Sharp announces HT-SB500 soundbar at CEDIA, some iPod docks too
by Nilay Patel 
posted Sep 11th 2009 at 5:58AM
P.S.- That's a picture of the older HT-SB300 up there -- the SB500 has a redesigned control panel, but Sharp hasn't released images yet.
IpodSpeakers posts
P.S.- That's a picture of the older HT-SB300 up there -- the SB500 has a redesigned control panel, but Sharp hasn't released images yet.
Philips debuts Soundbar with Blu-ray, Home Theaters galore
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 12:51PM
If there's one thing we've always maintained here at Engadget, it's that "HD people are good people." Hell, we have a whole website devoted to HD, home entertainment, and the whole "HD lifestyle," only because you warm our hearts so much. And the folks at Philips are obviously on the same tip -- as proven not only by all the wonderful products of theirs that grace these pages regularly, but by all the surround sound gear they've schlepped to IFA this year, including: a new SoundBar with Ambisound, featuring a Blu-ray disc player, optional iPod dock, 7.1 surround sound, and DoubleBASS. Available in black (HTS8160B) or white (HTS8161B). Just the thing for those of you who think that a single speaker could somehow replace seven (plus one) in the surround sound stakes. Also on hand for the less credulous, the company is unveiling a number of home theater systems with the now-mandatory Blu-ray playback, including: three separate 5.1 surround affairs for folks with on varying budgets, and a two speaker / one sub combo for those of you who want to try out "Dolby Virtual Speaker" technology after all. If all this appeals to you, you have two options -- check out the PR (after the break) or hit the read link to sift through a wild'n'wooly PDF.
Parrot intros Philippe Starck-designed Zimku wireless speakers
by Donald Melanson posted Dec 18th 2008 at 1:33PM
We're not sure if he's been taking notes from fellow countryman Jean-Michel Jarre or not, but it looks like prolific designer Philippe Starck now has a tower-style speaker system to call his own. Considering that Starck has paired up with the wireless-minded folks at Parrot, however, there's a few more surprises in store with these -- namely, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth to accommodate your laptop or cellphone of choice. You will still get an iPod / iPhone dock, of course, along with a remote control (also designed by Starck), and some newfangled NXT technology that apparently "revolutionizes traditional acoustic design." All that comes at an expectedly premium price, however, with the speakers set to run $1,500 when they're released sometime in the spring.
[Via Phone Arena]
[Via Phone Arena]
Philips intros the CinemaOne iPod / DVD soundbar
by Nilay Patel posted Aug 28th 2008 at 1:20PM
We suppose it was just a matter of time before iPod docks and HTIBs achieved some sort of unholy union, and their demonic lovechild has appeared at IFA -- say hello to the Philips CinemaOne. Essentially a mashup of an iPod speaker system, a DVD player, and a soundbar, it's designed to plug in to your flatscreen via HDMI and provide surround audio through five DSP-driven speakers and 4-inch sub, all in a package about the size of a football. The DivX-compatible DVD player seems decent, with 1080p scaling and Dolby Digital and DTS support, but even though the speakers use the same soundbar tech found in Philips' Ambisound line, we've got our doubts that this thing sounds any good -- most soundbars we've heard require a separate large sub to be effective. No pricing or release date yet, but we'd wait to actually hear this thing in person before we started to set aside spare change. Action shot after the break.
Canton unveils DSS 303 iPod sound system
by Darren Murph posted Mar 27th 2008 at 6:02PM
Altec Lansing starts shipping the iMV712 "mini-theater system"
by Nilay Patel posted May 2nd 2007 at 10:06PM
