Cutting-Edge Audio Gear We Recommend For Summer 2024

Audioholics is always on the lookout for cutting-edge AV products and often has the scoop on the newest must-have gadgets, speakers, and displays. Many A/V companies release their newest products in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in  Las Vegas or in September at the CEDIA show in preparation for Holiday shopping sprees at the end of November.

We, however, often release the most sought after, newest, and innovative audio/visual gear in April in preparation for summer. Some of these products are still in the testing phase and may not be available for purchase for several years, but some are available now. Make sure you order them today! When our “must-have” article comes out on April 1st these products become sold out and back ordered within days!

SubDrum E-Kit LIVE

MSRP:$1,995 | Buy Now

Imagine hearing high fidelity sounds emanating from one of the very instruments that created it. Now you can! SubDrum E-Kit LIVE is the drummer’s choice for precisely accurate sound reproduction with powerful signal amplification.  Not only does it look super cool, but as a PA/sound monitoring system it replicates percussive sounds like no other speaker system on the market today! Through SubDrum’s proprietary speaker, head and shell technology, the Company has reimagined how drum instruments could be used as incredible and artful speaker cabinets. 

Due to the speaker’s unique mounting system, the drum head is allowed to freely oscillate in unison with the back wave pressure of the active speaker driver. This allows for greater sound efficiency and tremendous dynamic impact which is actually seen, felt and heard. You’ll perceive the percussive sounds as actually being generated by the drumheads themselves!

The system consists of a 22” SubDrum E-SUB (18” subwoofer driver) with tom mounting arms to array a pair of 10” & 12” SpeakerToms with 8” Kevlar Coax drivers and 1” silk dome tweeters (Kevlar cones available in “SubDrum Yellow” or “Carbon Black”).  The system also includes the small, but powerful SubDrum 2.1 Class D Amplifier with Bluetooth, RCA and USB input connectivitions.

We’re not sure how well the Subdrum E-Kit LIVE will rate with the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).  Most people don’t want a drum set in their living room. Although there is a possibility of doing a sort of front facing Dolby Atmos if you have a Neil Peart setup with 21 separate drums.

The best part is if you don’t like the SubDrum E-Kit LIVE, there is the ability to convert it back to a normal drum set.

We Are Rewind, Retro Cassette Player

MSRP: $160 | Buy

Remember the Sony Walkman? Bursting onto the scene in 1979, the portable music player sold over 220 million units before fading into obscurity as digital music took over–or so we thought. Much like the comeback of vinyl, cassette tapes are seeing a steady revival thanks to movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and the award-winning Netflix series Stranger Things, set in the 80s. In an era defined by the digital, We are Rewind’s sleek cassette players transport music listeners to simpler times–before streaming, and even pre-CD.

The click-clack of a cassette tape, the warm hiss of analog, and the joy of crafting mixtapes? Ah, it brings back memories. Now, anyone can bask in the nostalgic charm of the cassette players of yesteryear with a few exciting modern twists. We Are Rewind cassette players are more than just nostalgia, you can also connect wireless headphones via Bluetooth for instant, tangle-free listening. But if you REALLY want the full retro affect, we suggest getting the available 80’s foam pad wired headphones from Amazon. The player runs on a rechargeable lithium battery for up to 12 hours. No more changing AA batteries every few days.

Despite the gradual rise in cassette sales since 2012, I found that the player options available today don’t meet fans’ standards. That’s when we knew we had to find a solution.

- Romain Boudruche, CEO of We are Rewind

Marrying a sleek, simplistic design with state-of-the-art audio engineering, We are Rewind delivers the reinvented cassette player encased in aluminum with that familiar warm, high-quality analog sound. Just like old-school cassette players, We are Rewind players have fast forward/rewind buttons, a headphone output, a volume control, and an audio input so users can create their own mixtape.

Sound Burger - Portable Record Player

MSRP: $200 | Buy Now

Designed with portability in mind and available in three unique colors, Audio-Technica’s  Sound Burger offers a retro aesthetic mixed with modern updates. Ideal for parties, compact living spaces, or picnics, this affordable entry-level turntable offers Bluetooth connectivity and USB charging and up to 12 hours of spinning.

The Sound Burger offers high-quality sound reproduction with a belt-drive system that plays 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records. To achieve both portability and stability, the tonearm employs a dynamic balance system in which stylus pressure is applied via a spring. In addition, a high-precision DC motor maintains stable rotation. This unique turntable features a die-cast aluminum alloy platter with damping design and a replaceable ATN3600L stylus (sold separately). The Sound Burger also comes with an audio cable for those who prefer an analog, wired listening experience.

Although we really love the idea of the portable record player, we’re still waiting for the dual MC version so you can scratch and mix your own songs on the go.

Tailgater - Music Playing Fire pit

MSRP - $600 | Buy Now

Combo products can go either way. VCR/DVD players were all the rage in the 80’s. Pressure cooker/yogurt maker seems a little specifically obtuse.   The Tailgater, however, is the most versatile fire pit available. Now you can connect wirelessly and enjoy the highest quality audio with fire ambiance anywhere you want to be. The Tailgater offers 30 watts of power in a 2.1 audio system with two 3.5 inch marine grade speakers and one subwoofer for "incredible" sound quality (allegedly). The Tailgater stereo portion has a 20-hour battery life and comes with 4 modes including music only, firepit only, fire and music, BTM. The device also comes with a 20 lb propane tank adapter for the fire pit portion.  The whole unit is designed to be mobile. Listening to music on the go is always a plus, but mobile fire pit sounds like a recipe for disaster.

We really like the Beat to Music (BTM) mode which synchronizes the flames to music with custom “Reactive Flame Technology”. Dancing flames harmonize perfectly with music for amplified entertainment.  Just watch out for the heavy drum portions of Imagine Dragons songs or you might have extra crispy marshmallows for your smores.

AromaPlayer

MSRP: $1000  Refill cartridges:$30  (approx)

I remember seeing 4D gaming options from Westinghouse at CES 2007.  Not only did the monitor have ambient color lighting around the screen to accent flashes from fire, water, explosions, jungles, and more, but it also came with a series of fans to give the feeling of movement or even sonic percussions.

Now, the AromaPlayer adds another dimension for your senses by synchronizing scent with your videos using the Aroma Shooter, an innovative digital scent device.

Imagine watching a movie with your family and smelling the coffee your main character drinks in real-time.  To get started, connect your AromaShooter devices via Bluetooth and create your own aroma timeline for a video. Play it back and synchronize your scent data between devices. This new type of aroma diffuser that abandons liquid and gaseous media (oils, mist, steam, vapor, etc.). This allows for blazingly fast toggling of discrete scents and instant generation of aroma blends. Scent is now part of the digital family. AromaPlayer says you can also switch between several different AromaPlayers.

I’m thinking that if done properly, not only can you have immersive sound in Dolby Atmos, you can have immersive 3D smell as well.  Just watch out for Zombie movies. Now you can be like Elmer Fudd and embrace Smellovision today and not in some distant future.

April Fools?

For those of you who frequent Audioholics and thought this was an April fools article with fake products, the joke's on you. All these products are currently on the market or are in the final stages of research and development. Please comment in the related forum thread below if you're genuinely interested in any of these audio products.