Click above for more information Welcome to another issue of rAVe HomeAV Edition! We have a ton of industry news for you this issue — everything from a new, faster wireless technology called WiGig (for Wireless Gigabit) to the return of some old brands (Acurus and Aragon), who were gone for a couple years after Klipsch purchased them, but now some Klipsch employees have founded a new startup to develop new products under these brand names again. InFocus, who we recently told you was going to be purchased by a California company for $39 million, is being sued by one of their shareholders because he thinks the buyout price (95 cents per share) is unreasonable and that they should consider other offers. Not much coming out of InFocus except that, unsurprisingly, they think the suit is meritless and they plan to fight it in court. We'll keep you updated. Also, last year we told you about the scandal involving a now-former vice president at AMX, David Goldenberg, who allegedly broke into the email accounts at Sapphire Marketing, the manufacturers' representative for Crestron, to illegally obtain information on commission statements, pricing, sales reports, etc. Well, this week Goldenberg pleaded guilty to felony wiretapping. He will be sentenced on June 26.
Finally, we are on Twitter! We used Twitter to live-report from the tradeshows we went to the last couple years, but now that Twitter has become more widespread and more industry people are using it, we are using it to tweet important, breaking and/or interesting AV news. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs Enjoy the issue! –Gary Kayye, CTS Back to Top Click above for more information CEDIA in Suckville
By Gary Kayye, CTS I LOVE CEDIA. I HATE Atlanta. Although this year’s show will be in so-called “Hot-lanta,” it’s still going to be an awesome show! I am excited for the manufacturers, the integrators and the market as we are just starting to see a turn-around of the markets nationwide and by September, rAVe believes things will start to hum again.
But, why Atlanta? The location of the convention center is scary, the hotels around it, although easy to get to, leave much to be desired and the good food is miles and miles away in Buckhead.
But, I’ll overlook that as CEDIA is an awesome show and this year’s will be creatively different, we hope, in that projection will not be the highlight of the industry. It will be more and more about gaming, home automation and access to information, which will all become focal points in the HomeAV world.
If you haven’t booked your plans to CEDIA yet, go to http://www.cedia.net/expo/index2009.php
Back to Top Click above for more information CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award – Deadline May 29th! Nominate your pick for this year’s CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award! This award recognizes an individual who has exhibited outstanding, creative, innovative, and visionary leadership to the growth and advancement of the residential electronic systems industry.
Nominees should be individuals who have displayed career achievements that have brought about significant industry advancement or have contributed outstanding volunteer service to CEDIA. Only one person, per company may submit a nomination. To nominate an industry peer visit http://www.cedia.org/awards by Friday, May 29th.
*Nominations open to CEDIA Members only.
Back to Top CU On the Road @ Capitol Sales Learning Institute – Regional Outreach Events May 17 – 19, Wyndham Dallas Love Field – Dallas, TX
This is your opportunity to take part in CEDIA and Capitol Sales’ top notch education program in your area. Gain knowledge and continuing education units (CEUs) while meeting industry experts, all at an exceptionally low price.
CEDIA University & Capitol Sales will deliver:
• Three days of CEDIA core curriculum
• ESPA Certified-EST® Review and Exam
• Manufacturer product training by industry leaders
CEDIA is providing education from three of its industry renowned colleges: Business, Technician, and Designer.
Additional 2009 Dates and Locations:
June 7-9, Philadelphia, PA
July 12-14, Chicago, IL
November 15-17, Tampa, FL
Register now for upcoming CU On the Road events at http://www.cedia.org/education/on_the_road.php
Back to Top For a Limited Time Only: 1/2 Price CEDIA EST Residential Boot Camps Get a step up on the competition with CEDIA’s EST Residential Boot Camps, which are now more affordable and accessible than ever.
CEDIA's EST Basic Residential Boot Camps are now being offered ½ priced through the end of June.
Upcoming Dates include:
EST Basic Residential Boot Camp
May 18-20: CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
EST Advanced Residential Boot Camp
May 21-23: CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
Visit http://www.cedia.org/basicbootcamp or www.cedia.org/advbootcamp to learn more about the CEDIA Boot Camps and to download a program brochure.
Back to Top Upcoming CEDIA University Events Take advantage of the many education opportunities listed below to enhance your business and technical skills. Visit http://www.cedia.org/education/cu_training.php for more information and to register for any of the following events.
Intermediate EST Workshop-Taking Your Skills To The Next Level
May 14, 2009
ADI – South Plainfield, NJ
CU On the Road @ Capitol Sales Learning InstituteTM – Regional Outreach
May 17 – 19, 2009
Dallas, TX
EST Basic Residential Boot Camp
May 18 – 20, 2009
CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
EST Advanced Residential Boot Camp
May 21- 23, 2009
CEDIA Training Facility – Indianapolis, IN
ESB Business Night Class Package
May 27, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
ESB Business Night Class Package
June 3, 2009
Digital Sales Group/david llc – Westbury, NY
Back to Top Registration Begins June 1st for CEDIA EXPO 2009! Let CEDIA help you win in any economy! Register to attend CEDIA EXPO 2009, starting Monday, June 1st, 8:00 a.m. (Pacific).
CEDIA EXPO 2009
September 9 – 13 (pre-conference events on the 8th)
World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA
Visit http://www.cedia.org/expo to receive the latest news about EXPO and to download the registration brochure.
Register by July 15th and receive early bird pricing!
Back to Top Click above for more information Former AMX VP Goldenberg Pleads Guilty to Felony Wiretapping Last year, we told you about David Goldenberg, an AMX vice president who was arrested and accused of hacking into Sapphire Marketing's email and stealing corporate information about Crestron, for which Sapphire Marketing is the manufacturer's representative and who is AMX's chief competitor. Here is our original story: http://www.ravepro.com/issues/2008/03/blasts/breakingnews/index.htm Just this week, Goldenberg pleaded guilty to felony wiretapping. He will be sentenced on June 26, 2009. We are printing the full press release from Crestron below: CORPORATE SPY PLEADS GUILTY TO HACKING AND WIRETAPPING
Vice President of AMX Corporation Leveraged Inside Information on Chief Competitor for Nine Months before Being Apprehended
David A. Goldenberg is charged with corporate espionage for intercepting thousands of proprietary e-mails from his company’s chief competitor for nearly a year while working as a vice president for Richardson, TX, based AMX Corporation, a subsidiary of Duchossis Industries. On May 11, 2009, he pleaded guilty to felony wiretapping and the judge has scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 26, 2009, at 10:30 a.m.
Goldenberg, 48, of Oceanside, NY, was the vice president of AMX Corporation, a global audio/video manufacturer, when he was arrested in March of 2008. Following a six week investigation, he was charged with Unlawful Access of a Computer System / Network- 3rd Degree, Unlawful Access of a Computer Data / Theft of Data- 2nd Degree and Conducting an Illegal Wiretap- 3rd Degree by members of the Paramus Police Department (a member of the Computer Crimes Task Force) in New Jersey and was released on $50,000 bail. Paramus-based Sapphire Marketing represents audio/video manufacturers including AMX Corporation’s top competitor, Rockleigh, NJ, -based Crestron Electronics. Sapphire filed a complaint to the Paramus Police Department on February 6, 2008, because they were suspicious of a “leak” and that they were frequently underbid for projects by Goldenberg and AMX. Confidential information disclosed to clients and partners led Sapphire to believe that their e-mail was being intercepted. “While setting up an ‘out of office’ reply, one of our employees noticed her e-mail was being forwarded to an outside e-mail account,” said owner of Sapphire Marketing Marla Suttenberg. “We immediately notified the authorities and took steps to both secure our system and allow law enforcement to garner the evidence they needed.” Allegedly, thousands of proprietary and confidential e-mails were stolen by Goldenberg. Utilizing “social engineering,” he accessed Sapphire’s secure Web mail account regularly over a seven month time span until he established a separate e-mail address to automatically forward Sapphire’s e-mail to his personal account. Goldenberg also had access to weekly conference calls, during which Crestron Electronics sales and marketing strategies were discussed, by using the call-in information he had because of his illegal access to Sapphire’s e-mail. The estimated losses for Sapphire and Crestron are in the millions as sensitive material including sales proposals, commission statements, pricing, sales reports, personnel records and new technology plans have been compromised. “While Mr. Goldenberg is paying the price, AMX Corporation has clearly benefitted from this illegally acquired information,” said executive vice president of Crestron Electronics Randy Klein. “The full damage caused by our chief competitor illegally obtaining this information is immeasurable and has seriously impacted our past, present and future business.” Prior to working for AMX, Goldenberg was a client of Sapphire’s buying Crestron products. He approached Crestron for employment in May of 2007 and he was not hired. He later interviewed and was hired by AMX in June 2007 as general manager of its east coast office and was promoted to vice president before his arrest on charges of corporate espionage. “It is ironic that a self-professed courtroom technology expert would be pleading guilty for using technology to spy on a competitor,” said Suttenberg. Goldenberg operates a pair of blogs including “Job Search Advice and Tips” where he says, “This blog will offer job search advice and tips to help you find that next job.”
Back to Top Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against InFocus Board In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, InFocus said that shareholder Donald Donovan has filed a class action lawsuit against the company regarding its recent efforts to sell to Image Holdings Corporation, controlled by California entrepreneur John Hui for $39 million. Donovan is not one of the company’s largest shareholders.
Donovan says the offer price, at 95 cents per share, is “unfair and the result of a flawed sale process,” since it doesn’t allow competitive offers. InFocus did receive an unsolicited competing offer from an unnamed party nine days after the original announcement, but did not release any information about the terms of the offer. David Woolf, the company’s vice president of marketing, said, "We believe there is no merit in the suit and we're moving to dismiss it immediately."
To read the announcement in the Portland Business Journal, go here: http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/05/11/daily25.html
To read the original April 13th announcement from InFocus about the offer, go here: http://www.infocus.com/Company/PressReleases/2009/041309_IFCaquired.aspx
To read rAVe’s original story on the announcement, go here: http://www.ravepro.com/issues/2009/04/rpvol7iss8/index.htm#t0203
Back to Top WiGig 10X Faster Than Wi-Fi Intel, Microsoft Corp., Dell and Panasonic form a new association to create an even faster wireless technology. WiGig will be capable of transfers at 6 gigabits per second, roughly fast enough to transmit the contents of a DVD in 15 seconds.
More than 10 times faster than Wi-Fi, and able to deliver HD video from computers and set-top boxes to TV sets, the range will be shorter than Wi-Fi. In fact, WiGig will work best within a room– and maybe an adjacent room as well. Ali Sadri, chairman of the newly formed Wireless Gigabit Alliance and an Intel executive, says WiGig is not a direct competitor to technologies like WirelessHD, and aims to link not just TVs, but cell phones, video cameras and PCs as well.
Both WiGig and WirelessHD will use the 6GHz frequency for extremely high transfer speeds at short ranges. The WiGig Alliance needs to complete specifications now and products may follow next year.
To read the about the WiGi Alliance, go to: http://wirelessgigabitalliance.org/
Back to Top Klipsch Sells Aragon and Acurus Brands to Employees Back in 2001, Klipsch purchased selected assets of the privately held Mondial Designs Ltd., thus acquiring the Aragon and Acurus brands of amplifiers, preamplifiers and processors. According to Mike Klipsch, president of the Klipsch brand, Klipsch purchased the brands because, at the time, it was aggressively seeking new ways to enhance its sound experience and wanted to develop perfectly matched, electronic solutions under the Aragon name.
However, a few years in, the electronics market underwent significant changes and Klipsch decided to cease production of the Aragon line in 2005, while still honoring warranty terms and offering customer support.
Last week,, the discontinuation of Aragon has opened new doors for former Klipsch electronics engineers Rick Santiago and Ted Moore. These two industry veterans, with 36 years of experience combined, have co-founded a new independent startup company called Indy Audio Labs, LLC and plan on developing and marketing new products under the Aragon and Acurus names. Indy Audio Labs will also assume full responsibility for the ongoing service and support of existing Aragon and Acurus products.
To learn more, go to: http://www.indyaudiolabs.com
Back to Top 40" OLED Panels by 2010, Says Panasonic JV rAVe Europe reported this week that while Panasonic is also cooperating with other partners to develop OLED technology, the Nikkei business daily in Japan says a new joint venture between Panasonic and Sumitomo Chemical aims to develop and manufacture 40-inch or bigger OLED panels by 2010.
In an LCD, tiny packets of liquid crystal make up each pixel. These don't actually radiate any light. Instead they change their structure when hit by voltage, so they need a backlight (cold-cathode or LED). In OLED, each pixel is an array of itsy-bitsy colored LEDs that glows in corresponding color initiated by the TV signal.
You can view OLED screens from any angle and they can show a wider range of colors (and black areas are a deeper black). Because they don't need a backlight they can be much thinner while actually consuming less electricity.
Read the Reuters story at: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUST14339520090508
Back to Top ABI Research Says Home Automation Manufacturers will Sell 2.8 Million Systems in 2011 Largely undeterred by current negative economic conditions, vendors of home automation will ship nearly 2.8 million systems in 2011, says ABI Research.
Only one of the four segments of this market –luxury systems – will be significantly impacted by the recession, according to senior analyst Sam Lucero. “The luxury home automation market for systems costing more than $50,000 is relatively mature, so it will feel the greatest impact from the recession. Two other segments – standards-based mainstream home automation systems and home automation as a service – are so new and have so much room for growth that they should expand rapidly starting in 2010 no matter the progress of the wider economic recovery. Likewise, the final segment – DIY home automation – is tied to a certain extent to these other newer segments and should also see healthy growth.”
New standards-based wireless technologies (ZigBee, Z-Wave, etc) inspire many mainstream home automation installations in the $10-15,000 range with prices falling fast. This segment is further driven by the growing availability of peripheral components that are available not only from the vendors themselves but through retail outlets – not exactly what we in the CEDIA channel want to hear, but all this entry level stuff will eventually fill the pipeline to the higher-end stuff too.
To learn more about ABI Research, go to: http://www.abiresearch.com/home.jsp Back to Top Futuresource Claims that 10 Percent of US and Japanese Homes will be 3D by 2012 Now more than ever, 3D is coming to the home, with backing from all major sectors of the entertainment and consumer electronics industries. 3D movie production is intensifying, cinemas all over the world are investing in 3D technologies and feedback from audiences has been highly positive, with encouraging ticket sales. Yet the ultimate goal is to bring 3D to the home, and Futuresource Consulting’s newly-released ‘Strategic Impact of 3D’ report reveals studios, consumer electronics companies, broadcasters, video game vendors and network operators are all poised to power 3D through the consumer diffusion curve.
All eyes will be on the consumer electronics industry, with ‘3D Ready’ TVs a prerequisite to consumer adoption in much the same way as ‘HD-Ready’ sets were used to seed the high definition market five years ago. An early decision on the Blu-ray 3D standard will also be critical, as packaged media will be necessary to help drive the market.
Futuresource says, “Our probability modeling shows the permeation phase will kick in from 2011, where – among other initiatives – we’ll see new 3D movie releases on Blu-ray, remasters of classic blockbusters like Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, a wider range of 3D TV content for sports, wildlife documentaries and concerts, and studios introducing selective production of 3D TV shows and series. By 2012, more than 10 percent of US and Japanese homes will be ‘3D enabled,’ and Western Europe won’t be too far behind, with 6 percent household penetration. Moving forward, a new generation of videogame consoles will begin to emerge, fully embracing 3D technologies, and in the long term we’ll see the industry shift to autostereoscopic (no glasses) displays.”
To order the entire report, e-mail Andy Watson: andy.watson@futuresource-hq.com
Back to Top VIZIO Still #1 – Gee, thanks Walmart! Price does matter. VIZIO, according to iSupply, is the #1 shipper of LCD HDTVs in North America at 21.6 percent, with a 69 percent increase Year-over-year (YOY).
VIZIO’s successful YOY sales includes 258 percent percent Full HD 1080p growth and also experienced quarter-over-quarter growth with 46 percent increase in Full HD 120Hz sets and 19 percent increase in 42” and above size TVs. VIZIO HDTVs are merchandised with the most efficient retail partners in the industry like Costco Wholesale, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Target stores who all merchandise HDTVs at “incredible values.” LCD TV unit shipments grew 21 percent from 1,116,428 in the final quarter of 2008 to 1,351,860 in Q’1 2009. With plasma HDTVs added to the results, VIZIO shipped a total of 1,400,207 TVs for the quarter and will also rank #1 in U.S. sales of total flat panel HDTVs.
In case you didn’t already know, VIZIO is at: http://www.vizio.com/ (or at Walmart)
Back to Top CEDIA EXPO 2009 – You Are Going, Or Are You An Idiot? Even though Atlanta is the stupidest town to have a trade show in (and I have the right to say that as my mother lives in that crap-hole place), as the premier show in the residential electronic systems industry, CEDIA EXPO is the one can’t-miss show where the industry’s biggest news is made year after year. It’s the only place you’ll find the latest news on products, industry trends, and people on the move.
For 2009, CEDIA is making news by offering selected courses and forums free to members for the second consecutive year. CEDIA University is also offering a one-of-a-kind educational experience with two intensive courses Sunday, September 13:
• In the Business CEO Summit, business owners and operators will learn how to leverage employee leadership to maximize productivity.
• The Retrofit Super Session will offer a variety of activities designed to help participants realize retrofit opportunities. To get a CEDIA 2009 brochure, go here: http://www.cedia.net/l/9389/6378/
Back to Top Sony Hires Banks to Sell Bonds Bloomberg is reporting that SONY Corporation has hired four banks to sell about $1 billion worth of bonds to help it refinance its current debt. According to the Bloomberg source, Sony will sell three, five and 10-year notes and the money they raise will be used to help them run “daily operations.” Bloomberg says that Sony currently has 144.9 billion yen of bonds coming due in 2010.
To read the entire Bloomberg story, go to: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aQFLukbHmvsk&refer=asia
Back to Top SANYO Secretly Launches Wireless HD Projector – Not in US Yet Although not available in the US yet, rAVe believes SANYO’s new wireless WXGA projector, dubbed the LP-WXU700, will likely be at InfoComm. The 500:1 contrast ratio, 3800 (specified) lumen, 1280 x 800 resolution projector is unique in that it can wirelessly send and receive HD content via Wireless-N (802.11n). No price is available, but Japan’s AkihabaraNews says they expect it to be in the $6000 range.
To read the release from Japan, go to: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_details.php?id=18077
Back to Top EPSON Intros Newest Pre-Packaged Home Theaters Using 6100 and 6500 1080p Projectors Earlier this month, Epson updated its Ensemble HDTM Home Cinema “System” by adding their latest 3LCD 1080p front projectors, the PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 and Home Cinema 6500 UB. Still the only projector manufacturer offering a complete home theater package, the Ensemble HD Home Cinema System is a fully-integrated, home entertainment solution with a motorized 100-inch screen, integrated surround sound, AV controller with built-in DVD player, universal remote and aimed at either do-it-yourselfers or entry-level integrators.
So, why mention it here? rAVe has learned that, although EPSON’s pre-packaged theater concept was slow to take off initially, it’s doing very well now and two MAJOR projector manufacturers have plans to emulate it. So, YOU need to be prepared. We can either let this one, too, fall exclusively to the low-end integrator or retailer (currently it’s sold through places such as Visualapex and Projector People) or we can embrace it as a launching pad to integrating tons of other stuff in the home.
Look, in all seriousness, the home theater market is not what it used to be. The days of high-end income earners adding dedicated theaters to use merely 10 percent of the time are running out quickly – in addition to the fact that having a home theater is, in many places, considered snobbery now. We may not like to hear it, but it’s true. We see way more multi-purpose rooms (like the game rooms of the 80’s) being integrated than theaters now. And, the days of the average rich guy spending even $15,000 on a projector are running out – just ask Runco.
You should even consider emulating this concept and pre-packaging rooms this way. Sure, some of you out there ARE doing this, but not most. But, trust me when I tell you, if you had seen some of the future projectors coming out of China and Japan using very inexpensive LED lighting and aimed squarely at our market – and for less than $600 for 1080p – then you’d take this warning more seriously.
Believe it.
If you want to at least look at what Projector People is selling for EPSON, go to: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63073900
Back to Top Speaking of Runco… In one of the weirder press releases we’ve ever received, Runco sent out an announcement late last month “reaffirming its commitment to custom flat-panel displays” (that’s a direct quote). The release went on to say, “Runco… has confirmed its unyielding commitment to deliver premium flat-panel displays to the custom installation industry. In a marketplace where an increasing number of video display manufacturers are exiting the custom flat-panel market in favor of mass market retail or discontinuing their flat panel product lines altogether, Runco remains focused on providing its dealers with the highest-performing luxury video displays for custom application and viewing environment.”
Now, this is either a reaction to rumors that Runco is going to discontinue flat-panel marketing or, more likely, a notice to the market that they are still here – in the high-end flat panel market.
You be the judge of that. But, in case you want to read the PR yourself, go to: http://www.castercomm.com/prView.cfm?cid=116&id=275
Back to Top Pantel FINALLY Delivers 42" Outdoor 1080p Displays US-based Pantel, the market innovator (in rAVe’s opinion) in outdoor displays, has finally come out with an outdoor, weatherproof 1080p HDTV. The 42-inch (PAN-420) LCD HDTV is now 1080p compliant, joining the 1080p 52- and 65-inch screen sizes. Pantel’s 1080i 20- and 32-inch screen sizes round out the most complete outdoor weatherproof LCD HDTV line in the industry. Beyond being weatherproof, Pantel TVs come complete with an industry-leading 802.11a wireless package that allows the user to broadcast audio and video wirelessly up to 150 ft.
To learn more, go to: http://www.panteltv.com
Back to Top Sanus Releases Motorized Mount – Includes Remote Control Tilting Sanus System is now shipping the VisionMount LMT15 Motorized Tilting Mount, the first motorized tilt mount in the HomeAV market. The coolest feature is that the LMT15 offers automated movement by remote control, making it easy for users to adjust the viewing angle of their TVs. In fact, the LMT15 automatically tilts to a pre-set position up to 13° when the TV is turned on, or the user can position it as desired with an included IR remote control. When the TV is turned off, the mount returns to its home position against the wall for a low-profile appearance – very cool!
Check it out here.
Back to Top Sanus Launches Another Furniture Line Sanus Systems announces a new series within its AV Foundations furniture line scheduled for shipment in the next week. Appropriately named the "Designer Series," this collection of AV component stands was created exclusively for Sanus by renowned industrial design firm Cramer Studio, which had previously designed the Sanus AV Foundations Component Series.
To see the Designer Series line, go to: http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/av-foundations/av-designer
Back to Top NAD Launches "Value-Level" HD Receivers NAD Electronics last week introduced the T 747 and T 737 AV Receivers, aimed at value HD receiver buyers – a timely announcement, in rAVe’s view, considering the current economic climate – way to go NAD!
The T 747 and T 737 possess everything needed to form the centerpiece of a high-definition Home Theater. Both boast all the major audio and video specs needed in a high-end receiver, and NAD’s highly refined user interface and truthful specs in detail via NAD’s Full Disclosure Power ratings clearly spell out the receivers’ capabilities under real world conditions. Hmm, wonder who NAD is speaking about?!?
The T 747 AV Receiver can fill an average size room with what the company says is extremely pleasing, accurate sound levels, at up to 60 watts/channel, without the harsh, muddled sound common among lesser AV receivers. All seven channels offer the same high performance using high-current discrete output devices. The T 747 includes the newest lossless audio CODECs from Dolby and DTS, including TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, so that even discs lacking TrueHD will benefit from the higher bit rates and discrete 7.1 channels supported by Dolby Digital Plus. An Auto Calibration function using a special microphone and test tone makes speaker set-up easy and highly accurate.
The T 737 AV Receiver uses a system of ‘virtual inputs’ that allows each user to perfectly customize its set-up. Select an input, name it, associate it with any video and audio source, analog or digital, and carry on until there’s an input for each source in the system. Unused inputs can be tucked away. Additional customization can be added for different speaker set-ups, levels, tone controls and surround modes.
The T 737 delivers 40 watts to each of seven channels. Its three surround modes automatically cater to multichannel-encoded DVDs using Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES, encoded two-channel recordings with Dolby ProLogic IIx and DTS Neo:6, and NAD’s own EARS and Stereo Enhanced modes, which are perfect for creating convincing surround sound from unencoded sources like CDs.
All seven channels offer the same high performance using high current discrete output devices. An Auto Calibration function using a special microphone and test tone makes speaker set-up easy and highly accurate.
The T 747 and T 737 AV Receivers are available from authorized NAD dealers at suggested prices, respectively, of $1,299 and $799 and can be seen at: http://nadelectronics.com/products/av-receivers
Back to Top Sonance Ships Truly Invisible Speakers Sonance, the company that first popularized architectural, in-wall, and in-ceiling speakers, is now shipping their Invisible Speaker Series. These speakers are entirely flat and vanish into the room design. The new Sonance Invisible Series consists of three models. The SA3 and SA1.5 combine unique, variable-thickness planar flat-panel midrange/tweeters with conventional, round dynamic woofers. The Invisible Series SAW is a subwoofer featuring conventional drivers. In all three models the surface of the finished unit is covered with a perfectly flat, acoustically transparent vellum overlay that can be painted with a water-based finish, wallpapered, or covered with textured wall coverings without significantly impeding performance, while leaving a single, continuous, unblemished surface. Sonance says the underlying physics of planar transducers give the Sonance SA3 and SA1.5 the power to radiate sound omnidirectionally, to achieve good, smooth coverage up to 10kHz. The flagship of the Invisible Series, the SA3 mates a 48-square-inch planar-diaphragm driver with an 8-inch conventional cone woofer to achieve extended response from a concealable source. A second model, the Invisible Series SA1.5, pairs the same planar unit with a 6.5-inch woofer for similar performance with slightly less bass extension, while delivering a mounting profile that is reduced by one-half: 16×12 inches versus the SA3’s 16×24 inches. The SAW subwoofer has dimensions identical to the SA3’s, with dual 8-inch low-frequency drivers for even greater deep-bass extension and dynamic potential when deployed in “subwoofer” applications. The SAW subwoofer is optimized for use with Sonance’s Sonamp A800 subwoofer amplifier.
All three Invisible Series models require just 3-7/8 inches of depth and can be installed in any conventional 2×4-studded construction. All three incorporate new MDF baffle structures that ease installation while improving acoustical performance. All three also include integral, supplied metal back-boxes that ensure their specified low-frequency performance regardless of wall-structure details and dramatically reduce adjacent-room spillover. We saw these at CEDIA last year and was impressed with the sound quality for use with a distributed audio system. And in terms of the appearance, it was like the speakers weren't even there. Your clients that are concerned with not seeing any of the technology at all whatsoever (you know who I'm talking about) will love these. Suggested retail pricing is $1400 for a pair of SA3s, $1000 for a pair of SA1.5s and $1000 each for the SAW subwoofer. To see all the specs, go here: http://sonance.com/products/speakers#81 Back to Top Kaleidescape Introduces "Affordable" Mini System Kaleidescape recently announced the availability of the Kaleidescape Mini System, which is the first Kaleidescape product to integrate a complete multi-zone Kaleidescape system into a single component, and the first to include a remote control. It is priced about 40 percent less than the regular Kaleidescape system. The base Mini System stores up to 75 DVDs or 825 CDs, and can be expanded up to 225 DVDs or 2500 CDs by adding disk cartridges, and it scales and outputs DVDs in 1080p. The base system also includes two independent music zones. It is shipped configured as a free-standing component, but can be adapted for rack-mounting with the included kit. The Mini System can be expanded by adding players, servers, and other Mini Systems can be added on so your client can access their collection of movies and music in other rooms of the house. Suggested retail pricing is $7,995 for the base system. Prices (now reduced) on the 1080p Player, the 1080p Mini Player, and Disk Cartridges for the servers are $2,995, $1995 and $995 respectively. This is still way too expensive in our opinion, but with Kaleidescape, you are really paying for the user interface. To read more about the product, go here: http://www.kaleidescape.com/products/mini/ Back to Top For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe HomeAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100% opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the high-end HomeAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas: Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe Publications has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2009 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 510 Meadowmont Village Circle, Suite 376 – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – 919/969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe HomeAV Edition contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors.
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