Sound + Image Aug/Sep-14

This issue is dominated by the CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles Awards, which we are delighted to co-sponsor once again, and even more delighted to bring you, exclusively indeed, every single entry to this year’s awards. The winners are as yet unknown as we go to press, since I have the happy task of announcing the judges’ decisions at the Integrate Expo taking place in Sydney at the end of August. (If you’re reading this in September, head to AVHub.com.au or cedia.com.au for a list of the winners.) These are Australia’s smartest homes, their electronics fully integrated by qualified CEDIA members, their music and movies all under touchscreen control along with lighting, security, energy-saving cleverness such as passive climate control and lighting changes cunningly scheduled through the year according to movements of the…

Yamaha has outlined its 2014 AVENTAGE range in what it is calling a “milestone fifth anniversary”. The five networked AV receiver models in the Aventage range, their power ratings and their prices will be: • the RX-A740, 7 x 90W, $1299;• the RX-A840, 7 x 100W, $1599;• the RX-A1040, 7 x 110W, $1899;• the RX-A2040, 9 x 140W, $2299; and• the RX-A3040, 9 x 150W, $2799. The new receivers feature Bluetooth via an included YBA-11 adaptor, built-in Wi-Fi and AirPlay, plus Pandora and Spotify Connect music streaming services, and high-resolution audio streaming (including 24-bit/192kHz FLAC/WAV and 24-bit/96kHz Apple Lossless). There’s also support for the new HDMI 2.0 standard to accommodate increased frame rates for 4K Ultra HD and deeper colour spaces. A Wireless Direct feature can create a ‘hotspot’ for direct connection…

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! WIN SUBSCRIPTIONS! You can now get your advance tickets for the Australian Audio & AV Show — not only does booking online secure a significant discount against the door price, the organisers are awarding 10 early-bird ticket buyers with prize subscriptions to your choice of Sound+Image or Australian Hi-Fi! Our magazines at NextMedia are official media partners for the Show, which takes place at the top-notch Melbourne Intercontinental The Rialto on Collins Street from 17-19 October. This is a room-based hi-fi show, with stereo and AV systems set up and playing in each room, in a unique opportunity to hear dozens of brands of high-quality hifi and AV expertly demonstrated — many in systems valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are seminars on the…

Vogel’s has introduced two soundbar mounts that can wall-mount both TV and soundbar together. The $79.95 SOUND 3450 moves with your TV, so when used in combination with a TV wall mount the soundbar is always facing the viewer with picture and sound perfectly in sync. To fit different sizes and shapes of soundbars, the height and depth of the SOUND 3450 can be adjusted to make the soundbar flush with the flatscreen TV. The $109.95 SOUND 3400 (pictured) fits flat on the wall in combination with a wall-mounted TV and one of Vogel’s cable columns. The soundbar can be positioned at any height on the column. More info: www.canohm.com.au…

QualiFi will be showing Denon’s new multiroom system, HEOS, at the Integrate Expo in Sydney. Clearly designed as a competitor to Sonos, the HEOS range will initially offer three compact wireless speakers in the HEOS 7, 5, and 3 (pictured above), to be followed by the ‘Link’ (a simple receiver to feed an existing hi-fi, like the Sonos Connect:), and the Amp as a just-add-speakers receiver and amp. A smaller HEOS 1, a soundbar, soundbase and subwoofer are expected to follow in 2015, shadowing the Sonos range almost exactly. Unlike the Sonos wireless mesh, however, HEOS works through an existing Wi-Fi network (the units have dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi), with a HEOS Extend Wi-Fi Extender available to overcome any weak signal spots. Also unlike Sonos, the units have USB inputs into which…

Minix has released a 4K-capable version of the media hub we reviewed last issue in Sound+Image — the new model being called the Minix Neo X8-H 4K Ultra-HD Android Media Hub. It is largely similar in both appearance and abilities to the reviewed model, but offers 4K UHD video playback, and “the world’s first 4K XBMC [the open-source media playback software] on Android” Although Android-based, Apple and iOS users can launch the Minix’s AirPin Pro app to interface with AirPlay to stream any audio or video content from an iPhone, iPad or iTunes to the Minix with no need to install anything as long as the Minix and iOS device are using the same Wi-Fi network. RRP is $229, and a wireless Air Mouse, the Neo M1, will be included with…