Posted Fri Jul 27, 2018 at 09:55 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
We've compiled the latest gear news, including the launch of Deezer HiFi on Samsung products, expanded Alexa support for DTS Play-Fi devices, and more.
From product announcements and streaming app updates to general industry news and recent gear trends, keeping up with the latest tech news can be a daunting task. With that in mind, we're here to offer you a roundup of some of the latest gear and consumer electronics news that you may have missed.
For this edition, we're covering the launch of Deezer Hi-Fi streaming on select Samsung audio products, the expansion of "Works with Alexa" support to more DTS Play-Fi devices, and the release of Echobox's newest earphones.
So, without further ado, here's a rundown of some of the latest gear and tech news:
Samsung has announced the launch of Deezer High Fidelity Lossless Audio support on select audio products.
"At Samsung, we prioritize innovation and sound quality when introducing audio products to our consumers," said Taeho Park, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "We are driven by our commitment to providing a listening experience that’s unrivaled by our competitors, and our partnership with Deezer speaks directly to our mission to produce the best sound quality in the market."
Unlike typical lossy compressed digital music services, Deezer HiFi allows users to stream tracks at 16-Bit/ 44.1 kHz lossless CD quality. In addition, the service also includes a personal soundtrack feature called Flow. Flow uses smart data to compile favorite music and new recommendations. Likewise, the platform offers ad-free listening, unlimited music play with access to 36 million HiFi tracks, an extensive library of playlists, and more.
"Our partnership with Samsung ensures that Deezer HiFi and Samsung users will have even more opportunities to discover and experience the music they love in the way it was meant to be heard," said Riad Hawa, Vice President of Hardware Partnerships at Deezer. "Providing greater accessibility to FLAC quality sound is really important to us and to all audiophiles who have a greater appreciation for lossless audio. Teaming up with Samsung allows us to deliver the best quality sound to our consumers who care about high quality sound."
Deezer HiFi is now available through select Samsung sound bars and wireless speakers, including the company's Wireless Audio 360 collection. The music streaming service currently costs $20 per month, and new subscribers can receive a free 30-day trial.
Source: Samsung
DTS has announced the expansion of "Works with Amazon Alexa" support to several additional DTS Play-Fi enabled audio products. The feature is now compatible with select devices from Aerix, Klipsch, McIntosh, Onkyo, Pioneer, Phorus, and Soundcast.
"DTS Play-Fi is excited to have built an open wireless multi-room audio platform that offers both integrated Alexa Voice Services (AVS) and Works with Alexa certification, giving consumers the most flexibility when it comes to voice control," said Dannie Lau, general manager, DTS Play-Fi, at Xperi. "As more customers request and use voice control with Alexa, we will continue to expand support for Alexa in the DTS Play-Fi family of products to create a seamless experience for users."
With the "Works with Amazon Alexa" feature for compatible DTS Play-Fi products, users can control audio playback from another room via spoken commands through an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Show, or other Alexa device. Customers just need to link an Amazon account to their compatible DTS Play-Fi product. One linked, Alexa will recognize the speaker by name and users can begin to play, adjust volume, skip tracks forward, mute, pause, stop, and more with their voice.
Here's a full rundown of DTS Play-Fi products that have received Works with Alexa support per DTS:
DTS Play-Fit tech enables customers to wirelessly play high quality lossless music from smartphones and tablets over an existing Wi-Fi network throughout the home. The tech can synchronize playback of a single source to multiple speakers; can stream different sources to different speakers simultaneously from the same mobile device; and can support individual music streams to separate speakers from different devices at the same time. Likewise, Play-Fi is not brand exclusive. This means that Play-Fi audio products from different manufacturers can actually work together seamlessly.
Works with Alexa support is also set to be added to even more DTS Play-Fi products throughout the year, including select sound bars and receivers.
Source: DTS
Echobox has announced the release of its latest audio device. The new Ti-22BT earphones are the world's first Bluetooth earphones crafted from Titanium housings.
"The Ti-22BT was designed for a simple and important purpose, which is to deliver the highest quality sound available in today's wireless audio market, and pair this sound with the most durable and functional Bluetooth design ever crafted," said Echobox Vice President Sam McKinney. "By using Titanium, we were able to accomplish this task by creating an earphone with housings that are both intensely strong, yet exceptionally light. Once we had the housings, we completed the project by precision tuning the inner drivers to our established Echobox sonic standards, resulting in the most 'audiophile' sound presentation available in any current Bluetooth earphone."
The Bluetooth earphones feature machined titanium housings, offering a nearly indestructible yet still very lightweight design. In addition, the Ti-22BT uses a wing-tip ear hook style, and each unit includes a pair of Comply T-400 Isolation Series heat-reactive memory foam ear tips, silicone tips, and a cloth carry bag. Charging is handled via a single micro-USB port and battery life is rated for eight hours.
Here's a full rundown of key specs and features per Echobox:
The Echobox Ti-22BT Titanium Bluetooth Earphones are now available for an MSRP of $129.
Source: Echobox
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