Emotiva Audio Corp. announced today two new amplifiers that they call “variations on its configurable XPA Gen 3 modular amplifier.” The XPA-9 and XPA-11 Gen 3, one a 9-channel amplifier and the other a 11-channel amplifier, both employ the advanced performance of their X series electronics and are said to be perfect for advanced surround technologies, such as Dolby Atmos home theaters.
News
Housing Starts in 3-Month Slide
September housing starts, the government’s measure of new residential construction activity, showed an overall decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,127,000 units. This rate is down 4.7% from the revised August rate of 1,183,000 units. This is the third monthly decline in a row indicating a softening in the construction of new homes – and the lowest level of construction since September 2016.
See more on this latest report on housing starts… [Read more…] about Housing Starts in 3-Month Slide
Samsung Surprises LG with Viral Video OLED Slam
12-Hour ‘Image Retention’ Test to Make OLED Look Bad
Korean media is reporting that a nasty fight has erupted in South Korea, where Samsung has uploaded a video that compares its QLED screen versus an LG OLED screen. The slickly produced comparison video allegedly shows “image retention” (commonly called burn-in over here) on the OLED screen after gamers play on both screens for twelve hours straight. LG, understandably, cries foul…
See this ugly fight that has erupted on the eve of the big TV sales season… [Read more…] about Samsung Surprises LG with Viral Video OLED Slam
Family Sets Steve Zaboji Funeral Arrangements
As we were first to report on Sunday, October 8th, well-known industry manufacturer sales representative Steve Zaboji was tragically killed in a plane crash the previous day (Saturday). We can now report that the Zaboji family has set the arrangements for his funeral.
Continue reading for more details on the funeral of Steve Zaboji… [Read more…] about Family Sets Steve Zaboji Funeral Arrangements
Confirmed: B&W Closes Classé HQ; Staff Dismissed
We have now confirmed that at the end of the day last Friday, October 6th, the Classé headquarters facility was in fact closed by Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) for the last time and all remaining employees were dismissed. This move is a sad and sobering end to a once proud brand celebrated by many audiophiles as one of the finest performing lines of high-end electronics available.
See more of what we know about the closing of Classé… [Read more…] about Confirmed: B&W Closes Classé HQ; Staff Dismissed
Iconic Industry Rep Steve Zaboji Killed in Plane Crash
Industry Stunned as Zaboji Died Pursuing His Love of Flight
UPDATED: Yamaha Responds to News
One of the most iconic manufacturer sales representatives in the consumer electronics industry in the Mid-Atlantic territory, Steven B. Zaboji, was killed Saturday just before 2:00pm, when the Piper Pawnee aircraft he was piloting crashed shortly after releasing a glider it had towed into the sky. According to the Virginia State Police, the crash occurred near the Front Royal Airport, the airport it had taken off from, in Warren County, Virginia.
See more on this shocking death of Steve Zaboji… [Read more…] about Iconic Industry Rep Steve Zaboji Killed in Plane Crash
A First: The Technology & Business Summit Hits the Big Apple
For the first time ever since the creation of the Technology & Business Summit in California some seven years ago, it comes to the Big Apple…and the big show made a big impression. Held over two days – Tuesday in Long Island; Thursday in Northern New Jersey – organizer Mark Cichowski tells us it was a huge success.
See more on the Technology & Business Summit in the Big Apple… [Read more…] about A First: The Technology & Business Summit Hits the Big Apple
Shares in Japan Display Jump 24% on OLED News
Japan Display Inc., a unique public/private partnership that was once Japan’s largest supplier of LCD panels but has been struggling of late, saw the price of shares of its stock jump as much as 24% Wednesday on news that it had developed a new lower cost manufacturing process for OLED panels. The company, which had been struggling with slackening global demand for LCD panels, will seek outside investment to pursue the opportunity provided by this new OLED manufacturing process.
See more on this surprising announcement out of Japan… [Read more…] about Shares in Japan Display Jump 24% on OLED News
Sonos Finally Gets Smart with Sonos One
After many months of rumors and promises, Sonos announced today the new Sonos One, their first wireless speaker with voice-control capabilities built-in – in other words, its first smart speaker. And we have to say, Sonos was pretty smart about how they approached the smart speaker market.
See why Sonos, and the Sonos One, is so smart… [Read more…] about Sonos Finally Gets Smart with Sonos One
Case Closed: Classé Closing October 6th
Multiple sources are telling us that on Friday, October 6th, the Montreal headquarters of Classé will close their doors for the last time and all remaining employees will be let go. This includes the dismissal of Classé President Dave Nauber, who has been with the company since 2002. Classé is part of the B&W Group, which itself is going through a major restructuring in the wake of the dismissal of President Doug Henderson as we reported to you back in July.
