Atlantic Technology 8200 System Description, Components, Connections, Dimensions, Price/Contact

N E W R E V I E W S

subs into nooks and cran- nies that are too small to accommodate the mon- strous subwoofers that typically accompany high- end home theater systems. Two PedWoofers can match the power of nearly any large subwoofer, and are much easier to place dis- creetly than one large sub.

Of course, you cannot position a speaker just any- where and expect it to perform at its best. Atlantic has taken this into consider- ation with the 8200 system. Placing a subwoofer in a corner, for example, may make the bass sound boomy and undefined. Atlantic solves this problem by including powerful equaliza- tion controls in the subwoofer amplifiers.The controls allow your installer to fix such problems by attenuating bass frequencies reinforced by various sub- woofer placements. A remote control for the sub- woofer amps lets you leave the bass as your installer set it, or select from four preset bass equalization modes to enhance the sound for movies, music and even late-night listening.

The front left, center and right speakers are similarly

The SA8200 subwoofer amplifier (top) provides 350 watts of power for each of two PedWoofers. The LED display in the upper left lets you make temporary volume adjust- ments, then easily return

to the original level.

A machined aluminum bezel (above) provides a sturdy, stylish mount for the tweeter used in the 8200 LR and 8200 C. The speakers use the same driv- ers and crossovers, and sound almost exactly alike, as they should.

flexible. All include three switches that fine-tune the system for any setting, whether the surroundings are surfaced in sound-re- flecting materials, such as wood and marble, or orna- mented with overstuffed,

sound-absorbing furniture and thick draperies. Another switch compen- sates for the slight muffling effect that occurs when speakers are mounted behind a perforated video screen. A third switch opti- mizes the sound for situations in which the speaker is mounted in a cabinet or against a wall. The switches combine to produce 12 equalization options, plenty enough for precise tuning.

I must mention that the 8200 is one of the first few speaker systems to earn THX Ultra2 certification. That means the 8200 has passed the most stringent quality tests devised by THX, Ltd., a company founded by Star Wars cre- ator George Lucas, and is suitable for use in rooms up to 6,000 cubic feet. While the merits of THX’s certifi- cation standards have been intensely debated, many audio pundits, including myself, feel that in some cases the characteristics nec- essary to gain THX approval have made speakers sound worse, not better.With the Ultra2 program, however, the THX certification rules are now much wiser.

While I have yet to be impressed by the special Ultra2 modes THX has cre- ated for surround-sound processors, the three Ultra2- certified speaker systems I have tested to date rank among the finest home the- ater speakers I have heard. It seems THX, in its Ultra2 form, may finally represent the reliable mark of quality the company heralded more than a decade ago.

My first thought upon hearing the 8200 system in my home is: It’s right.With most speakers, a certain tone or style of sound is

■DESCRIPTION

Home theater speaker system includes three front speakers, two or four surround speakers, and two or four subwoofers (each pair of subs driven by an included 700-watt amplifier).

■COMPONENTS

8200 LR and 8200 C: two 8-inch woofers, two 5.25-inch midrange, one 1-inch silk- dome tweeter.

8200 SR: two 6.5-inch woofers, two 1-inch silk-dome tweeters.

8200 PedWoofer: one 12-inch woofer.

■CONNECTIONS

8200 LR and 8200 C: two pairs 5-way metal binding posts (biwireable; accepts bare wire, pins, spade lugs, banana plugs and dual banana plugs).

8200 SR and 8200 PedWoofer: 5-way metal binding posts.

SA8200: stereo analog line-level input and output, 5-way binding posts for left/right speaker input and output, 5-way binding posts for amplifier output.

■DIMENSIONS

8200 LR: 31.7 x 9.3 x 15.6 inches (hwd).

8200 C: 16x 31.7 x 11.5 inches (hwd).

8200 SR: 19 x 14.7 x 10.4 inches (hwd).

8200 PedWoofer: 29.6 x 9.3 x 15.6 inches (hwd).

SA8200: 5 x 19 x 14 inches (hwd).

■PRICE/CONTACT

PRICE: $10,000 to $21,000, depending on configuration and finish CONTACT: 781-762-6300 www.atlantictechnology.com

110 HOME ENTERTAINMENT & DESIGN S E P T E M B E R /OCTOBER 2003