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Design, Build, and Have Fun with audioXpress February 2019!
by audioXpress Staff

Design, Build, and Have Fun with audioXpress February 2019!

audioXpress February 2019 is now available online and in the mail to all subscribers and will be distributed at the Winter NAMM show 2019 in Anaheim, CA. And to match the exciting environment, we reviewed the new d:vote 4099 CORE Instrument Microphone from DPA Microphones, visit Pascal to learn more about its pro audio amplifier modules, explore transformer-coupled balanced output circuits, and much more. There's even a DIY project for a disc recording stereo head. Really. A must read!
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Development Kit for Amazon AVS Supports Far-field Voice Interaction with Multiple Microphone Array Options
by audioXpress Staff

Development Kit for Amazon AVS Supports Far-field Voice Interaction with Multiple Microphone Array Options

Microchip Technology, via its Microsemi Corporation subsidiary, announced that its AcuEdge ZLK38AVS Development Kit for Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) now introduces far-field voice pick up and the flexibility to build devices with multiple mic array configurations. The audio front-end solution with one, two and three mic configurations reduces bill of materials costs while addressing the requirements of small-form-factor designs.
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Qobuz US Opens Public Beta for 192 kHz Hi-Res Streaming
by Luke McCready

Qobuz US Opens Public Beta for 192 kHz Hi-Res Streaming

It’s been a year since Qobuz announced at CES 2018 its impending entry into the US marketplace, with the ambition of becoming a heavy player in the hi-res music streaming market. Qobuz has the US audiophile set squarely in its sights, and it intends to deliver higher quality streams and a more complete experience than its competitors. At CES 2019, Qobuz confirmed it is now available for registration to US users as an open beta, and published the finalized pricing.
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Sony Introduces 360 Reality Audio Music Experiences Powered by Object-Based Spatial Audio Technology
by Joao Martins

Sony Introduces 360 Reality Audio Music Experiences Powered by Object-Based Spatial Audio Technology

At CES 2019, Sony is not focusing so much on products and mainly highlighting content and experiences instead. Among those, Sony is promoting an all new music experience called "360 Reality Audio,” delivered by MPEG-H object-based spatial audio technology developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IIS and promoted as “a new musical ecosystem for content creation, distribution and music playback.”
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Sonarworks Redefines Music Experience for Mobile Devices with Updated Mobile App
by audioXpress Staff

Sonarworks Redefines Music Experience for Mobile Devices with Updated Mobile App

Pioneering audio calibration software company Sonarworks has announced the launch of its new Sonarworks True-Fi mobile app at CES 2019. The updated mobile app, which provides audio calibration references on both iOS and Android for nearly 300 headphone models, has already launched in ‘early access’ and will be available for purchase later this year in the App Store and Google Play at a price of $3.99 USD per month, or as a lifetime license for $99 USD. Existing Sonarworks users who already own the desktop version will be provided a free upgrade option to a lifetime license for the mobile app.
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SEAS Expands In-House Production and Announces Extreme Subwoofer Series
by audioXpress Staff

SEAS Expands In-House Production and Announces Extreme Subwoofer Series

SEAS Fabrikker, celebrating its 70th anniversary in the audio industry, is investing to revitalize and improve all its production and has moved part of its manufacturing from Taiwan to Norway. SEAS highly acclaimed subwoofers series has now moved to its new production line in Moss, Norway. With this transition, SEAS launched its new Extreme subwoofer series, starting with the XM001-04 model already announced in July 2018, and now complemented with the XM004-04 L26ROY, all now exclusively manufactured at their new in-house facilities.
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Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Available from May 2019
by audioXpress Staff

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Available from May 2019

Immersive 5.1.4 sound and deep bass that has to be heard to be believed: Sennheiser’s new AMBEO Soundbar will be available from May 2019. Created by Sennheiser in collaboration with the Fraunhofer IIS to be one of the world’s best soundbars, the AMBEO Soundbar places the listener inside the sound experience with incredible realism, delivering 3D sound that blurs the line between playback and reality from a single all-in-one device.
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Harman Introduces JBL 4312G Studio Monitor at CES 2019
by audioXpress Staff

Harman Introduces JBL 4312G Studio Monitor at CES 2019

At CES 2019, Harman introduced the JBL 4312G studio monitor, another modern take on the classic JBL loudspeaker line - which seems to be the trend for the consumer side of the brand in the last two years. Crafted in the mold of the legendary 4310/4311 family, and the more recent 70th Anniversary 4312SE, the 4312G is said to deliver “thundering, clear bass, with crystalline and precise highs, even at the highest listening levels.” We are not sure those would be the arguments that would persuade us to invest in the vintage concept of this high-performance studio monitor.
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Jabra Announce Elite 85h Headphones with SmartSound Adaptive Technology and Hands-Free Wake Word Access to Amazon Alexa
by audioXpress Staff

Jabra Announce Elite 85h Headphones with SmartSound Adaptive Technology and Hands-Free Wake Word Access to Amazon Alexa

At CES 2019, Jabra announced an expansion of its consumer lifestyle Elite headphone range with the launch of the Elite 85h, outfitted with custom-engineered 40mm drivers, Jabra SmartSound and exclusive AI technology, to provide intelligent adaptive audio, and totally hands-free Voice Assistant Control. The Elite 85h headphones set new standards with maximum battery life of 32-hours with Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation activated, improved sound with advanced six-microphone call technology, and industry-leading durability.
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HDMI 2.1 Specification Sees Strong Adoption Numbers and New Announcements at CES 2019
by audioXpress Staff

HDMI 2.1 Specification Sees Strong Adoption Numbers and New Announcements at CES 2019

Since the HDMI 2.1 Specification was released in November 2017, manufacturers of several products including semiconductors, TVs, AVRs, soundbars, and game consoles have made announcements on upcoming releases supporting the specification. During CES 2019, the HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) organization reported an increasing number of new product announcements covering a broad range of categories, and forecasted annual shipments with HDMI interface to reach almost 1 Billion devices in 2019.
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