Welcome to the JPS Labs CES 2000 Show Report.

(As with all of our show reports, please hover your mouse over the pictures for more info)

This year JPS hung their hat at the Las Vegas Hilton next to the convention center, where visitors arrived from all over the globe to see and hear the latest and greatest in high definition audio and video systems. We of course had to prove how important the audio portion of the system can be to the true to life recreation of the original event, and that we did in spades.

JPS Labs showed with a new loudspeaker manufacturer, Avlar, showing a new patented thin film diaphram tweeter technology. Taking after the original Heil Air motion design, the new TTF dipole tweeter is a pleated thin film sandwiched between a high-tech magnet structure. The results are amazing resolving power, speed, clarity even at extreme volume levels, and the ability to recreate a square wave! Once you hear it, you'll understand the manufacturers claims, having the attributes of a planar style driver in a small package. Very cool!!!

Once you get past Sara guarding the door, you're beyond the point of no return. Visitors were amazed at the realism in sound and imaging available in a very high-end A/V system.

The system was composed of the large prototype loudspeakers (the final shape is in creation) as front L/R, as well as the matching full range center channel. The rear channel speakers were a scaled down version, more akin to the final look most of the loudspeakers the Avlar line-up will ultimately have (price range of US$800-$30K). 

The bi-amped, actively crossed over, 5-channel speaker system was powered by 12 channels of amplification by both Krell and Classe, and the all Theta front end handled all the DVD's could muster up. Seleco was kind enough to set up their projector in the room with a quadrupler, which supplied high quality video to easily match the caliber of the rest of the system. Whise subwoofers provided the sub-audible range of frequencies with amazing bass definition, easily recreating some of the amazing bass energy available on todays videos.

All cabling was of course nothing but JPS Labs, right down to the Video AC cord on the projector! Providing a fully balanced 12 channel bi-wired system with our best cables proved to be quite a task. Joe from JPS (me) was actually breaking a sweat (for a change), and it took over 5 hours to wire the whole system. Superconductor 2 Balanced from 1 to 8 meters in length was used throughout, and each speaker required a pair of our best Superconductor 2 NC Series speaker cables to bi-amp. 

Our latest and finest Kaptovator AC cords were used wherever possible, along with Analog and Digital AC's where appropriate. We were able to get permission (its called paying for it) to directly connect our Power AC Outlet Centers directly into the power mains (no cheap extension cords here!), to which everything in the room plugged directly into. You could not ask for a better run of AC cable at any show! It added up to over US$50K of cables (by the way, the total system retail was in excess of US$150K!--- man, that's a lot of bread!).

Played (over and over:) was a DTS sampler DVD with tracks from The Haunting, Saving Private Ryan, and a great cut of The Eagles Hotel California Live, along with some visits from the Star Trek crew! Of course 2 channel music was also featured from the late Junior Wells to the fantastic sounds of Hugh Masekela of South Africa. All very good stuff, and really brought to life with full dynamics by this most excellent system.

Well, last time the elevator, now the Hilton, Anthony and Gary from Anthony Gallo Acoustics are always following me around:). They happened to be showing right around the corner with their very cool Micro speakers and new active sub (man, that thing really cranks for its size!). They promised me a pair to velcro to the wall for my rear channels back home; a speaker my wife will probably accept...

Thanks to everyone for a great show, with record attendance of over 126,000 people! From the looks of things, high-end audio is as alive as it ever was, and hopefully others will set out to prove just how very important high quality audio reproduction is for a completely emotional experience in any quality audio/video system. Cheers, and take care...   Joe

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