New Products

Severtson ALR Projection Screen
Severtson has been developing projection screens since 1986 when Ron Severtson invented a special optical coating for the screens used in military flight simulators. Today, the company produces an array of fixed and motorized screens for commercial venues, cinemas, and home theaters. Its newest residential screen is a 0.8-gain ambient light rejecting (ALR) model designed for use in sun-drenched rooms that destroy standard projection screens. Head Turner: The screen boasts a high-contrast, seven-layer design with a super-wide 170-degree viewing angle and is available in standard and custom sizes up to 120 inches (diagonal) with more options to follow. Prices range from $2,900 for a 16:9 fixed-frame screen to $7,000 for a 2.35:1 screen with a thin bezel frame.

Severtson Screens • (866) 510-5155 • severtsonscreens.com

NAD C 328 Integrated Amplifier
Reminiscent of the iconic NAD 3020 integrated amp introduced nearly 40 years ago, the C 328 honors the company’s “simple is better” philosophy but trades a traditional Class A/B output stage for a custom version of the highly efficient Hypex Class D amp module. It also brings Bluetooth wireless streaming into the fold along with phono, RCA analog, and digital inputs (coaxial and optical). A subwoofer output, RS-232 con- nector, dedicated headphone amp, bass EQ, and remote control are also provided. It’s an NAD: In classic NAD fashion, the C 328 is conservatively rated to deliver 2 x 50 watts into 4 or 8 ohms with 0.03 percent THD. Dynamic power is spec’d at 80 watts into 8 ohms, 150 watts into 4 ohms, or 210 watts into 2 ohms with an A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio of 100 decibels. Price: $549

NAD • nadelectronics.com

Roku Ultra 4K Streaming Media Player
When Roku announced it revamped its line of streaming media players in October, it singled out the flagship Roku Ultra—direct descendant of our 2017 Top Pick—for improved performance and did something unexpected: knocked 30 bucks off its price. Way to go, Roku. In addition to supporting high dynamic range (HDR) 4K video at up to 60 fps, the player boasts improved wireless performance—the best Roku has to offer—and includes an updated voice remote now able to control TV power and volume. Search Savior: Roku’s new Smart Guide integrates streaming and over-the-air broadcast TV channels when you connect an HDTV antenna, making it easier to find the shows you want to watch. Info for local broadcast channels goes back seven days and up to 14 days ahead in the Guide. Can you hear the cord cutters cheering? Price: $100

Roku • roku.com

Sonos One Smart Speaker
No doubt about it, the company that played a pioneering role in the development of wireless speakers is conspicuously late to the smart speaker party. Question is, does the Sonos One stand out from the crowd? Looks- and sound-wise, it’s engineered to mimic the preexisting Play:1. But it’s said to be the first speaker to support two voice services—Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant (to be added in 2018). No Playing Around: The Sonos One provides direct access to 49 streaming services with full Alexa voice control for Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, and TuneIn, with more to follow. With the remaining services, you can ask Alexa what’s playing and use spoken commands to skip tracks and control volume. And then there’s Sonos’s proven TruePlay room-correction technology, which uses sophisticated processing to compensate for acoustically challenging speaker locations. Price: $199 (See our review here.)

Sonos • sonos.com

Power Practical Luminoodle Color Bias TV Light
While the jury is still out on the merits of the name (is sauce included?), Luminoodle is a bias light- ing “system” you attach to the back of your TV to reduce eyestrain and increase perceived contrast (blacks and grays appear darker against a lighter background). In reality, it’s just a string of adhesive-backed red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs that comes in 1-, 2-, and 3-meter lengths to accommodate screens between 24 and 70 inches. All you have to do is plug the strip into the set’s USB port and light it up. But there’s a twist. Remote Included: You can use the supplied remote to choose among 15 colors and 10 brightness settings to create a perfect viewing experience—whether perfect means technically correct bias lighting, a subtle mood glow, or the color of your favorite sports team. Price: $20

Power Practical • (801) 335-5064 • powerpractical.com