Sony introduced $179 LinkBuds, targeting augmented-reality gaming, work-from-home use and quick access to Spotify music, the company said Tuesday. An open ring design lets users tune to the outside world without compromising the listening experience, it said. The tiny earbuds weigh 0.14-ounce, enabled by a space-saving design that integrates the protective surface covering the speaker diaphragm within the housing. Features include Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, adaptive volume control, Alexa or Google Assistant voice control, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and Spotify Tap, which allows listeners to access music without using phone controls. LinkBuds have Microsoft Soundscape technology, allowing users to hear audio beacons and callouts of buildings or intersections; compass/gyro sensors inside the headphones detect the direction of a user's head and allow them to hear the sound from a destination, without holding a smartphone, Sony said.
Rockford-Fosgate will sell Road King sound systems for 2014 and later Harley-Davidson motorcycles direct to consumers via Harley-davidson.com and through Harley dealerships, the audio company said Wednesday. Systems have a 250-watt Bluetooth-connected amplifier, with a seven-band equalizer for tuning. A customized app uses GPS to monitor speed and adjusts volume automatically so the rider can keep eyes on the road, the company said. Three speaker options are available.
Sony announced a wireless sound bar/subwoofer system at $299, its lowest priced model with S-Force Pro Surround technology, it emailed Tuesday. The HT-S400 wireless subwoofer has a 6.2-inch driver and Dolby Digital sound. When connected to a Sony Bravia TV, the sound bar’s settings automatically appear on the TV's Quick Settings menu and are controllable by the Bravia remote, Sony said. Orders begin in April, it said.
Realtek will integrate WiSA’s multichannel spatial audio capabilities into its 5GHz IoT chip feature set, the companies said Thursday. The “cost-effective” IoT module will be capable of delivering high-definition, spatial audio streams, they said. Samples are expected to be available this year. Brett Moyer, CEO of WiSA parent company Summit Technologies, said Realtek’s deep list of tier one CE customers will help bring spatial audio capability “to the masses.”
NAD bowed a digital stereo power amplifier with Purifi Eigentakt technology, a “once-in-a-decade” innovation first introduced in the M33 BluOS streaming amp. The 200-watt-per-channel M23 ($3,499), due this month, has switch-mode power supplies and Class D output stages that are linear over a wide bandwidth and provide consistent performance into all speaker loads, the company said Wednesday.
U.K. brand Cyrus Audio will integrate Lenbrook’s BluOS streaming platform into upcoming audio products, the companies said Tuesday. In choosing a streaming platform, “Lenbrook made clear their strong commitment to providing all customers a premium user experience, combined with access to the best of the hi-res music streaming services,” said Cyrus Managing Director Nicholas Clarke, saying the companies’ values are aligned.
DTS confirmed TCL’s adoption of the Play-Fi ecosystem Tuesday, after the TV and sound bar maker’s CES announcement it added Play-Fi to high-end models in its 2022 sound bar line (see 2201040046). TCL’s collaboration with the DTS Play-Fi ecosystem gives consumers an option to offer rich sound with more products and price points “without the barrier of multiple wires to connect to one’s home entertainment experience,” said Bill Jiang, general manager-TCL Industries Overseas Business Group.
Hifiman updated its Edition XS ($499) headphones with a new shape that enables waves to pass through the magnets without causing interference, the company emailed Wednesday. The open-back planar headphones have a NEO “supernano” diaphragm that's 75% thinner than previous designs for improved frequency response and imaging, it said. Edition XS is available direct from Hifiman, plus through select dealers and from Amazon.
Summit Wireless’ WiSA subsidiary said Tuesday that TCL will integrate the audio company's wireless sound module in the X925 Pro 8K Mini-LED Starlight Smart Screen. TCL chose WiSA’s sound module for its flagship TV because it combines “the highest quality audio output with the simplicity of a wireless connection to external speakers,” said Ellen Wang, TCL R&D director. WiSA’s SWM908SD transmitter module can send up to eight channels of 24-bit, uncompressed audio at 44.1-, 48- and 96 kHz sample rates.
Summit Wireless partnered with Espressif Systems to develop a 2.4-GHz wireless audio module that's said to deliver the reliability and quality of 5 GHz solutions. Summit will demonstrate the production-ready module -- designed for fixed-, low-latency wireless audio transmission -- at a suite at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel during CES, it said Tuesday. The Discovery module has support for four independent 48 kHz pulse-code modulation audio channels, fixed source-to-speaker latency meeting video lip-sync requirements, Dynamic Network Optimization technology for wireless link reliability, and low interchannel delay between speakers for a “distortion-free experience,” said the companies. Espressif Systems CEO Swee-Ann Teo said the entry-level module fills a need for cost-effective connections for sound bars and thin TVs connecting to surrounding speakers.