When set up in its full 7.1 surround configuration, this beastly home theater system includes 3 KL-650-THX LCR and 2 KL-525-THX LCR full-range fronts, 2 KS-525-THX wide-dispersion surrounds, a pair of KW-120-THX subwoofers, and a KA-1000-THX subwoofer amplifier, blowing out 1000 watts of Class-D power.

When properly installed in a home theater, the system creates a literal wall of sound behind your screen – just like in a real movie theater.

Of course, the entire system is THX-certified, and requires professional installation if you really want it to sound like it does at a proper movie house. Oh yeah, the Ultra2 system as configured above will set you back a whopping $12,999.91 (USD) – and that’s just for the speakers and the subwoofer amp.

You’ll still need to buy your amps, decoders, projector, screen, and playback devices, as well as to build out a proper home theater room to really enjoy this. For now, I’ll just look at the pretty pictures and drool, as I’m sure many of you are doing right now.

[via Uncrate]

Dolby says that gamers will be able to enjoy Axon whether they’re on a high-end 7.1 setup or if they only have standard headsets. Axon also provides other effects aside from surround voice chat. I’ll let Spencer the talkative gunner share them with you:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It doesn’t take a genius to know that this technology adds a new dimension to multiplayer games, making owning a headset a requirement, unless you want everyone else to enjoy the added advantage Axon offers. I’m not too impressed by the voice effect feature though. I can see a lot of gamers adopting a high-pitched screechy voice just to be annoying. But at least now you’ll hear where they are, so it’ll be easier to defeat them and shut them up.

[via Xboxic]

Acousticom’s Sound Egg is an acoustically-insulated pod, loaded up with a 5.1 surround sound system. In addition to the 5 precisely positioned satellite speakers, there’s also a hefty 10-inch subwoofer right under your seat. Talk about some serious rump-shaking. The guys at Acousticom claim the speaker system offers solid frequency response all the way from 20Hz up to 20KHz. As you can see from the photo below, you’ll still need to B.Y.O. home theater system and amp, but the chair has all of the speakers built-in.

Originally created for audio testing and home theater demonstrations, the Sound Egg is designed to provide a completely enveloping audio experience, that’ll have you never wanting to head out to the theater again. At least not when you’re by yourself, since there’s not really a good way to have multiple people share in the Sound Egg experience at the same time.

Ready to sit inside a giant egg and chill out to the latest blockbuster movies and video games? Don’t care for red and grey. No worries – the Sound Egg’s outer shell is available in 7 different colors, and you have 11 choices for the sound-deadening foam lining (a few colors cost $25 bucks extra). You can sit your butt in your very own Sound Egg for $1450 (USD) over at Acousticom’s online store.

The Megalodon headphones come with a remote control for adjusting volume (I’m not sure if I understood its tech specs correctly but it seems to like you can tweak the volume of the virtual speaker separately), microphone sensitivity, levels and mute for both mic and speakers. The remote control also lets you easily switch from 7.1 surround to 2.0 for less demanding audio needs.

The Megalodon is priced at $150 USD. It won’t be available until June 30, but you can pre-order it now at Razer’s website. It’s for PC users only (Windows XP onwards), but I don’t think anyone actually expects gaming headphones for the Mac.

[via EverythingUSB]

That’s exactly what happened when Olympic Snowboarder Graham Watanabe hooked up with the guys who came up with the rugged new VholdR outdoor camera from Twenty20.

Using a design that would make MacGyver proud, the improvised “Granthony Cam” (named for Graham and Twenty20′s Anthony Godoy) screws on top of Watanabe’s helmet as he snowboards downhill, capturing a wild, 360-degree video effect that not only gives you a great sense of motion, but is also some of the wildest camera work this side of a Raising Arizona. The 2 minute video clip is definitely worth a watch, so be sure to check it out.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The VholdR camera at the heart of the rig comes encased in a rugged anodized aluminum shell, and is splash proof, dust proof and dirt proof. Designed to mount just about anywhere, the camera is perfect for sports-nuts or anyone else who wants to capture action video in challenging locations. The whole lens and image sensor can even rotate up to 192-degrees together, and a pair of lasers automatically guide the camera to frame the image properly. The company even offers specially-designed mounts for helmets, bikes, goggles and roll bars… but I still prefer the ingenuity of the Granthony Cam.

At $350, it’s not the cheapest digital video camera out there, but you also wouldn’t want to strap your mom’s HandyCam to your head and go jump out of an airplane with it on.

From the looks of the photos, the TheaterBar appears to offer not only a complete surround experience in a single slim box, it looks like it’s got bass ports on the back, so maybe it’ll have a decent low-end too. Another innovative feature is the hinged iPod dock, which looks like it can flip to the back of the system when not in use.

Not much else is known about the TheaterBar at this point, but it looks like it’ll at least support SRS sound enhancement (as evidenced in the close up pics on their site). I’m betting at least basic support for Dolby and/or DTS formats of some sort will also make it in the final product.

Knowing mStation, I’d expect the system to offer a good bang for the buck when it eventually arrives. I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled and will update this post when I have more details.

The Virtual 7.1 Channel Adapter plugs into your USB port and adds virtual surround to your current PC audio system. Special driver software, called Xear 3D simulates 7.1 channel sound through just two speakers or headphones.

While I’m sure it’s not as good as a real 7.1 speaker setup, the device and software bundle is just $15, so it’s not a big investment if it really does what it says.

The YSP-500 reflects sound from 18 individual sound drivers to deliver truly immersive surround with only a single box. Just like it’s bigger siblings, the box has all the requisite digital and analog inputs for DVD players and other audio sources.

It can decode Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 sound formats. It also offers SRS TruBass enhancement for the low end of things, but you’ll really want to supplement this system with a subwoofer if you really want a solid bass boom. As has been the case with all but the earliest YSP systems, this one includes IntelliBeam automated room calibration, so you you can get up and running with optimal sound in just a few minutes.

Keep in mind that while the surround effect from YSP speakers I’ve tested is pretty amazing, it’s best experienced in a room that has four normal walls, so sounds can be bounced off of surfaces appropriately. From my experience with the original YSP-1, odd-shaped rooms can be a bit of a challenge.

The YSP-500 should hit stores in Japan later this month for about ¥75,000 (appx. $647 USD), making it significantly less expensive than the larger models in the series. Expect to see these stateside within a few months of their Japanese release date.

[via ITMedia]

This makes the speaker just about the same depth, if not slimmer than most flat screen TVs these days. The entire Slimstage40 measures just 39″ (W) x 3.3″ (H) x 3.4″ (D), making it perfect for widescreens measuring 37-inches and up.

Soundmatters claims that their system can produce pinpoint surround imaging without having to bounce sounds off of walls. In addition, the Slimstage40 doesn’t require a separate subwoofer, and can pump out frequencies as low as 45Hz. I wonder how much rumble they’ll really be able to crank out though. There are certain laws of physics at work here that would seem to me to limit the low-end potential without a separate sub. The good news is that there is a pre-amp output in case you do want some serious bass. (If you’re looking for a stealthy subwoofer companion, check out their Substage 200.)

The system is driven by eight individual amplifiers with a total of 170-watts of power. It can decode both Dolby Digital and DTS signals from analog or digital inputs, and also can crank out simulated surround from stereo sources. The other nice thing is that Soundmatters includes both a wall-mount bracket and adjustable feet for shelf mounting. Most similar speakers charge extra for the wall mount. I also like that it’ll come in a choice of either black or silver finishes, so you can match it to the color scheme of your television.

My past experience with all-in-one boxes like these is that while they don’t sound exactly like a 5.1 setup with separate speakers, they’re more than fine for living rooms and other environments where you don’t want a bunch of speakers and wires running everywhere.

The Slimstage40 arrives this November, with an MSRP of $899.

Amadana’s DDA-134 compact stereo system has decidedly retro-looking walnut wood enclosures for the speakers, receiver and DVD player, but on the inside, the system is reasonably modern (although certainly not cutting edge).

Designed for use in smaller home theater setups, the system offers a wide variety of surround processing modes, including Dolby Virtual Speaker technology, providing simulated surround sound from just two speakers. There’s also support for Dolby Pro-Logic II and Dolby Headphone modes for virtual surround through your headset. If you’d rather have real surround, the amp can power center channel and surround speakers, and offers a pre-amp output for a powered subwoofer too

The receiver unit has several digital audio inputs, but very little in the way of video switching capabilities. The system’s progressive-scan DVD player has an elegant slot-loading drive mechanism and both component and Japanese D4 video connectors (no HDMI though.) When you buy the complete system bundle, Amadana also includes a matching retro-cool universal remote control.

The high-end looks of this system will cost you some serious green though. Retail price for the system with just two speakers is ¥168,000, which works out to about $1448 USD.

You won’t be fooling around with these puppies around your ears. For starters, the X3s have some really well-padded ear cups so you’ll be able to play for hours on end without the headache that the standard 360 headphones can cause.

In addition, the $100 headset lets you enjoy both voice chat and game audio by using an IR transmitter that plugs into the Xbox 360′s audio outputs. Onboard audio processing circuitry can expand both the bass and the depth of stereo imaging for a truly immersive experience.  There are a variety of other nifty features too, like microphone monitoring so you can hear your own voice like you do on a telephone, as well as the ability to automatically adjust chat volume so you’re not drowned out when your game gets louder.

Turtle Beach expects to start shipping the Ear Force X3 headsets in early September.

[via Gizmodo]

The Rosetta speakers come in a 2.1 configuration, with two satellite towers and a downward-firing amplified subwoofer. They feature a striking modern case design with sleek curves and cool red LED illumination throughout. Like many other 2.1 systems these days, they feature some sort of virtual surround technology (in this case IHSS: Independent Harmonic Surround Sound), but in my experience, most of these just add a general sense of depth to the soundstage, but nothing resembling true surround sound (Yamaha’s innovative YSP series excepted.)

Keep in mind that the Rosetta speakers are best designed for use with computer or video gaming setups, since they’re not all that big. The twin speaker towers measure about 3″(w) x 11″(h) x 3.5″(d) each, while the subwoofer measures about 10″(w) x 8″(h) x 11″ (d). Amplification isn’t anything to write home about either, with the satellite towers running at 9-watts per channel, and the subwoofer delivering just 32-watts of power.

The complete Rosetta 2.1 speaker system retails for just 85,000 Korean Won (about $90 USD) and is available from The Earlyadopter’s World.

The Pioneer HTP-LX70 system features a standalone control “pod” which has a bright backlit display that shows the current input and other settings. It’s got full support for the latest surround technologies, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD master audio as well. It’s also got a special 3D spatialization technology which is said to provide some serious soundfield expansion.

The system has 400W of total power, driving the left, right and surround satellites at 50W each, but adding dual drivers to the center and subwoofer channels, so they each get 100W of amplification. Pioneer also opted to split the center channel in half, so you don’t have to try to fit the speaker under or over your television. I’m not sure what this means for center channel imaging, but I think that’s part of what they’re trying to accomplish with the 3D sound feature.

I like that this system offers three HDMI 1.3a ports, making it easy to hook up and switch multiple high-definition sources. The HTP-LX70 is definitely at the “high-end” of the Pioneer price range though, within a retail price of ¥261,000 (about $2200 USD.)

[Press Release]

Sony’s DAX-X10 is a complete home theater system that looks perfect for living rooms and other places where you don’t want a lot of equipment and wiring cluttering up the place. It features a solid 480W of amplification power, with much of that (160W) going to the system’s powered subwoofer.

For your viewing and listening pleasure, it offers a front-loading DVD player which can handle DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, ACD, Video CD, DivX and MP3 format discs. Audio decoding from Dolby Digital, Pro-Logic II and DTS are all there. And thanks to its Digital Media Port, it can even be expanded with options such as media player docks and Wi-Fi streaming bridges. It’ll even play music wirelessly from many Bluetooth devices out of the box.

The system also acts as an HDMI switcher, and includes upscaling to 720p or 1080i from analog video sources. It even has an automated setup system that takes care of calibrating the system for optimal acoustic performance in about 30 seconds.

Initially planned for release this September in Europe, the DAX-X10 is likely to hit other markets in the near future. Pricing wasn’t officially announced, but it looks like Amazon (affiliate link) already has them available for pre-order for $899.99.

[Sony Europe via Electronista]

The clean, elegant design lets the system integrate nicely into any living room. In addition to its styling, the DHT-M380 has some pretty decent specs for bookshelf sound system. It’s got a 120W amplifier, driving 6 audio channels. While that won’t exactly shatter any eardrums, it should be plenty for watching TV or the occasional DVD in your living room. 5.1 surround is available in DTS, DTS 96/24, Dolby Digital and Dolby ProLogic II formats, while there’s also 2.1 support for Dolby Virtual Speaker and Dolby Headphone technologies.

The system is expected to hit shelves in Japan this August, with a release in other countries down the road. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced.

[via AV Watch]

He’s got the living room all decked out with a real racing chair, a force feedback wheel, and an amazing 3-screen panoramic display. I can’t really figure out how he managed to get the image from the console across all three screens, but it almost looks like he has multiple consoles hooked together to make it all happen.

…and I thought hooking up my Xbox 360 to my big screen was overkill.

[via Gizmodo]

To me it looks sort of like some kind of vacuum cleaner or other household appliance, but the Grundig PSW5000 is actually an outdoor wireless sound system. Just plug in your MP3 player or other audio source into the base station, and carry the battery-operated speaker up to 300 feet away. The unique speaker design claims to produce an enveloping surround effect, and is backed by 20-watts of amplification.

The speaker’s case is made out of plastic and designed to resist damage from water, making it perfect for the beach or by the poolside. The speaker retails can be found for about €110 (appx. $148 USD) but you’ll probably need to have one shipped from Europe if you want one.

[via Smidigt]

Like the Yamaha, the ES7001 crams all the amplifiers, speakers and surround processing gear into the same box. There’s no detail on what movie surround standards it will support, but I’d expect at least the standard Dolby Digital and DTS if not more.

The system will ship this June for ¥124,000 (just over $1000 USD.) An optional subwoofer will run ¥24,000 ($197 USD.) Speaking from personal experience with the YSP series, the subwoofer will more likely be a necessity than an option. A space-saving TV stand with a special cutout for the system will also be available for ¥50,000 ($411 USD.)

[via Engadget HD]

Thanks to its microphone configuration, the recorder can accurately capture stereo positioning as well as 5.1 surround positioning when you record in 360° 48kHz/24-bit mode. The device can record 16-bit or 24-bit WAV files at up to 96kHz, and MP3 files at up to 320kbps. When equipped with a 4GB SD memory card, it can capture up to 2 hours of the 96kHz WAV files, or up to 138 hours in MP3 format. You can record for about 4 hours on a single set of AA batteries, or plug it into the included AC adapter for longer sessions.

The H2 includes a 512MB SD memory card, USB cable and a handy tripod stand. It should be available later this Spring for around $200.

[via PopSci via OhGizmo!]

The new LG J10HD system is a full-featured home entertainment system complete with DVD player, 2.1 channel sound and an onboard 80GB hard drive for media storage. CD music can be ripped to the hard drive or MP3, WMA and JPEG files can be copied from a PC via USB.

The system’s 2.1 sound system offers 5.1 virtual surround (Dolby, DTS and XTS) and a total of 300W of amplification (75W x 2 + 150W subwoofer), which should be more than sufficient for a small home theater. The DVD player features 1080i upscaling and can play back a wide variety of formats including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DivX formats. Outputs include HDMI, Component, Optical Audio and SCART.

The LG J10HD can be found online in Europe for about