Well it’s time for the annual CEDIA Expo and once again it’s being held here in Denver.  I actually had a chance to get on the show floor a little early this year to help a couple of manufacturers setup their booths. In doing that I was able to get a sneak preview of a couple of interesting technologies and products that are coming out.  I’ll definitely be reporting on everything of interest over the next couple of days, in the meantime here is a quick preview on a couple of technologies I’ll be looking at and what we might expect.

Blu-ray – still the topic of major discussion even though HD-DVD is out of the picture.   McIntosh has announced it’s new player (due later this year) and several other manufactures have 2nd or even 3rd generation players announced for the show.   I suspect we’ll see a bunch of inexpensive players by Christmas and probably some expensive, high-performance models too.

OLED and SED – these are new display technologies that will change the flat panel industry from thin to very, very thin. This will be an interesting market segment to follow.

Projection – now that the initial wave(s) of 1080p players have reached the market we’re going to see a bunch of high-end projectors hit the market.  So far, the buzz is about Meridian, Wolf, Christie, JVC and, of course, 8250’s personal favorite,  projectiondesign with their new avielo product line.

Whole house distribution – a lot of new products are recently out or coming out which do various forms of HDMI distribution throughout the house as well as some innovative audio products as well

Media servers – another growing market segment is media serving. Obviously 8250 Theaterworks is interesting in Sooloos and their new product offerings as well as Kaleidescape.

If anyone out there is interested in any other technologies, manufacturers or products, let me know and I’ll be sure to check it out and report back.

Earlier this year McIntosh introduced its new MC2301 monoblock tube amplifier. Jim Ludoviconi, the senior dealer support manager for McIntosh, sent the following press release to dealers:

“The new McIntosh MC2301 monoblock tube amplifier hails the fusion of our Unity Coupled and Quad-
Differential circuit topologies. From the inception of McIntosh Labs, Unity Coupling stands as one of the
premiere tube topologies ever conceived, making possible revolutionary power bandwidth and low distortion. Quad-Differential circuitry, a recent McIntosh innovation, cancels nearly all induced noise and circuit-borne nonlinearities resulting in the lowest noise levels ever achieved in a tube amplifier. With 300 Watts available at 8, 4 or 2 ohms, the MC2301 provides power enough to drive even the most demanding loudspeakers. From the demands of massed chorale to full-on rock and roll the, MC2301 delivers the most extraordinarily lifelike and dynamic performance ever heard from a McIntosh tube amplifier.

The appearance of the MC2301 bespeaks pure McIntosh power. A fast-responding wattmeter with L.E.D. illumination glows blue behind a premium ½” glass frontpanel. A pair of hand-machined, anodized handles and polished stainless steel chassis completes the package.”

8250 Theaterworks recently brought a pair of these in-house for demo and the results are excellent; music has a tremendous sense of open space while still providing intimate details and texture. If you’re considering a new 2-channel system, or looking to upgrade your current system, the new MC2301 is definitely worth considering and a “must demo” product.

Well, it actually never went away, it was more or less on hiatus with some collectors, aficionados and hobbyist.  However, vinyl records are again popular and gaining momentum as more people are, again, looking to 2-channel music as a form of entertainment.  We’ve been in a crazy video cycle for a number of years and although it remains the hottest market segment in the industry, audio is picking up some serious speed.

The iPod started two big trends; easy access to music collections and the general acceptance of compromised audio quality.  The former has been growing by leaps and bounds as the convergence of the computer technology and the a/v industry has led to some amazing technologies allowing us to categorized, organized, shuffle, mix, share and enjoy our music collections.  The latter trend of compressing music to accommodate larger collections within minimal storage capacities has quite frankly been disgusting.  If your favorite music genres are mainstream pop and big label rock you probably don’t care about the audio quality of your music - let’s face it, those are recorded with an mind-staggering amount of compression anyway so a little more won’t hurt.  However, if you’re into jazz, blues, classical, vocal, indie, folk, etc. then the quality does matter.  Not to say that all music produced in these genres is recorded well, but the instruments used in these formats are at their best when they are not digitized and enjoyed within their own natural space.

And that leads us back to vinyl - music that is not digitized.  The cassette revolutionized the portability of the music but it was the CD which took that into the stratosphere due to durability and storage capacity, however, music had to be digitized to be recorded on this medium.  DVD-Audio and SACD gave us a brief glimpse into very well recorded digital audio but it required a special player and never recognized mainstream popularity.  So, the best solution we had were some expensive players and esoteric DACs to help our digitized music sound as real as possible.  Still, unless you were willing to spend some dollars and do some research, even the best players out there can leave the music sounding a bit sterile.

All of this does not imply that you should go out immediately and purchased a turntable and stacks of records, I’m just saying there is a reason we got the where we are today with music.  Let’s face it, there’s not a luxury brand car on the market today with a turntable built into the dash to play your pressed-wax favorites, and I won’t even mention the complications that arise if you want to exercise while listening to your favorite album.  The fact is the CD represents a convenient and durable medium for music, the iPod is the current pinnacle of portability and vinyl represents something different.  Listening to music on vinyl takes commitment, both in time, patience and even in dollars, but the reward is a personal relationship and romantic affair with your music.

Think of the process, you start by opening a nice bottle of wine.  While that is breathing you flip through your collection looking at wonderful coverart and reading interesting details on the album (hey let’s face it - the size of the album gives the artist and studio quite a bit of print space to talk to you about the music).  You select a favorite, or maybe it’s a new purchase, or perhaps something you haven’t heard in a while.  Power up the system, pour your wine and sit down with your significant other, some friends or maybe just take a moment to yourself.  You’re then rewarded with a full dynamic audio treat.  Instruments have character, sounds have space, the music has depth and without realizing it you might relax a little, take your mind of the days worries and find yourself engaged with the artist and enjoying a personal journey.  Compare that to an iPod where, in the same time frame, your fourteen year old has listened to all of Avril’s greatest hits, compiled 10 new playlists for an upcoming party and sent 80-100 text messages to dozens of her almost closest friends…OMG!  Clearly two different experiences.

Even the equipment is an engaging process; the turntable requires a tonearm and needle cartridge - two highly customized and specialized pieces of equipment.  The turntables themselves have enjoyed a pleasant update with the latest technologies and manufacturing processes.  You could spend $100 or $100K and in both cases still be looking for that magic combination.  There is a phono stage somewhere in the mix, this unit prepares the signal from the cartridge for your integrated amp or preamps inputs, so it’s important and requires some thought.  The records themselves are cumbersome; they are not easy to sort through, they require special handling - you can’t throw them around like CD’s and slam them into players.  Then need to be cleaned of lint and dust and forget about leaving them in the car on a hot summer afternoon while you stop into local coffee shop for a ice latte.  But ask anyone who is passionate about their own personal hobby and part of the reward is the journey.  The fisherman who spends an afternoon tying that special fly for this weekends trip to that secret spot on the river or the car collector who spends a Sunday detailing their hot rod so it looks its best for the upcoming meet and greet; it’s the preparation that adds to the experience.  And for the vinyl; it’s all those finicky details to select equipment and the careful handling of the album that is the passion most people don’t realize can exist in audio today.  Schedules have become so hectic we’re left with downloading our music, we can’t even take the time to visit the local store to browse and shop.  Do you even know where your nearest vinyl shop is?

I know there are a lot of you reading this coming up with all sorts of reasons agaist vinyl.  I know what they are and I’ll be going into this further in an upcoming post regarding music servers and why everyone needs to have one (yes, needs to).  In regards to vinyl and my reference to it being back, it really is.  Recently the CEA reported that turntable shipments topped 32,000 sales in April which was one-third higher than the previous April which had 19,000 sales.  You can find turntables in some surprising places like Wal-mart, BestBuy, and even Urban Outfitters.  The turntables of today are not like your parents, they are more sophisticated and accessible.  Some cost only $70 and there are a large number of them out there which are fitted with USB cables so you can copy your albums directly to digital files on your computer - which sound better than CD’s and much better than MP3.  According to Neilsen SoundScan, a research company that tracks music sales, CD sales declined 15 percent in 2007 but vinyl sales are rising.  In March, vinyl sales increased 70 percent over the same month the previous year.

Another interesting factor in favor of vinyl over the digital download is people want something physical to account for their purchase, not just a file stored on a hard disk.  And vinyl collections are not limited to rare non-mainstream music, artists like U2, Madona, Metallica, Sonic Youth, Wilco, NIN and others are releasing their music on vinyl in addition to the normal CD’s and digital download formats - it’s buyers choice.  There is an entire generation of music listeners who have never heard vinyl and are now able to access analog music for the first time in an every changing digital world. For the rest of us, it’s like an old comfortable pair of jeans…it just feels right.

Cambridge Audio has introduced a new pre-amp and amplifier to it’s Azur product line.  The Azur 840E pre-amplifier uses new proprietary TerraPin™ output modules for increased audio fidelity. Instead of using normal op-amps for the low-level gains stages, they developed their own low-noise, low-distortion devices. The volume and balance use a sophisticated resistor ladder and relay based attenuator for accurate control while maintaining balance. Each of the eight inputs is configurable on the front panel display so the user can properly name each source (CD, MP3, Tuner, etc.)

The Azur 840W amplifier uses the same Class XD technology used in their Azur 840A integrated amplifier. The XD stands for crossover displacement and is designed to use the benefits of a Class A amplifier at low levels and then moves into a modified version of Class B for the high levels. The 840W can be used as a normal 2-channel amplifier (200W@8ohms), bi-amped or bridged-mono (500W@8ohms).

This new two piece combination from Cambridge Audio is targeted at the budget minded audiophile, someone who appreciates quality and looking for something a little more esoteric than the mainstream. While the 840E/W performs it’s best with jazz, classical, blues and vocals, it can still hold it’s own with all musical tastes. It’s able to drive most speakers regardless of load but one should carefully choose a neutral loudspeaker to achieve the best results. Of course the 840C, Cambridge Audio’s acclaimed CD player, makes a perfect front end to complete the system.

SI Screens of Austin Texas recently introduced their Black Diamond projector screen.

“The exclusive technologies in our Black Diamond projector screen represent a breakthrough in picture quality for home theater applications,” explained Aaron Reilly, Screen Innovations CTO. “Black Diamond enhances projector performance by creating the ultimate contrast (blacker blacks, whiter whites) and color accuracy (with added vibrant color delivery) in both ‘dark’ and ‘bright’ environments.”

This screen is an excellent solution for any room where there is ambient light and even in dedicated home theaters as it reduces the amount of screen reflection.  This means it’s now possible to have a crystal-clear large screen display in game rooms, sports bars, living rooms and media centers and still keep the lights on or shades open.

Having seen the Black Diamond in action all I can say is WOW, and judging by the recent order reports from our local representative, I’m not the only one who has been impressed.  Additionally, the Black Diamond projector screen has already won the “Product of the Year 2008″ from Electronic House and the “Best of Demo Alley” at EHX 2008.  It’s also currently a finalist for “Best New Product” for CEDIA 2008, where the winners will be announced at the September trade show right here in Denver, I’ll keep you posted.

Pictured left, a 1.3 gain screen over the new Black Diamond screen. This picture was taken at a recent dealer show in Utah in a hotel room with all the lights on!

Fixed screen sizes currently range from 80″ to 113″ and a motorized drop-down version has been announced as part of new Reference Motorized Series.  Pricing starts at $2,099.

The 8250 Theaterworks website has been updated with a new look.  More updates are coming, stay tuned!

8250 Theaterworks

projectiondesign recently change the name of it’s home cinema projector family from “Action” to “avielo”. The new family name coincides with the release of several new projectors in the home theater line. Five models will be available and all include the superior image performance which projectiondesign is known for. At InfoComm 2008, projectiondesign had a stunning booth with all models on display.

avielo projectiondesign models:

-Prisma: 720p
-Spectra: 1080p
-Radiance: 1080p, high light output
-Optix: 1080p, dual lamp configuration
-Helios: 1080p, 3-chip (shown)

Currently the Spectra and Optix are being offered.  Stay tuned to this blog for more information on the release of the remaining three models.

Aerial Acoustics Release 20T V2: Aerial Acoustics recently released the new Model 20T V2 loudspeakers. The update consists of an all new woofer design and new networks; the cabinet design mid-range and ribbon tweeter remain unchanged.

“The woofers are all-new designs with unique 3-layer sandwich cones and new drive structures. The cone has a black woven carbon fiber outer surface, a thick and very rigid German Rohacell structural foam core (as used in helicopter blades), and a woven glass fiber rear surface. The new long-throw voice coil is copper clad aluminum on glass fiber.”

The results are an improvement in over all performance of the whole speaker with more powerful and extended bass, increased mid-range definition, more natural mid-range and a more open, airy treble.

The pricing for the 20T V2 is now the same across all finishes at $32,000 per pair

Kaleidescape Releases Two 1080p Players:

Kaleidescape is pleased to announce availability of the 1080p Player and the 1080p Mini Player. These new Movie Players create beautiful high definition video from ordinary DVDs, providing a viewing experience that rivals Blu-ray.

Sharing a common underlying design, the 1080p Player and 1080p Mini Player offer many new video and audio performance features:

• 1080p Output - The embedded Sigma Designs^™ (Gennum^™) VXP^® video processor upscales standard definition DVD movies to 1080p resolution across an HDMI^™ connection, without the added cost and complexity of an external scaler.
• Content-Aware Video Processing - The 1080p Movie Player adapts its video processing to the type of content being viewed to achieve results that are impossible for an external scaler. For example, the onscreen display (OSD) with its sharp edges and high contrast is processed differently than movies, which contain motion and natural colors. Information in Kaleidescape’s extensive Movie Guide database is also used to tailor the viewing experience, for example, to zoom letterboxed movies to fill a 16:9 display or to relocate subtitles for optimal viewing. A new option provides the ability to automatically detect and expand 4:3 format movies to fill the entire screen of a 16:9 display.
• 10-bit 4:4:4 Color Processing - Greater color resolution and depth and improvements in how shadow detail and color linearity are handled produce accurate color and grayscale, from full white to black. This provides a more authentic movie-viewing experience with natural skin tones, nuanced shadows, and a lack of color artifacts.
• Motion Adaptive Deinterlacing and Reverse 3:2/2:2 Pulldown - The 1080p Movie Player detects whether source content originated as film, and selects the most appropriate deinterlacing method for detailed and clear video and smooth motion.
• Improved Onscreen Display (OSD) Imaging - Deinterlacing improvements result in fewer tearing artifacts and much cleaner cover art motion. Greater color resolution and better scaling create a crisper OSD image, particularly with text. Transitions to and from high definition content are now glitch-free.
• Improved Audio Processing - Whether watching a movie or listening to music, audio fidelity is improved.
• Automatic Video Configuration - Video configuration is automatic, making it easy to achieve the ideal viewing experience with minimal setup. The 1080p Movie Player detects and operates at the highest available resolution over HDMI. The degree of video sharpness can be optimized for the installation environment. Though automatic video settings are appropriate for most installations, the video configuration may be adjusted by the installer if necessary.

Welcome to the 8250 Theaterworks blog.

We’ll be using this to update technology happenings, industry news and company events.  It’s getting harder to create a full newsletter due to the volume of information around the industry right now; this blog will allow us to post information more frequently.  Feel free to leave comments and interact with your fellow a/v enthusiasts.