Facebook has been making a big push into audio over the past several months. Now, it's bringing those features together. Users can access an Audio hub in Facebook's mobile app, from which they can access podcasts, live audio rooms and short clips.
The company has been quietly rolling out the hub on iOS and Android, as TechCrunch notes. All US users aged 18 and older should see the option in the Watch tab as of today.
Facebook initially launched live audio rooms, its Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces competitor, in July. It says that all verified public figures and creators can now host live audio rooms, not just those in the US. All Facebook groups will be able to run audio discussions too. The company is testing the option to create audio rooms on Android (it was an iOS-only feature until now) and you'll be able to listen to the conversations on desktop.
Live Audio Rooms testing for Android and desktop: We’re also testing the ability to create a Live Audio Room from Android, and the ability to listen from desktop.
— Alexandru Voica (alexvoica.eth) 💀 (@alexvoica) October 11, 2021
The short-form Soundbites audio clip feature is still in beta, though Facebook plans to roll it out more broadly in the US over the next several weeks. In addition, the company has been working on measures, such as tech that automatically flags harmful content, to detect and take action on audio that violates the Community Standards. Given Facebook's history as a breeding ground for misinformation, that'll be an important issue to address as the company pushes further into audio.
With excellent sound, solid ANC and good battery life, Apple's AirPods Max headphones have a lot going for them. If you've been eyeing a pair but find the $549 price hard to swallow, take note. Amazon is now selling the AirPods Max in all colors for $100 off at $449, the cheapest price we've seen on the site.
The AirPods Max made our latest list of favorite headphones, thanks to their high sound quality, effective noise-cancellation and reliable controls. They have an eye-catching design, and despite being slightly heavier than Sony’s WH-1000XM4 cans, they're comfortable to wear thanks to the breathable mesh fabric and large ear cups. They have a rotating crown to control sound that's easy to use, once you get the hang of it.
They have more natural sound than other headphones we've tried, with bass that's prominent but not overpowering. The ANC on Sony's WH-1000XM4 model is slightly more effective, but the AirPods Max are close, blocking out most environmental noise. Like other AirPods models, the Transparency Mode lets you quickly disable ANC and join conversations. One of the main drawbacks is a lack of lossless audio support, but they do work with with Dolby Atmos spatial audio on most Apple devices.
In fact, the AirPods Max really shine if you're in the Apple ecosystem. With its H1 chip, it'll quickly pair with and switch between an iPhone and a Mac, for example — letting you quickly go from taking a call to editing video. The regular price of $549 is a lot to pay for that convenience, however, so Amazon's $100 discount presents a good opportunity to pick up a pair.
Universal Audio is an iconic name in music gear thanks to devices like the UA 610 preamp and 1176 compressor. However, the gear can be a tad expensive for home studio producers, with the previous base Apollo Solo interface priced at $699. Now, you can get that vintage analog preamp sound starting at $139 with the new Volt line of audio interfaces.
All the Volts offers a vintage Mic Preamp mode with mic/line preamp circuitry emulating the UA 610 console, used over the years by numerous artists (The Doors, MC5, Van Halen, Arcade Fire) to make sounds warmer or add some grit. The two more expensive models, the Volt 276 and Volt 476, also have built-in analog 1176-type compressor circuits and presets for vocals, guitar. etc. The only thing missing is the digital signal processing (DSP) found in higher-end products like the Apollo lineup, though that's to be expected at these price points.
UA isn't the first high-end gear maker to target bedroom producers, as Solid State Logic recently unveiled an affordable line of interfaces. All the Volts come with bundled with a lot of software including Ableton Live Lite, Marshall Plexi and Time & Tone (Softube), Virtual Drummer DEEP and more. They'll be available in late November from "select Universal Audio retailers," starting at $139 for the Volt 1 (1in/2out) and going up to $369 for the Volt 476 (4in/4out).
Anker's Soundcore line is a great place to look if you're hoping to save some money on your next pair of earbuds. The company offers a range of designs at affordable prices that undercut much of the competition. What's more, Anker doesn't make many sacrifices when it comes to sound, performance and features to keep those prices low. Today, the company debuts the Liberty 3 Pro: a $170 follow-up to 2019's Liberty 2 Pro that adds active noise cancellation (ANC), improved audio and a refined design.
The Liberty 3 Pro has a similar look to the Liberty 2 Pro with silicone fit wings and a shape that's built to relieve pressure and discomfort. Anker says the new earbuds are 30 percent smaller than the previous model and they're IPX4 rated for moisture protection. On-board controls return to give you easy access to music and calls. Inside, the company explains that "an upgraded dual driver configuration" developed alongside nearly two dozen Grammy winning producers powers its "best sounding model to date." Anker's Astria Coaxial Acoustic Architecture (ACAA) has been updated to version 2.0, enabling more detail without distortion. The Liberty 3 Pro also supports Sony's LDAC codec for wireless audio, a standard that transmits more data over Bluetooth for high-res listening.
Anker/Soundcore
The biggest addition here is ANC. The noise-cancelling setup employs Anker's HearID tech that can tailor the sound profile of the earbuds to your hearing. After a quick hearing test, HearID can increase certain frequencies that may be more difficult for you to hear in each ear. HearID also powers the active noise cancelling tech here, automatically customizing the level of noise reduction based on the clamor around you. Anker says the system creates an individual sound profile that accounts for in-ear pressure as well. The Liberty 3 Pro is also outfitted with AI-powered background noise reduction for calls and three ambient sound modes for a variety of scenarios.
Anker says the Liberty 3 Pro will last up to six hours on a charge with ANC on or up to eight hours with noise cancellation disabled. The included case supports wireless charging and holds up to three additional charges. A quick-charge feature will give you three hours of use in just 15 minutes.
The Liberty 3 Pro is available today for $169.99 (£139.99/€159.99/$199.99 CAD) in black, white, gray and purple color options.
In 2019, Axel Grell, the designer of Sennheiser’s legendary HD580 and HD800 headphones, left the company to found Grell Audio. Two years later, the startup is coming out with a pair of true wireless headphones known as the TWS/1. Set to cost $200 when they go on sale next month, they feature components individually sourced and designed by Grell. Highlights include custom 10mm drivers, support for ANC and a proprietary feature called Noise Annoyance Reduction (NAR) that the company claims cancels out high-end noises.
Grell Audio
Codec support is also extensive. In addition to mainstays like SBC and AAC, the earbuds can connect to your device over LHDC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX adaptive. Outside of a handful of proprietary Sony formats, all that’s missing here is Qualcomm’s recently announced aptX Lossless codec. You can get up to 28 hours of battery life from the headphones with the included charging case.
Grell plans to employ a direct-to-consumer model that will see the company sell the TWS/1 earbuds exclusively through its website and Drop. Pre-orders open today, with general availability to follow in November. The Drop version of the headphones will be known as the tws.01 and feature an all-black finish and come with an additional set of blue wingtips.
Sony has revealed its first wireless neckband speaker with Dolby Atmos support. The company says the SRS-NS7 offers "an immersive home theater experience" without the need for a surround sound speaker system or having headphones clamped around your head.
For the full Dolby Atmos effect, you'll need a Sony Bravia XR TV and the included wireless transmitter. After you hook up the adapter and pair it with the neckband over Bluetooth, you can use the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer app to take a photo of your ear. The app will estimate the shape of your ear and optimize the arrangement of virtual Dolby Atmos speakers for you.
The company says the transmitter also will minimize audio lag to precisely match up the audio and images. You can buy the WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter separately and use it with some Sony headphones for the same effect.
Sony
Along with watching their TV with the neckband, users can connect it to other devices. Pair the SRS-NS7 with a smartphone and you can listen to 360 Reality Audio from supported music streaming services such as Deezer and Tidal. Customers can link the device with a PC or tablet too.
Sony notes the flexibly designed SRS-NS7 includes multipoint connection, meaning it can link to two devices simultaneously. So if you're listening to music from your computer and a call comes in on your phone, you can answer with a press of a button and use the built-in microphone. In addition, the SRS-NS7 has an IPX4 rating, meaning it's splash-proof.
As for the battery life, you'll get up to 12 hours of use out of a single charge, Sony says, and up to five hours of playback at maximum volume. You'll get up to an hour of use after 10 minutes of charging.
The SRS-NS7 neckband costs $300 and the TV transmitter is $60. Pre-orders are open now and the devices will ship on October 27th.
I didn't expect much from the second-generation Sonos Beam. It has the same exact speaker components as the original, a device we already loved. The main difference is that the new Beam also has more processing power to handle Dolby Atmos surround sound. I tend to want more in a sequel, especially since in this case Gen 2 costs $50 more at $450. But even though it's more of a revision, the new Beam still manages to deliver a wider, more immersive soundscape than before. It proves that having a dollop of Dolby Atmos can go a long way.
The original Sonos Beam was a predictable hit. Consumers were hungry for soundbars to beef up their flatscreen TVs, and it turned out that many people also wanted a cheaper alternative to Sonos's two TV solutions at the time , the aging Playbar and the awkwardly shaped PlayBase, both priced at $699. Enter the $400 Beam: it was compact enough to fit in small living rooms; featured Amazon Alexa built in; and, most importantly, it sounded great. It was an accessible entry point into Sonos's family of connected speakers, pluss an easy upgrade for existing customers.
The new Beam looks almost the same as before; the only difference is that it has a perforated plastic grille around its curved exterior, a departure from the thin cloth covering on the previous-gen model. It's still surprisingly small, measuring just 25.6 inches wide and weighing a mere six pounds. It has the same rear ports, too: Ethernet, HDMI and power. You'll need to plug it into an HDMI ARC/eARC socket on your TV to tap into the power of Dolby Atmos and TrueHD. (But if you've got an older set, you can get basic Dolby Digital decoding with the bundled HDMI to optical adapter.)
Speaking of Atmos, that was a major deficiency on the earlier Beam. When that speaker was released in 2018, soundbar makers like Vizio were already exploring what was possible with Dolby's new technology. Typically, that involved using upward-firing speakers to bounce sound off of your ceiling. And, despite seeming like a bit of an audio hack, in my experience those speakers do a decent job of replicating what you get from Atmos-equipped cinemas, which have dedicated hardware built into their ceilings. There are limits, though: Upward-firing Atmos speakers tend to max out with 15-foot ceilings, and they work best with flat surfaces.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Given the additional hardware and room requirements, why go through the trouble of getting Atmos hardware at all? Simply put, it makes for more room-filling surround sound than traditional 5.1 solutions like Dolby Digital and DTS. Those earlier technologies sent sound to specific channels — left, right, center, two rears and a subwoofer. Atmos is different: It's object based, allowing engineers to map sounds in 3D (XYZ) space coordinates. That lets an Atmos mix automatically scale up anywhere from two speakers (or basic stereo support) to 64 in cinemas.
Sonos is no stranger to Atmos soundbars: It's the defining feature on the $899 Arc. But what makes the second-generation Beam unique is that it doesn't even have upward-firing speakers. It has the same basic hardware as before: a center tweeter, four mid-woofers for mid-range sound, and three passive radiators to handle the low-end. Instead, it's relying entirely on audio processing to simulate the Dolby Atmos experience. The additional CPU speed allows it to power two additional channels: height and surround for both the left and right speakers.
When Sonos first announced the second-gen Beam, I immediately wondered how the heck it could provide any height channels without adding more speakers. It turns out, the company leaned even more heavily into psychoacoustics, or the science of how we perceive sound. According to Scott Fink, the product manager behind all of Sonos's home theater gear, the company can tweak the audio timing and frequency to make it seem as if sound is coming from the side, or slightly above you. It's no replacement for having actual speakers dedicated to blasting height channels, but it worked surprisingly well in my testing.
During the opening chase in Baby Driver, for example, I could hear cars whizzing by my ears, the roar of powerful engines and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Bellbottoms" filling my family room. That same scene on the original Beam sounded fine, but there was no sense of enveloping surround sound. The second-generation model just sounded like a richer experience, as if cotton balls were removed from my ears.
The same was true while revisiting 2015's (seriously underrated) The Man from U.N.C.L.E., or the epic car-turned-motorcycle chase in MIssion Impossible: Rogue Nation. The new Beam is a tiny speaker meant to make a meal of bombastic action sequences, and it does so without distorting or breaking a sweat. Sonos also focused on making dialog clearer too, something I appreciated when conversations were happening amid those huge set pieces.
Mostly, though, I was impressed by what Sonos was able to do with such a small device. You can find soundbars and wireless surround sound systems for less than $450, and many will deliver bigger sound. But Sonos offers things other systems don't. For one, it's easy to set up: You just plug it into the appropriate ports and step through the process on Sonos's app. With competing products, you may also have to find spots to hold rear speakers, which still need to plug into power. As great as the new Beam sounds, though, it's no match for the Atmos capabilities of the Arc. But for half the price, I wouldn't expect it to.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
When it comes to synchronized audio throughout your home, Sonos is still the connected speaker company to beat. There's no easier way to program music for house parties (and outdoor shindigs with the portable Roam and Move speakers). The second-gen Beam is a solid addition to the family when it comes to music, though it's less of an immediate upgrade compared to movies. It'll support Dolby Atmos on Amazon Music later this year, but that service currently doesn't have a huge number of Atmos tracks. Sonos isn't saying when it'll support Atmos on Apple Music, but there's technically nothing stopping that from happening down the line.
The new Beam sounded fine while playing back some of my favorite albums, like Bjork's Homogenic and Janelle Monae's The Electric Lady, with a decent sense of presence and some thumping low-end. But it didn't sound dramatically different like it did with action movies. Amazon Music's Ultra HD mix of Marvin Gayes' "What's Going On" sounded very crisp and clear, but I'll be more interested in hearing what the Atmos version of that song sounds like eventually. On my Echo Studio, that Atmos mix almost sounds like Gaye is performing a live concert right in front of you.
And speaking of Echo devices, the Beam’s Alexa integration still works well. Its far-field microphones can hear me from the other side of my large family room, and it supports all of the same commands as Amazon’s own devices. It could easily replace an Echo in the same room, but you can also just mute the microphone and keep your Amazon account unlinked if you don’t want to have it listening in.
The Sonos Beam excels at being a simple and compact soundbar that'll give you a large soundstage for movies. But I'd recommend sitting back and thinking about what's really important to you. Do you care more about having a clean TV setup without many wires? Or do you want a soundbar system with more realistic surround sound? (Actual rears, a subwoofer and upward-firing Atmos speakers.) If so, you've also got great options like Vizio's M-series 5.1.2 for around $500.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
You could eventually build a Sonos surround sound system around the Beam by adding two One speakers as rears, as well as the company's wireless subwoofer. But those two pieces of hardware alone would run you another $1,150 (or you could buy them all bundled together for $1,499). If you're going that route, you might as well jump straight to the $899 Arc to have the best possible Sonos system.
The second-generation Sonos Beam isn’t a huge leap ahead of the original, but it’s still a better soundbar overall thanks to the addition of Atmos. If you already own a Beam, you don’t need to run out and grab one. But it’s a solid sub-$500 soundbar if you want to take your movie watching up a notch.
Note: Sonos is a former sponsor of my movie podcast, The Filmcast, but that hasn't stopped me from being critical of the company.
Sony's flagship noise-cancelling headphones and tech-filled true wireless earbuds were refreshed with new 1000XM4 models in recent months. However, the company's more affordable options are still due for a refresh, and Sony begins that process today. With the WF-C500, the company offers a solid set of true wireless earbuds capable of handling immersive 360 Reality Audio for $100. And if over-ear noise-cancelling headphones are more your vibe, the WF-XB910N pairs ANC (active noise cancellation) with 30-hour battery life for $250.
The true wireless WF-C500 replaces the WF-XB700 at the bottom of Sony's price range. What's more, they're $30 cheaper than the XB700 was initially at $99.99. This substitution is a good thing because despite handling the basics well, the tiered design wasn't as ergonomic or comfy as the company suggested. With the WF-C500, Sony takes design cues from its high-end WF-1000XM4 earbuds. The result is smaller size and a more secure fit that should be more comfortable during hours of continuous use. And an IPX4 rating means you can use these during workouts without worrying about moisture damage.
Inside, the C500 is equipped with Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) that restores some of the detail lost when music is compressed for streaming over Bluetooth. The company also allows you employ sound presets and adjust the EQ with its Headphones app. Plus, you have the option of listening in Sony's 360 Reality Audio if you're willing to splurge for the priciest streaming plan on select services (Amazon Music HD, Tidal HiFi, etc.). On-board controls give you the ability to manage music, adjust volume, take calls and activate a voice assistant without reaching for your phone. Lastly, the C500 will give you up to 10 hours of listening time with one additional charge in the included case. A quick-charge feature offers an hour of tunes in 10 minutes.
The WF-C500 is available for pre-order today, but colors vary by retailer. Sony will offer them in black, as will Amazon, Best Buy and Target. Exclusive colors include white (Amazon), green (Best Buy) and orange (Target). The earbuds are set to ship in October.
Sony XB-910N
Sony
For the over-ear noise-cancelling crowd, the WH-XB910N replaces the WH-XB900N in the middle of Sony's headphone lineup. The price stays the same at $249.99, but the company offers a new design and improved ANC thanks to a Dual Noise Sensor. As the "XB" signifies, this model is equipped with the company's Extra Bass feature that amps up the low-end tone when activated. DSEE tech makes streaming over Bluetooth a bit more enjoyable by restoring detail lost to compression. The XB910N can also manage Sony's 360 Reality Audio content and employs Adaptive Sound Control, a staple of the company's pricier headphones, that can automatically adjust settings based on activity or location.
Sony is also angling at the remote working crowd here. The company explains that Precise Voice Pickup tech uses a combination of microphones and signal processing to amplify your voice on calls. There's also "a more natural listening experience" in ambient sound mode as Sony says the XB910N can pick up more of what's going on around you. That's handy whether you need to stay tuned in to what's going on either at home or in the office. On-board controls include Sony's quick attention feature which lets outside noise in when you place your hand over an earcup and there's a dedicated button to quickly change from ANC to ambient sound.
Sony says the XB910N will last up to 30 hours with the option of 4.5 hours of listening time after a 10-minute quick charge. To further cater to travelers, the company opted for soft, oval-shaped earpads for extra cushion and a design that folds flat for easy storage. If you prefer to save even more on your noise-cancelling headphones, the excellent WH-CH710N will stick around and are currently $98. Although they lack a lot of the handy features from Sony's other models, the noise-cancelling CH710N are light and comfy, handling the basics very well for that price.
The WF-C500 is available for pre-order today, and once again, the colors vary by retailer. Sony will offer them in black, as will Amazon and Best Buy. Exclusive colors include blue (Amazon) and gray (Best Buy). The headphones are scheduled to ship in October.
Arturia already has a lineup of audio interfaces. They're fairly well regarded. But one thing they're not, is cheap. The base model AudioFuse is $699. It is not for the casual bedroom producer. But, the company knows that the more people making music, the bigger its customer base, so serving that entry level is important. The MiniFuse line is the answer to that need.
The lineup of three models starts at $99 for the MiniFuse 1. It's the most basic of the new devices with a single combo input for XLR and 1/4-inch instruments. But it has the same preamps, 110db dynamic range, five-year warranty and software bundle as the rest of the lineup. All the MiniFuses can also act as USB hubs, so you can connect a controller through the interface and save some port space on your PC. What you lose mostly by opting for the most affordable option is the MIDI in and out ports. You also can't blend direct monitoring with the USB output, you can only switch between the two.
The $149 MiniFuse 2 adds a second input, MIDI in and out ports and has a mix control for balancing between direct monitoring of your input and what's coming out of your PC. This is handy for recording live audio when even the tiniest of latency is unacceptable.
The MiniFuse 4 hasn't gotten a price tag yet, and wont be shipping until next year. But it has line inputs around the back, two additional audio outputs and an additional headphone jack so you and a collaborator can both monitor a track together without filling your recording space with more noise. If you use a decent amount of outboard gear or frequently work with a vocalist this is probably the way to go. The extra outputs and inputs are especially handy for routing audio out of your computer, processing it with external effects then running it back into your DAW for final mixing.
The MiniFuse line comes with a solid bundle of software including Ableton Live Lite, Analog Lab Intro, a bundle of four Arturia FX, Native Instruments Guitar Rig 6 LE and three month subscriptions to both Auto-Tune Unlimited and Splice.
The MiniFuse 1 and MiniFuse 2 are available to pre order now and will start shipping in November.
The iOS 15 release brings an added treat if you're a fan of immersive audio: a better soundstage for your tunes. As hinted at WWDC in June, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 users now have dynamic head tracking for spatial audio in Apple Music. So long as you're using the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, instruments and vocals will have a fixed-in-place virtual presence — turn your head and that guitar or vocal will pan accordingly.
Apple had promised Apple Music head tracking in the fall, but hadn't directly linked it to iOS 15 at the time. You don't need Apple's higher-end AirPods if you're content with 'regular' spatial audio, although you will need some form of AirPods or Beats earphones if you want automatic Dolby Atmos support.
Yes, it's a not-so-subtle sales pitch for higher-end AirPods. It's only useful for that subset of the Apple Music catalog with spatial audio support, for that matter. All the same, it could be appreciated if you want a more natural-sounding (or at least, less jarring) approach to 360-degree audio.