review_ hi-fi at ces 2016 - inside ci

4
Search InsideCI... Menu Sign Up / Login posted on Friday, 22nd January 2016 by Geny Caloisi SVS GoldenEar Velodyne Hifi Highend home cinema Home Articles Review: HiFi at CES 2016 REVIEW: HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO AT CES 2016 If you ever dreamt of being able to compare the audio quality of different HiFi manufacturers sideby side, this dream would have come true at the Venetian Hotel suites during CES 2016. All the brands worth knowing were showing their range of products and latest releases, you only had to hop room to room to get the full effect. At the SVS suite, Nicholas Brown, SVS Director of Brand Management, introduced us to the company’s new home theatre speaker, the Prime Elevation. This versatile trapezoidal speaker can be installed on the ceiling, on the wall, it can stand on a shelf or be mounted in several arrays. Expected to be out in April this year, the speaker will retail for $349. For an enclosure of its size the sound quality of the SVS Prime Elevation is very good, but the key feature is its flexibility, which is ideal for home theatres. The SVS Prime Elevation can play several roles: as a height channel speaker either downfiring or up firing; as a centre channel speaker with projector screens or where level placement at ear height is not possible; and also as a side or rearfiring surround speaker. A pair of Elevation speakers can be wall mounted and wired to become a dipole surround speaker. The company even looked into the detail of making its logo magnetic, so it will not read upside down on any position. “Today people have spectacular immersive audio formats at their fingertips, be it on movies or bluray performances,” commented Brown and added, “The adaptability of this speaker makes it unique. You could start with a smaller system and then grow it and the Prime Elevation can easily change its role within the installation. So far the speaker is proving so popular we are stepping up production.” TAGS projectors 3D home cinema Lighting Control Installs HDMI CEDIA Apps CES Architectural Multi room AMX Commercial HD over IP Hifi Bluray Crestron Home automation Training

Upload: genycaloisi

Post on 12-Feb-2017

78 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Search InsideCI...

Menu Sign Up / Login

posted on Friday, 22nd January 2016 by Geny Caloisi SVS GoldenEar Velodyne Hi­fi High­end home cinema

Home Articles Review: Hi­Fi at CES 2016

REVIEW: HIGH PERFORMANCEAUDIO AT CES 2016

If you ever dreamt of being able to compare the audio quality of different Hi­Fi manufacturers side­by­side, this dream would have come true at the Venetian Hotel suites during CES 2016. All the brandsworth knowing were showing their range of products and latest releases, you only had to hop room toroom to get the full effect.

At the SVS suite, Nicholas Brown, SVS Director of Brand Management, introduced us to the company’snew home theatre speaker, the Prime Elevation. This versatile trapezoidal speaker can be installed onthe ceiling, on the wall, it can stand on a shelf or be mounted in several arrays.

Expected to be out in April this year, the speaker will retail for $349. For an enclosure of its size thesound quality of the SVS Prime Elevation is very good, but the key feature is its flexibility, which is idealfor home theatres.

The SVS Prime Elevation can play several roles: as a height channel speaker either down­firing or up­firing; as a centre channel speaker with projector screens or where level placement at ear height is notpossible; and also as a side or rear­firing surround speaker. A pair of Elevation speakers can be wall­mounted and wired to become a dipole surround speaker. The company even looked into the detail ofmaking its logo magnetic, so it will not read upside down on any position.

“Today people have spectacular immersive audio formats at their fingertips, be it on movies or blu­rayperformances,” commented Brown and added, “The adaptability of this speaker makes it unique. Youcould start with a smaller system and then grow it and the Prime Elevation can easily change its rolewithin the installation. So far the speaker is proving so popular we are stepping up production.”

TAGS

projectors 3D homecinema Lighting Control Installs HDMI CEDIA Apps CES Architectural Multi­room AMX Commercial HDover IP Hi­fi Blu­ray Crestron Homeautomation Training

Featuring a rated bandwidth of 69 Hz ­ 25 kHz (+/­ 3dB), the SVS Prime Elevation performancecompares to that of high­end bookshelf speakers, but offers many more possibilities. Outstandingcrossover design and lower midrange and upper bass output allow it to blend seamlessly withsubwoofers and speakers from SVS and other brands. When used in a multi­channel set­up, thespeakers deliver crystal clear dialogue and vocals, an enveloping soundstage and seamless sonictransitions from front to back, side to side and overhead. The SVS Prime Elevation is sonically voicedto match with any of the company's existing speakers and subwoofers.

Velodyne was showing its range of elegant subwoofers, but talking to old­timer consultant Fred Yando,we discover that David Hall, founder and CEO of Velodyne, extends his curiosity and research beyondthe world of audio. The company has launched its LiDAR sensor, a Solid State Hybrid Ultra Puck, thatcan reproduce the world around on 3D in real time; ideal for self driving cars. In fact at CES 2016, Fordwas showing its self­driving car that uses LiDAR.

When it comes to designing its subwoofers, Velodyne does look into every detail. The units have asmooth finish, that in some models comes in wood or white variation, but as Yando explained “Forhome theatres what you need is black. Anything on any other colour, would stick out like a sore thumband distract you from having an immersive experience.” Even the LED volume indicators at the front ofthe speakers can be switched off to achieve a total black.

The company has developed it own wireless system, Velodyne’s WiConnect. Not having to depend oncables, Velodyne’s Wi­Q 10 and Wi­Q 12 can be placed anywhere you want, on view or concealed in acabinet. Fitted with Class D amplifiers, the Wi­Qs come with one touch auto­EQ room bass correctionand can be controlled from a remote control.

The company’s Digital Drive Plus range, which comes in four sizes: 10’, 12’, 15’ and 18’, offerextremely low­distortion (just 0.5%) at or bellow 20Hz. They also have Velodyne’s patentedaccelerometer based on High Gain Servo System. Velodyne’s founder, Hall, introduced the first HighGain Servo System in 1983, with the ULD­18 subwoofer. The 120lb speaker system went lower, playedlouder and produced distortion levels that were 20 to 30 times less than anything else on the market.The ULD­18 garnered dozens of international awards and acknowledgments, including the 1984Special Engineering Award.

Corporate Residential 4K ISE Awards LED Appointments Wireless Epson AWE Europe OLED Smart home Trade Networkaudio lighting Design Karma­av Streaming Loudspeakers Wyrestorm HDBaseT Events High­end Habitech Broadcast Invision UK High Res Audio Dolby Atmos

LATEST REVIEW

LATEST ARTICLE

In­depth: Harman LuxuryAudio at CES 2016We take a closer look af theworld's top audio brands

Artison Nano 1subwoofer reviewUltra compact bass beast is tailormade for media rooms

Velodyne also knows how to do small. Its Micro­Vee is just 9x9x9.6” (HWD), and comes in black orwhite ribbed aluminium cabinet. According to the company, this is ‘the smallest sub ever made.’ Thenew sub features the latest generation of Velodyne’s patented ERS (Energy Recovery System) Class­Ddigital amplifier. “It supplies 2000 watts of dynamic power and, with 1000 watts of continuous RMSpower. The MicroVee reproduces bass with a level of detail and definition not found in any othersubwoofer in its price range regardless of size,” explained Yando. Rated at over 95% efficiency, theERS amp used in the MicroVee generates minimal heat, making it very reliable.

GoldenEar’s co­founder, Sandy Gross, introduced us to the company’s audio evolution on its Tritonproduct series. The Triton One, Two and Three don’t follow a chronological order; the second and thirdcame before the first. The Triton One tower speaker was introduced in 2014.

GoldenEar’s second generation are the Triton Two+ and Triton Three+. The Plus series built from thedevelopment on the Triton One.

Gross explained: “Some of the improvements include new upper bass/midrange drivers, whichincorporate a new cone, surround, spider and voice coil. They also have a completely new balancedcrossover with polypropylene capacitors, similar to the one developed for the Triton One. Manylisteners don’t realize just how critical the crossover is to the sound of a loudspeaker. They often thinkthat the drivers create the sound, and that two speakers with the same drivers will sound basically alike.Not so. The crossover is like the conductor of an orchestra, telling each driver exactly when to come inand how loud to play. Our acoustic engineers spent countless hours trying subtle variations ofcrossover and DSP tuning in order to get the voicing exactly right.”

Sonically, both the Triton Three+ and Triton Two+ benefit from a significantly smoother, higherresolution, and more highly detailed sound. The Two+ will retail at US$1749 each and the Three+$1249 each.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Sorry guests can't post comments.Please Login if your an existing member or Register a new account.

Geny CaloisiGeny Caloisi is an accomplishedtechnology journalist who hasworked in a variety of AVindustry publications.

Share this!

05

2

0

Inside CI © 2011 | Web Development by Chocolate Grape

it's like Sony want it to fail fromthe off as their first 6 releases aregarbage IMO Smurfs 2 andPineapple...

from Allan Briscoe in Even Spidey can’tsave Sony’s 4K Blu­ray launch titles

[To better explain said deepthinking, the organisation hasreleased a mission statement(“development...

from Tony Flynn in CEDIA unveils newbrand identity at CEDIA Expo

Interesting post, wish we couldsee what goes on behind closeddoors more often...

from Darren Shear in Don’t use TheAvengers to show off your cinema

Well, after spending number ofyears in post pro studios (largeand small) I witnessed all sorts ofthings and got...

from Zak Vracevic in Don’t use TheAvengers to show off your cinema

Is this the ultimate cool? >@smeguk addsside­by­side fridge to classic range#InsideID https://t.co/x1vA75PbXFhttps://t.co/i5ka0BmCSX

about 2 hours ago

About Us Terms and ConditionsHow to advertise with usHow to write for us CEDIA

About Inside CI Join Us Facebook Pages