Audio players have not stopped advancing in recent years. If just a decade ago it was still normal for the user to carry players with long cables kept in their pockets, now wireless devices are increasingly democratized. These are also receiving new features, such as active noise cancellation, which improves the user experience. And that’s not to mention the audio quality, which is also clearly increasing.
On the occasion of the fair CESheld recently in the city of Las Vegas, ABC collects some of the features that the user should start looking for in the players before proceeding with their purchase.
Immersive audio
“In the coming years, all companies are going to focus on developing immersive audio, it is the holy grail of the industry,” according to Alfredo Fernández, director of intelligent audio at Harman, the firm behind brands such as JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, Mark Levinson, and Revel. Thanks to this technology, the experience of using a playback device is much more realistic. If you use them to listen to music, it almost feels like you’re really at a concert, because the sound follows you as you move your head.
To get the quality of the functionality to be the best, it is necessary to reach the ‘hyper-personalization’ of the sound, especially the headphones. This is accomplished by scanning your ear canals, adjusting the audio to create the most personalized experience possible. Most headphones today are made from a standard ear model, but to improve spatial audio, and trick the brain about the position of the sound, the ear canal plays an essential role.
During CES, Harman introduced multiple products, such as the JBL Quantum 360X/P and JBL Quantum 910X/P, designed specifically for use with game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation. These headphones feature head movement tracking technology, which allows audio to move with the user, and already have calibration capabilities that adapt to the user’s ear. The ultimate goal of immersive audio in the future will be to achieve a better experience in virtual environments, such as the metaverse.
Sustainability
Sustainably made tech products have been a common thread at CES. From energy savings in televisions with ‘Energy Star’ certifications, to the manufacture of products using only renewable energy that Samsung announced for 2030. An example of this is the new JBL Eco speakers, JBL Clip 4 Eco and JBL Go 3 Eco , made with 90% recycled material, reaching 100% in the speaker grill.
Both models will have their equivalent, with the same characteristics, with and without the eco label, and at the same price. “Both offer JBL Pro sound quality, with eco-friendly packaging and materials,” says Dave Rogers, president of the technology’s lifestyle division.
Sound experience in the car
Harman has a long history of providing vehicle audio solutions, working with major automotive manufacturers for decades. Electric cars have brought with them new challenges in terms of entertainment, especially while waiting for charging, which can take up to 20 minutes. By enhancing the multimedia capabilities of vehicles, sound plays an important role. As with headphones, Rogers tells us there’s a big potential to create personalized in-car audio experiencesThey are even currently working so that each passenger has their own audio space, as if it were the air conditioner. Without the use of headphones, each occupant could enjoy their multimedia content isolated from the rest. This will become even more important, if possible, with the autonomous car, where the driver can even be distracted by a movie or a video game.
In addition to the Quantum series, the JBL Bar 1300, a new soundbar that brings advanced audio and Dolby Atmos surround sound, as well as the Tour PRO 2 headphones, were also introduced last week. There were also several releases from the luxury division, including the JBL Classic series of components.