Industry & Product News
What Listeners Are Seeking in 2021: Global Audio Consumer Research
The use of audio devices has expanded since 2020. Many consumers today are heavily reliant on their audio products to aid connectivity, as well as for video watching, gaming, remote working, and music listening. The Qualcomm State of Sound research identifies audio device purchase drivers, and interest in current and future use cases, to better understand what today’s users look for in earbuds, headphones, and speakers. Download the State of Sound report here
Hottinger Bruel & Kjaer Electroacoustics Virtual Conference Takes Place September 28-29
Registration is now open for the upcoming Electroacoustic Virtual Conference, an event promoted by Hottinger Bruel & Kjaer (HBK), which this year will be fully online and offers an exciting two-day program. The Electroacoustic Conference will offer presentations from experts in all areas related to sound, noise, acoustics, and vibration, with more than 21 presentations already scheduled. Sessions include presentations from companies such as Head-Fi, XMEMS Micro Speakers, Comsol, Embody VR, Vibrations Inc., Harman International, and more. Read More
New APEI Webinar Addresses the Use of Digital Twins for Architecting and Designing Audio Devices
The AES Audio Product Education Institute (APEI) promotes a new webinar series on its Modeling and Measurement education pillar to explore the use of Digital Twins as a new simulation-driven audio architecture design. With audio development of increasingly sophisticated audio products now almost always starting with the creation of digital models, the possibilities to adjust practices between different teams are driving new audio product development practices. Read More
PMC Introduces All-New Studio Monitor Reference System
PMC, the famous UK loudspeaker manufacturer, announced an ambitious new range of reference monitors that the company believes sets a new "gold standard" for music production. With new compact near-field and mid-field active designs plus low-frequency extensions, the new PMC range is the result of five years of intense development targeting the highest possible resolution, with the lowest possible coloration. All three models and two subwoofers are networkable and can be configured for immersive audio configurations. Read More
Harman Introduces AKG Ara Two-Pattern USB Condenser Microphone
Harman Professional Solutions introduced the AKG Ara, a two-pattern USB condenser microphone that expands on the global success of the AKG Lyra Multimode USB microphone. The AKG Ara follows the same design fundamentals of the Lyra - at once contemporary and reminiscent of the AKG legacy - with a more streamlined format for two basic pickup patterns that make sense for tabletop use in webcasting and podcasts. It is also much more affordable, at just $99 USD. Read More
Sonos Unveils Second Generation Beam Compact Soundbar with Support for Dolby Atmos and New Audio Formats
The soundbar segment continues to heat up with more sophisticated designs getting to market with updated wireless technology, amplifiers, better speaker drivers, and support for Dolby Atmos rendering. The new Sonos Beam (Gen 2) sets a new standard for compact soundbars with a richer, more immersive sound and planned support for Dolby Atmos Music streaming services. The new Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is sold with wireless surround speakers and subwoofer bundles for a more immersive experience. Read More
RCF Expands Flagship TT+ Speaker Series with Compact Satellite and Subwoofer System
Italian audio company RCF introduced two powered portable speakers to its flagship TT+ Series of sound reinforcement systems. Flexibility, power, and small footprint make the TT 515-A speaker and TT 808-AS subwoofer ideal for high-powered portable and installed professional applications where size and weight are critical factors. This approach combines the advantages of RCF TT+ technology such as controlled dispersion, high-power, multiple rigging accessories, weather protection, and RDNET software connection for real-time management with recallable presets. Read More
Audio Research Signals New Era with All-New Product Series
The I/50 Integrated Amplifier is the first product in an all-new series from Audio Research since the company was sold to Trent Suggs by the McIntosh Group. The new product series sends a clear message with a functionally simple and visually engaging design, while staying true to the company's values of sounding musically sublime. This is a product that responds to market demands, and builds upon the company's values, as Trent Suggs promised. Read More
LG Announces XBOOM 360 Omnidirectional Premium Bluetooth Speaker with Mood Light
LG Electronics announced the debut of the refined and versatile LG XBOOM 360 speaker (model RP4) featuring a conical-cylindrical design that delivers omnidirectional audio perfect for any space, indoor or outdoor use, and for any occasion. This is a powerful, portable Bluetooth speaker combining a 5.25" glass fiber woofer and 1" titanium horn tweeter with an LED mood light. Battery life should last for up to 10 hours. Read More
Guest Editorial
Mike Klasco
Business, Breathe, or Else?
The Trauma of Getting Back To Trade Shows
Earlier this year the sun broke through the clouds on the COVID-19 pandemic situation and all the fall industry events looked to be just around the corner. Then the Delta variant entered the global stage... and all bets were off. Certainly, a no-win situation for exhibitors and attendees not to mention the pain of the trade show organizations. CEDIA Expo 2021 for system integrators of residential audio, home theater, smart home, and security was held in early September, but just before the show Crestron and most of the key exhibitors jumped ship. The promoters, Emerald Expositions pushed forward and the official reports shows: 82 exhibitors and 1,400 verified attendees.

Meanwhile cancellation announcements for scheduled shows started arriving one after another. Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) in Colorado was not only canceled, but permanently disbanded their show’s organization. Marjorie Baumert and Marcie Miller stated, "We spent the year improving our business by producing new room layouts with all the outlets marked, and created a handbook to guide exhibitors as they learned yet again to navigate their exhibitor accounts. We imagined ourselves enthusiastically greeting our audio industry friends in a few weeks, and we’ve held onto that dream in spite of our nervous fears and scary news reports. In spite of our initial optimism, we have read and listened to all of your thoughtful comments and then looked at the numbers and made the difficult decision to cancel RMAF 2021."
Inspiring or scary? The local PLASA Show returned to Olympia London from September 5-7, following the 18-month closure of the live sector in the UK. As the first entertainment technology trade show in two years, there was a level of risk involved and the promoters required proof of vaccination and COVID status upon entry for all visitors. But visitors could wear a mask... or not. Most decided not.
ALTI-Expo 2021, originally scheduled for June 13-14, was postponed to October 24-25 in Orlando, FL, in order to assure a safe environment to gather the loudspeaker industry. Barry Vogel, CEO of ALTI Association stated; “I have always maintained that the health and safety of our show’s participants was and is the most important consideration. Over the last month or so, many people have reached out with concerns about traveling to the US for the event, and US residents have expressed similar concerns. It is out of an abundance of caution that I make the difficult decision to cancel our 2021 event.” The organization is now working toward the 2022 edition, scheduled for June 12-13, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV, again co-located with InfoComm.

The pending question now is actually InfoComm, which is the only 2021 show that is yet to confirm the inevitable. At the time of writing, this commercial sound and video and digital signage exhibition is still scheduled for the last days of October... in Orlando, FL! Politics aside, I think the state of Florida might consider the bad economics of celebrating COVID when you are in the hospitality business.
Shows are also back on in Germany. Around 750 companies participated in the IAA MOBILITY Summit in Munich, during two weeks. The show marked the return of large automotive press events and presentations. Everyone was required to be vaccinated and wear a mask indoors.
Just this week, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which have been holding adjoining conventions in October for the last few years, also confirmed the unavoidable. Due to the evolving realities of the COVID pandemic, following a series of cancellations from major exhibitors including Sony and Panasonic, NAB announced its decision to cancel its upcoming in-person Las Vegas convention. The AES convention was collocated with the NAB Show, and following the NAB announcement, the AES also confirmed the decision to cancel the in-person AES Show Las Vegas 2021, planned for October 10-13. The AES will now proceed with its already-scheduled (out of abundance of caution) AES Fall Online program taking place online between October 16–31, including a broadly focused technical program October 20–23. Click here for more details.

While the scene throughout the US is serious, the situation in Europe and Asia is varied and unpredictable, and whatever the domestic participation hesitancies, international considerations are more daunting. Officially, many borders are closed for non-essential travelers, and countries deemed "very high risk" (such as the US) will remain a challenge even for those holding business credentials.

The huge October Hong Kong Global Sourcing trade fairs, normally held at the airport convention center, have now been collapsed into one single event at the end of October, and as of now are still planning to open. But if you are going, be sure to leave for this event early to fully enjoy your two-week quarantine. Then, after the show, you can drop by and visit south China vendors after another two-week vacation in a quarantine hotel across the border (and an extra jab of a local booster vaccine).

November used to have a few specialized events, such as the Tokyo Headphone Festival, now canceled, and iSEAT, the Chinese International Symposium on ElectroAcoustic Technologies (see my 2019 report here) pushed its early-November convention off until next year.
Registration is now open for CES 2022 because "Tech has never been more important in our lives." More than 1100 companies are confirmed to exhibit in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-8, 2022. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required to attend CES in Las Vegas. Visitors from around the world will face strong border restrictions and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is still looking at ways to deal with international visitors' credentials.
Most of us consider 2022 a safe bet for shows but the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, has been rescheduled to June, and while most of us are wondering about arrangements for the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January, questions about the quantity and quality of attendance remain. The Integrated Systems Europe (ISE - sort of a Euro combo of CEDIA and InfoComm x10) has been bullish about holding shows in COVID times, without any favorable outcomes, no matter the formula - including promoting smaller regional events. ISE moved from Amsterdam to Barcelona in 2020 (the last pre-COVID trade show in the world) and is still scheduled for early February 2022. Mobile World Congress (MWC), another huge event for the telecommunications and mobile industry, is scheduled for the end of February, also in Barcelona.

Voice Coil, audioXpress, and this newsletter have always covered all of these events in past years. João Martins (Editor-in-Chief) has lamented in these pages that online events just don’t cut it, especially as trade press coverage. Debut of new products, new technologies, and even more importantly, new companies, are blunted by the loss of face-to-face introductions at trade show exhibitions. The magazine’s editorial calendar is also in a constant state of flux as relevant articles must stand-in for the trade show malaise. Trade publications have struggled to remain relevant in pre-pandemic times, but we are all learning to rely on a diet of print and online communications to keep our eye on business.

Stay healthy.
The latest COVID-19 report data shows the US is currently the worst affected country with +164,509 new cases on Wednesday, September 15, and 9,523,673 million active cases. The second worst country in the world is the UK with +30,402 new cases in a single day, and 1,298,562 active cases as of September 15. By active cases, the next worst affected countries are Iran and Russia with half a million active cases... Denmark, in the same day, reported +370 new cases and 6,712 active cases of COVID.
Some organizers - particularly industry associations - are being more cautious and have moved shows later into 2022. That's what the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) announced for The NAMM Show 2022, which will reconvene in Anaheim, CA, at the Anaheim Convention Center from June 3–5, 2022.
Fresh From the Bench
Audio Precision APx517B Acoustic Audio Analyzer
True Turnkey Audio Measurements
By David Logvin
The Audio Precision APx517B Acoustic Audio Analyzer debuted at the end of 2020 as a solution specifically built for the production-line testing of speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, and the wide range of consumer electronics incorporating speakers and microphones. Primarily targeted at production test applications, the APx517B supplements AP's powerful product line of analyzers, which are considered the gold standard in audio measurement. In his review, David Logvin explores audio measurements with this fully integrated hardware, which combines multiple digital interface options all with accredited calibration. This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2021.  Read the Full Article Now Available Here
Voice Coil Test Bench
The BDNC BGF-46166-18-4-003 Glass-Composite Flat Diaphragm Woofer
By Vance Dickason
This Test Bench article characterizes a cutting-edge product from BDNC (Holding) Ltd, the BGF-46166-18-4-003 Glass-Composite Diaphragm Woofer, a “racetrack” shaped device, covered by US Patent Number 8447063 (titled, “Flat Dynamic Speaker"). This is a flat diaphragm cone (BDNC also makes a 40mm diameter glass cone driver, the BGC-D40-22-4-002), the first of its kind to use a glass diaphragm composite made up of two layers of “Schott AS87 Glass” with an internal layer of viscoelastomic damping material and aluminum alloy foil. Suspension for the glass diaphragm is provided by a small NBR (CBR) surround, and two metal leaf springs, glued to an injection-molded plastic frame. The motor structure is comprised of two neodymium bar magnets surrounded by a steel return cup that forms a gap area. This drives a two-layer racetrack-shaped voice coil wound with round copper wire on an aluminum former glued directly to the glass diaphragm. More details about the company and technology is available in this article. This Test Bench article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2021. Read the Full Article Now Available Here
audioXpress October 2021: Digital Login
Audio Product Design | DIY Audio Projects | Audio Electronics | Audio Show Reports | Interviews | And More 

Don't Have a Subscription?
Voice Coil September 2021: Digital Login
Industry News & Developments | Products & Services | Test Bench | Acoustic Patents | Industry Watch | And More

Advancing the Evolution
of Audio Technology

audioXpress features great articles, projects, tips, and techniques for the best in quality audio. It connects manufacturers and distributors with audio engineers and enthusiasts eager for innovative solutions in sound, acoustic, and electronics.

Voice Coil, the periodical for the loudspeaker industry, delivers product reviews, company profiles, industry news, and design tips straight to professional audio engineers and manufacturers who have the authority to make powerful purchasing decisions.

The Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook is the most comprehensive collection of listings on loudspeaker material in the industry. Purchasers and decision makers refer to the guide for an entire year when making selections on drivers, finished systems, adhesives, domes, crossovers, voice coils, and everything in between.

© 2021 KCK Media Corp. All Rights Reserved.