Arcam revives the Solo product range with the Solo Bar and Solo Sub, a premium soundbar and companion subwoofer duo promising "something better," if not outright audiophile-grade.

The Solo Bar features 4 HDMI inputs, all Arcam CEC-enabled with 4K passthrough, as well as 2 digital audio inputs (coax and optical) and 3.5mm input. It also connects to audio sources via aptX Bluetooth, while a USB port handles service and updates.

Compatible audio formats include Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.

Calibration comes through a microphone, and built-in DSP modes come in 3 modes-- stereo, movie and concert. The 1m-long enclosure is in low-resonance aluminium and carries 2 bass, 2 mid-range and 2 tweeters to push a total of 100W RMS.

Monitor Audio adds to the Airstream wireless speaker lineup with the S200-- a compact wifi-capable speaker designed for stereo and multiform use in conjunction with NAS, PC or streaming audio sources.

It is compatible with Monitor Audio's proprietary Airstream Direct technology, as well as Apple Airplay, Bluetooth aptX and DLNA, and features a USB port and 3.5mm stereo jack. Audio file support includes AAC, ALAC, MP3 and FLAC.

The actual speaker carries 4 drivers configured in an angled cluster-- a proprietary gold dome C-CAM tweeter, dual 3-inch CAM metal cone bass drivers and a rear-firing auxiliary bass radiator. Three separate DSP-optimised digital amplifiers power the C-CAM drivers, with the bass drivers receiving 2 x 25W and the tweeter 15W.

Bang & Olufsen announces its first portable Bluetooth aptX speaker-- the BeoPlay A2, a premium take on the audio category promising 360-degree audio and extruded aluminium construction.

To highlight the BeoPlay A2's portable credentials B&O adds a leather strap down on one side, allowing one to either carry the speaker or simply show it off. Inside are two 3-inch drivers, two 0.75-inch tweeters and two 3-inch passive radiators, as paired with B&O Power Response Enhancement digital signal processing technology.

Peak audio power totals 180W with frequency response ranging from 55 to 20000Hz. A rechargeable battery provides up to 24 hours of use, while further connectivity comes through USB port and 3.5mm jack.

Audiophile customers with a want for vacuum tube-based AV components should be interested in the latest from Balanced Audio Technology (BAT)-- the VK-3000SE integrated amplifier, the REX II preamplifier and the REX II power amplifier.

The 2-channel VK-3000SE amp combines a vacuum-tube preamplifier (based on the 6H30 SuperTube found in Special Edition BAT tube preamps) with a 150W per channel solid state stereo amplifier. Balanced circuit topology amplifies audio signals and blocks unwanted noise, and it includes symmetrical output with ultra-fast bipolar transistors and an optional phono module.

Customers with a need to listen to music or take care of calls while in the shower should find the iShower2, a waterproof wireless speaker one can connect to smartphones, relevant to their interests.

It features 60m wireless range and play, pause, and skip controls, as well as a built-in speakerphone, allowing one to keep their mobile devices safe and dry while listening to music or answering calls. An LED clock provides a means of reading the time, and it also saves the music preferences and accounts of up to 5 users.

In addition it features multiple mounting options together with water resistance.

Sony expands its high-resolution audio product offering with the launch of 3 headphones (the MDR-27, MDR-1ADAC and XBA-Z5), the PHA-3 portable headphone DAC/amplifier and a selection of headphone cables.

The MDR-27 headphones promise ultra-responsive audio performance with solid aluminium construction, liquid crystal polymer diaphragms and large 70mm drivers. A 4-wire structure separates ground cables to minimise crosstalk between left/right channels and support balanced audio connectors, while silver-coated OFC cable strands reduce signal transmission loss.

Also included is a balanced output cable (2m) with the option of plugging into a compatible amplifier.

Meanwhile the MDR-1ADAC headphones feature a built-in S-Master HX digital amplifier handling both PCM (at up to 192kHZ/24-bit) and DSD (at up to 5.6MHz) music files without need for an external decoder, and 40mm drivers delivering up to 100kHz frequency response. A built-in rechargeable batter provides up to 7.5 hours of playback.