Wiring
is the most challenging aspect of an audio / video home theater system.
Installing heavy gauge cable hookups is time consuming, laborious and
expensive. Degradation of the audio performance due to noise pick-up,
ground loops, signal loss, group delay distortion, and other maladies
is an issue with long cables. Other companies have attempted to alleviate
these problems by using very expensive cables costing $30 - $60 /ft.
or more; yet the noise, hum and signal attenuation issues still remain.
Pragmatic Communications Systems, Inc., has developed a new standard
to fix the problems inherent with today's heavy gauge cables. The Complete
Audiophile Transmission System, or CATS™, is a high performance
system for the distribution of audiophile quality line-level audio signals
on cost efficient wires. The system is based on Pragmatic's proprietary
Bandwidth Domain Signal Processing [BDSP™] technology. This technology
enables transmission of the highest quality line-level audio signals
on a standard category 5 or un-shielded twisted pair wires to distances
up to 5000 feet without any loss in the performance, dynamic range or
quality.
The
advanced BDSP™ technology completely eliminates ground loops,
noise pick-up or hum. It also provides superb sound reproduction, high
resolution to the fine details in the music and warm tonality and depth.
The wide dynamic range of the BDSP™ technology delivers excellent
mid-range purity, and a remarkable reproduction of natural sounds with
incredible richness. The outstanding transient response renders a bass
full of warmth and superior transparency.
Two
models of the CATS™ system are currently available. The CATS™-2
is a two channel (left, right) transmission system that operates on
standard category 5, category 3, or even telephone grade unshielded
twisted-pair wire. Despite using this economical medium to transmit
and receive signals, CATS™ delivers a performance that far surpasses
the most expensive audiophile cables.
The CATS™- 6 system is the ultimate in audiophile signal distribution.
This multi-channel unit supports simultaneous transmission of up to
six channels to facilitate a THX® Home Cinema, Dolby AC-3®,
Dolby ProLogic®, and Dolby Surround Sound® in a state-of-the-art
home theater system. It utilizes a standard category 5 wire to distribute
the six [Left, Center, Right, Surround Left, Surround Right, and LFE
(Low Frequency Effects)] channels to 5000 feet. Up to 16 receivers can
be daisy-chained or tapped on to the wires for multi-room distribution.
The
CATS™ system transmitter accepts line level audio signals from
any high quality signal source such as an AV receiver, CD player, Digital
Compact Cassette (DCC), Digital Audio Tape (DAT), Mini-Disc (MD), DVD
player, high-end tape-deck, or any Surround Sound® processor source.
The CATS™ system receiver recovers the signal from the wires and
superbly reproduces the original line level audio signals utilizing
the BDSP™ technology. These line level signals can be fed into
a power amplifier at the receiving end.
Some of the salient features of the system include an audio frequency
response from 10 Hz to 24 Khz with less than 0.5 dB error across the
band, a system signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 100 dB, a full 110
dB audio dynamic range, stereo channel separation better than 70 dB,
and a total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 0.05% typically.
There are numerous advantages of the CATS™ system. First, it allows
the multi-point distribution and broadcasting of line level audio signals
to any location within 5000 ft. on a category 5 wire. Up to 16 receivers
can be connected in parallel or daisy-chained together on a single wire
allowing the system be designed to fit any size application. In addition,
the range can be extended even more by configuring a simple repeater
system.
The applications of CATS™ are endless. It can be used in home
theater entertainment, Surround Sound® systems, remote extension
speakers for patio, pool side, and many more. The CATS™ system
brings new life to theaters, amphitheaters, concert halls, and studios.
It also is easily and quickly deployed at trade shows, conferences,
exhibit halls, and more.
To
complement the CATS™ wireline system, the TrueMusic™
Digital high performance wireless audio system can also be used for
remote extensions where installing category 5 wires is not an option.
