Focal adds the Grande Utopia EM Evo and Stella Utopia EM Evo floorstanding loudspeakers to the flagship Utopia III Evo range, both featuring the same technology as current models in the range.
First announced at the Munic High End Show 2018, the two speakers feature TMD (Tune Mass Damping) suspension and the NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit), together with a structure strengthened by the MRR (Machined Reinforcement Rings) system around the speaker drivers. The TMD suspension provides a linear frequency response curve between 1 and 4kHz, whild reducing distortion in the range.
The first new product in the Go series the Andiamo, a portable speaker reminiscent of similar offerings from B&O Play. It is a compact Blutooth number complete with a round design, aluminium construction, Italian leather carry strap and battery promising up to 20 hours of use on a single charge.
The Studio carries two metallic silver RDT II speaker cones inside a design complete with a honeycomb tweeter cover and bespoke solid metal logo. Dual 4-inch drivers surrounded by a rigid die-cast aluminium sub-baffle produce bass and mid-range detail, while the RDT II cones tackle distortion from inside a bespoke cast polymer chassis.
What the event will actually involve is anyone's guess, but if the grapevine is to be believed the answer is a successor to either the Playbar or Playbase. According to an FCC listing unearthed last month by Variety, Sonos is working on product codenamed model S14, "a high-performance all-in-one home theater smart speaker and part of Sonos’ home sound system.”
The two companies already have a history of collaboration, having worked together on several products. The Terra All Climate FIVE all-weather loudspeaker line is the result of such a partnership, while the Leon Boundary Series outdoor speakers carry Terra-made drivers.
The KSE1200 is technically a stripped-down version of the KSE1500, a device Shure describes as "the world's first sound isolating electrostatic earphone system." As such, while the KSE1500 is a full blown personal listening system the KSE1200 drops the digital signal processor and only carries an amplifier, allowing for a lower-cost device.
An upgrade of the 3000 series, the 3000i range offers five models. All promise a significant upgrade over their predecessors, with taller and deeper designs allowing enhanced bass response. Tweeters are decoupled using a suspension system, and the mid-bass woofer sits in a rubber surround to provide better imaging and stereo presentation.
