| Cult of Mac

Say what? New ‘dialogue speaker’ clarifies voices.

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BenQ's new dialogue speaker can play music, but it's meant to make human voices especially clear.
BenQ's new dialogue speaker can play music, but it's meant to make human voices especially clear.
Photo: BenQ

BenQ, known for desktop monitors and accessories, unveiled its new treVolo U Desktop Dialogue Speaker Tuesday. Say what? A “dialogue speaker?”

Yes, and it uses special technology “designed to reinvent your digital life, offering exceptional audio for online learning, remote working, podcast and audiobook listening,” the company said.

Victrola’s stylish new wireless speakers are for indoors or on the go

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Victrola's stylish new wireless speakers are for indoors or on the go
Victrola Music Edition 2 Bluetooth speaker is ready for parties, and includes an iPhone wireless charger.
Photo: Victrola

Victrola, a company that built its reputation on the phonograph, is keeping up with the times by launching a pair of stylish, portable Bluetooth speakers on Tuesday.

The Victrola’s Music Edition speakers are designed to look good indoors but can also stand up to the elements when used in the yard or by the pool.

New Sonos mini subwoofer pairs via AirPlay with sound bars and speakers

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The new Sonos Sub Mini is designed to punch up bass while blending in.
The new Sonos Sub Mini is designed to punch up bass while blending in.
Photo: Sonos

Audio powerhouse Sonos launched the long-awaited Sub Mini on Tuesday. The small, cylindrical wireless subwoofer is designed to add low end to home theaters in smaller rooms.

It’s compatible with the company’s range of products, including its AirPlay-enabled sound bars and speakers. The affordable subwoofer goes up for sale on October 6 for $429. You can preorder it now.

Crank it up: Klipsch overhauls 10 speakers in its best-selling Reference series

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Klipsch speakers in the Reference line include floor-standing models.
Klipsch speakers in the Reference line include floor-standing models.
Photo: Klipsch

If you’re in the market for new speakers for home use, consider waiting to buy until next month, when Klipsch rolls out 10 overhauled speakers from its iconic, affordable Reference line. If you live in the Europe or the U.K., you can get them now, but the U.S. launch is in May.

Klipsch, which features the slogan “Pissing off the neighbors since 1946” on its website, overhauled the series for use in hi-fi, home theater and Dolby Atmos systems.

JBL has a new party in a box and lots of other big plans for your ears

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The JBL PartyBox Encore is a 100W speaker with a Lightshow and two microphones.
The JBL PartyBox Encore is a 100W speaker with a Lightshow and two microphones.
Photo: JBL

Every year Samsung subsidiary JBL rolls out a tempting raft of updated or new audio products at CES, but you can’t get them right away. CES 2022, held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was no different. The company showed its new JBL PartyBox Encore and a slew of other Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones. We’ll round them up below. Some are coming in spring and others in summer.

Powerful new SVS speakers and amp add AirPlay 2 support

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The new SVS Prime Wireless Pro speakers with AirPlay 2 support will come in black or white.
The new SVS Prime Wireless Pro speakers with AirPlay 2 support will come in black or white.
Photo: SVS

Audio company SVS rolled out new wares at CES 2022 — Prime Wireless Pro Speakers and an accompanying SoundBase multi-room amplifier. Both have added support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 streaming over previous Prime Wireless models’ capabilities, among other new features.

How to hand off music from your iPhone when you arrive home

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Libratone Zipp mini black white airplay 2 support
The Libratone ZIPP and ZIPP mini offer great sound quality, and now supports AirPlay 2
Photo: Connect to any AirPlay speaker, automatically.

Imagine arriving home, listening to music on your iPhone. You want to start that music playing on your home speakers instead, only you don’t want all the hassle of using Control Center, or the AirPlay panel, to do the connection manually.

If you own a HomePod, all you have to do is hold your iPhone near it, and playback will transfer. But what about regular AirPlay speakers? Can you hand off to those? Yes! You can. With a quick one-time setup, you can have the music or podcast app switch from your headphones, and play on any AirPlay speaker you have at home.

Swoop up some sweet Labor Day deals on personal audio [Deals]

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Labor Day Sale Headphones and Speakers
Save on some of the coolest personal audio we've seen at the Cult of Mac Store.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Labor Day means an extra long weekend, so why not fill it with your favorite tunes and shows? We’ve rounded up some awesome deals on personal audio from Owlee, including wireless headphones, to earbuds, to portable speakers. Even better, when you use coupon code SAVE15SOUND at checkout, you get an extra 15% off.