LATEST ADDITIONS

CEDIA 2014
Nakymatone Easily Turns Walls into Sound Walls
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 12, 2014
Nakymatone has a unique approach to invisible in-wall sound with two stealthy speakers called the Echt and the Mooi. Both speakers measure 23” x 9.75” x 3.5” (H x W x D) but are designed to be fit behind drywall using a 16 5/8” x 9.75” (H x W) hole. The speakers utilize a special removable handle that allows installers to slide the speaker into the hole and then pull it flush up against the drywall before fastening it in place an applying a 1/16” plaster skim to blend it in with the surface of the wall. The acoustic panel consists of an aluminum honeycomb core with doped paper skin. Both models have a sealed, acoustically tuned aluminum enclosure; while the higher-end Echt’s enclosure is also anodized for higher performance sound quality.

According to Nakymatone, the frequency response of the Mooi is...

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CEDIA 2014
Panamax Power360 Provides All-Around Protection
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 12, 2014
Panamax is introducing three new Power360 series surge protectors at CEDIA today. The wall-mounted DOCK includes six surge-protected outlets along with two USB ports. The USB ports share a 2 amp capacity, allowing it to charge two smartphones simultaneously or a single tablet. A unique groove - Panamax calls it a “Technology Cradle” - along the top of the DOCK is designed to provide a convenient niche in which to place your smart device while it is charging.

The next of the three models is...

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CEDIA 2014
Monitor Audio Shows Super-Slim Soundbars
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 12, 2014
In a world populated by all-in-one powered soundbars, Monitor Audio showed two SB Series passive soundbars slated to ship in December: The compact SB-2 for TVs with screens between 50 and 60 inches and the SB-3, which will be custom built for screen sizes above 60 inches.

Both models feature separate driver arrays for the left, center, and right channels. The SB-2 employs a 4-inch woofer, 1-inch horn-loaded tweeter, and passive radiator in each section, while the SB-3 uses the same complement for the left and right channels but doubles up on the woofers and passive radiators for the center section.

The ceramic-coated aluminum/magnesium drivers are borrowed from Monitor’s flagship Radius line. Cabinets are made of internally braced high-density MDF covered in black acoustically transparent fabric and have brushed aluminum end caps for a touch of style. Wall mounting is possible with an optional low-profile bracket that provides easy cable access.

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CEDIA 2014
KEF Bows Atmos Add-On Speaker
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 12, 2014
KEF's famous coaxial Uni-Q driver array is what distinguishes its R60 Dolby Atmos enabled speaker ($1200/pair) from the competition. With a one-inch aluminum tweeter nestling amid a 5.25-inch aluminum woofer, it's the same version of Uni-Q used on the R100. KEF also showed three new tower speakers and a monitor: Blade Two ($24,000/pair), Reference 5 ($18,000/pair), Reference 3 ($13,000/pair), and Reference One ($7500/pair).
CEDIA 2014
Triad Atmos Drivers Are a Quartet
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 12, 2014
Two years in the making in close association with Dolby Labs, Triad's approach to a Dolby Atmos enabled speaker is to build four two-inch ScanSpeak drivers into the top for the height channels. The Inroom Bronze LR-H is based on the InRoom Bronze LCR, with the front driver array consisting of a one-inch fabric dome tweeter and dual 5.5-inch woofers. We've heard the prototype in Dolby's New York offices and it produces impressive height effects. Atmos capability raises the basic model price from $600 to $1000/pair.
CEDIA 2014
Yamaha Shows Atmos Receivers
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 12, 2014
Yamaha's excellent Aventage surround receiver line now features two Dolby Atmos compatible models, both with nine amp channels: the RX-A3040 ($2199, 150 watts with two channels driven) and RX-A2040 ($1699, 140 watts with two channels driven). The semi-enclosed demo, with Yamaha speakers, was crisp enough to rise above the noise of the show floor, and the height effects (from ceiling speakers) were clearly discernible. Yamaha also showed its first sound base, the SRT-1000 ($500), which features eight front "beam drivers" along with two oval mid-woofers and two bottom-firing bass drivers. Made of sturdy MDF, it is designed to hold sets up to 88 pounds and 55 inches. In addition Yamaha showed two soundbars, one with HDMI input and lossless surround decoding for $1000 and one with legacy inputs for $399. The former is the YSP-2500, which simulates "true 7.1" surround from 16 beam drivers. It is the first soundbar we've encountered with a headphone jack.
CEDIA 2014
OSD Audio Previews Multiroom Streaming Audio System
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 12, 2014
OSD Audio, known for its high-performance in-wall speakers, announced that it will offer an as-yet-unnamed wireless audio system by the end of the year. The system is based on DTS’s PlayFi platform and supports multisource playback of uncompressed audio in a multiroom setting.
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CEDIA 2014
Atmos Ready?
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 12, 2014
When I saw these pendant speakers from TruAudio (just to the left of center in the photo, in black and white), the first thing I thought of was the midrange enclosure in B&W's 800 and 802 Diamond loudspeakers.

But the second thing I though of was using them as discrete overhead speakers for Dolby Atmos. I have no idea how they sound, nor do I believe that this is their designed purpose, but they are not only more attractive than the usual in-ceiling speakers, but could suspended at almost any length from a high ceiling at a more appropriate height for the Atmos format than an in-ceiling speaker might provide.

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CEDIA 2014
Splitting 4K
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 12, 2014
Splitting an HDMI source to feed both a video projector and a flat panel set is an increasingly popular option in custom home theater installs. But consumer-priced splitters that can do 4K are only just starting to appear. The HDS-12i from Transformative Engineering is one of the first. It can mix output resolutions and both up- and down-scale to 4K. A typical setup might involve a 2K projector and a 4K flat screen Ultra HD TV.

The device also provides full HDCP security and will recognize different EDIDs for each display. Output 2 also can be configured for pass-through, selectable scaling, or an AVR mode which bypasses 4K and 3D to route audio to an AVR or surround pre-pro that lacks the ability to handle these formats.

The HDS-12i's main limitation is that it's only HDMI 1.4a compliant, not 2,0, but that should be adequate for today's source material. It's firmware upgradeable (though not to 2.0--that's hardware) and sells for $299.

CEDIA 2014
JBL Does Atmos Right
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 12, 2014
I've only caught two Dolby Atmos demos so far, but the JBL Synthesis demo was by far the most impressive--and may be the most impressive at the show. I'll reserve judgment on that, but with 12 discrete height speakers(JBL SCS 8s), 16 surround speakers (also JBL SCS8s, just a few of them shown here--no way to get all of them into a group photo!), 8 subwoofers, JBL M2 front speakers, a Dolby pro Atmos processor, banks of JBL Synthesis amps, and a 17-foot wide screen (projector unspecified--I'll update this when I find out), this $200,000 system is ready for your lottery winnings.

The picture (only 2K no less, from a DPI NC 900C projector, about $50,000) was spectacular (though with blacks more typical of theatrical presentations rather than the superior blacks available from some even modest home theater models). And the sound was as good as any movie sound I've yet heard, either home or theatrical (the latter including even the best theaters in Los Angeles). It could go plenty loud, but with the exception of an extended racing car sequence it was never edgy or grating. If you're fortunate enough to be at the show while reading this, it's a don't miss demo.

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