{"id":5155,"date":"2021-05-14T19:53:20","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T19:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1351017"},"modified":"2021-05-14T19:53:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T19:53:20","slug":"ex-apple-designers-triphonic-speaker-may-be-the-hi-fi-homepod-we-deserve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=5155","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Apple designer\u2019s \u2018triphonic\u2019 speaker may be the hi-fi HomePod we deserve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Say what you will about Apple\u2019s original HomePod, but it was actually a really solid speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sausalitoaudio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Apple-Home-Pod-Charts.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">by technical standards<\/a>. So when Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/apple-homepod-discontinue-homepod-mini-analysis\">discontinued it<\/a>, we wondered what might eventually replace it.<\/p>\n<p>Although there are currently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/apple-homepod-with-screen-someday\">rumors<\/a> of a HomePod with a screen and camera, it\u2019s now looking like one of the best alternatives may actually come from an ex-Apple designer and his new company, <a href=\"https:\/\/syngspace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Syng<\/a>. Well, it\u2019s more of an \u2018upgrade\u2019 than an alternative, considering it costs $1,799.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christopher_Stringer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Christopher Stringer<\/a>, who worked at Apple for 21 years and was Jony Ive\u2019s first hire, and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Damon_Way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Damon Way<\/a> of DC Shoes and Incase fame, teamed up to create a futuristic&nbsp;speaker called the <a href=\"https:\/\/syngspace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Cell Alpha<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351020 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351020\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Table_recordplayer-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>It somewhat resembles the HomePod in that it features a round body with an omnidirectional acoustical design, which theoretically means the speaker will sound the same no matter what angle you listen to it from. There are a pair of <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/the-new-imacs-have-force-canceling-speakers-heres-what-that-means\">force-canceling woofers<\/a> on the top and bottom, and three tweeters with wide <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-heck-is-a-waveguide\">waveguides<\/a>&nbsp;arranged around the speaker\u2019s circumference.<\/p>\n<p>But more than that, it uses something the company calls \u2018triphonic\u2019 audio to offer users \u201cfull control\u201d of sounds with \u201cprecise placement and localization.\u201d According to Syng:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"15\">\n<p><span>You can put sound wherever you want, shrink it, move it, magnify it, and layer it. Or let the Cell handle everything \u2013 with Triphonic audio, it\u2019s able to virtualize any speaker array and accurately spatialize sound for your room. When sound is all around you, it\u2019s intimate, totally enveloping and unlike anything you\u2019ve ever heard.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Syng\u2019s speaker is using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beamforming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">beamforming<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 a technique that essentially allows you to \u2018aim\u2019 soundwaves \u2014 to be able to adjust the spatial qualities of the resultant sound field.<\/p>\n<p>The company claims that just one speaker is able to create a realistic, room-filling stereo sound and that a pair of speakers can work without needing to arrange the speakers in a traditional equilateral-ish triangle.<\/p>\n<p>Three speakers are the \u201cfullest expression\u201d of the system, able to create what Syng says is a completely immersive sound field. You can then use Syng\u2019s app to change the location and size of the&nbsp;sound field.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1351022 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7.png\" alt width=\"298\" height=\"627\" sizes=\"(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7.png 671w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-100x210.png 100w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-128x270.png 128w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-64x135.png 64w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1351022\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7.png\" alt width=\"298\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7.png 671w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-100x210.png 100w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-128x270.png 128w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e5bc7-64x135.png 64w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>That sounds cool, but it\u2019s worth taking any claims about spatial audio with a grain of salt. Most speakers that claim to provide fully immersive audio without a full surround setup tend to be underwhelming in my experience. The ones that do provide decent spatial effects sometimes do so at the expense of sound quality.<\/p>\n<p>But the technology <em>has<\/em> improved over time, and at $1,799, I hope the Cell Alpha ends up being more than a gimmick. Current attempts have had mixed&nbsp;results, but beamforming&nbsp;does feel like the next big leap in home audio.<\/p>\n<p>The Cell&nbsp;Alpha\u2019s design and futuristic technology resemble something Apple might make, which is no surprise given the talent behind it. It\u2019s what I would\u2019ve liked to see if Apple ever decided to take the hi-fi speaker route.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for Apple, the original HomePod didn\u2019t sell well, forcing Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/apple-homepod-discontinue-homepod-mini-analysis\">to discontinue it<\/a>. The company is apparently still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/5\/13\/22434783\/apple-homepod-stock-problems-discontinued-sale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">having trouble<\/a> getting rid of inventory.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351019 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351019\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom.jpg\" alt width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Cell_Alpha_Floor_Studio2_livingroom-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t help but feel a big reason for that is that Apple\u2019s walled-garden approach failed it, for once. The speaker could only stream&nbsp;via Apple Music if you intended to use Siri, and AirPlay support for other streaming platforms like Spotify was sometimes unreliable.<\/p>\n<p>It also means that you were completely out of luck if you wanted to stream music from an Android phone or Windows device (at least without significant workarounds).<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351021 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948.png\" alt width=\"1142\" height=\"1131\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1142px) 100vw, 1142px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948.png 1142w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-212x210.png 212w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-273x270.png 273w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-136x135.png 136w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-796x788.png 796w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1351021\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948.png\" alt width=\"1142\" height=\"1131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948.png 1142w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-212x210.png 212w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-273x270.png 273w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-136x135.png 136w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/Snag_372e4948-796x788.png 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Here Syng has a welcome advantage; it supports AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, USB audio in (via two USB-C ports), and HDMI eARC (through an upcoming adapter). It\u2019s launching with just an iOS app, but an Android one is coming soon.<\/p>\n<p>If the acoustic technology pans out, the company could be onto something. We\u2019ll let you know what we think when we get our hands on one ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><i>Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/share.hsforms.com\/1tNyJLC_3RjuVWih9ygK_6A47gef\">and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/ex-apple-designers-triphonic-speaker-may-be-the-hi-fi-homepod-we-deserve\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Say what you will about Apple\u2019s original HomePod, but it was actually a really solid speaker by technical standards. So when Apple discontinued it, we wondered what might eventually replace it. Although&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5155"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}