This week, the consumer electronics industry was buzzing with accolades and other goodies, all thanks to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). That's because the 2013 International CES is right around the corner. Earlier this week, the CEA came to New York to give journalists a sneak preview of International CES 2013 as well as an update as to the current state of the Consumer Electronics industry. And after the briefing, it was time to announce the annual list of International CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Award honorees.
That list includes a total of 29 consumer electronics product categories, including many that would interest the Big Picture Big Sound reader. According to an industry source, some of the categories are actually embargoed -- to be announced at the 2013 CES.
The CEA also crowned a select few with the "Best of Innovations" title. That honor goes to the products that received the highest scores from the panel of Innovations judges. Those picks will be featured in the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Showcase at The Venetian during January's show.
If you can't make it out to the 2013 CES, which runs from January 8-13, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada, you can ogle all of the products here. Let's break down some of the honorees and Best of Innovations picks in our favorite categories.
Headphones
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation took home this year's title, for its IE800 In-ear canal headphones. With a diameter of just 7mm, this set squeezes in an extra wide band (XWB) transducer system for clear, distortion-free sound. (MSRP: $999.95)
High Performance Home Audio
The Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A9 is so cool and so circular. That funky design isn't just for show, either. It actually packs in AirPlay and DLNA support, as well as two 0.75-inch tweeters and two 3-inch midrange units, which are all driven by separate 80-watt class-D amplifiers. There's also an 8-inch bass unit, which has its own class-D amp. (MSRP: $2699)
Home Audio-Video Accessories
Home Audio - Video Components
The Harman/Kardon BDS 577 isn't your typical Blu-ray 3D player. Of course, it plays all of your favorite 2D and 3D discs. However, it also packs in AirPlay streaming, Bluetooth support, WiFi, YouTube, support for a wireless subwoofer and a 5.1-channel digital amplifier. (MSRP: $1044)
Home Theater Speakers
Integrated Home Systems & Multi-Room Audio-Video
GreenWave Reality's Connected Lighting Solution goes beyond the on/off switch. This little innovation offers advanced control over residential lighting, with fully-dimmable, wireless LED and CFL bulbs. How exactly? It uses an IP-enabled lighting network, which can be controlled via web-enabled PCs, smartphones or the company's handheld remote.
Portable Media Players & Accessories
Tablets, EReaders & Netbooks
Video Displays
This one's a tie! Both the LG Ultra-High-Definition CINEMA 3D Smart TV (84LM9600) and Samsung's 85-inch UHD TV took home the honors. That probably because both TVs are droolworth UHD TVs, which can crank out 8 million pixels and a resolution that's four times a 1080p HDTV.
"This year's honorees have creative products with impressive design and engineering expertise," said Karen Chupka, the CEA's senior vice president of events and conferences. "We look forward to seeing all these products at the 2013 International CES."
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