The 2025 Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook (LIS) Edition is Now Available!
The 2025 edition of the Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook (LIS), the renowned annual industry supply chain reference publication, is now available. In this issue, once again there's an updated State of the Speaker Industry report, and valuable insights from industry experts and key companies in the sector. As always, the 2025 edition offers a series of must-read Industry Features, celebrates industry milestones, and includes our traditional questions and answers with a select audio industry panel.
Sennheiser Celebrates Eight Decades of Innovation and Passion for Audio
Since 1945 as a family-owned business, the name Sennheiser has stood for pioneering audio technology and engineering. Looking back on its history and the stories behind its legendary products, Sennheiser reveals why this 80th anniversary celebration is not about the number of years but more about lessons for the future. To mark this special anniversary, the company will announce special commemorative offers and products.
Allen & Heath Launches Next Generation Qu Mixers
Exciting news in professional audio, as Allen & Heath has launched six new digital mixers in its Qu series, now enabling 24-bit/96kHz FPGA processing and the ability to run DEEP plugins, while adding Dante connectivity options and a host of workflow and hardware enhancements. The company's renowned digital mixing platform was redesigned from the core up for an easier user interface, flexible routing, while keeping the brand's iconic "walk up and mix" feel.
beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X Headphones Get Detachable Cable and New Drivers
Designed for critical listening and editing, the updated 2025 beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X headphones bring new flexibility, comfort, and clarity to one of the most iconic headphones in professional audio. The DT 990 PRO X now have a detachable cable and received powerful new STELLAR.45 drivers, getting a lower impedance rating that allows for better performance across a wide range of devices (the original 600 ohm version of the DT 990 PRO is still around and remains unchanged).
Audinate Addresses the Evolution of AV-over-IP at InfoComm 2025
Audinate is determined to lead the way in secure, cloud-enabled, and interoperable audio and video networked solutions with its Dante platform. At InfoComm 2025, Audinate will highlight new innovations that make it easier than ever to design and deploy networked solutions. Among the main announcements is Dante Device Link, a new technology that enables manufacturers to expand device configuration capabilities. And Audinate will also demonstrate Dante Director using AES-256 encryption to protect media flows between devices from unauthorized access.
Kardome and SoundHound AI Team Up to Transform In-Car Voice UI with Multizone Conversational AI
Kardome and SoundHound AI have announced a partnership aiming to accelerate implementation of multizone conversational AI inside cars based on Kardome's Spatial Hearing technology. The goal is to transform in-vehicle voice user interfaces, providing precise spatial awareness, and supporting up to six different voices in the vehicle, allowing SoundHound Chat AI Automotive to receive a clear audio stream and accurately understand the specific intent behind each command, regardless of its origin within the cabin.
Enhancing Loudspeaker Efficiency and Bl(x) Symmetry with Virtual Voice Coil, Part 1
This first article in a two-part series details the design and simulation possibilities of the SpeakerLAB software for speaker designers. In this article, the author explores its Virtual Voice Coil (VVC) module, for designing voice coils and predicting audio transducer parameters with maximum accuracy. The detailed analysis also explains one of the keys that allow the accuracy of VVC prediction, given by a complete temperature management involved in loudspeaker calculus.
Unlocking the Future of Wireless Audio: An In-Depth Look at WMAS
Meeting the pressing needs for professional wireless microphone applications, struggling with RF challenges, regulatory constraints, and the scarcity of frequency spectrum, 2024 was the year of the first product announcements leveraging Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) technology. In this article Nick Wood (Shure) provides a unique perspective of the WMAS technology, its future in the industry, and its regulatory framework for professional audio applications.
Dolby Laboratories and TCL Confirm First Products with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect
Dolby Laboratories and TCL have confirmed the launch of the first products with support for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, the new wireless protocol that is able to automatically configure an immersive sound field between multiple speakers, regardless of their position in the room. Following a confirmation at IFA 2024 that TCL would be embracing the technology, the Chinese consumer electronics giant now unveiled its first products coming to market.
Sennheiser BTD 700 Adds Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast Support to Any Source
Sennheiser unveiled a high-performance Bluetooth dongle designed to improve the wireless audio experience and unleash the full potential of its current wireless headphones and earbuds supporting Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast. The new Sennheiser BTD 700 dongle also adds support for aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive codecs while opening up low-latency gaming possibilities. An effective single plug-and-play solution that accelerates the benefits of the latest Bluetooth updates.