Garden Retreat
Looking to add some music or light nature sounds to your garden or backyard sanctuary without noticeable speaker clutter? Look no further than Polk’s Atrium outdoor speaker system. Easily tucked away among your plants and flowers you’ll soon forget there’s speakers there… well, except for the music… and you know the audio quality will be top notch always.
Press Release
DENVER, CO, September 2, 2008 - Polk Audio today announced its new Atrium outdoor speaker system, which combines legendary Polk Audio sound with an appealing visual design that adapts seamlessly into any exterior landscape.
The Atrium Sat 30 satellite speaker and Atrium Sub 10 subwoofer combine to bring true high performance audio to outdoor settings, with a near-limitless palette of placement options.
The Atrium Sat 30 is perhaps the most versatile outdoor speaker system on the market, resembling an outdoor light fixture in shape and style. The satellite can be mounted in the ground, on a deck or gazebo, or even suspended from a porch or cabana ceiling. Elegant and unobtrusive cosmetics allow them blend into virtually any outdoor landscape design, while included mounting accessories such as a security ground spike and pendant hanger provide maximum placement options.
The Atrium Sub 10 subwoofer is shaped like a plant stand or pedestal table, and is robust enough to be used as such all year round. Both the satellites and subwoofer are constructed from sealed, weatherproof designs, with stainless steel and brass hardware that will deliver years of trouble-free, weatherproof service.
Polk Audio’s 20 years of sub-sat experience led to the Atrium Sat 30 and Atrium Sub 10 setting a new standard in outdoor audio, providing genuine high fidelity in nearly every application. The subwoofer’s 10-inch long-throw driver gives authoritative bass response down to 50 Hz, while the acoustically-matched two-way satellites provide smooth, vivid sonics out to an impressive 18 KHz, resulting from Polk Audio’s use of a 3 ½” midrange driver and ¾” dome tweeter. Thanks to superior sensitivity characteristics for both the subwoofer and satellites, installers will enjoy more flexibility with amplification and cable runs.
“The Atrium Sat 30 and Sub 10 are designed to create a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ sub/sat system for installers and consumers,” says Polk Audio Product Line Manager Al Baron. “They can mount almost anywhere around a pool, a deck, a walkway or even a garden without upsetting the outdoor design, all the while giving customers premium sound quality from a name that they know and trust.”
The Atrium Sat 30 and Atrium Sub 10 will begin shipping in January, at suggested retail prices of $179 each and $329 each, respectively
Klipsch Icon V Exclusive to Best Buy
Best Buy continues to wield its giant sword in the home electronics market with exclusive offerings of the new Klipsch Icon V. The Icon V Series rings in at $950/pr for the VF-36 floorstanders, $750/pr for the VF-35 floorstanders, $300/pr for the VB-15 bookshelf speakers, $280 each for the VC-25 center channel and $330/pr for the VS-14 surrounds. Also coming from Klipsch will be two new Icon V Series subwoofers in January 2009. Read more
Plasma Speaker, Singing Arc
No, this isn’t the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This is a video of a plasma prototype speaker design.
The complete prototype circuit is shown here built on a single PCB. The reflector is made from PVC pipe with a rear mirror. EHT now slightly lower and the gap size has been reduced. Track is ‘Hold Me Now’ from the Thompson Twins - chosen purely for it’s good dynamic range, vocals & clever percussion !
Head on over to timetec’s YouTube channel to see several other DIY setups he’s produced.
Yamaha YSP-4000 Digital Sound Projector
The all-in-one surround sound speaker options seem to be a popular move these days since they are easy to set up, especially when your TV room is not prewired for sound. I have already told you about Polk Audio’s alternative to a traditional 5.1 surround setup, the SurroundBar. Now, let me introduce you to Yamaha’s Digital Sound Projector.
Cerwin-Vega Home Theater System
I have long been a fan of Cerwin-Vega’s deep rich base. With there 5.1 home theater system you will get that and much more. The Cerwin-Vega Cvhd-5.1 Cvhd Series 6-Speaker Home Theater System won’t win any awards for aesthetics (although, not ugly), however, if you want honest-to-goodness full range, rich sound you can’t go wrong.
The CVHD Series for high definition audio for home theater is true to the earthshaking legacy of Cerwin-Vega! It plays loud, delivers great bass, and brings home theater to an entirely new level. Finally you’ll hear what you’ve been missing, from the delicate overtones of a stringed instrument to increased vocal intelligibility of movie dialog. When the action begins, you’ll feel it like never before. The CVHD Series is just what you’ve always wanted from the company that defined bass! Read more
Polk Audio SurroundBar 50: Cnet First Look
Cnet has posted a VIDEO REVIEW of Polk’s SurroundBar 50. The SurroundBar 50 is a great all in one alternative to a full blown surround sound speaker system. Cnet (and most all other reviewers) recommend a subwoofer to complement the SurroundBar, however, high marks are given for its ability to reproduce music as well as TV and movie audio.
Click HERE to read my original post on the Polk SurroundBar 50, SurroundBar and SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater. Read more
MartinLogan Speakers Available on Amazon
Amazon.com is now offering high-end audio gear from MartinLogan. Amazon is now the only online vendor that is authorized to offer MartinLogan speakers for retail purchases.
Note, you can also get Amazon’s free shipping on many of the pricey speakers, and you might save a buck or two on the absence of sales tax (except for you New Yorkers). It’s good to see Amazon expanding its audio offerings. Amazon’s line of audio gear has steadily increased over the years and, more recently, has began to offer more high end gear.
For over 25 years, MartinLogan’s Kansas-based design and engineering team has refined and perfected electrostatic sound technology. They have built a reputation for providing quality high performance products and outstanding customer support. MartinLogan is known as a world leader in Electrostatic (ESL), Advanced Thin Film (ATF) and subwoofer technology. MartinLogan uses these advanced technologies in a full range of loudspeakers and subwoofers to create exceptional 2-channel and home theater systems that enable you to experience music and movies with amazing detail.
[Amazon]
Klipsch Icon W Speakers
Klipsch has just launched sweet new home theater speakers with beautiful wood grain cabinets. Take a gander at the press release from Klipsch along with several images of the new speakers below.
Klipsch® Icon W Series Unites Classic Beauty and Modern Technology
New home theater speakers offer rich wood grain cabinets with all-new horn engineering inside
PRESS RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS (June 5, 2008) - To the eye, the new Icon W speakers from Klipsch reflect a more classic approach, featuring furniture-grade wood veneer cabinets available in espresso and cabernet finishes. But to the ear, there is nothing traditional about them. Advancing the company’s proven horn-loaded technology to new levels of sophistication, this home theater series delivers full-bodied sound performances from slimmer enclosures. Read more
Sony HT-IS100 5.1-channel Micro Satellite Home Theater System
Sony’s HT-IS100 micro satellite home theater system delivers great sound while complementing your decor. Heck, the satellites are so small you can hardly see them, but surprisingly deliver rich sound accompanied by the 2 way subwoofer at 100w x 2 that delivers midrange and low end power.
SONY DELIVERS STYLISH SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM FOR HIGH-DEFINITION HOME THEATERS
NEW YORK, June 5, 2008 - Offering a stylish solution for the modern high-definition home theater, Sony today introduced the HT-IS100 BRAVIA® Theatre Micro System. Read more
B&W Zeppelin
If you tired of fooling around with those cheap, mediocre sounding iPod docks, step up to the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin. Your ears will not be disappointed or your eyes for that matter. This sleek piece of art will dock your iPod and not only look great doing it but will deliver beautiful full range sound. With its dedicated 50 watts of power driving the 5 inch woofer all the way down to 47Hz and two 25 watt amplifiers pushing the woven glass-fiber cones and alloy dome tweeters you will get clean, smooth bass and crisp highs all through the volume range.
The Zeppelin is constructed from polished stainless steel, high quality composite, excellent circuitry and high end speakers in a studio style enclosure. Zeppelin enjoys the same quality standards as their ultra high end speakers that sit in world renowned music studios. The Zeppelin even received a CES 2008 Innovations Award.
The Zeppelin has a USB port for software updates insuring future compatibility, S-video and composite connectors allowing video play-through to your TV from video enabled iPods, and an auxiliary input socket to connect items like a CD player or radio. Zeppelin operates on power input from 100v to 240v and will self adjust for use almost anywhere in the world.
At $600 the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin is no bargain, but if you love your iPod and want it to deliver the best possible sound from a docking station with style and sophistication then you need to look no further.
Reviews
After unboxing and setting it up, which took all of a minute or so, I was definitely not disappointed in the least.
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) Zeppelin iPod Speakers are easily the most interesting-looking iPod speakers I’ve ever tested.
We’ve always had a lot of respect for B&W, as they don’t cut corners when it comes to building some really sweet speakers. The Zeppelin continues this tradition and adds a design that benefits sound quality even more than it does the eye.
The Zeppelin is an undeniably great iPod speaker: it looks amazing, and is far better built than most competing models, which are little more than hunks of plastic.
Rather than shy away from the digital music revolution, B&W has embraced it and created a product that brings hi-fi sound to the iPod generation.
