LATEST ADDITIONS

…who you might run into at a trade show but there he was—Buddy Valastro (aka The Cake Boss), surrounded by throngs of camera-crazed showgoers. America’s favorite baker delivered the massive cake shown above to help home automation powerhouse Elan celebrate its 25th anniversary. The base of the cake is modeled after the company’s next-gen g1 system controller. The globe…well, we’re not sure what it signifies—perhaps the desire for world domination? (Actually, it’s probably a nod to Elan’s tagline: “Your World Made Simple.”) Valastro is no stranger to Elan. His 7,000 square foot New Jersey home (next door to Tony Soprano) and state-of-the-art bakery production center are both equipped with an Elan g! system.

Florida-based NextGen is introducing a new Universal Learning Radio Frequency Remote Control that’s a standard 4-in-1 device IR remote control with a built-in RF transmitter. The package includes one of the company’s RF Receivers, which can be used with the handheld remote to relay commands through closed cabinet doors, walls, floors, and ceilings and has a range of up to 100 feet. The system has automatic RF addressing, so there’s no need to pair remotes to the receivers. The package also includes a three-eye IR emitter cord.

The Universal Learning RF Remote Control is expected to be available in November with an MSRP of $99.

One of the largest selections of Dolby Atmos compatible surround receivers and pre-pros was at the Integra booth. They included these receivers: DTR-70.6, 11.2 channels, 135 watts per channel with two channels driven; DTR-60.6, 9.2 channels, 135 watts; DTR-50.6, 7.2 channels, 130 watts; DTR-40.6, 9.2 channels, 110 watts; DTR-30.6, 7.2 channels, 95 watts; and the Atmos-incompatible DTR-20.4, 5.2 channels, 80 watts. Then there were the pre-pros, of which only the first had Atmos: DHC-80.6, 11.2 channels; and DHC-60.5, 7.2 channels. Finally Integra showed the DTA-70.1 nine-channel power amp, rated at 150 watts per channel. Most of the receivers (except the last) are THX Select2 Plus certified while the pre-pros and multichannel amp are THX Ultra2 Plus certified. Select models also have ISF video certification and the HDBaseT HDMI extension interface. We'll update with prices when we get them.

The rethought CM Series from Bowers & Wilkins includes three towers, three monitors, two centers, and one sub. They use a double dome aluminum tweeter array which combines a dome with a ring radiator, stiffening the driver and shifting its breakup mode from 30 to 38 kHz. Nautilus-style tweeter tube loading is employed in all of these new speakers though it's most visible in the tweeter-on-top models (the CM10 S2 tower and, pictured here, the CM6 S2 monitor). Woofers continue to be Kevlar. The models, all priced per speaker, are the CM10 S2 tower ($2000), CM9 S2 tower ($1600), CM8 S2 tower ($1200), CM6 S2 monitor ($1000), CM5 S2 monitor ($800), CM1 S2 monitor ($550), CM Centre2 S2 ($1250), CM Centre S2 ($700), and ASW 10CM S2 subwoofer ($1500).