is powered by ZigBee 2.4-gigahertz wireless technology. Crestron expanded its Isys i/O Touchpanel Media Center line of products with the i/O TPMC-4X handheld Wi-Fi touchpanel, which it claims is the first to offer true two-way Wi-Fi communication for control of lighting, HVAC, shades, screens, and A/V gear. The controller has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and 17 programmable, backlit pushbuttons. The company also announced a deal with online music store MusicGiants to include that company's MusicGiants MediaStore in Crestron's Adagio Audio servers, enabling Crestron customers to browse and buy the store's losslessly coded audio content. Monster demonstrated its previously announced AVL100 and AVL300 controllers for audio gear. The AVL300 is an RF multiroom controller, so it operates through doors, walls, and ceilings. When used in conjunction with Monster's IlluminEssence lighting modules, the remote can create customized lighting "scenes," tying together audio, video, and lighting throughout the house with a touch of a button.