Ikea has been venturing deeper and deeper into the realm of home audio with its Sonos-powered Symfonisk speakers and its collection of Eneby Bluetooth speakers . But the Swedish furniture maker has now decided that its next frontier is to help those who create music, and its solution is something of a head-scratcher: A chair, a desk, and a turntable , all under the new Obegränsad moniker, that have been designed in tandem with house music supergroup Swedish House Mafia. Ikea says the collection has the versatility to offer solutions for the home setup whether you are a music producer, DJ or musician – as well as provide solutions for simply relaxing and listening to music. “The design supports creating, playing, enjoying and even just setting the mood,” says Swedish House Mafia. But to my eyes, these new products look, well, just like a lot of Ikea’s other furniture offerings. The desk is minimal to the extreme, and beyond a slide-out tray that Ikea says can be used for a … [Read more...] about Ikea’s minimalist turntable will be available in the fall | Digital Trends
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Report: Sonos Voice could launch as early as June 2022 | Digital Trends
In 2021, rumors began to emerge that Sonos had started working on its own voice assistant technology in a bid to supplement (or even rival) the existing integration the company’s smart speakers have with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Now, a new report from The Verge, that cites unnamed people familiar with the company’s plans, suggests that Sonos is very close to launching such a service and we could see it as soon as June 1, 2022 in the U.S., with other countries to follow. Digital Trends reached out to Sonos representatives for comment on the reported launch of Sonos Voice but we were told only that, “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.” This new report comes on the heels of a Sonos leak for a new speaker that will reportedly be called the Sonos Ray — a soundbar-style speaker that will be smaller and less expensive than the Sonos Beam. It’s been suggested that the Ray could be used in pairs as surround sound speakers with either a Beam for 5.1 sound, or a … [Read more...] about Report: Sonos Voice could launch as early as June 2022 | Digital Trends
Sonos announces Ray Soundbar and its own voice control | Digital Trends
The leaks, hints, and other implications were all true. Sonos today unleashed a new soundbar , its own voice control service, and new colors for an existing speaker. Contents Sonos Ray Sonos Voice Control Sonos Roam colors Sonos Ray is the new entry in the product line and the new least-expensive option in the company’s home theater lineup. Sonos Voice Control — that’s the official name — perhaps is the most intriguing of the three releases, if for no other reason than it’s using a serious actor’s intonations. (Or an actor’s serious intonations. More on that in a minute.) And the portable Sonos Roam has some new colors on the way. Digital Trends got a sneak peek at the new fare this week in New York City — let’s break it all down. Sonos Ray Sonos has had some great soundbars for a while now, from the now-discontinued Playbar to its two Dolby Atmos -enabled models — the $899 Sonos Arc , and the less-expensive-but-still-excellent $449 Sonos Beam Gen … [Read more...] about Sonos announces Ray Soundbar and its own voice control | Digital Trends
Pro-Ject rides the lightning with Metallica-themed turntable | Digital Trends
Get your metal horns ready, Metallica fans, and make some room on your hi-fi console. Audiophile equipment maker Pro-Ject has announced a special-edition turntable in collaboration with the legendary heavy metal band. Paying homage to the group’s iconic ninja star logo, the handmade turntable’s plinth features four jagged blades with a mirrored finish visible through the clear glass platter and protruding from the edges of it in a striking starlike formation. In line with Pro-Ject’s previous artist-themed record players produced with the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones , this Metallica deck will be available in limited quantities and through select retailers this summer for $1,600. The turntable’s plinth is made from heavy, non-resonant MDF material that’s typical of what can be found in several of Pro-Ject’s high-end turntables. The heavy glass platter sits atop an aluminum sub-platter that’s belt-driven, making for the quiet, precise operation that audiophiles … [Read more...] about Pro-Ject rides the lightning with Metallica-themed turntable | Digital Trends
Gartner Predicts a 9.5% PC Industry Decline for 2022
Market research and analysis outfit Gartner has published a gloomy set of predictions about the fate of the PC industry in 2022. It headlines the report by highlighting an expected 9.5% decline in PC shipments globally by the end of the year. Like the downbeat predictions published by IDC three weeks ago, Gartner cites inflation, war and supply chain disruptions for the PC industry's misfortunes. Gartner provides some insight by breaking out PC shipment predictions by market segment, and geography. For example, Ranjit Atwal, a senior director analyst at Gartner, said that "Consumer PC demand is on pace to decline 13.1% in 2022 and will plummet much faster than business PC demand, which is expected to decline 7.2% year over year." In the report, we also find that the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) will see a record dip in consumer PC demand though 2022. The EMEA, with its proximity to Russia and Ukraine, has seen consumer confidence hit particularly hard, and … [Read more...] about Gartner Predicts a 9.5% PC Industry Decline for 2022