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The company recently entered the plug-and-play navigation category with a number of new products, the chief of which is the Rock and Road (NVXM1000) which combines GPS navigation along with XM radio and XM Live Traffic updates. “Great category, growing very quickly ... eight million units projected,” said Malone about the navigation category. “We’ve got to do it with innovation, and I think we’ve got the product to do that,” said Malone. The Rock and Road uses Audiovox’s XM Mini Tuner, which costs an additional $29.95. The nav unit also plays MP3 files and is now shipping for $699.
Another new category for Audiovox is the digital picture frame market. The company’s first entries include 7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch models which also playback MP3 files and include clocks and calendars. “This will be the beginning of our line,” noted Malone. He said the company plans to introduce additional products in about 60 days with a much more lifestyle approach. “We think application and lifestyle will be more the direction of the category.”
In the home theater space, Audiovox showed its new Acoustic Research wireless 5.1 speaker system, designed by Len Davi. The system uses a 2.4GHz spread spectrum to send wireless audio to the two surround speakers, while the front, center and subwoofer remain wired. The rear speakers will require an AC outlet. The model WHT6024 includes “advanced error correction.” The 10-inch subwoofer includes a 125-watt amplifier. Each surround speaker includes it’s own 50-watt amplifier which is built into the speaker stand’s base.
“There had yet to be introduced a really good performing system that really worked,” Malone pointed out. “We took a lot of time to really do this well,” he added. It is available this month for $899. Malone also pointed out that this product is the “opening platform.” ”Once this system is validated we can branch this out into stand-alone systems that can take anyone’s system and convert it to wireless. We have many difference platforms that will grow around this solution.”
A selection of new wireless headphones from Acoustic Research were also shown including stereo and 5.1 models.
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