Gramophone’s Favorite Things

B&W Zeppelin - the speakers your iPod® has been waiting for.

B&W, makers of the world's best speakers, now make the world's best way to listen to your iPod® or iPhone®. Zeppelin is an integrated iPod speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins, makers of the speakers that are used in recording studios around the world (including the Abbey Road studios). B&W creates technologies and systems that world-leading studios depend on and that find their way into even its most affordable speakers. Zeppelin will fill a room with crisp, deep, lifelike stereo sound, and deliver musical detail that you won’t believe your iPod could deliver. That’s because the two have so much in common: blissfully simple design and world-leading technologies that let you get the most out of your music.

Pioneer’s New Kuro TVs Prove That Black is Everything

Kuro Plasma TVs from Pioneer Elite set the bar for flat panel displays with extraordinary  color reproduction, clarity and brilliance. No surprise Home Theater Magazine called them “the greatest flat panel ever.” The new line of Elite Kuro TV sets come in both 50” and 60” sizes. For even more advanced performance, the new Elite Signature Series monitors are available to integrate with your high performance home theater system, with simply the best and deepest blacks you’ll find in any TV. We’ll be debuting the new line in Maryland during the Pioneer KURO Tour stopping at both Gramophone showrooms on September 26th and 27th. More details on the tour coming soon.

Stewart Filmscreen’s New Retractable Screen Blends in Any Décor

No true home theater system is complete without a big screen: a projection screen that can display images larger than any television screen can compete with. Now you can get all the benefits of the big screen without the aesthetic drawbacks. Stewart Filmscreen’s new Cabaret Screen is an electronic, retractable screen that features a sleek and attractive screen housing that integrates fully into your existing décor. The screen housing can be customized for a variety of finishes, colors and even fabrics to match the surrounding décor to ensure that when your screen isn’t in use, it isn’t obtuse.

Sonos Introduces a Multi-Room Music Kit

Wireless multiroom music provider Sonos has introduced the Bundle 150 that gets you a  two-room starter kit for $999. It includes everything you need to wirelessly play music in two rooms of your house at the same time: play the same song in perfect synchronicity or play two entirely different songs at the same time. Using the cool, ergonomic wireless controller, you can select songs, browse your music library, internet radio stations or popular online music services and adjust volume from anywhere in the house. It’s a cool little product that makes a huge impact on your musical “quality of life.”

Sony Adds to Its ES Line with Three New Enhanced Receivers

Sony is adding three new receivers to its ES (Enhanced Standard) line, which is available here at Gramophone. Each of the three receives are designed for discriminating videophiles and support 1080/24p video signals, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, dts High Resolution Audio and dts HD Master Audio formats. Each receiver will upconvert all video signals to 1080p when connected to your HDTV via HDMI cables. The STR-DA4400EShas a 120-watt amplifier, while the STR-DA3400ES and the STR-DA2400ES each have 100 watts.

Crestron’s New Wireless Touchpanel is Sleeker, Faster

Crestron’s new TPS-6x Isys wireless touchpanel remote control is making waves in the industry  thanks to its incredibly light (1.59 lb.) ergonomic design and lightening fast speed. Dynamic graphics and text capability enable the Isys to display of all kinds of useful data and alluring eye candy—from audio settings, TV channels, and lighting levels—to changing icons, photos, and logos—to digital media playlists complete with album cover art. This little showpiece might rival your television for the most entertaining gadget in the house.

Monster Cable Unveils Wireless High Definition Kit

We hear it again and again from our customers: why does my new HDTV need so many wires?  There’s good news on the horizon for those looking to end the hassle of HDTV wiring. Monster Cable just announced plans to release the Monster Wireless Digital Express HD, a single digital box that manages all the connections between your HDTV and the digital signal box or DVD player. It promises full 1080p video for up to 30 feet away. The kit will reportedly cost around $300 when it’s released later this year.

Kaleidescape’s New 1080p Player Rivals Blu-ray

We love the Kaleidescape movie management system, which allows you to store, sort  and play hundreds of DVDs through a sleek on-screen management system. And now Kaleidescape has added another component to the system that promises to turn your existing DVD collection into a high-definition experience. Kaleidescape’s new 1080p Player and 1080p Mini Player hook into the Kaleidescape system and upconvert any ordinary DVD to a quality level on par with Blu-ray discs.

Gramophone Receives Coveted Award from Electronic House Magazine

I don’t often toot our own horn here, but I had to share that Gramophone recently won a Bronze award from Electronic House magazine for best home theater over $250,000. Our client came to us to incorporate a dedicated home theater in his new 8,000-square-foot home.

The owner plays in an R&B band, and he came to Gramophone because he was looking for audio excellence in his new theater. The theater’s development involved a decision to rotate the room by 90 degrees in order to provide better sight lines and improve the listening experience for the owner. You can read the full story and see photos by following the link below.

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/room_rotated_for_acoustical_perfection/C224