about-electronics.eu

Übergizmo: CoPilot hopes to stumble upon a goldmine with a dedicated version of their satellite navigation software on the Apple iPad, where it will be known as the CoPilot Live HD. This version is a high resolution edition of the company’s iPhone CoPilot Live app, where it was specially designed to work on the iPad 3G.

All street maps will be stored on the device, where the app will make full use of the iPad 3G’s integrated GPS receiver. There is also an exclusive iPad function – a new split screen driving view that merges uncluttered 3D or 2D map displays with clear, non-distracting turn instructions. You will be able to switch between portrait and landscape automatically, while retaining the pinch-zoom functionality and access to iPod music controls from within the app just like on the iPhone. If you want to use the app with the iPad Wi-Fi version, then you will need to fork out more dough for a separate GPS dongle such as the Posimotion G-Fi.

read more

iPodNN: Creative has just released its ZiiSound D5 Bluetooth speaker system. The company claimed to have avoided the usual compression problems and is using apt-X for streaming high-quality audio over the 3Mbps link. It should support any A2DP-capable Bluetooth device, including smartphones such as the iPhone as well as other handhelds like the iPad and iPod. (more…)

read more

What HiFi: The world of in-car audio is serious business and after a look at the brand new Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG system inside the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, it’s clear the Danish high-end audio and design experts are going to do things properly.

While the car boasts some serious wow factor, the sound system might just steal the show, with eleven speakers, 1000 watts of power and some ingenious in-car audio engineering. If you’ve got the money for such a car, then upgrading to the BeoSound AMG system must be a complete no-brainer.

After a whistle-stop visit to Bang & Olufsen’s HQ in Struer, we’re still digesting the technology inside Mercedes’ latest head-turner. After a tour of the B&O factory, some workshops with the audio engineers and even a quick spin in the car, it’s impossible not to be impressed by what we’ve seen.

Corner-cutting clearly isn’t a term with which David Lewis, the hugely influential Bang & Olufsen designer, or any of the company’s staff, are too familiar. Racing around the factory looking at machines designed and built solely to manufacture intricate components for specific B&O kit, and seeing examples of the countless parts that come together to make the company’s products rolling off the production line, there’s much to admire and absorb.

The importance of quality materials, attention to detail and absolute quality control are clearly paramount, with aluminium – and, whisper it, steel – parts being machined and milled to exacting standards. It’s no surprise that the company has been asked to make the odd unbranded part for other companies on the quiet over the years. Much of what is made here simply could not be made anywhere else.

But we’re not allowed to get too distracted by the speaker and TV components with which we’re most familiar, we’re here to learn about the BeoSound AMG sound system for the Mercedez-Benz SLS AMG.

The system boasts 11 speakers including two subwoofers, and two hefty amplifiers. We’re told that while ‘one amp is the brains of the operation, the other provides the horse-power’.

And some horse-power there is. The ICEPower amplifier (pictured below) – ‘Intelligent, Compact, Efficient’ – delivers 750 watts of power over five channels. Converting 93% of the energy fed to it into output power compared to a conventional car amp that would manage around 30%, it’s far more efficient, producing far less heat as a result.

The ICEPower delivers four channels of 125 watts and one channel of 250 watts, while the DSP (digital sound processor) amplifier offers up five 50 watt channels of power. This digital amplifier does the all-important ‘maths’ with the signal, converting a stereo sound or a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound to something the 11 speakers can deliver.

The location and characteristics of the speakers work together with the meticulously tuned DSP to ensure the music reaches the ears of those in the car sounding just as it should, with each speaker set to different delays to compensate for the position in the car.

You needn’t worry about that SLS AMG engine drowing out your sound either: the DSP analyses all outside sounds and adjusts the volume accordingly to ensure you can still hear your music while you enjoy the sound of the engine purring in to life. And these adjustments don’t just affect the system as a whole: speakers are adjusted individually, as are distinct sound frequencies.

Style and design are every bit as important, with materials and finishes to match the car’s interior alongside individual signature touches – such as white LEDs on the tiny ‘acoustic lens’ tweeters – adding to the high-end appeal of the BeoSound AMG system.

Smitten? We wouldn’t blame you but you better start saving: the BeoSound AMG system will set you back around 7000 euros, but you’ll of course need a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to house it. And that’s the wrong side of £150,000. You get what you pay for, eh?

read more

Pioneer.eu: Pioneer’s EX Series has been announced Best Speaker System Over £5,000 (5781 euros) at the Home Cinema Choice Awards 2010. The best home cinema products of the last year were celebrated last Friday. (more…)

read more

CNET: TomTom’s Go Live 1000 navigation device, set for a European launch this summer, will offer real-time connection for traffic, weather, and fuel info on the continent.

The connectivity across 33 European countries will come via Vodafone. That service will be free for the first year and cost 50 euros (about $67) annually after that. The GPS device itself doesn’t have a price tag or exact launch date yet.

The Go Live 1000 will feature a 500MHz ARM 11 CPU, 4GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, and a new user interface based on the open-source WebKit browser engine.

With TomTom’s IQ Routes tech, the device will review past traffic patterns to plan routes. TomTom’s HD Traffic system will analyze and show traffic flows and jams to continually determine the fastest route, the company said. The device will be able to download updates and new services remotely via an integrated modem.

The Go Live 1000 will be TomTom’s first GPS device to offer a capacitive touch screen a la those found on smartphones, along with high-resolution graphics. Traditional GPS screens have sometimes been hard to push and thus less responsive.

There is no word yet on whether or when the device may reach countries outside of Europe.

read more

Engadget: Right on time, Denon’s dropped the details on its hardware for 2010 on us. Taking top honors are two Blu-ray players: the DBP-2011UDCI ($799, August, not pictured) and the DBP-1611UD ($399, June, pictured above) that are touted as “true universal players”; with DVD-Audio and SACD playback out of the box and Blu-ray 3D on the way in a fall firmware update the company’s confident they’ll play most any 5-inch optical media you may be able to get your hands on. If you’re past discs don’t worry, Netflix, DLNA and YouTube streaming is also part of the deal.

Those should pair well with any of the slew of receivers due up including the AVR-991 (SRP: $999, July), AVR-891 (SRP: $799, May), AVR-791 (SRP: $499, May), AVR-591 (SRP: $349, May) and the AVR-391 (SRP: $249, July); or the custom install-focused AVR-4311CI (SRP: $1,999, Sept.), AVR-3311CI (SRP: $1,199, June), and AVR-2311CI (SRP: $899, June). All of the above bring HDMI 1.4a repeaters for 3D compatibility, onscreen displays through HDMI, and some include web browsers plus music streaming from Pandora or connected PCs. Check the press releases after the break for all the details including a few new headphone models, though we recommend taking it in just a bit at a time — the threat of overdosing on this much info is high.

read more

Stereophile: To celebrate his 30 years with the company, Marantz threw designer Ken Ishiwata a birthday party in the form of an assignment: Design a new, limited-edition integrated amplifier and SACD/CD player bearing his initials. (Only 500 of each will be made worldwide.)  

(more…)

read more

TechRadar: The Epos speaker brand has launched into the high-end with the £4,995 Encore 50.

With the Encore 50, Epos is gunning for the likes of ATC, Bowers and Wilkins and anyone else brave enough to poke their tweeter over the parapet. This speaker makes a statement of intent that no redblooded audio enthusiast could resist: it’s made to play loud.

Ironically, when you think of substantial speakers that play as loud as you like, Epos is not a name that comes readily to mind. It makes some pretty good speakers, but up until now they have been reasonably manageable, one man lift-type devices.

But what the high-end Encore 50 promises, is Epos’ signature timing and finesse combined with the ability to rock the house for the deep-pocketed.

A real hi-fi speaker

You can tell from this loudspeaker’s stature that it means business, it measures 1,230mm high on its substantial and elaborate spikes and makes no concessions to the whims of interior design. This is a speaker for those of us who are not afraid to admit that bigger is better when it comes to recreating a musical performance in the home.

It’s 45-kilo carcass contains a set of drive units that have been designed to fulfil this mission. For the bass, Epos has used a pair of 220mm woofers that are not only sizeable, but have a lightweight cone made out of Kevlar, carbon fibre and pulp (or paper as it’s usually known).

A composition that’s not dissimilar to the bass drivers in Bowers and Wilkins’ 800 series models, these cones sit in an aluminium chassis with a big 40mm voice coil that has (+/-) 30mm of travel – a lot for a cone of this size – the driver doesn’t have to work too hard to make itself heard.
 

read more

Gizmag: The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has unveiled more information about the forthcoming Bluetooth Core Specification 4.0 that is expected to start appearing in devices late this year or early in 2011. Central to the new spec, which will replace the Bluetooth v3.0 + HS standard that was officially adopted on April 21, 2009, is a low energy mode designed to enable the expansion of Bluetooth technology into a range of low power devices, such as watches, remote controls, and a variety of medical and in-home sensors. (more…)

read more

iPodNN: Sony today showed three upcoming sound systems for the home that have 3D sound capability. This includes the HT-CT150 and HT-CT350 3.1-channel sound bars and the 5.1-channel HT-SF470 surround sound system. All have a 3D pass-through with an HDMI repeater that includes three inputs and one output along with another HDMI pass-through connection.

The HT-CT350 is made to work with Sony’s 40-inch and larger BRAVIA HDTVs, thanks to a bracket that attaches the soundbar directly to them. It has 400W of power, evenly split between the three speakers and subwoofer. The HT-CT150 gets 340W of power, with 85W going to each speaker and the sub. Its design mimics that of 32-inch BRAVIA HDTVs.

The soundbars otherwise support lossless linear pulse code modulation (LPCM) Blu-ray Disc audio and BRAVIA Sync for controlling compatible Sony TVs from the same remote. They also get a coaxial and optical digital audio inputs. An iPod cradle for the two soundbars can be bought separately.

The 5.1-channel HT-SF470 home theater system is 3D capable in conjunction with a Blu-ray 3D player. It’s rated at 1,000W, with the five speakers getting 157W each, and the subwoofer 167W. It gets 3D pass-through from each of its three HDMI inputs, an HDMI repeater and audio return channel. The speakers can be connected wirelessly to the receiver with optional parts. In addition to the same BRAVIA Sync, two digital audio inputs and the optional iPod cradle as the soundbars, the system also gets digital cinema auto calibration for setting up.

The HT-CT350 and HT-CT150 will ship in May, priced at nearly $400 and $300, respectively. The HT-SF470 surround sound system is due in June for $550.

read more

iPodNN: Creative recently introduced its D200 and D100 Bluetooth speakers for mobile devices such as smartphones. The D200 is being described as a more affordable version of the ZiiSound D5 and gets 9W of sustained power for each of its two built-in speakers.

The Creative D100 is the entry level model with 2W for each of its two speakers. It can be had in black, pink, green or blue. Either gets a 3.5mm auxiliary input and can be either plugged in or powered by four AA batteries.

The high-quality apt-X codec is supported when an optional Creative iPod transmitter is ordered for about $61. This will result in higher quality sound than the standard A2DP Bluetooth connection.

The D200 will cost about $140 and the D100 about $92 when both arrive in stores in July.

read more

Engadget: The “works with iPhone” stamp has taken a whole new meaning for Pioneer as it’s just added two new Blu-ray players due in May featuring iControlAVR app support baked in. You won’t be taking advantage of the VSX-1020′s (VSA-1020 in Japan) 3D compatibility with the BDP-330 or higher end BDP-LX53, but owners will enjoy return of last year’s well-received Precision Quartz Lock System with the addition of YouTube streaming and RSS feeds. Taking advantage of the Apple tie-ins will require hooking up to the network and a WiFi dongle is extra, check out the screens from the remote app after the break and decide on your own if physical buttons (or only being able to bring a touch interface to certain discs) was just too much of a hassle.

read more