Tag: #audio

PSB Speakers Celebrates 50 Years of Delivering High Value Hi-Fi Sound

PSB Speakers, the loudspeaker company that, more than any other, create the “Canadian Sound”, is celebrating 50 years of delivering high value hi-fi speakers at the intersection of science-based sound reproduction and musical enjoyment. Founded in St Jacob’s, Ontario, in the summer of 1972 by classically-trained violinist and self-taught acoustics designer, Paul Barton, and a couple of his high school friends, PSB Speakers soon became a pioneer in marrying psychoacoustics research with loudspeaker design.

The scientific approach Barton took in designing loudspeakers was rare at the time, and over the course of the late 1970s and early 1980s, he conducted thorough and detailed measurements of loudspeakers at the National Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa, Canada, utilizing its state-of-the-art anechoic chamber and instruments to perfect the sound signature of his products. In spending so much time in and around the laboratories at the NRC, Barton found himself embedded with some of Canada’s leading scientific researchers in the areas of psychoacoustics and acoustic measurement, including becoming a close personal friend to world-renowned Dr Floyd Toole, whom he would collaborate with until Toole’s later move to California. The acoustics research Barton helped to pioneer and commercialize would eventually become common industry practice, and the foundational principles first discovered by this research continue to be the basis of much of speaker design today.

“As a musician and acoustics designer, it has been such an honour to work with some of the top scientific minds in the field over the decades,” says Barton. “In academic research, like what was happening at the NRC, it wasn’t uncommon for research to get published and then just gather dust on a shelf somewhere. But I got the unique opportunity to take that research and turn it into real products that PSB customers could enjoy their favourite music on, and that has been the most satisfying thing for me throughout these 50 years.”

The brand’s anniversary celebrations kick off with a virtual live event on June 1, 2022, at 4:00PM EDT (1:00PM PDT, 9:00PM BST, 10:00PM CEST), and will feature an intimate conversation with Paul Barton moderated by Doug Schneider, Founder of SoundStage!. Event registration opens on May 16, 2022, at psbspeakers.com/50years and attendees will not only have the chance to submit their questions to the PSB team for the live Q&A with Barton, but they will also be the first to watch a documentary of the brand, specially produced for the 50th anniversary, which will be released to the rest of the world 24 hours later on June 2, 2022. Friends of PSB Speakers, including IsoAcoustics and Bluesound, have offered up some exciting door prizes, and there will be a grand prize draw for a pair of PSB Speakers AM 5 Powered Bookshelf Speakers at the end of the event.

“PSB Speakers, despite all of the outstanding reviews it receives for its products, is in many ways still a hidden gem of a brand,” explains Gordon Simmonds, CEO of Lenbrook International, the parent company of PSB Speakers. “The documentary is our way of reinforcing the brand’s incredible story and scientific contributions to the speaker industry so it can be appreciated not just by those who already follow the brand, but also by new audio consumers that are looking for great value products for their mobile and modern lifestyles.”

Paul Barton with the Stratus Gold, deemed the “10,000 Watt Speaker” by audiophile press

 

Filmed and produced over a four-month period in and around Toronto, the documentary runs approximately 20 minutes and offers an intimate glimpse into the brand’s founding, its expansion, Barton’s legacy, and the brand’s exciting future. It features interviews with Barton about his childhood influences and personal anecdotes, interspersed with perspectives from inside and outside the company, including from Simmonds, as well as from a former dealer and now Chief Strategy Officer of Lenbrook, John Banks; Canadian business journalist Gordon Brockhouse; Headphone Category Manager, Matt Simmonds; and Schneider, who got to know Barton while at the NRC himself, conducting speaker measurements for his publication’s reviews. Visually, the documentary is peppered with archival photos, videos, and mementos over the decades, deftly weaving in stories about some of the brand’s most iconic and popular products. It is a fitting tribute to a brand that, in the documentary, Schneider calls the “grandfather of the Canadian loudspeaker industry”.

 

The celebrations continue into the month of June, when PSB Speakers goes back to its roots – the love of live music from Barton’s childhood that inspired him to pursue a career in acoustics. PSB Speakers is committed as a Main Stage sponsor for the 2022 Northern Lights Festival Boréal, a music festival happening in Sudbury, Ontario, that is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. Small town Canada has produced some of the world’s most enduring musical acts and these two Canadian musical legends – PSB Speakers and the Northern Lights Fesitival Boréal – will join forces in a digital campaign in the weeks leading up to the festival to promote the festival’s exciting line-up of Canadian talent.

 

The anniversary celebrations will culminate in a very special announcement from the brand on July 1st, coinciding with Canada Day.

Dublin based Magic Kite calls on VDC as it gears up for biggest summer yet

Magic Kite, one of Ireland’s leading production companies calls on VDC for extensive projects as it gears up for its biggest summer yet.

Based in Dublin, Magic Kite has grown over the years to become one of the largest audio suppliers on the island.  Along with sister company, Just Lite, it is becoming known in the business as the one stop shop for all technical aspects of a production including lighting, screens and professional audio equipment.  It now delivers productions for international touring artists, festivals and stadium concerts of all sizes – from intimate pub gigs to 50,000-head events.

As technology and customer needs evolve, Magic Kite constantly upgrades its equipment to suit the many levels and specifications that are now expected in the events world.  VDC has been instrumental in equipping Magic Kite with the kit required to ensure every installation is first rate.

Recent provision includes a fully custom designed 48-channel line system, including a 48ch split, upstage looms, satellite boxes, a variety of 24 and 12 pair Veam to Veams, upstage socapex looms, 16a and 32a cables for mains distribution, and panel work.

VDC has also helped Magic Kite carry out a complete overhaul of its on-stage monitoring cabling and sub boxes completing the transition to a standardised system for all its on-stage monitors and loudspeakers.

Steven Montgomery, senior project manager and system designer at Magic Kite Productions, commented: “Since I was introduced to Adam and Herpreet at VDC several years ago, they have been my first port of call for any cable or panel work projects.  They always go above and beyond to understand the end goal of the project, providing valuable experienced input and keep in touch every step of the way.  The quality of products from VDC really are second to none – surviving years of rigorous use and 1000s of connections with a near zero fail rate, giving us confidence and peace of mind on all our events.”

Adam Jafrabadi, VDC’s export director, said: “Steven and his team at Magic Kite pride themselves for their total commitment to the client no matter how small or large the event is – and some of the artists they support are big household names.  Their experience means they understand the market and their client expectation perfectly, which makes them very easy to work with from our perspective.  It’s a pleasure being involved in supplying audio packages to Ireland’s key events via Magic Kite.”

Edifier is three-time winner of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2022!

Edifier is a three-time winner of this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD, the world-renowned design prize. The winning products, MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus, won in the discipline of Audio and the categories Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Live Streaming Sound Equipment and Microphone respectively. Each year, the world’s oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH, organizes the iF DESIGN AWARD.

The MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus won over the 132-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, with their groundbreaking advancements in consumer technology. 

The MC500 – Edifier’s first foray into live-streamer accessories –– combines an inbuilt mixer and sound card with a host of features and aesthetically pleasing, robust design. 

 

The MP500+ has a compact and portable design and comes with a diaphragm microphone fitted with a crystal-clear cardioid pickup, three-level reverb control (including dry/wet settings) and built-in headphone output monitors. 

The MP100+ is a fashionable Bluetooth speaker developed for young people who like outdoor activities and features an eye-catching style, a durable, lightweight casing and IPX7 water resistance. The competition was intense: almost 11,000 entries were submitted from 57 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality. 

More information about MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus can be found in the “Winners & Ranking” section on www.ifdesign.com and the brands entry profile at https://bit.ly/3KM4GVi

Tech Review – HIFIMAN DEVA Pro headphones

If you are looking for the ultimate audio experience in more ways than one the new Deva Pro headphones from HiFiMan are ones to consider, with more than one connection option you have more to gain over your standard bluetooth or wired headphones and can cover more ground with the audio experience in return. We covered most of what you will find with these in the unboxing which you can see here.

What are these headphones all about then

They have an Acoustically Invisible Stealth Magnet: Unlike the sound waves created by a conventional magnet, the special shape of Stealth Magnets enables the waves to pass through the magnets without generating interference. HIFIMAN’s advanced magnet design is acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence that degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The reduced distortion yields pure sonic output that is accurate and full-range.

Build and fit

These are by no means small headphones they cover the ears which I actually like and are light enough they are super comfortable on the ears with no clamping effect even using them for hours and the headband is also comfortable too, now with these there no controls to mess about with per say apart from the attachment you get with it (Bluemini R2R) which we will speak about later.These are really only meant for indoor use however you could wear them outside weather permitting as I did out my back garden for example.

Connectivity

With headphones like these they are aimed at a different niche I think, we have tested many headphones before with no bluetooth before and there is still that fidelity argument to be had having just a wired connection now with most phones not having a headphone jack these days you can run into issues if you do not have anything to oversee that which is not hard to find these days, so with that you can connect with the R2R ad on connector you get in the box which works a treat and then you have the options to go wired not once but twice. You have both a dual-sided unbalanced 3.5mm cable and a single-sided 3.5mm balanced cable and also whilst the connector is plugged in you can go USB-C which is what most mobile phones are today but lets no forget you can use these on more than just mobile phones but for the average joe most will likely do that but you can plug into anything like consoles and home systems etc and really get the full end use out of them and it is a joy.

Sound

This is where you can settle the naysayers saying tech reviewers ears differ and one saying that one review says a pair of headphones are good and one says they are bad, these headphones cover all ears here even audiophiles ears with the different connection options you can avail of but then you have the wired vs wireless argument thrown up too which again can be dismissed with the different sound stages with balance depth highs lows and mids and much more they are a pair of headphones you would want to try out in all scenarios and hear the difference with all connections and just enjoy them because they are dam good in all aspects from my testing.

Features

 

  • HIFIMAN Heritage: HIFIMAN’s NEO “supernano” Diaphragm (NsD)- The new NsD is 80% thinner than previous designs, resulting in fast response and detailed image with lush, full range sonics.
  • Bluemini R2R, Small but Mighty- The DEVA-Pro companion Bluetooth/USB module: HIFIMAN Custom-created HIMALAYA R2R Architecture DAC: Non-over Sampling Concept; Low-energy Consumption; High Sampling Rates
  • Easily Switch Between Wireless and Wired: The socket can accommodate both dual-sided unbalanced 3.5mm cable and a single-sided 3.5mm balanced cable (left socket). Bluemini R2R is easy of use by connecting on the left socket. Input Option 1 – Bluetooth A variety of HD Bluetooth protocol (Bluemini connection on the left socket) Input Option 2 –Wired Inbox 3.5mm balanced cable (3.5mm TRRS on the left)

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Tech Review – Naenka Runner Pro Bone conduction Open Ear Wireless Headphones

Bone conducting headphones are now a more common sight these days and becoming more visible in store and are a new approach to the audio experince we have tested several now at this stage and the latest offering from Naenka deliver here with their higher end model and are ideal for those who jog,cycle, do fitness and even swimmers they have a simple product with simple to use controls and overall makes it a simple product to use and enjoy no matter the use case you might want them for.

How Bone Conduction Headphones Send Signals to Your Brain?

Some creative minds found a way to make the sound waves pathway much easier, i.e. through bones. They are transmitted directly to the cochlea when the sound waves cause the head’s bones to vibrate, which further transmits the electrical impulses through auditory nerves to the brain. The impulses that reach the brain are the same that reach the ear. The technology has proven to be effective for people who have hearing impairments. The technology is even used to treat hearing loss in the medical field. 

On board you get 8GB of storage which is a first I have seen in such headphones and this is great meaning whilst out on a jog or down at the gym you do not need your phone with you, they do have a proprietary connector which is always a bug bear for me mostly seen on smartwatches but you can forgive this caveat with all the other features on offer.

The build quality is great here and robust and will last after putting them through their paces for about a month they have been in the rain, in the gym and out on my bike and have not had one issue given they have been dropped a few times. Also worth noting they are great to have in your car too. Battery life is decent enough with around 240 hours of standby time and 6-8 hours of play

The sound quality is also quite good offering several formats of music files such as WAV FLAC APE WMA and MP3 with up to 1500 songs storage which is quite good if you ask me and more than enough for a few hours use doing workouts and so on.

You can also listen to your surroundings here to which is important for many these days but with the brighter nights now upon us it will not be that much of an issue, if you are with a group of friends out jogging or walking you can listen them and your music and podcasts on the go.

Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Open Ear Wireless Headphones techbuzzireland

The 16mm drivers deliver decent sound too and one of the better of the few I have tried here in recent times and they do not annoy your passenger seated beside you on the bus or train for example. They are comfortable to wear to and after a few minutes you would forget they are there in fact.

The controls are great and simple here you have two buttons basically and you can take calls,higher and lower the volume skip and reverse tracks and also use your chosen voice assistant and the tactile buttons work really well all on one side making it super easy to use and easy to make the right selection.

Overall these are a well made easy to use product with and IP68 rating making them usable anywhere and easy to do so at that.

Check out the Naenka Lite Pro real hands on review where we show you the product and how they work and no stock images for context

Features

Runner Pro Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphone

Born for sports   

IP68 Professional sports waterproof bone conduction non – ear black technology             

can be wear while swimming and bathing 

Built-in 8G memory card

16mm large speaker driver, sound quality is shocking and layered

33g Lightweight device 

The signal is as stable as wired

Comfortable wearing

plus size speaker drive

A new generation of vibration reduction technology   

high performance of Sound.

Multiple layers of protection to maintain performance in harsh environments.

Seamless injection molding, integrated molding, to avoid water seepage magnetic suction contact charging change the traditional charging interface without liquid accumulation, anti-oxidation nano-coating on the chip to isolate water vapor

One-key switch between memory mode and Bluetooth mode

8G large capacity storage 1500+ music

WAV, FLAC, APE, MP3, WMA music format support

13mm high frequency resolution is thorough  13mm low and medium frequency dive surging

*The above data comes from laboratory tests, and the actual use environment and equipment are different, there will be slight differences

Naenka Website

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First look at the Dottir Audio Ultra-Competitive Sports-focused Headphones

At the beginning of this Month Dottir Audio launched their new headphones with have been designed by crossfit champions and some notable features stood out on the launch day which was 72 hours of battery life and they also have an IPX7 rating which both are super features to have, these also have wireless charging which is great as I love to have this feature but having said that it is not a must have feature.

As usual we will get a real hands on up close look review soon and today we let you see what you get in the package which is also impressive and first impressions last on presentation so if you have any questions feel free to ask on our social or You Tube channel and we will be back soon with a full review.

With a packed feature set in a rugged form factor, Dóttir features Active Noise Canceling technology, a fully waterproof construction and an ergonomic, wraparound design that ensures the headphone stays in place, add to this a total playtime of up to 72 hours with a wireless charging case that provides up to five additional charges, and you have a clear winner and dependable companion.

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Tech Review – Creative SXFI AMP

Need to boost your audio experience on your earbuds and headphones well here is the must have gadget to do so and not only that this enhances more than you might think as it can be used with gaming consoles such as the PS4 PS5 and Nintendo Switch to give you an even more enhanced experience, this little kit which is the size of your little finger is simple solution to enhance all your audio experiences and this includes gaming devices as well as phones.

This is a well built piece of kit which could be passed as a dongle with and gives you the ability to use any headphones and you get an adapter in the box which is a USB-C to USB-C connector there is a 3.5 mm socket on the end and then you have the controls up front that have that clicky feel to them you control volume and skip tracks with these and then there is the circular button up top which turns on/off the holographic experience. The whole unit is encased in aluminum.

The SuperX-Fi AMP basically enhances the listening experiences and I tested both earphones and headphones on this and it can make cheap headphones sound good in some cases and basically puts you centre stage it feels like there is speakers all round giving you an immersive experience ..

There is a huge list of headphones to pick from when setting up and if you find your headphones not there you can select something close them you will see all this in the video below and what is involved and how to use the app. You will need to create a profile and do some head mapping which is now becoming a common trend these days. The app picks up your tracks  you can personalise and pick your headphones from the extensive list available now and also toggle with the equalizer, finally in the app you can manage your devices..

MUSIC

Experience music on your headphones as if you’re listening to the recording artist in a studio! Enjoy Super X-Fi on your local hi-res FLAC files or stream your favorite songs over Spotify app on mobile or PC with SXFI AMP. Try out some old mono tracks from the golden age and you’ll be amazed how Super X-Fi transforms the music.

MOVIES

Immerse yourself in a holographic audio experience whenever you are with your headphones. Whether you are watching movies on your laptop or travelling on an airplane with your Android phone, just plug in the SXFI AMP and enjoy! Super X-Fi is capable of transforming videos into full-fledged, cinematic audio experience.

GAMES

Enjoy games with the full cinematic capabilities of Super X-Fi! Simply plug in the SXFI AMP with your headphones into your PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, or on PC — the soundstage of the game opens up and you feel as if you were actually transported into the game environment itself. Your games will never sound the same anymore!

The Creative SXFI AMP was sent to us to review with no preview,payment or input and are seeing the review the same time as you.

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Vitec acquires Audix, the premier microphone brand for studio and live performance audio

Vitec Imaging Solutions, a Division of The Vitec Group plc (“Vitec”), the international provider of premium branded hardware products and software solutions to the growing content creation market, is pleased to announce that on 10th January 2022 it agreed to acquire Audix and its affiliates, with the deal expected to close shortly. The acquisition continues Vitec’s mission to marry great audio with great video for all types of creators.

Audix is a leading, high-quality microphone brand for studio and live performance audio based in Portland, Oregon, with a cult following in the US market. The highly respected brand focuses on premium, professional vocal and instrument microphones, designed for studio, commercial and live applications, with cutting-edge audio technology designed and manufactured in the US.

As part of the Vitec family, the Audix team and facility in Oregon will become Vitec Imaging Solutions’ Audio R&D Centre of Excellence, enabling the acceleration of in-house microphone product design, development and manufacturing across all Vitec audio brands. With the acquisition of Audix, Vitec’s audio capture strategy is now structured around three core brands that cover all growth segments of the $1 billion microphone market.

1. Audix: The Best Microphones for Studio Recording and Installed Sound
Under the global umbrella of Vitec Imaging Solutions, Vitec will add sales, marketing and e-commerce capabilities to develop the iconic US brand worldwide, while maintaining its high level of innovation, with a primary focus on fast-growing wireless applications. Audix will open its vertically integrated, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the US to the rest of Vitec’s audio brands, ensuring the innovation is applied across our whole audio portfolio to the benefit of all Vitec brands’ users.

2. Rycote: The Leading Microphones and Noise Cancellation Accessories for Professional Broadcasting and Filmmakers

The Rycote brand is dedicated to the broadcast and production segment where it’s trusted by professionals for market-leading windshields, shock mounts and handling protection systems. While Rycote windshields and mounts will continue to be made in the UK, Rycote’s broadcast microphones will benefit from the additional manufacturing facilities in the US. This will enable us to extend the range, further enhance product performance and better serve the US market.

3. JOBY: The Most Versatile Mobile Microphones for Content Creators
The JOBY brand is our largest volume offering, servicing the 40 million monetising social media influencers for whom great audio quality is a critical component of their success. The JOBY microphone range is expanding later this month with exciting new additions including professional on-camera mics and innovative solutions for podcasters and gamers. Going forward, the development of JOBY microphones will move to the US to accelerate the innovation process in the largest content creator market.

“Audix is the perfect addition to our existing audio range, in a high-tech, growing category,” said Marco Pezzana, Divisional CEO at Vitec Imaging Solutions. “The brand will significantly increase our total addressable market, advance our audio technology capabilities and, most importantly, bring great people with intimate knowledge of the audio industry, who will be a real asset to the company and enable us to accelerate the delivery of Vitec’s audio strategy and delight the content creator community with easy to use, high fidelity audio capture solutions.”

 

Tech Review – Creative Stage 360 soundbar with Dolby Atmos

Need to up the game in your home with some better sound well the Creative Stage 360 soundbar is one to look out for if you want better home entertainment, not only that this can be used for gaming and also connecting bluetooth devices too and more so if you are having friends over and want to pump out the tunes it is no problem.

The design and build is much the same as the previous model but only better when it comes to the sound element with many settings to pick from to get the exact fine tuning you need and this can be done via the remote control or there is some options via the keys placed on top of the soundbar itself, the subwoofer just plugs in beside it and then you can place where it suits you best.

With the integration of Dolby Atmos technology, the Creative Stage 360 allows users to enjoy three-dimensional, cinema-like audio with realistic surround and height reproduction by simply playing any supported Dolby Atmos content from popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video and many more. The latest soundbar also boasts all-new, custom-tuned racetrack drivers along with a dedicated long-throw subwoofer as well as a total peak power of up to 240W to deliver a stronger audio punch with every beat.

Adding to that, this soundbar is optimized for both near-field and far-field listening – regardless of whether it is placed in the living room or at the desktop, users can easily switch between either setting with the newly-designed IR remote control.

With the integration of Dolby Atmos technology, the Creative Stage 360 allows users to enjoy three-dimensional, cinema-like audio with realistic surround and height reproduction by simply playing any supported Dolby Atmos content from popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video and many more. The latest soundbar also boasts all-new, custom-tuned racetrack drivers along with a dedicated long-throw subwoofer as well as a total peak power of up to 240W to deliver a stronger audio punch with every beat.

Adding to that, this soundbar is optimized for both near-field and far-field listening – regardless of whether it is placed in the living room or at the desktop, users can easily switch between either setting with the newly-designed IR remote control.

Check out the video below for an unboxing and sound test where you can see what the Stage 360 offers and from where I sit and having tested it does an excellent job and gives you am more immersive feel to watching films and more and turning the volume up to the max.

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