So Much To See, So Little Time Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 4:12 PM ET
By Tom Norton

CEDIA 2007 supplied more than its share of surprises. There were more interesting new, free-standing speakers there than I expected, though nowhere near what CES brings to town. The quantity of new electronics was intimidating, as usual, and that will keep us busy for the next few months as we check out the most promising candidates.

The HD disc format war rages on, with each side touting its carefully arranged sales figures to prove that it's winning.

I was not surprised to see a flood of new 1080p projectors. I was surprised, however, that a few manufacturers are fighting the rush to the bottom in pricing. SIM2's $16,000 HT3000E sparkled in its demo, but only time will tell how well it will do at that price. Sony is working both sides of the fence with its $5000 VPL-VW60 and its $15,000 VPL-VW200. And JVC showed what may be (?) the future with a stunning demonstration of its 4K x 2K design— but aimed squarely, for now, at the commercial market, not consumers.

For sheer flat panel picture-power, Pioneer swamped the competition with its new Kuro plasmas. But you do pay for it, and price dominates the market. The question is, who will be the first manufacturer to provide that sort of quality—and CRT-like black level—at Vizio prices? Assuming it's even possible. And assuming the average consumer even cares.

But if I had to choose a theme that dominated this year's show, it would have to be anamorphic projection—using an anamorphic lens with a video projector together with appropriate processing and 2.35:1 screen. It eliminated the black bars that accompany those super widescreen, "scope" films to produce a genuine, theater-like, "Cinemascope" presentation. CEDIA was a veritable 2.35:1 festival. Here at UAV we expect to have a lot more to say about this not-so-new but increasingly popular concept (pro and con) in the next year. So hang around. It's going to be a fun ride.

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Accelling Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 4:01 PM ET
By Tom Norton

A company called Accell (www.accellcables.com) offers a variety of video switching and splitting options and cables. Their products include the tiny UltraAV, one-in, two-out HDMI splitter for $129, and the UltraAV HDMI two-in, one-out HDMI switcher that's smaller than its included remote control. Both are powered by external, wall-wart supplies. We plan on checking both of them out soon.

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Snell Center Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:53 PM ET
By Tom Norton

The new Snell CR70 center speaker ($1750) was so inconspicuously displayed that I nearly missed it. It is said to be a good sonic match for the Snell CR70 floorstanders ($6500/pair). New center channel speakers—hopefully proper three-way designs like this one—are expected next year for other Snell models.

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Then On To Cremona Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:50 PM ET
By Tom Norton

Sonus faber's new Cremona M floor-standing speaker (about $12,000/pr) was on static display, but it was obvious that it maintains that Italian manufacturer's reputation for elegant design. It is said to closely mirror the sonics of the more expensive Cremona Elipsa ($20,000/pr), which seriously impressed this writer at last January's CES. A new Cremona center channel is in the works, as well, though it will not be available until some time in 2008.

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Verily Verity Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:48 PM ET
By Tom Norton

Verity Audio showed a prototype of its new EXR center channel design, the first of a new line of Verity EXR speakers. But the $15,000-$20,000 price for the center channel speaker alone is intimidating, to say the least.

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Cary Audio Designs Video Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:45 PM ET
By Tom Norton

The Cary Audio Designs' Cinema 11V High Definition Video Processor ($3000) provide thesvideo switching that the company's Cinema 11a preamp-processor ($3000) lacks. But it can also be used as a stand-along video processor with other gear. It has Faroudja technology to provide video upconversion to a maximum of 1080p. It also claims to provide an output refresh rate of up to 120Hz, though we know of no current video display that can accept a direct 120Hz input (the new displays coming on line with 120Hz capability produce 120Hz internally from a 24/30/or 60 Hz source). There are six HDMI 1.3 inputs and two HDMI outputs, plus a full complement of analog video inputs, including RGB inputs and outputs on BNC connectors. CRT projector owners, take note.

For those who plan to use the Cinema 11V with Cary's Cinema 11a pre-pro, there's a proprietary digital connector (the Cary Digi-link) that will pass along multichannel HDMI audio to the Cary processor.

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Arcam Archives Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:42 PM ET
By Tom Norton

The Arcam MS 250 Music Server ($6500) isn't your father's iPod. In fact, Arcam prefers to call it an archiving CD player. It will play CDs, rip them to its 400GB hard drive, and also compile play lists that may be recorded back onto a CD—the MS 250 is also a CD recorder. The hard drive is said to be able to hold up to 1200 entire CDs (not "songs") when they are recorded in full, uncompressed PCM.

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Premium Primare Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:40 PM ET
By Tom Norton

You'd never know it by looking at its clean, non-intimidating front panel, but the new Primare SPA22 integrated AV amp houses all the features of a sophisticated AV receiver (it's called an AV amp rather than an AV receiver because it dispenses with AM/FM tuners). Proprietary class D digital amplifiers provide 5 x 100Wpc of amplification, the unit sports HDMI 1.3 and full video switching, the video processing upconverts to a maximum of 1080p via HDMI, and DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD decoding is expected by the time the unit ships in December at an anticipated price somewhere south of $6000.

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Premium Primare II Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:38 PM ET
By Tom Norton

If you just need a pre-pro, the Primare SP32 dispenses with the amplifier channels and provides essentially the same features as the SPA22, though with upgraded parts and both single-ended and balanced outputs. The price is expected to be comparable to that of the SPA22, and both units look virtually the same from the front (and are available in either a black or titanium finish).

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Rotating In-Wall Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:35 PM ET
By Tom Norton

I didn't spend a lot of time at the show scoping out in-wall speakers. Yes, they're big in the custom installation market, but don't really get an audiophile's juices flowing. I discussed this with one manufacturer of premium high-end speakers, who is pondering his first in-wall designs. The problem, he said, is not designing them, it's simply getting excited enough about them to actually sit down and do it.

But I do like to see interesting solutions to problems that most in-wall designs ignore. Atlantic Technology has been in the in-wall speaker business for some time now, and its new IWTS-30 LCR features a rotating midrange/tweeter/midrange array to optimize it for either horizontal or vertical mounting. An optional back-box will be available, and the speaker is pending THX certification. No release date or price was announced, however.

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Epson Puts It Together Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:32 PM ET
By Tom Norton

The Epson Ensemble HD home theater system is a skillfully assembled package consisting of a control center/DVD player (shown here) with two HDMI inputs, a 720p or 1080p Epson LCD projector, a screen, and a speaker/amplification package from Atlantic Technology. The front speakers are integrated into a sleek cabinet that sits at the top of the retractable screen, the surrounds are built into the sides of the projector case (visible in the following entry), and the amplification for the entire system is built into the subwoofer cabinet. The entire package sells for $5000 with a 720p projector and $7000 with 1080p.The overall performance was very impressive and will blow away most consumers with its performance and slick, elegant design and setup. Equal to a more upscale system? No, but a lot closer to it than even the best home theater in a box can manage.

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Epson Puts It Together II Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 3:30 PM ET
By Tom Norton

The projector/surround speakers for the Epson Ensemble HD described above forms an integrated ceiling-mounted package.

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Sim Audio: Fly Me To The MOON Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 10:58 AM ET
By Shane Buettner

To those of us chasing the Nth degree of performance from our home theaters, it's always exciting when a truly audiophile company like Sim Audio attempts to define the state-of-the-art.

Sim Audio's MOON AV series is expanding with addition of the MOON CP100 pre/pro MC-100 five-channel amp. The CP100 will be loaded with HDMI 1.3 switching, onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless decoding, Audyssey auto calibration and room EQ, and 7.1 channel balanced outputs.

THe MC-100 will feature a massive, over-sized power supply, balanced inputs and high quality components throughout. It's power is rated at 150-Watts per channel into 8 ohms and a full 300-Watts into 4 ohms.

Sim Audio exects these new components will street in Q1 of 2008 with the CP-100 coming in around $10K and the MC-100 at around $6K. I've had a lot of experience with Sim Audio's components over the years, which means I"m waiting for this one with bells on. Look for UAV to commission a review as soon as Sim Audio can ship!

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The Dark Lord In 3D Posted Mon Sep 10, 2007, 10:29 AM ET
By Shane Buettner

No, I'm not referring to myself with that title. TI's booth had the funnest demo of the show, to be sure, a 3D demo on a Samsung DLP RPTV with the attractive and active 3D goggles shown above (modeled by yours truly). A little ballyhoo is good for this industry.

Shown were clips from Star Wars Epsiode II: Attack of the Clones, NASCAR, Meet the Robinsons and, finally the opening sequence of the original Star Wars, including the first appearance of the Dark Lord himself. The effects were startlingly good at times, although I was personally always thinking of the gimmick and not the material. It's not more realistic at all, maybe even less than typical celluloid. But it sure is fun in short doses!

Ear to ear grins were common during and after the demo- heck, I went three times. I don't think I could wach an entire movie this way- the process feels a little fatiguing. But folks, they're serious about this 3D thing. And damn, those goggles look sharp!

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Black Wing Up Posted Sun Sep 9, 2007, 8:48 PM ET
By Shane Buettner

Every show has a surprise, and for me CEDIA's 2007 surprise was the demo I saw from the St. John Group, the importer/distributor perhaps best known for handling the Cabasse line of loudspeakers. This group has picked up Screen Research for distribution, and now has a projector line to shine on those screens: CineVERSUM.

The CineVERSUM line of PJs will be offically billed as CineVERSUM powered by Barco. This last element is key as it refers to the fact that the briliant engineers are Barco in Belgium provide key technologies for this line.

The projector on display was the $10K Blawk Wing Two, based on the latest three-chip JVC D-ILA projector, which means there are extensive gamma and color correction adjustability, and it's tweaked to the max in this installation. The processing is by Gennum, and according to the St. John Group, CineVERSUM gets to cherry pick the PJs for the best performing units.

READ MORE »

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iPod iRIS Posted Sun Sep 9, 2007, 9:28 AM ET
By Tom Norton

I was impressed, and surprised, by the quality of the image that Meridian's iRIS produced on a modestly sized, flat panel screen. More than a simple iPOD dock, this $400 jewel upconverts the low rez image on a video iPod to 1080p, cleans it up in various ways, and outputs it to your HDTV. No, it's not high def, or even DVD-quality, but it was way better than VHS and more than watchable. Two other nearby screens also showed different program material (animation and TV-based) but they weren't as impressive as this one. If the color balance looks a bit whacked in the photo, it wasn't the demo, but rather my hurried attempts at color correction. The untouched, available light photo was badly skewed by the lighting in the convention center.

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Aerial Goes Wide Posted Sun Sep 9, 2007, 1:14 AM ET
By Tom Norton

Aerial prez and designer Michael Kelly stands next to a version of his company's impressive System 1. it's shown here for the first time with a 2.35:1 screen, which may be flat or curved, masked or unmasked.

The System 1 is a multichannel system that surrounds the screen to form an integrated unit for the left, center, and right channel speakers. It's only 12" deep. Spacers can tailor it to form fit virtually any screen size. The system may be disassembled in a future move, rather than abandoning an expensive built-in to the house's new owners. A similar, smaller system, designed to work with flat panel displays 60" or larger, is said to be in development for a future release.

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Pioneer Super AVR Amp Section Posted Sat Sep 8, 2007, 11:53 PM ET
By Shane Buettner

Here is the amp section of the below mentioned, super cool Pioneer Elite AVR.

And yes, I know I'm a retard for not posting this first, so that you'd read the main piece about this AVR first. But it's Saturday night now, and I'm not feeling like going back to fix it.

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The Mother Of All AVRs? Posted Sat Sep 8, 2007, 11:34 PM ET
By Shane Buettner

Pioneer Elite has an AVR coming that aims to wipe clean all that came before it. Don't believe me? I'm going to need to post two pictures to even try to do this thing justice. This is an all-out assault on the state-of-the-art, and in reality is more like conjoined separates than an AVR. Lemme 'splain.

The Pioneer Elite SC-09TX is literally a powerhouse. It uses ICEpower class -D amplification (with MOSFET output devices) to offer a full seven channels rated at 200-watts across all channels. It has ludicrous speed DACs from Wolfson, digital processing/upsampling by Wolfson, HDMI switching, broadcast-grade video processing to 1080p, MCAAC auto calibration and room EQ, and onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding. It also has an LCD front panel screen that looks super cool, and much, much more. Trust me, I ain't scratched the surface.

But what's very unique is that the processing and source connection is literally in a separate unit, connected by a single umbilical to the amplifier section. It's basically separates sitting on top of one another. And it's prices like separates- when this baby hits stores in January, it's tipping the scales at $7K. But man, this is a serious piece of kit!

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Third-Gen BD Player From Pioneer Posted Sat Sep 8, 2007, 11:31 PM ET
By Shane Buettner

Tell me about it. I have a Pioneer Elite BDP-94HD back at home, and a review ready for a fact-check. Hell, the virtual ink isn't even dry and I don't think a full month has passed since I got the thing, and here's its replacement, The $999 Pioneer Elite BDP-95HD.

This player will be on the market in October, and yes, you may know what that means. This player will do everytihing it's advertised to do, and if prior experience is an indicator more functionality will be implemented throughout the player's life. But it comes in under deadline and is BD-ROM Profile 1, meaning it does not have the hardware necessary to support streamed Picture-In-Picture or BD Live networking functionality. According to Pioneer, this is a BDP-94HD with an HDMI 1.3 output and the ability to pass Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio as native bitstreams.

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