ALL NEWS ITEMS
OnePlus Selects Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers for New Bullets Wireless 2 Earphones
by audioXpress Staff

OnePlus Selects Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers for New Bullets Wireless 2 Earphones

Shenzhen-based mobile technology company OnePlus and Knowles Corporation announced the introduction of a new, three driver premium wireless headphone model. The new OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 earphones combine a 10mm dynamic driver for warm, full bass and two balanced armature drivers from Knowles for clear vocals and treble. The new model also features Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD support, and is ready to support voice interactions with Google Assistant.
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Chord Electronics Ultima Amplifier Technology Expands with Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 Mono Power Amplifiers
by audioXpress Staff

Chord Electronics Ultima Amplifier Technology Expands with Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 Mono Power Amplifiers

Three decades in development, John Franks’ next-generation Ultima amplifier technology filters down into two new mono power amplifiers, the Ultima 2 and Ultima 3, part of Chord Electronics’ ongoing 30th-anniversary celebrations. First unveiled in October 2018, the new Ultima amplifier topology, to date exclusive to the range-topping £30,000 Ultima power amp, is now more affordable than ever, with the two new mono power amps sharing the same Chord Electronics DNA.
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Futuresource Market Report Highlights New Exciting Opportunities for Hearables
by Futuresource Consulting

Futuresource Market Report Highlights New Exciting Opportunities for Hearables

Futuresource Consulting has recently published its Hearables Market Report, reviewing the market size, competitive landscape, technology drivers and future trends in this new product category. Simon Forrest, Principal Technology Analyst at Futuresource discusses new monetization opportunities in the untethered hearable segment and those resulting from the new “over the counter” hearing aid category, opening up the sector to many new entrants not least the mainstream headphones companies.
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Soundtrap for Storytellers, New Podcast Creation Tool Launches Globally
by audioXpress Staff

Soundtrap for Storytellers, New Podcast Creation Tool Launches Globally

Soundtrap, a Spotify company, announced Soundtrap for Storytellers, a cloud-based solution for high-quality collaborative podcast creation that provides podcasters with a powerful, efficient and user-friendly recording and production process. The comprehensive podcast creation solution offers all-in-one recording, remote multi-track interviewing, smart transcribing, full audio production and publishing to Spotify. The company also announced that a classroom-appropriate version will be available to schools.
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New Mark Levinson 5000 Series Integrated Amplifiers and Integrated Streaming SACD Player and DAC
by audioXpress Staff

New Mark Levinson 5000 Series Integrated Amplifiers and Integrated Streaming SACD Player and DAC

Harman introduced the latest products from its Luxury Audio Group at the High End 2019 show in Munich. Following a repositioning of the division, announced at the end of 2018, Harman is now focusing on launching new products. In the Mark Levinson brand, Harman introduced two integrated amplifiers from the Mark Levinson 5000 series, the Nº5805 and Nº5802. And in a world premiere, Mark Levinson revealed the Nº5101 integrated player, streamer and DAC.
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Sonos Adds Google Assistant Support via Free Software Update
by audioXpress Staff

Sonos Adds Google Assistant Support via Free Software Update

Sonos confirmed the introduction of Google Assistant smart voice control to its Sonos One or Sonos Beam speakers, allowing users to easily start a song, queue a TV show, control smart home devices, and get calendar and traffic updates. For now, the service is available in the United States, with additional countries to follow in July 2019. As the first company to bring multiple voice assistants to the same sound system, Sonos demonstrates the power of its open, multi-partner platform.
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Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant In Neck and Neck Fight For Smart Speaker Leadership
by audioXpress Staff

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant In Neck and Neck Fight For Smart Speaker Leadership

The Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant platforms will take an almost equal share of the global smart speaker market this year, according to the latest forecast from Strategy Analytics. Amazon Alexa had a 37.7% share of sales in 2018, but this will decline to 31.7% in 2019, while Google Assistant’s share will rise from 30.3% to 31.4%, the company predicts. Global sales of all smart speakers are expected to reach 135 million units in 2019, a growth rate of 57%.
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Harman's Luxury Audio Division Introduces Flagship Lexicon SL-1 High-End Adaptive Speaker
by audioXpress Staff

Harman's Luxury Audio Division Introduces Flagship Lexicon SL-1 High-End Adaptive Speaker

During the 2019 High End Show in Munich, Germany, Harman unveiled the new controllable Lexicon SoundSteer SL-1 loudspeaker system, using 66 drivers arranged in a 360-degree configuration, and 46 discrete amplifier channels with a music output of 1,300 watts. Truly, a smart speaker on steroids, the SL-1 combines all the latest innovations in advanced beam steering technology.
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Voice Algorithm Software Ecosystem Expected to Increase Significantly
by audioXpress Staff

Voice Algorithm Software Ecosystem Expected to Increase Significantly

The massive growth in the voice assistant market has created a vibrant ecosystem and significant opportunities for hardware and software developers. Total voice software unit shipments are expected to increase significantly to 2024, according to SAR Insight & Consulting. The firm latest report forecasts a larger increase in voice software, especially within home devices such as smart speakers, soundbars, smart TVs and smart appliances.
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Neutrik Fights Product Piracy and Announces Initiatives to Protect Its Patents and Trademarks
by audioXpress Staff

Neutrik Fights Product Piracy and Announces Initiatives to Protect Its Patents and Trademarks

At the 2019 Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt, Neutrik went on a determined offensive against product piracy. Following Neutrik’s request, police seized numerous products that clearly violate intellectual property rights. Moreover, extensive warnings to cease and desist have also been sent to the companies concerned and further legal action has already been launched by the famous manufacturer of professional connector products for audio and video.
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