EISA Awards 2018-19 Reveal Latest Consumer Electronics References in Performance and Innovation
As the tradition dictates, EISA, the Expert Imaging & Sound Association (www.eisa.eu) has revealed the winners of its 2018-2019 Awards. A major change for this year is the fact that the association is now global and accepted new members from Canada, United States, Australia, Japan, India and Hong Kong/China. That's why from its European origins, EISA has now become the Expert Imaging and Sound Association. Same logo, same acronym, but with a new global meaning!
Global Home Audio Market Continues to Grow in Shipments and Revenue Propelled by Wireless Audio
The Consumer Electronics (CE) team at Futuresource Consulting just unveiled some of the main trends included in the company's latest Home Audio Market Report, confirming that the global home audio market already broke the $13 billion barrier in 2017. According to the report, the global home audio market continues to climb, with hardware shipments increasing by 23% in 2017, and new emerging product categories likes wireless speakers and soundbars continuing to propel the business.
Hands-On Experiences for DIY Audio Professionals and Enthusiasts at AES New York 2018 Convention
New series of DIY events will offer insight and instruction on planning, design and construction of audio hardware and DSP during the 145th Audio Engineering Society New York 2018 Convention. Hands-on demonstrations will offer attendees the chance to learn more about DIY audio device design and construction at the AES New York Convention, October 17 – 20 at the Jacob Javits Center.
Beta Version of New Dirac Live Now Available
Dirac Research announced the immediate availability of the beta version of its new Dirac Live room correction solution for owners of Arcam, Lexicon, Audio Control and NAD units, with broader availability to follow shortly. Those interested can visit www.dirac.com/diraclivebeta to be added to a list to receive the Dirac Live beta installation package via email. The new software will be demonstrated at CEDIA 2018 in September at Dirac Research Booth 2530.
Volareo, The Indie Smart Speaker Launches on Indiegogo
Volareo, a different type of smart speaker, launched on crowdfunding site Indiegogo. Starting from $99USD for the early bird special, Volareo is being introduced as “the 1st independent smart speaker supporting open source to integrate with blockchain streaming platforms,” “backed by blockchain technology and AI.” While that sequence of buzzwords doesn’t actually say much about what makes Volareo different, saying that it interfaces with platforms where artists are paid directly and immediately for their songs played, makes it much more interesting.
Audio Mixing Consoles on Track for 5% Market Growth Despite Challenges
Audio mixing consoles, devices that blend together multiple sound sources, continue to experience a customer shift towards low-end products, cannibalizing the mid-range market. That’s one of the key takeaways from a new report released by Futuresource Consulting’s pro audio team. On the positive side, the overall segment continues to grow, thanks to the strong momentum experienced by professional audio digital mixing consoles in touring and rental, broadcast, and installed commercial applications.
GN Hearing Announces the World’s Most Advanced Rechargeable Hearing Aid Solution
Danish group GN Hearing unveiled ReSound LiNX Quattro, characterized as a “Premium-Plus hearing aid, designed for people who want the very best that technology has to offer and desire a brilliant sound experience with great speech intelligibility even in noisy situations.” The new ReSound LiNX Quattro hearing aid is based on a completely new platform and is the smallest and longest lasting 2.4 GHz integrated Li-ion rechargeable hearing aid on the market.
HEAD acoustics To Showcase Latest Measurement Technology for Voice and Audio Quality Testing at MWC Americas 2018
From September 12-14, the mobile industry will once again meet in Los Angeles for the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas. HEAD acoustics, one of the world’s leading software and hardware companies for optimizing voice and audio quality will attend and promises to show its latest measurement technology for voice and audio quality testing at booth S.2618.
Electronic Music Pioneer Thomas Dolby to Keynote AES New York 2018 Convention
The Audio Engineering Society announced that Thomas Dolby will deliver the keynote address during the Opening Ceremonies of the AES New York 2018 International Convention. Thomas Dolby’s AES keynote address “The Conscious Sound Byte” will focus on next-generation sound technologies, in particular adaptive/non-linear music and audio for games, VR/AR, “hearables” and other new media platforms.
Dirac Powers All-New Aesthetically Designed MEIZU Gravity Speaker
Dirac Research announced that its Dirac Power Sound solution is embedded in the all-new, aesthetically designed MEIZU Gravity portable speaker that began shipping this week. Originally announced in 2016 and promoted with a crowdfunding Indiegogo campaign, the Chinese company was not able to manufacture the ambitious product with its bold “floating” display concept as advertised. Apparently, the problem was not so much on the display or the design itself but with the promised sound quality. Enter Dirac Research to the rescue.