Audio Video News

Elite Simplifies Outdoor Movie Setups with its New Battery-Powered Screen

If you’re going to setup a movie theater in your backyard you could just project the image onto the side of your house. Or…you could enhance the Hollywood magic with a screen designed for outdoor use.

One of the coolest outdoor screens we’ve seen is the new battery-operated Yard Master Wireless model from California-based Elite Screens. By eliminating the need to for a power outlet, you have to freedom to set up the screen anywhere. The retractable design makes it ideal for wall and patio installations.

The 125-inch (diagonal) screen is water-resistant and made of Elite’s CineWhite material, which has a gain of 1.1 and is ISF certified for accurate color reproduction. Better yet, you raise and lower the screen using an RF (radio frequency) remote control that you don’t have to aim.

The system’s lithium-ion battery is enclosed in the heavy-duty white casing that conceals the screen when it’s not in use and rated for up to 200 cycles of operation per charge. The screen is offered in standard and tab-tensioned versions, the latter of which provides a taut projection surface with uniformity on all sides. Prices range from $1,629 to $1,999, and Elite provides a 2-year warranty. For more information, visit elitescreens.com.

Bose Knocks 50 Bucks Off its QuietComfort II Earbuds

Speaking of the great outdoors, if you like to take your music along for the ride, Bose is running a special $50-off deal on its QuietComfort II wireless earbuds just in time for Mother’s Day. With the limited-time offer, the earbuds can be had for $249.

In addition to active noise cancellation that provides Quiet and Aware modes, the earbuds offer adjustable EQ through the Bose Music app and automatically adjust to the unique shape of your ear canals to improve sound quality. Battery life is rated for up to 6 hours.

In a recent Headphone Shootout hosted by Value Electronics, a panel of professional audio engineers, audiophile/headphone experts, and audio reviewers judged several wireless noise-cancelling earbuds in two price categories. The Bose QuietComfort II ’buds netted a combined score of 8.1 in their category putting them just behind the winning Sony model, which scored 8.4. For more information, visit bose.com.

Audioengine Offers Improved Portable Headphone/DAC

Though you might think the D1 portable headphone amp/DAC from Texas-based Audioengine is best at home on your desk, the Gen 2 device is only 3.5-inches long and less than an inch thick, making it small enough to stick in your pocket or backpack. It costs $169.

The idea is to bypass the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or sound card in your tablet, PC, or phone and let the D1 do the heavy lifting for a serious bump in sound quality. Equipped with USB-C and optical digital inputs plus minijack and RCA analog outputs, the D1 is built to process digital audio at any bit depth up to 32 bits and any sample rate to 394 kHz. It’s designed to drive the most demanding headphones and can deliver a full-scale output of 2.0V RMS with an impedance of 4.7 ohms.

Further sweetening the deal, the D1 employs USB power filtering, which is said to ensure a clean power supply and noise-free listening. The specs support the claim with signal-to-noise ratio spec’d at >105dB and THD+N at <0.0025% (1 KHz). For more information, visit audioengine.com.