Portable Audio

Last month, Teenage Engineering launched the first in a new line of portable audio products, the gorgeous but expensive TX-6 mixer. Now the company has revealed the second member of the field family, a modern reworking of its iconic OP-1 synth.

Back in 2019, Soundboks sent us a pair of crazy loud Bluetooth speakers to try out which, though certainly portable, each proved too much for one person in the long haul. Now a smaller and lighter – but almost as powerful – version has launched.

The masters of minimalist styling at Sweden's Teenage Engineering have added a feature-packed but tiny pro audio mixer to the company's lineup, which packs built-in sounds, beats and sequencing and can also serve as a USB audio interface.

Japan's Sonicware has developed a hand-held groove machine for folks who create music using sounds from the world around them. The SmplTrek is a sonic sampler with a built-in sequencer that can also serve as an audio interface for live streaming.

Korean mobile audiophile brand Astell&Kern has entered the crowded true wireless earphone space with the angular UW100 earbuds, which rock a 32-bit DAC, balanced armature drivers, Bluetooth 5.2 and aptX Adaptive.

Sony has announced a pair of digital audio players that can stream over Wi-Fi as well as play Hi-Res stored music, boast native 11.2-MHz DSD and offer balanced and unbalanced headphone output. And one of those players is wrapped in gold-plated bling.

Denmark's Kombo Audio has combined a battery-powered amplifier, PA system, mixer, effects and wireless connectivity for a sound system specifically designed for musicians, allowing for live performances in the back yard, at the beach or out at sea.

If the term "entry level" brings to mind basic no-frills functionality and wallet-friendly pricing, high-end gear maker Astell&Kern has a few surprises in store with the second generation of its A&norma SR25 digital audio player.

Portable Bluetooth speakers powerful enough to get you on your feet at a beach party are pretty common, but the shapely Enkl Speaker will blow up a storm. Enkl Sound also promises ease of use, long battery life and multi-user access.

Early last year, Brit audio specialist iFi launched a pocket DAC called the hip-dac, which the company claimed would treat listeners to a "sound as flavorsome and richly detailed as a delicious single malt." Now the hip-dac2 has arrived.

Last year, Astell&Kern launched the first DAP to incorporate three digital-to-analog converters, in the shape of the SE200. Now the company has gone one better with the upcoming A&ultima SP2000T, while also debuting a triple amp design.

Beijing-based Mobvoi has launched a digital dictation machine called the AI Recorder that taps into artificial intelligence to automatically transcribe audio, making it a useful addition to the travel bag of journalists, students and business folk.