MQA announced Integra as a hardware partner, with the DTM-6 and DTM-7 network stereo receivers becoming the first Integra products with full MQA decoder capability. Onkyo is expanding its line of MQA-enabled products, bringing full MQA decoding to seven of its stereo products: R-N855, TX-8250, TX-8260 and TX-8270 network stereo receivers; NS-6130 and NS-6170 network audio players; and CR-N775D network CD receiver. MQA playback is accessible through USB storage and network inputs, it said. Onkyo sister brand Pioneer, which already offers MQA-enabled products, added MQA decoding to its SX-N30AE stereo receiver.
Harman announced a firmware update for the Mark Levinson No. 519 audio player, making it Roon Ready and MQA-certified for playback and authentication of MQA audio files and streams. The No. 519 offers high-resolution digital decoding up to 32-bit, 192kHz from PCM and double-speed direct-stream digital content. Other enhancements in the update: support for up to 8 TB USB hard drives, support for Mac OS formatted hard drives, faster network discovery, a Wi-Fi signal strength indicator and improved user experience with streaming services, said the company.
Swedish audio company Dirac Research announced a bass management module offered in three tiers for different market segments. The tier 1 Dirac Live Bass Management manages any number of subwoofers; tier 2 offers advanced setup for a single subwoofer, with control over parameters and frequency filters for other speakers; tier 3 is a free module for all existing Dirac Live customers and OEMs, allowing standard bass management with predictive results, said the company. The company will demonstrate the module at Westgate Suite #630 during CES, it said.
More than 271 million audio-centric hearables will be in use by 2022, up from an estimated 62 million this year, with voice assistants and touch sensors among leading interface technologies, Juniper Research reported Wednesday. Audio-focused hearables will be more than half of all wireless headphones in use by 2022, 80 percent in the U.S. Apple’s AirPods, at an estimated 24 million shipments this year, lead the market, and the overall hearables market, including fitness-focused and hearing augmentation devices, is estimated to reach 417 devices in market by 2022. More than 75 percent of hearables in use will incorporate voice assistants by 2022, said the researcher. "In some cases, voice assistants will be the only ‘hearable’ feature of these devices," said analyst James Moar, saying premium manufacturers will need to provide other features -- advanced audio adjustments or innovative interfaces -- for market differentiation. Fitness hearables with custom voice assistants will be 10 percent of hearables in use by 2022, he said. Assistive hearables for the medical market will generate over $40 billion annually by 2022, said Juniper.
Riva Audio began selling its voice-enabled Concert smart speaker exclusively through Amazon, said the company Thursday. The $199 speaker has a tap-to-talk feature, allowing users to control the speaker by voice from the Riva Voice app, it said, and its three mics can detect and respond to voice commands from 25 feet away while the speaker is at a high volume. It’s compatible with Alexa Skills, allows users to call and send messages to contacts using Alexa Calling and can work as an intercom using the Alexa Drop In feature, it said. The speaker’s open architecture and memory allow future Alexa updates such as multiroom music for whole-home audio, Riva said. The Concert has analog 3.5 mm inputs for legacy music sources; provides wireless streaming over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay; offers USB charging; and supports media servers, local content and Digital Living Network Alliance devices, said the company. The tabletop counterpart, called Stadium, is due later this year.
Dolby began selling from its website its $599 Bluetooth headphones designed to improve the streaming video experience. Called Dolby Dimension, they are designed to let viewers control how much of their surroundings they hear from “transparency” to “shutting out the world,” it said. In a Wednesday news release, CEO Kevin Yeaman said the headphones are designed to eliminate “volume rodeos,” where consumers have to turn volume up and down so they don’t disturb others or turn on subtitles to hear soft dialogue. Features include LifeMix, which controls the amount of outside sound heard; cinematic sound, designed to provide an immersive experience; and one-touch switching, which toggles among Bluetooth sources. The Dolby Dimension app, for iOS and Android platforms, lets users adjust LifeMix, virtualization and head tracking and to manage paired devices. The headphones come with a power base for charging. The Dolby site says beamforming mics provide clarity for calls, and users can choose to take calls or activate Siri or Google Assistant. A chat agent said users press and hold the headphones’ control plate for a few seconds when connected to a Siri- or Google Assistant-enabled mobile device for an experience that’s like using the mic on a smartphone or tablet. A video promoting the headphones didn’t demo the voice feature. Dolby is offering a 30-day in-home trial of Dimension and will refund the original price paid -- and pay for return shipping -- if a customer isn’t satisfied. The company didn't respond to questions.
Shinola Audio added Bluetooth in-ear monitors to its headphone line. The Canfield in-ear monitors, developed with Campfire Audio, use aptX Bluetooth and pair with a source device “within seconds,” said the company. Price is $250 at Shinola.com.
French hi-fi company Focal bowed a pair of outdoor speakers, the first with an Ingress Protection rating of 66 for moisture and dust resistance. The 100 OD6 ($199) and 100 OD8 ($249) are housed in a polypropylene cabinet that’s said to withstand ultraviolet rays. Rotation angle of the aluminum speaker brackets is 180 degrees, said the company.
KEF introduced a wireless stereo music system based on its Uni-Q driver array and Music Integrity Engine that’s due to ship in January. In wireless mode, inter-speaker connection supports 48kHz/24-bit transmission; when connected with an optional wire, the system supports 96kHz/24-bit transmission, said the company. The LSX has built-in access to Spotify Connect and Tidal via using 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi, includes AirPlay 2 for Apple device users and Bluetooth 4.2 with Qualcomm’s aptX codec for other music sources, said the company. The $1,100 system, which includes optical and auxiliary inputs, can access music stored on a networked hard drive or PC via Digital Living Network Alliance, KEF said. It’s controllable by app from Android and iOS devices.
Sonos is experimenting with color through a limited-time offer with Danish furniture and accessory brand Hay in the Alexa-enabled Sonos One line. In a blog post Wednesday, Sonos cited the relationship between sound and home design in announcing the $229 Hay Sonos One Limited Edition. The five smart speakers are priced $30 above the standard Sonos One that’s available in black or white. Colors are pale yellow, light gray, soft pink, forest green and vibrant red. Sonos didn't respond to questions.