Peerless-AV debuts its take on wireless audio at CES 2014-- the PeerSound Wireless Audio System (ADS100-B), a rack-mountable wireless audio system designed with installers in mind.

A remote antenna pushes up to 8 channels of audio to receivers/speakers up to 43m away. In addition remote antenna capability allows installers to move the antenna up by 3m away from structures reducing wifi performance such as steel.

According to the company PeerSound is ideal for distributed audio in existing homes since the in-wall or on-wall amplifier allows for installations and hidden wires even when cutting drywall is not an option. It also interfaces with any audio component for source or speakers, giving customers the freedom to use any equipment they desire.

Thiel Audio launches the TM3 2-way loudspeaker-- a "new design approach" from the company complete with high-performance proprietary components inside a sleek multi-ply wood enclosure.

“Our ultimate goal for the TM3 was to create a loudspeaker that outperforms competitive products while pleasing the discerning eye of décor-conscious consumers,” the company claims.

The TM3 features superior on and off axis frequency response uniformity, high-power handling and ultra-low distortion levels. The 2-way design uses a proprietary 6.5-inch cast basket woofer with a fibreglass cone and a 1-inch metal dome tweeter pushing 45Hz to 30KHz bandwidth.

American TV and soundbar maker Vizio presents an interesting twist on portable audio at CES 2014-- Smart Audio, wireless music players armed with a touchscreen, quad-core processor and Android to bypass streaming entirely.

Available with 7- and 4.7-inch displays, the Smart Audio players connect to home networks and mobile devices via wifi and Bluetooth but are potentially more usable than competitors such as Jambox and Bose. The inclusion of Android 4.4 provides apps of the Rdio and Spotify variety (from the Google Play app store) as well as playback of music saved on built-in storage.

"After looking very closely at the audio space, VIZIO decided it needed to be disrupted with a combination of our leading audio and smart TV technologies," Vizio claims. "Our new portable smart audio line-up reinvents the category by combining class-leading audio performance with a full touchscreen Android platform, delivering a first-class device capable of streaming music, playing games and watching video directly from the cloud or local storage."

Extron Electronics announces the immediate availability of the MPA 152 Plus, a new quarter-rack wide, stereo integrated mini power amplifier that delivers 15 watts rms per channel, and provides several performance enhancements over the previous MPA 152.

The MPA 152 Plus features a 90 dB signal-to-noise ratio with 0.1% THD+N, offering exceptional performance for speaker systems requiring compact, economical audio amplification.

The MPA 152 Plus is an amplifier with an Extron exclusive, highly efficient, advanced Class D amplifier design. It also features patented CDRS- - Class D Ripple Suppression technology that provides a smooth, clean audio waveform and an improvement in signal fidelity over conventional Class D amplifiers. The high efficiency design generates very little heat and allows the amplifier to be fanless and operate in environments with little or no ventilation.