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Logitech UE Air Speaker brings AirPlay streaming in April for $400
The AirPlay market doesn't seem to be shrinking anytime soon, giving Logitech ample opportunity to tread on ground already marked by the likes of JBL and Klipsch. This morning, the outfit's introducing the Logitech UE Air Speaker with AirPlay technology, enabling uncompressed audio streams to flow from one's iTunes library, iPad, iPhone or iPod touch right to the home stereo. You'll need both the boombox and your AirPlay source connected to the same WiFi network, after which you can pipe sine waves to its pair of tweeters and woofers. Users will need to download the (gratis) Logitech UE Air app for setup, which will be infinitely more useful when the speaker itself starts to ship to Europe and the US this April for $399.99.
iHome's iW2 AirPlay speaker to begin shipping this April, for $200
It's been a while since we've heard about iHome's iW2 AirPlay speaker, but that all changed Wednesday, when the company announced that its wireless system will begin shipping on April 1st. Standing at a little under six inches tall, this setup is about 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, the iW1. It's also a bit cheaper, at about $200, though it won't come with a built-in rechargeable battery. For more details and insight, check out the PR after the break.
Soul Electronics Party in a Box wireless speaker system: Ludacris' new way to keep your festivities bumping
Can we get a "hey-oh" from all the party people in the CES-house? Soul Electronics (rapper Ludacris' line of audio products) has today unveiled its first non-headphone device, dubbed Party in a Box. The name may seem a bit silly, but this speaker system is packing some serious specs. The PIAB is large enough to dock an iPad, and features both AirPlay and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. On top of ensuring nearly any modern mobile device should be able to stream audio to it sans wires, the mini-rig also comes with 5.8GHz two-way transceiver that'll allow you to play your tunes over multiple PIABs, or even other speakers. Speaking of speakers, internally you'll find a duo of 6.5-inch woofers, to 3-inch mid-purposed drivers, and finally, a quartet of 1-inch tweeters. For wired connectivity, the rig packs an HDMI output, an auxiliary connection for wired hookup, and a best of all, a balanced mic input (XLR?) so you can MC from just about anywhere there's power. Considering that Party in a Box features a carry handle, shoulder strap and will plug plug into wall and car sockets or run off of its own rechargeable batteries, we'd imagine it's a very feasible proposition. For a bit of extra spice, the system also has a a pair of VU meters that'll bump to your jams, and even customizable mood-lighting. Aside from PIAB, Soul is also introducing a few new color-schemes for its SL49, SL99 in-ear headphones, as well as its SL300 over-ear model. There's no specific word on pricing or availability just yet, but if we hear anything from the show floor, you can be sure we'll keep you post. Full press release just past the break.
Klipsch planning to 'rule the air' at CES (update: eyes-on, video and pricing)
Klipsch, enemy of spellchecking software throughout the world, is announcing a slew of new products at CES that won't make it to retail for months. Following the release of the Gallery G-17 Airplay speaker is the RoomGroove Air, Stadium and Console AirPlay speakers: The RoomGroove Air packs dual 1-inch soft-textile tweeters with Round Tractrix horns and 2.5-inch woofers promises big sound from its small package. It'll be available in fall of 2012, but we don't have any word on pricing yet. The Stadium (pictured) is a 2.1 tabletop speaker that's packing dual 1-inch titanium LTS tweeters with beefier 3-inch midrange woofers and a dual 5.25-inch subwoofer to make sure whatever table this speaker winds up on, it'll shake in tune to your Yacht Rock playlist du jour and also arrives in fall. The Console is a 2.1 audio system that doubles as furniture, capable of running HDMI, Optical-in and USB inputs as well as AirPlay. It's packing dual Tractrix Horns with a 1.75-inch titanium dome, high compression LTS drivers and 10-inch folded cone Cerametallic woofers. It can also double as a center speaker for a beefy home cinema system, but still thy beating heart people, it's not coming out until winter of 2012. We've got more details after the break, neatly organized into a press release for your edification. Update: We just met with Klipsch and got brief look at the the Console 2.1 and as well as a mock-up of what the Stadium. Truth be told, Klipsch admits that they're undoubtedly aimed at high-rollers, rocking respective estimated price points of about $7,000 and over $1,500 -- be still, our hearts yet again. The Stadium takes up nearly the same footprint of the G-17 Air, but in all, it's almost double the size. The Console 2.1 cabinet-system was partly functional, and although we couldn't gauge sound quality, we can say that it was exceptionally loud against the busy show floor. Notably, the massive system manages to pump out all that volume without much in the way of vibrations -- so much so that the water inside of a wine glass place on its top remained impressively placid. You can see for yourself in the video past the break. Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.
JBL's AirPlay-enabled On Air Wireless speaker dock hits the FCC
JBL was one of the first companies besides iHome and Denon / Marantz to announce support for Apple's AirPlay technology, so it's no surprise that the company's On Air Wireless speaker dock just hit the FCC, complete with its manual -- we've been hearing that AirPlay will be all over the place at CES 2011. The On Air Wireless seems like a fancier riff on JBL's On Air line of speaker docks and alarm clocks -- it features that familiar swoopy-loop design but adds in a large color LCD display that displays album artwork while streaming music. Looking at the manual, the display also makes WiFi setup and configuration a little easier, which is nice. All in all, it looks promising, but we'll see what price and availability looks like when we get to CES.
