All items in category Magazine Articles
Fresh From the Bench: NAD Electronics M33 Masters BluOS Streaming DAC Amplifier
by Stuart Yaniger

Fresh From the Bench: NAD Electronics M33 Masters BluOS Streaming DAC Amplifier

After reviewing the compact but mighty M10 Masters Series streaming amplifier from NAD Electronics, Stuart Yaniger simply had to try the new flagship NAD M33 Masters streaming DAC amplifier. This was the first mainstream product to implement the Purifi Audio Eigentakt (self-clocking) amplifier modules, but there is a whole lot more to make it a very complete package for a musical life. The article, published in audioXpress, July 2021, reviews the experience and performance measurements.
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Eighteen Sound: The Younger Face of Italian Speaker Tradition
by Joao Martins

Eighteen Sound: The Younger Face of Italian Speaker Tradition

In October 2015, audioXpress visited pro audio loudspeaker manufacturer Eighteen Sound in Italy, and we shared the details of its modern factory in Reggio Emilia. The article was intended to illustrate the ongoing company's expansion, combined with a bit of its history. A lot has changed in the company's structure since then, Eighteen Sound (and Ciare) was acquired by B&C Speakers, and the faces at Reggio Emilia also changed. This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2016.
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Fresh From the Bench: Nuheara IQbuds2 MAX Hearing-Assist Earphones
by Brent Butterworth

Fresh From the Bench: Nuheara IQbuds2 MAX Hearing-Assist Earphones

More than five years in development and after multiple iterations, Australian startup Nuheara achieved its goal with the Nuheara IQbuds2 MAX, a bridge toward truly smart hearables. This advanced design uses digital technology to bring hearing aid functionality into true wireless earbuds. audioXpress asked Brent Butterworth to try them and share his experience and evaluation. This article was originally published in audioXpress, July 2021.
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Patent Review: Definitive Technology Bipolar Speaker with Improved Clarity
by James Croft

Patent Review: Definitive Technology Bipolar Speaker with Improved Clarity

An interesting patent review of a Bipolar Speaker assigned to Definitive Technology, the Maryland-based company that is now part of Sound United. The patent describes a forward-focused bipolar loudspeaker design with front-facing and rear facing driver-arrays, adjusted to generate a front-to-back acoustical output balance equal to a 2:1 ratio (about 6dB reduction) in the output of the rear firing transducers relative to the direct forward output. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2015
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Automotive Audio Solutions - The Changing Automotive Environment in 2021
by Roger Shively

Automotive Audio Solutions - The Changing Automotive Environment in 2021

For the audioXpress 2021 Automotive Audio Solutions update, Roger Shively (JJR Acoustics and Co-Chair of the AES Automotive Audio Technical Committee) wrote an expanded overview of the many ways in which the audio industry is increasingly interacting with car manufacturers, particularly in the transition to fully-electric powered vehicles. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2021.
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Patent Review: Bose Transmission Line Loudspeaker
by James Croft

Patent Review: Bose Transmission Line Loudspeaker

In this Voice Coil Acoustic Patents article, James Croft discusses an interesting Transmission Line Loudspeaker patent assigned to three engineers from Bose regarding an electro-acoustic driver and acoustic waveguide that includes “an enclosure, an acoustic transmission line formed within the enclosure, and a plurality of acoustic transducers contained within the enclosure and disposed along a length of the acoustic transmission line.” As Croft notes, this seems to be an improvement over the Tapped Horn loudspeaker architecture patented by Tom Danley, assigned 10 years ago. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2015
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Fresh From the Bench: KEF LS50 Meta Loudspeaker. A Material Improvement
by Oliver A.Masciarotte

Fresh From the Bench: KEF LS50 Meta Loudspeaker. A Material Improvement

In September 2020, British brand KEF updated its extremely popular LS50 speaker design and introduced the LS50 Meta, an improved version of the original LS50 passive design, now featuring a new Uni-Q driver that is coupled to an interesting new metamaterial absorber in the back. audioXpress requested a pair of the loudspeakers for review. Oliver Masciarotte did the listening, and Kent Peterson confirmed their impressions with extensive measurements. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2021.
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Fresh From the Bench: KEF LS50 Meta - The Measurements
by Kent Peterson

Fresh From the Bench: KEF LS50 Meta - The Measurements

After conducting a serious listening session of the KEF LS50 Meta with Oliver Masciarotte and Pete Quirsfeld, Kent Peterson took the speakers to Warkwyn to determine if their listening impressions could be confirmed with actual measurements. The KEF LS50 Meta was measured at Warkwyn’s facility using the Klippel Near-Field Scanning (NFS) system. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2021.
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Altec Lansing’s Voice of the Theatre Speakers - What You Need to Know
by Scott Dorsey

Altec Lansing’s Voice of the Theatre Speakers - What You Need to Know

A design by John Hilliard, Altec Lansing Voice of the Theatre systems originally targeted movie theaters. The entire series was gradually expanded for use in general sound reinforcement and later converted in extreme high-end audio segments for hi-fi home use. Dorsey knows cinema sound inside and out, and in this article he shares his personal thoughts about these highly valued horn designs, and provides valuable tips on how to restore them. This article was originally published in audioXpress, September 2020.
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R&D Stories: The Original Western Electric 300B Vacuum Tube Now Shipping Worldwide
by Richard Honeycutt

R&D Stories: The Original Western Electric 300B Vacuum Tube Now Shipping Worldwide

Celebrating the reintroduction of the famous Western Electric 300B triode, now out of Rossville, GA, in this article, Richard Honeycutt asked key questions to entrepreneur Charles Whitener, the main force behind the revived Western Electric venture, which is also investing in new tube audio amplifiers and tube related electronics. Since a visit to the facilities wasn't yet possible but production had resumed, audioXpress provided an inside look at Western Electric and its reestablished operations. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2021.
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