First there were 3-D TV receivers, and then 3-D Blu-ray Disc players. Now Panasonic, one of the more aggressive 3-D vendors to date, has introduced the SC-ZT2 wireless home theater audio system designed specifically for 3-D viewing.
The idea behind the SC-ZT2 is that audio pops out of the speakers to match the extra dimension of 3-D TV. The SC-ZT2, available now, offers 7.1-channel sound from two speakers, each of which houses four tweeters and a long-stroke woofer. When paired with the company's DMP-BDT350 3-D Blu-ray player, the SC-ZT2 provides HD surround-sound audio without the need for speaker cables running across the room.
The system is compatible with Audio Return Channel, which allows the reception of audio signals from the TV through a single HDMI cable. This new feature simplifies setup by eliminating the need for a separate optical audio connection. It supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD 7.1-channel surround sound.
With a slim design, the system minimizes unwanted sound reflections, according to Panasonic. Each speaker features four 1in tweeters that are vertically aligned and emit sounds parallel to the floor. This allows viewers to listen from anywhere in the room.
An integrated long-stroke woofer, with a diameter of about 5in, generates sounds from the low-frequency range to deep bass that is typically produced by subwoofers. It uses a down-fire structure, which uses the floor as an acoustical reflector to produce bass sounds that are “extremely robust” for the size of the speakers. With woofers in both speaker stands, listeners experience bass sounds from the front, back, left and right sides of the system.
