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Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
Raumfeld Wireless Multiroom Audio System Review
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 01, 2015

Stereo Cubes Speaker
Performance
Build Quality
Value
One S Speaker
Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $2,944 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Intuitive, easy-to-use app
Classy, minimalist cosmetics
Supports up to 192-kHz/24-bit files
Minus
No Bluetooth or AirPlay
Only four currently supported online music services
No subwoofer outputs

THE VERDICT
The Raumfeld system’s excellent-sounding active/passive speakers, ability to handle hi-res audio, and very intuitive app make it a top-notch competitor and a standout in a category that’s spawning a plethora of me-too Sonos imitators.

It’s mandatory at the beginning of any wireless streaming audio system review to mention Sonos. The company is a Goliath that launched the category more than a decade ago and now dominates it. The reason is simple: Sonos gear sounds good, is reliable, and is about as easy to use as it gets. That doesn’t mean, of course, that Sonos is perfection incarnate, nor is it totally without flaws. (There are chinks in every suit of armor.) But you do have to feel at least a modicum of pity for any manufacturer that decides to pick up a slingshot and take aim at the Sonos colossus.

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New ProductsPremiere Design
The French Connection: La Boite Cube
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 01, 2015
If you’re French, you don’t just build a speaker, you build a French speaker—one that takes design seriously. So seriously that you might end up with a speaker that looks nothing at all like a traditional (boring) speaker. La Boite Concept made a name for itself in Europe with the imaginative High-Fidelity Laptop Dock, a small desk featuring an integral sound system and high-quality USB DAC. The Cube is an extension of that concept that would seem to be ideally suited for small living spaces.
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Audio Video News
TiVo’s QuickMode Feature Targets Binge Watchers
SV Staff  |  Dec 01, 2015
TiVo has announced a software update that adds QuickMode viewing to its Roamio digital video recorders (DVRs), making it possible to binge your way through recorded shows at a brisk pace.

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Signals
Meet the Millennials
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 01, 2015
I recently blogged about Millennials, the demographic that is displacing Boomers at the top of the consumer food chain. I described how Millennial purchasing will increasingly define the audio/video markets and their preferences will increasingly define the nature of those products. Predicting the future is a dangerous game, but much like watching a bunny passing through a python, we can observe demographic bulges passing through the consumer market. Let's take a closer look at Millennials.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Panasonic Unveils 4K TVs, Starting at $800
SV Staff  |  Dec 01, 2015
Panasonic has introduced five 4K Ultra HD TVs just in time for the holidays at prices between $800 and $1,500.

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Audio Video News
Bluetooth Heading for a Major Upgrade in 2016
SV Staff  |  Dec 01, 2015
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced plans to update Bluetooth wireless technology in 2016 to extend its range, enhance its speed, and enable mesh networking.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Kinivo Introduces Add-On Bluetooth Adapter
SV Staff  |  Nov 30, 2015
If you’re looking for a cheap, down-and-dirty way to wirelessly stream music to an existing audio system, Kinivo’s new compact BTR200 Bluetooth Audio Receiver might fit the bill
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Audio Video News
Noise-Canceling Headphones: Beats vs. Bose
SV Staff  |  Nov 30, 2015
If you're looking for noise canceling headphones, you might want to check this out...
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Vote
What Did You Buy on Black Friday?
SV Staff  |  Nov 30, 2015
With all the pre-Black-Friday sales and hoopla leading up to the most over-hyped shopping day of the year, did you venture out on Friday in search of a deal? And, if so, did you find any crazy bargains? More to the point: What was your top AV purchase—the deal to end all deals? Indicate below what type of product you bought and leave a comment telling us where you found the deal and what makes it special.
What Did You Buy on Black Friday?
HDTV
4% (14 votes)
4K/Ultra HD TV
24% (76 votes)
OLED TV
8% (25 votes)
AV receiver
5% (16 votes)
Dolby Atmos-capable AV receiver
6% (20 votes)
Home theater speakers
10% (32 votes)
Soundbar
3% (8 votes)
Wireless (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) speaker(s)
4% (13 votes)
Blu-ray player
5% (16 votes)
Headphones/earphones
14% (45 votes)
Portable music player (iPod, etc.)
2% (5 votes)
Streaming media player (Roku, etc.)
10% (33 votes)
Turntable
5% (15 votes)
Total votes: 318
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Audio Video News
Phono Cartridge Pioneer Norman Pickering RIP
SV Staff  |  Nov 30, 2015
Norman C. Pickering, an audio pioneer who refined the phonograph cartridge and founded Pickering & Company in the 1940s, died on November 18 at his home in East Hampton, New York. He was 99.

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