Vizio has launched its previously teased premium multi-room speakers.
The Irvine-based electronics company launched two new speakers, the SmartCast Crave 360 and the SmartCast Crave Pro, under its growing SmartCast family of devices. With its Google Cast integration that uses the same technology behind Chromecast, the SmartCast Crave speaker line is designed to take on the multi-room audio market, which is currently dominated by Sonos.
"We set out to create the most easy-to-use multi-room streaming audio solutions for consumers that deliver high quality audio performance," says Vizio Chief Technology Officer Matt McRae. "With premium industrial design that enhances any room, the Vizio SmartCast speakers offer the easiest way to create a whole-home audio system that works with apps consumers already use on their smartphones."
McRae notes that with the SmartCast Crave collection's built-in Google Cast, users can seamlessly cast to any speaker, including the company's own SmartCast sound bar. It also allows for these new speakers to be remotely controlled from a mobile via Vizio's SmartCast app.
The new SmartCast speakers, along with Vizio's sound bars, can be placed in multiple rooms and synchronized to create a whole-home audio system. They can either be played in unison or set individually so that a speaker/sound bar fills each room with a different track.
Vizio markets the SmartCast Crave 360 at $249.99, as a portable 360-degree, omnidirectional 2.1 speaker that can dish out 92 dB. When fully charged, it can be taken off its wireless charging base and played for 8 hours before it runs dry.
The Crave 360's form factor brings to mind the Amazon Echo and UE Boom 2. However, Vizio's portable offering isn't water-resistant. Moreover, it has less playing hours than Ultimate Ears' Boom speakers, which are each capable of up to 15 hours of battery time. However, they each lack a built-in Google Cast.
Those who want a more powerful speaker and are content with it not leaving the house may want the Crave Pro, which is listed for $299.99. With a 102-decibel output, it's louder than the average motorcycle or snowmobile. The Crave Pro's bass goes as deep as 40 Hz thanks to a combination of its dual subwoofers, audio from DTS and custom-crafted drivers.
Both the Crave 360 and the Crave Pro are finished with a satin alloy while their dials have wear-resistant glass touch surfaces. Users just need to tap the speaker's dial to play or pause an audio track, while swiping it will skip the track. Twisting the dial adjusts the volume.
The SmartCast Crave 360 can now be grabbed through Vizio's own portal and Sam's Club. The SmartCast Crave Pro, on the other hand, is yet to be made available.
