Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 3

Grado has just unveiled its new headphones, with the Brooklyn-based audio company revealing its new Hemp Headphone -- yeah, you're not high -- you read that right.

The new Grado Hemp Headphones are a very, very uniquely styled pair of headphones that have its body made of maple wood and "highly compressed hemp" according to Grado. The company explains: "In our never-ending pursuit to experiment with all types of woods and materials, we had the opportunity to build with hemp".

Grado continues: "We weren't sure how these hemphones would turn out, but to everyone's surprise it quickly became a favorite passed around Grado. To be blunt, this is one of the best sounding Limited Editions we've built".

One of the things Apple is most famous for its consistently high profit margins. One of the ways Apple maintains those high profit margins is to rarely discount its hardware. Since the hardware is almost always the same price, even small discounts get Apple fans shopping for new gadgets excited.

Amazon has a deal going right now on the Apple AirPods Pro that brings them to the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. The usual retail price for the AirPods Pro is $249. Amazon routinely has them marked down by 6% to $234.95 with free Prime shipping.

Currently, an additional discount of $6.96 is being added to all AirPods Pro headphones in the cart at Amazon. An in-cart discount means that when you first hop over to the product listing, the discount is not taken off the price. The discount will be added as a line item in the cart before check out. For those unfamiliar with the earbuds, they have active noise cancellation and transparency mode to allow users to hear what's going on around them.

A new rumor is going around that claims Apple will be unveiling a new set of over-ear headphones at WWDC 2020. The rumor claims that headphones are over-ear units called the AirPods Studio (AirPods Pro pictured). The headphones are said to be highly customizable and aiming at a price point of $349.

If Apple brings the AirPods Studio headphones to market at that price, it would put them on equal footing with the popular Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 offerings. The headphones would be Apple's first over-ear units, developed under the codename B515. Rumors have claimed that the AirPods Studio will feature a magnetic headband and earcups, which aren't offered on any competitor's products.

One interesting fact is that the headphones are claimed to be as customizable as an Apple Watch. There is no indication of how exactly that customization will be pulled off. Presumably, the sound will be customizable along with the levels of noise cancellation.

Microsoft has gone official with its latest set of headphones called the Surface Headphones 2. They are offered in light gray or matte black colors for $249.99 with the release date set for May 11. The next-generation Surface Headphones support voice, touch, and fingertip controls with 13 levels of active noise cancellation.

The levels of noise cancellation are controlled using a mechanical dial on the left ear cup that can control the noise cancellation between blocking out and being able to hear the outside world. The headphones promise omnisonic sound with volume controlled by the dial on the left side ear cup. Each ear cup has its microphone to ensure clear calls.

Microsoft promises all-day battery life with up to 20 hours of listing per charge and almost an hour of run time with only a five-minute charge. Details on the Surface Headphones 2 were leaked ahead of the official unveiling. The Surface Earbuds were also unveiled and will also launch on May 11 for $199.99. The Surface Earbuds promise a comfortable and stable fit with four anchor points that sit inside the ear to hold them securely. The earbuds come with three sets of interchangeable silicone tips for the perfect size.

Sony has unveiled its latest headphones aimed at active users called the WF-SP800N Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for Sports. The headphones (most would say earbuds) are offered in blue, white, and black colors, according to the official UK website. An orange pair is noted in images with a disclaimer saying that color availability varies by region. The headphones have an IP55 rating to survive splashes, sweat, and dust.

Sony says they are durable enough to be washed after a tough workout. The WF-SP800N headphones come with a charging case that adds nine hours of battery life to the nine hours of run time the earbuds have by default. That means the entire usage time is 18 hours, with noise canceling on. Users who turn off the active noise canceling can get up to 13 hours of music on a full charge, and an extra 13 hours from the charging case.

Sony's quick charging tech gives 60 minutes of music playback with noise cancellation from a 10-minute charge. The headphones connect to smartphones and other devices using Bluetooth. Since the earbuds are aimed at active users, they feature a soft arc supporter and three-dimensional curve design to ensure a comfortable fit and prevent them from falling out during workouts.

One of the most challenging things for a lot of people trying to work or learn from home when the entire family is there is finding a little peace and quiet to concentrate. For many people, one product that can help concentration is a high-quality set of noise-canceling headphones that block external sounds and let you listen to music so you can focus. Amazon has a big sale going right now on a popular set of wireless headphones from Bose.

The Bose Noise Canceling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones 700 in Arctic White are on sale for $299. That is a discount of $100 off the regular $399 price tag. Those who want the silver or black color will have to pay an extra $50 with those on sale for $349.

As of writing, Amazon shows that the white headphones are in stock and can be to you as early as two days. The headphones ship and are sold by Amazon. For those unfamiliar with the Bose 700 headphones, they have up to 11 levels of noise-canceling control to block the outside world or let noise in when it's important. They support Google Assistant and Alexa voice control.

Microsoft is currently gearing up to release a new set of noise-canceling headphones as a follow-up to the Surface Headphones that launched about 18 months ago. The headphones were initially launched to battle Sony and Bose in the high-end noise-canceling headphones market. Bose released a new set of noise-canceling headphones not long ago, and Sony has a new model coming.

Microsoft is now gearing up to combat the new offerings with a new offering of its own crossing the FCC. The headphones are expected to land with the name Surface Headphones 2 and are supposed to look identical to the existing model on the outside. FCC documents confirm that no changes have been made to the layout of the antennas.

While the antennas remain the same, several updates are coming to the Surface Headphone 2 product. Microsoft added IMU sensors for better head detection and tracking. The Bluetooth version was updated, and the new headphones will have higher antenna again. Headphones will also have aptX support along with the Bluetooth 5.0.

Google fans around the world have been waiting in anticipation for the all-new Google Pixel Buds to launch after their unveil in October. The updated version of the Google Pixel Buds app has turned up on the Play store. The new version of the app has support for the new earbuds and some interesting features.

The Google Pixel Buds app can be installed on any device running Android 6.0 or higher. The earbuds will use standard Bluetooth protocols, meaning they should operate using normal Bluetooth connectivity on any device, possibly missing features required from the app. Reports indicate that some Pixel 4 test devices have presumed the app to be pre-installed by the Play store. On those devices, rather than showing a link for installation, it prompts you to update the app.

However, on other Android devices, the app is available to install but reportedly doesn't run without being paired to a set of Pixel Buds. Tidbits have been gleaned from the app include controls for in-ear detection, adaptive sound, touch controls, Google Assistant settings, and the ability to locate them using the "Find my device" feature.

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.