Digital Trends

Pioneer showed off their new SC-09TX A/V Receiver, which is expected to be released in early 2008 at around $7,500. Suffice it to say the unit’s a real live wire, offering more than 1400-watts of power! It includes a new ICEpower Class D amplifier, and features a myriad of selling points including: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, xvYCC, DeepColor, HDMI 1.3a, Home Media Gallery and a 1.5-inch LCD     screen.

 

 

 

In terms of other audio components, there were loudspeakers everywhere in all shapes and sizes. Did any stand out? Good question… I liked the Atlantic Technology speakers that were integrated into a 100-inch screen from Epson (see above). Were they the highest quality? No, but for their application and price ($6,999 for the complete system), it was unbeatable. Of course, high-quality speakers from companies like Polk, Definitive Technology, TruAudio, Thiel and others were also available for listening tests, and they sounded terrific. In terms of A/V Receivers, all of the manufacturers are quickly adding HDMI 1.3a connectivity, and including the new audio codecs – Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio – which were previously unavailable, on their high-end models. Yamaha, for example, now has an 11.2-Channel A/V Receiver. The most impressive receiver, however, will be the Pioneer discussed above. It was truly unbelievable!

 

 

 

CEDIA did answer a nagging question of why current HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc players with HDMI 1.3a are not passing the new audio codecs. Apparently, the chipsets for the current crop of HDMI 1.3a players will not decode the advanced audio codecs, and a BD player from Pioneer in October will be the first model with the true capability – maybe it should be called HDMI 1.3b. I have been testing a new Onkyo (875) receiver with new Dolby and DTS processing, and couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting TrueHD. Now, I know why. It just goes to show that still HDMI is not created equal.

 

While I have become a firm believer of one cable carrying digital audio and digital video signals seamlessly, it's getting ridiculous that we still are not quite there yet. Also at CEDIA, there were several new HDMI cables introduced by Monster Cable and others that claim higher performances over long distances. All told, there was plenty for the home theater enthusiast to get excited about, or at least intrigued (and/or puzzled) by. Translation: We’ll be back next year to bring you even more cutting-edge A/V action, and see how things shake out with new products – and of course that nagging battle over next-gen video formats – as the situation develops.