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Polk Audio Xbox N1 sound bar and 133t gaming headphones eyes-on
Polk's at E3 showing off two new devices it's showing off at E3 this week that aren't half bad looking. Granted, they're not as slick as some of the higher end products the audio company has shown off in the past, but as far as gaming-centric devices go, they're not too shabby. According to the company, Microsoft approached it specifically to create peripherals for the Xbox, leading Polk to give the world the 133t Gaming Headphones and N1 sound bar. The 133ts eschew the standard external gaming mic for a little nub that juts out from one ear. To mute it, you just click it back up inside the cup. The headphones also feature a mixer that plugs directly into the controller to help eliminate cords and lets you adjust sound settings on the fly. The Surroundbar, meanwhile, was designed specifically with the Xbox in mind, featuring four modes: Racer, FPS, Music and Cinema, so you can switch between gaming and standard media consumption. The N1 is set for a fall release, with the 133t coming some time in Q4. More info in a press release after the break.%Gallery-191251%
Polk SurroundBar SDA IHT gets reviewed, lives up to its name
It sure didn't take long for Polk's SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater (IHT) to find its way into the hands of the review crew at Gaming Nexus, and it sounds like it lived up to the billing. The "instant" bit certainly came through, as the kit was set up inside of five minutes; as far as "home theater," the virtual surround did a good job of putting at least the "sweet spot" listener in a soundfield that was convincing. The 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer connection held up just fine, and the boom from the little box was satisfactory. All said, it sounds like a candidate for the short list if you're shopping all-in-one speaker systems.
Polk adds some oomph to its SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater
Getting bass out of a soundbar that conveys proper theater impact is asking for a bit much, so Polk Audio has wisely chosen to add a standalone subwoofer and name the package the SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater (IHT). Of course, soundbar shoppers are likely concerned about stringing wires across the living room floor, ceiling, or what have you, so Polk has added a wireless connection between the SurroundBar and the 6.5-inch subwoofer. Nice and tidy, and it'll ship this month for a buck under $600 $500.
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.
Vizio switches marketing gears from discount to high-quality
When Vizio let loose a stable of new HDTVs at CES this year, it was apparent the outfit was beginning to head in another direction. For years it had pushed itself as a discount brand, grabbing market share the only way it knew how: by selling cheap. With a decent foothold in the US, Vizio has finally decided to switch gears and begin to market the more sophisticated aspects of its HDTVs. It won't stop throwing the word "value" around, but rather than honing in on how much cheaper its wares are compared to top-label competitors, it has now hired an ad agency to showcase the high-quality aspects. According to said agency, it wants "consumers to associate premiere audio quality, along with images, when they think about Vizio," and beyond all that, we're also hearing confirmation that the outfit will indeed be pushing out a low-cost soundbar in the near future. Go get 'em, Vizio.
Canton delivers new floorstander, surround bar and bookshelf speakers
The speaker manufacturers are out in full force in the run-up to CEDIA, and Canton's making sure its voice coils are recognized, too. For starters, the company is introducing its Reference family of speakers consisting of four models (including the Reference 3.2 floorstander, going for $16,000 per pair). It's also looking to snag a sliver of the soundbar market with the CD 90 SB, which packs a trio of speakers and comes in black or silver for $650. Finally, the outfit will be demonstrating its upgraded Ergo and GLE lines, each benefiting from updated driver technology and finish options. Follow the links below to satisfy your curiosity about any of the aforementioned wares.Read - Canton upgraded linesRead - Canton Reference 3.2Read - Canton CD 90 SB
soundmatters reveals SLIMstage40 surround bar
Look out, Yamaha / Polk / Vizio / et al., you've got another rival heating up the surround bar game. Destined to hit CEDIA 2008, soundmatters' SLIMstage40 checks in at a luscious 3.3- x 3.4- x 39-inches in size and features 170-watts from eight internal amplifiers. The device houses four Linear Magnetic Drive main / satellite speakers and a trio of down-firing Extreme-Energy subs that are assisted by six mass radiators. Furthermore, you'll find three digital audio inputs (two optical, one coaxial), three analog inputs, a headphone jack, LED-backlit panel, an RS-232 port and an IR remote. Folks interesting in dabbling in faux-surround can snag one now for $899 to $1,199, depending on whether you spring for the bundle including the SUBstage100 subwoofer.
Vizio, SRS partner up to wow you
Turns out that not everybody is lawyer-angry with Vizio right now. The company has entered a partnership with SRS Labs that will give it access to SRS's portfolio of audio technologies. Fruits of the partnership will start showing up in Q2 of 2008, when Vizio starts making SRS TruSurround XT available in three models: a 42- and 46-inch LCD, and a 50-inch plasma. Not exactly new, TruSurround XT is all about virtual surround sound; that audio we sometimes find phasey and unnatural to the point where it decreases our involvement with the content. But Vizio and SRS have data to back up their strategy: a Consumer Electronics Association poll showed that 76-percent of all flat panels are used without any external audio. We're used to being a minority opinion, but we don't understand the widespread fear over multiple discrete speakers in the room, especially with the rash of stylish HTIB systems now available. If you're in that 76-percent crowd, we suppose virtual surround is better than mono; but you're missing out.
Sound Hive brings surround sound to the honeycomb hideout
Granted, surround-sound bars are a devices that bring a set of compromises with them. But if that's the only choice that will work in your setup, and you need something a little more visually striking (or if you think you can do better than the built-in steering algorithm), these Sound Hive speakers from Oskar Daniel might be what you're looking for. The panel of hexagonal drive units certainly will make for an interesting gear-related icebreaker at your next movie night. Unless, of course, you happen to live in a geodesic dome; in which case these might actually blend in to the surroundings. Best of all, though, each drive unit can individually oriented, meaning you can get the sound "just so." Somehow we're thinking the average customer for these isn't interested in audio tweaking, though.
Yamaha's beefy YSP-600 sound bar isn't cheap
Yamaha's no stranger to the quickly-expanding sound bar arena, and its latest looks to be quite the winner. The YSP-600 offers up 62-watts of total power split between two woofers and 16 "beam drivers," Dolby Digital / Pro Logic II support, a pair of HDMI inputs (along with one output) and a "Night Listener Enhancement" mode to keep you involved in the action without getting any nastygrams from your neighbors. Heck, it's even set to receive commands from any remote belonging to a Toshiba REGZA or Panasonic VIERA HDTV. The pain? A stiff £499 ($988) when it arrives next month.
iLive cranks out iT188B iPod speaker bar
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/iLive_storms_with_33_new_iPod_iPhone_friendly_audio_products'; iPod surround bars are nothing new, but iLive's hoping to catch a few eyes that normally gloss over these type things by blessing its iT188B with an oh-so-attractive $99 price tag. This iteration sports "dual built-in subwoofers," an AM / FM radio, obligatory iPod dock and an on board clock to boot. It also comes bundled with a remote control and an auxiliary input to complement the twin video inputs, video output and subwoofer out for connecting an external thumper. As you'd expect, this one's built for use underneath a flat-panel HDTV, but it shouldn't have any problems perched up on a countertop, either. You already know how badly this one's gonna hurt your wallet, but at least you've got until April to save up.
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.
Hands-on with the Philips Ambisound HTS6100
We got a chance to tackle and photograph the new bar of 5.1 sound that Philips is delivering, and while we can't attest to great sound quality (it wasn't on), we can say that it's got a unified design that is pretty sweet, and the integrated DVD player coupled with a slew of ports will probably please even the most discerning home theater fan -- though this clearly isn't aimed at the high-end folks. Check the gallery and experience the long-view sound system yourself.%Gallery-12784%
Polk Audio's SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater gets official
Remember that soundbar from Polk Audio we spotted last year? We certainly hope you've been saving those pennies if you instantly considered yourself in the market for one, because Polk's mighty proud of it. Debuting officially at CES, the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater is a two-piece surround sound system that includes a single "multi-channel loudspeaker" alongside a separate console that houses a DVD / CD player, SDA (Stereo Dimension Array) signal-processing amplifier, AM / FM radio and a host of inputs. 'Course, whether or not you'll really feel immersed by sound is debatable, but at least you can look forward to 1080i DVD upconversion, an HDMI output and a gaping hole (known in this example as $1,199.95) in Sir Wallet. [Via WidescreenReview]
Definitive's new Mythos "surroundbar"
The way the svelte profile of a flat panel display blends into the decor makes many folks look to "slim down" the rest of their setups. Target number one is usually the collection of speaker cabinets in the room. We love the look of serious speakers (not to mention the performance), but for everyone else a "surroundbar" is appealing. Definitive Technology has introduced its entry to the field, the Mythos SSA50. Tuck the 46-inch array underneath that new FPD and you not only get LCR audio, but also some sense of surround thanks to psychoacoustic trickery built into the unit. Add in a subwoofer and say good-bye to all your old speakers. There are only nine drivers in the array, so it's using a different approach than, say, Yamaha's "Sound Projectors." Definitive is known for its bipolar designs, so they know how to deal with acoustic phase -- hopefully they'll keep the pseudo-surround from being too phasey or just plain weird. Available in February for $1099.
mStation TheaterBar sports foldaway iPod dock
Currently, not a whole lot is known about mStation's TheaterBar, but it's pretty easy to see what niche the company is trying to infiltrate. With flat-panel adoption soaring, outfits are looking to move bottom-mounted speaker units to complement the sleek motif, and while mStation isn't exactly known for its home theater touch, this here doesn't look half bad. Unfortunately, however, we've no real specs to pore over aside from knowing that it'll include a foldaway iPod dock and on-board music controls. Stay tuned for more on this one -- chances are it'll be quite the bargain when it officially launches.[Via AudioJunkies]
Polk Audio's SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater
As far as these surround sound bars go, Yamaha seems to have made quite the name for itself, but it looks like Polk Audio is offering up another iteration in its own lineup to compete. The SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater features a single 44-inch long speaker that purportedly provides a 5.1-channel experience "using patented SDA technology." Furthermore, the system looks to come with a dedicated DVD console, but we've no idea if the pair will ever be offered up separately. No word on price / availability at the moment, but we're expecting Polk to spill the rest of the beans sooner rather than later.
Polk Audio announcing SurroundBar50 at CEDIA '07
Settling for the tiny, paper stock speakers flat panels come with is almost as bad as running coax from your cable box to your HDTV, so we are glad to see Polk Audio adding to their offerings. Polk intro'd their original 42-inch SurroundBar (pictured) two years ago to an empty market, but now quite a few manufacturers produce so-called "sound bars." Their latest, SurroundBar50, is designed with 50-inch flat-panels in mind, as the speaker is 51-inches long and mountable either above or beneath the set via the included mount. The extra real estate enhances the virtual surround field as well as providing more internal volume and producing deeper bass. The official announcement isn't happening until Polk Audio's CEDIA press conference on September 6th, but expect the SurroundBar 50 to land at $1,099 this October. We know these virtual surround speakers aren't as good as the real deal, however, don't knock these speakers till you hear 'em in person, as they're a solid alternative to a room full of speakers.
Yamaha's YSP-4000 Digital Sound Projector adds HDMI upscaling
Yamaha's single unit surround sound bars have come a long way since the YSP-1 made its debut, and the company's latest entry, the YSP-4000, continues to up the ante, with 1080p HDMI compatibility, analog video upscaling to 1080i / 720p, XM Neural Surround compatibility, optional iPod dock, and a host of calibration modes, including one designed to make compressed audio sources sound better. Yamaha is being pretty coy with the frequency response numbers, suggesting that the YSP-4000 isn't an ass-shaking bass machine, but the 120W of power through six channels should provide plenty of clean sound for average TV and movie viewing. Available in October for $1,799.[Via Apartment Therapy]
