Latest news with #amplifier
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Gone in 20 seconds: Moment thieves steal a car in less than half a minute for £5,000 fee before mocking victims with 'go and buy another one' rant
Two thieves revealed how they can steal a keyless car in less than 20 seconds for a £5,000 fee, before mocking victims in a shameless rant and telling them to 'buy another one'. The two men used just one device to unlock the vehicle and drive away in the clip filmed for Channel 4 's latest Dispatches programme, Britain's Car Theft Gangs Exposed. Thief 'T' and an accomplice demonstrated how they use an amplifier, which looks similar to a radio or walkie-talkie, to pick up the signal from the 'key' inside a home and use it to unlock a car parked outside. The device works by scrambling the signal from a remote key fob, and was used in nearly 60 percent of car thefts in the UK last year. The two men, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, demonstrated the technique on a car they claimed to have already stolen after placing the key fob in the living room of a property. After just a few seconds of holding the amplifier outside the window, the car door unlocked, allowing T to simply open the door and start up the engine. Once the engine had started, the accomplice could take the amplifier, jump in the car and they drove off - with the entire theft taking less than 20 seconds. The men then boasted of taking up to 20 vehicles a month for as much as £5,000 per car, depending on its value, and said up to 90 percent of them are stolen for parts. Asked whether they ever feel bad about their actions T said: 'These cars are insured, that's like, that's a first world problem. 'There's bigger s*** going on out there, that's, like... Your f***ing Range Rover's gone, boo-hoo, go and buy another one, man.' He added: 'A lot of these cars are getting broken for parts. A lot of them are getting shipped out, Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece.' The clip features as part of the Dispatches programme which reveals how organised gangs of criminals are stealing thousands of cars each year to then ship abroad, either for sale or, more commonly, to be 'chopped' - dismantled for parts. After the vehicles are stolen, many are transported in shipping containers as national and international agencies battle to prevent as many as possible reaching their intended destinations. NaVCIS agent Adam Gibson is seen discovering a container with three stolen cars - all with fake paperwork and crammed together with no concern for the vehicles' condition. A white pick-up truck from the bust bore a 2022 number plate - but Mr Gibson was able to determine it was actually made in 2023 and had been reported stolen from Kent in January. He said: 'This box is headed to Africa, which the roads out in Africa are obviously suited to this kind of thing.' During a short timeframe Mr Gibson tracked down three containers, totalling 12 stolen vehicles - some of which had even been cut in half to make space for more cars. He told how the value of vehicles stolen seems to be dropping while the volume is increasing: 'Whereas we were finding Range Rover's worth £150,000, we're getting pickup trucks and SUVs worth £40,000 now. 'We are seeing brands like Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Lexus. So the quality has dropped off, I suppose, but the volume has gone up. 'Some gangs will literally gut the car of any personal effects. Others will just leave everything. 'There's kids seats, toys, all sorts of them… I'm constantly told by people that vehicle crime, where it's victimless, it's just the insurance companies. 'Yes, the insurance company pay out, but we all get our premiums go up because the insurance aren't going to absorb it. So it has a knock-on effect on everyone else.' Data shows that a vehicle is currently stolen every four minutes, but crime agencies say they are taking stronger action to deter would-be thieves and reunite owners with their vehicles. In 2021, NaVCIS, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, recovered just 76 stolen cars - last year the figure had increased almost eight-fold to 589. Some 130,000 car thefts were reported to the police in 2023/24, around two thirds of which were keyless. After the vehicles are stolen, many are transported in shipping containers as national and international agencies battle to prevent as many as possible reaching their intended destinations Only three out of ten victims are ever reunited with their cars, while stolen vehicles go unsolved 90 percent of the time in London, Met figures show. For many cars though, by the time police catch up to the gangs it is just too late. The programme reveals how a blue Audi A4, fitted with a hidden tracker, was stolen from a woman's driveway in north London on March 15. The car's GPS signal showed the Audi moving east towards the borough of Enfield and then switching off. Days later the covert tracker wakes up and transmits the car's coordinates, the Audi has travelled 30 miles east from North London to a location in the Essex countryside, just inside the M25, a place called Baldwins Farm. Neil Thomas, a former police officer who works for a private track and recovery service for stolen vehicles, explained how Baldwins Farm is an excellent spot for the transit of cars. 'The access in and out is quite restricted, it's quite close to London, quite close the docks, so if you are exporting vehicles geographically it's a really good location,' he said. The tracker appeared to show the Audi in a wooded area at the northern end of the site, near to what looks like shipping containers. The site was surrounded by copious amounts of CCTV cameras and Dispatches soon discover that the tracker isn't transmitting, possibly due to GPS jamming or blocking equipment. Five weeks later, the tracker suddenly reappeared in Kaunas, Lithuania, and was tracked to a business in the outskirts of the city called Baltic Car Trade. Dispatches filmed the police raid on the property, but instead of finding a blue Audi A4, all they found that was left of the vehicle was a bunch of wires. The car, like many stolen off British streets, had been torn apart. A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesperson said: 'Vehicle crime is ever-evolving with increased technology advancements in vehicles and continues to be a challenge for policing which we cannot tackle alone. 'The National Vehicle Crime Working Group has brought together manufacturers, government and policing for a number of years now and the introduction of the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership (NVCRP), is another positive step forward in our fight against criminals. 'Op Alliances was an intensification week which ran late last year between a number of law enforcement bodies and partner organisations which resulted in 180 arrests and the recovery of 316 stolen vehicles. 'It was a great example of the impact of focused partnership working and it is so valuable we can continue this through the NVCRP. 'Our fight has been strengthened with the latest Government legislation to stop the sale of devices like keyless repeaters and signal jammers which make life far too easy for criminals. Many of these devices serve no legitimate purpose, and we believe that they are involved in a large proportion of UK vehicle thefts, certainly in recent years. 'Removing access to such devices is of course just one element of tackling vehicle theft, but one that we predict could have a significant impact. Disposal routes for stolen vehicles are also a key focus and we work closely with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NAVCIS) to target ports which we know stolen vehicles have been moved through, as well as with police forces and colleagues in the NPCC metal theft portfolio to tackle so-called 'chop shops' . 'We know that organised crime groups are responsible for a significant proportion of vehicle thefts and we are building on existing capability working with NaVCIS and Opal (National Intelligence Unit for Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime) so we can best use our resources to disrupt and target OCGs who profit from vehicle crime whilst causing misery for victims. 'We continue to work with our stakeholders in government, enforcement agencies and industry to build our effectiveness.' Britain's Car Theft Gangs Exposed: Dispatches will air on Channel 4 at 8pm on June 19.
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Forbes
Pro-Ject's Uni Box S3 Streaming Amplifier With WiiM OS And A Warm Analog Sound
the new Uni Box S3 from Pro-Ject is an integrated streaming amplifier that keeps analog signals ... More separate from digital signals. Pro-Ject Audio Systems has launched the Uni Box S3, an integrated amplifier with WiiM OS streaming technology. Pro-Ject has taken a different approach from many other streaming amplifiers, preserving the analog character of the sound by keeping the analog signal path intact. Many streaming amplifiers convert all signals to digital, but the Uni Box S3 keeps analog sources analog. That means a turntable, FM tuner or other line-level devices retain their original sonic character. The new Uni Box S3 is built around the same dual-mono architecture as Pro-Ject's acclaimed MaiA S3. At the heart of the Uni Box S3's streaming system is the WiiM OS streaming technology which provides support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz, TuneIn and lots of other digital streaming services. A Cirrus Logic DAC takes care of the playback with support for digital files up to 24-bit/192kHz. Many streaming amplifiers convert all signals to digital, but the Uni Box S3 keeps analog sources ... More analog. That means a turntable, FM tuner or other line-level devices retain their original sonic character. This new amplifier is controlled using the Pro-Ject Home smartphone app, which makes setting everything up straightforward. There is support for multi-room playback with other future Pro-Ject devices. Users can even stream connected analog sources such as a turntable to other compatible devices in the home. The Uni Box S3 includes a moving magnet phono stage for a turntable, plus an analog volume control with a motorized potentiometer. There is a dedicated headphone amp with a full-size 6.3mm output, which many purely digital devices eschew for Bluetooth wireless connectivity. When it comes to Inputs, there are three analog, three digital, HDMI eARC for TV audio, plus wireless inputs using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1. Outputs include gold-plated speaker terminals and a variable RCA output for subwoofers or second zones. The Pro-Ject Uni Box S3 has plenty of analog and digital inputs as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a ... More subwoofer output. Not only does the Uni Box S3 manage to keep the rich and lifelike character of analog sound, but it is also designed with sustainability in mind. The compact design means the case has significantly less aluminum than full-size amplifiers. By separating the analog amplifier from the streaming module of the Uni Box S3, even if streaming technology evolves or becomes obsolete, the amplifier can still perform as a high-quality analog sound system. The Pro-Ject Uni Box S3 is built in Europe and is available now in silver or black Finnishes. The price is $1,099 / £699.00 / €799. Henley Audio exclusively distributes Pro-Ject in the U.K.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NAD Reveals Highly Anticipated Masters Series Models At High-End Munich
The new NAD M33 V2 is an updated version of the well-regarded M33 Masters streaming amplifier from ... More NAD. It's been a while since NAD Electronics announced any new products in its Masters Series, but the venerable audio brand, which was founded in 1972 and is owned by Canada's Lenbrook Group, has launched two new NAD Masters Series products at this week's High-End Munich Show for premium audio products. The two anticipated additions to NAD's Masters Series are the M33 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier and the M23 V2 Stereo Power Amplifier. The two new models build on the legacy of NAD's original M33 and M23 incorporating their innovative digital architecture, sonic performance and enhanced connectivity, but with some updates and enhancements. The original NAD Masters M33 combined audiophile-grade sound with the convenience of modern streaming. Now the M33 V2 raises the bar by incorporating MQA Labs' new FOQUS and QRONO technologies, alongside an ESS SABRE ES9039PRO DAC, a next-generation ESS ADC and Gen 2 Purifi Eigentakt amplifier modules. NAD says the M33 V2 has been engineered for absolute timing precision and musical integrity throughout its entire signal chain. The new NAD M33 V2 Masters is an all-in-one streamer and amp that uses BluOS for music streaming ... More platforms. 'NAD is the first company to address psychoacoustic timing issues along the entire signal path,' says Cas Oostvogel, NAD's Product Manager. 'With the M33 V2, we've eliminated distortion, not just in the traditional sense, but in the way human ears perceive sound timing—delivering a listening experience that's more nuanced, more accurate, and more emotionally engaging.' Standout features on the M33 V2 include FOQUS ADC and QRONO DAC, both developed by MQA Labs, another company acquired by the Lenbrook Group. The technologies provide more accurate signal conversion while preserving the timing, nuance and spatial cues of their predecessors. The new M33 V2 has an ESS ES9039PRO DAC with ultra-low distortion and a wider dynamic range. It's also Dirac Live Bass Control-ready for more precise subwoofer integration and optimized room response. Finally, it also has XLR pre-outs plus a higher subwoofer output level. The M33 V2 streaming amplifier from NAD has all the inputs and outputs most people need, including ... More XLR outputs for using with the M23 V2 Power Amplifier. With BluOS multi-room streaming, Apple AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, and support for major smart home platforms, the M33 V2 has enough technical versatility to enable it to slot into almost any home audio setup. The second new NAD product announced at High-End Munich is the NAD Master M23 V2 Stereo Power Amplifier. Following on from the original M23, with its reputation as a high-value, high-performance power amplifier, the new M23 V2 has the latest Eigentakt modules from Purifi, combined with NAD's amplifier design expertise and system-friendly enhancements. NAD claims the M23 V2 has authoritative dynamics and displays extremely low distortion levels. With an output of 200W per channel into 8Ω—or 700W bridged—the M23 V2 makes a suitable companion for ... More the new NAD M33 V2 or M66 preamp. With an output of 200W per channel into 8Ω—or 700W bridged—the M23 V2 is designed to be a suitable companion for boosting the new NAD M33 V2 or M66 preamp, creating an ultra-high-performance and flexible audio system. Key enhancements on the updated M23 V2 include refreshed Eigentakt modules with refined timing and distortion suppression. There is also a 12V trigger output with timed delay for simplified daisy-chaining with multiple amps. It also prevents surge spikes. There are balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs for integration into a wide range of audio setups The output of the M23 V2 doubles when it's used in mono mode for maximum system headroom. NAD says the new power amplifier also excels in dynamic power, load-invariance and musical transparency. Rear view of NAD's new M23 V2 Power Amplifier. When used together, the NAD M33 V2 and M23 V2 provide an end-to-end NAD solution that has NAD's Masters Series philosophy of benchmark innovation, intuitive control and sonic performance that rivals boutique brands but without the price markup. Whether the units are used as a simple two-channel reference system, a high-performance smart home setup or a premium audio installation, NAD claims both units can deliver unmatched results. The Masters Series incorporates NAD's belief in performance without excess. Both the M33 V2 and M23 V2 have aluminum casework with magnetic ISO-point feet and precision-machined detailing. 'The future of hi-fi lies not just in lowering distortion, but in understanding how humans perceive sound,' says Oostvogel. 'We've optimized timing from file source, to DAC, to amplifier, to your room. That's where the magic and true enjoyment happen.' The NAD M33 V2 will be available from August 11, 2025, and priced at $5,999 / £4,999 / €6,499. The NAD M23 V2 will be available at the same time and will carry a price tag of $3,999 / £3,499 / €4,499.
