TechRadar: Audio news

In Depth: How Sony is trying to save the world

James Rivington — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:37:00 GMT

How Sony is trying to save the world

Sony is famous for a lot of things.

Most recently it's been the launch of the PS Vita and some disappointing financial results that have been getting the headlines.

But one thing Sony hasn't had much coverage over is its work to reduce its impact on the environment.

Of course, any manufacturer of oil-based plastic products creates a sizeable carbon footprint but Sony has become a shining example to other electronics manufacturers by committing to completely eliminate its negative effect on the environment by 2050.

The road to zero

The story starts at Sony's 25-storey, 124,041 square metre Osaki Home Entertainment HQ in Tokyo. Unbelievably, it only took a single year to build.

It's the very first building of its kind to use a natural 'bioskin' cooling system, and TechRadar was lucky enough to be invited to visit earlier today.

The bioskin is made up of a network of porous ceramic pipes that are made using soil. Rain water is collected from the roof of the building throughout the year and during the hot Japanese summer, the water is pumped back up through the pipes on the outside of the building.

The water penetrates the ceramic and evaporates from the pipe surface, which cools the surrounding air by around 2 degrees. This shields the building from the sun's intense heat and reduces the load on the CO2-producing air conditioning systems inside the building.

It's the kind of cutting-edge green-thinking that Sony is applying to many of its consumer electronics projects.

TVs made from old DVDs

Sony has also recently developed a new material for its products which is made from 99% recycled plastic. The material is called SoRPlas and is made from recycling old products.

Discarded DVDs are blended up and the metal film from their surface is peeled away. The optical sheets from discarded LCD TVs are also shredded and the resultant shrapnel is blended with the DVD fragments. The strength and stiffness of the recycled plastic can be manipulated according to the proportions of the mix.

This mix is then added to some dye and a very small amount of flame-retardant to make the plastic fireproof, and the resulting material is a plastic that's every bit as good as more 'fresh' plastic.

Using this method, Sony is now able to build products like earphones and its packaging from 100% recycled plastic. It's also now being used to build the bezels of some of Sony's TVs, while 80% of the plastic used in the HDRTD20V 3D camcorder is made from this SoRPlas material already.

Using this material means 77.3% less CO2 is produced compared to conventional plastic, and the aim is to use SoRPlas to replace as much plastic as possible across all of Sony's many factories.

The first step in Sony's 'road to zero' is to harness the environmental benefits of SorPLas to reduce the company's resource consumption by 30 per cent and its CO2 emissions 20% by 2015.

Life cycles

But the goal extends beyond manufacturing. Sony's ultimate aim is to include product life cycles into the zero-emissions plan, which means building energy efficient, environmentally friendly products and packaging.

That means recycled materials wherever possible, eliminating the use of hazardous mercury, developing more efficient solar cells, increasing power efficiency in products, reducing the size of packaging and developing more environmentally friendly battery technologies.

Sony has already ceased production of old-style LCD TVs, with 100 per cent focus on more efficient LED tech. This also means sets can be thinner, using less materials - and has the further effect of requiring smaller boxes.

The bio batteries are also very interesting - they feed renewable glucose and oxygen to natural enzymes to generate electricity. This tech is a way off being used in your everyday smartphone, but it's being developed and looked at very optimistically.

While the zero emissions goal is still very far away, it's initiatives and innovations like these that will make future generations wonder what kind of barbaric tree-hating gas guzzlers we really were.

TechRadar Deal: Today's deal: 56% off the X-mini v1.1 Capsule Speaker

Paul Douglas — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Today's deal gives you the chance to enjoy music from your MP3 player, phone or laptop with a revolutionary pocket-sized speaker with built-in bass support and a rechargeable battery.

Small in size, about the size of a plum, the X-mini features patented Vacuum Bass technology, producing rich, full sound.

The X-Mini can be extended upwards like an accordion. It's this expandable vacuum which mimics the resonance characteristics of a subwoofer, giving the Capsule a crisp, full bodied sound and volume.

The X-mini v1.1 Capsule Speaker from Advanced MP3 Players is on offer for just £10.99 instead of £24.99, which is a saving of 56%.

To take advantage of this deal, head over to TechRadarDeals.com now.

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TechRadar Deals: Today's deal: 72% off a Clarion dashboard DVD player

Paul Douglas — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:15:00 GMT

Enjoy music and movies in your car with this 7-inch motorised DVD monitor for only £250 - saving 72% on the usual price of £899.

This CD and DVD player with radio tuner comes from Clarion, a giant of the car audio industry, with everything you could need in your car.

It's iPod direct compatibility allows playing of all media from an iPod with the addition of a simple lead as well as being able to satisfy all of your music playing needs through the CD, aux in, and USB ports.

Not only that, but you can add the Bluetooth module for £59.99 (available separately) and even integrate your rear view cameras into the system.

To take advantage of this deal, head over to TechRadarDeals.com now.

About TechRadar deals

TechRadar Deals, powered by TechRadar.com, is a service for TechRadar readers.

This new and exciting service, open to our UK users, is designed to bring you massive discounts on all sorts of products, services and events that are highly relevant to tech and gadget fans.

Here's how it works…

The TechRadar Deals site offers fantastic deals with discounts of 50% or more off exclusive technology-related deals.

You can also sign up for our email newsletter and we will then email you regular deals that are at least 50% off goods and services from big name brands.

Visit TechRadarDeals.com to check out today's deal.

Google developing wireless home entertainment device?

Chris Smith — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:13:00 GMT

Google is plotting to launch a home entertainment system, which will stream music throughout a number of rooms in the house, according to reports.

In a surprising article, the Wall Street Journal says the multi-room hardware solution would be sold and marketed under the Google brand.

The report suggests that the speakers would be controlled using an Android smartphone or tablet and would make use of the company's Google Music cloud storage solution.

The project is apparently a brainchild of the Android team at Google andm according to those familiar with the plans, could include the streaming of other digital media as well as music.

The journal reports that Google began testing the product six months ago and could launch the hardware sometime during 2012.

AirPlay rival

The launch of a Google-branded wireless streaming solution would put the company in competition with Apple's AirPlay.

Apple's tech currently owns that portion of the market by allowing iOS device owners to send content to AirPlay-enabled docks and speakers or send video to its own Apple TV set-top boxes.

After years of relying on other manufacturers to push software like Android and Chrome, Google will soon have more power in the hardware market thanks to its pending acquisition of Motorola.

The home entertainment system would be the company's first real foray into hardware sales.

It has partnered-up with OEMs before now on gadgets like the Google Nexus One, but that was built by HTC and failed miserably mainly due to the lack of a support structure or a sales partner.

In Depth: How to set up your PC for great surround sound

Neil Mohr — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:20:00 GMT

Set up your PC for great surround sound

Two, four, six, eight how many speakers do we appreciate? The days when people would be awestruck to hear a PC make tiny cheeping sounds from its internal speaker are long gone.

Today we're used to better-than-CD quality sound from every application we use, not in just one or two channels but in up to eight channels.

In many ways it was the advent of the CD drive that started the big push for PC audio quality. It also introduced some of the issues we still find today, particularly in how PCs have to juggle the many different sources, codecs, DRM issues and new digital destinations for audio.

When new technology promises multichannel, mega-bit audio streams, people rightly want to exploit and experience this. But when that very same technology becomes a barrier to enjoying these supposed delights, due to incompatibilities and complexities of how it works, it can feel more trouble than it's worth. You don't see people having issues using the latest car, they just put the petrol in and go.

So why does the technology industry feel it's in the right to put artificial barrier between you and your entertainment? It is an ongoing struggle, ever since the first PC sound card there have been issues trying to entice beautiful music from the contraptions.

Today hardware in many ways is far better behaved, largely as it's integrated on an industrial scale to the despair of poor Creative.

This is backed up with far less complexity within Windows itself. The issues that many people face are ensuring they get the best experience from their existing set up, while making the PC or laptop play nice with external entertainment devices.

This can be tracked back to when the first CD drive was connected to the PC. Someone had the bright idea to use a cable even though it was perfectly possible to redirect the sound digitally, and would lead to people without CD audio.

The same went for DVD and Blu-ray now brings its own issues of digital audio with DRM. So PC Format is here to cut through all the connectors, cables, standards and settings so you can get the best sound – surround or not – from your PC for ear-pleasing games, music and films.

Sound and vision

We all take sound for granted. Hearing's the neglected sense, constantly running second place to vision. But without sound Michael Bay films would be an unintelligible kaleidoscope of fire and posing pseudo-teen actors. Next time you're playing a game or watching a film, switch off the sound and see how long you last.

With games, audio adds vital subtle clues as to your enemy's whereabouts and actions that visuals just can't do. While for films a mixture of atmospheric soundtrack and a range of effects builds tension and emotions. So if sound is the carrot stick in a salad buffet – unappreciated and ignored – it's time to scoop that carrot into some delicious taramasalata and let the deliciousness slop over your taste buds/metaphorical ears.

Before we start unravelling the yards of wires involved with surround speakers, let's quickly cover the sound systems Windows uses in Vista and 7. Either right-click on the Notification Speaker icon and select Playback devices, or select Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Manage audio devices.

This lists what Windows considers to be all of your audio output devices, it's useful as it enables separate configurations for your main speakers, headphones and digital output for films to an amp or HDTV.

If you select 'Speakers' this will highlight the 'Configure' and 'Properties' buttons. You should click and run through 'Configure' at least once, it tells Windows how many and how the speakers are set up. It's unlikely you have full-range speakers, these are capable of producing reasonable base response and are not satellite speakers.

If you're running a 2.1, 3.1 or another odd configuration, selecting '5.1 Surround' will provide a further option to remove unused speakers from the configuration.

Once Windows knows how many speakers you're running click 'Properties'. This enables you to adjust just how Windows treats the audio, what connections it thinks are available and how they are configured.

Click the 'Enhancements' tab and this provides a number of genuinely useful real-time effects. Bass Management, Virtual Surround and Loudness Equalization all provide adjustments to the audio to suite your tastes. Bass Management is useful for satellites as you can specify the 'cross-over' point for bass effects handled by the sub-woofer. The standard is 80Hz; raising this to 100Hz or even 120Hz provides a smoother transition from the satellites to the sub.

Room Correction is especially useful; it's an auto-configuration for your surround system. Using a microphone it will tweak the delay for each surround speaker to enhance the surround effect for the room and speaker positions. This means that you won't have to worry about precise placement of the satellite speakers.

The most common integrated sound manager is from Realtek and it's the orange speaker Notification area icon that you have probably seen. Double-click this and, while the interface is somewhat more complex, it offers the same base settings as Windows does, from Room Correction to speaker selection. It does provide jack selection, so you can switch the function of jacks around, which saves a level of demeaning crawling around the back of your PC.

Sounds great

A major inspiration for writing this feature has been the amount of emails we get from readers regarding problems they have encountered with HDMI audio.

It sounds like such a simple idea: a single cable that carries both the audio and video signal. But the depth of the complexity is only matched by the despair of trying to get audio and video to where you want it.

Please consider, our fair audience, the reasonable task of wanting to take video from a PC to an HDMI display, and audio from the same said PC to an AV Receiver. To begin, HDMI is a digital connection and it's designed to carry audio, video and control signals over the same data channels and wires. Technically, the audio and any control data is transmitted in the horizontal and vertical blank periods of the video signal.

For us PC users we know that graphics cards can generate the video but how does the audio get into the video signal? We're glad you asked. Ever since the GeForce 3xx and Radeon HD 2xxx series sported integrated sound cards the audio has to be 'injected' into the signal by the graphics card. Prior to this an internal S/PDIF or HDA pass-through cable was required to move the digital audio from the PC's integrated audio to the graphics card and then to your display.

Of course this isn't always that simple, some cards use two-pin while others use three-pin connectors, though both are compatible you'd have to jerry-rig the cable yourself; identify the ground (GND, usually black) and 5v signal line (S/PDIF, usually red or white); and plug them in. You may need to dig out your motherboard manual for a complete pin-out. It's similar to the situation with CD and DVD drives that used to require a similar device-to-motherboard audio cable.

Another cause for confusion is when it comes to DVI, technically DVI isn't designed to carry audio, however it is pin-compatible with HDMI and if those wires transmit the correct digital audio and video data, no-one and no-device would be the wiser with it all working seamlessly. Simply put your HDTV will produce sound and vision even if an HDMI to DVI adaptor is used, and the graphics card internally redirects the digital audio over the DVI port.

Outside help

As long as Windows has correctly selected the right audio source – double-check this via the Playback devices dialogue we covered earlier under the Speaker Notification icon – any external HDMI device should be able to pick up the PC audio.

There's a small chance either a laptop or even an older HDTV may not be correctly wired for audio. Similarly some older units don't correctly support the DRM HDCP protocol, and that will also disable the audio and video when it kicks in with protected content.

The question is if you don't have a suitable HDMI device or you want to use an HDMI display but use an external AV Receiver for the audio, how do you split this combined digital signal?

There are obvious and easy analogue solutions but we're going to leave those for a moment and stick with true digital options. To begin your HDTV may provide a S/PDIF out, unfortunately it's likely this only carries its internal TV tuner audio, which is rubbish. This is potentially useful as Freeview/DVB-T2 is capable of broadcasting Dolby audio.

Ideally and if you're serious about home entertainment, an AV receiver with HDMI in/out would be the ideal solution. Using this it's possible to take the HDMI signal from the PC, to the amp then direct it to the HDTV while you enjoy the vastly enhanced surround sound.

The big issue is what if you don't own an HDMI-equipped amplifier? Well, it depends on what you want and where you want the audio. Even on an HDMI-equipped laptop there will be the option to use the 3.5mm mini-jack to siphon off the audio with a suitably long-enough cable, if you have access to an AV amp Dolby Pro Logic virtual surround will do a fine job of up-mixing even stereo audio.

With a desktop PC then many amps provide a 'matrix' input mode via a bank of three or four stereo RCAs. Using one-pair per set of front, side and rear satellite speakers, plus one more for the centre and the sub channels, it can connect the standard back-panel 3.5mm mini-jacks to the 'matrix' with all the surround decoding done on the PC side.

For a true digital solution the next best option is that either the PC or laptop has a built-in optical or coaxial digital S/PDIF output. It's uncommon, and not unheard of to find these on laptops, but many desktops offer at least one, or two, on the backpanel. If you're starting to panic as none of these apply, most motherboards also provide an S/PDIF header and it's easy enough to buy and add a dual coaxial/S/PDIF bracket for around £10 on eBay.

If all of these have so far failed you then, as a final solution, plump for a new sound card that's either internal or USB. We've seen basic models of both types offering eight-channel output with S/PDIF for around £10.

A final and crazy option is to pick a HDMI splitter that provides a separate digital audio output, they are not the most common of things but a couple of models do exist such as the CASP100 for around £65. At this point that's just about every viable option of getting audio off your PC onto another device either digitally or analogue that we can think of covered.

No standards

A final area to be aware of is how the audio is decoded and piped off the PC, with music, gaming and films being handled in subtly different ways.

Music is the most simple as it's typically a decoded and encoded stereo audio stream to a selected sound device. Windows at that point takes over and will up-mix if you've enabled virtual surround, otherwise that can be left to your external amp.

Gaming is equally as simple; the game will be using either the DirectX Audio API or a third-party option, such as OpenAL to generate its multi-directional audio. Windows will then assign the audio to the most suitable audio channel. The original Nvidia nForce boards provided encoded Dolby Digital gaming sound, but the feature was dropped from later boards much to the dismay of many people.

Films is where it gets a little more complex largely due to the various and evolving container formats, such as MKV and additional digital audio standards such as Dolby TrueHD. Add in the number of media players, decoders and codec packs with the fact you typically want external amplifiers to do the decoding and it can get very confusing.

Blu-ray and HDMI are designed to carry a number of standard multi-channel sound formats, we'll list them in order of increasing bit-rate: Dolby Digital + Plus (AC3), DTS, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS HD Master and LPCM (Wave/AIFF).

Sounding good

If you're enjoying a film that uses one of these soundtracks and are using an external amplifier then you'll want it to pass through the audio, so it can be decoded externally. We usually recommend using the CCCP codec pack that uses the FFDShow stream switcher.

Open the Audio Decoder, select 'Output' and make sure you tick all the Dolby and DTS formats under 'Pass-through'. Be aware that S/PDIF can only handle compressed audio, i.e. standard Dolby Digital and DTS, there are options to down-sample Blu-ray HD audio formats as otherwise you'll only get stereo PCM going over the S/PDIF.

Throughout this feature we've stuck with integrated sound and for a good reason; PC Format a good while back did a blind test of integrated vs add-in sound cards. Frankly, your man-in-the-street couldn't really tell the difference.

But with integrated sound offering eight-channel audio, digital optical and coaxial on top of HDMI audio and HD input at 24-bits at up to 192KHz – what more do you need?

CyberStep KDJ-ONE pre-order opens

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:33:00 GMT

After showing off the final version of its KDJ-ONE mobile audio workstation at NAMM 2012, CyberStep has opened it up for pre-orders.

Looking uncannily like a Nintendo Game Boy hopped up on growth hormone, the KDJ-ONE is a portable music powerhouse that includes a synthesiser, sequencer and other audio skills.

To look at, it's impossible not to compare it to Nintendo's first handheld console. The main offender is the four-way directional pad on the left hand side, across from a distinctly "gamey" button layout on the right.

There are also shades of the short and fat third generation iPod Nano with its landscape display and central jog wheel where the Nano's click wheel would have been. Meanwhile, not resembling anything in particular, there are 15 backlit rubber keys at the bottom of the unit.

It's what's inside that counts

Its spec sheet lands it somewhere in between netbook and tablet turf, with an Intel Atom 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM powering a 5-inch 800x480px multitouch display.

There's also 4GB of solid state storage on board, backed up by a MicroSD card slot and USB storage if required.

Designed for music creation on the go, and possibly for those with abnormally large back pockets, this six track sequencer only weighs 380g.

It's Linux-based and CyberStep plan to release an SDK to allow users to program new synthesisers and features for the KDJ-ONE.

For music makers with a passion for the portable and a nostalgia for the Game Boy, the KDJ-ONE is available in black or white for US$829 with Wi-Fi, or US$799 without from the KDJ-ONE site for delivery by July.

SoundCloud joins with Instagram for Story Wheel

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:49:00 GMT

Audio recording and sharing site SoundCloud has released a new feature call Story Wheel to celebrate reaching the 10 million users milestone.

The Story Wheel feature hooks into Instagram, allowing users to create a slideshow of Instagram snaps with a voiceover from SoundCloud.

SoundCloud founders Alex Ljung and Eric Wahlforss have made their own Story Wheel that briefly tells the story of SoundCloud and says thank you to its users.

The Story Wheel slideshows "project" the square Instagram pics within a scene including a projector on a table to complete the effect.

When will it end?

Like a real slideshow, there's no telling how long it's going to last, and no way to pause or rewind it – you're at the mercy of the Story Wheel's creator.

Story Wheel was created by two SoundCloud employees at a hackathon last year, and is the latest product from SoundCloud Labs which showcases experimental projects.

After launching in 2008, SoundCloud only just passed the five million users mark last year, indicating just how fast the growth of the service has been over the last six months.

On top of reaching the 10 million users milestone, over five million official SoundCloud apps have been downloaded and there are over 10,000 apps in development on SoundCloud's open platform, including ones that integrate with professional music software Pro Tools and Cakewalk.

It's not just music that SoundCloud deals in, either, as its content has been labelled with over 3.3 million tags, with audio from books and lectures to bloggers and journalists.

If you're interested in making your own slideshow, head over to storywheel.cc and start narrating your own show, just spare a thought for the person who might end up watching it.

In pictures: Pure Contour 200i Air

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:41:00 GMT

Wireless standards are a funny thing. It seems that many demand that Wi-Fi is on board their devices but turn their noses up at DLNA support. So it's interesting that the arrival of AirPlay, a fairly new standard, has been welcomed and is cropping up on many a music player.

The latest to have the Apple tech inside is the Pure Contour 200i Air. This decent looking dock allows AirPlay support and also has an iOS dock on the front as well, which looks fine when either an iPhone or an iPod is connected.

We took a look at the Pure Contour 200i Air at CES 2012 and we impressed with what we saw. The dock is compatible with Pure Music – the company's Spotify rival – which means that it is internet-savvy and it has an aux-in input port in the rear and all of its controls (which consist of volume and power) are on the top of the device.

The 200i is an update to the 100Di, with the main sartorial difference being that there is no longer a clock on board – instead you have the docking station on the front.

When it comes to blasting out the music, the 200i manages 36W and has been given dual 3.5-inch full-range speaker drive units.

Like its bedfellow, the Pure Sensio 200D Connect, the Pure Contour 200i Air UK release date is Q1 and will set you back £199.99.

In pictures: Pure Sensio 200D Connect

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:22:00 GMT

Pure launched two new radios at CES 2012, with the most eye-catching being the Pure Sensio 200D Connect.

This is a radio which has its fingers in all the audio pies. The music player allows you to listen to DAB radio, stream music over the internet and also surf the web if you so feel like it.

It also has the usual ports for connecting up an iPod plus a USB port so you can nab whatever you have recorded and listen to it on your laptop or anywhere with USB connectivity.

On board is a decent 5.7-inch colour touchscreen and this acts as a portal to all your menu options. It is also here where you can hook up to Pure's latest music offering Pure Music.

Looking to take on Spotify and set to launch very soon – originally it was back in December and this was when we did our hands on: Pure Music review – this subscription-based music service will set you back £4.99 a month.

While there were a number of audio options on show at CES 2012, the Pure Sensio 200D Connect was one of the smartest we have seen.

It offers decent audio output for its size, too, with the device piping out 30W RMS of digital sound via DSP tuned class-D amplifiers and twin speakers.

It has Wi-Fi connectivity, allows you to hook up to Twitter and Facebook, and you can also record any music that you listen to from the radio – which is bound to bring back memories for any '80s child which sat listening to the Top 40 with their finger poised on the tape record button.

When it comes to a Pure Sensio 200D Connect UK release date, you don't have to wait long – it will be out in Q1 and is priced at £249.99.

Monster and Beats split up headphone partnership

Jools Whitehorn — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:06:00 GMT

Beats Electronics and Monster are not renewing their headphones contract after a five year partnership.

Beats has been the biggest name in headphones over the last couple of years, heavily popularised by co-owner Dr.Dre.

The partnership built on the audio expertise of Monster, which hi-fi fans will know was already a big name in the cable world.

The duo's big seller has been the over-ear Beats by Dre range (pictured) which are known for their bass-heavy sound and active noise cancelling, as well as their standout looks.

Monster isn't over the hill

After the split, Monster is planning to build up its own headphones range with eight different lines.

Beats' sound technology has already made its way into the HP Envy Beats Editionand a number of HTC smartphones.

HTC is now the major stakeholder in Beats, paying US$300 million for the privilege.

Beats is looking to expand into new areas like TV and products for athletes, amongst others, but also appears to be focusing attention on the mobile sector.

"We have very big ambitions for Beats beyond headphones," says Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine in conversation with Business Week. "Music has got to succeed on the phone or else the record industry will never thrive."

We'll be expecting some more Beats branded phones, then.

CES 2012: B&O launches BeoVision 12-65 'ultra flat' 3D plasma

Kate Solomon — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:36:00 GMT

Bang & Olufsen has taken to CES 2012 to reveal its latest 3D TV in the form of the B&O BeoVision 12-65.

The company describes the 65-inch plasma screen as "ultra flat" which left us wondering how flat its predecessors were until we realised it means "very thin indeed" combined with "an optical illusion" involving the aluminium speaker housing.

It's intended to sit on the wall rather than a stand, so the wall bracket comes partly integrated into the set itself, adding to the ultra flatness of the thing.

Other features are available

As well as being dead thin, like, the centre speaker holds five speaker units within it and helps pump out 7.1 surround sound when set up in the correct formation.

The NeoPDP panel promises improved 3D and 2D performance thanks to phosphors with a very short retention time.

No sniff of a UK price for the B&O BeoVision 12-65 but it's likely to be high - now take that price you're thinking is high and double it. About that.

Speakers galore

Also revealed at CES 2012 are the company's new BeoLab 12 loudspeakers that sit mounted on the wall aside a television, providing the auditory illusion of three-dimensional sound.

And finally there's the B&O Play portable music system, the B&O Beolit 12, which brings all the excellence of a Bang & Olufsen sound system to, well, anywhere, given that you can pick it up and carry it around.

Unusually for Bang & Olufsen, the Beolit 12 isn't too far out of a normal person's price range, set to land in the UK with a price of around £575 (€699, $799).

AKG quietly launches new K490 NC and K495 NC headphones

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:32:00 GMT

AKG has announced two new sets of premium noise-cancelling headphones – the K490 NC and K495 NC which both feature USB charging.

USB charging promises to cut down your battery bill and make juicing up as easy as finding the nearest computer, set-top box or wall adapter.

The two models are clearly looking to give off a premium vibe. Each comes with its own carry case and the top end K495 NC has more metal in it the the K490 NC, though don't let that affect your music selection.

A single charge will provide 40 hours of battery life so even if you're prone to a marathon silent disco session the beats will keep coming all night.

All quiet on the Westwood front

Importantly, both will still function without noise cancelling when the battery goes flat. A welcome feature that the eminent Dr.Dre frustratingly forgot to include in his Beats range.

In terms of performance, both offer 50mW maximum power output and a 20Hz-20kHZ frequency output.

Designed to be travel-friendly a "3D-axis2" folding mechanism means they pack down into a less cumbersome format so you're less likely to rip off an earcup as you pull them out of a bag.

Both pairs of headphones are out now, and like most sound quashers are more expensive than the average pair. The K490 NC is on sale for £299.99 while the top end K495 NC is yours for £299.99.

Samsung deal brings on demand movies with Dolby Plus

Patrick Goss — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:05:00 GMT

Samsung has announced a partnership with Acetrax and Dolby that will see it offering a pay as you go movie on demand service with Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks.

Available through the Acetrax app on this year's audio visual Samsung kit, the enhanced sound quality will be a major boon for those who have sat through the previous stereo-only offering.

"By joining together with Dolby, Samsung will be offering viewers the choice to upgrade to a full discrete 5.1 surround sound experience as though they were watching a Blu-ray disc or DVD, as well as an enhanced stereo listening experience," explained Samsung's release.

"The partnership offers viewers high quality Dolby Digital Plus surround sound on VoD content, to give a cinematic experience in the comfort of their home.

"With a Samsung home theatre system, viewers will be able to enjoy a truly immersive movie download experience, with full discrete 5.1 high quality audio transmitted through five speakers and a subwoofer."

Movie experience

The app is available through the now familiar Samsung Smart TV Hub.

"For movie lovers, cinematic surround sound is a vital element of the whole movie experience and Dolby Digital Plus ensures a superb quality 5.1 experience," said Dolby's Julia Kennard.

"So we are delighted that Samsung and Acetrax have chosen to deliver their new pan-European VoD service in Dolby Digital Plus to provide their customers with first class movie streaming."

CES 2012: Philips debuts Made for Android headphones

Patrick Goss — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:09:00 GMT

Philips has ramped up its Android-friendly audio offering, with a new line of headsets and a GoGear Connect media player.

Philips has been keen to show that it can provide the same range of quality for Android devices as its popular Apple range and that means headphones and a Wi-Fi enabled media player.

The latter certainly bears scrutiny, with the GoGear Connect 3.5 bringing 720p HD video, Skype and Android market apps.

The MP4 player also boasts Philips' FullSound and Surround for Movies technology and has a UK release date of April 2012.

Headsets

Then there are the Android headsets featuring customisable controls and easy call and music management.

"Never miss a beat – or a call – with the bold, personalized sound of Philips Made for Android Headsets – a first-of-its-kind line designed to deliver a customized, hands-free experience specifically for Android users," explains Philips.

The headsets are expected to surface in the UK in the second quarter of the year.

CES 2012: Philips shows off new Fidelio wares

Patrick Goss — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:24:00 GMT

Dutch giant Philips has outlined its Fidelio-branded audio wares for the year ahead.

The Fidelio brand has been a success for Philips, and it is keen to underline its burgeoning reputation in mass-market audio wares.

First up from Philips is the AirPlay-enabled Fidelio AD7050W SoundAvia wireless speaker which offers iPod/iPhone/iPad docking in a compact unit designed, according to Philips, to "fit any space and any lifestyle."

Not fake wood, but...

Next up is the natural wood Fidelio DS9100W Primo docking speaker with AirPlay – which also plays nice with Apple kit.

"The new Primo speaker dock features SoundCurve technology to ensure superb crystal-clear sound, precisely tuned bass pipes, and full audible spectrum reproduction to deliver true fidelity sound for an authentic listening experience," says Philips – a company which has apparently had some issues with fake listening experiences.

There are also two pairs of headphones, starting with the high-end Fidelio L1s – which have been made for Apple products and are apparently tuned by the "sharpest ears of the Philips Golden Ears panel".

"The L1 over-ear headphones are made from premium materials, including aluminium and fine leathers to ensure long-lasting comfort and style," adds Philips.

Last, but not least, are the Fidelio M1 headphones which are lightweight offerings that come with or without Apple device in-line microphone and controls.

All four of the new products have been given a UK release date of April 2012.

CES 2012: Hands on: Kivic One review

Nic Vargus — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:58:00 GMT

If you've got a car with a video player you'll almost definitely want the impressively small Kivic One.

This little black box, about the size of a deck of cards, can push audio and video to just about any car monitor - or any monitor, really - provided it has an HDMI connection.

Car video - or everywhere video?

While Kivic is serious about marketing the Kivic One as the quintessential car audiovideo peripheral, it could theoretically work with any HDMI display, allowing you to push AirPlay video to your home television, just like the Apple TV.

But while AirPlay compatibility is obviously the big news, the Kivic One is also certified with most other smartphones, from a wide range of Android devices to BlackBerry phones and beyond.

A pricey proposition

The Kivic representative we spoke with said it would release in March, and that we could expect "a ballpark price of around $200."

Our gut instinct is that that's too much. And most fans of in-car video have doubtlessly already found ways to hook their mobiles to their screens.

A worthy addition to your car?

But if you've dished out for a display in your car the prospect of pushing some of your favorite AirPlay-enabled apps to it might just be worth the money.

So what do you think? Do you want the Kivic One, or is it too little for a little too much?

CES 2012: Hands on: Griffin Twenty review

Nic Vargus — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:14:00 GMT

If you want Apple's AirPlay but don't want to spend hundreds replacing the speakers you've already spent hundreds on, Griffin has a treat for you.

On Sunday evening, Griffin announced the Griffin Twenty, an audio amplifier that will turn any good ol' speakers into AirPlay-enabled speakers (with a little help from an AirPort Express).

We got our hands on the sleek device - and it was impressive. The glossy white finishes looks almost Apple-esque, and makes it almost hard to differentiate the AirPort from the base station.

We also found the Twenty was surprisingly light in the hands.

The minimalist style fits well with the Apple aesthetic many enthusiasts have come to expect from their Apple-brand accessories (whether third-party or otherwise), and the Twenty will look right at home in Cupertino connouisseurs' homes.

"The Griffin Twenty is the easiest, best-sounding solution for consumers who have speakers that are not AirPlay-enabled but still want to stream high-fidelity audio wirelessly," said Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology.

AirPlay, everywhere

An ever-increasing list of iOS apps are taking advantage of Apple's AirPlay technology, and users will be able to stream those apps directly from their iOS apps, as well as their computers' iTunes libraries.

Of course the the AirPort Express can already turn any amp into an AirPlay-enabled device, but it requires a bit of configuration, an outlet, and an audio cable that needs to run from two devices that aren't necessarily even close to each other.

A better option?

The Griffin Twenty presents streamlines the entire process in a low-profile digital amplifier.

The Twenty allows you to plug the AirPort Express (which is sold separately) directly into the amp and run a small unseen TOSLINK cable between the two.

If looks are any indication, the whole package might just be elegant enough to warrant many our dough.

That aesthetic still might change a bit as the Twenty is still a prototype. That also means it might just caught you a pretty penny - there's still no price or release date, but we'll keep you posted.

Samsung DA-E750 audio dock takes Galaxy S and iOS handsets

Kate Solomon — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:58:00 GMT

We had a dream. And that dream was to be able to cut through the legal finagling and use our Samsung and iOS handsets with the same gorgeous audio dock. And today that dream came true in the form of the Samsung DA-E750.

They might be sworn enemies in court, but Samsung knows better than to completely alienate Apple's customers so its new audio dock can dock the iPhone, iPod and iPad as well as the Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Galaxy S2.

The Samsung DA-E750 can also handle wireless music using Apple's AirPlay and Samsung's AllShare, as well as tunes from an analogue input, USB stick or portable hard drive.

Double hybrid

But enough of this format schlock; you want to know what makes it tick.

"The DA-E750 Audio Dock is Samsung's first speaker dock and features exclusive hybrid vacuum tube amplifier technology," says Samsung. Exclusive hybrid vacuum tube amplifier technology, you say? Tell us more.

"This technology combines the digital amplifier's transparent clarity with the natural sound performance of valve amplifiers and produces the ultimate listening experience."

Basically, those hybrid amps offer the warmth of a valve with the clarity, power efficiency and reduced size and price of a digital one. As well as that, you're looking at a 2.1-channel speaker and 100 watt subwoofer.

It certainly looks great but whether it sounds as good we won't be able to say until we get our ears 'round the DA-E750 at CES 2012.

Samsung's not giving anything away as far as UK release date and pricing are concerned, perhaps we'll find out more next week.

BBC launches surround sound Radio 3 experiment

Patrick Goss — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:48:00 GMT

The BBC has launched an experiment with its radio that will give listeners using headphones a surround sound experience.

The BBC is offering up music that is in the binaural format that, when users plug headphones into their standard computer audio will provide 'realistic immersive' sound.

Tim Davie, Director of BBC Audio & Music, said: "We have stepped up our innovation within the BBC so that listeners can enjoy an even better experience of radio.

Enhancing stereo

"If successful, our intention is to offer surround sound on a whole range of BBC programmes," he continued

"This is part of an exciting series of trials such as HD Sound, and personal control of crowd versus commentary audio during events such as Wimbledon."

The Radio 3 website is offering a recording of Nine Lessons and Carols from 2007 in binaural sound until the end of the Christmas period, so you can check out the technology.

"This experiment is an attempt to enhance the standard 'stereo' sound headphone users have had for over 50 years and, although it is only a trial at this stage, if listener feedback is positive it could offer a significant improvement to audio quality in the future," added Rupert Brun Head of Technology BBC Audio & Music.

Steve Jobs wins Grammy for contribution to music

Kate Solomon — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:54:00 GMT

Steve Jobs isn't one to be slowed down by a little thing like having shuffled off this mortal coil, having been awarded a Special Merit Grammy award for his contribution to music.

Despite music industry types roundly agreeing that iTunes' monopoly over digital downloads isn't exactly the best thing, it's impossible to deny that Jobs, who passed away in October this year, was responsible for inventions that had a huge impact on the music industry.

Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the Recording Academy, explains, "This year's honorees offer a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on our culture.

"It is an honour to recognise such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry."

Also inedible

Indelible is certainly the word for Jobs' efforts. The iPod led where countless other MP3 players tried and failed to follow, while iTunes brought the concept of actually paying for digital music into the mainstream - and that's not to mention the hard- and software created by Apple that countless musicians use to create, mix and master their work.

The official press release explains, "Jobs' innovations such as the iPod and its conterpart, the online iTunes store, revolutionised the industry and how music was distributed and purchased."

Online music and videos to get explicit 'sticker' in UK

Patrick Goss — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:34:00 GMT

Online music and video that includes strong language, sex or violence offered to the UK audience will be given an parental advisory 'explicit content' logo on key sites from today.

The scheme, run by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) sees its already well-established physical labelling system moved into the online world.

The virtual sticker will be applied on Amazon, iTunes, HMV and Napster – and is intended to help guide parents as to what is appropriate for their children.

Naturally worrying

Singer Jamelia told The Telegraph: "As a parent, naturally I worry about whether my kids are viewing and listening to appropriate content when they're online, but without some form of guidance it can be almost impossible to stay on top of what's suitable and what's not.

"I think parents would agree that having the same logo for online music services that we're used to seeing in the high street gives parents the ability to quickly and easily judge whether a song or music video is right for their child."

Of course, as with all of these things, it's probably worth pointing out that parents won't actually SEE the labels ahead of their kids purchasing the content unless they actually spend some time supervising them in the wild west that is the web.

Still, it's nice to be mentioning the BPI without talking about its crusade against piracy.

iTunes Match makes brief UK debut

Kate Solomon — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:02:00 GMT

Someone over at Apple HQ will be getting a lump of coal in their stocking after setting iTunes Match live in some European countries, seemingly by accident.

iTunes users in the UK, France and Australia all reported seeing the option to sign up for the cloud-based song matching service but it has since disappeared.

The glad tidings here are two-fold; first, it indicates that an official iTunes Match UK release date is nearing and second it means we now know the UK price: Apple's new service will set you back £21.99 a year.

Matchy Matcherson

However, before the Cupertino pulled the plug users that managed to sign up for the service seemed to be having a few issues completing the sign-up process, which may mean there are still a few bugs to be ironed out.

iTunes Match is a cloud-based music streaming service – but rather than giving you access to any and every music track there is like Spotify does, it scans your existing music collection and gives you access to high quality versions of the tracks stored on Apple's servers.

Any track you have on your hard drive is counted, even those of slightly dubious origin. Some have criticised Match because it means you get access to pristine tracks you haven't necessarily paid for, while others argue that it's a way for record labels to claw back some revenue from pirated tracks.

Roberts RecordR brings back home taping with SD-toting radio

Kate Solomon — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:42:00 GMT

Roberts has unveiled a new DAB radio that allows you to record broadcasts to an SD or SDHD card, in the form of the Roberts RecordЯ.

Although we admire any company brave enough to take a leaf out of Toys'Я'Us's branding handbook, we're going to call it the RecordR from now on.

The company claims that using the SD recording functionality is easy as pie; inserting an SD or SDHD card and long-presing the record button ought to do the trick.

Ordr a Recordr

This way you can record up to 24 hours of radio, or pop the station on pause for an hour. Presumably, recorded radio can be transferred to another device by removing the SD card and moving the files via a computer - although we're waiting to hear back from Roberts on that.

Technically you could 'tape' music off the radio just like the olden days - albeit in better quality and with a growing sense of pointlessness.

Sadly the radio is as ugly as the ones we used in our last batch of mixtape-making - always disappointing when we know Roberts is capable of better.

As well as recording as you go, you can set the Roberts RecordR to record up to four different radio programmes, listen to DAB or FM radio, set 10 station presets and play MP3s via the line-in socket.

Yours for £99.99, the Roberts RecordR is available now.

Sonos Android app gets Honeycomb tablet update

Kate Solomon — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Sonos has released an update to its Android app that optimises the controller for Honeycomb (Android 3.x) tablets.

Used to control Sonos wireless speaker systems, the controller app for Android has always been compatible with tablets, but today's update gives it a much better look, taking advantage of the 10.1-inch screen sizes to display album artwork and playlists to their best advantages.

But it's not just the Android controller that's had a bit of love – the Sonos system has had a bit of an overhaul too, with the release of Sonos System Software 3.6.

Sonosify

Sonos users will be glad to hear that this includes improved Spotify integration, allowing you to access your Spotify inbox, browse Spotify's new releases and top tracks from within the app, as well as laying the playlists list out better.

Other additions include AAC+ codec support and the addition of Danish and Norwegian to the language line up.

Sonos has been a busy bee; it's also opening up its Sonos Labs programme to any music service that wants to get itself onto the multi-room wireless system.

Sonos owners will be able to test out Beta versions of music services in the labs area of the app – the company is hoping that opening its APIs up, smaller music services like Shuffler.fm will be land on the app.

The Sonos 3.6 software and Honeycomb-friendly Android controller app are free updates for Sonos wireless hi-fi systems and are both available from today.

Google 'welcomed' to digital music by Spotify, 7Digital

Patrick Goss — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:20:00 GMT

7Digital and Spotify have welcomed the arrival of Google Music, although the former has suggested that the search giant can no longer be considered 'neutral, open and agnostic".

Google Music came out of beta this week, bringing music purchases to the service as well as cloud storage and streaming of users' music.

Google's assault on the streaming music world – taking on the likes of iTunes, 7Digital, Deezer and Spotify – represents a key moment, but outwardly two of those key players have welcomed its arrival.

A short statement from Spotify to TechRadar merely said: "We welcome any service that offers people the chance to listen to music in a legal environment."

Partisan

However, 7Digital CEO Ben Drury believes that, although Google's announcement is further proof of the digital direction of music, that the internet behemoth's mobile interests mean that it cannot play the platform agnostic card.

"It wasn't that long ago that the recorded music industry was being written off and that legitimate digital music services had no chance against piracy," Drury told TechRadar.

"Google's long overdue entry in the market is welcome as the company has a special market role, in helping combat piracy through the power to control search listings, Adwords advertising and dodgy MP3 apps on Android market, and also in showing consumers there is choice beyond iTunes.

"Google's acquisition of Motorola earlier in the year and the role as market leader in mobile OS's show Google Music will be focused on Android, and by default Motorola.

"Google is definitely not the neutral, open and agnostic player that itonce could claim to be."

The digital music world is certainly an interesting one at the moment, with competition hotting up, and market leader iTunes firmly in the sights of several major companies.