Nirotek Introduces One-Speaker Home Theater Surround Sound.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003

Engineer Who Pioneered Tape Cassette Technology Unveils Another Audio

Industry Breakthrough: The NIRO 1.1 -- Dolby 5.1 Performance from ONE

Speaker

Nirotek America has unveiled the NIRO 1.1 and NIRO 1.1 PRO, a line of high quality home theater audio systems that deliver the impossible: Dolby 5.1 surround sound performance from just ONE speaker.

The NIRO 1.1 and NIRO 1.1 PRO were developed by the legendary Niro Nakamichi, the Japanese master engineer who designed the first three-head cassette tape deck 30 years ago, pioneering the shift from open-reel tape recorders to cassette. With a combination of patent-pending mechanical and electronic innovations, Niro was able to create a revolutionary implementation of HRTF (Head Related Transfer Function) theory. The result is a true home theater experience at a terrific price -- $599 (MSRP) for the 1.1 and $799 (MSRP) for the 1.1 PRO.

At the core of the system is a progressive scan DVD player/AM-FM receiver complete with digital amplifier that is less than 2 inches high.

Nirotek's new home theater sound systems let anyone, seated virtually anywhere in the room, enjoy their favorite DVDs, CDs or video games as if they're part of the action with Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

"Never before has it been possible to create 5.1 surround sound from one speaker," said Lonnie Pastor, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nirotek America. "Niro has developed the HRTF algorithms and the hardware to do it. You won't believe what he has accomplished with just one speaker."

The NIRO 1.1 is ideal for apartments, condominiums, living rooms or dorm rooms -- or anywhere space is scarce. To create a home theater, you simply set the NIRO 1.1 speaker on top of the TV, connect three cables, plug in the receiver and you're ready to go.

"With a conventional 5.1 system, the user has five speakers to connect and where you put them is as complicated as it is critical," Pastor explains. "With the NIRO 1.1, you place one speaker on your TV and you're ready to enjoy the system. And music lovers, too, will be amazed by the brilliant stereo audio CD performance of the NIRO 1.1."

The NIRO 1.1 receiver has a computer onboard, performing 600 million calculations per second in processing Nakamichi's proprietary NIROSON(TM) CINEMA 1.1 algorithms and S.F.N. (Spatial Filter Network). The result is surround sound with a huge "sweet spot" or ideal listening area.

The NIRO 1.1 PRO creates surround sound with a single enclosure that utilizes five 3-inch, full range, magnetically shielded drivers, while the NIRO 1.1 enclosure houses three.

"No rear speakers means no cables and no clutter," Pastor added. "The NIRO 1.1 automatically gets spouse approval."

Both the NIRO 1.1 and the NIRO 1.1 PRO use a bass reflex subwoofer incorporating a specially designed 8-inch driver. Powering the speakers is a digital amplifier that provides 30 watts to each full range driver and 50 watts to the subwoofer.

Both systems are currently being sold over the Internet at www.niro1.com.

"Offering the NIRO 1.1 and NIRO 1.1 PRO exclusively over the Internet shatters the idea that you have to go to a retailer and pay marked-up prices to get quality home theater sound," Pastor said. "Instead, we're inviting our customers to try this revolutionary system in their homes. We're convinced if we give them the opportunity to listen to the NIRO 1.1, people will believe their ears."

About Nirotek

Headquartered in Torrance, Calif., Nirotek America Corp. markets a full line of high performance surround sound systems for home theater and audio enthusiasts. The company is a subsidiary of Mechanical Research Corp., Tokyo, Japan. Please visit www.niro1.com for additional information.

NIROSON is a trademark of Mechanical Research Corporation; Dolby and Pro Logic are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. DTS is a trademark of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.