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.
Inspired by the New York City skyline, the limited Beosound 1 New York Edition is a conical aluminum home speaker from Bang & Olufsen’s ever-expanding Beosound lineup. It offers room-filling 360º sound and features the brand’s signature Acoustic Lens technology for crisp, precision mids & highs. Stream your media via bluetooth or Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2, and other services. Only 1200 of this special speaker will be made.
Grandfather to the iPod, the original Sony Walkman turns 40 this year. To celebrate, Sony has created an Android-powered digital device in its honor. Yeah, no, this thing won’t play tapes. Instead, it’s fitted with an S-Master HX digital amplifier, bluetooth, 16GB of storage, and a “vinyl processor” for clarifying muddy audio. This model, called the NW-A105, is only available for a limited time beginning in December.
Patented dual driver technology gives SOUNDPEATS Truengine2 wireless buds the power to deliver full-range hi-fi sound that is more dynamic and balanced than much of the competition. Dual microphones with CVC noise cancelling ensure crystal clear calls even in noisy environments. Bluetooth 5.0, touch controls, 30-hour battery life and an included charging case make this a seriously solid bud. A funded Kickstarter.
Sony’s Signature Series SA-Z1 desktop speaker system is a studio-quality, near-field powered system integrating a formidable array of the brand’s benchmark audio technologies. Most of which will mean nothing to casual listeners: a Tsuzumi woofer layout, 6-piece aluminum plate construction, I-ARRAY hi-res tweeters, D.A. Hybrid Amplifier, and so on. Basically: the system is engineered to deliver an exceptional listening experience using any playback format you desire.
Roku has a sweet little audio upgrade for your TV. The new Smart Soundbar is a slim wireless speaker powered by 4 premium drivers & features a built-in Roku Ultra for seamless streaming as well. It delivers rich, room-filling sound and connects to most TVs using either an HDMI ARC port or optical audio port. To add a bit of bass to the mix, the brand also created a new Wireless Subwoofer. Both speakers are available for pre-order now.
Adidas teamed up with Swedish audio technology lab Zounds to create 2 new sport & training headphones. The wireless on-ear RPT-01 & the wireless in-ear FWD-01 were developed by Zounds & rigorously tested & approved by elite Adidas athletes. Both feature rugged, sweat-proof construction & a safety feature called Passive Transparency, allowing natural sounds to cut through the music to keep you alert.
The Beosound Stage is Bang & Olufsen’s first foray into the soundbar category & as usual, they made sure it would blend stylishly into your home while offering the latest in multimedia audio tech.Designed in partnership with Danish architects FIRM, this unassuming flat rectangle can be wall mounted or shelved. Inside, a 50-watt amp powers 11 drivers for realistic 3D sound with support for Dolby Atmos, Chromecast, and AirPlay2. Available in brushed aluminum, wood, or copper finish.
Altice is a cable provider but they’re betting a partnership with high-end French audio brand Devialet will put their new Amazon-enabled Amplify speaker in a class all its own. In addition to streaming from the brand’s Altice One cable system, plus Alexa, Tidal support and voice control, it delivers audiophile-quality sound using a suite of Devialet’s best patented audio technologies.
With the new Portable Home Speaker from Bose you get the seamless streaming of Apple’s AirPlay2 and SpotifyConnect plus the convenience of Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa voice functions. The 7.5” tall aluminum speaker features an integrated carry handle, IPX4 waterproofing, USB-C charging plus an optional charging dock, bluetooth & wi-fi support & it delivers 360º sound. Available 9/19.
Despite the perfect picture, most OLED TVs deliver lackluster audio. A new company called Canvas aims to fix this with their new 3-D hi-fi audio system. Like an oversized sound bar, the Canvas acts as a stand for your flat panel LG OLED TV and features a 4-channel HiFi-grade amplifier with 200W output plus it boasts 30 liters of acoustic volume, much more than other soundbar + subwoofer systems. Available for pre-order now.
Marked by a sleek, more streamlined design than the brand’s ubiquitous Quiet Comfort line, Bose’s new 700 Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones feature re-designed drivers for enhanced audio, intuitive touch-sensitive controls, support for Siri, Alexa, & Google Assistant, 11 levels of noise-cancelling, and 20-hour battery life with the NC maxed out. Available now.
NAIM’s studio-quality Supernait 3 amplifier was embraced by serious, high-end audio enthusiasts when it launched a few years back. Today, NAIM has upgraded the amp with new features that hardcore vinyl junkies will appreciate. In addition to the built-in Phono stage, it’s got a Class A preamp output stage which doubles as a headphone amplifier and ceramic heatsink technology which keeps heat down, the rest of the spec sheet is best likely understood by serious stereo nerds.
Studio Proper’s Wireless Charging Dock is designed for your Gen 2 AirPods, giving you a stylish, convenient place to keep them charged up at home or work. Crafted in anodized aluminum, it features an anti-slip rubber base & and charges with a flat, tangle-free USB-C to USB-A cable.
