Open-ear earbuds and spatial audio ruled 2023 — and they’ll be even bigger in 2024
Open-ear earbuds and spatial audio were massive trends in 2023. Here's a recap of what we saw and heard, and what it could mean for 2024.
Back Bay FirstClass 70 review: budget buds that beat the big brands
In the world of sub-$100 wireless earbuds, there's plenty of choice, but not always plenty of value. The Back Bay FirstClass 70 are the exception.
Solodome reinvents the classic egg chair with spatial audio
Solodome has taken the iconic egg chair and installed a 2.1 sound system, which it says is ideal for experiencing spatial audio.
Huawei joins the open-ear trend with its FreeClip wireless earbuds
Huawei's FreeClip are designed to be more comfortable than other open-ear models, while also doing more to prevent sound leakage.
Master & Dynamic’s next luxury headphones can tell you when your brain need a break
Boutique personal audio company Master & Dynamic has partnered with brain-computer interface company Neurable to create brain-sensing headphones.
Polk MagniFi Mini AX review: Tiny soundbar, giant TV sound
Polk's latest soundbar squeezes big, bold, and powerful sound into a tiny speaker. But does it do Dolby Atmos as well as other soundbars at this price?
EarFun Free Pro 3 review: featherweight earbuds with a big bass punch
When it comes to the sub-$100 category, no one does it better than EarFun, and the Free Pro 3 are the proof.
Pioneer, Elite, Integra, and Onkyo flagship AV receivers get a major update
A major update to the firmware of Pioneer, Elite, Integra, and Onkyo AV receivers will enable new surround formats and new streaming audio features.
HEOS app refresh adds some of Sonos’ best features
The HEOS app, which controls multiroom audio products from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technologies has been updated with some much-needed improvements.
Apple lets AirPods Pro owners upgrade to USB-C
Apple now sells the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro charging case on its own.
Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 review: big Dolby Atmos sound on a budget
Dolby Atmos soundbars with four up-firing speakers tend to cost a lot, but the Platin Audio Milan 5.1.4 is only $800.
What we want from the AirPods Pro in 2024
Apple's iconic AirPods Pro are amazing wireless earbuds, but there's still room for improvement. Here's what what we think the company should do next.
Exclusive: Bose discontinues its Frames line of audio smart glasses
Bose will no longer sell its Frames smart glasses after the end of 2023 — if you're even able to find any between now and then.
Apple’s Dolby Atmos Music bounty could be a disaster for the format
In its enthusiasm to increase the number of songs available in spatial audio, Apple might be encouraging quality-killing shortcuts.
Samsung, Google are attacking Dolby Atmos’ monopoly on 3D sound, and it’s going to get ugly
Dolby Atmos has become synonymous with immersive 3D sound, but the brand is about to face a new challenger from Google and Samsung.
The most innovative headphones and earbuds of 2023
2023 saw lots of great new wireless headphones and earbuds, but only three of these products were truly innovative.
1More’s PistonBuds Pro Q30 look like great budget buds at $50
1More's new wireless earbuds focus on ANC and sound quality at a very affordable price.
Fiio KB3 infuses a mechanical keyboard with a hi-res DAC
Fiio's KB3 is an RGB mechanical keyboard that includes an audiophile-grade DAC and two headphone jacks.
How to get Amazon Fire TV working on a hotel room television
Your Amazon Fire TV Stick is your gateway to all of the best streaming media on the planet, and it's easy to set up on a hotel TV. We explain how to do it.
JBL Authentics 300 review: portable power, retro style
JBL's Authentics 300 portable Wi-Fi speaker can run two voice assistants simultaneously, but how do its other features compare to Sonos – the current Wi-Fi king?
Harman buys audiophile darling Roon
Like Sonos on steroids, Roon is the music management and multiroom solution favored by audiophiles, and it's now owned by JBL's parent company, Harman.
Astell&Kern’s latest mobile DAC gets dual outputs, AKM chip
Astell&Kern has joined the ranks of companies making portable headphone DACs with both balance and unbalanced outputs.
Wireless earbuds case won’t charge wirelessly? Try this fix
Got a set of wireless earbuds that simply won't recharge when you drop them on a wireless charger? This might help.
Wiim’s new amplified streamer mimics the Sonos Amp, for $299
The Wiim Amp is the latest network music streamer from Wiim to take the Sonos formula and make it far more affordable.
Sonos headphones to make 2024 debut, and a video streaming device is set for 2025
In addition to the widely rumored Sonos wireless headphones, the company is planning a Roku-like set-top box, according to Bloomberg.
Senic MoodPlay review: a fun but pricey toy for the Sonos fan who has everything
Senic's MoodPlay is like a digital turntable for Sonos, giving you access to your favorite music with a tap of a card.
Master & Dynamic MW09 earbuds review: wireless objects of desire
Master & Dynamic's MW09 are gorgeous noise-canceling wireless earbuds that sound out of this world.
JLab jumps into hi-res and Bluetooth LE audio with $200 Epic Lab Edition earbuds
JLab's latest wireless earbuds promise its best audio quality yet, with hi-res support and compatibility with Bluetooth LE Audio.
Hisense teases 110-inch, 10,000-nit TV ahead of CES 2024
Hisense's 110UX will be the brightest consumer TV ever made when it debuts at CES 2024.
Sharp’s promised Roku OLED TV is now available and deeply discounted
Sharp has released its promised OLED-powered Roku TV in both 55- and 65-inch screen sizes.
Your next noise-canceling earbuds may use Navy sonar tech
Next-gen driver technology from xMEMS uses ultrasound technology developed in the 1960s by the U.S. Navy.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: surprisingly immersive
Amazon's new Fire TV Soundbar might not be an actual Fire TV device, but it delivers decent sound for the money.
Guess how much this tiny Porsche Design speaker costs
Porsche Design's new portable Bluetooth speaker is tiny and rugged, but its price is anything but small.
Ultimate surround sound guide: DTS, Dolby Atmos, and more explained
Surround sound is a great add-on to any TV setup, but the jargon is enough to make you dizzy. From DTS to Dolby Atmos, we demystify the tech and its terms.
Creative’s Aurvana Ace are the first wireless earbuds to use MEMS drivers
Creative's Aurana Ace and Ace 2 wireless earbuds will be the first to use drivers built like microchips when they start shipping in December.
Anker Soundcore’s Motion X500 packs spatial audio into a more portable package
Anker Soundcore's latest Bluetooth speaker packs hi-res audio, spatial sound, and a mini light show in a very portable shape.
Can curved speakers make TV dialogue easier to hear?
Soundfun's $300 Mirai Speaker has two curved-diaphragm drivers that it claims can enhance dialogue and create better sound for everyone.
House of Marley’s new earbuds make sustainability more affordable
House of Marley has always been big on eco-friendly designs, but the Little Bird wireless earbuds break new ground on affordability.