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JBL's next soundbar doubles as an Android TV box
JBL and Google announced a new soundbar that gives users voice control over a number of features and devices via the Google Assistant. When you plug the JBL Link Bar into your TV, for example, you can then say "Hey Google" and ask it to play whatever TV show, movie or YouTube content you want to watch or listen to. It can even be used to control your smart home devices or play music. The JBL Link Bar features seamless HDMI input switching and the Google Assistant can also be used when the TV is off.
Harman Kardon, JBL spring forward with refreshed audio lineups for 2010
Say hello to Harman International's home, media and mobile updates for the spring, bringing its audio expertise to those who aren't quite ready to step up to its higher end line of standalone receivers and the like. Promising to perfect the audio performance of any car audio setup in just 10 minutes, the $799 JBL MS-8 is as interesting as it is specialized. The HKTS 20 and HKTS 30 ($799 / $999, March) are standard 200w 5.1 surround sound setups, and while they promise improvements over their predecessors the Go + Play Micro boombox ($399, March), On Time Micro & 200P clock devices (both $249, April) and On Stage Micro II ($129, April) probably aren't hiding anything too surprising underneath those iPod docks, but we'd suggest perusing the gallery just to be sure. %Gallery-88520%
Revel adds subwoofer, new in-walls to Concerta speaker lineup
High-end speaker manufacturer Revel (part of Harman International) has added a few more speakers to its Concerta line with the addition of the B120 subwoofer, IC6T2 in-ceiling speaker and IW80 in-wall speaker. Sure, the B120's 250-Watt amp can move the 12-inch driver through can move 1.5-inches, but emphasis is given to the optional TX1 wireless transmitter, which will keep the install stealthy when paired with the in-ceiling or in-wall speakers. The IC6T2 pumps out stereo sound from a single enclosure with a single 6.5-inch woofer flanked by a pair of 0.75-inch tweeters. More appropriate for a HT install, though, is the IW80 with its 8-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter spanning 40Hz all the way up to 40kHz. Coming from Revel, we expect great sound, but don't count on the company's definition of "affordable" to match up with our own; and the lack of pricing info probably backs this up. Read - Revel B120 subwoofer Read - IC6T2 and IW80 speakers
Harman International CEDIA 2008 booth tour
Harman International is comprised of a great many companies, so it's no surprise that it took two CEDIA booths to hold 'em all. We took our trusty camera through the both of 'em to check out the latest from the likes of Infinity, JBL, H/K and Mark Levinson, and we spotted JBL's fresh LS Series, Infinity's wireless subwoofers / Prelude Forty and a $15,000 SACD player from Levinson that made Sony's new $1,500 SCD-XA5400ES look dirt cheap. Have a walk around, the gallery's right down there.%Gallery-31302%
Harman scores hat trick at Cannes
We know the Cannes Film Festival is all about the celebs, but we're pretty big fans of the gear, too. And in that department, it looks like Harman International has scored again this year. Four screening rooms in the Hotel Gray d'Albion will be graced by JBL Synthesis SK2-1000 speakers and S1S-EX subs; a fifth screening room will be treated with JBL Project Array 1000 speakers and a 1500 Array sub. Rounding out the hat trick, Harman Kardon electronics and AKG headphones will be used in screening rooms and VOD booths at the festival. If you're going to Cannes (lucky dog), check out the Synthesis systems; if you're suitably impressed that you want to get a setup of your own (now we're drooling), you'll have to contact your regional Synthesis rep. Be prepared to give them the approximate volume of your listening room -- it'll help them point you towards a system.
D&M Holdings up for sale
While the roster of storied high end names is pretty long, don't think for a minute that the blue-blood part of the market has not experienced consolidation. D&M Holdings is a prime example of this: D&M's owner, RJH International, has managed to fit Denon, Marantz, McIntosh, Boston Acoustics, Snell and Escient under one umbrella over the years. And now RJH is looking to cash in on the concentrated dollop of high end, offering up 49-percent of its shares in D&M. Philips has agreed to offer its12-percent stake to a winning bidder as well. Our math tells us that's more than a controlling percentage. Harman International, apparently satisfied with its own high end roster (including Harman Kardon, Infinity, Revel and Mark Levinson), has bowed out of bidding. That leaves Bain Capital (Kenwood) and Best Buy as the most prominent bidders, both of which scare us a little. One of the things we really enjoy about the D&M brands is the individual "personalities" behind them, and that's a credit to the management overlords. There's no guarantee that this variety of flavor will survive an en masse transition to new ownership.
Becker comes to the US with the Traffic Assist Highspeed 7934 GPS
After releasing the Harman / Kardon Guide + Play a few months ago to positive reviews, Harman International looks like it's diversifying its GPS offerings here in the States with the introduction of a US-spec Becker Traffic Assist Highspeed 7934 GPS. The 6.5-ounce box features a 3.5-inch touchscreen with night mode, 64MB of memory expandable via SD, 400MHz processor, built-in NAVTEQ maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and a speed limit display that can alert you when you get a little too exuberant. Other frills include a WMA / MP3 player and JPEG viewer that hopefully no one will ever use while driving, and optional bicycle mounting kit. Becker's giving this one exclusively to Office Depot, and it looks like they're already in stock for $299.
