Home Theater

Meridian Audio announced on Wednesday that its HD621 HDMI Audio Processor now supports 3D video formats, thanks to a firmware update.

Meridian's HD621 is the link between a Meridian system and the latest sources that use HDMI. HD621 separates HDMI audio and video, usually carried via the same cable, delivering pristine audio to a Meridian system. Meanwhile the video content is fed direct to the display via a single cable, eliminating additional switching. And now, the HD621 gets even better with its brand new firmware which adds support for 3D video formats.

HD621 also performs up- and down-sampling of digital audio, and includes Meridian's FIFO buffering technology to remove jitter and deliver a significant improvement in sound quality from all HDMI sources.

The 3D capable firmware is already being installed in all new HD621 HDMI Audio Processors, and is now available to all Meridian retailers and installers who can update products already installed in customers' homes.

This week at CES, Meridian unveiled the new M6 loudspeaker. With its circular footprint and tapered column design, the M6 certainly grabs your attention. While this British-designed-and-built speaker has a striking look – all the way up to its halo-like blue ring of light that appears when powered on – anyone who is familiar with Meridian knows that it's what's inside this baby that really counts.

Featuring Meridian's Digital Signal Processing and active electronic technologies, the M6 is much more than just a 'speaker'. These technologies combine to create a loudspeaker that performs like a conventional speaker but with eight times the physical volume. Iinside the circular base of the speaker you'll find two amplifiers – one (100W) dedicated to the 85mm wide-range driver, and the other (150W) to the 140mm bass driver. There's also a tuned porting system that extends the loudspeaker's low-frequency performance even further. And, the low-frequency driver is mounted so that it plays downwards for solid bass reproduction. Read more

January marks GoldenEar Technology's first full year of product shipments and the company is starting 2012 out with a bang, introducing three new products at CES– their first soundbar, first main front stage architectural speaker and a second Triton Tower.

The new Triton Three Tower, a smaller version of the Triton Two, which has received numerous Speaker and Audio Product of the Year awards, is perfect for consumers wanting a more compact loudspeaker that delivers extraordinary sound quality.

Designed for both high-quality two-channel systems as well as in multi-channel home theater and music systems, the Triton Three Tower incorporates the built-in powered subwoofer technology first pioneered by GoldenEar principals Sandy Gross and Don Givogue. Inside you'll find an 800-watt digital/DSP controlled power amp driving an active front-mounted long-throw 5"x 9" quadratic subwoofer driver. This is coupled to two opposing, inertially balanced 6.75"x 8" quadratic planar infrasonic passive radiators which are located on the sides, near the floor, in order to take full advantage of boundary coupling. Also, just like the Triton Two, the Triton Three features 4.5" high-definition cast basket MVPP drivers, along with the same GoldenEar High Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) tweeter.

As far as performance is concerned, the Triton Three delivers the same boxless three-dimensional imaging as the Two, and the deep, powerful subwoofer bass blends perfectly with the transparent midrange and smooth high frequencies, which put many more expensive speakers to shame. Read more

ZVOX announced three new sound bars this week – the Z-Base 220, Z-Base 320 and Z-Base 420. Designed to be placed under your flat panel TV, the new models deliver surround sound without the need of additional external speakers or subwoofers. And, with a price tag of $199.99, $249.99 and $299.99, these are the most affordable Z-Base systems to date.

The Z-Base 220 can be used under most TVs from 22" to 32" in size, or simply place it on a shelf. About the size of a DVD player (17" x 14.5" x 3.4"), the Z-Base 220 packs in three full-range speakers, 5.25" powered subwoofer, 35-watt amplifier and PhaseCue II virtual surround sound -- all in a single cabinet. It delivers room-filling 3D sound with no external speakers, subwoofers or speaker wires. Price: $199.99

The next model, the Z-Base 320, measures in at 24" wide and 11.5" deep and is strong enough to support most TVs from 27" to 46" in size but can be placed just about anywhere -- even on a bookshelf. The sound bar features three full-range speakers, 5.25" powered subwoofer, 40-watt amplifier and PhaseCue II virtual surround sound. Price: $249.99 Read more

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) takes place January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas but the new product announcements have already started rolling in. Big news (literally) from Westinghouse Digital – the company will unveil its largest offering to date, the 70-inch UW70T9VZ 1080p Full HD LED TV. This new LED TV boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and has an 8 ms response time.

Also, Westinghouse will be debuting its first offering from an upcoming line of ultra-slim bezel LED HDTVs - the 46-inch UW46T5PZ. This 1080p Full HD TV, in addition to its ultra-slim bezel design, offers great picture quality and features a 120Hz refresh rate.

But CES won't be all about TVs. Westinghouse will also be showcasing its first soundbar, the WSB-N20BW Series Soundbar with Wireless Bluetooth. The soundbar will feature powerful sound and a sleek, clean design, offering 2x12 watts, a class D amplifier, and a frequency response of 85Hz – 20Khz, with enhanced bass.

We'll keep you updated as additional information is announced. In the meantime, go to www.westinghousedigital.com to check out the company's current offerings.

From HDTVs to great sounding table top radios and more, here are some of the best gadgets to keep you and your guests entertained this holiday season.

Epson MegaPlex MG-50
This holiday season set all of the content on your phone free by sharing it on a big screen indoors or out with the MegaPlex MG-50 combo projector. Equipped with a high-quality projector, stereo speakers and a built-in dock for iPod, iPhone and iPad, the MegaPlex makes it easy to project baby's first steps, family photo memories and even your favorite videos on a big wall, making for an unforgettable holiday occasion and "mega" memories that will last a lifetime. Catering to the new digital lifestyle, the MegaPlex is changing the way movies, gaming, slideshows, presentations, music, and more are shared – whether inside for a movie-like setting or even outdoors! Read more

Let's face it – audiophiles can be a discriminating bunch. They want the best in everything; HDTV, sound system, speakers, even the A/V cables must provide the ultimate listening experience. There's a new line of high-end audio, video, digital, speaker and power cables from Gordon J. Gow Technologies (manufacturer of Tributaries cables) that are sure to please audiophiles worldwide – the Clarus Audiophile Collection.

What makes the Clarus Audiophile Collection so special? For starters, they're made from Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting (PCOCC) – the purest copper in the world. They also feature CNC-machined gold-plated connectors, individually insulated cable strands and precision impedances. In addition, the cables are designed with three different conductor types – solid heavy-gauge conductors, flat conductors and spiral-ribbon conductors. By designing the cables with multiple strand sizes and shapes, clarity is greatly improved for a more enhanced, open sound. Simply put, the Clarus Audiophile Collection is truly in a class by itself. Read more

You'll soon be able to get HARMAN's Lexicon DD-8 Multi-Room Power Amplifier in a black finish version, the company announced on Thursday.

The Lexicon DD-8 Multi-Room Amplifier is an eight-channel amplifier that delivers a whopping 1,000 watts of power (125 watts into each of its eight channels) from a design that measures just 2.1 inches high by 17.3 inches wide by 14.9 inches deep and weighs only 9.2lbs. All that power from such a small chassis is made possible by HARMAN's DriveCore amplifier IC chip (co-developed with Texas Instruments) which incorporates an unprecedented level of component integration into an IC that is smaller than a postage stamp.

"The wide adaptation in custom installation applications and multiple accolades of the Lexicon DD-8 are confirmation of the sonic integrity of this amplifier," said Jim Garrett, Senior Manager, Marketing HARMAN Luxury Audio Group. "We felt the addition of another color is another tool in continuing to provide our dealers with the most complete array of options available."Read more

Klipsch this week launched its highest performance subwoofer to date – the SW-115.

Built to deliver booming bass with low distortion, this subwoofer features a front firing 15-inch extra-long-throw driver and a BASH Digital Hybrid Amplifier for efficient, reliable power. Speaking of power, this baby can deliver as much as 400 watts of continuous power, with a bass response below 20 Hz. The subwoofers' front-firing port allows the SW-115 to blend into any setup without any loss of sound.

The SW-115 weighs in at a massive 69 pounds and can be fitted into a recess or cabinet for maximum output with minimal resonance. In addition, a WA port is located on the rear amp panel, which can be used with the Klipsch WA-2 wireless kit, allowing you to place the subwoofer almost anywhere in the room.Read more