McIntosh Lab launched the new MCT450 Super Audio CD and CD transport as “a high-performance disc-spinner designed to complement any McIntosh product with a digital input,” said Jordan Acoustics, the high-end supplier’s U.K. distributor, in a Friday announcement. The MCT450 “reveals just how good SACD/CD can be in the streaming age,” the distributor said. The MCT450 includes an aluminum die-cast CD tray, plus power control and data ports “to control the unit’s operational state via other McIntosh system components,” it said. The entire unit is housed “in a classic McIntosh-styled polished stainless steel chassis” with a black-glass front panel and brushed-aluminum end caps, it said. McIntosh priced it in the U.K. at just under 4,500 pounds (about $6,700).
Definitive Technology launched its latest DTS Play-Fi wireless audio speaker, a white version of the W7, joining a black model already in the market. The tri-polar speaker has a 4-inch mid/bass driver, two side-mounted bass radiators, two front-firing 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters and a pair of side-firing 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters. Suggested retail price is $399, the company said.
Recently launched wireless headphones from Sennheiser are said to compensate for age-related hearing loss, the company said Thursday. Sennheiser worked with the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) on the RS 195 ($449), which uses personalized sound adjustments that can be adapted to each user’s preferences and individual hearing levels, the company said. Users can optimize the sound quality and speech intelligibility to reproduce details of TV shows and music, the company said. The headphones were designed to deliver high-quality audio, it said. People have their own preferences for speech intelligibility, and being able to make individual sound adjustments can benefit anyone, said Jan Rennies, researcher-Project Group for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology, Fraunhofer IDMT. From the age of 50 on, people begin to experience gradual hearing loss, Rennies said, adding that the signal processing used in the RS 195 headphones “significantly increases speech intelligibility.” In addition to modes to suppress TV noise and switchable modes for speech and music, the headphones have seven presets with different sound profiles that compress, accentuate or reinforce high, mid- and bass ranges, Sennheiser said. “The sound is not just louder, but can be adjusted to the specific needs of each user,” said Annegret Meyer, vice president-sales Europe Hearing Care, Sennheiser. Battery life of the headphones is 18 hours, the company said.
Audi and Bang & Olufsen will use the Geneva International Motor Show that opens Thursday to unveil the Audi R8 with a state-of-the-art B&O sound system. The sound system has 13 active speakers, each with its own dedicated amplifier channel, they said. The speakers were designed to complement the interior of the car, "with a focus on a new dynamic lines grille design," they said. Audi and B&O have had a longstanding collaboration, and iv January they used the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to showcase the Audi Q7 with B&O’s 3D advanced sound system (see 1501130032)
Sonos' latest software update is designed to make operation “easier and faster,” the company said in a blog post Tuesday. The update "introduces some new things for your Sonos and fixes others that we did not get right with the release of the Sonos app last spring," the company said. Upgraded features include an update to room control. The menu for room control is available from any screen of the Sonos App so users can move their music around the home more easily. An improved design for the tablet app makes toggling between screens more intuitive and quicker through multiple taps, it said. A new drop-down feature makes it easier to group rooms with a few taps, and users can go instantly from Now Playing to browsing using a swipe feature, Sonos said. Also, the track progression bar is more prominently displayed on the Now Playing screen to make it easier to go back and hear music one wants to repeat, it said.
Bryston announced availability of the Mini A three-way bookshelf loudspeaker. Drivers include a 6.5-inch aluminum woofer, 3-inch aluminum mid-range and 1-inch titanium dome tweeter. Finishes include natural, Boston cherry and black ash. Suggested retail price is $1,200 per pair with a 20-year warranty, the company said. Optional stands are $299 per pair.
DTS-HD surround sound will be available through Best Buy and Dixons’ CinemaNow over-the-top services in the U.S. and Canada, along with Sainsbury’s in the U.K., DTS said in a news release Tuesday. It’s not the first time CinemaNow subscribers have had access to the surround-sound technology, as DTS announced in 2013 (see 1305080072) that “Rovi-enabled digital video entertainment storefronts will soon be pairing their movie and TV show libraries” with DTS-HD and that the first compatible products would be Samsung 2013 connected TVs and Blu-ray players. At the time, a company spokesman said a CinemaNow app from a TV maker other than Samsung “right now doesn’t support taking the DTS content,” but that DTS was working with its other partners on enabling the technology, calling it a “slow process." In 2013 DTS said 4,000 CinemaNow titles would be enabled with DTS-HD surround sound and that other Rovi-enabled digital video services would be adding DTS-HD encoding as well. In its most recent 10-Q filing, DTS said its technologies have been integrated into “thousands” of streaming titles and downloadable content. It listed content partners as Deluxe Digital Distribution, CinemaNow and Paramount Pictures. DTS didn't immediately respond to questions.
Sony bowed four Bluetooth headphones Monday for on-the-go listening. The MDR-ZX770BN active noise-canceling headphones ($229), with 40mm drivers, pack aptX Bluetooth and near field communications (NFC) technology. With NFC, users can connect their headphones to another device by tapping them together, said the company. The $149 MDR-ZX770BT headphones, also with 40mm drivers, have a built-in microphone for hands-free calling. The rechargeable battery delivers 17 hours of battery life, Sony said, and the earcups fold flat for easy storage in a gym bag. The MDR-ZX330BT Bluetooth headphones ($99), with 30mm drivers and NFC, claim 30-hour battery life, said the company. The $99 MDR-AS600BT sports headphones include Bluetooth and NFC and are said to be water-resistant. Battery life is given as 8.5 hours, and the headphones come in black and orange. All four models, with hands-free calling, are due in stores this month, the company said.
NAD Electronics bowed two multichannel amplifiers for distributed audio applications. The eight-channel CI 980 ($1,299) uses high-efficiency switching amplifier technology that’s said to result in reduced weight, cooler operation, energy savings and improved reliability. The four-channel CI940 ($799) employs the company's class AB amplifier design that offers high dynamic power and low-impedance drive capability, it said.
In a sweeping example of diversification for a traditional audio supplier, Pyle Audio has a Bluetooth infrared ear and body digital thermometer, the company said Tuesday. Using Bluetooth Smart technology, the thermometer wirelessly sends data to a mobile device and syncs with the free Pyle Health app embedded in the thermometer to create user profiles, chart progress and automatically save records, Pyle said. A monitor in the app can store 99 temperature readings for each individual, it said. Data also can be emailed to a care provider for up-to-date records, it said. The thermometer, $64.99, is available for sale at Pyle’s online store.