Hasta La Gadget!

When projectors are a dime a dozen, they have to do something truly special to stand out. BenQ’s newly available W1500 might just pull that off: how does high-quality wireless video sound? The DLP unit is billed as the first projector to offer WHDI over 5GHz frequencies, letting it stream 1080p 3D movies at quality that’s reportedly on par with an HDMI signal. The company isn’t leaning solely on this trick to lure us in, mind you. The W1500 integrates with mobile devices, courts gamers through 3DTV Play support and throws an 84-inch picture from as close as six feet away. Such convenience is expensive at $2,299, but it could be a viable alternative to stringing video cables around the den.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: BenQ

The last time Pioneer introduced a speaker bar was 1998, but 15 years later the company’s giving it another go. The just-announced speaker bar system, the SP-SB23W, will retail for $399 this fall — reps said the device was designed to pump out high-quality audio without sacrificing a small, attractive design. It’s clearly not the most compact rig on the market, but it does offer decent output. It features six independently amplified speakers and an eight-channel active digital crossover network. There’s also a wireless subwoofer with a 6.5-inch driver and Dolby Digital decoding on board.

On the noisy show floor here at CE Week, it was a little difficult to judge sound quality definitively, but the dialogue recording we heard did sound extremely crisp. For those who already count a Pioneer speaker or two among their home theater setup, the speaker bar should fit in perfectly; it sports a wood — rather than plastic — construction, and the company says its cabinet enclosure offer better control of the speakers “because of its resistance to unwanted resonance.” Check out our hands-on photo gallery below, and head past the break for the full press info.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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If you hoard gadgets like us, then your living room is probably covered with a plethora of remote controls. Flyover Innovations’ Indiegogo campaign aims to streamline your home audio experience and minimize your mess with Blumoo, a small hardware platform that turns your mobile device into an RF remote. The IR-equipped Blumoo pod connects to your stereo via standard 3.5 mm jack or RCA connections, and allows you to control your home theater system with your mobile device through the magic of Bluetooth. The Blumoo app — coming soon for both iOS and Android — pulls from a database that Flyover claims is comprehensive enough to ensure your home theater equipment is covered. Flyover plans on retailing the device for $79 but is offering an early bird special for supporters starting at $45. To check out their rewards and watch their cartoon mascot, Blumoo Bob, shake it a like a polaroid picture, head over to their Indiegogo page. For a more informative — if slightly less entertaining — video, watch the preview after the break.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Source: Indiegogo

Bang & Olufsen has been known to occasionally lower the price floor on its line of A/V gear. Continuing in that direction, the company just unveiled its Beolab 14 surround sound speakers, an entry-level offering starting at $3,995 for a 4.1 setup. The rig centers around a petite cylindrical tower that houses a 280-watt amp for its eight-inch down-firing bass driver and connections for up to five individually powered (140 watts) and equalized 2.5-inch satellite speakers. The circular drivers can be wall-mounted or set on stands, and those aluminum enclosures act as heat sinks (in addition to looking dapper). While B&0 anticipates that the soundbars on its existing TVs will act as a center channel, a 5.1 setup will be available for $4,395 if you need an independent middle speaker instead. The Beolab 14 will come in black or white when it launches in June and additional grille clothes will be an extra $99 per set, should you want to change the colors. You can find more details in the press release after the break while you start saving up.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Sonos has found a sweet spot in the audio world. Its wireless technology and ability to stream music from almost any source — be it from the cloud or local storage — have given it considerable geek cred, yet its simple setup still offers mass appeal. Of course, none of that would matter if its systems didn’t sound good, but fortunately, Sonos’ Play:3, Play:5 and its Sub have all impressed with the quality of audio they produce. The $699 Playbar is the newest member of the family, and with this product, Sonos is setting its sights squarely on the home theater market. Is it fit for your living room? Read on to find out.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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