surround sound
Latest
JVC gets tubular with XS-SR3 iPod speaker dock
Not that we haven't seen an elongated iPod sound system before, but we've definitely yet to see one as totally bodacious as this. JVC has just slung out its XS-SR3 iPod speaker dock, which -- like B&W's Zeppelin Mini -- can hold your iPhone / iPod vertically or horizontally. JVC claims this little trick better enables users to view videos in widescreen form, while the 5-watts of power are sure to blow your skin back when cranked to 11. Other specs include a bundled remote and two audio inputs (one analog, one digital), and if you're even mildly interested, you can check it out later this month for $149.95. %Gallery-80419%
JVC intros cord-free TH-BA3 and TH-BS7 soundbar audio systems
JVC's never been much on using wires to hook up its home theater systems, and for those not looking for mind-blowing 7.1 surround, these soon-available wireless soundbar setups might just satisfy your aural cravings without forcing you to run ungodly lengths of cabling around your den. The TS-BA3 ($549.95) is a dual wireless soundbar system that consists of a 280-watt amplifier, 5.1-channel surround rig (including a soundbar, wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speaker kit) and built-in surround decoding. You'll also find a single analog input, two optical digital inputs and support for Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II surround signals. The TH-BS7 ($599.95) is engineered to mount alongside flat-panel HDTVs, with a 1.4-inch tall, ultrathin soundbar, an even slimmer wall-mountable amplifier / control unit and a wireless subwoofer. This one's packing 180-watts of teeth-rattling oomph and promises 4.1 sound with minimal consumption of floor space. Hop on past the break for the full release and detailed specifications. %Gallery-80245%
Poll: How important is surround sound to you?
Just how far audiophiles will go to experience sensory nirvana -- and whether it's all in their mind or in their ears -- is a subject that can be discussed forever, but for now we'll try to break down just how much it means to you. We know the vast majority of the Engadget HD community is already surround sound equipped, but how far do you go to get the absolute top notch experience? Drop the details of your setup in the comments below, especially whether you think you've done enough or have even further to go in the audio quality arena. %Poll-36929%
EOps i24R3Portable speaker is mad, bad, and waterproof
Think of a soundbar rolled into a circular, battery-powered body and you'll have a pretty good idea of what we're looking at here. The product's name -- EOps i24R3Portable Wireless Waterproof Digital Speaker Platform -- should tidy up any further queries you may have. Michael Young's latest design for EOps, whose appearance only hints at its i24R3 heritage, is a fully sealed noisemaker that can communicate via wireless USB or Bluetooth, depending on the model. You should pick your poison with care as there are no options for wired hook-ups. With a Li-Pol battery pack and an array of flat panel speakers and passive radiators inside, this could well be the ultimate in portable weatherproof speaker design, but even if it isn't, we'd still consider mounting it on a wall and worshipping it as our Sun God.
Ask Engadget HD: 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound audio for beginners?
We've talked about more than one surround sound setup in these parts, but for someone just building up their system it's always confusing to pick a direction. Luckily EHD reader Abul has come to the right place, we'll let him ask the question: "To complement the audio found on Blu-ray movies or HD downloads, is a 5.1 setup good enough or will 7.1 surround make a significant difference? Any suggestions on best low end or mid-range setup?" There's only about a million different HTIB systems or audio components to choose from, but for someone starting from scratch it's hard to know which item on the sales rack will be the best fit. Given what's available today, what would you start out with?
Ask Engadget: what's the best wireless rear surround speaker solution?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Dan, who needs a way to hook his rear surround speakers up sans cabling in the worst possible way. "What is the best wireless surround sound speaker solution? I have a home theater where running wires is just not feasible. I have my own speakers, so I don't want a system that has speakers with integrated wireless. I've done a far amount of research and have only come across a few companies that even offer a reasonable solution: KEF, Kenwood and Rocketfish. Is there anything else out there? What do you recommend? Thank you!" We know from experience that Dan's not alone here. Have any of you folks already married to a surround system found a good way to hook those existing rears up without wires? How about a way to do it cheaply and without any audio delay? Drop some knowledge in comments below, cool?
Philips debuts Soundbar with Blu-ray, Home Theaters galore
If there's one thing we've always maintained here at Engadget, it's that "HD people are good people." Hell, we have a whole website devoted to HD, home entertainment, and the whole "HD lifestyle," only because you warm our hearts so much. And the folks at Philips are obviously on the same tip -- as proven not only by all the wonderful products of theirs that grace these pages regularly, but by all the surround sound gear they've schlepped to IFA this year, including: a new SoundBar with Ambisound, featuring a Blu-ray disc player, optional iPod dock, 7.1 surround sound, and DoubleBASS. Available in black (HTS8160B) or white (HTS8161B). Just the thing for those of you who think that a single speaker could somehow replace seven (plus one) in the surround sound stakes. Also on hand for the less credulous, the company is unveiling a number of home theater systems with the now-mandatory Blu-ray playback, including: three separate 5.1 surround affairs for folks with on varying budgets, and a two speaker / one sub combo for those of you who want to try out "Dolby Virtual Speaker" technology after all. If all this appeals to you, you have two options -- check out the PR (after the break) or hit the read link to sift through a wild'n'wooly PDF.
Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh
Toshiba already showed us what its freshest line of HDTVs looks like, and now its Mitsubishi's turn. The outfit was on hand in NYC to showcase a few of its now-shipping sets, including the 3D-ready Home Theater line and its speaker-infused Unisen crew. We won't bore you with the specs (which can be found here and here, respectively), but we will confess that the 82-inch WD-82737 has us squirming uncontrollably. Have a peek yourself in the gallery below.
Audyssey DSX surround sound takes the speaker-count war to 11
You might think the future of surround audio lies in sophisticated DSP-driven single-box soundbars or even crazy wireless headphones, but Audyssey Labs knows the truth: what you really need is more speakers. Up to 11 of 'em, to be exact, as part of the company's new Dynamic Surround Expansion system. Like the 9.1 channel Dolby Pro Logic IIz, DSX focuses more on the audio in front of you, since that's what your ears are tuned to differentiate the best -- in addition to the left, right, and center channels, DSX includes two speakers mounted up high at a 45-degree angle, and two speakers placed farther out to each side to create width. Add in the two surround back channels from a traditional 7.1 rig and presto -- you're up to 11. Yep, that's a lot of speakers, especially if your loved ones already think a standard 5.1 system is an eyesore. On the other hand -- 11 freaking speakers. DSX-enabled receivers are expected to arrive by summer, just in time to close the shades and spend all day indoors watching movies.[Via Sound and Vision; thanks Will]
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Klipsch HD Theater 500 sound system!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1 sound system, ready to rattle the floor of one lucky domicile. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!Huge thanks to Klipsch for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system. Approximate retail value is $599.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Thursday, April 9th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Mitsubishi introduces 16-speaker Unisen LCD HDTV line
With Mitsubishi's LaserVue lines humming along once more, it's time for the company to bust out a few more big announcements in the HDTV space. First up is the new Unisen line, comprised of the 151 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches), the 153 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches) and the high-end Diamond 259 Series (46- and 52-inches). Each set in the line comes with a built-in "5.1-channel" 16-speaker audio bar, much like the iSP LT-52149 that we reviewed last fall. Each model also incorporates a new UltraThin Frame design, Smooth 120Hz Film Motion technology, four HDMI 1.3a inputs and a USB media port. The top end crew also includes an iSP calibration microphone, Plush1080p 5G 18-bit digital video processing, a wired IR input and a few swank blue accents to really woo the ladies. The whole family should ship to the United States next month and range from $1,799 to $3,299. Exact pricing is just after the break.
Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system impressions
Klipsch won our hearts over years ago with its ProMedia 4.1 setup, and we're happy to say that the winning formula hasn't been significantly altered in the HD Theater 500. Honestly, the satellites presented here look an awful lot like those bundled in with the ProMedia kit, but these do check in with a bit less bulk and a bit more gloss. Upon unboxing the 5.1 system, we were actually pretty astounded by how light each of the speakers were, with even the subwoofer not being painfully heavy. All the small talk aside, we know you're here to see if these suckers are worth your hard-earned dollars -- follow us on past the break for a breakdown of the pros and cons.
Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system hands-on
Klipsch stunned the boxed surround sound world back in late January with the announcement of three relatively affordable 5.1 sound systems. The middle guy (yeah, the HD Theater 500) just started shipping out to the earliest of adopters, and we just so happened to get our set in today. For $599.99 (MSRP), you get four surrounds, a center channel and a powered (100 watt) 8-inch subwoofer. Each satellite is a sealed enclosure finished in a high-gloss piano black, with a 2.5-inch IMG woofer (center channel has two) and a MicroTractrix horn-loaded aluminum dome tweeter (0.75-inches) packed within. We can say with certainty that these drivers are delightfully small, but if you're looking specifics, here goes: the satellites are 6- x 3.6- x 3.85-inches, while the center channel measures in at 3.6- x 9- x 3.85-inches. As for the subbie? 13.9- x 12.5- x 12.5-inches. We're setting this rig up as we speak to give it a listen and report back, but till then, feel free to peruse the unboxing gallery below.
Super Bowl XLIII airing in 230 countries, over half in HD
Man, what a difference a year makes. In 2008 we saw that Super Bowl XLII would be aired in 28 countries around the world, and this year that number is increasing substantially to 230. A grand total of 61 international broadcasters will televise the game in 34 languages, with the high-def signal going to 19 broadcast partners in 152 countries. DTS also notes that its Neural Surround technology will be tapped in order to deliver "5.1-channel" sound to international viewers through "any consumer surround sound system." The live action kicks off at 6:00PM ET this Sunday, and given the abundance of partners, you should be able to catch it (even in HD) almost anywhere in the world.
Sony's BDV-IS1000 Blu-ray HTIB reviewed: probably a skip
Sony's BDV-IS1000 has two big things going for it. For starters, it comes with a Blu-ray player. Secondly, it's drop-dead gorgeous. Critics over at DigitalTrends were able to secure one of the 5.1-channel HTIBs for review, and while they were big, big fans of the compact design, powerful subwoofer and inclusion of Profile 2.0 on the BD deck, they simply couldn't recommend it as it stood. Why? The wireless rear speakers didn't work on either of its test units. Instead, they were troubled with dropouts and interference from other radio emitting devices. It seems that critics went out of their way to ensure this wasn't just some setup issue, and they even caution to prospective buyers that they too are apt to encounter the problem. 'Tis a shame -- these looked so promising.
GenAudio bringing 4D sound to 3D / 2D films
Oh, brother. Evidently the 3D bandwagon was simply getting too full, so GenAudio has decided to start a new trend: 4D. Over in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival, said outfit is demonstrating its AstoundSound 4D sound localization cue technology, which purportedly enables audio to be "perceived as coming from every direction including above and beyond the physical placement of the speakers." Jerry Mahabub, chairman and CEO of GenAudio, seems pretty stoked about bringing this fourth dimension to future 3D films, and it's also partnering up with Universal Pictures and Lionsgate to bring the enhanced audio experiences to the DVD / BD release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Bangkok Dangerous. If you're eager to see what the fuss is all about, you can grab its consumer audio software (AstoundStereo Expander) right now and enjoy it for free for 30 days. Just be sure to not get permanently stuck in a parallel universe or anything while trying it out.
SRS TruMedia brings "5.1" surround sound to your cellphone... again
Ah, nothing like preying on the forgetfulness of the human brain. Nearly a full year after SRS Labs outed its SRS CS Headphone technology -- which supposedly takes 2-channel audio and creates the effect of surround sound -- the company is introducing a solution that sounds mighty similar, just with more channels. TruMedia, as it's so affectionately dubbed, is expected to make mobile phones, PMPs, Bluetooth headphones and "gaming consoles" (saywha?) emit "engaging, theater-like 5.1 surround sound" when multichannel video content is viewed. Kind of sounds like drawing blood from a stone to us, but who knows, maybe six bona fide channels of audio really can flow from a single set of earbuds.
THX throws its weight in behind Radiient for wireless audio
Very few folks enjoy the installation of multichannel wired speaker setups, let alone the appearance of cables snaking through the living room. Radiient's UWB-based Roomcaster technology for sending audio bits to and fro might just gain a foothold thanks to its new partner, THX. That THX name is a kind of benchmark for quality and definitely resonates with consumers, and with the ability to deliver 8-channels of 24-bit uncompressed audio should make for happy users. Now if only something can be done about the high price of entry, this might have a chance at catching on.
Four speaker Panasonic wireless sound system creates virtual 7.1 experience
Forget making your existing multi-channel system wireless; why not just get a whole new one that's built from the ground-up to operate sans wires. The system consists of four wireless speaker poles with inbuilt subwoofers (or so they say...), which send audio over a 2.4GHz wave. Supposedly, you'll get a 7.1-channel experience from the setup, but you won't be able to confirm or deny that allegation till it ships this Spring.
Tritton showing off gaming soundbar, headsets at CES 2009
Those Xtreme-loving audiophiles at Tritton are heading to CES next week and bringing with them a wireless 5.1 surround sound bar / subwoofer combo designed specifically with gamers in mind. Their presser touts how easily it connects to the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in addition to an iPod, MP3 player, PC, and that's unfortunately all the information we've got for now -- no pics, release date or price in sight. Additionally, they're also showcasing new Bluetooth accessories and Dolby 5.1-equipped gaming headsets. Hopefully we'll be able to fill in the missing details in just a few days.
