Finally, Polaroid instant camera you can throw in your pocket. The new Polaroid Go is the world’s smallest analog instant camera that measures in at a mere 4.1 x 2.4 x 3.3 inches. What’s more,…
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Apple is finally releasing its tiny item-tracking devices called AirTags. You’ll be able to buy a single AirTag for $29 or a four-pack for $99, and they will be available on April 30. Given the nature of AirTags — they’re designed to be placed on a wide variety of items and gadgets (and even your pet) — you’ll likely need to buy an accessory to go along with it. (There’s no keychain loop or magnetic clip integrated into AirTag, after-all.)
We’ve rounded all the AirTag accessories below. (Most are only available for preorder right now.
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Apple finally announced its long-rumored “AirTags,” a tiny little stone-like device that can help you find your keys, your bag, or whatever else you attach it to. The $29 devices could make life a lot easier, but there is a catch: they won’t work with all devices.
AirTags work using Apple’s “Find My” app on your iPhone, which can find a number of different gadgets, including some not made by Apple. If you misplace your AirTagged item, you’ll be able to use the app to call up its location, or trigger the AirTag to make a sound.
But your phone will need to support iOS 14.5 in order to work with AirTags. That means AirTags will not work with iPhones older than the iPhone 6s, which did not get the update to iOS 14.
Beyond simple Bluetooth chirping, AirTags also enable a feature called “Precision Finding,” which can show an arrow on your phone that points directly to the object using haptic and augmented reality guidance. This feature requires Apple’s “U1” chip in both devices to function, which means only certain devices can do it.
Precision Finding is officially available on the following devices:
Other devices that have a U1 chip, but aren’t officially supported for Precision Finding (yet), include:
Recent devices that do not include a U1 chip and so cannot support Precision Finding include:
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At its “Spring Loaded” event, Apple announced a bunch of new products, including new M1-powered iPad Pros and M1-powered iMacs, a new Apple TV 4K with (finally) a new remote. And it also announced AirTags, its new $29 tracker that works with its Find My network. We’ve rounded up all the biggest announcements in more detail below. Here’s what you need to know.
Apple has finally announced the tiny item-tracking device that has been rumored for over a year and which works in its Find My network. It’s called AirTag and it’s a little circular gadget that you can place on your keys, in your wallet or stick them on your devices.
A single AirTag costs $29. A four-pack costs $99. They will be available on April 30.
Apple announced a new updated version of its Apple TV 4K that comes with an all-new remote. The updated Apple TV 4K has a faster processor and supports high frame-rate HDR. It can also adjust the color balance of your TV so that whatever you’re watching looks best.
The redesigned remote that ships with the new Apple TV 4K looks to be a big improvement. It has a new five-way touch controller instead of the trackpad, a dedicated power button to turn on/off your TV, and the Siri button has been moved to the side of the controller. Additionally, the new remote is slightly thicker and more ergonomically designed.
The new Apple TV 4K will be available for preorder on April 30 and ship in the second half of May. It will cost $179 for a 32GB model, and $199 for a 64GB model.
Apple announced new iMacs that are decked out with its M1 processing chip. The new M1 iMac has a beautiful and large 24-inch display, a thinner design, a smaller base, a 1080p webcam, improved microphones and better speakers (that support Dolby Atmos). The new iMac will be available in seven new colors, too, including red, white, blue, green, purple, orange and yellow.
The new M1 iMac comes with with new keyboard and mouse options too. The Magic Keyboard now comes with an emoji button as well as Touch ID (a first for a Magic Keyboard). Additionally, you can get Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad in the same color as your iMac — so they all match!
These new 24-inch iMacs will replace the 21.5-inch models in Apple’s lineup. However, you’ll still be able to buy the 27-inch iMac, which hasn’t been updated.
The new M1 iMacs start at $1,299 and it will be available in four colors: white, blue, red and green. The upgrade models with more storage will cost $1,499. All M1 iMacs will be available for preorder on April 30 and ship in the second half of May.
Apple announced new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with its M1 chip, which the company claims will give them 75-times faster than the original iPad. These new iPad Pros have a number of other big improvements, too, including a new Thunderbolt USB-C port, support for 5G and a significantly improved camera system.
The new iPad Pro’s new ultra-wide camera will support a feature called “Center Stage,” which will allow it to automatically pan in and out to keep you (the subject) in frame; it will also be able to adjust the pan if someone else enters the frame. This will be a cool feature for things like video calls.
Maybe most significantly, the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a new Liquid Retina XDR display, consisting of over 10,000 mini-LEDs. This display is similar to the display on Apple’s Pro XDR display and is poised to allow the company’s most pro iPad Pro users to take their work on the road. The 11-inch model of the M1 iPad Pro will not have this fancy new display.
All M1 iPad Pros will be available for preorder on April 30 and ship in the second half of May. The 11-inch model starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,099.
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Here is a little-known fact about streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music: they all let you listen to audio at different resolutions. A lesser-known fact: the default playback setting on most of them isn’t the highest.
You might be thinking, ‘Why would anybody choose to listen to worse audio?’ Well, the short answer is that compressed audio files take up less space on your phone. And without a good set of headphones or speakers, it can be hard to tell a difference.
But it’s there.
When high-res is turned on, the soundstage is bigger and you can more easily distinguish between the mids and highs; sometimes you can even hear where the musicians and vocalists are standing in relation to one another on the stage or in the recording studio.
Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most out of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube Music.
Wharfedale EVO4.2
$998/pair
The Wharfedale EVO4.2 are our favorite all-around bookshelf speakers that cost under $1,000. They deliver an accurate yet punchy sound. Plus, since they’re easy to drive, they’ll work with most amplifiers.
KEF LS50 Meta
$1,500/pair
The KEF LS50 Meta is simply one of best sounding bookshelf speakers you can buy. Released in late 2020, they’re vastly upgraded versions of the company’s already well-lauded LS50 passive loudspeakers. If you can afford them, we highly recommend them.
PSB Alpha P5
$399/pair
The PSB Alpha P5 is our pick for the best pair of bookshelf speakers under $500. They look great and sound just as good as speakers that are significantly more expensive.
Default Audio Quality: N/A
Max Audio Quality: 256 kbp/s
Cost: Apple Music costs $9.99 per month
Apple Music streams at a bitrate of 256kbps, which seems lower than Spotify’s 320 kbp/s at face value, but it’s not exactly like-for-like because Apple Music uses its own AAC audio codec. Apple also defaults to audio of the highest quality, assuming your device is connected to Wi-Fi. When streaming over cellular, however, the audio quality goes down.
To change this:
• Open the Settings app > Music > Mobile Data > Streaming > High-Quality Streaming
Default Audio Quality: 96 kbit/s
Max Audio Quality: 320 kbit/s
Cost: $9.99 per month
By default, Spotify streams 96 kbp/s audio tracks. Premium subscribers can upgrade to 320 kbp/s, which is a very high-quality stream, but still not on the same level of audio quality found on a CD.
To adjust the audio quality:
• Go to Settings > Music Quality > Very high
Default Audio Quality: N/A
Max Audio Quality: 256 kbp/s
Cost: Amazon Music Unlimited costs $9.99 per month, or $7.99 if you’re a Prime subscriber
Amazon has two “entry-level” music streaming services, Prime Music and Music Unlimited, both of which are able to stream audio at a maximum of 256 kbp/s. If you’re unfamiliar, Prime Music is free for Prime subscribers while Music Unlimited costs $9.99 per month (without Prime) and gives you access to way more songs, as well as some audio customization options. By default, Amazon Music doesn’t stream at its highest audio quality, so you’ll want to adjust that.
To adjust the audio quality:
• Open Amazon Music app > click the vertical dots in the upper right corner of ‘Browse” page > Settings > Streaming audio quality > High
Amazon just announced a high-quality music streaming service, Amazon Music HD, which is able to stream lossless audio (the same or better audio quality than a CD). The company claims it’s able to stream HD (850 kbp/s) and Ultra HD (3,730 kbp/s) tracks. It’s a direct competitor to Tidal and costs $14.99 or $12.99 per month for Prime members.
Default Audio Quality: 128 kbp/s
Max Audio Quality: 256 kbp/s
Cost: YouTube Music costs $9.99 per month
Google’s streaming service, YouTube Music, is popular amongst Android users as it delivers the best integration with other Google services, including Google Assistant. It streams in 128 kbp/s by default in “Normal” quality, but Premium subscribers can also select a “High quality” option to stream 256 kbp/s audio.
To adjust the audio quality:
• Open the YouTube Music app > select your profile picture > Settings > Audio quality on Wi-Fi > High (or Always High)
shapechargeGetty Images
If you want to stream the highest quality audio possible, you need to subscribe to a lossless streaming service like Tidal HiFi, Amazon Music HD, Qobuz and Deezer. (Spotify is also releasing a lossless tier — called Spotify HiFi — later this year.) These services allow you to stream audio that’s CD or vinyl quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz), as well as even higher resolution audio files (such as 24-bit/192kHz or even even 32-bit/384 kHz). Read our guide to these lossless streaming services, below.
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A habit-tracking app is designed to help people develop good habits and achieve their goals (anything from exercising regularly to keeping in touch with family members). Likewise, it’s also designed to break bad ones (such as eating fast food or smoking).
There’s a wide variety of habit-tracking apps out there, but the most important thing is that you pick one that works for you. There are habit-tracking apps that have minimalist designs and are simple to use. There are apps that are more robust and highly customizable. And there are apps that are, well, unique and something in-between.
We’ve rounded up our favorite habit tracking apps below.
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Streaks has been arguably the best habit-tracking app for iPhone users for years and years. Yes, it costs $5. And yes, it does many of the same things as other apps, such as making customize daily, weekly and monthly goals, as well as sending push notifications to remind you on your progress (or lack there of). But Streaks really has two features that set it apart. First, it integrates super well across all devices across Apple’s ecosystem, including Mac and Apple Watch, and can be seamless integrated with Apple’s Health app (if the habit can be tracked). And two, its robust charts and graphics give you a more detailed perspective of habit-tracking than most everything else out there.
Price: $5
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Habit-Bull is fairly simple and easy-to-use app that requires the user to manually create the positive goals to hit, or negative goals to break, and then be honest with themself as they log them. For example, you can set daily, weekly or monthly goals of the number of times you workout, call family members, go out to dinner or even drink alcohol. It has a couple simple features, such as calendar view and the ability to set reminders. It’s compatible across a number of platforms, including macOS, iOS, Android and PC.
Price: Free
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Goalify is a slightly more sophisticated habit-tracking app (compared to the other free options, at least). It still allows you to create goals for both positive and negative habits, and has features like dashboards and reminders that motivate you to stay on top of them. But it allows has more of a social element than other habit-tracking apps, which allows you to create goals with friends and check on each person’s individual progress; there’s also a chat feature so you can give others that extra bit of encouragement (or snide).
Price: Free
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Habitica isn’t a conventional app because it turns habit-tracking into a type of 8-bit retro video game. You create daily and weekly goals not too dissimilar from other habit-tracking apps, but then Habitica turns it into an old Game Boy game. You play as a character that gets stronger as you hit your goals (and, likewise, you get weaker if you don’t hit them). You can also get more upgrades for your character if you do well, such as improved weapons and armor. It’s definitely a fun habit tracking app for people who, well, just love video games. Available on iOS, Android and the web.
Price: Free
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Strides is a great habit-tracking app that has a clean layout and is super easy to use. It separates itself it’s more robust than other apps. Specifically, it gives you four different ways to track habits. 1) You can set goals and habits based simple on “yes” or “no” (for example: Did you exercise today?). 2) You can enter a target goal over a set period of time, and Strides will show you your pacing. 3) You set a goal based on an average (for example, you want to get an average of seven hours of sleep per night). 4) Or you can set up long-term projects with pacing and specific milestones. Strides works across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Price: Free
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Beeminder is a habit-tracking app that really makes you bet on yourself. You set goals for habits and if you don’t hit them, the app will charge your credit card. (No, you can’t make money if you hit your goals.) If you’re an iPhone and Apple Watch wearer, the app syncs with Apple’s Health app so it can pull data, like steps and distance, and put it towards your goal. (No need to manually enter that data.) The app is also available on Android.
Price: Free
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Grow is a minimalist and straightforward habit-tracking app for visual learners. You set goal (or multiple) to hit and the app creates a plant that represents that goal. As you progress and get closer to your goal, the plant with grow and blossom into a beautiful tree. If you don’t progress, the plant will die and you’ll have to start back from a tiny stem again. Grow isn’t going to blow you away with features, but it’s a fun app for people who like to watch things grow.
Price: Free
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Welcome to Product Support, a series devoted to helping you get the most out of your stuff.
You likely use Google Search a lot, like all day everyday. If so, Google just released a new keyboard shortcut that will most definitely be a game changer for you. And it’s real simple.
All you have to do is hit the “/” key on your keyboard when using Google and your cursor will jump back to the search box. There’s no need to hold down another button like Control, Command or Shift. Pressing the one “/” key does all the work for you. This keyboard shortcut makes it super easy to quickly refine your search or search for something else, as it removes the need to touch your mouse or trackpad.
The other neat thing with this new keyboard shortcut is that won’t force you to scroll to the top of the page, so you won’t immediately lose your place. Normally, the search box will disappear from view when you scroll down past the few several suggestions in Google Search, so the fact that this keyboard shortcut allows you to jump right to it without requiring you to scroll back to the top of the page or clicking the address bar — it’s just super convenient.
This keyboard shortcut will work with Google Search on any web browser, so it doesn’t matter if you’re using Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
Some people will see a pop-up window when using Google Search that says “Press / to jump back to the search box” to let you know that this keyboard shortcut exists. But if you don’t see it, no worries — the shortcut will just work. And you don’t have do anything like update your browser — the keyboard shortcut will work right now for you.
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Apple officially announced that its big hardware spring event will take place next week, on April 20th, but that doesn’t mean this past week wasn’t huge — it was. A ton of new gadgets were announced. From DJI’s latest drone to fancy new bookshelf speakers, solar-powered headphones to several new webcams. Here’s what you need to know.
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The JBL 4309 studio monitors are essentially smaller and more affordable versions of the company’s high-end 4349 studio monitors, which run for $7,500. Each 4309 loudspeaker is decked out with the company’s 1-inch tweeter, 6.5-inch mid-bass driver and twin-firing reflex ports, so that it sounds as dynamic as its larger sibling. And each speaker looks stunning, with a blue baffle, wooden veneer (either walnut or black walnut) and cloth grille — they’ve already been given a 2021 Red Dot Design Award. The JBL 4309 studio monitors will be available for purchase this June.
Price: $2,000/pair
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Canon announced the development of the EOS R3, the company’s most high-end mirrorless camera to date that’s most definitely aimed to compete against the Nikon z9. It will be the first EOS series camera to be equipped with the company’s new 35mm full-frame, back illuminated, stacked CMOS sensor. It will also have a DIGIC X image processor “for high-speed image processing that realizes high-speed continuous shooting of up to 30 frames-per-second.” And, according to the released photo (above), it will have a pretty robust body with a built-in vertical hand grip. No price or release date have been announced.
Price: TBA
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Roku announced three different new(ish) products this week. There’s its new entry-level 4K player, the Express 4K Plus, which replaces the Roku Premiere. There’s the Streambar Pro, which is basically a renamed version of the Smart Soundbar (now defunct). And, most notably, there’s the Roku Voice Remote Pro. It’s the first Roku remote that comes with a rechargeable battery and offers hands-free “Hey Roku” voice commands. It also comes with a headphone jack and a dedicated button for Apple TV+. The Roku Voice Remote Pro costs $30 and will work with any Roku TV or streaming device.
Price: $30
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Bang & Olufsen’s newest high-end wireless speaker, the Beosound Emerge, is designed to blend in with the other books on your bookshelf (although it kind of looks a little like a shrunk down version of the Flatiron building). It’s a relatively small powered speaker supports a number of wireless connectivities, including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Chromecast and Bluetooth. It can be set up to work as a smart speaker that responds to “Hey Google” voice commands, too. It will be available this fall in either black or gold (the latter will cost an extra $200).
Price: $699+
Spotify
Spotify has officially announced its first-ever gadget. It’s called Car Thing (yes, really) and it’s essentially a glorified Spotify remote for people who have cars with no built-in Bluetooth. The other feature that makes it better than just using your smartphone to control your Spotify music in your car is voice control — it responds to “Hey Spotify” voice commands to play sounds or playlists, as well as play/pause and skip tracks. In addition to voice commands, you can control Car Thing via its navigation buttons, large knob and touchscreen.
Car Thing is a very limited device, but the cool thing is that Spotify is offering it to Spotify Premium subscribers for free — but you have to apply for one through Spotify and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get one.
Price: Free (plus shipping)
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Microsoft’s newest webcam is a pretty basic option. It supports an HD video (not 4K) and connects to your computer via USB-A (not USB-C). It comes with a privacy shutter and has a built-in LED light that will indicate when it’s on. If you’re looking for a fairly affordable option that will upgrade your laptop or desktop setup, this looks to be a solid option. It will be available this June.
Price: $70
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The DJI Air 2S is the next-generation version of the DJI Air 2 that was announced last year. The big upgrade is that the Air 2S has a 1-inch sensor, which is twice the size of Air 2’s size and similar to the sensor in the company’s flagship Mavic 2 Pro, allowing the Air 2S to take much higher-resolution photos. It can also shoot better video, 4K at up to 60fps instead of the Air 2’s 4K at up to 30fps. The big downside? The DJI Air 2S is $200 more expensive than the DJI Air 2.
Price: $999+
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The all-new Surface Lap 4 has the exact same design as the 2019-released Surface Laptop 3. The big difference is that Microsoft is allowing you to choose which processor you want: either an 11th-generation Intel processor or AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series. The advantage of the AMD processor is that it promises incredible battery life (up to 19 hours). The Intel models are a little more expensive and don’t get the same battery life, but improved performance and, thanks Intel’s Iris Xe graphics card, better graphics.
Price: $999+
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If you’re interested in finding out how much power your device is getting while it’s charging, this $30 accessory is exactly what you want. It connects between your device and your USB-C charging cable, and then measures the voltage, amperage and the directional flow of the electrical current — and it shows you what’s happening in real time. And don’t worry, it won’t affect data transfer of your USB-C cable.
Price: $30
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Anker is getting into the webcam market. The PowerConf C300 is a 1080p webcam that connects to your computer via USB-A. The neat thing about it is that Anker has integrated an AI chip that enables what the company is calling “smart framing,” which allows the webcam to keep you in focus as you move around the screen. The PowerConf C300 is available right now.
Price: $130
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Amazon has announced the second-generation versions of its 2019-released Echo Buds. The company claims that the new wireless earbuds have a 20-percent smaller design and they have improved active noise-cancellation (but they’re not Bose branded like the first-generation Echo Buds). They also support USB-C charging instead of micro-USB. Also, similar to Apple’s AirPods, you’ll be able to purchase the new Echo Buds with or without a wireless charging case. They’ll cost $120 or $140 with the wireless charging case, but right now Amazon is running a promotion, dropping each for $20 — that’s right, you can get the new wireless earbuds for $100.
Price: $100+
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The coolest thing about Urbanista’s new wireless noise-canceling headphones, the Los Angeles ANC, is that there’s a chance you never have to plug them in to charge. Yep, they’re solar powered. The headphones are made of a Powerfoyle solar cell material that can charge with any kind of light — even ambient light — so you don’t have to be wearing them outside on a sunny day. The headphones will cost around $200, although there’s no word yet on when they’ll be available.
Price: ~ $200
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Welcome to Product Support, a series devoted to helping you get the most out of your stuff.
Google just announced that its Play Movies & TV app will stop being available on all smart TVs by Roku, Samsung, LG and Vizio as of June 15. The app will disappear from all Roku streaming devices at that time, too. If you’ve purchased movies or shows through the Google Play Movies & TV app — don’t worry, you’re not losing them.
If you’ve purchased movies or shows through the Google Play Store, depending on the device you’re using, they’ll either appear in the YouTube and Google TV apps.
If you’re using a smart TV by Samsung, LG, Vizio or Roku, as well as a Roku streaming device, you’re movies and shows will appear in the YouTube app.
If you use a Chromecast device, your movies and shows will appear in the Google TV app. If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, you’ll be able to access your movies and shows in either the Google TV or YouTube apps.
This change will also effect people who have used the Play Movies & TV app to access Movies Anywhere, the service that lets you watch a digital copy of the movies and shows of from the Blu-rays and DVDs that you’ve already purchased. You’ll be able to access Movies Anywhere content from the YouTube app.
It’s not surprising that Google is killing off its Google Play Movies & TV app. It was on borrowed time ever since the company launched the Google TV app in the fall of 2020. However, this could be a pretty big inconvenience for some people, especially parents who have a large catalog of content on the Play Movies & TV app and don’t want their kids to have access to YouTube.
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Speakers perform a great deal of continuous mechanical work, and for that reason many older speakers have been repaired or need to be repaired. For this guide we are assuming that you are not interested in taking up a restoration project, but are seeking vintage speakers ready for active duty. This means having to understand restoration and repairs to some degree, because many vintage speakers will have had this work done to them. This guide will fill you in on all you need to know to find the right pair of vintage speakers for you.
The most important thing to know before moving forward is that vintage speakers are not powered. Today, we distinguish modern unpowered speakers with the word ‘passive’. You will need an external amplifier.
For our purposes, “vintage” is roughly 25 years old. However, this guide will be useful when considering just about any pre-owned speaker.
Rogers LS3/5A
Small, unexciting to look at, and generally considered one of the best small format speakers ever made, these little speakers can fetch many thousands when original models are in good condition. You’ll pay over $3,000 US for a clean pair.
JBL 4301
Back in the day, I owned and worked on a pair of 4301 two-way studio monitors for ten happy years until they were stolen. Center imaging is spectacular in the right space, sound is detailed and accurate but never harsh, and the 4301s can move some pretty serious air despite their small size. An often overlooked classic JBL design. Expect to pay over $1,000 US.
Small Advents
A somewhat larger bookshelf format, these simple 2-way speakers had the right components to bring a lot more to the soundfield than their price and size suggested. As such, they were a huge hit. The Small Advents were my father’s first pair of decent speakers, so I grew up between them, eventually inherited them, and proceeded to destroy them with punk records on 11 pointed out my bedroom window at my half-pipe.
Cabinet condition obviously impacts the aesthetic experience, and many speakers feature beautiful woods, metals, and in some cases even luxurious leathers (e.g. Italy’s Sonos Faber). But cabinet condition is very important for sound, too, because a cabinet needs to be as inert as possible for the drivers to do their job efficiently.
Any speaker that has structural problems with the cabinet should be avoided, full stop. It may be hard to determine if a speaker cabinet has issues. Sometimes it’s quite obvious visually, but sometimes it’s a small vibration where panels are pulling apart, or some other hidden weakness. If your seller isn’t promising solid, inert cabinets, ask questions and be wary.
Crossovers are (typically passive) electronic networks that divide the audio signal into different frequency ranges and send those signals to the appropriate driver in the speaker.
Sometimes the electrical components need to be replaced, especially capacitors. However, and surprisingly often, crossovers work fine after 50 years or more. There is no one answer here, as every speaker is a bit different, as is its usage history.
But if your seller isn’t telling you that the crossover is fine, then ask and be wary. Also, make sure that if electrical components have been replaced that the replacements are as close to original spec as possible so that the sound stays close to original.
Note, however, that most sellers do not address the crossover condition. That may be ok, as repairs aren’t always required, and repairs are not terribly involved or expensive. (They’r pretty easily DIY’d if you’re any good at soldering).
A driver’s frame is the stamped or cast metal structure that holds everything. Often called the “basket.” It’s typically in good shape on most speakers, though steel ones can rust. Rust on the frame, however, doesn’t hinder the performance of the voice coil, but rust may indicate that moisture was abundant in the cabinet, which doesn’t bode well for the condition of any components in that unit (unless it’s been established that the rusted frame was sourced from a different cabinet).
Tweeters are a little different than other drivers, but the basic concepts are the same. Forces are minimal in tweeters, so less structural strength is required. The frames are sometimes plastic, and can be very small.
The voice coil is a mechanism with a strong and often very heavy magnet that the small end of the cone, often wrapped in copper wire, fits into. Your amp sends voltage to the magnet, which causes the wire coil (and thus the whole cone) to move. That movement of the cone generates the sound waves we hear.
Voice coils stop working properly when the coiled wires begin to touch the magnet. This can happen for any number of reasons, the most typical being heat due to extended overexertion (we call this a “blown voice coil”). To test a voice coil, gently push the cone in (using all five fingers of one hand spread out) and then allow the suspension to move it back to the neutral position. You want to bounce the cone in and out, replicating normal travel of the voice coil. There should be zero scraping sounds, and zero rough sensations in your fingertips. If you hear anything and/or feel a rub, the voice coil is blown.
You can’t really do this test to a tweeter, because you’re more likely to put a dimple in the tweeter. Typically we use our ears, and the damage is pretty obvious, especially if you’re comparing a good and a bad tweeter side-by-side.
Voice coil restoration is possible, but you’ll probably be better off replacing the driver entirely if possible. With tweeters, replacing the whole unit is the norm.
A speaker’s conical membrane, typically paper in vintage speakers but sometimes aluminum, hemp, kevlar, or sandwiched foams, is glued to the frame around the large circle at the very front of the speaker.
The spider — an accordion-folded piece of paper (or other material) that secures the narrow end of the cone to the frame — is also glued to the frame, as is the dust cover in the center of the speaker.
All this glue can dry and crack over time, and it’s pretty common to find that a speaker has been reglued. Reglued cones and spiders are fine, provided the work was done well. It’s a common repair on older speakers, and doesn’t sacrifice quality if done right.
Sometimes, however, the cone itself is falling apart or has been damaged. This often happens where foams are used on the outer suspension (a.k.a. surround), because they dry out and deteriorate. Replacing a cone is fine (akin to changing the tires on a car), but make sure you’re getting the exact right brand and model of cone so the sound is the same. Sometimes a new cone sounds too “fresh” to work with an older cone, so some folks change them in pairs.
When restoration or repair work has been done, it’s usually best if repairs are done to both speakers in the same way at the same time. This is because material fatigue will change a driver’s sound over time. This is abundantly clear when we talk about break-in periods for new speakers, where we want them to “relax” and “open up.” It’s best not to have one “relaxed” speaker and one really new one, especially if the difference is decades old. I recommend “doing both sides” when repair work is done, though it is not necessary by any means.
Rogers
Along with a slew of other companies in England, Rogers won the coveted BBC contract and began building for their studios. The BBC designs are still heralded by audiophiles, still built today (and often cost quite a lot, e.g. Harbeth), and often imitated (alas, often poorly).
The Rogers “house sound” is articulate, especially in the mid range. Zero harshness or frying-pan sizzle from the tweeters. Bass feels integrated into the overall soundstage, rather than feeling like a separate phenomenon (like many modern speakers).
LS6A
Rogers put these out when they realized that the home stereo market was hungry for BBC designs. The LS6A is a lowly speaker by reputation, but a hell of a deal if you can find a clear pair. Expect to pay in the mid to low hundreds for these simple but enjoyable mid-sized 2-way units. I got mine for $230, and they’re dead clean. Prices seem to be rising lately, however.
LS3/5A
Small, unexciting to look at, and generally considered one of the best small format speakers ever made, these little speakers can fetch many thousands when original models are in good condition. You’ll likely pay over $3,000 for a clean pair.
American, innovative, and incredibly well regarded, vintage JBL speakers provide a cornucopia of options. But there are some superstars to consider.
“Balanced” isn’t the sexiest descriptor, but it is one of the sexiest sounds you’ll find. Often allowing you to adjust relative tweeter and mid-range driver levels, JBLs can achieve sounds tailored to the listening environment. Expect to hear everything, including articulate lower midrange, which is rare and which provides important texture to bass guitar, husky voices, piano, cello, and so on. JBLs reveal “interest” as audiophiles like to say.
JBL 4333
These three-way speakers were so cutting-edge at the time of release that many consider them avante garde at the time. Separate level controls for the mid driver and tweeter allowed one to tailor the sound for the space. Like many JBLs, these moved freely between recording studios and home hi-fi systems, largely because they were very accurate but still enjoyable to listen to for hours on end. Clean pairs can top $5,000.
JBL 4301
Back in the day, I owned and worked on a pair of 4301 two-way studio monitors for ten happy years until they were stolen. Center imaging (a.k.a. Phantom image) is spectacular in the right space, sound is detailed and accurate but never harsh, and the 4301s can move some pretty serious air despite their small size. An often overlooked classic JBL design. Expect to pay over $1,000.
Henry Kloss, who founded Advent in the 1970s, is an historical icon in the hi-fi world. After successfully running KLH in the 50s and 60s, he struck out and offered just two very basic models of Advent speakers, the boringly named Large and the Small models. However, these two simple two-way speakers helped take audiophilia from a niche interest to a mainstream phenomenon. As such, there are just countless pairs of Advents (and parts) out there from crapped out crossovers to NOS full speaker sets. Fun for hunting!
You’ll be surprised at the bass response, which is large and in charge, if not entirely articulate. The treble is clear enough, with just enough sizzle to bring a ride cymbal to life (think “Us Them” from Dark Side of the Moon). Expect an easy, all-Sunday-long listening experience. Unfussy, clear, relaxing.
Small Advents
A somewhat larger bookshelf format, these simple 2-way speakers had the right components to bring a lot more to the soundfield than their price and size suggested. As such, they were a huge hit. The Small Advents were my father’s first pair of decent speakers, so I grew up between them, eventually inherited them, and proceeded to destroy them with punk records on 11 pointed out my bedroom window at my half-pipe.
Large Advents
Larger, of course, but also with more finely appointed cabinets, the Advent Large models are slowly going up in value on the vintage market. But you can expect to pay in the sub $500 range for sure. Bass is excellent, overall sound clear and easy, as the house sound description above suggests.
Working from home does have its perks when it comes to convenience. No need to expose yourself to pollution and unpredictable weather that comes from the daily commute. In fact, we get to have more leisure time once all assigned tasks are completed. If you’re looking for a gadget that can impart some visual flair to your otherwise boring desk, then check out the Nixie Tube Clock IV-18 VFD.
This remarkable timekeeper is one of the many from VintageTubeClocks that you can go for. The skill and effort that go into each of these handmade items are in full display. The Nixie Tube Clock IV-18 VFD boasts an equal mix of modern and retro elements to make it stand out. Except for what’s inside, it uses acrylic and stainless-steel components.
The Nixie Tube Clock IV-18 VFD measures 5.9 inches x 1.57 inches x 3.54 inches (LxWxH). It ships from Ukraine and is uses a power adapter that supports most socket types. Moreover, the dual-voltage system makes it compatible in any country across the globe.
Within the transparent acrylic enclosure, you can view the inner workings of this clock. Not that there are any mechanical moving parts to gawk at. Instead, you have the circuit board and the VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) unit.
VintageTubeClocks claims the technology dates back to 1990 and hails from the Soviet Union at the time. Aside from telling time, the Nixie Tube Clock IV-18 VFD is also promising more functionalities. You can set an alarm, view the date, and more. You can find the control button at the back along with the power port.
Images courtesy of VintageTubeClocks
Have you ever plugged in your laptop or phone and wondered why things are taking so long? How fast is it really charging?! Well, you’re not alone.
For those interested in finding out how much power their device is getting while it’s charging, there are accessories that can tell you exactly that. Like Plugable’s USB-C Voltage and Amperage Meter.
This $30 accessory measures the voltage, amperage and the directional flow of the electrical current — and show you in real time what’s happening. All you have to do is plug your USB-C charging cable into Plugable’s little gadget and then plug that into your computer or smartphone. And don’t worry, it won’t effect data transfer if that’s what you’re relying on your USB-C cable for, too.
Plugable
If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll have to do with the extra complication of dongles which add additional hassle, and potentially futz with the charging speed themselves. And while Plugable’s USB-C Voltage and Amperage Meter will tell you how fast your gadget is charging, it won’t diagnosis a problem. There are a variety of factors that can effect the charging speed of a device, including the power source, the wall adapter, the quality of the charging cable and, of course, how much power your device’s charging port is able to accept. And any number of those factory could be the reason why your device isn’t charging to its full potential.
The Plugable USB-C Voltage and Amperage Meter is available on Amazon right now for $30. If you apply the coupon, you can save another $6.
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Welcome to Product Support, a series devoted to helping you get the most out of your stuff.
There are several reasons why you might want to factory reset your Sonos speaker. Maybe you moved and need to connect it to a new Wi-Fi network. Maybe you’re giving your Sonos speaker to a friend. Maybe you’re trading it in or looking to resell it. Or maybe the Sonos speaker just isn’t working properly — it happens.
The good news is that it’s fairly easy to return your Sonos speaker to its factory settings. It just requires a combination of you unplugging and replugging the speaker, as well as you holding down a button (or two) on the speaker. And it requires a little of patience, too.
Each Sonos speaker is a little bit different, as they don’t all have same buttons, so the process of factor resetting is going to vary from speaker to speaker. Depending on which Sonos speaker you have, here’s your guide to factory resetting it.
Sonos
The process for factory resetting the Sonos One is the same for the One SL, Five, Beam, Arc, Sub, Port and Amp. It applies to a few of Sonos’s older speakers, too, including the Playbase and Play:5 (gen-2). Here’s how to factory reset them all:
Sonos
The process for factory resetting the Sonos Play:1 is the same process for the Play:3, Play:5 (gen-1), Connect, Connect:Amp and Playbar. Here’s how to factory reset them all:
Sonos
The process for factory resetting Sonos’s two portable speakers, the Move and the Roam, is also a little different. And because the Move and the Roam have slightly different buttons, each’s factory resetting process is unique. Here’s how to reset the Move:
Sonos
The process for factory resetting the Sonos Roam is a little bit different from the Move. Here’s how to reset the Roam:
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Spotify has officially announced its first-ever gadget. It’s called Car Thing (yes, really) and it’s a little display that mounts in your car and allows you to easily listen and control your Spotify music and podcasts while you drive. Car Thing is a very limited device, but the cool thing is that Spotify is offering it to Spotify Premium subscribers for free — but there are few pretty big caveats.
First, you need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to be in contention to get Car Thing. Second, Spotify is only releasing a limited number of Car Things, meaning most Spotify Premium subscribers probably won’t get their hands on one. And finally, Car Thing isn’t completely free as, if selected, Spotify is still going to make you pay a few bucks for shipping.
If you’re interested, you need to sign up for a waitlist: Go to this link and click the “Put me on the list” button, and wait until Spotify reaches out to you via email.
Car Thing is essentially a glorified Spotify remote for people who have cars with no built-in Bluetooth and don’t want to use their smartphone for the task. The other feature that makes it better than just using your smartphone to control your Spotify music in your car is voice control — it responds to “Hey Spotify” voice commands to play sounds or playlists, as well as play/pause and skip tracks. In addition to voice commands, you can control Car Thing via its navigation buttons, large knob and touchscreen.
It’s worth stressing exactly how barebones this device is: There’s no maps or navigation. You can’s see messages or use for phone calls, either, as Car Thing doesn’t have a built-in speaker. It also doesn’t have a rechargeable battery so you’ll need to have it plugged into your car (via its included USB-A to USB-C charging cable).
And Car Thing still requires a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone to work. This means that you can can’t listen to Spotify in your car if you forget your smartphone at home. It also means that, if you’re data-conscious, you’re still going to want to download playlists and podcasts on your smartphone before hopping in your car.
Spotify will ship Car Thing with three different mounts so you can attach it to your dashboard, air vent or CD player. You can sign up to be on its waitlist right now.
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Streaming has made listening to music easy — and that’s great. If you have a smartphone or computer, you quite literally have access tens of millions of tracks at your fingertips. All you have to do is open an app, pick a song and press play. Boom, magic.
But there’s a difference between listening to music, and listening to music well, with good fidelity. The details of a home audio setup are big deal when it comes hi-fi, and especially so now that people are back to caring the quality and the medium of the audio they’re listening to. Vinyl sales have risen for the last 15 years. Sales of CDs and cassette tapes are up. And more and more lossless streaming services are launching. In short: It’s a damn good time to get into hi-fi.
For anybody looking to dive into the world of hi-fi, and potentially build an analog, digital or hybrid system, it’s first important to know the crucial audio components — what they are, why they’re important and how they all work together. Conversion from analog to digital and back requires special technology to do the job well, and in order to accommodate both analog and digital formats into a home audio setup, you’re going to need to have a basic understanding of some of these components.
But don’t think you need to spend a fortune in order to attain audiophile bliss: For each component, we present different tiers of product priced according to different budgets, though even the budget system will provide you with a setup worlds better than simply plugging a pair of earbuds into your computer.
So on that note, godspeed, and happy listening!
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Wharfedale EVO4.2
$998/pair
The Wharfedale EVO4.2 are our favorite all-around bookshelf speakers that cost under $1,000. They deliver an accurate yet punchy sound. Plus, since they’re easy to drive, they’ll work with most amplifiers.
KEF LS50 Meta
$1,500/pair
The KEF LS50 Meta is simply one of best sounding bookshelf speakers you can buy. Released in late 2020, they’re vastly upgraded versions of the company’s already well-lauded LS50 passive loudspeakers. If you can afford them, we highly recommend them.
PSB Alpha P5
$399/pair
The PSB Alpha P5 is our pick for the best pair of bookshelf speakers under $500. They look great and sound just as good as speakers that are significantly more expensive.
Speakers (or loudspeakers) are the most important components in any audio system because they have the biggest impact on the sound you actually hear. In simplest terms, they take the electrical signal that’s fed from your playback device (whether a turntable, CD player or digital streamer) and then vibrate their innards to produce sound. There are many internal components within a speaker that will drastically affect the end sound, such as the crossovers — which divvy the signal into reproduction in different drivers — the size and material of the cabinet, and the quality and number of speaker drivers.
At the root of it, there are two main types of loudspeakers you should know about: passive and active. Passive speakers require external amplification from a receiver or amplifier to work — they need the signal from the playback device to be amplified for them by another device. Active speakers have their own built-in amplification that’s optimized for that specific speaker. There are tradeoffs to each, of course. Passive speakers are more affordable and way more flexible (as you can experiment with different external components to do the amplification part), while active speakers are more expensive but don’t require multiple components to work.
Oh, and you may have heard people talk about the quality of the cables that send that signal, but that doesn’t actually matter that much.
Sony WH-1000XM4
$348
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are the best all-around noise-canceling headphones to buy. They’re the perfect combination of great sound, noise cancellation, comfort and features. (Pro tip: they’re occasionally discounted to less than $300.)
Apple AirPods Pro
$549
The AirPods Max are the best noise-canceling headphones for iPhone owners. The deliver top-grade sound quality and noise cancellation, as well as the best features from AirPods Pro (like easy iPhone pairing and support for spatial audio). The only downside: they’re expensive.
Sennheiser HD 450BT
$200 $149
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are our pick for the best noise-canceling headphones under $200. They sound similar and have many of the same features as the company’s flagship Momentum Wireless 3, but they’re less than half the price.
Headphones are tiny speakers that sit on your ears. The left earcup of the headphones does the same job as the left-sided speaker in a stereo pair, and the same is true for the right earcup and the right-sided speaker. The main difference is that headphones obviously go on your head, which also creates a controlled environment for sound, while the sound quality of speakers can be largely affected by the room that they’re in.
There’s a wide variety of different types of headphones, from open-back to closed-back as well as headphones made with various kinds of drivers (dynamic, electrostatic or planar magnetic), but the biggest news lately has been the growth of wireless headphones. These headphones accept a radio signal over the air instead of through cables and then use their on-board DSP (digital-signal processing) and amplification to turn it into sound.
Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2
$1,799
The Ragnarok 2 is the one of the best integrated amplifiers you can buy, but make sure to get the fully-loaded version, which includes a MM phono stage and, a 24-bit/192kHz DAC.
McIntosh Labs MA352
$6,500
If money is no object, McIntosh Labs MA352 is a gorgeous integrated amplifier that’s capable of outputting 200-watts per channel, meaning it should be able to drive any loudspeakers.
Cambridge Audio AXA35
$350
If you have a turntable and bookshelf speakers, the AXA35 is a perfect entry-level integrated amp. Its built-in phono stage will work with most MM turntables.
The job of an amplifier, also referred to as a power amplifier or a stereo amplifier, is to take a weak electrical signal from a playback device and, well, amplify it so that your speakers or headphones can actually play it. Without an amplifier, you wouldn’t be able to hear your music very loudly, if at all. This is especially true of high-fidelity open-back headphones, which require a very amplified signal.
In this age of modern hi-fi, “integrated” amplifiers have kind of taken the place of a traditional power amplifier. Integrated amps combine the traditionally seperate components of power amplifier, a phono preamp (more on that in a second) and a number of wireless and wired connectivity options, so they can act as the central hub of both a digital and an analog hi-fi system.
Oh, and if you have any kind of wireless headphones or wireless speakers, they have a built-in amplifier.
Gear Patrol
Onkyo TX-8220
$200
The Onkyo TX-8220’s combination of great sound and affordability, and its support of Bluetooth streaming, make it our favorite stereo receiver under $500.
Cambridge Audio AXR85
$400
The British hi-fi maker’s AXR85 is an excellent stereo receiver that’s powerful, beautiful and versatile. It also allows you to connect two pairs of bookshelf speakers and switch between them.
Yamaha R-S202BL
$180 $150
This Yamaha R-S202’s combination of price, looks and stellar performance make it a no-brainer for anybody with entry-level bookshelf speakers.
Traditionally, a receiver is just an amplifier with a built-in radio, which allows you to play music on your hi-fi system without needing an analog source like a CD player, cassette tape player or a turntable. These days most receivers perform a similar function as a hub for wireless signals, but have a number of other connectivity options, allowing you to stream music from your smartphone or computer directly to your system.
There are two main types of receivers: stereo receivers and AV (audio/video) receivers. The A stereo receiver is only capable of powering a two-channel system (generally a set of passive speakers), while an AV receiver, also known as a home theater receiver, is designed to connect to your TV and power multiple channels, ideally for a surround sound system with many different speakers. Essentially, an AV receiver is just a way more capable and versatile stereo receiver.
Schiit Audio Fulla 3
$99
The Fulla 3 is a simple-yet-beautiful headphone DAC/amp that plugs directly into your laptop or desktop. It can be used as a DAC/amp with wired headphones or as a DAC/preamp with powered monitors.
IFI Nano iDSD Black Label
$199
The great thing about this USB amp/DAC is that, since it’s battery powered, so it can be used with a portable device like your smartphone or as fixture in your desktop audio setup.
Fosi Audio Q4
$55
The Fosi Audio Q4 is a gaming headphone DAC/amp that punches well above its price tag. Its audio control knobs allow you to customize your audio in more ways than other desktop amps.
(Note: You can buy separate DAC and amplifier components, but a combined component — like the above integrated DAC/Amp combos — are very popular and your best bet for a small space, like desktop setup.)
The digital-to-analog converter, or DAC, is a vital component that’s usually built into most amplifiers. It converts a digital signal sent from your smartphone or computer into an analog signal that an amplifier can actually amplify. A DAC is only necessary when you have a digital source like a computer or smartphone, as opposed to an analog source like a turntable or CD player.
The only time you really need to consider buying an external DAC is if your source, be it your smartphone or computer, is introducing a lot of noise (graininess or static) to your music; you’re more likely to hear this noise if you’re listening to a nicer pair of headphones or speakers. Every smartphone and laptop has its own built-in DAC (and amplifier), but they’re usually not particularly good. Buying an external DAC or a DAC/amp combo is an easy way to upgrade your desktop’s or smartphone’s audio quality if it’s bad enough that you’re noticing its flaws.
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC
$99
The Phono Box DC is a higher-end version of the company’s Phono Box E. It’s compatible with both MM and MC cartridges, meaning it’ll work with basically any turntable.
Schiit Audio Mani
$129
The Mani is our upgrade pick because it’s bespoke yet versatile. It’s compatible with MM and MC cartridges, has four switchable gain modes, and is designed and built in California.
ART DJPRE II
$55
If you’re looking for an affordable phono preamp to pair with your entry-level turntable, this is a great choice. It allows you to adjust the gain and capacitance, meaning it’ll work with a wide range of amplifiers and you can tinker with its sound.
A phono preamplifier, also known as a phono stage, is a necessary component in any turntable hi-fi system. Its job is twofold. First, it takes the extremely weak signal from the turntable’s phono cartridge and pre-amplifies on the way to the amplifier, so your speakers can play it at a reasonable volume. Second, it equalizes the signal so that the record sounds as true as possible to the original recording.
These days a lot of turntables come with built-in phono preamplifier — we call these “integrated” turntables — which allows you to connect the them directly to an amplifier or powered speaker. It’s simple and convenient system. However a dedicated external phono preamplifier connected to a turntable will almost always sound better because moving the preamp further away from the moving bits of the turntable reduces the amount of excess noise introduced to your signal.
Pro-Ject Essential III Phono
$450
The Essential III is one of Pro-Ject’s more affordable turntables, but it’s still made of high-quality components such as a resonance-absorbing MDF platter and a high-quality Ortofon cartridge. The “Phono” model adds a phono preamplifier.
Symbol Audio Modern Record Player
$3,295
The Modern Record Player is a true all-in-one system with a turntable, preamp, custom amplifier and built-in speakers. If you want a beautiful and high-end system, this is you best bet.
Fluance RT81
$250
The Fluance RT81 is our favorite turntable with a built-in preamp that you can get for under $300. It’s essentially an upgraded version of the company’s RT80, with a solid plinth and an improved cartridge.
A turntable, or record player, is an analog device used for playing vinyl. There are a number of key components working in tandem that are required for the turntable to work, but in a nutshell the turntable’s stylus (or needle) gets dropped on a spinning record, it picks up the vibrations from the record’s grooves and it then converts them into an electrical signal. That signal is then sent to the phono preamplifier and then amplifier, where’s it’s amplified so that the speakers or headphones can actually play it.
Denon DL-103
$299
The DL-103 is still one of the best and most popular popular phono cartridges every produced. It requires a moving coil phono stage with 60dB or more of gain, but when set up properly it reproduces music with a level of fidelity that few can touch.
Hana SL
$750
The Hana SL is one of those rare, affordable high-end moving coil cartridges that works well on a wide range of turntable arms. If you have the deep pockets, this cartridge will show you just how good vinyl can really sound.
Nagaoka MP-110
$149
The Nagaoka MP-110 is our best budget pick. It tracks pristine and worn out grooves with authority, and is compatible with a wide range of moving magnet phono stages.
A phono cartridge is a complex electro-mechanical device that sits on the end of a turntable’s tonearm and holds the stylus in place. It’s also responsible for converting the vibrations that the stylus picks up into an analog signal. The best phono cartridges are the ones that are the most accurate at this process. An easy and fun way to improve your turntable’s audio quality is to buy a better phono cartridge. There’s a wide of variety of phono cartridges out there, ranging from $100 to well over a $1,000.
There are two main types of phono cartridges, moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC), which use different mechanisms to convert vibrations into an audio signal. The gist is that MM cartridges are significantly easier to make, but they’re less sensitive and deliver a less accurate signal. If you own an entry-level turntable, there’s a good chance it has an MM cartridge. Not all turntables are compatible with all phono cartridges. Before upgrading to a different phono cartridge, you first need to make sure it’s compatible with your existing turntable.
Roon Nucleus
$1,458
The Nucleus is the best digital streamer for anybody with a large CD collection and utilizes multiple streaming services. It’s one of those products that perform flawlessly and quietly, offering a level of performance well worth its asking price.
Naim Uniti Atom
$3,290
The Uniti Atom is a beautiful all-in-one streamer that’ll serve as the hub of your home hi-fi system. It has a full-color LCD front display (to show album artwork) and a wonderful tactile dial. Plus, it supports most wireless streaming options.
Bluesound Node 2i
$549
The Node 2i is a Roon-ready streamer that supports MQA (Master Quality Authenticated audio); all of the major streaming services; and comes with a built-in 32-bit/192kHz DAC. It’s a great option for home theater systems and multi-room set-ups.
A digital music streamer (or network streamer) is the ultimate hi-fi component for the home. It’s essentially a specialized computer that can store and stream for your entire digital music collection. It’s a great option for people who people who want to transfer their CD collection into a digital library, or people who want to get the most out of their lossless streaming service, such as Tidal or Qobuz, and play high-resolution audio at home.
Dedicated digital music streamers can vary a lot in terms of their features, compatibility and streaming support. The best ones, such as the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 or the Naim Audio Uniti Atom, have their own interface, built-in storage and are compatible with high-end services like Roon or BluOs. It’s a rabbit hole.
Tascam CD-RW900MKII
$400
The Tascam CD-RW900MKII is a wonderfully retro-looking CD player and recorder that has numerous professional-grade controls and features. If you’re a musician who wants to listen to CDs and record your own, this is your best bet.
McIntosh MCT500
$5,000
If you’re buying McIntosh components, price is already not an issue. The MCT500 is a beautiful and high-end CD player that supports better-than-CD-quality audio (up to 24-bit/192kHz). (Be careful, however, as you’ll need a separate DAC for this.)
Cambridge Audio AXC35
$350
The AXC35 is a beautiful, minimalist and relatively affordable CD player for the modern home. It’s designed to perfectly match (and be paired with) the rest of the company’s AX Series of audio components.
A CD (or compact disc) player is digital playback device that uses a tiny laser beam to scan a rotating compact disc, starting from the center and working its way to the outer rim. You might have thought that dedicated home CD players were a thing of the past, but there’s more of a desire for lossless (or CD-quality) music, both streamed and physical, more manufacturers are releasing new CD players. The only difference is that this new breed also has support for wireless services, too, making them way more versatile that older models.
Tidal HiFi
$20/month
Tidal HiFi lets you listen to 70 million tracks in lossless CD quality sound as well as Master Quality Authenticated tracks (up to 24bit/96kHz).
Amazon Music HD
$13/month for Prime members
Amazon’s lossless streaming service has two big selling points: It’s affordable, and you can listen to CD-or-better-quality tracks tracks (up 24-bit/192kHz).
Qobuz
$15/month
Qobuz allows users to stream high-resolution (up to 24bit /192kHz) audio, and it’s the first lossless streaming service to be supported by Sonos speakers.
Audio quality took a big hit after in the 90s in large parts thanks to iPod, Napster and wide-spread popularity of compressed digital audio files like MP3s. But the resurgence of vinyl and the rise of lossless streaming services, like Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz, have made it easier than ever to listen to higher-quality audio again.
The term “lossless audio” is generally defined as audio that’s CD or vinyl quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz). However, several lossless streaming services allow you to listen to higher resolution audio files (such as 24-bit/192kHz or even even 32-bit/384 kHz).
It’s been nearly two years since Sonos and Ikea first teamed up and released the Symfonisk collection, which consisted of the Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker ($99) and the Symfonisk Table Lamp ($179). The two speakers worked and sounded like a One SL or a Play:1, but were designed to blend into the room; the bookshelf speaker could be wall-mounted and actually become a bookshelf, while the table lamp was…well, a table lamp with a speaker inside.
Now it appears that the two companies are gearing up to announce new speakers that add to their Symfonisk collection. As first reported by The Verge, according to recent FCC filings, Sonos and Ikea supposedly have two new speakers in the works. There’s a revamped version of its Symfonisk Table Lamp — and, more intriguingly, a piece of wall art that has a built-in speaker.
The rumored wall art speaker is thought to be flat, able to be placed in a picture frame and hung on the wall. It’s interesting because, while the previous Symfonisk speakers were essentially Play:1 speakers with a different shell, this wall art speaker would require vastly different internals — and we’re not sure what kind of current Sonos speaker it will sound like.
Details are incredibly sparse when it comes to either of these potential new Symfonisk speakers, so that’s pretty much all that’s known so far. They’re not expected to be released until later this year at the earliest (likely 2021). It’s thought that the current Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker, which costs $99 and is the the most affordable Sonos speaker you can buy, will not be upgraded.
The Symfonisk collection can only be shopped via Ikea’s website or at its stores.
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The Instax Mini 40 carries the same kind of nostalgic instant photo appeal of the original Polaroid camera but with more style. This instant film camera is retro styled like an old-school film camera and…
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This week, LG announced that it was officially getting out of the smartphone business. There were fresh rumors that Sonos and Ikea were gearing up to release new Symfonisk speakers. And Apple finally announced that third-party gadgets could be discoverable by the iPhone’s Find My feature. On top of that, a bunch of new cool gadgets were announced. Check ’em out below.
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Cambridge Audio’s Evo is a high-end streaming amplifier that can basically do it all — you just need to add speakers. It supports pretty much every sort of streaming you’d want (including AirPlay 2, Chromecast,Qobuz, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth). And its HDMI ARC connection means you can you use it as your home theater’s hub. Also, it’s beautiful. The Evo has a 6.8-inch display to show album artwork, a wonderfully large volume knob, and its wooden trim is the cherry on top.
The Evo comes in two models. The Evo 75 ($2,250) is rated at 75 watts per channel and the Evo 150 ($3,000) at 150 watts per channel.
Price: $2,250
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This is Nomad’s latest accessory for people who have an iPhone 12 and Apple’s MagSafe Charger. The MagSafe Mount is a weighted desktop accessory that holds Apple’s MagSafe Charger in place so that when you pick up your iPhone 12, the charger doesn’t come with it. Its stainless steel body weighs in at right around one pound.
Price: $50
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The Instax Mini 40 is the Fujifilm’s latest entry-level instant film camera. Like the Instax Mini 11 before it, the Instax Mini 40 is fairly straightforward and simple shooter. It has two main frills: a flash and a pop-out zoom lens (for selfie photos). The big selling point compared to the Instax Mini 11 is that the Instax Mini 40 definitely looks more like a vintage film camera. but that retro vibe comes at $30 price hike.
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 40 will be available for purchase at the April.
Price: $100
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Samsung just announced its 2021 series of Galaxy A smartphones, which are essentially way more affordable alternatives to the company’s flagship Galaxy S21. They have less premium builds and generally not-as-great camera systems, but they actually don’t skimp out on that many flagship-level features. The three new Galaxy A smartphones that you should know about are: the Galaxy A32 5G ($280), the Galaxy A42 5G ($400) and the Galaxy A52 5G ($400). All three have basically the same design; a rear triple camera system (at least); and, as you can likely tell by their names, they all support 5G. They’re some of the most affordable 5G smartphones that you can buy.
Price: $280+
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THX, the brand best known for movie theater sound, has released its first-ever hardware product. The Onyx is a portable headphone amplifier and DAC combo that’s meant to plug into your smartphone or laptop and bring the best sound out of your wired headphones. It has a USB-C connection so you’ll be able to use with most new age smartphones or laptops; you’ll need a Lightning dongle if you have an iPhone.
Price: $200
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This is Ring’s most advanced outdoor floodlight camera ever. It’s basically a more advanced version of the company’s first Floodlight Cam. It adds a new radar sensor that enables new 3D motion detection and “Bird’s Eye View”, just like the recently released Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, which this allows it to better detect and even create a top-down map of the movement (within the app). When motion is detected, the high-powered LED lights will kick on and light up your backyard.
It’s available for preorder right now and will be available everywhere in early May.
Price: $250
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When Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 back in 2016, the world managed to keep turning. Between dongles and AirPods and comes-with-your-iPhone Lightning EarPods, there were a handful of different options to move forward. But when Apple introduced its shiny new 2017 MacBook Pro with three USB Type-C ports, a good old fashioned headphone jack and nothing else it led to a weird little issue: Apple’s standard iPhone headphones with their Lightning plug had no way to plug into Apple’s flagship computer, which lacks one.
Years later, no Mac has a female Lightning port. It’s unsurprising given Apple’s turn towards AirPods, but it also poses a problem for anyone who wants to take the Lightning version of Apple’s wired earbuds that come with an iPhone and plug them into a Mac.
Fortunately, a dongle exists: Anker’s USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter has a female Lightning port on the one side, which you can plug your Lightning headphones into, and then a male USB-C port on the other, which you can use to plug into any Mac that has USB-C ports on it.
This will let you plug Lightning headphones directly into a USB-C port, like the ones you’ll find on a MacBook Pro.
At $30, it’s a bit steep for such a minor convenience, but more worth it if you happen to own one of the few pairs of pricier Lightning headphones like Beats urBeats3, which until now have been relegated to iPhone only.
When it comes to using wired headphones with the iPhone, there are a few other adapters to consider that might make your life a little easier: Belkin’s audio and charge adaptors you listen and charge at the same time, whether you are using Lightning headphones or Apple wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack.
Even with this Lightning headphones to USB-C adapter, Lightning headphones are still a bit hamstrung; there’s still no way to plug a pair of Lightning headphones into a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, and there likely never will be: such an adapter would double the number of digital to analog conversion’s that happen to a signal on the way to your ears which is more trouble than it is worth and bad for audio quality to boot.
But at least now, after years and with the help of a third-party adapter, two of Apple’s most common gadgets, Lightning headphones and the MacBook Pro, are compatible. Steve Jobs would be proud.
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If you’re looking for better audio at your desk, one of the best things you can do is buy a nice pair of wired headphones and a headphone amp/DAC that can properly drive them. The advantage of wired headphones is they’re generally more affordable and more likely to play higher-resolution audio. Good wired headphones really shine when paired with a suitable headphone amp/DAC is going to make them sound their best.
Picking the right pairing of wired headphones and amp/DAC sounds a little daunting, but in reality it isn’t all that complicated. The main thing you need to be aware of is the headphone’s impedance (measured in ohms), which is the power required to drive them properly, as well as the impedance range of headphone amp/DAC. The good news is that most headphone amp/DACs have a wide range of impedances and, so long as the headphone’s impedance falls within that range, the pairing will work great.
Most affordable headphones have a low impedance, meaning they are fairly easy to drive, which is why you can plug them directly into a laptop or computer’s headphone jack. However, because the amp/DAC that’s built into your laptop or computer isn’t great, the audio can sound flat and grainy. If you pair an affordable DAC, like the Schiit Audio Fulla 3 ($99) or the FiiO K5 Pro ($150), even your low impedance headphones are going to sound noticeably better.
If you’re thinking about buying wired headphones with a high impedance, they are going to be more difficult to drive and therefore you need to be more diligent in your research before buying a headphone amp/DAC to pair it with. If the amp/DAC isn’t powerful enough to drive the headphones,
The Entry-Level Pair
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The Grado SR80e are identical in almost every way to the company’s more affordable SR60e headphones; they have the same open-back design and cool industrial flair that make them look like they’re straight out of the 1940s. However, Grado upgraded SR80e with improved drivers so they sound a little more detailed, expansive and punchy.
Impedance: 32 ohms
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The Fosi Audio Q4 is one best headphone DAC/amps that you buy for less than $100. It’s capable of driving most hi-fi headphones and playing high-resolution audio (up to 24bit/192kHz). It also a bunch of audio control knobs, which few other desktop amps, that allow you to further tweak your how your headphones sound.
Impedance Range: 16 to 200 ohms
The Step-Up Pairing
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The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro are wired open-back headphones that were originally released about 15 years ago. However, they’ve become popular again in large parts thanks to gamers (specifically Ninja) who are converting them into high-end gaming headsets (you have to buy a separate boom microphone). They’re available in different versions with different — this 250 ohms version being the highest — so make sure you pick the model that your amp can handle.
Impedance: 250 ohms
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Schiit Audio makes two different headphones amp/DACs that are designed for gamers. There’s the $99 Fulla 3, which is one of our favorite amp/DACs, and there’s the Hel 2, which is four times more powerful than the Fulla 3 and adds gain controls. The Hel 2 is the better option for more demanding headphones, like the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro.
Impedance Range: 16 to 300 ohms
The Planar Paradise Pairing
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The HiFiMAN Sundara are planar magnetic open-back headphones that cost less than $500 — which is pretty rare. They sound excellent, specifically their transparency and midrange resolution, and they’re extremely comfortable to wear for long periods. Maybe the best part is that they’re wonderfully easy to drive. So while you can plug them into your computer and they’ll sound good, pairing them with a nice headphone DAC/amp will be a big upgrade.
Impedance: 37 ohms
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The Audioengine D1 is a plug-and-play DAC and headphone amp that was first introduced in 2012, but like many of Audioengine’s products, it’s built to last and still works great. It’s more than capable enough to power the HiFiMAN Sundara. Additionally, it has RCA outputs and is capable of powering most bookshelf speakers; in case you want to build your desktop audio system even more in the future.
Impedance Range: 20 to 300 ohms
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