Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock

Posted on 23/09/2012 by Joe Pollicino

When it comes to Apple-focused audio wares, Bowers & Wilkins makes some of the of the ritiziest options available. Expanding on its its existing speaker range, the company has introduced a duo of new AirPlay speakers dubbed as the A5 ($500) and A7 ($800). Both HiFi boxes are nearly identical from the outside (aside from the size difference), and feature the same black and silver aesthetic as the MM-1 media speakers. The A7 nets you a duo of 25-watt 1-inch Nautilus "tube-loaded" tweeters" (just like the MM-1s), two 25-watt 3-inch drivers for the mid-range and a 50-watt 6-inch woofer, while the A5 shrinks things by forgoing a woofer and using a smaller speaker array of two 20-watt tweeters and two 20-watt mid-range drivers. The speakers on both units are independently driven, and both systems feature an "audiophile-grade" DAC that'll upscale music streams to a maximum 24-bit / 96kHz sample rate. As you'd expect, the units feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and 3.5mm inputs for hooking in sans wireless, but it's worth noting these audio boxes lack 30-pin docks -- at least you still get a remote. Check out the video after the break for a detailed look at both, and the source link below for all the juicy details.

Gallery: Bowers & Wilkins A5 and A7 Airplay HiFi speakers

Continue reading Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video

Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker spotted at FCC and HMV: take one and call Dr. Dre in the morning

Posted on 18/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

The Beats by Dr. Dre badge has usually been attached to headphones and the occasional laptop or smartphone. We've never really seen it attached to dedicated speakers, however, and that's where both an FCC filing and a sighting at UK retailer HMV's online store raise a few eyebrows. The House that Dre Built appears on the edge of launching the Beats Pill, a Bluetooth wireless speaker with four drivers and a shape that more than explains the medicinal name. While we don't know just how much of that signature Beats thump we'll get, we do know from the FCC that the Pill can serve as a speakerphone, carries an aux-in jack and will last for a typical 8.5 hours on its USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery. There's also signs of a red version of Beats' Mixr headphones coming at the same time. HMV has publicly scoured its pages of any trace of a ship date or price for the Pill, but cached copies point to a £170 ($276) price and a release around September 28th -- not necessarily trustworthy figures, but they may be in the ballpark. Our only question is whether or not we'll get a dose of the Pill in the US.

[Thanks, Germaine]

Gallery: Beats Pill speaker (unofficial)

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video

Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker spotted at FCC and HMV: take one and call Dr. Dre in the morning originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JBL freshens its portable speakers with Micro II, Bluetooth-toting Flip and Micro Wireless

Posted on 04/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

JBL has been on a wireless speaker kick lately -- it might as well throw some truly portable models into the equation. Accordingly, two of the three speakers it's shipping today, the Flip and Micro Wireless, sport Bluetooth audio and a 5-hour battery to cut the cord. The Flip (seen above) is the multi-talented athlete of the bunch: its design can work either upright or on its side to stuff into small spaces, and a built-in mic provides speakerphone duties. The Micro Wireless' puck shape isn't as clever, but it fits a standard 3.5mm input jack and space to clip to a carabiner or lanyard. Both these and the Micro Wireless' strictly wired counterpart, the Micro II, have a bass port to improve the low-end frequencies that are so often missing in this class of speaker. Prices may be the real incentives here: the Flip is the most expensive of the trio at $99, while the Micro Wireless and Micro II are even lighter on the wallet at respective $59 and $39 price points.

Continue reading JBL freshens its portable speakers with Micro II, Bluetooth-toting Flip and Micro Wireless

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video

JBL freshens its portable speakers with Micro II, Bluetooth-toting Flip and Micro Wireless originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Croon Audio’s Original Bluetooth speakers promise not to creak while they’re cranked

Posted on 26/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Odds are that we've all had a speaker system which can't take the heat: turn up the volume and there's an unintentional dubstep remix as the waaahs and wubwubs of distortion and vibration overtake whatever we actually meant to hear. Croon Audio is only just getting into speakers, but its Original system makes clean sound the order of the day: along with the retro, anti-distortion fiberboard design, the Bluetooth audio box has isolation cones at the corners that Croon hopes will leave any shake, rattle and rolling to Big Joe Turner and Bill Haley. That's good news for a small enclosure with two 15W drivers and a Class D amp inside. A 3.5mm jack still exists if wireless audio compression gets on the nerves as well. The speakers are already selling now in a classic black for $200, although $230 will net a slightly livelier gray or white, and $235 lands an attention-getting (if limited edition) red.

Continue reading Croon Audio's Original Bluetooth speakers promise not to creak while they're cranked

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Croon Audio's Original Bluetooth speakers promise not to creak while they're cranked originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bang & Olufsen unveils Playmaker wireless audio bridge, makes sure AirPlay and DLNA speak Danish

Posted on 19/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Bang & Olufsen has been slowly but surely adapting to a wireless world. Its new Playmaker (shown at center) brings that evolution to audio: with the receiver linked up, any AirPlay- or DLNA-friendly audio device can beam its sound to a set of the Danish firm's designer speakers. Wireless audio bridging isn't anything new by itself -- we know at least one rival that might say it's old hat -- but the company is promising clean and powerful sound through a built-in DAC that can drive even the beefiest of BeoLabs, like the 2,500-watt BeoLab 5. We can look forward to the Playmaker reaching stores before the end of the month, but we'll pay a premium for all that theoretical power. The bridge by itself costs $425, while a special bundle with BeoLab 3 speakers will set listeners back an eyewatering (if ear-melting) $4,310.

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen unveils Playmaker wireless audio bridge, makes sure AirPlay and DLNA speak Danish

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Bang & Olufsen unveils Playmaker wireless audio bridge, makes sure AirPlay and DLNA speak Danish originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos Sub review

Posted on 19/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

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Every audio product Sonos has delivered so far has worked on the assumption that you would never need anything else after you bought it, whether it's linking to a sound system you already owned or an all-in-one system that Sonos built itself, like the Play:3 or Play:5 (born as the S5). The newly released Sub, by its nature, is entirely dependent on having one of the two Play speakers, and shows the company is becoming more of a traditional audio brand with a full ecosystem. A primary Sonos component can now be just the first step in a growing collection that improves as you expand it -- much as you'd buy a basic stereo, then better speakers, then more at a high-end audio shop. The Sub's $699 price certainly catapults any Sonos system into high-end territory, however, and sets some decidedly lofty expectations for how it will perform. We'll find out after the break if the sheer power and a few clever tricks are enough for the Sub to be an essential ingredient of a wireless home audio setup.

Gallery: Sonos Sub review

Continue reading Sonos Sub review

Sonos Sub review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bose SoundLink Air speaker with WiFi spoiled by the FCC, bank accounts brace for impact

Posted on 14/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

Bose's ventures into wireless audio for mobile devices have so far either been proprietary or portable -- and often expensive. We're not sure if Bose will ever dodge that last claim, but an FCC filing has just revealed that a more standardized approach to wireless speakers is on the way. Not much more is known about the speaker other than its SoundLink Air name; that said, an unmistakable mention of WiFi on the early label suggests a speaker that could potentially play well with others. We're hoping that it's an allusion to AirPlay, DLNA or another format many of our devices already use. Whatever technology it runs, the new SoundLink will be comparatively close to a launch after passing through the FCC, even if our bank balances aren't ready for the hit.

Bose SoundLink Air speaker with WiFi spoiled by the FCC, bank accounts brace for impact originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos’ wireless Sub adds extra thump to your Sonos system for $700 (ears-on)

Posted on 22/05/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Although we generally raved about the performance of Sonos' Play:3 wireless HiFi speakers, one of our chief complaints rested in their slightly muddy bass output. Folks who've felt similarly should be pleased to know that the company has unveiled its first subwoofer, dubbed Sonos Sub. This $700 bass-dropper works wirelessly with your existing Sonos speakers, requiring a quick a setup within the app to ensure it's in-phase and putting out an adequate level of volume. You'll only find a single cable and switch for power on the outside, while looking through its center reveals a duo of "force-cancelling" drivers. Two internal air-ports also flow from top to bottom to aid in the unit's bass reproduction.

We gave a pre-production unit a very brief listen with a stereo array of Sonos Play:3s and came out fairly impressed. The speakers are no slouches on their own, but there's no denying the extra power a sub can add to the HiFi boxes. Measuring in at 15.8 x 6.2 x 15 inches (402 x 158 x 380mm) the Sub dwarf's even the larger Play:5, but a Sonos rep let us know it ensures it'll cover a range of spaces -- not mention folks using the Connect:Amp with their own HiFi speakers (Sonos' Connect, ZP90 and ZP80 aren't compatible, however). We got pleasing results from our unit planted on a table a few feet away from any walls, and the system didn't show any signs or shaking or rattling. The Sub can thankfully rest sideways for placement under some couches, but you'll likely want to "set it and forget it" since it weighs about 36 pounds. Our only displeasure rests in the glossy finish -- a magnet for fingerprints and dust -- but we're told a non-gloss version will be offered later for $100 less. You'll be able to pick up this wub-maker come June 19, so check out the video and press release after the break for more info in the meantime.

Gallery: Sonos Sub (eyes-on)

Continue reading Sonos' wireless Sub adds extra thump to your Sonos system for $700 (ears-on)

Sonos' wireless Sub adds extra thump to your Sonos system for $700 (ears-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bicom turns to Kickstarter to fund its new playGo AP1 AirPlay device

Posted on 22/05/2012 by Daniel Cooper

Bicom, makers of the Corian-hewn playGo USB will unveil a new AP1 AirPlay device, but only you if help fund it. After finding out that it wasn't able to produce last year's gear in enough quantity to bring the price down, the company has gone down the Kickstarter route to raise $150,000 in advanced funding. If it reaches its goal, the AP1 will connect to any stereo or pair of powered speakers, pumping out lossless audio for the audiophile in all of us. You can pre-order one right now for $200 or wait and see if the company succeeds, when it'll cost $275 off the shelf.

Continue reading Bicom turns to Kickstarter to fund its new playGo AP1 AirPlay device

Bicom turns to Kickstarter to fund its new playGo AP1 AirPlay device originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth ‘smartspeaker’ lineup

Posted on 01/05/2012 by Joe Pollicino

We've had a shimmer in our eye for Jawbone's $200 Jambox, the itty bitty Bluetooth 'smartspeaker,' ever since it was released back in late 2010. So, imagine our delight now that the company has just stepped things up to a larger level with its new $300 Big Jambox. Measuring in at well over double the size of the original, the 2.7-pound speaker is still very similar in design and features the familiar perforated metal grill designs by Yves Behar -- starting May 15th, you can pick one up in your choice of Red Dot, Graphite Hex and White Wave. The larger footprint helps it to be more functionally capable than its sibling, yet it's still small enough to carry in one hand. On top, the unit sports playback controls in addition to the requisite volume and talk buttons, while on the side you'll find a USB connection (for software updates), power input 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth-pairing button and a power button.

To pump out the jams, the Big Jambox features an airtight enclosure loaded with a duo of active neodymium drivers and opposing dual-passive bass radiators to handle all the wub wub you can throw at it. A 2,600mAh rechargeable battery will get you roughly 15 hours of totally wireless listening time (500 on standby), but -- as is the case with the original -- you still can't share that juice with your gadgets. Positively, Android users can take advantage of the Big Jambox's exclusive Companion app, which allows the unit to do tricks such like sync up with your G-cal to inform you about your appointments. Lastly, like the Jambox, the Big Jambox features MyTalk voice prompts / app compatibility, along with Live Audio DSP to give your sounds an immersive "3D" feel. Curious to find out more? We spent a full weekend with the new gizmo, and you can catch our full review by clicking here. Full press release after the break.

Gallery: Jawbone Big Jambox (press images)