(0)Phorus Announces Play-Fi
The First Wireless Home Audio Speaker Built From the Ground Up for Android Debuts at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show
LAS VEGAS, Nevada—(Consumer Electronics Show 2012) – January 10, 2012 – Play-Fi, the first wireless audio streaming solution built from the ground up for Android devices, was introduced today by technology start-up phorus, at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Play-Fi streams music with pristine, lossless audio quality over Wi-Fi to premium Play-Fi Speakers from any Android phone or tablet, a major advancement over current Bluetooth-enabled options. Play-Fi Speakers can be linked for multi-room whole-house enjoyment, or can independently play different streams of music from several Android devices simultaneously, an industry first. Play-Fi can also stream audio directly from the Android device itself, another big step forward for Android users.
“Play-Fi is a precedent-setting wireless audio system for Android that sounds great, is extremely easy to set up, and gives millions of Android device owners a way to enjoy music at home that makes sense,” said Dannie Lau, founder and CEO of phorus. “Wi-Fi audio quality is clearly a huge step up from Bluetooth, and our approach of using Android phones and tablets as source devices, instead of simply as remote controls, takes the experience to a level far beyond Sonos and Airplay.”
The Play-Fi Speaker is sleek, elegant, and unobtrusive by design. It was created to deliver powerful volume and sound over a 360-degree radius, all while blending effortlessly into any room décor, shelf, desk or bedside table. Developed by a team of audio experts with extensive experience on premium audio brands such as harman/kardon, JBL and Infinity, the Play-Fi Speaker features Class D digital amplification, in addition to proprietary transducers that faithfully reproduce full range signals and emit a wide sound field. Using the latest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n, allows Play-Fi to stream lossless audio in multiple rooms over wide areas, unlike Bluetooth solutions where poor sound quality and range limitations can be frustrating for music enthusiasts and where multi-room experiences are not possible.
The companion Play-Fi app for Android puts full control of the speaker network right onto the phone or tablet. Music lovers can choose to play from one speaker, or many. Users will also have the ability to add, link, or drop zones, with independent and master volume control from one simple interface on their Android device. When linked, music playback from multiple speakers is perfectly synchronized, without lag, echo, or any degradation in sound quality. Play-Fi Speakers can also independently play music streamed from multiple Android devices at the same time, playing Jazz from a phone in one room, and R&B from a tablet somewhere else, for example. This flexible technology, and the use of the Android device as a music source, sets Play-Fi apart from other wireless solutions, such as Airplay and Sonos.
The Play-Fi app automatically indexes your music library, and offers integrated support for select streaming music services, along with Bluetooth connectivity. Using Bluetooth, any audio on the device, including cloud-based libraries, Internet radio, and other music services can take advantage of the Play-Fi speaker network. Bluetooth connects to the first speaker, then the audio is broadcast over Wi-Fi to other speakers and zones.
Pricing and Availability
The Play-Fi Speaker will have a suggested retail price of $199 and is expected to be available in March of 2012. The Play-Fi App will launch simultaneously on Android Market and will be free.
About Phorus
Phorus, based in Los Angeles, is building a groundbreaking wireless music playback ecosystem. The company’s Play-Fi™ technology instantly integrates phones, tablets, PCs and other devices with intelligent, great-sounding speakers, bringing your music home in a whole new way. The company was founded by Dannie Lau, former technology executive of Harman International, purveyors of the harman/kardon, JBL, Infinity, and Mark Levinson brands, as well as co-founder of PhatNoise, a mobile entertainment startup that was later acquired by Harman International. For more information, please visit www.phorus.com.
Contact:
Jonalyn Morris
jonalyn@phorus.com
323-376-3632