California Audio Labs Debuts Reference Standard System For Audio/Videophile Home Theatres

California Audio Labs, a brand of Sensory Science Corporation, has introduced a three-component system for audio/videophiles that establishes the highest level of home theatre performance and intuitive control. These products contain breakthrough technology. Providing the perfect balance of art and science for enjoying digital and analog home entertainment, the CL 2500 Series has been designed to meet the stringent criteria of the most demanding home theatre enthusiasts as well as audio purists who will accept only the finest sonics from any source material. The system is comprised of: - The CL 2500 SSP audiophile-quality surround sound processor and controller - The CL 2500 VSW high bandwidth video switch, and - The CL 2500 MCA multichannel amplifier featuring a revolutionary zero voltage transition power supply.With the debut of the CL 2500 Series, California Audio Labs has taken a ""no compromises"" approach by applying the latest audio and video technology and leveraging decades of experience in designing and manufacturing A/V processors and power amplifiers for other high-end brands. ""These landmark components from the founders and engineers of California Audio Labs are designed for those seeking uncompromising sonic and video performance, easy integration and control in high-end home theater systems,"" said Paul Fredrickson, Vice President of Marketing for Sensory Science Corporation. ""These products are truly groundbreaking in that they will delight the most highly trained eyes and ears while filling significant gaps in the high-end home theater market."" Top Sonics With Unique VersatilityThe CL2500 SSP processor/controller can achieve signal-to-noise ratio of 123dB for true, high fidelity performance. It achieves this feat through: - Focusing solely on managing audio signals, leaving all video switching to the companion CL 2500 VSW - The use of four independent power supplies with four transformers to completely isolate analog, digital and video circuitry for low noise, high quality sound reproduction - Highly advanced digital audio circuitry including true 96kHZ processing - superior to the common practice of down-converting all high speed signals to 48 kHz - Eight-times oversampling in all six channels - 96kHz/24-bit dual-colinear digital-to-analog converters with BICMOS sign-magnitude architecture to eliminate glitches and other non-linearities. This design is superior to competing products employing l-bit Sigma/Delta DACs with integrated digital filters for rear channels or, in some cases, all channels. - Analog bypass mode, for critical audiophile two-channel listening that rivals conventional two-channel purist pre-amplifier sonics. A new Motorola 56362, 100MHz/MIPS, 24-bit DSP chip (many times faster than processors commonly found in competing products) automatically detects and decodes Dolby Digital or DTS encoded bit streams into six channels (5.1) of surround sound. Two-channel material from analog or digital sources can be played in stereo, or listeners can create additional channels with the activation of up to four DSP ambient presets. The CL 2500's digital processing deftly handles today's state-of-the-art digital recordings and stands ready to reproduce the recording techniques of the future. Yet this versatile product also goes further than any processor previously introduced by functioning as a high-quality analog preamplifier suitable for critical music listening. ""The CL 2500 SSP optimizes the fidelity of sources one might expect to find in the discriminating enthusiast's media library, such as multichannel DVD soundtracks, digitally-mastered CDs or treasured, vintage stereo LPs,"" Fredrickson added. ""Its ability to successfully handle conflicting tasks defines its personality and is truly unique in the marketplace."" Wide Bandwidth For The Widescreen Age The CL2500 VSW video switch delivers video signals that meet or exceed the latest digital video broadcast standards. Video bandwidth of 100MHz makes it the first such product designed to handle the high scan rate video signals of digital television and line-doubled or quadrupled NTSC material. Such broad bandwidth is made possible by extremely short signal paths between inputs and outputs, passive analog switching, dual power supplies with independent transformers and a filtered IEC AC line connector. Also included are switchable component video inputs and outputs (unique in a high performance consumer system), and low impedance BNC connectors that are used to maximize component video signal transfer. The Ultimate In Command And Control The combination of the A/V processor/controller and the video switch makes the dream of comprehensive yet flexible integration with ease of use a reality. Seamless inter-component communication - either as a dedicated system solution or in wholehouse automated environments - is facilitated through:- Duplex RS-232 serial port connectors on each model, and - The inclusion of a California Audio Labs-customized version of the Philips Pronto remote control with the CL 2500 SSP. The Pronto offers virtually unlimited versatility and LCD touchscreen operation through custom programming on the Windows CE platform. The CL 2500 SSP can also fully control all California Audio Labs legacy source components, such as single CD players and multiple CD changers, DVD players and even unused channels of the CL 2500 power amplifier. The processor/controller offers seven pairs of analog inputs; six main analog outputs (left and right front, left and right rear, center channel and subwoofer); a pair of analog outputs for VCR or tape deck (surround sound signals are automatically converted to two channels for these tape outputs); and a pair of analog outputs to deliver a stereo audio signal to a second zone. The video switch offers six composite video inputs, six S-video inputs, and two sets of component video inputs. There are main composite video, S-video and component video outputs, plus secondzone outputs for composite video, S-video and component video, and rape outputs for composite video and S-video. Max Headroom To sufficiently drive its intelligent, high-performance home theatre system, California Audio Labs engineers designed the CL 2500 MCA multichannel power amplifier to deliver the very best possible sound quality and stand apart from any other amp on the market. Among the few five-channel power amps capable of delivering 500 watts RMS in an 8-ohm load, the CL 2500 MCA employs a revolutionary ""zero voltage transition"" digital switching power supply that virtually eliminates the noise spikes that are inevitable in conventional switching power supply designs. California Audio Labs' power supply minimizes the required low-pass filtering, allowing broader bandwidth and higher efficiency than conventional linear supplies and resulting in vastly improved audio performance. The CL 2500 MC features three independent power supplies - one for the right front and right rear channels, one for the left front and left rear channels, and the third for the center channel. Each channel operates in full Class A up to 50 watts, plus an additional 450 watts of class A/B power, providing a dynamic headroom ratio of 10:1. The CL 2500 MCA's sophisticated microprocessor allows the amplifier to be controlled by commands from the CL 2500 SSP; monitors operational status; provides diagnostic information to the SSP for display; monitors the performance of the output stage of each amplifier channel and adjusts output bias. Each amplifier channel utilizes 1G bipolar output devices. These output stages were designed to deliver 1,000 watts RMS, yet are only required to deliver half that amount. Such overbuilt power stages, along with the sophisticated power supply and microprocessor bias circuits, enable the CL 2500 MCA to deliver the finest sound quality with least possible distortion under all conditions. The CL 2500 MCA multichannel amplifier featuring the revolutionary zero voltage transition power supply is scheduled to ship during the fourth quarter of 1993 at a suggested retail price of $7,500. The CL 2500 SSP surround sound A/V processor/controller with Pronto remote (at $5,400 suggested retail) and its companion CL 2500 VSW high bandwidth video switch (at $2,100 suggested retail) are shipping now. Consistent with the design philosophy of sensory Science, the CL 2500 Series components make distinctive statements, with elegant, sculptured yet uncluttered exteriors. Since 1985, California Audio Labs has offered some of the finest audio products in the history of the industry. In addition to the CL 2500 Series, California Audio Labs has marketed high-end single and multiple disc CD players, digital-re-analog converters and DVD players. Sensory Science (formerly Go-Video) is a rapidly growing consumer electronics company specializing in developing and marketing innovative digital audio and video products, including digital televisions, Internet media players, and high-end home theater components. The company holds patents on the Dual-Deck VCR as well as other electronics products and systems, and is expanding into new product categories to take advantage of the transition from analog to digital technologies. Sensory Science also markets its products under the Go-Video, California Audio Labs, Cine Vision and Loewe brand names.

For more information, contact Paul Fredrickson at 602 905 9608.