New Speaker Designed for Height Channels Use – Atlantic Technology appears to be the first manufacturer to bring out a speaker specifically designed for the new Dolby ProLogic IIz front height application. The new decoder format calls for a pair of frontal height speakers located at half the distance above the main left and right speakers that those speakers are separated. These channels process non-directional information contained in the stereo or surround content and provide a more spacious surround soundfield, including ambience over the listeners’ heads. The 1400 SR-z speakers each use a pair of 3.5 inch full range drivers aimed in two directions and selectable for either dipole or bipole operation, depending on the install position and space. The speakers have a flat back designed for mounting on the side walls above the main front speakers. They will be available next month at $425 a pair. Unfortunately, while the diffuse soundfield produced by these multi-directional surrounds will be fine for most audio sources, it will not be completely accurate for playback of the Aurophonie 2+2+2 SACDs and DVD-As with discrete height channels which we have been reviewing.
First Podcast in 5.1 Surround – Toronto’s Holophone – makers of a line of six-channel microphones – has introduced the Holophone TV 5.1, the world’s first full 5.1 surround podcast series. The entire program content is in 5.1 surround, using technology that already exists but no one has yet made use of. The program will present a variety of high-quality surround content, from music to fireworks to motocross events. Future programs will showcase Canadian recording artists. The podcasts are offered as free downloads from iTunes. Simply enter “Holophone TV” in your search engine. Users can play the podcasts in surround if their Apple TV or computer is connected to their home theater surround system. iPod users can download the virtual surround version of the podcast and listen on their headphones or speakers. The six separate mic elements in the Holophone mics mirror the typical speaker setup in a home theater, allowing the pickup of surround from a single point. The six channels are encoded to two so that they can be recorded in stereo. The two-channel recordings are then brought back to 5.1 channels as decoded by a ProLogic II decoder or a Dolby Digital decoder such as built into Apple TVs. Holophone plans to use the podcasts to train current and potential customers in the uses and best practices of their surround recording products.
Onkyo Uses Analog Devices Blackfin in Receiver – Onkyo has designed their new BR-925 CD/HDD multichannel receiver around the Blackfin BF532 convergent processor from Analog Devices. The Blackfin was chosen due to meeting Onkyo’s objectives of value, a rich set of features, connectivity capabilities, and an unmatched sound quality usually associated with more expensive systems. It is a converged microcontroller with signal processor functionality, plus implementing the latest audio algorithms. The receiver has a 80GB hard disk drive, exceptional sound quality, and direct iPod connectivity. The BR-925 receiver stores up to 20,000 MP3 tracks, users can rip audio files from CDs or a USB storage device, directly to the system’s HDD. It can also record directly from radio sources and transfer audio files from a computer via FTP. To access music files, the user simply plugs the device into the receiver’s USB port to listen at home or download and go. A touch of the remote control gains access to the Gracenote Media Database to look up artists’ names, titles and millions of track lists.
Japanese Electronics Companies Slated to See Improvement – Hard hit by the recession, electronics companies such as Sony and Panasonic may have already bottomed out and should see an improvement, according to Choi Seung Hoon, analyst at LIG Investment & Securities Co. In Seoul. According to Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Cleveland-based Key Private Bank (managing about $22 billion), “The second quarter could be better than the first…recessions do tend to end themselves at some point.”
Wayne Shorter – In Memoriam
Rememberance of the artist
