European Custom Installer

System Integration for the Connected Home

Audio

Denon Home Wireless Speakers Arrive in Europe

  • PDF

Denon announces the European availability of a trio of wireless speakers-- the Home 150, Home 250 and Home 350, all featuring HEOS Built-in technology and backwards compatible with previous Denon and Marantz products.

Denon Home speakers

The HEOS wireless streaming platform allows the addition of Home speakers in any existing setup. Customers can also start a new multi-room setup with one or two Home speakers, and add extra devices later. For example, one can pair two Home speakers in stereo, before wirelessly connecting them to a Denon DSW-1H subwoofer to create a 2.1 system with added bass. Customers can also connect a pair of Home speakers with a DHT-S716H soundbar and a DSW-1H subwoofer for a simple 5.1 sound system.

Read more...

The Beosound Balance Smart Speaker

  • PDF

Bang & Olufsen presents a luxury take on the smart speaker-- the Beosound Balance, a number designed in collaboration with British agency Layer with a look "inspired by interior objects."

Beosound Balance

The Balance stands 38cm tall, and consists of a typical cylindrical speaker on top of a oak wood base. The speaker is covered in fabric mesh, and carries two 5.25-inch bass drivers, two 2-inch full-range drivers, one 3/4-inch tweeter and two 3-inch full-range drivers acting as "sound enhancers." It also includes Chromecast Audio and Google Assistant support, together with AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and analog line-in connectivity.

Read more...

MSE Audio Intros 70V SuperT Subwoofer

  • PDF

MSE Audio announces the 70V-based RS1201i SuperT subwoofer, designed for use in an open-ceiling or surface-mounted into the ceiling to produce low frequencies to the surrounding listening are.

MSE Audio SuperT subwoofer

The RS1201Ti SuperT uses 70/100V technology the company claims is devoid of the losses in sensitivity and low-end frequency response due to typical transformer behaviour. The 12-inch subwoofer is ideal for use in installations with music louder than typical background music, and additional bass is needed, such as bars, nightclubs, retail and hotels with sizable open ceiling areas.

Read more...

CasaTunes Ships CasaTunes 12X8 Matrix

  • PDF

CasaTunes launches the CasaTunes 12X8 matrix-- a combination of audio matrix switch, six stereo 110W power amplifiers and two dedicated pre-amplified outputs aimed at applications demanding high-end home audio distribution.

CasaTunes 12X8

With 12 input sources available, the CasaTunes 12X8 is designed to work with two-, three-, five- and eight-stream music servers from the company. Any unused input sources can connect with various audio components, such as TVs, STBs, Google Chromecast, Amazon Echo Link, Sonos Connect and Port devices, phonographs and the like. Customers can listen to input sources in any rooms or a combination of rooms, with the built-in hardware audio switch promising perfect synchronisation with near-zero latency.

Read more...

Sonus faber Presents Gravis III at ISE

  • PDF

ISE 2020 sees the launch of the Gravis III, an intermediate model in the Gravis collection completing the Olympica Nova line Sonus faber first introduced back in September 2019.

Gravis IIIThe Gravis III follows the style of previous products in the Gravis line, with a black leather covering and a piano black wooden finish. The top finishes are in wengè and walnut matte, connecting the subwoofer to the Olympica Nova collection. The removable fabric grille with metal pins covers a 10-inch ultra-long throw driver complete with a trilaminated sandwich cone diagram with a layer of honeycomb in between. It manages the excursion and resistance flexing of the driver, and according to Sonus faber the stiffness and lightness of the cone allows the subwoofer to produce tight and accurate bass reproduction.

Read more...

Strategy Analytics: A Record for Smart Speakers

  • PDF

The global smart speaker market reaches a new high in 2019, Strategy Analytics reports, as shipments total 146.9 million units-- a 70% increase over 2018, with Amazon remaining squarely in the lead, if with a decline in market share.

Smart speakersAccording to the analyst, Amazon holds 26.2% of the 2019 market, down from 33.7% in 2018. Google remains in 2nd place with 20.3% share, down from 25.9% in 2018, with both Amazon and Google seeing "slight" decline in Europe and the US, the result of customers looking to other brands to fulfill their smart speaker needs. On the other hand, Chinese vendors Baidu, Alibaba and Xiaomi all see increases in share, while Apple remains in 6th place with 4.7% share.

Another record for 2019 involves Q4 2019 sales reaching 55.7m units, the highest quarterly sales figure as per Strategy Analytics. Driving such numbers are strong holiday sales in Europe and the US, as well as the recovery of the Google smart speaker business following new product introductions, improved component supply and strong promotional activity.

Read more...

SnapAV Releases Signature by Episode CI Speakers

  • PDF

ISE 2020 has SnapAV announce Signature by Episode, a line of custom install speakers offering 32 models across three series, all with one and two-step installation options and seven optional cradle accessories.

Signature by Episode

Installers can pair the speakers with pre-construction brackets, back boxes and an assortment of grille options. Models in the Signature by Episode 3 series feature polypropylene woofers and silk dome tweeters for all-purpose performance, while while models in the Signature 5 series are a step up with polypropylene woofers and adjustable silk dome tweeters, both with vacuum-deposited titanium for added performance. Signature 7 series models feature honeycomb fibreglass Nomex woofers and pure titanium tweeters for discerning listeners.

Read more...