Mass Fidelity Inc., creator of The Relay, Bluetooth DAC, today announced The Core, a crowd-funded table-top speaker 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, with bass down to 44 Hz at normal listening volumes.
The Core claims to offer improved sound by using Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) to produce a stereo image from one speaker. It is powered by a 120-watt digital amplifier, while six digital signal processors (DSP), and an ARM processing core work in unison to execute a series of advanced acoustic rendering algorithms.
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).
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.
The company says 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.
The Core’s compact 6″ x 6″ x 4″ size and 12-hour battery life makes it very portable. 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.
Price and Availability
The Core is now available for pre-order via Indiegogo. 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 2014.
