Wireless Headphones Possibly Coming to More MP3 Players

All-in-all, Kleer said they expect to have 10-15 wireless products on
display at CES in January.  If those are a hit with consumers, it’s possible that
Apple and Microsoft could include Kleer’s wireless headphone technology in next
year’s iPods and Zunes.

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My favourite thing about these guys is that, while they are obviously marketing a convenience solution, they have set audio quality as a primary requirement. There’s a white paper here [pdf].

IPod Classic’s Sound Quality Called into Question

Audio engineering types the world over are devising ways to test the sound quality of Apple’s new iPod Classic [snip] It paints the new iPod Classic as a possible downgrade in terms of sound quality [snip]

Images of cracked open iPod Classics reveal that it has a cleaner signal path from the digital-analog-converter (DAC)
chip to the line-out jack, so the problem, such as it is, appears to be with the Cirrus chip Apple
used for the Classic as opposed to the Wolfson chip found in the
5G/5.5G iPods.

Everyone’s ears are different, but Heijligers’ test found three problem areas: [snip]

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“Everyone’s ears are different?” Sorry. You either have normal hearing or you don’t. People may care more or less about sound quality but that doesn’t make there ears different. Anyway, it’s encouraging that someone gives a damn about sound quality.

Neumann Announces U87 Anniversary Set

Neumann is offering the exclusive U87 Anniversary Set on the occasion of the microphone’s 40th anniversary. The set includes an elastic suspension; a signed, framed certificate of authenticity; a new pop screen for a ’60s feel; a dust cover embroidered with the anniversary logo; and a pair of white gloves.

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White gloves? We do get fetishistc about our gear sometimes don’t we? Well, happy birthday U87.

AES Platinum Mastering Panel to Address ‘Level Wars’

Bob Ludwig is coordinating the AES Platinum Mastering Panel for the 123rd Convention in New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, October 5-8, 2007. The multi-Platinum and Grammy Award-winning president of Gateway Mastering & DVD will moderate “Level Wars and Other Mastering Issues in the Context of the New Record Business Paradigm.”

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Jump2Go Providing Tagging Technology for HD Radio

Jump2Go announced the availability of the Go Commerce service to support Apple’s radio tagging feature for HD Radio and RDS-equipped radio stations.

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This is a really interesting development, not because it involves HD Radio but because the service could be expanded to Internet Radio.

Apple’s IPod Touch Will Not Allow Downloads of MP3s from the Web

Apple confirmed with Listening Post that the iPod Touch will not allow users to download MP3s from web pages over its WiFi connection, so devotees of MP3 blogs will need to stick to the old plan: download to computer, import into iTunes, and sync to iPod.

However, streaming radio is still a strong possibility for the iPod Touch, and could become a bigger part of the iPhone too.  When asked whether the iPod Touch would handle streaming radio from either Apple or third party sites such as Pandora and Seeqpod, my Apple contact told me there are "no announced plans."

Nor could the representative confirm my theory that Apple will release an iTunes Tagging feature for streaming radio similar to what was announced today in the world of HD Radio.  Such a feature would allow the iPod Touch and iPhone users to tag webcast songs on their devices for purchase from the iTunes store.

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This is all getting very interesting. “Radio” would love a way to climb aboard the iPod platform.

HD Radio?

HD Radio May Not Make It – According to the broadcasting blog of former broadcaster and founder of Inside Radio, Jerry del Colliano, “HD Radio’s chances of making it to prime time are slim to none…” He says the erroneously named HD Radio was too late to the party. The younger generation doesn’t want a terrestrial radio signal – digital or analog. “Give any young person a choice between an iPod and a radio and you know the verdict…HD Radio will not be under the tree.”

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Daniel Lanois Reveals Production Methods in New Film

Jonathan Cohen of Billboard reports that renowned producer/engineer Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, U2, Willie Nelson) finally reveals details of his production methods in a new self-financed film entitled Here Is What Is. Billboard states that “the movie, which Lanois co-directed with Adam Samuels and Adam Vollick, premieres September 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival.”

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Sennheiser Launches MKH 8000 Series Microphones

Sennheiser is launching the MKH 8000 Series of microphones, which combine the company’s exclusive RF condenser technology with a compact, modular form factor and a range of application-specific accessories for broadcast, recording and performance use. The MKH 8000 Series is available in three models for speech, vocal and instrumental reproduction with an extremely wide frequency response.

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