Vizio has been pursuing this area as well, revealing sound bars earlier this year, and two new SmartCast-branded speakers on Wednesday.
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The Vizio SmartCast Crave 360 ($250) is a portable speaker which works in a similar fashion to the Samsung Radiant360 by radiating sound evenly around it. A wireless charging base is also included and the device is rated for up to 8 hours of playback.
The $299.99 Crave Pro is more like a conventional 2.1 music speaker that provides an output of up to 102 dB of sound. “The Crave collection allows consumers to seamlessly cast to any of the speakers or even a Vizio SmartCast sound bar, and control their audio right from their mobile device using the Vizio SmartCast app”.
Vizio positions these speakers are an alternative to Sonos’ multi-room speaker systems. Google Cast is created to enable users to group products together using the Streamcast app and “cast” to them from compatible apps for Android or iOS, and in the Chrome browser.
The SmartCast Crave Pro and Crave 360 use Wi-Fi and Google Cast to enable streaming audio throughout your home.
For less permanent connections, such as for times when you have people visiting, both speakers will also work with Bluetooth.
The SmartCast Crave Pro Speaker has a bookshelf form factor and features a satin aluminum finish.
The SmartCast Crave Pro (model SP70) will retail for a suggested $300. While conventional home audio speakers typically connect exclusively via Bluetooth, the new VIZIO Crave speaker collection allows consumers to stream their favorite music, podcasts and internet radio stations over WiFi as well as Bluetooth. But the Crave 360 is not waterproof, so while nothing’s stopping you from taking it into the backyard, you’ll want to bring it back inside at the first sign of rain. With WiFi streaming, listeners are no longer interrupted by phone calls, texts and other disruptive notifications that commonly occur when streaming over Bluetooth. Meanwhile, the SmartCast Crave 360 is a 2.1 360-degree omnidirectional speaker with custom crafted drivers for up to 95 dB of sound and 50Hz bass.
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With Google Cast built into every VIZIO SmartCast multi-room speaker, consumers can easily stream millions of songs from music apps they already know and love. For more information on the entire SmartCast line of products, see Vizio’s website.
