CE Pro's Jason Knott notes: 

Paradigm Offers "Insane 

Audio Demo" at CES 2018

Rob Sample, National Training Manager, of Paradigm/Anthem delivered what Jason Knott of CE Pro noted was an "Insane Audio Demo" at CES 2018. Read more about this impressive demonstration  of the Anthem STR Preamp, STR Power Amp and the Paradigm Persona 3F Loudspeakers at CE Pro's website here.

In-Ceiling/In-Wall Loudspeaker 

That Is  Remarkably  Different!

Do you sell with any of these considerations in your install?

• Multi-Room Audio System Capable
• Plays Foreground Music
• Provides Clear Background Music
• Intelligible Voice Paging
• Meets Demands Of Home Theater / Surround Sound
• Fits All Sound Masking Systems
• Must Install In Both In-wall & In-ceiling Applications
• Designer Friendly Speakers To Match Interior Spaces
• Speakers That Are Required To Accept Faux Finishes To Blend In

Tons of speakers - all types Then you already know there is a sea of products that are claiming space in one or more of these. But are there any that are all of these and are fully accepted by home owners, business operators and interior designers as the "best"?

Meet Stealth Acoustics LRx83! It is a three-way loudspeaker that installs in-wall or in-ceiling, delivers best of class sound, and is completely decorator and environment friendly because it is completely invisible. the LRx83 can be integrated and covered with latex paint, light wallpaper, fabrics and selected texture coats. Even exotic finishes like veneer treatments may be supported using special techniques.

Do not wonder if this speaker is everything it is proposed to be... Give it a listen! PAMrep has a pair of these to demonstrate for you. Explore the best - listen to the Stealth acoustics LRx83 soon! Contact PAMrep here...

When The System Needs To Stay Powered -  Choose SurgeX!

When you specify a battery backup to your system design, you are interested in providing a constant power to your gear even during outages. There are several considerations that come into play:

Is the UPS an Online Battery? SurgeX UPS-1000-OL, UPS-2000-OL and UPS-3000-OL all have a simple goal - to deliver network grade power through double-conversion technology. They offer the perfect standalone backup solution for sensitive audio video systems, critical servers, control systems, telephone systems, and network equipment that demand prolonged runtimes of 1.5 hours or greater with no lapse of power during the hand-off to battery operation. The power generated by the conversion of AV to our battery and then new AC delivered from our UPS allows the cleanest possible power - virtually no noise!

Is a UPS a surge eliminator? SurgeX does offer a combination of line interactive UPS and a surge eliminator - SU-1000-LI. The line interactive nature of it means that there is a momentary lag of power as it switches on to provide power during a power outage. This may work well for some applications but is not ideal for others. Please note that a SurgeX surge eliminator should be placed in the electrical path in front of the  SurgeX UPS-1000-OL, UPS-2000-OL and UPS-3000-OL models to eliminate the possibility of surges and ground contamination issues.

When there is a generator: Many of your client installations will include a generator as part of the power system. Two critical safety issues come into play here. First, there is a lag time if you are not using an online UPS. This is an equipment failure possibility if your specified UPS is not always running the load on its battery. Projectors can experience dramatically shorter lives, your control system can fall out of sync, and some equipment doesn't restore to an on-state when the power glitches. Second is the generator may not produce ideal power. Some produce AC that has waveforms that do not produce good results with critical equipment. Our online battery solutions always have their supported equipment on battery so they will continue to assure clean power while they charge on less than ideal power.

What is the real runtime? All three solutions provide extended scalable runtimes of up to 18 hours via self-charging extended battery packs and easily replaceable battery trays. You can see the exact data on our runtime for the  SurgeX UPS-1000-OL, UPS-2000-OL and UPS-3000-OL models here.

What state is it in when the battery fails? Seems like most UPS's give up the ghost when their battery fails. They default to "off" and the client's system is now completely down and their battery replacement that you pursued  a replacement for in the previous months is now an emergency. SurgeX online UPS's default to on and continue to keep the AC to the connected gear - there simply is no battery power. The client will be notified by the warning alarm in the UPS. It is always preferred to replace the battery on a scheduled service but some clients take risks and do not agree to the timely replacement. Their avoidance can turn into your service crisis. The on-state when the battery fails is very important to assure their system stays up on their AC.

How difficult is it to service when it needs a new battery? Some UPS's are a nightmare to change batteries on. They might require a complete removal from your equipment rack meaning you might have to completely break the integrity of your wire looming, disconnect and reattach, and in some units it is a two-person job to execute. Fortunately , the battery replacement in the SurgeX units is simple with a front panel accessible battery tray that has a hot-swappable feature. A few minutes is all it takes to change the battery packs.

Can we monitor the UPS? The SurgeX UPS-XXXX-OL models are all monitor capable with their optional SNMP card. Many control systems offer modules that are preconfigured for SurgeX. 

What are my options for large UPS power? SurgeX offers multiple units that are out-of-rack free-standing UPS designs. All are online and configurable to direct connect to the clients breaker box to assure power to devices even lighting. They come in sizes from 10 KVA to 20 KVA 3 phase. SurgeX can provide custom models larger than these for extreme battery requirements. See the SurgeX Large Format UPS models here.

SurgeX Large Format Online UPS's

This high-end audio shop aims for young audiophiles & women

CNet published an article about NoHo Sound & Stereo, a dealer in New York who is targeting younger people and women to bring them into their location to purchase higher end audio. You can read it here.

Ridiculous Value

Spectacular Sound

Priced at  $2,499.95  per pair, the ElectroMotion ESL  (EM-ESL ) combines ridiculous value with spectacular sound. It sports a 34-inch tall curved electrostatic driver combined with an attractive woofer cabinet to form a full range speaker with astonishingly low distortion and a stereo stage difficult to achieve at even much higher prices.

Value - If you have ever watch the   construction of an ESL at MartinLogan you would be amazed to know the time and precision involved to build a MartinLogan curved XStat panel has to be very costly. The highly evolved technology in the panel membrane combined with the gentle curve delivers a soundfield to the listener that defies it price point. The careful matching to a responsive woofer to match the speed and accuracy of the panel and at the same time extend the bass to make the entire speaker wide range allows the speaker to virtually disappear in the listeners room.

Controlled Dispersion Sound Radiation -  ElectroMotion ESL is a naturally dipolar radiating speaker. A true dipole, this ESL radiates sound with equal intensity from both the front and back of its diaphragm. The curved design allows for a wider dispersion and it also uses the physical limitations of its side radiation to an advantage offering the clarity for which electrostats are revered while using the energy reflected off the rear wall to open up and deepen the soundstage.

Read more about the EM ESL here!

Paradigm 

Décor Custom Collection

The Decor Custom Collection is a series of c ustom-length speakers, built-to-spec from your clients exact measurements, delivering Paradigm high-performance sound, for the ultimate custom-fit flat-panel TV installation. The Décor solutions allow aesthetics and performance to meld with high quality speakers that offer the superior sound performance Paradigm is known for, while providing a perfect visual merge with your client's flat panel TV. 

LR/LPCR/LCR/LCR/ULR/C Designs - Décor speakers are available in both horizontal / sound bar and side-mounted / vertical configurations, with up to three audio channels in a single enclosure. Speakers can be combined to create a slim, elegant, high performance audio system that is customized to the exact height and length of any wall-mounted, flat panel television.

Many solutions - all completely custom:

• LR - Left and Right perfectly aligned Stereo Speakers
• LPCR - Left and Right with projected center 3 channel speaker system
• LCR - Perfectly framing the TV with Left Speaker Right Speaker and Center Speaker
• LCR - Soundbar with Left/Center/Right channels
• ULR - Soundbar with Left and Right
• C - Soundbar Center channel speaker

Custom Sound Quality You Expect From Paradigm

• S-PAL Satin-Anodized Pure-Aluminum Dome Tweeters with exclusive Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA) Tweeter Lens, that protects the delicate pure-aluminum tweeter dome and acts as the Phase Plug, blocking out-of-phase frequencies for smoother, extended high frequencies with incredible detail and higher output..
• High-performance Anodized Unibody Bass/Midrange Cones with durable Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber Surrounds and specifically designed driver motor structure, featuring 1.5" high-temp voice coils and super-efficient shallow-depth extruded aluminum heatsinks, for a long life of high performance in the thinnest space.
• Rigid, resonance-free enclosures are constructed of anodized extruded aluminum with heavy-duty MDF baffles. Enclosures hang just 2-inches off wall (with grille), making Décor speakers one of the slimmest high performance speakers available.

Super Custom Shape Finishing If Needed -  Some TVs have IR sensors, cameras, or logos at the bottom edge of the TV, preventing speakers from mounting perfectly flush. Paradigm can customize the grille to compensate for this "bump out" which allows for a perfectly flush aesthetic when installed next to the TV.

Paradigm Décor speakers can be mounted three ways for installation flexibility. 

1. Fixed Wall Brackets provide a fast, easy means of wall mounting. While ideal for many TV panels, fixed wall brackets provide minimal adjustability and come in vertical and horizontal designs. Brackets are pre-attached-just position the wall brackets using the provided template and hang!
2. Articulating Wall Brackets - Paradigm Décor Articulating Wall Bracket allows adjustments within millimeters forward, backward or sideways to ensure speakers are completely flush with ultra-slim televisions. The same Articulating Mounting bracket is used for vertical and horizontal mounting. Brackets are pre-attached to the speaker-just attach the "mate" to the wall using the provided wall template and hang!
3. Television Brackets - Horizontal and/or vertical rails make up the Décor Television Bracket. This mounting system allows you to combine any traditional TV mounting bracket (not provided) with Paradigm Décor Television Brackets. Get the perfect fit with no gaps between TV and speakers!

Check out more about the Paradigm Décor Speaker Solutions here! 

deepblue3  shocks listeners with the quality and quantity of sound that is possible from a Bluetooth speaker. It combines the convenience of a single box design with the full-range powerful sound of a big HiFi stereo system. With deepblue3 your client will experience a portable system they can easily move from room to room with amazing sound. 

deepblue3 uses a total of five speakers in a three-way configuration to create a powerful balanced sound so every instrument and voice can be easily heard. Two 3" mid-range drivers and two 1" soft-dome tweeters flank deepblue3's woofer to create a wide natural sound that fills an entire room. deepblue3's five speaker package is combined with a custom developed 440-watt amplifier that is 5X more powerful than the home Bluetooth speakers currently on the market. The result - unbelievable sound from a small package! It is complete with a remote control.

deepblue3 is shipping now! It is only $399! Read the entire story here.

Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier

High Finesse, Power & Performance

Take the $10,000 STR Preamp/Amplifier combination and distill it into a single chassis with a potent amplifier and you have the new STR Integrated from Anthem at a shockingly low price of $4500! With a USB DAC, MM/MC phono section, low noise preamplifier and 200 x 2 into 8 ohms or 400 x 2 into 4 ohms - everything you need to create a wonderful audiophile quality system is included. Plug in the sources - connect your clients speakers and make beautiful music. 

Get acquainted here!!