The new blackVault 2.1 Speaker System Blends the Best of Hi-Fi Audio with Convenience of Digital

The blackVault AR4131 is a performance-oriented Speaker System for iPod lovers and other digital music fans that boasts the kind of high-quality audio comp At the heart of the AR4131 blackVault 2.1 Speaker System with Universal Dock for iPod is a stereo vacuum tube amplifier, delivering the warm, high-energy sound that audiophiles have long preferred over the transistor-based amplifiers found in many playback systems today. The blending of rich, hi-fi audio with the convenience of digital music brings a new level of audio performance to the iPod experience. Visible through the front window of the subwoofer, the vacuum tube revives the look and feel of a classic audio system. Although it was engineered to dock specifically with the iPod, the AR4131 also comes equipped with an auxiliary input that can accept audio signals from any mp3 player, CD player, PC or other audio source so that consumers can enjoy their favorite music played back through the blackVault 2.1 Speaker System.

Performance specifications include: -- Sound-pressure level (SPL): 96 dB at 3 feet -- Frequency response (-3 dB) Subwoofer channel: 50 Hz – 160 Hz Left/right channels: 100 Hz – 20 kHz -- Signal-to-Noise Radio Subwoofer channel: greater than 75 dB Left/right channels: greater than 80 dB -- Total Harmonic Distortion Subwoofer: less than 0.1% at 1 watt Left/right channel: less than 0.05% at 1 watt -- Left and right channel separation: greater than 50 dB -- Impedance: 4 ohms

The Acoustic Research blackVault 2.1 Speaker System will be available in February at a suggested retail price of $199. The unit includes the main subwoofer unit/amplifier with installed vacuum tube and Universal Dock for iPod, two speakers and wire, an auxiliary input cable, remote control, iPod dock seats, and a spare vacuum tube.