Hasta La Gadget!

The past few days we’ve seen countless little Bluetooth speakers, JAMBOX look alikes, and various speakers but the new SoundMatters Dash 7 packs a powerful punch for such a small speaker. First mentioned earlier this year their ultra portable Bluetooth speaker was on display here at CES 2013 for ShowStoppers so we snagged a few photos.

The speaker boasts pristine omnidirectional sound for such a small device. It’s also bundled with an angled stand for directional listening. The stands design mimics an Apple smart case too. It weighs just over 7 ounces so is extremely lightweight, and stands only 0.75-inches tall. Essentially, it’s designed to be nestled below your smartphone or tablet without restricting the view.

As you can see from our images below, the device is impressively sleek and we can confirm it’s rather light and ultra portable. Being able to lightly toss it nearly anywhere your smartphone or iPad goes without wasting much more space makes it quite versatile compared to some of their competition. The front face has the power button and led, along with a volume up/down dedicated button for ease of use. Around to the side is a 3.5mm audio out if you opt not to use Bluetooth, as well as a sub out feature if you really want to push out some bass.

Just like the Jawbone JAMBOX the Dash 7 uses a woofer/tweeter setup for sound, as well as a floating and moving battery to improve bass response. This makes the sound much better, louder, and crisper than you’d expect from such a tiny little speaker. Colors include red, white, black, and silver and the SoundMatters Dash 7 will hit the streets in February for around $219. Pretty big price, but that brings big performance in a small package.

SoundMatters Dash 7 portable Bluetooth speaker hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Whether you’re the next Trent Reznor on a MIDI controller or simply get a warm fuzzy feeling in your tummy when hearing classic video game themes, there’s no denying the impact of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface specification. Three decades after its creators decided to collaborate and listen on a brand new invention, MIDI technology is now being used by more than 700 companies in a wide range of devices ranging from electronic keyboards and drum sets to video game consoles and cell phones. To commemorate its birthday, the MIDI Manufacturers Association just kicked off its “MIDI Makes Music” 30th Anniversary campaign with a preview of the past, present and future of the technology at CES. The yearlong tribute fittingly continues later this month at the NAMM Show 2013 — the same event where the technology was first demonstrated in 1983. For more details about the ongoing MIDI revelry, feel free to peruse the PR after the break. It doesn’t have instructions on how to transform your MIDI controller into a guitar enclosure but, hey, we kind of got you covered on that one, too.

Continue reading MIDI turns 30, gets year-long birthday bash from daddy

Filed under: Misc, Alt

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Source: MIDI Manufacturers Association

Turtle Beach has made a big appearance here at CES 2013 by announcing several new headsets that are both wireless and wired. The company announced a new headset specifically for Xbox 360 gamers, as well as an exclusive option for PlayStation 3 gamers as well. They also announced the SEVEN series for consoles, PCs, and mobile platforms that include “tournament-grade” quality and functionality. We ended up stopping by the company’s booth and getting some hands-on time with the new products.

The Ear Force XP510 for Xbox 360 and the Ear Force PX51 for PlayStation 3 are both wireless headsets that cater specifically to their respective gaming consoles. Both headsets feature Turtle Beach’s proprietary digital signal processor, Dolby surround sound, dual band WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 15-hour rechargeable battery. Pricing is set at $289 for the XP510 and $269 for the PX51. We should expect both headsets to become available sometime in Q1 2013.

The company also announced their new SEVEN series, consisting of headsets built specifically for gaming consoles (Ear Force XP SEVEN), PC gaming (Ear Force Z SEVEN), and mobile platforms (Ear Force M SEVEN). These are priced at $279, $249, and $149, respectively. What’s unique about the SEVEN series is that they include interchangeable cable kits, and feature a removable boom microphone and in-line microphone for increased flexibility for different gaming styles. These headsets will be available sometime in Q1 2013, while the TM1 audio mixer ($249), which allows greater control when team chatting, is available starting today.

In related Turtle Beach news, the company also upgraded its PX21 headset and released the PX22 ($79) by offering amplified audio, bass and treble boosts, and a “4-pole connector” for compatibility with mobile devices. The company also released two more PC-gaming headsets — the Z300 and Z22. Turtle Beach claims the Z300 as the only Bluetooth-enabled PC headset capable of answering calls or streaming music through a mobile device, and the Z22 is the first PC headset that features the company’s Chat Boost, as well as Bass and Treble Boost. All three of these headsets will be available sometime in Q2 2013.

Turtle Beach PX51, XP510, SEVEN series hands-on is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Never heard of, Bēm Wireless? Don’t worry, it’s our first time, too. The audio company has taken to this year’s CES to show of quartet of interesting wireless speakers. First up, its $300 Speaker Trio consists of a charging base that houses three wireless speakers — no word whether it’s inductive, though, we’d hope so for that price. The cube-shaped sound pushers have a 120 foot range in total over Bluetooth, and come in either black or white. If you like the aesthetic of the Trio but only need one for traveling, the company also offers its Mobile Speaker. The unit runs over Bluetooth, comes in size colors and costs a cool $70.

Beyond those, Bēm is highlighting its larger Boom Box 2.1 Bluetooth system with a handle, which looks similar to Sony’s NFC-loaded $99 SRS-BTM8. Sadly, it may be harder sell at $250 (if it’s similar in size to Sony’s), but it’ll net you 10 hours of wire-free music streaming per charge. Last up in the lineup is the “juice box-sized” Outlet Speaker, priced at $99. Similar to an offering by JBL, the unit plugs directly in your power outlet, letting you stream music over Bluetooth from “up to 25 feet” away. We’ll do our best to check these out on the show floor, so check out the press release past the break to find more info in the meantime.

Continue reading Bēm Wireless intros four Bluetooth speakers, aims to fulfill your wireless audio needs

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video

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[CES 2013] Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is a company known for putting out high-end audio equipment, but whether you regard them as being truly worth their price or as a hype, you cannot deny that the company has created some pretty futuristic looking audio equipment and in their latest collaborative efforts, B&O has joined up with Audi and Frauhofer IIS to create a concept car (the Audi Q7) where the audio experience of the car will be the main highlight, rather than the vehicle’s capabilities itself.

While B&O has seen itself integrated into vehicles in the past, the highlight of this concept car would be the introduction of what they believe will be the next-generation of in-car audio systems where the sound stage within the car is no longer limited to the size of the cabin, but can be either extended to sound very “big”, or to sound like a controlled environment such as a recording studio.
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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Harman BMW Premium Infotainment System Unveiled, Volvo Integrating Spotify Into Its Cars, Says Report,