CREATE YOUR OWN SUMMERTIME SOUNDTRACK...WIRELESS SPEAKERS LET YOU TAKE YOUR MUSIC WITH YOU

With the temperatures beginning to rise and summer rapidly approaching, moving the party from inside the house to the backyard, or especially the beach, is almost imperative, and like most of us, you’ll want to move your music, too. With the advances in not only durability and portability, but sound quality as well, moving the party to any location for digital-savvy music listeners has never been easier…or more affordable!

Here’s a list, in no special order, of some of the wireless, portable speakers out there today that will help make your next trip to the beach, or even just lounging in the backyard a bit more memorable—or at least, more musical.

JBL, a name synonymous with high-quality music for decades is the first entry for our summer music fest; the JBL Link 20 is a voice activated portable speaker with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® enabled that delivers rich stereo sound. It even has Google Assistant built-in. This compact speaker is powered by a 6000mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery that offers 10 hours of continuous, high-quality audio playtime. Sporting durable, waterproof fabric materials, JBL Link 20 is ready to take the party everywhere; and with the Chromecast built-in, you can instantly start streaming to JBL Link 20 from your favorite music apps from services like Google Play Music, Spotify, Pandora and more.

Next up is the Klipsch Groove Portable Bluetooth Speaker. With its 8-hour battery life and easy USB charging, the Klipsch Groove Bluetooth Speaker is designed to bring big sound wherever the road takes you. Room filling sound that fits in the palm of your hand has never been more fun or long lasting.  With a powerful 3” full range high excursion driver complemented by two side-firing, passive bass radiators, and advanced DSP equalization, the Klipsch Groove portable Bluetooth speakers provide lifelike, dynamic sound at any volume level. Additionally, it features a durable, splash-resistant IPX4 rating to handle any adventure and is more than ready to handle the rigors of the road, pool, or beach.

The RIVA RS01B is another wireless, Bluetooth mobile speaker loaded with all of the audio and features you could want for on-the-go modern lifestyles. RIVA RS01B delivers world class audio by combining their proprietary TrilliumTM technology for truly immersive sound and TrilliumTM Surround for an enhanced movie & gaming experience. A powerful 13-hour lithium-ion battery that can also charge your mobile phone, tablet or other devices wherever and whenever you need it. It’s IPX4 certification offers protection for RIVA RS01B from the splashing of water from any direction.
 

Sony has an extremely wide assortment of high-quality, portable wireless speakers—from ones so small that they fit into the palm of your hand, to huge oversize party speakers that truly push the bounds of the word “portable” —but we will focus of the ones you don’t need a separate parking space for (Click here to see the full line of Sony audio products available online or at our five Southern California technology showrooms).

Sony’s compact SRS-XB and SRS-X Series are extremely small and portable, yet offering all the volume you’ll need. The highly-portable SRS-X models feature a wireless, Bluetooth® speaker that sports a protective, water-resistant design for worry-free listening indoors or out and with its IPX5 water resistant rating, and you and your friends can listen pretty much all day with up to 16 hours of a battery life on a single charge. The SRS-XB models are identical, except that Sony has added a deeper sound by adding its proprietary EXTRA BASS™.

You can give your next beach or pool party a boost with Sony’s SRS-XB31 Series their wireless, portable Bluetooth® speaker also equipped with EXTRA BASS™ and LIVE SOUND; the speakers are carefully designed to give you a real three-dimensional experience, sending your music to a wider area, creating a festival vibe, wherever you are. Additional features include a multi-color line light, speaker lights and flashing strobe, all in a new dust proof, IP67 waterproof rated design for worry-free use indoors or out. Connect and synchronize additional speakers for a real show and never stop rocking with up to 24 hours of battery life.

That’s just a small look at the many options that are out there, stop into any Video & Audio Center or browse our complete line of mobile speaker solutions — as well as solutions for your home and office — online, and you'll be the hit of your next beach or pool party.

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SONY LAUNCHES NEW LINE-UP OF EXTRA BASS BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS—AND VIDEO & AUDIO CENTER HAS THEM ALL!

In addition to Sony introducing several new lines of 4K Ultra HD HDR TVs this year, last week the commercial and consumer electronics giant also released three new powerful/portable wireless speakers to their 2018 line-up; so let’s take a moment to take a look at the advantages of wireless sound, as well as how these new products from Sony perform, and what improvements the new models have over last year’s portable wireless speakers.

The main advantage of a wireless speaker system is certainly obvious — there simply aren’t any wires connecting the speakers to the sound system. You can put your speakers anywhere within range and not have to worry about tripping over, or even hiding the wires that lead back to your sound system. What could be easier, right?

Additionally, wireless speakers are very popular when constructing an outdoor speaker system. In fact, in most cases, if you want to set up a speaker system on a deck, patio, backyard, garage or swimming pool area, a wireless system may be your best and certainly easiest and least expensive way to go.

Sony officially launched their new SRS-XB41, SRS-XB31 and SRS-XB21 EXTRA BASS lines of wireless speakers earlier this month; the speakers are designed to sustain the deep and pounding bass of music such as EDM, grime and Hip-Hop. The built-in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) provides additional boost through the new LIVE SOUND mode. The speakers come with lights, which are intended to amp up the party vibe. There’s wireless playback through NFC and Bluetooth and you can connect up to 100 speakers through the Wireless Party Chain option. The new speakers are IP67 certified Waterproof, Dustproof and rustproof, with a battery life estimated to 24 hours (the XB21 being the only exception at 12 hours).

All new Sony wireless speakers mentioned come with S-Master amplifier and a frequency range of 20 Hz-20,000 Hz (2.4 GHz) with 44.1 KHz sampling. The three speakers support SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs and have an additional bass boost feature appropriately named, EXTRA BASS. The speakers also can connect via Bluetooth 4.2 and also feature NFC function.

SRS-XB21

As for the colors, the XB21 comes in Black, White, Red and blue. Each speaker weighs slightly over one pound and it can produce a Line Light. Compared to the outgoing XB20, the XB21 comes with a bigger 2700 mAh battery over the XB20’s 2100 mAh battery (yet despite the increase in capacity, battery life remains the same as its predecessor).

The XB21 comes with custom EQ with Bass/Mid/Treble bands, which XB20 also lacked. The speaker mesh is made out of fabric, while the Line Light on the speaker is monochromatic. The speaker has Bluetooth 4.2 that is said to have a range of over 30 feet.

SRS-XB31

The XB31 comes in Black, Two-tone Red and Two-Tone Blue colors. The speaker has Multi-color Line Lights/Strobe Flash, unlike the previous model, XB30, which has no Line Lights and the speaker weighs just under two pounds. The added weight when compared to the XB21 might be due to the usage of a bigger battery, which is estimated to last up to 24 hours.

The speaker mesh is made out of Fabric. The XB31 has a longer range of close to 100 feet when compared to XB30 which only had 30 foot range. Just like the XB21, the XB31 comes with a custom EQ bands. There’s also bass and treble control in the XB30, to match your sound preferences.

SRS-XB41

The XB41 is the bigger, heavier and pricier speaker amongst the three. It has a Speaker light, Multi-Color Line Lights/Strobe Flash. The speaker mesh is made of out fabric, while its predecessor used a metal mesh. It comes with features like Isolator Sound, Notch Sound, Noise Sound, Jet Sound, all of which were absent in the XB40.

The XB41 comes with functions like Preset Equalizer, LIVE SOUND Engine, custom EQ Bass/Mid/Treble bands. The present equalizer comes with two options EXTRA BASS and Standard. The speaker also has Bass and Treble control options—which were absent in XB40. The speaker has an effective range of 30 meters through the Bluetooth 4.2 connection. It weighs around 3.3 pounds and also has a single charge battery life of up to 24 hours.

Colors, Pricing & Availability

As mentioned above, the XB21 comes in Black, Blue, Red and White colors. The XB31 comes in Black, Blue, Red, while the XB41 comes in Black and Blue. Stop in to any of the five conveniently located Video & Audio Technology Showrooms and hear for yourself just how Sony has improved the options available in portable wireless sound.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF BUYING FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER! (Updated 2019)

Update November 2019: With Black Friday right around the corner, buying from a trusted dealer should be at the top of your list! Below you can find all the benefits of buying from an authorized dealer and the importance of being able to trust your retailer of choice. 

We've all seen it online, you Google a specific TV model and there’s a list of 10-20 companies that sell that specific model—the prices all seem to be within a few dollars of each other until you see a model priced less from a company you’ve more than likely have never heard of…welcome to the dangerous world of non-authorized dealers.

Video & Audio Center is proud to be an Authorized Dealer for every brand that we represent. Whether online or in-store, when you buy a product from an authorized dealer, you are assured of a high level of reliability, professionalism and even honesty. Video & Audio Center buys directly from the manufacturer, so you receive only “factory-fresh” merchandise, with a full warranty. All the accessories, user and operator manuals, and warranty information that is packed in the box at the factory by the manufacturer will is included in your shipment or delivery. Additionally, any rebates or special offers that are offered by the manufacturer will be included and honored when purchased from an Authorized Dealer. This is not the case necessarily with non-authorized dealers.

The brand name manufacturers we have partnered with, Sony, Samsung, LG, Sonos and more have product representatives who hold regular training sessions with our sales and support staff, assuring a high level of product knowledge and professionalism from the point of purchase through installation and ultimately, customer support. We have to satisfy our manufacturers standards in order to become an authorized dealer, and our high level of service continues long after the sale to help ensure hours of enjoyment with your equipment. Our Customer Service Representatives can assist you with the delivery, operation, exchange or even the return of your purchase.

Before you purchase from an unauthorized dealer, you need to consider the following. Some unauthorized dealers sell products with the serial numbers altered, or entirely removed so that the manufacturers cannot track how they obtained these units and what channels or country they are sold in. This action automatically voids the warranty and leaves the consumer holding the bag when a problem develops.

Some unauthorized dealers sell "grey goods" or "parallel import" versions of the products. These are similar versions that were not intended for distribution in the USA. In some instances, the manufacturers will not honor the warranty or rebate offers on products that are not sold through their approved sales channels. Some of these products can have different voltages, different accessories, or instruction manuals that are not written in English. Even when the merchandise is the legitimate USA version, some unauthorized dealers will take accessories (such as an AC adapter) out of the sealed carton, and sell them to you separately at an additional cost. Some dealers will sell refurbished products without informing you of this. Please be aware of these potential pitfalls and buy from an authorized dealer—especially online.

In an industry where websites and companies come and go, Video & Audio Center has been Southern California’s #1 choice for name brand electronics for over 37 years and a large percentage of our sales come from repeat customers; we will be here long after you have made your purchase to ensure your complete satisfaction, while other vendors will be just a memory.

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LG ANNOUNCES 2018 TV LINE-UP FEATURING INTEGRATED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE!

LG Electronics unveiled its 2018 TV lineup with an array of new and innovative OLED and SUPER UHD models, demonstrating its commitment to being a leader in the global premium TV market—and once again, the SMART choice is Video & Audio Center—Southern California's #1 place to see, touch and experience the complete line of LG TVs.

LG's new, 2018 models feature the company's exclusive ThinQ^® artificial intelligence (AI) platform and advanced a9 (Alpha-9) processor which will lead the way in solidifying LG's position in the global market for premium TVs, with the market for OLED TVs forecast to see sales of 2.5 million units this year—up from the 1.6 million units sold in 2017.

LG builds upon its legacy as the pioneer of large OLED display technology with the launch of new AI-enabled OLED TV models for 2018, including the W8, E8, C8, and B8. Each model boasts a range of design factors from Picture-on-Wall (Signature W8 Series models), to Picture-on-Glass (E8 Series models) and Cinema Screen design (C8 and B8 Series models). OLED screen sizes range from 55 to 77 inches with AI-enabled SUPER UHD TVs (models SK95, SK90 and SK80) available in sizes varying from 55 to 75 inches.

With LG's a9 intelligent processor powering the company's market-leading W8, E8 and C8 OLED TV series, viewers will experience enhanced image rendering and more accurate colours from virtually any viewing angle in addition to perfect black, the hallmark of LG's OLED TVs. With Dolby Atmos sound and optimal picture quality, this year's TVs from LG will provide consumers with immersive viewing experiences.

LG's 2018 AI-enabled SUPER UHD lineup is powered by LG's a7, the same powerful processor found in the LG OLED B8 series. In combination with Nano Cell, and with Full-Array Local Dimming (FALD) back lighting available on select models, LG AI-enabled SUPER UHD TVs offer advanced LCD picture quality with deeper black enhanced image rendering, improved shadow details and accurate colours from the widest viewing angles. To complement the upgraded viewing experience, the new SUPER UHD TVs also support Dolby Atmos for an immersive audiovisual experience.

With AI functionality embedded in the sets, LG TV viewers can speak directly into the remote control to enjoy the ultra-convenient features of the latest voice assistant technology. This is achieved by employing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to deliver intelligent voice-activated control and connectivity based on LG's exclusive deep learning platform, Deep ThinQ^®.

LG's ThinQ^® offers an enhanced interactive experience in the company's newest smart TV lineup. By functioning as smart home hubs, one can sync their LG ThinQ^® TV with other smart home products such as robotic vacuum cleaners, air conditioners/purifiers, smart lights, smart speakers and many other devices that connect to the TV via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. 

With LG's top-of-the-line a9 processor powering the company's market-leading OLED TVs, viewers will experience additional improvements. Select SUPER UHD TV models with LG Nano Cell (SK90 and SK95) employ FALD back lighting to provide deeper black and enhanced colours, as well as nuanced shadow details for more life-like images.

Picture Quality That Spells Perfection

LG's newest a9 intelligent processor provides true-to-life images with incredibly rich colours, sharpness, and depth for more realism. A core innovation of the processor is the four-step process of noise reduction, twice as many steps as conventional techniques. The algorithm allows for greater control to boost the clarity of images affected by distracting artifacts for more effective rendering of smooth gradations.

The processor also improves color performance with advanced mapping capabilities that bring colors far closer to the original content. a9 is designed to support a high frame rate (HFR) for producing smoother and clearer motion images at 120 frames per second. With such technology, LG's 2018 OLED TVs can display any content in high quality for a truly spectacular viewing experience.

Ultimate Cinema HDR Experience

LG's 2018 OLED and SUPER UHD TVs feature Cinema HDR, which promises a truly cinematic experience at home with all models adding support for Advanced HDR by Technicolor, building on LG's legacy of supporting major HDR formats from Dolby Vision to HDR10 and HLG (hybrid log-gamma). HDR images are dynamically processed frame by frame using LG's proprietary algorithm, Enhanced Dynamic Tone mapping.

Stop into Video & Audio Center today to experience the complete line of LG 2018 models for yourself and see what a difference OLED can make in your TV viewing experience!

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