I have a secret. ProAc is one of my very favorite loudspeaker makers. Despite the fact that Stewart Tyler turned me down for an interview a couple of years ago, ProAc is still my first choice when I win the lotto. His speakers are beautiful, sound even better, and he is the single most copied loudspeaker designer in the DIY scene.

 

Two new events in ProAc loudspeaker news this month. First, ProAc now offers ribbon tweeter versions of two of their venerable floorstanders. The ProAc Response D38R and ProAc Response D80R are the two models that receive the ribbon treatment. According to ProAc, the only thing these two share in common with their conventional predecessors is cabinet size. Polypropylene bass drivers, the new damped 60mm x 10mm ProAc ribbon tweeters, and new crossovers fill the traditional looking enclosures.

 

In addition to the above refreshes, ProAc has launched a new flagship, the ProAc Carbon Pro 8. The 49" 147 pound ProAc Carbon Pro 8 uses a pair of brand new 8" polymer impregnated carbon weave bass drivers. Two 3" midrange domes are mounted in a polymer impregnated carbon weave horn, or waveguide, and the complement is rounded out by ProAc's new ribbon tweeter. The conventional looking cabinet design sits atop a carbon composite plinth. According to ProAc, the 4 ohm 88.5dB ProAc carbon Pro 8 sounds like an electrostat without the drawbacks, and will handle as little as 10 watts, or up to 500 watts, making it very amplifier friendly. $40,000 let's you join the club.

 

The two way ProAc Response 2.5 is arguably one of the best loudspeaker designs of all time. It's certainly the most copied. The ProAc Response D38 has long been an object of my speaker lust, and the addition of the ribbon is an intriguing hook. The ProAc Carbon Pro 8 looks like a more than worthy scion to that heritage. Now I just need to find $40,000 in the sofa cushions.

 

 

 

 

Onkyo has added three new AVRs to their lineup, the Onkyo TX-NR1007, the Onkyo TX-NR3007 and the TX-NR5007.

 

All three models are Windows 7 compatible and meet the DLNA 1.5 spec. All three provide support for streaming internet audio via the onboard ethernet connection.  What really makes these three units stand out is that they are all 9.2 channel units. That's right, nine channels of amplification and support for two subwoofers. This allows the user to setup a nine channel home theater to take advantage of what Audyssey DSX and Dolby ProLogic IIz offer, or the power from the additional two channels can be used to beef up the power supplied to the mains in a 5.1 or 7.1 system.  The TX-NR3007 and TX-NR5007 up the ante by offering 7 and 8 HDMI inputs respectively. Video processing in both units is handled by a Silicon Optix HQV Reon-VX, which provides 1080p24 upscaling for all sources.  Fill out the list with TI Aureus DSPs and Burr Brown DACs, and the TX-NR3007 and TX-NR5007 have impressive credentials indeed.

 

Available in September, from top to bottom the new units from Onkyo are slated to sell at $2699 for the 145 watt TX-NR5007, $2099 for the TX-NR3007, and $1599 for the TX-NR1007. The addition of the extra channels is interesting, but even without the extra iron Onkyo has packed these units with some pretty nice audio and video features at their price points.