The 2024 CEDIA Expo concluded on September 7th, and we will have continuing coverage of what we saw and listened to over the next week. It was an extremely busy show which portends good things for the CI market as custom integrators and retailers alike seemed rather upbeat about their prospects for the next few years.
Note: Check out eCoustics “Best in Show” Awards for our picks for Best Products and Demos at CEDIA Expo 2024.
Klipsch Does DIRAC
CEDIA started with an early pre-show presentation by Klipsch/Onkyo of the new Klipsch Flexus Core 300 Soundbar. This soundbar is the latest entry in the Flexus series which initially debuted in April 2024. The Flexus 300 takes things up a notch with the inclusion of DTS:X and Dirac room correction technology which optimizes performance for your specific room environment.
In addition, the Flexus 300 can be used with Klipsch’s new Flexus wireless surround 200 speaker and Sub 200. One unusual feature is that you can connect two wireless subs and a wired sub at the same time – but all three would be considered one sub-channel. This means you get bass from all three subwoofers but you’d need to calibrate each sub manually.
To sum it up, the Flexus Core 300 was the best new soundbar at the show and the integration of Dirac Live was very effective.
For more on this soundbar system, check out our pre-CEDIA overage as well as our onsite video of the presentation and demo.
Trinnov Does It Again
In their CEDIA “farewell appearance”, audio processing and room correction experts, Trinnov once again blew the lid off the exhibit hall with their 1.2 million dollar system that 99.5% of us can only dream about.
Anchored by a 13.14.6 channel “home theater” speaker system provided by Perlisten, Trinnov highlighted their advanced WaveForming technology which tames in-room bass response, making every seat in the house the sweet spot. Trinnov and Perlisten weren’t the only stars of this show. They had a little help from their friends: Officina Acustica (the theater room), madVR (video processing), Kadleidescape (content source), BARCO Residential (the projector) and Seymour Screen Excellence (the screen). BARCO’s Nerthus 4K video projector can deliver a staggering 32,000 lumens of light output which gave the image almost OLED-like picture quality. Just don’t look into the projector while it’s on (seriously, that laser light engine can damage your eyesight).
The image quality of this system was reference level in every respect; black levels, contrast, color accuracy, and just overall dynamic punch. Some people find it hard to believe that you can spend over $1.2 million USD on a home theater system, but this is legitimately about as good as it gets.
Sony – No Pixel Shifting Here
The next stop on my CEDIA journey was the Sony exhibit. Sony didn’t show any new TVs (their award-winning A95L QD-OLED TV from 2023 is still in their line-up) but came on strong with two new 4K laser projectors, the BRAVIA Projector 8 and BRAVIA Projector 9.
Pro Tip: The Bravia 8 and 9 do not use pixel shifting to display a 4K image – the triple imaging chips are native 4K SXRD, which is Sony’s version of LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon).
Viewing a side-by-side comparison between the Sony Bravia 9 and VPL-XW7000ES (2022 model) it was easily noticeable that the Bravia 9 was not only brighter but displayed detail much better in both bright and dark scenes. This makes the BRAVIA Projector 9 one of the top projectors shown at CEDIA. And it earned one of our “CEDIA Expo 2024 Best in Show” awards.
Epson
Video projectors were plentiful at CEDIA and another brand that brought their wares was Epson, in the form of their Q-Series product line. Consisting of three models (QB1000, QL3000, and QL7000), the distinguishing feature they all share is how well they do in bright rooms. The QL7000 flagship is capable of reaching 10,000 Lumens which should make it bright enough for even the brightest living spaces. Interesting optional accessories include a periscope style Short Throw Lens Attachment and several cover color options.
For more details, including a feature/spec comparison of the three projector models, refer to our pre-CEDIA report: Epson’s New Q-Series Projectors Will Light Up Even the Brightest Living Spaces: CEDIA 2024
The Epson QL7000 earned our “Best in Show” award for bright room projector.
Samsung Blending Tech with Art
Samsung showed several products at CEDIA. Our interest gravitated toward four: the Frame TV, Music Frame, Terrace Outdoor TVs, and the next Premiere Series USTs.
The latest iteration of the Frame TV has it down with regards to displaying art – Both Chris Boylan and I felt that the artwork displayed on the Frame TV looked like actual paintings instead of just a video image. This earned it our Best in Show award for art TVs.
The other newcomers entering the Art TV market, such as TCL and Hisense, might have some work to do to beat Samsung’s refinement of their Frame TV concept that they introduced in 2017 and has increased in popularity since.
The Music Frame is another product that Samsung was showing that emphasized the displaying of Art in the entertainment space. First shown at the 2024 CES, the Music Frame has the look and feel of a picture frame which allows users to display, art and photos similar to the frame TV, but it also serves as a wireless bluetooth speaker.
In addition, the music frame can also integrated with select Samsung soundbars and TVs and pairs for a two-channel setup, or as wireless surround speakers. The sound quality is better than you would think. Refer to our previous article for more details.
Moving on to a more traditional TV solution, Samsung showed its latest Terrace Outdoor TVs which come in a variety of screen sizes as well as both full and partial sun models. The Full Sun models can used in almost any outdoor environment while the partial Sun models are best used in an outdoor covered patio setting. These TVs are full QLED 4K displays that incorporate the same smart features as other Samsung TVs (e.g., streaming and smart home integration) but with anti-glare screen coatings and built-in thermal management which make them more suited for outdoor settings.
The final products we checked out were the Samsung Premiere 7 and 9 USTs. Although they were only on static display at the booth, we did get a chance to see the Premiere 9 up and running at the Harman/JBL booth supported by a JBL home theater setup that included a Stage 2 speaker system and MA Series AVR.
LG – The World of OLED
LG makes great OLED TVs and Gaming Monitors and they had a lot on display at their CEDIA Booth, but unfortunately, everything they showed was previously released. However, it was great to see the G4 series TV running as well as the compact projector, the CineBeam Q which was introduced earlier in the year. Personally I went away wanting more. We did get a side by side comparison between the LG G4 OLED and Samsung’s S95D QD-OLED which was very “illuminating.” Apparently Samsung’s new anti-reflective screen on the S95D is not without its drawbacks. LG indicated that we may see some surprises at CES in January 2025.
Kaleidescape Was Everywhere!
In recent years Kaleidescape has had a big presence at CEDIA that goes way beyond their exhibit. The reason is that although they showed what their new Strato V and Terra Prime 123GB Movie Server with an impressive Quantum Media Systems Cinematic XDR3 LED Video Wall and two 98-inch Sony Bravia displays at their own booth, their presence was also seen as the content provider for the many home theater demos scattered throughout the show. Kaleidescape reps tell us their products were being used in no less than 45 booths at CEDIA Expo 2024 (up from 42 in 2023).
Except for a few instances, Kaleidscape movie players and servers have replaced OPPO Blu-ray/UHD players as the demo darlings. Kaleidescape’s reference quality 4K image with HDR and lossless immersive audio, along with nearly instantaneous playlist playback make the system an excellent source for demos (as well as for actual home theater systems).
The new Strato V is a game changer for Kaleidescape and we were so impressed with the performance that it easily won our “Best New Source” Award at CEDIA 2024.
SVS Reaches Way Down
SVS is always a must-stop for me at both CEDIA and CES, and CEDIA 2024 did not disappoint. Not only were the recently released Prime Ultra Evolution speakers up and running, but they also showed a new addition to their expansive subwoofer line with the S-17 Ultra R|Evolution series.
Offered in both sealed and ported configurations, as its name suggests, these subs incorporate 17-inch drivers with two independently amplified (four amps bridge so that they behave as two amps) 8-inch voice coils that brought the bass home.
The only complaint is that the demo room needed to be more sturdy to withstand the power and low-frequency extension (down to 14hz (sealed model), 10Hz (ported model) at only 3dB down!) that these subs are capable of. All specs are preliminary and may change as the units make it into final production. Even so, this powerful new sub got our pick as best subwoofer at CEDIA Expo 2024.
Another thing to mention is that the subs will have access to an app for setup and both custom and auto EQ shortly after their release. The subwoofers are expected in October while the app update is expected by the end of 2024.
SVS never seems to disappoint but I don’t know what they will be able to come up with after having heard (or should I say, felt) these subs!
Read On for More CEDIA Expo Stories and Highlights:
> Continue to CEDIA Highlights Part 2 | Continue reading more stories from CEDIA Expo 2024 >
