DSP Concepts launched TalkTogether, adding full-duplex voice capability to its Audio Weaver platform. It's an alternative to third-party, black-box voice solutions, allowing for customized engineering designs. TalkTogether works for near-field to far-field voice calls “in the new hybrid global workplace," said the company Friday. The technology can be applied to Zoom calls, has wind suppression and speaker tracking, and is certified for Alexa.

After a delay from fall, Bowers & Wilkins began selling its PI7 and PI5 headphones Wednesday, its first true wireless designs. “We were in a position late last year where we could have considered launching,” Andy Kerr, director-marketing and communications, told Consumer Electronics Daily, but the company’s in-house software development team, brought in to create a music app for the Formation line, highlighted areas where the user experience for the earbuds could be improved, he said. That, combined with COVID-19 supply chain and “manufacturing resource issues,” affected timelines, Kerr said. With both items addressed, the company is in full production on the in-ear headphones that have Siri and Google Assistant voice support. The high-end PI7 ($399) model supports Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth transmission from compatible mobile devices and has 24-bit/48kHz wireless transmission between each earbud. The PI7s also have adaptive noise cancellation to automatically monitor, analyze and adapt to surroundings, making the PI7 one of a few true wireless headphones to support hi-res audio from music source to the user’s ears, said the company. Users can connect the PI7’s smart charging case to an external audio source -- such as an in-flight entertainment system -- by 3.5mm or USB cable and then wirelessly retransmit audio from that source to the earbuds, said the company. The $249 PI5s have standard aptX. B&W decided to stay out of the true wireless category “until we could access new technologies that would help us deliver the performance we wanted,” Kerr said. He noted the company also leaned on lessons from its five-year history in the wireless headphone category. On why B&W limited voice assistant support to Google and Apple, Kerr said voice support is linked to users’ phones rather than embedded in the devices. “So owners of iOS mobile devices access Siri and owners of Android phones get Google Voice Assistant,” which he called sufficient voice support for most mobile phone users. He noted that B&W’s Formation wireless multiroom music products now have Alexa Skills included because Alexa support is suited to home audio applications. The earphones are available from B&W's e-commerce site and authorized dealers.

House of Marley bowed stereo bookshelf Bluetooth speakers ($149) in its Get Together line that use “mindfully sourced” materials, it said Tuesday. Bamboo used in the speaker cabinets offers a higher compressive strength than wood and a tensile strength “that rivals steel,” said Director-Product Development Josh Poulsen. The left AC-powered speaker can stay on a shelf while the portable battery-powered right speaker is taken to the other side of a room or outdoors, said the company. The speakers have auxiliary and phone inputs and USB-C charging. Battery life for the right speaker is given as 20 hours.

Sonos’ partnership with Audi for a Sonos-tuned sound system in the upcoming Q4 e-tron and A1, Q2 and Q3 vehicles (see 2104140052) doesn't include a Sonos software integration, a company spokesperson said. That means features including Trueplay, Sonos Radio and integration into the current Sonos platform won't be available via the Audi vehicles, he said. Sonos launched its current S2 operating system in June. The company hailed software integration when it introduced the Roam portable speaker last month, including the ability for users to “throw” music from the portable speaker to other S2-based speakers in the home. The company wouldn’t share details on its future automotive road map but said “of course we see opportunities in the in-car experience.” The Sonos sound system will be part of a premium trim package when the Q4 e-tron launches in June. It didn’t share details on manufacturing location of the Audi system products.

Belkin is taking preorders for the $99 Soundform true wireless earbuds, calling the product one of the first accessories to work with Apple’s Find My network. If the earbuds are lost, but nearby, customers can use the Find My app to play a sound on the earbud case, said the company Wednesday. If lost farther away, users can put their earbuds in lost mode and let the Find My network help track down the case. Once located, they can use the Find My app on any iPhone to identify it and be taken to a website that will display the owner's message and contact information, Belkin said. Location data is kept private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption; no one, including Apple, can view the earbuds’ location, Belkin said. Shipping is slated for June.

Bowers & Wilkins began shipping a 16-channel distribution power amplifier for up to eight rooms, it said Thursday. The CDA-16 drives 16 channels, or eight stereo zones, with 50 watts per channel into 8-ohm speakers with Class D amplification. Price is $1,999.

Zvox is positioning its latest sound bar, the AV100, for consumers 55 and over who suffer from varying degrees of hearing loss. The speaker system, on sale for $99 at zvox.com, has AccuVoice voice clarification technology to “lift” dialogue from TV programming, said the company Thursday. The 10-inch-wide speaker has Dolby Digital sound.

Skullcandy introduced $24.99 Bluetooth 5.0 true wireless earbuds Tuesday. The Dimes have a mic in each bud, allowing users to use either bud alone without losing the ability to take calls, said the company. Battery life is given as 12 hours: 3.5 hours in use and 8.5 hours in the micro-USB battery case. Users can take calls, change track and volume and activate Google Assistant and Siri hands-free, said the company. Dimes have automatic turn-on with the last device used. If one is lost or broken, users can buy buds and cases separately from Skullcandy.

Sharp majority owner Foxconn is showing a Sharp 120-inch 8K TV with WiSA technology at Appliance & Electronics World Expo in Shanghai this week, said the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association Tuesday. The TV uses audio return channel, enhanced ARC and Consumer Electronics Control to connect and communicate with a WiSA SoundSend transmitter. Advanced tuning is available via iOS and Android apps, it said.

Hisense premium 2021 TVs are certified WiSA Ready, said WiSA Thursday. But Hisense told us details about which TVs would integrate the wireless sound technology “are still under wraps.” It plans a media event for spring, it said.