Kenwood And Boston Acoustics In First Collaboration Offer ìUnityî All-In-One DVD Home Theatre System

Co-Branded System Features Integrated Receiver/DVD Player With Matched Boston Acoustics Speakers

12-Jun-01

Boston Acoustics, Inc. (NASDAQ: BOSA), the well-known maker of home audio loudspeakers, and Kenwood USA Corporation, Americaís largest audio specialty company, announced they have co-developed an all-in-one DVD home theatre system that will be in stores in September 2001. It is the first partnership effort between the two companies.Called Unity, the new ensemble consists of a high performance integrated receiver/DVD player manufactured by Kenwood, and six matched surround sound loudspeakers, including a powered subwoofer, manufactured by Boston Acoustics. The receiver has built-in DolbyÆ Digital, DTSÆ and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding, a five-channel amplifier, and equalization circuitry designed specifically for the Boston Acoustics speakers, including Bostonís exclusive BassTracô subwoofer circuitry. The integrated DVD plays MP3 files as well as DVD-Video/Audio and CD format recordings.ìFrom the start our companies agreed the goal was to create an integrated product, not simply to package existing components,î said Bob Law, Kenwood Vice President of Sales and Marketing. ìThis partnership allows dealers to offer an exclusive system with very compelling consumer benefits in terms of performance, ease of use, and affordability. The combination of our brands, both leaders in the home theatre category, will be very powerful at retail.î ìToday, consumers are looking for home entertainment solutions that are easy to buy, easy to set up and easy to use,î said Bob Spaner, Boston Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Unity is a unique collaboration that delivers high performance audio, ease of use and elegant styling.îUnityís front panel has an eye-catching ìsterlingî finish and is accented with smoked glass. Small and compact, Unity is a sleek, one-body home theatre system that is easy to set up, connect, and control. The speaker package is designed to compliment the majority of todayís televisions. The front and rear satellites and center channel speaker have a unique shape that is both compact and attractive. The use of a subwoofer/satellite arrangement provides the greatest placement flexibility.Unity also has a full array of inputs for other audio and video applications. The receiver can be connected directly to your TV or through a VCR and accommodates a satellite or cable signal. Component, S-Video, and composite connections are provided. The front panel has several easily accessible connections including digital, that accommodate extra units such as a game station or portable mini-disc player.The receiver offers AM/FM stereo tuning, station presets, a full-function universal remote control, and internal switching that automatically selects the analog or digital connections depending on the signal received.All necessary cables come with the unit, including the speaker connections, which use a special ìkeyedî connector and are color-coded for ease of installation.Boston Acoustics speakers are engineered to deliver what is known as the ìBoston Soundî - a performance measure characterized by smooth octave-to-octave tonal balance and naturalness in presentation - and this is no different in the Unity speaker package. Unityís front and rear speakers are identical to get the most out of todayís digital sources. They feature a new 3-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch tweeter. The speakersí performance is maximized by the use of active equalization and electronic crossovers. The systemís center channel speaker is acoustically identical to the rest, but its horizontal orientation makes it suitable for placement on top of a television. The front and rear speakers can be hung directly on the wall using their integrated keyhole, or may be used in conjunction with any of the widely available aftermarket mounts and stands. The Unityís subwoofer uses a down-firing 8-inch design with a built-in 100-watt amplifier. The combination will deliver outstanding bass performance in virtually any size room. Boston Acousticsí patented BassTrac subwoofer circuitry insures that the systemís low frequency output will remain clear and undistorted at all volume levels. The Unity system will be available in September at authorized Kenwood and Boston Acoustics dealers at a manufacturerís suggested retail price of $1,000. For more information about Kenwood USA Corporation, visit www.kenwoodusa.com. For more information about Boston Acoustics, Inc., visit www.bostonacoustics.com.

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http://www.bostonacoustics.com
http://www.kenwoodusa.com