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Sony's HT-IS100 HTIB features micro-drivers
Sony continues its series of home theater updates today with a new HTIB, the HST-S100. Like some previous Sony packages, the HST-S100 doesn't feature a central receiver, instead integrating the 450W amplifier, 3 HDMI ports and Sony Digital Media Port right into the back of the sub. Furthering the stealth factor, the five speakers themselves are no bigger than strawberries -- which has us wondering about mid-range performance, but we'll withhold judgement until we actually hear 'em. You get some other mid-high-end goodies for your $700 as well, like S-AIR wireless speaker capability, Bravia SYNC for Theater, which simplifies operation with select Sony gear, and auto speaker calibration. Should be out in July, we're told.
LG / Mark Levinson audio-video products get priced, start shipping
Not like the actual products are any surprise, but all of that LG / Mark Levinson kit that was announced at CES has finally been given a proper price tag and release date. The handful of home theater audio systems (or HTIBs, as it were) arrive in a plethora of arrangements for nearly any need, and prices on the sets range from $299.95 to $649.95. Check out the read link for the complete rundown of what the LHT888, LHT874, LHT854, LFD850 and LFA840 systems include, and head on down to Best Buy, Circuit City or any other fine retailer to pick one up right now if you find yourself duly impressed.
Sony's 5.1-channel HT-IS100 HTIB touts golf ball-sized satellites
It's a common issue: you're looking to get a bona fide surround sound system, but you've no room for any monstrous towers or bulky bookshelf surrounds. Enter Sony's latest HTIB, the HT-IS100. Featuring a 200-watt subwoofer complemented by five "golf ball-sized" satellites that get 45-watts apiece, the system supports Dolby Digital / Dolby Pro Logic II / DTS and comes with a handy remote. As for the port selection, you'll find a trio of HDMI and optical digital audio jacks, coaxial digital audio, composite (x2) and stereo outs as well. Unfortunately, there's no telling when the set will be coming Stateside (though launches in North America and Europe are promised), but those in Japan can look for it on June 25th for ¥90,000 ($883).[Via AP]
Pioneer announces DVD-only HTZ-373DV HTIB in Japan
Lest you think everyone in Japan comes home to a fancy Blu-ray recorder the likes of which can't be had in the US, Pioneer's HTZ-373DV HTIB system provides a sobering dose of reality. Just announced in Japan, the DVD-only system boasts five 60-Watt satellites, a 60-Watt subwoofer, and a mysterious 30-Watt 'central speaker' that we're not sure where to place. This 5.1+1 system covers a range of about 82Hz - 20kHz, which might be just fine for the smaller settings typical in Japan, but probably rules it out for release in the US market. Even in Japan, it seems, there's plenty of buyers who are willing to stick with DVD.
Panasonic delivers SC-BT100 Blu-ray HTIB
The Blu-ray equipped SC-BT100 HTIB system Panasonic showed onstage at their CES press conference is set for US release in the same "spring" timeframe as the DMP-BD50 standalone Blu-ray player. HTIB systems are all about convenience, so rest assured that Panasonic threw in some niceties for your other gear: iPod dock, an SD card slot and AVCHD support for your videos shot (hopefully) with a Panasonic video camera. If the 5.1-channels you get out of the box aren't enough, you can add one additional pair of speakers with an optional transceiver unit. All in all, it looks like a pretty good HTIB system: 5-disc changer, Blu-ray final standard (1.1), DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD and 5.1 channels (with wireless surrounds) for $1000. We would advise, however, you take the 250-Watt power rating with a grain of salt.
Pioneer releases Elite HTIB, HTS-LX70
Most all HTIB systems are a play on the same theme: bundle speakers, a receiver and optionally a disc spinner together and put a bow on top. Pioneer has put a spin on things with its HTS-LX70 (seen earlier at CEDIA), though. Taking a cue from desktop speaker systems, the HTS-LX70 packs the requisite audio amp, decoders (including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA) and 3 HDMI inputs into the subwoofer unit. The four multi-directional speakers get billing as Dodec technology, and are treated to automated MCACC tweaking. System info is spelled out on a separate display, and all control of the knob- and button-free rig is handled by remote; so keep a fresh set of batteries handy. Streamlining is the name of the game here; missing from the package contents are a center channel speaker (we assume handled by Front Stage Surround tech) and the Blu-ray player that snuck into the photo shoot. It's in the Elite lineup, so the $1800 price isn't shocking; what will be interesting is how many Elite buyers are interested in HTIB elegance over separates performance.[Via AudioJunkies]Read - [Warning: PDF link]
Sony's 5.1 RHT-S10 speaker gets detailed
Surely you remember Sony's all-in-one media stand (optional) / surround sound system combo from CES, right? If not, Sony's giving you a reason to recall, as it's just unveiled a full list of specifications and a swank new picture of its RHT-S10. The unit boasts 350-watts of total power (50-watts x 5 + 100-watts x 1), a subwoofer pre-out, HDMI control, a digital media port, FM tuner, coaxial digital audio input, a trio of optical audio inputs, two composite audio inputs and a power save mode. You'll also notice a digital amplifier capable of understanding Dolby Digital and DTS along with News, Standard, Cinema, Sports, Music and Personal Audio sound modes. Sadly, pricing / availability remain a mystery.[Thanks, Lawrence]Update: Sony pinged us to say that it will be out in May for $800, and a wall mount kit will be bundled in.
Onkyo shows off build-as-you-go BASE-V20HD HTIB in Japan
Seriously, Onkyo's recent flurry of HT-related releases should be able to satisfy most anyone's requirements. But greedy gadget-hounds that we are, we'd like to see the BASE-V20HD system announced for Japan arrive here in the US. It's a HTIB starter system with an upgrade path already planned out. Start yourself out with the core of the system: your entry fee of ¥92,400 ($880) nets a compact 5-channel, 30-Watt receiver with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA support, DTS Surround Sensation and Audyssey DynamicEQ; a 60-Watt sub unit; and two small bookshelf speakers. Then, when you get the yen (ahem) for true surround, add in a D-108C center channel (¥12,600 / $120) and two additional D-108M speakers (¥9,450 / $90) for rear channel duty. Sounds interesting to us, but we'll just have to keep hoping Onkyo brings this setup stateside.
Yamaha goes small with its TSS-20 HTIB
Just in case you can't find a HTIB (home theater in a box) system from Yamaha's CES salvo of four systems, the company has rolled out the TSS-20 at the "really small" end of the scale. The receiver of Yamaha's other HTIB systems has been replaced by a small module that pumps out 6-Watts to the five Bose-esque satellites, and the bass unit (we wouldn't call it a subwoofer) packs 18-Watts of oomph. This setup looks an awful lot like an acoustimass rig, but we're hoping it sounds better. No pricing announced, but it should ship in late May (at least in Japan).
Onkyo intros HT-S5100, HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 HTIB systems
If the HT-SP908 and HT-SP904 systems that Onkyo brought you last fall were just slightly too rich for your blood, the firm is banging out a new trio of HTIBs that just might slide right into your budget. Starting things off is the top-end HT-S5100, which includes a 7.1-channel HT-R560 receiver with three HDMI inputs (and one output), Audyssey 2EQ room correction technology and 130-watts per channel to go along with the seven loudspeakers and single 290-watt powered subwoofer. With this one, you'll also find a dedicated iPod dock and charging station. As for the HT-S4100 and HT-S3100, both sets include five speakers and a subbie, but the latter system's earth-shaker gets powered by the receiver while the former has 200-watts of built-in oomph (and an iPod dock, too). The whole lot comes with a bundled remote and can be had in black or silver motifs, and as for pricing, you'll be looking at $579, $479, and $379, respectively.
Emotiva ER 5.0 speakers get reviewed
There's udio lot to be said for speakers that are designed to work well together in your AV setup. And if you hang around internet forums for a while, you'll come across internet-only speaker companies that promise tremendous value; but can you trust the interwebs? Judging by the full and exhaustive review by Audioholics, you can when it comes to internet-direct vendor Emotiva's upcoming ER 5.0 speaker system. They may not have been wowed by the aesthetics, but once the lights went down and the sound went up, the system acquitted itself quite nicely. For $1250, you get three monitors across the front and two bipolar/dipolar speakers in the back; well-assembled and including real-world usable features like boundary compensation and tweeter response adjustments. The system did well on the test bench, too, turning in some respectably flat curves. It's always refreshing to see what good design can do with 5.25-inch woofers, 1-inch tweeters and sealed enclosures. Hit the link for the full review.
KEF hatches KHT2005.3 HTIB speakers
Given that HTIB systems are typically intended for a convenience- and style-minded crowd, you'd think that better naming schemes would be in order. We're afraid that lots of potential customers might see KHT2005.3 and think it's been around since year 2005. Not the case -- it's the third revision of KEF's Home Theater 2005 series. As such, we're pressed to find lots of changes in the refresh -- the egg-shaped satellites look to be the same 4-inch mid and 0.75-inch tweeter in KEF's Uni-Q arrangement. The subwoofer, however, looks like it's changed to a KUBE-2 unit that features a 10-inch driver coupled with a 10-inch radiator, all backed by a 200-Watt class-D amp. The previous model KHT2005.2 is a well-regarded setup (especially for HTIB), so if you're not into "rolling your own" then give these a listen -- we bet you could do a lot worse for $1299 MSRP.
Panasonic puts speakers in TV stand, calls it SC-HTR110
Having come to the land of HD from the audio world, it's ironic to see the return of essentially "console" systems that put speakers, amps and processing in a TV stand. But hey, fashion moves in cycles, right? Seriously, we'd recommend a HTIB system before one of these, but if you are really space- or fashion-constrained, or simply can't be bothered to think about both audio equipment and display furniture, then Panasonic's new SC-HTR110 might interest you. They've come up with a clever name, "rack theater," which will compliment your (naturally) Viera TV with basic surround decoding (including Dolby Virtual Speaker tech for surround-ish sound), amplification and four drivers spread across L/R channels. All of that, built into the TV stand! Up for grabs next month in Japan (where it makes more sense); let's hope this is one trend that doesn't catch on Stateside.
Hands-on with the SE2 Labs ITC One
Although a show like EHX (Electronic House Expo) is small compared to CEDIA or CES, it is a great chance to get up close and personal with hardware you'd otherwise not be able to -- 'cause it costs so darn much. And we have to say, the all-in-one gadget lover's idea of the perfect home theater system, the SE2 Labs' ITC One, is pretty cool in person. We mean, what's not to love about a $25k box that does everything including an Xbox 360, Apple TV, Blu-ray payer, 7.1 AV/R with amplifier and controller for misc automation gadgets around the house. We have to say, it didn't disappoint as long as you don't subscribe to the jack of all trades master of none motto, but switching between devices could've been more seamless.%Gallery-18432%
Canton intros Movie 80 CX and Movie 120 MX HTIB systems
Yeah, most HTIB systems aren't anything to phone home about, but we've a sneaking suspicion that Canton's latest duo would outperform the bulk of those found strewn about in big box retailers. Up first is the Movie 80 CX, which includes four two-way mini satellites (3.5-inches tall, 4-inches deep) and a 100-watt powered subwoofer that packs a 6-inch cellulose / graphite driver in a bandpass enclosure. Next, we've got the Movie 120 MX, which has its sats arranged in a more vertical position for increased cabinet volume and better mid-bass performance. Additionally, this set includes an 8-inch subbie that can reach all the way down to 33Hz. As for pricing, you can pick up the 80 CX for $699, while the 120 MX will land at $899 in glossy black or silver outfits. %Gallery-18272%
SE2 Labs' $25000 ITC One now shipping, with Blu-ray
It simply wouldn't do to ship a $25,000 everything-included box with an HD DVD drive after the format has been pronounced dead, leading SE2 Labs to swap out the HD DVD drive originally planned for the ITC One with Blu-ray. Apparently $25k isn't enough to buy an update to the website, which still lists HD DVD (or a Nintendo Wii) as the secondary drive option, but we're sure it'll all be sorted out by the time this 100 pound-plus integrated chassis (DVR, Xbox 360, Media Center and of course -- an iPod dock) has been delivered and hooked up to your HDTV.[Via CNET; warning .doc read link]
Sony's latest home theaters in boxes land
Yep, Sony's got new home theater systems popping off tonight. Here's the quick rundown: HT-SS2300 - 5.1 channel, (3) HDMI, 1000 Watts. Available summer for $400. HT-CT100 - 3.1 channel, (3) HDMI, 250 Watts, sound bar / sub, and S-Force PRO virtual surround. Available March for $300. HT-7200DH - 5.1 channel, (3) auto-switching HDMI, 1080p upscaling DVD, 900 Watts. Available May for $500. HT-DDWG700 - 5.1 channel, 800 Watts, iPod dock. Available March for $200. Shot of the CT100 after the break
Yamaha blasts out four new HTIB systems
Not even two months after Samsung went wild at CES and cranked out a slew of new HTIBs, along comes Yamaha with a foursome of its own. Up first is the YHT-790 5.1-channel system, which boasts a SCENE mode to "instantly access any entertainment source and surround sound experience," YPAO system calibration, two HDMI inputs (and one output), Sirius / XM Radio comparability and the ability to stream music channeled in from A2DP-equipped devices if the (optional) YBA-10 is plugged in. As for the YHT-690, you'll notice a 720p / 1080i upscaling DVD player tossed in, while the slightly less powerful YHT-590 / YHT-390 provide just the basics for a few bills less. Hit up the links below for details on each.Read - YHT-790 ($849.95)Read - YHT-690 ($649.95)Read - YHT-590 ($549.95)Read - YHT-390 ($399.95) %Gallery-16882%
Sony debuts Sound Wall media stand-surround sound combo
Craving the custom install look, but not willing to tear down walls to get it? Sony has debuted the Sound Wall RHT-S10 stand for all your HT gear, and it's packing 5.1 surround sound to boot. The free-standing unit has a TV mount, amplifier and subwoofer all built in. Hang the display, route any wires behind the unit and plug everything together at the A/V rack in the base and you're all set. But hey, what about the rear channels in this 5.1 system? Those rear signals are mixed in with the fronts -- combined with Sony's S-Force Pro, they claim you don't need those pesky channels any more. We're skeptical, but they've packed in some good features: 350-Watts of digital amplification, 1080p24 passthrough, BRAVIA sync (CEC) and Sony's Digital Media Port for bringing your other media devices to the party.
Philips intros the Ambisound HTS6100 surround bar and HTS6515D HTIB
The flood of product introductions from Philips continues on, this time with the Ambisound HTS6100 5.1-channel surround bar and HTS6515 home theater in a box. The HTS6100 is essentially a lower-end repackaging of last year's HTS8100, only this time with iPod dock and $599 pricetag -- $200 less than the HTS8100 -- and the HTS6515 is the $499 baby brother version of last year's $599 HTS6600. Of course, it wouldn't be a Philips product if it didn't come with some recklessly insane hyperbole, and those ready to get their Ambisound on should be ready to "lose themselves in an immersive cinematic experience" as "the joint performance of sound and video pulls you away from reality." Why, you ask? Because "there is no risk of cluttered space or tangled speaker wires," of course. Ah, no wonder we've been trapped this hellish reality for so long. Check the HTS6600 after the break.
