April 20, 2012
2012 brings Dorset based Dawsons a lot to be proud of. The celebration of 85 years of service has coincided with the most recent CEDIA awards, held on the 20th April 2012 at Hampton Court Palace, where they were yet again recognised as the leading audio visual marine specialist, winning the coveted title of “Best Marine Installation” once again.
Dawsons took the honours in this category for;
“A technically flawless installation which integrates seamlessly with the yacht’s stunning interior design” CEDIA
The installation aboard the Sunseeker Predator 130 M/Y Never Say Never used a fully managed wireless network covering all of the yacht’s internal and external areas and fuses Bang & Olufsen with Kaleidescape, Crestron and Future Automation Picture Lift, all operated simply through an iPad based control panel.
As well as offering audio visual control, the iPads effortlessly integrate lighting, blinds and the yacht’s engine management systems via five Crestron processors. The sleek and user-friendly iPad interface was custom designed by Dawsons highly skilled installation team.
Each cabin features its own iPod dock and Kaleidescape Blu-Ray player. On the flybridge, the owner can listen to music or enjoy HD movies and satellite TV, with full surround sound, on two outdoor monitors. The system is ‘invisible’ within the interior design by Ken Freivokh, with a BeoVision 4-50 plasma screen being concealed behind an automated picture lift in the master stateroom and BeoLab speakers hidden behind louvres and flush fitted into headlining to complete the invisible installation.
The entire installation provides exemplary picture and sound quality with superior ease of use for both the owner and his guests. With a project build achieved within just six months, it’s clear to see why Dawsons was chosen for their latest in a long line of prestigious awards over the years including; 2008 Winner, 2009, 2011 Highly Commended & Finalist, 2012 Winner.
March 13, 2012
Dawsons are proud to announce the launch of our new on-line shop. We will be selling all of our usual dock and speaker solutions, but will also be including some very special offers, end of lines and ex-demo stock. Take a look around and see what you think... you might see something you'd like!
February 20, 2012
Dawsons has found out that it has been shortlisted in two categories for this years CEDIA awards. The categories that we are in the running for are:
'Best Marine' with MY Never Say Never: http://www.dawsonsgroup.com/installations/marine/installation.php?id=62
and
'Best Home Cinema between £40-£100k' with Meridian Cinema: http://www.dawsonsgroup.com/installations/residential/installation.php?id=68
We'll keep you posted in April when the awards are announced!
February 10, 2012
We now have on display the lastest 65" Professional Cinema Display from Panasonic. We are one of only a few dealers in the South that have been autorised to sell them.
The Panasonic TH-65VX300 65-inch Full HD 3D Professional Cinema Display is a studio-quality plasma designed for high-end home theatres, post-production and more. It features 3D functions found on Panasonics large-format 3D models (85", 103" & 152"): an ultra high-speed drive and a 30-bit image processing engine for studio monitor colour reproduction.
February 01, 2012
The BeoLit 12 is the latest offering from Bang and Olufsen. Pop on down to our showroom to listen to the awsome sound quality that this portable solution packs. Bring along your iPod and just see how easily you can stream your music through this fantastic little sound system.
January 21, 2012
Dawsons have submitted their entries for this years CEDIA awards. In total, eight applications were submitted and we're hopeful that we will make the short lists with most of them. We'll keep informed on their progress.
December 01, 2011
The LaunchPort System
LaunchPort is a revolutionary a way to mount and charge your iPad, virtually anywhere. The LaunchPort system consists of a PowerShuttle and any number of Stations. A PowerShuttle is a sleeve-style case that fits onto your iPad. A Station is the mount and charging unit that interacts with a PowerShuttle. A system requires a PowerShuttle and a Station.
LaunchPort uses induction which means as soon as a PowerShuttle mounted to a Station, charging begins immediately- without a 30-pin cable or conductive elements. Magnets are used to mount and affix your iPad in its PowerShuttle to a Station. The tabletop BaseStation only uses some of the magnets in the LaunchPort system, making it easier to grab and go. The WallStation uses all magnets in the system for secure and safe mounting. The magnets are located on the PowerShuttle case which means you can also mount it to any metallic surface like a refrigerator or work bench.
LaunchPort changes how you can use your iPad in your home.
Pop into the showroom and see it for yourself!
November 23, 2011
It’s easy to get started with a Linn system because it works with the products you already use every day. You’ll get better sound from your existing audio sources and you’ll be able to control your Linn using the mobile devices you already own. From storage to control, from movies to games, Linn make sure your systems will work with what you’ve already got. And what you’ll have next year.
If you would like to see the benefits of a Linn system, come and see it for yourselves. We have Linn's Majik DSM and Isobarik Floor standing loud speakers in our demonstration room ready for you to listen to.
The Linn Majik DSM allows you to browse your music library, create playlists and adjust volume using your preferred desktop or mobile device, with control apps available for Windows, Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android. Connect your Blu-ray / DVD player or games console and get better soundtracks and special effects. Stream any audio from your computer and your favourite online music services will come to life.
Linn's Majik Isobarik floor-standing loudspeakers have an impressive dynamic range and deep bass extension. Majik Isobarik uses twin bass drivers, hidden within the cabinet base and working in tandem to generate greater levels of bass, with less distortion and increased levels of control and clarity. Available in a range of beautifully crafted real wood finishes, with high gloss and custom colour options, the classic understated styling of Majik Isobarik will enhance any living space.
November 10, 2011
The HDMI/digital difference debate rumbles wearily on.
A recent review on Channel 4's 'The Gadget Show' claimed that expensive cables are a waste of money and that a £6 cable will give you the same viewing experience. However, what their test did not show was that simple things like interference from other electrical goods (amplifiers, Feeview & Sky decoders etc.) and the distance the signal needs to travel can both effect the signal quality.
We asked 'The Chord Company' - manufacturers of high quality AV cables - to comment on this debate and this was their response:
“The Chord Company has a simple philosophy. If you can’t make something better, don’t make it. So when we first started looking at HDMI cables the aim was simple - Can we improve on the performance of a standard HDMI cable?
We’d been doing a lot of work in relation to high frequency interference and its effect on accurate signal transfer. This didn’t just apply to analogue cables but had proved critical in producing high performance digital cables. We knew that conductor material was crucial and that silver plated conductors, combined with a low density insulation, performed extremely well. We also knew that the gauge of the conductor was critical and that heavier gauge conductors produced a better performance. Finally, we knew that effective high frequency shielding was absolutely vital to maintaining an accurate signal. So we took all these components and applied them to our HDMI cable designs. The results were both easy to see and easy to hear as well.
Chord HDMI cables play a vital role in any decent home cinema system. The Chord Active HDMI took the design a step further and features a very high frequency interference filter. The filter was designed to improve picture quality and worked extremely well but what really surprised us was the improvement the filter made to sound quality. A Chord Active HDMI, fitted between a player and receiver, can dramatically improve the audio performance of the system. There is nothing magical about the design of the Chord HDMI. We simply took technology that we knew improved the performance of both digital and analogue cable and applied it to HDMI cables.
Whatever is said about HDMI cables, we believe that you should reserve judgement until you have tried a Chord HDMI cable. The difference is clear! “
Nigel Finn (Director and cable design guru)
November 04, 2011
Our new demo room is starting to take shape. We have just installed Meridian's latest DSP3300 along with two pairs of DSP3200's (Piano finish Black and White). The new DSW Subwoofer has just arrived in stock today and will be on display in the next few days.
