Mark Levinson® , a business unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR, announces the launch of a new series of products. The first introduction in this new product range, the No502 Media Console, is an audio and video processor designed to become the centerpiece of home entertainment systems.
The media console is the heart and soul of the modern home entertainment system, defining the system's overall boundaries and directly influencing all aspects of picture and sound. From its machined aluminum surfaces to the backlit engraved-glass logo embedded in the front panel, the No502 Media Console is defined by its appearance.
The No502's chassis was engineered to double as an integrated Radio Frequency (RF) shield, and its input and output connectors are electrically isolated from the chassis. In addition, the digital and analog signal paths are completely isolated, as the No502 utilizes two separate power supplies (both of which are shielded in a chamber inside the chassis to further isolate them). The No502 uses an 18-layer video circuit board with minimal surface etches, helping to lower radiated emissions within the chassis. And, in the event that any common-mode noise is present inside the system, all of the analog audio signals are routed inside the chassis as differential (balanced) signals to cancel out this noise. Finally, a specially designed low-voltage differential signaling circuit is utilized to reduce jitter and digital noise.
The No502's level controls offer an adjustment range of 120dB. The No502 features Harman International's proprietary Logic 7® technology, in addition to the standard suite of Dolby® and DTS® listening modes, and its bass-management system utilizes phase-matched signal paths to prevent signal cancellation.
In addition to providing an array of analog and High-Definition Multimedia Interface• (HDMI•) inputs and outputs, the No502 also includes a video processor that can convert all of the inputs into a single output and scale them to the optimum resolution for driving the display device. It also offers noise-reduction and detail-enhancement algorithms to sharpen compressed images from standard DVDs and TV broadcasts. In addition, the console includes motion- adaptive video de-interlacing with edge interpolation, as well as the capability to handle 1080P/24Hz video inputs and outputs.
The No502's Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the same on both the theater screen and the screen on the console's front panel, and offers a hierarchical menu structure and an auto-calibration system that calculates speaker distances and output levels, providing full room correction. Users can program various dedicated activities, such as "Watch a film," "Watch TV" or "Listen to music," for personal settings for each different activity. Finally, the No502 includes a backlit metal remote control.
Commenting on the launch of the new No502 Media Console, Mark Levinson National Sales Manager Ed Stadlen stated, "The No502 is the first component in our next generation of Mark Levinson high-performance products. The new products in the range not only represent the best in class in their respective product categories, but also pay tribute to the Mark Levinson commitment to excellence."
The No502 Media Console is available now from authorized Mark Levinson dealers.
www.marklevinson.com