5 Links to Consider | March 12, 2025
A round-up of this week's compelling and considered clicks, compiled from The Absolute Sound's veteran staff of experts and reviewers.
Audio Streaming Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report
The global audio streaming market size was estimated at USD 43.74 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.3% from 2025 to 2030. North America audio streaming market held the largest revenue share of 33.37% in 2024, primarily driven by the increasing demand for advanced antenna systems. This demand is fueled by the region also benefits from high consumer spending power, making it a key market for premium, cutting-edge immersive experiences. The audio streaming market in Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 19.2% in 2024, driven by a combination of high mobile device usage, tech-savvy consumers, and a strong gaming and entertainment culture. In addition, APAC’s rapidly growing middle class, coupled with the region’s focus on technological innovation, has accelerated the adoption of audio streaming across various industries. Read the full report...
Sony Gives N.Y.U. $7.5 Million for an Audio Institute
A multifaceted new program at the university’s Steinhardt School will train students (on Sony equipment) for jobs in music and audio “that don’t exist yet.” For Sony, the institute is partly a branding opportunity, putting the company’s gear and expertise into the hands of the next generation of audio specialists. N.Y.U.’s studio in Downtown Brooklyn, for example — to be renamed the Sony Audio Institute Studio — will be fitted with the company’s immersive-audio equipment. Even in their dorm rooms, students will be able to use the company’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment, a technology that emulates the audio effects of a physical studio space. Read the full story at NYT...
HIFIMAN ISVARNA Closed-Back Headphones Review
Grover returns with his review of the unique HIFMAN ISVARNA closed-back headphones, featuring an innovative hybrid design which integrates planar magnetic and dynamic drivers. How does this eccentric design sound, and how does it fit within the HIFMAN line up? Listen in to find out...
The Kuba Komet: a German-made high-end entertainment console from 1957
The Kuba Komet was a high-end German entertainment console produced by Kuba Corporation between 1957 and 1962. It featured a B&W television, a radio tuner, a turntable, and a speaker system, all housed in a distinctive mid-century modern wooden cabinet. Standing over 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) tall, it was one of the most extravagant home entertainment units of its time.
Love Theme From Chinatown (Main Title) 1974
The haunting, jazz-infused score of Chinatown is one of the greatest in film history—but it was almost never made. After poor previews of the film, the studio decided to scrap the original score by Phillip Lambro and hired Jerry Goldsmith to compose a new one —in only 10 days. The rest, as they say, is history…
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