SweetSpot
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SweetSpotter keeps your music coming at the right angle, regardless of flailing
For years now, home theater and / or entertainment rigs have been built so that your sofa, recliner or aged bar stool was right in the sweet spot when it came to audio distribution. In short, you built your system around your seating arrangement. With the introduction of Nintendo's Wii, Sony's PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Project Natal, folks aren't staying put in the same place as often, and that -- friends -- has created a problem in search of a solution. The fine gurus over at TU Dresden believe that they have the answer, and even if it fails miserably (highly doubtful, mind you), who could really harsh on a product called the SweetSpotter? The software is designed to work in conjunction with your webcam (or console camera, in theory), and as the sensor tracks your movement in real time, the code "adaptively adjusts the sweet spot of your stereo play back system to your current listening position." In short, it results in "correct stereo phantom source localization independent of your listening position," and frankly, it just might change your life. The code itself can be downloaded for free down in the source link (it's open source, so pass it along while you're at it), and if you end up creating a plug-in to use this in your favorite gaming scenario, be sure to drop us a line about it.
Earthquake Sound launches SweetSpot in-ceiling speakers
If the THX badge on Klipsch's announced in-ceiling speakers moved them out of your price range, the new SweetSpot lineup from Earthquake Sound might be a better fit. Based on the company's name alone, you might think it only produced subwoofers; not so, dear reader. The SS-82W and SS-62W in-ceiling models boast 8- and 6-inch drivers, respectively, and promise to keep the sound focused rather than spraying it everywhere like some other in-ceiling solutions. We'll give credit for this to the angled baffle and swiveling 1-inch tweeter and leave aside the fact that a tightly focused delivery might negatively impact surround channel performance. There are also tonal adjustments for the mid-bass and treble to help dial in performance. Claimed response covers 30Hz - 30kHz, and the SS-82W is available for $399 per speaker (no pricing info yet on the SS-62W).
