Audio News for August 14, 2012

by | Aug 14, 2012 | Audio News

Tablets Driving Premium Headphones Sales – 29% of headphones priced at $100 or more were connected to a tablet this year, nearly triple the rate in 2011, according to the NPD Group’s most recent “Headphones: Ownership & Application” study. Tablets are now in one in five homes and the music, video etc. being accessed on the devices has helped the sales of premium headphones nearly double year over year. Premium phones enhance the overall content experience for users of the devices. 73% of premium owners said sound quality impacted their purchase decision, and 44% listed brand reputation and 31% wearing comfort.
Altec Lansing Being Sold – Altec Lansing, which has been shuffled around in recent years, is being sold by its present parent company, and discussion are in progress with a number of strategic buyers within the audio industry. The sales process started a few weeks ago. Altec moved its offices from Milford, PA to California last year.
Panasonic Blu-ray Decks Add Quickflix Streaming – Selected Blu-ray models using Panasonic’s VIERA Connect platform will now have Quickflix on-demand streaming of movies from many Hollywood studios and TV series, as well as children’s content. The service is $14.99 a month for unlimited streaming and there is an option for  adding Quickflix DVD by post plan for premium pay-per-view movies. Other apps of VIERA Connect include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
Zyxel Wireless Range Extender – Zyxel’s new WRE2205 802.11n plugs into any AC outlet to extend a home network’s wireless signal range thruout the home and backyard. It provides transfer rates of up to 300Mbps. Signal strength indicators on the panel help users identify the best location for optimal Wi-Fi coverage. The unit comes with a power switch shutting down the device when not in use to save electricity and reduce energy consumption. SRP is $59.99.
First Truly Wireless Audiophile-Grade HT Speaker System – The Aperion Intimus 4T Summit wireless 5.1 system uses RF transmission on the new low-interference U-NII band. There are no speaker cables, only a total of six AC cables, and the system transfers uncompressed 96K/24-bit audio wirelessly. The system detects your sweet spot, and sets the levels of each speaker so that it is balanced for your location. The system is $2999, with a 7.1 system available at $3499.

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