Audio

New early Black Friday deals have started to roll in. And among all the eye-catching ones, this 51% discount on the Beats Studio Pro stands out a lot, as the headset has been on the shelves for just three months.

Early Black Friday sale has slashed the iconic Bose QuietComfort 45 by 40%. With this hefty discount, the pair of wireless headphones is now down to US$199 from US$329, which is a record-low price for the headset.

With the Lenovo X16, Lenovo is offering new, completely wireless headphones. These are available at a very affordable price and, according to IPX4, are designed to withstand demanding environmental conditions, meaning they can also be worn during sports without any problems.

Bose has discounted its new Smart Ultra Soundbar in countries including the US, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands. Customers are offered up to US$100, with the deal terms differing by region. The soundbar, featuring Dolby Atmos and AI Dialogue mode, can be controlled with voice commands.

xMEMS, a pioneer in solid state audio drivers, has unveiled its groundbreaking Cypress headphone driver, which can generate accurate sound across the audible frequency range by amplitude-modulating a series of ultrasonic pulses. The device can reach 140 dB as low as 20 Hz, and is claimed to increase ANC bandwidth thanks to its fast and wide response.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 has fallen to its all-time low price. With this 50% early Black Friday deal, the affordable wireless earbuds are currently US$29.99, down from US$59.99.

Sennheiser HD 650 has been discounted by 40% thanks to this fantastic early Black Friday deal. With it in place, the audiophile-grade headset is down to US$299.95 from US$499.95.

The Xiaomi-linked mobile gaming brand Black Shark has released its latest accessories just in time for the 2023 Black Friday/Cyber Monday event. The T9s seem like standard budget AirPod clones in black or white; nevertheless, they do offer up-to-date Bluetooth technology. They have started with a discount: the same as the rest of the OEM's line for the holiday season.

OnePlus has just released a newspaper ad in India teasing a soon-to-be-launched speaker with a unique transparent design. The speaker, which looks like a faceted glass box, appears to house 5 drivers and an LCD display with the option to customise the sound by music genre. No price information or time frame for launch are indicated.

A University of Washington led team has developed AI headphone technology allowing wearers to pick specific sounds to hear while blocking all others. This advanced noise-cancelling targets any sound from animals to machines creating a new kind of sound targeting called semantic hearing.

As we’re slowly approaching Black Friday, more and more great early deals have started to pop up. This time, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 received a generous 44% discount, bringing the wireless ANC earbuds down from US$179.99 to just US$99.99.

With the Soundcore H30i, Anker is launching a new on-ear headphone on the market. The model, which costs just under 40 euros, offers up to 70 hours of battery life and Bluetooth 5.3 including Multipoint Connection.

Amazon has already started offering Black Friday deals well ahead of the actual event. And if you’re shopping for wireless earbuds, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this deal on Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. It’s currently available with a massive US$80 discount.

The Dolby Atmos-capable soundbar from Bose is now on sale at Amazon as the world's largest online retailer currently grants a considerable 40% discount on the white color variant of the Smart Soundbar 900, which results in a new all-time low.

Sony's high-end earbuds officially carry a lofty price tag of US$299, but thanks to an attractive coupon code and an already discounted sale price, the wireless WF-1000XM5 with active noise cancellation have now hit their lowest price ever.

Creative has launched the first true wireless earphones featuring solid state MEMS-based drivers, the Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2, after partnering with xMEMS earlier this year. The hybrid setup has a MEMS driver and a 10 mm dynamic driver for a 5 Hz to 40 kHz frequency range. The Ace 2 also features Adaptive ANC, Bluetooth 5.3 LE and support for AptX Lossless and LC3 audio codecs.

Universal Audio has just made its audio recording and production software LUNA free to all Mac users. The DAW, which was previously only available to owners of UAD’s high-end Apollo audio interfaces, incorporates the company’s high-quality emulations of analogue recording gear with a straightforward, easy-to-use interface.

Porsche Design has launched the PDS20 portable speaker in the US, the UK and the EU. The compact gadget comes with an interchangeable strap to make it easier to transport. Other features include a ten-hour runtime, Bluetooth connectivity and a voice assistant to control the speaker.

Samsung has just announced that it has developed a new 3D spatial audio technology, IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats), in collaboration with Google. IAMF is open source and has features like vertical sound channels, AI-based scene analysis and the flexibility to customise content audio based on listening preferences.

With Black Friday around the corner, Amazon has just slashed the price of Sony LinkBuds S by 36%. Thanks to this fantastic deal, the comfort-forward Sony earbuds are now only US$128, which is very close to the all-time low price for the pair.

The MW09 earbuds are Master & Dynamic's brand new flagship earphones that are designed to compete with the Apple AirPods Pro. The innovative design uses aluminum and sapphire glass, has improved sound and a range of new features.

CT scans have revealed the differences between the AirPods Pro 2 and fake alternatives. Not only does Apple include more complex hardware inside its earbuds, but counterfeit manufacturers even place small weights inside their charging cases to fool unaware buyers.

The powerful flagship soundbar's most recognizable feature are the truly wireless satellite speakers with 10 hours of battery life. Thanks to a massive sale discount at the manufacturer's official online store, the JBL Bar 9.1 can now be ordered for less than half its official list price.

Xiaomi has made more progress toward the mass production of its long-awaited first-gen car, according to the latest leaks. The vehicle itself has also allegedly surfaced in a new in-the-wild leak - or, to be more accurate, part of it has. The major component's new photos purport to confirm which Tesla the first-gen Xiaomi car will most resemble.

Unveiled in September of last year, the new Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) feature a brand new H2 chip, and offers up to twice the Active Noise Cancellation than before. These earbuds also come with features such as Lossless Audio playback, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Volume. Thanks to Amazon, you can now get your hands on one for an ultra-low price of US$189.

Anker has launched its first open-ear headphones onto the market. The two new products, Soundcore AeroFit and AeroFit Pro, keep your ears free without having to give up your favorite music, audio books and more.

FiiO has launched its first planar magnetic headphone, the FT5, with 90 mm drivers and an open-back design. It has a high sensitivity and 36Ω impedance, allowing it to be driven easily by portable devices. The magnesium aluminium alloy construction, included leather case, 2 pairs of earpads and 4 types of audio plugs make it a premium proposition, but at a relatively reasonable US$449 price.

Sony's wireless pair of flagship headphones features one of the most effective active noise cancellation functions in the industry, and thanks to an 18% discount at multiple retailers, the WH-1000XM5 have finally dropped to a more reasonable price point.

Google's Pixel Buds Pro can now be had for US$119 on Amazon, a massive 40% drop from their list price. The flagship truly wireless earbuds support Active Noise Cancellation and transparency mode, and they have a total listening time of up to 31 hours with the charging case.

Sony has announced that its latest audio-video (AV) receiver has a new Tilt & Swivel design that allows its screen to be turned either towards or away from the driver. It also supports USB type-C and micro-HDMI as well as the gold-plated 3-preout terminals needed to build a car stereo system.

GPT has found its way into the smart home with the Camera Genie S, a gadget backed by its maker Psync Labs, Inc to keep watch over domestic life in the smartest way possible. The Genie S is rated to leverage its "innovative generative AI technology" to identify and "preserve" social media-worthy moments as well as surveil a residence around the clock.

OneOdio is lauding the fact that its A10 over-ear headphones have been declared best of their class in 2023 by CNET. The announcement coincides with a sizeable discount on the same audio peripherals on Amazon. Are the award-winning cans really first and foremost in terms of their specs and features, though?

Samsung's 5.0-channel soundbar from the 2022 model year has returned to its lowest price yet as Amazon has put the Dolby Atmos-capable HW-S60B on sale with a discount of US$150 relative to the official list price.

Google has recently shared details of its research in audioplethysmography (APG) technology, which can enable heart rate monitoring in ANC earbuds with just a software update. The feature requires no extra sensors, is accurate and impervious to variations in skin tones, seal conditions and ear canal size. It can even be used while playing music and running.

Sennheiser Europe has announced a "Halloween" sale with up to 20% off popular consumer audio products such as Ambeo soundbars and Momentum True Wireless earbuds. Meanwhile, the OEM is also building up to its Early Black Friday event for US customers, promising "exclusive" savings to those who sign up to its wait-list.

Anticipated for late 2024, Apple's flagship AirPods Max update seems to be rather underwhelming according to leaked information from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The changes appear to be limited to the introduction of USB-C charging and the addition of new colorways, leaving enthusiasts with little to get excited about.

Vinyl continues to grow in popularity year after year. The Rewind Cassette Player promises retro sound on the go in a compact Sony Walkman-sized metal case with several modern convenience features.

Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Sound technology will allow wireless earbuds and headphones to play dropout-free lossless audio with low latency using a WiFi network. The new S7 and S7 Pro chips, expected to start appearing in devices soon, also offer vastly improved DSP and AI processing, which will enhance ANC and make awareness mode more intelligent.

Anker has unveiled the soundcore Motion X500 speaker, with pre-orders now open. The three-channel model has an intelligent spatial audio engine, producing a Wireless Hi-Res sound. Other features include a 12-hour battery life, an upward-firing driver and a built-in handle.

According to new information from a reliable source, Apple is planning brand-new AirPods with a fresh design and interesting new features as well as new AirPods Max as soon as next year, while the AirPods Pro are set to receive a significant upgrade in 2025.

Images of a HomePod 3 prototype have turned up online. According to various sources, the third-generation smart speaker will have a touchscreen display element, for which Apple is already optimising various tvOS apps.

The new Vankyo Vista T4 laser projector has been unleashed on the US market with "advanced" ALPD 4.0 technology for a "cinematic experience". It is rated to throw a 150-inch image in "native 4K" from less than 20 inches away from the wall in question, and also packs 2-channel 60W speakers with Dolby Audio and DTS for a potentially all-in-one home theater package.

Edifier asserts that its second-gen NeoBuds Pro pack a patented form of active noise cancellation (ANC) that should block a greater and broader range of unwanted sounds than the average pair of TWS earbuds. The Pro 2s are also rated for spatial audio, a low-latency gaming mode and the LHDC 5.0 codec as well as LDAC and SBC. The NeoBuds Pro 2 also offer over 20 hours of estimated battery life for under US$150.

Huawei has unleashed its latest flagship TWS earbuds on markets such as Germany today (October 18, 2023). The "Intelligent ANC 3.0" accessories are touted as even more stylish and comfortable than ever before, and to have up to 31 hours of battery life. They have launched at a price of US$212 and are bundled with the chance to get the OEM's latest fitness tracker as well at a potentially significant discount.

German semiconductor and IoT systems giant Infineon, in collaboration with adidas, has made the Lighting Shoe prototype to showcase its sensor and power systems technology. The shoe, based on the adidas originals NMD S1, uses MEMS microphones and a microcontroller to ‘listen’ to music and create striking lighting effects in sync with the beats. Unfortunately, there are no plans to bring it into production.

In a Reddit AMA, Android’s VP of Engineering has just confirmed that the new Pixel 8 phones will soon support lossless audio output over USB. OS-level support was already added to Android 14, but a future software update will unlock the ability in the latest Pixel phones. In addition, app developers will have to enable the use of the API on their end.

Austrian Audio, known for its studio mics and headphones, has entered the USB microphone game with its new MiCreator set of classic-looking yet functional microphones. The MiCreator Studio is a USB condenser mic with an additional input to connect either the Satellite, an analog condenser mic, or the Y-Lav lavalier mic. The mics feature integral shock mounts and tilting heads to allow better positioning and headphone outputs for monitoring.

Volkswagen has refreshed the ID.4 and ID.5 with a range of upgrades, the option of an enlarged cockpit display included. The electric cars' Pro models are also touted to come with improved range, torque and power, while their GTX versions are backed to get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under six seconds.