Various implementations include portable speakers configured to adjust audio output based on detected input connections. In certain cases, a portable speaker includes: an enclosure housing: at least one electro-acoustic transducer for providing an audio output; a processor coupled with the transducer; an audio input module coupled with the processor for receiving audio input signals; and a battery configured to power the at least one transducer, the processor, and the audio input module; an input channel for receiving a hard-wired audio input connection; and at least one wireless input channel for receiving an audio input from a source device via a wireless connection, where the processor is configured to: adjust an audio signal received from the hard-wired audio input connection if a source device is already connected via the wireless connection.

A voice controlled assistant has a housing to hold one or more microphones, one or more speakers, and various computing components. The housing has an elongated cylindrical body extending along a center axis between a base end and a top end. The microphone(s) are mounted in the top end and the speaker(s) are mounted proximal to the base end. The microphone(s) and speaker(s) are coaxially aligned along the center axis. The speaker(s) are oriented to output sound directionally toward the base end and opposite to the microphone(s) in the top end. The sound may then be redirected in a radial outward direction from the center axis at the base end so that the sound is output symmetric to, and equidistance from, the microphone(s).

A display assistant device comprises a display, a camera, a speaker, microphones, a processor and memory. The memory stores programs comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable a plurality of modes of the display assistant device. The modes include a monitoring mode and an assistant mode. In the monitoring mode, the device is configured to perform a remote monitoring function in which first video captured by the camera is streamed to a remote server system for monitoring uses. The monitoring uses include transmission of the first video to remote client devices authorized to access the first video. In the assistant mode, the device is configured to perform a second plurality of functions that excludes the monitoring function and includes a video communication function in which second video captured by the camera is transmitted to second devices participating in a video communication with a first user of the device.

Examples described herein involve configuring a playback device based on distortion, such as that caused by a barrier. One implementation may involve causing the playback device to play audio content according to an existing playback configuration, determining an existing frequency response of the playback device in a given system, and determining whether a difference between the existing frequency response of the playback device in the given system and a predetermined frequency response for the playback device is greater than a predetermined distortion threshold. If it is determined that the difference between the existing frequency response of the playback device and the predetermined frequency response for the playback device is greater than the predetermined distortion threshold, then the existing playback configuration of the playback device is changed to an updated playback configuration of the playback device and the playback device plays audio content according to the updated playback configuration.

A system and a method for outputting sound where one or more first sound outputting units are identified and other, second, sound outputting units define a sound delay in accordance with the relative positions between each sound outputting unit and the first sound outputting unit(s). Microphones may be added to e.g. determine the amount and positions of persons.

The system may also use Intelligent cameras to determine number of people their position the room face direction and age distribution in order optimize audio level and equalisation of the frequency response—like in a church with many elder people or in a young audience at a live concert.

A controller in a wireless system may, in a first mode, communicate directly with a wireless microphone, via a first wireless protocol, in order to control the wireless microphone, and may, in a second mode, communicate using the first wireless protocol with a wireless access point, in order to control or configure the wireless microphone.

A method includes wirelessly receiving audio content via a first transceiver included in a housing of a first device and producing a first audible signal from the audio content via a speaker included in the housing of the first device. The audio content is wirelessly transmitted via the first transceiver to a second transceiver integrated within a first remote speaker. A second audible signal is produced from the audio content via the first remote speaker. The method also includes wirelessly relaying the audio content via the second transceiver to a third transceiver integrated within a second remote speaker and producing a third audible signal from the audio content via the second remote speaker. The second remote speaker is located outside of the transmission range of the first transceiver.

Examples described herein involve validating motion of a microphone during calibration of a playback device. An example implementation involves a mobile device detecting, via one or more microphones, audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of a calibration process. After the one or more playback devices emit the audio signals, the mobile device determines whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process. When the detected audio signals indicate that insufficient horizontal translation occurred, the mobile device displays a prompt to move the mobile device more while the one or more playback devices emit one or more additional audio signals as part of the calibration process. When the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation occurred, the mobile device calibrates the one or more playback devices with a calibration based on the detected audio signals.

A multi-channel microphone receiver (MCR) for two or more wireless microphones (M.sub.1, . . . , M.sub.N) comprises a network interface and at least one mixer (MX) adapted for mixing audio signals (D.sub.1, . . . , D.sub.N) of the microphones. The mixer may be configured without any reconfiguration of the actual network being required. In addition to the single audio channels, the audio signal mixed according to the configuration may be output via a separate audio output channel (DO.sub.Mx, AO.sub.Mx), which may be analog or digital.

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).