Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 1

The Logitech G Astro A50X Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset is the company's new flagship audio product, and it's a headset and base station combo that features the new and unique PLAYSYNC technology. It works like an A/V receiver for a home theatre setup - you connect the HDMI 2.1 from your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and USB-C from your PC into the base station that handles seamless and quick switching between devices. Plus, it charges the headset.

With audio signals carried over HDMI 2.1 for default console audio output, it's an interesting and clever way to add support for multiple devices and the ability to switch between them without having to sync up dongles or deal with different wireless protocols. Granted, it makes the base station quite high-tech as it supports full HDMI 2.1 passthrough (with 4K 120Hz HDR, VRR, and ALLM).

With the base station handling all audio processing and passthrough, audio will automatically switch back to the TV side when you're not using the headset. Again, it's a unique and impressive wireless audio solution for gamers with multiple devices - but it's also costly.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds Live, Buds Pro, Buds 2, Buds 2 Pro, and Buds FE are about to get a new accessory for those who like Pokemon, so long as they happen to live in Spain. That's because Samsung is bringing the Pokemon-themed earbud cases to Europe for the first time, and it's surely only a matter of time until they move beyond Spain and into other countries as well.

The new cases are designed to look like three popular Pokeballs including Ultraball, Greatball, and Masterball. This is the first time that the cases have been sold outside of Samsung's home territory and they will sell for €39.91 each. The same cases are also available in a range of earbud bundles, so buyers in Spain can pick one up in a variety of configurations if Pokemon is their game of choice.

As part of the unveiling Samsung also confirmed that it is making the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro available for just €80.89 as part of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday fun, although it isn't clear how long that offer will run for. There are three colors available including black, white, and purple so buyers need to make sure to pick their preferred colorway when placing their order.

When it comes to picking a great pair of wireless earbuds there is absolutely no shortage of options. And there's about to be another one if a new leak is anything to go by. The OnePlus Buds 3 look set for an unveiling sooner rather than later after a new leak shared details about their specifications alongside renders of what we can expect the earbuds to look like.

The leak comes via a collaboration between MySmartPrice and OnLeaks, and shows a new pair of earbuds that are unlikely to be all that far away from release. The earbuds could well be unveiled alongside the OnePlus 12 smartphone at an event on December 5.

In terms of specifications, we're told that the new earbuds will weigh 4.77 grams each and come equipped with a 10.4mm woofer and 6mm tweeter. We're also told toe expect a 48dB Active NOise Cancelation feature as well as an IP55 water and dust resistance. Beyond that, the charging case will have an IPX4 rating.

Following the release of the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C it was surely only a matter of time before Apple started to sell the older Lightning-powered model at a discount. And now that's happening, so long as you're willing to pick up a pair of refurbished earbuds.

Apple's refurbished store is now selling second-gen AirPods Pro for the first time, but only in a select few European countries. At the time of writing those countries include the U.K., Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.

It's important to remember that these are not the latest model of AirPods Pro right now, although it won't matter to a lot of people. The only difference between this model and the one Apple recently released is the move from Lightning to USB-C and a tweak that could be important to future Vision Pro headset buyers. For those people, the USB-C AirPods Pro will support wireless lossless audio, something the Lightning model can't manage thanks to having an older H2 wireless audio chip.

If you're in the market to pick up a brand new pair of high-end wireless headphones you might want to hang fire on making a purchase, at least for a little while. That's following the news that Sonos, the company known for making wireless speakers and soundbars, is readying a pair of new $400+ headphones of its own. It's expected that the new headphones will compete with similar products from brands more familiar to headphone buyers including Apple, Bose, and Sony.

While Sonos is yet to officially confirm the new headphones Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that a release is expected to take place in or around April of 2024. Gurman doesn't say who his source is, but he does say that they are people familiar with the matter - the go-to term for unnamed sources these days.

Bloomberg contacted Sonos for comment on its plans although the company understandably declined to offer any commentary. However, CEO Patrick Spence is thought to be keen to find new ways for Sonos to make money following the decline of demand for smart speakers with products like headphones thought to be one area where Sonos could find additional revenue.

Samsung has announced that it has jointly developed an advanced 3D spatial audio technology alongside Google called IAMF or Immersive Audio Model and Formats. Not exactly the most elegant name, but the open source-based audio technology aims to become the leader in the 3D audio market, including Dolby Atmos, Sony's 3D Tempest Audio on PlayStation 5, and DTS. And when it finally makes its way to the public, it could be called 'Samsung Sound.'

3D Spatial Audio, instead of traditional surround sound, is about highlighting positional audio. IAMF can express audio vertically, so you get sound from the left, right, rear, and above and below. In creating this 3D sound profile, IAMF uses AI and deep-learning technology.

"IAMF makes sound more realistic by allowing listeners to hear audio in front, behind, or to either side and above or below them," said WooHyun Nam from Samsung Research's Visual Technology Team. "When IAMF technology is applied to home TV speakers and sound bars, it allows listeners to hear sounds such as birds flying over their head on their TVs at home."

SteelSeries is known for creating high-quality PC gaming peripherals covering keyboards, mice, and headsets. Looking at the latter, the SteelSeries Arctis series has consistently delivered excellent and award-winning audio solutions over the years - like the recent SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X.

With the company's gear mostly associated with the competitive and esports scene, its latest lineup addition - the new SteelSeries Alias Series Mics - is aimed at the streamer and content creator market. For those looking for an easy plug-and-play, broadcast-quality experience, there's the USB-C Alias, and for those looking for a more professional XLR setup, there's the Alias Pro, which comes with a Stream Mixer.

SteelSeries makes a special note to say that the Alias Series Mics have been built from the ground up for gamers and, with that, take full advantage of the company's powerful Sonar audio platform.

The Apple AirPods Max are hugely popular among those who splashed the $550 needed to put a pair onto their heads, but they're starting to lag behind the most latest AirPods Pro. They also have the now-defunct Lightning port as well, and Apple has always been expected to update the headphones with a new USB-C port at some point in 2024. However, those hoping for that refresh to include some new features are going to be left disappointed.

That's after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, shared that while we might get some new colors and a new port, that will probably be the extent of Apple's plans for the headphones in 2024.

Gurman says that the new AirPods Max won't arrive until late in 2024 with the USB-C port and new colors expected. But while he believes that Apple remains committed to the headphones - despite this being the first update since its 2020 release - he also doesn't expect them to get new features to give people a reason to upgrade.

If you've ever looked at Apple's HomePod and thought that it would be way better if it had a display, you very much aren't alone. In fact, it now appears that even Apple would agree that its smart speaker should have a way to view content - because a new report claims that it's already testing one.

The report says that Apple is testing running the tvOS software on an iPad mini in an attempt to fathom how it would work on a touchscreen, something that is likely more complicated than just installing tvOS and leaving it to do its thing.

This report comes after 9to5Mac spotted that the latest tvOS 17.2 beta includes support for the iPad mini 6, a device that has no official reason for being listed. However, it's thought that Apple added support so that it can continue to test the latest version of tvOS on an iPad mini in an attempt to help develop a future HomePod with a display attached.

Apple's entire lineup looks set to get a big overhaul, according to a new report. The changes will touch every corner of the lineup starting with the base model AirPods and continuing through the AirPods Pro into the range-topping AirPods Max.

That's according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, citing unnamed sources who are reportedly familiar with Apple's plans for the earbuds and headphones Apple will make over the next year or two.

Starting with the AirPods, Gurman says that Apple intends to do away with the current AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 products, choosing instead to replace them with two new pairs of fourth-generation earbuds. Those new earbuds will be similar to AirPods Pro in appearance, with shorter stems. The two models will be differentiated by functionality - one will offer active noise cancelation technology like AirPods Pro, but the other won't. Neither pair will have ear tips like Apple's best earbuds, but will rather sit in the year like normal AirPods. Both new pairs will get a new charging case with support for the Find My network. Look to 2024 for this all to happen.