[CES 07] One-Box Surround from Altec Lansing
January 10th, 2007 — By Chris MartensAltec Lansing PT7031 and PT8051 “Powered Theaterâ€? surround sound systems
Altec Lansing’s $599.95 PT7031 is a slim, one-box surround system that “replaces the traditional A/V receiver and separate speakers,� providing “multi-channel surround sound using Dolby surround sound processing.� To achieve compelling surround sound effects from a single enclosure, the PT7031 use three NXT flat-panel drivers mounted side by side to create the illusion that rear surround speakers are in play by allowing “sound to reflect off of side walls to the back of the room.� The idea is that you can place the sleek PT7031 beneath a flat-panel TV and enjoy satisfying surround sound from a visually unobtrusive source component.
Taking the approach of the PT7031 a step further, the $999.95 PT8051 system serves as an even higher-performance two-box, 125-watt surround system that provides a front module quite similar to the PT7031, supplement by—get this—a similarly styled though even smaller wireless, self-powered rear channel module. The game plan is to position the PT8051 front module much as you would the PT7031, and then simply to plug in the PT8051’s rear module and place it behind the seating area facing forward toward the screen.
Interestingly, both systems were highlighted in a separate press event held by NXT as examples of products that leveraged the particular strengths of NXT flat-panel loudspeaker driver technology; namely, broad dispersion and well-balanced sound from very compact driver. No specific release date for the PT7031 and PT8051 was mentioned, though our impression was that the systems would appear in stores shortly after CES.
