Anyone involved with the consumer electronics industry knows that the first week of every year is going to be crazy busy. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), North America's largest technology trade association promotes what is undoubtedly one of the most influential and busiest trade shows in the world: the Consumer Electronics Show or CES. There are larger trade shows around the world, but nothing has the impact that this CTA-promoted annual gathering causes in multiple industries, globally. Because every technology, every market segment is represented at this Las Vegas, NV, event, where the overarching theme is effectively innovation. From startups to global brands, CES causes a large impact around the world, even when many brands and companies are not even officially attending.

Personally, I have in previous decades dismissed much of what happened at this early annual trade show compared to many others that have been more important for my professional activity. And I still remember when Apple consistently killed all the announcements by revealing major products such as the iPhone, right after CES ended. Nothing like that has happened for years now, probably because even Apple engineers now value the time spent at CES meeting with suppliers.

I started attending CES early in the 1990s, after I had already began doing the annual pilgrimage of conventions, exhibitions, and fairs in multiple other industries, from film and broadcast to music and systems, from AES Conventions, to NAB, from Musikmesse to NAMM. I always had more business and more to report from those shows, which are more focused and easier to cover.

It's true that CES always created headlines in product categories that are relevant to consumers and helped propel many brands to the front of global markets. But this year, following two years of pandemic, the show returned more relevant than ever. Clearly, the sales teams with their order books ready to take orders from reps and international distributors, which were once the trademark of these shows, are long gone. At CES, manufacturers still meet their sales channels, and that's the reason why there are still large booths and exhibits, but increasingly, the activity in Las Vegas is taking place in private suites and invitation-only presentations, spread out all over Las Vegas.

I wrote about it before, and this year I felt it more than ever. Approximately 50% of the visitors to Las Vegas during CES week, are not even registered as attendees. They don't even need to have a badge, because they remain in separate hotels and suites and the attendees come to see them for business. And those doing business that way are brands, manufacturers, product managers, design and engineering houses, who are meeting with technology, parts, and OEM/ODM services suppliers. In audio, as in video, IT, accessories, health, and wellness products, and now even in automotive. That business returned to CES 2023 even stronger this year, and B2B invaded even the large exhibition halls of the LVCC and Venetian, where multiple industries that have never been involved with CES now go to do business and to benefit from the global media boost.

In that regard, CES is completely different from IFA in Berlin, the Hong Kong electronic shows, Mobile World Congress, or any other trade show focused on consumer technologies, where visitors expect to see mostly product launches, and to place orders. At CES, it's mostly about the products that will be sold eventually at the end of the year, or the next year. And that's fine.

There's just a small problem. The CTA organization needs to respond accordingly and readjust CES to accommodate this new B2B-oriented model. CES 2023 was an incredibly successful event, given the circumstances. Even many Chinese companies and attendees returned as soon as travel restrictions were lifted barely a week before the show, even if not originating the numbers that would allow CES to resume to pre-pandemic levels. But this is clearly possible for CES 2024.

Specifically for the audio industry, CES 2023 was one of the most exciting shows ever. The numbers of new technology demonstrations were larger than ever, as were the number of private suites that we needed to visit. The number of exciting products was a clear sign, even if in most cases we are not even allowed to report about those yet. Even for those veterans that persist in the misguided nostalgia that the times of the Alexis Park hi-fi rooms where the good times, and that CES is no longer for them, the fact is that there are now more audio exhibits and companies attending CES. It's only that the products that will result from this activity will not be visible before AXPONA or any of the other shows. Most likely, in the more mainstream categories, they will be sent directly to the Best Buy-type stores and Amazon, without ever being demonstrated at any trade show. Because that's how the consumer technology industries work today.

For the media, this means that CES is a larger challenge than ever. No longer just press conferences and visiting booths - or walking the Venetian floors and entering the demo rooms. Now, everything is done behind closed doors, and any CES schedule needs at least a month of careful planning in order to decide what is actually possible to visit. And companies insisting on having demonstration rooms in distant hotels need to rethink the strategy, because it's getting really difficult to accommodate being out of the main show areas.

Even for a very small team like we have at audioXpress, this means starting two days before CES begins, and using every minute of the show, until things close on Sunday. And yes, even though we had more than 100 meetings over a period of seven days, and we literally walked an average of 7 miles every day, there were companies we couldn't even figure out where they were in Las Vegas. Some we tried visiting on Sunday, just to find empty suites and booths. To these companies we just say, please, please, try to stay at the Venetian or one of the locations close to the Venetian or LVCC next time. Audio companies, get in touch with the ALTI Association for CES 2024. You could clearly benefit from being close to industry peers.

Also, a recommendation for many companies that have booked a small booth at the end of the exhibition hall, and those that have resorted to being part of the "country pavilions." If you are serious about doing business, have technology or products to show, and that you are not just a startup doing your pitch, please engage differently at CES. Share a suite, share a larger partner booth, but please make sure you can be located, and you don't depend on a mini-kiosk that will be empty most of the time. The CTA clearly needs to reorganize the exhibitions halls and the available convention areas to accommodate these companies with B2B in mind.

And yes, we covered almost every single area of CES, even if sometimes just running and grabbing quick photos for reference. And this enables me to confirm what the CTA reported in its latest post-show release. CES 2023 largely surpassed the expected attendance, drawing more than 115,000 registered industry professionals, 40,000 international – making it the largest audited global tech event since early 2020. With more than 3200 exhibitors, including more than 1000 startups, CES 2023 introduced important new market segments, from transportation and mobility to digital health, energy solutions, and sustainability (and yes, the metaverse was also there, but it still doesn't make any sense).

Since we did not even have the time to update the audioXpress website with the many announcements since we returned (we're working on it - we don't just copy/paste things, and many of the images need editing), we are going to dedicate a few of these newsletters to our coverage. With more product details in the next week, and hopefully coverage of some other key areas, such as hearables and automotive in the subsequent ones.

Under the circumstances, and although CES 2023 felt like a show that was running in autonomous mode, the CTA did bring new energy into the event, with the introduction of important topics, such as technology for different disabilities, and the topic of Human Security for All, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation across all industries, and all countries, to improve the human experience. Also worthy of applause was the partnership with the United Nations in a global campaign to foster food security, access to health care, personal income, environmental protection, personal safety, community security, and political freedom.

Of course, 99% of the visitors to CES didn't even notice any of the conferences or these initiatives and were there basically to reconnect with their professional networks, which is the reason why trade shows are now even more important. After we tested the limits of what web conferencing allows, and we know the limitations, in-person events are going to expand.

In general, CES 2023 felt as busy and vibrant as it did in 2020, even though the exhibition area was much smaller, there were companies with areas the size of a football field just because they could, and many of the previous exhibition zones - such as the Westgate - were not even used. The core areas, as we predicted, were the two floors at the Venetian and the Venetian meeting suites, the new LVCC West Hall, completely dominated by the automotive industry, and the North Hall, which is now dominated by Digital Health, Smart Cities, AI robotics, Mobility, and something called IoT Infrastructure, which was actually one of the most interesting areas of the show even if most exhibitors were not really sure why they were there (and they could very well be at the Venetian in the smart home area).

While I intend to discuss products, companies, and technologies in more detail next week, I can close these First Impressions with an overview of what we saw were the trends at CES 2023. As the mainstream media reported, the highlights were wireless TVs, laser TVs, robots, connected fridges (they will never go away, apparently), smart restroom products including urine sensors, gigantic plastic party speakers with colorful LEDs (awful, and now with Karaoke...), and soundbars with more channels and integrated subwoofers, all promising spatial audio.

Talking about that, one company was our CES 2023 Best of Show precisely because it did deliver spatial audio on a soundbar: Audioscenic. It actually delivered what many companies have been promising: truly convincing virtual audio that surrounds and immerses the user seating in front. And it's now commercially available in a Razer gaming soundbar, and we believe very soon in every laptop.

Our second CES 2023 Best of Show needs to go to Dirac and its Dirac Live Active Room Treatment technology, which uses the speakers in a multichannel configuration to effectively deliver a cleaner, tighter bass experience than ever before possible. Dirac Live Active Room Treatment will debut in all StormAudio AVRs through a Spring 2023 firmware update. I was able to get a demonstration presented by Mathias Johansson, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Dirac. There was only one problem. The demonstration was done with the Perlisten Audio speakers, and this was my first chance of hearing these incredible products in a nice demo room, with the extra privilege that Erik Wiederholtz (CTO) was also present. I was impressed with Dirac, naturally, but my first contact with the Perlisten speakers distracted me from focusing on room problems while being amazed by the sound generated by the speakers.

And I will not mention more audio companies for now. I will just add that, as I expected, the new Matter smart home interoperability standard was very predominant at CES 2023, even though the demonstrations were basically using things to control light bulbs for now. What I thought would be a big focus for CES 2023, clearly wasn't: Bluetooth LE Audio. It should have been, but apparently no one knows much about it, as I found out at the recent electronica show in Munich, where I asked most semiconductor companies about their Bluetooth LE Audio efforts.

At CES 2023 I saw two demos of Auracast at Nordic (with software from PacketCraft) and at CEVA. Both were purely theoretical since none of the companies reported work with actual product development. Also no LE Audio earbuds, because everyone is waiting for the technology to be supported on source devices such as smartphones (which might be a topic for MWC 2023, later in February). It will take at least a year to actually see a Bluetooth LE Audio demonstration of something other than just streaming over LC3. From the announcements we received and the demos we've seen, Google is apparently the company most involved and committed in quickly introducing both Matter and Bluetooth LE Audio support. Which I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing.

Augmented reality (AR) smart glasses were everywhere at CES 2023, promising an array of "new interactive features to create unparalleled AR experiences for users." Sound was mediocre, glasses were awkward, the experience awful. Use cases, even for warehouse management or infrastructure maintenance were not convincing - pointing a smartphone screen at things still does a much better job. The VR versions of the same "realities" are even more pathetic. Frustrated by the lack of sales, some AR glasses companies have now resorted to "revolutionary features," such as light-adjusting sunglasses. You just need to recharge your sunglasses every night to use them during the day.

Talking about charging, a product category that I saw dominating at CES this year were power stations and whole-home battery backup solutions. And these are incredibly useful. Power stations connected to solar panels not only allow us to go everywhere and keep our devices running and connected, but they also allow us to charge all our personal mobile devices anywhere and at any time we need. In the car, they are the power source for all non-vehicle related features, which depend upon the car's own battery - critical to not compromise autonomy in fully electrical vehicles. Whole-home battery backup solutions act as insurance for our critical appliances, such as the fridge and lights during outages and grid disruptions.

These systems also save big on electrical bills by allowing power from rooftop solar panels and, when connected to the power grid, charging the batteries during the hours when the rates are lower, avoiding the peak demand hours. Either of the systems also allow more control over AC and DC power features, potentially bringing advantages in "cleaner" power for audio enthusiasts who worry about those things.

And still talking about power, wireless power was another interesting topic we've seen evolving at CES. Energous and Powercast were two of the companies with interesting demonstrations, promising to soon be able to charge all our portable speakers, headphones, and smart glasses. Powercast, the company that uses radio-frequency over-the-air wireless power technology, was selected as a CES 2023 Innovation Award Honoree in the Smart Home, Embedded Technologies, and Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy categories. And more importantly, there is already a RF Wireless Power and Charging Standard effort (very likely the first of several) called AirFuel Alliance, of which Energous is a supporting member. Add the latest energy harvesting solutions and the concept of mobile devices could very well gain a whole new dimension.

And I'll close with another key reference in energy harvesting and sustainability, coming from the company that for me was the overall innovative Best of Show winner at CES 2023. Swedish solar cell innovator Exeger (www.exeger.com) has been generating headlines at an incredible pace, as audioXpress readers will certainly recognize. The inventor of the amazing Powerfoyle indoor solar cell material was recognized by the CES 2023 Innovation Awards in the Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy, and Embedded Technologies categories. For the audio industry, Powerfoyle offers a new solar cell flexible membrane optimized for low-light levels, which enables charging headphones, TWS earbuds, and even battery-powered speakers. Powerfoyle works great and is available in multiple finishes, including paired with flexible batteries from NGK. Anyone doubting the concept just needs to order the Urbanista Los Angeles (I did), or the new Phoenix true wireless earbuds (now available) to be convinced.

At one of the many press events that happen at the end of every day of CES, I met with Giovanni Fili, the founder and CEO of Exeger, who was enthusiastically manning the company's briefings to the global media and showcasing its latest success stories: remote controls. Apparently, Exeger closed its third deal with a major manufacturer of universal remote controls - the three of which now represent more than 60% of the market in the category. These dull devices are an ideal category for this technology, complemented with a small membrane of Powerfoyle (www.powerfoyle.com). They just lie there at home all day and are used for a few minutes or seconds every night. And yet, are one of the greatest polluters in the consumer electronics world, since the disposable batteries that are seldom used still need replacement every few months. I am placing this story here in my CES 2023 report, in the hope that every single remote - including Apple TV remotes - may quickly be replaced with Exeger Powerfoyle-powered models. And for those using smartphones and tablets, yes, the Powerfoyle charging covers are also coming.

This article offers Brent Butterworth's extensive and detailed review of the Røde NTH-100 Headphones for audioXpress. The NTH-100 headphones are a late but refined entrance from Røde into the product segment and clearly target the same core market as its popular microphone products, including the ever-expanding category of content creators. In that regard, the NTH-100 immediately stands out in the crowded studio headphone market with very distinctive design and unique features. The Røde NTH-100 headphones were engineered to be durable as pro audio products need to be. All the important components are also user-replaceable and can be removed and swapped out in seconds. And the fully adjustable headband with a unique FitLok locking system is a very distinctive feature that will be appreciated over time. Brent Butterworth finds out how the NTH-100 stacks up to the competition - in the studio and on the test bench. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022. Read the Full Article Now Available Here

This article is a detailed characterization of the HF1460 compression driver from Faital Pro, oriented toward pro audio applications. This 1.4" exit neodymium motor compression driver from the Italian OEM pro sound manufacturer expands its ample catalog in the format. In terms of features, the Faital Pro HF1460 is designed for use with 1.4" throat horns, and features a carbon fiber diaphragm driven by a 3.4" diameter voice coil wound with aluminum wire on Kapton former, driven by a neodymium ring magnet. The key in this driver is the use of a carbon fiber diaphragm, which Faital Pro has been researching for some time. Vance Dickason was positively impressed with the properties of this driver, akin to comparable beryllium units, and states that the Faital Pro HF1460 is "a very important entry into the world of high-end compression drivers." The horn supplied for use with the HF1460 was the LTH142, an injection-molded, elliptical tractrix flare horn, with a 60° x 50° coverage pattern and an 800Hz cut-off frequency, making it a good match for the HF1460 compression driver. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2022.  Read the Full Article Now Available Here