  Martin Logan
Martin Logan introduced their new Odyssey speaker, positioned between their Ascent ($4,000) and Prodigy ($10,000) speakers and priced at $6,000. The Odyssey utilizes the Force Forward design from Martin Logan’s Prodigy speakers. The Odyssey stands 67 inches tall and features forward-firing eight-inch and rear-firing 10-inch drivers, in addition to Martin Logan’s signature curvilinear driver. Martin Logan's home theater demonstration utilized their prototype subwoofer, featuring three drivers and their proprietary Balanced Force design. |
 Revel
Revel showed a ground breaking new subwoofer product called the B15. Priced at $3,000, the Revel sub has a monsterous driver and magnet along with a 1000 watt internal amp. The B15, at 20 inches square, is bigger than say a Sunfire sub, but not physically huge like other high performance subs now on the the market. The best part of the B15 is the fact that Revel offers specail LFO setup software for the PC that you or your dealer can download from the RevelSpeakers.com. The software takes into consideration your room size and conditions and then suggests the best placement in your room. The software graphcially shows you how to exactly turn the knobs on the back of the B15 which overcomes nearly every other subs biggest probelm - poor setup and placement.
Revel also showed a new loudspeaker called the F50, not to be confusted with the Ferrari, which for between $7,000 and $8,000 falls between the lower priced Performa series and the Ultima Series. All of the drivers are made in-house with a ceramic composite for the cone material. No off the shelf JBL drivers here. The Revel F50 is about as tall as a Revel F30 but has a very diminutive footprint which makes it fit into many rooms with ease. |
 Monitor Audio
Monitor Audio takes the high-five award for their new GR60 loudspeaker. They updated the $12,000 Studio 60 loudspeaker and offered it at less than half the price at $5,500. They did so with updated manufacturing techniques. Perhaps the rest of the industry could benefit by taking notice. The studio 20’s become the GR20’s at a price of $3,500 per pair.
The new FB212 Sub sells for $1,899. It is full of features, including adjustable phase and Q control for driver tightness, to name just a couple. This 400W subwoofer will be available in March 2001.
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 Sunfire
Sunfire introduced the updated version of their smallest sub, the Sub Jr. Due out in March, this mini powerhouse will produce an additional 3dB and costs $999.
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 Krell
Krell displayed their brand-new $35,000 LAT full-range loudspeakers. Constructed of two-inch thick aluminum billet, these will ship in February, 2001. Each monstrous Krell loudspeaker weighs in at 250 pounds and are, truly a sight to see.Krell also showed the LAT 2 a $10,000 bookshelf loudspeaker in a spectacular aluminum finish. The LAT 2 were shown paired with a Krell KAV 280 CD player for $3,250, and a KAV 300iL receiver, complete with a David Day-designed tuner section and a 200 watt amp, all in one chassis, designed for the beginning enthusiast or as a super high-end desktop office system.
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Definitive Technology
Definitive Technology introduced their new line of powered mini-monitors. Ranging in price from $900 to $1,600, the PM series are mini-powerhouses, providing very solid low-end performance.
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 THIEL
THIEL showed a working version of their long awaited powered subwoofer. Their sub uses two ten inch drivers in a cabinet that is taller that it is wide. A 200 watt switching amplifier is installed inside and an external crossover is available if needed for an estimated $2,000 extra.
The coolest concept with the THIEL subwoofer is its ability to be tuned to meet the exact needs of your room and system. You actually program in the type of speakers and room dimentions into the back of the woofer in order to get the best results from the woofer.
Priced at $5,000 the THIEL sub is reportedly availible in Spring 2001. |
 Mirage
Mirage provided a live demonstration of its OM-9 ($1,300 in cherry, $1,400 in black), the entry-level speaker in the OM series. The Omnipolar OM-5 features dual one-inch tweeters and dual 6.5-inch woofers, with a frequency range of 38hz to 33khz.
Created to be the flagship for their Mirage Omnipolar series, the new OM-1 made its debut at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The OM-1 is a 4-piece system consisting of two 74-inch tall panels and two powered subwoofers. Each of the subwoofers holds four woofers in a bipolar configuration, two on each side.The suggested retail price is expected to range from $25,000 - $29,000 for the system depending on finish. |
 B&W
B&W has all new inexpensive speakers for those of us who want it all without spending mega bucks. The new DM303 bookshelf speakers finally integrate the Nautilus speaker technology found on the $40,000 flagship B&Ws at a $300 pricepoint. The DM series come in a sexy wrapped maple or standard black finish, rear-ported with a neat textured front faceplate.
The next level up from B&W’s entry level is redesigned as well, with a sexy aluminum front plate and bright yellow Kevlar drivers. These mini-monitors are priced at $900 and look like $9,000. Floor-standing models are priced at $1,500. All are bi-wireable and feature a ported or dual-ported design. Visually, they are very striking.
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Final Electrostatics
Newly imported from across the Atlantic, Final offers a full line of hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers. The newly introduced 0.3’s have a price tag of $2,399. Unique in appearance, with European flair, these speakers are worth a second look and a first listen.
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 Paradigm
The Seismic Sub series is the latest from Paradigm, a company known for high value with high-performing gear at moderate prices. The Seismic 10 retails for $1,100 and, like its brother the Seismic 12, which retails for $1,500, it is an excellent addition to the Paradigm A/V line. Both the Seismic 10 and the Seismic 12 will be available in April of 2001.
A new addition to the Servo line and the granddaddy of them all is the Servo 25 Sub. Estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $2,500, this unit will be available in April of 2001.
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 PSB SPEAKERS
The Alpha family of products expands with two ultra-compact monitors, the Alpha Intro LR and the Alpha Intro CLR. Both Intros use a 3/4-inch anodized aluminum-dome tweeter for extended and smooth high-frequency response, plus a 3-1/2-inch woofer. The Intro LR uses one of each of these new drivers in a standard array that fits into a cabinet measuring only 4-1/4 by 6-3/4 by 6-1/4 inches, while the Intro CLR places the tweeter between two of the woofers in a cabinet measuring 4-1/4 by 9-3/4 by 6-1/4 inches.
The Alpha B and the Alpha C use the same 3/4-inch anodized aluminum-dome tweeter recently as the Intros with a larger 5-1/4-inch woofer. The Alpha B uses a single woofer, and is designed for front or surround use. The Alpha C employs dual woofers, designed first and foremost as a center-channel speakers, but it is also intended as a front or surround speaker.
The Intros come in textured black or white, and the Alpha B and Alpha C come in black or light cherry wood-grained finishes. All models have video shielding to allow placement right next to a TV set or computer monitor.
The Alpha Intros come with a suggested retail prices of $199 per pair for the Intro LR and $169 each for the Intro CLR and are currently shipping. The Alpha B ($249 per pair) and C ($229 per pair) are due in April with a bipolar surround model, the Alpha S, due later in the spring. |
 Blue Room
Originally founded under the umbrella of B&W, the very striking looking Blue Room speakers are back with a product called the Mini Pods. Priced between $450 and $499 per pair, the Mini Pods have iMac-like visual appeal. Blue Room also has a subwoofer that looks like a conga drum, called the Bass Station, for a modest $500. Clearly a product marketed toward Gen X and Gen Y, these speakers are named after a 20-minute techno tune by the U.K. act The Orb, which is a sort of Pink Floyd-like aural voyage, complete with quotes from Rickie Lee Jones.
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 Red Rose Audio
Red Rose Audio, Mark Levinson’s new company, displayed their new R3 bookshelf ribbon speakers ($3,500) and IM-5 integrated amplifier ($8,000). The IM-5 is a 45 wpc tube design. The Red Rose line also features the full-size R1 speakers ($45,000), amplifiers and preamplifiers.
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 Aerial Acoustics
Aerial Acoustics introduced the new 20T ($18,000) and 30T ($28,000) speakers. The 20T and 30T share similar bass cabinets and heads. The most notable difference between the two is the 20T’s lack of upper midrange driver, which is featured above the tweeter on the 30T.
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 Dynaudio
You have to take a second look to differentiate this smaller sibling of the $85,000 Dynaudio Evidence loudspeaker. The Evidence Temptations have a price tag of $30,000, are will ship in mid May and rock hard in a funny place(pictured at right.)
 Also new for 2001 is the Dynaudio Audience 122, demonstrated as both front and rear speakers with a price of $1,500 per pair and the 122C center at $750. Rounding off the package was Dynaudio’s 30A sub at $1,400.
Other new products from Dynaudio in 2001 include their lower-priced surround package with their Audience 42W’s for mains at $799 per pair, their 42C center channel speaker at $399, and a pair of Audience 42’s for surrounds at $699 a pair.
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 Diva
The Diva loudspeakers look qutie a bit like B&W 802s which cost $8,000-plus per pair, but the Divas actually cost $1,299 per pair. Made in China and promoted by the marketing power behind Audio Alchemy, Diva loudspeakers make quite a statement for the amount of performance you can bet on a beer budget. In a move of audio confidence (arrogance?), the Diva demonstration featured the $1,200 (per pair) Diva 6.1s on Outlaw Audio electronics and Radio Shack cabling – a very modest setup. The opponent was B&W 802s with $25,000 in Classe’ electronics and high end cables. We aren’t going to say the Diva is better, but we will say we were about as impressed as we’ve been at this show. We will also get these speakers in for review in 2001.
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 Energy Speakers
Energy displayed their Veritas speakers in a home theater display. The main front channel speakers were V2.4's ($3,500), center V2.0C ($800) and rear V2.0R’s ($1,000). A cut-away version of the V2.4 allows for close examination. The drivers utilize a new dual voice coil technology to reduce distortion. Cabinet vibration is minimized in several ways, including bolts through the driver magnets to the back wall of the cabinet, pulling the cabinet tight, and ‘Sperex’ coating on the baffle. The Sperex material is a rubbery material that transforms vibration to heat, minimizing vibration-induced distortion.
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RBH
Perhaps one of the biggest bargains at this year’s CES was a package of speakers that RBH is billing as its $1,000 package. System included the MM4’s for mains and rear surrounds, the C4 center, and the MS8 Sub. These are truly low-cost high performers.
Unveiled at the show were the new model 641 loudspeakers from RBH. Probably not available until August ‘01, the 641’s will have an estimated price tag of $1,400.
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KR Enterprise
KR Enterprise of the KR Vacuum Transducer fame introduced their first speaker, a small monitor named the KR-1 Micromonitor ($7,000). The KR-1 utilizes a quasi-transmission line and internal resonance chamber to achieve a 30hz-20khz-frequency response.
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 Totem Acoustic
Wind Hawk $2,395, Arro $1,100, Wind $6,595
Totem Acoustic introduced their new Wind speaker, which utilizes a four-driver, three-way design. Totem is best known for their small footprint, two-way designs, which were also on display in the form of the Hawk and Arro speakers. Additionally, Totem had their center channel speakers on view as well.
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 Creek Audio/Epos Acoustic
Creek’s 5350SE integrated amplifier features 90 wpc, remote control and a passive preamp section for $1,495. The CD53SE CD player ($1,595) is 24-bit/193 khz-capable and replaces the CD43 CD player. Epos Acoustics was recently purchased by Creek and now features shielded speakers for use near video monitors. Epos displayed their new M12 ($895) bookshelf monitor and M15 ($1,395) floor-standing monitor. The M12 and M15 feature woofers molded integrally with the front baffle.
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 Westlake Audio
Westlake Audio displayed their two newest speakers at CES, the LC5.75 ($1,300), their smallest speaker, and their largest speaker, the Lc3w12V. The LC5.75 is a two-way design featuring a 5.25-inch woofer and 3/4-inch tweeter, pictured with their optional baffle extension. The Lc3w12V is a three-way design, with 12-inch, 6.5-inch and 3/4-inch drivers.
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 Burmeister
Burmeister introduced several new products at CES including the 007 surround processor , the 001 Belt Diven CD Player ($7,550), the 006 CD Player ($6,520), and the B99 reference speaker ($47,780). Burmeister also introduced their lower-priced Rondo line to the United States. The Rondo line currently consists of an integrated amplifier, CD player and tuner, all under $5,000 each.
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Tetra Listening Instruments
Two of the three speakers displayed by Tetra featured unique pyramid-shaped heads. The Space ($3,500) is a two-way design with a six-inch woofer. The slightly larger Live ($5,750) features an eight-inch woofer. Both designs mount the drivers in the pyramid-shaped heads, which are mounted above a larger enclosure. The third speaker, the diminutive Bullit ($1,250), is also a two-way design with a 4.5-inch woofer.
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 Von Schweikert Audio
Albert Von Schweikert is back with his new San Diego, California-based company Von Schweikert Audio. Von Schweikert displayed his new line speakers, ranging from the VR3.5's ($2,995) to VR7's ($19,000, pictured). The line includes the VR4 Gen III’s ($3,995), the latest iteration of the highly regarded VR4 series.
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