If you are a home theater enthusiast who lives in a small apartment, then you might need the Harmon Kardon SB16. This speaker system offers an elegant and far simpler alternative to traditional home theater installations. The Harmon Kardon SB16 delivers superb sonic performance through its 100 Watts subwoofer and two-way left and right soundbar speakers with dual midrange drivers. The unit also features a system frequency response range of 50Hz to 20kHz. The Harmon Kardon SB16 comes with stereo analogue-audio, coaxial digital and optical digital inputs, allowing you to connect the speaker to your TV, DVD player or cable/satellite tuner. The Harman Kardon SB16 is currently available in Europe for €699 or around $958. [Harman Kardon]
JVC’s latest TH-BC3 and TH-BC1 soundbars adopt SRS StudioSound HD that processes up to 6.1 channels for playback over two speakers or headphones. The entry-level JVC TH-BC1 is a 60-watt (30 watts per channel) two-channel SRS StudioSound HD front surround soundbar with a built-in FM tuner, an analog input and two digital audio inputs (optical and coaxial), and a subwoofer pre-out. The high-end JVC TH-BC3 provides a push-open dock for iPod and iPhone, an HDMI 1.4 port, 3D Video ready pass through, ARC (Audio Return Channel), an FM tuner and a video output for both iPod and iPhone. The JVC TH-BC1 will be available in January 2011 for $149.95, while the JVC TH-BC3 will be released in February 2011 for $249.95. [Press Release]
Sony B2B today unveiled the brand new all integrated Blu-ray home theater, the BDV-F7. The internet-ready Sony BDV-F7 Blu-ray home theater comes equipped with a subwoofer and a 5.1 Virtual Surround sound-bar. What’s more, it also supports Wi-Fi, DLNA, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker and Netflix. What makes the BDV-F7 more interesting is that it comes with a 3D Blu-ray movie support, a USB port for MP3 player, iPod and digital camera. The new Sony BDV-F7 Blu-ray Home Theater will be available in North America in October 2010 for approx. $600. [Akihabara]
Yamaha comes back with their latest product in the form of the Yamaha YSP-LC5100 theater rack system. The TV rack features a built-in Yamaha YSP-5100 digital sound projector audio system, which supports 7.1 channel surround sound and HiFi audio. Available in a beautiful piano black, the Yamaha YSP-LC5100 also supports up to a 65-inch flat-screen TV. The Yamaha YSP-LC5100 Theater Rack System will be released in October 2010 for around US$2,950. [Yamaha]
Sony has rolled out a 3-way floor standing speaker which is specially designed for the Sony ES-series home theater system. The Sony SS-NA2ES I-ARRAY provides a 100W maximal output with a 45Hz-45kHz reproduction bandwidth, a 4-Ohm impedance and a 90dB(2.83V/m) output sound pressure. This 3-way floor standing speaker will be available in Japan on December 8, 2010 for 199,500 Yen ($2,344). [Akihabara]
If you are living in the UK, then you will be able to purchase the Teufel System 8 THX Ultra 2 speaker, which is touted to be the smallest THX Ultra 2-approved 5.1-channel speaker set in the world. The Teufel System 8 features a S 8000 SW subwoofer, three S 800 FCR satellite speakers and two wall mounted S 800 D speakers for the rear channels. The Teufel System 8 is available in three different arrangements: the £2,899 ($4,189) Cinema 5.1 package; the £3,099 ($4,478) Concert 5.1, which uses S 800 FCRs for the two rear channels where wall mounting isn’t possible; and the Cinema 7.1, which features an extra pair of S 800 FCRs and costs £3,299 ($4,767). [ElectricPig]
The Panasonic SC-ZT2 is a fully wireless home theater audio system designed specifically for Full HD 3D. The SC-ZT2 promises 7.1-channel sound from just two ultra slim pole speakers, each of which houses four tweeters and a long-stroke woofer. The Panasonic SC-ZT2 wireless audio system is an ideal complement to a flat-panel TV and Blu-ray player. You can purchase the SC-ZT2 for a suggested retail price of $999.95. [Gizmodo]
If you are living in Japan, then you will be able to purchase the latest 7.1 channel home theater A/V receiver from Sony. Dubbed as the STR-DH710, the device boasts 6 HD inputs (3 HDMI and 3 component) and ARC (Audio Return Channel). For your info, the ARC is one of the new features of the HDMI 1.4 standard, and theoretically you could connect all your components directly to your HDMI 1.4-compatible HDTV with just a single HDMI cable, sending the audio back to the sound bar. The STR-DH710 also supports the 3D HDMI pass-through technology and S-AIR ready feature (for multi-room music experience). The new Sony STR-DH710 home theater A/V receiver will be released in June 10th, 2010 for 54,600 Yen or approx. $595. [Sony Japan]
Samsung has recently launched the Samsung HT-C6930W, which is claimed to be the first 3D home theater system in the world. The system consists of a 3D Blu-ray player and a 5.1 or 7.1 channel speaker system that provides an excellent 3D audio visual experience in your home. The Samsung HT-C6930W also features the Internet@TV, which is a widget-based and easy-to-use internet service that allows you to enjoy useful information on the internet including news, weather, stocks, UCC and movies for free. Additionally, this 3D home theater system is also capable of connecting wirelessly via WiFi or the AllShare home network to receive contents from cell phones, laptops and other devices via a USB port. [Gizmowatch]
JVC is ready to release their latest home theater audio system in the Japanese market later this month. Measuring 1.2-inch thick, the AX-FT amplifier and SP-FT speakers are thin enough to be hung on a wall or stood up on its stand on a bookshelf. This ultra thin home theater combo produces 4x20W output power and supports both Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound formats. The JVC AX-FT amplifier retails for $270, while the SP-FT speaker system is priced at $224. [JVC]
