Creative Creates New Entry-Level ANC True Wireless Earbuds with SXFI

Creative Technology announced the launch of the Creative Zen Air, sporting a familiar but refined earbud design with a pocket-friendly, lightweight, Qi wireless charging case. For a record-low price of US $44.99, these true wireless earbuds come with Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode, offer great audio quality with large dynamic drivers, and decent battery life. They also support Creative's Super X-Fi for binaural enhancement, providing an overall great true wireless experience.

Creative Technology launched the Sound Blaster X1, an updated version of its SXFI AMP introduced in 2018, offering an improved USB DAC and headphone amplifier in the same exact compact form-factor. The Sound Blaster X1 combines the company's Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine with its Super X-Fi Headphone Holography technology, one of the earliest attempts at a binaural spatial audio engine. The difference is that the Sound Blaster X1 is now targeted for all computer audio needs.

ASI Audio and Sensaphonics announced the launch of the second-generation 3DME Gen2 Active Ambient Monitoring System, which features an updated ASI Audio app and belt pack enhancements to expand the system feature set based on user requests and customer needs, along with extended battery life. The core remains the 3DME system’s application of patented Active Ambient technology to give users a high-fidelity in-ear monitor mix with natural room sound from their bandmates and the audience.

MDAQS or Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score, is a new binaural perception-based software tool that replaces human evaluation with novel metrics in the assessment of audio quality. This is a much needed approach for characterization of headphones, earphones, speakers, and any audio system, including automotive audio designs, researched, documented and validated by audio test and measurement company HEAD acoustics.

Monitoring Dolby Atmos immersive content through headphones using binaural rendering of all the complex, object-based and multichannel information is both a challenge and an attractive option for audio engineers and content professionals. With strong momentum towards Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, Dolby decided to accelerate it's Personalized Head-Related Transfer Function (PHRTF) initiative, and announced beta availability of the new Dolby Atmos Personalized Rendering app and service.

Hooke Audio announced the release of Hooke App Version 2, a major software update now available as a free download for all Hooke Verse iOS and Android users. The Hooke 3D audio and video capture app offers new flexibility and enhanced features for optimal video and binaural audio recording, like support for 720, 1080 and 4K videos, new 24fps frame rate, and other features available on newer smartphones, plus enhanced wireless Bluetooth performance. The Hooke Version 2.0 App is available as a free download for all new and registered users from the App Store and Google Play.

A new pro audio company, ASI Audio x Sensaphonics, announced the introduction of 3D Music Enhancement (3DME) at NAMM 2020. The solution, which the company believes to be “the world’s most innovative and powerful in-ear monitoring system,” combines an all-new universal-fit Active Ambient IEM design with built-in MEMS microphones, with a sub-compact bodypack mixer and smartphone app with EQ and limiter, allowing musicians to create a truly personalized monitoring experience.