#audio-quality

#audio-quality

Maybe I'm just too much of an audio snob to fully enjoy a portability-focused speaker, but sometimes bigger is better in the audio space, and with speakers, that's partly just a matter of physics. Bigger speakers move more air, which in turn equates to more bass, higher volume, and often, less distortion. Nevertheless, you're not going to catch me walking around with a car-sized boombox any time soon, which means some level of compromise in the audio department is always inevitable.

During a demo, Henry Phipps, a Suno product manager, pointed to a song we had the model generate that included a flute-like synth with what sounded like a ping-pong delay effect on it: "I've never heard that before in previous models... what that says to me is that the model understands that this is an isolated sound that's being affected and needs to be reproduced faithfully in different parts of the stereo field."

AirPods Pro 3 are among the best earbuds we've tested recently, and you can pick them up for $239.99 ($10 off) at Amazon. The small discount is notable because Apple's latest earbuds have only been available for three days. In our tests, the AirPods Pro 3 were an improvement over their predecessor in three significant ways: fit, active noise cancelation performance, and audio quality.

The reasons are, essentially, threefold. First, there's the pleasure of using something tangible: a nostalgia for devices with a single purpose, devoid of notifications and apps. More importantly, though, there's a desire to have a music collection again something led by the music-loving algorithm in your brain, rather than one outsourced to technology. It's their collection, rather than a playlist they've subscribed to, says Laidler, and they own the music and aren't simply leasing it from Spotify.

I like wireless earbuds because I love music. It's very straightforward; music exists, and I want to listen to it, and wireless earbuds are the thing that gets me to the thing I love. Problem solved. You can't see it, but I'm smugly dusting my hands right now like a mathematician at a chalkboard. There's a symbiosis between the buds and me. A simplicity. A supply and demand so fundamental that in the gadget world, it feels like a law of nature.

The goal is to create a sound field that allows each instrument or voice to show itself when necessary, without producing a muddy sound.

Wired headphones offer a solid connection without pairing issues, unlike wireless options, and are compatible with various devices. They provide improved mic quality and don't require batteries.

The Ult Field 3 is more than double the size and battery capacity of the Sony Ult Field 1, featuring a long, durable strap for added portability.

The Solo 4 design shows Beats' deviation from flashy, chrome accents adorned with heavy branding, transitioning to a muted matte finish with simplistic elements.

The CMF Buds 2 Plus are available for $55 during Amazon Prime Day, offering a 30% discount. They serve as a reliable option for budget earbuds.

Sony has a winner here and has lived up to expectations. The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones share similar features like comfort and sound but offer a slightly different headphone design (the WH-100XM4 is more adjustable) and are much cheaper.

The OnTrac headphones succeed Dyson's other, more unorthodox foray into the consumer audio industry. Last year, the company released a pair of headphones with an air-purifying mouthpiece attached.

The right device can turn a chaotic moment into crisp, usable audio, and it doesn't hurt if it looks good doing it.

The MC1 earbuds were connected to my Pixel 9 Pro... I felt the sound lacked depth and dynamics. Everything sounded flat.

Shokz’s new OpenDots One earbuds offer a warm sound profile with Dolby Audio, making them ideal for casual listeners who value sound quality over isolation.