Audio, Sound & Speakers News - Page 1

Apple continues to move more and more of its devices and accessories away from using the Lightning cable and towards the more universal USB-C connector, and it will do just that with the updated AirPods 4 and refreshed AirPods Max later this year. That's according to a new report reiterating claims from last year.

That report comes via Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the paywalled version of the weekly Power On newsletter seen by MacRumors. Gurman had previously said that Apple would launch new AirPods 4 and refreshed AirPods Max in late 2024, making the claim back in October of last year. Now, he's backed that up by saying that Apple's planned launch is still underway, hinting that a late 2024 release timeframe is still in the cards.

Gurman's comments were following a question from a reader about when the new USB-C AirPods would arrive, but little is really known about either product. Gurman says that Apple plans to discontinue the third- and second-gen AirPods when the new AirPods 4 arrive, with two models thought to be in the cards - one potentially borrowing design cues from the higher-end AirPods Pro.

With countless headsets designed for PC gaming and audio, there's seemingly only a fraction of that attention placed on PC desktop speakers - those two (or more) portable speakers you sit on either side of your display or desk. If you're in the market for some portable desktop speakers for gaming and other media, you might want to check out the new Creative Pebble X and Creative Pebble X Plus desktop speakers.

The latest iteration of the circular and stylish Pebble series of speakers features enhanced and custom-tune 2.75-inch drivers angled at 45 degrees; they're small but can deliver big sound. Each speaker offers up to 15W for a peak of 30W while connected to a USB-C port - which increases to 30W and a peak output of 60W when connected to a power adapter.

This dual functionality is excellent, with the Creative Pebble X Plus including a cube-shaped 3.5-inch subwoofer compact enough to sit on a desk.

Samsung announced back in November 2023 that it was collaborating with Google on a new 3D spatial audio technology, which is called Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF), and will fight Dolby Atmos technology.

The company has now confirmed that its new IAMF audio format will be rolling out later this year for TVs, soundbars, and more. Samsung's new Immersive Audio Model and Formats audio technology will compete with Dolby Atmos, where IAMF-capable devices will just need a firmware upgrade before it rolls out as a standard on new devices.

Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, requires Atmos-capable sound hardware that has royalties attached to it, while Samsung's new IAMF is royalty-free and open-source. IAMF will work on previous-generation TVs and legacy sound systems after a firmware update, but there's no word on how far back this will go.

Sensit!'s Feelbelt is a belt with haptic technology designed to enhance the audio experience for games, music, movies, and VR. According to its creators, Feelbelt "adds a tactile layer to the [audio] experience" by "providing users with a sense of touch that complements the audio they hear."

Audio that touches you around the waist sounds strange, but adding a layer of audio feedback for those without the ability to hear is cool. "Feel Every Sound" is the tagline, and it kind of looks like Batman's gadget or toolbelt - so I'm not sure about wearing it around town connected to your smartphone so that you can feel the beat.

Still, it's an interesting product with tactile and haptic feedback covering a wide 10 to 20,000 Hz frequency range, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity to connect to smartphones, consoles, and other devices, and the option to customize the intensity to create a personalized audio experience.

3M has announced the world's first self-charging communications headset at CES 2024, which uses solar cell technology to convert outdoor and indoor light into a continuous charge.

The company behind the new headset called the 3M PELTOR WS ALERT XPV, which was officially showcased at CES 2024, uses patented solar cell technology called Powerfoyle. This technology was birthed out a partnership between 3M and Exeger, a Swedish company that specializes in solar cell technology.

In addition to its light harvesting capabilities the headset will come with Bluetooth functionality, noise-cancelling microphone, push-to-listen feature, and connectivity with the 3M Connected Equipment app for monitoring solar cell battery health and general settings adjustments. Upon discovering the 3M PELTOR WS ALERT XPV I was interested to learn more about the product. Below are my questions and answers.

Sennheiser, a staple audio company within the tech industry, unveiled two new earbuds at CES 2024, one being an update to its flagship Momentum line, and the other being the company's first fitness-centered earbuds.

Firstly, Sennheiser announced the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, which the company describes as its "most capable earbud yet", as it delivers incredible lossless sound along with ultra-low latency through its connectivity that's built on the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform and Snapdragon Sound Technology for aptX. The Momentum True Wireless 4 will be available to pre-order on February 15th for $299.95.

The earbuds feature more than a dozen upgrades compared to its previous generation, with support Bluetooth 5.4, the adopted Qualcomm platform, six microphones, adaptive EQ monitors, physical design improvements, and much more. As for the other pair of earbuds from Sennheiser, the audio company unveiled the Momentum Sport, a $329.95 pair of earbuds releasing on April 9 that integrates both a heart rate sensor and a body temperature sensor.

Samsung announced a plethora of new products at CES 2024, including its new flagship HW-Q990D soundbar.

The new Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar features an 11.1.4-channel configuration, with the company baking in a new Party Mode audio profile and Private Listening mode that disables the front-firing speakers. Another big selling point of the new Samsung Q990D soundbar is that it supports HDMI 2.1 connectivity, allowing for 4K 120Hz passthrough for home theater enthusiasts.

Samsung is, of course, using AI to optimize sound on its new Q990D soundbar, which the company says optimizes sound for the performance experience across a wide range of content. There's not much new under the hood, so if you recently purchased the Q990C soundbar, you might not want to upgrade in 2024.

3M has announced it will be unveiling the world's first self-charging communications headset at CES 2024, ushering in new technology that eliminates the need for single-use batteries.

The company has issued a press release that reveals what 3M claims as the "world's first self-charging protective communications headset," which uses solar cell technology to convert indoor and outdoor light into a continuous charge. This patented solar cell technology is called Powerfoyle and was birthed out of 3M's partnership with Exeger, a Swedish company specializing in solar cell technology.

The upcoming communications headset is the 3M PELTOR WS ALERT XPV and will be officially showcased at CES 2024. Along with its light-harvesting capabilities, the new communications headset comes with Bluetooth, a noise-canceling microphone, a push-to-listen feature, the 3M Connected Equipment app for monitoring solar cell energy levels and settings adjustments, and Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware updates.

Next year, Apple is expected to release its fourth-generation AirPods, and according to reports, they will arrive with a bunch of new features and upgrades.

The AirPods 4 will be released in two separate versions, with Apple aiming to replace the currently sold AirPods 3 and AirPods 2. The information comes from industry insider Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who wrote in the Power On newsletter that Apple is planning to streamline AirPod purchases with the release of AirPods 4, as they will feature an updated design that will look like a fusion of current AirPods and the AirPods Pro.

With these earbud design changes, consumers can expect a better fit, shorter stems, and a completely redesigned case to go along with them. The report states the case will come with speakers for Find My alerts and a USB-C charging port, following in-suite with Apple's USB-C adoption. The higher-end AirPods 4 will differentiate itself by having Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which has been exclusive to the AirPods Pro.

The Logitech G Astro A50X Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset is the company's new flagship audio product, and it's a headset and base station combo that features the new and unique PLAYSYNC technology. It works like an A/V receiver for a home theatre setup - you connect the HDMI 2.1 from your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and USB-C from your PC into the base station that handles seamless and quick switching between devices. Plus, it charges the headset.

With audio signals carried over HDMI 2.1 for default console audio output, it's an interesting and clever way to add support for multiple devices and the ability to switch between them without having to sync up dongles or deal with different wireless protocols. Granted, it makes the base station quite high-tech as it supports full HDMI 2.1 passthrough (with 4K 120Hz HDR, VRR, and ALLM).

With the base station handling all audio processing and passthrough, audio will automatically switch back to the TV side when you're not using the headset. Again, it's a unique and impressive wireless audio solution for gamers with multiple devices - but it's also costly.