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Bryan Stanton /jbs@jbstanton.com
www.jbstanton.com ~ www.jbstanton.cn
Sunfire’s new Media Grand and other outstanding products can be seen in the Sunfire penthouse suite on Floor D of the Mirage Hotel during CES ’06.
Sunfire Introduces Bold New Media Grand Preamplifier and Home Theater Processor
Advanced High-Performance Surround Sound Processor Adds HDMI and Full Internet Connectivity to a Broad Array of Audiophile-Grade Features
CES ’06, LAS VEGAS, Nov. 18, 2005 — Sunfire Corp., a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of high-end audio/video components, home theater solutions, and subwoofers for the custom installation and custom retail markets, will introduce the Media Grand Preamplifier and Home Theater Processor at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show.
The Media Grand is an advanced audiophile-grade processor equipped with two HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) inputs and one HDMI output that switch uncompressed digital video transmissions between HDMI source components, the Media Grand, and HDMI-compatible display devices. Using a simple, user-friendly connector, the HDMI protocol supports standard, enhanced and high-definition digital video on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC and HDTV standards with bandwidth to spare.
The Media Grand is also fully equipped for remote operation from any handheld device using the Internet Protocol (IP). It has been designed for high-end, high-performance Home Theaters and entertainment systems that benefit from the use of separate components, and for high-power systems that specify Sunfire amplifiers.
It upgrades and replaces Sunfire’s popular Theater Grand IV Processor and, like its predecessors, produces a warm, engaging soundstage so that both movie and music soundtrack reproduction is smooth and dynamic.
Outfitted with a clean, more contemporary-looking front panel, the Media Grand adds a host of new connectivity features that make it more responsive and more easily integrated into whole-room or whole-house systems controlled through IP-based laptop or handheld devices, such as those by Crestron, AMX and other automation specialists. The new features utilize an RJ45 Ethernet port, and a more advanced crystal S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) receiver, as well as the more conventional RS-232 port which continues to stream bi-directional command and control data. In addition, the built-in operating system can now be upgraded through software downloads via the Internet.
Will all that’s new, the Media Grand also delivers traditional Sunfire features and versatility. Its array of surround sound modes includes 7.1-channel Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS-ES, DTS Neo:6, user-configurable all-speaker stereo, and Sunfire’s exclusive Side-Axis outputs for 9.3 channels of total playback. Also onboard is a remarkable digital implementation of Bob Carver’s Sonic Holography Imaging that substantially enhances the perceived soundstage of any stereo recording.
The Media Grand, in addition, includes an AM/FM tuner with 40 presets, an eight-channel input for DVD-Audio or SACD, eight balanced XLR outputs, a Phono stage, and a video format conversion system that automatically up-converts Composite video to S-Video, and S-Video to Component video to keep viewers from having to change inputs on their TVs. The system’s powerful LCD-based remote is easy and intuitive to operate. It comes heavily pre-programmed, and has full learning capabilities.
Other key features, among many more than space allows, are auto signal sensing input switching that automatically turns the unit on, and selects your source and surround mode; a second zone that plays sources independent of the main zone; a full-time digital downmix that provides accurate two-channel audio from multi-channel digital sources for tape recordings, digital outputs, and second zone use; a nine-channel, user-settable “PARTY” mode that engages all speakers from any two-channel source; a direct two-channel analog bypass mode; and Bob Carver’s Dynamic Tuner Noise Reduction, which dramatically improves the clarity of weak FM stations.
The Media Grand Preamplifier and Home Theater Processor, with a black finish, will be available in First Quarter 2006 from authorized Sunfire dealers at a suggested price of $3,995 each.
About Sunfire
Based in Snohomish, Washington and founded by renowned audio innovator Bob Carver, Sunfire designs, develops, manufacturers and markets audio products that deliver exceptional performance, features and value, creating powerful, emotional Home Theater experiences wherever they are heard. Key Sunfire components include the True Subwoofer Series, the Theater Grand IV Preamplifier Processor, the Ultimate Receiver II, and the Cinema Grand Signature Series of amplifiers. Dedicated to improving the state of the art in audio, Sunfire’s several patented technologies include the Tracking Downconverter power supply used in its acclaimed, award-winning subwoofers and amplifiers, and the High Pressure, High-Back-EMF technology also used in its subwoofers. For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.sunfire.com, or contact Stan Pinkwas at stanp@jbstanton.com.
