March 22, 1993: Apple launches the PowerCD, the first device from the company that doesn’t require a computer to work.
A portable CD player that also works as an external CD drive for Macs, it offers a glimpse of the extremely lucrative path Apple will follow a decade later. However, the PowerCD itself will ultimately fail in the marketplace.
Anybody who ever owned a record collection knows those slender discs aren’t just a bygone way to deliver sound. They’re a way to connect tangibly with your music and supply an earthy sound you just can’t replicate with Apple Music and other streaming services.
The problem? Few people have the space (or the funds) for a quality record player anymore. The solution? The RokBlok 2.0, a portable record player that lets you enjoy your favorite vinyl anywhere, anytime. Right now, you can get this innovative record-playing gadget for only $89.99 (regularly $99).
With the explosion of TikTok and the surging popularity of podcasting, innovative gear is making life easier for creators who are constantly on the go. Just the size of a matchbox, the AudioWow wireless audio studio is small enough to take with you anywhere. But it offers studio-quality sound capabilities — and costs just $159.
Hello, my name is Erfon Elijah, and for the last seven years, I’ve hosted The CultCast, America’s favorite Apple podcast™. In that time I’ve tried a whole lot of podcasting gear, all in an effort to sound better and make the show easier to produce.
Now, I’m offering you the fruit of all that hands-on experience — the end result of years of podcasting hardware testing and tinkering. Good audio gear doesn’t come cheap, but I think I’ve found a great mix of value and quality in the products I use. If you utilize these podcasting hardware recommendations and podcasting tips, you won’t break the bank. And your podcast will sound as majestic as mine!
Looking for a new set of earbuds for the summer? Brainwavz Audio’s B200 earbuds deliver high-fidelity audio with impressive clarity and detail. Plus, their over-the-ear design won’t frustrate you by falling out.
Yes, picking these earbuds over AirPods means making a couple of big compromises. But after a few weeks of testing, these audiophile-grade earbuds won me over with their superior sound.
iFixit’s HomePod teardown reveals a veritable tank of a smart speaker that’s incredibly durable but virtually impossible to get inside. Unless you fancy using a heat gun and saw to open up your brand new Apple speaker, that is!
High-quality audio is the signature feature of Apple’s new HomePod. Apple execs brush off “Siri so stupid” concerns by emphasizing the sound quality of the device.
So the big question is: Will the HomePod be love at first listen? I just unwrapped one of the new Apple smart speakers, and my ears now have a little bit of a crush on HomePod.
Another week, another awesome deal roundup, and this time we’re all about tech! From GoPro cameras to the new Xbox One S, the web is going wild with deals on today’s hottest electronics. Amazon is even getting in on it with huge price cuts on its Echo and Kindle products.
Big-name brands are acting especially generous this week — we found deals on Panasonic, Sony and even KitchenAid products. eBay is back at it again with a new-and-improved PlayStation 4 bundle. Amazon’s cutting the price on its Echo smart home package. And Walmart is joining the fray with a major deal on a Panasonic 50-inch HD TV.
Read on for all the juicy details.
We love the internet. So much. It is so unrelentingly kind, and this week is no exception. PlayStation 4 is experiencing its first discounts since Playstation VR released, iPhone 6 prices continue to drop as iPhone 7 catches on, the Beats by Dre flagship earbuds are $240 off, and that awesome DJI Phantom 4 deal is still cooking.
Grab a refurb MacBook Pro at the best price we’ve ever seen, or an iPad Smart Cover also at an all-time low. These offers and more are in this week’s best Apple bargains.
They don’t call them “headphones” for nothing.
Slipping on a pair of quality closed-back headphones puts you in a rarefied headspace where sound envelopes you completely and nothing matters but the music. Just close your eyes, cue up the perfect tracks to suit your mood, and drift away.
The Audeze EL-8 Titanium headphones, which use a Lightning connector to plug into your Apple device, will take you to that special place. But you’ll pay a steep price for your trip to aural bliss.
These days, there are as many options for speakers and headphones as there are stars in the sky. Out of such a bewildering array of audio choices, we’ve picked four of the brightest, each one unique and distinct.
From a Bluetooth speaker that looks like a cajon to DJ-grade headphones, this audio gear makes the grade. And we’ve got hot deals on each of them. Take a look — and a listen.
As a teenager in the 80s, I love a good boombox. The bigger, the better, like Radio Raheem’s.
That’s why I was keen to check out Nyne’s new Bluetooth Boombox, called — what else — the Rock. It’s the biggest Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever seen, promising to put out 65 watts of raw music power.
But does it rock — or not?
I thought I knew myself pretty well by now. Boxer briefs instead of boxers or briefs. Surf before turf. Toilet paper over and not under. And over-the-ear headphones well before on-ear or in-ear.
But the NAD Viso HP30s have me questioning my allegiances to over-the-ear.
“Take the conn, Jimmy.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
Every single time I lay my hands on The Element’s giant, super-precise dial of sonic control, that Star Trek scene rolls through my head. Which is a little weird for me, since Captain Kirk and I have the same name, but I overlook this small snag as I dial in the perfect volume on my JDS Labs headphone amplifier.
Grace Digital’s Voice Enhanced TV Speaker promises to enhance the sound of your television and potentially give it a volume boost. The sound was engineered with voices in mind because, more than anything when watching TV, dialogue is what you need to hear. As a bonus, a Bluetooth connection lets the speaker work with any Bluetooth-enabled computer or smartphone.
I hooked up Grace Digital’s Voice Enhanced TV Speaker to my television and gave it a whirl.
If you are on a budget and routinely trash your headphones, JLab Audio’s Flex is just what you have been looking for: a decent pair of cans built to withstand regular abuse.
The Flex headphones come folded down compactly into their included case, and for $70 deliver pretty impressive sound quality.
A whispered conversation in a library is about 30 decibels. A normally loud chat comes in at around 65 decibels. A jackhammer at 50 feet is 95 decibels, and also the loudness at which our ears can get damaged with prolonged exposure.
The Phantom speaker I’ve been using as my main television and Bluetooth speaker for the last couple of weeks tops out at 99 decibels. This sucker gets loud, without any distortion, real quick. It’s easy to use, looks amazing in any room, and will change your experience of music and movies from the moment you turn it on.
While it looks like something out of the future depicted in a Kubrick film, has an ungainly outdoor-style power cable, and is heavier than you’d think, the Phantom is simply the best home speaker I’ve ever encountered.
For two grand, it had better be.
Music can set the mood for everything and the Prizm, a new music player described as “the music brain,” is hoping to reinvent the way we listen to music.
It listens to sounds in the room you’re in and identifies who’s in the room, then selects the perfect track for the situation. Lots of people making noise late at night? Prizm thinks it’s party time and plays techno music. Nothing but heavy breathing or kissing sounds? It’s time for some Barry White.
Have you ever wondered whether a pair of $550 earbuds is worth the price? I have, but never really had the scratch to put it to the test.
Klipsch, however, sent me a pair of their high-end earbuds, the Reference X20i In-Ear Headphones, to test. When I opened the wooden box and slid the headphones out of their leather pouch, then slipped their oval-shaped eartips into my sound holes, I went to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack. The orchestral music seemed like a great way to see if these really expensive headphones match their price tag.
What kind of audiophile nerd do you have to be to shell out 300 clams to “improve” your iPhone audio? Well, that’s what it is going to cost you to convert your digital audio into analog goodness with style.
You can find cheaper options than the Oppo HA-2 portable headphone amplifier, but few as elegant and sleek.
There are those of you who like to take risks. Face it, you love living on the edge, taking your precious electronics into dusty, dirty and even wet locations.
If your dream is to play tunes at high volume while you raft Class V rapids, rappel down a sheer cliff face or just take a shower, GoGroove has you covered.
The BlueSync RGD is a super-rugged, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker that will go with you anywhere and deal with almost all the dangers you can throw at it, all for a wallet-friendly price.
Sometimes you just need a solid, great-sounding set of wired headphones. They don’t need to charge up like my Bluetooth favorites do, nor do they require pairing (or repairing, like several models I’ve used).
Earbuds are great, too, but for extended listening sessions, I prefer on-ear headphones. They are less sound-isolating — I don’t need to hear my own breathing all the time.
The flagship speaker from Sonos has been revamped, redesigned and relaunched. The result is awesome.
The new Play:5 is a big, beefy speaker that sounds absolutely wonderful. It’s available in stores today, and although it’s not cheap, I’d recommend you go out and get one. Or two. Stereo is even better.
