Wireless speaker, Bluetooth headphones, connected lamp, Dolby Atmos sound bar, portable audio DAC, tube stereo system and video projectors ? here are this week’s new products.
After revolutionising the iPod/iPhone speaker market with the first B&W Zeppelin, B&W now offers a new version without a docking station. Just like its predecessor, the Zeppelin Air LCM is destined for success as it has major innovative features. The B&W Zeppelin Wireless is fitted with the latest Bluetooth apt-X receivers and is Airplay compatible for streaming from any Apple device. The Spotify Connect feature is now integrated and users with a Premium Spotify account, can connect the B&W Zeppelin Wireless speaker to the music server and transmits the content directly from their Wifi access ? a smartphone or tablet can be used as a remote control.
The B&W P5 Wireless headphone set is the wireless version of the standard B&W P5 S2 which has kept its design and excellent level of finish with Bluetooth apt-X compatibility to ensure wireless transmission with a computer, tactile tablet or smartphone. The design of the drivers featured in the B&W P5 Wireless headphones is based on those of the brand’s speakers ? the aim being to obtain more precise and better controlled movement of the diaphragm. A new hardened nylon damped diaphragm has been designed, controlled by a CCAW coil, which is lighter than standard coils, in order to provide a more dynamic response.
The Philips Hue Go connected lamp completes the offer of the European manufacturer’s connected lamps with a specification which has been unheard of up until now ? connected mobility. Fitted with a rechargeable battery, this connected LED lamp offers a 3 hour battery life to extend your evening’s entertainment on the outside terrace or garden without any untidy hanging cable. As soon as the lamp is connected to the Philips Hue dock, it can be controlled using a smartphone or tablet to adjust brightness and change colour.
Behind its front mesh grille cover, the Yamaha YSP-5600 sound bar features no less than 44 perceptively placed drivers. In order to create the sound beams relating to the seven channels of a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 home cinema system (front left/right, centre, surround left/right, top left/right), each driver is controlled and operated separately using its own amplifier circuit. All these audio beams are projected on to the walls and ceiling in order to be accurately reflected towards the listening position. This technology enables a sound field to be created similar to that obtained with back and ceiling speakers, offering a genuine 3D, non-virtual surround sound.
Lighter and more compact than its illustrious predecessor, the Chord Hugo, the portable headphone amp with DAC, the Chord Mojo could very well steal its thunder as a result of its high performance. Designed and manufactured in the UK, it is compatible with PCM files up to 32 bits/768 kHz as well as DSD64, DSD128 and DSD 256 files and it works just as well with a smartphone or tablet using Windows, iOS and Android as it does with a computer.
The Blue Aura V30 Blackline compact stereo system is made up of an excellent tube hybrid amplifier with integrated USB DAC and a pair of 2-way compact speakers (Blue Aura WS30). Mainly used for streaming music from a computer or any hi-fi or remote source, it delivers a soft warm sound.
The main feature of the Optoma GT5000 video projector is its ultra short focus, enabling a 2.5 m diagonal image at a distance of only 60 cm. It can also be placed on top of a cabinet, on the floor beside the projector screen and directly beside other A/V devices (TV decoder, games console, Blu-ray player). The Optoma GT5000 video projector is a Full HD 1080p model which offers a highly detailed uncompressed image quality with HD sources such as Blu-ray disks, HD TV programs and video games on the most recent gaming consoles.
The Vivitek Q5 video projector is a mono-DLP projector whose 16/10 matrix offers a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It is HD 720p compatible but also supports 1080p resolution video streams via its HDMI input. It uses an LED lighting system, offering a brightness of 500 lumens for a maximum contrast ratio of 30000:1. The objective’s fixed focus allows a 76 to 228 cm diagonal image to be obtained at a distance of 1 to 3 metres.
