I am one of those obnoxious people who loves technology, but also occasionally listens to music on large slabs of vinyl. As such, I’m probably the target audience for Victrola’s Stream Carbon turntable. The $800 record player boasts some lovely industrial design and has the expected RCA jacks for connecting to standard speakers – but it can also wirelessly link up and stream music to any Sonos speakers in your house. It’s an unconventional marriage of analog and digital, but one that had me intrigued. And after spending some quality time with the Stream Carbon, I can say it sounds great and works as advertised, though it does feel a tad extravagant – especially at this price.

Visually, I found the Stream Carbon to be pretty striking, mixing mid-century modern minimalism with more recent flourishes. It’s certainly much lighter and less of an imposing presence than my Audio Technica AT-LP120 turntable (which itself closely resembles the classic Technics SL-1200). There’s a large, tactile knob on the front, which adjusts volume for your entire Sonos system. On the top, there’s not much to see besides the platter, a minimally adjustable tonearm, and a 33/45 RPM selector switch. (78 RPM is not an option.) Around back is a power port, Ethernet jack and RCA plugs for using the turntable with non-Sonos speakers.

My only complaint about the Stream Carbon’s design is its somewhat wonky dust cover, an unremarkable piece of plastic that covers the platter and tonearm. It’s not connected to the turntable in any way, and I often found myself wondering what to do with it when I was actually playing records. Not a huge deal, but worth knowing about ahead of time.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Setup was quite simple. The tonearm counterweight has two marks on it, each of which corresponds to the cartridge the Stream Carbon includes; my review unit came with the Ortofon Red 2M. Then it’s just a matter of putting the belt into place and dropping the platter and mat over the top. If I were using standard speakers, I’d just plug them in, but the whole point of testing the Stream Carbon was to get it hooked up to my Sonos network. Fortunately, that too was easy.

After installing the Victrola Stream app on my iPhone, it was just a matter of tapping “add a turntable” and adding it to my WiFi network. You then need to tell the turntable which Sonos speaker or group to use by default; I had set up two Play:1 speakers next to the turntable for this test. At that point, I didn’t need to do anything else in the Victrola app as everything playback related went through my Sonos system.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

I kicked things off with my bright pink Carly Rae Jespen EMOTION record; moving the tonearm automatically started the record spinning, and after a short delay the tunes started coming through my Sonos speakers. From there, I could use the Sonos app to bounce that music anywhere I wanted in my house. I have speakers on each floor of my home and could play all of them at once, or just a single set. It felt pretty weird and rather indulgent to put on a record on the first floor and listen to it up in my third-floor office, but it is definitely something I tried. Putting aside that somewhat odd use case, though, the Stream Carbon reliably worked with any and all Sonos products I have in my house – that includes a pair of older Play:1s, some gen-2 One speakers and the first-gen Beam soundbar.

After getting set up, I realized there was no real need to have a pair of speakers located directly next to the Stream Carbon. That should have been immediately obvious when I started setting things up, but it felt a little weird to have music automatically start playing on the Beam below my TV (the only other Sonos speaker in my living room). But there’s definitely something freeing about being able to place the Stream Carbon anywhere you want without having to worry about the physical proximity of the speakers you’re using. It didn’t make sense to put the turntable anywhere else in my living room, but I’d definitely consider a less traditional placement if I was building my setup from scratch.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

As for audio quality, that depends on your speakers and the condition of your records. When playing my newer vinyl, though, the Stream Carbon sounded great. I jumped between the sparse acoustic tones of Gustavo Santaolalla’s score for The Last of Us Part II and Howard Shores majestic orchestral compositions for the Lord of the Rings films to pop tunes like the aforementioned Carly Rae Jepsen record and a greatest hits compilation from Canadian electro-rock outfit Metric.

I’m no audiophile, but I was consistently impressed with the detailed soundscapes I heard with the combo of my Sonos speakers and the Stream Carbon. Noise from the records themselves was also minimal – my older albums like an original pressing of Metallica’s Master of Puppets and a late ‘70s copy of Pink Floyd’s Animals didn’t sound nearly as pristine, but the crackles and other sounds you hear from well-kept records were barely noticeable.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

One of the more unusual things about sound quality I noticed while using the Stream Carbon was that the Sonos Trueplay speaker tuning applies to record playback. If you haven’t used it before, Trueplay uses the microphone on an iPhone or iPad to listen to how a Sonos speaker sounds and adjust the audio to optimize it for the speaker’s placement in a room. Once you do this, the setting applies to anything being played through the speaker, whether it’s streaming audio through the Sonos app, audio from a connected TV or the Stream Carbon turntable.

While I almost always use Trueplay on my Sonos speakers, having it turned on while using the turntable felt like it further abstracted the concept of “listening to a record.” I was already turning the analog audio into ones and zeros by streaming it to the Sonos, and now I was applying a layer of digital enhancement to that music. At this point, I might as well have just streamed an album directly from Spotify or Apple Music to my speakers.

This gets at the heart of the questions I have about the Stream Carbon. Anyone who’s willing to spend $800 on a turntable is probably pretty serious about playing their record collection, and chances are they already have good speakers dedicated to that pursuit. That said, the Stream Carbon’s RCA outputs can easily be connected to traditional speakers, and the Sonos connectivity could just be a nice-to-have feature that you only occasionally use. But the market for people like that seems pretty small.

The Stream Carbon could also make sense for someone who already has Sonos speakers but wants to get into collecting records. But again, $800 for a turntable is a lot of money when you’re just getting started with a hobby. Then there’s someone like me, who has a bunch of Sonos speakers and a decent stack of records. My turntable and speakers are fine, but nothing to write home about; the combo of the Stream Carbon and my Sonos speakers was definitely an upgrade. But, would I spend $800 of my own money on it? Probably not. Instead, I would probably spend half that and pick up some speakers like the Audioengine A5+ or any number of other quality bookshelf speakers out there and get a comparable audio upgrade.

Even so, there’s a lot to like about Victrola’s Stream Carbon. It’s well-built, easy to set up and sounds great. And for Sonos fans, this is probably the easiest way to play records through the company’s speakers. It’s certainly a better option than shelling out $700 for the Sonos Amp, a component that you can attach to passive speakers to essentially turn them into Sonos-compatible speakers. But the Stream Carbon’s high price means that it’ll remain a niche product that could have a hard time attracting much of an audience – even among people like me, who still love playing records even in a world where listening to digital music is far easier.

Following its stretchy LCD panels, LG Display's latest gadget is a super-thin speaker designed to be installed in car interiors while remaining "invisible." The Thin Actuator Sound Solution was developed with a "global audio company" (LG didn't say which), as a replacement for traditional speakers in automobiles. 

The system eschews the usual voice coils, cones and magnets found in most speakers, instead employing so-called film-like exciter technology. That can vibrate off display panels and various materials inside the car body to enable a "rich, 3D immersive sound experience," according to the company. 

With the panels' small dimensions (5.9 x 3.5 inches and just a tenth of an inch thick) and 1.4 ounce weight, they can be hidden inside car interior parts like the dashboard, headliner, pillar, and headrests. That frees up spaces normally occupied by speakers "without compromising sound quality," according to LG. 

The concept isn't entirely new, as we've seen similar vibrating panels used in OLED TVs from Sony and LG itself. However, car interiors are a new application with appreciable benefits, if LG Display's claims about sound quality are accurate. We may find out for ourselves soon, as LG is due to show the technology off at CES 2023 (yep, it's right around the corner). LG said the speakers will be commercialized in the first half of 2023.

If you're on the lookout for a portable Bluetooth speaker, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a top choice and now available at an all-time low price. You can grab one in four colors at Amazon for $70, for a savings of $30 (30 percent) off of the regular $100 price tag. 

The UE Wonderboom 3 was one of the stars of our best portable Bluetooth speaker roundup. It's tiny yet powerful, delivering the biggest sound in its size range. It’s also quite handsome, and the refreshed model comes in a variety of colors, including the black, white, blue and pink models on sale. It delivers an extra hour of battery life over the past model along with improved wireless range. With an IP67 rating on top of the company’s five-foot drop test durability, it can go with you almost anywhere and survive to tell the tale.

The audio quality is punchy and bright enough for what you’d expect at this scale and price range. Although there’s no app support or connectivity with the rest of the UE speaker lineup, you can easily pair it with a second Wonderboom for stereo sound. There’s also an outdoor mode button on the bottom that boosts the mid and high range to help the audio carry over a greater distance.

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You don't always need to invest in a brand new TV or an expensive sound system to up your home-entertainment game. A soundbar could do the trick, providing much better audio quality than most TVs offer and costing much less than a whole sound system. Roku's Streambar is arguably one of the most convenient options available now, and it's even cheaper ahead of Black Friday. You can pick up the compact device for only $80 right now, which is $50 less than usual and the lowest we've seen it.

We gave the Streambar a score of 86 when it first came out because it not only provides a solid sound upgrade for most TVs, but it also includes 4K streaming technology inside. That means if you have an old set that isn't smart, you can turn it into a smart TV with the Streambar — no additional device required. It supports 4K HDR content and it'll give you access to more streaming services than you'll likely be able to use, including the big ones like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and others.

As for audio, the Stremabar supports Dolby Atmos and really makes sound effects and music in TV shows and movies pop. It doesn't quite replicate the feeling of being in a movie theater of course, but it certainly makes your viewing experience more cinematic by upping overall sound quality. It can also double as a Bluetooth speaker, which will be useful if you want just one device in your living room that can do many things.

The Streambar also has the advantage of being relatively small. It's roughly the size of a carton eggs, and its fabric-wrapped design is pretty attractive, if a little basic. It's much smaller than other soundbars, so it'll fit into even the most cramped of living-room setups.

But if audio isn't your biggest concern and you just want a reliable yet affordable streaming device, there are a couple of other Roku deals worth considering right now. The company's Streaming Stick 4K is down to only $25, while the Roku Express is on sale for $18. The former connects directly to your TV's HDMI port to provide 4K streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision support and voice commands via its remote. The Express is a bit more limited, as it supports HD content, connects via an included HDMI cable and comes with a remote that doesn't have voice command support.

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French high-end audio company Devialet has a reputation for making powerful, interesting and eye-wateringly expensive speakers. Today, the company has announced its first portable smart speaker with an eye-watering price tag. Looking like a cannonball with its own carrying strap, the Devialet Mania is designed to calibrate its sound to the area it’s in. So, if near to a wall, it’ll tweak where its speakers are pumping to give you “expansive” and “powerful” audio while on the go.

Devialet

Nestled inside the Mania’s 170mm (6.7-inch) tall body is a quartet of full-range drivers teamed up with a pair of Speaker Active Matching sub-woofers. Four microphones are used for that stereo calibration, but can also be used to communicate with Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa. The speaker can also connect to your favorite music service over WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. The company promises that Mania will travel well, too, with IPX4 water resistance and 10 hours of battery life, when used at moderate volumes, at least.

The Mania is available to order from today, priced at $790 online or via a number of retail stores.

I’ve reviewed consumer tech professionally for a little over a decade now, and in that time I’ve worn hundreds of headphones. I’ve tested reference pairs that cost as much as $4,000, played with tons of gaming headsets, and seen firsthand (first-ear?) as the industry has shifted toward wireless models with increasing computer-like functionality.

And yet, for people who real5ly care about how their music sounds, the easiest recommendation I can give is still a 17-year-old pair of wired “clip-on” headphones that cost $20 and look like something you’d get for free on a flight in the ‘90s. I purchased my first pair of Koss KSC75s many years ago, but for my money, they remain the best-sounding audio thing you can buy for $20. In a market that regularly uses the power of #branding to get you to pay more for basic functionality, the KSC75 are an honest anomaly. They promise quality sound at a consumer-friendly price and nothing more, and they deliver on that.

A brief history lesson: The KSC75 arrived in 2005 as a more affordable follow-up to the Koss KSC35, a similar set of ear-clip-style headphones that launched in 1995 and cost $45. Wisconsin-based Koss has long held a reputation among audio enthusiasts for good value plays, specifically with a series of headphones all based around the same 60 ohm driver, which the company has produced for decades. The most well-known of these is probably the near-40-year-old Koss Porta Pro — which still holds up itself, but is pricier and a bit flimsier in design — though other retro-style pairs like the Sporta Pro and KPH30i are built around it as well. The KSC75 (and a few others) use a version of the driver coated in titanium, however; this, combined with their lightly-clamping fit and open-back design, gives the KSC75 their own sort of sound by comparison.

And that sound is great. The emphasis here is on the midrange, which largely comes off as balanced and natural. There’s a bit of extra brightness to the treble, but not so much that higher-frequency sounds are overly sharp. The open nature of the design lends everything a pleasing sense of space, and the various elements of a given track generally always sound like they’re in the right place. The design does mean there’s practically zero sub-bass, so you don’t get any of that feel-it-in-your-chest thump from lots of hip-hop or dance tracks, but the upper-bass range that is present has enough juice to keep most songs from sounding too thin.

Jeff Dunn/Engadget

All told, this is an agreeable sound, one that’s ideal for those looking to get into more critical listening. The KSC75 doesn’t go all-in on the bass like many popular headphones these days, and while it’s a pleasure with all types of music, it plays especially nice with folksy rock or richer recordings. Beyond that, its light weight and emphasis on the vocal range makes it a natural option for podcasts and audiobooks. When I’m not in a party chat, it’s also my go-to for gaming, since its balanced tuning and wide soundstage are ideal for, say, accurately locating other players in an FPS like Overwatch or Halo.

Now, I don’t want to sound naïve. There’s a perfectly decent amount of detail here, but a good set of modern, higher-end headphones will still pick up more of a track’s nuances. And again, the utter lack of sub-bass should make it a no-go for bassheads.

Plus, since this design was something of an outlier even in 2005, it forgoes basically all of the conveniences of a modern headphone. There’s no microphone, no built-in controls, and no sweat resistance rating. Because the design is open, it blocks next to no outside noise, and everyone around you will hear whatever you’re listening to if you turn things up to even a moderate volume. None of this is ideal for travel or working out.

The KSC75’s clip-on shape is light and comfy to my ears, but it won’t be for everyone. (Lots of people buy these earpads from Japanese company Yaxi to heighten the comfort, but I wouldn’t say they’re necessary for most.) The build mostly consists of cheap silver plastic, and there are many stories of its non-detachable cable breaking over time. (Though Koss’ lifetime limited warranty effectively lets you replace them ad infinitum for $9 a pop.) These are also wired headphones in a world that is actively eradicating the headphone jack, so if you want to use them on the go, chances are you’ll need a dongle.

But that $20 price goes a long way. Saying the KSC75 is a great value is practically a meme among audio enthusiasts at this point — not in the “lol funny photo” sense, but in the “symbolic idea that spreads and embeds itself within a culture” way. Still, it’s true: the KSC75’s sound quality is practically unmatched in its price range and competitive with many headphones that cost $100 or more. They’ve gotten me through many hours of working from home. If all you want is an affordable headphone that helps you better savor your music, I bet you’ll enjoy them too.

Apple's Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds are a good alternative to AirPods, as they offer the same features like ANC and spatial audio, but offer a better fit. If the $200 price has given you pause, you can now pick up a pair at Woot for $145 (28 percent off) — the lowest price we've seen to date. 

The Beats Fit Pro scored an excellent 87 in our Engadget review for their excellent ANC performance, good sound quality and comfort. For the latter, the "fit wing" tip can bend to a wide range of ear shapes while keeping the buds firmly in place. They also offer physical buttons to answer calls, control volume, play/pause music and skip tracks.

The sound quality is "balanced and powerful" with punchy bass as you'd expect with Beats earphones, while also offering great clarity. They support Apple's spatial audio, giving you the ability to listen to Dolby Atmos Music content in Apple Music, or TV/movies on Apple TV. They also have Adaptive EQ that adjusts low- and mid-range frequencies depending on ambient sound to keep audio quality consistent. The ANC is powered by Apple's H1 chip and does a good job of blocking distractions.

We last saw them on sale for $160 during Amazon Prime days in October, so this deal will save you even more. Bear in mind that while Woot is owned by Amazon, it doesn't have the same return policy.

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Audio-Technica is bringing back its iconic Sound Burger portable turntable. After nearly 40 years and countless clones, the updated model adds a few new features to make it more appealing to modern listeners. To start, the 2022 Sound Burger includes Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in lithium-ion battery with USB-C charging. In other words, you won’t need to source a trio of C-cell batteries to power the new model. According to Audio-Technica, you can expect to get about 12 hours of continuous playback from the 2022 Sound Burger before it needs to be charged.

The company has tweaked the design of the turntable in a few other ways. For one, you won’t find an extendable cord hanger for your headphones. Speaking of headphones, the 2022 model doesn’t come with a complimentary pair like its predecessor. However, it will ship with an RCA cable if you prefer to physically connect the turntable to your sound system. The 2022 model also comes stock with an Audio-Technica ATN3600L stylus. Otherwise, this is in many ways the same turntable a lot of people fondly remember. Like its predecessor, it features a DC motor with a belt drive that can play 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, meaning you can use it to listen to both full-length LPs and singles. It also looks just as good as it did back in 1983.

The 2022 Sound Burger is available to buy starting today for $199/£200/€229. That’s a reasonable price when you consider a vintage model can set you back as much as $500 on eBay. No word yet if Audio-Technica plans to bring back the Mister Disc branding for the US release.

Now's your chance to get a pair of solid noise-cancelling headphones without the usual high price. Amazon is selling the WH-XB910N with active noise cancellation (ANC) for $123, or a hefty 51 percent off. That's a better deal than we saw earlier this year, and makes them an easy pick if you're shopping in the sub-$150 range.

The WH-XB910N headphones may not match the stellar audio fidelity of Sony's flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones, but they don't have to at this price. You still get clear mid- and high-range sounds, strong bass and 360 Reality Audio (aka spatial audio) for services like Amazon Music HD, Deezer and Tidal. You'll also get robust noise cancellation, a healthy 30 hours of claimed battery life and support for voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant.

These are good commuter headphones, too. The WH-XB910N can amplify your voice when you make calls in noisy environments, and an ambient sound mode lets you hear crosswalk traffic or a subway stop announcement. They're particularly helpful if you want to quickly head out after a long day at work — 10 minutes of charging will deliver 4.5 hours of listening. Throw in the included carrying case and you can easily bring these with you.

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Gaming creators and streamers will already be familiar with Rode. The company’s microphones and podcastingproducts make good options for those plugging into OBS, YouTube, Twitch and anywhere else you might “go live.” But as of today, there’s a whole new sub brand specifically catering to their needs: Rode X.

The first three products under the new mark include two microphones and a comprehensive desktop app for stream routing and mixing. The mics will look eerily familiar to fans of Rode products, but the company assures us they have been “redesigned internally for optimal performance for streaming and gaming.”

The new mics are the XDM-100 ($249) and XCM-50 ($150). The clue to the difference between them is in the name - D for dynamic, C for condenser (you can read about the difference here). The XDM-100, at least physically, looks like Rode’s Podcaster with a dash of red at the top. The XCM-50 is a condenser microphone that appears to be built on the same platform as the NT-USB Mini and features a distinct red button on the front.

James Trew / Engadget

Both microphones are USB only (no XLR), which means you won’t need an audio interface to use them, and they have built-in headphone ports for latency-free monitoring. Which of the two might interest you most will depend on both your preferences and the room where you stream from.

The XCM-50 has a bright sound that will work well for those in acoustically treated, or “softer” rooms. When tested side by side with its NT-USB Mini doppelganger, they do sound incredibly close, but to my ears the XCM-50 is a tiny bit brighter sounding. The NT-USB Mini sounds a shade “closer” by comparison.

The XDM-100 has a more classic “dynamic” microphone sound. While perhaps not quite as well rounded as something like the Shure SM7B or even Rode’s own Podmic, it feels cleaner than the Podcaster that it shares its physical appearance with. If you want a good USB dynamic option, this feels like a competitive choice for the price. Especially once coupled with the new Unify software.

The one thing that a lot of gamers and streamers really need isn’t so much a microphone – there are many options for that – it’s a reliable tool to route all the sounds in your stream, usually some mix of game sounds, chat, music and effects. With Unify, you have a simple software solution that is similar to the routing matrices you find with the GoXLR, the BEACN Mix Create or Elgato’s Wave Link.

Rode

Unify creates a couple of virtual audio interfaces on your PC and you can then control which app uses what, and where that sound goes. For example, you probably want your intro music to go out on the stream, but maybe you don’t want it in your headphones? Or maybe you want your audience to hear a YouTube video you’re playing, but not the music you’re streaming. With Unify, you can pipe most things to most places, and then change the levels, or “mix” for each destination also.

Rode has added the ability to record all your audio directly within the app, too. This makes it appealing to more than just streamers. For example, you could use it to record both sides of a Zoom call and be able to feed audio into that call that would otherwise be tricky. The fact that Unify has sound pads for intros and effects means it also works quite well as a software “Rodecaster Pro.”

Unify looks most similar to Wave Link but offers much more fine-grained control. The app isn’t quite as simple as BEACN’s, which lets you access each mix matrix at all times and has a slightly clearer UI. BEACN also benefits from the hardware mixer, too, but there’s no option to record within that app or trigger sound effects.

Where Unify differs from most of its rivals is that you don’t have to buy the company’s hardware to use it. If you just wanted the software features you can pay $5 a month or $45 a year for the app alone. This means you can easily use it with any microphone you have, you’re not beholden to using a Rode (unlike, Wave Link that requires an Elgato mic). If you do buy a Rode X mic, then the software is free. Sadly, if you already own a Rode USB mic, it won’t unlock the software, you'll be paying like everybody else.