Revels For Madrigal

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday August 24, 1998

GREG BORROWMAN

THE company which manufactures the Mark Levinson, Proceed, Citation and Audio access brands, Madrigal Audio Laboratories, has added Revel Corporation's products to its high-end custom installation line. Madrigal, which is itself owned by Harman International, says the addition of Revel's speaker line means it has become tbhe first comapny able to offer a turnkey, high-end multi-channel custom installation. Dr Sidney Harman and Sanford Berlin formed Revel in 1996. It was brought back into the Harman fold following Berlin's retirement earlier this year. Harman says that Revel, like Madrigal, will remain an independent company, responsible for all functions, including manufacturing, sales, marketing, research and development. Further information from Architectural Audio Design on (02) 9968 3299.

Energetic speakers

ENERGY Loudspeakers has released an entirely new range of loudspeakers, the e:XL series. All speakers in the range use injection moulded woofer baskets and aluminium dome tweeters with a cloth suspension. Energy says this tweeter design provides an unparalleled combination of low distortion and fast decay time. The injection moulded woofer basket does not ring, and the cone has a tapered cross-

section to reduce mass and stiffness around the perimeter of the cone. The result is a smoother frequency response, more controlled roll-off and better mid-range dispersion. The six models in the range are the e:XL26, a three-speaker, two-way floor-stander with 165mm bass/mid drivers; the e:XL25, a three-speaker, two-way floorstander with 140mm bass/mid drivers; the eXL16, a two-way bookshelf model with a 13mm tweeter and 140mm bass/mid-range driver; the e:XL15, a two-way bookshelf model with a 13mm tweeter and 140mm bass/mid-range driver; the e:XLC, an LCR using two 114mm drivers and a 19mm tweeter, and the e:XLR dipole surround system (one 140mm bass/mid-range and two 13mm tweeters). Energy loudspeakers are distributed in Australia by Audio Products International (02) 9578 0110.

Pioneering hexfets

PIONEER'S new flagship home theatre receiver, the VSX-D906S ($1,999), includes Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro-Logic and THX, as well as a powerful new DSP chip for control over the sound field. Pioneer says its use of the new Multi-channel Audio Processor Chip (MUCAP) technology enables faster and more accurate decoding, enabling more dynamic Dolby Digital reproduction than on previous Pioneer models. This dynamic ability is aided by the use of hexfets in the output stage, which deliver 100 watts continuous to each of the five output channels. Pioneer says hexfets have higher current linearity and lower distortion than conventional bipolar transistors, enabling high power, richer, clean bass reproduction and improved overall sound. Other features of the D906S include DVD control, source/direct switching, five video and audio inputs, preamp outputs for all five channels, and a subwoofer output. The in-built AM/FM tuner section has a 30-station preset capability. For further information, call Pioneer's toll-free number: 1800 060 852.

Five in one

THE days of separate power levels for the front, centre and surround speakers have gone according to Onkyo product manager, Brian Lee. Onkyo's latest home theatre receiver, the TX-DS656, delivers 85 watts continuous to each of five channels and also puts out a line-level signal for a powered subwoofer. This new receiver has an in-built Dolby Digital processor, but will also accept multi-channel information from a DVD player with an onboard processor, opening a path for MPEG-2 audio and DTS signals. Although the TX-DS656 is not THX-certified, it offers THX-like re-equalisation, (Cinema Re-Eq) which re-equalises the DVD sound to make it more acceptable for in-home applications. The provision of four audio and four audio/video inputs provides adequate signal routing for most applications, and the audio circuitry includes a phono pre-amplifier, so you'll still be able to use your turntable. There are three digital inputs (one optical and two co-axial), which give a direct line to the 24-bit Motorola DSP56009 processor inside, via a 20-bit Delta Sigma A/D converter. On the video side, the unit has composite video and S-Video capabilities, with a front-panel input for convenient connection of a camcorder. The on-screen display can be accessed from any of the video outputs. The AM/FM tuner section has group presets, and each of the 30 station memories can be given a unique eight-character label for easier station recognition. Other features of the Onkyo TX-DS656 include low negative feedback, wide bandwidth circuitry, fan cooling, 3-D bass enhancement, motor-driven volume control, full 53-key infra-red learning remote and a multi-room, multi-source capability. Onkyo is distributed by Amber Technology. For more details, call (02) 9975 1211.