ASUS N53JN And N73JN Pack Core i3/i5, Optimus And B&O Audio

ASUS' last collaboration with Bang & Olufsen resulted in the distinctive NX90; with the notebook manufacturers new N Series machines, it seems they relied only on B&O's audio skills and left their own designers in charge.  The new ASUS N53JN and N73JN – with 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch displays respectively – get Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, NVIDIA Optimus graphics and, of course, the B&O developed ASUS SonicMaster audio.

SonicMaster supposedly mixes together bigger speaker chambers, more powerful amps and cleverer software to offer better audio than we've come to expect from notebooks.  Meanwhile the N Series also get GeForce 325M and 400M GPUs with DirectX 11 support, LED backlit displays (1366 x 768 on the N53JN; 1600 x 900 on the N73JN) and Blu-ray combo drives.

Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, as well as a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0, an eSATA/USB combo, HDMI, gigabit ethernet and audio in/out.  The ASUS N53JN will retail for between £649.99 and £999 VAT included ($1,077 to $1,540) while the ASUS N73JN is £1,099 ($1,694).

Press Release:

The new ASUS N Series and SonicMaster propel laptop audio to a new level

Developed in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®, the ASUS SonicMaster standard delivers the most advanced multimedia features available for laptop PCs

The new N Series from ASUS is the first ever range of laptops to address the problem of sub-standard audio on portable PCs. Two new Intel® Core™ i5 models are available, 15.6" and 17.3" screens, and both combine superior audio technology with eye-catching designs. Each new model also features the latest NVIDIA® GeForce 400M 3D chipset with Optimus™ technology for outstanding power source-optimised graphics performance.

A superlative Sound Standard

Realising that people spend up to a third of their day using multimedia devices of some description and that most laptops fall short in delivering high-quality audio, ASUS went back to the drawing board.

Working with its own 'Golden Ear' team and the acclaimed Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® innovations house, ASUS focused on ways to develop natural sound that wasn't compromised by the constraints posed by laptop computers, but instead capitalised upon them. The result represents a new standard in laptop audio — ASUS SonicMaster.

SonicMaster isn't a gimmick, but a new professional audio certification programme for portable computers. SonicMaster-compliant laptops like the new N Series incorporate large speaker chambers, more powerful amplifiers and extensive software processing to deliver breathtaking audio fidelity.

Multimedia mastery

Superlative audio is only one facet of the new N Series' multimedia mastery. The NVIDIA GeForce 325M and 400M Fermi-based 3D graphics chipsets provide excellent DirectX 11 performance, complete with hardware-acceleration for silky smooth HD video playback.

ASUS Video Magic technology further enhances image quality by expertly upscaling SD content and automatically enhancing image quality.

Combined with LED-backlit screens with a zero dead pixel guarantee, the new N Series are laptops that are a feast for the eyes — and ears.

Win more music with ASUS SonicMaster!

To celebrate the launch of the new N Series, ASUS is planning a series of competitions for end-users. Prizes include concert tickets and HMV vouchers, and details will be announced over the coming weeks on the ASUS Tech in Style Twitter account — see www.twitter.com/techinstyle.

The competitions kick off with the chance to one of three pairs of tickets to experience the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring at The Royal Albert Hall. Entries must be made via ASUS Tech in Style at www.techinstyle.tv/sonicmaster and you can find full details at the site.

Pricing and availability

The ASUS N Series N53 and N73 will be available UK-wide from a number of retailers and etailers including Comet*, Micro Anvika, Selfridges and Amazon.co.uk. Prices start from £649.99 SRP inc VAT.

(*N53 will be available from Comet at http://www.comet.co.uk and in-store from early November – perfect timing for Christmas)

Product Specifications (Note – may differ slightly depending on retailer)

N53JN

Processor Intel® Core™ i5-520M (2.4GHz – 2.933GHz) or Core™ i3-370M (2.4GHz)

OS Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit

Display 15.6" HD TFT (1366 x 768, Color-Shine)

Graphic Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GT325/415M, 1GB dedicated graphics memory with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology for outstanding power source-optimised graphics performance

Storage 320GB/500GB (5400rpm)

Memory 4096MB (2048x2) DDRIII 1066 RAM

Optical Drive Blu-Ray Combo

Wireless 802.11 BGN

Webcam Yes

Numeric Keypad Yes

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Keyboard 19mm full size 88 Key with MS Windows function keys, Numeric Keyboard

Card Reader 7-in-1 (SD, MMC, MS, MS-Pro, XD, Smart Media, mini SD w/ adapter, MS-Duo)

Interface 1 x VGA port

1 x USB 3.0 and 2 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x e-SATA/USB2.0 Combo

1 x LAN RJ-45 jack (10/100/1000MBit)

1 x HDMI (1080p support)

2 x Audio Jacks (Headphone, SPDIF/MIC-in)

Kensington Lock

Audio Audio designed by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®

Integrated microphone

ASUS SonicFocus audio technology

Battery Li-Polymer 48WH (6 cells: 4400mAh)

Dimensions & weight 391 x 266 x 30.5-40.5 mm; 2.9Kg

Warranty 2 year global collect & return

Price £649.99 – £999 (SRP inc VAT)

N73JN

Processor Intel® Core™ i5-520M (2.4GHz – 2.933GHz)

OS Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit

Display 17.3" HD+ TFT (1600 x 900, Color-Shine)

Graphic Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GT325M, 1GB dedicated graphics memory with NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology for outstanding power source-optimised graphics performance

Storage 640GB (2 x 320GB, 5400rpm)

Memory 4096MB (2048x2) DDRIII 1066 RAM

Optical Drive Blu-Ray Combo

Wireless 802.11 BGN

Webcam Yes

Numeric Keypad Yes

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Keyboard 19mm full size 88 Key with MS Windows function keys, Numeric Keyboard

Card Reader 5-in-1 (SD, MMC, MS, MS-Pro, XD)

Interface 1 x VGA port

1 x USB 3.0 and 2 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x e-SATA/USB2.0 Combo

1 x LAN RJ-45 jack (10/100/1000MBit)

1 x HDMI (1080p support)

2 x Audio Jacks (Headphone, SPDIF/MIC-in)

Kensington Lock

Audio Audio designed by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®

Integrated microphone

ASUS SonicFocus audio technology

Battery Li-Polymer 48WH (6 cells: 4400mAh)

Dimensions & weight 420 x 287 x 36.7-40.5 mm; 3.4Kg

Warranty 2 year global collect & return

Price £1,099 (SRP inc VAT)

About ASUS

ASUS, the world's top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world's best selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era.

ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia, wireless solutions, networking devices and mobile phones.

Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand people and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company's revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion.