Not that CDs are beginning to show their age or anything, but Panasonic knows that we’d still prefer to keep our tunes on one big hard drive rather than fish through dozens of plastic enclosures. That said, the firm’s 160GB SX850 and 80GB SX450 enable users to rip tracks from the built-in optical drive to the internal HDD at 12x, and even gives folks the ability to transfer tracks to SD cards at 16x. Furthermore, the units tout 30-watts of power, an AM / FM tuner, MP3 / AAC / WMA support, and play nice with your iPod or SV-SD800N / SV-SD400V D-snaps with the requisite adapters. No word on pricing just yet, but those dwelling in Japan can pick either of these units up starting in early September.

[Via FarEastGizmos]
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If you’ll recall, Fujitsu‘s unsightly TEO HTPC was first seen way back in January, and while the newest iteration most certainly steps it up in the hardware department, the aesthetics are still sorely lacking. Nevertheless, the TEO90X/D sports a 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor, 2GB of RAM, a half terabyte of HDD space, integrated multicard reader (SD / Memory Stick / xD support), WiFi, FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, audio in / out, and of course, a Blu-ray writer. Furthermore, you’ll find an optical digital audio output, HDCP-compliant HDMI / DVI connectors, an ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 graphics set (um, weak?), digital TV tuner, and Vista Home Premium runnin’ the show. Slated to hit Japan here shortly, the TEO90X/D is priced at Â¥265,000 ($2,282).

[Via AkihabaraNews]
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It was only a matter of time until Blu-ray hit the home theater in a box systems. Sony is taking their HT-SF2000 HTIB, adding the BDP-S300, and throwing in the BD Spider-Man trilogy for kicks. The system is built for HDMI, as the receiver has three inputs and one out, so besides speaker wire, users aren’t going to have many cables to deal with. Plus, all that HDMI allows for auto-setup, in Sony’s parlance: Digital Cinema Auto Calibration. HTIB systems have never been known for their sound quality and something tells us this 1000W system is going to be exactly top-notch, but that said, if priced right, it could be a great option for some with limited budget and a need for Blu-ray. The HTP-BD2RSF is currently announce for the European market only at an unknown sum, but something tells us that Sony is going to drop sometime very similar at CEDIA next week.
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Take a look behind the sound board at most small-to-medium size concert venues lately and you’ll probably find the sound guy is playing the pre- and post-show tunes from an iPod jacked into the mixer — a trend Alesis is hoping to capitalize on with its new iMultiMix 9R rack mixer with built-in iPod dock. While we’ve seen a lot of mixer / iPod dock combinations in the past, this is the first we’ve seen targeted at the pro market, and it shows in the lack of chintzy features — in fact, apart from the iPod dock, you’re looking at a pretty standard seven-channel rack mixer: five mic preamps with phantom power, two line inputs (one switchable from the iPod dock to the external input), three band EQ with bandpass controls, and an effects loop. Interestingly, the unit also features a composite video output, which presumably will allow videos to be played right from connected video iPods. Expect these to start shipping later this year for around $299.

[Via iLounge]
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Those in the market for a receiver that can handle the latest and greatest ought to look Sony‘s way, as the firm’s revamped ES lineup not only plays nice with your iPod, but it’s the first from Sony that can distribute high definition content to a second room. The STR-DA5300ES, STR-DA4300ES, and STR-DA3300ES 7.1-channel devices all offer seamless (albeit optional) iPod integration, and the onboard Digital Media Port allows users to add other accessories such as a WiFi client for streaming digital music, a Bluetooth receiver, or a Network Walkman docking station. You’ll also find 1080/60p and 24p support, 1080p upconverting, Sirius / XM compatibility, and a variety of internal amplifier ratings depending on model. All three of Sony’s latest AV components will be available before October, and while the low(er)-end DA3300ES will check in at a cool grand, the DA4300ES will demand $1,300 while the DA5300ES runs $1,700.

[Via Electronista]

Gallery: Sony’s ES receiver lineup handles multizone HD streaming, iPods

    

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High-end audio manufacturer McIntosh Laboratory (they were around long before a couple kids named Steve started fooling around in their garage) is looking to take back some space on the audiophile shelf from all those wannabe-pro upstarts like the Slim Transporter with its new MS750 music server. The unit features a 750GB drive, CD burner, and a FLAC encoder that can be run in real time from the unit’s inputs, so purists can rip their precious vinyl at least without lossy encoding. In addition, the MS750 supports WMA, MP3, and AAC — perfect for those newly DRM-free “high-quality” iTunes Plus tracks. Music can be streamed to and from the rig via the built-in Ethernet and McIntosh’s Music Guide software, and the server can be network controlled or integrated into a home automation rig through the multiple RS-232 serial ports. All those connections don’t come cheap, though — McIntosh says the MS750 will set you back six large when it drops in June.

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Yeah, that satellite is freaky small and just a part of Sony’s micro DAV-IS10 home theater system. Their 5.1 channel home-theater-in-a-box features 5 of the tiny speakers matched with a sub offering 450 watts of total system power (satellite speakers 50W x 5, plus 2-way subwoofer 100W x 2). The system features Sony’s new BRAVIA Theater Sync technology for communicating with BRAVIA panels over HDMI and should be easy to setup with the help of Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) optimization tech. The systems’ 720p/1080i upscaling DVD/CD player features touch-sensitive controls and a Digital Media Port for attaching accessories such as the TDM-NC1 WiFi audio streamer, TDM-BT1 for Bluetooth streaming, and TDM-IP1 iPod dock. A pretty swank little system when it hits in July for $800.

Gallery: Sony’s big little DAV-IS10 home theater system

    

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