Atlantic Technology is the next company to take on smart speakers with the Gatecrasher 1, a wifi-based tabletop system the company describes as the first in a series of "smart multiroom wireless speakers."
The Gatecrasher1 is a 2.1 system with an array of high-performance drivers, including a pair of 0.75-inch aluminium dome tweeters and 2-inch cone bass-mid speakers. Meanwhile the internal subwoofer consists of a 4-inch driver coupled with a down-firing 5-inch passive radiator. Powering all is a 60W Class D digital amplifier housed in a high density MDF cabinet with either a Makassar ebony or piano black lacquer finish over real-wood veneer.
Wireless connectivity comes through Bluetooth and wifi, with wifi capability including dual-band 802.11ac wifh Wifi Alliance and DLNA certification. Bluetooth 4.0 with AptX technology allows compatibility with high-res audio codecs, and customers can stream from a Bluetooth-connected device to multiple Gatecrasher units. The system is compatible with a wide range of sources, including Windows and Mac PCs, Android and iOS mobile devices, and game consoles such as the Xbox One and PS4.
Wired connectivity is included via 3.5mm jack. Priority auto-sensing source switching ensures the Gatecrasher automatically wakes up and switches to play audio from the aux input whenever the connected device is turned on. Power is supplied to a rear input via auto-sensing external power supply, making the system compatible with 110 or 240V and 50/60Hz systems.
Setup and control come via companion Gatecrasher mobile device app, as well as a top-mounted backlit control pad with membrane buttons for volume, track selection, audio presets and more. On the smart audio side, the system features Amazon Alexa, together with connection with vTuner internet radio, streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz and support for the AAC, AAC+, WAV, WMA, MP3 and FLAC file formats.
The Gatecrasher1 ships from July 2018.
