Sony began taking orders Tuesday for the WF-1000XM4 true wireless headphones. The company spotlighted improved noise-canceling technology -- including automatic wind noise reduction -- that's said to use less power than the previous version. The $279 earphones support Sony’s LDAC Hi-Res audio coding technology, said to transmit three times the data of conventional Bluetooth audio. Beamforming mics are calibrated to only pick up sounds from the user's mouth to limit ambient noise, Sony said, and Google and Alexa voice assistants can be summoned hands-free. The earphones' 360 Reality Audio can be used with participating streaming services on Android and iOS smartphones. Battery life is given as up to eight hours from the headphones, 16 hours from the case. A five-minute quick charge gives 60 minutes of play time. They come with a Qi wireless charging case.
JVC bowed Bluetooth 5.0 true wireless earphones in its XX series that touts “deep bass” and a “tough body.” The HA-XC50Ts ($99) are IP55-rated to withstand sweat, dust and water. They’re voice-assistant-compatible and have a hands-free mic. Battery life is given as 14 hours: four hours listening and 10 hours in the charging case.
Harman’s luxury audio Mark Levinson brand announced a partnership with Top Chef alumni Monday. The Instagram program teams three chefs and a sommelier with a local up-and-coming musician to show how they can “combine to enhance and inspire one another,” they said. Mark Levinson Reveals began Monday and will run through Sept. 20.
Sonos is “excited about the products we’re working on" in partnership with Ikea and will share more on June 15, emailed a spokesperson Monday. House Beautiful posted a product page Saturday trumpeting an upcoming Symfonisk-brand smart speaker and photo frame in white, priced at $199, adaptable with interchangeable fronts for wall mounting or floor placement. When we followed the House Beautiful link again Sunday, the listing had been removed. Ikea and Sonos partnered in 2019 on the Symfonisk product line that includes combination lamp-speakers that are still current (see 1908020042). Sonos CEO Patrick Spence referenced upcoming new Symfonisk form factors on a recent earnings call (see 2105210037).
THX partnered with DSP Concepts to allow developers to integrate THX Spatial Audio into the Audio Weaver platform. Audio Weaver includes three THX Spatial Audio process blocks: two variants of acoustic crosstalk cancellation and a stereo widener, to provide a more detailed, nuanced listening experience, “imitating how content sounds in a natural environment," said DSP CEO Chin Beckmann Thursday. Audio Weaver allows for seamless real-time collaboration “and an agile approach to audio product development,” said Jason Fiber, THX chief operations officer.
True wireless headsets (TWS) will be among the winningest sectors in the smart accessories market as the global economy tries to recover from the pandemic, reported ABI Research Thursday. Wireless headset shipments will exceed a billion units in 2025, with TWS generating half the sales, it said. ABI estimates TWS will rise at a 27.9% compound annual growth rate through 2025. Lower device costs, combined with technological innovations such as Bluetooth Low Energy audio, “will drive demand and unlock new use cases and applications such as location-based audio sharing,” it said.
Kanto bowed passive speakers geared for use with a digital-to-analog converter/amplifier or stand-alone amp, as part of a stereo music system, or for TV sound as rear, side or height-channel speakers in a home theater setup. The YU Passive 5.25 ($199 a pair) and YU Passive 4 ($159) will be available next month, said the company.
Luxman is commemorating its 95th anniversary with a limited, special edition L-595A amplifier, an upgrade to the L-570 series that launched in 1989. The Class A stereo amplifier delivers 30 watts a side into 8-ohm loads. Luxman allocated 100 of the $11,995 units to North America, with deliveries to begin next month.
Distributor Petra Industries added Pure Acoustics speakers to its speaker line. Brooklyn-based Pure manufactures all its speaker parts and components, including voice coils and crossovers, it said. The product mix includes Bluetooth portables and personal, outdoor and home theater speakers, it said.
Bang & Olufsen launched the WiSA Certified Beolab 28 stereo speakers Monday. Power rating is given as 1,250 watts; frequency range is 27 Hz-23,000 Hz, said the company. The speakers include Airplay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, and have integrated access to music services through Bang & Olufsen Radio. Prices start at $14,750 per pair. WiSA reports Q1 Wednesday.