SKAA Takes Jamstack 2 Wireless Smart Amp to the Next Level

Eleven Engineering, the company that created SKAA wireless audio technology and a manufacturer of semiconductor products for wireless audio applications, announced that the new Jamstack 2 guitar-attachable smart amp has joined the SKAA ecosystem with both transmit and receive capabilities. With the general availability of the Jamstack 2 amplifier, guitar players now have a SKAA-enabled amplifier that is ideal for practice and performance, providing a robust wireless system.

Naim Audio introduced a new premium Wood Edition of its Mu-so 2nd Generation wireless speaker integrated system. Designed to support both multiroom music and TV sound, the new Mu-so Wood Edition is a more refined design, blending performance with a natural-looking style. The updated all-in-one wireless system, introduced in May 2019, offers high-resolution streaming, AirPlay 2, and increased DSP and room compensation capabilities.

Standing for a circular economy and against planned obsolescence Le Pavé Parisien presents the only high-end wireless speaker entirely cast in concrete. This is how French company Le Pavé Parisien, a startup founded in 2016, introduces its first product, which can already be ordered online and will be shown at CES 2019 for the first time. Cast in concrete and 100% "Made in France," Le Pavé Parisien hopes to appeal to a market wishing to combine superior audio quality in a portable design that is entirely repairable and recyclable.

Approaching the wireless speaker market while leveraging the technologies and qualities for which a high-end brand is known is not easy, and differentiating a product in a crowded space is even harder. British loudspeaker pioneer KEF now announced the LSX, a compact two-speaker wireless music system with all the convenience and connectivity of the connected world, but with the emotion and detail of true high-resolution stereo. LSX is fully wireless both from source and between the speakers and will feature AirPlay 2 for multi-room streaming from Apple devices in January 2019.

In a somewhat unusual announcement, Sonos revealed an exclusive collaboration with the Beastie Boys: a strictly limited Beastie Boys Play:5 speaker, with all proceeds going to charity. This is the first brand collaboration in the Beastie Boys’ illustrious 39-year career and the first time the group has collaborated with artist and close friend, Barry McGee, who designed the graphic elements of the speaker. The Sonos Beastie Boys Limited Edition Play:5 will be available for purchase beginning December 2018 (USD $499) on sonos.com, at the Sonos flagship store in NYC and select retailers worldwide.

A major highlight of Panasonic's press conference at IFA 2018 was the new Technics OTTAVA S SC-C50 compact wireless speaker, a new premium design, with state-of-the-art connectivity and a powerful, refined sound, free from restrictive sweet spots. Apparently the OTTAVA was already unveiled earlier at the High-End Audio Show in Munich this year, but that only shows why IFA is an important trade show for some brands and categories of products. In Berlin, the new design had all the deserved spotlights.

In this article, published by audioXpress in December 2017, Oliver Masciarotte explores the Naim Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System, with its stunning design, glass-filled polymer casing, and the same clever digital brain as the original Mu-so. Is this indeed a model for what complete wireless integrated audio systems can do? Kent Peterson (Warkwyn) puts the Mu-so Qb to the test confirming that the device sounds as good as it looks. This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2017.

The world's first blockchain music speaker is here. From the creators of Travis the Translator and Travis Blue wireless speaker, comes a different sort of music smart speaker. Volareo is another Dutch innovation that made its worldwide debut at SXSW 2018 in Austin, Texas and is directly connected with the new Musicoin, a new cryptocurrency and music streaming platform that intends to reward musicians in a different way.

Featuring the same build quality and articulation as the original top-rated MK402 speakers, Dayton Audio launched the added convenience of a wireless connection with the new Dayton Audio MK402BT Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers. The built-in amplifier on the MK402BT is able to provide up to 80 watts of max output power, while a local control panel allows users to change tracks, volume, and even pause/play songs directly from the speaker itself.

The new MicroPod Bluetooth MKII is the first in a series of new and fully portable Podspeakers with Bluetooth and built-in battery from the famous Danish Podspeakers brand. The new small but powerful speaker combines Bluetooth and Truewireless technology, allowing perfect pairing with two units for a wireless stereo setup that can be taken anywhere thanks to the built-in battery.