Hasta La Gadget!

As of late, Sony’s home theater soundbar offerings haven’t catered to the higher-end of the market, but that changes today. The company’s aluminum-clad HT-ST7 aims to take on speakers that cost much more, while offering NFC-enabled Bluetooth pairing and a plethora of wired connectivity options. The unit features nine drivers powered by seven independent amplifiers, with an included wireless subwoofer that houses dual bass drivers. Sony even opted to have Academy award-winner Paul Ottoson give audio-engineering input, no doubt figuring his golden ears could help the bar better reproduce movie dialogue. AptX and AAC are baked in for wireless music streaming, as is other audio tech including DTS and Dolby Digital for simulated surround sound.

Aside from all that, there’s a built-in IR repeater, dimmable LCD info-screen, a trio of both HDMI and Toslink inputs, as well as a single analog audio input and an audio return channel. The HT-ST7 will run space-concerned home theater enthusiasts $1,299 starting today, which includes a nifty collapsible remote. Check out the quartz-inspired design in the embedded galleries and find more details in the press release after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, HD, Sony

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Phillips isn’t showing off anything too groundbreaking at CES in the in the audio department, but it looks to be a solid offering all-around nonetheless. Whether you’re eyeing the likes of a new soundbar for your home theater system or portable wireless speaker, the company should have you covered — and of course that’s not all. We’ve got a quick breakdown of all the goods being shown off after the break, along with an eyes-on galleries so you can get up-close look for yourself. As always, you’ll find the full press releases below it all for more info.

Continue reading Philips showcases its 2013 Fiedelio audio lineup at CES lineup: we go eyes-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, HD

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If you spend more money on gaming than you do groceries each month, allow us to give you another reason to stock up on cases of ramen noodles: Mad Catz’ Tritton Pro+ True 5.1 Surround Sound Headset is now shipping. Priced at $200, the Tritton Pro+ is compatible with the PS3, Xbox 360 and PCs. Sporting a flexible lightweight design, this triple threat rocks individual subwoofers in each earcup and “true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround” through eight separate drivers (four per earcup). In addition to its potentially deafening output, the Pro+ features an in-line remote and Selectable Voice Monitoring, which gives users the option to hear their own voice through the headset’s speakers — in case you wanna play multiplayer with the other people in your head. Also, you might wanna see a doctor.

Continue reading Mad Catz Tritton Pro+ True 5.1 Surround Sound Headset now shipping for $200

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Mad Catz Tritton Pro+ True 5.1 Surround Sound Headset now shipping for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The CinemaCon crowd may not have been keen on 48fps footage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but we defy anyone to say they don’t want the best sound possible. A select few will get just that, as Dolby and Peter Jackson’s own Park Road Post Production have announced the film will be mixed for the speaker-packed Atmos technology. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of the select establishments it’s installed in, we doubt you’ll be grumbling about the immersive audio, even if the frame rate makes those orcs look unsettlingly real.

Update: That link of “select establishments” is somewhat out of date and, although the official list of locations you’ll be able to see The Hobbit in Atmos has yet to be released, Dolby says there should be between 80 and 100 screens capable of delivering the over-the-top audio experience by the film’s debut.

Continue reading The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astro’s just refreshed its high-end wired A40 headset and matching MixAmp Pro, a duo that mash together gaming talents with audiophile chops. The 2013 edition of the headset adds an updated quick disconnect system and re-tuned drivers for better bass response and less distortion, with Astro claiming that they’re “the most accurate Astro headsets ever.” Returning features include a removable, swappable mic, Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound, customizable speaker tags and multi-system compatibility. The revised MixAmp Pro now allows game sound and incoming or outgoing voice chat to be livestreamed with a single cable, while also bringing new custom audio profiles, a smaller size and an optical port. You’ll still have game-to-voice balance controls, Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 surround and a dedicated voice channel with the dedicated mixer/preamp, to boot. The pair are sold together for the same $250 price we saw for the original way back in 2007 — check the PR and video after the jump to see where to grab them.

Continue reading Astro pulls curtain on 2013 edition of $250 A40 gaming headset, MixAmp Pro package (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

Astro pulls curtain on 2013 edition of $250 A40 gaming headset, MixAmp Pro package (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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