Engineers and gilders might not seem like the most intuitive design partners—after all, their crafts hail from entirely different centuries—but the results of those kinds of unconventional collaborations can be magical. Behold: Hibou (meaning Owl, in French), a ceramic radio that’s controlled by touching the palladium patterns on its surface.
     |
Sony will release the “CMT-SBT300W” and “CMT-SBT100″ separate speaker “comp” sound systems on July 6.
Total wireless capabilities through Bluetooth and NFC. One-touch pairing to connect Walkman, iPhone, Android smartphones and other smart devices wirelessly.
Both systems feature Sony’s exclusive “S-Master” digital amplifier and 2 way bass reflex speakers.
The “CMT-SBT300W” model features a 25mm dome-type tweeter, 120mm cone-type woofer and 50W+50W high-power output amplifier.
The “CMT-SBT300W model is also equipped with (IEEE 802.11b/g) Wi-Fi communication function. Through AirPlay or DLNA (home network), wirelessly play music contained in the PC or other device somewhere else in the house, in conjunction with a Wi-Fi enabled devices in the house.
The “CMT-SBT100″ features a 40mm cone-type tweeter, 100mm cone-type woofer and 25W+25W high-power output amplifier.
CMT-SBT300W
Price: ¥40,000
Color: Black
Dimensions:
– Main unit: Approx. 290×106×221mm
– Speaker: Approx. 150×270×220mm
Weight:
– Main unit: Approx. 2.7kg
– Speaker: Approx. 2.5kg each
Consumption: Approx. 40W (under 0.5W in standby mode)
CMT-SBT100
Price: ¥30,000
Color: Black
Dimensions:
– Main unit: Approx. 290×106×221mm
– Speaker: Approx. 150×240×220mm
Weight:
– Main unit: Approx. 2.7kg
– Speaker: Approx. 2.0kg each
Consumption: Approx. 35W (under 0.5W in standby mode)
To most people, Antec’s probably better known for its desktop-related products, but at Computex, the company made quite a big effort to pimp its A.M.P. (Antec Mobile Products) range of Bluetooth audio devices. You may have already come across the SP1 Bluetooth speaker (pictured above in several colors), but we’ve been told that an identical-looking SP1+ is coming this October. What’s new? Well, the refresh will come with NFC-enabled Bluetooth pairing, as well as CSR’s TrueWireless Stereo technology that will let you use one SP1+ as the left channel, and another SP1+ as the right channel (but both drivers in each SP1+ are still active in this case). Do read on to see what else Antec has up its sleeve later this year.
Gallery: Antec SP1 and SP1+ Bluetooth speaker
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables, Wireless
If you’ve been thinking of adding speakers around the house but are loathe to run wires, Pure’s Jongo system is now available in North America, joining the likes of Sonos’ Play:3 in the wireless multi-room sound game. For now, it consists of the $129 Jongo A2, a WiFi- and Bluetooth-equipped bridge (at bottom) that spreads “perfectly synchronized” sound to different rooms, and the $199 Jongo S3 portable speaker (top left). The products will work on their own by receiving Bluetooth sound from your handheld device, together with other Pure devices like the Sensia 200D or with your existing sound system, thanks to digital and analog audio outputs on the A2. The Pure Connect iOS app coordinates the hardware and also lets you stream your local playlists, along with 15 million tracks from the Pure Music subscription service. You can deck out either product with the room-coordinating grilles (above) at $30 for the S3 and $20 for the A2, while a Jongo T6 100W flagship speaker will join the party later in the year at an undisclosed price. To see where to grab them, check the PR after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, HD
You know what your life is missing? A speaker that looks like the inside of a high-end luxury car. Thankfully, Zeppelin-maker Bowers & Wilkins has just the thing for you. The 805 Maserati Edition is the result of a partnership with the Italian automaker, building on the 805 Diamond speakers with the addition of black leather, bird’s eye maple and the car company’s trident logo. The speaker hits audio stores come fall, and later this year, it’ll be joined by what we assume will be equally extravagant P5 Maserati Edition headphones.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
When it comes to portable speakers, I guess you can say that this particular segment of the market has grown tremendously over the years simply because of a greater degree of mobile device adoption among the masses, not to mention better battery technology which naturally results in superior battery life, in addition to the advancement and proliferation of Bluetooth capability embedded in just about every modern day mobile device like smartphones and tablets. Having said that, the portable wireless speakers of today are what boomboxes were to a previous, bygone era, and Cambridge Audio intends to usher in a new reign of such portable wireless speakers by announcing the availability of the Minx Go.
The Minx Go is a high performance, portable Bluetooth speaker that is capable of delivering deeply expansive, crystal clear audio. Similar to other Cambridge Audio product, the Minx Go will carry the company’s design DNA thanks to their design team who are based in London. The Minx Go will come acoustically loaded with an array of five premium quality speakers as well as the latest Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology, ensuring that your ears will always be treated to massive power at all times, without taking up too much space no matter where you are. What would most probably be the most impressive feat of the Minx Go would be the amount of detailed bass that it is capable of pumping out, and this is made possible thanks to the Bass Radiator that has been neatly integrated into the rear panel.
Just how long can the Minx Go last? Well, it boasts a battery life of up to 18 hours, which is lengthy enough for an entire day out, even stretching into the wee hours of the night. From a flat battery, it takes just a couple of hours to juice up fully, and while it is being recharged, it will even allow you to charge a tablet or phone thanks to the integrated USB charging port. You will be able to choose from high gloss black or white colors for the $149 Minx Go.
Press Release
[ Cambridge Audio announces Minx Go copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
We first caught a glimpse of iLuv’s MobiAria at this year’s CES, where it played second fiddle to the company’s Qi-certified wireless charger. Now front and center, the Bluetooth speaker is finally available from the company’s website (and select retailers) for $199.99. Like many of the speakers we’ve seen lately, the MobiAria builds in NFC technology to pair compatible devices with a simple tap. Other features include a 3.5mm jack for plugging in your device the old way, as well as a USB charging dock so your phone doesn’t tragically run out of juice while playing your favorite tune.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: iLuv
Bluetooth speakers are great to share your tunes with your friends, and they are really useful in your home, to listen to music, shows, and podcasts without worrying about wires.
The Philips SoundShooter is a handy, wireless portable speaker that looks like a tiny barrel. Naturally, it’s Bluetooth-enabled and comes with a built-in microphone to make calls. It can stream music up to 30 feet away from your mobile device, and can run for up to eight hours per charge. The included carabiner will allow you to clip it to a bag or belt loop when you’re outdoors.
You can get the Philips SoundShooter from Amazon for about $48 (USD).
[via Bless This Stuff]
If you ask me, the market for wireless speakers has really reached a point of saturation. So it really takes a lot for me to write about them anymore – let alone be wowed by one. Well consider me wowed. The Wren V5 speaker is, in my opinion, the most artful wireless speaker I’ve seen so far.
First impressions are huge, and when I took the Wren out of its box and protective wrapper, I was stunned by how beautiful this thing is. This is one of those rare times where the product looks better in person than in its studio photos. Constructed primarily from veneered MDF wood, it looks and feels just so substantial. This is a speaker that would look great sitting on any table or desk, no matter what your design aesthetic is. I personally love the bamboo finish of the speaker I got to test out, but it’s also available in a darker rosewood finish. Dimensions for the Wren are 6-1/8″ (H) x 16-5/8″ (W) and 4-1/4″ (D), and it weighs a hefty 6.6 pounds.
Of course, a speaker is only as good as it sounds. Powered by a 50-watt, DSP-powered class-D stereo amp from Intersil, this thing certainly has plenty of punch to go around. Its powered by two three-inch mid/bass drivers, and a pair of 19mm soft dome tweeters.
In my experience, the Wren produced amazingly solid room-filling sound along with clean, but not overly boomy low-end, thanks to its wooden ported bass cabinet. Cranked up to 100% volume it was loud with virtually no audible distortion, and no clipping that I could hear. It doesn’t hurt that the grill cloth is acoustically transparent, the enclosure is built to minimize unwanted resonance, and it’s set onto an acoustic-damping silicone base. That said, it doesn’t provide any equalization controls, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you like to fine-tune your speakers.
The Wren can be connected via Wi-Fi, USB or a wired analog audio connection, but unfortunately not Bluetooth. However, the added range and flexibility of Wi-Fi trumps that in my book. Yes, it takes a few extra seconds to establish a Wi-Fi connection rather than Bluetooth, but it’s well worth having the ability to control the speaker from your computer or mobile device, as well as to have multiple devices playing music at the same time. That said, Wren does mention on its website that Bluetooth support is “coming soon.” Though I’m not sure if current owners will be provided with an upgrade path. Once connected, the speaker shows up like any other AirPlay device, and playback can even be controlled via the included remote.
It should be noted that the Wren hasn’t been officially approved by Apple for Lightning Connector devices, but it’s been thoroughly tested and works on the iPhone 5, iPad 4th Gen and iPad Mini. I had a little trouble getting the simple “one button” Wi-Fi connection to work with my iPhone 5, so I had to connect it to my Wi-Fi network via a web browser instead. But that’s no big deal – it takes just a couple of extra seconds, and it’s a one-time operation. In addition, Wren is planning an app to allow for easy Wi-Fi setup as well as for loading firmware updates slated for release late this Summer.
If you use Apple devices, you’ll want to go with the Wren V5AP, which offers AirPlay compatibility – and if you’re an Android user, go with the V5PF, which is compatible with Android 2.2 and later devices, via Play-Fi. Both models of the Wren V5 sell for $399.99(USD) and are available on the Wren Sound System website. As an added bonus, Wren includes an unheard of three-year warranty, so you’re covered if anything goes wrong for quite some time. You can also swap from the iOS to the Android version or vice versa for just $99 – though you’ll get a equivalent quality refurb for that price.
Minor inconveniences aside, I loved the look and the sound of the Wren, and would be happy to have one sitting on my bookshelf.
HP will soon have an NFC-enabled Bluetooth speaker to go along with its NFC-enabled mouse, not that we reckon the two will ever have much to say to each other. The manufacturer’s Wireless Portable Speaker (model no. S9500) has just been revealed in an FCC filing, where it managed to pass inspection without giving away a great deal of information beyond its physical styling (more retro than HP’s current wireless speaker) and the name of the engineer who signed the test report (“Apple,” confusingly). Beyond that, we know this speaker would have to pair manually with a Slate 7, since that tablet lacks NFC. Also, the Quick Setup Guide says “First Edition: June 2013”, which suggests an official launch could be just around the corner — potentially alongside other unknown, NFC-enabled products from HP.
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, HP
Source: FCC
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
