Cambridge Audio has had another great year with plaudits aplenty, and the Azur 840 Class XD power amplifier and Azur 840E pre-amp combo unveiled at this year’s CES Las Vegas look set to keep the UK company in favour.

The 840W is the peak of CA’s Azur series and features second-gen class XD technology with a meaty 200W @ 8 Ohms and 500W into 8 Ohms bridged mono for humungous load driving capability and the very best speaker set ups.

The flux toroidal transformer has a huge 1200VA power rating, while the system allows for biamp or bridged mono modes. The chassis is acoustically dampened with a 7mm solid aluminium front panel and is available in silver or black.

Tailored to match the 840W is the 840E pre-amp. It sports CA’s new Terrapin amp modules to garner the very best sonic fidelity from the 840W, with a sophisticated resistor ladder and relay based attenuator for precise volume and balance control. You can now turn this system up and down by 1dB.

There are eight inputs, single ended phono/RCA, RS232 port, IR emitter In and Control Bus In/Out for integration with install systems and a Trigger In/Out for auto power up and down with the 840W power amp.

Both are available in the spring, with the 840W setting you back £1000 and the 840E £750.

Related links:

• Link - cambridgeaudio.com

Tags: Home Cinema Hi-Fi Cambridge Audio

CES 2008: Cambridge Audio Azur 840W Power Amp & Azur 840E Pre Amp originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:56:40 +0000

Media storage specialist Escient today unveiled its capacious Vision VX-600 at CES Las Vegas.

An unbelievably capable digital media storage unit and organiser, the VX-600 sports four RAID 5 configured 1TB drives roomy enough to hold an amazing 600 films as well as all of your music and photo files, which it can then stream direct to its companion player, the Escient VC1 (it can actually stream to multiple VC1s thanks to its networking capabilities), which is 1080p capable with HDMI v1.3 support for full high-definition goodness.

Also included is integrated support for the American Rhapsody music subscription service (£12.99 a month for unlimited access to over five million songs in around 500 genres), which is due to launch in Europe in the first half of this year.

An extremely intuitive and simple user interface has been developed with the ability to search your media files in almost any way possible. Films, for example, can be browsed by title, genre, actor, director, rating, cover shot and more.

On sale at the end of the month, the UK price is yet to be confirmed but will retail for $8,000 Stateside. The VC1 is already on sale at £2000 if you want to get a head start.

Related links:

• Link - escient.com

Tags: Home Cinema Networking Escient

CES 2008: Escient Vision VX-600 4TB media server launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:52:57 +0000

Got $15,000 to spend on your home entertainment? Then one company has just the product for you.

New from lesser-known audiophile Klipsch is the ultra high-spec Palladium P-39F floorstanding speaker, unveiled at CES Las Vegas today.

The Palladium features a 3.5-way Tapered Array design with new proprietary horn-loaded tweeter assembly made of unique acoustically damped materials. There’s a sophisticated 114mm inverted aluminium diaphragm dome midrange and three high-output woofers to create a distinctly precise sonic experience with very high sensitivity and extremely low distortion.

Feature highlights are endless and unbelievably detailed but the key points include acoustically inert, carbon-infused thermoset composite 90 x 60-degree Tractrix Horns and phase plugs, a 19mm titanium diaphragm super tweeter with twin N38H neodymium magnet motor structure, chambered phase plug, three 228mm hybrid aluminium/Kevlar diaphragm woofers with triple N35H neodymium magnet motor structures and dual Faraday aluminium shooting rings, high-flow low-restriction die-cast aluminium midrange and woofer frames with integrated heatsinks and tri-wire gold-plated binding posts with gold-plated bus-bars.

All of which may sound like a foreign language to most, but it could go some way to justifying the price tag for a pair.

If you fancy upgrading, the Palladium is available now across the Pond.

Related links:

• Link - klipsch.com

Tags: Audio Speakers Klipsch

CES 2008: Klipsch Palladium P-39F originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:47:26 +0000

Speaker specialist Boston Acoustics has unveiled its first attempt at a DAB radio at CES Las Vegas in the colourful form of the Solo XT.

Undeniably modern in design, the Slo XT has eschewed the retro wood look for a simple, modern and solid design.

Behind that big old speaker grille sits a Band III and L-Band Combination DAB and FM tuner with Boston’s BassTrac Variable Bass Boost feature for upping bass levels at low volumes.

The Solo XT also sports a unique rotating control panel so you can use it horizontally or vertically, with a simple three-knob user interface and sizeable LCD display that automatically adjusts for dim environments.

Further features include dual alarms with radio and buzzer options, front-mounted aux input for hooking up your generic MP3 player and rear-mounted line level and headphone output.

The "Snooze Ring" is activated by touching anywhere on the front panel.

The Solo XT also benefits from Boston Acoustics’ Personal Option Plan (POP), which offers up two cabinet colours of "Midnight Black" and "Mist Cream White", and no fewer than eight speaker grille colour options including Glacier, Rosebud, Onyx, Pearl Gray, Caramel, Chocolat, Silver, and Chili Pepper (though what colour that is we have no idea – red maybe?).

Available from March, the Solo XT will retail for £149.99.

Related links:

• Link - bostonacoustics.com

Tags: Audio Radios DAB Radios Boston Acoustics CES2008

CES 2008: Boston Acoustics does Digital radio with Solo XT DAB Radio originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:34:29 +0000

Personal media viewer company myvu has launched two new products at CES Las Vegas in the shape of the Crystal 701 and Shades 301.

These mini-TVs-in-sunglasses-esque devices put portable entertainment firmly in the personal domain and are compatible with most portable media players, DVD players, mobile phones (with video out functionality), gaming consoles and portable gaming gadgets.

Both variations on a similar theme, first up is the Crystal 701 that lets you watch films, TV, music videos and other downloaded content handsfree via its mini TV screens displayed at VGA resolution and incorporating "Ultimate Ears" earbuds and USB rechargeable battery good for around four hours viewing pleasure.

Next is the Shades 301, which the manufacturer describes as "sporty" looking (we’re thinking snooker player Dennis Taylor circa 1985), which offers up an impressive 10-hour battery life and the same stats as the Crystal 701.

myvu Crystal 701 will be available in May, retailing at $300, with myvu Shades 301 available now for $200.

Related links:

• Link - myvu.com

Tags: Gadgets Myvu CES2008

CES 2008: myvu Personal Media Viewer gets update originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Audio giant Dolby and imaging stalwart SIM2 CES have announced a collaboration together in the shape of the Dolby backlit LED array LCD TV technology.

Described by Dolby PR manager Joshua Gershman as “the future of TV”, this new imaging technology creates a visually cleaner and brighter image from a standard LCD TV.

In an HDR-enabled (High Dynamic Range) display, the backlight consists of an array of ultra high-brightness white or tricolor light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Each LED can be controlled individually – faster than video refresh rates. The lower-resolution LED image is then projected through a standard LCD panel, which displays a high-resolution version of the image, resulting in a vibrant display.

Although only in prototype stage, it looks set to challenge the premium end of the display market.

Collaborating with SIM2 to create a high-end, high aesthetic television set, Dolby claims the technology works across all screen sizes but because of its "premium" status the companies will be concentrating on the larger display market.

A working prototype is expected in the first quarter 2008 with a finished product due in the second half of the year with a price point over the £10,000 mark.

We will keep you posted.

Related links:

• Link - Dolby

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions Dolby SIM2 CES2008

CES 2008: SIM2 Dolby LED Display Prototype unvielled originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:39:12 +0000

Part of Marantz’s ever growing arsenal of "separates" AV kit, at CES the company has unveiled its latest double team assault on the AV market in the shapes of the AV8003 pre-processor and power amplifier.

So new is this AV8003 dream team that features and statistics were being kept under wraps, but Pocket-lint was lucky enough to receive a full demonstration and was blown away (almost literally) by the performance and power.

The power amp outputs a might 145W per channel through eight channels, delivering uncompressed 7.1-channel audio in every HD flavour available (as long as you have the disc to match that is – we were treated to a Chinese version of Cars to wring the most out of it).

Uniquely, this combination also operates as a server system and can play HD audio and video content at 1080i direct from your home network using nothing more than a network cable.

Available as a pair (they can apparently be bought separately but Marantz couldn’t quite see why anyone would), they retail at £3000 and will be coming to Blighty in the first half of this year.

Tags: Home Cinema Speakers Marantz Amplifiers CES2008

CES 2008: Marantz AV8003 Pre-Processor and Power Amp originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:22:31 +0000

Jumping on the sound bar bandwagon, Marantz has unveiled its own one-box surround sound speaker solution at CES 2008.

Having spent three years developing the ES7001, Marantz claims to have "ironed out" the bumps that have been an inherent flaw in many existing sound bar designs.

Nicknamed the "Cinemarium", it sports three 32-bit processors, one used for Dolby/DTS decoding and the other two to implement the complex algorithms that produce "room-filling surround sound with ultimate accuracy and speed".

Connectivity is taken care of by dual HDMI inputs and one out, along with three optical digital and two analogue phono inputs ensuring tremendous hi-def sound quality and eliminating signal loss. There’s also a subwoofer out that’s compatible with every brand of active sub.

The Cinemarium does not tread the path of some rivals such as the Yamaha YSP range by creating a surround effect using walls to bounce the sound around. Instead it has developed a proprietary technology called OPSODIS (Optimal Source DIStribution) in conjunction with the institute of Sound and Vibration Research in Japan.

Marantz is so confident of the Cinemarium’s sound quality in fact, that it says it can happily be used as a hi-fi system with hook up to a CD player or iPod incorporated.

The ES7001 Cinemarium is available from the end of the month for £899.90.

Tags: Home Cinema Speakers Marantz CES2008

CES 2008: Marantz ES7001 Sound Bar launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:22:55 +0000

Although the press bods at Marantz have assured us that they are not siding with one side over the other in the next-gen format war, the company has unveiled its first Blu-ray disc, DVD and CD player at CES 2008.

The BD8002 arrives with statistics so scarce it made us drool in anticipation. But what we do know is that it is 36bit DeepColour capable with HDMI 1.3a interface, 10-bit video processing (I/P & Scaling) and support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Raw Data.

Other features we were privy to include RS232c control, Silicon Optics realta Video Decoding and a 126MHz, 14-bit Video DAC.

Available this year and likely towards the end of the second quarter, it has a retail price of €2000 with no UK pricing yet confirmed. We will of course bring you more info as we get it on this Blu-ray beast.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray Marantz CES2008

CES 2008: Marantz BD8002 Blu-ray player launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:15:33 +0000

New from speaker specialist Anthony Gallo is the Strada speaker series, unveiled at CES 2008.

Larger than the former Due model but smaller than the Reference AV, the Strada Series falls somewhere between the A’ Diva Ti and Reference AV speaker lines.

Enclosed in a sleek new cast aluminium frame and stand, Anthony Gallo boasts "unparalleled high-end performance" from the proprietary CDTII tweeter coupled with the extended low-frequency response of its patented S2 technology.

The new Strada uses the same 4-inch proprietary carbon fibre drivers with neodymium magnets as used in the Reference Series speakers.

Available as a standalone unit, the Strada can act as centre channel of a full home entertainment package when married to the TR-1 or new TR-3 subwoofer and any of the Micro, Micro Ti, A’ Diva and A’ Diva TI speaker series.

Alternatively, they can be used as surrounds with any of the Reference Series home theatre setups.

Available in Matte White, Silver Gray, Black and Stainless Steel finishes, each is shipped with a wall mount though floor and table stands are available as optional extras.

Due in the second quarter, pricing should be somewhere between $700-800, with a UK release "guaranteed" but not specified.

Put simply, they sound amazing.

Related links:

• Link - roundsound.com

Tags: Audio Speakers CES2008

CES 2008: Anthony Gallo Acoustics Strada speakers blast on to scene originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:26:38 +0000

DLP Products from Texas Instruments has demonstrated the ability to display two separate image sources at the same time on a single DLP HDTV screen at CES 2008.

DualView capability is an innovation for two-player gaming, TV and film watching that gives each viewer an independent full screen image to enjoy.

All 3D-ready DLP HDTVs are capable of DualView, they just need to be connected to a compatible source and each viewer wear a pair of DualView glasses.

Currently, any two-player game developed for split screen can be played in DualView using two consoles or PCs. DLP is working with game developers to support the mode in future releases and thus guarantee its longevity in the market, which would involve incorporating a driver or patch to existing versions to enable single console support in the future.

Steve Nix, director of business development for id software (pioneers of games like Doom and Quake) recently commented of DualView, “This amazing new technology from DLP is really exciting for gamers. Two players watching the same screen right next to each other can now see completely different images so no more peeking at your opponent’s moves!”.

This first of a kind technology is achieved by dual advancements on the DLP chipset and compatible eyewear. The key to a ghost free image is the co-ordination of the DLP chip’s extremely fast 8ms switching speed with high contrast shutter glass operation. The DLP eyewear controller synchronises the glasses’ shutters by decoding a proprietary signal embedded in the DLP image stream.

Select Samsung and Mitsubishi DLP HDTVs are already shipping with 3DTV and DualView capabilities across the pond in the US.

Related links:

• Link - DLP

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions DLP CES2008

CES 2008: DLP shows off DualView TV originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:40:45 +0000

Building on announcements made at IFA in 2007, Texas Instruments DLP has unveiled a full working prototype of its Pico projector, ensconced in a mock mobile phone similar in size to the iPhone at CES in Las Vegas.

Developed in conjunction with Sypro and Young Optics, DLP’s Pico works as a standalone product as well as being integrated into a small portable device such as a digital camera or mobile phone and will go up against the newly announced 3M mini projector also announced at CES.

Expanding on portable product versatility, the Pico means video and graphic sharing will be much more accessible and exciting – previewing photos at a decent size and watching videos downloaded to your phone without having to squint at the miniscule screen.

"We see increased opportunity and an abundance of applications that can be created with these devices. With help from DLP, Young Optics is able to deliver a mobile product design to enable the global market in 2008", said Claude Hsu, president of Young Optics.

Related links:

• News - CES 2008: 3M create mini projector for mobile phones

Tags: Home Cinema Projectors DLP CES2008 Phones Pico projectors

CES 2008: DLP shows off working Pico projector prototype originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:16:12 +0000