Today xMEMS Labs emerged from stealth mode to reinvent sound with the introduction of Montara, the world's first monolithic true MEMS speaker, delivering high fidelity, full-bandwidth sound and low total harmonic distortion (THD) for sealed in-ear personal audio devices, including true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. Montara is also the world's first IP-57 rated microspeaker, enabling water and dust-resistant earbuds. Consumers will benefit from enhanced audio fidelity with raised levels of clarity and detail for instruments and vocals, extremely low latency, waterproof earbuds, and longer listening times.

"With on-the-go media consumption on the rise such as subscription music, podcasts, video, audiobooks and mobile gaming, consumers are increasingly demanding enhanced audio quality and extended listen times between charges," said Joseph Jiang co-founder and CEO. "Until now, the industry has relied on antiquated, centuries-old multi-component voice coil speakers requiring labor-intensive, high variability factory assembly lines. Our revolutionary Montara product is a game changer for delivering a new combination of audio fidelity, size, energy consumption and uniformity not possible with traditional voice coil approaches."

MSI, a world leader in gaming and content creation hardware, unveils the MSI Sound Tune, an AI-powered noise cancellation software that filters out all the unwanted background noises to remarkably enhance users' communication experiences. "MSI is constantly pushing the boundaries of technology. The new MSI Sound Tune breaks the traditional boundaries on noise reduction by integrating deep learning AI technology to audio signal processing, allowing users who have to work from home amid the global pandemic to communicate clearly and stay productive with their tasks," said Harry Kao, MSI Technical Director.

MSI Sound Tune's AI-powered noise cancellation is achieved through Deep Neural Network (DNN) with more than 0.5 billion Synthetic Noisy Speech Data to help simulate the way human brain works. The traditional noise reduction technology, with its manually compiled algorithm, doesn't work well in environments with complicated noise sources, such as keyboard noises, construction site noises, coffee shop whispers, or the loud noise that overwhelms the vocal sounds. Comparatively speaking, the MSI Sound Tune, utilizing human brains' excellent ability to distinguish human vocal sounds from environmental noises, can extract the vocal sounds from complicated environments, giving users extra clear, noise-free commuication in various surroundings.

Sonarworks had caught our eye back at CES 2019, when they showed off their then-still-in-progress mobile app for personalized sound signatures called True-Fi. The Latvia-based company has credentials to back all their claims, and the in-suite demo was impressive to say the least. Getting it out in the real world meant that the company had to build up their database of compatible headphones to first normalize the sound signature, and then work on the best option for recuperating R&D costs without breaking any wallets. As it turns out, the company had more insight on this at CES 2020 but are only now ready to show their retail plans in the form of SoundID.

SoundID, as both a mobile app (iOS, Android) and the new desktop SoundID Listen experience, takes over from where True-Fi started. The interface is more colorful and user-friendly to the masses, and the mobile app in the current beta form is being marketed more for profile-creation than usage, although it has the option to plug into your Spotify library. The older A/B tests are retained here, and at CES 2020 the app only had the "Core" experience. As of May, the app has new features to coincide with the desktop client's release, and read past the break for more on both.

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of PC components and peripherals, offering performance at a reasonable price. Sharkoon now introduces the Mobile DAC and the Mobile DAC PD. These are two audio converters that are compatible with the most popular Android-based mobile devices. Both devices deliver a high-resolution audio amplification of sound output for headsets and headphones which have a TRRS connection, and, in addition, they provide quality voice transmission thanks to an integrated microphone input. Therefore, podcasters and streamers will also benefit from the Mobile DACs.

CORSAIR, a world leader in PC gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today launched its new flagship line of premium gaming headsets with the CORSAIR VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless and VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless SE. Bridging the gap between gaming headsets and high-fidelity headphones, VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless provides uncompromising sound and voice quality, delivering an astounding audio frequency range of 20Hz-40,000Hz alongside a detachable broadcast-grade microphone. Crafted and styled for exceptional comfort and refined looks, VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless is available in black, white, or SE gunmetal, with plush memory foam earpads and headband for all-day, all-night listening. Connecting via your choice of hyper-fast SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS, high-fidelity USB wired, or universal 3.5 mm, the VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless sets a new standard for gaming headset audio, comfort, and versatility.

The VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless is engineered for the most accurate and impressive sound quality CORSAIR has ever offered in a gaming headset. Thanks to a pair of high-density 50 mm neodymium audio drivers, carefully hand-matched to within +/-1dB of tolerance for exceptional performance, the VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless boasts double the frequency range of typical gaming headsets at 20Hz - 40,000Hz. This allows for incredibly detailed and accurate reproduction of sound, from the deep rumbling of tanks in the distance to the whine of jet engines flying overhead, and everything in-between.

During interview with Russian YouTube channel called PRO Hi-Tech, Raja Koduri, Intel's chief architect and senior vice president of architecture, software and graphics, talked about his career, why he left AMD, and where Intel is going with its discrete GPU attempts. However, one of the most notable things Mr Koduri said was regarding upcoming GPU lineup code-named Arctic Sound. He noted that Intel plans to release first GPU as a mid-range model at a price of $200, while enterprise solutions that utilize HBM memory will follow that.

Koduri said that he wants to replicate AMD's strategy of capturing high-volume price-points, such as the $199 Radeon RX 480. The plan here is to bring an affordable, good performing GPU to the masses - "GPUs for everyone" as he calls them. Additionally, he states that Intel's current strategy revolves around price, not performance, providing best possible value to consumers. Intel's approach for the next two or three years is to launch a complete lineup of GPUs, with a common architecture being used for everything from iGPUs found inside consumer CPUs to data-center GPUs.Update: PRO Hi-Tech has posted a snippet of Raja Koduri interview, without the Russian overlay commentary. What he said was actually: "...Eventually our architecture, as publicly said, has to get from mainstream, which is starting at around $100, all the way to data-center class graphics with HBM memory...". This means that the previous speculation about $200 graphics card is false, as he didn't say that. All he said is that Intel wants to enter the "mainstream" GPU market and work its way up to data center.

If you just started playing Devil May Cry 5, which was released today, and wonder why you can hear sound effects and music, but no voices in the cutscenes, then use the following easy fix.

Set your Speaker Output Configuration in Windows to "Stereo". For some reason it defaults to "5.1 Surround" on many systems, including mine.

Fully step by step guide below.

Today, Logitech G, leading innovator of gaming technologies and products, introduced a new lineup of gaming headsets, engineered to deliver the ultimate in sound science and the most immersive audio gaming experience. "Whether you're into tricking out your battlestation or tearing it up in your favorite battle royale game, we want you to get the superior audio and comfort you deserve," stated Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager, Logitech Gaming. "We're always exploring new ways to deliver amazing gaming experiences, and that's just what we're bringing to the table with these new headsets."

Immersive 5.1.4 sound and deep bass that has to be heard to be believed: Sennheiser's new AMBEO Soundbar will be available from May. Created by the audio specialist to be one of the world's best soundbars, the AMBEO Soundbar places the listener inside the sound experience with incredible realism, delivering 3D sound that blurs the line between playback and reality from a single all-in-one device. Visitors to CES can experience the AMBEO Soundbar at the Sennheiser booth.

Sennheiser's soundbar has been developed under the audio specialist's AMBEO trademark. The AMBEO 3D audio technology program is dedicated to creating immersive audio solutions that deliver the ultimate in audio capture and reproduction to transform the way users experience content. Bringing this transformation to the living room, the AMBEO Soundbar is another milestone in the program. "We are thrilled to be introducing the AMBEO Soundbar as Sennheiser's first foray into the home entertainment speaker category. We have developed it with the ambition to create one of the best soundbars on the market - an elegant all-in-one solution for all those seeking an immersive 3D, audiophile-grade home entertainment experience," said Stephane Hareau, Global Head of Products - Consumer at Sennheiser.

Pioneering audio calibration software company Sonarworks has announced the launch of its new Sonarworks True-Fi mobile app at CES 2019. The revolutionary mobile app, which provides audio calibration references on both iOS and Android for nearly 300 headphone models, has already launched in 'early access' and will be available for purchase later this year in the App Store and Google Play at a price of $3.99 USD per month, or as a lifetime license for $99 USD. Existing Sonarworks customers who already own the desktop version will be provided a free upgrade option to a lifetime license for the mobile app.

Sonarworks True-Fi mobile app- provides consumers with the ultimate sound experience 'while on the go- supports wide a range of native file formats as well as content from iTunes and Android local content libraries. True-Fi mobile supports native file formats including MP3, WAV, AIFF, AAC and ALAC (iOS) and MP3, WAV, OGG (Vorbis) and AAC (Android).

Positional audio, like Socialism, follows a cycle of glamorization and investment every few years. Back in 2011-12 when AMD maintained a relatively stronger position in the discrete GPU market, and held GPGPU superiority, it gave a lot of money to GenAudio and Tensilica to co-develop the TrueAudio technology, a GPU-accelerated positional audio DSP, which had a whopping four game title implementations, including and limited to "Thief," "Star Citizen," "Lichdom: Battlemage," and "Murdered: Soul Suspect." The TrueAudio Next DSP which debuted with "Polaris," introduced GPU-accelerated "audio ray-casting" technology, which assumes that audio waves interact differently with different surfaces, much like light; and hence positional audio could be made more realistic. There were a grand total of zero takers for TrueAudio Next. Riding on the presumed success of its RTX technology, NVIDIA wants to develop audio ray-tracing further.

A very curious sentence caught our eye in NVIDIA's micro-site for Turing. The description of RT cores reads that they are specialized components that "accelerate the computation of how light and sound travel in 3D environments at up to 10 Giga Rays per second." This is an ominous sign that NVIDIA is developing a full-blown positional audio programming model that's part of RTX, with an implementation through GameWorks. Such a technology, like TrueAudio Next, could improve positional audio realism by treating sound waves like light and tracing their paths from their origin (think speech from an NPC in a game), to the listener as the sound bounces off the various surfaces in the 3D scene. Real-time ray-tracing(-ish) has captured the entirety of imagination at NVIDIA marketing to the extent that it is allegedly willing to replace "GTX" with "RTX" in its GeForce GPU nomenclature. We don't mean to doomsay emerging technology, but 20 years of development in positional audio has shown that it's better left to game developers to create their own technology that sounds somewhat real; and that initiatives from makers of discrete sound cards (a device on the brink of extinction) and GPUs makers bore no fruit.

Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered, the latest and greatest in Thrustmaster's range of gaming headsets, has been specially designed with the brand's two main goals in mind: it's a high-end headset, and features extended compatibility to meet the needs of all gamers - whatever their favorite next-generation platform.

The very best audio for all gamers
Thrustmaster has used its extensive audio and gaming expertise to develop a headset that delivers the same outstanding level of performance with all the latest systems - including the different versions of the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac, and even VR headsets, smartphones and tablets!

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced it is now shipping the HyperX Cloud Revolver S with plug-and-play Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound. HyperX has integrated Dolby Headphone technology into a new USB dongle that delivers immersive audio at the touch of a button. HyperX's signature memory foam and new wide headband design brings comfort for endless hours of gameplay. Designed for use by professional gamers and eSports teams globally, the premium headset also features multi-platform support, 50mm drivers and a noise-cancelling microphone.

Cloud Revolver S continues the HyperX tradition of award-winning comfort and competitive audio performance, while adding Dolby Headphone surround sound realism with a new HyperX audio dongle that is included with each headset. The Dolby Headphone 7.1 channel surround sound environment provides an immersive gaming experience - putting gamers right in the middle of the action for gameplay advantage.

MSI, world leading in motherboard technology, announces the most powerful X99 gaming solution, the X99A GODLIKE GAMING motherboard. Featuring Killer DoubleShot-X3 Pro, Turbo M.2 connectivity, 2X Faster USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C and a whole new gaming oriented LED feature, MYSTIC LIGHT, the X99A GODLIKE GAMING is the most powerful motherboard to serve you in battle.

The X99A GODLIKE GAMING is world's first RGB LED motherboard, supporting more than 2000 colors and many style presets such as breathing, flashing and waving. Make your build look on fire or cold as ice. You are in control. Simply select any of the colors from the palette to suit the systems' design. Just change it to another one using the easy to use Mystic Light APP available on PC, phone and tablet, and make your PC look & feel brand new! With 2048 different colors and 7 different LED modes, the Mystic Light provides infinite possibilities for gamers to personalize their gaming rig.

Creative Technology Ltd today unveiled a limited edition of its latest Sound Blaster X7 at CES 2015. Recently named a double 2015 CES Innovations Awards Honoree in both the 'Home Audio/Video Components and Accessories' and 'Computer Hardware and Components' categories, the feature-packed Sound Blaster X7 which is an ultra high-resolution external USB DAC and powerful audio amplifier now comes in an exclusive pearl white color, includes a 144W power adapter that is capable of delivering up to 100W output to passive speakers, and has a very low headphone amplifier output impedance of 1 ohm to effortlessly drive even the more sensitive in-ear monitors (IEMs) on the market.

The Sound Blaster X7, showcasing at the 2015 International CES, is designed to connect with a range of gaming and entertainment systems as an ultra high-end external Sound Blaster audio solution with an impressive 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution 127dB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a powerful 100W audio amplifier. It provides a superior, pure and lossless listening experience for games, music and movies -- meeting the most discerning demands of audiophile listeners and enthusiast gamers alike.

LG Electronics (LG) today announced plans to introduce its new 2015 Music Flow Wi-Fi Series lineup for music and movie lovers worldwide. Demonstrated for the first time at the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas next month, the U.S. LG audio lineup includes the company's first battery-powered Portable Wi-Fi Speaker, three additional Wi-Fi Speakers as well as three new upgraded Wi-Fi Sound Bars. These speakers are designed to be compatible with Android and iOS devices and allow consumers to build a custom home audio system that can be controlled using LG's Music Flow mobile app.

Each LG Music Flow Wi-Fi device can be used independently or connected to one another device wirelessly, using Advanced Wireless Network and Dual Band Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz) technology to deliver a seamless audio experience. Unlike other Bluetooth speakers, streaming to a Music Flow Wi-Fi Series speaker from a smartphone continues uninterrupted when receiving a call. If home libraries aren't enough, users can stream music from service providers such as Spotify Connect, Rhapsody, TuneIn, and more.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.'s Professional Sound and Visual Division today introduced the HDJ-C70 professional on-ear headphones intended for DJs who prefer a headset that is lightweight, extremely flexible, and can produce audio with more impactful bass and clear mid and high frequencies. The new HDJ-C70 model sets itself apart from other Pioneer HDJ offerings with the use of smaller, more compact ear cups, rotatable arms, interchangeable parts, and a minimalistic cosmetic look.

"The Pioneer HDJ-C70 is physically and cosmetically different from our traditional HDJ models, catering to all styles of DJing," said David Arevalo, director of marketing, Professional Sound and Visual Division for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "These headphones are durable, comfortable, and very light. Best of all, they sound fantastic and can produce the lower bass frequencies often found in various types of music."

Razer, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced its one-year Child's Play/Razer Surround charity drive will conclude on June 30, 2014. The brand will introduce Razer Surround Pro for purchase thereafter.

Last year, Razer waived all charges on its next-generation virtual surround sound audio engine, Razer Surround. Instead Razer collected donations for the charity Child's Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving children's lives in hospitals around the world. Nearly one million users downloaded Razer Surround and more than $35,000 has been collected for Child's Play to-date.

Mionix, the Swedish manufacturer of professional high-end gaming accessories today unveiled the new NASH 20 analog stereo gaming headset. "In building the NASH 20 we wanted to create perfect combination of design comfort and sound and we are very confident that we have achieved this" says Peter Nygren, CEO at Mionix. The NASH is named after the third largest star in the Sagittarius zodiac constellation. The meaning of NASH, according to Arabic mythology is an Arrowhead, which is a suitable name for a top class gaming headset with superior precision and sharp sound.

The NASH 20 is circumaural analog stereo gaming headset, engineered with our three most important values: Design, Sound and Comfort. The fully adjustable ear cups and memory foam cushions are made for long comfortable gaming sessions. The flip-up-to-mute microphone and on-ear cup volume control allows you simply access the mute or volume functions. The NASH 20 is developed with a unique audio filtered semi closed back acoustic chamber which is optimized especially by Mionix for our own developed angled 50 mm DACT drivers to enable exceptional sound reproduction and precision.

Like many technology companies in Silicon Valley, OPPO Digital is continuously working on bringing new ideas and new products to customers. Over the past 8 years, OPPO has developed and released a series of award-winning universal DVD and Blu-ray players. We have built a team with experience and expertise in designing high performance audio and video products. Just as video has entered an Ultra HD era, audio is evolving with the rise of high-resolution music and a renewed interest in personal audio. We believe that our knowledge in high performance product design and quality manufacturing can bring benefits to customers in the personal audio space. The first two products in this category will be our PM-1 Planar Magnetic Headphone and HA-1 Headphone Amplifier.

Today Ultimate Ears introduced a major upgrade to the popular Logitech UE Mobile Boombox with UE MINI BOOM, a surprisingly small speaker that delivers unexpectedly huge sound in stylish and vibrant color options. The UE MINI BOOM takes the Ultimate Ears expertise in filling small speakers with big sound to a new level, with a personal speaker with clear highs and deep bass, giving you great stereo sound wherever and whenever you want it.

With a battery that lasts up to 10 hours, simple controls and Bluetooth connectivity, the UE MINI BOOM is the perfect music companion, whether you're streaming music videos, hanging out with friends or traveling. It streams big sound from any Bluetooth-enabled device from up to 50 feet away, and with such huge sound, you'll need the extra distance. Thanks to its convenient micro-USB charger, it's easy to find a charge for your UE MINI BOOM almost anywhere. Plus, you can wirelessly pair two UE MINI BOOM speakers together after downloading the free UE MINI BOOM app (available for iOS and Android) to double the sound.

Two years ago, Philips launched the Philips Fidelio L1 headphones, which have gone on to be recognized as one of the leading headphones in their class. Today, Philips is introducing a new generation: the Philips Fidelio L2. The new model features lighter materials, a new headband design and key sound improvements that will impress even the most discerning audiophile. The Philips Fidelio L2 have been tuned by the sharpest ears from Philips' 'Golden Ears' panel of audio experts, delivering exceptional sound detail for every song.

"The Philips Fidelio L2 headphones deliver a pristine audio experience," said Alexander van der Heijden, consumer marketing for headphones at Philips Lifestyle Entertainment. "We're proud of the recognition we've received for the Philips Fidelio L1s, but we also wanted to keep striving to deliver the perfect headphone in its class. So we asked users of the L1 to tell us what they liked, and what more they wanted, and the result is the Philips Fidelio L2 headphones. We've made some small but important changes, such as increasing the sensitivity in the sound technology to make for a more robust and clean sound experience."

Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, today announced at GamesCom its latest audio product, the Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headset. Built off the same platform as the analog Razer Kraken Pro headset, dubbed the most comfortable headset in the world, the Razer Kraken 7.1 USB gaming headset builds on the success of the familiar platform with immersive, customizable 7.1 virtual surround sound and an enhanced digital microphone.

The Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with an advanced virtual surround sound engine capable of ultra-low latency audio processing that simulates a 360-degree surround sound experience that is usually achievable only by incorporating more than one positional speaker driver in each ear cup. Driven through Razer's powerful Synapse 2.0 unified configuration software, the engine is capable of a high degree of customization, allowing gamers to tweak and specifically position each surround sound channel, boost bass levels and even balance incoming voice audio for astounding aural precision.

Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, today announced the latest member of its software family: Razer Surround.
Razer Surround is a state-of-the-art audio engine that provides 7.1 virtual surround sound with any stereo headphones. The current generation of virtual surround technology often provides inaccurate listening experiences because individuals perceive sound differently based on their distinct ear sizes and shapes. As such, virtual surround sound traditionally falls short compared to discrete surround sound setups.

With the patent-pending Razer Surround audio engine, users have the option to calibrate their personal surround sound settings through a series of listening tests to match their preferences, giving them far superior positional sound over traditional virtual solutions. Razer Surround gives gamers a truly individualized 7.1 surround sound and attuned 3D audio experience, allowing them to acoustically pinpoint exact locations of opponents in game, providing "the unfair advantage" in gameplay.

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today the F.R.E.Q. 4D Gaming Headset for Windows PC and Smart Devices, expected to ship fall 2013. Part of the Company's GameSmart range, the F.R.E.Q. 4D is the first Mad Catz headset to feature ViviTouch 4D Sound. Designed to add a new dimension of sound perception to the gaming experience, ViviTouch 4D Sound combines muscular bass with sensory feedback, producing an actual physical sensation to the gaming audio. In addition to gaming use, the F.R.E.Q. 4D is equally at home with movies or music, featuring multiple EQ settings and a detachable in-line cable which allows for easy conversion from USB to 3.5mm to support standard stereo audio on iPhone, tablets and most smart devices.