Audio

JBL touts its latest Tour-series wireless earbuds as the world's first to come with their own touchscreen. The case-mounted LED panel is capable of displaying music controls as well as those for the PRO 2's advanced active noise-cancelling (ANC) functions. The case is also rated for up to 30 hours of additional play-time, while the earbuds pack "true adaptive" "immersive" JBL Spatial Sound.

Bose has partnered with Qualcomm to secure the new S5 Audio series of chipsets for its next-gen product portfolio. The SoCs will power future soundbars and speakers from the well-known brand as well as its headphones and earbuds. Therefore, they might be capable of the latest in wireless connectivity as well as "high-performance" sound at reduced levels of power consumption.

The Jabra Elite 5 has arrived during IFA 2022. Featuring 6 mm drivers and Hybrid ANC, the Elite 5 launches in two colours and is already orderable now in multiple markets. Jabra is running a short-term promotion on the Elite 5 too, reducing the earbuds by US$20.

The two new portable speakers from Danish startup Audiocase, namely the S5 and S10, can hit an SPL of 125 dB and feature Class-D amplifiers with advanced DSP and up to 30 hours of playtime. Both are available on Kickstarter for a limited period at promotional prices: US$541 (S5) and US$702 (S10).

DIZO has announced that its next smartwatches will launch as its Watch D Talk and Watch R Talk. They will be square- and round-faced respectively, and will both have the up-to-date spec of support for calls over Bluetooth. One will have an AMOLED display, whereas the other will have a larger-than-average screen for its class.

Sony has finally confirmed European and UK pricing for the HT-A5000, a soundbar that the company released last year in North America. Billed as a 5.1.2 channel soundbar, the HT-A5000 has a built-in subwoofer and supports PlayStation 5 features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping, as well as numerous network functions. Sony has outlined availability for the HT-A5000 in the Eurozone and the UK too.

Sony has introduced the HT-A3000, a new soundbar and a cheaper alternative than the HT-5000 and HT-7000. Equipped with a 3.1-channel configuration, the Sony AT-A3000 supports virtual surround sound, along with Apple AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos and Google Chromecast, among other things.

Sony's enticingly affordable alternative to the popular WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones is currently on sale with a notable 20% discount, which means that the Sony WH-CH710N have now returned to their lowest price ever on Amazon.

Jabra's upcoming Elite 5 earbuds have leaked, detailing their design, features and colour options. Building on the Elite 3, the Elite 5 has 6 mm drivers, active noise cancellation, 6 microphones and Bluetooth multipoint support. Effectively, Jabra has moved many of the Elite 7 Active and Elite 7 Pro features to its mid-range earbuds.

OnePlus' latest audio accessories might be a potentially welcome throwback thanks to their lesser-spotted non-wireless interface. Now, Nord-series fans in India will be able to buy these earphones through Amazon or the OEM's own web-store soon. The Wired 3.5mm also boast OnePlus' magnetic clips and physical in-line controls.

The Space Q45 headphones and Space A45 wireless earbuds have launched simultaneously from Soundcore as the Anker brand's latest audio accessories with "ultra long" play-times between charges. They also share adaptive active noise-cancellation (AANC) specs rated to block up to 98% of all environmental sounds.

OEPLAY is currently crowdfunding for its MusicStar5 Hi-Fi speaker on Indiegogo. Thanks to custom-designed AMT tweeters, the sound system has a wide frequency range from 33 Hz to 55 kHz. You can pair two of the gadgets for a stereo sound experience and connect your smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0.

The Yamaha SR-C30A Compact Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer has been revealed. The device will launch this October for US$279.95. The gadget comes with a range of sound-enhancing technologies, such as 3D Surround Sound, with support for Dolby Digital. You can connect to the sound system via Bluetooth and control the device with your smartphone.

Bose is on the verge of replacing the QuietComfort Earbuds, introduced two years ago next month. Based on a substantial leak, the QuietComfort Earbuds II will take its place, which has a more compact design, up to 6 hours of battery life and active noise cancellation (ANC), among other features.

OPPO has revealed that it has second-gen Enco Buds ready to launch. The OEM asserts that the upcoming likely mid-range TWS earbuds will have "strong" bass despite their relatively small driver size. Therefore, they are rated to unleash quality audio, starting with the Malaysian market.

MediaTek's latest Pentonic chipset has debuted with an emphasis on remote group-watching and group-calling use-cases. It also features the up-to-date specs and features required to enjoy 4K gaming and content in general. The 700 is also touted as being Wi-Fi 7-ready and supporting "powerful AI enhancements".

Motorola has launched the Moto Tab G62 as the latest option on the affordable Android tablet market in India. It has a 10.6-inch 2K display powered by the Snapdragon 680 SoC and a large battery. Accordingly, it has variants with and without 4G/LTE connectivity, both of which will be available through Flipkart, starting at just over US$200.

OnePlus has released the Nord Wired Earphones 3.5mm through its website. As the name suggests, they are earphones with a headphone jack, and, as such, can be used with some new smartphones of the same series name. The new accessories have a magnetic design similar to some of the brand's original audio products.

It might have come as a surprise to some when Huawei introduced the Mate Xs 2 in place of the Mate X3, a device thought to have a design much more like that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, in 2022. However, according to the latest tip, the latter is on the way after all, as a more durable and affordable foldable phablet than ever before. It might launch alongside inaugural variants and new TWS earbuds during a very late-year event.

Although released half a decade ago, the Creative Outlier Sports remains an interesting product for active people who want a classic design and can live with some of the outdated specs, such as Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. At US$19.99, down from a US$69.99 MSRP, these lightweight wireless in-ear headphones are a steal.

Xiaomi has now launched the Buds 4 Pro, new flagship TWS earbuds finished in two-tone gold or black so as to match the new Mix Fold 2. They improve on their previous generations in terms of noise-reduction, connectivity and battery life specs. They raise the new peripherals' price far above the US$100 mark, however.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds2 Pro at its Unpacked event today. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro features improved ANC over the Buds2 and comes with IPX7 protection and support for Samsung's proprietary Seamless Hi-Fi codec for 24-bit audio. The Buds2 Pro are also slated to offer improved battery runtimes and can better distinguish between noise and human voices.

LG has released new TWS earbuds under its TONE Free series. Sold as the TONE Free T90, TONE Free Fit TF7 and TONE Free Fit TF8, the trio feature exciting features, including a charging case with a built-in UV light to disinfect the earbuds as they recharge. The TONE Free T90 are the world's first earbuds with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Head tracking, too.

The new RS2 is HiBy's second digital audio player that uses the Darwin audio architecture and can be pre-ordered for US$479. It supports up to 4 TB of storage via two card slots, 3.5 / 4.4 mm dual headphone output, PCM 384 kHz/DSD 256 audio, as well as up to 10 hours of play time and 40 days standby.

Sennheiser has unveiled its latest pair of over-ear headphones, the Momentum 4 Wireless. Replacements for the ageing Momentum 3 Wireless, the Momentum 4 Wireless promises to deliver excellent battery life, improved noise cancellation and better sound quality than its competitors. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is orderable in multiple markets now and will start shipping later this month.

Lenovo has just officially confirmed the leaks pointing to an imminent launch for the Xiaoxin Pad Pro 2022, a slate that will come in a range of finish options as colorful as its 120Hz AMOLED display. Its metallic unibody will be ~7mm in depth and incorporate speakers tuned by JBL.

At a steeply discounted sale price of just US$228, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are a great choice for bargain hunters who can refrain from buying the latest but only marginally better fifth generation of Sony's noise-cancelling over-ear headphones, which are also considerably more expensive.

Nokia has updated the ultra-budget 110 4G it sells in India for 2022. Apart from an updated design and new colors, it seems to have much the same specs as its immediate predecessor. For something even more renewed and with extra retro charm, the 8210 4G has now been unleashed alongside it.

According to a new leak, Nothing is not only working on the Nothing Ear (1) Stick, but also a second-generation model by the name of the Nothing Ear (2). Surprisingly, it seems that both products could launch soon, despite the absence of other second-generation Nothing products.

An extensive leak has confirmed many details about the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Samsung's next pair of high-end earbuds. Due to be presented on August 10, the earbuds will feature long battery life, noise cancellation and waterproofing. Bluetooth 5.3 support should be onboard for the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro too.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless should be arriving later this month, ahead of which numerous promotional images have leaked. Highlighting a fundamentally new design, the high-resolution images also provide more details about the upcoming headphones' features and specifications.

Porsche Design has launched the Conference Speaker PDS30, a portable Bluetooth device. Conference mode allows a two-way conversation with 360° voice coverage and a listening range of up to 3 m (~10 ft). Plus, speaker mode lets you play content from a connected device. The gadget can last 12 hours on a single charge and recharges via USB-C.

LG has finally announced US pricing and availability for its 2022 CineBeam projectors. The series consists of 2 ultra-short-throw DLP units rated to cast a 4K UHD window of 120 inches in size from less than 20 centimeters (cm) from a wall. They also feature up-to-3,700 lumen brightness, HDMI with eARC and integrated 40W speakers.

Sennheiser has already confirmed that it will launch the Momentum 4 Wireless later this month. However, a retailer has already revealed vital specifications, colour options and the headphone's new design. Also, the retailer may have revealed a lower price tag for all markets, too.

The AcouLab Première S loudspeaker is now available in some European countries. The digital gadget is compact, measuring 400 x 220 x 350 mm (~15.7 x 8.7 x 13.8-in). Fully active architecture and motional feedback technology help the speaker to produce up to 25 Hz at -3 dB with minimal distortion, despite its smaller size.

OnePlus India has delivered on its hype campaign for the first-ever pair of TWS earbuds branded to match Nord CE smartphones today (August 1, 2022). These "Dynamic Bass" earphones have now also been officially revealed as lightweight wearables that also support a "Sound Master Equalizer", Bluetooth 5.2 and "AI noise cancellation", albeit just for calls.

More pricing details have emerged for Samsung's next-generation earbuds. Launching as the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, the high-end earbuds will compete against the likes of the AirPods Pro and the new Pixel Buds Pro. Surprisingly, the Galaxy Buds Pro could cost a fair bit more than the outgoing Galaxy Buds Pro, which would make it almost as expensive as the AirPods Pro.

Honor has unveiled plans for its IFA 2022 showcase with assertions that it will help consumers "embrace the connected future". Going by the OEM's new promos, this can be done with one of its new, appropriately networkable devices, which might include new mobile devices, PCs and the personal audio equipment to pair with them.

A new type of Best Buy store has launched in North Carolina to offer consumers a "new" and possibly much more 2022 way to shop. The space, while nearly a tenth of the size of the average store associated with the chain, is rated to offer in-person consultations as well as a range of the latest or most popular products, in a way that might better adapt to the trend of consumers to shop and order online instead.

OnePlus has recently established the Nord CE sub-series for smartphones - now, the OEM has announced that it is for TWS earbuds too. The first accessories of these types seem to be exclusive to the Indian market, and are to debuted there with relatively large drivers for "Dynamic Bass" thus far.

How do you repair the case for your AirPods? You don't, according to Apple customer service representatives allegedly recorded in a new YouTube video posted by Ken Pillonel, an engineer who modified an iPhone X to support USB type-C charging. Now, the same vlogger has worked out how to do the same for a pair of AirPods.

Razer has bought all shares of the French company responsible for Interhaptics, described as a "leading development platform" for feedback in gaming, PC and extended-reality (XR) hardware. The move is slated to underpin the former's interest in the overall haptics market, although it could also allow the OEM to improve and leverage its in-house HyperSense technology to compete with similar products such as Sony DualSense going forward.

Pricing for the Galaxy Buds2 Pro has leaked, a few weeks before Samsung unveils its next premium set of earbuds. While Samsung is expected to bring several new features to its Pro earbuds, the price should remain unchanged from the Galaxy Buds Pro.

The speaker skimps on arguably unnecessary extras like LEDs for a more standard design that focuses on maximizing the core audio experience.

The Nubert nuPro XS-8500 RC is now available to pre-order in Germany. The soundbar has a total output of up to 820 W and can support wireless 7.1.4 playback. The gadget is compatible with various technologies, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The device has been designed for a home cinema set-up, with a built-in subwoofer.

Google has started offering the Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro in multiple markets. Available to order in far more countries than the Pixel 5a, the Pixel 6a will begin shipping next week, as will the Pixel Buds Pro. Google is offering a pre-order bonus worth £99.99 with Pixel 6a bonuses too.

Samsung is preparing to launch several new products, with its next Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for August 10. Although Samsung has not announced any of its rumoured devices yet, it is taking Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Watch5, Galaxy Watch5 Pro, Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 reservations in the US.