Empire Series Media Center Set-Top PC Released with Fully Integrated 1000W Amplifier

By | March 21st, 2005 comments icon (2) Comments


expansion solutions empire series

We’ve seen our share of media center PCs, but now a company called Expansion Solutions has released their “Empire Series” of set-top PCs running Windows Media Center Edition and feature a fully integrated 1000 Watt audiophile grade amplifier with > 110Db signal to noise ratio for crisp, powerful 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. “We identified the amplification process as one that was missing from the PC based media center, and researched the possibilities that were available to us” says Expansion Solutions’ CEO, James Bantner. It’s about time somebody figured this out. Now we can add the amplifier to the list home entertainment rack components you can replace with your media center PC. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that’s all of them folks.

Product Highlights:

  • Sleek brushed aluminum chassis with backlit VU meter (optional)
  • Intel motherboard running with a Pentium 4 3.04 GHz processor, running on an 800 MHz front side bus with a one gigabyte of DDR400 Ram at 800 MHz
  • High current draw power supply capable of 1000W for 10ms
  • 5.1 audio output to deliver 125 Watts @ 8 ohms into each of the front, center, and rear channels
  • Multi-zone configuration for playback of up to three different audio sources to three different sets of speakers in any area of the home





Filed in: Entertainment PCs

  • brianworkman

    I agree that the amplifier was a much needed addition. I really wish that Niveus Media would add the amplifier to the Denali. I feel like they have the highest end and feature loaded device. Now if we can just get full HDTV support, I would be in love.

  • melvin

    Adding the amplifer is huge, but did you see the price tag on that thing? That just isn’t worth it at this point.

    I didn’t read into all the details of how the amplifer is integrated into PC box, but there are 2 big things I’d like to see. One is that the amplifer is installed as a component that can be upgraded or replaced as needed in a plug and play fashion….similar to other components of the PC. Second, I’d like the PC to have alot of control over the amplifer, so you that control the power distribution and sound channel (left front, right surrond, subwoofer, etc) disignated for each of the speaker outputs and have multiple settings saved. In this way you could use the speakers in one way when playing movies and a different way when listening to music, or designate that the sound go to speakers in a different room or outside.. Imagine if there were 12 different speaker jacks coming out of the box and you get to decide programmitically exactly what comes out of those lines. I know you can do some of this with receivers already, but I’d like to see it software driven for more flexibility.

    On a slightly more grander note, I’d like to see a standard developed for some sort of hibrid box between a PC and A/V receiver created. A box that is heavily dependent on components like a regular receiver, but that actually has the components stored inside the box, like a PC. The components would be as easy to install as a regular A/V component, but wouldn’t take up any addtional space like in a PC. A component could typically be about the same size as a typical internal drive and there could a dozen or more slots available for components. The size could be larger then your typical PC or receiver since no other box would be needed. Typical components could be amplifers, tv tuners (cable, satellite, over the air), xm radio, sirrus radio, cd players, dvd players, hard drives, FM/AM/weather radio, ipod controller, home automation controllers, etc. As new technologies develop they can be added into the system.

    I know it’s probably not a very realistic idea, but in my head, it looks pretty cool.