Bluetooth's Potential

By TWICE Staff On Dec 19 2011 - 6:01am

TWICE: What is the market potential for tabletop speakers equipped with stereo Bluetooth now that most smartphones incorporate the technology?

Schoenberg: This may be one of most important changes to monitor in 2012. However, Bluetooth drawbacks are limited range of about 30 feet, the inability to stream video, and some limitation of sound quality.

 

 

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.

AirPlay, Bluetooth Speaker Choices Blossom

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

LAS VEGAS — Traditional iPod/iPhone docking speakers are mingling with a greater selection of AirPlay-equipped speakers and stereo Bluetooth speakers to drive up sales of speakers designed exclusively to reproduce music stored on mobile devices.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:

Klipsch Readies 2nd AirPlay Speaker

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

LAS VEGAS — The Klipsch Stadium is an AirPlay-enabled 2.1 tabletop speaker with brushed-aluminum enclosure, soft-touch accents and high-quality audio components, Klipsch Group said. It ships during the summer with USB port to charge Apple’s mobile devices as well as capture the Apple device’s audio in digital PCM form.

The system will feature triamplification and dual side-firing subwoofers in an 8-inch by 20-inch by 8-inch cabinet.

microsysiHome Expands AirPlay, Taps Android

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

LAS VEGAS — iHome is expanding its selection of Air- Play-enabled tabletop speaker to four models, from one, with the launch of the iW2, iW3 and iW4.

The company is also showing its first two tabletop speakers that charge an Android smartphone and play its music through an analog auxiliary input.

Soundbars: What's Debuting At CES

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

LAS VEGAS — Wireless subwoofers, built-in Dolby Digital 5.1 decoders, access to Internet audio and video streaming services, and virtual surround technologies are appearing in a variety of new soundbars here at CES.

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find:

Azend: The company’s Dynavox AcoustaBase 1, a revised version of a model shown last year, takes the form of a swiveling base for flat-TV pedestals. The base is only 4 inches tall and works with TVs sized up to 55 inches.

Harman Group Adding Audio Under Four Brands

By Joseph Palenchar On Dec 19 2011 - 6:01am

ELKHART, IND. – Harman’s luxury audio group, formerly known as the high performance audio video (HPAV) group, will turn up at International CES with new products bearing the Mark Levinson, Revel, JBL Synthesis and Lexicon brands.

Mark Levinson will celebrate its 40th anniversary with four new products available at various times during the year. Some products mark the brand’s reentry into product segments that it left awhile back, said marketing manager Jim Garrett. The brand will also launch an ad campaign to support the anniversary, he added.