CES 2021

Once upon a time, CES was a huge show for audio but those days are long gone and showed no signs of returning in the virtual world that was CES 2021, with one possible exception: Wireless headphones, a category that has made incredible strides in just the past year or so. A number of companies — some familiar, many not-so-familiar — used the world-class venue as a showcase for new headphones you can buy now and models you can expect to see online and in stores in the coming months. Prominent among the new entries were earbuds and full-size headphones with active noise canceling and features designed to improve wireless performance and the sound quality of music and phone calls. Wired models, as you might expect, were few and far between. Here’s a look at what a few of the more familiar brands are bringing to market.

China’s Hisense announced plans to launch a range of TriChroma Laser TVs with 55- to 100-inch screen sizes in 2021 at its virtual CES press conference. The announcement, made by Fisher Yu, Vice President of Hisense Visual Technology, is the first indication that the tech, which has been displayed in prototype form at previous CES events, will make it into actual ultra short throw projection TV products destined for the U.S. market.

JBL is upping the ante on its Synthesis Custom range with the addition of two flagship models: the SCL-1 loudspeaker and SSW-1 subwoofer. The new offerings are designed to complement each other in custom-installed “ultra-premium, high channel count immersive audio deployments” that also feature the company’s SDP-75 immersive surround processor and SDA amplifiers.

Previously announced in September 2020 at the European mega-electronics tradeshow IFA, LG Electronics said its new HU810P CineBeam 4K UHD laser projector will now launch the week of January 18. The latest addition to the company’s DLP projector lineup is notable for its HDMI 2.1 connections (with Auto Low Latency Mode and Enhanced Audio Return Channel), built-in webOS 5.0 platform, and WiSA support for a high-res wireless audio link with WiSA-compatible speakers.

The Virtual CES 2021 TV news is starting to roll in. First up, LG, which has announced it will release a series of “QNED” Mini-LED TVs as its 2021 LCD TV lineup’s flagship offering. There will be 10 new 4K and 8K Mini-LED models in all, with screen sizes up to 86 inches.

Samsung plans a 2021 launch of TVs with contrast-enhancing Neo QLED backlighting technology and its first consumer-installable MicroLED displays, giving video enthusiasts more options to enjoy cinema-like bigscreen entertainment at home.