The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) noted that their 2025 show at Las Vegas Convention Center from April 5-9 (with exhibits from April 6-9) drew 55,000 from 160 countries, with 26% arriving outside the U.S. More than half (53%) were first-time registrants, and 125 of the nearly 1,100 exhibitors were first-time exhibitors.
While many of the attendees were undoubtedly thinking of all the early April headlines about the stock market crashing and tariff-fueled trade wars, there wasn’t much of a “gloom and doom” vibe on the show floor. Everyone seemed too busy focusing on how all the new tech innovations were making their production challenges easier in the coming year.
With its focus mainly on broadcasting, the realm of live sound reinforcement clearly takes a back seat at this event. But there were several exhibitors with products in both pro audio realms — most of them in the reopened North Hall. Here’s a recap of some of the technologies on display.
Allen & Heath (www.allen-heath.com), at American Music & Sound’s booth, once again featured the SQ-Rack, the very first units of which were also featured at NAMM 2025. Positioned besides the company’s SQ-5 console, booth visitors could see how compact the SQ-Rack was by comparison. Despite its shallow 4U rack-mount size, SQ-Rack combines SQ’s 96kHz XCVI core with built-in I/O, SLink connectivity, option cards and multichannel USB. Allen & Heath also featured the RackUltra FX upgraded for the company’s dLive digital mixers.
Another AM&S brand, CAD Audio (www.cadaudio.com), featured an array of wireless microphone solutions including their WX100, a 2.4 GHz XLR wireless adapter designed for wired microphones; the WX1000GN, a wireless goose-neck microphone; the WX1000HW, a wireless headset microphone; the WX19, a wireless earpiece microphone; and the GXN18VP, a goose-neck microphone with multiple continuous and strong pickup patterns. AM&S’ Paul Jenkins was on hand to showcase the gear.
Audinate (www.audinate.com) focused on how its Dante Platform can help end users manage AV tasks with AVoIP networking, interoperability and control. Along with new solutions for audio and video connectivity, the focus was on how tech innovations promise to simplify control, enhance security and scale effortlessly. In addition to cloud-based secure Dante network management, demos for the Dante Virtual Soundcard showed visitors how they might be able to use 128 channels of Dante at 96kHz, all in software.
CEDAR’s (www.cedaraudio.com) Fraser Jones was on hand to talk about the company’s brand-new icons plug-ins for live sound, broadcast and post. The Live Sound series, all with less that 1ms latency, include StageVox, ScreenVox and DNS One. The Production Series, with a latency of greater than 1ms, include Adaptive Limiter 2, VoiceEX 2, Declip, Declick and Decrackle. The company is also now making processes from its award-winning Studio 9 available as individual products. The first five include Retouch, Auto Dehiss, Debuzz, Manual Declick and Dethump. Finally, the company is making its CEDAR Forensic Enhance available to everyone who needs to clean up forensic speech recordings to increase intelligibility.
Clear-Com (www.clearcom.com) promoted the free software upgrades available to users of its 1RU Arcadia Central Station, a digital partyline intercom system that was introduced in 2021. Also featured: the latest addition to its FreeSpeak line, the FreeSpeak Icon beltpack; and the Gen-IC, Agent-IC mobile app.
DiGiCo (www.digico.biz) featured multiple consoles including the Quantum 225, Quantum 326, Quantum 852, SD12 and S31. Also featured: KLANG’s :konductor and :vokal rack units plus the new KLANG:quelle XDM, which delivers 16 channels of low-latency output with user-configurable options for analogue XLR or digital AES3 formats. The gear-packed booth also promoted the KLANG:app and KLANG:kontrollers that help musicians fine-tune their monitor mixes. Last but not least, Fourier Audio’s transform.engine can now be optimized with the company’s new transform.suite ’25 software update.
DirectOut’s (www.directout.eu) Vaino Gennaro was on hand at Joseph Electronics’ booth to discuss the company’s pro audio connectivity, networking and bridging solutions. The company’s rack units on display including the MAVEN.A smart audio platform, first seen at InfoComm 2024, along with earlier products including the PRODIGY MX multi-format audio matrix, PRODIGY MC modular audio convertor and PRODIGY MP multifunction audio processor.
DPA Microphones’ (www.dpamicrophones.com) Rene Morch helped the company showcase its move into the wireless market with its N-Series digital true diversity wideband system. Featured at ISE 2025 in Barcelona, the system is set to ship in Europe this spring and the U.S. this summer. This from-the-ground-up, fully digital solution spans from 470 MHz to 870 MHz and promises 126 dB true dynamic range. The system works with DPA’s 2024 Vocal Microphone as well as the 2028, d:facto 4018V and 4018VL microphones.
Lawo’s (www.lawo.com) sizeable booth showcased the company’s new Workspaces – Mobile browser-based control interfaces for seamless, secure operations anywhere; its broadcast-friendly HOME Apps, including HOME Commentary, HOME Video Monitor, HOME mc² crystal Controller and HOME Power Core apps; and HOME Intelligent Multiviewer intelligent display processing capabilities. The company also offered breakfast sessions with insights from the world of media and broadcasting. The VIP speakers included Brent Angle, Francois Legrand and Dan Charette.
Lectrosonics (www.lectrosonics.com) once again allayed concerns about its gear being affected by a little bit of theatrical sweat by displaying working components fully immersed in a tank of water — and still operating with no issues. Between NAMM and NAB, Lectrosonics announced that its DSSM Miniature Water-Resistant Digital Transmitter, with an IP rating of 57, began shipping.
Neutrik’s (www.neutrik.us) Fernando Manfrini was on hand to show off new connector technologies including the company’s etherCON TOP Retractable Shell (pictured here), etherFLEX TOP Cable Assemblies and the CONTRIK power distribution products.
Pliant Technologies (www.plianttechnologies.com) debuted its new PHS-IEHU miniature in-ear style headset with silicone ear concha locks and earbuds for either left ear or right ear orientation. Also featured: the company’s updated SmartBoom LITE Headset, PAC-RTM-SMU Universal Single RT Mounting Bracket and PBT-VMNT Radio Transceiver Battery Adapter for its CrewCom Radio Transceivers (RTs). Their new CrewCom CB2 Version 1.2 is also now available for download.
Riedel Communications’ (www.riedel.net) wide array of products included the company’s new StageLink networked I/O boxes for IP-based audio and intercom workflows. Their standard network cables can work as part of a decentralized, scalable system linking microphones, intercom and other audio-enabled equipment.
Sennheiser’s (www.sennheiser.com) Julio Bracho gave a talk about the company’s new bi-directional Spectera wireless setup, noting that it’s best thought of as an “ecosystem” rather than just a new product. Combining high audio quality and low latency, it offers up to 64 channels (32 in, 32 out) in a single 1RU unit. The bidirectional units eliminate the need for separate transmitters and receivers. This also significantly trims down on the quantity and power requirements for the racked wireless gear audio pros need to support performers on the road.
Shure’s (www.shure.com) Michael Johns (pictured here) provided the details on Shure’s Axient Digital PSM at the company’s NAB booth N1129. With ShowLink, the digital system helps keep track of bodypack battery life levels, volume levels and headphone connect status. Johns also noted how WMAS, which Shure incorporated into products that shipped as early as last fall, allows for end-user benefits like frequency diversity that had not been possible with analog wireless systems. “By sending the same signal on the same frequency but digitally encoding them differently,” he notes, “you could have two antennas, one on stage left and stage right, and never have to worry about body blocking.” Shure’s Timo Liski also detailed Wavetool audio monitoring and listening software, which lets up to five users independently listen to up to 128 channels simultaneously while monitoring RF levels.
Waves (www.waves.com) featured its eMotion LV1 Classic mixing console and the Cloud MX cloud-based broadcast mixer. The eMotion LV1 Classic, which started shipping in late 2024, combines 64 stereo channels, 44 stereo buses, 16 onboard Waves Signature Preamps and Waves processors into a compact console.
NAB (www.nabshow.com) has set Oct. 22-25, 2025 for NAB Show New York and NAB 2026 will return to Las Vegas April 18-22, 2026.
