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| MORE LOUDSPEAKERS Wilson Audio Specialties Inc.   The Wilson Audio suite was among the most entertaining at CES 2000. With one room dedicated to the display of all of their products, another area was set aside to demonstrate the X1 Grand SLAMM's with Audio Research amplification. Along with the X1s was the enormous XS Subwoofer enclosure, capable of enormous SPL down to 18Hz. The XS has two ported 18-inch drivers and sells for about $18,500, depending on the finish. The theater room demonstrated Wilson Audio’s new theater products, including the awesome WATCH Center Speaker, which sells for $5,200 and will be shipping the first week in February 2000, and the Watch Surround Speaker, which sells for $6,300 a pair and will be available in April of 2000. The new WATCH-Sub was demonstrated but has yet to receive a price tag, with a projected release date of mid-to-late 2000. The Martin-Logan Prodigy The Prodigy is a brand-new addition to the Martin-Logan line of hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers. In addition to the electrostatic panel, the Prodigies use one front-firing 10-inch low frequency driver and one 10-inch rear-firing driver, a system that they claim virtually eliminates low frequency room resonances. The Prodigy has a frequency response of 28 – 24kHz, is 91dB efficient and has a price tag of $10,000, with a cool industrial design. Revel Revel, Madrigal’s successful upstart loudspeaker mark, showed two new more affordable loudspeakers at CES, the F30 and the M20. The F30 is a floor-standing three-way speaker, priced at $3,500, and the M20 is a bookshelf Revel priced at $2,000, with a $200 optional stand. Both speakers are currently shipping. Evett & Shaw Evett and Shaw showed their stunning, all-aluminum Pesaro DiAural loudspeaker ($2,550 in black powdercoat and $2,950). The Pesaro is beautifully finished, highly efficient and uses the licensed Ray Kimber technology that simply employs a circuit to replace a crossover. Pesaros are bookshelf loudspeakers that are solid to 40 Hz and can be matched with a seamless stand that makes them look as if they are floor-standing loudspeakers (stands are $750).  Neosonik Neosonik, a new player to the crowed loudspeaker market, is attacking on all fronts with three unbelievably beautiful and low- priced loudspeakers. A unique characteristic of Neosonik is the fact that, unlike all but the largest loudspeaker manufacturers, Neosonik actually build their own drivers from scratch. Their smallest speaker, the z1 bookshelf, is priced at $1,695 ($495 for stands) and their largest loudspeaker, the z3, is priced at $3,495. THIEL  THIEL introduced several new products at CES 2000. Brand-new was the THIEL PCS coherent source three-way loudspeaker, which sells for $3,000, with a range of 55Hz to 23kHz. Also from THIEL were the PowerPlane and PowerPoint speaker systems. The PowerPlane is a high- performance in-wall speaker with a 75 - 20kHz response, and an expected release date of March 2000 at a cost of $2,400 per pair or $1,200 each. The PowerPoint is an external wall- or ceiling- mounted speaker, which is currently available and at a cost of $2,600 per pair or $1,300 each.THIEL introduced their upcoming sub system. This impressive system will include a sub interface controller, which can be programmed with several system variables, including the style of speakers that you have, their low frequency limits, speaker sensitivity and damping rate, to mention a few. The sub controller can then properly set itself up for the best system interaction and performance, or so is claimed. The THIEL Sub is not due for release until mid-2000, at a projected cost of $2,500 per sub cabinet and $1,500 per control unit, which controls up to 20 sub enclosures. |
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 Sound LabSound Lab introduced the new Millennium 3, a speaker that is sized and priced behind the larger and much-respected Sound Lab A1. The Millennium 3 is a fully electrostatic loudspeaker that can produce frequencies from 30Hz through ultrasonics. This is a very large speaker based on the even larger A1, able to reproduce startling detail at a price of $6,700. The KEF Three - Two  This speaker was just introduced and showcased at CES 2000. The Three - Two is a four-way system which delivers 40Hz to 20 kHz, available at the price of $3,200. The Three - Twos come in a variety of gorgeous wood finishes. The Totem Forest LoudspeakerThe Forest, although not brand-new, deserves mention, as it is a very nice speaker system. The Totem Forest has a frequency response of 33 Hz to 22 kHz. The system is priced at $3,000. Atop the Totem speakers are devices they call "beak tuning pods," which do remarkable things to the higher frequencies as you position them. The Totem In-Wall Loudspeakers  Totem demonstrated their brand-new line of in-wall speaker systems, which performed remarkably and were very competitively priced at $300-$500. Said to have superior off-access response, they deliver remarkable sound for an in-wall speaker.Silverline Audio Silverline Audio demonstrated both their Sonata and their smaller Sonatina loudspeaker systems. The Sonatas are priced at $5,500 and the Sonatina at $3,800. These speakers are nice-looking and have outstanding sound for their price. STAX  Stax demonstrated an array of headphone amplifiers, complete with headphones that knocked my socks off. The STAX system consists of an integrated tube amplifier that delivers considerably higher output voltage than any other headphone amplifiers for the reason of driving the STAX Electrostatic headphones. Each system has a different amplifier and each has different STAX headphones. Systems started at $455 and reached the seemingly outrageous at $6,265 for the SR-007 system. Not previously a fan of headphones, I absolutely loved the STAX SR-007 system. Although expensive, this is something that I would love to own.Dunlavy Audio Labs, Inc.  Dunlavy introduced their new HRCC center-channel speaker at $3,795. This very sizable center-channel speaker uses the same drivers as the much-touted SC-IV/A and is capable of recreating low-frequency center-channel information to a startling 29Hz. The Aletha (the Greek word for "truth") was released to the public back in May of 1999. Its response is 29Hz – 20kHz at a very sensitive 90dB. This speaker has a bottom-firing 10-inch driver and currently sells for $5,995. Although not a new product, the extremely sizable Dunlavy SC-V provided equally big sound. Theses full-range loudspeakers weigh 330 lbs. each and sell for $14,995 per pair. The MBL 101D LoudspeakerHere is a glance at the impressive MBL 101D loudspeaker. This omni-directional loudspeaker is as impressive-sounding as it looks. The 101Ds have an updated low-frequency system, which produces frequencies as low as 28 Hz and retails for $32,000.  Audio Fusion LTD.The Volare (Latin for "to fly") looked as though, if you didn’t bolt it down, it would take off. This three-way speaker system was so new that the prototype arrived the day of the show. This speaker is scheduled for production in mid-2000 with an unknown price. Huff Loudspeaker Co.  The Huff System Three is an omni-directional satellite loudspeaker system with dual Sub One matching subs. The System Three Satellites sell in their best veneer for $13,990, and the Sub Ones for $5,990 per pair.Aventgarde-USA  The Aventgarde speakers are horn systems that are easily driven to extraordinary volumes with a mere several watts. With a minimum recommendation of three watts, the Trios shown are an incredible sight, to say the least.
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Check out coverage from CES 99. Back to AudioRevolution.com Front Page. |
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Check out coverage from CES 99. Back to AudioRevolution.com Front Page. |