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JBL ships WEM-1 Wireless Expansion Module for cutting speaker cables
JBL's latest Wireless Expansion Module isn't the first device designed to cut the cables currently connected to your loudspeakers, but there's nothing wrong with options, right? The WEM-1 enables a pair of speakers to connect wirelessly (within 70 feet) to an AV receiver, and the internal 50-watt amplifier provides ample juice for surrounds. The box also sports a subwoofer output, five equalization curves that are tailored for use with select JBL loudspeakers, an unequalized bypass setting and a local input for directly connecting DAPs, PMPs and other audio sources. The MSRP on this cable cutter is listed at $359, but it looks to be available at quite a few locales for less.
TUAW Holiday Giveaway-tacular Part Four: iPhone party
Plenty of folks are probably getting iPhone gift cards this season, and for anyone who wants to make their iPhone the hit of the party (later, once you've actually purchased and activated the thing) here's a lineup for you: some speakers (which fit just about every iPod ever made plus the iPhone), a stylus to keep grubby fingers of your precious, and a case. I tested the JBL speakers and the stylus. The JBL speakers provide an astonishing amount of sound in such a small package. We turned it up as far as felt safe, and the kids had their fingers in their ears. Plus, at either loud or soft volume the audio was always very clear, not muddled with bass or too tinny on the high end (this was from the iPhone with no EQ). The Pogo stylus does what it says: provides a poking stick for the iPhone's surface that works. It's a stick, and it pokes -- that's about as good a recommendation as you'll get from a stylus. The thing was just a short piece of aluminum too, so there's no heft at all. If you're used to a Mont Blanc in your hand you may be disappointed, I guess. Thanks to Dr. Bott for the JBL On Stage 200iD Speakers, iSkin Revo2 iPhone 3G case (in red and black) and a Pogo iPhone stylus. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment telling us what music you would play on some really loud speakers. The comment must be left before December 31, 11:59PM Eastern Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: JBL On Stage 200iD Speakers ($149.95), iSkin Revo2 iPhone 3G case ($39.99), Pogo iPhone stylus ($19.95) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
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%
JBL unleashes a pair of wireless subs at CEDIA
Infinity isn't the only Harman company bringing out wireless subs at CEDIA -- some tech is just destined to be shared between brands, and JBL's ES250PW and ES150PW subs bear a certain family resemblance to the Infinity offerings. The 2.4GHz wireless transmitters are dead ringers, and the cabinets do look similar, but JBL makes use of 12- and 10-inch PolyPlas polymer-coated paper woofers in the 400-Watt ES250PW and 300-Watt ES150PW models, respectively. The JBL PolyPlas may not sound as exotic as the Infinty driver materials, so the higher price points for the JBL equipment of $729 (ES250PW) and $599 (ES150PW) is a little surprising. Our advice is to wait and see street pricing and then shop with your ears between the brands.
JBL introduces LS series of loudspeakers at CEDIA
It just wouldn't be CEDIA without an announcement from JBL, now would it? This year, the speaker giant is introducing a few newcomers to the minty fresh LS Series: the LS40 bookshelf, LS60 / LS80 floorstanders and the LS CENTER -- wait for it -- center channel. These sophisticated speaks were designed with fashionistas in mind, as they boast curved contours, tapered sides and a high-gloss stained-wood finish. Retail prices on the new crew are expected to range from $999 to $1,999 each, so yeah, don't even think you're getting all that pizazz on the cheap.
JBL On Air WEM-1 module makes any speaker wireless, for a price
It's not exactly the first to turn any old speakers into wireless ones, but any attempt to cut down on wire clutter is alright in our book, and JBL is now doing its part with its new On Air WEM-1 wireless expansion module. As you can see above, this one consists of a transmitter module that connects to the audio source of your choice, and a receiver / amplifier that connects to a pair of speakers (it's apparently "tailored for use with select JBL loudspeakers," though it seems you can connect anything you like). That combo will give you a range of 70 feet and, supposedly, no loss in sound quality, although you will have to make do with the 50 watts per channel the amplifier pumps out. There's also the small matter of the $360 price tag, but we're sure there's at least a few folks out there willing to accept those trade-offs for a bit of added convenience, and for the principle of the thing.
JBL Control NOW speakers for sound in the round
Corner placement of your speakers can bring some serious challenges, which makes the design of JBL's new Control NOW speakers all the more interesting. The quarter-torus shape is designed to fit right into the nook between two perpendicular walls -- perfect for those rear surround channels. The speakers feature JBL's Bi-Radial 0.75-inch horn tweeter flanked by two 4-inch drivers, and deliver a respectable 80Hz - 30kHz response. What could be better than a pair of these speakers? Multiple units that can are merged into half, three-quarter or even full rounds, that's what! Available, um, now at $249 each, with a ready-for-outdoors NOW AW model arriving next month for $30 more.
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.
JBL now shipping ES Series loudspeakers
Looking for the perfect match for your JBL Cinema Sound CSS10W wireless subwoofer? Worry no more, as the aforementioned outfit has just announced that its ES Series of loudspeakers are getting boxed up and shipped out as we speak. The family includes the ES10 wall-mount / bookshelf monitor, the ES20 / ES30 bookshelf speakers, ES80 / ES90 floorstanders, the ES25C center channel and a pair of subwoofers (ES150P / ES250P) for those rolling without an earth-shaker. The whole gang can be had for around $239 to $1,198 per pair -- hit up the read link for all the nitty-gritty, and peep the gallery below to see if the ES Series is really your style.[Via Widescreen Review] %Gallery-19298%
JBL busts out a slew of iPod docks
If there's one thing you can count on at CES, it's the ridiculous number of iPod docks shoved into anything and everything -- but JBL's been in the iPod speaker game for so long we're willing to cut them a little slack. This year's lineup is pretty exhaustive, featuring everything from the no-dock Duet 200 with two 10-watt speakers, to the On Stage 400ID (pictured), with four Odyssey drivers and a built-in sub. In between you've got the On Stage 200ID two-speaker unit and the On Stage IIIP with four Odyssey drivers but no sub. Road warriors will want to check out the On Stage Micro Color speaker dock in several new colors, with two Odyssey drivers, and the On Time clock series gets a new 200ID model and the HD Radio / HD Tagging-capable 400IHD units. Check 'em all out after the break! %Gallery-12873%
Infinity and JBL's PS212W and CSS10W wireless subwoofers
Although the humble subwoofer is probably the least likely to require placement inside a space that's beyond cable reach -- or concealment -- thanks to its non-directional sound frequencies, JBL and Infinity have teamed up to solve the problem anyway. The PS212W is a 12-inch $679 400W sub with an included 2.4GHz wireless transmitter / receiver bundled: yes, that's 2.4GHz, the same frequency nearly all your other wireless kit uses. JBL's Cinema Sound CSS10W also uses this overused frequency for its wireless, but it's only 10-inch and 300W, and will retail at the lower price of $559 when it launches in January next year.[Via Audio Junkies]
Harman Consumer Group's CEDIA booth tour
Harman Consumer Group, which holds H/K, Infinity, JBL, and Audioaccess under its umbrella, erected an expansive booth at this year's CEDIA. Unsurprisingly, home theater and in-wall speakers dominated the space, but quite a few amplifiers, receivers, and home control units were seen posing, too. Most notable among the noise was Infinity's PS212W (its first wireless subwoofer), Audioaccess' revamped W.H.E.N. (Whole-House Entertainment Network), an absolutely gigantic JBL loudspeaker, and a demo station that highlighted the H/K DMC 1000 media PC's ability to control content in four separate zones. Enough chatter, why not take a peek for yourself?%Gallery-7141%
CES Zune speaker / dock roundup
While the Zune didn't make a huge presence at CES, DAP accessory makers were out in full force nonetheless, and ClicZune did a commendable job in scouring the floors for Zune-capable speakers and docking stations. Although Apple's gem definitely has a commanding lead in the iPod speaker system market, devices designed for the Zune are slowly catching up, and CES unveiled a trio of speaker apparatuses for those who prefer Microsoft's PMP. Hitting the low-end is eForCity's INSTEN, which rocks a black or white color scheme (sorry, brown fans), dual two-watt drivers, USB connectivity, and can be powered via four AA cells. Although MSRP on this little guy is closer to $40, smart shoppers can snag it for around $10, so don't expect any audiophile-approved tones to be emitted from this. Next up is the Memorex MzW101, which is a wireless docking base station that beams out the Zune's audio to a variety of WiFi-enabled speakers, including the waterproof MzW210 speaker as well as the forthcoming MzW220 indoor and MzW240 outdoor wireless satellites. Closing it out is JBL's dome-shaped system (pictured after the break), which features a slide-out Zune dock, video out port, USB connectivity, and the ability to get juiced by four AA batteries. Unfortunately, details are scant when it comes to pricing and future release dates, but fret not, as this is likely just the beginning of the onslaught to come.[Thanks, Mike]Read - eForCity's INSTENRead - Memorex lineupRead - JBL's dome-shaped system
JBL's big, bad Mt Everest speaker system
Step in front of JBL's new Mt. Everest speaker system and you too can feel the pain. Look, we don't pretend to be audiophiles round these parts, but when a reputable company like JBL drops a new flagship speaker system into the mix by the name of Mt Everest, well, it's gonna be one badazz, mofo'n speaker. Besides, if you're buying a speaker system measuring in at 38 x 18.5 x 44-inches, 313-pounds and pumping 500 watts of thump, well, you're probably trying to purchase more than just sound quality now aren't you. Available from September 21st in Japan for ¥3,460,000 or nearly $30,000. Oh, and check a better image of the complete Mt. Everest system done-up in maple after the break -- who knew all that power came from two 9v Duracell batteries?
JBL's On Tour Plus and Radial speakers
Not that we're experiencing any certain drought out there for PSP and iPod accessories, but JBL's announcing their latest speaker system devices for the bespoke gadget icons. The PSP, which typically seems to get the emphasis on portable speaker systems, snags an On Stage variant of its own: the 6 watt On Tour Plus goes for $129.95 and is available now; the 60 watt Radial, successor to the On Time, will have and remote for use with that iPod, and should set you back $299.95 in June when suddenly all your friends will undoubtedly begin commenting on how your speaker-dock looks like a lopsided Michelin, or, depending on the crowd with which you hang, an As Four purse.
WWE champ JBL: Apple stock a buy
Here's an article we didn't expect to find this morning. WWE superstar JBL writes about the stock market for The Street. No, seriously. In last Saturday's article, he had some nice things to say about Apple (and AAPL). Having just read iCon, the unauthorized bio of Steve Jobs, JBL stated his admiration for Apple's leader, and said this about Apple stock:"Apple is a dream company. No debt, and over $10 per share in cash. Add to that the fact it is still a growth story and you have a stock that is cheap."If JBL tells you to buy a stock, buy it. You don't want a steel chair to the back of the head, do you?
