CES 2009

With its unique design, built-in BD-Live Blu-ray player, Netflix onboard, and Wi-Fi compatibility, the Samsung HT-BD7200 encapsulated cutting-edge home theater this year.

(Credit: Samsung)

The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show is history. As far as the home audio world is concerned, the product lineup and trends were pretty much right in line with our predictions.

Wireless speakers: Panasonic showcased the SC-ZT1, a unique "4.4" speaker system with wireless speakers (except for that pesky power cord, of course). But the bigger trend was wireless subwoofers: Samsung, Philips, and Polk Audio (among others) all showed surround systems with wireless subs, enabling more flexibility when placing them in the room.

Network audio: Whether it was more affordable tabletop Internet radios from the likes of Sanyo and Acoustic Research or impressive streaming audio systems from Linksys or Philips, network audio was on the rise in 2009. If you don't want a dedicated network audio product, that's OK; products like Samsung's Blu-ray home theater systems have Pandora streaming built-in, obviating the need for other hardware. And the pre-CES announcement that Apple's iTunes Store is going DRM-free means that all major music download purchases are now basically free of copy protection, making streaming between multiple devices easier than ever.

iPod- and iPhone-ready: Compatibility for Apple's iPod is essentially ubiquitous, but manufacturers are offering some incremental improvements. LG and Panasonic are including slide-out iPod docks (rather than add-on cabled cradles) on many of their home theater systems, while Pioneer's AV receivers offer improved on-TV screen navigation for attached iPods and iPhones.

Blu-ray compatibility: Samsung and Panasonic offered the first home theater systems with built-in Blu-ray players in 2008, but they were expensive systems that were full of compromises (namely, the older Blu-ray spec). The picture is much improved for 2009: systems from JVC, Panasonic, LG, and Samsung are all Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) compliant, and many offer additional content from the Internet (Netflix and Pandora on Samsung; Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow on LG; Amazon and YouTube on Panasonic). Samsung upped the ante with Wi-Fi options available via an add-on dongle.

Single-speaker audio and virtual surround: Another trend that's showing no sign of abating in 2009 is single-speaker and virtual surround systems. Polk Audio, Samsung, Philips, Panasonic, LG, and Sharp were among the manufacturers showing either speakerbars, 2.1, or other configurations that aim to deliver a 5.1- or 7.1-channel experience from one, two, or four speakers. A related trend: more audio systems are being touted as wall-mountable, presumably to sit underneath a wall-mounted flat-panel TV.

The high-end: While we mostly stuck with mainstream brands and products, rest assured that there were plenty of high- and superhigh-end audio products on display at this year's show--everything from $1,400 headphones to stereo systems that cost $300k.

CNET chose the Pioneer VSX-819H AV receiver, the Panasonic SC-ZT1 wireless speaker system, and the Samsung HT-BD7200 Blu-ray home theater system as the finalists in the Best of CES Home Audio category. The Pioneer receiver delivers an impressive feature list (three HDMI inputs, lossless Blu-ray audio decoding, onscreen iPod navigation) for less than $300--one of the best bang for your bucks, and especially compelling given our current economic woes. The Panasonic represented an interesting approach to wireless speakers. And the Samsung (pictured above) was an impressive combination of trends that encapsulated the show: Blu-ray Profile 2.0, virtual surround sound, built-in support for network services (Pandora, Netflix), along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility, all wrapped up in a unique-looking design.

The Acoustic Research ARIR600i Internet Radio has an iPod dock, too.

While Internet Radios have been popular in Europe for a while, 2008 was the first year the products really gained some traction in the U.S. market. Acoustic Research showed off two new Internet Radios, the ARIR200 and the ARIR600i, which offer some unique features like the ability to record Internet Radio streams to their internal memories and access to the Slacker service. Here are the details.

Key features of the Acoustic Research ARIR200:

• Access to 12,000 Internet Radio stations
• Ability to add your own stations using a URL
• Can record up to 10 hours of Internet Radio using the internal 512MB memory
• Access to the Slacker music service
• Prepaid access to the WeatherBug service
• Alarm clock functionality
• AM/FM tuner
• Available in mid-February, $129 MSRP

Key step-up features of the Acoustic Research ARIR600i:

• iPod dock
• Available in mid-May, $200 MSRP

That's an impressive set of features considering the prices of these radios, especially the $129 ARIR200. Most of the Internet Radios we review--even the more expensive ones--don't include an AM/FM tuner, and we haven't reviewed an one with Slacker, WeatherBug or recording features either. However, because ease of use is so important with these units--especially how they handle searching those 12,000 stations--we're anxious to get review sample of these radios in to see how they compare with the competition.

As we mentioned in our CES 2009 home audio preview, the trend in home audio over the last few years has been toward simplicity, and sound bars have promised to deliver the full surround experience from a single speaker. In reality, it never quite sounds that good, but the Polk Audio SurroundBar systems are generally better than most. The newly announced SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater aims to improve on previous models by making the speaker even smaller and adding a wireless subwoofer. Here are the details.

Key features of the Polk Audio SurroundBar SDA Instant Home Theater :

• 260 watts of power
• 31.75 inches long--nearly 11 inches shorter than the original SurroundBar
• No additional AV receiver required
• Wireless subwoofer
• Polk claims full front soundstage because of its Front SDA technology
• Wall mountable
• A single analog audio input
• Available in January, $550 list price

While the addition of the wireless subwoofer is a big plus for the SurroundBar line, we're disappointed that connectivity is limited to a single analog audio input. Even a basic home theater system includes at least a cable/satellite box and a DVD player, so the SDA Instant Home Theater is only a good option for the simplest setups. Sure, you can get around its limitations by using an audio switcher or AV receiver, but that defeats the simplicity that makes sound bars attractive in the first place.

We currently have the Polk SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater in for testing, and are expecting to post the review later in the month.

LAS VEGAS--At the CES show here, Skype Chief Operating Officer Scott Durchslag tells Larry Magid how the bad economy is actually good for Skype as people flock to value. He also talks about new Skype software and the explosion of video over his company's service.

Related stories:

Skype thrives amid tough economy

Skype Lite landing on Android phone, others too

See our complete news coverage from CES here

The HSB2351 has an integrated DVD player and subwoofer for $349.99.

(Credit: Philips)

Philips doesn't have a big presence at CES this year but it does appear to have some noteworthy products, especially when it comes to its new line of home-theater sound bars. The company's announced four new sound-bar packages, each geared to a slightly different target consumer.

Here's the rundown of the various products:

Model: The HSB2351

*All-in-one sound bar features integrated DVD player and subwoofer with 300 watts of total power

*Space-saving sleek design fits easily on an entertainment center or can be mounted on the wall

*Dolby Virtual Speaker for theater audio experience and HDMI 1080p with video upscaling

*MP3 Link for music playback from portable media players, USB 2.0 for media playback from USB flash drives, and a built-in FM tuner

Available in April with a suggested retail price of $349.99

Model: The HSB2313

*Ultra-thin speaker system with wireless subwoofer for a streamlined look

*Dolby Virtual Speaker for theater audio experience and HDMI 1080p with video upscaling

*Triple HDMI in and aux-in to connect TV, Blu-ray player, or set-top box

*MP3 Link for music playback from portable media players, High speed USB 2.0 for media playback from USB flash drives, and a built-in FM tuner

Available in May with a suggested retail price of $399.99

Model: The HSB2303

*Super narrow sound bar fits perfectly under your HDTV or on a table stand. Features an external subwoofer for an enhanced sound experience.

*Dolby Virtual Speaker for theater audio experience and HDMI 1080p with video upscaling

*MP3 Link for music playback from Portable Media Players, High speed USB 2.0 for media playback from USB flash drives, and a built-in FM tuner

Available in March with a suggested retail price of $299.99

Model: The HSB3280 (Philips is calling this the "Ultimate Gaming" system)

*Super sleek sound bar with ultramodern, exposed speakers and front AV inputs for ultimate convenience. Wireless subwoofer eliminates extra cables.

*Triple aux-in connects TV, DVD player or set-top box in one simple step

*Dolby Prologic II and Dolby Virtual Speakers technology for theater audio sound

*Special game-effect sound settings (Shooting/Sports/Action/Arcade) to enhance the gaming experience.

*Smart remote control system--one remote for system and TV

Available in January with a suggested retail price of $299.99

Philips' ultimate gaming option, the HSB3280, has a suggested retail price of $299.99.

(Credit: Philips)

Sennheiser's new HD 800 headphones cost a whopping $1,400 but they're exquisite.

(Credit: Sennheiser)

If you're someone doesn't like to pay more than $50 for a pair of headphones, look away, now. If you're someone who doesn't mind throwing down $300 for a pair of cans, you should probably look away, too. But if you've got $1,400 to burn on a sweet pair of headphones, read on because that's what Sennheiser's new HD 800 will retail for when they come out in February.

What do you get for $1,400? Well, for starters, the newly designed earcups are finished in Japanese Alcantara, which is a special form of man-made suede that's particularly friendly to the skin and easy to clean. After that, it gets pretty technical.

Sennheiser says the 56mm transducer in the HD 800 is "the largest that can currently be found in a dynamic headphone," explaining that the more transducer surface area that vibrates, the purer the headphone sounds at low frequencies. However, the problem with a transducer with a large surface area is that at high frequencies "undesired resonances occur at the diaphragm, resulting in distortions in sound reproduction." Apparently, the new design principle of the HD 800--which involves a patented ring design for the diaphragm--resolves this dilemma and minimizes the distortion of the sound image.

We haven't listened to them yet, but Sennheiser says, "The HD 800 has brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction, and an exceptionally clear sound image. The frequency response is an unprecedented 6 to 51,000 Hertz."

Alright, as soon as the recession ends, I'm in. Who needs a new 50-inch HDTV when you can have these babies?

Home theater is Samsung's game at this year's CES. Though the company did announce the new P3 touch-screen MP3 player, an inch-thick plasma TV, feature-packed Blu-ray home theater systems, and backlit LCD TVs dominated the show.

Samsung unveils P3 touch-screen MP3 player
Photos: Hands-on with the Samsung P3 player
Samsung's slick HT-BD7200 Blu-ray home theater system
Samsung's funky Blu-ray and DVD players
Samsung's PN-B850 series of plasmas get down to an inch thick
Samsung HT-BD1250: 5.1-channel home theater offers Blu-ray, Netflix, Pandora
Samsung HT-BD8200 home theater sound bar includes Blu-ray, Netflix, Pandora
Samsung DVD-H1080: Portable-sized DVD player for the home
HT-BD7200: 2.1 Blu-ray home theater from Samsung
Samsung goes green with the LN-B6000 series of LED-backlight LCDs
Samsung BD-P4600: Wall-mountable Blu-ray player with Wi-Fi add-on
Samsung LN-B8000 LCDs put LED-backlighting and 240Hz in a 1-inch frame
Samsung's step-down LED-backlit LCDs feature Yahoo widgets, 120Hz
Samsung unveils the MBP200 Pico Projector

Last year there were a handful of home-theater-in-a-box systems with integrated Blu-ray, but in 2009, it looks as if the feature will be close to standard. Sharp has announced the BD-MPC series of home theater systems that come complete integrated Profile 2.0-compatible Blu-ray players. Not much additional information was released, but here's what we know.

Key features of the Sharp BD-MPC series:

• 5.1 home theater system
• 720 watts of power
• Blu-ray player included
• Profile 2.0 compatible with an Ethernet jack
• Both models available in the spring with an MSRP of $800

There are two models in the BD-MPC series, the BD-MPC30 and BD-MPC40. The difference between the two models is merely cosmetic, with the BD-MPC30 featuring a black synthetic finish and the BD-MPC40 has black wooden cabinets.

Sharp's Blu-ray home theater system - photos

JVC's UX-LP5 will be available in March and carry a list price of $149.95.

(Credit: JVC)

While this model doesn't offer the touch-sensitive controls and motion sensor of the step-up UX-GN6, it does have many of the same features, including a video output so you can play back iPod-stored video on a connected television, a front audio input for connecting other audio products, CD playback, and an AM/FM tuner.

It's worth noting that while the UX-GN6 is listed as having a total power output of 120 watts, the UX-LP5 is a 70-watt system. Both models come with a pair of two-way speakers.

The UX-LP5 will be available in March and carry a list price of $149.95. The step-up UX-GN6 will list for $199.95 while the more basic (read: no iPod dock) UX-G200 will go for $99.95. All the JVC micro audio systems will be in stores in March.

The JVC UX-GN6 will be available in March and carry a list price of $199.95.

(Credit: JVC)

Motion sensors were featured on some Logitech iPod clock radios last year and we expect to see more clock radios and micro systems offering this feature going forward. In this implementation, the feature enables you to wake-up the UX-GN6 from standby mode by simply waving your hand in front of the system. (We're not sure if tossing a shoe or pillow across the front of it would also do the trick, but we bet it would).

As for the touch-control panels, you run a finger up and down over the strip to adjust volume volume and control the CD player's forward/skip and reverse/skip functions. (JVC also says that other functions are handled using touch-panel controls, but doesn't cite exactly what they are).

Additional features include: a video output so you can play back iPod-stored video on a connected television; a USB port for playing music files stored on USB mass storage devices; a front audio input for connecting other audio products; the aforementioned CD playback; and an AM/FM tuner. The UX-GN6 has a total power output of 120 watts and comes with a pair of two-way speakers.

The UX-GN6 will be available in March and carry a list price of $199.95. The step-down UX-LP5, which features a retractable front flip dock for iPods, will list for $149.95, while the more basic (read: no iPod dock) UX-G200 will go for $99.95. Those units will be in stores in March as well.