CEDIA 2003
Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association

Part 1

 

  Audio Design Associates unveiled their new Cinema X system for those seeking high-end home theater without budget constraints. Know by some audiophiles as manufacturing the world's first tubed surround sound decoder, ADA was also the first manufacturer to begin shipping both a Dolby Digital pre-amplifier and AC-3 RF Demodulator in 1996. Their Cinema X involves a series of components that all center around the Cinema X processor/pre-amplifier. The Cinema X features connectivity for host of standard and completely new technologies including 1394, USB, DVI, and AES/EBU. In addition, the main the system includes the X-Terminal expandable and customizable termination block for sources to the system. For the output stage, the system can include the OTS-X Output Tube Stage. ADA's OTS-X features D/A conversion and an eight-channel tube output stage.

 

 

Energy Speaker Systems' new Veritas Custom line includes their top-of-the-range Veritas 2.3WM that incorporates two 6.5-inch woofers, 2-inch midrange and 1-inch domed tweeter. The drivers are mounted in their Convergent Source Module to match the timbre of their Veritas 2.3 floorstander. The front baffle is made from 1-inch thick MDF board. Frequency responce is from 35Hz to 20kHz and this in-wall loudspeaker needs a hole of 24.45 x 9.7 (inches) for mounting. Front panel adjustments allow for fine-tuning the unit for best sound reproduction for each installation.

 

 

Dolby Laboratories was supporting the industry approved high-resolution DVD-Audio standard as their Director for Consumer Technology Marketing said , "DVD-Audio is becoming an essential element of any high-quality home theater/home entertainment system. It is perfect for professional media system installers-and their clientele-who demand the highest quality entertainment experiences available. With its Advanced Resolution multi-channel capability and unique flexibility, DVD-Audio is rapidly being endorsed as the logical successor to the compact disc for packaged audio media. It adds the features, flexibility, and quality necessary to satisfy today's most demanding listeners." DVD-Audio has made the leap from home to mobile applications with the Pioneer AVH-P7500DVD ($1,564 street price, pictured), the world's first automotive aftermarket media center, and the first aftermarket in-car entertainment product incorporating DVD-Audio. Acura has recently announced that its 2004 Acura TL will offer the industry's first 5.1 DVD-Audio system as a standard feature. More than 75 record labels now support DVD-A, including Universal Music Group (with 25 recently announced titles), BMG, Capital-EMI, Warner Music Group, AIX, Silverline, and 5.1 Entertainment Group. More than 537 DVD-A titles are currently available globally, with new entries being released regularly.

 

 

NAD's new line of electronics now expands into A/V separates such as the T 163 A/V tuner pre-amplifier and the model T 973 with THX Ultra 2 decoding and seven channel power amplifier. NAD also had their first component with DVD-Audio playback, the T 533 DVD player.

 

 

PSB is introducing a complete new line of high performance in-wall and in-cabinet loudspeakers as an extension to their CustomSeries. It include three eight-inch models that have a matching in-wall subwoofer. The M6x1 as seen here combines one 6.5-inch polypropylene-cone, rubber-surround woofer and 1-inch swivel-mount aluminum-dome tweeter in a two-way design. Front-mounted, heavy-duty equalization switches to tailor response for system layout, your seating location, and your own preferences. In addition, PSB showcased one in-wall and two in-cabinet utilities being introduced using key components from the new Platinum Series for extended in-wall performance captured much of the nuance of PSB's best sounding floor standing speakers. PSB will again demonstrate the complete Platinum Series which is now shipping.

 

 

Snell introduces four new speakers for custom installation applications, two in-cabinet designs and two in-wall subwoofers. The XA 2500 In-Cabinet incorporates the exclusive eXpanding Array, which exhibits a broad, even vertical dispersion. Front panel switches compensate for in-cabinet mounting locations and treble loss when placed behind perforated screens. The entry level ICS 500 LCR In-cabinet Utility Speaker houses dual 6.5-inch Aerogel woofers, and a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. Enclosure was sized and tuned to integrate into standard A/V furniture. The AMC Sub10 is fully enclosed to prevent sound leakage, vibrations, and boominess while the AMC Sub88 is "open backed" making it better suited for retrofits.

 

 

Bowers & Wilkins, formerly known as B&W, has debuted a pair of new active subwoofers. Specifically, their ASW 700 ($1,300) and ASW 750 ($1,600, pictured) that feature a 10-inch driver powered by a built-in 500 watt amplifier or 12-inch driver and 1,000 watt unit (respectively). The ASW 750 produces frequencies down to 15 Hz (-6dB) and is claimed to be flat to 20Hz. Both new subwoofers begin with active, closed-box designs carefully engineered to employ the full range of advantages brought by the firm's unique woven-Kevlar driver technology. As for cabinet size, the ASW 700 is roughly 13 x 14 x 16 (inches) while the ASW 750 adds only about 2.5 inches to each dimension. Both units are finished in hand-rubbed real wood veneers (Black Ash, Cherry, Roseunt, Walnut, and Maple).

 

 

Theta introduced their versatile multi-format DVD player and powerful Casablanca III Music and Cinema Controller. Combining a high-quality DVD/CD transport with advanced processing, the Theta Compli is as close to being a universal source component as current technology allows, making it ideal for high-end Home Theater or entertainment uses. Compli supports over 15 popular formats and includes six-channel analog audio outputs; digital PCM, DTS and Dolby Digital outputs, a digital interface; and RS-232 control. The Casablanca III surround processors features near vast versatility that is said to eliminate the need to choose between audiophile music quality and video-based surround sound. Key features include Theta Open Architecture, a fast new operating system, Central Power Redistribution to correct theater sound mixes played at home, DVD-A/SACD support, and Jitter Jail circuitry to virtually eliminate jitter.

 

 

Acoustic Room Systems exhibited a unique room treatment that maximizes multi- and two-channel audio performance in Home Theaters and other residential environments. ARS is sole nationwide distributor and installer to the Home Theater market of the innovative SelectSound fire-resistant audio enhancement system by Owens Corning. Using special acoustic panels and fabrics, ARS creates a tunable, full-band-width treatment system for each installation, with absorption capabilities down to 100Hz and diffusion performance as low as 800Hz.

 

 

Going from high-quality home audio to mass market saturation with surround sound loudspeaker systems is Klipsch with their new affordable Reference Satellite loudspeakers. The RSX-4 and RSX-5 monitors and the RCX-4 center channel are relatively unobtrusive in size and require a subwoofer for lower frequency reproduction. Both monitors and the center channel have integrated pedestal stands with ball joints that allow them to be adjusted in almost any direction by simply using the provided allen wrench. Keyholes are provided on the underside of the stand base for no-hassle wall mounting. Grilles magnetically snap into place over the cast-aluminum front baffles, while five-way binding posts ensure secure connection to any type of cable. The new Klipsch RW subwoofers complete these Reference Satellite configurations by adding high-impact, deep bass. All Reference Satellites are two-way, magnetically shielded speakers that use 1-inch titanium-dome compression drivers coupled to Klipsch's new round MicroTractrix Horns. The RSX-4 and RSX-5 employ 4- and 5.25-inch woofers, respectively, while the RCX-4 has a pair of the 4-inch drivers flanking its MicroTractrix horn. The Reference Satellites are packaged individually for mix-and-match simplicity at $150 for the RSX-4 monitor, $200 for the RSX-5monitor, and $250 for the RCX-4 center channel. They are also available in home theater packages as the Cinema 8 with four RSX-4s, one RCX-4 and one RW-8 at $1,195 or Cinema 10 package with four RSX-5s, one RCX-4 and one RW-10 at $1,545.

 

 

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complete listing of show exhibitors.

 

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