Samsung LE32A558 32in LCD TV

So successful has Samsung been with its media-friendly ‘hint of red’ A656 LCD range that it hasn’t really seemed as particularly bothered about marketing its other LCD TVs. Certainly it’s taken us an age to get our hands on something from the brand’s ‘5 Series’.

But our perseverance has finally paid off, and we have a 32in LE32A558 sat on our test benches as we speak. And first impressions of this new set are, well, mixed.

The problem is that it’s hard not to feel an immediate pang of disappointment at how relatively ‘straightforward’ the A558 looks versus the red-tinged glories of its A656 siblings. But to be fair, once you’ve got over this, you start to appreciate that the design is actually still very nice, partly thanks to the extreme minimalism of its gloss black lines, and partly due to the quality of its finish. Continue Reading…

NX-BD3 Blu-ray home theater system

JVC’s newest addition to its Sophisti line-up is the NX-BD3 Blu-ray home theater system, which is the company’s first Blu-ray system and the first dedicated Blu-ray player in the industry to feature Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compatibility via a wireless adapter update. Thanks to DLNA support, the 2.1-channel system will be able to work with other types of DLNA-certified devices such as cellphones, PCs and others to share digital content, including MPEG videos, JPEG photos and MP3/WMA music.

The NX-BD3’s internal amplifier is rated at 4×55W, with the subwoofer delivering a further 200W of bass. The two speakers sport two drivers with different material thicknesses each, allowing them to create a virtual surround sound system with a phantom center channel and virtual rear speakers. Supported audio formats will include Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II. Continue Reading…

Panasonic announces three new plasma televisions which will grace its PZR900 lineup of Plasma TVs. Available in 42, 46 and 50 inches, these stunning beauties feature magnificent 1 Terabyte hard drive.

The Panasonic PZR900 plasma televisions equip a full HD (1920 x 1080) panel, digital TV tuner and can be used with Viera link doorphones and surveillance cameras.

General specs:

* 1920 x 1080 HD res
* 30,000:1 contrast ratio
* YouTube compatibility
* 3 HDMI inputs
* Optical digital output

Continue Reading…

Acoustic Energy has announced a special run of exactly 100 individually numbered and matched pairs of their new AE1 Mk III SE monitor, built to celebrate the success of the company’s classic AE1. The special edition AE1 Mk III features a heavily braced 0.7″ thick MDF cabinet lined with a 0.15″ steel plate to provide superior damping and stiffness. The drivers consist of a 4.3″ spun aluminum mid-woofer with a die-cast magnesium alloy chassis and 1.25″ voice-coil, and a 1.5″ ring-radiator tweeter.

Acoustic Energy modified the crossover for the Mk III SE, selecting top quality ferrite-core and air-core inductors, Welwyn wire wound resistors, and ClarityCap capacitors. They also added Teflon insulated silver internal wiring, and WBT binding posts. Frequency response is rated at 70Hz – 22kHz (+/-3dB), with 87dB/W/m sensitivity, and 8 Ohm impedance. The AE1 Mk III SE is available in piano black, cheery wood veneer, pearl white and other standard finishes, or can be painted to the customer’s choice. The price is $5,000 per pair.

Specifications:

• Bass/Mid Driver: 110mm ‘pure piston’ aluminium cone
• Crossover: ultra short signal path 2nd order crossover at 2khz
• Frequency response: 45Hz – 40kHz @ +/-3dB
• Power handling: Amplifiers rated up to 200Watts into 8 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 87db for 2.83V at 1m
• Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms
• Total harmonic Distortion: Less than 0.3% 200Hz to 20kHz
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 295 x 180 x 255mm

Continue Reading…

HSU Research: ULS-15 Subwoofer

HSU Research has introduced the new ULS-15 subwoofer. According to the company, it can reach ultra low level down to 10Hz in most rooms with almost no distortion. The main point of this sub is its wireless connection, this makes it so much easier to optimally place the subwoofer without the clutter of cables. The ULS-15 is powered by a 1000W BASH amplifier with balanced inputs, adjustable cutoff frequency and switchable phase.

The ULS-15 features a woofer with patented super linear motor. The motor force is linear within 2% over an ultra wide +/- 20 mm. In contrast, most woofers with Xmax of +/- 30 mm will have the motor force within 2% over 5 mm or less. It also has a butyl rubber foam surround. Butyl rubber foam has the longevity of solid butyl rubber without the weight penalty. Triple shorting rings mean virtually non-existent flux modulation distortion.

The ULS-15 pricing starts at $1,299 in a satin black finish up to $1,499 for the piano gloss black finish.

Sony is planning a new entry level Walkman that would combine the simple features of its stick players with the more advanced features of its full-size devices, the company itself has accidentally revealed through its New Zealand website.

Sony NWZ-E430

The NWZ-E430 series appears a sequel to the A600 series with a slightly larger two-inch screen and at most 8GB of storage, but will be easier to load than earlier models; full drag-and-drop support allows not only loading music and video through the operating system’s file manager but through sync software; both iTunes and Windows Media Player are claimed to support new Walkman range.

Few extras will be included with the players, though all have an FM tuner as well as support for widespread formats such as AAC, MP3, and WMA for music as H.264 and MPEG-4 for video. Battery life, however, is claimed as a specialty with up to 45 hours of music and 9.5 hours of video in ideal conditions versus half as much for current players from Apple, SanDisk, and other rivals. Continue Reading…

Steinway Lyngdorf is alliance between piano maker Steinway and Danish audio specialist Peter Lyngdorf and the Model D Music System was what they offered the audiophiles.

Taking their association a step further, the Model D Music System that was available in Steinway’s signature black lacquer will now be available in a variety of custom finishes. Going back to nature, a fine collection of wood finishes is available. The lineup includes includes Smoked Oak and Bubinga plus several colors of high-gloss lacquer finishes. To add a dash of glitz, the system can either be accented in gold or chrome. Continue Reading…

Scottish DAB hand Revo has announced its first portable unit capable of pinking up not only FM, DAB and internet radio broadcasts but also next-gen DAB+ transmissions.

Revo Pico RadioStation

The Pico RadioStation isn’t going to replace your MP3 player. It’s a compact 167 x 105 x 105mm, but it’s designed to be easy to move around the house rather than use on your way to work.

The unit has a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that’s good for 12 hours’ listening, Revo said. And it’s sufficiently “splashproof” for “steamy bathroom” usage.

The RadioStation uses Wi-Fi to pick up internet stations, and it’ll grab music streamed from PCs and Macs. Continue Reading…

Krell Papa Dock Amplifier

Here is the KID’s daddy, the Krell Papa Dock power amplifier has been designed for the KID (Krell Interface Dock) iPod/iPhone dock. It delivers up to 150 watts of power and features a 40,000 microfarad power supply. It also has physically isolated left and right channels, twelve high current output devices and WBT speaker connectors. Papa Dock automatically powers on when an iPod is inserted and powers off when the iPod is removed.

The Krell Papa will set you back around $2,500 which means that when paired with the Krell KID you’re looking at a set-up coasting around a ‘reassuringly expensive’ $4000. [Krell]