Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/23/griffin_ships_firewave/
Accessory maker Griffin Technology has finally begun shipping its Mac-oriented, FireWire-connected 5.1-channel surround sound system FireWave more than 18 months after it announced the product.
Griffin first demo'd FireWave in public back in January 2005 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/13/griffin_bluetrip/) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The device connects to a Mac's 1394 port - it's bus powered - and feeds multi-channel audio from DVDs and other sources out to five (two left, two right and one centre) speakers and a sub-woofer via 3.5mm jacks. There's a second FireWire port to allow users to daisy-chain other devices.
The box supports Dolby Digital and Dolby ProLogic II sound formats. It will also simulate surround sound from two-channel sources such as MP3 files.
The FireWave costs $100 in the US and £70 in the UK. The gadget can be bought from Griffin's Mac-friendly retail partners and from the company's own website (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/firewave/index.php?www.reghardware.co.uk). ®
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