Big Picture Big Sound

The Home Entertainment Expo may still be a show in search of its niche, but that didn't stop a few enterprising audio and video consumer electronics manufacturers, dealers and distributors from making an impression on the press, analysts and curious consumers who stormed the Grand Hyatt last weekend in New York City in search of some good old-fashioned kick-ass high-end audio and video demos.

I've been impressed with the newly revitalized Cinepro brand since I first saw them at Home Entertainment Expo 2004 and again at HE Expo 2005. They always manage to produce some of the highest decibel levels of the show (i.e., their amps "go to eleven") but they usually do so without a hint of strain - just loud clear dynamic sound to match the pretty HDTV pictures.


This year was no exception, however what was different is that they were producing higher-than-theater-reference sound levels using diminutive bookshelf speakers (with the help of 7000 watts of Cinepro power, of course, as well as dual 15" isobaric subs). The Cinepro Evolution Mighty Powershelf speaker measures in at under 14 inches tall and less than 6 inches deep, and features an 8-inch Carbon Wool Composite woofer and a 1-inch textile ring dome tweeter. 3 pairs of the Mighty Powershelf were supplemented by the Mighty Center center channel speaker as well as two Evo dual 15-inch isobaric subwoofers. Processor and amplifiers were all Cinepro brand (details below).

My first visit to the room on press day failed to overwhelm me, in terms of overall harmonic blend. I suspected less than perfect integration between subs and satellites - seemed like there was a slight gap in the mid-bass. But after a day's worth of intense break-in and some crossover adjustments, the system sounded much better balanced on day 2. Good articulation of fine details, extended highs and gut-wrenching lows, as well as an evenly balanced and enveloping surround soundstage.

Demos included stereo music, next generation HD video and audio on Blu-Ray Disc and HD-DVD (including "Mission Impossible 3"), plus a plain ole DVD ("Master and Commander"). Each cut illustrated the dynamics of well-designed high current amplifiers driving punchy loudspeakers with seemingly limitless power handling. In a standing-room-only demo, the Cinepro people warned those with pacemakers or those who don't like it loud to simply leave as requests to turn it down would not be considered. Then, after the Vidabox and Cinepro reps finished their spiels, the demo was unleashed on the audience.

At 5 notches above Dolby Reference levels, and with a noticeable breeze created by the subwoofers busy displacing large volumes of air, it's fair to say that this demo was as loud if not louder than anything you'll ever need or want in your own home theater system. But it's nice to know you can have the power when you need it. And even at these excessive volumes, there was no smoke or fire evident in any of the components, nor a hint of the distortion artifacts audible on lesser systems at appreciably lower volumes. The DVD clip of "Master and Commander" was probably the most impressive part of the demo with the sound of cannons reverberating through the room with extended depth without losing any articulation. If you want your home theater to be able to keep up (or even surpass) the decibel levels created by a movie theater, then Cinepro's eletronics and speakers are definitely worth investigation.

On the front end of the demo, Vidabox was showing off their "Lux" media center PC ($5000-$7000, depending on configuration). It can be configured with both a Blu-Ray Disc drive and an HD-DVD drive concurrently so you'll be covered no matter which format eventually wins the battle. Also optional are 2 on-board over-the-air ATSC HDTV tuners for recoring live HDTV broadcasts. CableCard support will be available shortly so that you'll be able to watch and record premium cable channels without the need for a separate cable box.

The Lux is intended to be a repository and multi-zone playback engine for all of your media - photos, music, DVD movies, TV shows, home movies, etc. It features a Microsoft Media Center-based front-end that allows you to point and click through all your media. The Lux offers full HD 1080p output (1920x1080 pixels), as well as custom output resolutions to match the native resolution of your projector or display. The user interface -- all thumbnail and label artwork-driven, searchable and sortable by a number of different factors -- looked very easy to use and intuitive. If you're looking for a box that brings all your media to your home theater system, can schedule and record HDTV programs, and can play virtually any digital media format, then check out Vidabox.

Details on the system:

• Cinepro Mighty Powershelf two-way speaker ($3,295/pair x 3 pairs)
• Mighty Center Channel ($2,695)
• Cinepro EVO Dual 15" isobaric subwoofers ($4,995 ea. x 2)
• Cinepro DTP-8 Processor ($6,495)
• Cinepro RPC-30240 30-amp 240 volt Regulated Power Conditioner ($6,495)
• Cinepro 3k6 Mk5 6 channels amplifiers ($7,495 x 2)
• Cinepro Python Wire ($7.95 per ft)
• VidaBox LUX media center with Blu-ray and HD DVD playback, plus dual ATSC HDTV tuners ($7,000)
• SIM2 Domino Series D80 1080P DLP Projector ($8,500)
• Screen Innovations TMS-80 (Theater Mobile Sensation-80) Screen ($449)

On the Web:

Cinepro: www.cinepro.com
Vidabox: www.vidabox.com