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Futuresource New Headphones Market Report Confirms Global Headphone Sales Accelerated by Wireless & Smart Features
by audioXpress Staff

Futuresource New Headphones Market Report Confirms Global Headphone Sales Accelerated by Wireless & Smart Features

The overall market for headphones is mature in terms of units, but there are pockets of significant growth. Demand for wireless headphones continues to energize the global market driving up sales, increasing prices and fueling innovation of smart features. Sales of wireless headphones have accelerated rapidly this year and are on track to reach $9.5 billion, up 83% on 2016. These are some of the finds detailed by Futuresource Consulting in its latest Headphones Market Report: Worldwide Outlook.
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Shure Launches Bluetooth Accessory Cable for all SE Earphones
by audioXpress Staff

Shure Launches Bluetooth Accessory Cable for all SE Earphones

Shure announced the addition of new Wireless Earphone solutions to its popular SE Sound Isolating Earphone line, including Wireless SE112 and SE215 Models, and a discrete Bluetooth Accessory Cable developed for owners of current Shure SE Earphones who want to convert to Bluetooth 4.1. The new SE Wireless solutions were designed for users who want simple and affordable wireless connectivity with mobile devices. No AAC or aptX support.
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Phorus PS10 is First DTS Play-Fi Speaker to Launch With Amazon Alexa Voice Service
by audioXpress Staff

Phorus PS10 is First DTS Play-Fi Speaker to Launch With Amazon Alexa Voice Service

DTS announced the availability of the Phorus PS10, the first DTS Play-Fi enabled wireless speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Service. The Phorus PS10’s built-in far-field microphone array allows users to access information, play music, and control other home automation devices via the Amazon Alexa Voice Service. The PS10 features three microphones for superior far-field voice recognition, one-touch music presets, high-res music compatibility, and DTS Play-Fi multi-room streaming.
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B&C Speakers Formalizes Offer to Acquire Eighteen Sound
by audioXpress Staff

B&C Speakers Formalizes Offer to Acquire Eighteen Sound

B&C Speakers formalized a binding offer for the acquisition of 100% of share capital of Eighteen Sound from Landi Renzo Group. The announcement confirms an operation anticipated by the Landi Renzo Group of focusing on its core automotive business, divesting from non-strategic assets and "return to profitability" in 2018. For B&C Speakers this represents a formidable expansion of its business to new loudspeaker market segments.
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808 Audio Launches Alexa Voice Service Speaker with Multi-Room Capabilities
by audioXpress Staff

808 Audio Launches Alexa Voice Service Speaker with Multi-Room Capabilities

808 Audio, a Voxx International brand, announced availability of its new XL-V speaker featuring Alexa capabilities. Signaling that smart speakers don't necessarily need to come from the voice assistant own brands, such as Amazon, 808 Audio's new XL-V speaker is in fact quite similar to the original Amazon Echo, with a different speaker design and driver arrangement, in a metal packaging that the company says delivers improved quality audio.
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A New Low in Standby Power with Texas Instruments' new LLC Controller
by Cristina Costa

A New Low in Standby Power with Texas Instruments' new LLC Controller

Texas Instruments (TI) introduced a new inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant controller with an integrated high-voltage gate driver that enables the industry's lowest standby power, as well as longer system lifetimes. The UCC256301 provides a cost-effective system solution that helps meet stringent energy-efficiency standards for a wide range of AC/DC applications in consumer electronics.
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Ultimate Ears Introduces Portable Speakers with Amazon Alexa
by audioXpress Staff

Ultimate Ears Introduces Portable Speakers with Amazon Alexa

A pioneer in portable speakers, Ultimate Ears now announced its new Ultimate Ears BLAST and Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST speakers, both featuring Amazon Alexa. The Logitech-owned brand joins the smart speaker craze with an evolution of its own popular portable speaker designs now with voice control. The new portable, wireless, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speakers combine 360-degree sound capabilities with hands-free voice-control, for at home and on-the-go applications.
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Lynx Announces First Module for Aurora(n) Line of Converter Interfaces
by audioXpress Staff

Lynx Announces First Module for Aurora(n) Line of Converter Interfaces

Lynx Studio Technology introduced the first of several modules for its new Aurora(n) line of A/D and D/A converter interfaces. With the new LM-DIG digital I/O module, all current and future Aurora(n) owners can configure their units with 16 channels of AES/EBU I/O, as a direct replacement/upgrade for the classic Aurora. The first of multiple modules slated for the Lynx converter interface will be available at the end of October 2017.
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Microchip Updates MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator to Include Over 300 Device Models and Schematics
by Cristina Costa

Microchip Updates MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator to Include Over 300 Device Models and Schematics

Microchip Technology announced availability of its updated MPLAB Mindi analog simulation software, now including more models and features. The circuit simulation tool now supports more than 300 Microchip analog products, with SIMetrix’s enhanced SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) and SIMPLIS Technologies’ SIMPLIS (SIMulation of Piecewise LInear Systems) simulation environments.
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New Generation of Brüel & Kjær’s High-frequency Head and Torso Simulator
by audioXpress Staff

New Generation of Brüel & Kjær’s High-frequency Head and Torso Simulator

In response to the trend towards high-quality audio in mobile phones and the increasing popularity of headphones and headsets for communication and entertainment, Brüel & Kjær has developed the new High-frequency Head and Torso Simulator (HATS) Type 5128. The new HATS was shown for the first time in public at the 143rd AES convention in New York. The improved version of the “green man” will open a new world of opportunity for the audio industry.
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