Hercules unveils its new Bluetooth® speaker - WAE* NEO - honored at the 2014 CES Innovations Awards

LAS VEGAS - Jan. 6, 2014 - PRLog -- Hercules, the audio expert with decades of know-how to its credit, is proud to unveil its WAE* NEO. Featuring Bluetooth® wireless technology, this innovative speaker has recently been honored at the 2014 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards – because, quite simply… there’s nothing else like it!

The WAE NEO is the most powerful wireless speaker in its category (under $200), combining quality audio reproduction with totally new and exciting lighting effects which pulsate in time to the music being played, and are completely customizable (via a free app compatible with all Android™ and iOS smartphones and tablets). More than just a simple wireless speaker, the WAE NEO lets users experience a visual and musical feast for the senses.

Ultra-bright, customizable lighting effects

With a band of eye-catching RGB LEDs encircling its front face, the WAE NEO intelligently manages ultra-bright lighting effects, which are both intense and sophisticated. With a variety of different modes available, there’s always something to perfectly match how users are feeling. For example, Party mode alternates the colors and their intensity in time with the music that is playing – just the thing to take parties to the next level! Or users can use Mood mode to set just the right atmosphere to fit the mood: choose from a palette of no less than 16 million colors, always in time with the music. All of the lighting effects are fully customizable and easy to control via a free app available for Android™ and iOS.

Studio-quality sound and maximum bass

The speaker’s lighting capabilities certainly don’t come at the expense of sound quality – quite the contrary. The WAE NEO features second-generation WAE audio technology, employing Hercules’ wealth of expertise as evidenced by the rave reviews garnered by the WAE BTP05 speaker system. The WAE NEOincorporates MaxxAudio® technologies by Waves®, a recipient of a Technical GRAMMY Award®. The MaxxAudio studio-quality sound tools enhance the audio performance of the speaker and include full spectrum equalization, psycho-acoustic bass enhancement and highest of volume management with zero distortion.

New onboard technologies – Super-fast Bluetooth® connection

The WAE NEO features Bluetooth® 3.0 AD2P technology and NFC (Near Field Communication) pairing, which allows for instant connection with a Bluetooth® device. With any other Bluetooth® device, the connection takes just twenty seconds!

Optimized management of the speaker’s built-in rechargeable battery lets users enjoy up to eight hours of music playback along with lighting effects (up to 15 hours with no lighting): the sound and light show will last all night long!

New WAE* app, compatible with iOS 7 and Android™ 4.4 (and earlier)

The free app for Android™ and iOS lets users control both the speaker’s lighting options and sound equalization, ergonomically and intuitively. The included music player gathers together all of a user’s music services (Spotify, Deezer, SoundCloud, etc.), and even lets them create playlists which are a mix of the songs stored on the user’s smartphone or tablet and their online services. Users are going to love it!

The most powerful speaker in its category

Because size counts when it comes to audio performance, the WAE NEO offers a sound envelope that is large enough to ensure both excellent bass response and output power (30 W peak power) that make other speakers in its price category – less than $200 – pale in comparison. However, the WAE NEO’s shape and design still make it easy to move around with users, thanks to its convenient handle in particular (the speaker’s dimensions are 340 in width by 140 in depth and 120 in height).

So mix some Day-Glo cocktails, turn down the lights, start playing some music on the Hercules WAE* NEO and the next get-together with friends at home is sure to be an awesome party that no one will forget!

The Hercules WAE* NEO will be available from mid-January 2014, at a suggested retail price of $199.99.

To check it out for yourself, come visit us at CES Las Vegas, the Venetian Hotel, Veronese 2504 meeting room, from January 7 through 10, 2014.

For more information, please visit www.hercules.com.

About Guillemot Corporation

Guillemot Corporation is a designer and manufacturer of interactive entertainment hardware and accessories. The Group offers a diversified range of products under the Hercules and Thrustmaster brand names. Active in this market since 1984, the Guillemot Corporation Group is currently present in 11 countries including France, Germany, the UK, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Hong Kong, Romania and Italy, and distributes its products in more than 60 countries worldwide. The Group’s mission is to offer high-performance, ergonomic products which maximize the enjoyment of digital interactive entertainment end users. www.guillemot.com.

*WAE: Wireless Audio Experience