If you read our coverage of other speakers from Riva Audio, like the Festival or Arena, then you probably noticed we’re generally fans of Riva’s products. The Riva Turbo X even tops our list of the best Bluetooth speakers. Now, with the Riva Stadium and Riva Concert, the company is trying its hand at a new category: The smart speaker.
Part of the new Riva Voice series, both the Stadium and Concert are the company’s first voice-controlled speakers. They’re also the first third-party speakers to make use of the full Amazon Alexa communications suite. That means that in addition to the usual Alexa functions, you also get access to functionality like Alexa Calling & Messaging or even Drop-In and Announcements, letting you use the speakers like an intercom. Previously, this was only available in Amazon’s own hardware.
While most smart speakers put the emphasis on the “smart,” the Riva Voice series puts the emphasis on the “speaker.” While most smart speakers only feature one built-in speaker drive, both the Concert and the larger Stadium feature three. This, combined with Riva Audio’s expertise when it comes to audio, honed during its roots in the live music business, the speakers should sound incredible, at least if the company’s other products are any indication. The speakers can even play high-resolution audio at 192kHz/24-bit.
Unlike other smart speakers, the Stadium and Concert feature a host of different connections. In addition to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay, the speakers feature USB inputs and even 3.5mm analog inputs. In the case of the Stadium, you even get an optical digital input. You can also stream music via services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora.
The Stadium’s larger size means its perfect for home use while the Concert is more portable. The Concert features a splash-proof exterior, plus an optional battery pack that can provide more than 20 hours of playback time, making it a great option for a day out at the beach or on the lake. Both the Stadium and Concert are controlled by the Riva Voice app, which lets you set up multiroom systems in addition to controlling playback and other functions.
The Riva Stadium will retail for $450 while the Riva Concert will sell for $200. Both will arrive sometime this fall, though the company has yet to set an official launch date. For a look at the competition they’re facing, take a look at our list of the best smart speakers you can buy.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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