CE Week 2013 is underway in New York City. While there is a clear focus on Ultra HD 4K, soundbars are plentiful. Aside from headphones, no other product in the home theater category has experienced almost three consecutive years of steady growth. We are not seeing a lot of innovation in the category right now, but there is no question that consumers love the convenience, performance, and value that they currently represent.
SpeakerCraft is better known for its in-wall and outdoor loudspeaker products, but the reality is that consumers are spending less in 2013 on dedicated 5.1 setups. Instead, they're looking for a simpler and more affordable way to enjoy movies at home with their existing HDTVs.
Definitive Technology, B&W, MartinLogan, and Sonos all have a number of excellent high-end soundbar/wireless subwoofer options, which are more than acceptable alternatives to entry-level 5.1 systems. However, they are also extremely expensive and out of the reach of most consumers. With the $600 CS3 TV Speaker system, SpeakerCraft is looking to capitalize on the growing segment below $800, which is currently dominated by Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, and Vizio.
The first thing that stands out about the CS3 is its resemblance to the ZVOX SoundBase 580 all-in-one surround system, which retails for $500. The two products may sound nothing alike, but the concept of using the system as a base for your HDTV is exactly the same. Both products are designed to support HDTVs ranging from 40 to 60 inches, and are active systems with advanced DSP.
Just saying.
The driver complement includes two 1-inch silk dome tweeters, four 3-inch treated paper cone midrange drivers, and two 5.25-inch treated paper cone subwoofer drivers. The downward-firing subwoofer is aided by the enclosure's ported design.
The internal Class D amplifier provides more than 80 watts to all nine drivers, but it's unclear if each driver has its own dedicated amplifier.
The CS3 is also Bluetooth-enabled for music streaming from your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet and comes with a dedicated remote control.
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