Audio Archives - Page 9 of 9

iPod/iPhone speaker sets are a dime a dozen, usually offer tinny sound in a reasonably mobile package. On rare occasion, they’ll even include some extra features (omg it has a radio!!!) for a few extra bucks. For the most part, though, these things are unimpressive in terms of both sound and user experience.

iHome, a weathered player in the market, hopes to change some of that with their Studio Series iP1. The unit is flashier than most, sporting some “museum quality” acrylic finish between two 4-inch woofers with 1-inch tweeters stacked on top. The unit is driven by a 100-watt amp, giving it enough power to put out some decent sound. An included video port allows you to run video from the attached device while pumping sound through the iP1.

$300 is a little more than I like to spend on a sound system for my apartment, but this thing could be great for the college freshman in your life. The Studio Series iP1 will release some time this July.

When you buy a new TV it almost goes without saying that you’ll need new speakers. LCDs and plasmas gave back the 5-7 square feet that was once dedicated to cathode-ray tubes, but they pushed big built-in speakers out the door. The result: a gorgeous picture with tinny trash for sound.

Commercial and academic researchers are looking to change all that by putting the speaker in front of your screen. Emo Labs, a startup from Massachusetts, has created transparent membrane that could replace traditional cone speakers. The transparent film lays over your TV display and is then “driven” by two piezo-electric actuators. The actuators create the motion usually produced by a magnetic voice coil to create sound waves.

As you might imagine, laying a membrane over your picture does have its drawbacks. In its current form, the membrane nets a 4% loss in picture brightness. To be honest, that doesn’t seem so bad, especially as we get closer to the OLED revolution. With a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 4% should hardly be noticeable.

As for price, you early adopters will see the worst of it. Emo Labs estimates their membranes will add a 10-15% premium onto existing flat-panel prices. For larger TVs, you’d probably be better off putting that money toward a powered subwoofer. For smaller sets, under 27″ perhaps, the membrane could be another way to save space.

Source: Wired

Category: Audio (Page 9 of 9)

iHome Studio Series iP1 Brings Decent Sound at Hefty Price

Thin-Film Speakers Could Revolutionize Flat Panels

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