Companies hoping to sell you their high-priced home theater recliners were, as usual, all over the place at CEDIA, but none of them could match the little number at the lower left for sheer Victorian chic.
Passersby wondered if this was an OLED set (no luck there&mdashSony showed no such product) or a 4K HDTV (despite Sony's clear 4K leanings, it wasn't that either.) Nor was it an XBR; all Sony XBRs are now 4K.
In the market for a movie-theater size home theater with a projector to match. Sony has your number. This 4K giant is based on Sony's pro theater projectors, modified to be suitable for home theater, including HDMI inputs, of course. It can be yours for only $125,000. The lens is extra!
M&K’s X12 is a solid piece of form following function. I love the back panel, that’s why you’re seeing it too. You’ll see left/mono and right channel inputs, in both RCA and XLR form, as well unfiltered, pass through outputs. Low pass with the amp can be turned off, set to 80 Hz, or specified by a continuously variable dial that stretches from 50 Hz to 125 Hz. M&K is huge on THX and this X12 is no exception, with a THX reference switch that bypasses the level control.
The year is 1976, when sex was safe and racing was dangerous. The Formula One World Championship is up for grabs, and it’s a grudge match. British race driver James Hunt goes mano a mano with Austrian race driver Niki Lauda, both driving pedal to the metal, with absolutely no margin for error and loving every minute of it. As Hunt explains, “The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel.” Director Ron Howard accelerates out of his comfort zone, and you’re sitting beside him, on the ride of your life.
The Sanus Trillium A/V console is a trend-driven design that the company hopes will appeal to buyers beyond the hardcore home-theaterphile. To that end, they’ve gone for a classic modernist look and an affordable price point: $799 for a 63-inch wide version and $599 for a 53-inch version. The larger console supports TVs up to 70 inches, while the smaller one holds up to 60-inch screens. Color options include Dark Cherry (shown here) and Walnut.
I've been digging BG Radia's big floorstanding ribbon speakers since way back when S&V's Al Griffin and I were running Home Theater magazine. (That's before anyone had ever heard of MP3.) But the company hadn't done any new tower speakers for years -- until the new FS-880, which the company demoed at the CEDIA Expo in Denver.
I had to stop in and listen to the $699/each GoldenEar Triton Seven speakers. They’re such an easy recommendation for somebody looking for instant audiophilia. Thanks Sandy, now back to work. . . .
KEF gets more diverse each year, which I suppose is a good idea. The Extreme Home Theater line of in wall speakers looks very promising, almost too good to hide. The Ci5160RL-THX has four 6-1/2” low frequency drivers and a Uni-Q based midrange and tweeter, and will probably retail between $2,500 and $3,000. In the picture you’re also seeing an in wall subwoofer, the Ci3160RLb-THX with three 6-1/2” bass drivers. To drive them, KEF will introduce the KASA500 stereo amplifier. In fact, that amp can be coupled to other KEF in wall subwoofers via its internal DSP. The estimated price target for this dual channel Class D amp is $1,000.