loudspeaker

If you've been watching "American Idol," you've probably seen a commercial or two for the $399 Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox Portable audio system, which allows you to stream music wirelessly from your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet and is available exclusively through AT&T stores. But few people know that AT&T actually has its own portable Bluetooth speaker sans Beats logo. And it's shipping now.

It's called the LoudSpeak'r.

No, that's not a typo. The LoudSpeak'r follows in the footsteps of the Casio G'zOne (see 20 worst-named tech products for reference), … Read more

For well-heeled fans of British hi-fi brand Meridian, the limited-edition 40th Anniversary System could be a dream. With a unique ruby-red finish, the company's latest hi-fi system consists of a tweaked 808.3 Signature Reference CD Player and a pair of DSP8000 Digital Active Loudspeakers.

Both the speakers and CD player are the company's flagship models. While there are analog purists who prefer a full-analog hi-fi setup, Meridian caters to fans of pure digital. This set keeps your music in the digital format right up to the moment it reaches the speaker drivers.… Read more

When I told CNET audio editor Donald Bell about the Flat, Flexible Loudspeaker out of the U.K.'s University of Warwick, he immediately imagined subway posters shouting at him. And he's probably not too far off.

The new loudspeakers are less than a quarter of a millimeter thick and can be hung on walls like pictures to make announcements in places such as passenger terminals.

They're so slim and flexible, engineers say the speakers could even be concealed inside ceiling tiles or car interiors, conceivably leading to talking roofs, wallpaper, or car seats.

The speakers were pioneered … Read more

The sky's the limit when it comes to hi-fi, and if you have $200,000 of loose change, you might like to take a closer look at NBS Audio Cables' latest E.V.A. and Butter/fly speaker systems.

This kit has an exotic design that hardly resembles anything remotely similar to a conventional loudspeaker. Its most interesting feature is a pair of 48-inch-tall pyramids. These have a unique smooth, grille-free finish and are designed to reproduce music in a room via indirect sound radiation.

We figured it's pretty pointless to go further into the nitty-gritty bits for … Read more

Kevin Nelson may be homeless, but his story isn't so different from countless other speaker designers I've met. Aspiring speaker designers never had it easy, but nowadays it's a lot tougher to break into the business.

Nelson says he first started building speakers when he was a kid in high school, tinkering with drivers and building cabinets. With a few investors lined up, and prospects looking good, he was planning on exhibiting his inventiveness at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last year.

The U.S. Navy veteran's personal life, however, took a turn for … Read more

Just came across this hot little number on Amazon: a set of Harman Kardon PC speakers made out of glass. They don't appear to be available quite yet, but Amazon is taking pre-orders at $999.99.

Harman's made other clear speakers in the past, including the well-received SoundSticks II system, but these are the first to use glass--and the GLA-55s really make a statement. From some angles they have a gem-like quality, from others--namely in profile--they look almost alien in nature.

While these speakers are obviously about design, Harman's also touting the GLA-55s' "impeccable" sound … Read more

Given that concepts are a penny a dozen, it's no surprise that most never make it off the drawing board at most companies--and Sony is no exception. So it is with some surprise that the company has decided to take that rare step and make one of them a reality.

Sony's "Soutina" (purportedly a mashup of "sound" and "fountain") first made the rounds in draftboard form last year under a different name. But now the unusually designed acrylic speaker--which is described as "a transparent organic glass tube that vibrates and expands … Read more

It's one thing for automakers to focus so much on technology inside the car, but sometimes it seems that they're spending an inordinate amount of time putting their nameplates on products that have nothing to do with the road. The latest example is BMW's co-branding of the Klipsch "Palladium P-39F," marking its entry into the high-end home speaker market.

These monsters stand 5 feet tall and sport a zebra-grain veneer, finished with a brushed-aluminum base. They have an exceptionally sleek appearance thanks to their flush-mounted horns and cones, according to Luxurylaunches. True to its namesake, … Read more

The lads over at Home Cinema Choice recently got a sweet surprise from British loudspeaker manufacturer KEF. It came in the form of an impeccable replica of the company's popular 3000-series KHT home theater speakers, affectionately known as the "KEF Egg" among enthusiasts. Rather than the usual boring showpiece, it was a yummy dark chocolate treat that they mercilessly smashed apart and devoured. I wonder if any of our TV vendors will ever send us something similar, molded in the form of an oversized 42-inch flat panel, of course.

(Source: Crave Asia)