There have been several valiant attempts at recreating some sort of show experience in the digital space this past year. None have unfortunately delivered the full networking-and-demo interaction of a real show, but how could they really? One of the biggest consumer electronics shows every year is CES in Las Vegas, and in lieu of the IRL event the big budget convention is looking to make good on some type of deep dive information transfer this Jan 11-14th.
Truth be told, there hasn’t been a lot of new product releases for high fidelity audio in quite some time from the show that used to stand as a significant landmark for the audiophile market. Headphones (and especially wireless options) have carried most of the weight, while burgeoning sectors like wearables and home automation have managed to take up whole city blocks of real estate on show floors.
Regardless, Audio-Head will be accessing what there is left to see from CES 2021, and reporting results (if any) on the site here. Along with steady sales, there have been some interesting developments this year – did you know they make custom IEMs now that can be fitted and molded from the comfort of your own home?
Even with low bar for CES 2021, it might be easy to set expectations with a few new tricks added to True Wireless headphones, new workout playback and maybe a sound bar or two. CES regulars on the exhibitor list include SVS, Beyerdynamic, analog devices, audio-technica, Shure, V-Moda and a few others that usually make the hifi show circuit.
In the meantime, you can see everything from the last few years here in our on-site coverage. Also available to play catchup is The Occasional Podcast highlights from CES 2020, along with an in depth interview from Sonus Faber’s President Jeff Poggi and Brand Manager William Kline.
More info: CES 2021 International