LG’s AI Party Speaker Removes Vocals for Karaoke Fun
▼ Summary
– LG has announced a new karaoke-focused party speaker, the Stage 501, featuring an “AI Karaoke Master” that can remove or adjust vocals from standard songs.
– The Stage 501 speaker has a five-sided design with upgraded audio hardware and a swappable battery offering up to 25 hours of playback.
– LG also introduced the portable Xboom Blast for outdoor use and two compact speakers, the Mini and Rock, with features like IP67 resistance and Bluetooth Auracast.
– All four new Xboom speakers use AI to analyze audio and automatically adjust EQ settings and built-in lighting based on the song.
– LG plans to launch these speakers this year, but has not yet announced their pricing.
LG’s latest innovation in portable audio brings the karaoke party directly to you with a clever use of artificial intelligence. The newly announced LG Xboom Stage 501 speaker, developed with musician Will.i.am, features an “AI Karaoke Master” function. This technology can strip vocals from almost any standard song file, eliminating the need for special karaoke tracks. It also intelligently adjusts the song’s pitch to better suit the singer’s range, making it easier for anyone to join in the fun.
Beyond its party-starting vocal removal, the Stage 501 is built for powerful sound. It sports a five-sided design with upgraded dual woofers and full-range drivers, promising richer audio. A swappable 99Wh battery provides up to 25 hours of playtime, delivering 160W of power, or a boost to 220W when connected to an outlet.
For those seeking a more rugged option, LG also introduced the Xboom Blast. Slightly smaller than the Stage 501, it’s designed for outdoor adventures with protective edge bumpers and two carrying handles. It shares the same 99Wh battery capacity but extends playback to an impressive 35 hours.
Rounding out the new lineup are two compact models: the Xboom Mini and Xboom Rock. The Mini offers up to 10 hours of battery life and boasts an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. The Rock matches that battery performance while adding support for Bluetooth Auracast, a feature that lets you wirelessly broadcast audio to multiple compatible speakers simultaneously, creating a seamless multi-room sound system.
A common thread across all four new speakers is their use of AI for audio enhancement. Each model can analyze a track and automatically adjust its equalizer settings to emphasize specific elements like melody, rhythm, or vocals. They also employ AI to sync their built-in lighting effects with the music’s beat. For the larger Stage 501 and Blast models, a “Space Calibration Pro” feature tailors the sound output based on the acoustics of the immediate environment, whether you’re in a living room or a backyard.
LG has confirmed that this collection of Xboom speakers will launch later this year, though specific pricing and exact availability dates are still to be announced.
(Source: The Verge)