Key Series Premium T18NC True Wireless Active Noise Canceling Earbuds

Key Series, an audio brand from Aukey, a large manufacturer from China, released the true wireless T18NC earbuds, a new Bluetooth 5 product, combining a stunning design with good quality materials and specifications, including active noise cancelling. According to Key Series, the T18NC provides a premium, quality experience as anyone would expect from a high-end quality earbud manufacturer, at a very affordable price.

This year, I was really looking forward to meeting with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, and discuss their projects for the USB4 Specification, the really big, gigantic update story on that front (at least in consumer electronics) since CES last year. The USB-IF announced the publication of the latest and greatest USB4 specification in September 2019, offering a major update to the USB architecture that complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. This article was published originally in The Audio Voice 264 newsletter, February 6.

Qorvo introduced a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) that expands the company’s portfolio of products for rapid in-vehicle charging of phones, tablets and laptops. Qorvo’s ACT4751M is an AEC-Q100 qualified step-down, voltage-regulator IC dedicated to USB Type-C Fast Charger applications and meets all power requirements, including the Power Delivery 3.0 Programmable Power Supply (USB PD 3.0 PPS) specification.

iFi announced a new model to its already extensive range of portable DAC/headphone amps with an all-new design – the Hip-DAC. Looking conveniently like a pocket flask, the new portable device features an extruded aluminum enclosure with a distinct petrol blue finish and a touch of copper, offering an extensive set of specifications to support high resolution audio (HRA) sources, while keeping an affordable price tag at just $149 USD or €159 Euros.

Designed to offer great sound every day, the new Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 350BT around-the-ear Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, first presented during CES 2020, offer a winning combination of improved audio quality, 30-hour battery life and instant voice assistant access. The HD 450BT also features active noise cancellation so no matter how loud the environment, it’s possible to enjoy a truly captivating audio experience without any distractions.

Steinberg presented its latest audio interface at the 2020 NAMM show in Anaheim. The new, rack-mountable AXR4U audio interface, provides a USB-C alternative to the already available AXR4T Thunderbolt 2 interface. Featuring the highest audio quality, DSP effects to monitor the sound with various signal processors alongside hybrid microphone preamps and Rupert Neve Designs SILK technology, the AXR4U audio interface provides USB 3.0 data transfer with USB-C connectivity.

With the new Symphony Desktop, Apogee launched its most affordable Symphony series interface ever. Unveiled at NAMM 2020, the new USB-C compact audio interface combines the flagship sound quality that the Symphony interface range is known for, with vintage mic preamp emulation, Apogee hardware DSP with premium plugins, and an immersive touch screen interface. A powerful, compact recording and music production solution.

Drop, the company formerly know as Massdrop, now also a product design company targeting enthusiasts, announced its first premium wireless headphones, engineered in collaboration with THX. Combining the acclaimed THX AAA linear amplifier with a planar ribbon driver already tested and proven by Drop, the Drop + THX Panda headphones are able to offer 30+ hours of battery life, and where demonstrated at CES 2020, before being made available in the community-driven commerce platform.

Legendary console manufacturer Solid State Logic (SSL) has launched their first-ever dedicated audio interfaces as part of a new personal studio range: the SSL 2, and SSL 2+. Both models are USB 2.0 devices that use the updated USB-C connector, can be USB-powered, and include class-leading mic preamps, featuring a legacy 4K analogue enhancement mode inspired by classic SSL consoles, plus studio-quality monitoring, and come with the SSL Production Pack software bundle.

Audient has been working hard to launch something extra special for NAMM 2020. Not just new products, but a whole new brand. EVO by Audient is a new range of audio interfaces, created by renowned British audio brand Audient, focusing on the user experience and making recordings easier. The EVO interfaces are launching at NAMM 2020, with the 2in / 2out USB audio interface EVO 4 available now, and the EVO 8 available soon after. Both models are USB-C class compliant.