![]() ![]() This means you can stream to the Beam Gen 2 from a handheld device using Apple AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect is built-in too. Not that many soundbars at this price point come with networking capabilities, but this being a Sonos product, the Beam Gen 2’s ability to integrate into a wireless multiroom system is fundamental to its design. The Beam Gen 2 offers an enveloping, spatial soundscape with rich, detailed audio as well as tangible motion and depth. While genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far for this petite performer, its virtual delivery of the Atmos format outstrips any similarly priced soundbar and even a few that are more expensive. With its hefty processing power, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical. Instead, when watching Atmos content, two of the soundbars five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. The Sony HT-A7000 is an outstanding, future-proofed, all-in-one performer with excellent integration if you have a newer Sony Bravia TV.ĭelivering Dolby Atmos from a small chassis is no mean feat but the 2021 What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2 achieves a convincing, immersive performance without so much as a vertical speaker in sight. There’s also an analogue output for Sony’s Acoustic Center Sync, which lets a compatible Bravia TV become part of the soundbar’s centre channel when the two are connected using the supplied cable. The A7000 is as packed with streaming smarts as it is stuffed with speakers with Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast all on board and integration into a multi-room system – with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home all supported.Īlongside two HDMI 2.1 pass-through sockets capable of handling and Dolby Vision HDR, there are ports for eARC, analogue and optical audio inputs and USB type-A. ![]() The A7000 excels itself with its extensive audio formats support, which includes Dolby Atmos (in both the Digital+ and TrueHD formats), DTS:X, LPCM, hi-res wireless audio and Sony 360 Reality Audio. ![]() The integrated sub is also particularly impressive with a taut, controlled and powerful performance. It’s not the same as having direct audio from the speaker above or the side, but it’s effective and dramatically enticing, enriching the viewing experience. You can currently support the project on Kickstarter.In terms of height and precision, the performance is similar to that of the Sonos Arc, but the width of the soundstage and its forward projection is more convincing. For each sold speaker, the designers plant one native tree, such as pine or eucalyptus. They are available in mono, speaker system ad stereo speaker. The internal electronics are all state-of-the-art with amplifiers and Bluetooth, amongst other things, and can be operated wirelessly.Įach speaker is unique and numbered. Another insulation material used is leather, which has high tensile strength and is inherently resisting to heat. Wool does not store static electricity and is non-flammable, thus protecting the speakers inner components. The cones and caps are individually handcrafted of local raulí and avellano wood.įor the internal acoustic insulation of the speakers, the designers used natural felted wool. After the firing process of over 1000 degrees Celsius, the clay becomes very sturdy, with high density and little natural oscillation.Ĭoncave wood cones in the centre of the drive optimises the off-axis-response of high frequencies through refection, creating a vivid sound. The spherical shape of the body avoids sharp resonances inside the vessel and smoothes out the focusing effect of the housing. The vessel is handmade on a pottery wheel. “We want to create unique, innovative products that are deeply related to the particular materials and visual cultures of the places they come from, standing for identity and history.” “We dream of a Crafts Re-evolution to give back protagonism to traditional hand-crafts in our industrialised world,” the designers say. They are inspired by tradition aesthetics and handmade from organic material by master craftsmen from Nacimiento, Chile. The speakers “fuse the state-of-the-art in electronics and amplification with a ancestral craft techniques,” the designers say. The speakers are said to be the world’s first active sound system made of clay. The name Mapuguaquén means ‘the sound of the earth’ in the language of the South American Mapuche people. Design studio Documentary Design developed Mapuguaquén, handmade speakers made from organic materials like clay, wood and wool that combine pottery tradition with wireless audio technology.
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