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About Joao Martins
Since 2013, Joao Martins leads audioXpress as editor-in-chief of the US-based magazine and website, the leading audio electronics, audio product development and design publication, working also as international editor for Voice Coil, the leading periodical for the loudspeaker industry. Covering Audio and Video technology for more than 30 years - Broadcast, Film, Computer Graphics, and Music - as founder and editor of several leading publications in Portuguese and Spanish languages, (he's also fluent in French!), he benefits from a broad and rich perspective of those sectors and its multiple verticals. Marketing and Communication Specialist working at the intersection of media and technology for over three decades, Joao Martins started as a musician and studied visual arts and cinema before founding its own (short-lived) advertising agency. After a career in marketing and sales in film, television, radio and pro audio systems, transitioned full time to magazine publishing, founding new

All items written by Joao Martins
Bluetooth 5 and Audio Applications
December 22, 2016 by Joao Martins

Bluetooth 5 and Audio Applications

Following the announcement made earlier, on December 7, 2016, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification. Key updates to Bluetooth 5 include longer range, faster speed, and larger broadcast message capacity, as well as improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies.
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Ocean Way Audio New HiRes3.5 Studio Reference Monitor
November 9, 2016 by Joao Martins

Ocean Way Audio New HiRes3.5 Studio Reference Monitor

Anyone that had the opportunity to listen to Ocean Way Audio’s HR4 monitors - as we had - knows that Allen Sides is into something serious. At the 141st AES Convention in Los Angeles, CA, Ocean Way Audio (OWA) proved why they claim to be a “leading manufacturer of high-resolution reference monitors for the professional audio and audiophile market sectors”, and unveiled the new HiRes3.5 Studio Reference Monitor, also known as HR3.5.
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Apple Unleashes Round of Thunderbolt 3 Announcements
November 1, 2016 by Joao Martins

Apple Unleashes Round of Thunderbolt 3 Announcements

Apple’s announcement on October 27, 2016, of a new generation of MacBook Pro laptops will be remembered obviously for the company’s “courage” to disrupt the traditional function keys on the keyboard, and the introduction of a fully programmable touch-screen called the Touch Bar. But more importantly it was the first confirmation that Thunderbolt 3 - the USB-C That Does it All, as Intel calls it - will be the future. And that’s what the industry was waiting for.
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Qualcomm’s NXP Acquisition and Impact for the Audio Industry
October 31, 2016 by Joao Martins

Qualcomm’s NXP Acquisition and Impact for the Audio Industry

With rumors already circulating for some time, on October 27, 2016, Qualcomm announced a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, under which Qualcomm will acquire NXP Semiconductors. With the acquisition, Qualcomm gets access to a vast portfolio of solutions from the Dutch giant, which was once Philips Semiconductors and remains until now a leading supplier of key technologies for mobile devices and wireless and wired audio applications.
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Microsoft Introduces Surface Studio for Creative Professionals Ignoring USB-C and Thunderbolt 3
October 27, 2016 by Joao Martins

Microsoft Introduces Surface Studio for Creative Professionals Ignoring USB-C and Thunderbolt 3

On Wednesday, October 26, Microsoft made a series of impressive announcements, revealing ambitious plans to make its Windows 10 ecosystem more attractive to creative professionals, announcing the Windows 10 Creators Update and a series of impressive new hardware options. Microsoft introduced the new Surface Studio all-in-one desktop PC, designed to turn the desk into a creative studio, with an impressive 28” 4K touch-screen display, working in tandem with the also-new Surface Dial programmable knob.
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Highlights from the 141st Audio Engineering Society Los Angeles Convention
October 6, 2016 by Joao Martins

Highlights from the 141st Audio Engineering Society Los Angeles Convention

The 141st Audio Engineering Society (AES) International Convention in Los Angeles, CA, was a great success - maybe not as vibrant as past New York editions, but probably one of the best in terms of content/topics and number of sessions. The exhibition was always well attended and exhibitors were always busy, especially those targeting studio/recording applications - sometimes it even felt a bit like the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show, with celebrities like Stevie Wonder walking around and some demos pumping the volume a little too much.
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R&D Stories: Powersoft M-System, From Switched-Mode Amps to a Novel Transducer
September 21, 2016 by Joao Martins

R&D Stories: Powersoft M-System, From Switched-Mode Amps to a Novel Transducer

audioXpress September 2016 - Speaker Focus Edition - featured an extensive article discussing Powersoft's M-System, which combines the M-Force motor transducer and M-Drive switching-mode amp module, taking advantage of Differential Pressure Control (DPC) technology among several other innovations from the Italian company. Learn how Powersoft developed a new transducer technology, currently fully available to the OEM market and being applied to novel subwoofer designs, among several other application areas.
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Audioengine Introduces New HDP6 Premium Passive Speakers
September 21, 2016 by Joao Martins

Audioengine Introduces New HDP6 Premium Passive Speakers

Audioengine, from Austin, Texas, could very well be called “the sensible audio company” because their products always make sense: they have great design, sound great, are reasonably priced and they match today’s consumer profiles perfectly. Audioengine knows wireless and computer audio well and knows how, increasingly, people listen to music on a desktop or in close proximity to speakers. For that market, Audioengine released a passive version of their HD6 powered speakers.
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R&D Stories: Genelec 8351 Acoustically Coaxial SAM System
September 15, 2016 by Joao Martins

R&D Stories: Genelec 8351 Acoustically Coaxial SAM System

Introduced during the 137th Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention in Los Angeles, CA, the new Genelec 8351A Acoustically Coaxial Smart Active Monitor (SAM) System is a tri-amplified studio near-field monitor with an ingenious design that introduces enhanced directivity control at lower frequencies in a relatively small speaker. This brilliant design reflects the Finish brand’s “outside-the-box” thinking improving the reference in recording studios. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2015.
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ICEpower and Audio Bricks Merge to Create a New Audio Amplification Powerhouse
September 14, 2016 by Joao Martins

ICEpower and Audio Bricks Merge to Create a New Audio Amplification Powerhouse

Danish company ICEpower, independent from Bang & Olufsen since May 2016, announced the decision to merge with Audio Bricks, and to acquire its holding company, Bolecano Holding AB, from Sweden. While ICEPower is highly recognized in the market as one of the leading brands in audio amplification, Audio Bricks is a relatively new company, created in 2014 by Patrik Boström and Lars Press Petersen, which have now become partners and shareholders of ICEpower, respectively holding the position of CTO, Amplification, and CTO, Research and SMPS in ICEpower.
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