For a change, the freshly disclosed Aperion Aris wireless speakers do not use Bluetooth connectivity that is seen in many portable devices today. Instead, they connect to Windows devices on the home network over Wi-Fi and stream the concerned music files using the ‘Play To’ attribute found in the Windows OS. Potential users simply have to place the peripheral at the desired location and hook it up to their home network by means of Ethernet or cellular connectivity. The setup can be established using Windows 7 or Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
Generally, devices like TVs, slates, smartphones and laptops function on the home network, but require a manual attachment to a stereo system or player for music listening encounters. This fresh entrant uses the Windows 7 ‘Play To’ feature for transferring audio tracks from any of the gadgets on the network to the speaker that’s located at a given place. A single tap of a button and the Aperion Aris is all set to reel out music stored in the concerned devices via Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Comprising 6 internal drivers and 4 amplifiers, it provides 100W RMS power cumulatively.
“The Aris Wireless Speaker combines our experience in making wireless speaker systems with the media capabilities of the Windows operating system. The result is effortless listening from any room. Plus, with the new Aris app, smartphone users can choose music from any device on their network and instantly send it to any connected Aris speaker,” quoted Mike Hopkins, Product Development Manager at Aperion Audio.
The smooth aluminum enclosure is touted to spread distinct and distortion-free acoustics across most rooms. Devices not running on Windows can still be plugged into the auxiliary jack entailed by the gear on its flip side for audio streaming. Built with a removable stand for support, it features 3 sound modes, namely natural, enhanced stereo and bass boost. An app called Aris has been thrown into the mix for choosing any of the music files from devices on the network and playing it on the speaker in question.
The Aperion Aris price is marked at $499 (approx. Rs. 26,330) and it is expected to be made available in mid-June. It is up for pre-order now.
