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Apple announces three new Beats headphones, all using its W1 chip

By Kris Wouk September 7, 2016

After unveiling the new iPhone 7 and AirPods during Apple’s event on Wednesday, CEO Tim Cook briefly announced three new Beats products: the Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats3 Wireless, and an entirely new product known as the Beats X. For the time being, many of the specifics around the headphones are unclear, but we do know that the W1 chip — the same chip powering Apple’s new AirPods — will also be used here.

The new iPhone 7 might have been the star of the show, but the removal of the headphone jack meant audio, and wireless audio on particular, plays a big part in the company strategy.

This marks the first time that Apple technology has been used in Beats products, but it likely won’t be the last. The W1 chip keeps the headphones more energy efficient, and allows for improved battery life, with the Solo 3 Wireless offering up to 40 hours of play time. Battery life for the other models currently isn’t known, but should likely be higher than the AirPods’ five hours.

While the Solo3 Wireless and Powerbeats3 Wireless are the latest iteration of existing products, the Beats X are more of a mystery. They use a “neckbud” design, but until more information is released, that’s effectively all anyone knows.

The Apple AirPods will sell for $160 and are launching in October, but for the time being, there is no information on when the upcoming Beats headphones will launch or what the price will be. The Beats Solo2 Wireless currently sell for $300, while the existing Powerbeats2 Wireless initially sold for $200, so prices for the updated models will likely be the same. As for the new Beats X, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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Tidal vs. Qobuz: Which hi-res music streaming service is for you?

Tidal app showing on iPhone 15 Pro.

Spotify and Apple Music may be the most popular music streaming services in the world, but services like Tidal and Qobuz offer plenty of great features and a higher level of listening to anyone making a switch. Each offers hi-res audio and is available on desktop and mobile devices. Thanks to a recent switch in Tidal subscriptions, the prices between the two services are now very comparable, although one is slightly cheaper.

Below, we compare Tidal and Qobuz based on price, sound quality, and supported devices to determine which platform is better.
Price
For many years, Tidal has stood out for its hi-res music offerings, a feature long shared with Qobuz. However, the landscape has changed, and now other services like Apple Music and Amazon Music (and soon Spotify, hopefully) have also ventured into the hi-res music space.

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OTC hearing aid sale discounts 15 models, from just $80

Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids

If you need a hearing aid, you’re going to love the OTC hearing aid sale going on at Crutchfield right now. Currently, you can buy a pair for as little as just $80 with up to $500 to be saved on select models. With 15 models in the sale, we recommend you click the button below to see what’s on sale for yourself. But you can also read on while we highlight some of our favorite hearing aid deals. Don’t delay as the deals are unlikely to stick around for long.

What to shop for in the Crutchfield hearing aid sale
With some of the best OTC hearing aids including models from Lexie, go straight for the . It’s currently $799 instead of $849. It has a slim, visually discreet profile with a behind-the-ear fit style. A built-in feedback management system helps reduce high-pitched feedback while there’s a noise reduction circuit which decreases the volume of constant background sounds such as vacuum cleaners or A/C units. It also has level-dependent gain and compression which keeps loud noises from becoming too loud during conversations. The app also provides bass and treble controls along with left/right balance adjustments, and directional focus modes. It’s a really well-rounded hearing aid.

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GoldenEar subwoofers are up to $755 off for a limited time

The GoldenEar SuperSub XXL subwoofer in the living room.

Upgrading your home theater setup's sound output is easily achieved by buying from soundbar deals, but if you want extra bass, you'll want to purchase a subwoofer. If you're thinking about it, you may want to checkout Crutchfield's sale on GoldenEar subwoofers with prices that start at $595. These premium subwoofers will give you all the bass that you need for watching streaming shows, epic movies, sports programs, and any other form of content, but you'll have to hurry with your decision on what to buy because these discounts are only available for a limited time.

What to buy in Crutchfield's GoldenEar subwoofers sale
The cheapest option in Crutchfield's GoldenEar subwoofers sale is still pretty powerful -- the GoldenEar ForceField 3, which is an 8-inch subwoofer with digital signal processing and a built-in 500-watt RMS digital amplifier. You'll also get a front-firing 8-inch long-throw woofer and a 9-inch by 11-inch down-firing passive radiator for , for savings of $55 on its original price of $650. You can also take a step up with the GoldenEar ForceField 30, which offers most of the same features but with an updated design with a curved top and metal grills, for instead of $900 following a $155 discount, or the GoldenEar ForceField 40 with a front-firing 10-inch long-throw woofer and an 11-inch by 13-inch down-firing passive radiator for a , down by $205 from $1,200 originally.