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AKM Fire Update 3: Yet Another Step Towards Recovery, Co. Launches New Flagship Chip

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New AKM AK4499EX flagship DAC

Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM), part of the Asahi Kasei Corporation, and one of the world’s most significant providers of integrated circuits, particularly digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), launched a new flagship stereo DAC at the IPS/High End 2022 Show last week in Munich, Germany. It is yet another notable milestone in the company’s long journey to recovery after the horrific impact of the signal event of the pandemic supply chain disaster in 2020 – a massive factory fire that destroyed a key production fab, first reported in our industry by Strata-gee.

But…can the company recover quickly enough to make a difference?

See more on this impressive new AKM DAC

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Savant Powers Up Their Smart Energy Solutions, Putting Them Years Ahead of Others

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Savant Power Systems image

‘Energy is the Next Big Frontier in Terms of Smart’

Savant offered industry media a presentation revealing their vision of the deep integration of energy sources (and uses) into a fully-fledged, well-thought-out, total smart home system. To drive the industry towards this future, Savant’s vision is expansive, intelligent, and in my mind, pretty exciting. It starts with a foundation of power and how to make it smarter.

Below, you’ll find some of the key highlights of Savant’s plans for smart energy.

More on Savant’s smart energy solutions

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AudioControl Upgrades to GaN ICs in New 70-Volt, Dual-Mode CM Amps

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AudioControl CM4-750 CM amplifier

AudioControl, a specialty electronics manufacturer of innovative residential, commercial, and mobile audio products, revealed today that it has upgraded the semiconductor technology resident in its recently introduced 70-volt, dual-mode CM line of amplifiers. This upgrade, to Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, offers many performance improvements over traditional silicon-based ICs and is said to take the performance of this category to a whole new level.

See more on the Audiocontrol GaN-based 70-volt amps

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Crestron Research Center is Renamed in Honor of Founder George Feldstein

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Crestron dedication of the George Feldstein Technology Center

In the summer of 2019, just months before the onset of COVID-19, Crestron Electronics, Inc. (Crestron) invited me to tour several of their facilities, including the lab at the heart of almost everything they do…the Research Center. It was beyond impressive, and I’ve been in some really impressive labs in my career. At the time, I said it was “like Disneyland for geeks.” That includes geeks like me!

Now, in honor of the company’s founder, Crestron has renamed the facility the George Feldstein Technology Center. This is a fitting tribute to the man who spent his days there constantly tinkering with new products, product concepts, and technology.

See more on this Crestron announcement

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Bryston BR-20 Preamp/Streamer is Now Certified as Roon Ready

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High-end specialty audio products maker Bryston announced today that its BR-20 Preamplifier/Bit-Perfect High-Resolution Streamer is now Roon Ready certified. This is a move that blends some of the finest audio and streaming technology with an enhanced music catalog interface that is sure to please Bryston users.

See more on the Bryston BR-20 and Roon

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AAMP Global Acquires AudioControl

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AAMP Global, a leading global manufacturer of a wide array of technology products for the personal and commercial vehicle markets, announced today the strategic acquisition of AudioControl – the well-known specialty manufacturer of electronics products for the automotive, residential, and commercial audio channels. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but AAMP says that AudioControl’s Seattle, WA-based operations and team will continue to operate as an independent facility under the AAMP Global umbrella.

I spoke with top executives of both companies to learn more about what drew the parties together and just what is meant by a “strategic” acquisition.

See more on the AAMP acquisition of AudioControl

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Crestron Acquires 1 Beyond, Adding Intelligent Video to Improve Hybrid Meetings

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Crestron Electronics announced today that it is acquiring 1 Beyond, an innovative provider of intelligent video products that enable more effective meetings – especially meetings that blend in-office and remote participants, known as hybrid meetings. The company said that the 1 Beyond team will stay at their existing base in Boston, MA. The terms of the deal were not released.

See more on what the 1 Beyond acquisition means for Crestron

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Tech’s Newest Power Couple: Sony and Honda

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Sony and Honda CEOs announce joint venture

So Sony has just pulled a major donut – finally coming full circle. Sony Group’s CEO stood alongside Honda Motor’s CEO as the two companies announced that they were forming a joint venture with automotive manufacturing powerhouse Honda agreeing to partner with the sensor and mobile entertainment electronics king Sony to actually manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) – or what we’ve known up to this point as the Sony Vision-S vehicles. At last, our trip down the long and winding (and confusing) road has arrived at a final destination.

And with this announcement, we now have tech’s newest power couple…

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Snap One Unleashes an Array of New Products at Virtual Partner Summit

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Snap One's Ryan Marsh
Ryan Marsh, Snap One EVP of Sales

New Introductions for Control4, OvrC, Episode and Triad

Last Friday, Snap One held a Virtual Partner Summit in which they unveiled a whole roster of new products to dealers participating in the online event. It was an impressive launch in key product areas for the company including OvrC, audio, new controllers, new soundbar and wireless sub, new architectural speakers, a major new operating system upgrade called OS 3.3.0, and more.

See more on these new products from Snap One

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New Brand AVA Appears with Solid Founder Pedigree; But is Success Guaranteed?

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On Monday we learned of the launch of a new brand of wireless streaming music systems called AVA. Targeted towards the higher-end of the market, AVA features a more European design aesthetic, is targeted for distribution through the custom integration channel, and comes from a triumvirate of co-founders of respectable pedigree.

But does this pedigree guarantee their success?

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