Sennheiser HD 558 - Over the Ear Headphones

The HD 558 climaxes my posts on the coverage of the Sennheiser HD 5XX series audiophile headphones having previously covered the HD 518 and the HD 598. Being the of the same product line, they all have a semblance in making and material. To begin with, they are all open back, high-end over the ear (circum-aural) headphones featuring velour ear pads and a leatheratte headband headset designed for extended listening comfort. Additionally, the velour ear pads provide for better sound channeling to your ear canal. This coupled with the open back design and an internal Surround Reflector, the HD 558 produces an 

extended spatial sound field. This makes it suitable for privately listening to music from your MP3 player and perhaps for use with your home theater entertainment system.

These headphones are supplied in a gloss black-colour with a layered honeycomb finish on ear cup casings.

Features of the Sennheiser HD 558

• Open circum-aural headphones with E.A.R. technology 

The Sennheiser HD 558 are full size headphones with earcups fully wrapping around your ears and have been designed to give you outstanding sonic accuracy and clarity while ensuring your listening comfort for extended periods through Sennheiser's intuitive "Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement" (E.A.R.) design.  The E.A.R design ensures all audio signals are directly into your lugholes while maintaining maximum comfort.

• DuoFol Diaphragms  

DuoFol diaphragms are thin membrane films attached to a voice coil. They are designed to create a wide sound stage with ultra-fast response and rest times for improved sound transparency and minimal distortion. The size and shape of the diaphragms is ingeniously crafted to limit intermodulation distortion. In simple terms, when an audio signal at a given frequencies passes through an imperfect audio system, several noise frequencies will be present at the output which are either multiples, sums and differences of frequencies of the original audio signal, though much weaker than the desired audio signal frequencies. This distortion becomes significant when the volume is turned up!

• Neodymium Ferrous Magnet and Aluminium Voice Coils

The permanent magnets adopted for the Sennheiser HD 558 are highly optimized and field-strengthened neodymium ferrous magnets. This coupled with lightweight aluminum voice coils provide an almost linear dynamic response and efficiency.

• Surround Reflector 

The HD 558 are designed with open earcups that create a spatial field - a perception of distance from the sound source. To improve on this, the HD 558 is further equipped with a surround reflector to provide an extended spatial sound field.

• Velour Ear pads and Leatheratte headband 

The HD 558 Ear pads are made of velour fabric, which makes them have a smooth and tender feel to provide extra wearing comfort during listening sessions. Its headband is lined with leatheratte - an imitation of leather, to complete a luxurious and comfortable headphone set.

Design attributes of the Sennheiser HD 558 Over the Ear Headphones

• Dynamic Transducer type

Just like all other models in the 5XX series, Sennheiser adopted dynamic transducers with Duofol diaphragms for the HD 558 headphones. A dynamic transducer [call it a speaker], is able to produce sound because the changing audio current flowing through its voice coil creates a varying magnetic field in polarity, which interacts with the fixed magnetic field of the permanent magnet where the voice coil is suspended to generate a vibrating effect at the rate of the changing magnetic field. This vibration impacts the air around the cone, hence creating sound - music for that matter.
The permanent magnets adopted in the HD 558 are similarly made from high performance field-strengthened neodymium ferrous material to provide excellent dynamic response.

• Frequency response

You should expect an almost linear response from the HD 558 headphones from as low as 15Hz to 28,000Hz. This range impressively blanks out our average ordinary audio range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Thus, the HD 558 has been designed for audiophile quality.

• Input Impedance

The input impedance is still the same from the Sennheiser HD 518. The Hd 558 is rated 50 Ohms input impedance. This value is deliberately kept low by Sennheiser to ensure a quality output when used with modern home theater systems and professional audio equipment, designed with low impedance output headphone jacks.

• Sensitivity

The HD 558 ' sensitivity is of the same magnitude as the HD 598. It is rated at 112 dB SPL at 1kHz for an amplifier input voltage of 1Vrms.

• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a widely and intentionally misrepresented concept by most audio equipment manufacturers. The value of the THD ratio ideally should represent how much of the unwanted frequencies (harmonics) a given audio system has at its output for an entire audio signal range of say 20Hz - 20kHz. Traditionally, this is quoted by manufacturers as measured for a single frequency. For the Sennheiser HD 558, this value of THD is <0.2% at 1kHz, and 100 dB SPL.

• Dimensions and weight of the HD 558

The HD 558 is shipped in a product packaging that measures (L x B x H): 205 x 100 x 240 mm and  weighs a net weight of 270 g. 

• What's In The Box?

A 3 meter, single sided and changeable OFC, 4-strand copper cable, a gold-plated 6.3 mm stereo jack with a 3.5 mm gold-plated adaptor and Sennheiser HD 598 headphones.

Buying guide

• The HD558 are an improvement from the HD 518. They sound better although some people may not at times tell the difference in performance. The headphones generally sound good for an open back design.

• The Sennheiser HD 558 wearing comfort is excellent even after extended use.

• Open back earcup designs normally have problems with poor Bass. But with the HD 558, the Bass is clear and just sufficient. 

• Like all open back earcup designs, the HD 558 are always a distress to the people around you because they allow music sound to escape from the headphones, which is perceived as noise by others. So you cannot use them while on your travels; on the Airplane for instance or in a public place. 

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Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom Hub - WAM250

Samsung WAM250 Audio hub completes Samsung's SHAPE multiroom Audio Solution. It sits at the center of the SHAPE multiroom Audio solution with all your multiroom speakers networked through the WAM250 Audio hub. Samsung's SHAPE multiroom audio system is a truly ingenious one, which saves you the clutter of strewn cables allover the house while offering simultaneously a quality home entertainment solution. The SHAPE Wireless Multiroom Audio solution comprises of Dual Band Wireless Audio Multiroom (WAM)
speakers and Wireless Audio Multiroom hubs - WAM250. It comes with features such as zone play; in which you can group speakers together and play different media for each group - a feature hitherto relegated to high end AV Receivers! This gives you the comfort of listening to whatever you want anywhere in the house while controlling and managing your playlist on your smartphone via the Samsung multiroom app.

The Multiroom Audio Hub -WAM250, expands the coverage of the SHAPE Wireless system in a similar fashion to the way you would lay Audio cables to audio speakers in say other rooms or floors; except in this case all connections are wireless.

So what is this Audio Wireless Multiroom Hub - WAM250

As already introduced in a sneak peek, the WAM250 extends coverage of the Dual Band Wireless Multiroom speakers through WiFi. The beauty of the SHAPE Wireless audio system is that you can begin with a single Multiroom speaker say an M7 and later add conveniently more Multiroom speakers and an audio hub - WAM250 to your setup as need arises. The WAM250 enables you to bundle together two or more M7 speakers and additionally extend the reach of one M7 signal to other M7s in the house.

Multiroom speakers like the M7s can be deployed as standalone because they are built with Dual Bands - 2.4Ghz and 5.15~5.25Ghz bands.  The 2.4Ghz band being for Bluetooth Streaming and the latter for WiFi. However, if you decide to add on an M7 to your setup, then you need the networking services of the Samsung WAM250. The WAM250 itself is a lightweight device weighing only 0.4kgs.

Technical Specifics of Samsung WAM250

• Network Connectivity

The WAM250 supports Wireless LAN (WLAN) and Fast Ethernet (100Mbps). It has a built-in Wireless adapter for pairing with multiroom speakers or another WAM250. It's WiFi adapter supports Wireless Encryption; WEP - Open/Shared, WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES) and WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES). For 802.11n networks, no encryption is supported.
The Fast Ethernet ports are used to link with a home WiFi Router for internet Radio and Audio Streaming services.

• Power Requirements

The WAM250 requires 100-240V, 50/60 Hz AC input and DC output 14.0 V. It consumes only 4W.

• Dimensions and Weight

At only 0.4kgs, the WAM250 is super lightweight. It measures 100 (W) x 106 (D) x 25 (H) mm or (3.9 (W) X 4.1 (D) X 1 (H) inches).

Buying Guide

• To begin with, in order to choose the Samsung SHAPE Wireless Audio solution, you must have a dedicated internet connection and a WiFi Router to enable you connect to internet streaming services and internet radio. Otherwise, your SHAPE system will not be worth your money.

• The WAM250 does not come with a Bluetooth connection, only the Multiroom speakers do!  Its only job is to network Multiroom speakers or boost a signal when installed in a repeater configuration.   

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Sony Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

Sony's Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100 is a HiFi system  for those that wish to keep it simple yet cool.  With this Sony Hifi CMTSBT100, you are at liberty to listen to radio broadcasts over DAB Radio, FM, your favorite CDs and MP3 tunes with added convenience of Bluetooth Streaming and one touch play with compatible smartphones. The CMTSBT100 is beauty with a very pleasant cosmetic finish. The main HiFi unit is housed in nicely finished metallic casing in shades of grey and black, while the CMTSBT100 stereo speakers are housed in wooden speaker units nicely done with a black finish clearly depicting the natural wood grain and with detachable front grills to protect the speaker cones.

What to like about Sony's Sony Hifi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

• 'Good looks' or Pleasant design

The CMTSBT100  features a clean, elegant design which adds a sense of style to your room. The shade of grey and black finish added the main HiFi unit casing makes it stand out. And the natural wood grain visible on the stereo speaker units are just as eye catching for any one that loves wood pieces.

•   Wireless Streaming and One Touch Play

Availability of Bluetooth Streaming on the CMTSBT100 is a big plus for this HiFi system. This makes it a lot easier to conveniently enjoy tunes from your smartphone, laptop, MP3 player, and other devices using Bluetooth. Better still, the native NFC feature on the CMTSBT100 allows you to effortlessly stream directly from your smartphone with a single touch of your smartphone on the NFC area on the main HiFi unit. The CMTSBT100 supports Bluetooth version 3.0 and an output power class 2 with a maximum line of sight distance approximately 10 m. It operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band and uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum modulation technique for data transmission. Additionally, it supports A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) Bluetooth profiles.

• Clean Bass with Bass Boost function

The CMTSBT100 delivers clean bass that suits all your music tastes. And if you crave for a heavier punch, there is a Bass Boost function you can engage and get the party rolling. However, don't expect the resonant or floor moving, full-bodied bass! £189 doesn't buy you that kind of system!

•   High Quality Sound Bluetooth streaming

Sony Hifi System - CMTSBT100 supports Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) and aptX codecs. AAC is the default digital audio compression codec adopted for iPhone and all iOS based devices. AAC codec achieves better sound quality than MP3 codec at the same bit rate. Similarly, aptX codec was developed for Android devices. AptX is a near-lossless wireless codec developed for Android devices. It delivers CD-like audio quality over Bluetooth.With native AAC and aptX codec support the CMTSBT100 will always deliver quality sound over a bluetooth connection while streaming from iOS and Android devices.

• CMTSBT100's Built-in CD/MP3 Player

The built-in CD player supports CD, CD-R and CD-RW/MP3 disc playback with shuffle, repeat and program function for listening control. I love listening to my audio CDs because I want my music crisp and clear! This built-in player does the job perfectly well.

• USB media playback support

The CMTSBT100 has a USB port which supports media playback. To this port you can connect a FAT formatted flash drive loaded with your favorite MP3, AAC and WMA files for playback. Please note that the port does not support NTFS and HDD portable drives. The port supports a maximum of 1000 folders with the root directory inclusive, 250 files per folder and maximum total of 3000 files on the entire flash drive.

• Supported bit rate: 

• MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer-3): 32 kbps – 320 kbps, VBR
• WMA: 48 kbps - 192 kbps, VBR
• AAC: 48 kbps - 320 kbps

• Sampling frequencies: 

• MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer-3): 32/44.1/48 kHz
• WMA: 44.1 kHz
• AAC: 44.1 kHz

• USB port:

• Type A, 5 V DC 2.1 A

• MP3 Digital Player support

To the Audio Jack in on the CMTSBT100 you can connect a digital music player and enjoy MP3 tracks in Hi-Fi quality sound.In reality, you can connect virtually any digital audio source to this jack to enjoy quality sound.

Full tech specs of Sony HiFi Bluetooth System - CMTSBT100

• Digital and FM Tuner with RDS support

The CMTSBT100 has a digital tuner with which you have access to a huge range of DAB and DAB+ digital radio stations with an option of saving up to 20 station presets. Additionally, the analog FM tuner gives you access to FM channels and of these you can save up to 20 channel presets.
The RDS (Radio Data System) supports transmission of station name, time and other programme information. In the US, it is known as Radio Broadcast Data System.

• 50W Amplifier

The Amplifier adopted for the CMTSBT100, supports two stereo channels and outputs 25W RMS music power per channel measured at 6 ohms, 1 kHz and 1 % THD. It does not support Dolby Digital codecs but is built with a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), a Bass Boost function and a 2-band graphic equalizer (Bass/Treble).

• CD Player 

The CMTSBT100 CD player supports CD-R/RW playback and MP3 Disc playback only. It does not have CD changer functionality and neither does it support DVD playback. Only CD playback with shuffle, repeat and programme function is supported.

• Stereo Speakers

Sony adopted two front 2-way speakers Bass Reflex speaker system for the CMTSBT100 HiFi system. Each speaker unit contains 1 x 100 mm cone type driver and 1 x 40 mm cone type tweeter. The speakers are protected by a detachable front grill.  

• Power requirement

This Hifi unit requires 220-240V AC, 50/60Hz mains input. It consumes less than 0.5W when on standby and 35W when in operation.

• Dimensions and weight

The CMTSBT100 main unit measures (L x W x D): 290 x 106 x 221 mm while weighing 2.7kg. Each speaker unit weighs 2.0kg and measures (L x W x D): 150 x 240 x 220 mm.

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2.1 Ch. Harman Kardon SoundSticks III - PC Speaker

Like all SoundSticks multimedia speakers, SoundSticks III presents a bold and award winning multimedia speaker design showcasing transparent speaker casings in a stunning industrial design. SoundSticks III
features two satellite speakers and a downward firing subwoofer. Each satellite speaker is built from four 1-inch full range transducers and is housed in a transparent casing with an angle adjustable stand. While a 6-inch low frequency Subwoofer is built into a transparent casing with a flared sound port in a downward firing mode. The Harman Kardon SoundSticks III is an ideal choice for a multimedia desktop speaker system because it is built compatible with most stereo line outputs such as those found on computer sound cards, MP3 Players and DVD/CD players. The connection to these stereo sources is effected through a 3.5mm mini output stereo jack.

Attractive features of the Harman Kardon SoundSticks III  

• Unique Industrial Design

The Harman Kardon SoundSticks III is presented in a bold industrial design - an epitome of modern Art. If you noticed I used the word "bold" to describe soundsticks III design! If you have an eye for Art, then Soundsticks III will definitely win you over, else it might appear an ugly piece of work! SoundSticks III has a pleasant industrial design aesthetic, elegant black accents, a luminescent white LED glow and transparent plastic speaker covers. Soundsticks III is truly a piece of Art!

• A 6-inch, 20 Watt Active downward firing Subwoofer

SoundSticks III reproduces low bass notes from a 6-inch downward firing low frequency transducer (bass driver) that is powered by a 20W RMS  Amplifier. SoundSticks III subwoofer comes with a volume control knob and a push power ON/OFF button. The subwoofer has been so designed to pump air downwards to make the SoundStick III less susceptible to adverse room variables and produce a consistent performance. Additionally, the flared port reduces port noise during high volume air passages to give you a pleasant listening experience.

• Two 10 Watt Satellite Speakers

The satellite speakers are each made up of four 1-inch full range transducers, which give you a quality sound output for much of the audible spectrum, i.e 20Hz - 20kHz. The sound output remains crisp and clear from low to mid range volumes with minimal distortions at high volumes. However, for a speaker system priced at $165.99, I can say that the Harman Kardon SoundSticks III is a desktop system with almost audiophile quality that will bring your movies, music and games to life!

The Satellite speakers each feature touch sensitive volume and mute controls towards the base - all in an intuitive design. To adjust volume, you simply touch the (+) or (-). Touching the (+) and (-) simultaneously mutes the speaker.

Full technical specs of Harman Kardon Sounsticks III Speaker System

• Frequency Response

SoundSticks III is designed to reproduce fairly cleanly all audio between 44Hz – 20kHz. The native drivers and Amplifiers are designed to reproduce audio in the stated frequency range.

• Input ports

The Harman Kardon Soundsticks III has a single input connection; a 3.5mm stereo jack that is connected to the subwoofer base. Satellite speakers also get their input from the subwoofer through the dual subwoofer cable. The amplifier built into the subwoofer is a 40 Watt Amp with 20W subwoofer channel and two 10W satellite speaker channels.

• Power Requirement

Soundsticks III requires 110-127V AC, 50/60Hz power input and consumes 65W at maximum volume and 4W when idle.
 

• Subwoofer specs

The Subwoofer adopted for the Soundsticks III is a 6-inch low-frequency driver oriented with a down-firing cone and Amplifier output power of 20W RMS. The Subwoofer and the transparent casing approximately measure (W x H): 9-3/16" x 10-3/16" (232mm x 258mm) and weighs 4 lb (2.2kg).

• Satellite Speakers

Each satellite speaker is composed of four 1-inch drivers per channel with each Amplifier channel output rated at 10W RMS. Thus, each satellite speaker outputs 10W RMS music power. Satellite speakers approximately measure (W x H): 2" x 10" (51mm x 254mm) and weigh 1.5 lb (0.7kg).

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Sennheiser HD 518 - Over the Ear Heaphones

The HD 518 is the evolution piece in the Sennheiser HD 5X8 series audiophile headphones; with the HD 558 and HD 598 following in succession respectively. All headphones in this series are circum-aural or over the ear headphones with open back earcups.The Sennheiser HD 518 being the starting piece in this series is also the cheapest costing about $129.95. They are all built with the same technological concept but with progressive refinements across the series.

The Sennheiser HD 518 also features the innovative E.A.R. technology, which ensures accurate channeling of audio signals into your ears and the DuoFol diaphragms that minimize sound distortion. Additionally, the ear pads are generously padded and headband cushioned to enhance wearing comfort for extended listening periods.
These headphones are supplied in a beige-colour with high-gloss burl wooden parts and matching ear pads in a sophisticated premium finish.

Features of the Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones

• Open circum-aural headphones with E.A.R. technology 

The Sennheiser HD 518 are full size headphones whose generously padded earcups fully wrap around your ears. They are designed to provide maximum wearing comfort during long listening sessions while ensuring impeccable sonic accuracy and clarity through Sennheiser's intuitive "Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement" (E.A.R.) design.  The E.A.R design ensures all audio signals are directly into your ears while ensuring maximum comfort.

• DuoFol Diaphragms adopted for the HD 518

DuoFol diaphragms are a thin membrane attached to a voice coil. They are designed to provide a wide sound stage with ultra-fast response and rest times for improved sound transparency and reduced distortion. The diaphragm geometry is tailored to keep intermodulation distortion minimal. Intermodulation occurs when an audio signal known frequencies passes through an imperfect audio system giving rise to several noise frequencies in the output signal, which are either multiples, sums and differences of frequencies contained in the original audio signal but weaker than the desired output audio signal frequencies. This distortion however, becomes significant when the volume is turned up!

• Neodymium Ferrous Magnet and Aluminum Voice Coils

The permanent magnets adopted for the Sennheiser HD 518 are specially optimized and field-strengthened neodymium ferrous magnets. This coupled with lightweight aluminum voice coils provide a superior dynamic response and efficiency.

• Soft Ear pads and Cushioned Headband

The Ear pads of the HD 518 are generously padded with very soft material, while the headband is also cushioned with an equally soft material to provide luxurious wearing comfort during your extended listening sessions.

• Versatile connectivity options

The HD 518 can be invariably used with HiFi system, TV set, Headphone amplifier, Home Audio, etc, without any noticeable drop in quality of sound output. This is because of its low output impedance that closely matches with these audio systems.

• Eye catching grille-like ear cup casing design

The Sennheiser HD 518 feature an distinctive eye catching grille like design that makes them fairly attractive at first glance.

Design attributes of the Sennheiser HD 518 Over the Ear Headphones

• Dynamic Transducer type

The Sennheiser HD 518 headphones use the dynamic transducer principle. This means that once a varying current is applied to the voice coil suspended within the magnetic field of the neodymium ferrous magnet, it creates a magnetic field which changes polarity and direction at the rate of the input current. When this dynamically changing magnetic field interacts with the field of the neodymium ferrous magnet, it creates a repulsive force when the polarities of the two fields match and an attractive force when the polarities are different. This causes the voice coil to vibrate several times a second [depending on changing current] carrying the duofol diaphragm with it, and consequently the air around it - creating music sound.

• Frequency response

The Sennheiser HD 518 headphones are designed to respond to an incredibly wide audio frequency spectrum, going from as low as 14Hz  and to as high as 26kHz. If you are an audiophile, the HD 518 has got you covered for you will never regret because it pumps out some quality sound yet costing only $129.95!

• Input Impedance

The Sennheiser HD 518 is a low impedance headphone. Its input impedance is only 50 Ohms. This gives you the flexibility to use them with your TV set or home Audio which have low impedance output headphone jacks.

• Sensitivity

Sensitivity of a headphone determines how loud a headphone is for a given level of an acoustic signal input. It is measured in decibels of Sound pressure level (SPL). Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is the change in local air pressure that results due to a disturbance caused by a sound wave. For the Sennheiser HD 518, the SPL value has measured to be 108 dB at 1kHz for an amplifier input voltage of 1Vrms. The normal headphone range of SPL is between 85dB to 120dB; with 85dB corresponding to the lowest  and 120dB the highest volume.

• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a widely and intentionally misrepresented concept by most audio equipment manufacturers. The value of the THD ratio ideally should represent how much of the unwanted frequencies (harmonics) a given audio system has at its output for an entire audio signal range of 20Hz - 20kHz. This value is expected to be larger for an entire signal range! Traditionally, this is quoted by manufacturers as measured for a single frequency. For the Sennheiser HD 518, this value of THD is <0.2% at 1kHz, and 100 dB SPL.

• Dimensions and weight of the HD 518

The HD 518 is shipped in a product packaging that measures (L x B x H): 205 x 100 x 240 mm and  weighs a net weight of 286 g. 

•   In The Box?

A 3 meter, single sided and changeable OFC, 4-strand copper cable, a gold-plated 6.3 mm stereo jack with a 3.5 mm gold-plated adaptor and Sennheiser HD 518 headphones.

Buying guide

• The headphones sound really good for an open back earcup design and for such a price. Plus, you enjoy the flexibility of hooting them up to any audio system to enjoy quality sound without requiring a headphone amplifier.

• The soft ear pads and cushioned headband of Sennheiser HD 518 provide wearing comfort for use over long periods.

• Open back earcup designs normally have problems with poor Bass. But with the HD 518, the Bass is clean and fairly deep. 

• Like all open back earcup designs, the HD 518 leak out quite a lot of sound. Be sure to use them in the comfort of your home. You cannot use them while on your travels; on the Airplane for instance or in a public place. 

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Sennheiser HD 598 - Over the Ear Headphones

The Sennheiser HD 598 are high-end over the ear (circum-aural) headphones from Sennheiser priced at $249.95. They feature velour ear pads and a leatheratte headband headset to ensure listening comfort during long sessions. The velour ear pads are designed in such a way as to completely cover your ears and channel all audio signals directly into your ear canal, while the open back earcup design allows some sound to leak out of the headphone and also lets in more ambient sounds into the headphone. This results in a more natural or speaker-like sound and a realistic spatial sound field.
These headphones are supplied in a beige-colour with high-gloss burl wooden parts and matching ear pads in a sophisticated premium finish.

Features of the Sennheiser HD 598

• Open circum-aural headphones with E.A.R. technology 

The Sennheiser HD 598 are full size headphones with earcups fully wrapping around your ears and have been designed to give you outstanding sonic accuracy and clarity while ensuring your listening comfort for extended periods through Sennheiser's intuitive "Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement" (E.A.R.) design.  The E.A.R design ensures all audio signals are directly into your lugholes while ensuring maximum comfort.

• DuoFol Diaphragms  

DuoFol diaphragms consist of a thin membrane film attached to a voice coil designed to provide a wide sound stage with ultra-fast response and rest times for improved sound transparency and reduced distortion. The diaphragm shape and size is intuitively crafted to limit intermodulation distortion. In simple terms, when an audio signal at a given frequencies passes through an imperfect audio system, several noise frequencies will be present at the output which are either multiples, sums and differences of frequencies of the original audio signal but much weaker than the desired audio signal frequencies. This distortion becomes significant when the volume is turned up!

• Neodymium Ferrous Magnet and Aluminium Voice Coils

The permanent magnets adopted for the Sennheiser HD 598 are highly optimized and field-strengthened neodymium ferrous magnets. This coupled with lightweight aluminum voice coils provide a superior dynamic response and efficiency.

• Surround Reflector 

The Sennheiser HD 598 features open earcups that provide a spatial field - a perception of distance from the sound source. To improve on this, the HD 598 is further equipped with a surround reflector to provide an extended spatial sound field.

• Velour Ear pads and Leatheratte headband 

The HD 598 Ear pads are made of velour fabric, which makes them have a smooth and tender feel to provide extra wearing comfort during listening sessions. Its headband is lined with leatheratte - an imitation of leather, to complete a luxurious and comfortable headphone set.

Design attributes of the Sennheiser HD 598 Over the Ear Headphones

• Dynamic Transducer type

The Sennheiser HD 598 headphones have been designed with dynamic transducers with Duofol diaphragms or call them cones. This means that once a changing current is impressed on the voice coil suspended in the field of a permanent magnet, it creates a magnetic field which changes polarity and direction at the rate of the changing current. When the dynamically changing magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnet, it creates a repulsive force when the polarities of the two fields match and an attractive force when the polarities are different. This vibrates the voice coil several times a second [depending on changing current] carrying the duofol diaphragm or cone with it and consequently the air around it - creating music sound. The permanent magnets adopted in the HD 598 are made from highly optimized and field-strengthened neodymium ferrous material to provide an excellent dynamic response.

• Frequency response

The Sennheiser HD 598 headphones respond to an incredibly wider audio frequency spectrum, going from as low as 12Hz  and as high as 38,500Hz. This means the HD 598 has been designed with an audiophile in mind and it certainly lives up to this expectation and moreover for a fraction of the cost of high end audiophile headphones!

• Input Impedance

The Sennheiser HD 598 is generally a low impedance headphone with input impedance in the order of 50 Ohms. This means, the HD 598 will still give you quality output on most modern home cinema systems and professional audio equipment, which are designed with low impedance output headphone jacks.

• Sensitivity

Sensitivity of a headphone determines how loud a headphone is for a given level of a sound signal input. It is measured in decibels of Sound pressure level (SPL). Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is the change in local air pressure that results due to a disturbance caused by a sound wave. For the Sennheiser HD 598, the SPL value has measured to be 112 dB at 1kHz for an amplifier input voltage of 1Vrms.

• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a widely and intentionally misrepresented concept by most audio equipment manufacturers. The value of the THD ratio ideally should represent how much of the unwanted frequencies (harmonics) a given audio system has at its output for an entire audio signal range of 20Hz - 20kHz. Traditionally, this is quoted by manufacturers as measured for a single frequency. For the Sennheiser HD 598, this value of THD is <0.1% at 1kHz, and 100 dB SPL.

• Dimensions and weight of the HD 598

The HD 598 is shipped in a product packaging that measures (L x B x H): 205 x 100 x 240 mm and  weighs a net weight of 294 g. 

• What's In The Box?

A 3 meter, single sided and changeable OFC, 4-strand copper cable, a gold-plated 6.3 mm stereo jack with a 3.5 mm gold-plated adaptor and Sennheiser HD 598 headphones.

Buying guide

• The headphones sound really good for an open back earcup design, and coupled with their low input Impedance, you can invariably use them with any Hi-Fi stereo or home cinema without a preamplifier and still get excellent results.

• The Sennheiser HD 598 lives up to its promise of wearing comfort; even after long hours use, you never get the awful burning ears sensation.

• Open back earcup designs normally have problems with poor Bass. But with the HD 598, the Bass is clear and just sufficient. 

• Like all open back earcup designs, the HD 598 are always a distress to the people around you because they allow music sound to escape from the headphones, which is perceived as noise by others. So you cannot use them while on your travels; on the Airplane for instance or in a public place. 

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2.1 Ch. 330W HT-CT770 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer

The HT-CT770 is very similar in design and specification to the HT-CT370 Soundbar with only slight variations in Amplifier size and cosmetic design. The CT770 is similarly a cheap soundbar priced at about $349.99. At this price you get a total output power of 330W to enhance your TV entertainment system with remarkable flexibility and convenience brought about by the wireless subwoofer and one-touch play feature of the CT770. It's a good buy if you don't wish to spend lots of money on high end home cinema systems and probably have a small living room. Sony's HT-CT770 offers 3D and 2D 4K pass through with DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD high resolution audio codec support. The CT770 will truly transform your TV entertainment experience if particularly installed in a small or mid sized room space. It features a powerful 2.1

channel surround sound delivered an S-Master digital amplifier that is designed to reproduce a powerful digital audio signal with minimal distortion. The CT770 also features a Trebble and Bass control function, which allows you to boost the sound output from the CT770 by 12 dBm thereby providing an impressive sound boost to your TV output. The Subwoofer on the HT-CT770 provides an active wireless standalone driver ready to rattle your room with deep bass sound notes.
The CT770 Soundbar presents a very versatile slim design suitable for placement and mounting wherever you so wish. Since it measures only 5cm in height, you may place it on the same table-top at the front of your big screen without obscuring any action from your big screen. Otherwise, wall mounts are also supplied to provide an alternative installation.

Attractive features on the HT-CT770 Soundbar

• High Definition Sound Bar with wireless subwoofer

The HT-CT770 Soundbar is a High Definition Soundbar with three HDMI media input connection ports that support HD, 3D and 4K pass through and are enabled for HDMI-CEC.  Additionally, it has an HDMI TV OUT port that is enabled for HDMI-ARC and supports HD, 4K and 3D media output to your big screen. This makes the HT-CT770 a suitable soundbar for your quality media sources like HD SATV, Blu-ray and DVD.

• 210W of 2.1 channel surround sound

The S-Master digital amplifier adopted for the HT-CT770 Bar speaker unit, delivers a maximum of  210W RMS of music power for a 2.1 channel surround sound environment. With each bar speaker delivering a maximum of 105W RMS music power, while the active wireless Subwoofer delivering a maximum of 120W RMS of powerful deep bass to your ears.
The S-Master digital amplifier is built on the principle of a simplified full digital signal path, which significantly reduces the distortion due to heat built up which would result if conventional multiple analogue amplifier stages were used. This results in more power and a clean digital audio signal.

• Bluetooth and NFC music streaming

The CT770 introduces the much needed convenience through Bluetooth and NFC for Bluetooth pairing. Music streaming from your Android and iOS Bluetooth enabled smartphone to the CT770 is only a touch away! If your iPhone or iPod has Bluetooth capability and is enabled for NFC, simply let your device touch the "N" mark on the Bar speaker to begin streaming and manage your playlists from your smartphone using the Songpal app freely available for iOS and Android devices.

• Advanced Auto Volume

The CT770 helps you equalize volume automatically for different programs as you navigate your channels through a feature called Advanced Auto Volume (AAV). This feature ensures that volume discrepancies between different TV programs and commercials are minimized. With AAV ON, you always have a pleasant TV listening experience.

• Multiple Media Connectivity options

The HT-CT770 provides a wide array of connectivity options which include a single digital optical connection, three (3) HDMI connections and an analog audio connection. With these jacks you are at liberty to connect your PlayStation 4, Blu-ray, iPod, DVD media players, etc. Additionally, the HDMI TV OUT jack is enabled with ARC (Audio Return Channel). This means that if you connect a High Speed HDMI cable from your compatible TV to this jack, you are able to listen to digital sound from your TV through the CT370. However, this is only possible if the “CTRL (Control for HDMI)” is set to “ON.”

• S-Force PRO Front Surround technology 

Without the S-Force PRO Front Surround technology, the CT770, wouldn't be able to produce a surround effect from a two channel Amp (Front R + Front L). This intuitive feature creates a sense of natural and realistic surround sound from only two channels without the necessity of bulky and multiple speakers as is the case with bigger home cinema systems. The S-Force PRO Front Surround uses advanced sound signal processing techniques that mimic the way your brain perceives sound by correlating sound sources to create proper volume, time lag, and sound wave spectrum – using only left and right speaker channels.

ClearAudio+ for high quality, crystal clear sound

The CT770 has ClearAudio+ feature, which dynamically and automatically adjusts sound settings for a consistently superb listening experience. ClearAudio+ features a set of digital signal processing algorithms that optimize audio formats to deliver a consistently clear, high-quality sound irrespective of the source.

Full tech specs and features of the HT-CT770

Soundbar Amp Audio Decoding Formats

• Dolby Digital
• DTS
• DTS 96kHz/24 bit
• 96kHz/24bit LPCM
• Dolby Dual Mono
• DolbyTrueHD
• Dolby Digital+
• DTS-HD Master Audio
• DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
• DTS-HD Low Bit Rate
• Linear PCM up to 2ch 48 kHz or less
• Linear PCM up to a maximum of 7.1ch 192 kHz or less 

Soundbar Amp General Features

• S-Master Digital Amplifier
• The CT770 features a 2.1 channel S-Master digital amplifier with two Bar Speakers; Front R and Front L plus an active subwoofer.
• Auto Standby: The Bar Speaker has auto an standby feature which automatically turns it off if no signal is received for 20 minutes.
• Bass or Trebble Control : The CT770 has Trebble and Bass controls that allow you to enhance low and high sound by changing the setting from –6 dBm towards +6 dBm in units of 1 dBm until a desired effect is achieved.  
• A myriad of sound fields, namely; P.Audio, Movie, Music, Gaming, Sports and Standard Sound Fields
• Advanced Auto Volume (AAV)
• Hotel Mode
• Speaker Level Control : Voice: +3; Subwoofer: +12
• Remote Commander : RM-ANP114

Soundbar Inputs and Outputs

• Bluetooth Reception and NFC enabled

The CT770 complies with Bluetooth version 3.0 and Power Class 2 with a line of sight of approximately 10m. It operates in the 2.4 GHz band (2.4000 GHz - 2.4835 Hz) and uses FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) technique for wireless data transfer. It is compatible with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP 1.3 (Audio Video Remote Control Profile). Up to a maximum of 9 devices can be paired or registered at a time. It supports SBC and AAC audio codecs.

• 3 HDMI input ports enabled with Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC)
• 1 HDMI TV output port enabled with ARC [Audio Return Channel]
• 1 Optical input jack enabled for CEC
• 1 input Analog Audio jack

 

Soundbar Amp Audio Output characteristics

• 210W Output Power measured at 4 ohms, 1kHz and 1% THD
• 120W Subwoofer Output Power measured at 4 ohms, 100Hz and 1% THD

 

Amplifier/Receiver Video Features

• HDMI Video Output Capability 
• HDMI Pass Through
• BRAVIA Sync or Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)
• 1080p, 1080/24p
• Deep Color 
• Triluminos Display
• 3D and 4K Signal Pass Through
• AVsync feature with 0-70ms AV sync Time
• HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)

 

SA-CT770 Bar Speaker Amplifier specifications

• 2.1 channel S-Master digital amplifier
• Rated Total Audio Output Power : 210W (Front R + Front L: 105W  + 105W) 
• Reference power output (1 - channel driven, i.e. Front R/Front L): 210W per channel at 4 ohms, 1kHz.

 

SA-CT770 Bar Speaker General characteristics

• 4 ohm front speaker driver unit
• Acoustic Suspension Enclosed speaker 
• 2-Way speaker system
• 60 mm cone type front speaker driver unit 
• 20 mm dome type balance drive tweeter unit
• Non-detachable acoustic cloth Front Grille/Material

 

SA-CT770 Bar Speaker Power Requirements

• Bar Speaker power requirement: 110 - 127 V AC, 220 - 240 V AC, 50 Hz/60 Hz 
• Power Consumption (in Operation) : 34 W
• Power Consumption in Standby mode (Control for HDMI is set to on): 0.5 W or less
• Power Consumption in Standby mode (Control for HDMI is set to off): 0.3 W or less
• Power Consumption in Bluetooth Standby mode: 0.5 W or less

 

SA-WCT770 Subwoofer specs

• Active  Subwoofer unit
• Bass Reflex Subwoofer System
• Wooden Cabinet Material
• Enclosed Type
• Wireless Subwoofer 
• 1 x 160 mm cone type driver

 

SA-WCT770 Subwoofer Power requirements

• AC power input: 110 - 127 V AC, 220 V - 240 V AC, 50 Hz/60 Hz
• Power consumption while active: 30 W
• Power Consumption in Standby mode: 0.5 W or less

 

HT-CT770 Weight and Dimensions

• Dimensions: Soundbar Unit is (approx): 1030 mm × 50 mm × 113 mm (without wall mounting brackets) and 1030 mm × 113 mm × 72 mm (with wall mounting brackets).
• The Soundbar unit weighs approximately 2.6 kg.
• The SA-WCT770 Subwoofer measures approximately: 271 mm × 404 mm × 271 mm and weighs (Approx.) 8.8 kg.

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2.1 Ch. 300W HT-CT370 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer

The HT-CT370 is a low cost Sony Soundbar system that will enhance your TV entertainment system while ensuring flexibility and convenience of a wireless sound system. Sony's HT-CT370 offers 2D, 3D and 4K pass through with DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD high resolution audio codec support. The CT370 is truly a Soundbar of choice for small sized room space priced at only $249.99. It features a powerful surround sound from only two speaker channels; Front Left and and Front Right, thanks to the S-Force PRO Front technology and a 200W RMS S-Master Bar speaker digital amplifier.
The Treble and Bass control function allows you to boost the sound output from the CT370 by 12 dBm thereby providing an impressive sound boost to your TV output. The Subwoofer on the HT-CT370 provides an active wireless standalone driver ready to rattle your room with deep bass sound notes.
The CT370 Soundbar features a very flexible slim design. Because it measures only 5cm in height, you may place it on the same table-top at the front of your big screen without obscuring any action from your TV. Otherwise, wall mounts are also supplied as another alternative installation.

Attractive features on the HT-CT370 Soundbar

• High Definition Sound Bar with wireless subwoofer

The HT-CT370 Soundbar features a High Definition capability with four (4) HDMI media connection jacks that support 3D and 4K pass through. This makes the HT-CT370 a suitable soundbar for your quality media sources like Blu-ray, HD SATV and DVD.

• 200W of 2.1 channel stereo sound

The digital amplifier embedded in the HT-CT370 Bar speaker unit, delivers a maximum of  200W RMS of music power for a 2.1 channel stereo sound environment. With each soundbar speaker delivering a maximum of 100W RMS music power. The active wireless Subwoofer delivers a maximum of 100W RMS of powerful deep bass to your ears.

• Bluetooth and NFC music streaming

Music streaming from Android and iOS Bluetooth enabled devices is made simple with the CT370. If your iPhone or iPod is enabled for NFC for Bluetooth pairing, you simply have to let your device touch the "N" mark on the Bar speaker to begin streaming and then manage your playlists directly from your smartphone using Songpal app freely available for iOS and Android.

• Advanced Auto Volume

Advanced Auto Volume is a feature that ensures volume discrepancies between different TV programs or
between programs and commercials are minimized. Therefore, with Advanced Auto Volume ON, the CT370 allows you enjoy comfortable TV channel navigation.

• Multiple Media Connectivity options

The HT-CT370 provides a wide array of connectivity options which include a single digital optical connection, three (3) HDMI media input connections and an analog audio connection. With these jacks you are at liberty to connect your PlayStation 4, Blu-ray, iPod, DVD media players, etc. Additionally, the HDMI TV OUT jack is enabled with ARC (Audio Return Channel). This means that if you connect a High Speed HDMI cable from your compatible TV to this jack, you are able to listen to digital sound from your TV through the CT370. However, this is only possible if the “CTRL (Control for HDMI)” is set to “ON.”

• S-Force PRO Front Surround technology 

The S-Force feature creates a sense of natural and realistic surround sound in a 2.1 channel sound stage environment. This nullifies the necessity of bulky and multiple speakers as is the case on bigger home theater systems and AV receivers. S-Force PRO Front Surround uses advanced sound signal processing by correlating sound sources to create proper volume, time lag, and sound wave spectrum – using only left and right speaker channels.

ClearAudio+ for high quality, crystal clear sound

The CT370 has ClearAudio+ feature, which dynamically and automatically adjusts sound settings for a consistently superb listening experience. ClearAudio+ features a set of digital signal processing algorithms that optimize audio formats to deliver a consistently clear, high-quality sound irrespective of the source.

Full tech specs and features of the HT-CT370

Soundbar Amp Audio Decoding Formats

• Dolby Digital
• DTS
• DTS 96kHz/24 bit
• 96kHz/24bit LPCM
• Dolby Dual Mono
• DolbyTrueHD
• Dolby Digital+
• DTS-HD Master Audio
• DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
• DTS-HD Low Bit Rate
• Linear PCM up to 2ch 48 kHz or less
• Linear PCM up to a maximum of 7.1ch 192 kHz or less 

Soundbar Amp General Features

• The CT370 features a 2.1 channel digital amplifier with two speakers; Front R and Front L plus an active subwoofer.
• Auto Standby: The Bar Speaker has auto standby feature which automatically turns it off if no signal received for 20 minutes.
• Bass or Treble Control : The CT370 has Treble and Bass controls that allow you to enhance low and high sound by changing the setting from –6 dBm towards +6 dBm in units of 1 dBm until a desired effect is achieved.  
• S-Master Digital Amp
• P.Audio, Movie, Music, Gaming, Sports and Standard Sound Fields
• Advanced Auto Volume
• Hotel Mode
• Speaker Level Control : Voice: +3; Subwoofer: +12
• Remote Commander : RM-ANP114

Soundbar Inputs and Outputs

• Bluetooth Reception and NFC enabled

The CT370 complies with Bluetooth version 3.0 and Power Class 2 with a line of sight of approximately 10m. It operates in the 2.4 GHz band (2.4000 GHz - 2.4835 Hz) and uses FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) technique for wireless data transfer. It is compatible with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP 1.3 (Audio Video Remote Control Profile). Up to a maximum of 9 devices can be paired or registered at a time. It supports SBC and AAC audio codecs.

• 3 HDMI input jacks enabled with Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC)
• 1 HDMI TV output jack enabled with ARC [Audio Return Channel]
• 1 Optical input jack
• 1 input Analog Audio jack

 

Soundbar Amp Audio Output characteristics

• 200W Output Power measured at 4 ohms, 1kHz and 1% THD
• 100W Subwoofer Output Power measured at 4 ohms, 100Hz and 1% THD

 

Amplifier/Receiver Video Features

• HDMI Video Output Capability 
• HDMI Pass Through
• BRAVIA Sync (CEC Control)
• 1080p, 1080/24p
• Deep Color 
• 3D and 4K Signal Pass Through
• AV sync Time
• Audio Return Channel

 

SA-CT370 Bar Speaker Amplifier specifications

• 2.1 channel S-Master digital amplifier
• Rated Total Audio Output Power : 200W (Front R + Front L: 100W  + 100W) 
• Reference power output (1 - channel driven, i.e. Front R/Front L): 200W per channel at 4 ohms, 1kHz.

 

SA-CT370 Bar Speaker General characteristics

• 4 ohm front speaker driver unit
• Acoustic Suspension Enclosed speaker 
• 2-Way, Full-Range  front speaker system
• 60 mm cone type front speaker driver unit 
• Non-detachable acoustic cloth Front Grille/Material

 

SA-CT370 Bar Speaker Power Requirements

• Bar Speaker power requirement: 110 - 127 V AC, 220 - 240 V AC, 50 Hz/60 Hz 
• Power Consumption (in Operation) : 34 W
• Power Consumption in Standby mode (Control for HDMI is set to on): 0.5 W or less
• Power Consumption in Standby mode (Control for HDMI is set to off): 0.3 W or less
• Power Consumption in Bluetooth Standby mode: 0.5 W or less

 

SA-WCT370 Subwoofer specs

• Active  Subwoofer unit
• Bass Reflex Subwoofer System
• Wooden Cabinet Material
• Enclosed Type
• Wireless Subwoofer 
• 1 x 150 mm cone type driver

 

SA-WCT370 Power requirements

• AC power input: 110 - 127 V AC, 220 V - 240 V AC, 50 Hz/60 Hz
• Power consumption while active: 30 W
• Power Consumption in Standby mode: 0.5 W or less

 

HT-CT370 Weight and Dimensions

• Dimensions: Soundbar Unit is (approx): 900 mm × 50 mm × 113 mm (without wall mounting brackets) and 900 mm × 113 mm × 72 mm (with wall mounting brackets).
• The Soundbar unit weighs approximately 2.4 kg.
• The SA-WCT370 Subwoofer is supplied in two variants, namely; the vertical type which measures: 135 mm × 361.5 mm × 394 mm and the horizontal type measuring 361.5 mm × 135 mm × 394 mm. 
• The SA-WCT370 Subwoofer weighs (Approx.) : 7.0 kg.

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9.1 Ch. 1460W LG 3D Blu-ray Home Cinema System - BH9540TW

The BH9540TW is an amazing home theater system from LG Electronics! This home cinema system certainly impresses without doubt and seamlessly completes your Ultra HDTV entertainment system.
It features a 9.1 channel 1460W Amp powering a total of 9 speaker units meticulously designed to create an enveloping sound effect around you. To reduce on the clutter of cabling, LG has introduced wireless rear surround speakers, which are easily setup through the wireless transmitter (TX) dongle and a separately powered wireless receiver (W4-4). The unit is priced at £699.99 and is available for purchase from several stores including Amazon, PC world, etc.

Attractive features of the BH950TW Home Cinema System

• 9.1 Channel 1460W Amp

The music Amplifier at the core of the BH950TW home cinema system delivers a maximum of 1460W over 9.1 channels or to 9 speakers and a single subwoofer. All values measured at 10% THD and 1kHz, the Amp is rated at; Front speakers (L/R): 180W x 2, Front Height speakers (L/R): 90W x 2, Center speaker: 180W, Wireless Surround speakers (L/R): 180W x 2, Wireless Surround Height speakers (L/R): 90W x 2 and a Subwoofer: 200W. With this Amp, you are certain to enjoy rich powerful movie sonics.

• 3D Surround Sound Processor

LG's 3D surround sound engine embedded in the Amp of the BH9540TW, presents unique sound calibration technology, which ensures you get a true 3D cinematic experience in the comfort of your living room. Coupled with the Cinema Surround Processing engine, the 3D surround sound effect on this home cinema system is made possible by the 9 speaker units, which deliver 9 discrete and highly directional sounds creating an enveloping sound effect from side-to-side and from top-to-bottom.

• Aramid Fibre Speakers

The vibration sound cones for the speakers are made from aramid fibre that is very rigid and less prone to excessive excursion. This minimizes sound distortion and ensures a clearer and precise sound reproduction.

• Wireless Rear Speakers

The connection of the Surround and surround height speakers has been made so simple and convenient for  installation with no clutter of wires running across the room. Along with the BH9540TW, a wireless Bluetooth transmitter (TX) dongle and receiver (RX) are supplied to enable the rear speaker wireless connection. At the back panel of the BH9540TW is a wireless port where the TX dongle is inserted. The wireless receiver is powered by a separate power source and the rear speakers are connected to it. The TX and RX units pair automatically upon powering up the home cinema for as long as the communication range does not exceed 20m in open space.

• 3D Blu-ray Disc Player

The BH9540TW is equipped with a 3D Blu-ray disc player. If you have a compatible TV, you can enjoy a brighter and a clearer 3D picture. This disc player is capable of Ultra HD discs or content playback and 4K up-scaling. Additionally, it plays a wide range of DVDs and CDs as explained in the full tech specs section shortly.

• LG Smart Entertainment

With the BH9540TW home cinema system, you have access to an ever growing world of entertainment bringing together all your favorite catch-up TV, Movies, Sport and Music services from LG Smart TV.

• Private Sound Mode 2.0

The Private Sound Mode 2.0 allows you to enjoy your favorite movie or TV show without disturbing the rest of the family by sending sound from your BH9540TW home cinema system to your smartphone or tablet over a Wi-Fi connection.

• Wireless Audio Streaming via Bluetooth

The BH9540TW home cinema system is enabled for Bluetooth audio streaming. Stream directly all your favourite audio playlists from your smartphone or Bluetooth enabled device to your LG Home Cinema System via Bluetooth.

• DLNA

DLNA is Digital Living Network Alliance technology, which allows you to access video, photo and audio files stored on a server and enjoy them on your TV via home networking. Before connecting to your server PC, install SmartShare PC software on your PC. SmartShare PC software is for sharing video, audio and photo files stored on your computer to this unit as a DLNA compatible digital media server.

• Miracast

The BH9540TW player is Miracast certified, which means you can display your pictures, videos, games and other content from your Miracast certified device or smartphone onto your TV screen through screen mirroring.

• WiFi Direct

WiFi Direct allows you to play movie, music and photo files located on a Wi-Fi Direct certified device without the need of connecting through a network device such as an access point or wireless router. Just like the Miracast feature, only one device can be connected at a time.

Full tech specs of the BH9540TW Home Cinema System

Amplifier section

The BH9540TW amplifier is a 9.1 channel that delivers a total RMS music power output of 1460W as already discussed in the previous section. Refer to the Attractive features of the BH950TW Home Cinema System section for details.

Input and Output Ports

• HDMI In/Out

The BH9540TW home cinema system features two HDMI input ports and one HDMI TV output port on the back panel. If you connect an HDCP compatible HDMI or DVI device to any of the HDMI input ports, it must be compatible with 720x576p, 1280x720p, 1920x1080i or 1920x1080p video input format.
On the other hand, the TV output port is enabled for HDMI-CEC, HDMI-ARC, Ultra HD 4K resolution and 4K upscaling. This feature allows you to enjoy your Ultra HD 4K movie title discs and content on your 4K HD TV.

• Analog Audio Input port

At the rear panel of the BH9540TW, there is a single stereo RCA jack for analog audio input with design specs of  2.0 Vrms (1 kHz, 0 dB) and impedance of 600Ω (Ohms).

• Digital Optical Input port

Again on the back panel there is also a digital optical interface for digital audio input with design specification of 3 Volts (peak-to-peak).

• MIC Input port

On the front panel there are two 6.3 mm jacks for microphone input. However, some models may not have this input port.

• Antenna input port

An FM Antenna input port is located at the rear panel of the BH9540TW home theater main unit. Depending on location it may be a 75-ohm unbalanced or 120-ohm balanced antenna type.

• USB Input ports

The BH9540TW features two USB input ports; one at the rear of the unit and a second one on the front panel. You can connect your flash drive media content to the USB port on the front face. This port supports only USB Flash Drive and USB External HDD with FAT32 or NTFS file format. The Bus Power Supply for this port is DC 5V, 500 mA. The USB port at the rear panel is for connecting an HID (Human Interface Device) device, namely; a USB keyboard or mouse to type text or navigate menus. Its Bus Power Supply is DC 5V, 300 mA.

• WLAN and LAN Ports

This home cinema system can be connected to your home broadband network via a wired Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).  At the rear of the BH9540TW main unit there is an Ethernet jack, which supports Ethernet (10BASE-T) and Fast Ethernet (100BASE-TX) to which you can connect a standard LAN cable to your home network. Additionally, there is an internally integrated IEEE 802.11n (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands) wireless networking module backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi networks, which you can interface with an Access point or Wireless Router connected to your home broadband network. By connecting your home cinema system to a broadband home network, you have access to LG services such as software updates, BD-Live interactivity and other online Smart TV content services.

Tuner or Radio

The Tuner integrated on the BH9540TW is only for FM Radio and is operational for the entire FM Tuning Range of 87.50 to 108.00 MHz. The Tuner has memory for up to 50 channel presets though with no station renaming feature.

Blu-ray Disc Player 

• System

The Blu-ray disc player features a semiconductor laser of wavelength 405nm for Blu-ray Disc playback and 650nm for DVD disc playback. The TV color signal system adopted is standard PAL/NTSC.

• Playable discs

Supported playback discs by this disc player can be grouped into three; Blu-ray, DVD and CD. For Blu-ray,  Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray 3D only and Blu-ray disc are supported. BD-R/RE discs that contain Movie, Music or Photo files and are encoded in BDAV and ISO 9660+JOLIET, UDF and UDF Bridge formats are supported. For DVD, supported discs include; DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW and  DVD+R/RW that contain movie, music or photo files and are encoded in finalized AVCHD  and ISO 9660+JOLIET, UDF and UDF Bridge file formats.
Lastly, supported CDs include Audio CDs and CD-R/RW that contain Movie, Music or Photo files and are encoded in ISO 9660+JOLIET, UDF and UDF Bridge file format.

Supported file formats

The BH9540TW home cinema system supports playback of a wide range of video and audio file formats as indicated as follows;

• Video files

File Location	File Extension	Codec Format	Audio Format	Subtitle
Disc,USB	“.avi”, “.divx”, “.mpg”, “.mpeg”, “.mkv”, “.mp4”, “.asf”, “.wmv”, “.m4v” (DRM free), “.vob”, “.3gp”, “.mov”, “.trp”, “.m2t”, “.mpe”, “.m1v”, “.m2v”, “.wm”, ”.flv”, “.ts”, “.dat”, ”.rmvb”	DIVX 3.11, DIVX4, DIVX5. DIVX6 (standard playback only) XVID, MPEG1 SS, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG2 PS, MPEG2 TS, VC-1 SM (WMV3), RV30, RV40	Dolby Digital, DTS, MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3, COOK	SubRip (.srt / .txt), SAMI (.smi), SubStation Alpha (.ssa/.txt), MicroDVD (.sub/.txt), VobSub (.sub), SubViewer 1.0 (.sub), SubViewer 2.0 (.sub/.txt), TMPlayer (.txt), DVD Subtitle System (.txt)
DLNA	“.avi”, “.divx”, “.mpg”, “.mpeg”, “.mkv”, “.mp4”, “.asf”, “.wmv”, “.m4v” (DRM free), “.3gp”, “.mov”, “.mpe”, “.m1v”, “.m2v”, ”.flv”, “.ts”, “.dat”	DIVX 3.11, DIVX4, DIVX5. DIVX6 (standard playback only) XVID, MPEG1 SS, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG2 PS, MPEG2 TS, VC-1 SM (WMV3)	Dolby Digital, DTS, MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3	SubRip (.srt / .txt), SAMI (.smi), SubStation Alpha (.ssa/.txt), MicroDVD (.sub/.txt), SubViewer 1.0 (.sub), SubViewer 2.0 (.sub/.txt), TMPlayer (.txt), DVD Subtitle System (.txt)

• Audio files

File Location	File Extension	Sampling Frequency	Bitrate	Note
Disc,USB	“mp3”, “.wma”, “.wav”, “.m4a” (DRM free), “.flac”, “.ogg”, “.aiff”	32 - 48 kHz (WMA), 16 - 48 kHz (MP3)	32 - 192 kbps (WMA),  32 - 320 kbps (MP3)	Some wav files are not supported on this player.
DLNA	“mp3”, “.wma”, “.wav”, “.m4a” (DRM free), “.flac”, “.ogg”	32 - 48 kHz (WMA), 16 - 48 kHz (MP3)	32 - 192 kbps (WMA), 32 - 320 kbps (MP3)	Some wav files are not supported on this player.

 

 

BH9540TW Speaker System specs

The BH9540TW Speaker System comprises of 2 x S94T1-S Front Speakers (Left/ Right), 1 x S94T1-C Center Speaker, 2 x S94T1-S Rear Speakers, 1 x S94T1-W Subwoofer, 2 x Front Height Speakers (Left/Right) and 2 x Rear Height Speakers (Left/Right).

• Front and Rear Speakers (S94T1-S)

The Front and Rear speakers are exactly identical and are of type 2-Way 3 speaker system with input impedance 4 Ω and rated input power of 180W with a maximum power handling capacity of 360W. Each Front and Rear speaker measures (W x H x D) 290 mm x 1220 mm x 290 mm and weighs a net weight of 5.3 kg.

• Center speaker (S94T1-C)

The Center Speaker is similarly of type 2-Way 3 speaker system with input impedance 4 Ω and rated input power of 180W and maximum power handling capacity of 360W. It measures (W x H x D) 341.5 mm X 79 mm X 81.5 mm and weighs 1.1 kg net.

• Subwoofer (S94T1-W)

The S94T1-W subwoofer is a 1-Way 1 speaker system with rated input impedance of 3 Ω and input power 200W, with a maximum power input of 400W. It measures (W x H x D) 172 mm X 379 mm X 377 mm and has a net weight of 7.1 kg.

• Front and Rear Height (Top) Speakers

Front height and Rear height speakers are 3D effect drivers built into the Front and Rear speakers respectively. Each speaker is of type 1-Way 1 speaker system with rated input impedance of 8 Ω and input power of 90W. They have a maximum power handling capacity of 180 W.

Wireless Receiver (W4-4)

The wireless receiver is used for pairing of the Rear and Rear top speakers to the main unit via the TX dongle inserted into the wireless port. It measures (W x H x D) 245 mm X 190 mm X 80.2 mm and approximately weighs 1.21 kg.

Power requirements

The power requirements of your BH9540TW main unit will vary depending on your region. Ensure you buy a unit compatible with your mains supply power. For UK, Middle East and Africa models, are rated  at AC 200-240V, 50/60Hz while US models are rated at AC 110-127V, 50/60Hz. The maximum power consumption for this unit is 130W in operation and less than 0.5W in standby mode.

BH9540TW Dimensions (W x H x D)

The main unit measures approximately 444 mm x 65 mm X 292.5 mm with a net weight of 3.3 kg.

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