All Products Filed in Audio

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

For years many audiophiles have floated the mis-guided notion that traditional two-channel audio and home theater couldn't co-exist in the same home A/V system.

Helping to pull those lost audiophiles from the dark ages are companies like Parasound. Just prior to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the San Fransisco-based audio/video manufacturer introduced a new version of its Halo JC 2 preamplifier that it's calling the JC 2 BP.

The new JC 2 BP adds a home theater bypass function to allow custom installers to offer their clients a versatile A/V entertainment solution and high-performance music system all in one package.

Parasound was able to implement the home theater bypass function by adding a modified potentiometer board, as well as fixed resistors that set the outputs to a unity gain when the bypass is engaged. The company says that any one or more of the preamp's inputs, which includes its two balanced (XLR) inputs can be assigned to the bypass, and front panel, amber-colored LEDs indicate when an input is being used with the bypass mode.

Parasound is also offering dealers the opportunities to retrofit their clients' existing JC 2s with the bypass feature for $500.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Increasingly, the idea of adding an external drive to a computer to expand its storage capabilities is becoming a thing of the past. Instead more people are adding network attached storage (NAS) devices, which provide additional storage and backup opportunities with remote access for multiple users.

Netgear recently went as far to proclaim the death of local media storage when it announced its ReadyNAS line of networked storage devices. The manufacturer says its new Ultra family of two-, four- and six-bay NAS units are designed to fill needs of networked homes, small- to medium-sized businesses and larger companies that need secondary storage options.

What makes the DLNA-certified line a natural complement to home use is its media-shifting options that allow installers to setup a home media network that offers a centralized location for media and file storage, and the ability to stream HD content to TiVOs and mobile devices.

Netgear says the line employs its drag-and-drop file management technologies, as well as X-RAID2 functionality.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Right now Apple's iPad is certainly a hot product for installers to integrate into their home control systems solutions, but there are other touchpanel products on the market that installers can use.

Home Automation, Inc.'s (HAI) new OmniTouchPro home control software is designed to be versatile whole-house control/automation solution that enables CE Pros to use third-party touchpanels in their home automation system installations.

HAI says the software (part number 1131) is the same interface that it runs on its Omnitouch 5.7e, 10p and 10pe touchpanels, and that it will run on most third-party touchpanels that employ Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Win7.

Once installed and setup as part of a system, the software can be used by homeowners to access and control their security, lighting, HVAC, audio/video and other electronics sub-systems. Installers can also customize the appearance of the interface through the use of color choices, icons, floorplans, room-specific pages and other elements.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

One hundred years is a long time and a lot could happen in this long of a time span.

In the case of the electronics company Denon, a lot of good things have happened during its century of existence. Recently, the electronics company announced that it was celebrating its 100th year in business with the launch of several new, limited edition products.

Two product highlights within this limited product release are the DP-A100 Direct Drive Turntable and the companion DL-A100 cartridge. The company plans on releasing these components this November and they will be available from just a handful of "Select Special Anniversary Denon" dealers.

Denon says the turntable will be based on its Direct Drive technology, which it has continued to refine over the past 40 years.

Supporting the release of the DP-A100 turntable, Denon is also introducing its DL-A100 cartridge, which it says that it based on its original DL-103 cartridge.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

There's no question that powerline technologies have advanced far beyond the Clapper.

A good example of how far the technologies have advanced can be found in Western Digital's WD Livewire Powerline AV Network kit.

Western Digital says the product is compatible with the HomePlug AV powerline networking standard and it allows CE Pros to retrofit a home with network connections by using its existing electrical outlets.

The Lake Forest, Calif.-based computing company says the system offers 200Mbps of data transfer speeds and enough ports to support the connection of seven networked devices, which could be anything from a console gaming system, to a Blu-ray Disc player with BD Live technologies.

Western Digital adds the powerline solution also supports 1080p video streams and its set up is plug-and-play to facilitate quick installations.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Currently there's a lot of talk of cloud computing and rumors of a super Apple iTunes platform that could eventually let consumers access their entire iTunes library from anyway.

Until those rumors turn into actual products however the need for storage is still important for anyone that owns a computer.

Data Robotics, Inc.'s Drobo line of data storage products features five series of components that can be used for everything from movie and music file storage in a residential home network, to critical data backup in a commercial business LAN.

Using the BeyondRaid storage technology that is said to protect data from hard drive crashes, the basic Drobo holds as many as four hard drives, and it can be expanded at any time to supports multiple terabytes of storage.

The unit can be used for Apple-, Linux- and Windows-based computers, and installers can use either FireWire 800 or USB to connect to a computer.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Pioneer Electronics has earned respect for its line of mainstream consumer electronics products that balance, cost, performance and value.

The company's Elite line of Blu-ray disc players have been cited as some of the best products on the market and now with the latest generation of Pioneer Elite Blu-ray players hitting the market, the company has built upon the performance of the players by adding Web streaming and wireless connectivity.

Pioneer Elite's mid-level BDP-31FD incorporates the company's PQLS jitter reduction technology for use with a companion Pioneer Elite receiver, as well as other installer-friendly features such as RS-232 for third-party control system integration, iPod Touch/iPhone control apps, BD-Live support, and the ability to stream Web-based content from media sites like Netflix.com and Youtube.com.

Installers can set up the Web-enabled BDP-31FD by connecting a traditional Ethernet cable to its Ethernet port, or in a retrofit situation, employ Pioneer's optional wireless AS-WL100 USB wireless adapter, which provides installers with the ability to integrate the player's Web functions with a homeowner's existing wireless network.

Friday, August 20, 2010

iPort is shipping its CM-IW2000 (CM2000) Control Mount for iPad, which has received a "Made For iPad" designation from Apple. The CM2000 allows an Apple iPad to be used as an in-wall touch panel, providing continuous charging of the iPad and connection via Wi-Fi.

Ari Supran, CEO of Dana Innovations, parent company of iPort, Sonance and TRUFIG, says the company is "extremely proud to be licensed by Apple for Made For iPad."

The iPort CM2000 secures the iPad into the wall with a discreet bezel and mounting frame, which is held magnetically to the metal wall box. The iPad home button remains accessible while its power button is replicated on the outer edge of the CM2000 frame. Power connection is made via Cat 5 cable running from the CM2000 through the wall to a single-gang power connection wall plate, which supports connection to the included power supply.

The CM2000 has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $499.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

With new housing starts still lagging and the economy continuing to splutter along, installers are now moving into the retrofit market.

Middleton, Wisc.-based Intelix's new DIGI-HD-COAX A/V extender enables custom installers to walk into an existing home and distribute high-definition video signals over a single coax cable.

The solution works with a home's existing RG-59 and RG-6 cables and the company says it can transmit 1080p video up to 300 feet and 1080i up to 675 feet. In addition, the transmission solution also includes signal amplification technologies to allow installers to daisy chain a system to feed as many as 10 displays.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

For years SurgeX has developed and engineered power protection products for the commercial market.

Now after dabbling in the residential channel, the company has fully committed to bringing its its commercial-grade technologies to the custom installation market through the release of its XU115 AC Surge Eliminator and Power Conditioner.

The XU115 is the first product in the N.C.-based company's Eliminator Series, and SurgeX says the unit includes its Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI noise filtering, as well as its browser-based powered management options for remote control of power settings and other diagnostic functions.

In addition, the 2U-high XU115 also provides voltage regulation, UPS backup and the company's proprietary Advanced Series Mode surge protection technology that is said to eliminate all surges up to 3,000 volts and 3,000 amps with no residual harm like voltage let-through and ground contamination.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

With nearly 30 years of manufacturing experience as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partner and as a provider of end user products for professional and consumer applications, the Danish company Dynaudio has earned a reputation as one of the top speaker companies in the entire world.

Several months ago the company announced its Consequence Ultimate Edition, which it says is engineered to provide music fans and home theater enthusiasts with a loudspeaker that is capable of producing an uncolored dynamic range of 17Hz to 30kHz.

The Danish manufacturer says the speaker utilizes a five-way design concept with proprietary drivers that were developed specifically for this speaker. In the speaker Dynaudio incorporates its Compound Bass System, which includes the use of an internal woofer that's unseen from the outside, and a driver arrangement that's designed to provide listeners with a cohesive, time-aligned listening experience.

Aesthically, Dynaudio wraps the speaker's inert cabinets with real-wood finishes and a choice of gold- or chrome-plated driver rings.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Apparently technology is like fashion in that things like leg warmers and analog audio can both go out and come back into style at a moment's notice.

Currently the consumer electronics market is experiencing a resurgence in historic technologies like tubes and vinyl, and for long-term supporters of these technologies like Lamm Industries, this renewed consumer interest is breeding new and younger buyers.

Lamm's new LL2.1 line-level tube preamplifier is the company's new replacement for its LL2 preamp. The Class A LL2.1 features a new circuit design, a tube rectifier, and a choke-type filter that Lamm says eliminates hum and buzz to provide users with a dynamic, uncolored listening experience.

The line-level preamp incorporates three inputs, one tape loop, two sets of outputs, a front panel muting switch, an attenuator for gain reduction, a global on/off switch for use with Lamm amps and an automatic mute that activates when the unit is turned off or on. In addition, Lamm offers the preamp in a standard and deluxe version. The deluxe version is identical to the standard version except its power supply energy storage is doubled, and all its film caacitors are paralleled by polystyrene capacitors.

Now let's hope that stone-wash pants and bad digital transfers stay in the 1980s.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

With devices like Blu-ray players, HDTVs and streaming devices becoming commodity items, these products are more accessible than ever to a broader range of consumers.

Audio Authority's new HXE-11 HDMI over Coax system provides installers a simple way of connecting those devices and facilitating their clients' high-definition home theater needs.

The system is capable of transmitting and receiving 1080p video and lossless audio over a single RG-6 cable for more than 200 feet.

The Lexington, Ken.-based manufacturer says that the system, which is comprised of a Model 1341T Transmitter and the Model 1341R Receiver, provides installers with an alternative to balun-based Cat-5 solutions.

Audio Authority adds the coax system is HDCP compliant, and that it's set up is plug-and-play with no programming required.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

There’s no question that vinyl is back. Driven by a backlash against low-resolution audio files and a renewed interest in the intangible value of holding a record, consumers and even installers are rediscovering the magic of LPs. Rega has always been a brand that’s been trusted by value-minded consumers as a go-to brand. The U.K.-based company’s new RP1 upholds the its value-driven reputation by providing audio enthusiasts with lots of performance for the dollar. The RP1 incorporates a manual speed change to save consumers some money, while eliminating the inconsistencies of automatic speed mechanisms. The turntable also includes a new, hand-built RB101 tonearm that features a precession main bearing, a phenolic-resin platter and low-vibration belt-drive motor.
Rega is distributed in the U.S. by the Sound Organisation.

Monday, August 09, 2010

With Apple, Inc. continuing to innovate on the mainstream level of consumer electronics, its products are finding ways into the specialty custom electronics market through the industry's acceptance of its hardware and software solutions.

The latest company adopting Apple's technologies to drive the use of its custom-oriented product line is Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI). RTI's new RTiPanel App for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad enables users to control their RTI XP series of remote processor components, including the Minn.-based company's flagship XP-8 processor and its XP-6 and XP-3 products.

RTI says installers can configure the customizable user interface by using its Integration Designer programming software to facilitate the control of their clients' A/V, HVAC, security and home automation devices.