Category: Music

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Connected Objects Music

Vinci is a smart headphone with a screen on the side

Apple’s removal of the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 was a truly divisive move. Some see it a company prescient about the longer-term industry trends while others label it a cash grab. No matter what it really is, consumers are left to figure out what to do next. With the Vinci smart headphones, the choice is pretty easy.

The Vinci over the ear headphone is an internet-connected pair of Hi-Fi cans embedded with an AI-powered personal assistant (ala Amazon’s Alexa) to help facilitate a wide array of functionality. Users can interact with Vinci using taps and swipes on either of its colorful screens on either side or by simply using voice. Musically, Vinci’s AI continually learns about user preferences to recommend new songs, fine tune old playlists, or add a soundtrack to a workout session based on heart rate and pace. No matter the situation, though, the Vinci produces high-quality, immersive 3D sound and pairs it with 28 db of intelligent active noise canceling that still lets in important sounds to keep users safe and aware.

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Connected Objects Music

Spaco compact speakers save space and work via voice control

One problem with small wireless speakers is the quality of their sound. In other words, let’s face it: They tend to not even be all that great at the main function they were designed for.

patent-claimedSpaco is a line of 720-degree, voice-controlled speakers with adjustable lighting that also tout high-end audio performance. The speakers can be controlled by voice even in noisy situations and also offer a special levitation feature providing what its makers call uninterrupted surround sound. A 720-degree acoustics field is created by the combination of 28 dynamic and electrostatic diaphragm drivers that provide what they say is multidimensional, movie-theater grade audio. Music can be streamed from any device that has Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and Spaco supports  Wi-Fi networks with any 802.11b/g, 2.4GHz broadcast-capable router. Set-up is done via an Android and iOS app.

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Connected Objects Music

Aalberg Audio’s Moon and Aero offer wireless stage presence

Performing on stage is a delicate interplay of musicians, the instruments they play and the equipment amplifying the soundscapes being explored. Oh, and the people enjoying it all, of course. But with more versatility and options comes a more crowded — and wired — stage, making the act of playing good music a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

No one is a fan of wires, especially the Aalberg Audio team based in Norway. Its selection of controllers to wirelessly control musical equipment proves that. In its MOON Switcher campaign, three products are on offer: the Aero, the Moon, and the Remote app. The AERO is a wireless remote controller that enables real-time control of up to eight Aalberg FX pedals and MOON-connected devices. It can store up to three presets across all connected devices which can be recalled from the controller.

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Music

Tiny ONEmicro speaker uses cordless phone tech for a Bluetooth extraction

There is no shortage of small, wireless speakers on the market that use Bluetooth technology. But the sound quality of many of them leave a lot to be desired.

ONEmicro is a small, portable wireless speaker that uses the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard instead of Bluetooth. DECT provides superior sound quality, its manufacturer, ONEaudio, says. The speakers have been tested at over 90 dB and they fill up 120 square feet of space. The battery lasts 20 hours in HQ mode and 25 hours in ECO mode.

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Connected Objects Music

Fi Station is a gorgeous wedge of sound editing goodness

Products created for making music can feel pretty technical, alienating all but the most hardcore music makers. They’re often expensive, too, and multiple are needed: a professional sound card to record, a Hi-Fi player to listen back to lossless audio and a separate box to playback HD video. And even then, most don’t interact with each other.

With over 15 years in the music industry, Fay Wong used his expertise to create the Fi Station, a single device that combines all of these needs into one product. For one, it’s beautifully designed, sporting a fully metal casing with rotary knobs that makes it rugged and durable yet still attractive. 

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Music

Oddio headphones offer a modular design with swappable components

It would be nice to be able to change the look of one’s headphones or upgrade the speakers on them every once in a while so that another headphone purchase isn’t necessary if the owner gets bored with their design or wants to improve their sound performance or other features.

patent-claimedOddio is a set of modular headphones with swappable components. Users can change its colors or the speakers, and also swap out the ear cups for a different sound profile. Skins, modules and batteries all are attached magnetically. Users can also attach Bluetooth or Active Noise Cancellation modules based on their needs.

A set of basic Oddio headphones starts shipping in December. It has a future price of $220. But early bird Indiegogo backers can order a set starting at $129 for super early birds. A “Pokemon Go” set comes in a choice of blue, red or yellow and with up to 12 characters per ear cap.

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Connected Objects Music

The Kombos modular MIDI keyboard puts a full keyboard in your backpack

Aspiring producers, DJs, and musicians are between a rock and a hard place: either buy a full-size keyboard and have logistical issues, or get a smaller one and be stuck with not enough keys. In 2016, the team behind the Kombos modular keyboard thought it was about time to do something about it.

With its wireless, modular design, the Kombos USB-MIDI/MIDI keyboard can either be set to a 25-, 37-, 49-, or 61-key configurations depending on what’s needed at the moment. And since its pin system lets it disconnect easily, it can fit into a book bag, letting maestros jam out pretty much anywhere. It’s Bluetooth enabled, as well, so it connects to pretty much any device and functions with everything from the lowest cost music creation app to the very high-end stuff like Ableton Live and Logic.

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Connected Objects Music

DJs and recording artists can finally let loose thanks to the ETHER Transmitter

Ask any DJ, and the biggest hassle they’ll complain about is having to be tethered to their equipment when mixing, something that can’t necessarily be addressed since most Bluetooth adapters on the market aren’t capable f processing audio as quickly as needed. Being wired can lead to embarrassing situations where headphones can become disconnected, and trying to disconnect means wearing cumbersome packs to cut down latency.

ETHER Electronics thought it was time for something new. Its ETHER Transmitter can connect to any pro audio device and be paired with Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, or speakers for the lowest latency audio on the market. It brings down latency to acceptable levels ranging between 10.5ms to 40ms max, making the wireless DJing dream a reality with 15 meters of roaming territory.

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Music

Sonic Blocks let you roll your own speaker set

Wireless speakers continue to be popular thanks to the growing popularity of mobile devices and the convenience of streaming music from them using Bluetooth. Networked wireless speaker systems, meanwhile, have become popular also for much the same reason, as well as the success of Sonos.

patent-claimedSonic Blocks is a wireless speaker system that goes at least a couple of steps further than most rival products. First off, it’s a modular system made up of 6-inch speaker blocks. Second, while most wireless speakers rely solely on Bluetooth, Sonic Blocks also allows users to stream music via Wi-Fi for superior sound quality. It’s also compatible with the DTS Play-Fi multi-zone wireless audio technology for Android smartphones and tablets.

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Music

Isolate yourself in the ambience of reduced sound

Despite the best of intentions from earplug manufacturers, they’re doing it all wrong. Instead of products that block sound in a way that’s still enjoyable, they usually muffle sounds. While this might help with a significant other’s snoring (and then, not even by much), absorption like thi will result in distorted sound in the high and mid frequencies, and little to no reduction in bass frequencies. This imbalance is stressful and tiring.

patent-claimedAfter its first successful Kickstarter last year, Flare Audio set their eyes on what they say as an outdated piece of design. By replacing the traditional materials used for most earplugs (plastics, silicones, and foams) with a piece of aluminum or titanium, the company created the Isolate. The micro earplugs are tipped with a proprietary foam material that adjusts to a person’s ear canal for a snug fit, its metal core reaching deep within the canal. This allows the Isolate to block noise from entering the ears and attenuate all frequencies, essentially turning off the ears to direct noise.

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