Bassett partners with Boston Acoustics
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Bassett partners with Boston AcousticsBASSETT, VA

- Furniture manufacturer Bassett (Nasdaq:BSET) has cut a sound deal with Boston Acoustics, the global manufacturer of  home entertainment systems and high performance loudspeakers. The two launched the NVELOP line of wood credenzas.

Described as "finely crafted wood cabinets," the furnishing line includes a built-in Boston Acoustics soundbar system with Boston's Digitally Optimized Virtual Surround, said to "envelop viewers in rich, room-filling audio." The credenzas are finished in traditional cherry, and feature dovetailed drawer fronts.

Boston Acoustics is a unit of D&M Holdings, which owns storied brands in sound systems such as Denon, Marantz and Allen & Heath. Four new credenzas in the NVELOP  line-up range from $1499 to $1,799, based on size, and are sold at Bassett Home Furnishings stores, its retailers and at bassettfurniture.com/nvelop.

"The team at Boston Acoustics has been a superb partner and we expect our combined expertise to carve out a new territory in home entertainment," said Jason Camp, senior VP retail at Bassett Furniture. The credenza conceals wiring, electronics and a subwooder, and features a wired drawer for plugging in  iPods, MP3 players, and computer audio connections. Specially vented shelves dissipate heat after placement of additional audio and video components. And a  four-outlet power strip is built in.

The Bassett wood credenza also employs acoustically transparent cloth grilles allowing sound to pass through, and specially designed rubber acoustical gaskets on the back furniture panels to eliminate vibration.

The Bassett-Boston Acoustics deal reflects a broader consumer and commercial furnishings and cabinetry manufacturers trend to embed electronics into wood products. A Interzum, a German trade show last month, lightweight panels with low-voltage wiring systems were shown by Haettich, while Blum and Haefele showed powered shelving units and hardware, and Rehau showed PowerEdge materials with LED lighting, circuitry and connectors built in. And at KBIS Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Wellborne Cabinet Inc. showed its MediaLife system, with prepackaged electronics and power systems for


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