Continental and Sennheiser Developed New Sound Actuator Solution for Vehicle Audio
One of the key technology demonstrations in automotive audio at CES 2020 was promoted by Continental and audio specialist Sennheiser. The two German companies presented a "speakerless" audio system for the vehicle interior, which Sennheiser claims is able to generate immersive audio by exciting surfaces inside the vehicle to produce sound. The Continental actuator solution - Ac2ated Sound - reduces weight and space by up to 90% in comparison to conventional systems.
Smart Speaker Ownership Reaches 60 Million U.S. Adults
New data from the latest installment of The Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research confirms that smart speaker adoption continues to grow in the U.S. with 60M adults A18+ (24% of the population) now owning a smart speaker. And with spoken word audio listening up 20% from 2014, cutting into time spent with music, it's clear the audio landscape is changing dramatically – driven by technology advancements and content preferences alike.
IsoAcoustics and PSB Speakers Announce Collaboration Ahead of Integrated Systems Europe 2020
IsoAcoustics, the manufacturer of acoustic isolation products for home and professional speakers, and PSB Speakers, the loudspeaker manufacturer recognized around the globe as a leader in high-quality speakers, are joining forces in 2020 to offer a new line of PSB Speakers featuring IsoAcoustics award-winning isolation technology, the first of which is integrated into the PSB CustomSound In-Room Sub (CSIR Sub) to be introduced at ISE 2020, in Amsterdam.
Sennheiser Reintroduces HD 25 Headphones with New Redesigned Headband
For more than 30 years, the Sennheiser HD 25 headphones have been the professionals' choice for monitoring, field recording and DJing - as well as the favorite "light" headphones for many music enthusiasts. Now Sennheiser is launching an all-new HD 25 LIGHT model, which for the first time combines the sound signature of the original on-ear with a simpler headband design. By offering the same sought-after sound performance as the iconic classic, the new model provides an attractive entry into the HD 25 world.
Apogee Introduces Symphony Desktop USB-C Audio Interface
With the new Symphony Desktop, Apogee launched its most affordable Symphony series interface ever. Unveiled at NAMM 2020, the new USB-C compact audio interface combines the flagship sound quality that the Symphony interface range is known for, with vintage mic preamp emulation, Apogee hardware DSP with premium plugins, and an immersive touch screen interface. A powerful, compact recording and music production solution.
RME Announces ADI-2 Pro FSR Black Edition and ADI-2 Pro FS Price Decrease
RME debuted the ADI-2 Pro FSR BE, a black edition of its popular reference AD/DA converter, at the 2020 NAMM Show. The ADI-2 Pro FSR BE features a black front plate and is an all-in-one solution for a host of devices, including a high-end AD/DA converter, a USB DAC, a high-end AD/DA frontend and headphone amp for iOS devices, a multi-format converter with monitoring function, an AD/DA frontend of audio measurement at up to 768 kHz sample rate, and a DSD record and playback solution.
TDK Announces First MIPI Standard SoundWire MEMS Microphone
Among the many interesting demonstrations of new audio solutions for developers presented by TDK at CES 2020, the T5808 MIPI standard SoundWire microphone stands out as a "world's first," using the MIPI Alliance SoundWire compliant digital interface which allows bi-directional data flow. The T5808 is a multi-mode, low noise digital MEMS microphone in a small package, consisting of a MEMS microphone element and an impedance converter amplifier followed by a fourth-order Σ-Δ modulator.
DiGiCo Reveals Latest Generation Quantum Consoles at NAMM 2020
The 2020 NAMM Show was the opportunity for DiGiCo to reveal the latest in its new generation of Quantum digital consoles, the expanded Quantum 5 and the all-new Quantum 338. Like the Quantum 7, the new consoles represent a dramatic leap forward in power and connectivity, with impressive new design features and enhancements. DiGiCo also announced the new DMI-KLANG at NAMM 2020, an immersive in-ear mixing expansion that can be mounted directly into DiGiCo consoles, equipped with DMI slots.
Drawmer Introduces the 1970 Dual FET Compressor and Pre-Amp at NAMM 2020
Drawmer has expanded the breadth and depth of its dynamic processing offerings with the new Drawmer 1970 Dual FET Compressor and Pre-Amp. Audio engineers will notice the similarity of the 1970’s layout to the company’s flagship 1960 Mic Pre & Vacuum Tube Compressor, and, according to the brand, it is destined to fit a similar role in applications where transparent preamps and punchy FET compression fit the bill.
iHeartRadio Radio and Podcasts Available Via Hound App and Houndify Voice AI Platform
SoundHound, the voice-enabled AI platform and conversational intelligence technology company, announced a new integration with iHeartRadio to bring its audio content to SoundHound’s Hound app and Houndify voice AI platform. Through the partnership, Hound and Houndify users will have access to iHeartRadio’s free offerings including Live Radio (U.S. only), Artist Radio (U.S. only), and Podcasts (available globally except the U.K.).