Hitachi today announced three under $200 Wi-Fi enabled speakers powered by the AllPlay smart media platform, a wireless whole-home audio solution developed by Qualcomm. AllPlay is a complete hardware and software whole home audio platform that offers manufacturers and consumers a unified solution for local media and cloud based Wi-Fi streaming across iOS and Android platforms.
Hitachi’s W50, W100 and W200 smart speakers offer seamless streaming of high-quality local and cloud-based audio content – with the high performance and versatility of Wi-Fi – at three affordable price points. Industry-leading audio streaming music services such as Spotify, Rhapsody and others have committed to supporting speaker products powered by AllPlay this year.
Bill Whalen, Director of Product Development, Hitachi America, Ltd., Digital Media Division said, “This Hitachi speaker design creates a compelling sound experience, and the easy-to-use app for mobile devices makes it a breeze for consumers to set-up and control a home audio system. The combination of these features and advanced audio processing circuitry define Hitachi as a leader in wireless home audio.”1
“By integrating AllPlay into the Hitachi Smart Wi-Fi speakers, Hitachi America, Ltd. will be able to provide the high quality streaming experience we know consumers are looking for,” said Sy Choudhury, senior director of product management at Qualcomm Connected Experiences. “The interoperability provided by Qualcomm AllPlay allows manufacturers to continue to evolve and redefine the wireless home audio space.”
Consumers can use multiple methods for delivering their favorite audio sources to Hitachi Smart Wi-Fi Speakers. A smart phone or tablet can be easily connected wirelessly to individual or multiple speakers using consumers’ existing home Wi-Fi network.2 In addition, iHeartRadio, the all-in-one digital radio and streaming music service, as well as other audio content on Bluetooth-enabled devices, can be streamed to individual Hitachi Smart Wi-Fi Speakers and re-streamed over Wi-Fi to other Hitachi Smart Wi-Fi Speakers connected to the same Wi-Fi network. For even greater flexibility, each high-style Hitachi Wi-Fi Smart Speaker is equipped with a standard 3.5mm auxiliary direct input connection.
Features:
- Hi-Fi Quality up to 192kHz and 24-bit audio resolution
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Aux In (3.5mm) connections
- NFC for quick Bluetooth connection support
- Downloadable Smart Device App (Apple iOS (v6,7,8) or Android OS (v2.2 through v4.4)
- Party Mode Flexible Speaker Grouping1
- Up to 10 zones
- Individual volume controls for each group
- Supported audio codecs: MP3, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, PCM
- Shared/Social Playlists
- Over-the-air firmware updates
- A/C Adaptor
| Model | MSRP | Availability | Key Features |
| W200 | $199.99 | May 2015 | 22W – Quad-Driver Array with Bass Reflex |
| W100 | $179.99 | May 2015 | 12W – Triple-Driver Array with Bass Reflex |
| W50 | $149.99 | May 2015 | 10W – Dual-Coil + Passive Bass Radiator |
