Home Theater

MartinLogan is well known by audiophiles worldwide for their electrostatic loudspeakers. The company's latest, the new Motion 20 and Motion 40 tower speakers, are now available sporting a new cabinet design, larger drivers and MartinLogan's Folded Motion tweeter.

Designed for small to medium sized rooms, the Motion 20 is a floorstanding speaker featuring two 5-1/2" aluminum cone woofers paired with a rear-firing bass port and, as stated above, MartinLogan's advanced resolution Folded Motion tweeter. All work together to deliver solid low-frequency reinforcement, excellent sound dispersion and dynamic high frequencies. The Motion 20 is compact at 36.6" tall and has a recommended amplifier power of 20-200 watts per channel. The Motion 20 is available now for $749.95 each.

The larger Motion 40 (42.5-inches tall) packs in the Folded Motion tweeter, a 5-1/2" aluminum mid-bass, dual 6-1/2" oversized bass cones, and a rear-firing bass port, to deliver higher output and deeper bass performance. The addition of a dedicated midrange woofer also allows for a more open, authentic midrange. The Motion 40 is available now for $949.95 each.Read more

Onkyo has two new mid-range A/V receivers hitting store shelves in May - the TX-NR717 and TX-NR818. Both are 7.2-channel network receivers which use Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs on all seven channels, with the TX-NR818 adding PLL jitter-clearing circuits, isolated pre-amp blocks, and an isolated power amplifier. In addition, both models are THX Select 2 Plus certified and feature the Marvel Qdeo processor, which can upscale all sources up to 1080p and 4K.

The new models also include Onkyo's new InstaPrevue and MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) technologies. InstaPrevue displays video thumbnails on-screen, showing available content on connected devices, which simplifies switching HDMI sources. You'll find eight HDMI inputs (one front, and seven rear) and two outputs, with 3D content supported on both, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio decoding.

March Madness is here and Best Buy is teaming up with LG to offer some "mad deals" for TV viewers who enjoy college basketball's most popular tournament. Now through March 31, Best Buy will feature in-store and online deals on the following new TVs from LG:

• 47-inch or 55-inch, LED 1080p Smart 3D HDTV (LM6700 and LM7600 models) with a free soundbar and 12 pairs of 3D glasses
• 47-inch or 55-inch, LED 1080p Smart 3D HDTV (model LM6200) with free 3D Blu-Ray player and 12 pairs of 3D glasses

And don't forget about Best Buy's Perfect Match Promise! It includes:

• 30-day free phone support to get products up and running
• 30-days of easy returns with no restocking fees
• 30-days of competitor price matching
• If it's not your perfect match, Best Buy will pick it up for free within 30 days of purchase (home theater purchases only)
• Free delivery for TVs 46" and up purchased in-store or online

Panasonic this week announced pricing and availability for its 2012 Blu-ray player lineup. It consists of four new Full HD 3D models – the DMP-BBT01, DMP-BDT500, DMP-BDT320, DMP-BDT220, and two 2D Blu-ray players – DMP-BD87 and the DMP-BD77. All four of the 3D models include VIERA Connect, and the 2D models feature IP VOD for access to Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu and YouTube.

Panasonic's Full HD 3D Blu-ray players include an improved UniPhier chip processor, 24p output for VOD, an expanded VIERA Connect functionality, and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec),192Hz/32bit Audio DAC (not available on the DMP-BBT01), Smartphone remote control capability, a new touchpad remote control (available on DMP-BBT01, DMP-BDT500, DMP-BDT320), 2D-to-3D up-conversion, and a new slot-in drive (only on the DMP-BBT01 and DMP-BDT320). In addition, the DMP-BBT01 features a stand, allowing for operation either vertically or horizontally.

"Panasonic is always working to improve its technology, design, and commitment to providing the consumer with the best possible video and audio experiences. We are also very mindful of the need to provide products that are user friendly and easy to operate," said Alex Fried, Product Manager, Panasonic Consumer Marketing Company of North America. "Features such as the slot-in drive, home screen customization, enhancement of VIERA Connect allow consumers to easily personalize their entertainment experience to fit their lifestyle. Additionally, a feature like the slot-in drive is one that makes it extremely easy for the user to insert and play the disc."

Specs:

When setting up a home theater, one of the main issues you have to think about is the amount of bright ambient light in the room. That's not the case with the new Acer H6500 home entertainment projector. This 1080p Full HD DLP projector featuring a 10,000:1 contrast ratio is able to deliver excellent color tone even in well-lit areas (yes, even outside!) thanks to its ColorSafe II technology and 2,100 ANSI lumens light output.

The Acer H6500 weighs in at just 5.6 pounds, measures 10.6-inches (L) by 8.1-inches (W) by 3.3-inches (H), and can project an image up to 300-inches. As far as connectivity options are concerned, it offers D-Sub, Composite, Component, USB and 2x HDMI. And, with multiple-PC source input, several PCs can be connected to the projector at the same time.

"The Acer H6500 projector is an excellent choice for the home with its ability to showcase Full HD 1080p video and superior color performance even in areas with bright ambient light," said Chris White, senior director of product marketing, Acer America. "Home theater enthusiasts can now enjoy film quality viewing outdoors at night or indoors without having to close the shades or turn out all the lights. Plus, the projector is easy to set up and use and is earth-friendly, since the power consumption can be reduced up to 70 percent." Read more

Earlier this month we told you about four new AV receivers from Onkyo. But what if you need a full-fledged home theater system? The first two home theater packages have been announced for Onkyo's 2012 lineup – each entry level system featuring an audio video receiver with a matched set of home theater surround sound speakers.

First up is the HT-S3500, delivering 5.1-channel surround sound. The package includes the HT-R391 receiver, two bass reflex front speakers, two satellite surrounds, and a bass reflex center speaker. A subwoofer with 8-inch (20 cm) down-firing cone is also included.

The step up HT-S5500 offers a 7.1 channel speaker configuration with two additional satellite speakers, and a 7.1 channel receiver. It also includes an Audyssey room acoustic correction system and support for Dolby Pro Logic IIz. Read more

Onkyo this week unveiled four new AV receivers – the TX-NR616, TX-NR515, TX-NR414 and TX-SR313. Three of the new receivers offer network capability, and are also the first to include MP3tunes. In the 2012 line, you'll also find the first AV receivers with Silicon Image's InstaPrevue and Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) technologies.

The 5.1-Channel TX-NR313 is the least expensive of the group (no network connectivity on this model) but it does come with four HDMI ports, three digital inputs (two optical, one coaxial), Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and sARC (Audio Return Channel) support to route a compatible TV's audio back through the receiver. It offers 3D support and also has a USB port on the front of the device for connection to your iPod, iPhone or flash-memory device.

The TX-NR313 will sell for $299. It will available in March.Read more

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