Tag: audio

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Connected Objects Music

Back to the Backers: Mikme wireless recording microphone

After failing to reach its Kickstarter goal of raising $217,000 for the Mikme wireless recording microphone early this year, Mikme Audio is giving Indiegogo a try with a new campaign for the device. The company has, however, opted for a much more modest goal of raising $25,000 by July 26 this time.

patent-claimedMikme allows users to record quality audio with just the single touch of a button. The company has done some work above and beyond its Bluetooth connection to stream audio reliably to its iOS and Android companion app. Users can use the app to simply save, mix, edit and share their recordings and can mix up to eight tracks. The device comes with 8 GB of onboard memory, enabling up to 180 hours of recording. Other features include a gold-plated condenser capsule. Mikme will ship in November and cost $299 at retail.

With its single button devoted to recording, the device remains a good option for consumers looking for a simple, high-quaity microphone that offloads all the user interface to an app for easy editing and sharing.

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Connected Objects Music

Aumeo headphone adapter lets everyone make personalized sound decisions

What makes for great audio? Readers of different headphone reviews may often find that experts disagree because what one person considers great audio quality may differ from another.

patent-claimedThat is due in part because everyone’s ears are different, in fact, as unique as fingerprints according to the team behind Aumeo, a small slim square device that takes Bluetooth audio from any device and sends it to the wearer’s choice of wired headphone. Six years in development, the Aumeo adapter works with an app to figure out the optimal hearing profile of each ear via a one-time use app and then from there processes all subsequent sound to the user’s benefit.

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Music

HearNotes offers hi-fi earbuds from out of the Bluetooth

Historically, enjoyment of hi-fidelity images has conjured up rooms with racks of equipment, speakers as tall as an NBA guard, and a deep seat that evokes memories of vintage Maxell commercials. But even audiophiles have not been immune to the demands that being on the go places on listening pleasure. There are many contenders among high-end wired headphones that cater to the discriminating listener, but most of the wireless products have been plagued by a range of issues, including that they’re often not truly wireless.

HearNotes has sought escape from the constraints of Bluetooth by tapping a dormant audio technology called Kleer. Kleer was developed expressly for the purpose of transmitting uncompressed hi-fi stereo music at low power. Beyond quality improvements versus Bluetooth, it claims better resistance to interference. However, because Kleer isn’t ubiquitous in smartphones the way Bluetooth is, the company has had to develop a tiny transmitter that plugs into the headphone jack. This also means that, unlike with some Bluetooth earbuds, you won’t be able to quickly switch into a phone call should one disturb your jam.

To minimize the inconvenience of transmitter, the company has created a little storage box that charges the transmitter and completely wire-free left and right earbud for about four hours of blissful listening. HearNotes has also put a good spin on the need for the transmitter, noting that it offers virtually universal compatibility, even with devices such as some MP3 players  and even old portable CD players that lack Bluetooth.

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Music Technology

Record high quality audio with ease with the RecorderPlugin

Given the vast capabilities of smartphones, it’s surprising that simply recording something can be much more difficult than need be. While there are many apps than can record live audio, the result is often a recording with less than stellar audio quality. Further, transforming a recording into an MP3 isn’t always straightforward.

The RecorderPlugin is a device which streamlines this entire process. The device can be plugged into anything with a headphone jack and can save recorded audio as MP3s on the fly. This means that most devices are fair game, from from smartphones and tablets to radios and TVs. The $75 base model comes with 16GB, but 32GB and 64GB options are both available as well. The $33,333 campaign is looking to ship the product in October 2015.

The RecorderPlugin is certainly useful, and the search for a practical solution for recording challenges is certainly real. Music buffs, business types, and even those in love with their own voice will be interested in the RecorderPlugin. That said, if users need something with much more polish, the Bluewire Bluetooth is probably a safer bet.

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Chargers/Batteries Music

HiFi-Skyn combination case, battery, and amplifier leaves tunes silky smooth

If high-resolution music wasn’t on anyone’s mind last year, it sure will be this year with the onslaught of products aimed directly at the seemingly growing market, like the Pono Music Player and Sprout. It’s a great idea. Who wouldn’t want music to sound its absolute best? However, audio quality requires costly equipment to get the best sound.

This is doubly true for smartphones as none have the capability to do just that, leaving music lacking oomph even with the best quality headphone connected. The HiFi-Skyn wants to outfit all those sorry iPhone 5s, 5Ss, 6s, and iPod Touch 5Gs with the proper equipment. The product is a combination polycarbonate phone case, 12-hour spare battery, and high resolution amplifier. The amplifier routes all audio through proprietary technology and turns it into a powerful, clear signal a range of headphones can really take advantage of. A switch customizes the product to certain, popular headphones on the market to make the most important thing nothing but the music.

Unfortunately, the product’s ergonomics are a bit awkward-looking. Early birds can grab the product for $199, $200 off its expected retail price. A successful $12,000 Indiegogo campaign will have the product shipped by March 2015.

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Music

Secure Grip Earphones stay in place while you run your race

Many people enjoy using earphones and listening to their favorite jams while exercising. However, not all earbuds are created equal.

The Secure Grip Earphones system was created with sports lovers and exercise enthusiasts in mind. The product has been designed with a focus that includes where the ear cushion and ear canal meet. Small treads have been added to increase the points of contact with the ear, which also reduces outside noise for a better overall music experience.

Seems like a great idea for indoor activity or at the gym, but using earbuds while exercising outdoors (such as running, cycling or hiking) can put a person at a bigger risk for being victimized by crime or bodily injury. Interested backers might also like to check out MagClip and Tiny Earin. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by February 10, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $15 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Connected Objects

AiFi speakers promise great sound, Lego-like stacking capabilities

It takes a lot to come up with an original concept in speaker systems anymore. The last major new speaker category to become a hit was the sound bar, which achieved popularity thanks to the growth of flat-panel TVs. The makers of aiFi (Artificial Intelligence Fidelity), however, seem to have come up with a somewhat unique twist.

AiFi is being positioned as the Lego of sound systems because the small, modular speakers can be stacked one on top of the other and used in conjunction with any audio source. Although one unit is enough to fill a room with sound, stacking them makes the sound louder and serves to enhance the quality of the sound in general. The speakers can be stacked together and built in any configuration the user wants. On the top of each speaker are two grooves that make the rubber feet on the bottom fit securely. Speakers placed next to each other connect magnetically.

A smartphone app for the speaker system turns the user’s mobile device into a remote control. AiFi’s Bluetooth solution is compatible with iOS, OS X, Android and Windows. When stacked, the aiFi speakers will inform the app about their configuration. The speakers use top-of-the-line ADC converters and a 192kHz/24bit digital sound processor. The standard finish of the speaker is brushed aluminum and backers can get one, along with various accessories and other extras, for $170 with an estimated delivery date of April 2015. AiFi is looking to raise $80,000 on Indiegogo.

There have been stackable speakers before, but they have tended to be low-end portable models designed to be used exclusively with mobile devices. The aiFi, however, is being targeted for use with any two-channel sources, especially flat-panel TVs. If the sound quality of aiFi is as strong as its maker claims, the product is enormously promising.

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Technology

Get mic’d up with the Mikme wireless recording microphone

Inspiration can strike anywhere and at any moment for anyone, but what good is inspiration if it can’t be taken advantage of? Authors, journalists, and musicians all experience bursts of inspiration but don’t necessarily have the tools at their disposal to easily record their thoughts and melodies in high-quality.

Mikme is a wireless recording microphone designed to streamline the usually multi-step process of setting up an environment to record quality audio by reducing it a single button tap. As current processes are hobbled by poor smartphone quality or lots of inputs and equipment to set up with laptops, a portable device that enables users to quickly record up to 180 hours of studio-grade quality audio will ensure that inspiration will never go to waste. Mikme utilizes a Bluetooth connection to stream audio in real-back to its iOS and Android companion app where users can save, mix, edit, and share their creations. The $179 Mikme wireless recording microphone can be expected in May 2015 should its campaign reach its high goal of $217,000.

The team behind the Mikme claims their device captures 24bit audio at a 96kHz frequency. When being streamed, though, audio is compressed while transferred through Bluetooth but saved in its raw form within the device’s 8GB internal memory. When dealing with audio, wireless is usually a bad call and at some point, the Mikme’s audio will eventually be exported and quality affected. All in all, the Mikme is probably a much better call than other wireless solutions, but ultimately won’t be superior to hard-wired microphones.

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Connected Objects

Duo Bluetooth speaker splits apart to produce true stereo output

This is truly the age of the Bluetooth speaker. They come in every shape, size, color, and price point, from the extremely small and portable to the huge formidable types intended to replace your actual stereo. One of their most glaring problems, though, especially in the larger ones, is their lack of true stereo sound. With the vast majority of Bluetooth speakers comprised of just a single speaker, the ability to create that room-filling sound is compromised for convenience.

The team behind the Duo Speakers gives you the best of both worlds. The product’s looks are deceiving: although it is packaged as a single Bluetooth speaker, its magnetic connection can be loosened to free both halves. This results in two Bluetooth speakers connected to a single device such as a smartphone that provide a more mature sound. Bluetooth 4.0 allows the speakers t0 be placed up to 32 feet apart and can work for up to seven hours on a single charge, making them mighty versatile. The campaign is looking for $17,500 to get the $75 speakers delivered by March 2015.

The Duo Speakers seem to be a well-crafted device, and pretty attractive to boot. Being that it boasts 3W Hi-Fi speakers, it should pump out some quality sound as well. It’s small form factor makes it multi-functional too, as opposed to other solutions that use existing speakers to spread sound around or a single speaker to omni-directionally fill the room and, as a result, are stuck in the home.

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Music Technology

MÜZO Cobblestone is round and flat, plays music ’round your flat

MP3’s have long been the standard for all of our music playing devices but don’t do a fantastic job at replicating the depth and breadth of the sound originally recorded. There’s a renaissance in musical appreciation, and devices like the PONO music player are capitalizing on it by offering audiophiles lossless playback. The MÜZO Cobblestone is continuing the trend with an audio system with the capability of doing the same with any sound set-up imaginable.

The MÜZO Cobblestone acts as a hub that streams FLAC and other lossless audio formats over Wi-Fi to any and all types of wireless and wired speakers and speaker systems. Its proprietary Multi-Room Melodization supports muli-room setups to achieve true stereo sound all while adjusting EQ based on the type of music being played. The Cobblestone also sports Spotify, Pandora, and Airplay integration, just to name a few. Linkplay Technology, Inc. is looking for $100,000 to get the $59 device out to backers by January 2015.

The MÜZO Cobblestone is a promising addition to the Hi-Fi music scene. It’s ability to connect to any speaker is its biggest draw and really pushes this device forward, along with its gorgeous aesthetic. It’s in good company, too: check out the Core and the mBox to see similar executions of this idea, just without the Hi-Fi angle.