Video Review: Sony’s New WH-1000XM4 Noise-Cancelling Headphones Are Still King

Sony has finally announced the successor to the much-loved WH-1000XM3 headphones. The all-new Sony WH-1000XM4 cost $350 and are available for preorder today, in black or silver. They’ll start shipping and be available for actual purchase in “mid-August.”

In this episode, we run through all you need to know about the new M3s, and Tucker Bowe gives a detailed rundown of his hands-on review.

Read the review: Sony’s New Flagship Noise-Canceling Headphones Are Finally Here

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The Complete Guide to All of Pro-Ject’s Excellent Turntables

Welcome to Brand Breakdown, a series of comprehensive yet easy-to-digest guides to your favorite companies, with insights and information you won’t find on the average About page.

Even if you only have a passing interest in vinyl and hi-fi, you undoubtedly have heard (or seen) a Pro-Ject turntable. They’re known for the distinct design, bright colors (sometimes) and excellent sound quality. Of course, the secret sauce of the Austrian company is its ability to keep such high-performing turntables at a relatively affordable cost. And it’s been able to do that by producing almost everything in-house.

Pro-Ject has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition to turntables, Pro-Ject makes a range of other hi-fi components, such as phono stages, DACs, preamps and amplifiers, many of which it integrates into its turntables. This practice has helped Pro-Ject keep its costs down and thus become a really successful hi-fi company.

“I started Pro-Ject to bring as many people as possible to the world of hobby hi-fi, especially in the 1980s when CD players were extremely expensive and generally inaccessible,” said Heinz Lichtenegger, the founder of Pro-Ject Audio. “At this time, I realized that a good turntable could sound even better than a CD, however, there were no quality turntables available that were low cost. So, in 1991 I decided I had to make one.” Nearly 30 years later, the company is still known for just that: audiophile-grade turntables at affordable prices.

Today, Pro-Ject makes many different turntables that are designed for every type of vinyl enthusiast, from beginner to seasoned audiophile. And these turntables can range anywhere from $300 to over $16,000. To help navigate the different lines of turntables, we had the man himself, founder Heinz Lichtenegger, to walk us through each line.

Just Getting Started

The Primary Line

What is it?
The Primary line is the most affordable line of turntables that Pro-Ject makes. Starting at $200, it borrows design elements from both the company’s Debut and Essential lines, and makes them out of slightly fewer materials. There are also fewer models to choose from within the Primary line, so instead of customizing the turntable to fit your needs, you’re basically deciding whether you want the Primary E or the Primary E Phono, the latter of the two has a built-in preamp.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The Primary Line is designed for people who have a limited budget (around $200) but want a real hi-fi turntable beyond a piece of plastic, this customer understands the complexities of setting up a turntable. [It’s] designed with a tonearm perfect for the high-quality Ortofon cartridge with preset tracking force and anti-skating, allowing users to just plug and play while remaining a handmade product made of quality materials without any resonating hollow spaces.”

Buy Now: $225+

The T Line

What is it?
The T Line is one of Pro-Ject’s new lines of mid-range turntables. It’s priced between the Essential and Primary lines, so it’s still relatively affordable, but one of the biggest reasons why you’d buy a T Line over something else has to do with its visuals: It has a striking platter that’s made of tempered glass. It only comes in three models. There’s the baseline T1, which requires an external phono stage and a powered amplifier; the T1 Phono SB, which has a built-in phono stage; and the T1 BT, which also has a Bluetooth transmitter for connection to a powered speaker or AV receiver.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The tempered glass platter is not only a good solution to a resonance-free heavy platter, it also is more visually attractive than, for instance, the minimalistic designed MDF platter used on the Primary Line.”

Buy Now: $329+Learn More: Here

The Essential Line

What is it?
The Essential line is made up of a variety of mid-range turntables, each of which is designed to work with a specific hi-fi setup. For example, the baseline Essential III is designed for those who want to use their own preamp and speaker, while the Essential III Phono has a built-in preamp so you can connect directly to a powered speaker (like a Sonos Play:5). There are several other models, including the Essential III HP, which is for customers who mainly listen through headphones, but the point is that you can match this turntable to fit your needs. And you can buy one for right around $300.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The Essential line was designed as an alternative to the feature-laden, low cost, low-quality turntables that began flooding the market several years ago. By allowing the buyer to focus on the features that they cared about, and not pay for features they wouldn’t use, we were able to design a very high-performance European-built player for music lovers on a tight budget.”

Buy Now: $399+Learn More: Here

The JukeBox Line

What is it?
The JukeBox line is another one of Pro-Ject’s midrange line of turntables, but they’re specifically designed for people who want an all-in-one solution. The JukeBox E, for example, consists of a record player, phono stage, Bluetooth receiver, line pre-amplifier and power amplifier. It requires you only to connect a pair of passive bookshelf speakers to complete the system. (The JukeBox S2 is essential an upgraded version of the JukeBox E.)

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The JukeBox package is also very cost-effective, for the price of a better streaming speaker or soundbar, you get a real HiFi, stereo system including a turntable and Bluetooth module to stream from an external music source.”

Buy Now: $499+Learn More: Here

The Upgrade

The Debut Line

What is it?
The Debut line is the company’s other mid-range line of turntables, along with the Pro-Ject’s Essential line, but it’s a little nicer. While similar in looks and features, the Debut line has a couple of notable upgrades over the Essential line that are designed to reduce noise and distortion, such as a heavier platter, higher-quality feet and a motor that’s decoupled from the plinth. It’s worth noting that the Debut Carbon (DC), which starts at $399, is by far the company’s most popular turntable.

(In August 2020, Pro-Ject released the Debut Carbon Evolution ($499), an upgraded version of the Debut Carbon (DC) with a couple key design improvements and a higher-end Sumiko Rainier phono cartridge.)

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The Debut is our superstar. Revolutionary in its price range, the Debut boasts a heavy 8-coat lacquered MDF chassis, heavy platter, suspended motor, carbon tonearm, and an expensive (over $100 USD) cartridge from Ortofon. These are all features usually found in a higher-priced item. The first choice of any music lover who looks for an audiophile turntable at a low cost.”

Buy Now: $399+Learn More: Here

The RPM Line

What is it?
The RPM Line is a range of higher-end turntables that are still relatively affordable. The have a distinct look, with a teardrop-shaped plinth. The RPM Line consists of five different models, ranging from the RPM 1 Carbon ($499) to the high-end RPM 10 Carbon ($3,499); as you go up in numbers, the turntable gets upgraded up with better materials, technologies and features.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The RPM Line is designed for audiophiles who want to have the best quality available within its price range and are happy to live with slightly unconventional product design. The RPM Line’s teardrop shape plinth and non-rectangular chassis cause less resonance (as in high-end speaker designs) and the motor is free standing and isolated at 100 percent to eliminate rumble or vibration. There are many little audiophile features (such as spiked cones and inverted bearing) that target the product to the discerned audiophile.”

Buy Now: $499+Learn More: Here

The X Line

What is it?
The X Line is one of Pro-Ject’s most recent lines of turntables. You can think about the X1 as a high-end turntable that’s still relatively affordable. It starts at $899, but that price increases rapidly with the higher-end models that have more robust parts, such as a bigger chassis, better isolation feet, better bearings, heavier better platter, better tonearms and better cartridges.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The X Line is for people seeking the highest sound quality in a traditional design — including dustcover and hinges. From the X1, these units are ‘no compromise’ and 100-percent correctly designed turntables including all of the features an audiophile dreams of.”

Buy Now: $899+Learn More: Here

The High-End

The Classic Line

What is it?
Now we’re getting into the “high end.” The Classic Line consists of two turntables, the Classic $1,099 $899) and the Classic Evo ($1,699), both of which are designed for hi-fi entusiants with a refined taste. The turntables have an elegant, retro design, such as a thick platter, and brushed metal top-plate that looks like it’s built directly into the wooden plinth.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The Classic is a traditional sub-chassis turntable designed for a user who needs to have their speakers close to the turntable, perhaps in a more restricted living environment. [It has] a nostalgic appearance with its retro design reminiscent of the 1960s and 70s, but upgraded with modern technology such as precision CNC’ed pulley, diamond knife-cut sub and main platters created for the highest precision, and sub-chassis isolation by modern rubber dampers (TPE, thermoplastic elastomers) instead of the traditional springs.”

Buy Now: $1,099Learn More: Here

The S-Shape Line

What is it?
The S-Shape Line is a range of high-end turntables that get their name from their “S”-shaped tonearm that’s made of aluminum. The aluminum is heavier than carbon, which is what Pro-Ject makes most of its other turntable tonearms out of, and this results in a softer; the result is that the S-Shape Line sounds different — softer, less open — than many of the company’s other turntables.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“Pro-Ject likes dynamic and openness, therefore, we use carbon tonearms which give you the highest speed and transparency possible. However, not everyone likes this feature and we aim to reach as many music lovers as possible. The heavier aluminum S-shape arms deliver a sound that’s rounder, more relaxed and softer. They also allow the use of a detachable headshell to choose a variety of cartridges, which can be changed quickly and easily.”

Buy Now: $1,700+

The Signature Line

What is it?
This is Pro-Ject’s pinnacle line. Both the Signature 10 and the Signature 12 are high-end turntables that compromise nothing. They each have mass-loaded sub-chassis, a floating turntable design and a unique S-shaped tonearm. They’re designed for a truly engaged audiophile.

What Heinz Lichtenegger says:
“The Signature 12 ($12,000) is unique in its ability to control motor resonances better by a flywheel drive. My personal problem in my system is that I have about 40 different cartridges and have my favorites for different music. I prefer the speed of my carbon tonearms, but I need the flexibility of an S-shape arm which allows fast change. By using an ultra-low friction uni-pivot tonearm bearing, I am able to reach a traditional aluminum close to the speed of a carbon arm.”

Buy Now: $6,000+Learn More: Here

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

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The iMac Is the Perfect Work-From-Home Purchase

It’s a laptop’s world, but for the better part of two weeks I’ve been using Apple’s new 27-inch iMac and there’s a lot to love about it. It’s not revolutionary. In fact, it looks identical to iMacs of the past. But if you, like me, are working from home, it’s one of the best deals you can get on a computer right now.

I’m on more video calls that I’ve ever been in my professional life and while pretty much all Mac laptops and desktops that have been released in the last few years have had a 720p webcam, the new iMac has a 1080 full HD webcam. But it’s not just a higher-resolution picture; Apple integrated certain technologies, such as face tracking, tone mapping and exposure control into the webcam, and the result is a picture that is good enough that I routinely get compliments from coworkers on its clarity. The improved microphones and speakers help with the video conference experience, too.

But for me, the biggest thing was getting back to a big display. For the past few months, I’ve been primarily using my 2016 MacBook Pro and its 13-inch display just feels absolutely tiny compared to the 21.5-inch iMac I have at our NYC office. There have been occasions during quarantine where I’ve used my iPad as a secondary screen for extra real estate via Sidecar, but it’s just not the same as a big, beefy screen. With the 27-inch iMac, I have room to open and work in two windows at once and, honestly, it makes a world of difference.

Apple is also offering the option of buying it with a nano-texture glass finish, which is the same anti-reflective finish found on Apple’s 32-inch Pro Display XDR monitor that costs $5,000. It’s an option at adds an extra $500 to the price of the iMac but it could make all the difference for creative professionals working in a well-lit room, though frankly the size of the screen is probably an improvement enough for most people.

Tucker Bowe

But there is a little bit of a catch. A few months ago, Apple officially announced that future Macs are going to transition away from Intel’s chipsets, adopting Apple’s own ARM-based silicone chipsets, like the ones in its iPhones and iPads instead.

The new 27-inch iMac — like the coming round of upcoming MacBooks — still has an Intel chipset. It’s Intel’s latest-and-greatest 10th-generation processor, granted, but it’s not the future. Apple isn’t expected to release its first ARM-based Macs until late 2020, and has pledged to support legacy devices for much longer than that. So the new iMac isn’t an instant artifact, but it is already the past.

Apple

That detail is, however, pretty evenly balanced by how great of a deal this thing is, all told. The 27-inch iMac in a base configuration — which gets you the improved webcam, the improved speakers and microphones, Intel’s 10th-generation processor (i5-core), 256GB of SSD storage and a beautiful Retina 5K display — costs $1,799, which is much cheaper than it would cost to build a comparable setup out of a MacBook and an external display.

The iMac is still one of the best values in all of computing and, if you expect to be working from home for the foreseeable future, it just might be the perfect time to buy one. Yes, it makes a lot of sense to wait and see what ARM has to offer. But if you can’t (or don’t want to), the iMac is a pretty great deal.

Buy Now: $1,799+

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The 3 Best Sleep Tracking Apps for the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch has historically not had a sleep tracking app, though that’s about to change. In the meantime, there are some third-party solutions you can use with whatever Apple Watch you have right now.

The catch is that you’re going to either want to charge your Apple Watch a little bit during the day or a little bit right before bed. According to Apple, an hour-and-a-half charge will take any of the Apple Watch from about zero to 80-percent battery; while an extra half-an-hour is needed to charge that extra 20 percent.

If you’re an Apple Watch wearer and sleep tracking matters to you, these are the apps you should try out while you wait for Apple’s official entry into the space.

AutoSleep

Best Overall: This is most popular app for sleep tracking because it looks and works very similarly to the Activity app that’s already on your Apple Watch — there are rings and everything. It tracks sleep duration, sleep quality and “readiness,” the latter basically attempting to rate how well your sleep prepared you or the forthcoming day. And it integrates nicely with Apple Health.

BUY NOW: $3

Sleep++

Best Free: The biggest upside that Sleep++ has over some of the other sleep tracking apps, particularly AutoSleep, is that it’s free. Other than that, it has many of the same features, such as automatic sleep tracking (it detects exactly when you fall asleep) and shows you a bunch of data about your night’s sleep.

BUY NOW: Free

Pillow

Honorable Mention: Pillow is a well-reviewed app that, again, has many of the popular features like automatic sleep tracking and in-depth sleep analysis charts. It has a “smart alarm clock,” where it wakes you up at the optimal point in your sleep cycle for maximum morning refreshment. The app can also record audio (like snores and random outbursts) during the night and play it back for you, but that requires you to pay a subscription fee so you’ll have to want it really bad.

BUY NOW: Free

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5 Gadgets That Clean Your Smartphone For You

You probably aren’t cleaning your smartphone as often as you should, even during this current pandemic. It’s not difficult, only requiring a cloth and some rubbing alcohol, or even some disinfectant wipes (which Apple recently just deemed “OK”), but it still can be tough to remember to do it — and doing it often.

Fortunately, there are devices that specialize in sanitizing your smartphone and other gadgets for you. Instead of using disinfectant or some other liquid to kill your harmful bacteria and germs, they use UV light. They’re essentially tanning beds bathe your smartphone, but they bathe it blue light to sanitize it over time.

Casetify UV Sanitizer

Casetify is promising that all of the proceeds generated from sales of its UV Sanitizer will go to the coronavirus relieve effort, which is awesome. The neat thing about this model, which is why its more expensive, is it actually works as wireless charger (with a USB-C input), so it can charge and clean your smartphone at the same time.

BUY NOW: $120

HoMedics UV-Clean Phone Sanitizer

The UV-Clean has a unique pop-up design that makes it more compact than other alternatives. It promises to be compatible with any-sized smartphone, plus it’ll clean it in just a minute (30 seconds per side).

BUY NOW: $80

PhoneSoap 3 Smartphone UV Sanitizer

PhoneSoap makes a variety of different UV sanitizers for all your different devices. The PhoneSoap 3 is unique because it has UV light bulbs on both sides of the case, so it simultaneously cleans both sides of your smartphone — no need to flip it. There’s also a slot for you to fit a charging cord into the device, so you can charge and clean your smartphone at once.

BUY NOW: $80

Mophie UV sanitizer

Like most phone sanitizers, Mophie’s entry into the space takes about 5 minutes to clean your phone with UV rays. But unlike it’s competition, the Mophie UV sanitizer can also wirelessly charge your phone. The only catch is that the unit’s wireless charger is on the top of the device, not inside the cleaning space, so it cannot clean and charge your phone at the same time. Still, it’s an extra feature that will make it extra worth the space on your desk.

BUY NOW: $80

Keysmart CleanTray UV Sterilization Pod

While it doesn’t have much in the way of standout features, the CleanTray UV Sterilization Pod can handle phones up to 7 inches and do its cleaning work in about 5 minutes, all while coming in under one pound.

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Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

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Elevate Your Workspace with Incase’s 50% Off Sale

While heading back to school might look a lot different this year, now’s the perfect time to take advantage of some great deals. And it doesn’t get better than Incase’s current promotion. Right now, you can save up to fifty percent off site-wide. From sleek backpacks to Airpods cases, MacBook hard shells and more, Incase offers stylish lines with premium protection. So whether class is back in session for yourself or your kids, start off your school year right with Incase’s steep discounts. No code necessary now through 8/21.

Learn More: Here

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The Best Portable Projectors You Can Actually Afford

Sony

A portable projector, or a pico projector, is a great little gadget because it lets you put a big screen — over 100 inches, in most cases — almost anywhere. When shopping for a portable projector, there are a number of things to look out for. There’s its brightness and the size of the picture it can project. There’s also the matter of connectivity and whether it has built-in operating system which will allow it to stream content directly without the help of a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. There’s its size, because not all portable projectors are actually that portable. And then there’s cost, of course.

Below, you’ll find some of our favorite portable projectors of 2020.

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1 Nebula Astro

Anker amazon.com

$299.99

• It’s Anker’s smallest and most portable pico projector
• Capable of creating up to a 100-inch image
• Built-in Android operating system makes it easy to stream

• 2.5 hours of battery life isn’t enough to get through the longest movies
• 100 lumens of brightness isn’t great

2 Sony MP-CD1

Sony amazon.com

$399.99

$299.00 (25% off)

• Supports USB-C charging
• It has an extremely portable design

• A max brightness of 105 lumens isn’t the best
• 2.5 hours of battery life isn’t enough to get through the longest movies
• No built-in operating system so you need to connect to a smartphone, laptop or gaming console

3 AAXA P7

AAXA Technologies amazon.com

$499.99

$399.99 (20% off)

• Very small and portable design
• Max brightness of 600 lumens is better than many other pico projectors
• Capable of producing an image up to 120 inches

• It only has 90 minute battery life, so prepare to use it plugged in most of the time
• No built-in operating system, so need external source source to stream

4 BenQ GS2

BenQ bhphotovideo.com

$599.00

• Max brightness of 500 lumens
• Good sound with built-in stereo speakers
• Built-in Wi-Fi makes streaming easy
• 15-degree tilting hinge allows you to easily adjust the picture

• Despite being relatively small, it doesn’t have the most portable design
• More expensive than other pico projectors

5 Nebula Mars II Pro

Anker amazon.com

$579.99

• Built-in Android operating system means it can be used as a standalone streaming device
• Can project up to a 150-inch screen, which is huge
• 4 hours of playtime is very good

• 300 lumens of brightness is pretty average
• Not the most portable design

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The Smartest Thing About Microsoft’s Folding Phone Is What It Doesn’t Have

Years and years after the death of the Windows Phone, Microsoft is back with a second shot and smartphone glory. Last fall, it announced the Microsoft Surface Duo: a two-screen folding Android phone. And now, almost a year later, it’s available for pre-order for a hefty $1,400.

Obviously, Microsoft was beat to the folding-phone punch by Samsung’s Galaxy Fold (even after that model’s extensive delays), but the Surface Duo has an appeal all its own, and the most exciting parts about it are what it lacks.

Kitted out with two 5.6-inch screens on either side of its clamshell form, the Surface Duo does not have a folding screen. Instead, it has two distinct panels with a hinge down the middle. While it’s not nearly as flashy as an actual folding screen, it will almost certainly come with a few huge advantages — the first of which is durability. After its initial release last April, Galaxy Fold reviewers immediately experienced problems; while Samsung has made design changes to combat them, only time will tell how the new screen can hold up.

In addition to durability, Microsoft claims that its distinct two-screen design is also helpful for creating two discrete spaces for different activities, which could be a boon for inveterate multitaskers.

But perhaps the best bit of restraint on the Surface Duo is that it has no outside screen. When its clamshell form is closed, not only are its various screens protected from damage, but you’re protected from seeing a notification and being sucked into email, Twitter or whatever your digital vice may be. Just like a laptop or many flip phones of the past, the Duo has a clear physical distinction between in-use and not — and moving from one state to the other requires a deliberate choice and more physical action than the press of a button. It’s a design decision that could make it mercifully easier to decide that you’re not going to use your phone for a bit.

Hopefully it can live up to its promise.

Pre-order: AT&T Pre-Order: Microsoft

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This Mask Both Filters and Purifies the Air You Breathe

When it comes to masks, there is a lot of misinformation out there — and it’s easy to get confused. Does your mask filter particles? What size particles? Does it sterilize the air you’re breathing? In the case of the UV Mask, the answers are yes, 0.3 microns (similar to an N95) and absolutely — with 99.99% efficiency. Whether you’re working on a construction project, walking outside in an area of high pollution or simply want to be a bit more cautious about the air you’re breathing, the UV Mask is a great solution. It offers two layers of protection, combining a pre-filter to filter out particles in the air, before passing the air through a “Sterile-Vortex” which uses a high-intensity UV-C light to sterilize it. The result is air that’s 99.99% purified by the time it reaches your nose, mouth and lungs. It’s designed in the US with key components made in Japan, like the silicone seal that’s 100 percent airtight, a durable outer hardshell and a UV-powered purifier that can run for eight hours continuously. Plus, if you back the UV Mask on Kickstarter now, you can save 65 percent off the retail price of $249.

BUY NOW: $249 $87

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