British hifi specialist Cyrus announces an addition to the One stereo amplifier range-- the One Cast, a version adding connected smarts to the audio setup with the ability to handle both streaming audio services and voice assistants.

Described by the company as a piece of smart audiophile equipment, the One Cast features wired connectivity as well as dual-band wifi and Bluetooth. It supports the three major voice assistants (Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant) together with the Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music and Qobuz streaming music services, among others. Users don't even need to download a companion app, since they can pair the streaming service directly with the unit.

Huawei enlists the help of French high-end audio maker Devialet to create the Smart X-- a smart speaker offering 360-degree sound and Huawei HiLink smart home control within a sleek cylindrical form factor.

Devialet describes the Smart X as the result of a "first partnership in Asia." It carries high-end internals typical of the French company, including a 60W double subwoofer, speaker active matching (SAM) to eliminate distortion and push-push woofer vibration canceling technology. It also offers wifi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity for audio streaming and x6 built-in microphones able to pick up voice commands from up to 5m away.

Owners of McIntosh hardware featuring the DA1 digital audio module get an upgrade-- the DA2, a means to add audio-only HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) capability and multichannel audio support.

Supported multichannel formats include both Dolby and DTS, and they are converted to two-channel audio for playback through any DA2-equipped unit. The module is also compatible with CEC communications, allowing customers to control the power and volume of any connected McIntosh unit with a TV remote. The USB input supports native playback of up to DSD512 (plux DXD up to 384kHz), thanks to a quad-balanced 8-channel 32-bit DAC.

Next Level Acoustics announces the Fusion Frame-- a soundbar designed for use with the Samsung Frame TV, featuring a picture-frame bezel, 4.4cm depth and no-gap mounting, the result of proprietary enclosure.

According to the company, the soundbar has an internal air-load management system and proprietary woofer capable of pushing deep natural bass from a shallow cabinet. Inside are a 1-inch soft dome tweeter from audiophile Danish driver maker Viva, as well as a proprietary crossover using high-grade precision components. A custom ultra-rigid sealed enclosure comprising a CNC-machined MDF and anti-resonant coating ensures the cabinet is vibration-free

Making the soundbar installer-friendly are recessed terminal cups with gold-plated heavy-duty binding-post/banana-jacks and recessed cable management channels for a no-gap mount. Customers can remove the magnetically-attached grille for access to cabinet installation holes to directly attach the bar with the included screws into wall studs or mounting to a wall via anchors.