Audio - Page 9

Have you joined the crowd of wireless headset users? Or are you still wired and waiting for the right headset to come around? We have used several headsets and have experienced several options from wireless units that last a mere few hours in heavy use, to those that can last days before being tethered to a cable. There are even options such as the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless, which has swappable batteries, so you are offline for seconds during a critical battery swap to keep on gaming.

Sennheiser has announced today what can only be described as a potential game-changer, and yes, that pun was intended and justified. The Sennheiser GSP 370 is the newest in the Sennheiser lineup and comes with quite a lofty promise of up to 100 hours of battery life.

The Sennheiser GSP 370 comes with a broadcast-quality microphone, and from my experience with Sennheiser in the past, you can bet while the claims may be lofty, the quality will do a good job of bolstering it.

Amazon has revealed yesterday during their annual hardware event that a line of updates will soon be hitting Alexa's worldwide.

These updates bring new features to the virtual assistant which ultimately allows users to adopt the iconic voice of Samuel L. Jackson. Users can purchase two versions of Jackson's voice, one explicit and the other non-explicit, both will just be $0.99.

You are probably wondering how Amazon got hold of every voice line possible by Jackson. Well its not like he stood there and said everything possible into a recording Alexa, instead Amazon used neural text-to-speed technology to replicate his voice. Since the replication is being sold you can assume that it would be pretty damn close to the original, which makes me think that Jackson is just the first celebrity voice to hit the Alexa market.

A massive part of the push for the ever-growing technology industry is undoubtedly the want for the most convenience possible. So how about some wireless earbuds that can unlock your phone via reading your ear canal.

A team out of the University at Buffalo noticed that most of youth that was walking around campus started adopting wireless headphones, which made them wonder what else could be done with this technology. Computer scientist Zhanpeng Jin who is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences said "We have so many students walking around with speakers in their ears. It led me to wonder what else we could do with them."

So Jin and his team took the earbuds and came up with something that has been called EarEcho. EarEcho is a biometric tool that uses modified wireless earbuds to authenticate users' smartphones, which is done through the reading of the users unique geometrical ear canal. According to this month's Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies journal, the prototype EarEcho had a roughly 95% success rate on the users it was tested on.

Wireless earbuds are all the craze in the audio market right now, as big companies like Apple and Samsung are pushing the takeover from wired with their flagship mobile phones.

If you don't want to go out and spend $200 on a pair of wireless earbuds and are after something more budget-friendly, then the Cleer Ally True Wireless Earbuds might just be what you pick up. These new earbuds are currently available on Amazon, and will be able to give the user a HUGE 2 weeks or even longer on a single charge if you are only listening to music for a couple hours a day.

The earbuds will last for 10 hours of battery and the case comes with an additional 20 hours of charge, adding up to 30 hours of music streaming enjoyment. At the moment the earbuds are 20% off on Amazon, head over to the product page here if you are interested in picking them up. There is dot point specifications about the Cleer Ally True Wireless Earbuds in the entirety of this article.

If you need a new high-quality microphone then you might want to check out Blue's latest USB microphone -- the new Yeti X. Check out the overview video below:

Blue's new Yeti X has one new superpower: its new real-time LED metering on the microphone itself, which will show you when your gain is too low during a livestream or recording. The huge knob on the front of the Yeti X is the new command center, where you'll be able to tweak it between its three internal modes.

You'll be able to hold the knob (sounds weird, but you know what I mean -- get your head out of the gutter) for two seconds to flex between modes, while the other controls the volume. You can also use blend mode, which will balance between gameplay audio and your commentary, both requiring different voice pitches and levels.

News has surfaced online regarding Google's next Home Mini receiving a decent upgrade all round when it is re-branded as the Nest Mini.

According to 9to6Google's sources, Google will be releasing a sequel to their Home Mini product, but instead of it being a Home Mini 2 it will have its name changed to Nest Mini. Not only is there a change of name but Google will also be upgrading basically all of its features as well. According to the sources, the Nest Mini will arrive with a built-in wall mount, upgraded sound, louder and better bass, increase in max volume and a headphone jack.

While these are just rumors for the time being, if they are true Google could be waiting to reveal this product alongside their upcoming announcement of the Google Pixel 4. The announcement of both the Nest Mini and the Pixel 4 is believed to be scheduled for Google's annual hardware event this October called Made by Google 2019.

Gamescom 2019 - HyperX just revealed its new $130 Cloud Alpha headset that rocks virtual 7.1 surround sound for more immersive gaming and entertainment experiences.

HyperX's new Cloud Alpha S resembles the original Alpha design, which in itself is basically akin to the excellent HyperX Cloud II model. It's a wired headset that features dual-chamber tech for more realistic sounds across multiple frequencies, but the main selling point is the virtual 7.1 surround sound coupled with some nifty additions like on-the-fly base adjustment sliders.

Like the former model, the Cloud Alpha S sports a built-in mic with noise-cancelling tech and a comfortable design, complete with foam ear cups. It also sports an external sound card box just like the Cloud II, and can detach to plug directly into devices like mobile phones.

I still remember my brother and I fighting as kids and being the idiots we were bet each other that who won the fight would eat a single cat biscuit, it wasn't poison or bad for you but we knew it would taste disgusting. Guess who won? Yes, that's right bro it was me (hopefully he reads this). But in reality, it is no Apple freakin' AirPod like a man did in Taiwan.

The Daily Mail reports that Ben Hsu "fell asleep with the pair of wireless headphones still in his ears but woke up unable to find one of them. Using an iPhone tracking feature he discovered the device was still in his room and heard its beeping sound following him around. He said: 'I checked under my blanket and looked around but couldn't find it - then I realised the sound was coming from my stomach'".

Hsu went to the hospital and after an X-ray was told that he did indeed ingest it, and that surgery was an option but the doctors waited and the situation solved itself -- yes, he waited and pooped the Airpod out. After the pooped-out AirPod made its splash down (hopefully not literally) it was cleaned and dried and still worked. Hell, the battery was still at 41% with Hsu saying "it was incredible" and his experience with ingesting and pooping out the AirPod was "magical".

Kingston subsidiary HyperX released the HyperX QuadCast two weeks ago, and we have gotten our hands-on this new all-inclusive microphone. HyperX was showing off this microphone at CES earlier this year, but just recently started shipping the finalized product. Like other HyperX offerings, the QuadCast matches the style and color palate with a sleek black design and red accents.

The HyperX QuadCast microphone itself is made of a mix of a softer plastic, and metal with a foam insert, with a solid build quality. The unit comes with its own metal stand and anti-vibration shock mount allowing for a quick installation. HyperX has included a mount adapter which fits both 3/8" and 5/8" thread sizes and is compatible with most third party stands and boom arms.

Two of the features that we were impressed by when we were first introduced to the microphone, are the ability to know the active status of the microphone from the LED indicator, and the "tap-to-mute" feature which allows the prevention of broadcasting accidents.

HyperX today announced an exciting new innovation in audio tech: a headset made out of Cup Noodles.

Outfitted with Nissin's famous Cup Noodles and patented Microphork technology, HyperX's new Cup MIX-IN headphones bring that classic "I'm broke" cosplay style to high-end audio in an exciting new way. To capture that distinct flavor and bring maximum comfort, HyperX has woven noodle fibers into its earpads to "deliver the silky soft caress of ramen noodles."

Both HyperX and Nissin are passionate about this cross-over, and affirm the new headphones were the result of lots of hard work. Future collaborations will happen, and HyperX plans to release a special heated mouspad to keep your Cup Noodles nice and toasty while gaming.

CES 2019 - EVGA impressed with its new Z390 Dark motherboard but surprised with the announcement and launch of its first-ever sound card with the new Nu Audio sound card pushed this week at CES 2019.

The company partnered up with UK company AudioNote for the Nu Audio sound card which features a 6-layer, gold-plated PCB for what is to be expected great gaming audio.

Inside, the card packs AudioNote capacitors and resistors, while a Texas Instrument power regulation circuit keeps the juice under control. The main part of the EVGA Nu Audio would be the XMOS xCore-200 DSP that will process the audio, and remove processing power away from the host processor.

CES 2019 - This year at CES, HyperX is showing off their highest end gaming headsets to date. This morning they revealed the Cloud Orbit and Cloud Orbit S gaming headsets. HyperX has partnered with Audeze, and Waves Technology to produce these high-fidelity gaming headsets.

The Cloud Orbit headsets are the first HyperX gaming headsets powered by Audeze's patented 100mm Planar Magnetic Drivers for clear and realistic spatial audio. Audeze planar magnetic designs utilize extremely thin-film speakers and powerful custom magnets, allowing you to accurately hear where your opponent is located. Feel completely immersed in the field of play with high resolution audio clarity and wide sound stage.

Waves Nx 3D audio technology brings an immersive cinematic audio experience to gaming. The Cloud Orbit S includes Waves Nx head tracking technology to deliver a high quality hyper-realistic 360-degree audio environment where the users head movements bring the room to life 1,000 times a second. The technology precisely tracks your slightest head movements and intelligently creates an acoustic environment that you can move through, with pinpoint accuracy and perception.

Samsung has officially unveiled its new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone but that wasn't all the South Korean giant unveiled during its NYC-based Unpacked event, with a new standalone smart speaker unveiled.

Galaxy Home is the latest smart speaker to join the ranks dominated by Google, Amazon and others and it looks radically different, but still feels like home. Samsung's new Galaxy Home kind of looks like a mini-BBQ or fireplace, with a mix of a cauldron that a witch would use to make spells to hurt iPhone sales. But don't let its unique looks deceive you, it's what's on the inside that counts.

Inside, Samsung's new Galaxy Home features AKG, full-range speakers and a subwoofer that will give you some great bass. Samsung has designed the Galaxy Home for wherever-you-go music, where it will use SoundSteer to direct the music towards you. For your convenience, Samsung is tapping not just Bixby but Spotify to keep your audio listening experience at its peak.

Logitech has announced it will be acquiring Blue Microphones for a cool $117 million in an all-cash deal, which will see the microphone maker behind Snowball and Yeti joining the ranks of Logitech.

The company took a blog post and said: "For Logitech, this is a new space. But, at the same time, it's not at all. Gamers are already using our Logitech G webcams to stream. People are video calling with friends and family thanks to Logitech every day. And in business, our audio and video know-how is apparent every time a video meeting takes place at the office. Joining up with Blue and their microphone lines is a logical adjacent opportunity with great synergies".

Blue Microphones was founded in 1995 and make microphones starting from $60 right up to studio-grade microphones worth a huge $4000. Blue is infamous with musicians, podcasters, streamers, and everyone in-between who want high-quality microphones that blow their built-in microphones away. Logitech secures one of the best in this acquisition, so it'll be interesting to see what they do from here.

SteelSeries has just unveiled two new high-end gaming headsets in a family of "Arctis Pro" products, with the Arctis Pro family consisting of three variants.

The flagship SteelSeries Arctis Pro gaming headset rocks 96kHz, 24-bit "Hi-Res" audio quality if you're plugged into the included GameDAC breakout box. The flagship Arctis Pro gaming headset also includes RGB lighting, and will work on both the PC and PS4.

SteelSeries has a base Arctis Pro model that doesn't include the GameDAC breakout box, and knocks the audio from 96kHz down to 40kHz, but still includes the Hi-Res audio side of things.

Qualcomm has just unveiled the next leap in wireless earbud technology with their new TrueWireless Stereo and TrueWireless Stereo Plus products, packed with the latest in Bluetooth tech.

The new TrueWireless Stereo products are completely wireless, with the two earbuds connecting to each other over Bluetooth, versus other wireless earbuds that are connected to each other with a cable but wireless to your smartphone.

Qualcomm's TrueWireless Stereo will connect to your phone and blast L+R audio to the first earbud, and then use Bluetooth to transfer the second channel of sound. TrueWireless Stereo Plus on the other hand blasts the signal in half to each individual earbud.

Jason Colon was at the gym on February 8 when he noticed that smoke was whispering out of his Apple AirPods, where he took them out of ears after which there were signs of "flame damage."

The left AirPod had no damage, but the other one was cooked, with Colon saying "I don't know what would've happened to my ear. But I'm sure that since it hangs down, it could've been [my] ear lobe, you know, my ear lobe could've been burnt". He added that there were also signs of "flame damage."

Apple Insider reports that the burn residue inside of the damaged AirPods looks similar to what would be caused by an overheating battery, so the battery inside of Colon's AirPods could've been damaged and hurt other parts inside of the earpod. Apple has said that teh company is looking into the matter, and that they are going to get in contact with Colon.

Creative Technology have released the Aurora Reactive SDK. This tool effectively converts the Aurora Reactive Lighting System that is featured with Sound BlasterX products into an open platform, allowing developers to customize, animate and synchronize lighting behavior to add another layer of customization with their products.

The SDK will come complete with sample codes, an API library, and documentation that allows even novice programmers to get started. This gives developers greater creative control to fully immerse the user by programming various lighting behavior modes. Lighting can reflect in-game scenarios by turning red the user is hurt, turn orange when attacking an enemy, or breathe with when searching for an enemy, the possibilities are endless.

Developers can download the Aurora Reactive SDK from here with Creative released monthly performance update patches with improved features and functionality. Current supported products include Sound BlasterX Katana, Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 keyboard, Sound BlasterX Siege M04 gaming mouse, Sound Blaster AE-5 PCIe DAC and Sound BlasterX Kratos S5 2.1 USB gaming speakers

TUNAI Creative has announced their new DRUM earphones, something they call the High-Resolution Bass Enhanced Audiophile Earphone.

DRUM has been engineered from the ground up to provide great sound across the audio spectrum, with the company saying the DRUM earphones deliver "clear, high-end, rich mid-range, and powerful bass. It gets you as close to perfect sound as our environment permits".

TUNAI Creative is looking to raise $15,000 on Kickstarter to get their new DRUM earphones into consumers' ears, and at the price they're selling DRUM... it'll be an easy pledge goal to hit. Get this: TUNAI have their Super Early Bird special where if you pledge just $9, you get a pair of DRUM earphones. The MSRP for DRUM is $39.99, so this is saving $30 - crazy.

Jaybird have announced their first, completely wireless sports headphone, the Jaybird RUN sport headphones. With collaboration with some of the top runners in the world, the Jaybird RUN offers a lightweight and compact set of headphones designed for physical activities without compromising sound quality.

"Jaybird RUN is inspired by our athletes, and tested and built with the runner in mind who listens to music or podcasts and wants to feel as free as possible," said Jeff Taylor, Jaybird athlete and partnership manager. "Being runners ourselves, we understand how bulky headphones can get in the way. The Jaybird RUN compact form factor fits securely and delivers music without a single wire. We've perfected the Jaybird RUN experience, so you'll forget you're wearing them, and we're excited to share them with runners everywhere."

Offering physical features that include sweat proofing, water resistance and interchangeable tips and fins for different ear sizes, Jaybird RUN also allows for connectivity via Bluetooth technology and provides 12 hours of portable battery life. One intuitive control-button allows to take calls, start and stop music, skips tracks and activates Siri or Google Assistant.