Chicago – British speaker-maker Wharfedale launched its first Bluetooth speaker in the U.S.
The AC-only Cobalt Wireless Bluetooth Loudspeaker is shipping at a suggested $399 through Sound Solutions, which is the exclusive U.S. distributor of the high-end Wharfedale brand and Avid HiFi-brand turntables and phono stages.
The piano-black Cobalt features aptX audio decoding, dual 4-inch full-range drivers, bass port, 30-watt RMS amplifier, and 3.5mm aux in. It also features proprietary 24-bit digital signal processing with patented psychoacoustic algorithms to “provide room-filling audio,” the company said.
The speaker measures 6.75 by 15 by 7.27 inches, including integral base. The front is curved out.
The Cobalt can be operated by touch-panel controls or supplied remote.
Walt Schofield, Sound Solutions’ sales and marketing VP, said the speaker delivers “sound quality that lives up to the heritage of the Wharfedale name.”
The speaker brand is owned by International Audio Group (IAG), which also owns the Mission, Quad, Luxman and Audio Lab audio brands available outside the U.S.