Items tagged with Audio
When it comes to music, delivering high-quality sound to your ears can make listening experience much more immersive. If you decide to stream music from Spotify, that quality can vary from song to song depending on several factors. To combat this, Spotify will begin offering Premium subscribers the option to upgrade to Spotify HiFi to listen to songs in “CD-quality, lossless audio format.” Initially announced at Spotify’s Stream On event, the new HiFi service is a way to address the artists and fans who expressed that sound quality is important to them when listening to music. Evidently, it is “consistently one of the most requested new features by our users.” To...
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When watching movies and television shows, bad audio can take viewers out of the moment in an epic battle scene or the final romantic moment between Romeo and Juliet. When it comes to TVs and sound systems, there is a certain level of hardware quality to be expected. However, when it comes to Android devices, your listening environment can change, or your listening hardware could change from high fidelity headphones to $5 earbuds from Five Below. To level out the listening experience on Android for all environments and hardware, Netflix is introducing Extended HE-AAC with MPEG-D dynamic range control (DRC) on Android devices. Generally, dialogue is prevalent throughout media no matter the content...
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LG on Thursday launched two sets of wireless earphones, one of which comes with a slim "UVnano" charging case that zaps germs and bacteria away with ultraviolet (UV) light, as its name implies. According to LG, this eliminates 99.9 percent of E. coli and S. aureus from the non-toxic, hypoallergenic silicone ear gel and inner mesh. It also gives these a leg up over the competition, namely Apple's AirPods family. Earbud sanitation is something most people probably do not put much thought into, at least when using their own pair. But they do get exceptionally dirty at the microscopic level. Citing a study from 2018, LG says in-ear headphones carry six times more bacteria than a kitchen sink. The...
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Lots of folks are working from home these days, and that means endless WebEx, Zoom, Skype, or other online meeting sessions. When you're not optimally equipped to work from home, especially if you don't have a dedicated workspace, that can be a bit of a mess with lots of background noise happening while you're in a session. It's not all bad, though, because Team Work From Home can clean up captured audio in real time with the help of NVIDIA's new RTX Voice application. Video Conference Call Noise Cancellation For GeForce Owners Basically, RTX Voice works as a software layer between an audio source (a microphone) and its destination (your Zoom call, for instance). Install the app from NVIDIA's...
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Apple has an obviously vested interest in audio, with its Apple Music service, pricey Beats acquisition, and HomePod speaker. So, it is not surprising to learn that the Cupertino company is planning to launch a new line of wireless, over-the-ear headphones. What's interesting, however, is the modular approach Apple is said to be taking. It's not clear if these headphones will be sold under the Beats label or, probably more likely, its own brand. However, people who are supposedly familiar with the matter told Bloomberg the upcoming headphones will have parts that users can swap in and out. They also said Apple is looking to augment its AirPods business (as previously rumored), which leads us...
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It would appear that Google is awfully close to launching its revamped Google Buds 2 earphones. After being announced in October 2019 and then spied at Bluetooth SIG in January of this year, the latest cameo for Google's second generation Pixel Buds took place at an online retailer, where the earphones (and full list of features) made a brief appearance. This is not old news. Yes, a product listing for the Pixel Buds 2 manifested a couple of months ago at B&H Photo, where they were show as "coming soon" before the page was taken down. This one is a different leak (if you want to call it that). Another retailer, ABT Electronics, listed the Pixel Buds 2 over the weekend. Source: ABT Electronics...
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Sometimes at the end of a long work week, you just need to kick back and crank up the tunes. Whether you choose to fire up a rocking playlist to get the adrenaline pumping or prefer smooth jazz music, that's up to you. If you are looking for a deal on some great sounding speakers, though, we can help. Bose's Home Speaker 300 and 500 are both on sale this weekend with big savings. Bose has a reputation for delivering premium sound and products, at premium prices to boot. So the best time to pounce is when there are markdowns. We usually see discounts this deep during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but for whatever reason, this random weekend in February is your chance to save hundreds on these...
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The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is right around the corner, and that means a bevy of product announcements are incoming. Ahead of the event, LG announced it plans to roll out an "impressive lineup of soundbars" with premium quality audio, easy connectivity, smart functionality, and "AI room calibration." I can hear you groaning as you read that last part, and it's a natural reaction—it seems everything these days touts AI technology in some form or another. It is what it is, though. And in this case, AI room optimization promises sound that is better tailored to your living room setup, or bedroom arrangement, or wherever you might place one of these soundbars. "AI...
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At some point in our educational careers, we all used calculators that had solar panels. Those panels provided all the power that the calculator needed to run, be it light from the indoor fixtures or sunlight from a window. JBL has unveiled a new prototype product on Indigogo called the JBL Reflect with similar tech. The headphones promise to get deliver all the power needed to operate just from light. Just like those calculators, it can get light from indoor lighting or natural light outside. JBL says the headphones will give you 68 hours of playtime for every 1.5 hours spent outside. The average wireless headphones need charging after 20-30 hours of playtime. Those who spend 2.5 hours or more...
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You may have noticed that audio in is now quieter in some games after applying the latest round of cumulative updates to Windows 10. The good news is, Microsoft is aware of the issue and is planning to roll out a fix, though it might be a couple of weeks before it arrives. In the meantime, there is an official workaround to make your games sound like normal again. The problematic update is KB4515384 for Windows 10 1903. It contains some security enhancements and protections against a new subclass of speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities (similar to Spectre and Meltdown), so it is not one that you want to roll back. However, some users have reported quieter audio in several games,...
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Roku just made it easy to upgrade your television's audio and add streaming capabilities in one fell swoop. The new Roku Smart Soundbar is notable because not only is it the company's first soundbar, but it also comes with a built-in Roku Ultra streamer, allowing users to stream videos in up to 4K Ultra HD with HDR support. Granted, most modern TVs come with built-in streaming capabilities, so for some it might be a redundant feature. However, for those who prefer Roku to Chromecast (the latter of which is found on many TVs), the Roku Smart Soundbar could serve as a nifty 2-in-1 upgrade, piping out better audio than a TV's speakers with 4K HDR streaming support to boot. "We’ve been very...
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Fans of Sonos audio systems and wireless speakers that can be moved around the home will appreciate the new leak that shows off the design of the Sonos Move Bluetooth speaker. The leaked images appear to be for marketing materials and show off all aspects of the device, including its charge base. Reports indicate that the Sonos Move is a bit larger than the existing Sonos One speaker. The big feature of the new wireless device is that it can be used as both part of the wireless network of other Sonos devices at home and as a mobile Bluetooth speaker on the go. Sonos Move marks the first time that the manufacturer has integrated the type of wireless connectivity needed for use on the go. Sonos...
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As most of you are probably aware, Creative Labs, is one of the Founding Fathers of PC Audio and has manufactured sound cards and other audio-related hardware for 30 years. The original Sound Blaster was the de facto standard for DOS gaming audio almost right from its release in 1989. As high-profile PC games like Wolfenstein 3D came out with Sound Blaster compatibility trumpeted on their boxes, the company rose to prominence with its Yamaha OPN and OPL-based FM synthesis sound cards. Fast forward to today, and the house that Sound Blaster Built is still pumping out new and better audio hardware. Today, we're going to take a look at the company's latest flagship audio wunderkind, the just- announced...
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Sony made waves in the consumer audio market with its WH-1000XM3 headphones, and now the same (presumably) noise-cancelling technology that helped the headset garner so many accolades is offered in a new set of wireless earbuds, the WF-1000XM3. If that is indeed the case, these earbuds could give Apple's AirPods a run for their money. The WF-1000XM3 is available to preorder on Amazon for $229.99, and will be released on August 5, 2019. A charging case is included, so the pricing has the earbuds sitting just above the current generation AirPods, which Amazon sells for $179.99 (the MSRP is $179.99). However, Apple is rumored to be refreshing its AirPods, and pricing could conceivably be higher....
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Logitech is a company that has a lot of products under its umbrella. Gamers tend to think of it mostly as a gaming keyboard and mouse company with products like the recently announced the MX518 gaming mouse. Logitech also owns the Ultimate Ears brand, what has debuted a new product to provide customers with music on the go. That new device is called the Wonderboom 2, and it is a rugged wireless speaker. Wonderboom 2 is a followup to the original Wonderboom speaker promising even bigger 360-degree sound than before and extra bass wherever you need it. Ultimate Ears bakes in a new Outdoor Boost mode, extended 13-hour battery life, IP67 rating, and Double Up true stereo pairing. The Outdoor...
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Amazon has had some very good deals in the tech realm of late. Two of the best deals have been for SSDs to enhance your computer storage. One deal was from Amazon-owned Woot and was for a 480GB Kodak-branded SSD. The other was yesterday when Amazon announced a significant discount on a SanDisk 480GB SSD. Today Amazon has a couple of other good deals on audio gear from Bose. One of the deals is on the Bose 201 Direct/Reflecting speaker system. Each of those speakers has a long excursion 6.5-inch woofer and two Stereo Targeting Tweeters inside. Bose uses its proprietary Stereo Everywhere tech to combine direct and reflected sound to fill a room. Bose notes that these are perfect for front or rear...
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Logitech has announced a new line of gaming headsets that run the gamut from low-end to higher-end units. Giving the varying price points of these units, there's headset for nearly every budget and usage case. The high-end unit is the G935 Wireless 7.1 Surround Sound Lightsync gaming headset; it sells for $169.99. It has a flip away mic that mutes when swung out of the way and a 15-meter indoor wireless range. The headset offers 50mm drivers and frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz. The second headset is the G635 7.1 Lightsync Gaming Headset that sells for $139.99. It also has a flip to mute microphone and 50mm drivers. It is strictly a wired unit and works with PC, mobile, and game consoles...
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The build-up to the Super Bowl is always a excuse to get yourself a new cutting-edge 4K TV to enjoy the big game on. A shiny new TV will bring you a big, beautiful picture to enjoy all the action, but if you want to see, hear and feel the thump, like a linebacker hammering a slot receiver, a new sound system for your TV is also something to consider. As we previously reported, Amazon has some good deals going for big TVs at under $500, and it just so happens AMZN has discounts on Sonos sound bars and the Sonos Playbase to up your audio game as well. The Amazon Sonos Deals include: Sonos Beam for $349, a $50 discount Sonos Playbar for $599, a $100 discount Sonos Playbase for $599, a $100...
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EVGA boldly entered a new product category and launched its first sound card at CES, the aptly named EVGA Nu Audio. The Nu Audio card represents the culmination of a few years of co-development efforts with the folks at U.K.-based Audio Note, makers of high-end audio reproduction equipment. Unlike many sounds cards that tweak and massage source material to produce various effects, EVGA’s goal with the NU Audio card was strictly on quality and playing back source material as close to how the original creators intended, with minimal filtering. To that end, the NU Audio card is packing nothing but top-notch components, right down to its Nichicon solid-state capacitors and audio-grade resistors....
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Now is the time to rock out with your wallet out to groovy bargains on everything under the sun, and especially anything in the electronics category. Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring out stellar deals, many of which we've already covered. But if you're looking to literally rock out, there are deals to be had on headphones and earphones. Beats by Dr. Dre Shown above is the Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones - LINE Friends Special Edition. It's an authentic Beats headset, only themed after LINE Friends, which are characters based on the stickers from the messaging app LINE. The characters are more popular in Hong Kong, but if you're looking for some flair, this headset fits the bill. It's...
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Most people thought that Essential was dead and had probably given up hope of getting the Audio Adapter HD dongle for headphones that the company had been promising for a long time. Things haven't exactly been smooth at Essential with the Essential Phone not selling well and the company announcing back in May that it was canceling its second-generation smartphone and considering selling itself. Last month Essential laid off 30% of its staff, and with those layoffs, any hope of the promised Audio Adapter HD launching dimmed. However, today we learn that Essential has launched the Audio Adapter HD as promised. The adapter launched yesterday and owners of Essential phones were hungry for the little...
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Are you looking for a good set of headphones at a reasonable price? If that is the case, head over to Amazon and check out the Mpow 059 Bluetooth Headphones. They are fairly inexpensive at just $34.99, and if you use coupon code EMOQ8C77, it will knock the price down to $27.99, with free two-day shipping for Prime members of course. Typically you get what you pay for, and for the most part, spending less than $30 on audio gear is not going to get you very far. For what it is worth, however, the user reviews on this are overwhelmingly positive—the Mpow 059 is sitting on about a 4.5-star (out of 5) rating out of 15,476 customer reviews. The headphones sport "memory-protein" ear cushions designed...
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