Bob Ankosko

NAD has announced plans to ship a new, moderately priced streaming amplifier by the end of the month.

Lenbrook, the privately-owned Canadian company that owns the PSB, NAD, and Bluesound brands, today announced that it has acquired the assets of MQA Ltd., the beleaguered company that filed for bankruptcy protection in April.

PRICE $900

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Elegant design
Impeccable build quality
Compact form factor
Terrific sound quality
Minus
Limited streaming options
Expensive

THE VERDICT
The Mu-so Qb is pricey, but it’s impeccably built, offers a number of wired and wireless playback options, and is one of the best-sounding compact wireless speaker systems I’ve heard.

I was trolling for high-bit-rate internet radio stations when I stumbled upon Incubus performing “Love Hurts” on Alternative Times Radio out of Prague. I’d never heard the song before but was immediately captivated by the richness of Brandon Boyd’s voice and how realistic the kick drum and snare sounded. And the stream was only 128 kilobits per second…

Maine-based NEAR, a pioneer in outdoor speakers known for building audiophile-quality speakers that can withstand extreme weather conditions, previewed a new “all environment” subwoofer designed to meet or exceed the stringent Mil-Std-810 military spec for resistance to humidity, salt air, water, and extreme heat and cold.