Music Streaming

A mid-year report has revealed vinyl sales in 2020 have surpassed CD sales for the first time since the mid-1980s. The report also reveals the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the physical media music market hard but streaming music subscriptions are up.

Bose launched a new audio product in late 2018, in the shape of two pairs of sunglasses equipped with tiny speakers and a microphone. And clearly the company has had some success with them as three more flavors have now joined the Frames lineup.

If you've got cash to burn and you like your digital audio players to be chunky, angular and capable, Astell&Kern is probably already on your radar. The new Kann Alpha ticks all of those boxes and more.

After three years in development, Marantz has dipped into its history for inspiration for a new line of high-end audio gear that starts with an integrated amplifier and a network audio streamer/SA-CD player.

Unveiled at CES back in January, NAD Electronics has now made its Master M33 system available for sale, an audiophile-grade streaming hi-fi amplifier that can serve as a multi-room hub for compatible devices all around the home.

Due to launch on Kickstarter next month, the Duolink true wireless earphones come with a charging case with built-in speakers for the option of keeping the music to yourself or sharing with others.

Sony has announced some new wireless over-ear noise cancellation cans with dual noise sensors, all day playback and a mode that lets in the sounds of the outside world when needed. Bass lovers have also been treated to some true wireless earphones.

Sweden's Zound Industries, the company that manufactures headphones and speakers under license from Marshall Amps, has announced the release of a new Bluetooth speaker called the Uxbridge Voice, which has Alexa built in and supports AirPlay 2.

There are a good many options available if you want to talk to your streaming speaker, as well as listen to audio. And now there's another, for the well-heeled living room courtesy of Bang & Olufsen's stylish and powerful Beosound Balance.

What if you want to stream digital music from your smartphone and your hi-fi amplifier lacks a receiver? Provided you have spare analog or digital input ports, you can add one into the mix – such as the Zen Blue from the UK's iFi Audio.

Bryston has announced a new Digital-to-Analog-Converter. And it's much more than just a DAC, it's an entertainment hub.

Naim Audio caused something of a ripple on the home audio scene in 2014 with the release of the mighty Mu-so. This was followed two years later by a more compact flavor called the Qb. Now, following the launch of the Mu-so 2 a few months back, a second generation Qb has been announced.​