September audio digest: do-it-yourself, technology history, releases and news

The first month of autumn was rich in events in the “ World Hi-Fi ”, which we closely followed. In this material, we have collected for you all the most interesting: notes on new audio and video gadgets, new manuals and interesting collections.


Photo of Klara Kopf / CC BY-SA 2.0

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News and Releases

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• Sonos will receive Alexa support in the near future.
• Researchers hacked into Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and Google Now with ultrasound commands.

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• Customizable Beyerdynamic Headphones
• Bang & Olufsen Releases B & O Play E8 Wireless Plugs
• Sennheiser announced three headphone models at IFA 2017

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• Monitor Audio presented the updated Silver 6G line in Moscow
• Marshall adds support for Chromecast and multiroom to wireless speakers

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• Launched European sales of 77-inch OL A1 OLED TV
• Apple introduced Apple TV 4K with support for 4K resolution
• Sony's biggest OLED TV at IFA 2017

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"Do it yourself"

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Audiocore Kit: Sound podcast transcript

• In this issue of the Sound podcast, speaker design engineer Yuri Fomin talks about a new development that we showed at our audio exhibition . In the podcast we talk about the variability of the designer, the development and the possibility of studying acoustic systems. Here we tell in more detail about the designer himself: how he looks, what his features are, and also give assembly instructions (suitable even for those who have never assembled a “sound” for themselves).

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“Good morning, Vietnam!”: How to launch your Internet radio

• What is Ice-cast and what it is for, what software to choose for broadcasting, where to start at all and what goals to set when launching an Internet radio station. A little about what are the "glands" to start with something affordable - we tell in the material.

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Learning to read graphics and weigh mp3 distortion

• We will talk about how to compare the quality of the original and the mp3 version, and what tools are needed for this - a study using the example of iPad mini with visual graphs and tables.

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Choosing an amplifier for a home audio system (video)

• To choose the right amplifier, you need to understand a few important nuances and understand how to start building a speaker system. Here we will show you what to pay attention to and what tasks the amplifier should perform.

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100 questions about vinyl: why you need vinyl and where to start

• A series of materials in which we will answer the most popular questions and tell you how to deal with vinyl. In this issue we talk about vinyl in modern realities, collecting and types of records. How to “kill” a record with an incorrectly tuned needle and how to care for them in general, as well as the quality of the players.

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Vignesh Viswanath / PD Photo

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Life hacking and history

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Put on headphones and become more efficient: How music affects productivity

• We tell how to get rid of the noisy background and "find" concentration in a crowded office. Research and recommendations on the choice of headphones for work - in our article.

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Sound from different sides: how it is perceived by representatives of different professions

• A musician, a scientist, and a programmer hear music in different ways. In this material we talk about the difference in perception and why you should not buy professional acoustics for home use. Music and physiology, neurology, biology, math and seals.

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Rain, clank armor and liquid metal: how sound is created for the movie

• You can not just take and record the sound of rain. Some sounds in the movie are not what they seem: what gives the cinder block and wooden floor, a bag of potatoes and a cardboard box. And a little more about music in movies and unusual musical instruments.

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5 legendary rock festivals that rocked the USSR

• Nostalgia post: archival videos, black-and-white photos, memories of past musicians and recordings from concerts. “Time Machine”, “DDT”, “Kalinov Bridge”, “Alisa” and many other rockers of the era.

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"From Austria with love": Acquaintance with AKG

• We continue to acquaint our readers with the history of audio brands. In this material, we talk about how a small workshop in post-war Austria has developed into a giant corporation with headquarters around the world and has become synonymous with high-quality sound.

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Watch and listen

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5 bold tributes to John Coltrane

• "Hamlet" of modern jazzman. Let us tell you who tried to play Coltrane: academic string players, saxophonists, even guitarists. It has everything - videotapes, energy, a bit of improvisation and frantic jazz.

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Ten classic pieces for heavy metal fans

• What classical music can be advised to long-haired guys in leather jackets. Vivaldi, Wagner, Stravinsky, Black Sabbath and ballet, gloomy brass organ, Estonian classics - everything that fans of heavy sound might like.

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Old and New: 5 great jazz albums of this summer

• “The Beatles”, “the third Coleman”, Iggy Pop in jazz performance, improvisation from a Japanese pianist and a man who beat Miles Davis. What you need this fall.

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Top 5 + 5 bright films of Roman Polanski

• A selection of the 84th anniversary of the director. From the early "Chinatown" and "tenant" to the famous "pianist". The debut "knife in the water" and many other works of a talented director with trailers and small excerpts from tapes.

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A couple of our megapodborok

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100 popular science materials on sound and audio

• Music and science, gadgets, radio, vinyl, technology and interviews with professionals. We tried to find the most interesting and broke the list of materials into thematic sections.

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50 comparisons, reviews and manuals on the topic of sound and audio

• Materials on how to pick up acoustics, vinyl or headphones. We will help you figure out how to equip your own cinema and deal with the home ecosystem of sound.