Industry & Product News
SEAS Announces New Excel Nextel W12CY006 Midrange
The new W12CY006 (E0091-08) is the second product recently launched into SEAS' updated Nextel Excel series, which brings the newly updated linear low-distortion magnet system design with titanium voice coil former into this series. The new driver is a successor to the famous W12CY003 (E0044-08S) and continues the brand's high-end paper cone heritage with the two-layer Nextel coating technology and - as a special feature - adding a new edge coating. With the resulting smooth frequency response, it is suitable as a dedicated midrange in a three-way design. Read More
KEF Launches New KC62 Subwoofer with Uni-Core Technology
As previously teased, KEF announced the launch of the new KC62 powered subwoofer with three innovative technologies that successfully prioritize design and sound in equal measure. Combining the brand's technologies and skills, KEF's engineers have developed a new approach to subwoofer performance, allowing maximum bass in a minimum space. Using KC62's force-cancelling and Uni-Core technologies, KEF surpasses traditional expectations of what a subwoofer can achieve based on its size. Read More
Celestion Debuts F12M-150 Compact, Value-Priced Speaker Designed for Use with Amp Modeling
Among the products unveiled at the virtual NAMM 2021 show, Celestion announced the F12M-150 Triple Cone, a new compact, value-priced guitar speaker designed from the ground up for use with the new generation of profiling amps, modeling software, impulse responses, and all the available technology for emulating the most coveted guitar amps and speaker cabinets. This is a challenge that Celestion is taking seriously, allowing the accurate full-range response of favorite amplifier and cabinet tone emulations. Read More
Powersoft Launches New M-Force 301P02 and Reference Designs
Ever since its release in 2013, Powersoft’s M-Force patented moving magnet linear transducer has redefined what was possible in the realm of infra-bass, reaching well below the conventional frequency range. Now, the Italian company has announced a new and improved M-Force driver and free Reference Designs, allowing sound design professionals, speaker builders, and anyone interested in speaker engineering to benefit from the M-Force technology. Read More
ASI Audio Announces Updated Version of 3DME Music Enhancement IEM System with Bluetooth Control
Following the concept originally introduced at NAMM 2020, a year later ASI Audio x Sensaphonics has announced the imminent release of an upgraded version of its 3DME Music Enhancement system. The new version will incorporate Bluetooth connectivity for the included ASI Audio App, enabling setup and control via any current iOS or Android device. The core 3DME system remains unchanged, using patented Active Ambient technology to give the user natural room sound from their monitor mix, their bandmates, and the audience. Read More
Resonado Labs Debuts FCS Bidirectional Speaker Driver at CES 2021
Audio technology startup Resonado Labs continues to expand on its patented Flat Core Speaker (FCS) technology, taking on conventional, century-old speaker principles. Evolving on its FCS principles, Resonado debuted a dual-sided speaker driver at CES 2021. FCS Bidirectional allows for a diaphragm to be bonded to both sides of a voice coil. This design offers unique opportunities for very wide sound coverage as well as being particularly well suited for dipole type loudspeaker systems. Read More
Klipsch Unveils T5 II True Wireless ANC Earphones with Bragi OS and Dirac Sound Optimization
The result of an extended collaboration between Klipsch, Dirac and Bragi were finally unveiled at CES 2021. The famous consumer audio brand (a VOXX International company), teamed up with Dirac's digital audio processing experts, and the pioneers in hearables and creators of the Bragi Software Suite with embedded AI, to create the new Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC Earphones, which will be launched later in 2021. Read More
Cardinal Peak and Syntiant Announce Collaboration to Provide Voice-Enabled Audio Product Design Services
Cardinal Peak, a leading provider of product engineering services, and Syntiant, the fast-growing developer of deep learning AI chips for edge devices, announced a design collaboration focused on providing brands with a turnkey solution to build innovative end-to-end audio and voice-enabled products. The product engineering services firm from Boulder, CO, will expand Syntiant's efforts to offer customized AI hardware and software solutions to the consumer electronics industry. Read More
Editor's Desk
J. Martins
Editor-in-Chief
You Wouldn't Believe What We Found Out!
Doing the Digging at Online Shows!
Yes, covering "virtual" (online) trade shows is difficult, as I wrote last week. But we will have to deal with it for some time, since most trade shows don't have much chance of returning to fully in-person models until probably the last quarter of 2021. Mostly because, even with the vaccine, the pandemic is getting so widespread and serious that traveling restrictions are most certainly going to remain in place. I worry that even with the vaccines, there will be inconsistencies in the requirements for traveling.

With current virtual trade shows, the hardest part becomes dealing with the different platforms that are being created - and still being fine-tuned. The registration and log-in process (sometimes if you log-in on one device you need to log-out on another to get access again), understanding where the information is, what is actually available, and how to access it. Let's be honest - journalists will never be able to follow the streamed events and confirm appointments with some 200 hundred companies - while still writing daily - in just the three or five days these events last.

Also, there's no reason for such pressure. After all, we're not going anywhere, and the next week, and the week after that, or the month after, is as good as any other for making announcements as CES week. Also, because unless a company actually reaches out and sends some type of information about what will be shown, there's no time for all the "digging" that these platforms require. I estimate that - after 10 days - I have probably accessed less than 10% of the CES-related announcements - and we had three people working on it, and we tried hard. (No, not so much audio left...)
Ted Zhou, the founder of Sounds Great, welcomes us in the Taiwan Startup CES 2021 showcase. This company developed an interesting nano-semiconductor technology that enabled the Semicon Speaker development, with just 1mm x 1mm x 0.2mm, ideal to extend battery life in true wireless earbuds. Check it out.
Plus there's the networking problem. Since last Monday, January 18, we have been immersed once again in another online show, this time the NAMM 2021 Believe in Music event. This is not at all like CES and the concept is totally different. Strangely for what we are used to at the NAMM, there were no press conferences (and these could be great opportunities for companies, and easy to put together, as we've seen at CES).

Since audioXpress does not cover guitars or pianos, and the audio-focused companies in attendance at the NAMM online event are not many (and many are also reaching out directly), so far there wasn't much to report. The problem, once again, is "digging" through the information in a new platform where the available networking is mainly sales-oriented (totally understandable), and information is mostly leaflets, catalogs, and demo videos. So, I believe the new product announcements will eventually reach our inboxes as it is happening after CES. (This is going to be a strange year...)

Also, a word of warning for certain companies. It is just not cool at all to register for these online events, not show or announce anything new, and basically just run very aggressive promotions of give-aways if we click on their sign-up platforms. Particularly, if you are an historical company, with a (until now) respected brand. Be careful.
With AI and Digital Health trending at CES 2021, some companies took things to whole new level to grab attention. iMediSync proposes cloud-based AI brain mapping solutions with EEG data for early detection of neurological disorders and "personalized LED therapy" with its iSyncWave helmet. There were also air-conditioned hardhats with thermoelectric technology. A new market for immersive audio experiences? We need to run a special feature on audio for helmets apparently.
And even when we finally reach out to someone, or we receive a message with a new piece information, there's little we can do since very little is official, fact-checkable, or cleared for publication (there's always multiple parts involved in a story, obviously). In many cases, there's not enough detail available to build the story and we are still waiting to hear from the engineers who actually did the development. That simple photo or statement that we would quickly be able to get to uphold a story, is simply not available online. And audioXpress will not embrace the headline blog click-bait format of "You Wouldn't Believe What We Just Found Out!" followed by two lines of facts that abounds elsewhere just in order to serve Google ads.

This week, while we dig through the NAMM 2021 announcements, our thoughts and solidarity goes to all the pro audio companies, PA manufacturers, and touring professionals enduring the worst of times. At least the NAMM Believe in Music platform seems to be working to keep the musician community together. In that case, Music is all that matters.
NAMM Believe in Music is a great online platform for musicians and the musical instrument and music education industry in general and it should stay on for the rest of the year, at least. But this is not the NAMM trade show. That's OK!
Audio Electronics
Searching for a Unicorn Part 1: Measuring Voltage Regulator Ripple Rejection
By Brian Lowe (Belleson LLC)
Voltage regulators have many specifications such as output current, noise, drop-out, input ripple rejection, and dynamic load transient response. This article examines the author's search for a true measurement of ripple rejection, also called power supply rejection ratio (PSRR). audioXpress readers looking for inspiring and mind-crunching content in Audio Electronics will find this journey fascinating. Lowe is the founder and principle engineer at Belleson, LLC, and he has devoted a lot of time to this fascinating “quest." This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2019.  Read the Full Article Now Available Here
Voice Coil Patent Reviews
Loudspeaker With a Wave Guide
By James Croft
Every month in his Voice Coil Acoustic Patents column, James Croft (Croft Acoustical) discusses different loudspeaker patents and inventions that are relevant to the audio industry. This patent review looks at a “Loudspeaker with a Wave Guide” (Patent Number: US20140369543) by inventors Jussi Vaisanen and Ilpo Martikainen from Finish company Genelec. This patent relates to the Genelec 8351 Acoustically Coaxial Smart Active Monitor (SAM) monitor, originally launched in 2016. Later in 2017, Genelec expanded the concept into a complete series of Coaxial Active Monitors, “The Ones”. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, February 2015.  Read the Full Article Now Available Here
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