Finally…

September 20th, 2008 Tags: , , , ,

Well, I’m finally getting an opportunity to catch up after the CEDIA. Things always tend to get a little busier in the fall and the show put quite a few more items on the to-do list.

The first report is from Aerial Acoustics who announced a couple of new and exciting products this year. These have been rumored, or in prototype, for a while so it’s nice to be able to finally share what they have been up to. First off, and the most exciting for me, is the announcement of the new Model 7c, the replacement for the 7b. The update includes new drivers, crossovers and a striking cabinet design boosting a curved-back cabinet. I know there are a number of other speaker manufacturers out there with a similar shape but the radius on the new 7 is a little more aggressive than some of the others I’ve seen. The result is a very visually appealing cabinet and represent a new look for an Aerial Acoustics speaker. Additionally the base is finished in black gloss which provides stability and compliments the over all look without being too industrial or out of place. The prototype speaker was finished in gloss cherry, something else new for Aerial. The available cabinet finishes are still being decided but there was positive reaction to the gloss; I would expect to see between four and seven high quality finishes in a mix of both gloss and satin. Finally, the 7c sports a new slightly curved grill which is the perfect touch to the new cabinet shape.

The second new product was the System 2. Based on the came concept as the already existing System 1, the System 2 is meant for flat screen displays or small projection systems. The speakers in include the vertical left and right channels and the horizontal center channel. Also in the mix is a new subwoofer based on dual offset 10″ drivers. The entire system (pun intended) is definitely more oriented towards a lifestyle system but without the sound quality compromise usually associated with systems of this size.

As normal with CEDIA, Aerial Acoustics had a static booth so there was not chance to demo any of the new products. Both the 7c and System 2 are in the very final stages of development so we’ll be keeping an eye on their release and will report back as soon we can get a live demo.

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