The Oyster (price TBD, but probably in the $3000/pair neighborhood) uses the 802.11 wireless protocol, so that you can control the loudspeakers from any wi-fi computer network. Or, you can use the Oyster's USB input to run off your iPod, making the Oyster the most expensive iPod accessory I've seen at the show so far. The speakers have DSP…
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I've always said that cables might be the most important component in a system—after all, without 'em, you don't get much sound out of the whole schmear. Avega Systems is doing its best to make a liar out of me with its Oyster wireless loudspeaker.
"Its first audible resonance is effectively above 20kHz—that's above the operating range of some tweeters."
You know that stuff I said about how pointless the pre-show press conferences are? Well, not always—not, for example, when Jim Thiel has been busy. At last year's CES, Thiel practically levitated when he began describing the challenges of re-designing his CS3.6 floorstander, which has been in production since 1992. He described what he'd keep in the CS3.7 (first-order crossover; three-way design; short-coil/long gap motor design; coincident tweeter and midrange, time coherence;and aluminum diaphragms) and then he began waxing rhapsodic about how completely open that left his…
It's just after 10pm, here in Las Vegas. The moon is an eyelash.
A group of people in tight jeans and flashy shirts recently left the hotel, and are following the lights toward the casinos.
Others are now stumbling back to their rooms, drunk, with smiles on their faces and money in their pockets.
Have a good night.
As a reader pointed out, missing from Wes Phillips' coverage of Wednesday's Thiel CS3.7 press conference was a picture of the new speaker. Here it is, pictured with Jim Thiel waxing lyrical about his new midrange diaphragm.
From top to bottom: the new coaxial tweeter/midrange unit; 10" aluminum-cone woofer; 10" aluminum-cone passive radiator.
The CES's "Innovations" exhibit at the Sands Convention Center is intended to honor the most technologically advanced and ground-breaking consumer electronic products at the Show. Most of the display cases were still waiting to be populated on set-up day (though we spotted B&W's cute cylindrical subwoofer as well as Krell's Dean Roumanis wheeling in some big boxes). But some of the choices for an award raised our eyebrows, as with this robot intended to train boxers in the comfort of their own homes. Stereophile's Stephen Mejias strikes a suitably pugilistic pose.
My definition of great writing is writing that makes you care about stuff you never even knew interested you. By that definition, this Warren St. John article explaining why he cares about college football qualifies. I think I'm going to buy Rammer, Jammer, Yellow Hammer for the flight home from Vegas.