Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 1

There have been rumors upon rumors of a new HomePod being in the works that will include a display for the very first time. We've seen images of what that could look like and we've even heard that Apple is reportedly testing a variety of different options. Now, a new leak may have given us another indication that such a HomePod really is on the way.

The latest information comes via a post on the X social network which appears to show a display mounting for a HomePod that is similar to the one that we have on the current HomePod, but notably different. There are no volume button markings for example, and it's claimed that is because the whole display will be an LCD touchscreen similar to that of an iPad.

The image shared on X shows a large curved glass screen that would cover the entire surface of a HomePod and matches a previously leaked HomePod prototype, 9to5Mac notes.

Turtle Beach is refreshing its popular wireless gaming headset line-up for 2024, with three newly redesigned models coming launching in May: the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Wireless Gaming Headset, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Gaming Headset, and the high-end Turtle Beach Atlas Air Wireless Open Back PC Gaming Headset.

The new Stealth 600 replaces the existing model at the popular $99.99 USD price point and sports a funky, modern look. It has low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 and an impressive 80-hour battery with quick charge capabilities. Sound-wise, it features Turtle Beach's 50mm Nanoclear drivers with a microphone now powered by AI noise reduction technology.

The new Turtle Beach Stealth 500 slots into the more affordable $79.99 USD pricing bracket, and like the Stealth 600, it has low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 to support gaming on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and mobile devices. Audio-wise, it features smaller 40mm drivers but still supports surround sound - however, the battery life is cut in half to up to 40 hours.

Bringing modern generative AI technologies to audio headsets has always been a given; however, how it works with the new Dell Premier Wireless ANC Headset (WL7024) available today is unique. Typically, we associate headphones and headsets with noise cancellation with travel - with ANC being all about cutting out background noise.

The Dell Premier Wireless ANC Headset takes a different approach because it is designed for professionals and those times when you need to jump into a meeting or Zoom call while out and about or in an otherwise noisy environment.

The Dell Premier Wireless ANC Headset uses AI uplink and downlink noise cancellation, removing background noise on both ends. The real magic comes with how the headset's AI noise cancellation "preserves the human voice," so you only hear the sounds of those speaking, just like sitting in a closed meeting room.

Picking up an affordable gaming headset is easy; there are countless options to choose from. The tricky part is picking up a decent, affordable gaming headset that delivers a great audio experience and comfort. Corsair's HS35 wired gaming headset from a few years ago fits into this category, with the stereo headset offering great sound and comfort for the price.

And now, it's back with Corsair's new HS35 v2 Series, which includes the HS35 v2 stereo wired gaming headset and the HS35 SURROUND v2 wired gaming headset for those who want more immersion in their gaming audio.

The HS35 v2 series includes custom-tuned 50mm neodymium drivers for a big sound, with wired 3.5mm connections to ensure compatibility with PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch hardware.

We reviewed the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro in 2023, concluding that "as a wireless gaming headset, it excels in all areas, from sound quality to the on-ear preset options to the build quality and comfort." Today, Razer is introducing a new headset version designed specifically for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series console hardware.

The original Razer BlackShark V2 Pro was compatible with PlayStation hardware; however, as Xbox uses its own specialized wireless protocol for audio, you'd need this new version of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro so you can switch from PC to Xbox and back again without skipping a beat. So, for full compatibility, you'd want the new Razer BlackShark V2 Pro for Xbox, available now with an MSRP of $199.99 USD.

Interestingly, Razer has announced that the audio has been tuned for "competitive console gaming," so the out-of-the-box sound profile might differ from the PC-first version we reviewed. The new sound profile was created in collaboration with esports pros like Hakis (Alliance) and Shotzzy (OpTic Gaming).

ASUS has unveiled two brand new ROG gaming monitors, both in 27-inch size but differing resolutions and refresh rates, and they're both not overpriced.

ASUS has designed both of the new ROG gaming monitors to be clutter-free, with an interesting design tweak that lets gamers use a stand on the monitor to hold their smartphone. Both of the new gaming monitors also feature USB Type-C connectors, which can be used to charge your USB-C devices.

The first is the ASUS ROG Strix XG27USC, which features a 27-inch panel with a native 4K resolution and super-smooth 160Hz refresh rate. If you want to run 4 K at 160FPS or more, you'll want to make sure you've got a high-end graphics card, so first off, you'd want NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 4090, if not, the RTX 4080 SUPER or RTX 4080 at a minimum.

If you're in the market for a new pair of wireless earbuds but have been waiting to see what Apple's plans are, you might have to wait until September or October. That's according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Gurman was writing in the weekly Power On newsletter when he said that Apple is expected to put two new fourth-generation AirPods into mass production in or around May, and based on that he then expects them to be ready for market in September or October.

The new AirPods 4 are expected to feature a new design to aid an improved fit in the ear while improving sound quality is also thought to be a key feature. There will also be an update to the existing charging case as well, adding a USB-C port and removing the Lightning port that has been there for years.

Apple patents tons of ideas all of the time and even incentivizes its employees to apply for patents as well. But not every patent turns into a product that you will eventually buy in the Apple Store, and a lot of them never do. One patent that has so far not launched first surfaced back in 2021 and allowed for a new AirPods case with a touchscreen display on the front. Now, it seems while Apple didn't launch such a thing, someone else did.

Counterfeit Apple accessories and devices are nothing new of course, and the United States says that it deals with hundreds of thousands of counterfeit AirPods reaching its shores every year. But there's so far been nothing quite like this.

The fake AirPods case was posted to the X social network by leaker @lipilipsi and spotted by MacRumors. There's a video that shows the touchscreen in use with various different kinds of information displayed when swiping from side to side.

If Apple follows its usual release cadence we can expect it to announce a slew of new software updates in June during the WWDC event and then make them all available to the public around September time. We've been hearing tidbits about what those updates could have to offer with the iPhone's iOS 18 a particular focus. Now, a new report has added further fuel to the fire and it drags the AirPods Pro wireless earbuds into the mix, too.

According to the report, Apple's AirPods Pro will gain a whole new feature as part of the iOS 18 release, Specifically, it's thought that a new hearing aid feature is on the horizon and that it will only be available in conjunction with the AirPods Pro. However, it isn't yet clear whether that feature will only be available on the latest USB-C 2nd-gen AirPods Pro.

The news came via the paywalled version of the Power On newsletter shared every week by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The newsletter was reported on by 9to5Mac.

Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini have a new software update available that makes the smart speakers capable of learning where you like to listen to your music and then use that information for future listening sessions. The new feature, which is part of the HomePod Software 17.4 update, is available to all HomePod owners.

Previously, HomePod owners could use the Home app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to choose which music streaming service would be used when they asked their speaker to play music. Streaming music services like YouTube Music, Pandora, TuneIn, and others were all supported but the process required manual intervention whenever the default service needed to be changed. That's no longer the case as a result of this new software update. Spotify is of course a notable exception here because the Swedish streamer has chosen not to add support for HomePod streaming.

According to the software's release notes, Siri will now learn a user's preferred streaming media services, removing the need to include its name when making the request for music to be played.