The Luxury Technology Show in New York is an event for invited guests and the press—you can't just buy a ticket to get in. Inside was a crowd of beautiful people (guests) and a number of scrubs like me (press) hustling around with our camera rigs.
On the floor, I found an eclectic mix of luxury goods. Not all of them were AV-related, but I did find products from SIM2, Vutec, Crestron, McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Technics, and a few others.
One of the most impressive displays at the show came from Fine Sounds Group, the parent company of McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Audio Research, Wadia, and Sumiko. The $140,000 system on display was up and running, cranking out tunes. Check it out in this video featuring Mike Russo from McIntosh.
Panasonic had a sizeable booth right next to Fine Sounds Group. It dedicated most of that space to a pair of Technics systems. I wrote about the re-emergence of Technics at CES 2015 , where the team played classical tracks in a silent room.
At the Luxury Technology show, the mood was much more party-like than at CES. Food and drinks were free, gorgeous models floated around on IO Hawks, and the music had a beat to it. I thought the cocktail-party vibe was a more appropriate setting for showing off the new Technics gear. Take a look at this clip where Gene Kelsey from Panasonic talks about the two systems on display.
Crestron's systems can control just about anything, including all the gear you'll find in a dedicated home theater. Soon you'll be able to use your iPad to control anything that works with Crestron thanks to the company's new app, Pyng. Check out this short clip where Delia Hansen from Crestron describes Pyng's functionality.
You can't have a great home theater without a good projector and a quality screen. SIM2 was at the show with its latest light cannon, the Nero3. It's an LED-lit DLP projector with a light source rated at 30,000 hours and no moving parts.
In the following clip, Alberto Fabiano from SIM2 explains how the Nero 3 solid-state projector is a viable alternative to a flat panel TV, even in a room with ambient light.
Speaking of ambient light and front projection, the secret to getting a great image in a brighter room is in the screen. Vutec was at the event, paired with SIM2's projectors to show off how bright and contrasty front projection looks in a room flooded with ambient light—as long as you have the right screen.
Check out Andrew Clampitt from Vutec discussing the advantages of the company's SilverStar screen material.
Whole-house audio exists at the periphery of what I typically cover for AVS, but I always appreciate a product that takes sound quality seriously. Autonomic Controls was showing its Mirage audio server and digital amplifier. Check out Michael De Nigris describing his company's distributed-audio solution.
Luxury can often mean something different from performance. One example is a luxury TV that doubles as a mirror. Seura's Vanishing Entertainment TV Mirror is semi-reflective, and unlike competing products, the panel is right up against the mirror glass, which avoids distracting internal reflections.
Here's Jessica Yurchich from Seura discussing the new product, which debuted at the show and looked surprisingly good.
The Luxury Technology Show offered a fun glimpse at some of the latest products aimed at affluent consumers. Much like the L.A. show I attended this past September , it was clear that everyone attending was having a good time. I look forward to the next one.
On the floor, I found an eclectic mix of luxury goods. Not all of them were AV-related, but I did find products from SIM2, Vutec, Crestron, McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Technics, and a few others.
One of the most impressive displays at the show came from Fine Sounds Group, the parent company of McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Audio Research, Wadia, and Sumiko. The $140,000 system on display was up and running, cranking out tunes. Check it out in this video featuring Mike Russo from McIntosh.
Panasonic had a sizeable booth right next to Fine Sounds Group. It dedicated most of that space to a pair of Technics systems. I wrote about the re-emergence of Technics at CES 2015 , where the team played classical tracks in a silent room.
At the Luxury Technology show, the mood was much more party-like than at CES. Food and drinks were free, gorgeous models floated around on IO Hawks, and the music had a beat to it. I thought the cocktail-party vibe was a more appropriate setting for showing off the new Technics gear. Take a look at this clip where Gene Kelsey from Panasonic talks about the two systems on display.
Crestron's systems can control just about anything, including all the gear you'll find in a dedicated home theater. Soon you'll be able to use your iPad to control anything that works with Crestron thanks to the company's new app, Pyng. Check out this short clip where Delia Hansen from Crestron describes Pyng's functionality.
You can't have a great home theater without a good projector and a quality screen. SIM2 was at the show with its latest light cannon, the Nero3. It's an LED-lit DLP projector with a light source rated at 30,000 hours and no moving parts.
In the following clip, Alberto Fabiano from SIM2 explains how the Nero 3 solid-state projector is a viable alternative to a flat panel TV, even in a room with ambient light.
Speaking of ambient light and front projection, the secret to getting a great image in a brighter room is in the screen. Vutec was at the event, paired with SIM2's projectors to show off how bright and contrasty front projection looks in a room flooded with ambient light—as long as you have the right screen.
Check out Andrew Clampitt from Vutec discussing the advantages of the company's SilverStar screen material.
Whole-house audio exists at the periphery of what I typically cover for AVS, but I always appreciate a product that takes sound quality seriously. Autonomic Controls was showing its Mirage audio server and digital amplifier. Check out Michael De Nigris describing his company's distributed-audio solution.
Luxury can often mean something different from performance. One example is a luxury TV that doubles as a mirror. Seura's Vanishing Entertainment TV Mirror is semi-reflective, and unlike competing products, the panel is right up against the mirror glass, which avoids distracting internal reflections.
Here's Jessica Yurchich from Seura discussing the new product, which debuted at the show and looked surprisingly good.
The Luxury Technology Show offered a fun glimpse at some of the latest products aimed at affluent consumers. Much like the L.A. show I attended this past September , it was clear that everyone attending was having a good time. I look forward to the next one.
