Latest news with #QobuzConnect
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 of the most exciting hi-fi teasers we've seen for the High End Munich 2025 show
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The High End Munich 2025 show kicks off soon on May 15 Chord Electronics and iFi Audio have teased mysterious new products Luxury cartridges, headphones and Qobuz Connect will star too High End Munich is where the audio world shows off some of the latest and greatest audio equipment for audiophiles, often with price tags of the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" variety. And while it's true that some of the equipment you'll see at the show costs more than a helicopter made of diamonds, it's a fascinating insight into the world of ultra-high-end hi-fi. This final event from Munich – it's moving to Vienna next year – is genuinely exciting, and some manufacturers are already teasing what they'll be showing next week. Here are five teasers of hi-fi heaven worth looking out for. British high-end pro audio brand Chord Electronics describes its Ultima Reference range of pre-amps and power amps as "our absolute pinnacle of audio engineering", and it's teasing a "groundbreaking" new product that will be a "showstopper" at High End Munich. So what is it? It's definitely analogue, it's going to be a flagship product, and it's apparently state-of-the-art, too. That's all we know so far, but it'll be unveiled by company founder John Franks, and we'll see it on the first day of the event, May 15. Meze Audio make some beautiful and unusual headphones, and the new 105 SILVA promise "exquisite design" and "the next major step forward for audio innovation". The new headphones have 50mm dynamic drivers with cellulose composite domes and titanium-covered surrounds, and Meze says the sound signature "is a new take on Meze Audio's iconic characteristics, including the technicalities of 109 PRO combined with the warmth and genre versatility of 105 AER." They're likely to be somewhat pricier than the more consumer-focused, open-backed and wired 105 AER cans ($399 / £369 / AU$799 a pair) we saw recently, but we're intrigued all the same. Nagaoka makes the highly regarded MP-200 cartridge as well as the MP-110 that came pre-fitted in the Fluance RT85N turntable. For the High End Munich 2025 show it'll be unveiling its new flagship, the MP-700, which will apparently deliver "ever more refined and accurate sound reproduction, bringing listeners closer to the original performance." Naturally, it won't exactly be a bargain, with the price expected to be $1,399 / £1,149 (around AU$2,400) when it becomes available later this month. But it certainly looks a fitting way for the company to celebrate its 85th birthday. iFi Audio promises to launch "two new travel audio essentials – both for in-flight and in-car sound". We're excited about that, because we really rate iFi's DACs: our most recent iFi review, of its flagship Valkyrie DAC, raved about its "staggeringly complete sound". It's not exactly portable, though, so we're all ears when it comes to these new products. Qobuz, which is arguably the best music streaming platform for hi-res audio, is having a press conference on Thursday 15 May. Could this finally be the official launch of the long-awaited Qobuz Connect? The feature is similar to Spotify Connect in that it lets you control your Qobuz playback remotely on compatible hardware. It's been in beta for a while and started appearing for non-beta app users earlier this week, which would make the High End Munich 2025 show a good place for a bigger reveal. An official launch would likely coincide with more manufacturers announcing support and releasing the appropriate firmware updates. Stretch goals – the 8 best money-no-object hi-fi gadgets we tested in 2024 These heavyweight luxury speakers look like Doctor Who villains The American gods of valve-based audio have released a huge monoblock power amp
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Denon Takes Shots At Sonos In Multi-Room Speaker War
Denon HEOS multi-room speaker While Sonos continues cleaning up the mess from its disastrous app overhaul, Denon is quietly rolling out some pretty nifty upgrades that feel suspiciously well-timed. The latest Denon Home update adds Qobuz Connect support, which is a boost for audiophiles who've long wanted native control over the French brand's highly regarded streaming service, with the new platform launching today at High End Munich 2025. Like Connect options that already exist from the likes of Spotify and Tidal, Qobuz Connect lets you stream high-resolution music directly from the Qobuz app to compatible hi-fi devices, so no Bluetooth, AirPlay, or third-party apps are needed. It hands off playback to your audio gear, so your phone just acts as a remote, and you can switch between devices without interrupting the music. But that's not the only boost for Denon as the Japanese audio brand has announced a raft of quality-of-life tweaks to the HEOS ecosystem. The HEOS app now loads faster (we're told it shaves off two seconds before you see your homescreen populate), and playlist limits have jumped from 300 to 1,000 tracks. You can also save room group presets and Denon has also added Roon Ready support and network sharing via SMB 3.0. Denon has had a busy month. A couple of weeks ago, its umbrella company Sound United was sold by the Masimo Corporation to the Samsung-owned Harman International, for a cool $350 million. That means that Denon, along with Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Polk, and Marantz are now part of a big audio family with the likes of Harman Kardon, JBL, AKG, Mark Levinson, Arcam, and Revel. Like Sonos, Denon's HEOS range includes a variety of wireless speakers designed for different room sizes and audio needs. With Sonos still having to make amends to its existing user base, and having a much harder job attracting new users after a disastrous 12 months, brands like Denon have a better chance than ever to steal a march on the ever-expanding multi-room music market.
Digital Trends
15-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Qobuz Connect launches with Denon, Marantz, and 58 more hi-fi brands
Fans of Qobuz, the France-based subscription music service that specializes in lossless, hi-res audio, now have a new way of streaming their favorite tracks to their favorite devices. Qobuz Connect has been added to the company's iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows apps, letting them control compatible streaming speakers and components from a big list of hi-fi brands. Most folks will recognize names like Denon and Marantz — every device made by these brands that work with the HEOS streaming software are now Qobuz Connect compatible — but the list also includes niche hi-fi players, such as Rotel, Nagra, HiFi Rose, Lindemann, Wiim, and Volumio. Here's the entire list. 'Qobuz Connect is a feature that has been eagerly awaited by our subscribers,' said Qobuz's Chief Product Officer, Axel Destagnol. 'We are proud to offer the most complete Connect solution on the market today, combining high resolution, app synchronization and remote control. Our priority has been to develop a simple, intuitive interface, to facilitate the experience of all our listeners.' Recommended Videos Much like Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect turns the Qobuz app into a single point of control, avoiding the need to use Bluetooth, AirPlay, Google Cast, or proprietary apps like Wiim Home. If you use your computer as your streaming device (perhaps connected to an external DAC), as long as the computer's Qobuz app is open, you can remote control it from the Qobuz mobile app. Moreover, all streams are sent from Qobuz's servers to the receiving device directly, at their maximum supported resolution, without needing to pass through your smartphone or computer first. I tried it out using the Qobuz app on iOS and macOS, sending streams to the Wiim Ultra network music streamer and it worked seamlessly. You'll need the most recent version of the Qobuz app, and you may need to update the firmware on your streaming device if it's on the list of supported brands. The new version of the app also simplifies the interface. Instead of offering two output menus (the bottom-left device menu and the top-right casting button), all connection options are now chosen from the bottom-left device menu. Qobuz Connect is perfect for the music fan who wants any easy way to stream to a single device, but at the moment, there's no way to connect to multiple Qobuz Connect devices simultaneously and no way to group them. If you need that kind of control, you'll have to use the native control app (HEOS, Wiim Home, etc) for your gear, or switch to a protocol like Apple AirPlay.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Forbes
Qobuz Connect Goes Live For The Hi-Res Music And Downloading Platform
The hi-res streaming and downloading service now has Qobuz Connect, a way of controlling everything ... More via the Qobuz app and streaming directly rather than via a smartphone using AirPlay or Google Cast. For some years now, both Spotify and Tidal music streaming services have had a Connect mode. The mode enables users to stream music to their speakers or hi-fi with a direct connection using one app. Both Spotify and Tidal Connect pull music directly from their servers instead of via a smartphone using AirPlay or Google Cast. The music streaming doesn't rely on a smartphone being present. Now it's the turn of Qobuz to get the Connect treatment. The French high-resolution music streaming and download platform has announced today that users of a wide range of audio equipment can now access Qobuz Connect. Some of the big names that now support Qobuz Connect include Arcam, Denon, HEOS, Marantz, McIntosh, Rotel and WiiM. The French streaming service is aimed at music lovers who want ultra-high-quality audio streams. The new feature transforms the listening experience while offering simplified control and seamless continuity between devices. Qobuz Connect enables users to stream music directly using Qobuz to control their compatible hi-fi devices without the need for third-party applications. With Qobuz Connect, users can control their music from the Qobuz application without the need to juggle between different remote controls or applications. All users need to do is select an audio device and then control everything directly from the Qobuz app with music streaming directly from the Qobuz servers without being relayed through a smartphone. Qobuz Connect lets users pick up where they left off and seamlessly switch from one device to another without losing the thread of the music, whether using headphones, hi-fi or wireless speakers, without interruption. With Qobuz, you can drill down deep into an artist's catalog and find lots of essays and features ... More about music. With a single application to manage everything, users can control the desktop application using a mobile device and vice versa for a seamless listening experience. With Qobuz Connect there's no need to switch between apps and the user can enjoy the editorials and features that Qobuz produces to accompany the music and playlists are curated by experts 'Qobuz Connect is a feature that has been eagerly awaited by our subscribers. We are proud to offer the most complete Connect solution on the market today, combining high resolution, app synchronization and remote control. Our priority has been to develop a simple, intuitive interface to facilitate the experience of all our listeners,' says Axel Destagnol, Chief Product Officer at Qobuz. As a music streaming service, Qobuz's USP is hi-res sound quality with more than 100 million tracks in resolutions up to 24-bit / 192kHz and lossless CD quality. Qobuz Connect is now available on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS applications. The new feature has been developed in collaboration with StreamUnlimited Engineering, a technology partner to other premium audio brands. To find out if your audio equipment is compatible with Qobuz Connect, visit
