CES 2009

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.

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

Panasonic released a bundle of home theater systems at CES 2009, but the SC-ZT1 is easily the best of the bunch. The SC-ZT1 is a wireless home theater system that uses the 2.4GHz band to send uncompressed audio to all four speakers. Like all wireless systems, you'll need need to run a power cable for each speaker--so it's not completely wireless--but you won't have to deal with long speaker cable runs all over your living room.

The SC-ZT1 is somewhat unusual as its technically a 4.0 system--there are just the four, spindlelike speakers (Panasonic calls them Sound Slim Speakers), pictured in the image. These four speakers each have four vertically aligned speakers within them, which the SC-ZT1 uses to create a virtual 7.1 surround sound effect. Sure, it probably won't sound as good as a real 7.1 system, but you'll be dealing with a lot fewer wires. You'll also notice that the SC-ZT1 lacks a dedicated, separate subwoofer. That's replaced by integrated subwoofers in each of the speakers, filling in the low end. Again, it won't match the rumble of a dedicated unit, but it's definitely less hassle and looks better in your living room.

The SC-ZT1 is slated to be released in the spring, with pricing to be determined. We don't expect the unit to wow audiophiles, but for decor-minded buyers who still want surround sound, it looks like an attractive compromise.

Panasonic's new home audio systems photos

(Credit: Cisco)

After hinting at a "digital stereo" product in The New York Times last week, Cisco unveiled the details of its Wireless Home Audio System today, which will be released under the networking giant's "Linksys by Cisco" consumer networking brand. At first glance, the system--which is actually a suite of six products that will be available separately or in a variety of preconfigured bundles--bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sonos Multi-Room Music System. Like the Sonos, the Linksys product has a large-screen remote and offers networked base stations designed to live in several rooms of the house where they can play digital music from networked PCs or online audio sources (Internet radio via RadioTime, Rhapsody subscription service in the U.S., and the AudioLounge premium service in Europe). The Linksys device can also use a "zone" system, so different rooms can access different audio sources, or be linked together for synchronized playback of a single audio stream in multiple rooms simultaneously.

The Philips Streamium NP2500 (front left) and NP2900 (back right)

(Credit: John Falcone/CBS Interactive)

Philips' line of Streamium products was one of the pioneers in the network audio realm, but it never really clicked with consumers (at least in the U.S.), even as competitors like Sonos and Logitech's Squeezebox began carving out their own niches. But Philips is hardly throwing in the towel: the company has unveiled two new models, the Streamium NP2500 and the Streamium NP2900.

Both models offer the same basic features of the earlier Streamium NP1100: streaming non-DRM audio files from networked Windows and Mac PCs, as well as the ability to stream Rhapsody content (subscription required) and thousands of Internet radio stations (free) over a wireless home network. The new models distinguish themselves from the NP1100 with built-in color screens for navigation and album art and larger remote controls. Furthermore, the NP2900 includes built-in stereo speakers, so it doesn't need to be connected to an external stereo or amplifier.

Both the NP2500 ($229) and NP2900 ($329) are available now. But even without reviewing them, they feel a bit underfeatured and overpriced. Consider the Logitech Squeezebox Boom. While the $300 boombox-style audio streamer lacks the color screen found on the Philips products, it offers a much wider range of both free (Pandora, Last.fm, Slacker, Live Music Archive) and subscription (Sirius) in addition to the same Rhapsody and Internet radio options found on the Philips. Thankfully--like the Logitech--the upgradeable firmware on the Philips allows the potential for such additional services to be added down the road, when and if Philips signs them up.

Read the CNET review of Philips Streamium NP1100.

Polk Audio's SurroundBar 360 was one of CES 2008's top home audio offerings.

(Credit: Polk Audio)

The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show will be the sixth consecutive CES event I've attended. And for most of those, we've had to write up previews of what we're expecting or anticipating at the show as a whole, or in one category. Looking back at those pieces, you can see how far a lot of the technology has come in just half a decade (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Indeed, plenty of features, options, and product categories we take for granted today didn't really exist just five years ago. But you can also note how some predictions seem to keep resurfacing year after year--without ever really coming to fruition.

Perhaps the biggest vaporware offering in the home audio realm is wireless speakers. Several vendors have promised wireless surround systems in years past, but to date, mass-market-friendly solutions remain few and far between. We'll no doubt see several companies touting wireless loudspeaker solutions at this year's show, but just remember that true wireless speakers are pretty much a pipe dream--without some sort of battery power, the speakers themselves are still going to need at least one cable--the power cord.

Network audio is another perennial "next big thing" at CES. This one's actually entering the category of a maturing technology at this point. Plenty of standalone products--from the multiroom Sonos, the more affordable Logitech Squeezebox line, and even the Apple TV--have pretty much perfected the network audio experience, and Wi-Fi radios which can tune in online radio stations from around the world are well under $200. In addition to more dedicated network audio products, look for more network-friendly AV devices to incorporate audio streaming as a feature (such as Rhapsody on TiVo and Pandora of the Samsung BD-P2550 Blu-ray player).

Somewhat related is satellite radio. With federal approval of the XM/Sirius merger, the unified company can begin touting its consolidated programming offerings and--perhaps--begin to discuss hardware that can access content from both XM and Sirius satellites. But the fact that the company is now a penny stock will weigh heavily, as will the troubled U.S. auto industry--the sales from which traditionally drove satellite radio subscriber growth.

Being iPod- and iPhone-ready is another feature that went from a major value-added to a default bullet point over the course of the past decade. While nearly every home audio product now has an Apple-compatible dock built-in (or available as an add-on), look for companies to up the ante with tighter integration--such as using on-TV menus to navigate an iPod's video and audio directories, or using the iPod Touch or iPhone as a full-on remote control via Wi-Fi.

Blu-ray compatibility will undoubtedly be a buzzword in 2009. It was only about a year ago (CES 2008, in fact) that Blu-ray dealt a knockout punch to archrival HD DVD, becoming the default high-def disc format of choice. Last year, home theater systems with integrated Blu-ray were the exception to the rule. In 2009, look for it to the be standard in high- and even mid-level home theater systems--with full-on BD-Live functionality to boot.

Look for single-speaker audio and virtual surround products to again dominate the major brands' audio lineups. The '09 products will likely be offered at more accessible prices than ever before--probably starting at the sub-$500 range, instead of closer to $800 or $1,000. (Check out our current virtual surround champs--with with video connectivity and without.)

If you're noticing that nothing there is particularly new compared to previous years, you're absolutely correct. The home audio category remains the red-headed stepchild of the consumer electronics landscape, wedged uncomfortably between eye-popping flat-panel TVs and increasingly indispensable cell phones and portable devices.

I'm of the opinion that most of these product categories have plateaued to a large degree. That's why I'd really like to see the manufacturers get back to the basics. How about an AV receiver that's actually easy to set up and use? Yes, it could still be bristling with inputs and outputs, but give it an onscreen interface like the Apple TV. Or have an onscreen wizard talk you through the steps of connecting the cables, as seen on the Vudu, TiVo, or Sling products. (Sony porting its PS3-style Cross Media Bar interface to its receivers and TVs is a nice start, but I consider that to be the jumping off point.)

A home theater system that was easy to set up, easy to use, and had a menu system that was in plain English instead of technojargonese? That would be an easy pick for Best of CES.

Hey, there's always next year.