Home Theater

April 30, 2009—Sonance has long held the lead position in the architectural, in-wall and in-ceiling speaker marketplace. Now, the company that invented—and popularized—this category has announced the availability of their latest innovative variation—the Invisible Speaker Series. The flat-panel driver technology developed by Sonance is featured in three new models, two of which utilize improved planar technology. The Sonance Invisible Series speakers are entirely flat and vanish into the room design, delivering ambient music that emanates from the walls and ceilings.

"The Invisible Series products let our custom installation pros make the speakers truly disappear for the first time without compromising sound," says Ari Supran, Chief Operating Officer. "The Sonance Invisible Series completely rewrites the rules and gives interior designers what they've been demanding for so long—preservation of the aesthetics of interior design—while freeing the audio system designer to choose speaker locations based purely on performance, rather than the visual demands of customers or designers."

The new Sonance Invisible Series consists of three models that feature improved installability and upgraded performance. 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.Read more

March 16, 2009 -- Onkyo has introduced two entry-level home theater in a box (HTiB) packaged systems, each consisting of an HDMI-equipped audio-video receiver, five or seven surround-sound loudspeakers with subwoofer, and the top model includes an iPod docking station. When combined with a HDTV video display, Blu-Ray or DVD player, and cable/satellite TV box, these systems provide everything needed for a fully satisfying home theater surround sound experience.

"With the current economic climate, our high-value entry-level HTiB's are doing quite well," said Paul Wasek, Marketing Manager, Onkyo USA. “The addition of Audyssey technologies along with new DSP gaming modes and HDMI connectivity make these systems a real value for the consumer.”

Both systems include 1080p compatible HDMI connections, with HDMI Pass-Thru for optimal high definition video quality, including Deep Color and x.v.Color. For optimum sound quality, sources are connected via optical/coaxial digital connections, using a range of Dolby and DTS processing modes. There are four DSP gaming modes for rock, sports, action, and role-playing sound effects. The HT-S5200 incorporates Audyssey 2EQ™ room correction technology to automatically adjusts the sound character and time delay of each speaker relative to the listening positions, Audyssey Dynamic Volume™ which maintains optimal listening levels and dynamic range and Audyssey Dynamic EQ™ that adjusts the loudness contour on the fly to optimize sound quality for any volume, particularly at low listening levels. The HT-S3200 utilizes Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ technologies. Read more

March 12, 2009 – As the first installment of its 2009 product line-up, Onkyo has introduced three new home theater receivers, including the world's first to offer Dolby's new ProLogic IIz processing, which can produce sound effects above the listener's head. Theses models, which range in price from $299 to $599, also include an array of advanced HD audio and video technologies from Onkyo, Dolby, DTS, Audyssey, Faroudja, and others that were previously only available at higher price points. They feature up to six HDMI inputs, and include the first AV receiver with a front-panel HDMI input.

With the debut of the new TX-SR607 receiver, Onkyo has the distinction of becoming the world’s first manufacturer to launch a 7.2-channel home cinema receiver featuring the all-new Dolby Pro-Logic IIz mode. Designed to take home cinema sound to new heights (literally!) DPL IIz introduces a vertical aspect to the sound field through the addition of left and right-channel front height speakers mounted above the main speakers. Based on the initial positive reactions to demonstrations of this technology to dealers, Onkyo anticipates good demand for expanded height channel capabilities in future models. Read more

THIEL Audio has been one of our favorite loudspeaker manufacturers for quite some time…after all, they have been around for over 30 years. This Lexington, Kentucky based company produces some of the finest loudspeakers in the marketplace, and they do not disappoint with the SCS4 bookshelf-sized speaker system.

The SCS4 is 17.6" tall, 8.4" wide and is a versatile, two-way bookshelf-sized speaker system that can perform as a full-range stereo pair, surround-sound, or center-channel speaker in multi-channel or two channel systems. Because of its coaxial/coincident driver mounting, the output of the speaker is balanced and coherent no matter where you are in the room.

Company president Kathy Gornik said, "The SCS4’s high efficiency, magnetic shielding, narrow shape, and very accurate reproduction make it perfect for use as a high performance center or rear channel speaker in home theater and multi-channel systems." Kathy also said that "the SCS4 is an all-purpose, full-range speaker as comfortable in demanding music systems as it is reproducing movie soundtracks. And we are able to offer it at a much more affordable price than previous THIEL models."

Priced at $990 each, these are not inexpensive speakers by any means, but the sound quality you receive make the SCS4 worth every penny. Read more

March 4, 2009— Tributaries Cable, the Florida company that sets the standard for high-performance, high-value accessories and cables for custom home audio and home-theater installations, recently announced a pair of new home theater AC power managers that offer improved technology and added flexibility, rounding out the Tributaries line of innovative power products.

The new T100 and T200 feature extensive capacity by providing a cumulative power availability of up to 1800 watts. The new models incorporate a new Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) surge suppression technology that provides faster response time and increased absorption (up to 60% more current during a spike) over traditional MOVs. Key among the advantages of the new MOV design, is its ceramic casing—providing far greater protection from failure and offering faster heat dissipation so the accumulated temperature remains low. Also, because the temperature stays low during a spike, the lifespan of the new type of MOV lasts 10 times longer than a standard MOV. Additional surge suppression is provided for telephone connections and RF signal paths specifically designed for cable, satellite or antenna devices. Read more

So you just got a brand spankin’ new HDTV, perhaps your first one ever, and are undoubtedly chomping at the bit to immerse yourself in the high-def home theater lifestyle. If you’ve taken the plasma or LCD-screen TV out of its box and now find yourself unsure of how to proceed, there’s hope. The experts at CableOrganizer.com are offering this checklist of tips, accessories and money-saving suggestions to answer that burning question: “now what?”

Screen Mounts: First things first, HD fans: if you’re planning on hanging that new flat screen on the wall or from the ceiling, you’re going to need a strong and secure monitor mount. There are several different types available, with each functioning a little differently based on how you want your screen to be positioned in relation to your viewing area. Read more

February 23, 2009––Yamaha Electronics Corporation just introduced a new line of versatile, high-performance AV receivers featuring the RX-V665 (MSRP: $549.95), successor to the RX-V663, the industry's best-selling model in 2008. This model and the other four in the line (RX-V765, MSRP: $649.95; RX-V565, MSRP: $479.95; RX-V465, MSRP: $379.95; and RX-V365, MSRP $249.95) deliver the best HD video and audio performance along with exceptional versatility at popular price points.

Yamaha's new systems enable music and movie enthusiasts to fully enjoy their Blu-ray players, broadcast HD services and gaming consoles with comprehensive feature sets through most of the line. The top four models feature four 1080p compatible HDMI inputs. The top three also upscale analog video to 1080p full HD resolution for stunning, lifelike picture quality, even from non-HD video sources. On the audio side, all models, starting with the RX-V465, offer a full complement of surround sound audio decoders (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio). Read more