Behringer announces OMNI series AirPlay speakers and connecting receiver amps

Behringer announces OMNI series, brings your legacy gear to the AirPlay party

Behringer made a bit of a splash as CES last year with its oversized iPhone dock, this year it’s keeping things a little more front-room friendly. Launching its new OMNI system, the audio maker hopes to bring a little AirPlay magic to your house, without excluding some of your legacy hardware. The system consists of modular elements that let you add your passive speakers into the mix, as well as work together as a whole. More specifically, the OMNI SP3 and SP5i units are all-in-one 2.1 systems, and there’s a dedicated subwoofer too. But, if you don’t have or want their own breed, you can bring in your own. The OMNI Amp is a 2 x 40W stereo amplifier and AirPlay receiver that lets you play your music with your existing passive bookshelf or floor-mounted gear, and active speakers can be looped into the AirPlay party with the OMNI link box. The speakers are provisionally set to cost $249 (for the SP3i) and $349 (for the SP5i and sub), while the amp and link boxes will likely set you back $199 and $129 respectively. No word on the official launch date, but head on over to the press release for more info.

Continue reading Behringer announces OMNI series AirPlay speakers and connecting receiver amps

Filed under:

Comments

Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

It’s been almost four months since we first (and last) heard about Marshall’s special edition Hanwell HiFi speaker, but today the renowned amp maker announced its sleek system is finally ready to hit shelves in various areas around the globe. The Marshall Hanwell amp / speaker combo’s set to be available in Europe, Japan and the US for a cool $800, which will give interested at-home rockstars a package that’s a “carefully crafted machine, designed to attain that trademark Marshall tone” and that produces “super lows, and hi-fi tweeters yield sharp extended highs, rendering the sound sharp and clear, like sitting in the front row.” You’ll have to tap on the source link below quick if you’re looking to snag one for yourself, though, as Marshall has already said it’ll only have about 10,000 units up for grabs.

Continue reading Marshall Hanwell speaker now available for $800, helps bring out your inner rockstar

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Marshall

DN-82623, Evergreen new 4 inputs Headphone Amp with USB DAC

Evergreen released today the DN-82623, yet another Headphone Amp that for once comes with the support of four different inputs, including RCA, Digital In, and USB DAC (24Bit/96kHz)! The DB-82623 comes with a Dual FET-Input, Low Distortion Operational Amplifier TI OPA2604.
The DN-82623 is announced in Japan at around 13,999 Yen and comes with the corresponding input: 44.1, 48, 96kHz/16/24bit, an 115dB SN Ratio and a 2-W power consumption.

Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Roku-ready receivers

Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Rokuready receivers

Onkyo’s CEDIA booth served as a way for it to show off all manner of new audio technology including this funky iLunar dock (above), which uses tech developed by Swiss audio company Sonic Emotion to create a “3D sound field” from stereo sources. We couldn’t get much of a feel for it on the show floor with the wide open spaces and noise, but according to Onkyo, its six full-range drivers and downward-firing subwoofer combine to send sound in all directions, resulting in a stereo experience no matter where the listener is seated in smaller rooms. There’s more details on that, as well as a few other mini audio systems and a new amp in the gallery and press releases after the break. One other development we noted was the Roku Streaming Stick-ready branding popping up on Onkyo receivers since its partnership was officially revealed, and there was even a dongle conspicuously front mounted right there in the booth. We’re still for a release date and pricing, but it looks like hardware partners are ready to go.

Continue reading Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Roku-ready receivers

Filed under: ,

Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Roku-ready receivers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Marshall Hanwell Speakers: Rock and Roll for the Masses

Just like many people who saw Back to the Future: Part I and Part II in their teens, I’ve always wanted the Nike Air Mag shoes, a hoverboard, and a speaker wall that would blow my pants off. Thankfully, none of these has yet passed, as I couldn’t bear spend so much money on the Nike replica shoes that were released last year. However, building my own Marshall stack just got a little easier.

marshall hanwell audio speaker home

The Marshall Hanwell speaker is the legendary amp company’s first foray into consumer audio, and they released it for their 50th anniversary. It’s an iconic piece of audio design, and it’s their first loudspeaker intended to be used in homes. It has dual long-throw woofers and hi-fi tweeters to deliver Marshall’s signature sound.

marshall hanwell audio speaker home iphone

The cabinet is made out of wood and vinyl, reminiscent of their trademark amps. It has an analog power switch, volume, bass, and treble controls, though it clearly does not go to 11. A single 3.5mm jack is provided for connecting your media player.

marshall hanwell audio speaker home analog

They haven’t yet announced how much it will cost, but it’s supposed to be launched this November, just in time for the holidays. Your pants better watch out!

marshall hanwell audio speaker home front


Sennheiser unveils HDVA 600 analog headphone amp, asks for $1,600

Sennheiser unveils HDVA 600 analog headphone amp, asks for $1,600

Along with a few IFA 2012 announcements, Sennheiser peeled back the wraps from its HDVA 600 headphone amp, an analog flavor of the previously unveiled HDVD 800. Like its sibling, the freshly revealed hardware sports a glass panel for peeking at its innards and an anodized aluminum exterior, but leaves the digital inputs behind. While the 800 carries a hefty $2,000 price tag, the 600 will set customers back a smaller — but still substantial — sum of $1,600. Both units are tailored for the likes of Senn’s flagship HD 800 headphones, so they should easily be able to drive cans that require up to 300-ohms. The pair won’t be available in the US until later this fall, but in the meantime, you can breeze past the break for specs and more details in the press release.

Continue reading Sennheiser unveils HDVA 600 analog headphone amp, asks for $1,600

Filed under: ,

Sennheiser unveils HDVA 600 analog headphone amp, asks for $1,600 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Antec SP1 portable Bluetooth speaker stops by the FCC

Antec SP1 portable Bluetooth speaker stops by the FCC

The last Antec product that blipped on our radar was many moons ago, but it looks as though the company is having a second stab at audio hardware in its latest filing with the FCC. The documents reveal a new Bluetooth speaker going by the handle SP1 and assuming more of a Braven form factor, as opposed to the pocket-sized trend. Antec’s Rockus 3D|2.1 speakers were aimed at the higher end of the market, but we would be tempted to bet that the SP1’s focus is a little broader. We’ve struggled to dig up any more detail on the speaker, like launch plans or pricing, but did stumble upon a particularly glamorous advert, which you’ll find after the break.

Continue reading Antec SP1 portable Bluetooth speaker stops by the FCC

Filed under: ,

Antec SP1 portable Bluetooth speaker stops by the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X gives audiophiles 7.1-channel analog sound, overpriced cables thankfully optional

Biostar HiFi Z77X motherboard gives audiophiles 71channel analog sound with amp, overpriced cables thankfully optional

There haven’t been many choices in PC motherboards for audiophiles — the ‘real’ kind that might see even a good dedicated sound card as slumming it. Biostar wants to fill that untapped niche with the Hi-Fi Z77X. Along with run-of-the-mill expansion for an Ivy Bridge- or Sandy Bridge-based desktop, the board’s built-in 7.1-channel audio flaunts six 3.5mm analog jacks, an amp and the kind of exotic-sounding language that leads audio addicts to buy $2,000 cables they don’t need. We’re talking “metal-oxide film resistors” and “non-polarized electrolysis electric audio capacitors,” here. Whether or not the changes have an appreciable impact on sound quality, listeners are ironically left out of S/PDIF audio, which exists only as a header on the board unless buyers spend a little more on parts. That said, if we assume the as yet unknown price isn’t stereotypically high — and that audiophiles don’t mind a big, potentially noisy desktop as a home theater PC — the Hi-Fi Z77x could be a treat for those who want to wring every nuance out of music and movie soundtracks.

Filed under: ,

Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X gives audiophiles 7.1-channel analog sound, overpriced cables thankfully optional originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Bit-Tech.net  |  sourceBiostar  | Email this | Comments