The Standards We Need: Do Audio Technologies Matter in the Smart Home?
Matter is an industry-unifying standard for the Smart Home that promises reliable, secure connectivity — a seal of approval that devices will work seamlessly together. But... Do audio technologies matter in the Smart Home? The audio industry needs to get involved in this convergence and interoperability effort. After all, we can already tell a speaker to play a song - thanks to voice recognition technology, AI, and wireless networks - but we still don’t have a transparent wireless audio standard to stream audio to speakers or headphones because basically audio remains restricted by specifications that were not written with audio in mind.
Orchard Audio Updates The PecanPi Product Line with S/PDIF Input
Good news from New Jersey. Orchard Audio has updated one of its original and best-selling products, announcing the release of PecanPi DAC, Streamer, and Streamer Ultra Rev 3.0. The major update for rev 3.0 devices is the addition of a S/PDIF (coax) input, which allows the DAC to be used standalone. The rev 3.0 devices also use lower noise linear regulators and give users the option to have RCA outputs built-in. The Orchard Audio website is being updated to reflect the new models, shipping from March 2022.
McIntosh Announces Upgraded Versions of MA9500 and MA8950 Integrated Amplifiers
McIntosh Laboratory continues to design new products. The company unveiled its MA9500 and MA8950 Integrated Amplifiers, which replace the existing MA9000 and MA8900 models, adding upgraded power supplies and performance enhancements to these already outstanding products. The updated circuits now deliver increased dynamic headroom, while the updated DA2 Digital Audio Module adds improved D/A conversion and connectivity.
Crosslite+ Two-Way DSP Filter Design Tutorial
In this article, Vance Dickason highlights the possibilities for a two-way DSP filter design using the CrossLite+ software package. Under development by the Brazilian pro audio company since 2009, CrossLite+ is a dual-channel FFT analyzer that will function with basically any USB-type recording interface. CrossLite+ is intended primarily for product development of DSP-powered pro speakers and for use in live sound PA systems. And measured data can also be imported from other analyzers such as the CLIO or Klippel This article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2021.
More Than 5.5 Billion Smart Home Matter-Compliant Devices Forecasted to Ship Between 2022 and 2030
Still months from its completion, the Matter smart home specification is already driving new products and strategies across the smart home and consumer electronics market. With a host of major players, technology suppliers, and partners already pledged to delivering Matter compliant offerings, the specification is expected to dominate the smart home landscape within five years, according to a new report from market intelligence firm ABI Research.
Presonus Launches Audiobox Go Portable USB-C Audio Interface
PreSonus Audio Electronics announced the global launch of the AudioBox GO, the smallest PreSonus audio interface yet. This USB-C design is also ultra-affordable, and offers straightforward controls for gains, levels, and all the connections needed to record and stream. There's a PreSonus XMAX-L preamp with 50dB of gain and +48v phantom power for XLR condenser microphones, balanced Main outputs for monitors, a powerful headphone output, and a monitor mix control.
Celestion Introduces Updated Horn Design App HornWizard 2.0
Celestion announced the launch of HornWizard 2.0, the updated and enhanced version of the desktop and mobile application which is a portal to the company’s free powerful horn design software. The updates bring enhanced functionality and now allow users to design horns for Celestion’s 1.4" and 2" exit compression drivers, including the Axi2050, and adds horn length as a primary parameter. It also introduces the possibility to refine and compare multiple up to 3 designs, as well as design horns with Circular or Elliptical mouths.
GN Group Announces Launch of Jabra Enhance Plus Hearing Enhancement Earbuds
A day past from the introduction of a new, category-defining hearing-aid model from ReSound, another GN Group brand announces the launch of a new hearing enhancement convergence product. The new Jabra Enhance Plus are described as true wireless earbuds designed to bring hearing enhancement for clearer conversations, as well as music and calls in a state-of-the-art miniaturized design. They look like regular TWS earbuds, but are in fact OTC-class self-fitting hearing aids.
Speaker Applications Using Alpine HX5 Ultra Strong Lightweight Nanocomposite
Loudspeaker designers can look forward to a couple of exciting materials that have been in stealth mode but are about to step into the spotlight. A lightweight military aviation-grade nanocomposite from Alpine Advanced Materials, HX5 may be an alternative to beryllium and high-performance aluminum alloys used in woofer, midrange, and full-range cones. Compared to aluminum, cones can be made at half the weight with comparable strength. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2022.
Ferrum Audio Introduces ERCO High End Headphone Amplifier and DAC
Ferrum Audio just unveiled its latest product, the third to be launched from the new brand created in 2021 by HEM, the electronics manufacturing company from Warsaw, Poland. The Ferrum ERCO is a high end USB-C DAC with balanced headphone and line level outputs, using a ESS Sabre ES9028PRO converter with support for PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256. The name ERCO (not pronounced airco but ˈert͡so) is Esperanto for ore and was intended "to forge musical gems from its components," as the company states.