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MrSpeakers has teamed up with headphone designer, Bruce Thigpen (founder of Eminent Technology), to produce the Ether, a new planar-driven open-backed, on-ear headphone. The Ether makes use of patent-pending V-Planar technology that – it’s claimed – can not only push more air at low frequencies, but with greater acceleration also “deliver better dynamics, high-end frequency response and measurably lower distortion”. The 2. 75 x 1.

It wasn’t so long ago that the idea of being able to enjoy different types of music in different rooms or to pause what you’re listening to in the bath only to restart it once you’re in the bedroom seemed like the stuff of science fiction. But now, of course, this is very much part of everyday life. There are more multi-room systems available offering more ways to enjoy hi-res music than ever before, meaning that the ability to listen to Stevie in the shower, Lionel in the lounge or Bono in the bedroom is at long last possible even for the most picky of audiophiles. This month’s extra special prize will enable you to do just that, thanks to the good folk at Musaic.

London-based startup Musaic achieved its Kickstarter funding campaigntarget with 25 hours to go. Thanks to the 197 backers, the funds willenable it to launch a full suite of streaming products later this year. The launch was first announcedat January'sConsumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas byCEO Matthew Bramble who said: “We wanted to design a wireless hi-fi system that’s stylish and compact, and would deliver incredible sound in every room. ” He also adds, “.

It is now 50 years since The Doors released their startling debut LP, which unleashed the audacious and unsettling poetic visions of Jim Morrison on an unsuspecting world – and a flurry of Doors-related activity is underway to mark this rather auspicious anniversary. The group’s self-titled debut album is being reissued this month in a new three-disc deluxe edition, featuring remastered mono and stereo mixes and previously unheard live versions of eight of the original album’s 11 songs, recorded just as the band was on the verge of superstardom (see p100). It follows closely on the heels of the release of London Fog 1966, an historic album of recently unearthed live recordings from a gig in a club on Sunset Strip shortly before the group signed its first recording contract. That the music of the Doors continues to exert such a profound and far-reaching influence on our collective psyche so long after the event is in stark contrast to the group’s active lifespan, which – even by the ephemeral standards of rock and roll – was extraordinarily brief and fleeting.

Columbia Records has confirmed that a new studio album from Bob Dylan, his 37th studio LP,will be released on 20 May. Featuring 12 classic American tunes written by some of music’s most acclaimed and influential songwriters, Fallen Angels showcases Dylan’s unique and much-lauded talents as a vocalist, arranger and bandleader. The Jack Frost-produced album marks the first new music from the artist since 2015'sShadows In The Night. One of the album’s recordings, “Melancholy Mood” is available now on iTunes as an Instant Gratification track, and will also be released as part of a four-track 7in EP on 16 April for Record Store Day.

Phil Collins will be releasingextended and remastered editions of his classic albumsNo Jacket RequiredandTestifyon 15April as part of the Take A Look At Me Now campaign, which already seen re-releases of Collins other solo albumsFace Value(1981),Hello, I Must Be Going!(1982),Both Sides(1993) andDance Into The Light(1996). Entirely curated and compiled byCollinshimself, the idea of theconcept is to examine how his songs have evolved over time, with the majority of the additional content throughout the series focused on live versions of the tracks. By contrasting the original studio versions of the material with later performances, the series demonstrates howhis songs take on a life of their own once they’re freed from the confines of the studio. Originally released in1985, No Jacket Required was PhilCollins’third album andtopped the charts in theUK,USand went on to win threeGrammyAwards(forBestAlbum, Best Pop Vocal Performance, MaleandProducer of the YearforCollinsand co-producerHughPadgham).

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