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Kicker Makes a Splash at CES
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 12, 2018  | 
Sometimes the headlines write themselves. Nevertheless, I have a certain fondness for wireless waterproof speakers. I take them out in the back forty. When it starts to rain, I don't care.

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Harman Kardon Debuts an Alluring Portable Smart Speaker
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 12, 2018  | 
They are popping up everywhere, smart speakers, that is. Harman Kardon has already sworn allegiance to the Cortana cabal with its Invoke, and now it is cozying up to Alexa with the Allure Portable. There is no honor among thieves or audio companies.

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Beyerdynamic Debuts Aventho Headphones with Personalized Response
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 11, 2018  | 
The Aventho looks like a fairly conventional supra aural (on-ear) headphone. Also, fairly conventionally, it offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity. But it also features an interesting accompanying app that is unconventional, but extremely valuable.

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Lenovo Shows Smart Displays with Google Assistant
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 11, 2018  | 
The smart speaker revolution is raging. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is either showing smart speakers or else waving their hands and saying how soon theirs will be available. But there is already a mutant version rapidly emerging - the smart display.

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THX and Massdrop Launch Audiophile Headphone Amp
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 11, 2018  | 
I was not familiar with Massdrop until my fearless S&V Editor Bob Ankosko turned me on to it. Good thing he did. This looks like a heck of a headphone amplifier.

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JBL Shows the Link View with Google Assistant
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 10, 2018  | 
Smart speakers are popping up left and right, wack-a-mole style, one virtually indistinguishable from another. But, some are very distinguished. Take, for example, JBL's Link View.

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Qobuz Promises Hi-Res Audio Streaming
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 10, 2018  | 
We audiophiles hate streaming because it's all just low-res junk, right? Tidal hasn't been awesome enough so we hate that too and we're just going to sit in our rooms and sulk and not listen to anything at all because it all just sucks. But Qobuz is knocking gently on our bedroom door....

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IRIVER Announces MQA Support
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 10, 2018  | 
IRIVER is hopping on the MQA bandwagon, starting with its Activo CT10 streaming player, with other models to join in later. Is this good evidence that MQA is turning the corner to become the defacto standard bearer of hi-res music?

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Funky Sound Studio Debuts Debussy Headphones
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 09, 2018  | 
Claude Debussy composed some of the most sublime music ever written. Clair de Lune, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, La mer, Pelléas et Mélisande - all are impressionist masterpieces. The maestro may thus be surprised to learn that his name has become a brand of a start-up company incongruently named Funky Sound Studio.

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Harman Demos 192k Playback in Lincoln Continental
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 09, 2018  | 
When I entered the Hi-Res Audio pavilion, my eye was immediately attracted to the Lincoln Continental parked there. This $70,000 vehicle is a luxury looker, and since it was sitting in an official Hi-Res area, I suspected it would sound good too. My suspicions proved correct.

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Mytek Digital Shows the Clef for Portable Playback
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 09, 2018  | 
The Mytek Digital is now shipping the Clef. What, exactly, is the Clef? Oddly shaped, it is a digital-to-analog converter and headphone amplifier that lets you significantly up the quality of playback from your phone.

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1More Previews Wireless Earbuds
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 09, 2018  | 
I am a fan of 1More. Their wired earphones have provided me with audiophile playback quality at reasonable price points. In particular, their triple-driver earbuds have been a personal favorite of mine. Now, this design, and others, will be available in a wireless format.

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CES 2018Signals
Startup Carmaker Byton Puts a Widescreen in its Dash
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 08, 2018  | 
CES, of course, is all about consumer electronics. And as you've probably noticed, today's cars are jam-packed with electronics. But that's nothing compared to what's coming down the road in the near future.

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They Recorded a Song in a Rolls Royce and You Won't Believe What Happens Next
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 02, 2018  | 
It seemed like a good idea. Novel, kind of offbeat, hip for sure, and overall just a nice bit of PR. But, of course, on the Internet, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

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What My Treasured Watch and Audio Have in Common
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 26, 2017  | 
I was late to class that morning. So I was a bit over the speed limit, astride my trusty BMW R50/2 motorcycle, heading into town and onto campus. I spotted something shiny lying in the middle of the highway. No time to explore — I was late. But on the way home that night, my weak headlight (6-volt, you know) saw that glimmer again, now on the side of the highway. I braked and circled back...
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