Quirky Shinola, the scrappy Detroit, MI-based manufacturer of an eclectic collection of disconnected product lines, including watches, bicycles, leather goods, jewelry and, now, audio, has introduced a line of headphones, including over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear models. The company, which is owned by Bedrock Manufacturing Company, LLC, is as much an experiment in bringing manufacturing back to bankrupt Detroit, as it is a power brand.
Products
Control4 Builds Out Their Triad Line
It was just months ago in February, when we learned the improbable news that Control4 Corp. had acquired Triad Speakers, Inc. The news both surprised and confused us, as it did not seem to be an obvious acquisition choice for one of the industry’s leading control and smart home solutions companies. Analog speakers? Who would want to get into that business??
But Control4 jumped in with both feet, rolling out new Triad models at CEDIA, and now post-CEDIA.
See the new Triad R Series models being introduced by Control4… [Read more…] about Control4 Builds Out Their Triad Line
Emotiva Launches New Amps for ‘Ultimate’ Atmos Experience
Emotiva Audio Corp. announced today two new amplifiers that they call “variations on its configurable XPA Gen 3 modular amplifier.” The XPA-9 and XPA-11 Gen 3, one a 9-channel amplifier and the other a 11-channel amplifier, both employ the advanced performance of their X series electronics and are said to be perfect for advanced surround technologies, such as Dolby Atmos home theaters.
See more on these new amplifiers from Emotiva… [Read more…] about Emotiva Launches New Amps for ‘Ultimate’ Atmos Experience
Samsung Surprises LG with Viral Video OLED Slam
12-Hour ‘Image Retention’ Test to Make OLED Look Bad
Korean media is reporting that a nasty fight has erupted in South Korea, where Samsung has uploaded a video that compares its QLED screen versus an LG OLED screen. The slickly produced comparison video allegedly shows “image retention” (commonly called burn-in over here) on the OLED screen after gamers play on both screens for twelve hours straight. LG, understandably, cries foul…
See this ugly fight that has erupted on the eve of the big TV sales season… [Read more…] about Samsung Surprises LG with Viral Video OLED Slam
Sonos Finally Gets Smart with Sonos One
After many months of rumors and promises, Sonos announced today the new Sonos One, their first wireless speaker with voice-control capabilities built-in – in other words, its first smart speaker. And we have to say, Sonos was pretty smart about how they approached the smart speaker market.
See why Sonos, and the Sonos One, is so smart… [Read more…] about Sonos Finally Gets Smart with Sonos One
Savant’s Savvy was Showing at CEDIA 2017
At CEDIA 2017, Savant displayed and demonstrated a whole roster of innovative new products – the very fact of which was an in-your-face proclamation that this new company era under founder Bob Madonna intends to use innovation to drive growth. And while we had only a limited time available at Savant, we were fortunate enough to grab a few moments of Mr. Madonna’s time to get a real cook’s tour of a couple of his latest offerings.
See what new products Madonna showed us at CEDIA 2017… [Read more…] about Savant’s Savvy was Showing at CEDIA 2017
At CEDIA 2017, Dana Innovations Emphasized Innovations
As a member of the press corps for many CEDIA shows now, we have duly trudged through many a manufacturer’s booth review – Dana Innovations included – which can often be a mind-numbing bit of drudgery, as often all we see are a long list of existing products…nary an innovation to be found. However, this year, Dana Innovations – parent of Sonance, Trufig, and iPort – surprised us with a focused review of…well…innovations.
See what innovations that Dana Innovations had to show the media… [Read more…] about At CEDIA 2017, Dana Innovations Emphasized Innovations
AudioControl Expands Maestro Series with New M5 Pre-Pro
AudioControl, the scrappy specialty manufacturer for both home and mobile electronics, announced today that it is launching the M5 Preamp-Processor as part of its popular Maestro home theater processor line. The M5 appears to be a worthy contender for one of the best values in a high-end, if not audiophile, preamp-processor with all the right stuff at a reasonable price.
See more details on the impressive Maestro M5… [Read more…] about AudioControl Expands Maestro Series with New M5 Pre-Pro
Josh.ai Launches New Hardware Solution – Josh Micro
Josh.ai, the high-end voice control solution that created quite a buzz at last year’s CEDIA show, announced today that it is launching its first hardware product, Josh Micro. Josh Micro includes a home control processor, far-field microphone array, and a superior user interface in a small package that “fits in the palm of your hand.” It also disconnects Josh.ai from the need to talk into your smartphone…or to a nearby Amazon Echo.
See more on Josh Micro… [Read more…] about Josh.ai Launches New Hardware Solution – Josh Micro
Savant Throws Some Shade on Competitors
Savant Systems announced today that it is launching a line of shades and brackets, entering a new category for the home automation company. This new line is known simply as Savant Shades and the company says they are “innovative” and “design-forward” shades with a unique “fascia-free” design that eliminates the unsightly window box that exists to conceal wires, screws or fasteners on traditional and competitive shading systems.
