Victrola has made a somewhat surprising move into high-end, streaming-capable turntables over the last few years, and it's showing off the latest in the lineup at CES 2024. The Victrola Stream Sapphire is a $1,499 turntable with "premium" components and materials that can connect to Sonos and Roon streaming systems and also supports the Universal Plug and Play protocol (UPnP). It can also output up to 24-bit/48kHz lossless FLAC audio. 

Getting beyond the jargon, this means that the Stream Sapphire can output your vinyl to a Sonos system once it's set up on the same network as your Sonos speakers. I've tried this with the Stream Carbon turntable from 2022 and it works pretty seamlessly and is easy to set up, so I wager the Sapphire will be similarly straightforward. 

As for Roon, it's a more complex, server-based system that pulls together music files and streaming services and broadcasts them to compatible speakers and output devices. The variety of hardware you can use is much larger than the Sonos ecosystem, but it sounds like Roon support works the same way. Once you get the Sapphire connected to your Roon setup in Victrola's Stream app, the turntable will output audio to whatever speakers are in that setup. And since Roon integrates with other protocols like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, you should be able to send the turntable's audio to devices like the HomePod or any Chomecast-compatible speakers. Similarly, any speakers or audio receivers that support UPnP can output audio from the Sapphire, as well. 

The Stream Sapphire has a few other upgrades over the existing Stream turntables as well. Probably most notable is that it uses the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, compared to the 2M Red. The Sapphire also has a lovely walnut veneer over its MDF and aluminum body, and it has the same high-end carbon fiber tonearm and aluminum platter as the Stream Carbon. It also has adjustable-height aluminum feet with a sound-dampening base to help reduce vibration and make sure the turntable is level on whatever surface it sits on. And, in a nod to the traditional, it has gold-placed RCA jacks for hooking up wired speakers.

This turntable follows the $800 Stream Carbon, which can send music to Sonos speakers; Victrola followed that up with the more affordable $600 Stream Onyx at CES 2023. Since then, the company also announced the Hi-Res Carbon and Hi-Res Onyx, two turntables that opt for Bluetooth or aptX wireless audio output. I really enjoyed using the original Stream Carbon with my Sonos system when I first tested it, but even that felt like a niche device — I'm wondering how big of a market there is for a $1,500 wireless turntable, but Victrola now has a pretty wide range of streaming record players at this point, from the Hi-Res Onyx that's currently selling for $300 all the way up to the new Sapphire. Victrola says the Stream Sapphire will be on sale this spring.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

After rounding out its RTX 40 GPUs in 2023 with the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, NVIDIA has brought the inevitable follow-ups to CES 2024: slightly faster Super cards! In Las Vegas today, NVIDIA has unveiled the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Super GPUs, upgrades over its previous GPUs which aim to compete directly with AMD's cheaper high-end cards. And of course, NVIDIA can't help but tout how useful they'll be for on-device AI tasks.

The RTX 4080 Super will sell for $999 when it arrives on January 31, while the RTX 4070 Ti Super will go for $799 on January 24th. AMD's Radeon 7900 XTX and XT launched at $999 and $899 a year ago — now NVIDIA has high-end options that don't involve shelling out $1,199 for the original RTX 4080 or an eye-watering $1,599 for the RTX 4090. For most buyers though, the mid-range $599 RTX 4070 Super may be the most compelling value when it lands on January 17.

NVIDIA isn't divulging the full specs for these cards yet, but it says the RTX 4080 Super is twice as fast as the 3080 Ti in games while using DLSS 3 Frame Generation. Recent leaks suggest it'll have 10,240 CUDA cores, compared to 9,728 on the 4080, as well as faster clock speeds and beefier 23 Gbps memory. 

The RTX 4070 Ti will get a very helpful 16GB memory upgrade (instead of 12GB on the previous card), which edges it closer to the 20GB VRAM the Radeon 7900 XT. The RTX 4070, meanwhile, will sport 20 percent more cores than the original model to be "faster than an RTX 3090 at a fraction of the power," according to NVIDIA.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

AI is literally everywhere, so it's not a big surprise to learn that Volkswagen is planning to bring ChatGPT to its vehicles. As part of its CES 2024 announcements, the automaker says that its existing IDA voice assistant will work with ChatGPT across a range of its newer models. VW isn't the first to try this — Mercedes-Benz announced ChatGPT integration in June of last year, so it seems like this is certainly a thing we're all going to have to get used to.

Specifically, VW says that ChatGPT will be enabled in these specific models with the latest generation of the company's infotainment systems: ID.7 (pictured above), ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, the new Volkswagen Tiguan, the new Passat and the new Golf. It'll roll out ChatGPT as as "standard feature" in "many" production vehicles in Q2 of 2024; the company didn't say in which regions, but notes that the feature is only currently "being considered" for the US market.

As for what it can do, it sounds like ChatGPT will be used to enhance the existing capabilities of VW's voice assistant as well as offer some new conversational tricks. VW notes how its assistant can already do things like control the infotainment system, navigation, climate control and other such features. With the addition of ChatGPT, VW envisions interactions with more intuitive, back-and-forth language. That's something we're seeing from companies like Google and Amazon as they explore how to enhance Google Assistant and Alexa, so the same may apply here. VW's press release specifically cites "enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information" as things that ChatGPT can enable. 

One good thing is that this will all be built into the car without the need for a driver to really set anything up. As you can now, you'll activate the voice assistant — and if the car's standard system can't adequately answer the query, it'll anonymously send it to ChatGPT. The company stresses that ChatGPT doesn't get any information about the vehicle and questions and answers are deleted immediately. 

I'll admit that I was initially skeptical of how something like ChatGPT could be used in a car — but if it can in fact better understand and answer queries that are important when you're behind the wheel, I'm willing to give it a shot. VW didn't say if it would have any demos of this new tech at CES this year, but we'll be looking to see if we can experience it for ourselves. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

LG is one of many companies that usually shows off new soundbars in Las Vegas, and at CES 2024, that trend continues. While the new models are designed to compliment LG TVs, they offer something different in terms of audio, design and features. The most robust option, the S95TR, is a 9.1.5-channel setup that comes bundled with a subwoofer and rear speakers. 

The flagship S95TR musters an output of 810 watts and is what the company calls the first Atmos-equipped soundbar with triple up-firing channels. Those include what LG says is the industry's first center up-firing speaker. That center driver helps with the dimensionality of the sound by boosting clarity and the overall soundstage. Two tweeters handle the treble while a passive radiator offers low-end tone in the correct relation to the wireless subwoofer. The S95TR employs Wowcast Built-in to wirelessly receive audio, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, from LG TVs. The company says the tech can even handle lossless-quality sound without a wired connection. 

Indeed, the audio quality from the S95TR is big and boomy. Aided by rear speakers with three drivers, the sound from the complete setup was full, with punchy highs and bombastic bass when a scene demanded it. Last year, LG nixed the wireless transmission box that sat between the rear speakers on the S95TR's predecessor, opting instead to put that tech inside the speakers themselves. That's still the case, but the company decided to forgo the box on rear speakers that are sold separately this year. You still need to run a cable between them, but an added piece of hardware isn't required when expanding your setup. 

To match up with its premium OLED TVs, LG has introduced the SG10TY. This is a flatter, low-profile option that looks at home situated below the company's M series. It's a 3.1-channel unit that can be expanded to a 5.1-channel setup with the addition of rear speakers. I wasn't able to hear this one during my demo, but I can tell you that it looks quite striking with those LG OLED TVs. And while it doesn't offer the sonic power of the S95TR on paper, I'm willing to bet some people will be just fine sacrificing a bit of dimensionality for improved aesthetics. Thanks to Wowcast Built-in, the wireless audio means you won't have visible wires just to get Dolby Atmos, further enhancing the clean look. 

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

These two models offer the Wow interface, which puts soundbar settings and sound modes on a menu on the TV. They are also all both equipped with the company's Wow Orchestra tech that ensures the best audio quality thanks to "an enlarged soundstage and improved depth and height." This should particularly come in handy for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content. LG's AI room calibration now factors in the rear speakers in a surround sound setup, adjusting for the proper sound no matter where you put them. The company says the tweak can even happen if the rear speakers are setup at uneven distances due to furniture or other living room constraints. 

There's no word on pricing or availability for either of the new soundbars, but we'll likely hear more as launch day approaches for each one. In the meantime, these are our reigning picks for the best soundbars currently available on the market.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

AMD was the first company to deliver x86 laptop chips with NPUs for AI acceleration last year — now, at CES 2024 it's doing the same for desktops. The company's new Ryzen 8000G processors, which debuted today in Las Vegas (but have already been leaked by retailers), are once again NPU pioneers among x86 desktop chips. And on top of that, the company claims its built-in Radeon 700M graphics are the fastest ever seen on a desktop chip.

While the Ryzen 8000G chips aren't AMD's most powerful desktop offerings — the Ryzen 7700X and above all offer higher clock speeds, core counts and onboard cache — AMD says the new processors could be compelling options for gamers trying to build capable systems on a budget. The fastest model, the Ryzen 7 $329 8700G, is an eight-core chip running between 4.2GHz and 5.1GHz, sporting Radeon 780M graphics.

According to AMD, that processor averages 90 fps in Baldur's Gate 3 in 1080p with low detail settings and the company's Hyper-RX and Fluid Motion Frames features turned on. (The latter is a bit controversial, since it can make gameplay look smoother and deliver higher fps counts, but it's also early technology and it's interpolating even more frames than AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 3.0.) Without any of those extra features, the 8700G still hits a respectable 58 fps in Baldur's Gate 3.

Of course, not many people, especially self-proclaimed gamers, would actually want to play with the lowest graphics settings. But if you're on a budget and building a system piece-by-piece, the 8700G and the rest of the 8000G family could at least let you play something before buying a dedicated GPU. AMD also claims its built-in graphics are significantly faster than Intel's latest offerings. According to the company's benchmarks, the 8700G is four times as fast in Hitman 3 in 1080p compared to the Intel i7-17400K's UHD 770 graphics.

Even if you're not intrigued by the Ryzen 8000G Series' graphics potential, its NPU still makes it a unique desktop chip. Much like the NPU's we've seen on AMD's recent mobile chips, as well as Intel's new Core Ultra hardware, it'll let you speed up AI tasks without hitting your CPU or GPU. At the moment, NPUs enable features like Windows Studio Effects, which can blur your background during video chats, as well as media editing in Adobe and DaVinci software. NPUs are more compelling on laptops now, as they can help systems be more efficient and potentially save battery life. But having an NPU on your desktop chip today could be a smart way to future-proof your build.

Speaking of those AI accelerators, AMD also teased the performance of its new Ryzen 8040 mobile chips at CES — specifically, by putting them head-to-head with Intel's Core Ultra hardware. AMD says the Ryzen 7 8840U is almost 80 percent faster than the Core Ultra 7 155H while running the Deeplabv3 neural architecture, and it's 43 percent faster while running Yolov8. More useful to consumers, though, are AMD's claims about content creation: the company says the 8840U is 85 percent faster than the Ultra 7 155H while running DaVinci Resolve's HD to UHD enhancement.

But AMD didn't just stop there: It also says that new Ryzen chip is 60 percent faster than Intel's while playing Far Cry 6 in 1080p with low graphics settings. Similarly, AMD says the Ryzen 8840U is 52 percent faster than Intel's hardware in both Handbrake and LAME. We'll have to take these numbers with a huge grain of salt, but if they're accurate it means Intel could end up lagging behind AMD for another year.

To round things out for entry-level and mid-range buyers, AMD also announced a new batch of Ryzen 5000 chips for its older AM4 architecture. They're spearheaded bv the $249 Ryzen 7 5700X3D, an eight-core chip featuring 100MB of 3D V-Cache, running between 3GHz and 4.1GHz. The most affordable new option is the $125 Ryzen 5 5500GT, a quad-core chip that can reach up to 4.4GHz.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Even though gamers have been eager to see new high-end GPUs from AMD, the company isn't ready to refresh the Radeon RX 7900 and 7900 XT at CES 2024. Instead, AMD is unveiling the $329 Radeon RX 7600 XT in Las Vegas, a slightly souped-up version of last year's entry-level RX 7600 with higher clock speeds and 16GB of VRAM. While that earlier card was laser-focused on 1080p gameplay, AMD is positioning the RX 7600 XT as a potential upgrade for entry-level 1440p gaming, as well as a better card for running AI tasks.

The Radeon RX 7600 XT features the same basic specs as its predecessor: 32 compute units and ray accelerators; 64 AI accelerators; and 2,048 stream processors. But its clock speeds now range from 2.47GHz to 2.76GHz (in boost mode), instead of 2.25GHz to 2.66GHz. Having 16GB of VRAM will also give it more headroom for handling larger textures in 1440p, content creation and larger AI workloads.

According to AMD's benchmarks, the Radeon RX 7600 XT performs slightly better than the RX 7600 in most titles: It averages 71 fps in Starfield while playing in 1080p with maxed-out settings, compared to 61fps on the 7600. But the improvements are more dramatic in AMD-optimized titles like Forza Horizon 5: the new GPU averages 94 fps in 1080p with FSR 2 and RT Extreme flipped on, compared to 67 fps on the RX 7600.

In 1440p, the RX 7600 XT averages 60 fps with maxed out graphics settings in Starfield and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Its predecessor average 53 fps and 54 fps, in comparison. Forza Horizon 5 also shines in 1440p: It averages 81fps on the new GPU compared to 56 fps on last year's model. AMD is also lording its scores over the NVIDIA RTX 4060 8GB: the RX 7600 XT averages 245 fps in Modern Warfare III in 1080p with FSR and frame generation turned on. The 4060 8GB, meanwhile, reaches 146 fps with DLSS3 and its own frame generation.

Of course, the better comparison would be the RX 7600 XT against 16GB RTX 4060 GPUs, but those scores were conspicuously absent from AMD's press materials. The big takeaway, though, is that the 7600 XT should be a solidly more capable GPU than the 7600. 

The Radeon RX 7600 XT will be available on January 24 from its AMD's board partners (ASUS, Acer and the like) for $329.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Brands are sharing new health tech all over CES 2024, and Garmin is no exception. Once known solely for its GPS systems, the company has introduced a few new wearables this year, including the HRM-Fit. The chest strap heart rate monitor retails for $150. 

Garmin claims the device is the "first of its kind," thanks to its placement: the sports bra. "Whether you're going for a run or taking a HIIT class, it easily attaches to the bottom band of a sports bra and provides accurate heart rate and training data to help you know your body better by tracking the ways you move," Susan Lyman, vice president of global consumer marketing at Garmin, said in a release. It's compatible with medium and high-support sports bras, including select models from Adidas, Under Armour and more. 

The HRM-Fit also works with compatible Garmin smartwatches to report your pace, distance and stride length. If you leave your watch at home, the clip-on device can store workout data like calories burned and intensity, then load it to your watch once it's back in range. 

Other new Garmin products include the Lily 2 smartwatches with a 35mm metal case. The Lily 2 retails for $250, while the Lily 2 Classic is available for $280. They both come with heart rate monitoring, sleep quality ratings and a connected GPS. The Lily 2 smartwatches also have move alerts with suggested activities, fitness tracking and a sports app. Only the Lily 2 Classic offers Garmin Pay contactless payments. 

The company has also refreshed the app and webpage of Garmin Connect, its online fitness community. Its homepage now features customizable sections like Today's Activity, Training Plans and In Focus. This update is now available to beta testers and should fully roll out later this year. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Those who've been yearning for a chance to try the Apple Vision Pro headset and have the cash to spare won't need to wait much longer to snap one up. The company says the hotly anticipated device will arrive in the US on February 2. Pre-orders for the $3,499 headset will open on January 19. The device will be available at all US Apple Store locations as well as through the company's web store.

Those who require vision correction will be able to snap up Zeiss optical inserts and attach them to the headset magnetically. Readers will cost $99, while prescription lenses will set you back $149. The inserts will only be available for purchase online, so don't expect to be able to wander into an Apple Store to pick them up. Naturally, you'll need a prescription for the prescription lenses. However, Apple says that "not all prescriptions are supported."

This is Apple's first new major product since it introduced the Apple Watch back in 2014. The Vision Pro, which Apple announced at WWDC last year, marks the company's initial foray into spatial computing. Apple revealed the Vision Pro release date just as CES 2024 is kicking off, likely to steal some thunder away from the show's exhibitors without needing to actually show up in Las Vegas itself.

This story is developing; refresh for updates.

HP has unveiled the Omen Transcend 32 OLED gaming monitor with high-end specs and new features that should make it a pretty darn good productivity monitor, too. It's part of the company's newly launched Omen lineup at CES 2024, which includes the world's lightest gaming laptop. 

The Omen Transcend 32 looks like an impressive gaming monitor, even before looking at the other new tricks. It uses LG's latest QD-OLED tech and features a 31.5-inch screen with 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, with a 0.3-millisecond response time. It's the company's first Omen display that's Dolby Vision certified, offering 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification with peak brightness up to 1,000 nits. 

On the gaming side, it also supports AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro and is likely G-Sync compatible as well. You can enhance the mood with aRGB back lighting and it uses Omen's "Tempest" technology to cool the OLED panel during prolonged gaming sessions. Audio-wise, it uses HP's HyperX tech, which connects to Omen's Gaming Hub to allow for customized EQ and other settings. 

HP

If you're one to alternate gaming with productivity or content creation, it has some truly interesting additional features. It comes with KVM switchable inputs that let you run two devices (including keyboard and mouse) from the same display without having to change cables or use a switching box. On top of that, a picture-in-picture mode shows what's happing on both devices at one. 

That KVM functionality also allows for control of more than one computer at the same time and even the ability drag and drop files across devices, according to HP. All of that could allow you to play a game, all while doing spreadsheets or attending a Zoom meeting — a nice feature for users but perhaps not their bosses. 

Another big feature is USB-C with DisplayPort alt mode and 140 watts of power delivery, enough for even powerful gaming laptops. Other features include Dual HDMI 2.1 ports, the latest DisplayPort 2.1, two USB-C 3.2 ports (each with 15 watts of power delivery) and a pair of USB-A 3.2 ports. Finally, it has a three-year warranty to guard against potential burn-in, much like Alienware's latest QD-OLED monitors. 

The Omen Transcend looks like a desirable monitor, but like many devices launched at CES 2024, it won't be available for awhile. It's set to arrive sometime mid-next year, with pricing to be announced at a later date.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

JBL is best known for speakers, earbuds and headphones, but the company has recently pivoted to microphones to meet the needs of modern content creators. It all started with the Quantum Stream line of condenser microphones, and the company has brought a trio of updated mics in the series to CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

The Quantum Stream Talk, as the name suggests, is primarily for podcasters and streamers. The condenser boasts a super cardioid pickup pattern so it only captures what’s directly in front of it, which will be your mouth. This drastically reduces background noise, as that’s the bane of any podcaster. The shock-absorbing base assists with noise reduction. The mic costs $50 and releases in March.

JBL

The Quantum Stream Wireless microphone kicks it up a notch. This wireless condenser is actually wearable, via a clip-on design. The mic is intended for on-the-go recording, as it boasts an omnidirectional pickup pattern that captures audio from every direction. This captures ambient noise, of course, but that could be the point when making field recordings and the like. There’s an included algorithm to reduce unwanted environmental noise and the mic ships with a handy case. The Quantum Stream costs $100 and also launches in March.

Finally, the flagship microphone is called the Quantum Stream Studio. This is a professional-grade condenser that shines as a podcasting microphone, but should also be great for music-making, voice-over work and related tasks. The interior boasts three condenser capsules and captures audio in 192 kHz/24 bits, which is a broadcast quality sampling rate. There are four pickup patterns to choose from, depending on your needs, and an integrated compressor to handle sudden bursts of noise. The Stream Studio is available this March for $150.

All of these microphones integrate with JBL’s updated app, which is typically used to adjust headphone parameters. The upgraded app now offers microphone controls, so you can dial in the perfect sound directly from your phone instead of having to mess with buttons and knobs. These microphones are all available to demo at CES, if you happen to be in Las Vegas.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.