In the late 1980s, Shure formed a Home Theater Sound [HTS] division to produce high-end audio systems for stereo/surround.
HTS sales flyer
The product offerings were:
- HTS50-SPA Signal Processing Power Amplifier, $1,650
- HTS50-CF Center Front Loudspeaker, $750
- HTS50-LRS Left-Right-Surround Loudspeaker, $500
- HTS50-SW Subwoofer Loudspeaker, $650
- HTS5000 Surround Audio Processor -1st generation, $750
- HTS5200 Surround Audio Processor – 2nd generation, $1,000
- HTS5300 Surround Audio Processor – 3rd generation, $1,250
- Note: The U.S. retail prices above are from 1988. Multiply by 2.7 for 2024 currency.
HTS product line
Shure was an early entrant in the home theater surround sound market. While the HTS products were of the highest quality, the pricing was too steep to be widely successful. By 1991, the HTS division had ceased operation. Soon, a company founded by Ray Dolby became the dominant force in surround sound.
HTS 5200 processor sales flyer
Related information: FAQ about HTS products
FAQ about HTS production equipment
Arcana – mysterious or specialized knowledge
To encourage the production of television shows, sporting events, and motion pictures employing stereo/surround audio, Shure loaned, rented, and sold a small quantity [< 20] of custom designed encoders and decoders for the professional market. The HTS100-SE Stereo/Surround Encoder @ $6,495, the HTS200-SD Stereo/Surround Decoder @ $3,595, and the HTS300- SDC Interchannel Delay Corrector @ $6,895 were individually assembled by Shure engineers. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” employed these devices for several seasons with our Stereosurround logo appearing in the credits of each telecast.
HTS Stereosurround professional production equipment
