News

Sooloos Shows Next-Gen Touchscreens with Meridian Connectivity, Digital Audio Output, and IR Remote (6/2/2009)

Integrated Systems Europe 2009

Sooloos LLC, manufacturer of server-based home entertainment systems widely acknowledge as the most innovative and sophisticated available-as well as the most intuitive and easiest to use-has unveiled the first new designs since its acquisition by renowned British manufacturer of high-end digital audio and video systems Meridian Audio Ltd late in 2008. Two new touchscreen interfaces, the Sooloos Control 10 and Control 20, are planned to show at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Amsterdam, where the two brands will display on ISE stand number - #1F120.

Sooloos COO Peter Wellikoff says, "As the first fruit of the Sooloos/Meridian integration, the new Control 10 and Control 20 integrate Meridian's SpeakerLink inter-component connectivity, as well as legacy-standard Meridian Comms, making fully integrated Meridian/Sooloos systems incredibly simple." Wellikoff continues, "This is just the first act of what promises to be an exciting relationship."

Along with Meridian connectivity, the new Sooloos touchscreens incorporate on-board S/PDIF coaxial digital outputs, permitting either to function as a complete Sooloos "zone" with the addition of any Meridian Digital Loudspeakers. (Of course, the Control 10 and 20 can also employ more commonplace, other-brand digital-input amplifiers, receivers, or powered speakers as well.) Perhaps as important, the new Sooloos controllers feature the award-winning Sooloos touch interface, the most functionally elegant, user-friendly media-access solution yet created.

The 15-inch, tabletop-style Control 20 combines superb simplicity with unmatched media-library access and flexibility, while providing audiophile-grade digital audio for unimpeded musical quality to a local-room system. The Control 20 LCD display features crisp, HD-level imaging and integrates a resistive touch panel with outstanding user feedback. The new model also bundles a simplified wireless infrared remote handset, and programmable volume knob, that make creating a fully functional, remarkably convenient local zone as simple as just adding speakers.

The desktop-style Control 10 touchscreen boasts a larger, razor-sharp 17-inch LCD surface with the same superb visuals and tactile precision. What's more, the Control 10 integrates a slot-loading CD drive in its low-profile base for convenient, local-room content-loading or playback without requiring a personal computer or outboard disc drive.

The new Sooloos designs use cleverly integrated heatsinking for fanless design that renders the Control 10 and 20 completely silent, and thus ideal for the most demanding listening environment and customers. Like all Sooloos components, the Control 20 and 10 communicate with their Sooloos media-storage and source components using standard TCP/IP Ethernet connectivity, using either the supplied high-quality Neutrik EtherCon connectors or any conventional CAT5/5e/6 RJ-45 cabling. Both also integrate Meridian SpeakerLink and legacy Meridian Comms protocols, providing complete, virtually seamless integration with Meridian's famed Digital Loudspeakers, preamp/controllers, and music systems, and both include RS-232 serial ports for integration with the full spectrum of legacy media and home-control systems.

Prices Available from Your Local Distributor.

www.Sooloos.com