Category: Music

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Connected Objects Music

Kien speakers seek those keen on a modular wireless system

Networked wireless speaker systems are becoming increasingly popular, driven largely by the Sonos brand. But good speakers in this product category can be costly and aren’t typically designed so that they can be used outdoors

patent-claimedKien is a modular networked home audio system that lets users set up wireless speakers wherever they want –- inside or outside the house. In addition to being less expensive than many rival products, Kien also comes in a wider choice of colors than most speakers. It will be fielded in black, blue, green, red and white models, allowing consumers to better match the speakers with the colors inside their rooms. The system will ship in March 2016 and is made up of satellite speakers at $249 each and a $399 subwoofer.

The satellites are portable and operate on battery power. They can be recharged by placing them on the subwoofer. Placing the satellites next to the subwoofer via their interlocking design also creates a soundbar. Kien’s makers set an Indiegogo goal of raising $50,000 by June 17.

Kien’s design and easy portability help set it apart from most rival products on the market. Another strong feature is Dynamic Sweetspot: it tracks users’ locations and the sweet spot will follow them around so that music will always sound best wherever they’re standing, simmilar to Mass Fidelity’s smaller Core project. Unlike the similarly modular aiFi speaker, Kien is a Hi-Fi audio solution. But, like any speaker featured on a crowdfunding Web site, it’s impossible to tell from its campaign alone just how strong its audio quality is.

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Connected Objects Music

Spiro X1 Bluetooth adapter eliminates the puzzle of headphone wire tangles

The headphones people listen to their music on can be considered sacred. What those same people could do away with are the mess of tangles that inevitably come with owning a pair.

New York inventor Daniel Geenberg’s Spiro X1 replaces the detachable wires of select headphones from big names like Beats and Bose with a compact, Bluetooth-enabled adapter that streams music from a iOS or Android phone.

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Connected Objects Music Sleep

Kokoon headphones get comfy with you in bed, measure your sleep

A countless number of people around the world suffer from trouble sleeping, with 70 million of them in the United States alone. Obviously, getting enough sleep has been an issue since the very beginning of time, and as such people are constantly looking for new tools to help.

One such tool is the Kokoon, sleep headphones made in partnership with audio giant Onkyo. This partnership has birthed what are claimed to be stellar sounding headphones for everyday use. In addition, they’re also EEG-equipped headphones that not only help people fall asleep, but provide clinical quality sleep data, too. A Bluetooth 4.0 connection to a smartphone facilitates the use of the Kokoon app, allowing users to set intelligent alarms for power naps, recovery naps, or a full night’s sleep, depending on the need. These alarms, in addition to its range of sleep aids and techniques makes the Kokoon the complete sleep package.

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Connected Objects Music

Auris Zwing implants an Android tablet into a bassy boombox

Once upon a time, the mighty boombox was a staple of audio on the go, a pulsating package of portable partying. When the iPod became a huge hit, a number of battery-powered docking speakers arrived to amplify its extensive music libraries. And more recently, Bluetooth-based products accept streams from smartphones. But the reliance on iPods and smartphones took something away from the mostly self-contained boombox experience.

Those are the days that Auris is trying to recapture and modernize with ithe Zwing, a high-powered (110 dB), bass-tuned portable audio system that features a 7” Android touchscreen between its stereo speakers. Tapping Google Play, the Zwing can access virtually any mainstream music streaming service from a Wi-Fi connection. It can also access video streaming services that it can accompany with powerful audio. At least for music playback, the Auris is rated at 20 hours of battery life, so it should be able to provide the soundtrack through even Charlie Sheen-class blowouts.

The Zwing also has an HDMI connector for easy connection to a TV. And for those who would rather store their music and movies than stream them, it’s offered with up to 32 GB of flash memory plus room for 64 more via microSD. There’s also Bluetooth support for the opportunistic use of a smartphone’s screen versus the Zwing’s. Auris seeks $75,000 in its Flexible Funding campaign (which means it will deliver rewards even if it fails in its goal) due to end June 3rd.

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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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Connected Objects Interviews Music

The Backerjack Interview: Mass Fidelity’s Ben Webster on packing big sound into a travel-friendly speaker

Mass Fidelity’s Core is a paradox — a portable speaker that’s designed to produce a convincing stereo effect from virtually anywhere in the room. Actually, that’s true of multiple rooms as the system can be networked throughout the house like a Sonos system. Backers responded and the Indiegogo campaign was one of the most successful ever for a Canadian campaign. We caught up with Mass Fidelity co-founder Ben Webster to learn more bout the physics and functionality of the powerful desktop speaker due this summer.

Backerjack: Tell us a bit about Mass Fidelity and the Core.

Webster: Mass Fidelity was founded as an audio technology company with the intent on redefining the audio space. The name has a dual meaning that encapsulates our goals of bringing high-fidelity audio products to the masses and making products of substance. I started by looking at how many of my friends and family didn’t have high-quality sound systems and how much the technology scared them away. There ceased to be a middle ground at somewhere in the late 70’s, early 80’s — that’s when the divide became extreme, to the point where you were either buying junk or extremely high end stuff. What I wanted to do was build something that was attainable for the normal person that would give them a real, engaging musical experience.

This prototype of the Core has been traveling with me for the last six months and it’s changed my life. As the founder of an audio company, I have a big beefy system at home and I barely use it anymore. This thing is so convenient and it actually sounds like a stereo. You’re not gonna get around physics when considering my living room system with nine drivers, but it’s also thousands and thousands of dollars worth of components whereas this thing we’re selling for $595 gets 80-90% there. I really feel like there’s a combination of technologies about to completely flip the audio game on its head.

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Music

Whiplash your way to MIDI stardom with the Jambé electronic drum

Most MIDI controllers come in the form of a piano because of the flexibility the instrument provides. While electronic, MIDI-supported drums exist to satiate those who’d rather create beats with something more tactile, such devices can be pretty large and prohibitively expensive.

With the Jambé, Sensorpoint is hoping to ensure that everyone can enjoy a compact and robust drumming experience. This MIDI-supported drum sports ten sensor zones akin to the panels on a soccer ball. The zones are sensitive enough for fingers but durable enough for sticks. The product’s digital nature allowed the company to trade in an obtrusive assortments of knobs for an iOS device instead. With the device’s fully functional iOS app, users can fully configure all aspects of their Jambé experience, from switching kits to downloading additional ones through the device’s in-app store. Two pedal inputs are also present to round out the drumming experience, enabling users to create sounds as chill or as hardcore as they want.

Early birds can grab their own Jambé for $499, while everyone else will have to plunk down $599 for their own. Sensorpoint wants to get Jambé out to backers by August 2015 provided its campaign of $100,000 is reached by April 28.

Novel approaches to MIDI interfaces have long been a popular niche in the crowdfunding world, and those interested in what the Jambé brings to the table should also take a look at Keys and Skoog.

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Connected Objects Music

Aivvy Q streaming headphones provides the soundtrack to your life even if you lose signal

Streaming services like Spotify helped lay groundwork for the recent influx of new streaming services, including Apple’s upcoming Beats service and Jay Z’s Tidal venture. While on-demand music streaming is great and can conveniently work across a host of devices, most streaming services require an Internet connection to work, sometimes resulting in a subpar listening experience.

Aivvy Q is a wireless Bluetooth headphone set which can provide up to 40 hours of continuous music playback, all without needing an Internet connection. Touted as headphones capable of tapping into the “Internet of Things”, Aivvy Q is essentially a self-learning music player: a user can swipe its side to skip a track, tap to favorite a track, or rotate the channel ring in order to change the genre or playlist. Sensors within the product learn which tracks are preferred, thereby making sure the music being played is always relevant and enjoyable.

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Music

SpaceHarp lets you control music, possibly spaceships, with a wave of your hand

MIDI controllers and musical instruments come in al sorts of shapes and sizes and can increasingly be controlled with a range of movements.

Few, however, compare to the majestic SpaceHarp, a console of nine illuminated circles arranged in a horizontal arc around its user. By adjusting the placement of of hands above the circles, musicians can produce different sounds The product’s developers seek to encourage newbies as well as cater to experienced musicians. The SpaceHarp costs $2,095 and should arrive at backers in November 2015. CEO and founder David Clark seeks $120,000 on Indiegogo by May 20.

The developer of the SpaceHarp stresses that its ease fo use isn’t due to simple tricks used in less expensive products such as Beamz, which is a basic Casio keyboard is to a Steinway grand. Still, the Space Harp’s sophistication comes at a price. It is one that puts it out of range for all but those determined to put on the most elaborate gestural displays to produce audio, but it sure is fun to watch someone doing it.

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Music

Hand Chord lets you cheat on your bar chords and riffs

Most guitarists will admit that learning to play bar chords is one of the more difficult aspects of learning to play the guitar. However, many musicians will endure the practice and pain of learning to play them correctly because bar chords offer a fuller and richer sound than their alternatives.

Hand Chord is a noteworthy new product that offers guitarists an alternative way to play otherwise challenging bar chords. While the product is touted as being ideal for beginners insofar as it makes chords easier to play and reduces finger pain, Hand Chord may be better suited for professional musicians interested in using it for specific songs in their set.

That said, shortcuts are never ideal for anyone aspiring to become a professional or even seasoned musician. While shortcuts may suffice for hobbyists, they won’t help hone one’s ability to jam with other musicians. Musicians who enjoy new gadgets might also like to check out Capo Clips and Wallet Capo. This campaign seeks to raise $9,500 by April 30. Backers get one product for $35 with an expected delivery of June 2015.