Connected speakers, but what for?

  • News
  • Published 25/07/2018

Mobile and smarter

If you are looking to buy a speaker, you are spoiled for choice in connected models with the latest technology. The wired speakers have given way to wireless speakers, with Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi connectivity, able to connect to other speakers or equipped with voice assistants. And if the speaker became one of the smartest objects in your home? We are not far from it today!

The advent of wireless technology

 

Before, to use a speaker, it was necessary to connect it to the mains, then connect it to your Hi-Fi stereo system or your TV set. The first revolution came by the development of speakers with built-in battery, particularly suitable for tablets and smartphones: no need for a power outlet to increase the sound level! Then, logically, the Bluetooth® has arrived to deliver a total wireless experience. A real revolution for music lovers who want to listen to music everywhere.

 

 

But it was without counting the will of engineers and designers to always offer the best sound to the users. After Bluetooth® has arrived the possibility of connecting a wireless speaker  to a Wi-Fi network : a possibility that extends the range of the speaker, since the Wi-Fi wireless connection has a much higher range than Bluetooth®. It also allows you to stream music from a larger number of devices. Only condition: that all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. In fact, being able to connect a speaker in Wi-Fi makes it possible to listen to music coming from a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, a television set or a game console. And if you have guests passing by, they can also stream their music easily via this wireless network. Very convenient, isn’t it?

The Multiroom, for more and more quality sound

 

If you can wirelessly connect a speaker to a computer or smartphone, why cannot you connect it to another speaker as well? This is the whole concept of Multiroom, which includes the WS07VCA, the new Thomson speaker. Not only it can offer wireless Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi connections, but the WS07VCA includes also the Multiroom system that allows you to connect it, in wireless mode, to other speakers installed in the house. The goal: to spread the music more widely at home, or outside, if the speakers are equipped with a battery as is the case of the Thomson speaker WS07VCA.

 

The Multiroom amplifies the sound and thus allows you to enjoy it in several rooms or even on several floors, if the scope and thickness of the walls allow it. The speakers create a wireless network to communicate and deliver a clear and increasingly powerful sound, according to the number of speakers connected to each other. It's ideal if you want to listen to music everywhere at home or if you like parties with music which has the same level everywhere!

And now, the voice assistants!

 

You thought the Multiroom pushed the connected aspect of the speakers far enough? You are far from it! The latest trend is to integrate a voice assistant into a speaker connected to Internet. There are models with Google Assistant ®, and others equipped with Alexa®, the voice assistant of Amazon. This is the case of Thomson speaker WS07VCA , which is particularly intelligent, since it can answer dozens of voice commands with its two built-in microphones!

 

Thanks to the voice assistant Alexa®, the Thomson speaker WS07VCA can indeed answer your questions concerning the weather, the road traffic, you find cooking recipes, program a ringtone, but also allow you to listen directly to your favorite radios or your favorite songs and artists directly from your Deezer, Spotify or Amazon Music account. And these are just a few selected examples of the voice commands on board, which explains more than ever the reason of the name "smart speaker".

 

Now connected to Internet, intelligent and perfectly autonomous, a speaker is more than just a way to listen to music at home or elsewhere: it is at the heart of your connected home! Easy to use, it is suitable for all members of the family, and offers immediate access to entertainment, not just music. Difficult to do without it after having tested it. So, ready to go for connected speakers?