Many home theater fans use in-wall speakers for rear/side channels. Some even use them for the front channels as well. It's a space saving strategy, but one fraught with acoustic problems, the most prominent being the unpredictable nature of the "bay" into which the in-wall speaker is installed. Is it big or small, empty or stuffed with insulation? These factors make a huge difference in the performance of typical open-back in-walls.
Passive radiators fell out of favor with loudspeaker manufacturers in the early 1980's, but the technology always showed promise for extending the low-end response from small cabinets. Tigard, OR-based Aperion Audio, formerly known as EdgeAudio, has revived the design with the introduction of a new 150-watt powered subwoofer selling for just under $400.
Loudspeaker manufacturer NHT is slimming down its offerings in more ways than one. The Benicia, CA-based company has announced that its new lineup will be reduced from the current 30 models to only 18. The new speakers themselves will be smaller than their predecessors, according to vice president and general manager Chris Byrne, thanks to advances in woofer technology that allow deeper bass to be generated from smaller cabinets with narrower front baffles.
On May 31, Panasonic announced the DMR-E20, its second-generation DVD video recorder. Carrying a suggested retail price of $1499.95, less than half the price of last year's DMR-E10, the new machine will hit the streets in October.
Not everyone wants or needs a cost-no-object home theater. Many movie fans are completely content with affordable systems, and companies like Polk Audio are working hard to keep them happy.
International Business Machines isn't a company anyone normally associates with home theater products. Movie fans, however, might do well to put aside their assumptions for a moment and take a look at IBM's new MicroPortable data/video projector. Capable of a light output of 1100 lumens, the new projector weighs only three pounds---and is claimed to be HDTV compatible.
Canada's Classé Audio Inc. has long been known for building audiophile equipment. With the rise of home theater, the company expanded its offerings with multichannel amplifiers, DVD players, surround processors, and other product to enhance the experience of movie lovers everywhere.
Venerable loudspeaker manufacturer JBL has added an impressive new series to its home theater offerings. The TiK line embodies an entirely new design, one that JBL is calling the "bending trapezoid," for its gently curving sides and truncated-cone appearance. The company has devoted special attention to chamber construction and resonance suppression, in addition to developing a new set of drivers. TiK speakers are new from the ground up.
The Home Entertainment 2001 Show, held in New York City May 11-13, 2001, has received high marks and a standing ovation from show attendees, who came to experience some of the most innovative and exciting consumer electronics products in decades.
A light-sensing circuit that automatically adjusts the brightness and black level to compensate for ambient lighting is one of many refinements in the Sony VPL-VW11HT LCD projector, which debuted last week at the Home Entertainment 2001 show in New York.
HT Staff
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