Archives for February 2003

At CES 2003 in Las Vegas, Atlantic Technology demonstrated its new THX Ultra2-certified loudspeaker series, the System 8200. The company also announced that it will begin delivering the 8200 line to dealers in January 2003. System prices will range from $7,000 to $18,500 (US), depending on configuration and finishing options.

The System 8200 is a THX Ultra2-certified system that takes multi-channel audio to the highest levels of performance, and provides perhaps the most flexible acoustic and aesthetic loudspeaker customization options ever offered.

System 8200 components include the 8200 LR three-way front speaker, 8200 C three-way center channel, 8200 SR dipole/bipole surrounds, and either a traditional 8200 box-style powered subwoofer or the unique 8200 Pedestal Subwoofers

When fully configured, System 8200 carries the prestigious THX Ultra2 certification, designating the ultimate in home theater performance. A wide array of available sonic adjustments impart a level of acoustic control and performance previously unavailable in consumer speakers, allowing each speaker to be uniquely adjusted according to its placement in the listening environment.

The System 8200’s modular speaker components are delivered in duraBlac™, Atlantic’s matte black “speckled” lacquer finish, for installation inside cabinets, or behind screens or curtains. These same black enclosures can be fitted with optional stunning high-gloss black lacquer or wood veneer accent panels that change them into works of art to match any décor.

System 8200 components include the 8200 LR three-way front speaker, 8200 C three-way center channel, 8200 SR dipole/bipole surround speakers, and either a traditional 8200 box-style powered subwoofer or the unique 8200 Pedestal Subwoofers. These PedWoofers™ can be combined with 8200 LRs to form attractive tower speakers. A dedicated outboard 350-Watt-per-channel servo controlled amplifier with dual parametric equalizers for exceptional bass control and optimization completes the PedWoofer option.

“Our System 8200 demonstrates that it is possible to approach the outer limits of the state of the art in multi-channel sound without having to pay the price equivalent of a new luxury car,” says Atlantic Technology president, Peter Tribeman.

“We have seen some very high-end custom home theaters with $100,000 speaker systems that, practically speaking, would be hard pressed to substantially exceed the performance of our new system at one tenth the cost,” continues Mr. Tribeman. “We have devoted a great deal of effort and cost to build in sophisticated controls that let the installer or consumer fine tune the speakers to the room and the source material. It’s certainly not an overstatement to say that this system will outperform most competing speaker systems simply because it works with the room and source material as opposed to against them!”

System 8200 is the first implementation of the company’s C.O.R.E. (Custom Optimized Room Enhanced) design philosophy.

Custom Optimized

System 8200 is optimized for sophisticated high-end home theater systems by giving the consumer or custom installer the option of concealing the duraBlac speakers in cabinets or behind screens, or dressing them up to display them in plain sight, and only paying for the level of finish required by the installation.

The optional accent panel kits (available only for the L/C/Rs, PedWoofers, and empty pedestals) are available in high gloss black lacquer, Natural Maple, Oiled Cherry, Natural Mahogany, duraBlac™, and unfinished MDF that can be customized by the installer/consumer to match any décor. The kits include tempered smoked glass tops for the LRs, while the PedWoofer kits offer the glass tops as an option. Should the consumer choose not to use PedWoofers, empty pedestals are available to take the place of the PedWoofers in building up the floor standing LRs.

Room Enhanced

One of the least addressed aspects of home sound systems is the room itself. System 8200 makes use of a wide array of sonic adjustments to optimize the system to the room, the source material and the listener’s acoustic taste.

The SA 8200 Servo controlled PedWoofer amplifier includes parametric EQ, a four-position phase adjustment along with remote controlled preset source EQs and level trim that impart a degree of bass control fine tuning previously unavailable. Although there are several powered bass loudspeakers on the market today, few if any offer the kind of sonic customization and optimization provided by this system.

The three-way 8200 LR front left/right and 8200 C center channel speakers feature a trio of acoustic controls to compensate for different room environments. First, by adjusting the tweeter’s output slope according to acoustically ‘live’, average, or ‘dead’ rooms. Second, by adjusting mid and high frequency output for placement of speakers behind perforated screens or curtains. And third, by adjusting the lower midrange for Boundary Compensation to reduce the sonic impact of placing speakers in cabinets or directly adjacent to a TV screen.

The 8200 SR surrounds are dipole/bipole switchable and meet the stringent THX Ultra2 specifications for all surround channels. The speakers are available in either duraBlac or matte white finish, and can be wall-mounted or used in conjunction with optional surround pedestals.

Atlantic Technology Web Site

More CES 2003 News

Denon calls it ‘one of most significant product introductions in the company’s history.’ Introduced at CES 2003, the Denon DVD-2900 DVD-Audio/Video/Super Audio CD player is the company’s first-ever all-format universal disc player, offering playback of both DVD-Audio and Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) multichannel discs, in addition to DVD-Video.

The new player also provides a host of leading-edge technologies and features including full digital bass management for DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD, and Burr-Brown DSD-1790 24-bit, 192kHz audio D/A converters for the highest possible resolution and fidelity.

“The Denon design philosophy is perfectly reflected in our new DVD-2900,” says Stephen Baker, Denon senior vice president. “It’s an extremely versatile component that provides maximum benefits to our customers, and while technologically advanced, it’s also easy to operate and enjoy.”

“The DVD-2900 plays back every popular video and audio disc format, delivering state-of-the-art audio and video quality at an extremely attractive price point. It’s truly one of the most significant home entertainment components we’ve ever introduced.”

The Denon DVD-2900 will be available in May 2003 at a suggested retail price of $999 (US).

DVD-2900: The Ultimate Source Component with Universal Format Compatibility

Denon’s DVD-2900 is designed to deliver ultimate audio and video performance in every respect, and incorporates the most advanced digital video and audio technologies available. The DVD-2900 plays back virtually every optical disc format available, including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD and DVD-R/RW Videodiscs in addition to DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and Super Audio CD, making it the ultimate all-in-one digital home entertainment source component.

Consistent with Denon’s philosophy that a DVD player is a high-end audio component as much as it is a video playback device, the DVD-2900 is designed for unsurpassed sound quality. It incorporates leading edge Burr-Brown DSD-1790 24-bit, 192kHz audio D/A converters for the highest possible resolution and fidelity along with maximum surround sound separation and dynamic range.

The DVD-2900 also offers full digital bass management for DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD, with selectable crossover slopes to optimize sonic performance with any loudspeakers and room environment.

In addition, the player includes built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding with 5.1-channel outputs, plus built-in MP3 decoding that provides up to 10 hours of music playback from a single MP3-encoded CD-R or CD-RW disc.

The video performance of the DVD-2900 is equally exceptional. The player incorporates precision Analog Devices 12-bit, 108MHz video D/A converters, and Denon’s PureProgressive Scan™ technology featuring the Silicon Image SiL 504 decoding engine—the identical state-of-the-art digital video processor used in the company’s flagship DVD-9000 DVD player.

In common with all Denon DVD players, the DVD-2900 provides a comprehensive selection of digital and analog audio and video connections, including component, S-video and composite video outputs, as well as optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, plus an RS-232C port and remote in/out ports for integrated system control.

The player also provides a wealth of convenience functions such as Kodak Picture CD compatibility, a JPEG photo file viewer, a large 16 MB buffer memory to minimize layer-changing time in dual-layer DVD discs, picture control adjustments to tailor the image quality to the video display device and personal preference, an intuitive on-screen menu system and many additional advanced features.

Denon Home Audio Web Site

More CES 2003 News

New Microboards Technology, Mediatechnics, and Rimage duplication systems offer top-speed DVD-R capability

MARCAN, the Bellevue, Washington-based provider of CD and DVD duplication services and hardware systems, is now offering new-generation duplication systems with the latest DVD technology – 4X speed write drives.

The new drives from Microboards Technology, Mediatechnics, and Rimage also feature 16X CD recording. Prices start at $1595.

Microboards DSR DVD-4168 (left) and DVD-4163 (right) models offer DVD/CDR (4X/16X) duplication, stand-alone operation, and Firewire connections, making up to 32 DVDs per hour

“With DVDs breaking price barriers and beginning to find broad acceptance as an information storage solution, we are seeing publishers demand faster duplication systems,” explains Marvin Groberman, president of MARCAN. “As part of MARCAN’s on-going mission to quickly recognize and respond to developing market needs, we are pleased to announce that we now offer a wide range of options which include top speed DVD-R capability.”

MARCAN offers high quality CD-R and DVD-R duplication, CD replication and DVD video authoring services, including a full range of printing and packaging options. The company also sells CD and DVD recording and duplication systems in multi-drive and autoloading configurations including color printing systems. MARCAN has been providing CD-ROM solutions for more than nine years to Boeing, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, AT&T, NEC, Cisco and many other leading companies.

MARCAN Web Site