Category: Computer Accessories

Article -From the horse’s mouth

Matrix

Matrix Audio SS-1 Audio Ethernet Switch

SS-1 Pro / SS-1 Audio Grade Ethernet Switch (Product Page)

Previous coverage

Audiophile / Multimedia Ethernet switches

Melco introduces an audiophile-grade Ethernet switch in Australia

Multi-gigabit Ethernet

Multi-gigabit wired network connections for small networks could be real

My Comments

At the StereoNET Hi-Fi and Home Entertainment Show 2025 at the Pullman & Mercure Melbourne Albert Park hotel, I had come across an audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switch that is also designed for multi-Gigabit Ethernet networks.

This device is in the form of the Matrix SS-1 Series audio-grade Ethernet switches. One of these units, used as part of Matrix’s main demonstrator system, is the SS-1 Pro while the other which was on static display is the Matrix SS-1. The SS-1 costs AUD$2099 at the time this article was written, which underscores the premium role that this unit plays in the home Ethernet switch market.

The SS-1 Pro has eight Ethernet sockets – 2 100Mb RJ45 Ethernet sockets and 6  2.5 Gigabit Ethernet sockets. There are also two SFP+ sockets that provide a 10 Gigabit Ethernet link and support for optical fibre connections or 10 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 connections using appropriate SFP+ modules. There is also a connection for an external clock-signal generator which some audiophiles may find useful for improving network reliability and such a device was used in the same demo setup. The optical-fibre advantage also works against those dreaded ground loops that can bedevil audio setups. As far as power is concerned, thus unit has a traditional transformer-based linear power supply circuit.

The SS-1, photographed in this article, which is a cheaper model is similar but has 4 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet sockets, a switch-mode power supply, no external clock input and a 12 volt power input for use with a better external power supply.

Matrix Audio SS-1 Audio Ethernet Switch rear panel
– 4 x 2.5 Gigabit RJ45 Ethernet
– 2 x 100Mb RJ45 Ethernet for audio devices
– 2 x 10Gb SFP+ Ethernet
– 12V DC socket for improved power supply
– AC socket for internal power supply

Both these units implement independent electrical architecture for each network port and, like other audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switches, there is a lot of design work gone in to these devices to reduce electrical and mechanical interference across the network segments.

What is also unique about these audiophile / multimedia network switches is them being designed for the kind of high-bandwidth network traffic associated with multi-gigabit Ethernet. This also has the advantage of increased stability thanks to reduced  timing errors no matter the bandwidth needed for the data transfer.

These devices demonstrate the fact that they are future-ready for LAN and Internet setups that benefit from the multiple-Gigabit Ethernet technology. Think of ubiquitous 4K UHDTV or 8K UHDTV use cases, ubiquitous high-speed fibre-optic Internet, Wi-Fi 6//7 wireless networks and the like. It also includes content-creators using high-performance networks as part of their workflow.

The use of the Matrix SS-1 Pro audiophile/multimedia Ethernet switch as part of a demonstrator hi-fi setup at a hotel-based hi-fi show underscored how these devices can assure robust network operation and optimum multimedia performance where the AC supply or data network is an unknown quantity.

Personally, it does depend on the situation whether you need to buy one of these audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switches. This may be about a lot of factors like your equipment and how sensitive they are to electrical noise, what you are listening to or watching, the quality of the AC supply you intend to use, whether you are using it in unpredictable circumstances amongst other things.

Article – From the horse’s mouth

Bluetooth

Auracast™ Broadcast Audio in Action: How Silent Awa Odori Transformed a Traditional Dance Into an Immersive Audio Experience | Bluetooth® Technology Website

My Comments

There is a significant trend towards “silent discos” and similar “silent” entertainment events where participants wear supplied headphones to hear the audio content for the event.

The headphone-based silent disco

Such events take place in areas or situations where the playing of loud music is not really tolerated, such as to host the events past noise curfews or to host the events in a railway station, museums or similar places where loud music seems out of place. There are even people who run silent disco tours where the music is from a portable device but fed through a silent-disco setup and the participants follow the leader, dancing to the beat.

The current technology is based on 800-900MHz UHF analogue radio technology which can support the concurrent operation of three audio channels of stereo content. This would allow three performers to play in one of these events with the user operating a selector switch on their headphones to choose whichever performer they want to hear.

But these events require the hosts to acquire transmitter and headset kits and supply the headsets to the guests who want to participate. I even posed a question about Bluetooth Classic and its possibility in this use case but that technology is fraught with issues like latency which can impact dancing or following movie soundtracks.

Similar approaches that allowed users to use their own equipment

Another similar arrangement that has operated for a long time was to use a low-powered AM or FM transmitter in the classic drive-in cinemas to transmit the movie soundtrack through the car radios installed in the audience’s cars. Here, when the audience members arrived at the drive-in, they tuned their car radio or a portable radio to a particular frequency to hear the film’s soundtrack. This was in lieu of the wired speakers that used to be clipped to the car sun-visors which was initially the way to get the soundtrack to the cars.

It was even possible for this to work for those drive-in cinemas that ran up to three or four screens where they could show multiple films concurrently. This was facilitated with a transmitter for each screen and the audience tuned in to the relevant frequency for the screen they were viewing.

The use of low-powered AM or FM transmitters at the drive-in cinemas was effectively a “BYO equipment” approach to distributing sound that accompanied an entertainment over a small area. This was thanks to having the viewers use their car or portable radios to hear the soundtrack.

Similarly it extended to street activations, parades, fireworks displays and similar events that local radio stations ran or participated in during the 1980s and 1990s. Here, the participating radio stations broadcasted the music for that activity such as a synchronised soundtrack for a fireworks display or the dance music for a “dance in the streets” activation.

Participants brought their portable radios along or showed up in their cars and they tuned their radios to the station to hear the event soundtrack. Promotional material leading up to the event would contain a line like “Bring your ghetto blaster or Walkman and tune in to enjoy the event”. In some cases with streets that had retailers like cafes or take-out food shops that traded through the event, these retailers would tune their radios to the participating station so as to be in on the action. Some events that had a stage may have operated a PA system at the stage with the participant-supplied audio equipment being about extending the sound beyond the stage area such as along the street.

These kinds of events flourished thanks to the popularity of decent car, portable and personal audio equipment that was developed through the late 1970s and the 1980s and people wanting to get the most out of this equipment.

This scenario allowed the soundtrack for the event to be extended across the radio station’s broadcast area which can be a bonus for some events like fireworks displays that have wider areas of relevance. But it may not work well for events that have a focused area of relevance.

The drive-in cinema with its low-power radio transmitter and the local radio station that is involved in and providing the music soundtrack for that street activation or fireworks display were about providing right-sized audio coverage using equipment supplied by the participants. For example, use of a Walkman radio with headphones allowed for the soundtrack to be followed by a person wherever they went or maintain better focus on the soundtrack in a relatively noisy environment.

Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast

The newly-developed Bluetooth LE Audio technology has opened up two key features that benefit these situations.

Firstly, Bluetooth LE Audio offers improved latency that has made it acceptable for online video games, video conferencing and similar latency-sensitive use cases. For example, the Bluetooth link doesn’t introduce any extra echo or delay in the sound during a video conference or you aren’t placed at a disadvantage when playing that real-time video game.

Then there is Auracast which Bluetooth LE Audio brought in to allow one-to-many audio broadcasting using Bluetooth technology. This is pitched at assisted-listening setups in meetings, cinema, houses of worship and similar environments where you want focused listening.

In the context of silent discos and similar use cases, there was a demo event that took place in Japan to prove Auracast’s worth in this use case. Here, the event known as the Silent Awa Odori worked similar to a silent disco using wireless headphones and earbuds rather than the traditional approach of a PA system playing the music loud. This avoided the intrusiveness of loud music on other non-participant communities.

The arrangement used Auracast to distribute the sound and allowed users to use their own Auracast-capable headphones or earbuds. There were two “channels” with one being the Awa Odori folk music and the other being sets performed by local DJs. It became a way to demonstrate what Auracast can do in this use case: many participants using their own devices to listen to the event’s soundtrack; support for two or more different soundtracks that are run concurrently with a seamless switchover at the user’s device; having the music perfectly synchronised thus providing a coherent experience for the participants.

This is very similar to the typical silent disco use case where it’s primarily about dancing to the music played through multiple sets of headphones with the idea of the multiple dancers dancing to the same beat at the same time. But it could be about supporting multiple events such as at a music festival.

Taking it further

With the likes of JBL offering Auracast-capable speakers including the first widely-available Auracast-capable party speakers, I see the concept being taken further. Here, you don’t need to focus on the “silent” aspect of these events but have hybrid events that use speakers and headphones but are focused in small areas. This can be about using multiple appropriately-sized Auracast-capable speakers or Auracast-capable receive adaptors connected to appropriately-sized sound systems to provide the right amount of sound coverage in an area.  Here, you are using Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast as a wireless audio backbone from the source to the sound systems or speakers.

The JBL speaker example is one that highlights Bluetooth audio-device manufacturers refreshing their audio device ranges with Auracast-capable Bluetooth silicon over these next few years. This doesn’t just apply to headphones and earbuds but to speakers and audio equipment like radios or amplifiers that have Bluetooth receive functionality.

Another direction that I see being put up is hybrid events that combine the use of on-site speakers and wireless headsets or low-powered wirelessly-linked speakers. This is more so for events where there is an emphasis on a temporary setup and there is less of a want to deal with extra cables.

The first example would be a dance party that is intended to play after a noise curfew whereupon the main speakers are shut down at the curfew time and people listen to and dance to the music through their Auracast-capable Bluetooth headsets or earbuds. Or it can be about extending the sound to other areas in a larger venue using wireless speakers that have the right sound-reproduction requirements for those areas like lesser power output and bass response for smaller rooms. The latter example may also be about having a DJ or musician perform at one location and subsequently at another location but the sound is amplified in both locations or always at the secondary location.

The second example would highlight outdoor movie setups where supplementary headsets and speakers are used to augment the movie experience, whether there is an on-site speaker system or not for the soundtrack. Here, this would be about the use of headphones or small Bluetooth speakers local to the listener’s area to provide improved intelligibility for the movie’s dialogue in high-noise environments. It can also be about movie setups that run multiple soundtracks like multilingual audio, audio description or director’s commentary tracks where the audience member can choose the soundtrack that suits their needs.

To make Auracast work better

At the moment, the theoretical maximum operating range for mains-powered Auracast transmit adaptors is 100m to 200m. This is compared to the silent-disco setups currently in operation that work on the UHF waveband and have a 500m operating range.

One feature being worked on by Bluetooth SIG for as an evolution of Auracast is to have it provide support for repeater or multi-transmitter setups that allow for wider coverage with the same programme sources that are provided through a primary transmitter. This can be in the form of a series of transmitters that cover an area but have a backhaul using a wired or different wireless technology, or a repeater that works from another Auracast transmitter. The latter situation could be supported as part of a Bluetooth speaker’s or receive adaptor’s function set which would come in handy where hybrid events are being hosted.

The user experience would require that there be a seamless handover between different transmitters running the same programme source akin to a cellular phone setup or properly-configured Wi-Fi network and that there isn’t any difference in latency when a user moves between different transmitters. This would be a key issue for repeater setups where there is the risk of latency being introduced by a repeater. As well, if a setup is about multiple soundtracks, there would be the requirement to spread all soundtracks offered through that particular Auracast setup across all transmitters or repeaters.

Another goal again being worked on as part of the evolution of Bluetooth LE Audio is what I would describe as Bluetooth audio’s “Holy Grail”. That is to provide a lossless stereo audio feed with an equivalent standard to CD audio or, better still, master-grade audio. Similarly, there would be another “Holy Grail” multichannel requirement to support surround sound to at least Dolby Digital 5.1 channel standards. This could at least facilitate multiple-speaker surround sound setups that use Bluetooth LE as a backbone.

The plans to support multiple transmitters in an Auracast setup and to open Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast for the two “Holy Grail” setups – lossless CD-grade or master-grade stereo audio or multichannel spatial or surround-sound setups is being made as part of the standard’s future directions.

As well, Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast would need to be supported within the automotive audio scene, whether that is through equipment installed by the vehicle builder or as an aftermarket option. This would come in to its own with the drive-in cinema use case as a digital substitute to the FM transmitter solution used in these environments. It may also be used as a means to have Auracast-based audio-sharing serve to stream multimedia content in to a car-audio setup on an ad-hoc basis. The classic example for this is to allow the equivalent of the former practice of a passenger bringing along a tape or CD to play in the car’s stereo in order to share it with the driver and other passengers during a car journey.

But the use of Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast in the silent disco and similar use cases could demonstrate itself as another use beyond satisfying accessibility requirements for a venue.

Article

OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock Review | TechRadar

From the horse’s mouth

OWC

Thunderbolt Go Dock (Product Page)

Product Video – Click or tap to play in YouTube

MacFixit Australia (Australian distributor)

OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock – Thunderbolt 4 – Macfixit Australia (Click to buy)

My Comments

OWC has come up with an impressive Thunderbolt 4 dock that has features that are out of the ordinary for this class of equipment. This is a unit that is compact enough to fit in one of the pockets of a laptop bag

Here, it can connect to a host computer device that uses a Thunderbolt 3/4/USB4 connection and has plenty of connections for other peripherals. There are two Thunderbolt 4/USB4/USB-C downstream ports, an extra USB-C port, three USB-A ports with two as USB3 ports, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm stereo line-out jack and an SD card reader.

The use of a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port on one of these devices is astounding because, along with the Thunderbolt connection, it means that the equipment is ready for wired networks that implement the next logical upgrade from Gigabit Ethernet. It can also be of relevance with newer network-attached-storage units that support this kind of Ethernet connection.

This OWS Thunderbolt Go Dock only comes with the Thunderbolt cable and a standard AC cord

A feature that makes this Thunderbolt dock special compared to other Thunderbolt or USB-C docks is that it has a built-in power supply. That means you only need to use the kind of “figure-8” AC cord typically used to power something like a boombox. This is compared to the other docks that are powered by a wall-wart or power-brick AC adaptor. I suspect this has come about due to GaN technology that allows for a very small power-supply footprint in product designs.

This means it is easier to replace the AC cord if you happen to lose it or it becomes damaged. Also you are at an advantage when you travel overseas because you can use a “figure 8” AC cord with the destination country’s AC plug. Here, you may be able to use one of these cords that became spare due to a piece of equipment breaking down or could buy one from an electronics store or supermarket.

The power budget for this device is 90W upstream to the host computer and 15W downstream to the Thunderbolt / USB-C downstream connections. The standard USB-A connections are rated for 1.5A each. As well, the power supply works across the standard mains voltage ranges used in just about all countries, making this device really about travel.

OWC supplies an “ejector” package that safely releases all the secondary-storage devices that are connected to the host computer via the dock. Here, it is more about providing simultaneous ejection of all of the devices rather than requiring the user to go through each device to safely dismount each disk or SD card.

Windows and Linux users would also have to install a Realtek driver package for the Ethernet network functionality because there isn’t device class support in these operating systems for Thunderbolt network interfaces.

This concept could be taken further with increased power output across the USB ports or to support 12-24V DC as an alternative power input. That could then come in to its own with automotive, marine and aviation use cases where you have that kind of power comes out of an accessory-power / cigar-lighter socket or aviation EmPower socket. Such a use case could encompass tradespeople, digital nomads or others who work from the back of a van.

But what I see is the idea of a portable capable Thunderbolt or USB-C dock that doesn’t require you to worry about carrying a particular AC adaptor with it because it has its own power supply built in to it. This practice could become the way to go for newer premium Thunderbolt or USB-C docking stations and similar devices whether they are pitched for desktop use or on-the-road use.

HP E14 G4 portable monitor

Most of the monitor brands have at least one portable monitor in their range, with a few companies offering them as their only product.

These are monitors that have a screen size of between 11” to 18”, weigh below 2kg and are packaged in a manner so you can take them with you when you are out and about. They come in to their own as a second screen for your laptop, typically due to them matching common laptop screen sizes.

The USB-C connectivity standard, especially as used with display devices, has made these devices possible due to the use of one cable to power the monitor, send the video and audio signals to the monitor and, in some cases, pass data back to the host computer according to common standards. Some of these monitors have their own power supply like a battery which can reduce the power burden on your laptop.

Most of these monitors have a stand that is part of the cover or as a clip-on base that has the connection ports. But there are those that are designed to clip to your laptop, with these monitors typically sold as “screen extenders”.

They are typically a “plug-and-play” accessory that can work with any computer no matter the operating system as long as the computer has the appropriate hardware connections. Some of them will even have a micro-HDMI or DisplayPort connection so they can work with digital or video cameras or with older laptops that don’t have USB-C connections.

There are some monitors that have the built-in audio with their own speakers and/or a headset / line-out jack. These work to the “display audio” driver used by your computer’s graphics processor. Some of the monitors have a touchscreen, a Webcam and/or a USB peripheral hub as product-differentiating features.

The typical resolution for most of these monitors is at Full HD (1920×1080) and they typically have a screen quality that is similar to common consumer or business laptops. A selection of these portable monitors are being pitched at the gaming or creative market with them supporting higher resolutions like 4K UHDTV, which is a screen quality equivalent to a laptop or desktop monitor pitched at the creator / prosumer market, or higher screen refresh rates. These are justifiably sold at a higher price premium.

You may find that some Android mobile devices, especially high-end Samsung devices, and some handheld video game consoles like the Nintendo Switch can work with portable monitors. This may appeal to those of us who do a lot of mobile gaming for instance.

Who are they worth it for

A portable monitor would come in to its own with laptop users who value a second screen while on the road. They may not earn their keep when you use your laptop primarily on public transport like in an aircraft. Rather they would come in to their own when used at the place you are staying at overnight, or a place you use as a secondary workspace like a café.

Using an EspressoFlow portable monitor to show information to another person when working with someone else

If you are talking with someone at a table and want to show them resources you have on your computer or the Internet, these screens come in handy because you can have the portable monitor face whoever you are talking to while you are able to prepare material on your laptop to show the other person. This is important if you want to sit opposite the other person so you can see the other person’s face. Similarly, they can work well with videoconferences and online classes, giving you the advantage of two screens.

If you have a multi-screen home office, you may think of that portable monitor as something that is redundant. But in could come in bandy for some uses like monitoring particular email, Social Web, news or messaging feeds. Touchscreen-enabled or stylus-enabled portable monitors could end up as a form of digital tablet for your computing workspace.

Some of you will find a touchscreen or stylus-enabled portable monitor suitable for your needs especially where you want to add touch or stylus input to your existing setup. It can also be useful if you are wanting a larger touch-enabled or stylus-enabled input surface for your existing touch-capable or stylus-capable setup.

What to look for

An EspressoFlow portable monitor serving as a stylus-driven tablet for artists to use

When you are looking for a portable monitor, you need to be sure you are after a unit that is well built. Most users can get by with any of the models that are pitched towards business users and professionals.

They will typically have a screen design similar to the typical consumer or business laptop computer and would have a Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen resolution, similar to what I would prefer for a laptop computer so you aren’t unnecessarily running out of battery power.

As well, the screen size should approximate your laptop’s screen size if you are using the portable monitor to extend the laptop’s screen area. A good rule of thumb is to have the screen’s height the same as your laptop’s screen, something that could work well if both displays are of different aspect ratios. On the other hand, larger screen sizes can come in to their own for activities where you are see the monitor act as another “desktop” or “work area”.

If your laptop computer has a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 / 4 port, the portable monitor should have a USB-C port with DisplayPort alt and PowerDelivery functionality. The latter functionality would even come in to its own even if the monitor has its own power supply such as a battery. That means it can effectively “balance” the power requirements for the computer and monitor and “spin out” the battery.

If you have or are likely to use the portable monitor with an older computer that doesn’t have a USB-C port, the portable monitor should have a micro-HDMI or DisplayPort connection and cables to connect it to an HDMI port on the host computer. Or it has to support DisplayLink which sends video information over a USB connection with the monitor being supplied with a USB-C to USB-A cable. As well, it would also have to be self powered and able to he charged from an external charger.

A portable monitor equipped with an HDMI connection and, preferably, HDCP and audio support would come in to its own with all sorts of video peripherals. Think of reviewing photos or video you took with your digital or video camera on a screen larger than the camera’s own screen. Or teaming the monitor with a set-top box to use it as the equivalent of one of those portable TVs.

Higher resolutions or stylus support can be of value for anyone who does a lot of work with graphics and multimedia. Touchscreen monitors would be nice to have for those of us who want the touch-driven “tablet experience” for our regular computers. It is important where software allows for a screen to be purposed as a touch-friendly control surface which is being expected of most software.

Conclusion

Portable monitors are a useful accessory for your laptop computer, especially where you value multiple-screen computing on the road or want to have an ancillary screen for videoconferencing and interviews.

In some ways, they can add extra functionality to your existing computer setup such as a touch-enabled control panel or stylus-enabled drawing tablet. Those units that have HDMI inputs equivalent to an ordinary TV can come in to their own with many different video devices used in a personal manner.

Articles

The same kind of GaN technology that powers these powerful USB chargers is entering another class of electronics

GaN Technology in Audio Power Amplification | audioXpress

500W Heatsinkless Audio Amplifier from Axign and GaN Systems Demonstrates a New World of Extraordinary Audio Performance | GaN Systems

Previous coverage on GaN technology

Belkin joins the GaN bus with two highly-compact USB PD wall chargers

My Comments

Gallium Nitride is a relatively new semiconductor material that is being seen as “today’s silicon”. At the moment, it has been used in various optoelectronics applications like blue, white, green or ultraviolet LEDs and blue and green laser diodes.

As well, it has seen a lot of traction within power electronics use cases like power supplies, inverters and battery chargers. This has been leading to some small powerful USB-C battery chargers and multi-output charging bars. As well, this technology is helping with decarbonisation thanks to its use with solar panels, battery storage systems and electric vehicles. What has driven its use in this field is how powerful the GaN semiconductors are and the fact that there aren’t heat issues with these semiconductors, this allowing for small designs for powerful power-supply circuits.

But over the last two years, some work has taken place with implementing GaN technology within the audio amplifier space. This is similar to power-supply design but is to amplify a variable-frequency signal representing sound in order to drive a loudspeaker. Here it’s about assuring that the sound is amplified in a manner to assure its clarity and intelligibility.

GaN Systems has showcased an audio amplifier design that works at 250 watts per channel for a 4-ohm load with a very low total harmonic distortion of below 0.01% across 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This Class D amplifier circuit has been rated to perform close to a Class A amplifier circuit which represents the pinnacle for hi-fi audio amplification using solid-state technology.

What could this mean for audio equipment design?

This time amplifying sound within audio equipment like amplifiers and active speakers

I see this like how silicon technology impacted audio equipment design through the 1970s.

For example, amplifiers started to acquire power output ratings of at least two figures per channel with specifications that represented an increasingly-clean sound, which led to a requirement to re-engineer loudspeakers for stronger signals. These amplifiers were more tolerant of how the speakers were wired to them thus opening the pathway to multiroom audio or advanced speaker wiring approaches. This was infact a driver for the Receiver Wars of the 1970s with the goal to see who could offer the most powerful stereo receiver that yielded the cleanest sound.

There was also the ability to do away with output transformers which was a boon for a clean hi-fi sound and for mobile and portable use cases. It was also easier to design portable equipment for increased power efficiency which allowed for longer battery runtimes with stronger clearer sound. It also led to a strong effort towards highly-compact hi-fi systems be they integrated systems  with many programme sources on the same chassis or small compact component systems.

Smart speakers and Bluetooth speakers are expected to benefit from GaN audio-amplification technology to assure that clean powerful sound.

Most likely I would see increasingly capable active-speaker designs like smart speakers or Bluetooth speakers appear on the market which are about a clearer stronger sound that what occurred previously. They would also have a neat design even though they have a higher power output due to very little reliance on heatsinks and other thermal-mitigation designs.

As well, manufacturers could get away with designing sophisticated amplifier and speaker setups yet keep the amplifiers in these setups compact. This would benefit multichannel and spatial audio or sophisticated designs with separately-amplified speaker drivers such as “active subwoofer” or “biamplification”.

It would also impact “built-in” audio designs like automotive or marine audio. That also extends to TVs, computer monitors and similar devices  with built-in speakers. This is because there would be powerful high-quality amplifiers that can be integrated in these installations without having to worry about heat buildup.

Like what happened when silicon semiconductors came about, battery-operated devices will gain a performance and efficiency boost. Welcome to longer battery runtimes or significant improvement in sound quality out of those Bluetooth speakers or portable digital radios for example.

GaN semiconductor technology entering the audio-amplification space is demonstrating the fact that this  a significant step towards it becoming the “new silicon” for electronics design.

LG SoundPop 360 Bluetooth speakers
– an example of the popular Bluetooth speakers

A very popular accessory for smartphones, tablets and laptops is the Bluetooth speaker. These speakers connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth and work as an audio output device for it.

The typical design for most of these speakers is to be a highly portable battery-operated unit that can fill a small area with sound in a manner equivalent to the typical portable radio. These appear in many different sizes from something that fits in your palm to larger tube-shaped units that can be carried using a strap or shoved in your coat pocket. Add to this an increasing number of larger cube-shaped speakers that put out a bass rich sound.

Add to this larger mains-powered bookshelf active speakers that have Bluetooth audio functionality in them along with a variety of inputs like analogue line-level and phono inputs or USB, SP/DIF and HDMI digital-audio inputs. These are being pitched as a way to set up a stereo for an office or small apartment.

In a lot of cases especially with portable speakers, these have a built-in microphone so they can become a speakerphone for your mobile device, something that can come in handy for conference calling including Zoom calls. But some Bluetooth speakers like the B&O Beosound A1 2nd Generation speaker even have this function set up so they work with your smartphone or tablet as a voice-activated smart speaker.

T

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Generation Bluetooth smart speaker that works with a smartphone or similar devicce to benefit from Amazon Alexa

hese exist in a universe of Bluetooth audio endpoints like audio adaptors that work between a line-level audio connection and Bluetooth Classic audio as either a transmitter or receiver. This is in addition to home audio equipment receiving Bluetooth audio as an input and/or transmitting content available to it as a Bluetooth audio stream.

An example of this is in the form of portable and mantel radios that work as Bluetooth speakers. This device class has capitalised on the interest over the last 15 years in premium radios thanks to the likes of Bose and Tivoli offering radios that look and perform “above average”; the nostalgia for vintage-styled radios, along with broadcast radio being delivered via digital-broadcast technology or Internet technology and yielding programming exclusive to those technologies.

It includes companies offering audio source devices like turntables or CD players that stream to Bluetooth speakers. This is because the Bluetooth audio specifications are in fact “application-level” specifications that have been pre-determined for a long time, so there as surety that their source devices can work with any Bluetooth audio endpoint device. Here, it could allow someone to create an elementary sound system around that device and a pair of Bluetooth speakers.

Some of these speakers come with other features like LED-driven “party lights” or very large batteries that work as powerbanks for charging mobile devices. As well, a lot of larger portable Bluetooth speakers make use of passive radiators as a way to increase their bass response while others rely on an app-driven approach to allow you to adjust their sound quality from your smartphone.

Multi-speaker operation

But, thanks to Bluetooth 5, there has been an interest in multi-speaker Bluetooth audio approaches. This comes in the form of two operating modes:

Party Mode: Multiple speakers play the same programme content from the same source device with speakers that are stereo-designed playing the content in stereo across the speakers in that same box. This is to provide more sound coverage, typically for entertaining people at a party. Most such setups can handle a relatively large number of speakers due to latency not being considered important for this use case.

Stereo Mode: A pair of like speakers are set up so that one plays the left channel of a stereo programme source from one source device while the other plays the right channel of that same source. This is to improve the channel separation for the stereo content.

Typically manufacturers are limiting this functionality to a subset of their Bluetooth-speaker product range, more so the products in the “value” and “premium” market positionings.

These operating modes may work in one of two arrangements;

Source-to-speakers / hub-and-spoke: The source device streams the audio content to the speakers at once. This is typically implemented for stereo-mode operation so as to reduce latency by making sure the data gets to each speaker without any middleman device processing it.

Speaker-to-speaker / daisy-chain: The source device streams the audio content to one speaker which passes it on to other speakers down the line. This appeals to party-mode operation so as to permit large numbers of speakers to be in the setup. It may allow speakers to introduce some latency but this isn’t an issue for party-mode operation due to the goal of covering a large area with sound.

What to watch

Bluetooth LE Audio and its impact on Bluetooth speakers

Bluetooth LE Audio has been cemented in stone as the next-generation Bluetooth multimedia audio standard and is expected to provide a raft of improvements for this device class.

This implements the Bluetooth LC3 audio codec which is about efficient audio data transfer and even improve sound quality, operational stability and battery runtime. Here it also allows mobile-technology designers to avoid reinventing the wheel for audio-codec improvements when it comes to baseline audio performance for Bluetooth audio.

For portable Bluetooth speakers, this could be about allowing you to move around more freely with your mobile device without fear of losing the music as well as being able to run for a long time before needing to be charged up. As well, there will be the ability for these speakers and similar devices to cope with congested 2.4GHx wireless environments like in a city centre because of the robustness that the LC3 audio codec will offer.

This could impact how they are designed such as to have portable speakers that are lighter because of not needing to design around large battery packs. There will also be the chance to design higher-quality portable Bluetooth speakers that take advantage of higher quality sound that the new codec offers. Multi-speaker setups, especially based on Auracast, could be benefitting if the setup permits meshed or daisy-chained operation because of reduced latency in such setups and less impact on battery runtime for the actual sound reproduction.

Auracast broadcast audio will come in to its own with Bluetooth speakers that implement the Bluetooth LE Audio standard. Firstly, this could be about multiple-speaker party-mode operation without a requirement to use particular speakers from the same manufacturer. It may even allow the use of multichannel setups within the same Auracast multi-speaker setup rather than having “party mode” or “stereo mode” being mutually exclusive. Here, you would be using “audio sharing” on your phone, tablet or laptop to facilitate this mode with the device being enabled for Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast.

As well, Auracast-based broadcast audio and Bluetooth speakers can be a perfect partner here. For example, a small Bluetooth speaker used in this context could be about close listening to an alternative soundtrack for video or other content or following an event going on in a nieghbouring area from another small room where you might be engaging in activity relating to that event.

Similarly, Auracast with Bluetooth speakers could be a logical follow-on to FM radio where listenership using BYO audio devices is desired for an event hosted in an area with a small footprint.

Previously, radio broadcasters were often collaborating with event organisers to broadcast the musical soundtrack to a large public event like a fireworks display, street parade or motorcade. Then you would have to bring a portable radio to that event and tune in to that station to follow the soundtrack using that radio to get the best value from that event. This approach may be seen as irrelevant for a radio station with a large broadcast area like a major city’s metropolitan area unless the event has a large footprint that takes in more of that broadcast area such as a fireworks display encompassing a waterway that passes through the city.

Similarly, there were the drive-in cinemas where you tuned your car radio to a particular frequency to hear the film’s soundtrack. Here, this was limited to what the FM band was about and issues like destructive multipath that could ruin your listening experience.

Here, Auracast could lead towards a license-free wireless audio distribution approach centred around Bluetooth speakers that implement Bluetooth LE Audio technology. It would also be about increased flexibility within the setup like multichannel speaker clusters (think stereo pairs or speakers plus subwoofer setups).

The Bluetooth LE Audio specification will also impact multiple-input operation for Bluetooth speakers. This could be about seamless multipoint operation when you want to use a speaker with a smartphone and laptop or allowing your party guests to contribute to the music at your party using their devices. It could also be about party speakers that work with Bluetooth LE Audio microphones for karaoke and PA usage.

How Bluetooth LE Audio will come in to play for devices like Bluetooth headsets and speakers is the availability of dual-mode system-on-chip circuitry for this class of device. This will allow devices to work in a Bluetooth LE Audio or Bluetooth Classic Audio mode depending on what Bluetooth device they are working with, so as to assure maximum compatibility.

What could be done

There could be an emphasis towards optimising for and promoting mesh operation within multiple-speaker setups. Here, it can be used to make these setups more robust including allowing you to position your smartphone or other source device near any of the member speakers to assure audio continuity.

Multi-speaker setups could also be about bass improvement such as to add a subwoofer in to a party-mode or stereo-mode setup to pump up the bass. This also includes use of speakers that implement separately-amplified bass drivers being capable of working as part of these setups, especially “stereo-mode” setups.

There could be less reliance on “app-cessory” operation for common advanced functionality like tone control or lighting control. This could be facilitated with application-level functionality in Bluetooth LE Audio for these functions and avoid the need to create buggy apps for mobile and desktop platforms.

Manufacturers could look towards offering a variant of their Bluetooth speaker designs that has a broadcast-band radio tuner built in. Here, if you had already bought a particular speaker and then know there is one of the same design as what you already bought but has the radio functionality as well, you could justify buying the one with the radio so you can have a pair of speakers for party-mode or stereo-mode operation. It could also incentivise the manufacturer to design the speakers to work in multi-speaker mode for radio broadcasts as well as your phone’s audio.

It could extend to Bluetooth speakers that have line-input connections being able to stream the device connected to that input across a multi-speaker setup. This would extend the utility of that connection for multi-channel setups or party-mode setups.

Other complementary standards could be worked on to bring more utility out of the Bluetooth speaker class. For example, the HDMI-ARC standard could be worked on in a manner to support delivery of multiple soundtracks for the same video content. Here, this could incentivise the development of soundbars and AV receivers that allow streaming of different soundtracks to Bluetooth audio endpoints associated with the same device. That could allow a viewer to hear an alternate-language or audio-described soundtrack for video content using a Bluetooth headset or speaker paired to the soundbar or AV receiver while others hear the main soundtrack for that same content through that soundbar.

What I see that will affect Bluetooth speakers is the next few model cycles is to have Bluetooth LE Audio support as a heavily-marketed feature that will improve how they operate in many ways. It is something that I would see drip through a manufacturer’s Bluetooth audio product range.

Articles

Sony INZONE monitor and headsets

Sony announces INZONE line of monitors and headsets for PC and PS5 gaming | ZDNet

Sony’s new hardware brand will launch with gaming headsets and PS5-optimized monitors | Engadget

From the horse’s mouth

Sony

INZONE Product Page (USA)

INZONE Press Release

My Comments

Sony is creating the INZONE sub-brand that is pitched towards young gamers. This will be primarily used to market monitors, headsets and other peripherals that are optimised for video gaming on consoles or regular computers.

At the moment, there are two 27” monitors that are optimised for gaming on computers or video games consoles like the PlayStation 5 or the XBox X. These are designed on a “horses for courses” basis to suit the kind of video games a particular gamer wants to play. The INZONE M9, which has 4K UHD resolution and 144Hz screen refresh will come in to its own with “massive multiplayer online” and strategy games that excel on visuals but are slow-paced. Then the INZONE M3, which has Full HD resolution and 240Hz screen refresh is optimised for fast-paced games like first-person shooters where it is critical that you can detect the enemies in the game. These screens automatically adapt themselves towards gaming-focused behaviour or movie-focused behaviour depending on what is played through them, allowing them to become entertainment screens for that bedroom or dorm room.

There are two wireless headsets along with a wired headset in the INZONE gaming product range. The H9 and H7 wireless headsets can work with Bluetooth or a dedicated 2.4GHz low-latency wireless link to the host. The H9 is based on Sony’s successful WH1000XM active-noise-cancelling headset platform which allowed Sony to answer Bose with high-quality value-for-money noise-cancelling headsets and kick off the “Headset Wars”. The H3 wired headset connects to the host device via a USB connection or an analogue 3.5mm audio connection. But they all support Tempest 3D AudioTech virtual surround as implemented in the PS5 console thus allowing for spatial sound.

I see the INZONE effort as being very similar to Sony’s XPLOD car-stereo branding. This is the creation of a sub-brand of products that are pitched towards today’s teenagers and young adults who don’t have children and put their money towards leisure pursuits. In the XPLOD case, this was about high-performance car stereo equipment that is installed in those cars that they like to trick out. INZONE would be about marketing a range of gaming-optimised peripheral devices so those young people out there who want to get the most out of video games.

But could I see this as Sony offering more INZONE-branded computer-peripheral hardware pitched towards gamers? An obvious case could be something like speakers or soundbars that have sound qualities that go well for video games. Or I would see something like a range of TVs with screen sizes of between 32” to 40” that have screen refresh rates and image responsiveness desired for “core” video gaming.