Audio-Technica’s 2016 product lineup includes additional Hi-Res Audio headphones, gaming headsets and a turntable, a company spokesman said Tuesday. The company will bow a revamped version of its ATH-MSR7 SonicPro Hi-Res Audio headphones, sub-$100 QuietPoint active noise-canceling headphones and six smartphone-compatible Solid Bass headphones including Bluetooth and Hi-Res Audio-compliant models. Hi-Res Audio-compliant models have a frequency response of 40 kHz or higher, he said. Product details, including pricing and availability, will be released at CES next week.

Marantz joined sister brand Denon (see 1512150044) in announcing a free DTS:X update for four network AV models from its 2015 product line. Updates for the AV8802/A preamplifier will be available Feb. 4, and users will be able to update the AV7702mkII preamplifier and the SR7010 and SR6010 AV receivers on March 3, said Marantz. Connected products will receive an automatic upgrade notification when firmware is available, it said. Users who have turned off the automatic update feature will have to do a manual update to get the DTS:X upgrade.

James Loudspeaker is selling built-to-match soundbars for curved TVs, the company said Thursday. Each curved bar -- available on James’ SPL-3, SPL-5 and SPL-6 series of aluminum soundbars -- is custom-built to fit a specific TV, said James. “Although the curved flat panel display market is limited in size, our integrators require a premium sound bar” that allows them to differentiate from competitors, said CEO Mark Schafle. James Loudspeaker curved soundbars are available by special order for a $400 premium.

Denon announced availability Tuesday for DTS:X software updates, saying updates for its AVR-X7200WA and AVR-X7200W AV receivers will be available Jan. 28, and updates for the AVR-X6200W and AVR-X4200W receivers will follow Feb. 18. After the update, the receivers will be able to run an Audyssey room-equalized DTS:X setup of up to 11.2 channels, said the company. Users will be prompted to upgrade via a firmware update notification on TV if it’s connected to the receiver and Internet and the update notification setting is set to on, said Denon. The company will deliver updates for more DTS:X-ready receivers in 2016, said Yoshinori Yamada, Denon’s global team leader-AV receivers.

Klipsch bowed its first in-ear Bluetooth headphones in its R6 series. The $149 phones use aptX Bluetooth technology and run eight hours on a charge, said the company. The phones’ oval ear tips are designed to fit the contours of the ear canal for comfort, and they offer passive noise isolation by blocking out “almost all” ambient noise, resulting in "excellent bass," said the company. The three-button remote offers full control of most smartphones including Android and Apple devices, said the company.

Wireless is leading the push for speakers and headphones in U.S. broadband households, said a Parks Associates report. Some 15 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy wireless speakers by-mid 2016, while 18 percent plan to buy earbuds and 16 percent plan to buy headphones, said the report. At the beginning of the year, nearly six in 10 U.S. broadband households with speakers owned a wireless version, said the research company, and 42 percent of households with headphones owned a wireless pair, said Parks analyst Brad Russell, citing a "willingness among consumers to spend on connected audio equipment in order to enhance the audio experience, add a wireless component to the audio setup in the home, and adopt a brand with the reputation for fashionable accessories and high-quality sound." The smartphone is now the primary interface for the connected home and is helping to create new app uses for music streaming services, driving interest in connected audio devices, said Russell. Some 22 percent of U.S. broadband households own wireless speakers and more than one-third of U.S. broadband households use their smartphones to stream music to speakers or stereo systems, said the research firm Wednesday. Consumers 25-34 are the largest age group streaming tunes from smartphones to speakers, Parks said. Among all U.S. broadband households, 40 percent use a free service to stream audio and 26 percent subscribe to paid streaming audio services, it said. Amazon Prime Music is the top subscription music service among U.S. broadband households (10 percent), followed by Pandora One (6 percent) and Spotify Premium (4 percent).

Amazon Prime Music is now available on Denon’s Heos wireless music system, Denon said Tuesday. Heos can control its Amazon Prime Music content via Android, Amazon Fire and iOS devices, Denon said. Other Heos music services include iHeartRadio, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal and TuneIn.

Google’s Chromecast Audio and Google Cast for audio could emerge as market leaders for streaming audio platforms despite competition from DTS’ Play-Fi, Qualcomm’s AllPlay and Apple’s AirPlay, ABI Research analyst Michael Inouye said in a report Thursday. “Both the device and technology have potential to be key influencers in expanding the market reach of networked audio devices by capitalizing on heightened market attention,” Inouye said. Google’s success with Chromecast showed the importance that pricing plays in consumer uptake of streaming media devices, Inouye said, and Google’s new audio solutions follow the low-cost model. Inouye contrasted that with the WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio) model with high pricing that “may limit its market appeal in the short term.” Speaker companies that address the broader market are “best poised to continue shaping the market moving forward,” Inouye said, citing brands including Bose, JBL, Klipsch and Polk. The smart home, too, could play an increasingly important role in the wireless speaker market, “particularly if products like Amazon’s Echo continue to gain traction,” he said. The market for wireless and multiroom speakers is forecast to pass 90 million shipments by 2020, ABI said.

Beale Street Audio bowed its first left/center/right loudspeaker, an in-wall two-way, single-enclosure design that's less than three inches deep. Called the LCR Pancake, the speaker is available in two models: one for the Beale Street Audio line and one for its Xpress line, said the company. The speakers use Sonic Vortex technology inside an integrated and compact tuned cabinet that allows the speakers to fit into spaces where wall depth presents installation challenges, said the company. The speakers can be installed vertically or horizontally as a single-speaker or in pairs and are available through the company’s distributor channel.

The notable exclusion of Sonos from Apple Music’s launch will be a nonissue soon. Sonos invited former Beats Music users Monday to join a private beta test of Apple Music on Sonos starting Dec. 15 “before the world gets their ears on it.” Sonos users can participate by joining Apple Music -- “free for the first three months” -- on their mobile devices and PCs, whether iOS, Android or Windows PC, said the company. After signing up, the update will display in the Sonos controller and users will receive additional instructions, it said. A disclaimer on the Sonos website says the beta isn’t the final product. “It’s a preview. A really solid one.” Most features “are working perfectly,” said Sonos, but a few “are still being dialed in.” Sonos will use beta users’ feedback to make “slight changes here and there” to improve the experience, the company said. For users who would rather wait, the final version will be available “early next year,” it said. Apple Music subscriptions are $9.99 per month per user or $14.99 per month for a family plan.