Rotel’s RAP-1580 surround sound amplified processor will ship in April, said the company, billing it as a solution for customers who want the performance of home theater separates in a single chassis. The amp, with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X processing, is rated at 100 watts into eight channels and includes 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analog converters in all channels. A 7-inch display on the front panel assists with setup, said the company. The $2,800 unit has eight HDMI inputs supporting 4K video, with three HDCP 2.2-enabled, and Bluetooth AptX streaming.
Onkyo added the entry-level TX-SR373 AV receiver with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, it said Monday. Amplifier power rating is 80 watts into five channels, and the receiver includes Qualcomm aptX audio for streaming via Bluetooth. The $349 AVR marks a new price point for Onkyo’s AccuEQ room calibration technology, said the company. HDMI inputs support HDR10, HDCP 2.2 and 4K/60p video pass-through, Onkyo said.
LG began selling at AT&T stores a DTS-enabled Bluetooth audio product meant to be worn around the neck to let users experience “surround sound anywhere,” said the company Friday. The LG Tone Studio has four speakers and is said to immerse users in sound when they're watching a movie, playing a video game or streaming music, the company said. The $229 Tone Studio comes in silver and will be available at T-Mobile and Verizon stores next month, said LG.
Streaming multiroom music company CasaTunes bowed a configurator tool to allow do-it-yourself customers to implement a customized music system, said the company Tuesday. The cloud-based tool allows customers to create, save and view their projects any time, it said. The software displays the musicBox 6 server and any attached components. Once the musicBox 6 is set up, customers download the CasaTunes apps for Android and iOS to control the system from a smartphone or tablet. Each musicBox 6 ($1,899) includes a four-stream CasaTunes music server, a six-room power amplifier, six keypads and an infrared remote.
Denon launched a sound bar ($899) and subwoofer ($599) Thursday with Heos wireless multiroom audio technology. Digital signal processing in the three-channel sound bar gives the impression of a 5.1-channel surround-sound system and it includes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, Denon said. Users can play music from a phone via Bluetooth or stream from services including Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Rhapsody, iHeart Radio, Tidal, SiriusXM, SoundCloud and Amazon Music.
Denon bowed a Heos-equipped AV receiver with 5.1-channel surround sound that’s said to be as easy to set up as a soundbar using one cable to a TV. The $999 receiver has four HDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2 inputs and can stream music from a home PC or music services including Pandora, Spotify Connect and Tidal to Heos speakers, said Denon Wednesday. The 50-watt receiver, with Bluetooth, is built around a Class D amplifier and will work with wired or wireless speakers, said the company. Shipping is slated for April.
Pyle USA introduced a Bluetooth turntable that rests vertically on a wooden base. The $120 PLTT21BT spins 33, 45 and 78 rpm records and plays music through speakers built into the stand. A USB port allows users to connect to a PC and convert LPs to MP3s, said the company. Records are held in place by the center spindle, it said.
Software solutions and modules provider StreamUnlimited is partnering with Summit Semiconductor to port Summit’s Wi-Fi-compliant software for multichannel audio to its Stream770 and Stream810 Chromecast built-in modules, it said in a Wednesday announcement. The Summit technology lets StreamUnlimited modules support up to a 7.1-channel Wi-Fi-based home theater system with fixed low latency for video and audio synchronization, while maintaining tight speaker synchronization and no soundfield distortion, said Summit. Stream810 targets the premium segment, and Stream770 addresses the mainstream market with a low-cost solution capable of powering Chromecast built-in and voice, it said.
Apple customers looking to score regular-priced AirPods for the iPhone 7 aren’t any closer to finding the elusive earpods two months after the product launched just before Christmas, we found in a scan of e-commerce sites Friday. Apple.com gave availability of six weeks, and New York City Apple stores listed an April 7 in-store date. Best Buy showed a ship-by date of April 7. One seller on Amazon, Digitech Toys, claimed an in-stock date of Thursday but at $249, a $90 upcharge from suggested retail. On eBay, a pair of $235 AirPods had 12 bids at the end of the auction Friday, and “buy it now” units were selling for $288 and $299.
Vizio said its SmartCast Crave Pro and Crave 360 speakers with Chromecast built-in are rolling out to Costco and Amazon facilities in Canada. The Crave Pro is a 2.1-channel stationary speaker boosted by dual integrated subwoofers, and the Crave 360 omnidirectional speaker is portable, said a Wednesday news release. Both are controllable with Vizio’s SmartCast app on an Android or iOS device.