
Audio Networking Achieves Critical Scale as Latest Statistics on Adoption Reveal
Now in its 7th year of reporting, audio consultancy RH Consulting has released its latest ‘state of the union’ on networked audio products. Recognized across the AV and Broadcast industries as the benchmark for tracking trends in networked audio, the report details the latest statistics on adoption of networked audio products, covering Dante, Ravenna, AVB, Milan and other protocols. Increasing adoption of the AES67 interoperability standard is a notable trend.

COVID-19 and Trade Shows: Don't Panic Until Instructed
While waiting for the end of the COVID-19 outbreak, follow the relevant authorities' reports and wait. Use the available time to reorganize, focus on product development and other essential bench and back office activities, and get ready for a full-force return at a later date. In short, keep doing your job. Yes, we're all staying put for a while. But let's use the time to work and make sure we can go back to the next trade show and we can all hug and greet one another without fear.

Bang & Olufsen Introduces Beosound Balance Smart Speaker with Active Room Compensation
"If you can't beat them, join them," someone at Bang & Olufsen must have thought. And so the new Bang & Olufsen Beosound Balance with Google Assistant voice control was born, raising the bar for all smart speakers in terms of sound, size and price, and leveraging all the technology and design experience of the famous Danish brand. As Bang & Olufsen describes, the Beosound Balance is a wireless speaker with an advanced audio platform designed to grow in the future.
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STMicroelectronics Announces New-Generation Class-D Audio Amplifier IC Developed in Cooperation with Alps Alpine
STMicroelectronics announced the new FDA901 class-D audio amplifier IC, a new design that incorporates the world-class audio expertise of Japanese manufacturer of car audio equipment, Alps Alpine. The new ST chip aims to contribute to the creation of multi-function, high-fidelity car audio systems that fuse the high efficiency of class-D amplifiers with the high-quality sound of ST’s class-AB amplifiers.

Lenbrook Announces BluOS 3.8 Update with New Home Theater and Integration Features
BluOS the multi-room music management software platform created by Lenbrook International, received an important update to further enhance user experience and convenience across the BluOS ecosystem of products. The BluOS 3.8 update introduces numerous new features, including the possibility to configure Bluesound Home Theater groups with Powernode products, support for MQA-CD ripping and Apple AirPlay 2 support for specific products, and many new integrator-specific features.

ESS Expands its USB DAC Portfolio with New ES9260 Low-Power Solution
ESS Technology announced the ES9260, a new USB DAC solution with integrated PLL and regulator, optimized for low-power consumption. Intended for use in USB-C headsets and audio adaptors that demand high-quality sound and long play times, the new SoC offers lower power consumption than existing solutions while still delivering the highest-quality sound in its class.

Alango Introduces Short Range Sound Modem (SRSM) Technology
Imagine having ten of thousands of TWS earbuds lined-up at EOL and ready to be packed, when engineering calls to say there's a new vital instruction update that needs to be loaded. Alango developed a practical short range data-over-sound implementation that allows doing just that. Short Range Sound Modem (SRSM) technology enables device configuration and updates without modifying existing hardware, and enables all sorts of one- or two-way acoustic communication scenarios.

ReDrivers from Diodes Incorporated Boost Signal Quality of High-Speed USB 3.2, 10Gbps Interfaces
Diodes introduced a series of USB ReDrivers for application in industrial, embedded, and consumer electronics products. The PI3EQX1004E and PI3EQX1002E are USB 3.2 compliant, 5Gbps to 10Gbps, 2-Port/1-Port, linear ReDrivers. The devices are backwards compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1, 5Gbps and offer ultra-small and thin package types to reduce PCB size and total BOM cost. They have adjustable linear equalization, output swing, and flat gain to optimize performance over a variety of physical media by reducing intersymbol interference.

New Ceiling Loudspeakers for Commercial Audio from Martin Audio
Short after the surprising announcement of the sale of the company to its High Wycombe neighbor Focusrite Audio Engineering, Martin Audio had another busy start to the year with the introduction of another five products targeting commercial installation, now joining the company's ADORN series. Martin Audio introduced five new in-ceiling and pendant loudspeakers together with many other recently introduced products at ISE 2020.

GRAS Launches RA0403/04 Ear Simulator For Precise Testing Of Hi-Res Audio Capable Headphones
Following presentations at the 2019 AES International Headphone Conference in San Francisco or ISEAT in China, GRAS Sound & Vibration has now officially expanded its family of ear simulators with the launch of a model specially designed for the testing of high resolution audio capable headphones. Expanding on the GRAS RA0401/02 High-Frequency Ear Simulator, based on the standard IEC 60318-4 and extending the useful frequency range to 20 kHz, the new GRAS RA0403/04 Hi-Res Ear Simulator measures a frequency range to 50 kHz and beyond.