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Yamaha combines receivers with subwoofers and soundbars for trio of HTIB offerings

by Tim Stevens posted Sep 18th 2009 at 7:26AM

Yamaha combines receivers with subwoofers and soundbars for trio of HTIB offerings
Receivers keep growing more channels, but few people have developed an affinity for running more speakers and their tethers 'round the living room. Yamaha's doing its part with a series of products that integrate things together -- soundbars, HTIBs, and the like. On the lower end are the YHT-S350 and YHT-S400, pictured after the break. Both offer a receiver with an integrated subwoofer, through which your various devices can be connected and the output end of their HDMI cables tickled with bass. The two differ only in how they get their highs out, with the S350 including a pair of squat stereo speakers and the S400 offering a three-channel "air surround xtreme" soundbar. On the higher end is the updated YSP-4100, above, a rather tall but only 9cm deep soundbar with the receiver integrated that can be mounted on the wall right beneath your giant HDTV and then paired with a selection of wireless transmitters for iPods and the like. It includes a whopping 40 4cm speakers arrayed within, with a further two 11cm woofers, delivering what Yamaha calls 2.5.1 channel sound -- though it looks as if it can power two additional speakers at the sides if you want something a little closer to 7.1. The YHT-S350 and -S400 are due to hit Japan in time for a Halloween marathon, while the YSP-4100 should release in time for the holiday specials on TV. No prices just yet.

[Via AV Watch]

Read - YHT-S350 and YHT-S400
Read - YSP-4100

Continue reading Yamaha combines receivers with subwoofers and soundbars for trio of HTIB offerings

Atlantic Technology's FS-7.0 soundbar leaves nothing behind, crams all 7 surround audio channels into one cabinet

by Steven Kim posted Sep 17th 2009 at 3:38PM

Atlantic Technology FS-7.0 soundbar
We were so intrigued to hear how much bass Atlantic Technology could squeeze from a small speaker with its H-PAS technology that we overlooked the company's passive FS-7.0 soundbar. That's right -- passive -- for the person who needs the compact footprint of a soundbar, but can't let go of the processing, signal switching and performance of a separate AV receiver. Atlantic Technology managed to squeeze enough drivers (and we assume speaker taps) into the 40-inch soundbar to handle all 7 audio channels; which might explain why there was no room left for a built-in amplifier. LCR audio is handled by three 1-inch tweets and a pair of 4x6-inch woofers along the front face, and the surround and rear surround audio is handled by the triple voice coil, 3.25-inch drivers on each side of the cabinet. The company PR assures that this arrangement creates spacious audio, and with all the surround audio coming from the front of the room, we're sure that's true -- but not necessarily good. More channels isn't necessarily better, but anyone with FS-7.0's $800 asking price (and maybe even $300 for the companion SB-800 sub) and an open mind is free to give us their impressions below.


JVC's TH-BA1 and TH-SB100 soundbar systems fill out 4.1-channels

by Steven Kim posted Sep 11th 2009 at 9:44AM

JVC TH-BA1 soundbar
Back in January, JVC slated its TH-SB100 soundbar + subwoofer + Blu-ray player system as "3.1-channel," which kind of made sense since the soundbar housed LCR drivers. There's been something funny in the punch since then, because the TH-SB100 has morphed into something with 4.1-channel status. It's still a soundbar system, but JVC is using magic called "front surround" to get the outermost drivers to handle the left/right channels and the inside two drivers to handle the center + surround audio. It sounds crazy to us, but we'll try to keep an open mind because otherwise things look pretty good -- 220-Watts total, wireless subwoofer, and Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II and DTS processing in the soundbar. If all you've already got a Blu-ray player, opt for the $400 TH-BA1 (soundbar + sub only), otherwise get onboard with Blu-ray and grab the $700 TH-SB100 (complete with Blu-ray deck).

Sharp announces HT-SB500 soundbar at CEDIA, some iPod docks too

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 11th 2009 at 5:58AM


Sharp mostly re-announced stuff we're already seen at CEDIA today, but it did have a new soundbar for us -- the $349 3.1-channel HT-SB500, which adds a center speaker to the usual stereo setup. Sharp says the bar can use Dolby Virtual Speaker to simulate 5.1 audio from DTS, Dolby Digital, and Pro Logic II sources, which is almost but not quite extremely interesting. There are also two new iPod docks, the $189 DK-AP8P and the $129 DK-AP7P, both of which should do a fine job of providing adequate audio on the go, with batteries that last up to six hours at a clip -- and the cheaper one apparently folds up into itself, so that's very fancy.

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.

Pioneer's new soundbar and iPod docks coming this Winter

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 11th 2009 at 4:17AM




You probably already have your Home Theater situation well sorted, so the gang at Pioneer (lovely chaps) have brought some slightly less robust devices to CEDIA for that other room in your house. First off, the iPod docks: in case you didn't see them in Europe where they first made the scene a week or so ago, both new XW models pack 2.1 surround sound, 60W output, and Bluetooth connectivity into a single unit. The splashier of the two is the XW-NAS5, which is available in multiple colors, features a radio, and includes some sort of built-in ambient sound player for fans of relaxation, sleep, or hypnosis. If you're not feeling quite as ostentatious, the XW-NAS3 comes in white and features iPod support -- and nothing else. If PMP dockery isn't your bag, you might want to check out the HTP-SB300 soundbar. Featuring 3.1-channels, 250W of power, dual HDMI ins, and support for DTS, Dolby Digital PLUS and Dolby TrueHD audio, it's the perfect compliment to your wall-mounted 32-37-inch display. Both are available this Winter, for a price TBA. PR after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Pioneer's new soundbar and iPod docks coming this Winter

HT-SB500 soundbar poised to overthrow HT-SB300 as Sharp's best yet

by Steven Kim posted Sep 10th 2009 at 4:46PM


Before the end of the year, Sharp will have a new entry at the top of its soundbar offerings -- the HT-SB500. The $350 model, due in December, packs LCR and sub drivers in one cabinet, thus one-upping its stablemates with a "3.1-channel" soundbar designation. The latest multichannel connectivity is a moot point on soundbars, so the HT-SB500 takes the reasonable (at least in our experience) approach and sticks with optical and coaxial SPDIF inputs, stereo RCAs and a 3.5-mm jack. The onboard decoders for DTS, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II should cover the bases for the intended uses, and adding in a dash of Dolby Virtual Speaker or SRS TruSurround HD processing should help create a soundstage that's bigger than the soundbar itself. Sharp knows aesthetics really count in this segment, and caps things off with its Touch Panel (hey, it's trendy right now) controls up front. Full details after the break.

Continue reading HT-SB500 soundbar poised to overthrow HT-SB300 as Sharp's best yet

ZVOX intros 430, 440 soundbars and 525, 575 soundbases

by Steven Kim posted Sep 9th 2009 at 8:22AM

ZVOX IncrediBase 575
The limitations of typical crappy built-in TV speakers just can't be overstated, and with the current "thin is the new black" trend in TVs, things aren't likely to get better. ZVOX has introduced two soundbars and two soundbases to its lineup of all-in-one speaker systems that are pretty much guaranteed to make you wonder why you ever put up with your TV's craptastic sound. The 430 ($450) and 440 ($550) soundbars each come in at only 5-inches deep and 5.5-inches high, but pack a trio of 3.25-inch cones along with a 4-inch woofer for the bass. Flanking the speaker/TV stand Z-Base 550 we liked so much are the slightly smaller, $400 Z-Base 525 and the 35-Hertz-reaching, $800 IncrediBase 575 (pictured). Yes, that kind of money could get you a whole HTIB setup -- along with the wires and boxes that shoppers considering an all-in-one are looking to avoid. Hit the links for details.

Read - ZVOX 430, 440 soundbars [Warning - PDF link]
Read - Z-Base 525 soundbase [Warning - PDF link]
Read - IncrediBase 575 soundbase [Warning - PDF link]

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.

Continue reading Philips debuts Soundbar with Blu-ray, Home Theaters galore

Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX 325 soundbar

by Steven Kim posted Jul 28th 2009 at 12:00PM

ZVOX 325 soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a ZVOX 325 soundbar up for grabs. Coming right from the middle of ZVOX's lineup, the 325 will pump out a surprising amount of sound, so it's good for either a "secondary" system or a smaller/streamlined living room. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the cheer!

The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
  • If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  • Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX 325 soundbar. Approximate value is $300.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • Entries can be submitted until July, 28th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

Teufel releases devilishly elegant Cinebar 50 soundbar in Europe

by Steven Kim posted Jul 22nd 2009 at 2:07PM

Teufel Cinebar 50 soundbar
The market that gave "Euro-chic" its name is getting treated to a new soundbar from Teufel. The £630 ($1,035) Cinebar 50 packs six drivers (2 tweeters, 2 mids, and 2 mid-woofers) and 200-Watts into the soundbar and then adds in a CB 50 SW subwoofer with its own 150-Watt amp for good measure. This bit of kit is audio-only -- it can accept DTS, Dolby Digital, MP3, WMA, or analog signals through it arrangement of SPDIF (coax and optical), USB, and analog inputs. There is a virtual surround function that promises to do something creative to your audio without relying on reflected sound, so we're assuming something akin to the ZVOX PhaseCue is in play here. Color-conscious soundbar shoppers take note -- there's no red (cinnabar) in play here -- befitting the "Teufel" brand, this setup paints it black.

Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar

by Steven Kim posted Jul 16th 2009 at 12:00PM

ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar to tuck discretely away beneath that new flat panel TV. One lucky commenter will be treated to this unit that scored high marks on both audio and appearance in our own review. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the gear!

The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
  • If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  • Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar. Approximate value is $500.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • Entries can be submitted until July, 16th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX Mini soundbar

by Steven Kim posted Jul 14th 2009 at 12:00PM

ZVOX Mini soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a cute little ZVOX Mini soundbar to give away. Perfect for a bedroom, this little guy can pull duty for music and/or TV and will sound so much better than the dreck that passes for TV built-in sound. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the cheer!

The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
  • If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  • Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX Mini soundbar. Approximate value is $200.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • Entries can be submitted until July 14th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

Samsung HT-WS1 soundbar review

by Steven Kim posted Jun 17th 2009 at 1:08PM Featured Story

Samsung HT-WS1 soundbar
Without a doubt, soundbars are a popular market. As we said in our ZVOX review, they certainly have an appeal -- better sound quality than the terrible speakers and amplifiers typically built into TVs, no-hassle installation, small footprint, and modest pricing. For smaller rooms, especially secondary setups, soundbars can be a really good fit. So when Samsung offered up its HT-WS1 model to us for review, we just had to check it out. Our time with the HT-WS1 was a kind of an up and down ride with, so follow us past the break as we relive the details, won't you?

Continue reading Samsung HT-WS1 soundbar review

Home Theater Mag welcomes VIZIO's VSB210WS soundbar to the audio fray

by Steven Kim posted Jun 16th 2009 at 7:49PM

VIZIO VSB210WS soundbar
The $350 price point for soundbars is a kind of sweet spot -- it's a fairly modest price, but companies have to deliver dramatic increases in quality over built-in TV audio. From reading Home Theater Mag's review of VIZIO's VSB210WS setup, it sounds like the brand will deliver the goods to value-conscious (an who isn't these days?) audio shoppers who don't want or need a full-blown multi-speaker surround system. The 2.1-channel VSB210WS soundbar+sub combo picked up both SRS TruSurround HD and TruVolume, and while it sounds like the TruVolume was a little too obvious about its on-the-fly volume adjustments, TruSurround HD got a nod from the reviewer. But more than signal processing, it was the fundamentally good sound quality that took the cake -- it's always better to deliver good quality stereo than poor multi-channel. Hit that link for the full details.

Hands on Samsung's HT-WS1 soundbar

by Steven Kim posted May 28th 2009 at 2:04PM Featured Story

Samsung HT-WS1 soundbar
We've put our ears to a variety of speaker solutions for delivering the audio portion of your video entertainment experience, but the virtual-surround soundbar category is one that we've missed. Just from the sheer number of these products in the market, you know this gadget genre is popular with folks, so when the Samsung HT-WS1 drifted by, we just had to grab it up for review. Out of the box it sure does look nice in the red "Touch of Color" design, and feels more solid than the Samsung AS730 HTIB we reviewed last month. This $350 soundbar + subwoofer combo is limited to a 3.5-mm stereo jack and a SPDIF optical feed. As we said in our ZVOX review, though, we'd rather have good performance on a few codecs than poor performance on all of them. We'll tell you if Samsung's HT-WS1 finds a good balance in the features-performance-price triad in due time, but until then, take a gander at the pics after the break.

Continue reading Hands on Samsung's HT-WS1 soundbar





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