All Products Filed in Audio

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

It's easy to take electricity for granted, until of course power is lost. Even little things such as having the proper amount of power outlets can be taken for granted until the amount of outlets are used up and no more are available.

The Florida-based company Tributaries has added to its line of power products through the introduction of its new T10X power extension bar. Tributaries says the T10X is a 10-outlet product that is UL-approved, and it provides electronics professionals with a competitively priced solution that offers surge suppression and line filtration. The rack-mount friendly device is designed for horizontal positioning with a choice of three locations, and it includes six outlets on its front panel and four on its rear panel.

Other convenience options built into the T10X power extension bar include 12-volt triggers that allow for either a remote turn-on of the unit by a component with a 12-volt trigger or its 12-volt trigger can be used to turn on connected components.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The subject of surge protection is always a tough topic of conversation for electronics professionals to introduce to clients that don't see the benefit of the products until something bad happens.

Bell'O's newly announced ASG3008 8-outlet Audio/Video Green Surge Protector can't help installers ease into the surge protection conversation, but it can provide the necessary protection homeowners need at a reasonable price. The ASG3008 surge protector is a slim-profile device with a high-gloss finish and it incorporates EMI/RF noise filtration, fireproof MOVs, status indicators and a power safety shutdown.

Another of the ASG3008's features that homeowners may find appealing is its inclusion of green-friendly power saving options. In addition, it also offers a built-in eight-foot power cable, and Bell'O backs the product with a $400,000 connected equipment warranty.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Florida-based speaker manufacturer Pinnacle Speakers is known throughout the custom installation world for its value-minded line of in-wall and freestanding speaker products. The company's latest product solution remains in step with Pinnacle's philosophy of value, but it is engineered to provide more than a standard value proposition.

Pinnacle's newly announced Black Diamond Series II loudspeakers are designed to provide electronics professionals with an affordable line of reference level loudspeakers that incorporate features such as neodymium magnet, silk-dome tweeters, die-cast phase plugs on the woofers and midrange drivers and crossover networks that utilize quality coils and mylar capacitors. Externally, the speakers employ 10-layer piano lacquer finishes and curved cabinet designs for most models within the series.

The line of products includes eight models that range from floorstanding, bookshelf and LCR models, and all the products are timbre-matched to enable electronics professionals to mix and match the speakers as needed.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A recently released study from Futuresource Consulting confirmed something that many electronics dealers already knew: soundbars are popular.

The study finds that sales of soundbar products will continue to grow through 2016 and with products like the newly introduced Wharfedale Achromatic LCR helping to drive these sales, custom installers will have a ever-increasing range of products to solve a variety of home A/V problems. Wharfedale is distributed in the U.S. by the Massachusetts company Sound Import, and the product is designed to provide flat-panel TV owners an affordable sound solution upgrade. The speaker stands just 4.5-inches high and it is finished in a gloss black to complement the bezels of many modern flat-panel televisions.

Internally the all-in-one, left, center and right speaker incorporates six inverted-cone aluminum woofers and three soft-dome tweeters, and Wharfedale says the product is engineered to mount above or below a flat-panel television.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

A few years ago the Carson City, Nev.-based speaker manufacturer BG Radia introduced its R18 on-wall loudspeaker and it offered electronics installers a versatile and unique solution that could address whole-house and home theater applications.

Recently BG Radia redesigned the speaker to make it more installer friendly. The newly reintroduced R18i is now available and it offers the professional installation market the same benefits as the previous generation product and additional benefits that include increased sensitivity and the ability to play louder. Highlighting some of the work the company did to the speaker, BG Radia is now using new 4-inch woofers and a new Neo8 planar ribbon driver that aid the speaker's increased 3dB sensitivity, increased power handling capabilities and minimized distortion. In addition, the speaker is also said to play 8dB louder than the previous model and through the company's Dispersion Pattern Control (DPC) option, installers or end users can select a diffuse, direct or a combination of the two as the speaker's output. BG says this enables electronics professionals to tailor the speaker's dispersion to its surrounding environment.

BG adds the speaker has an impedance rating of 6 ohms, and a frequency response of 80Hz to 20kHz.

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Whether its competition wants to admit it or not, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is a market leader in the specialty consumer electronics category.

Recently the British company reaffirmed its position as a market leader when it introduced its third headphone product: the P3. B&W offers the compact P3 in a choice of black or white, and the headphones incorporate features such as custom-made, lightweight acoustic fabric covering the headphones' ear pads and speaker diaphragm terminals that have been positioned in a manner to ensure airflow. B&W says this positioning results in a more linear response from the headphones and less distortion. When this design attribute is combined with B&W's use of neodymium magnets and driver dampening techniques, the P3s are said to produce a high quality music listening experience.

B&W ships the iPod, iPhone and iPad friendly P3 headphones with a hard carrying case and a choice of cables that support the headphones' use with a variety of non-Apple smart phones and other personal electronic devices.

Monday, May 07, 2012

For years people have been able to download their favorite songs as ringtones, but unless a homeowner owned an exotic electronics system they were never able to treat their home's doorbell answering system with the same level of customization.

The security manufacturer Swann is now providing homeowners with the ability to customize their doorbells with the same level of fun and uniqueness that phone owners enjoy with downloadable ringtones. Swann's new MP3 Doorbell is a wireless doorbell that plays music when a visitor presses a home's doorbell button. Swann says the solution is able to transmit a wireless audio signal up to 165 feet, and it is able to play music stored on SD cards that range up to 32GBs in size. In addition, the company also offers USB connections to allow homeowners the ability to play music stored on their computers.

Other options bundled into the MP3 Doorbell include the ability to use the doorbell as a speaker, as well as a portable audio player. The speaker incorporates built-in controls and Swann packages the solution with music editing software to allow installers or homeowners to manage their music.

Friday, May 04, 2012

As the consumer audio world continues to evolve from the traditional world of box speakers, into a world of desktop audio, home theater and architectural designs, new manufacturers are coming into the market to facilitate this migration.

The latest company to enter the world of home audio is the Swedish company Opalum, and the company's launch into the consumer electronics industry starts with its introduction of four speaker products. The four new products represent two of the trendiest product types currently offered in the market. The FLOW .4810 on-wall speaker uses 48 1-inch drivers in a point source configuration. The FLOW .1010 on-wall speaker employs 10 2-inch drivers in a point source array. The STREAM .310 bookshelf speaker uses a set of 4-inch woofers and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter D' Appolito configuration. The STREAM .210 bookshelf speaker uses a 5-inch woofer and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter.

Internally the speakers also incorporate Class D amplification, fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover networks and Opalum's proprietary Actisonic Technology. To broaden the applications in which the speakers can be used Opalum says the speakers can be coupled with its wireless Control Hub to enable wireless streaming. Externally the speakers utilize industrial designs from the noted Scandinavian engineer Eva Hanner, and Opalum offers the speakers in a choice of black or white.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

From the consumer perspective one of the great things about being a home theater enthusiast is the rapid cycle of product and technology development. Besides the obvious improvements in quality and performance with these technology cycle changes, another benefit that consumers almost certainly enjoy is that prices typically fall with the introduction of each new product release.

Yamaha's latest product introductions are symbolic of the improvement in performance and quality, and the lowering of product costs. The company's two new receivers: The RX-V573 and RX-V473 provide budget minded home theater enthusiasts with a choice of full-featured products that combine the latest in network DLNA friendly technologies; state-of-the-art home theater surround sound processing and compatibility with Apple's popular array of iOS devices. The RX-V573 incorporates 7.1 channels of amplification, while the RX-V473 offers 5.1 channels of amplification, and both products employ Yamaha's proprietary YPAO system calibration options.

Both products also incorporate provisions to accept future technologies such as 4K video, as well as niche technologies such as 3D and Audio Return Channels (ARC). In addition, the receivers are engineered to be energy efficient through the inclusion of Yamaha's ECO Mode that can reduce the receivers' power consumption by as much as 20 percent.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Today with vinyl selling at its highest levels in decades, the audio accessory market is heating up to keep pace as the revival in analog gear grows in leaps and bounds.

The California-based manufacturer Minus K designs and builds a complete line of vibration isolation products that are engineered to minimize vibrations to protect sensitive components from the perils of foot fall, and to eliminate the transfer of vibrations into the audio spectrum. Minus K's BM-10 benchtop vibration isolation platform is available in several versions that are designed to handle specific weight classes to isolate sensitive playback components such as turntables to enable audio enthusiasts to listen to their favorite albums with their favorite turntables without the added distortion of vibrations muddying up the listening experience.

Minus K says the BM-10 can be configured to handle weights up to 110 pounds and it measures just 4.6-inches tall and 12-inches tall and deep. The BM-10 incorporates a simple control layout that provides a minimalist two controls for simple operation and the California company claims it It offers a 1.5Hz horizontal natural frequency and a 0.5 Hz vertical natural frequency.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Shure is one of the most well known manufacturers in both consumer and professional audio. In the world of consumer audio the company is respected in analog circles for its line of phono cartridges, and in the world of pro audio Shure products like the sm57 dynamic microphone is arguably the most popular microphone ever made.

Another product category that Shure is respected in is headphones and the company's latest product, the SRH1440 Professional Open Back headphone is engineered to provide home and professional recording engineers, and audiophiles with an affordable headphone solution. The SRH1440 headphone is specified to provide a frequency response of 15Hz to 27kHz and a sensitivity rating of 101dB. Internally Shure employs a set of 40mm dynamic drivers that feature neodymium magnets, and the company builds in an array of comfort options that includes an adjustable headband and replaceable ear pads.

Shure ships the headphones with a fitted carrying case, extra cables and ear pads, and a 1/4-inch adapter for professional monitoring applications.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Excusing the pun for the moment, there's a stereotype associated with home theater and consumer audio that compels many people to believe that the bigger the subwoofer the bigger a system's low frequencies will sound.

Products like the PS88 subwoofer from OSD Audio can be used in many situations that require a cost effective solution that doesn't take up a lot of floor space in a home interior. The PS88 measures 10-inches by 11-inches by 10-inches and it weighs just 16 pounds to facilitate its use in a variety of rooms to enable custom installers to integrate into a home without using a bigger, more expensive subwoofer. Internally the sub features a 180-watt Class D amplifier and a pair of 8-inch woofers set up in a driver, passive radiator array.

The PS88 also includes a variety of user controls to allow installers to blend the sub into two-channel and home theater systems, and because of its price and small size, multiple PS88s can be employed to help installers add more volume to an audio system while also conquering some room modes if proper installation methods are used.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Apple's impact on the world of music has been so great that it redefined on how music is listened to, consumed and now it's impacting how music is being made.

Beyond that massive scope of influence, the Cupertino, California-based company is also impacting the consumer audio market. The audio manufacturer Griffin Technology has introduced its new Twenty amplifier that combines a Class D amplifier with Apple AirPlay friendliness to provide homeowners with a simple way to stream their iTunes content to traditional passive loudspeakers. The Twenty incorporates a 20-watt Class D amp, digital inputs, a subwoofer output with a set crossover point of 80Hz in a device that can be easily hidden behind a speaker or placed on top of a speaker.

The Twenty has provisions to power a stereo pair of speakers and it's designed to work with an AirPort Express to provide instant Apple AirPlay iOS compatibility. When used with apps such as Pandora, Spotify or any other music service app that resides on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, consumers can have a choice of music services to listen to in combination with their iTunes content.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Back during the growth years of the home theater industry with surround formats like Dolby Pro Logic driving adoption it was necessary for installers to use dipole or bipolar speakers to increase the sound dispersion of the rear surround channels. It was during this time that many consumers and dealers developed an affinity for the sound attributes of these speaker technologies.

The California company Current Audio is providing electronics professionals with a pair of in-ceiling speakers that let installers setup a home theater system with a choice of dipole or bipolar operation. Current's recently announced CS654DBFL and CS650DBFL enable installers to use a switch on the speakers' tweeter bridge to run the products' tweeter arrays in phase or out of phase to create a more diffuse rear channel surround field or a wider, more localized sound stage when set in phase as bipolar speakers.

Both speakers incorporate the company's FastLoc griles for easy installation, and they both utilize two-way designs. Internally the CS654DBFL features a 6.5-inch woven carbon fiber woofer and a pair of ferrofluid cooled, ceramic coated dome tweeters. The less expensive CS650DBFL employs a 6.5-inch MetaPlex composite driver and a pair of 1-inch silk dome, ferrofluid cooled dome tweeters.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Unless someone is biased to the point where they are wed to one particular technology or format, 2012 is a great time to be a music fan.

Antelope Audio's latest product release is engineered to cater to the diversity of music fans that don't care if their music is digitally based or recorded and released via an analog format such as vinyl. The Santa Monica, California company's new Rubicon Atomic AD/DA Preamplifier is an audio solution that integrates the latest digital audio technologies and state-of-the-art analog audio technologies to provide music lovers with a preamp that is equally adept at handling digital and analog audio. Headlining the list of included technologies in the Rubicon preamp is the inclusion of a Rubidium atomic clock that is claimed to be 100,000 more stable than a traditional crystal oscillator. Antelope says the combination of a Rubidium atomic clock with its 64-bit based clocking technologies help the preamp and its built-in DAC to achieve an unprecedented level of jitter management. Augmenting the versatility of its digital capabilities are DLNA compatibility and 384kHz USB streaming that enable users to enjoy networked digital audio connectivity.

The Rubicon's analog capabilities are driven by a transformer-based, low-noise, discrete JFET phono preamp that provide a quiet and efficient means of audio reproduction. Antelope says the unit offers one set of RCA phono inputs, three RCA analog inputs, one RCA HiZ input, and one combo balanced input with 1/4-inch and XLR options. The unit's digital inputs include two S/PDIF, two TOSLINK, one AES/EBU, one word clock input and one Ethernet port. It's outputs include one set of balanced XLR, one set of RCA, and two de-jittered S/SPDIF outputs.