JBL Kicks Off 75th Anniversary with New 100 Classic 75 Loudspeaker and SA750 Integrated Amplifier
Celebrating three quarters of a century, JBL remains synonymous with epic sound. Harman International signaled the anniversary during its CES 2021 press event with the introduction of the 100 Classic 75 loudspeaker, featuring the iconic, 1970's-style retro JBL L100 Classic design and foam grille, together with the intriguing and retro-looking JBL SA750 Integrated Amplifier, inspired by the JBL integrated amplifiers from the 1960s and 1970s, but featuring the most modern technologies.
Fresh From the Bench: QuantAsylum QA401 and QA451 Compact and Modular Audio Measurement System
On the cover of audioXpress December 2020, many of our readers instantly recognized the familiar look of the increasingly popular QuantAsylum QA401 audio analyzer. What many readers didn't recognize by then was the second module, the completely new QA451 programmable load, so new that audioXpress tested a pre-production version. In this review article, David Logvin shares his valuable perspective on this modular solution for audio measurements from QuantAsylum.
Test Bench: Omega Audio ODT29 Cloth Dome Tweeter
On this Test Bench, Vance Dickason offers a characterization of the ODT29 fabric dome tweeter from Omega Audio, an OEM transducer manufacturer new to the pages of Voice Coil. The company, headquartered in Holon, Israel, was founded in 1978 when the founder of Omega Audio, Levi Mordechai left Morel. All of Omega Audio’s ODT line of tweeters, dome midranges are handmade in the company's facility, from dome coating to coil winding and motor assembly. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, October 2020.
08
DSP Group Unveils DBM10 Low-Power Edge AI/ML SoC with Dedicated Neural Network Inference Processor
DSP Group announced the DBM10, a new low-power, cost-effective artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) system-on-chip (SoC). This new open platform, with a cost- and power-optimized architecture, enables rapid development of AI and ML applications for mobile, wearables, hearables, and connected devices in general. It provides a complete platform in terms of voice and audio processing, without compromising the battery life of new designs, and allowing developers to implement their own differentiating algorithms.
Club Sound Available Anywhere With New Sennheiser HD 250BT Bluetooth Headphones
Recognizing the popularity of wireless Bluetooth headphones, Sennheiser seems to be determined to take advantage of its most popular designs to create new wireless iterations. The now available Sennheiser HD 250BT headphones, do exactly that by turning the club favorite HD 25 design into a wireless Bluetooth 5 product. Not exactly the same, given the HD 250BT are available for just $69.95 USD in the North American market, which is half the list price of the original monitoring headphones.
Syntiant Introduces Second Generation NDP120 Deep Learning Processor for Audio and Sensor Applications
Syntiant Corp., the AI for edge devices chip technology company from Irvine, California, announced the availability of its latest Syntiant NDP120 Neural Decision Processor (NDP), a new generation of special purpose chips for audio and sensor processing for always-on applications in battery-powered devices. The low-power Syntiant Core 2 technology in the NDP120 processor delivers 25x the tensor throughput of the core technology found in earlier Syntiant NDP devices that are currently shipping in high volumes.
Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 Enabled Cables and Products Reach the Market
As many HDMI 2.1 certified products are now on the market, HDMI Licensing Administrator announced the availability of Ultra High Speed cables, essential to creating end-to-end HDMI 2.1 systems. Now consumers can enjoy the latest high performance AV features including 4K@120Hz, 8K@60Hz, Dynamic HDR and eARC support. This development was made possible by the Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable Certification Program (UHS Program) launched by the HDMI Forum, enabling users to identify the cables that are guaranteed to deliver the full benefits of the HDMI 2.1 specification.
Two Iconic Brands Come Together: Gibson Announces Acquisition of Mesa/Boogie
Gibson, the iconic American guitar brand, surprised the industry with the announcement of the addition of MesaBoogie - one of the most respected and prestigious brands in guitar amplification - to their family of brands. A clear sign that Gibson intends to refocus in its core business of musical instruments. And this acquisition also signals an important milestone, with Gibson Brands' first expansion move since the painful process of restructuring the company and rebuilding its business.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds Explore New Truly Wireless Open Transducer Concept
Bose announced the new Bose Sport Open Earbuds — truly wireless earbuds that are optimized for sports, fitness and wellness — with a unique design that the Massachusetts company says, feels like "Nothing In Your Ears, Nothing Covering Them." This new "not in-ear" truly wireless design challenges perceptions, in a crowded space mainly competing to be smaller, smarter, and more discreet. But after the Sleepbuds and the Bose Frames, its seems clear that Bose is not afraid of taking risks.
CEVA Establishes Partnership with DARPA for Technology Innovation
CEVA announced an open licensing agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to accelerate technology innovation for DARPA programs. The commercial partnership, as part of the DARPA Toolbox initiative, establishes an access framework under which DARPA organizations can access all of CEVA’s commercially available IPs, tools and support to expedite their programs. This provides DARPA researchers with access to CEVA’s portfolio of wireless connectivity and smart sensing IPs.