If you’re prone to singing in the shower, this new collab design from Kohler & Harmon Kardon will sound sweet. The Moxie shower head + Wireless Speaker integrates a removable/rechargeable bluetooth speaker into a shower head. It delivers not only a shower with a soundtrack but offers hands-free control with a built-in voice assistant. The speaker has an IPX67 waterproof rating and boasts a 5-hour run-time between charges.
The T10 range of noise-cancelling earbuds from high-end audio brand Klipsch brings premium-quality sonics to a compact, modern design. The new buds feature sound-enhancing Klipsch Ear Micro technology and dual-microphone active noise control as well as gesture and voice-activated controls. Due out Fall 2020.
With CES opening its doors next week, the world is about to be deluged in new tech toys. LG will be in attendance with a new line of soundbars for your audiovisual pleasure. The new bars feature machine learning technology that LG calls “AI Room Calibration” which enables the speakers to automatically adjust & perfectly suit your space or sound system. 4 models are available, featuring 4K pass-through, eARC sound technology, and Google Assistant.
Sustainable and solar-powered aren’t terms we associate with headphones. JBL wants to change that. The legacy audio brand is currently crowdfunding this effort with the launch of their REFLECT Eternal, an over-ear headphone that uses Exeger’s Powerfoyle material to turn both natural and artificial light into a power source—powerful enough for these cans to deliver 68-hours of playback with just 30 minutes under a light source. Sounds good to us! They’ve got sharp 40mm drivers, offer hands-free calling and even voice assistance from Alexa & Google.
Roland’s Go Piano Keyboard offers the convenience of Alexa voice control, allowing users to adjust, control, and tweak functions, all the while keeping fingers on the keys. Play along with music you want to learn, use it as a metronome, or play your originals at full volume through the built-in loudspeaker. All of Alexa’s other abilities are also accessible, just ask.
With a design that puts its analog vacuum tube power on full display, New York-based high-end audio brand McIntosh has combined a 300-watt tube amp with a 600-watt solid state amp into one eye-catching monoblock unit called the MC901 Dual Mono Amplifier. The solid state amp powers your woofers while the tube amp is dedicated to mid & tweeters. Built on a stainless steel chassis, it blends retro styling with a functional, contemporary design.
The Air Speaker by Quirky functions as one self-contained cylindrical 24W speaker or it can be pulled apart into 5 separate pieces—a base & 4 separate speakers & arranged for the space you’re in. Like a surround array when watching a movie or a multi-room setup. The speakers have a wireless range of 75-feet & it recharges via USB.
The latest creation from audio-instrument brand Artiphon is called the Orba. It’s a palm-size digital music making device that let’s you make beats, play, capture, and record endless sounds and layered beats that you create. It has 8 feather-touch sensitive pads on the surface & a variety of touch and motion sensors. With an aux cord jack, it plugs in anywhere—like your laptop or sound system. A funded Kickstarter.
The TMA-2 from audio innovators AIAIAI, is a modular over-ear headphone designed for personalized function with interchangeable & upgradeable parts. Choose from Wireless, HD (newest), Comfort, Move, & DJ variants for the fit and feel you desire. All feature premium materials like aluminum and Alcantara leather as well as advanced audio technologies to deliver flawless, studio-quality sound.
For creative pros, the Adobe CC suite is where everything happens. And the Loupedeck CT is an advanced creative tool that empowers users to streamline, connect, and customize their Adobe applications & how they interact, for seamless workflow. With physical buttons, dials, tactile controls and haptic feedback, it lets you quickly access presets, control menus, switch between applications and tools—basically everything you do, only faster, easier and infinitely programmable, for use with video, photography, illustration, and music.
Twelve South has a sweet little solution for your airline audio woes. The AirFly Pro is a wireless headphone dongle that will pair your buds or cans with the airline entertainment system through an audio jack. The device supports 2 pairs of headphones at once with a battery life of 16 hours. AirFly Pro is available in Apple stores & directly from Twelve South.
Master & Dynamic calls the new MW07 PLUS True Wireless their most technically advanced earphones yet. With Active Noise Cancelling, Ambient Listening Mode, Berylium drivers, Bluetooth 5.0, & 40-hour battery life, they’re loaded. With premium materials like stainless steel and handcrafted acetate, they look every bit as good as they sound.
Lots of good things to report about Beats new Solo Pro headphones. Completely redesigned from the original & now iconic Solo, the Solo Pro is the brand’s first over-ear model to feature active noise-cancelling. With the push of a button, users can adjust noise-cancelling to suit the setting. They also feature Apple’s H1 chip for seamless & stable connectivity and charge via Lightning. New drivers and improvements to bass delivery make for smooth sounds. They boast battery life up to 40-hours and come in 2 shades of blue, plus ivory, gray, black & red.
Rhythmo’s latest DIY instrument kit is the BeatBox, a rhythm and beat-making machine that you build yourself. Housed literally in a cardboard box, it features retro mechanical arcade buttons, parameter knobs & a joystick for controls plus an on-board amplifier & a pair of 50-watt speakers. Rhythmo’s Android/iOS app gives users access to sound-packs and tutorials to create original custom beats & music.
Handcrafted in the blacksmith shop of Swedish metalhead Jonas Majors, the 100W Steel Speaker is an ultra-limited artist series of just 10 unique & numbered pieces. The nearly 45-pound bluetooth-enabled speaker features a built-in Class D amp, high-quality DSP, & manual controls for volume, bass and treble mounted on the front. The speaker array consists of a 6.5” woofer & a pair of 3” drivers.
Equipped with 5 speakers to produce powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs, the Echo Studio speaker from Amazon is a compact home smart speaker with 3D Audio & Dolby Atmos technology, and of course Alexa for voice-controlled streaming songs via Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and more. And with Amazon Music HD, you can play 50 million songs in HD plus a growing library of music mastered in 3D.
Reversing the old standard of having a quiver of different guitars, each for a different sound and feel, the Boaz One is a high-quality modular guitar with a groundbreaking design that allows you to change pick-ups or the body within 10 seconds, and without even looking! With multiple pick-up modules & configurations, you get just the sound you want, with unique & dedicated necks and bridges inspired by the classics. Choose from Strat, Telecaster, and Les Paul modules and with the multi-part body of the guitar, you can add or subtract components for a custom look and feel. A funded Kickstarter.
The Karoo from Hammerhead is an easy-to-use Android-powered cycling GPS computer with a robust feature set and elegant, easy-to-use interface. It features a 3.5-inch color touchscreen made of military-grade Gorilla Glass and a 3200 mAh battery, the largest on the market, delivering 15-hours of continuous run-time. Syncs seamlessly with cadence sensors and power meters as well as apps like Strava.
The wireless Formation Flex from Bowers & Wilkins is the latest addition the brand’s high-end Formation line of mesh-networked home speakers. This mesh technology enables seamless, perfectly synced multi-room & multi-speaker sound. The 8.5” tall Flex speaker boasts 24-bit audio, aptX HD support & streaming via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth. Pair it with another for stereo sound, then add the Foundation Bar & Bass speaker to create legit 5.1 surround.
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC sounds like a good time. These new over-ear phones from the fun-loving audio brand feature adjustable sensory bass, Active Noise Cancellation to block out ambient noise, built-in Tile tracking technology, and 24-hour battery life. Available in Deep Red or Fearless Black.
