Today's episode is a EHX round up,
EHX is
the Electronic House Expo.
This year's show was held in Anaheim, California on November 9-11,
2005. We had a chance to visit the show and talk with some of the
manufactuerers; today we talk about what we found interesting or
exciting.
The Zon Distributed audio system
Whole
house audio isn't a topic we cover very frequently. We tend to
see it ass just too complicated an issue to get into. The Zon
system really helps to simplify the equation. You can get it from
an authorized dealer, or buy a do-it-yourself kit from
Crutchfield.com.
In-ceiling / In-wall speakers
We talked to
Klipsch,
Sonance, and
Boston Acoustics
to try to get more information about their in-ceiling and in-wall
speakers, since they are probably the most difficult speaker to
buy. They all offered some great insight.
The Kaleidscape video server
We were first introduced to the Kaleidescape by Phil Trubey back in
Episode #28
and were absolutely blown away. It is certainly the best video
server on the market, but that, of course, comes with a price. If
you're in the market for a video server, definitely check it out.
Boston Acoustics' Receivers and HTiB systems
This was a "you do that?" moment. We had always seen Boston as a
speker company, and had no idea they made receivers and home theater in
a box systems. Their HTiB systems seem like a great idea, since
the worst component in those packages are usually the speakers, buying
one from a speaker company makes sense.
Leviton Entertainment and Applications Platform
They call it the
LEAP
system, and it may be just that, a leap forward in home
technology. Leviton is targeting mostly new construction with the
server system, since it requires structured wiring, but it can be used
by anyone. It helps if you already have structured wiring, but
can work just as well don't mind retrofitting your home. This
product may be where new home construction is headed - the smart home.
The Nevo Remote from Universal ElectronicsThis
was our first introduction to the Nevo remote. It looks like a
nice device, and it has built in WiFi, which could be a very handy
feature. Right now you can only get it through an authorized
dealer/installer and they are the only ones with access to the
programming software. We'll have to wait and see if a consumer
version comes to market.
Denon 2 Channel HTiBBoston
Acoustics also happens to be making the speakers for Denon's new two
channel home theater in a box systems. These systems feature
Dolby's virtual surround system to provide a simulated surround sound
environment. They also have built in iPod support, they even
include the interface cable.
