Gadgets of the week - Sunday Times

Hubert put together what is now the T12 last year. It is now on sale in Harrods, John Lewis, and Amazon. Reviews have been very positive, including the following from the Sunday Times.

"WHAT IS IT? This British-designed speaker system provides stereo sound from a single speaker housed in a smart bar-shaped cabinet. Many rival television sound bars employ digital trickery to provide the illusion of surround sound from a single cabinet that contains multiple speakers, but the Orbitsound does not take this approach. Instead, it reengineers the principles of stereo reproduction to provide a true stereo sound field from a single compact enclosure that is uniform throughout the room rather than having one sweet spot. This, of course, sounds like nonsense, but InGear has tested one and it worked well, whether connected to a television source or using the built-in iPod dock.

SHOULD I BUY ONE? If you opt for a sound bar to sit under your TV, it’s academic exactly how many speakers are housed within it. Even so, this innovative, well-made kit is powerful yet easy on the ear. "

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article5252031.ece

They do identify the key problem about new technology - when you explain Airsound to someone you can get:

Its not possible (and I know my stuff)
or
I don't care (I dont listen to sound, and I am not that interested)

As the article above says - it worked well - but if you need to hear a demonstration and you don't live near to Harrods, we would happily arrange one for you if you live in the Wiltshire/M4 corridor.

We do have an offer on the T12 at the moment. To find out more visit

Special offer on the T12

The T12 is being offered by Diasmusic on Special offer. Each T12 comes with a Sonic Soundscape for £249.99, making a fantasic offer.

The T12 has been rated by many reviewers as a great product due to the clear sound and the absence of deadspots normally associated with stereo playback.

Diasmusic were the first company to produce a production model of an Airsound system, The Sonic Soundscape, and during the last year or so we have found that we are still amazed by the sound quality it produces.

To enquire or visit the store click here

airSound progress

Ted Fletcher, the inventor of airSound has introduced a range of single point stereo machines. The T12 has received a 5 star review in Macworld and was the editors choice.

The original demo unit spent a little time in our house. A little more powerful that the Soundscape (our model), with the same distinct clarity and breadth of sound.

We produced our model in white - and this one is in black. I know there were a number of people that would have prefered a black model, in which case get in contact!

"We’ll be honest – Orbitsound’s latest offering to the premium iPod user's market wowed us all here at Macworld It combines a unique selling point and high-quality audio playback, thanks largely to the powerful bass speaker, making it a compelling option for high-quality digital music playback from an iPod.
The solution consists of the iPod dock-equipped head unit, called ‘the soundbar’, the subwoofer, remote control and cable collection. This carries the iPod dock, status LEDs and outputs for the subwoofer and a set of inputs for an auxiliary source, such as a CD deck or – our favourite – television. The system looks stunning beside a TV - even better, it offers video out, so you can wire your home-entertainment system up to it for video playback from your video-equipped iPod or iPhone. The soundbar measures 54 x 9 x 9.6cm, and the 22.5 x 22.5 x 46cm subwoofer is a passive loudspeaker designed to produce powerful sound at bass frequencies.
The infra-red remote control is large enough not to lose down a gap in the sofa and is also well laid out and simple to use. It lets you switch between the iPod or auxiliary device for sound playback, offers library navigation, bass, treble, fast-forward, rewind, play/pause and volume controls.
What makes the soundbar so effective is its combination of well-thought-out technologies. The stereo sound field is produced by the speakers mounted in the side of the unit, which work with the main signal to produce real stereo sound. The soundbar also hosts the analogue processors, the amplifier and eight loudspeakers.
The shelf-sized speaker is powerful enough on its own, picking up a good amount of musical detail and delivering an impressive quality of playback that's significantly better than a radio receiver or online music streaming service. " Macworld review 5 August 08

A Sonic Attraction

It is always nice when you get an endorsement from someone who is well known and just happens to understand music.

Hello Hubert,

Thanks again for taking the time to demo your Airsound system the other day.

I'm e-mailing you to tell you that I couldn't be more pleased with it. I think you've pulled off something quite remarkable with it -- you might even be a genius! I've been playing a lot of my old favourite CDs and music DVDs and have been pleasantly surprised every time. The sound is warm, well balanced and beautifully detailed. If you stuck it a cherry or walnut cabinet and sold it for £1000 pounds no one would argue.

I look forward to hearing the next generation which is currently at the prototype stage and will certainly be looking to buy one of those too.

The next time I'm in the area I'll drop off a Suzanne Vega CD for you.

In the meantime, congratulations and keep up the good work. And feel free to use any of this e-mail that you wish as an endorsement for your product on you website or wherever.

Very best wishes

Bruce

Bruce Thomas - fabulous bass player - with the Attractions, and has also played with many other s - including Al Stewart, Paul Rodgers, Steve Howe, Wings, Paul McCartney, Nic Lowe, Pretenders, Madness, Billy Bragg, and Suzanne Vega
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Diner/2674/thomas_bruce_a.htm

For further information about the Airsound system - the Sonic Soundscape - please see Dias Music

A fantastic Testimonial

Brilliant Stereo Sound That Follows You Across the Room

I’ve got a new best friend. It’s cool white, very discrete and called Dias. Thanks to Dias for the past week I’ve been listening to some great sounds while I work or unwind.

Brilliant sound is what Dias is about. I like a good stereo sound, over the years I’ve invested a lot in audio equipment and music CD ripping is my business now. But getting a good sound here, while I work, is difficult so I love the sound I get now. Yes, the quality is high – very high – but that’s not the main thing. Thanks to Dias I get a great stereo sound wherever I am in the office.

Incredibly Dias stereo sound follows you round the room.

There is much more! To read on please see Jeff's Blog

http://podserve.blogspot.com/

Jeff has enjoyed the sound so much he has offered to demonstrate the Sonic Soundscape in the SE of London and surrounding area.

Faringdon Gateway Demonstration

29 October 6:30 PM

The Sonic Soundscape is a speaker and amplifier ideal for playing music from MP3, iPod, PC or TV. It is the first speaker system to use AIRSOUND™ 'single point stereo', which adds considerable depth and clarity to all forms of sound.

It is being demonstrated at the Faringdon Business Centre on the 29th October at 6:30 PM with a free glass of wine from Den Boer Wines

Thames Valley Innovation Event 16th October

Dias Music Ltd will be demonstrating the Sonic Soundscape at the Thames Valley Innovation Showcase on the 16th October.

For more details of the event follow either of the below links:

http://www.businessinberkshire.co.uk/thamesvalleyic/extra3.html

http://www.thamesvalley.co.uk/content/index.asp?id=111

How good is your recording?

Recording music onto your iPod is a compromise between quality and space. The default on iTunes is set at 128kps, and having done lots of demonstrations I have found that many people use this default standard.

Using the Sonic Soundscape I was a bit alarmed when I started hearing distorted music, booming bass, and some of the high frequency music could not be heard through all of the hubub.

I have been back through my cd's and re-recorded a lot of material using the Apple “lossless” format, which seems to be 800 Kps, and although the file sizes are larger, the quality of sound is measurably improved, and all the features of the Sonic Soundscape can be heard to best effect. This could be things such as hearing the audience clap on a live recording to bring you closer to “being there”. Alternatively it could be hearing the microphone being turned on and Robert Plant breathing on “Going to California”. Little things I know, but it does let you enjoy the music a little more.

How big do your speakers need to be?

Thanks to Carole for the picture below - she thought of us as our speaker is compact and does deliver clear sound without needing to have the volumes turned right up.

Sonic Soundscape testimonial

Sometimes a testimonial can really give you a lift!

"I was very impressed when given the initial demonstration of the speakers, but it wasn't till I got home and plugged them in that I really appreciated the quality and overall affect. I have them hooked up to my television via the composite cables. I also route my computer and Wii through the television so it made sense to add these to my all-in-one solution.

The sub woofer offers substantial bass but is not what sells this impressively priced deal. I will confess to not knowing how the new Soundscape technology works, but I can tell you it works very well indeed. We have quite a wide sofa and a variety of seating positions. The Soundscape
ensures a consistent experience no matter where you are seated. For those who feel they will lose out on a surround definitely have to try this as an alternative. My experience is that you get a much more atmospheric sound. Having used the speakers with a couple of games (mostly FPS's), at increasingly immodest volumes, I can quite literally state it adds a real extra dimension to the whole sensation.

Even if you are not sold on the new technology the sound quality of is far far better than a similar price unit and I think equal to many units quadruple the price. If you are looking for excellent sound quality at a good price you've just found yourself a bargain. I am a satisfied and happy customer"

Hopes this is ok. I was watching lost the other day using the speakers and couldn't shake the feeling there were palm trees swaying in my kitchen!

For Further information see http://www.diasmusic.com