The specialty audio industry is struggling with an identity...
The specialty audio industry is struggling with an identity crisis, grappling with how to categorize a new genre of music systems that enable streaming yet still offer the sound quality that came to define high-fidelity audio. At the Polk Audio…
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CES suite at the Venetian Tuesday, Al Baron, Polk’s product line manager, told us his company’s new wireless Woodbourne system “doesn’t have a category yet.” The half-moon shaped system delivers 180 watts of power to two 5-1/4-inch midrange drivers and a pair of dome tweeters, and is the first of a series of products under the Heritage sub-brand that will be true to the company’s high-quality audio roots but fit different form factors and use models, Baron said. “Half a dozen” products will be available in the Heritage line by year-end, he said. “We're not sure what to call the category,” Baron said, saying the company “batted around” terms like “wireless entertainment system” and “tabletop audio.” Ultimately, Baron would like to see a market research company hit on a name, he said. “The audio industry isn’t good at getting together to decide things,” he said. The $599 Woodbourne -- with Bluetooth, AirPlay and an iOS-compatible USB port -- will ship in Q2, he said.