25
Aug
2011
Engadget: A major development out of Cupertino: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has stepped down, the board naming Tim Cook as his replacement. The company said “Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company.” (more…)
25
Jul
2011
Engadget: Been on the prowl for an audio solution with AirPlay to compliment your iDevice or Apple TV? Bid hello to Libratone’s ultra-chic Lounge and Live soundbars. Last year, the company introduced its eye-catchingBeat wireless speaker system back at IFA; we were intrigued by its active drivers and carry handle, but mildly disappointed that cord-cutting required pesky proprietary adapters. Apple users will be happy to know AirPlay’s been fully embraced this time, along with the signature adornment of cashmere wool. (more…)
11
Jul
2011
Newlaunches: Whatever happened to Apple accessories that manage to highlight the elegance and pure white design elegance of the newer breed of gizmos from the maker? Well, we’re seeing the Jawbone Jambox and it’s looking good with a limited edition gold color. The Bluetooth speaker showed up on AV Watch Japan. It brags HSP, HFP and A2DP capabilities. To make communication total bliss when you use your iDevices, you have an in-built microphone to capture your velvet voice.
It is said to cost 19,800 Yen ($246). The Jambox can charge itself using microUSB charging or be powered by an AC adapter.
25
May
2011
What Hi-fi: Given the success of Apple’s iPad, it’s hardly surprising we’re seeing an increasing number of iPad speaker docks coming to market.
JBL is the latest to join the fray with its £150 OnBeat, which can accommodate an iPad, iPhone or iPod. Users can rotate their iDevice to view it in portrait or lanscape mode. (more…)
16
May
2011
What Hi-fi: Denon has announced its AV receiver line-up for 2011. The five-strong model range includes the first three machines to feature integrated Apple Airplay.
The receivers are due out from this month and all five support 3D pass-through, as is now standard across Denon’s range.
The entry-level AVR-1312 (£250) features 5 x 110w channels, four HDMI inputs and one output and support for HD audio.
Step up to the AVR-1612 (£380) for a front USB port for connecting an iPod/iPhone, increased power to 120w per channe and Dynamic Volume audio processing.
Debuting on the the AVR-1612 is Denon’s new Setup Wizard, alongside advanced Audyssey MultEQ calibration.
The AVR-1912 (£500), AVR-2312 (£800) and AVR-3312 (TBC) all feature integrated Apple Airplay and 3D support, and promise to major on network capabilities and ease of use.
Airplay allows you to stream music directly from an iPhone or iPod Touch as well as directly from your iTunes library on a Mac or PC. There’s a USB for direct playback, too.
The receivers also support DLNA, allowing streaming of MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and FLAC-HD audio, plus photos, from a PC or NAS device.
Over 12,000 internet radio stations can also be accessed, as well as subscription-based music services such as Napster and Last.fm.
The AVR-1912 offers six HDMI (1.4 with 3D and ARC) inputs and one output, seven channels of 125w, Audyssey MultEQ, Dynamic Volume and 2-zone capability.
Pay the extra for the AVR-2312 for a 7.2-channel receiver, 135w per channel, an extra HDMI input and Audyssey MultEQ Pro.
Meanwhile the top-of-the-range AVR-3312 bolsters its specification with 165w per channel, a second HDMI output and front height and front wide connections.
You’ll also find Audyssey DSX Processing, Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit. AL24 Processing, Clock Jitter Reducer and 3 source/3 zone capability.
The entry-level AVR-1312 and AVR-1612 are due out this month, to be followed in June by the AVR-1912 and AVR-2312. The AVR-3312 will follow later in the year.
06
May
2011
Akihabaranews: With the release of AirPlay in Apple’s latest iOS software, companies have been rushing to release speakers which will work with Apple’s new technology.
The Zeppelin Air is Bowers & Wilkins’ latest AirPlay compatible speaker system. Built almost exactly like its predecessor, the Zeppelin Air boasts improved speakers and AirPlay compatibility. The speaker system incorporates, “a fully active 2.1 design which means that all five units are individually driven by dedicated audiophile amplifiers, which are designed by Bowers & Wilkins.”
The Zeppelin also features the Bower and Wilkins Flowport technology and advanced Digital Signal Processing in the form of Dynamic EQ. The DACs have also been upgraded to 24bit-96KHz capability.
I was granted the opportunity of hearing this new speaker system at the Gadget Show Live Press Event back in April and it gave off a lovely warm sound with a good amount of bass that really brought the music being played to life.
The Zeppelin Air will be available from March 2011 and will be priced around £499.
20
Apr
2011
Engadget: For months we’ve been wondering aloud how Sonos would respond to Apple’s September AirPlay announcement. After all, Apple’s promise to “stream music throughout your entire house” steps all over Sonos’ reason to exist. Would Sonos start building its systems with BridgeCo chips? As it turns out: no. Instead, Sonos is opting for a rather ingenious solution, at a cost of $99. Rather than licensing BridgeCo technology at additional expense atop Sonos’ already costly components, the company has instead devised an approach that links Apple’s own AirPlay-compliant AirPort Express into Sonos’ proprietary wireless mesh network. The solution (illustrated after the break) works by first shutting off the WiFi on the AirPort Express base station and then stringing a cable between its audio-out and the line-in jack on any Sonos ZonePlayer, including the S5 all-in-one speaker. You then run an ethernet patch cable between the two and you’ve just enabled your iOS devices to play AirPlay audio to any (or all) Sonos device in the home from any compatible AirPlay app. Naturally, the Sonos solution does not integrate with AirPlay speakers like those from iHome, JBL, B&W, Klipsch, or Philips and the AirPlay audio won’t be synced with video; but it’s a start. The new functionality requires a software update to your system in the form of Sonos System Software version 3.4 — available now — which also adds iOS multitasking amongst a few other goodies.
Today also marks the official release of the free Sonos Controller for Android app in the Android Market making it a pretty good day to be a Sonos owner.
07
Apr
2011
Akihabara News: With the overhead headphone MDR-ZX300IP and two in-ear ones the MDR-XB41I and MDR-XB21IP, Sony want to bring a full set of compatible headphones to every single iPod and iPhones built since 2009!
All models will be put on the market at the end of this month in Japan and comes with a dedicated remote to allow you to control your iPhone/iPod volume and tracks, as well as including a little microphone in order to be used freely with an iPhone. These headphones are compatible with all iPhones, iPad, iPod Nanon 4th to 6th Generation, iPod Touch 2-to4th generation and iPod Classic 120/160Gb.
28
Mar
2011
Cool Material: 90% of the time, we’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of warmth and clarity in favor of convenience. Drunken hazes not withstanding, we’re actually talking about music. Vinyl is fantastic and everything, but it’s a huge pain in the ass compared to the convenience of loading up your iPod/Phone/Pad with gigs and gigs of music. However, we also kind of miss the tactile feel associated with things like vinyl, cassettes and even cds (hard to believe even we’re old enough to call cds vintage.). The Stereolizer App for your iPad is the closest thing we’ve seen to a blend of vintage 80′s style cool with modern convenience. For $2, you can turn your iPad into an 80′s stereo with access to over 6,000 Internet radio stations, a “tape recorder” that works exactly like you’d expect it to and more than enough knobs, buttons and dials to amuse you for at least a few meetings.
18
Mar
2011
Gizmag: While LG might be best known for its consumer electronics products, the South Korean conglomerate has plenty of strings to its bow with around 40 subsidiary companies in areas including electronics, telecommunications and chemicals. One such subsidiary is LG Hausys, which is Korea’s biggest building and decorative material company. Its products include a solid surface material called HI-MACS and to demonstrate the “limitless design possibilities” of the material, LG Hausys teamed up with Korean architect Shi-hyung Jeon to create Horn, a hand-made iPod speaker dock featuring the smooth, curved shape from which it gets its name.LG Hausys says its HI-MACS material is the optimum choice for a speaker cabinet due to its non-porous features and to the minimal vibrations that the material generates in contact with the speakers. These properties help drive the vibration of the speaker enclosure with a minimal diffraction of sound that is directed outwards via the Horn’s sweeping curves. Aesthetically, these curves are designed to reflect the line of the sleeve of traditional “Han-bok” and “Beo-seon” Korean clothes.
The unit includes eight three-inch full range drivers providing a frequency range of 47 Hz to 20 KHz with an amplifier output of 2 x 25 W. An iPod or iPhone connects to the speakers via a 30-pin connector on the top surface of the unit, which stands 1,312 mm (51.6 in) tall, 600 mm (23.6 in) wide and 395 mm (15.5 in) deep.
While LG Hausys says the Horn serves up a “stunningly clear, precise listening experience that today’s audiophiles are looking for,” the chance of said audiophiles getting to discover this for themselves seems remote as the Horn is currently just a design concept.
10
Mar
2011
Engadget: You may have laughed off the assertion made by BridgeCo‘s VP of Sales and Marketing back at CES, but the man’s looking downright prophetic now. Apple has just nailed down yet another major player in its efforts to take over the streaming media world with AirPlay, as Pioneer’s VSX-1021 launched today as the first of eight AirPlay receivers the company has planned for 2011. It’s a 7.1 channel affair that supports wireless playback of iTunes libraries so long as you fork over a few extra dollars for the AS-WL300 wireless LAN adapter. You’ll also need an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or a Mac / PC with iTunes 10.1+, and the new AVR should show up immediately as an available AirPlay device. This particular one will sell for $549, and if you’re looking to spring, you should also know about Air Jam and iControlAV2 — two new (free) apps that turn iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 4.2 into sources for the aforesaid AVR. The latter actually enables full-on control of the receiver from an iOS device, while the former should do a fine job of handling the song selection during your next part. Hit up the source links for the nitty-gritty, and if you venture down beyond the break, you’ll find overview videos for the device shown above as well as the Air Jam app.
[youtube]ABHQu1DWPHE[/youtube]
10
Mar
2011
Engadget: When we first peeked this AirPlay-enabled speaker dock, we were admittedly excited to see how things would turn out after it made rounds through the FCC. JBL just tossed up the splash page for the On Air Wireless speaker and we’ve gotta say — it looks to be a promising means of streaming your jams. The system connects wirelessly to your AirPlay-enabled Mac and iOS device on 4.2 or later and packs a screen that’ll display the track info of the song you’re rocking out to. What’s more, the rounded grill sports a dual alarm clock, FM radio, and a USB port for future firmware updates. As you might have surmised by now, the dock is not yet available for purchase and there’s no word on price. If you’re interested, though, be sure to hit the source link, sign up for more info and get ready to headbang this spring.