Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 9

A couple of days ago, we mentioned that rumors were flying that Apple had three new AirPods models in the works with rumors pointing towards a launch in May. Some new details have surfaced on what exactly those AirPods will feature. According to a report, the new AirPods will have the same design as the existing AirPods Pro but will lack active noise cancellation.

The rumor we talked about earlier this week suggested that among the models of AirPods expected to launch in May will be an AirPods Pro Lite, which would seem to be an appropriate name for the headphones mentioned in this most recent report. Also tipped by the earlier rumor was AirPods X Generation and a set of over the ear headphones.

The new report says that while Apple hasn't modified its May launch window, sources in the supply chain are saying that Apple may have to postpone that launch until the second half of 2020 or even 2021 due to the coronavirus. While it's not specifically mentioned, the assumption would be if Apple delays the launch, the delay would be due to production issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The iPhone remains incredibly popular among smartphone users around the world. Those invested in the Apple ecosystem tend to stay with Apple products. Sticking with the Apple ecosystem is particularly true with earbuds since modern iPhone models lack a headphone port. A new rumor has surfaced that claims Apple will be launching refreshed AirPods in May.

Rumors suggest that there will be several new models (not pictured) added to the AirPods lineup, including the "AirPods Pro Lite," the "AirPods X Generation," and the over-ear headphones that have long been rumored to slot into the line. These devices were expected to have launched in March, but the coronavirus pandemic has delayed that. The new rumor started with Jon Prosser, a leaker with a history of accuracy with things related to Apple.

Prosser says that the new AirPods that were supposed to have launched in March are now ready to go. He says that they will probably launch alongside the new MacBook Pro next month. Prosser doesn't get specific on which version of the AirPods he is talking about in his tweet. There's a chance he could mean all of the rumored new models.

If you're a die hard Pokemon fan then you might want to check out the new Pikachu True Wireless Earbuds from Razer, a special edition version of their kick ass Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds.

Razer made some changes to the charging case for the Pikachu True Wireless Earbuds, where the small fits-in-your-hand black case gets morphed into an awesome Poke ball. The front button lights up to indicate the charging level of your earbuds, while the wrist strap lets you carry it around on your... uh, wrist.

Just like the normal Razer Hammerhead earbuds, the new Pikachu True Wireless Earbuds have 13mm drivers, IPX4 water resistance, and Bluetooth 5.0 tech. If you want to get your gaming on, the Pikachu True Wireless Earbuds have low latency mode that reduces latency to 60ms. Razer goes more custom on the Pikachu True Wireless Earbuds, where the voice prompts are replaced by Pikachu's voice, which is actually really cool.

Ultimate Ears (UE) has just announced its new flagship Bluetooth portable speaker, the "HYPERBOOM". It's got extreme bass and is designed for the party scene.

In a press release, UE details what the HYPERBOOM can do, and for users that want to pick one up for their next party, here's what you need to know. The HYPERBOOM sports four input sources, two Bluetooth connections, one 3.5mm AUX, and one optical audio input. This allows users to play music through the HYPERBOOM on their phone, laptop, or even gaming console.

The HYPERBOOM also has adaptive EQ, as it "reads the environment and automatically adjusts the sound to fill any space". The HYPERBOOM is also what UE calls "party-proof", with an IPX4 rating, it has the capabilities of being able to withstand spilled drinks and being dropped in a pool. It can also charge phone devices, connect to any other BOOM device, and much more. UE's HYPERBOOM comes in at a price of $399.99 and will be available for purchase in early March.

Everywhere I turn I see Apple AirPods in ears of people walking around, so they must be doing something right -- so right, that Counterpoint Research estimates Apple will sell over 100 million AirPods in 2020.

Counterpoint Research points out that the wireless earbud market grew by over 50% in Q4 2019 alone, which saw average sales sitting at over 50 million units per quarter. Apple's own market share increased by 44% in Q4 2019, with Xiaomi coming in second place, Samsung in third.

The report goes into more depth about just how much Apple dominates with its AirPods, where in the $100 and above market Apple commands around 70% market share. This leaves Samsung, Jabra, Beats, Huawei, Sony, and others with what little is left after that. In the sub-$100 market Apple is not visible at all.

Firstly, what isn't Elon Musk capable of? He is pioneering both space travel with his SpaceX company and also electric vehicles with Tesla. Now, he is also a musician...

Musk took to his personal Twitter account to share the above post of his track "Don't Doubt ur Vibe" reaching SoundCloud's top 10 most played. At the time of writing this, Musk's track has reached the seventh place, and I can also say that while I'm writing this post, I'm also listening to the track, and it has a major 'space' feel to it.

At the moment, Don't Doubt ur Vibe is sitting at 2.78 million plays and is still growing. It also has to be mentioned that Musk commented in the Tweet thread, saying, "Putting that on my LinkedIn for sure". Honestly, I hope Musk keeps making tracks for SoundCloud because this is awesome! Have a listen to it here.

You'd probably think that Samsung would be the one to confirm the existence of their new Galaxy Buds+, but Apple has beaten them to the announcement.

It appears that Apple may have 'accidentally' revealed the new Galaxy Buds+ via their App Store Preview section as it depicts a new App called "Samsung Galaxy Buds+". The preview shows a bunch of screenshots from inside the app, as well as 'what's new' and compatibility requirements. The app doesn't describe the physical earbuds very much, but according to CNET, they are expected to have extended battery life on a single charge -- 12 hours.

It's expected that Samsung will officially showcase the new earbuds during their Unpacked event scheduled for February 11th. During this event, it's also expected that Samsung will showcase its new flagship device and a bunch of other cool devices (Galaxy Home Mini etc). CNET also reports that the Galaxy Buds+ could arrive with no noise cancellation, which would be a considerable downside to Apple's AirPods Pro.

The first season of The Witcher was Netflix's best first season of television ever, and within that first season is a song that took the internet by storm.

Instead of replaying that part of the show to hear the song, fans will now be able to stream it on digital music streaming platforms alongside the rest of The Witcher's soundtrack. Netflix will be releasing the soundtrack behind season one onto streaming services starting January 24th. 'Toss A Coin to Your Witcher' is already available on Spotify and Apple Music.

At the time of writing this I have already listened to most of The Witcher soundtrack. In total there are 55 individual tracks and so far each of them are fantastic. Netflix truly did a fantastic job with The Witcher soundtrack, and after season 2 is released I hope to see that soundtrack distributed on digital music streaming services as well. After more Witcher news? Check out this link here to find out more about the show.

According to a couple of new contracts posted on the federal spending database, the United States military is cashing in on developing a new form of facial recognition technology.

If you assumed that the US military was already using facial recognition technology on the battlefield, then you would have been right. The current use of facial recognition technology today is to identify potential targets, but the current technology relies on images from standard cameras. The US military wants to move away from the traditional camera and jump into something that is a bit more technologically advanced -- such as facial recognition technology that reads heat signatures.

The new contracts reveal the US military's motivation towards developing a new technology that can analyze infrared images to identify individuals. Department of Defense (DoD) states the following when calling for contractors, "Sensors should be demonstrable in environments such as targets seen through automotive windshield glass, targets that are backlit, and targets that are obscured due to light weather (e.g., fog)".

Earbuds are all the craze right now, with audio company's such as JBL moving full steam ahead into providing great wireless audio solutions. Louis Vuitton is also a brand that is jumping on the bandwagon.

Louis Vuitton is teaming up with Master & Dynamics to bring out a new pair of earbuds that have not only fantastic audio quality (?), but also capture modern aesthetic taste. Above, you can see an image of what has been created between the two companies -- new 'Horizon Earphones.'

Since the Louis Vuitton brand is attached to these earbuds, you can expect that the price would be increased exponentially, even if the audio quality is similar to some other earbuds that are a lot cheaper. If you assumed that, you are right. The Louis Vuitton branded earbuds cost an unbelievable $1,090, which is more than a 64 GB iPhone 11 Pro ($999).