# CEDIA 2016 Wrap: Day 2



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Day Two of CEDIA 2016 is in the books. It was another day of sensory overload, with cutting edge tech, tantalizing demos, and media reveals exploding across the show floor. We also received definitive information about OPPO's previously top secrete 4K player and had a sneak peak look at a Monoprice prototype subwoofer that might prove to be an industry disrupter. Here's a quick rundown of several show highlights.



*OPPO *








OPPO wasn’t officially on the show floor at CEDIA, but a prototype version of its new 4K UHD BD player made the rounds through a series of informal reveals conducted by OPPO staff. This kicked the show floor and internet rumor mill into high gear, as images surfaced along with details about pricing, specs, and potential release dates. 










Here’s the quick and dirty. OPPO is currently planning on releasing two versions of a 4K UHD BD player: The UDP-203 and UDP-205. The primary difference between the two is quality of the analog outputs, with the 205 relying on a high-end EES DAC to output sound through stereo outputs (multichannel is nixed on this model). Think of the 205 as _the_ must have model for two-channel enthusiasts concerned about audio fidelity. The 203 will have a lesser DAC that feeds multi-channel outputs (which OPPO is kindly including for customers with older systems). 

OPPO doesn't plan to ship the players with streaming capability. That might be added later, but (unlike Sony’s announced player) neither the 203 or 205 are projected to ship with 4K or 4K HDR streaming capability. This might be a minor omission for the disc-concerned purist. However, it's certainly a negative for enthusiasts hoping to feed a shiny new 4K television with other forms of 4K content.

As for pricing, the 203 will likely land in the $499-$599 range, while the 205 should find its way to $1199 or $1299.










OPPO has yet to establish a definitive ship date. It might be late 2016, but OPPO made it very clear they aren’t interested in rushing a half-baked product to market. Integrity is the company's best marketing tool and they want to make sure the new players are working 100-percent (as intended) prior to release. I was told that OPPO's engineers are still sorting out HDMI handshake issues, in addition to onscreen banding produced when discs encoded with HDR are fed to non-HDR televisions. I have heard, however, that prototype players are likely to begin beta field testing by the end of the month. That information came from a non-OPPO source, so time will best validate that claim.



*Auro-3D *








I had the pleasure of interviewing Auro-3D’s founder and CEO (Wilfried Van Baelen) at length during the event’s Saturday session. Stay tuned for an HTS exclusive born from the interview. He’s a fascinating and infectious proponent of audio with the zest and heart of a true audio enthusiast.

Auro was not short on news at CEDIA. In fact, late Saturday afternoon, Auro announced a landmark deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment that will integrate native Auro-3D (either 13.1 or 11.1) encodes into select future physical and digital movie releases. Auro also revealed that it’s strengthening its US presence by introducing new post-production facilities in the United States. This is huge news for both companies and enthusiasts alike, and will hopefully help Auro penetrate the Dolby and DTS dominated US market sooner than later.



*Sony *








Last week the gaming world was rocked when Sony revealed that its new PlayStation would not ship with 4K UHD Blu-ray capability. Fast forward to yesterday and Sony shocked us again by revealing its UBP-X1000ES 4K UHD Blu-ray disc player. This particular model is set to ship early 2017 and should be priced at a lofty $900. It’s a full functioning player that offers Hi-Res Audio, SACD playback, and 4K HDR streaming. In fact, at this time, it’s poised to be the only player with 4K HDR streaming capability. It’s an attractive standard-sized design that can be rack mounted (making it appealing to custom installers). Overall fit and finish (despite being a prototype) is impressive. 

So, why the delay on Sony’s part? According to company representatives, Sony’s delay was purely fueled by a desire to see the market’s reaction to 4K Blu-ray discs. It turns out that 4K Blu-ray sales have been stellar, in fact I was told they’ve far exceed expectations.










Sony also unveiled a new $16,000 projector (VPL-675ES). The 675ES ships with support for HDR10 (used by Ultra HD Blu-ray and several streaming services), HDMI 2.0a, and HDCP 2.2. It also supports Hybrid Log-Gamma (HyLG), which is a new standard in the world of HDR broadcasting. Sony says a firmware upgrade will unlock this functionality at a later date. The projector’s lamp is rated at 6,000 hours (low mode) and delivers 1,800 lumens. It’s replacing last year’s VW66ES (which will eventually gain HDR functionality via a future firmware update).










Finally, Sony's semi-new Z Series of televisions were on full display. Images produced by its 100-in model (XBR-100Z9D; $60,000) were stunning. Sony has pushed LCD technology to an entirely new level of performance with its proprietary Backlight Master Drive technology (which essentially narrows the breadth of backlight dispersion, allowing blacks to remain blacker even when challenged by lighter portions of an image). The company was also running HDR demos using its killer flagship VPL-VW5000ES laser projector. Part of the demo showed clips from the new Ghostbusters film, and the HDR-laced image was flat-out stunning. Honestly, it’s something you need to see to believe and further fueled my desire to see true HDR material saturate the home market.



*GoldenEar Technology *








GoldenEar’s CEDIA demo room dropped the sonic hammer with a configuration of one SuperSat 60 (center), four Invisa MPX in-walls (front/surround), four HTR 7000s (presence), and a single SuperSub X. It also featured a pair of Triton 2+ towers for two-channel demo duty. 

The SuperSub X is GoldenEar’s latest sub offering. It was initially shown at CES 2016, but is finally ready to begin shipping (soon). According to Sandy Gross, its design is completely born from last year’s SuperSub XXL; the XXL was the company’s first attempt at shrinking a sub while maintaining killer performance. The new “X” model is basically a 12-1/2-inch cube that uses opposed dual plane passive radiators and active 8-inch drivers to deliver crazy deep bass. I was shocked at its overall output, which sounded effortless (never strained or stressed). This could definitely be an industry game changer and certainly qualifies as a sub that enthusiasts can hide in a living room setting while reaping the benefits of reference-deep bass.

GoldenEar’s room, itself, sounded phenomenal. The company's choice to feature in-wall and in-ceiling channels is proof positive that its unapologetically confident in its products’ ability to perform to extraordinarily high levels. A-plus stuff.


*Monoprice *








Take any assumptions about Monoprice’s market space and kick them to the curb. The Internet Direct retailer arrived at CEDIA with all-new audiophile grade speakers, a legitimate large subwoofer prototype, new planar magnetic headphones, and new standalone power amps. Notice served to the rest of the ID industry, as pricing on this new gear is going to capture a lot of attention. 

Perhaps the most enticing Monoprice reveal was a massive 200-pound ported sub sporting a 15-inch LMS-R TC Sounds driver, 1200 Watts of power, extension down to 18Hz, a magnetic grill cover, and robust large cabinet construction. This is an early prototype model that may or may not see the light of day on the consumer market. I was told that it will certainly be reskinned with a different exterior finish if it reaches production. David LaVine (Product Manager – Pro Audio) told me that early pricing considerations would land it close to $1,500 (shipped), a shockingly low price. I heard the sub in action and (even in the cavernous convention center) it delivered a deep impactful sound that could be felt and heard. The Monoprice show staff drove it hard and the sub performed flawlessly.










Monoprice also revealed its new Monolith Air Motion Speaker Series, comprised of a two-way bookshelf speaker ($199 each) and a three-way center channel with offset drivers ($299). Build quality looked excellent, the cabinets felt solid, and the speaker’s air motion transformer drivers sounded excellent. The company does not plan on adding tower speakers to the series. 



















Last May, Monoprice began shipping a 7-channel Monolith amplifier priced at an incredible $1,499. At CEDIA it unveiled three more Monolith offerings, including a gorgeous 5-channel version ($1,299). Two and Three channel versions will also be available (priced at $999 and $1099, respectively).










On the headphone front, Monoprice is releasing two different headphones that feature planar magnetic drivers. Owners of the M560 ($199) can reconfigure the headphone to operate as an open or closed back design. The more expensive M1060 ($299) features an open back design, only. I wasn’t able to handle either model, but both carry nice eye appeal. Either can be paired with one of several new stereo tube amps (priced between $99 and $199).

Monoprice’s gear looks primed to play tough with pricier market options. Look for most of it to begin shipping this fall.


_Image Credits: Todd Anderson / Home Theater Shack_


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## sub_crazy (Nov 17, 2007)

Kudos to Monoprice, didn't even know TC Sounds was still in business so this is exciting news. 

Great coverage, thank you.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Thanks, Sub_crazy,

Any questions.. please ask!

Todd


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Monoprice is looking to attack the mid-range buyer looking for higher-end design. My impression is that they're going to create a lot of problems for ID sellers of mid-range priced higher end designed gear. 

The performance of their proto sub was insanely good... waaaay beyond what I would have assumed monoprice was able to hit with a low price point . Same goes for the speakers. We'll try to get some review samples.... but show results were impressive.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Interesting. Seems like monoprice was taking notes all these years. Getting ready to drop the hammer. Velvet of course. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

The build quality on the Monoprice gear was very nice - prices are tempting! Can't wait to see how they review-out!


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Todd Anderson said:


> The build quality on the Monoprice gear was very nice - prices are tempting! Can't wait to see how they review-out!




Well, proof IS in the pudding but they look promising so far. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bkeeler10 (Mar 26, 2008)

Ooh, nice info on the Oppo. I hadn't heard anything about that. I was worried that the cost would be quite a lot higher than the current 103, but it looks like perhaps they will be fairly close. I'm not concerned about the paid service streaming, but I do hope they will retain the ability to stream from your local network and play via USB.

Will Auro 3D ever really get off the ground here in the US . . .

Todd, it's a bummer you couldn't make it over to the Phase Tech sound room. We were right next door to GoldenEar.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

bkeeler10 said:


> Ooh, nice info on the Oppo. I hadn't heard anything about that. I was worried that the cost would be quite a lot higher than the current 103, but it looks like perhaps they will be fairly close. I'm not concerned about the paid service streaming, but I do hope they will retain the ability to stream from your local network and play via USB.
> 
> Will Auro 3D ever really get off the ground here in the US . . .
> 
> Todd, it's a bummer you couldn't make it over to the Phase Tech sound room. We were right next door to GoldenEar.


I know, Bryan... I tried. I had fully intended to! You know how that show floor seems to consume people!

Very exciting to see OPPO arrive on the scene with the new player in a bag ;-)... I hazard to guess (and this is a complete guess on my part) that Sony's late announcement about their own player (possibly paired with the solid reviews Panasonic has received) forced OPPO to a little pre-release reveal. It was certainly effective!:devil:

I'm working on the Auro-3D piece... while it seems that Atmos has dominated to victory (already), I don't think the score is final (yet).


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## bkeeler10 (Mar 26, 2008)

It's all good. Time flies, and there's not enough time to get to everything and give it all justice. I know I didn't see nearly as much as I would have liked to.

Did you manage to get over to the high performance section by the Omni? I checked out Alcons Audio over there and  :yikes: :surprise: High efficiency designs with horn-loaded pro ribbon tweeters. They were playing crazy loud (I left after about five minutes in the interest of protecting my hearing), but it was clean as a whistle and sounded amazing.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

bkeeler10 said:


> It's all good. Time flies, and there's not enough time to get to everything and give it all justice. I know I didn't see nearly as much as I would have liked to.
> 
> Did you manage to get over to the high performance section by the Omni? I checked out Alcons Audio over there and  :yikes: :surprise: High efficiency designs with horn-loaded pro ribbon tweeters. They were playing crazy loud (I left after about five minutes in the interest of protecting my hearing), but it was clean as a whistle and sounded amazing.


I hit some of it (not that room, tho). Sometimes talking with a PR person can soak-up 45 min of time... and they all want to talk (which is great, but it makes it really hard to efficiently dig through everything).


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Some further information on OPPO's new players: both will play SACD and DVD-Audio!


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm a bit surprised at the price increase. I always anticipated getting an Oppo for my HT, but it looks like they are adding $100 to the base price. I may have to look further into the X-Box 1. I can get that (through my employee discount program) for $300 (500GB HD). Microsoft claims it will play 4K + HDR. That will be half the price...! Anybody have one of these?


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## bkeeler10 (Mar 26, 2008)

Tonto said:


> I'm a bit surprised at the price increase.


I'm not. Look what they charge for their current blu ray players vs the competition. Who charges even close to $500 for blu ray these days?


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

True, but it's looking like the base OPPO model is going to hit the ground running for less than Panasonic and Sony.

Speaking purely from what I've heard, unlike Blu-ray (where Blu-ray players are pretty much on equal footing when considering video output quality, across the board), 4K Blu-ray players are complex enough on the processing side that we are going to see differences (at least initially). So, this might be a case where the extra coin is truly worth better PQ.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

I agree, but that is why I will have to research the X-Box 1. I'm expecting it to do a very good job as a 4K player...but I'm just purely guessing. I can imagine that 4K games are going to be stunning, which should mean very good internals.

I know everybody else is expensive with the new tech. It's just that Oppo has always stuck to that $500 price point, so that is what I was expecting. We will see how it affects their sales.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Well... it says it supports HDR on both Streaming and Blu-ray... that could prove to be a nice double feature!


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## ScariLD (Oct 16, 2016)

I was wondering if Monoprice noted what segment of the headphone market the m1060 is meant to compete in? The look is of the $900+ LCD 2 but unless something is wonky, the price feels like it will at most compete with the S650 or S598. Alot of confusion about where it is supposed to fit!


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

ScariLD said:


> I was wondering if Monoprice noted what segment of the headphone market the m1060 is meant to compete in? The look is of the $900+ LCD 2 but unless something is wonky, the price feels like it will at most compete with the S650 or S598. Alot of confusion about where it is supposed to fit!


I'm not sure what their direct competition is (in their eyes)...but the take-home was gear priced twice as much. Wish I had a quote to back that up with...but that was my impression.


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