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CEDIA 2013
Subwoofer Envy
Kris Deering  |  Sep 27, 2013
If there is one reoccurring theme at the show it’s that your subs are nowhere near big enough. California Audio Technology seems to have gotten the message with their in-wall 18” drivers. These were actually some of the smaller subs I saw around the floor.
CEDIA 2013
Darbee Cleans Up Its Act
Kris Deering  |  Sep 27, 2013
Darbee Vision won our Top Pick last year with their ugly duckling, the Darblet. While the processor didn’t have any outer beauty, its processing turned your video into a swan. Darbee evidently got the message and was showing a prototype version with a very clean aesthetic that included a gorgeous touchscreen and chassis. No word on when this may ship but one can only hope.
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
Revolv Is One Hub to Rule Them All
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 27, 2013
Revolv’s Smart Home Solution is designed to easily bring together a variety of off-the-shelf devices such as the Sonos music system, Philips Hue wireless lighting, Yale automated locks, and thermostats into an automation system that’s extremely easy to set up and control with a single one simple smart device app.
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CEDIA 2013
When Two Top Picks Become One
Kris Deering  |  Sep 27, 2013
Blu-ray players seem to have vanished from the face of the CEDIA floor this year but that didn’t stop Oppo Digital from debuting their latest revision to our Top Pick BDP-103 with the BDP-103D. Everything remains the same but Oppo has integrated the Darbee processing we reviewing in the Darblet processor last year. The player will be shipping in October at $599. This is a hardware revision so no upgrade options for existing owners. This fuses two of our top pick models into one exciting product so it should be another home run for Oppo.
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
Definitive Technology Launches Mythos ST-L Tower Speaker
Brent Butterworth  |  Sep 27, 2013

Those who think of the Definitive Technology Mythos tower speakers as nothing more than slender lifestyle products will be floored when they hear the new Mythos ST-L. I just heard a pair of 'em at the CEDIA Expo, and the deep, defined bass these 6.75-inch-wide towers pumped out was one of the highlights of the show for me.

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CEDIA 2013
MartinLogan’s Psychedelic Setup...Man
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 27, 2013
Walk into MartinLogan’s demo room at CEDIA 2013 and you walk into the past—specifically, the ‘60s, maybe early ‘70s. All-too-familiar glowing psychedelic posters line blacklight-lit walls accented by lava lamps and glowing tubes. Music blaring. It could be 1967, if not for the lack of a particular aroma and the 7.4-channel sound system. It was quad on steroids: Seven ElectroMotion ESL hybrid electrostats powered by five PrimaLuna DiaLogue tube amplifiers and four BalancedForce subwoofers, each with its own 850-watt amp, anchoring the corners of the room. The demo I walked in on wasn’t music of the ‘60s or ‘70s but a 5.1-channel mix of the Dire Staits ’80s anthem, “Money For Nothing.” The slow build and swell that introduces Mark Knopfler’s electronically processed guitar was like you’ve never heard before…If only I had more time to stick around and maybe listen to a little Pink Floyd.
CEDIA 2013
New Ultra-Low-Budget Monoprice Bluetooth Headphone
Brent Butterworth  |  Sep 27, 2013

Monoprice has a rep as a provider of cheap-but-good cables, brackets, speakers, and more. Its latest low-price coup? A Bluetooth headphone for $78.32.

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CEDIA 2013
Monitor Audio Shows Three Satellites
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 27, 2013
Satellite/subwoofer sets and stand-mount speakers were conspicuous in their near-absence from this year's CEDIA but Monitor Audio showed three different (and differently shaped) sats. From left to right: The newest member of the family is Monitor's flagship sat, the Apex 10 ($1000/pair). Though the pic doesn't show it off well, the woofer has a dimpled surface that enables it to be both thin and strong, increasing clarity and reducing distortion. The MASS (Monitor Audio Satellite System), introduced at CES, is a 5.0-channel system selling for $699. Its fabric-wrapped polymer enclosure has a distinctive shape designed to inhibit bass-bloating standing waves. The Radius ($500/pair), an existing line, has been upgraded with a one-inch tweeter and four-inch woofer. Monitor's proprietary driver material is C-CAM, a ceramic-coated aluminum-magnesium blend. In all cases complementary centers and subs are available. Oh, and the speakers plug into their stands, with binding posts for cable at the bases of the stands.

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