Apple's high-end, over-ear headphones may be a bit over the top, but they are one of the best pieces of audio gear for Apple enthusiasts. The catch is that you have to be willing to shell out quite a bit of cash for them, which is why we always recommend waiting for a sale like the one happening now ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Apple's AirPods Max are $99 off at Amazon right now, bringing them down to $450. That's about $20 more than their record-low price, and most colors are on sale as well, making now a good time to buy if you've had your eye on them.

There's a lot to like about the AirPods Max if you get get beyond their price. They have a unique, comfortable design that's more attractive than most high-end headphones, and they have excellent audio quality. Those who like "natural" sound from their cans will appreciate what the AirPods Max bring to the table, and we like that they also support spatial audio. Active noise cancellation is similarly solid, and there's a button on the headphones that let you switch between ANC and Transparency Mode.

The AirPods Max also have Apple's signature H1 chip inside that enables features like hands-free Siri and a host of other iOS/macOs-specific features. If you work with mostly Apple gadgets, you'll get a lot of use out of the quick pairing and switching between those devices. Battery life is good as well: we had no problem reaching 20 hours on a single charge when we first reviewed these headphones, and that was with spatial audio and ANC enabled.

We'd be remiss, though, if we didn't acknowledge that the AirPods Max are not on our list of best wireless headphones, and that's mostly due to their high price tag. They're certainly a better buy when on sale like this, but if you'd rather invest in a better all-around option, Sony's WH-1000XM5 (our current top pick) is on sale for a record low of $348 right now.

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Samsung has introduced a new entry into its flagship Q-series soundbar lineup. If the HW-Q990C soundbar it debuted at CES earlier this year is the series' top-of-the-line model, then the new HW-Q900C soundbar is the next one in terms of features and specs. The HW-Q900C features 7.1.2 channels of Wireless Dolby Atmos sound, whereas the HW-Q990C is an 11.1.4-channel soundbar. 

While the HW-Q990C has more front and surround channels for more immersive sounds, both models support Samsung's Q-Symphony 3.0. The technology allows you to play audio from your soundbar and your TV's speakers at the same time, so long as they're connected with either an HDMI or an optical cable. Samsung says Q-Symphony provides "an excellent surround sound experience" that makes it seems as if you're actually in the movie. That said, you can only activate Q-Symphony if you have a compatible 2020-to-2023 model Samsung TV.

In addition, the HW-Q900C comes with SpaceFit Sound Pro, which can analyze your environment and automatically optimize audio output for you. Its adaptive sound and adaptive voice amplifier features promise optimized audio for dialogue, as well, so you can hear voices better even at low volumes and in a noisy room. 

In game mode pro, the soundbar utilizes its up-firing speakers and strong woofers for 3D optimized sound while playing on select consoles, such as the PS5. The HW-Q900C also supports AirPlay 2 that makes it easy to pair with the iPhone and other Apple devices. Finally, it has the ability to follow voice commands, but you'd need to have Amazon Echo Device to be able to use this feature.

The HW-Q990C is now available for $1,400. While you can find the HW-Q990C soundbar for just a bit more right now, note that the older model launched with a $2,300 price tag.

If you’ve been looking to get a new gaming headset, or your very first, Logitech has a few new options. The company is today updating its Pro gaming headset with a few notable changes that not only makes it a better gaming headset, but potentially a great set of all-purpose headphones.

First and foremost, the new Pro X 2 headset features a new 50mm Pro-G Graphene audio driver. Why is that important? Graphene drivers are typically more power efficient, which is likely why Logitech claims the new headset nets up to 50 hours on a single charge. That’s over twice the battery life compared to the outgoing model’s 20 hours.

The headset is more versatile as well. In addition to Logitech’s own proprietary Lightspeed wireless codec, the Pro X 2 now supports Bluetooth audio and a wired connection over the standard 3.5mm audio connector (previously, you had to choose whether you wanted a wired or wireless headset, not both). The headset also now supports the standard DTS headphone:X 2.0 spec, for an immersive surround sound experience.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a headset if we didn’t talk about microphones. The Pro X 2 features a detachable 6mm cardioid microphone with Logitech’s own Blue “VO!CE” filters to help reduce background noise for crisp and clear vocals. The filters are available via the same G Hub software as the original headset.

The Pro X 2 features an aluminum and steel frame with swappable earpads. The earpads are made out of both leather and velour, making them a great choice for long term use. Swappable earpads are great as it makes it super easy to replace them if they’re starting to peel.

The Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed retails for $249 and will be available starting today in the US and Canada.

Sony's WH-1000XM5 is the best wireless ANC headphone you can buy, thanks to the stellar sound quality, comfort and awesome active noise cancellation. Amazon currently has them on sale in both black and white for $348, the lowest price we've seen in months, saving you 13 percent or $52 over the regular price. 

The WH-1000XM5 scored an impressive 95 in our Engadget review, thanks to improvements across the board over our previous favorite headphones, the WH-1000XM4 (which are also on sale for $278 right now, by the way). Perhaps the biggest improvement is in fit and comfort thanks to the more optimal weight distribution, synthetic leather ear cups and reduced weight.

Sound quality also went up, due to the new 30mm carbon fiber drivers that deliver punchier bass. They offer more clarity that helps you hear fine detail, along with improved depth that makes music more immersive. And Sony's DSEE Extreme sound processing recovers detail lost to compression, without any noticeable impact on sound quality.

The ANC is equally impressive. With double the number of noise cancellation microphones found in the M4, along with a new dedicated V1 chip, the M5 does a better job at minimizing background noise. And in terms of the microphone, we found that the M5 offers superior call quality over its predecessor. Moreover, you get 30 hours of listening time with ANC enabled, enough for the longest of flights.

The main drawback of the WH-1000XM5 headphones is the $400 price tag, but you can pick them up right now in either white or black for just $348 and save $52 — but act fast before the sale ends.

Razer is today announcing an update to its Nommo gaming desktop speakers. As is the case with most of the company's other products, these speakers are equipped with RGB lighting to fully match your other Razer gear.

The Nommo V2 Pro starts at $450 and delivers a wireless 2.1 sound system with one new trick up its sleeve: THX's Spatial Audio surround sound experience. Razer claims that the inclusion of THX spatial audio is a first for any set of 2.1 desktop speakers. Several titles, including Grand Theft Auto V, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Genshin Impact already support the spatial audio experience, with more titles to come in the future.

The speakers also include a downward-firing subwoofer, which could make it easier to hear enemy footsteps or roaring lightning. The updated RGB array now shines through the top of the speakers, making it easier for the lights to reflect off of a wall.

Razer is also announcing a new Wireless Control Pod, which comes included with the Nommo V2 Pro (but can be bought separately for $50). It's highly customizable and supports rotation, single click and double click. For example, you could rotate the dial to adjust the brightness of your RGB rig, single-click to crank your mouse's DPI for Call of Duty or double-click to lower your DPI when surfing the web.

If this all sounds enticing to you but you'd prefer a cheaper setup, Razer has another option. The Nommo V2 offers the same exact listening experience, just wired. It also excludes the Wireless Control Pod, and costs $300. For those of you who are math ninjas, that's a savings of $150. Of course, without the Pod, you're looking at physical volume and power buttons on the speakers.

Both the Nommo V2 and V2 Pro will be available in the US starting in June, and the Wireless Control Pod will be available worldwide starting in August.

An Amazon listing may have spilled the beans early, but today Beats is officially debuting its latest true wireless earbuds. That premature appearance was mostly accurate: the Studio Buds + have a familiar design with loads of improvements on the inside. Those upgrades include better battery life, retooled call performance and updated noise cancellation. There’s also a new transparent design option that offers a look at all of those internal components. However, they come with a slightly higher price tag at $170, which means the new version isn’t quite as good of a deal as the original.

Design

While the IPX4-rated Studio Buds + may look identical to the previous model at first glance, there are some subtle changes. The most significant is the addition of acoustic vents on both the front and the side. Beats says the updated design improves airflow to the transducer, which not only increases movement for sound but also allows for more effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and a better transparency mode. Interestingly, changing up the airflow was a key aspect of the improvements to sound quality Apple achieved in the second-gen AirPod Pro.

The vents also help relieve pressure so that the Studio Buds + are more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I found that claim of increased comfort to hold true throughout my testing. Additionally, Beats added an extra small ear tip size this time around. The company says it did this after analyzing “fit success” for a variety of people and conducting hours of testing. With the new size the company says it can provide a better seal, and in turn improved sound quality, for more people.

The overall design is unchanged, but Beats says 95 percent of the internal components have been swapped out for new parts. This list includes custom-built transducers which it claims delivers “cleaner” bass with minimal distortion while providing overall “powerful, balanced” sound. The new microphones are three times larger and there’s 16 percent more battery capacity. There are also upgrades to the battery in the charging case and Beats managed all of the power improvements without increasing the size of either the buds or their holder.

Another key aspect Beats tweaked is the “b” button that facilitates the onboard controls. With the original Studio Buds, it was very easy to accidentally hit when trying to adjust the fit. The company says it “revised the design” for “better product interactions” and to cut down on “accidental button presses.” Reliability of the controls was never an issue and that remains true on the Studio Buds +, but after testing I’m happy to report the errant presses are a thing of the past.

Software and features

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

When it comes to the companion software for the Studio Buds +, there are no big changes. As before, everything is still baked into iOS for iPhone users. That includes one-touch pairing, iCloud device pairing and hands-free Siri. More settings are accessible via the device name on the Bluetooth menu, where Beats gives you battery percentage and noise control (ANC, transparency or off), alongside the ability to tweak the press-and-hold action, how you prefer to end calls and microphone priority. There’s also a shortcut to show the earbuds in the Find My app here. As is the case on other Beats devices, you can quickly access noise control via the volume slider in Control Center too.

On Android, there’s still a separate Beats app for button customization and firmware updates, but some features are available directly in the OS. One-touch pairing via Google Fast Pair as well as linking the earbuds to all of your Android and Chrome devices is here. Once those are synced, you can quickly switch between them thanks to the Studio Buds + multipoint pairing. These new Beats earbuds will also show up in Find My Device on Android, helping you locate them should they be misplaced.

The addition of onboard volume controls addresses one of my key gripes with the original Studio Buds. However, you’ll have to sacrifice noise control – the ability to toggle between ANC, transparency or off – directly on the earbuds. You’ll also forfeit the ability to summon a virtual assistant manually, which is key for Android users. Once you enable volume controls, the long press on one side turns the sound up while the other will turn it down. You can choose which you prefer on which side though, so there’s that.

Sound quality and active noise cancellation

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Beats hasn’t always been known for balanced sound and clean bass, but that’s what the company is promising on the Studio Buds +. The overall tuning here is indeed a solid mix of highs, mids and lows – all of which stand on their own and cut through the mix with ease. Even more bass-heavy tunes like Underoath’s “Damn Excuses” are quite neutral sounding. The thumping kick drum and driving bass line don’t overpower the gritty, distorted guitars, backing vocals or the more subtle synth and keys underneath.

In fact, I’d like a little more bass on the Studio Buds +. Or perhaps a little fuller bass. There are times where the low end feels flat, like on other songs from Underoath’s Voyeurist. Hip-hop tracks fare better, but the driving, almost droning quality across Run The Jewels’ catalog is noticeably subdued. Beats certainly succeeded in achieving a balanced sound, but it did so by zapping some energy from the bass section of the EQ. And this holds true with both spatial audio and “regular” tunes alike.

In terms of noise canceling performance, Beats touts a 1.6x improvement thanks to the upgraded microphones, vents and the company’s second-gen chip. It’s a modest gain, but there is a discernible jump in the ability to block constant noise sources. There’s still work to be done when it comes to things like human voices and the random racket, though. The first Studio Buds did an adequate job of noise suppression and these are slightly better.

I don’t usually call out transparency mode in reviews because most of the time it’s just… there. But Beats says it improved this ambient sound thanks to the new mics, vent design and sound processing I’ve already mentioned. Indeed, there’s a noticeable difference on the Studio Buds + as compared to the previous version, but it’s nowhere near the level of what Apple achieves on some of its AirPods. Part of the reason for this is that Beats doesn’t feed the sound of your voice back through the earbuds. So while AirPods Pro and AirPods Max can make it seem like you’re not even wearing them in transparency mode, the Studio Buds + aren’t on that level.

Call quality

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Beats says it “completely redesigned” the voice setup in the Studio Buds +. It did so by swapping out components and adding a new algorithm with the aim of suppressing unwanted noise and better focusing on your voice. To develop the algorithm, Beats explains that it used machine learning for the first time to train the system versus “a wide variety” of noisy scenarios with more than 7,000 hours of testing. In addition to new mics and a redesigned port to house them, the company says the larger components have an improved signal-to-noise ratio. The voice mic port was also relocated to the bottom side to underneath the multifunction button for upgraded voice detection.

All of that looks great on paper, but plenty of audio companies make lofty claims about call quality that rarely pan out as advertised. The promise of better noise blocking from the voice system does hold true and I consistently noticed less background roar in calls and recorded memos. However, the overall quality is good but not great. There’s a slightly muffled quality to your voice, and it lacks the clarity some other earbuds can provide. What’s more, the Studio Buds + confusingly disables transparency mode when you start a call if you have it active. Couple that with the fact that the ambient sound feature doesn’t pipe in your voice and that’s a perfect recipe for you to get shouty during a meeting.

Battery life

Beats promises improved battery life with the Studio Buds + over the previous model. The new earbuds can muster six hours of use with ANC or transparency mode on with three additional charges in the case. Turn noise cancellation and ambient sound off and you can get up to nine hours in one go (up to 27 additional hours with the case). That’s one more hour in the buds themselves and 11 more in the case. It’s a significant improvement and during my tests was an accurate representation of battery performance.

Indeed, I managed to hit six hours easily during my testing with a mix of ANC and transparency mode for both music and calls. In fact, I still had six percent remaining at that time, so you’ll likely get slightly better than Beats’ stated figures out of the Studio Buds +. The one knock against this model when it comes to battery is the lack of wireless charging. The first Studio Buds didn’t have it either and the company didn’t see the need to add it this time around.

The competition

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

The best alternative to the Studio Buds + comes from Beats’ own stable of audio gear. The Beats Fit Pro are my favorite in the company’s line right now, with fully adaptive ANC, and spatial audio that utilizes head tracking and personalization. I also enjoy the balanced, punchy bass on these. Battery life isn’t quite as good as the new model with ANC off, but it’s the same with noise cancellation enabled (six hours). No wireless charging here either, but the wingtip design offers a more secure fit for workouts. The Fit Pro debuted just months after the first Studio Buds in 2021, so perhaps they’re headed for a refresh too.

If you’re looking for a non-Beats option, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 remains our top pick for the best wireless earbuds. Simply put, no one comes close to the full suite of features the company offers. On top of great sound and effective ANC, the earbuds can automatically change settings based on your activity or location. What’s more, handy tools like Speak-to-Chat make quick convos a breeze thanks to automatic pausing via voice detection. iPhone users will have to sacrifice the tight integration with iOS, iCloud device sharing and hands-free Siri though.

Wrap-up

Like the Studio Buds were before, the Studio Buds + remain the best Beats option for most people. They have the design with the most general appeal and work in lockstep with iOS. The company has done significant work to make sure the earbuds sync up better with Android too. Factor in noticeable improvements to ANC and other tweaks, Beats has another compelling true wireless model here. With the price increase, these have crept out of the mid range and are approaching premium status. That makes them a less obvious value than the original model, but it’s far from a dealbreaker. Let’s just hope the company has some upgrades planned for the Beats Fit Pro too.

The Beats Studio Buds + are available starting today in black/gold, ivory and transparent color options for $170. The new model is currently for sale at Apple in the US, Canada and China.

When we first reviewed Apple’s HomePod mini in 2020, we had some reservations. While it was a much better value than the original HomePod, it still had some of the same limitations of its bigger sibling. Siri wasn’t as bright as Alexa or Google Assistant, the HomeKit ecosystem was limited and there were no real alternatives to Apple Music for on-demand tunes. You bought a mini for Apple’s tight integration, and not much else.

Fast-forward to 2023 and it’s a different story. Apple has significantly expanded the HomePod mini’s functionality. It now has active temperature and humidity sensors, smoke and CO2 alarm detection, access to third-party music services (however modest) and support for the Matter smart home standard. With the recent 16.4 software update, the speaker can also make use of a revamped Home architecture that’s said to be faster and more reliable. The odds are that Apple has addressed at least one of your pet peeves in the past few years.

The market hasn’t stood still, however. Amazon has improved both Echo speakers and Alexa in the years since, and Google’s Nest Audio has received upgrades like a guest mode. Then there’s competition from Apple itself — now that the company has introduced a second-gen HomePod, the smaller model may not be as compelling as before. With that in mind, we’re revisiting the HomePod mini to see if it’s still a viable option.

Smart home upgrades

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

Ask HomePod users about their top gripe and they’ll probably point to basic reliability. It’s easy to find complaints of unresponsiveness, broken commands and generally buggy behavior that can make it difficult to consistently control a smart home. The 16.4 software and its overhauled Home architecture appear to have addressed these glitches in my month-long stint with the HomePod mini. Siri is quicker and more reliable, as expected, and there haven’t been any glitches interacting with other smart home gear (including an Apple TV 4K). While some users say they still have issues, it seems like Apple has ironed out some kinks.

The most practical upgrades are the unlocked temperature and humidity sensors, though — I’m getting far more use out of them than I thought I would. My HomePod mini test unit sits in my infant son’s nursery, and the readings let me check conditions in the room without reaching for the baby monitor. It’s about as accurate as that monitor, too. You can use the sensors to automatically toggle smart home devices (such as closing blinds when it gets too hot), although I didn’t have equipment that would benefit from the feature. Before you ask: Amazon’s Echo already has a temperature sensor, but it’s good to see this functionality spread to other platforms.

Other improvements are more subtle, but still welcome. The 16.3 update added the option of setting up recurring automations using Siri. I can turn on my Hue lights every day at dusk, if I’m so inclined. And while there’s no Pandora access in Canada, it’s good to know I can use Deezer as well as radio services like iHeartRadio, Radio.com and TuneIn. Just don’t expect Amazon Music — that was promised in 2020, but hasn’t materialized. Smoke alarm detection works as promised, although I’d rather have a connected alarm (such as Google’s Nest Protect) if I was truly worried about fires breaking out while I’m away.

Matter support also makes a difference. I’ve largely relied on Amazon Echo speakers in my home precisely because the range of HomeKit-compatible devices is still small. Matter opens the door to devices that were previously off-limits, including Google’s Nest lineup. While the list of Matter-ready hardware is currently modest, it’s growing quickly enough that I can comfortably recommend a HomePod mini to someone who wants compatibility with major-brand security cameras and thermostats.

Does the sound quality hold up?

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

The HomePod mini design hasn’t changed since launch apart from a wider choice of colors, like my test unit’s orange. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As we explained in 2020, the mini punches above its diminutive weight. While it’s only somewhat larger than the third-generation Echo Dot in my nursery and the Google Home Mini in my office, it blows them away — the sound is comparable to the larger, more powerful second-gen standard Echo in my living room. There’s a surprising (though not awe-inspiring) amount of bass, detailed highs and distinct instrumentation.

The mini isn’t the loudest smart speaker in its class, and I typically set the volume to 50 percent or more if I want to listen from another room. However, it also maintains the fullness of its sound across volume levels, even at the 15 percent I use for lullabies in the nursery. While I would rather have the regular HomePod and other louder alternatives for a house party, I’d be happy to use the mini as an office or bedroom speaker.

With that said, the HomePod mini fares better with some music genres than others. A jazz tune like Ahmad Jamal’s live take on “Poinciana” sounds surprisingly immersive, while a treble-rich classical work like Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2” sparkles. Mid-range rock like Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” also plays well. However, the speaker sometimes strains to handle the mids of dance tunes like Above & Beyond’s “Gratitude,” and sounds a bit hollow with rap like Run the Jewels’ “Close Your Eyes.” Updates like lossless audio support haven’t improved matters, either.

The sound is nonetheless enjoyable, and holds up well next to my standard Echo. While the HomePod isn’t as loud, it provides more consistent detail. The problem, as you might guess, is that a roughly comparable sound isn’t a draw by itself. Apple has a size advantage, but that’s about it. And it’s safe to say that you’re better off spending extra for higher-end speakers like the regular HomePod or Sonos Era 100 if you care about fidelity or tricks like the HomePod’s support for spatial audio.

Some things are still broken

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

As much as Apple has improved the HomePod mini over time, certain elements are just as frustrating as they were three years ago. For one, Spotify support is missing. That’s not under Apple’s control at this stage, and we wouldn’t expect Spotify to warm up when it’s still engaged in an antitrust battle over pricing and app integration. Nonetheless, it rules out the most popular streaming music service on the planet unless you’re willing to use AirPlay.

And no, Siri isn’t much brighter than before. Most of the updates since launch have revolved around Apple TV support (such as playing a movie), Find My friend locations and compatibility with the cheaper Apple Music Voice Plan. Siri does a solid job with straightforward tasks like playing music or checking the weather, but it has neither Alexa’s third-party skills nor Google Assistant’s talent for answering general knowledge questions.

For that matter, the HomePod mini isn’t necessarily the best speaker for a nursery or shared bedroom. You can adjust Siri’s volume or peg it to that of your voice, but there’s no Alexa-style whisper mode that responds in hushed tones. If you’re not careful, you’ll inadvertently startle someone by cuing up a playlist — trust me, I know. You can tap your iPhone on the HomePod to silently transfer music (still one of Apple’s best tricks), but that’s not much help if you’re rocking a child to sleep.

Support for other platforms remains non-existent. You still need an iPhone or iPad just to set up a HomePod mini, while the absences of Bluetooth audio and a line-in jack rule out even basic connectivity with non-Apple devices. While Matter support improves the range of smart home devices you can use, the mini remains a no-go if you use Android.

A better value, for the right person

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

Even with all those hangups in mind, the HomePod mini is a better value now than it was in 2020. It’s more useful and reliable in a smart home, and you aren’t as locked into Apple’s ecosystem as you were before. You’ll be pleased with the sound quality for the money, especially if you want a smart speaker that doesn’t occupy much space on an end table.

Moreover, the HomePod mini may be appealing precisely because it’s not part of the Amazon and Google ecosystems. My Echo speakers irritate me by peppering Alexa responses and notifications with unwanted pitches — no, I don’t want to subscribe to Amazon Music or rate the power cords I bought last month. Google isn’t as egregious, but it frequently offers unwanted tips. While the HomePod’s functionality is more limited, I’m tempted to switch just to escape the annoyances of its rivals.

These days, the HomePod mini is also tempting if you’re particularly privacy-minded. I’m not too fussed about it myself, but it’s no secret that Apple’s rivals generally collect more data. Amazon and Google grab personal profiles and contact information Apple doesn’t, for instance. Both likewise use queries to help target ads, and Amazon defaults to collecting voice recordings for service improvements where it’s strictly opt-in for Apple and Google. HomePods still have to gather some data, such as IP addresses and device names, but I’d feel more comfortable with the mini than its alternatives if I wanted to keep info sharing to a minimum.

Having said this, the mini is still best-suited to Apple devotees. It makes the most sense if you subscribe to Apple Music, and the proposition gets better the more Apple hardware you have. HomePods just aren’t as alluring in mixed-platform households. You may also want to wait for more Matter-compatible devices if you’re going to use this speaker as the cornerstone of an elaborate smart home setup.

This is still a stronger purchase than the high-end HomePod for most people. You’re getting the same environment sensors and voice assistant features, and the sound is pleasing if you’re either a casual music listener or tend to listen to spoken-word content like podcasts and news radio. The more expensive model is strictly for buyers who want the best possible audio quality from an Apple speaker, or want to try spatial audio without spending $450 on the Sonos Era 300.

Versus Amazon and Google, it’s more complicated. We noted in our smart speaker buying guide that the fourth-generation Echo and Nest Audio are both louder and punchier than the HomePod mini, although they pay for that with larger enclosures and less consistent sound across frequencies. They aren’t tied to one mobile platform, however, and they have rich smart home ecosystems even without Matter playing a part. Throw in more flexible voice assistants, wider hardware variety (there’s no Apple equivalent to an Echo Dot or Nest Mini) and well-established ecosystems and they’re the safer choices.

Samsung will start rolling out an update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that will give users more control over how much ambient sound they want to hear. After the software updates goes out, users will find two additional levels on top of the original three for their ambient sound volume settings under the Laboratory menu of the Galaxy Wearable app. And they can customize how much ambient sound to let in for each ear, since it's possible to adjust the volume for each earbud independently. 

The settings page already offers users the capability to customize their ambient tone range, with five stages from soft to clear. But the update will introduce a new section called "adapt ambient sound," which adds even more clarity to the environmental sounds getting into the earbuds. Samsung says it unveiled an enhancement to ambient sounds on Global Accessibility Awareness Day for people who could benefit from sounds amplification. The update, however, could also be useful for those with no hearing issues and simply just want to hear the world around them better so they could feel safe while they're running or walking outside. 

Samsung is releasing its enhanced ambient sound feature and will be rolling out a software update for it over the coming weeks.

Elektron’s Analog Heat audio processor was already a fantastic tool for adding saturation and warmth to digital instruments, but now the company’s upping the ante with a hardware refresh. Announced at the SuperBooth synthesizer expo in Berlin, Analog Heat +FX picks up where the MK2 left off, with the addition of new digital effects to complement the pre-existing saturation options.

The titular effects are the standout feature here, as the unit allows for tape emulation, reverb, bit crushing, delay, chorus and more. This is in addition to eight stereo analog distortion units, seven filter types, a two-band EQ and a noise gate. In other words, this little module can do a lot with your sound whether it's a simple keyboard riff or an entire master bus.

Another huge new feature is called flow, which lets users easily reshuffle the signal path to create unique sounds. You can insert effects at any point in the signal path, before or after the audio source, and save the results in one of 512 preset slots. The device also encourages users to experiment with the modulation source and the three LFOs for even more adjustment capabilities. There’s also a mode called bass focus that automatically goes from stereo to mono at a preset cross-over point, helping to ensure a fat and focused low end.

The hardware itself got a bit of an update here, with a new pixel-based OLED screen that is larger and brighter than the displays found on previous models. As for inputs and outputs, you get a MIDI in/out, two control inputs for foot switches and the like, multiple stereo ins and outs and a USB port. The USB port lets you plug straight into a computer, via a built-in sound card, to let you warm up (or mangle) audio from your DAW.

The Analog Heat +FX ships with a PSU-3c power supply and a USB cable. It’s available to order right now and costs $1,000.

Teenage Engineering has launched a new field recorder called the TP-7 that was designed to record interviews, music and any kind of audio with, in the company's words, "zero friction in the highest possible quality." It's the latest entry to its "Field" series of interoperable products, which includes the OP-1 synthesizer and the TX-6 mixer released last year. Like the TX-6, the TP-7 is about as big as a deck of cards and can fit comfortably in your hand. It has a motorized "tape reel" at the center that you can use to easily scrub through or pause your recording and to navigate the menu. 

There's also a rocker on the left side of the recorder that you can also use to scrub through audio, along with a button right below it that quickly changes recording modes. While you can use its built-in microphone to record audio just fine, you can also plug in external mics through its three stereo two-way jacks. Take note that the jacks can accommodate other audio equipment, as well, such as Teenage Engineering's other Field devices. 

The TP-7 also has a USB-C port that you can use to transfer data or to charge it. If you use the device for interviews, you can connect it to an iPhone through that USB-C port or via Bluetooth and fire up the company's iOS app to get automatic transcriptions. The recorder can last up to seven hours between charges, has a built-in speaker in addition to the microphone and 128GB of internal storage.

Teenage Engineering calls the TP-7 "a device engineered in every detail to do only one thing and to do it well," one that's "perfect for... journalists, lawyers and medical professionals." But like most of the company's products, the TP-7 doesn't come cheap. It's listed for $1,499 on Teenage Engineering's website with a note that says it's coming sometime this summer.