Read our CEDIA 2016 Show Reports: Intro, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

CEDIA 2016 Show Report Day 4 Coverage

Jim Clements
Devialet

Devialet was at CEDIA for the first time that I can remember. Since it was CEDIA, they had a surround demo. They called the system a “7.7” setup which was essentially 7 of their Gold Phantoms in a 7-channel surround configuration. The .7 was implied by each unit’s internal bass unit.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Devialet

The Golds are the new update of this very popular all-in-one solution (powered speaker with highly flexible control interface). They can be configured as a single mono unit, two for stereo, or multiple for surround and/or multi-room.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Devialet

The Golds are rated from 14 Hz – 27 kHz, 4,500 watts peak per channel and retail for $2,990 each. The setting was an open enclosure on the main floor and they played a clip from “Kingsman: Secret Service”. Despite the difficult conditions, the bass was visceral and the overall presentation was warm but with excellent detail retrieval

 

Bang and Olufsen

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Bang and Olufsen

Bang and Olufsen was showing off a pair of the Lab 90 speakers. Each cabinet contains 18 drivers in a 3D array. They use DSP so you can use them in one of three modes: narrow, wide or omni.

Narrow eliminates side reflections and is good for a single listener in the sweet spot. Wide would be for typical stereo listening for more than one listener. Omni sprays sound equally throughout the room and would be akin to a party mode.

This is the second time I have heard the BeoLab 90’s and the first where all modes were supported. The effects were uncanny and the sound is of the highest order.

 

Pro Audio Technology

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Pro Audio Technology

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Pro Audio Technology

I checked out a really incredible demo by Pro Audio Technology. This company concentrates on high end speakers and amplification for built-in applications. All their products are solidly made and capable of high sound pressure levels and inaudible levels of distortion. They are used in custom screening rooms or for distributed audio.

One new product they were showing was this neat little coaxial speaker for height channels. The tweeter is a horn loaded compression driver that can be seen through the acoustically transparent dust cap.

They also had a live demo of one of their smaller set ups that sorta blew me away with its dynamics – dynamics with no strain and I would expect little if any fatigue over time. It was a 9.2.4 channel system and all clips were in Atmos. It was maybe a bit too loud for my tastes but definitely demo worthy. This was one of the better demos I heard at the show.

 

Revel

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Revel

Revel is launching a new line of outdoor speakers.

They have three new products for landscapes – an underground sub, a spotlight type speaker and an omnidirectional speaker. These speakers have taps for 70V, 100V or 8 ohm operation. All are built to the very high standard that has made Revel an industry stand out. I love that the omnidirectional speakers can be ordered with internal lighting!

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Revel

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Revel

They also have a pair of outdoor box speakers that have a similar hook up flexibility with a rigid, secure ball and socket mounting system. They are dubbed the M55XC and M80XC. They both have aluminum dome tweeters and aluminum cone woofers that are 5-1/2″ and 8″ respectively. $600 a pair for the M55XC and $900 a pair for the M80XC. I will be getting a pair to review shortly.

 

Martin Logan

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Martin Logan

Martin Logan announced a lineup of new electrostatic center channel speakers. The one on the very top is the Focus™ ESL C18 which is designed for wall mounting while the big one on the lower left is the Illusion™ ESL C34A which is designed to be placed on the floor below your screen. Prices are $3,495 and $6,995 respectively.

Also shown is the ESL C (lower right) which is the first electrostatic speaker Martin Logan has made that can be installed in a cabinet, $1,699.95. 

 

Paradigm

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Paradigm

Paradigm is expanding its product lineup to include their first high performance outdoor loudspeaker system. The Garden Oasis speakers are said to deliver dynamic, natural sound, and weatherproof technology.

The fully scalable system includes 4-inch and 6-inch satellite speakers, as well as 10-inch and 12-inch subwoofers. Each satellite speaker can be switched between 8 ohm, 70V and 100V options. Paradigm’s patent pending Reduced Edge Diffraction (RED™) technology enhances dispersion characteristics and performance.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Paradigm

Prices – Garden Oasis G04: $299 US MSRP/ea; Garden Oasis GO6: $549 US MSRP/ea; Garden Oasis 10SW: $1,699 US MSRP/ea; Garden Oasis 12SW: $2,299 US MSRP/ea. These products will begin shipping in December 2016.

 

Anthem

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Paradigm

Anthem announced a new integrated amplifier, the STR. Featuring an entirely new platform and amplifier technology, the STR embodies a fresh industrial design and premium audio circuit componentry.

Available in black or silver, the units feature Anthem Room Correction (ARC™) for two-channel. They have inputs for moving magnet and moving coil phono cartridges.

Also included is a high-resolution pre-amplifier section and high current, high output amplifier section – 600W continuous @ 2 ohms.

The DAC section features S/PDIF, AES/EBU inputs, as well as Asynchronous USB with support for USB, which supports 32-bit/384 kHz PCM, and DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz sources. The amplifier featuring a lovely front Thin Film Transistor (TFT™) display for a high-resolution readout.

The STR Integrated Amplifier is priced at $4,499 (US MSRP) and is the first of a new suite of premium two-channel / stereo products from Anthem, and will be available at exclusive Anthem dealers in early 2017.

 

Paradigm

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Paradigm

Paradigm introduced two new soundbars – the PW Soundbar and the Soundplay. These powered soundbars are able to create an immersive surround-sound experience. Featuring advanced wireless connectivity, these soundbars are building blocks to a whole-home ecosystem.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Paradigm

PW Soundbar and Soundplay are suitable for any space, with the option to wall-mount the unit above or below a television, or simply place it on a credenza or shelf. Both soundbars measure 46-inches and are designed to pair with televisions 55-inches and larger.

PW Soundbar (US MSRP: $1,299) and Soundplay (US MSRP: $899) start shipping early 2017.

 

Onkyo

Onkyo was showing their new RZ Series flagship THX Ultra2 Plus-certified 11.2-channel PR-RZ5100 Network A/V Controller, which is scheduled to be available next month.

This unit includes 11.2 channel preamp RCA and balanced XLR connectors. Users can add additional height or ceiling speakers to unlock the full multi-dimensional experience delivered by built in Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X™, which incorporates DTS Neural:X™ technology to up-mix lossless multichannel surround formats such as DTS Master Audio™, to emulate height effects and give listeners a 3D experience that’s close to a native object-based soundtrack.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Onkyo

The Pre pro offers Google Cast™, AirPlay®, Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Spotify®, TIDAL, TuneIn, and Pandora® with any app-based audio entertainment cast seamlessly to the theater room and beyond using a user-friendly Onkyo Remote application.

This unit features Onkyo’s proprietary AccuEQ and AccuReflex technologies to optimally balanced and phase-align sound in any listening space.

I heard a few of these in demos around the show and was might impressed with the audio quality I heard.

The PR-RZ5100 is priced at $2,399 MSRP will be available next month.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Onkyo

Here is a shot of the all-new Onkyo TX-RZ3100 11.2-channel receiver with newly designed amplifiers that are rated to put out 140 watts into 8 ohms.

Like the PR-RZ5100, this unit has the latest HDMI chipsets and is a network receiver that can stream Google Cast™, AirPlay®, Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Spotify®, TIDAL, TuneIn, and Pandora®. 

 

Blusound

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Blusound

The people at NAD really hustled to roll out around 25 new products this year! They all helped expand on the incredible Blusound ecosystem in one way or another.

This is their all new BluOS enabled soundbar, the Pulse ($999.00). This bar has six drivers and is backed with 120 watts of power. Bass extension is down to 55 Hz. This is decent extension and can be augmented by adding their matching sub, the 6.5″ Pulse sub ($599.00) which sports a 100W built-in amp and is also wireless.

These products can be controlled by Mac’s, PC’s, iOS or Android devices.

 

NAD

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - NAD

NAD has 2 new Masters Series products as well.

On top of this stack is the Masters Series M50.2 Digital Music player. This is a BluOS enabled High Resolution Network Music Player with the ability to decode MQA files. It has built in WiFi capability. Internal storage is 4 TB total in a RAID 1 array so there is effectively a total storage capability of 2 TB. It has the line’s iconic touchscreen display.

Just below the M50.2 is the NAD M32 Direct Digital Integrated Amp which is conservatively rated to deliver 150 wpc into 8 ohms. The dynamic power rating is over 350 W! It has a phono stage and is modular with four MDC expansion slots. It has a built in headphone amp too.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - NAD

NAD was also showing three new Classic Series components.

Second from the top is the new C 568 CD player which is said to be a substantial upgrade over the venerable C 565 BEE.

Below it are a pair of new integrated amps. The C 368 (80 wpc) and the C 388 (150wpc). Both have Bluetooth with Aptx, asynchronous USB inputs, subwoofer outputs and MDC Expansion slots. They have low power-consuming Class D amplification modules. 

 

AudioControl

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - AudioControl

I finally got a chance to listen to AudioControl’s awesome little Bijou600 amplifier. This is a solid little integrated amp with an internal high performance Wolfson DAC and wireless volume control. It puts out 100 wpc into 8 ohms (200 wpc, 4 ohms). The Bijou 600 has been designed to be 1U high rack mountable or situated discretely in a room (behind a TV or in a wall cavity). It is a perfect companion to streaming audio systems, video displays with digital outputs as well as powering speaker set-ups and all local audio needs. Powerful, audiophile quality, AccuBASS™, multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs all in a 1U 1/2 rack chassis.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - AudioControl

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - AudioControl

The sound of this little guy was surprising in its natural ease and power.

Also shown is AudioControl’s excellent and very flexible control system that is used for system set up and ongoing maintenance, monitoring and control. It is very slick.

 

Torus Power

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Torus Power

Torus Power was showing many of their power isolation products at CEDIA this year. Shown here is the AVR Series which starts with an isolation transformer and adds voltage relation. The transformer is designed and built by Plitron. Ethernet and RS 232 connectivity for set up, monitoring and remote control.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Torus Power

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Torus Power

Also shown is a Wall Mount Series option. These are available up to 100 amps. Just like “Tool Time”, arr, arr, arr!!

 

Yamaha

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Yamaha

I sat in on a live demo of Yamaha’s newest soundbar, the YSP-5600 which just so happens to be the first soundbar on the planet with DTS:X comparability.

The demo room was approximately 8′ by 12′. The unit played louder than I expected with an active sub integrated into the system. They played a clip from Everest that had very convincing surround effects. It was interesting to hear the effects collapse on one side when somebody opened the door briefly.

This unit has Yamaha’s Soundcast System, Bluetooth, WiFi and 44 individual drivers ($1,699.95). Add $549.99 for the NS-SW300 powered subwoofer.

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Yamaha

Yamaha showcased the WX-010 MusicCast wireless speaker. Available individually, the WX-010 ($199.99 MSRP) offers users the ability to start a MusicCast system from a single speaker and expand when they are ready, one speaker or component at a time.

The unit embodies advanced audio engineering expertise and achieves a high level of sound performance from a convenient form factor (about 5” W x 7″ H x 5” D). It has a 3.5-inch main driver and 1-inch tweeter on the front, complemented by dual opposing passive radiators on each side.
It supports the latest high-res audio files formats — including Apple® Lossless (ALAC) up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, as well as FLAC, AIFF and WAV files up to 192 kHz / 24-bit.

The WX-010 can stream content over its a Bluetooth® connection and this Bluetooth stream can in turn be redistributed via Wi-Fi to other MusicCast devices in the home. 

 

Dynaudio

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Dynaudio

These are the Dynaudio Contour 20’s. The bass driver is a lightweight 7″ cone. The real story is that these speakers have vaunted Ecostar2 soft-dome tweeters which are the same as the tweeters they developed for their flagship models. The sound was gloriously addicting to be honest. The baffles are aluminum and the cabinets are curved to reduce diffraction. At $5,000 a pair, I think these may be an excellent bargain for what you get. 

 

PMC

CEDIA 2016 Show Report - Dynaudio

PMC impressed with their new model twenty5.24 compact floorstanders. They are the smaller towers in the center of this lineup. They are part of a whole new series of speakers by PMC.

The woofer is a 6.5″ G-weave cone with a 1″ soft dome tweeter. Claimed bass response is to 27 Hz courtesy the transmission line loading configuration.

In listening, I found the upright bass to be extremely tuneful and the vocals stood out in their transparency and naturalness of timbre. I may request a pair of these speakers for review!