INDUSTRY & PRODUCT NEWS

McIntosh's New MX160 A/V Processor Combines UHD, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D

McIntosh Laboratory's new MX160 processor combines 4K Ultra HD video, HDBaseT connectivity, Dolby Atmos, and Auro-3D immersive audio support, high-resolution audio support, RoomPerfect correction technology, and more with the brand's legendary sound quality. Now available for $20,000 and ready to invade home cinema systems everywhere, the new MX160 replaces the existing MX151 and brings McIntosh's sound and build quality to a new level. Read More

Audio Design Experts Awarded Patent For Trillium Technology

Audio Design Experts, Inc. (ADX) is an audio technology company from California and the parent company of lifestyle brand RIVA Audio. ADX has announced the issuance of a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its Trillium sound system processor that creates a broad sound field from a compact multi-speaker. The patented sound system processor is used in RIVA's Turbo X and RIVA S Bluetooth speakers. Read More

Morel Debuts New SoundWall In-Wall Speaker Models at CES 2016

Morel plans to announce the debut of its new in-wall soundbar, the SoundWall LCR 4 at CES 2016, in Las Vegas, NV. Morel created the SoundWall LCR 4 to complement today's ultra slim televisions with a sleek, high-fidelity modular audio solution. Another new product is the SoundWall SURFACE series, part of Morel's new "invisible" architectural speaker solutions that leaves no visual footprint, while producing an immersive musical experience. Read More

Pascal Awarded with Third Gazelle for Continuous Growth in the Last Four Years

Pascal, the Danish-based OEM manufacturer of high-power amplifier modules for the professional audio industry, has been awarded its third B�rsen Gazelle Award, which recognizes companies that have had continuous growth in turnover or gross profit within the last four years, and more than doubled their turnover or gross profit in the period. Pascal has now received the prestigious award for three years in a row. Read More

TIDAL Certifies StreamUnlimited's StreamSDK Development Platform

StreamUnlimited, a provider of software solutions and development modules for connected audio products, announced TIDAL has certified StreamSDK, its streaming and multi-room audio integration solution, as an approved product module for companies that incorporate the service into its products. TIDAL's certification will enable audio manufacturers to bring products to market much easier and faster. Read More

Avegant Glyph Combines Personal Immersive Sound and Vision

Avegant, a technology company from California announced the availability of the Glyph integrated vision and audio headphones system, following a successful campaign on Kickstarter. Avegant is shipping more than 10,000 Founder's Edition Glyphs in the first quarter of 2016, and the company just launched its new website and online store. Meanwhile former Lucasfilm executive, Richard Kerris, joined Avegant as CMO. Read More

Jo�o

Martins

Editor-in-Chief

Editor's Desk

The Deafening Silence of Technology's Evolution

Considering the exciting technology announcements made throughout 2014 until CES 2015, we must say that the year about to end has been slightly disappointing. Areas such as wireless audio, high-resolution audio, Ultra HD Blu-ray - promoted by both the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and the UHD Alliance (UHDA) - and even the evolution of immersive audio formats, have not delivered in expected ways. In fact, following the buzz generated early in the year, the silence in the last few months has been deafening.

An example is the fact that the UHD Alliance (UHDA), just recently announced the completion of its "premium specifications" for 4K Ultra HD displays, content, and distribution, which will be unveiled at CES 2016. The specification outlines performance metrics related to image resolution, high dynamic range, and wide-color gamut, as well as recommendations for immersive audio, among others, and will be essential for the promised Ultra HD Blu-ray format - which needs all the possible arguments to differentiate it from fast-growing streaming media services.

The crowdfunded Crazybaby Mars levitating Bluetooth portable speakers actually shipped and are available on Amazon for $299...

The reasons for the delay are multiple and essentially have to do with lots of backstage work being done by promoting organizations and manufacturers. Much of it has to do with the need to have essential technologies and standards in place - including chip solutions available in volume to the industry. The work on interface standards such as HDMI 2.0, USB-C (USB 3.1), Thunderbolt 3, Bluetooth 4.2, and new Wi-Fi specifications is undergoing and has kept everyone busy throughout 2015. There was certainly evolution and the development platforms and test/certification tools are now available, but most of the technology is only now reaching the industrial level and not yet within general consumer reach. Are we being impatient? Considering the pace at which these technologies are promoted, we have reasons to feel some frustration.

The good news is that everything indicates the results will be clearly visible at CES 2016. Of course, technology will continue to evolve and, as usual, the Las Vegas show will be the platform to promote newer ideas and developments, but it will be also important to see finished products that have been publicly promised for some time now and which failed to materialize since the latest IFA Berlin show (as we previously pointed out in this space).

...While the Air2 floating Bluetooth speaker
from Axxess CE (CES 2015 Best of Innovation winner) levitated into oblivion.

There's enormous potential to leverage those technologies and introduce next-generation products, combining the latest standards with high-quality audio concepts. The companies who understand and accept the fact that consumers have new lifestyles and are adopting mobile devices, streaming music services, and wireless speakers have a better chance to create new solutions that effectively improve the users' experience. Not everything needs to be about bold new concepts. Sometimes it's about offering significantly better quality with concepts that people already understand, or offering the right combination of convenience and value to create excitement. That's what new technologies enable.

Warmest Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Wonderful New Year!

From the Vault

JFETs: The New Frontier, Part 1

By Erno Borbely

Throughout the years, Erno Borbely published several project and design articles in Audio Amateur publications (Audio Electronics, Glass Audio, Speaker Builder, and audioXpress), always focusing on the lowest possible noise, best inherent linearity, and DC coupling. "Of course, all of this should always go hand in hand with the overall objective in audio: good sound," as Borbely explained. The basic circuits on which Erno Borbely based most of his projects are described in "JFETs: The New Frontiers, Part I and II," published in Audio Electronics (May 1999, and June 1999), and "All-FET Line Amp," published in audioXpress May 2002). Frequently referring to these articles, the author admits these were the "building blocks" on which many  if not all  of his amplifiers are based. Read the Complete Article Here

Voice Coil Test Bench

Dayton Audio ES140Ti-8 5.5" Midwoofer

By Vance Dickason

This test bench looks at the ES140Ti-8 5.5" midwoofer, which is another model from Dayton Audio's new Esoteric line, intended for home audio applications. The 5.5" ES140Ti-8 is the companion model to the Dayton Audio Esoteric 7" ES180Ti-8 midwoofer, which was featured in Voice Coil's December 2014 issue. Features for the ES-140Ti are similar to the ES-180Ti and include a well-configured proprietary six-spoke cast-aluminum frame with narrow 9-mm wide spokes to minimize reflections back into the cone. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, January 2015. Read The Full Analysis Online

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audioxpress features great articles, projects, tips and techniques for producing the best in quality audio. It connects manufacturers and distributors with audio engineers and enthusiasts eager for innovative solutions in sound, acoustic and electronics.

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