Posts in Home AV
"Alfa speaker" that's funkiest of all
Philip Wong | Mar 11, 2008
Hmm? What will you get when you mix a Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus (left) with the lovable Scandyna Minipod (center)? The Symbio Alpha (right), of course! This combines the snail-like contours of the former with the signature spike stand of the latter, winning hands down both in form and aesthetics. It even comes in black and yellow, crafted using laminated composite baffle and solid aluminum materials.
Looking beyond its funky design, it has a ported two-way configuration which delivers a pretty good 40-25Khz frequency response. This pretty much covers the extreme ends of the spectrum, though it doesn't harm to throw in a dedicated subwoofer. Speaking of which, you can pair the Alpha with the EggO, an egg-shaped (what else?) passive subwoofer, for that added oomph.
Now, if you are gunning for a 5.1 home theater setup, Symbio has that covered, too. Just add another pair of Alpha and the matching Beta center speakers, and you're all set. We're still a bit skeptical about the entire ensemble's sonic credibility. That said, there's little doubt that it's going to be "love at first sight" for the ladies.
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Via Bornrich.org | Photo credit: Symbio
The handbag TV needs no introduction
Mike Yamamoto | Mar 11, 2008
This is the company, you may recall, that's made a living out of creating TVs in the form of toys, basketballs, giant fruit, and countless other objects. So this handbag LCD doesn't seem especially weird in that context, with a 9.6-inch display, a handle that actually works, and even a genuine leather case. "Sophisticated style that will appeal to any woman that demands tasteful and unique decoration," as Shiny Shiny notes, sneeringly. And for you macho types, remember, in Europe men carry handbags all the time.
Via Crave CNET
Thanko's motorized TV stand for playing Wii
Reuben Lee | Mar 11, 2008
Thanko may be known to many as the company that comes with the weirdest contraptions from time to time, but its latest Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand may just be its most interesting product yet.
As its name suggests, the Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand is basically a TV stand with a built-in motor to raise and lower large-screen panel displays. Seemingly designed with Wii gamers in mind, the electric TV stand can be conveniently raised by as much as 130cm using a remote control, making it possible to play games more comfortably at eye level. It is rated to lift TV screens between 40 and 60 inches and weighing less than 50kg. Most TV stands in the market today are designed for TV viewing when seated on a couch, thus they are often too low for proper gaming that require standing up.
Unfortunately, this rather useful TV stand doesn't come cheap. It retails for 69,800 yen (US$685) and is currently available only in Japan. However, with the growing popularity of the Wii console, we won't be too surprised if OEM makers start coming up with something similar really soon.
Via DigitalWorldTokyo
Picture credit: Rare Mono Shop
Quad-ported Pagani stereo hi-fi
Philip Wong | Mar 10, 2008
It seems super cars are no longer the Pagani Automobili reson de etre for these days. Like Ferrari, the Italian car manufacturer has ventured into consumer electronics with its own line of home audios. What we have here is a flashy self-contained stereo hi-fi. The kit comprises a vinyl turntable, CD player, preamplifier, 150W power amplifier and a pair of floor-standing speakers. For exotic cars enthusiasts, the four-valve port on the loudspeakers adds a unique Zonda styling, while generous applications of carbon fiber and aluminum give the entire setup a very polished appearance.
This product is obvious built ground up for the socialites and elitists, so we will skip on pricing. However, if you need one of these for your million-dollar mansion, just get your secretary to drop the Italians an email here.
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Via Autoblog | Photo credit: Pagani Automobili
Pioneer's ninth-gen Kuros to mark end of deep blacks
Philip Wong | Mar 07, 2008
It may be the end of the road for the Pioneer-made Kuro. That said, the Japanese is still on track to launch its ninth-generation Kuros before it halts in-house panel production. Bowing to growing market pressure, the staunch plasma supporter is also ready to launch its own range of Sharp-supplied and Pioneer-customized LCD TVs. These are slated for release in the European market this fall. Furthermore, both companies have entered into a collaboration for Blu-ray-related business. This will encompass end-consumer product design, as well as underlying hardware components. Finally, to turn around its home electronics business, plans are in place to expand its display-related network/wireless audio-visual, Blu-ray and professional sound-visual products.
Though we were surprised with the sudden turn of events, this was not unexpected taking into consideration its recent push for a premium proposition. This may have further alienated Pioneer from value-conscious consumers and strained its market share in an extremely competitive flat-panel TV market increasingly dominated by LCD TVs. While performance definitely matters, it seems like affordability is still high on consumers' priority--a sad but true reality of commoditization.
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