Consumer Electronics Daily News

Soundboard Portable Speakers with SoundFlow Wireless Audio Now Available

The SoundFlow Soundboard instantly lets consumers enjoy smartphone audio in a big way, requiring no wires, no pairing or connection. Just place any smartphone on top of the Soundboard. SoundFlow wireless audio does the rest! The Soundboard supports virtually all brands and models of today's smartphones. In fact, almost any portable device with a speaker works with a Soundboard. The Soundboard is available in three different colors: SP20WHBK (white top, chrome trim and black bottom), SP20WDBK (woodgrain top, chrome trim and black bottom), and SP20BKGR (matte black top, lime green trim and black bottom).

SoundFlow wireless audio technology was developed by VOXX Accessories Corporation in response to a survey they conducted showing that, of the nearly 80 percent of smartphone users that listen to music from their phones, most of them (55 percent) still use the phone's built-in smartphone speakers at times to listen to music.The SoundFlow Soundboard is an easy solution for these smartphone users, providing enhanced sound quality and amplification over the smartphone's built-in option.

"The SoundFlow product line grew out of a simple desire: to make it as easy as possible to turn smartphone audio into sound that's big enough to enjoy out loud.The Soundboard takes this convenience one step further, by making SoundFlow completely portable," said David Geise, President of VOXX Accessories Corporation. "Just place any smartphone with music playing on top of the Soundboard to enjoy music anywhere in a big way! When you're ready to move, just pick up the Soundboard and your phone and go.It doesn't get any easier."

The user-friendly device is easy to use for all ages and works in any environment.The lightweight speaker is perfect for listening to music in the house, on the go or even in the office.The Soundboard Portable Speaker also works great as a speakerphone—simply place your smartphone on top of the Soundboard to take calls hands-free in a group setting.

The Soundboard Portable Speaker has a total output power of 2W, with enhanced sound from its dual-ported audio design, volume controls, and a 3.5mm audio in jack (cable included). The Soundboard offers two options for power: 5V DC or batteries (3xAA, sold separately), with an LED power indicator.  

The SoundFlow™ Soundboard Portable Speaker is available now, with an MSRP of $29.99, from many major retailers including Office Depot and Walgreens.

New Poll: Apple 'Has Oversold Siri'

46 percent of Americans think that the voice recognition capabilities of Apple's intelligent personal assistant for its iOS applications has been "oversold" according to a poll of over 2000 American consumers by speech technology experts Intelligent Voice™.

44 percent also rate Siri's accuracy as "Hit or Miss" or worse.

12.7 percent rate Siri as "Extremely accurate."

Full results can be found at http://www.intelligentvoice.com/blog/new-poll-apple-oversold-siri-says-46-americans/.

"Voice Recognition is an emerging technology that's been emerging for 30 years," says Intelligent Voice CTO Nigel Cannings. "We need to be careful that we sell what is possible, and it seems we're not doing that. 'Star Trek' communication with computers is still a long way off.

"With the release of iOS 7, Apple has dropped the 'Beta' tag for Siri, but the need for an Internet connection as well as issues with transcription do leave open to question whether that was a wise idea."

Introducing SONOS PLAY:1

Sonos®, the leading manufacturer of wireless HiFi, today introduced the SONOS PLAY:1™, a compact and powerful wireless speaker that transforms music listening at home. PLAY:1 streams all your favorite music to any room in the home, in high fidelity sound. Available today in the US from select partners and on Sonos.com, PLAY:1 retails for $199. And, for a limited time this holiday season, purchases come with a free BRIDGE valued at $49.

"Sonos was created upon the belief you should never have to choose between quality sound and an easy way to access all your music at home," said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. "The PLAY:1 makes getting started with Sonos even more accessible to music lovers than ever before."

A compact wireless speaker with surprisingly big sound

PLAY:1 is a smart speaker that features hardware and software designed by Sonos to ensure the best possible performance for the size. A custom-designed mid-woofer and tweeter deliver deep, rich and surprisingly big sound. With a powerful low-end and crisp mids and highs, new smart processing technology pushes Sonos' drivers further than ever before, minimizing distortion even at full volume. Plus, PLAY:1 projects a wide field of sound, delivering a great listening experience no matter where you are sitting in the room. And since the Sonos wireless network is devoted to streaming music in HiFi sound, you'll enjoy smooth music wirelessly without dropouts anywhere in your home.

PLAY:1 is built to last with premium materials and rock-solid construction. A sealed architecture creates resistance to the most humid conditions in the home, even steam from a running shower.

Stream all your favorite music

PLAY:1 lets you stream all the music on earth and access it all using a single, easy to use app. Play millions of songs and playlists from the most popular music services like Pandora, Spotify, Hype Machine and Rdio; listen to your personal music library, whether it's stored on your computer, in the cloud, on your smartphone or on your tablet; or tune in to more than 100,000 free Internet radio stations, podcasts, and shows from around the world.

Smaller package; same Sonos Wireless HiFi

PLAY:1 comes with all the unique benefits that can only be found in a Sonos Wireless HiFi System including SONOS PLAY:3™, SONOS PLAY:5™, SONOS PLAYBAR™ and more:

• Control your favorite music sources and listening experience with the free, intuitive Sonos Controller apps for iPad® iPhone®, Android™, Mac and PC.
• Add more PLAY:1s or combine with other Sonos wireless speakers or components around the home for the ultimate, multi-room HiFi system.
• Pair two PLAY:1 units for amazing stereo sound, or use two PLAY:1s as rear speakers with PLAYBAR and a SONOS SUB™ to create 5.1 home theater sound for your TV.

The minimalist design of PLAY:1 features a new button on top of the cabinet that allows you to play and pause your music with a single push of a button. You can also press the same button twice quickly to easily skip to the next track, a feature that has been requested frequently from the Sonos community. And because all Sonos products are designed to get better over time, customers with existing Sonos players can take advantage of the new play/pause functionality with the latest software update, available today.

For more information on SONOS PLAY:1 including where to buy, technical specifications and more, visit sonos.com/PLAY1.

Wearable Tactile Bass Arrives at the Party

An earthshaking evolution in the music experience is upon us, but you won't hear it coming. StudioFeed, the company that brought tactile bass in a seat-back to music producers and fans with their groundbreaking SubPac S1, is now bringing wearable tactile bass to the mobile world.

On the heels of a sold-out first production run of the S1, this new wearable technology, dubbed the SubPac M1, is worn like a low-profile backpack. It uses any sound source, such as an iPod, DJ mixer or computer, along with headphones or speakers. The M1 provides the physical vibrations of club-level bass in a wearable form that is quiet to the outside world (and sleeping neighbors).

Wearing the SubPac M1, DJs are able to feel the bass felt by the crowd in the club, while club-goers can now take that same visceral experience with them anywhere.

The SubPac M1 will be showcased in Poland Oct. 15-18 at the Unsound Music Festival in an interactive event with the renowned UK musician and sound theorist, Kode9. Pre-orders are now being accepted online at www.TheSubPac.com, with deliveries in December. Suggested retail price is $350. Limited pre-order price $299.

Embraced by music pioneers and innovators

The SubPac S1, a stationary version used as a seat-back, has been quickly embraced by leading producers and DJs as an accurate monitoring solution and tool for previewing how tracks will translate in the club.

"When pioneers and innovators like Richie Hawtin, Flying Lotus, Dubfire and Mala were telling us that 'SubPac is a game-changer,' we knew our technology was ready for the world," says John Alexiou, Founder.

The first production run of the S1 - made possible by a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $100,000 back in April - sold out within a few months of debuting online. A second production run of S1 is currently underway, to be released along with the upcoming M1 wearable unit.

"The SubPac is poised to become a new standard in audio production, DJing, music enjoyment and silent discos. The release of the wearable M1 is the logical progression of our ongoing mission to bring tactile bass to users in the studio, on the street and on the stage," says Alexiou.

Singing Machine Introduces Home, the Smart Bluetooth Speaker that Turns into Karaoke Machine

Singing Machine, one of the first companies to bring karaoke into American homes, today announced the Singing Machine Home™, an elegant speaker that pumps out room-filling sound and wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth-enabled device including smartphones, tablets, laptops and more. When the mood is right, Home turns into an on-demand, Wi-Fi-enabled karaoke machine. It plugs into your TV via HDMI and connects to the cloud wirelessly. With one click, you have instant access to Singing Machine Play™, a platform that streams more than 8,000 HD karaoke music videos.

Singing Machine Home comes with a hybrid mic-remote that makes it easy to navigate the Play platform on your TV to queue up a playlist and even pick avatars for you and your friends so that you know when it's your turn to sing. Rolling out to BestBuy.com and Best Buy stores in late October, Singing Machine Home allows you to fully experience your music, whether you are listening to a classical mix on a lazy Sunday afternoon or belting your favorite jam into the mic on Friday night with friends.

"With the Singing Machine Home, we've created a sleek Bluetooth speaker and karaoke machine in one that earns its place as a centerpiece in your home," says Singing Machine CEO Gary Atkinson. "This is the first karaoke machine to have a truly streamlined, grown-up style and versatile technology so that it is used every day. The Home is about experiencing music, delivering great sound and creating fun memories with friends and family."

"At-home karaoke is still wildly popular but many companies in our industry are slow to change. The latest models are big and boxy with lots of knobs, and get put in the basement or a closet when they're not being used. Access to music has also been a major challenge, with machine owners needing to buy tons of CDs or download individual karaoke songs for a dollar each just to make a playlist," says Atkinson. "Home solves these problems with its modern design, simple set up, access to one of the world's largest libraries of karaoke videos, and versatility so it can be used every day. On top of that, we've integrated the latest Bluetooth, streaming, Wi-Fi and cloud-based technology because we know this is how people want to interact with their devices today."

Soundmatters Ships Skinny Travel Speaker

Soundmatters announced today that it is shipping the world’s slimmest, lightest high-fidelity Bluetooth speaker, the DASH7. DASH7 is an über-flat ¾ inch-high wireless pocket-portable Bluetooth soundbar and speakerphone with huge omnidirectional sound in a thin size that slides into the slimmest purse or jacket pocket. The world’s best travel speaker, DASH7 features fifth-generation twoofer and BassBattery for true hi-fi sound with an angled stand for direct on-axis high resolution music, creating a great soundstage with the best stereo separation for serious music listeners.

Sleek and sexy, available in vibrant red, arctic white, and midnight black, DASH7 provides world-class sound for iPads, smartphones, laptops, guitars and more in a slim pocket-sized package. Created by the inventor of the first truly high performance small portable Bluetooth speaker -- the foxL (TIME Magazine’s “Top Ten Gadget of the Year”), and supplier of audio technology to the top-selling Jambox, the thin DASH7 has characteristically wide bandwidth, remarkable bass, clear open highs, and loud sound (like earlier foxLs), but with 40 percent less internal size than the already tiny foxLv2. DASH7 fits beautifully below an iPad or other tablet without blocking your view, providing omnidirectional sound for watching movies and music videos for the ultimate audio upgrade for tablets, smartphones and laptops.

DASH7 Features:
Slimmest, lightest high-performance sound system and speakerphone with a beautiful design.
Unique ¾” height lets you nestle the DASH7 beautifully below your tablet.
Omnidirectional sound for watching movies or music videos.
Includes combo case and stand.
Angled stand provides even higher resolution on-axis listening.
Extended Bluetooth range.
Noise cancelling speakerphone to answer phone calls while listening to music or movies.
Sub output allows you to add the optional foxLO, the travel-size powered subwoofer small enough to fit in a quart-size plastic bag.
High power international USB charger kit (US/EU/AU/UK), powerful enough to charge your tablet.
Three colors: vibrant red, arctic white, and midnight black.

Pricing & Availability
DASH7 is priced at $249 MSRP, $219 MAP in the U.S, available immediately in red, white, and black through select online retailers, including Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Crutchfield.com, ListenUp.com, OneCall.com and more, as well as through the Soundmatters site at: www.soundmatters.com. DASH7 will be available in International markets at the end of October. In addition, two foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth models starting at $199 are also available, along with the foxLO, the palm-sized powered subwoofer for foxL and Jambox.

Turtle Beach Adds New Executives to Management Team

Turtle Beach, a video game audio company, today announced new additions to the company's executive team as the company continues to add senior talent to support its growth plans.

John Hanson has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, and Robert Andris has joined as Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain and Operations. The additions are part of a strategic investment in the company ahead of projected growth in gaming headsets as the industry adopts next-generation consoles, and the anticipated merger with Parametric Sound Corp.

Hanson is a seasoned leader who has spent more than 20 years in top financial positions and has served as chief financial officer with five publicly traded companies, most recently as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Dialogic, Inc., a $160 million global telecom network appliance and software company.  John will be responsible for the financial strategy and planning as the company continues to evolve and grow. 

Hanson succeeds Bruce Murphy in the position of CFO. Murphy, who has played a key role in the pending merger with Parametric Sound Corp., will remain at Turtle Beach through the end of the year and continue to support merger planning and integration efforts.  

Robert Andris joins the company from Hewlett Packard where he was accountable for the HP Inkjet and Printing Solutions global supply chain as the Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Operations. Andris is a seasoned operational leader with deep, cross-functional supply chain experience in manufacturing, engineering, procurement, distribution and services for such companies as Cisco, Celestica and IBM. Rob will be responsible for delivering a seamless, differentiated customer experience through best in class cost management, operational processes and strategic partnerships.  Andris succeeds Craig Boelsen, who previously led supply chain and operations.

"Industry-leading talent is a key ingredient to the fulfillment of our near-term strategy and the long-term success of our company," said Juergen Stark, Chief Executive Officer at Turtle Beach. "John Hanson and Rob Andris are great additions to an already strong team, and they will both make important contributions as we continue to expand and evolve our growing audio technology business."

One of Rdio's Most Popular Features Now Free Forever on iOS and Android

 Rdio has announced that its new, highly personalized streaming stations are now free on mobile to all iOS and Android users. Starting today, stations are free for all users — even those whose subscriptions or trials have ended. Any user is now invited to listen to all of Rdio's stations — drawing from over 20 million songs — at no cost through the Rdio mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Launched in August, Rdio's new and improved stations are custom-tailored to users. Everyone can now listen to all of the artist, song, and 400 genre stations available on Rdio as well as You FM and Friend FM — personalized stations inspired by an Rdio user's taste in music and likes on Facebook. Since launching in August, nearly 2.3 million stations have been created.

In addition, Rdio also announced two new features for stations:

• Station sharing. Think your You FM is proof positive of your superior music taste? Now you can share it — and any song, artist, genre, or other type of station — on Facebook, Twitter, or with any friend on Rdio.
• Playlist and album stations. Creating an endless stream of your favorite (or soon to be favorite) songs keeps getting easier. With the introduction of playlist stations and album stations, Rdio has more station types than any other music service in the market.

"Station plays are up over 50 percent since our launch in August," said Drew Larner, Rdio's Chief Executive Officer. "We're excited to make one of our most popular features available to everyone for free, forever."

 

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muzik Introduces the World's First Smart Headphone

muzik, a pioneering company that is changing the way music is experienced, shared and discovered, has announced today that its premiere product – the world's first smart on-ear headphone – is available now for pre-sale exclusively at Best Buy, the world's largest multi-channel consumer electronics retailer. Products will be publicly available in all Best Buy large format stores on October 20 and additional 400 Best Buy Mobile stores in November, just in time for the holidays. All of the products in muzik's lineup seamlessly connect hardware, software, and social media platforms to make music instantly discoverable and shareable.

"We're excited to bring this innovative product to Best Buy and its consumers," says Founder, CEO and President Jason Hardi. "We're able to combine the power of muzik's wearable technology, top streaming music services and social media networks with Best Buy's world-class consumer electronics retail distribution for the best possible partnership. The team has been amazing to work with—their dedication, belief and support of muzik and our mission has made all of this reality."

muzik will make three products available at pre-sale through Best Buy, including:

• smart on-ear headphone: The company's marquee set of smart, on-ear wireless headphones, which will retail for $299, will feature a simple, sleek and elegant design and are available in black and white. The smart on-ear headphone will incorporate custom dual-diaphragm 40mm drivers for high-fidelity audio with capacitive touch controls for users to natively share what they are listening to in real-time. Additional product details include a dual-microphone system, full Siri integration, Bluetooth wireless and a 15-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery.
• smart in-ear headphone: This first of its kind smart in-ear headphone will be available for retail at $129. Featuring 11mm drivers within the aluminum housing, the smart in-ear headphones will also include passive noise cancellation. Additionally, the tangle-free flat cable will incorporate touch controls for social sharing as well as a Siri-integrated microphone for voice controls.
• smart cable: The smart cable will be the first social smart cable designed to easily connect any headphone to a user's smartphone. The smart cable will retail at $59 and will include muzik's patented technology inside the cable.

To unlock the full power of muzik's smart audio products, users can download the muzik mobile app. 
muzik's product lineup is also available for pre-sale on www.bestbuy.com/muzik and publicly available in-store October 20.

LG Announces Speaker System for Home Entertainment Centers

LG Electronics USA today announced the LG SoundPlate™, an innovative new speaker system that features a minimalist design and provides a big audio boost for the home entertainment center. Shown for the first time in the United States as the 2013 Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo kicks off here today, model LAP340 helps usher in a new generation of home theater audio systems optimized for today's flat-panel HDTVs.

"The tradeoff for the ultra thin TV design has been smaller speakers, which has led to a surge in demand for supplementary home audio devices," said Jay Vandenbree, Senior Vice President, Home Entertainment, LG Electronics USA. "We're augmenting our already robust line of soundbars with the LG SoundPlate to give consumers yet another alternative for powerful home entertainment sound in a compact, attractive design."

Sound Quality and Design
The LG SoundPlate provides high-quality audio while maintaining a minimally obtrusive aesthetic. Despite a profile only 1-3/8 inches (35 millimeters) high, the LG SoundPlate is equipped with a robust 4.1 channel sound system complete with dual built-in subwoofers.

Its 120W output is boosted by a unique internal structure and LG's proprietary acoustic tuning system, which makes it easier to hear dialog and other discrete sounds when watching TV shows or movies. To further enhance sound quality, this unit features LG's Bass Port system, which reduces harmful vibrations from within the speaker enclosure. LG's Cinema Mode feature optimizes the LAP340's surround sound capabilities, creating an immersive field of multidirectional audio.

For additional functionality, LG's Sound Sync, which is driven by Bluetooth® capabilities, enables users to pair the device with other compatible devices, such as phones, so consumers can wirelessly stream music when in range. As an added bonus, this feature helps reduce cable clutter in the living room by pairing a compatible LG TV to the SoundPlate wirelessly.

From an aesthetic perspective, its low profile and sleek matte finish make it an attractive choice for any home theater set up. It is primarily meant to act as a pedestal, ideal for 32 to 55-inch class TVs, but is compact enough to fit in shelving units or TV stands.

The LAP340 LG SoundPlate is expected to be available through U.S. retailers beginning next month. For more information, visit www.lg.com.

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