Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 17

Interested in playing music all around your house from a single central device? Harmon Kardon is here to make that happen with its OMNI+ series of speaker products, encompassing the Omni 10+, 20+, 50+, Bar+ and Adapt+ models.

Featuring Bluetooth and 2.4GHz/5GHz wireless connectivity, the Omni 50+ is further rated as IPX5 splashproof and is marketed towards indoor or outdoor applications. Built as an expandable system, you're able to start with any single OMNI+ speaker and expand your range throughout the house as you see fit. Further supporting Apple WAC, these speaker systems can be controlled by the Harmon Kardon Controller app for Apple iOS and Google Android smartphones or tablets, further allowing for speaker group or individual controls (per room) as you see fit.

This amazing technology and connectivity comes at a price, with Harmon Kardon asking for $249 for the 10+, $349 for the 20+, $499 for the 50+, $999 for the Bar+ and finally $199 for the Adapt+ which contains input and output capabilities. These products will hit the market in Summer 2016, avaialble here.

CES 2016 - Connecting in partnership, JBL and Under Armour have announced two new audio products. These new additions come in the form of the UA Headphones Wireless Heart Rate and UA headphones Wireless. Both products were quoted as "Engineered by JBL Features" in a recent press release, accompanying a massive CES 2016 announcement haul for JBL.

The UA Headphones Wireless Heart Rate features an instant heart rate reading with a single button press, Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, 'Twistlock' technology that promises they will never fall out, a sweat proof IPX 5 rating, five hours of playback time and it comes packaged with a 12-month MapMyFitness Premium membership. While further offering 'JBL signature sound', this product will set users back $250 and is set for release in late Spring 2016.

Next up is the UA Headphones Wireless, boasting Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, 'Twistlock' technology, a 'Flexsoft' comfort fit, a three button in-line control unit with microphone, a sweat proof IPX 5 rating, eight hours of playback time and a 12-month MapMyFitness Premium membership. This model will cost $180 and is now available for pre-order.

CES 2016 - The HARMAN Voyager Drive Speaker system enables you to upgrade a stock-standard car sound system while also allowing you the freedom of a portable Bluetooth speaker, working as a sort of two in one unit.

Designed to be thrown into the back of your car, the Voyager Drive is a multi-speaker system that also has a small detachable Bluetooth audio product located within. This portable Bluetooth speaker is described by Gizmodo as "About the size of a small pizza" and aims to be part of an all-in-one audio upgrade package for your in-car and travel lifestyle.

This portable Bluetooth unit can also be attached to the Voyager Drive+ removable bass box, boasting sound quality much better than entry-level cars can offer. However, HARMAN has given no word on pricing or product specifications just yet, so we're going to have to wait.

Apple's portable music players have always been popular among music enthusiasts for the quality of the audio reproduction. Sure, they don't support the FLAC or Ogg Vorbis file formats that are the audiophiles preferred method of listening, but the internal audio processing components have always lent a certain cleanness to the audio quality.

At the Portable Audio Festival that took place in Tokyo over the weekend, there were some companies that were exhibiting high-res audio gear that are close enough to Apple to be able to speak to Mac Otakara about the possibility of Apple moving towards high-resolution audio for their streaming service, Apple Music.

According to those sources, which are unnamed, Apple is looking to try for a 2016 release. This would be a huge advantage to Apple because no other popular music-streaming service currently offers bit-rates quite as high as the Hi-Res standard of 24-bit/96kHz would entail. That would certainly put it into audiophile territory.

Researchers from the University of Belgrade claim that Graphene, a conductive carbon lattice, is even more useful that originally thought. They've made the world's first condenser microphone out of this material, quoted as 32 times more sensitive than nickel microphones in a report by Gizmodo.

In its current prototype state, the Serbian researchers were able to get to this phase by 'growing' sheets of graphene on a nickel foil, etching the nickel away and then placing their new creation within a microphone casing. Reports claim that this new creation has a sensitivity of 15 decibels higher than commercial microphones, handling frequencies up to 11 kHz.

The scientists claim that this prototype is just an indication of things to come, claiming much improved models in the near future, capable of completely blowing away current market-available models.

If you're an Uncharted fan, and a lover of vinyl, you will be happy to hear that iam8bit and Sony are working on a three-LP box set of the soundtracks to the Uncharted trilogy.

The soundtracks from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will all be made available through the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection vinyl soundtrack box, which will feature Greg Edmonson's soundtrack being remastered for, and pressed onto an 18-gram colored vinyl.

To top it off, the vinyl soundtrack set will have artwork from Australian art collective We Buy Your Kids, where you can also purchase the artwork as a poster. The set can be pre-ordered for $55, and should ship in the first quarter of 2016.

Memorabilia masters Mondo have put together quite the early Christmas present, slapping the entire score from the 'Back to the Future' trilogy onto an awesome-looking vinyl set.

You can grab each movie individually as a two-record set for $35 each, or the entire vinyl kit for $105. The individual album versions include artwork by Matt Taylor, who was responsible for the screen-print Back to the Future posters for Mondo while the box set artwork and design was done by DKNG Studios.

If you buy the kit, you'll get it in an awesome radioactive box, the same box that Doc had in the first movie. The album art itself looks incredible, with any 'Back to the Future' fan set to jump at the chance to secure themselves this beautiful kit.

Audio company V-MODA has unveiled the Crossfade Wireless Over-Ear headphones, a hybrid audio device that supports both wired and wireless listening.

The headphones can maintain a wireless Bluetooth signal up to 33 feet away, with 12 hours of continuous listening. V-MODA also supports a dual-diaphragm 50mm driver, and plugging in a cable immediately switches off all electronics so zero latency can be achieved. The built-in hidden microphone supports phone calls and voice recognition, whether connected to a PC and notebook or smartphone.

"As an avid analog purist, for years I said I would not make a wireless headphone; instead, we decided to make our best over-ear wired headphone yet featuring the best wireless mode," said Val Kolton, CEO of V-MODA. "After years of R&D, we can proudly say that Crossfade Wireless is versatile enough to be the everyday audio weapon of choice for music professionals, audiophiles, gamers and savvy consumers, alike."

Audio company Phiaton has launched its PS 202 NC earphones, an audio product featuring active noise cancellation designed to block 95 percent of ambient background noise.

The earphones also have a half in-ear design, and should deliver additional listening time. The 14.3mm drivers provide an adequate level of optimized vibration, and includes everplay-x so owners can keep listening even if battery power runs out. For those of you interested in using the earphones while connected to a smartphone, it's possible to use the in-line remote and microphone to manage a playlist and answer phone calls.

The Phiaton PS 202 NC earphones are currently available for $109.

Audio company Turtle Beach has announced the Star Wars-themed Sandtrooper gaming headset on the same day Star Wars Battlefront will be released to gamers.

The Sandtrooper headset has an over-ear design, high-sensitivity boom mic, 50mm speakers, and pair of removable speaker plates.

"With as many Star Wars fanatics as we have at Turtle Beach, it's been hard to not let the droid out of the bag about this unique gaming headset," said Juergen Stark, CEO of Turtle Beach. "Our top-quality gaming headsets allow us to work with the biggest brands in the world, and we're very happy to continue our ongoing collaboration with Lucasfilm and EA to support Star Wars Battlefront."