earbuds - page 2

One of the impressive features of the growing number of moderately priced, high-quality earbuds on the market is just how long playback lasts between charges. That’s in part because the case where you store them also charges them. But Audio-Technica just rolled out a new set of earbuds that really moves the needle on battery life.

The company’s new ATH-CKS50TW Solid Bass Truly Wireless Earbuds claim up to 20 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, or 50 hours counting the case’s charge. All that, plus the new buds feature low latency and active noise-cancellation (ANC).

Nothing, the audio brand from OnePlus founder Carl Pei, just updated its Ear 1 true wireless earbuds to include Siri voice support. That makes the inexpensive earbuds a little more competitive with competitors like AirPods and AirPods Pro. After all, the Ear 1 buds already have a lot of premium features.

Every year Samsung subsidiary JBL rolls out a tempting raft of updated or new audio products at CES, but you can’t get them right away. CES 2022, held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was no different. The company showed its new JBL PartyBox Encore and a slew of other Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones. We’ll round them up below. Some are coming in spring and others in summer.

A new, red-and-gold, limited-edition design for Beats Studio Buds will celebrate the Lunar New Year in China and other countries — the Year of the Tiger — Apple said on Monday.

This follows a recent release of another predominately red, limited-edition design in collaboration with the men’s fashion store Union we wrote about earlier in December.

Is it just your imagination, or are there billions of affordable earbuds boasting great sound quality on the market now? Well, maybe not billions, but many. And now Chinese audio brand Tronsmart adds its new Onyx Prime True Wireless Earbuds to the mix for $69.99.

Nothing released its first Ear 1 earbuds in late summer 2021 with a partially transparent design, a cool transparent case, good sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and wireless charging. Now the company’s rolling out the new Ear 1 “Black Edition,” which retains the interesting design and tech elements in a cool new look.

And Nothing, created by OnePlus founder Carl Pei, added the product is now carbon neutral and you can buy the product — still $99 — with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. So there’s that.

Beats released a new version of its Beats Studio Buds on Tuesday in a joint effort with the trendy mens fashion store Union. The limited-edition wireless earbuds commemorate Union’s 30th anniversary. You can snap them up at the store’s Los Angeles and Tokyo locations and, as of Wednesday, online.

Apple used part of its “Unleashed” event on Monday to announce a major refresh of it signature earbuds. The new AirPods 3 feature spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking and come with a redesign that makes them look more like AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips).

They won’t be Cupertino’s entry-level earbuds, though, as the company said AirPods 2 will remain in the lineup.

Soundcore by Anker rolled out the new version of its top earbuds, the Liberty 2 Pro set. The new Liberty 3 Pro Earbuds are 30% smaller and, like their predecessors, have no stem. But they feature a more powerful driver, personalized active noise cancellation (ANC) and a more comfortable fit, the company said.

Master & Dynamic’s MW08 earbuds came out earlier this year to widespread acclaim for their quality and durability. Now the company has released a new “Sport” version that adds wireless charging and an even heftier pricetag — $349.

Last week Anker added the new Life P3 active-noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds to its Soundcore lineup — in an array of bright colors for an affordable price.

Seems like a lot of companies are upping their ANC, true-wireless earbud game.

Beijing-based Edifier built a reputation for producing high-quality speakers and headphones. Now, with the upcoming release of its Neobuds Pro hi-res, wireless, noise-canceling earbuds, it looks hungry to capture market share from top contenders like Apple’s AirPods Pro and Sony’s new WF-100XM4.

Having the perfect portable gadgets by your side makes traveling simpler, more efficient and more fun. From Bluetooth accessories that take your smartphone to the next level, to super-cool gift ideas and the best wireless headphones for any trip, we found all these products on sale for a limited time — at prices that are even better than Amazon!

Samsung immediately mocked Apple when the company elected not to include EarPods and a charger with the iPhone 12. So of course rumors now suggest Samsung may follow suit by ditching a charger and earphones from its forthcoming Galaxy S21 box.

Samsung has not confirmed that this will be the case. But according to SamMobile, some observers think Samsung will leave out a charger and earbuds from its new handset. Others think Samsung might get rid of only the earphones.

Some of the advanced features of Apple AirPods are in Beats Flex, wireless earphones that come in at a much lower price. Apple’s Beats division built in 12-hour battery life, a new acoustic driver and USB-C charging. All for $49.

Beats Flex are scheduled to reach customers’ hands on Wednesday.

We serve up a lot of great deals on gear and apps at Cult of Mac. In fact, we do it every day, so it’s likely you may have missed good stuff. Just in case you did, we rounded up some of the best recent deals on personal audio, wireless charging, smartphone video gear and more for your weekend shopping pleasure.

Given what a ridiculously massive hit the AirPods have been for Apple, it’s no shocker that other companies are keen to jump aboard the wireless earbuds train with their own rival versions. This one, from America audio company JBL, looks highly reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods.

The main differences? It comes in a range of colors, and costs just $99.95. That makes it a cheap and cheerful alternative to Apple’s premium version.

Nuheara’s Bluetooth earbuds help users better hear what’s going on around them, as well as play music and podcasts. The latest version adds active noise cancellation, and comes at a considerable price drop.

The new IQBuds2 Max garnered innovation awards in three categories at CES 2020.

A new iOS 13.2 beta, out today for registered developers, spilled details about Apple’s next-generation AirPods with noise cancellation for the first time.

An image of the new Apple earbuds reveals a revamped design with soft tips. The beta also references different listening modes.

Nuheara’s IQbuds Boost work as Bluetooth headphones, but that’s only the start. They are really for people who need just a bit of help hearing. They aren’t true hearing aids, but might actually be better.

Take a listen to my review of these high-end wireless earbuds, along with an optional Bluetooth accessory that connects them to your TV.

Sony’s new wireless earbuds are ready to take on AirPods.

The horribly named WF-1000XM3 promise the same impressive audio quality as Sony’s best-selling headphones — but in an earbud form factor. And they boast one big advantage.

Here’s why you might want to avoid Apple’s hottest accessory and pick up these instead.

Apple’s wireless earbuds face some new competition from Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Buds, but a new water-damage test shows the cheaper price tag comes at a cost.

Neither AirPods or Galaxy Buds boast waterproofing but do have some water resistance. The folks at CNET pitted the two earbuds against each other in a new real-world test along with the new Powerbeats Pro and the results were pretty bad for Samsung lovers.

Apple’s new Powerbeats Pro are quite possibly the best wireless earbuds you’ll find in the Apple Store. But they’re not cheap, and if yours break, there’s no hope of a DIY repair.

Watch the gory Powerbeats Pro teardown in the newest video from iFixit.

Beats fans that are hoping to scoop up the colorful new Powerbeats Pro might be a bit disappointed with the color options when units arrive in stores in May.

Apple revealed the Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds earlier this month with black, ivory, moss and navy color options. The ivory ones look especially sleek, but it appears that only the black ones will be available at launch.

Apple’s AirPods are about to get some fresh competition from Amazon.

The online retail giant is reportedly planning to release its own set of wireless earbuds that will be powered by its digital assistant Alexa and possibly better audio quality.