Audio, Sound & Speakers Posts - Page 1

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).

It has been recently discovered that Apple's first iPod was designed and released in just one year. In that one year, the way people listened to music was changed forever.

CEO of Stripe, Patrick Collision, decided to share an insider story regarding Apple's Ex-SVP, Tony Fadell and the creation of the first iPod. Collision describes that Fadell pitched the idea to Steve Jobs in March 2001 regarding the iPod. Jobs greenlighted the project, and in the following weeks and months, the final design was created, and in the first week of November (same year), units were shipped out to customers.

Jon Rubinstein, the head of Apple hardware engineering, found a small form-factor hard-drive that measured in at just 1.8 inches. This drive was from Toshiba and later became the standard hard drive for the first iPod. Apple really did pull off something amazing with the iPod. Music listening was undoubtedly changed forever after its release. To think that the device, which was so innovative at the time, was designed and released in the same year, really shows a high-level of incredibility on Apple's behalf.

Thermaltake has shown off a new headset that comes with Alexa and Razer Chroma's support. The headset can even match its color to users' local weather.

Thermaltake's latest gaming headset is called the 'Riing Pro RGB 7.1', and owners of the headset can use Alexa and Razer Chroma to control the headsets vast array of colors. It should be noted that owners will need a separate Alex-ready device or Razer Synapse software to enable those new features.

So how does the headset perform? Thermaltake boasts that the Riing Pro RGB 7.1 comes with "oversized" 50mm drivers, a 20Hz to 20,000Hz frequency, and a combination of an ESS ES9018 DAC and a SABRE9601K amplifier. This amplifier drives a 24-bit/96kHz playback. At the moment, we don't have a confirmed price on the Riing Pro RGB 7.1, but we do know that Thermaltake will be shipping it in the first quarter of 2020.

CES 2020 - Elgato has really shown their colors at this year's CES with the announcements of the 4K60 S+ and also the Key Light Air, but what about their mystery announcement?

If you head on over to the Elgato website, you can find a teaser trailer for what is called 'Project WAVE'. Before clicking into the video, it says that this product is "the next big thing from Elgato" and that it's arriving this Spring. So what is it? If you watch the video, you might have noticed what I have provided in the above screenshot. I think this part, in particular, gives away what Elgato has planned for this Spring -- a new streamer microphone.

Why do I think it's a streamer microphone? Well, if you look at the screenshot, you will notice a turn knob that has multiple sources such as mic, game chat, music, and SFX. Judging by the video, this product will be able to jump between different audio sources and control them independently.

CES 2020 - During CES this year, Sennheiser has revealed two new wireless headphones that are surprisingly really affordable.

The two new headphones are the HD 350BT and the noise cancelling version the HD 450BT. Both models are Bluetooth 5.0 ready and offer 30 hours of pleasurable listening. When the battery gets low and you need to charge them up quickly, the USB-C fast charger will be your best-friend.

They also come with a dedicated voice assistant button. So how much are we looking at for Sennheisers new headphones? Surprisingly not that much. The 350BT comes in at $130 and the $220 for the 450BT. Sennheiser has said that they will begin shipping the 350BT in mid Janaury and plan to roll out the 450BT sometime in mid February.

CES 2020 - JBL has unveiled their new earbuds which are directly aimed at Apple's AirPods, are they worth it though?

JBL has revealed at this year's CES its new line of wireless earbuds that seem to be directly aimed at Apple AirPods. JBL has shown off the TUNE 220TWS in a variety of different colors, they have a sleek design and will last for about three hours on a charge. The charging case comes with an additional sixteen hours of battery, and the earbuds are priced at just $100.

JBL hasn't stopped there, though. The other new higher-end model is the LIVE 300TWS, which is quite a big step up in the features department when compared to the TUNE 220TWS. The 300TWS comes with a higher level of water resistance, JBL's TalkThru mode (lowers phone audio when people are talking to you, so you don't have to take out your earbuds), and AmbientAware which lets you hear sounds around you. The 300TWS model has about four hours of charge, and the case comes with fourteen hours of additional charge. The 300TWS is priced at $150.

CES 2020 - JBL has just unveiled its first Dobly Atmos compatible soundbar, the fun doesn't stop there though, as it has detachable speakers.

JBL has just introduced to the public its first Dobly Atmos-compatible soundbar dubbed the JBL Bar 9.1. The JBL Bar 9.1 comes with four Dolby Atmos drivers that vertically project sound to the roof and bounce the audio around the room, creating more immersion.

The soundbar also comes with two removable speakers that can be placed around the room at the users' leisure. These speakers are designed for any setup, the bar itself chargers the wireless speakers, and they will run for about 10 hours playback. The subwoofer seen above is 10-inches tall, and the entire system is 820 watts. For convenience purposes, JBL has also equipped the soundbar with built-in Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth support. This spring, the JBL Bar 9.1 will be going on sale for $100.

CES 2020 - JBL isn't just stepping into the gaming headset market, they are cannonballing with the new Quantum lineup announced at CES.

JBL has just announced a new line of gaming headsets that are more than special. JBL will be offering consumers a massive price range to choose from, seven separate headsets that start at the $40 mark, and range all the way up to the flagship model priced at $300. JBL has also developed it's very own 7.1 virtualized surround sound and head tracking technology that is integrated into the $80 Quantum 300 and above models.

Are you wondering about wireless? Sure. JBL has wireless support with the $149 Quantum 600 and $199 Quantum 800. The highest-end model, Quantum One, comes equipped with the company's 360-degree sound technology that allows users to turn their heads and experience more realistic sound. Typically in a virtual surround sound headset, the speakers inside the headset track the ears and not users head. With JBL's 360-degree sound technology, users will be able to turn their heads and follow specific sounds.

CES 2020 - The world of foldable displays is really just beginning, with CES 2020 seeing companies unleash flexible and foldable displays -- with Chinese company Royole unveiling its new Mirage.

Mirage is a new Alexa-enabled smart speaker with Royole using an 8-inch wraparound flexible OLED display, offering up the speaker for $899. It has a flexible OLED display that wraps around the speaker, with a built-in 5-megapixel camera that Royole didn't detail what would be the function of. Maybe for video calls?

Royole will have its new Alexa-powered Mirage speaker with its flexible OLED display going up for sale later this year for $899. I don't know how many people would buy it specifically for a flexible OLED display, but hey -- it's a start.

AirPods were no doubt a sought after Christmas present, but when purchasing the gift for your lucky friend or family member, I bet you weren't thinking that they were going to eat them.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to a family in DeKalb County, Georgia, where a seven-year-old boy was sent to the hospital after consuming one of Apple's AirPods that he received as a Christmas gift. According to reports, the grandmother of the child was watching the seven-year-old while his mother was off doing her day job.

She then noticed that the child was choking and immediately rushed him to the emergency room. After doctors examined the child with X-rays and confirmed that he did indeed swallow one of his AirPods, they decided to let the tiny headphone pass through his bowels naturally, rather than putting him through surgery. The seven-year-old is now scared of going anywhere near his iPod as he is afraid that it might sync up with the headphone while it's still inside him. Quite understandable.