Prism Sound Updates Lyra Audio Interface Design
Prism Sound’s acclaimed Lyra audio interface has been given an aesthetic overhaul to create a uniform look for the entire Prism Sound audio interface range. Lyra now boasts the same sleek black-fronted look that was introduced to Titan and Atlas in 2019. It also features Prism Sound’s new updated logo and can now be controlled using the company’s recently updated software app that is available for both Mac and Windows platforms. This enables musicians, composers and producers to manipulate the unit from their own computer, thus speeding up workflow.
Elk Introduces Aloha, Real-Time Remote Music Collaboration Interface and App
Elk, the Swedish company behind the Elk Audio Operating System for embedded audio products, now announced a new real-time remote music creation and performance platform with its Aloha by Elk service. The platform allows musicians to play, teach and collaborate together live and in sync from different locations. According to Elk, in order to avoid any latency, the new Aloha collaboration service runs on high-speed Internet and over 5G networks "transforming music creation and performance today with a clear path to the future."
Earbuds Consumer Survey Identifies Key Takeaways for Manufacturers
Austrian company ams, a leading worldwide supplier of high-performance sensor solutions, shared the results of its ‘Comfortable, Smart, High-performing Earbuds Survey’ conducted in Spring 2020 with 2000-plus consumers around the world on their audio earbud uses, habits and preferences. Earbud comfort seems to be a key focus for existing users, with the survey identifying the benefits of active noise cancellation and volume-limiting technology as top earbud innovations. Preference between loose fit and tight-fitting, in-ear earbuds, depends upon type of activity.
Symphonic Acoustics Debuts 2X8V Ultra High-End Studio Monitors
Studio monitor company Symphonic Acoustics has unveiled its new Dual 8V ultra high-end monitors. The new 2X8V is the result of a longtime design and manufacturing collaboration between Symphonic Acoustics and several industry legends, including George Augspurger, John Storyk and others. Ideally suited for mixing and monitoring across a range of genres, each pair of monitors ship with a curated selection of power and DSP options.
audioXpress September 2020 Speaker Focus Edition Is Now Available!
Our always popular loudspeaker edition is now available online and in print! audioXpress' Speaker Builder, Speaker Focus edition covers loudspeaker building, design, and testing with a balanced amount of DIY, speaker history, theory, R&D, and manufacturing articles. Read two articles about speaker history, a review of the Magnepan LRS, explore the details of two amazing speaker builds, and learn how to do loudspeaker measurements at home. And there's much more in speaker research and development, measurement, and production!
Arylic Introduces New Up2stream Amp 2.1 Wireless Amplifier Board
Arylic, an audio electronics company specialized in the needs of both the OEM/ODM market as well as the requirements of DIY music enthusiasts, announced the availability of its Up2stream Amp 2.1 Wireless Amplifier Board. This Class D stereo amplifier board with a powerful subwoofer output is able to generate 50W+50W+100W and deliver good results from low impedance speakers. And it adds the most advanced wireless technology, with WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, Airplay, Spotify Connect, also with DLNA and UPnP protocols for wireless control.
Mcintosh Group and Alps Alpine Join Forces in Automotive Luxury Audio Strategy
McIntosh Group Inc. and Alps Alpine have teamed up to deliver transcendent, luxury audio systems to the automotive industry. This announcement also signals that the McIntosh Group is returning to the automotive industry – bringing solutions from McIntosh Labs and Sonus Faber to vehicles. The partnership means that those automotive solutions are delivered by Alps Alpine in select vehicles.
Sony Launches New WH-1000XM4 Headphones with Next Generation Adaptive Noise Canceling
Sony Electronics announced the WH-1000XM4 – the fourth-generation noise-canceling headphones from Sony's 1000X family. The popular wireless over-ear model shows a similar design to the previous WH-1000XM3, with subtle but effective changes in materials providing longer comfort and lighter weight. But the main improvement relies on Sony's latest processing, sensors and a new Bluetooth 5 SoC, providing the WH-1000XM4 with additional smart features that personalize music, improve noise cancelation and adjust ambient sound automatically.
The Intelligent Microphone: The Next Generation of MEMS Microphone Technology
At the end of July 2020, audioXpress ran a product release on Vesper's VM3011 intelligent digital micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone. Its claim to fame is a power saving architecture that enables battery standby life that otherwise would be unattainable without the "smarts." There are another half-dozen developers working on integrating all sorts of capabilities within the MEMS mic package. This article, originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, discusses those developments.
Dirac Live Bass Control Expands Performance of Latest AudioControl AV Receivers and Processors
Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac and the team of self-proclaimed obsessed audio experts at AudioControl announced that the brand's latest line of receivers and processors will include Dirac Live Bass Control for a more immersive home theater experience in any space. The collaboration between the two companies has resulted in expanding the Dirac Live Bass Control software to the new Concert Series receivers and Maestro Series AV processors, part of AudioControl's high end home audio range.