by Brian Hunter
Parasound fired up the PR machine this week to drop a new amplifier for the holiday season. The new Zonemaster Model 2350 goes class D into 350 watts per channel for 8 ohms but also includes the necessary feature set to push a passive subwoofer with internal low pass crossovers. The usual line level sub output is also available for a more traditional two-channel + powered sub arrangement, but stereo output from the two A/B speaker outputs can be summed to mono or switched to a sub setting with a 80Hz cutoff for even more low frequency options.
The Parasound ZoneMaster 2350 is currently available via the company’s dealer network and arrives with a MSRP of $1,295. More from the PR release after the page break.
We first set eyes upon the AMBEO Smart Headset on CES a few shows back. The idea represents a new direction for everyday video recording – one where our headphone-focused consumption of media is now accompanied by a 3D binaural recording that follows head movement as what your watching on your phone moves around. If it seems confusion at first, not to worry. The implementation on both the production and consumption ends are dead simple. The headset contains two microphones that capture sound from the ears of the recorder, and listening takes place in a similar fashion to simply listening to music, without any added gear.
Right now the AMBEO is terminated in a Lighting connection, partnered at the hip closely with the silicone valley giant and also sold at the Big A’s retail locations. Apple-friendly Apogee helped with the hardware side of things for a package that appears fairly seemless and user-friendly, ready for the next wave of teenage pocket producers. The headset carries the usual feature set for listening on-the-go from a mobile device with call pickup and device controls. The US launch is in full swing for $299, with distribution pointing toward both Apple stores and Apple.com.
If you want to see what the full output sounds like you can check out the demo video we captured in the embed below starting at the 2:25 mark, headphones highly recommended.
From the Parasound PR Release:
“SAN FRANCISCO (12/6/17) — Parasound has introduced the ZoneMaster 2350, a powerful and affordable 350-watt per channel Class D stereo power amplifier with a crossover for subwoofers. It is now available from Parasound dealers for premium audio and custom installation applications.
The Parasound ZoneMaster 2350 draws on the company’s heritage of low-noise class AB input stages and analog bass management, combined with the highest quality Class D amplification to drive 8 ohm speakers to 350 watts per channel, and deliver up to 600 watts per channel into 4 ohms. The 2350’s high current design and extensive heat-sinking enable it to easily drive 2 ohm loads in demanding applications.
“While this is probably my 38th new power amplifier introduction, I am especially excited about the ZoneMaster 2350 as something new and different for Parasound,” said Richard Schram, the company’s president and founder. “It has the high horsepower our industry has come to expect from good Class D, and by marrying it with our industry-leading analog input stage and unique connectivity options, we’ve created a remarkably rugged, maximum-fidelity amp that can play at the red-line all day. With bass management and versatile installation features, it is also a really practical choice for commercial systems.”
In addition to providing high power and audiophile-grade sound quality to stereo speakers, the Parasound ZoneMaster 2350 includes a package of unique installer-friendly features that have proven popular on several of Parasound’s other ZoneMaster amplifiers. These include a two-channel analog 80Hz, 24dB/octave low-pass crossover for driving one or more in-wall passive subwoofers without the need for external crossovers, separate line-level and speaker-level inputs, A & B speakers, a mono/stereo mode switch, a 30Hz/80-Hz high-pass filter to improve performance with small speakers, stereo loop outputs, a dedicated mono line output, and audio-sensing or 12 Volt trigger auto turn-on options.
The Parasound ZoneMaster 2350 is now available from authorized Parasound dealers with an MSRP of $1,295.
For more information on Parasound products, visit http://www.parasound.com.”
From the Sennheiser release:
“December 6, 2017, Santa Monica, California and Wedemark, Germany – Apogee and Sennheiser are pleased to announce the co-developed Sennheiser AMBEO SMART HEADSET is now available at Apple.com and Apple Stores in the US, just in time for the holidays. Perfect for capturing and sharing holiday memories, the AMBEO SMART HEADSET connects to the Lightning connector on your iPhone or iPad and lets you create videos with an immersive, life-like 3D sound that places the viewer at the heart of the moment. The AMBEO SMART HEADSET also features a high fidelity listening experience plus the ability to blend in surrounding sound or tune it out. This new all-black version of AMBEO SMART HEADSET is exclusively available on Apple.com and in Apple Stores.
Capture the world as you hear it with immersive 3D sound
Use AMBEO SMART HEADSET when recording videos using the iOS Camera App to add 3D immersive sound. Whether you’re traveling the world, at a concert or at home for the holidays, sound recorded with the AMBEO SMART HEADSET will place the listener inside the soundscape of the location. Listening back to the recordings created with AMBEO SMART HEADSET through any stereo headphones will immerse you in stunning 3D sound, replicating the spatial direction and the feeling of the original experience.
Blend the sounds around you with your music — or tune them out
Using the AMBEO SMART HEADSET’s built-in mics, the Transparent Hearing feature lets you hear outside sounds to create the perfect balance between your surroundings and your music. This is ideal for bikers, walkers, joggers and anyone else who wants to be aware of what is going on around them without removing their headphones.
When it’s time to tune out your environment, the AMBEO SMART HEADSET’s Active Noise Cancellation blocks distracting sounds around you so you can enjoy your music and videos.
Listen to music or videos with high fidelity sound
Inspired by Sennheiser and Apogee’s combined 100-year history of audio excellence, AMBEO SMART HEADSET delivers exceptional sound quality for listening to music or videos.
Make and receive phone calls
The AMBEO SMART HEADSET includes an additional built-in microphone so that you can answer calls. Additionally, using voice control, you can activate Siri on your iOS device at any time.
Highlights
- Built-in professional microphones for 3D audio recording to capture sounds like you hear them
- Effortless recording with any App that captures stereo audio, including iOS Camera App
- Transparent Hearing lets you hear the sounds around you and blend them with audio from your iPhone
- Active Noise Cancellation blocks distractions in your surroundings
- Additional telephone mic lets you take calls and operate voice control on iPhone
- High-quality headphones with signature Sennheiser sound
- Headphones with Lightning connection for iPhone and iPad (MFi certified by Apple)
- Apogee’s proprietary Soft Limit and mic preamp plus precisely tuned A/D and D/A conversion
- Available in black or white (black version is exclusively available at Apple)
Pricing/Availability
- $299
- Now Available in the US at Apple.com and Apple Stores”