Bryston Introduces Home Speakers – Ontario-based Bryston, which has specialized in high-end component electronics, has launched three three-way speakers. Their flagship floorstander is the Model T Signature with outboard three-way passive crossover, which can be upgraded to an active version to triamplify the speaker ($7495 a pair). The Model T ($6,495) is a small floorstanding speaker, and the T Mini is a bookshelf model at $2550. A subwoofer and two center-channel speakers will be introduced in a about a month. A new Bryston component-sized DAC and component-sized music player are also out. The speakers are manufacturer by Canada’s Axiom Audio, whose speakers sell directly to the public online.
Wharfedale Speakers Have New Distributor – The 80-year-old British speaker maker has a new exclusive U.S. importer, Sound Solutions. International Audio Group owns Wharfedale, as well as Mission, Quad, Luxman and Audio Lab brands. At the recent CES, Wharfedale showed multiple speakers, including their Ultra Power Cube subwoofers, and more products are planned for 2013.
JVC and Sony Car Stereo Work With Special Samsung Smartphones – Aftermarket in-dash multimedia head units with touch screens from JVC and Sony can now use their MirrorLink capabilities with two popular Samsung Android smartphones: Galaxy SIII and Galaxy II. MirrorLink is an industry-standard technology enabling touchscreen-equipped head units to control and stream content from compatible smartphones. The on-screen display looks the same from car to car. Video from the smartphone can be display, also calls, music, playback an control of stored music and music apps, album art, Google Maps, Street View and opther Google location options. (We had thought video screens were only allowed in the back seat…)
ATSC Addresses Evolving ATSC 2.0 and M-EAS – The Advanced Television Systems Committee has formed new teams working on ATSC 2.0 and the Mobile Emergency Alert Systems. The backward-compatible ATSC 2.0 standard will feature new capabilities, including Internet-related features, advanced video coding, conditional access and enhanced service guides. The new standard will allow broadcasters the capability to deliver content viewers may then watch at their convenience. Recent disasters stimulated a move toward standardization of M-EAS. The new Mobile EAS will permit a single broadcast to deliver rich-media alerts to Mobile DTV-equipped devices, anywhere, anytime—enabling public safety officials to access millions of people at once.
