Bang & Olufsen Unveils B&O Play

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 23 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Luxury A/V brand Bang & Olufsen went to International CES to reveal the name of a new sister brand, called B&O Play, and unveiled the sub-brand’s first product, a portable AC/DC AirPlay speaker priced at $799.

 

Yamaha Taps New Niches

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 30 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Yamaha is entering two new home audio niches with the launch of two “hi-fi-in-a-box” systems and a flat pedestal- and wall-mountable one-piece integrated audio system.

The hi-fi-in-a-box systems consist of a component- size stereo receiver packaged with speakers to tap into consumers’ growing two-channel interest and “assure consumers that everything works together,” said Yamaha Electronics president Tom Sumner. They carry prices of $599 and around $1,000, he said.

B&O Readies TV, Audio Launches

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 30 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Bang & Olufsen expanded its 3DTV selection to five models at CES, where it is also launched its first flat on-wall speakers and a CD-ripping device for its hard-drive-based BeoSound 5 music system.

Other introductions included an Internet radio app that can be used with an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad docked in the company’s $999 BeoSound 8 docking speaker.

New High-End Audio Options On The Way

By Joseph Palenchar On Feb 13 2012 - 6:01am

NEW YORK — High-end audio companies haven’t been shy about launching new products in a weak economy, perhaps buoyed by Consumer Electronics Association forecasts calling for a third consecutive year of double-digit percentage growth in factory-level component-audio dollar volume.

Cambridge Audio Mixes New, Old Media

By Joseph Palenchar On Feb 13 2012 - 6:01am

CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. — Playing back new and old media is a focus of multiple new audio components from Cambridge Audio, which is launching its second network music player and a DAC that connects to computers via USB.

Other new products include a flagship DAC/preamp/CD player, a flagship integrated amplifier and a trio of 7.1-channel A/V receivers (AVRs), which will update and expand the company’s AVR selection.

New Options Coming To Wireless Music Distribution

By Joseph Palenchar On Feb 28 2012 - 10:58pm

NEW YORK – New options for distributing music wirelessly throughout the house are on the way from Navvo Group, Altec Lansing and Grace Digital.

The three companies use Wi-Fi to stream music from networked PCs and NAS drives and from Internet radio services, and their products can be controlled from a smartphone app. The Navvo and Altec Lansing devices also use smartphones as music sources, and new models from Navvo promise to add video streaming.

Component Audio Hits A High Note At CES

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 10 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Component-audio suppliers are coming to International CES in a relatively good mood following healthy market growth in 2011 despite lackluster economic growth and continued consolidation in the specialty-A/V retail channel.

Component Audio: A Shopping List

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 10 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Dealers looking for new componentaudio products to sell into a market showing renwed growth might want to consider products from the following companies:

BMC Audio: Germany-based Balanced Music Concept (BMC) Audio, which has been marketing high-end component-audio electronics in the U.S. since early 2011, is entering the speaker market here at International CES.

SRS Demos 3D Sound For 3D Movies, TV

By Joseph Palenchar On Jan 10 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — SRS Labs has finished developing Circle Cinema 3D (CC3D) post-processing technology and plans an International CES demonstration of the technology’s ability to make sound leap out from a 3D TV screen in sync with the 3D image appearing on screen.

The technology, which the company is marketing to CE chipmakers, could appear in 3D TVs, soundbars and A/V receivers in 2012, the company said.

Opalum Expands Active-Speaker Series

By TWICE Staff On Jan 10 2012 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS – Opalum, the Swedish manufacturer of slim Scandinavian-design speakers, is launching the FLOW.4810, a set of active on-wall speakers with 48 1-inch drivers in point-source array in each 1.5-inchesdeep speaker.

Each speaker, available in black or white, incorporates embedded 120-watt Class D amplifier that triamplifies each speaker and delivers bass down to 43Hz. They will retail for $3,999/pair and ship in the second quarter.