«

»

Mass Fidelity Core Wireless Speaker Released


Mass Fidelity Core Wireless Speaker Released

Connect Up To Nine Units to Create a Multi-Room Home Music System; Compact Size and 12-Hour Battery Make it Effortlessly Portable

Mass Fidelity Inc., creator of ‘The Relay,’ an award-winning Bluetooth DAC, today introduces ‘The Core,’ a product designed to be the center of users’ musical universe. The Core is a beautiful, compact wireless speaker that combines “better than stereo” sound with an impressive feature set including, portability, multi-room functionality and crystal-clear audio.

The Core uses a number of innovative acoustic technologies to create a stunning sound that mimics the experience of two separated Hi-Fi speakers, yet comes from a beautiful box that fits in ‘the palm of your hand.’

Mass Fidelity Core Wireless Speaker Released

“What makes the Core truly revolutionary is the use of innovative Wave Field Synthesis technology,” said Ben Webster, CEO and Co-Founder of Mass Fidelity. “Wave Field Synthesis is an entirely new way of rendering audio where a sound image is produced by recreating that sound in space – similar to a hologram. This astonishing sound image can be ‘viewed’ from anywhere in the room. It is purer and sounds better than traditional stereo, because it does not rely on the listener’s position or on ‘tricking the brain’ with psychoacoustics.”

Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) – The Core uses Wave Field Synthesis (WFS), a revolutionary audio rendering technique that produces an astounding sonic image that sounds like two widely placed Hi-Fi speakers. Wave Field Synthesis causes sound to emanate from virtual starting points (in this case, ‘The Core’) and continue to move along pathways, creating a lifelike sound image as each of the waveforms collide at a point in space. Unlike conventional stereo that is designed to trick the brain with clever psychoacoustic processes, WFS reconstructs the sound field physically, making it the purest and cleanest audio representation. It is a technology that has been touted as the obvious next step in acoustic rendering since the late 80′s but because of its demanding computing requirements, hadn’t been viable to implement as a high quality solution in a consumer product — until now.

The Core brings an infinite selection of music into every part of life. Users can access and play music however and wherever they want—streaming straight from a smartphone or tablet or via digital and analog sources using a wired connection.  Without having to download apps or configure networking equipment, users can instantly connect up to nine units to create a multi-room music experience with the touch of a single button — all without the need for complicated wiring or additional Wi-Fi equipment  (routers, switches, etc).

Custom-Designed Acoustics – The Core provides beautiful yet powerful sound with smooth highs, crystal clear midrange and bone shaking bass, thanks to an array of four custom-designed mid/high frequency speakers and a downward-firing subwoofer, driven by 120 watts of precision digital power, all being fed by a pristine digital signal path end to end.

Digital Horse Power – Six Digital Signal Processors (DSP), and an ARM processing core work in unison to execute a series of advanced acoustic rendering algorithms, which combine to create a true acoustic tour de force. Additionally, the Core’s 120-watt digital amplifier stage delivers high-quality music at an almost unbelievable scale for such a small box.

No More Stereo Sweet Spot – With WFS, the Core creates a multidimensional sound image that can be heard from any location in the room, eliminating the sweet spot that comes from traditional stereo speakers.

Multi-room – Using the built-in adaptive wireless network, users are able to connect between two and nine units to create a multi-room system in a home with the press of a single button — no wires or Wi-Fi required.  No matter the source, music can be streamed at CD quality in any size home.

In order to make it easy to use, there is no app, complicated setup or extra “bridge” components required; users simply place the units where they want to hear the music and press the ‘multi-room’ button.

When multiple Cores are connected, they create a dedicated adaptive music network in the 5GHz radio spectrum, streaming at “Red book” CD quality (16-bit / 44,100 Hz), no matter the source (Bluetooth, legacy analog sources via analog input, AppleTV®, etc.). The network continually scans for interference to ensure the highest audio quality possible and in the event of any interference from other electronics, the Core will automatically move to another channel to find the cleanest channel possible for delivering the music.

Bluetooth Clarity – Employing similar techniques used in The Relay, Mass Fidelity’s award winning Bluetooth DAC, the Core utilizes signal processing architecture to guarantee the best possible sound quality from the easiest and readily available output from a smart phone or tablet. The Core’s ultra-sensitive Class 1 Bluetooth receiver technology minimizes dropouts, and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) and aptX® audio decoding brings out the best possible sound from any digital source.

Portability – The Core’s compact 6” x 6” x 4” size and 12-hour battery life makes it very portable. A combination of its compact size and extended battery life makes it effortless to take it out on the patio and beyond. Additionally, the Core recharges in less than two hours and features a USB port that can conveniently charge smartphones or tablets if they are low on power. It even comes with International power adaptor tips for effortless travel.

Liberate yourself from Wi-Fi – The Core does not require Wi-Fi or a router to perform any of its multitalented tasks. This means users are never at the whim of their home internet connection, nor do they have to be within range of a Wi-Fi network to listen to music wirelessly. The Core requires no apps or complicated set-up procedures; just pair a smart phone, tablet or PC via Bluetooth and users can enjoy music in less than 60 seconds.

Absolute Bass – The Core uses Absolutely Bass Technology (ABT), a combination of electronics, software, and mechanical engineering working in unison to produce low frequency performance unmatched for its size. The Core will output frequencies down to 44 Hz at ‘normal’ listening volumes.

Dynamic Re-tuning Technology – Because there are some who want more bass, the Core automatically retunes itself when connected to any wired powered subwoofer. When connected, the Core focuses on midrange and high frequency information in the music and delivers the low frequency information to the external subwoofer, allowing the Core to play louder than normal.

Inputs – With multiple inputs, the Core allows for both digital and analog sources to be connected, whether an AppleTV®, Amazon FireTV® or Roku® via the optical input. This optical digital input can also be connected to the digital output of a TV so the Core can be used as a ‘soundbar’.  Using the 3.5 mm analog input, users can connect any wired device, even a turntable (with phono pre-amp).

Design – The elegant look of the Core is the result of Mass Fidelity’s focus on intelligent yet minimal design.  The Core is beautifully accented with an acrylic glass top and chromed steel base.  Its bold yet simple beauty, compact size, slight embellishments and lack of unsightly wires make the Core enviable in any space.

Additional Features

Speakerphone
Gesture Control to advance tracks
NFC ‘touch to pair’

Availability – The Core will be available for pre-order on September 4th via Indiegogo. The crowdfunding platform is being used in order to accelerate initial production volume by financing the setup of additional production lines.

“By offering the Core to potential buyers via Indiegogo, we will be able to increase the volume of the first production run as well as accelerate the timing for delivery,” noted Webster. “We are currently in the process of testing and refining the pre-production samples before moving into production.”

The Core will retail for $599 USD, however will launch on Indiegogo for $349 USD for one unit, $698 USD for two or $999 USD for three and are slated to be available in early to mid-December.

Specs

Compatibility:
– Any Bluetooth-enabled device, including smartphone, tablet or laptop, Apple, Android or PC.
– Any music on user’s device or in the cloud
– Any online streaming sites or internet radio (Pandora, rdio, YouTube, Spotify, etc)
– Any wired digital or analogue sources (cd player, stereo or record player)
– A home theatre system (cable box, Apple TV, Roku or television)
Inputs:
– 1x Multi-Room wireless input
– 1x S/PDIF Optical input
– 1x Control input for home automation systems
– 1x 2VRMS Stereo analog input
– 1x Relay Ultra-Fidelity Bluetooth input
Outputs:
– 1x Multi-Room wireless output
– 1x USB Power output for smart device charging
– 1x Wired Subwoofer output
Frequency Response: 44Hz-20kHz
Battery life / Charge Time: 12 hours, 2 hour charge time from empty
Amplifier power: 120 Watts
Speakers: 5 X Custom designed high output speaker drivers
Compatible Power Systems: 110-240 Volt
Bluetooth® / Range: Class 1  / 18 m; 60 ft
Supported Codecs: aptX®, AAC, SBC
Multi-Room: Adaptive 5 GHz dedicated network
Dimensions (WxDxH): 15×15 x10 cm;  6”x 6”x 4”

About Mass Fidelity

Mass Fidelity is a Canadian technology start-up formed by audiophiles, designers and engineers to liberate modern audio through technology.  We design devices that adapt to and empower the changing ways in which listeners want to access and play music.  Every decision we make is with three tenets in mind: functional design, revolutionary sound and freedom for the listener.

Simplicity in design and dexterity in function make our products unlike anything you’ve seen or heard.  Beautiful, thoughtfully designed conduits for the sounds you love, wherever and however you want to hear them.  For more information visit www.massfidelity.com.