Radiient to demo UWB-based Roomcaster: makes your entire 5.1 system wireless

We've already seen one product headed for CES that makes any corded 5.1-channel surround system a wireless one, but now you've got one more option. Radiient Technologies is debuting the Roomcaster at CES 2009, a similar setup but based on the ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol. The Roomcaster Early Adapter Kit, which is the rig that will be shown in Vegas, will consist of a single transmitter and six speaker adapters, and we're assured that it can deliver "uncompressed, 24-bit, up-to-eight-channel digital audio at an up-to-96 kHz sampling rate." Radiient has employed a mesh network to ensure dropout-free performance, but you can bet it won't come cheap. In fact, it's downright ludicrous. Wouldn't you call $1,999 ludicrous?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 3:20PM]

$2000 may sound expensive for a consumer product, but when you consider that a professional wireless microphone system that can transmit 24 bit audio costs around $4000 for only *one* channel, getting six channels at this price seems like a bargain.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 5:09PM]

Waiting for the 192 version.

Oh, wait, no, this is already out of my league.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 7:18PM]

Another brilliant solution. So, I have a 5.1 system from which I use an AVR. The AVR provides powered (ahem, amplified) signals to five channels, and an unamplified signal to the sub. Using this means the signal isn't amplified to any of the channels, and I now have to provide amplification to each speaker--which ain't gonna happen wirelessly.

So, how many of you folks are gonna go tossing your existing passive speakers and start looking for active speakers?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 11:30PM]

That's not that bad. I have customers that would spend $2000 to get wireless surround sound in rooms that are already built and impossible to wire. No new construction job would have a need. So you have to find those customers that have a lot of money and aren't building a new house......are there any?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 22nd 2008 8:34AM]

Impossible to wire? So, the speakers wouldn't necessarily be placed in optimal locations, but locations where an electrical wall outlet exists? Otherwise, you are running a cable to provide POWER since this wireless thingy is sending non-amplified signals.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2008 11:31PM]

It's called powered speakers....

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 22nd 2008 8:36AM]

That's what an Active speaker is. Of course, you still have to run power as they don't come with their own internalized atomic generator. :)