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Activo P1 music player review: Astell & Kern audio quality for considerably less cash
1:30 pm | July 23, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Portable Media Players | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Activo P1: One-minute review

The outside says Activo but at heart this is an Astell & Kern hi-res audio player with all that implies: superb sound, impressive specifications and excellent performance. It doesn't look quite as expensive or as eye-catching as its parent brand's players but it's what's inside that counts, and what's inside here is very good: the same amplification as more expensive players and an ESS ES9219Q SABRE Dual-DAC. There are multiple connections including aptX HD and LDAC on supported hardware, and while the built-in storage isn't enough for much hi-res audio you can add SD cards with capacities up to 1.5TB. 

The most important thing is how this player sounds, and in that department it deserves the full five stars: as a music player it sounds superb, and in DAC mode it's a useful audio upgrade for your computer – so yes, it'll easily advance to our roundup of the best MP3 players in the entry-level space. There's a built-in equalizer that you can use to craft complex EQ curves but during our testing we tended to leave that feature off because the P1 sounded so good across multiple genres. In addition to its local playback, the P1 also works with all the key streaming services and includes full Play Store support.

If you're looking for a player to drive Apple headphones, this isn't the device for you: its high quality wireless streaming is in formats that Apple doesn't support and as a result you're missing out on some of the fun, even with AirPods Max. But with compatible headphones or a wired connection to your headphones or hi-fi this is a wonderful audio player and music streamer that delivers a performance you'd normally expect to pay a lot more to experience.

Activo P1 using Apple Music

Third party apps retain their own interfaces and don't integrate with the play history feature. If you're a subscriber you can get the same lossless audio as you'd get on your smartphone app. (Image credit: Future)

Activo P1 review: Price and release date

  • Priced at $430 / £399 / AU$ tbc

The Activo P1 launched on 22 July 2024. It is much cheaper than its parent brand's siblings. In the UK, for example, Astell & Kern's entry level digital audio player, the SR35, currently retails for £599 (or $649) owing to its 2023 release date, but has a recommended retail price of £799 (or $799). The Activo P1 has a similar specification for $440 / £399. It's not a budget player by any means, because of course that figure is still a lot of money to most of us. But it's a lot less than you'd typically pay for this specification.

Activo P1 interface

The interface is very Android, and that's no bad thing as there's zero learning curve. The Play Store app is included. (Image credit: Future)

Activo P1 review: Features

  • Bluetooth 5.3; SBC, AAC, aptX HD and LDAC codec compatibility
  • 32bit/384kHz and DSD256
  • Wired and wireless DAC

The P1 has an ES9219Q SABRE Dual-DAC. Its built-in amplifier is based on the Astell & Kern Teraton Alpha system, which promises exceptional clarity and detail and which you'll also find in the Astell & Kern SR35. It's powered by an octa-core processor and delivers up to 20 hours of battery life; there's dual-band Wi-Fi, 64GB of internal memory and an SD card slot supporting capacities up to 1.5TB. You'll fill the internal storage in no time if you're listening to hi-res audio files but it's fine for more compressed formats and SD cards are cheap to add.

The USB-C connection isn't just for fast charging; this device can also be connected to a Mac or a Windows PC and used as a wired DAC. There's also a Bluetooth DAC option.

The P1 has native DSD256, 32bit/384kHz support and plays almost every audio file format going, including WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF and MQA.

You can listen to music in several ways. In addition to its own music playing app, the Activo also comes with a collection of third party options including Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music. It also has the Play Store so you can add additional apps.

You can listen to your own tracks via the internal or SD card storage; you can stream from third party apps on the device; or you can use the device as a DAC for your computer with built-in upsampling. That latter option is likely to be a big improvement over many computers' built-in audio, and listening to tracks we know particularly well – such as tracks I'd recorded myself and played directly from Logic Pro X – there was a noticeable expansion of the sound stage, more air in the top end and a tightening of the lower frequencies. The detail was impressive: I could hear my own plectrum on the bass guitar in tracks normally too busy for such details to stand out. If you're a musician, the P1 in its wired DAC mode would be a worthwhile addition to your mixing toolkit.

Features score: 5 / 5

Activo P1

Sound quality is very impressive in FLAC, and there's also upsampling for PCM audio files. (Image credit: Future)

Activo P1 review: Sound quality

  •  Engaging and spacious sound
  •  Extensive EQ options
  •  Audio upsampling with multiple modes

Listening in lossless CD quality over wired headphones Charli XCX's close-miked vocal in 360 feels so close it's almost indecent, while Simple Minds' anthemic New Gold Dream is wonderful. It's so clear that you can easily hear details such as the slightly discordant note sliding in at the beginning of each synth loop before the drums come clattering in and the bass begins its glorious grind. Taylor Swift's Willow is bright, lively and feels like it's happening in the room around you, as does Talk Talk's gossamer Desire, its spaciousness and minimalism feeling incredibly compelling. 

The P1 really sings with well separated recordings, whether that's the rainy songs of The Blue Nile, Pet Shop Boys' sad bangers, The Cult's knowing AC/DC homage or Peter Gabriel's live work. Classic remasters such as The Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want are grin-inducingly good, and Peter Buck's Rickenbacker really chimes on early REM tracks.

Activo P1 equalizer

You can fine-tune the audio with the included 20-band equalizer but we found that we only really needed to tweak poorly recorded tracks. (Image credit: Future)

There are lots of options here for controlling the Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) upsampling and shaping 20-band EQs, but with very few exceptions – older, less well recorded tracks mostly – we didn't feel that the standard sound needed tweaking.

The presence of third-party apps means it's easy to do an A/B comparison between streaming and local hi-res music, so for example Broken Chanter's chiming telecaster guitar, Luminous's kitchen-sink production and HiFi Sean's euphoric house are noticeably more detailed and more vivid in high quality FLAC than from streaming services when listening on wired headphones.

The sound quality you get will depend on what you're listening with, so for example if you connect a set of Apple AirPods Max via Bluetooth rather than with a cable a message will pop up to let you know you're listening in AAC: the sound is still very good but that protocol isn't the best quality the P1 can deliver. For non-Apple headphones the P1 supports aptX HD and LDAC for high quality streaming. When we listened to identical songs with wired rather than AAC wireless the difference was evident, with songs feeling less boxy and more spacious. 

Sound quality score: 5 / 5

Activo P1 side view

By Astell & Kern standards the design of the P1 is rather muted, but it's straightforward with sensibly located controls. (Image credit: Future)

Activo P1 review: Design

  • A little 'beige' by A&K standards 
  • Straightforward button controls
  • Mostly operated by touchscreen

Astell & Kern players are typically made with a brutalist eye – all angles, rotary dials and shiny surfaces. This player is slightly less attention-grabbing. Its casing is a mix of aluminium and white plastic, it's a little smaller than its siblings and its interface is light grey rather than the darker tones of the Astell & Kern software.

On top you'll find two connectors, one 3.5mm output and one 4.4mm balanced, and the microSD card slot and USB-C connector are on the bottom edge. Holding the device with its 4.1-inch touchscreen facing you its volume controls are on the top left and the power/wake and menu buttons are on the right. 

Third party apps don't integrate with the device's interface, so for example the songs you play through those apps won't be added to the recently played carousel and the apps' interfaces vary from service to service – but they work well and deliver the same features as their smartphone counterparts. Apple Music, for instance, looks like, works like and delivers the same lossless audio as its iPhone version.

The interface is snappy enough in everyday operation but it's a little slow to boot up, taking between 30 and 51 seconds to launch from a cold start. And the P1 gets warm during sustained use; not frighteningly so, but it heats up enough that you could use it as a hand-warmer in winter.

Design score: 4 / 5 

Activo P1 review: Value

When you consider the pedigree here, $440 / £399 is good value for money: the Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 has an RRP of $799 / £799 and a street price of $649 / £599 for the same battery life and Bluetooth codec support. The A&K player is more advanced and customizable, but unless you're listening on truly exceptional headphones, I'm not sure paying nearly double the price (at full RRP) would give you nearly double the delight. If you want to upgrade your computer's audio or get a good quality hi-res audio experience, the P1 is very good value.

Value score: 5 / 5 

Should I buy the Activo P1?

Buy it if... 

Don't buy it if... 

Activo P1 review: Also consider

How I tested the Activo P1

  • Tested for over a week
  • Tested with streamed and hi-res downloaded content
  • Tested with wired and wireless headphones

I tested the Activo P1 over a period of several weeks in multiple modes: as a DAC and headphone amp for my M2 Mac, which I use for music production; and for listening to music with a mix of wired and wireless headphones including Philips Fidelio X2HR, Apple AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort earbuds. I listened to a mix of compressed and lossless streaming audio and a selection of FLAC, WAV and AIFF files across multiple genres. 

  • First reviewed in July 2024
FiiO M23 portable music player review: delicate yet muscular, assertive yet subtle, lavishly detailed and vaultingly dynamic
5:00 pm | July 22, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Portable Media Players | Tags: | Comments: Off

FiiO M23: One-minute review

Yes, your smartphone is a very convenient way of enjoying music while on the go – but anyone who takes sound quality seriously knows that ultimate portable performance doesn’t come from a device that’s more about its camera than its audio quality. That comes from a dedicated digital audio player. And as luck would have it, we have tested some of the best MP3 players currently on the market. 

The FiiO M23 arrives as a fairly large, lavishly specified and beautifully constructed digital audio player with a number of technological highlights. It’s ready to power wired or wireless headphones, or to act as a USB DAC in a desktop audio system. And it’s ready to handle anything you care to throw at it – any file type, any file size, any genre of music – with confidence, poise and positivity.

So it’s capable of extracting a huge amount of detail from a digital audio file, and contextualising it on a large, well-defined soundstage. It can punch hard if your music demands it, but never in an uncontrolled manner, and it can give the emotion and attitude in an unaccompanied voice absolutely explicit expression. Aside from some extremely rare operation glitches, it’s hard to lay a glove on the FiiO M23. Know this: it’s the real deal. 

FiiO M23 review: Price and release date

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released March 2024
  • Priced at $699 / £649 / AU$1,249

The FiiO M23 digital audio player is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it goes for £649. American customers will have to hand over $699, while in Australia you’re looking at something like AU$1,249 if my understanding of exchanges rates is correct.

The M23 has some competition at this price, of course – not least from FiiO itself. But it’s Astell & Kern that is its most obvious rival: the May 2023-release A&K A&norma SR35 goes for $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 while the company's June 2022-issue A&K A&norma SR25 MKII still sells for $749 / £699 / AU$1,099. And frankly, either option has plenty to recommend it. So it’s game on…

FiiO M23 review: Features

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Twin AKM DACs
  • THX AAA 78+ amplification architecture
  • 5500mAh battery

Space on the internet is, to all intents and purposes, limitless. But I reckon I could make quite a big dent in its capacity if I discussed every one of the FiiO M23’s many, many features at length. So it’s probably best to just get an overview – I promise it will let you know just how serious FiiO in general, and the M23 in particular, is…

The M23 is powered by a big 5500mAh battery that’s good for over 10 hours of playback from a single charge. A dual-mode fast-charging system means extreme fast-charging speeds (up to 30W) are available if the battery level is very low – and once the battery approaches its fully charged state, the M23 switches to a more sedate fast-charging state. The result of this arrangement, says FiiO, is much-improved charging times with no impact on the long-term health of the battery.

Internal memory is a just-about-adequate 64GB, and a microSD slot on the bottom of the player will accept cards of up to 2TB – which means you should be able to load a lot of big hi-res files as long as you invest in a microSD card. Obviously, the M23 will support your favourite music streaming service(s) as well as storing content on its local memory. Like all FiiO digital audio players, the M23 uses an amended version of Android as an operating system; Android 12 in this instance. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor makes the FiiO is fast and responsive in its operations, and some careful reskinning means the OS doesn’t eat into that internal memory too much.

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

Digital-to-analogue conversion is handled by a pair of AKM DAC chipsets – the AK4191EQ and AK4499EX operate in tandem, keeping the digital and analogue stages entirely separate and utilising ‘DWA routing’ technology to keep the signal-to-noise ratio to a bare minimum. And they allow the M23 to deal with digital audio files of almost every type (including MQA) up to a resolution of 24bit/384kHz and DSD256. 

Amplification comes courtesy of FiiO’s latest refinement of the popular THX amplification design. Taking the THX AAA 78 (which it uses in its very competitive M11 Plus and M11 Pro models) as a starting point, FiiO has finessed the architecture to the point that it’s now called THX AAA 78+ – and can, in theory, offer more power with minimal distortion and even greater precision.  

These are the headlines and hi-res music chops where the M23’s features are concerned. FiiO is understandably pleased with and proud of its unified hi-fi audio architecture, its bespoke Digital Audio Purification System, its four-stage 20-rail power supply, its 28 high-capacity polymer tantalum capacitors, and lots more… but surely you get the point by now: FiiO has never been anything other than painstaking and extraordinarily thorough where its digital audio players are concerned, and the M23 has enjoyed the same sort of engineering effort.

Features score: 5 / 5

FiiO M23 review: Sound quality

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Direct, deft and engaging sound
  • Dynamism and insight to burn
  • Mildly and very occasionally glitchy

There’s an awful lot of positives associated with the way the FiiO M23 goes about resolving and delivering digital audio files. So for no other reason than contrariness, I’ll start with its very occasional operational foibles.

The M23 will sometimes pause, at random and without any user input. It happens very, very rarely, but not so rarely that you wouldn’t notice. And even less often it feels the need to chop into the first half-a-second of a digital audio file, starting playback just fractionally further forward than 0:00 – this seems to happen, on the odd occasions that it happens, when listening to some newly cued-up content, never when a playlist or an album is in progress. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, but equally it’s unlikely to be what you’re expecting from your shiny new digital audio player. 

And with that out of the way, I can talk about all the many, many ways the M23 is an impressive-sounding machine.

In every circumstance, and with every type and size of digital audio file, the M23 sounds delicate yet muscular, assertive yet subtle, lavishly detailed and vaultingly dynamic. It seems perfectly willing to engage with any type of music you care to listen to, and is even prepared to tolerate downmarket sub-16bit/44.1kHz content if you absolutely must. It seems basically impossible to throw it out of its positive, confident stride.

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

A 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Big Swimmer by King Hannah makes the point in fairly unequivocal style. The M23 sound is open and organised, with a carefully neutral tonal balance and a deft way where integration of the frequency range is concerned. There’s tremendous dynamic and harmonic variation to the strum of the unaccompanied guitar during the intro, an absolute stack of detail both broad and fine to the idiosyncratic, close-mic’d vocal, and appropriate crunch and bite to the second guitar when it joins in with the deep, textured bass. The recording sounds absolutely unified, the obvious result of performers responding and reacting to each other, rather than of individuals doing their own thing. It sounds like a performance, a demonstration of sonic togetherness.

Switching to a DSD64 file of Les McCann’s profoundly swinging I Can Dig It allows the M23 to show what it’s got where rhythmic expression, low-end fidelity and midrange expression are concerned. And it’s safe to say the FiiO has got more than enough – it communicates in the most articulate way, punching through the low-frequency information while keeping momentum high and keeps a close eye on the brilliance of the percussion that can easily get out of control in less capable hands. And again, the sense of engagement, of performance and of unity, is absolutely tangible.

And it’s worth noting that while FiiO offers a good amount of end-user adjustment – using the touch-screen you’re able to adjust the EQ frequency point, gain and bandwidth, and fine-tune the response curve to suit your preferences – the changes to the overall sound it’s possible to make are modest. At its heart, the M23 knows what it wants to sound like – which is, it turns out, not a bad thing at all.   

Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

FiiO M23 review: Design

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Stainless steel or blue titanium finishes
  • 137 x 76 x 18mm (HxWxD); 299g
  • 5.5in 720 x 1440 display

At 137 x 76 x 18mm (HxWxD) and 299g the FiiO M23 cannot be described as ‘portable’ in the same way your smartphone is ‘portable’. It’s properly well made, of course, from tactile and overtly upmarket materials, and is finished to an extremely high standard - and those pointed edges that might otherwise damage your pocket-linings or the inside of your bag are smoothed off by a protective silicone case that comes with the ‘blue titanium’ finish. If you prefer the ‘stainless steel’ finish that’s available as an alternative, it’s supplied with a leather case that does a very similar job. But either way, there’s plenty of the M23.

The front of the player is taken up almost entirely by a 5.5in display. It’s bright and crisp, as its 720 x 1440 (18:9) resolution suggests it should be, and there are plenty of options regarding font size, brightness and so on to be investigated in the player’s ‘settings’ menu.  

Design score: 5 / 5 

FiiO M23 review: Usability and setup

FiiO M23 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • 3.5mm and 4.4mm analogue outputs; 3.5mm digital coaxial output
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and LDAC codec compatibility
  • ‘D-Mode’ battery bypass

Every side of the M23 features a control, an input or an output that contributes to its overall usability. But just because it has a lot of facilities in this respect, it’s never less than logical and quite friendly – and consequently very easy to operate.

On one edge of the chassis there’s a strip of three buttons taking care of ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards’ and ‘skip backwards’ On the other there’s a power button - it’s edge-lit to indicate the size of digital audio file the player is dealing with. There’s also a ‘multifunction’ button, the specific function of which is straightforward to define. And in between there’s that volume control arrangement FiiO has become so fond of lately: it’s a carbon-fibre strip/rocker, and you can either slide a finger up or down, or press on either end to make your adjustments. 

There’s also a ‘hold’ switch to prevent any unwanted actions being carried out, and a switch to put the M23 into ‘D-mode’. ‘D-mode’ means desktop mode – when it’s switched on, the player is completely powered by an external power source plugged into one of the two USB-C sockets on the bottom, and the battery is bypassed altogether. Which means you can use your M23 as desktop equipment without worrying about the effect you’re having on the battery. The other USB-C socket is for data transfer, and allows the FiiO to act as a USB DAC.

On the top edge of the M23 there are 3.5mm unbalanced or 4.4mm balanced outputs - these sockets can also be used to hard-wire the M23 to an amplifier or what-have-you, of course. The 3.5mm socket is hybrid, in fact, and can also act as a digital coaxial output in case you want to bypass the M23’s DAC circuitry altogether. And there are wireless possibilities too: dual-band wi-fi is on board, and the FiiO can both transmit and receive using Bluetooth 5.0 that’s compatible with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and LDAC codecs in both directions. 

As well as the physical controls, of course, there’s that big touch-screen. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor ensures it’s quick and responsive, and the FiiO-ised version of Android 12 allows easy access to as many streaming services or what-have-you as you may require.

Usability and setup score: 5 / 5 

FiiO M23 review: Value

Always a tricksy question, isn't it? On the one hand, you can grab an inexpensive MP3-specific portable audio player for a fraction of the price of this hi-res model, if you just want something not your phone. On the other, Astell & Kern's top-tier Ultima models sell for somewhere in the region of $2,399 / £1,999 / AU$3,599. 

If you've read (particularly the Features section of) this review, you will have deduced that the sound-per-pound value of FiiO's proposition is high. It isn't the most pocket-friendly player around in terms of its dimensions, but where your wallet's concerned, it's a talented thing for this money. 

Value score: 4.5 / 5 

Should I buy the FiiO M23?

Buy it if... 

Don't buy it if... 

FiiO M23 review: Also consider

Astell & Kern SR35
It's a little more expensive than the FiiO M23, but it isn’t difficult to imagine being able to justify the extra expense. This is, as is established Astell & Kern practice, a thrillingly direct and informative listen – and it follows the eccentric A&K design template too.
See our full Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review

How I tested the FiiO M23

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Listened to both streamed and downloaded content
  • Tested with both wired and wireless headphones

I loaded up my Tidal and Qobuz accounts and I filled the player with plenty of high-res content, from 24bit/96kHz files and up to DSD128. I used elite over-ear and in-ear headphones (see also IEMs) via the 4.4mm and 3.5mm outputs, as well as considerably less expensive true wireless earbuds connected via Bluetooth. 

I used it, reader. However serious a product's spec sheet is, if the player is too fiddly to use on my commute it won't be getting good scores for 'usability' now, will it? I investigated its myriad features and listened to a variety of music, for several hours every day for a fortnight. And then, as tends to happen with these things, I had to return the FiiO M23 to its rightful owners and move on… 

  • First reviewed in July 2024
Ultimate Ears Everboom review: a very capable, jack of all trades Bluetooth speaker
5:30 pm | July 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

Ultimate Ears Everboom: Two-minute review

It would have been very easy for the Ultimate Ears Everboom to falter. Given UE’s storied reputation among the best Bluetooth speakers around, we knew the Everboom would be a solid speaker, but sandwiched between the Ultimate Ears Megaboom (now into its fourth iteration, launched alongside this model) and the inaugural 2023 Ultimate Ears Epicboom it would be easy to get lost in the noise. Would people opt for the more affordable downgrade or be compelled to bypass this and pick up the beefier party-ready option? 

That would be a shame, because the Everboom finds its niche as a near-powerhouse that isn’t a challenge to carry around – in large part thanks to its surprisingly lightweight 960g build and metal carabiner clip replacing the Epicboom’s flimsy strap.

Sonically the Everboom isn’t perfect – at max volume subtle distortions creep in, and audiophiles will notice tunes aren’t as expansive and neutral as when using more premium speakers – but to say it gets the job done would be an understatement. Whether you’re looking to keep guests entertained at a party or kick back to a podcast after a long day, the Ultimate Ears Everboom’s room-filling 360-degree sound has your back. It can do so for hours too, with a decently long 20-hour max battery life.

And if things go awry at the party, the Everboom is designed to survive smaller drops and lengthier dunks – it’s IP67 rated and floats – which makes it the perfect companion on an adventure where anything can happen.

The Ultimate Ears Everboom clipped to a bag using its karabiner

(Image credit: Ultimate Ears)

Just note that the Everboom lacks music over Wi-Fi support (unlike the Sonos Roam 2, say) and doesn’t have a 3.5mm aux port, which means your only option is a Bluetooth connection for playing tracks, and you won't be disappointed. 

At $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$349 there’s a lot of competition. For your home you could snag a Sonos Era 10 from our best wireless speakers list, you might like the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) from the best Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested, or you could go for the more affordable route and pick up the UE Wonderboom 3 (or recently released Wonderboom 4) for $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149. 

Then again, the Ultimate Ears Everboom does stand up for itself, boasting a ruggedness and performance combination that many rivals can’t match. Whether you’re after a new best party speaker, or simply want an all rounder audio gadget then you’ll find the Everboom won’t steer you wrong. 

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Price & availability

  • Released in US and UK June 26, 2024
  • Released in Australia July 22, 2024
  • $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$349

The Ultimate Ears Everboom launched in June 2024 in the US and UK at $249.99 / £249.99, landing a little later on July 22 in Australia at AU$349. 

This places the speaker firmly between the UE Megaboom models at $199.99 / £169.99 / $349.95 (at least in the US and UK, we’re not sure why the Australian prices of the two models are the same) and the pricier UE Epicboom that released at $349 / £340 / AU$499 in terms of cost, performance, and size.

There are currently two color options to choose from: the Charcoal Black with lime accents, and Azure Blue with light blue accents. Later in the year Ultimate Ears will launch two further colorways: Raspberry Red with light blue accents and Enchanting Lilac with lime accents.

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Specs

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Design

  • Big but still portable
  • IP67 dust and waterproof rating
  • Carabiner clip is a useful tool

As with all other current Ultimate Ear speakers (and plenty of rival options these days), the Everboom has an IP67 waterproof rating. This means it’s dustproof and can survive for up to 30 minutes submerged in water at depth of up to 1m – though because this speaker also floats (I checked; it does in my bathtub) you shouldn’t ever have to go diving deep to find it.

We wouldn’t recommend using the speaker while it’s floating, as the audio quality takes a noticeable hit, but this feature makes it a perfect option for outdoor parties. Has someone accidentally kicked the Everboom into the pool? Has it fallen off your boat into the lake, or has the sky let loose a torrential downpour? With these features it’s easy to rescue the speaker well before it can get damaged – just remember to give it a rinse in clean freshwater if it's taken a dip, to prevent long-term salt or chlorine damage.

The Ultimate Ears Everboom floating in a bath

(Image credit: Future)

It also has a familiar aesthetic design – especially to the ovaloid Epicboom. It features the same iconic large volume buttons on its front face, and basic controls on its top face – one button each for power, Bluetooth, Outdoor Boost, and play/pause. The USB-C port can be found at the back on its base with a nifty guard to keep water out.

Though the similarities with the Epicboom end when it comes to portability. The Everboom is smaller than UE’s Epicboom at just 11.0 cm x 8.5 cm x 20.5 cm and  fairly light – coming in at 960g – though it is nevertheless going to be a challenge to shove this speaker into an already well-stocked bag if you want to travel with it – which is where the nifty carabiner clip comes in.

You can either secure it to a rucksack’s exterior, or (as I’ve frequently used it) clip it onto a belt loop to easily carry the Ultimate Ears Everboom with you wherever you go; with the added benefit of simultaneously enjoying music or podcasts through your speaker without giving up a free hand to carry it.

  • Design score: 5/5

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Features

  • 20-hour battery life
  • App unlocks a megaphone and equalizer
  • No 3.5mm port, or microphones

The Ultimate Ears Everboom is full of neat features, though to access a lot of them you’ll need to install the UE Boom app on your phone (it’s available on iPhone and Android).

This is true for the equalizer – a control panel that lets you choose presets for specific listening experiences such as “Bass Boost” or “Podcast/Vocal”,  and gives you the option to customize the Everboom’s sound profile as you see fit; PartyUp that lets you pair multiple compatible Ultimate Ears speakers to play music through them all at the same time, and if you have two Everbooms they’ll work as a stereo pair; and the new Megaphone feature (which has arrived to other UE speakers too) which lets you talk into your phone’s mic to blast a message through your Everboom.

The Ultimate Ears Everboom in the UE Boom app

(Image credit: Future)

You don’t need the app for every tool though. An in-built NFC feature lets you instantly pair the Everboom to an NFC-compatible smartphone (running Android 8.0 or later) by touching it to the speaker’s top. There’s also an Outdoor Boost mode which diverts power away from frequencies that don’t travel well outdoors so the speaker can get a little louder (reaching a max of 91dBC instead of 90dBC).

The UE Everboom does lack a few features. You won’t find a 3.5mm port, or any microphones (removing any potential for this doubling as a smart speaker) – and it also lacks Wi-Fi connectivity.

Lacking these tools won’t be a deal breaker for many, but the Ultimate Ears Everboom doesn’t do a lot beyond being 'just' a Bluetooth speaker – albeit a great one.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Sound quality

Having a neat design and nifty features is certainly a bonus to any sound system, but we all know the most important factor to any speaker is its sound; on this front the Ultimate Ears Everboom serves up a storm.

Firstly, this thing can get monstrously loud with its max 90dBC volume (91dBC using Outdoor Boost, more on that in the Features section). This is louder than you’ll ever really need – for context, while using the Everboom in my flat I hover around two-fifths of the max volume and have only ever cranked it louder while I’m outdoors ignoring some tests I did for this review (apologies to my neighbors if you’re reading this weren’t out at work like I hoped you all were when I cranked the Everboom up).

The Ultimate Ears Everboom's carabiner says

This carabiner is 'Not For Climbing' (Image credit: Future)

Secondly, the Ultimate Ears Everboom delivers a very compelling audio performance, proving it can deliver quality not just quantity. Admittedly at the loudest volumes we detected a little distortion creeping in, but at most normal listening levels you're served a well mixed sound buffet.

Sabrina Carpenter’s pop hit Please, Please, Please is crafted with precision – her vocals are bright and crisp; the bombastic Tokyo Drifting by Glass Animals is delivered with an emphatic albeit not overpowering bass; meanwhile the instrumental layers in the jazz standard Caravan (I recently rewatched Whiplash, and the soundtrack has been a recent musical obsession of mine) are simultaneously distinct yet not at war with each other. Though there were occasions I felt the sound could be fuller and more warm.

Lastly, this speaker’s 360-degree soundstage can’t go unnoticed. It’s hardly a unique feature of modern Bluetooth speakers, but its ability to serve the same high-quality performance in every direction is nevertheless commendable.

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

Ultimate Ears Everboom review: Value

At $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$349 isn't the priciest Bluetooth speaker out there, but isn't what we'd call budget either. Materials and design-wise it does look and feel premium, and while it lacks high-end fetaures like Wi-Fi connectivity, that's hardly the end of the world.

In terms of sound there are speakers that offer a better overall performance at this price (even though the Everboom does a great job), but they lack the portability and/or the ruggedness and waterproofness afforded by the the Everboom making it something of a jack of all trades. 

If that's what you're after it's solid value, but if you're searching for a speaker that is better for at-home sound and can piggyback on your home's Wi-Fi network, you'll want something different – perhaps from Sonos, perhaps one of our best wireless speakers recommendations. 

  • Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the Ultimate Ears Everboom?

Buy it if… 

You want a waterproof speaker that sounds great
Looking for a speaker that’ll keep you entertained and survive accidental dips into the pool/ sea / lake? The Everboom could be just what you need. 

You need something portable
This speaker isn’t the smallest, but it weighs less than 1kg and with its carabiner clip it’s exceptionally easy to carry around.

You after something that looks fun
I don't know what it is, but the UE speakers’ iconic huge + and - volume controls and colorful fabric-jacketed designs scream fun to me – and a lot of us here at TechRadar – and we could all do with more fun in our lives. 

Don’t buy it if… 

You want one of the best wireless speakers
This speaker has Bluetooth connectivity but lacks the ability to connect to Wi-Fi to stream music directly from your favorite music streaming services like some rivals. 

You need something wired
If you’re after a speaker that can support a wired 3.5mm connection, this is the gadget you need. 

You’re on a budget
The Everboom is one of UE’s pricier speakers, and while it does offer decent value for money options like the Wonderboom 3 (or new Wonderboom 4) could be a better option if you’re on a budget. 

Also Consider

Ultimate Ears Epicboom
If you can afford to splash out a little more and value sound quality over portability then the UE Epicboom might be more up your street with its bulkier design but more impactful audio drivers.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
At the time of writing we’ve not yet tested the new gen 4 model that recently launched, but the Wonderboom 3 is our pick for the best waterproof speaker out there. It’s cheaper than the Everboom and smaller, but won’t match its performance abilities. 

Sonos Roam 2
Sonos is a well-known name in the audio game for a reason, and you can’t go wrong with its Wi-Fi enabled speakers. Not only can the Roam 2 fit into any existing Sonos setup, it’s also portable and Bluetooth compatible. 

How I tested the Ultimate Ears Everboom

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Listened against the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Sub
  • Used at home, in a garden, and on the beach

To get a sense of this portable speaker's energy and stamina, I made sure to test it in a variety of environments to match up with how you might want to use it. I spent a lot of time with it at home but also took it outside into my garden and on a quick trip to the beach to see how it fared sonically and how often it needed charging.

This also included dropping it into a filled bathtub to make sure it floats as Ultimate Ears had promised  –  and thankfully it did, otherwise this would have been a short review. Quick note, make sure you dry it before leaving it on your desk as I came back to quite the puddle.

Music-wise I made sure to put the Ultimate Ears Everboom through its paces using a wide array of genres – everything from hip-hop to metal, as well as podcasts and a couple of films – to see if this speaker would get tripped up anywhere.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: July 2024
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: one cool new earbuds feature won’t save Jabra’s swan song
2:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2: Two-minute review

In the ten minutes between me receiving the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review unit, and actually turning them on, I received the news that Jabra is pulling out of the headphone market. These second-gen wired earbuds have thus become the last pair it’s going to sell and support.

That gives this Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review a somewhat elegiac undertone: is this a well-tuned swan song from the legacy audio company, or an out-of-tune dying rasp? Since you’ve already read the verdict (or at least the star-rating) above I won’t press this dichotomy – we're veering towards the latter. They aren't among the best earbuds we've ever tested.

Jabra’s parent company GN cited increasing competition in the wireless earbuds market as one of the key reasons it was leaving the fray, and it’s easy to see why the company thinks that, as the 10 Gen 2 simply aren’t competitive enough.

Before we get further in, though, let’s first unpick that name: these are the successors to the Jabra Elite 10, which were only nine months old when these Gen 2 buds came out. As the name suggests, the Elite 10 stood at the top of Jabra’s line of true wireless earbuds, with a meaty price to signify it.

However, when I started testing the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, I didn’t look up the price, and based on the sound quality and feature set made a guess as to what I thought the price would be. Lo and behold, the buds actually cost about twice what I would’ve guessed. Simply put, their price is too high for what you’re getting, when you consider how competitive the true wireless earbud market is – no wonder GN is stepping back.

The most telling issue is that the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2’s sound quality just isn’t great. Music has more peaking than a meringue tray bake, with acoustic guitars and hi-hats struggling to emerge from something of a white-noise melee despite this, while mids turn tinny to become the most prominent in the mix. Treble stands its ground fairly well, but bass is all but lost in this sadly confusing recipe.

The sound isn’t bad, it’s just not… Elite.

Unfortunately, the fit isn’t very reliable when you’re in motion either; the buds often become loose and needed to be pushed back in when I walked outside. 

A potential saving grace, and one that could have been in a hail-Mary feature for Jabra, is a little perk that lets you plug the case into any other device using an in-box cable so you can stream audio straight from the device to the buds. However as we’ll get to later, this is only situationally useful and didn’t work properly lots of the time. 

It’s a shame that the Elite 10 Gen 2 are so disappointing, because some aspects of them are really impressive. I usually hate on-ear buttons, but the Jabras have easily the best I’ve ever used – they’re easy to find and press, and you don’t have to push so hard that the buds end up half-way to your eardrum before the song pauses.

The app has a range of soundscapes you can turn on to get some peace and quiet and detox for a little bit. White noise, chattering crowds, rain, there are a range of options for you to choose from.

And while the earbuds themselves don’t have a great battery life, the case really does, so you can rely on it to keep you charged up for a weekend away… as long as you’re happy frequently returning the buds to their case to get them charged back up.

So there are parts of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 to like and other aspects that are disappointing; as consumer products then, they’re fine, but as the earbuds we’ll remember Jabra by, they are uninspiring reminders of a departing giant.

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Price and release date

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Unveiled in June 2024
  • Premium price at $279.99 / £259.99 (roughly AU$420)

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 were unveiled in June 2024 and put on sale shortly afterwards. A single day after the June 11 release, Jabra announced that they would be its last earbuds (alongside the Elite 8 Active Gen 2, which were shown off at the same time).

You can buy the Elite 10 Gen 2 for $279.99 / £259.99 (roughly AU$420), which makes them $30 / £30 more expensive than their predecessors. In Australia, there’s not been a confirmed release for the Gen 2 just yet, but the first-gen models cost AU$379.

At that price, these are Jabra’s most premium true wireless earbuds, ahead of the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 which are slightly less top-end and the Elite 5 which are mid-range offerings.

You can pick up our highest-rated earbuds for about that price – the Technics EAH AZ80 go for $299 / £259 / AU$499 and, for the iHeads, the AirPods Pro 2 actually come in at slightly less than that. So it’s an incredibly competitive market segment. 

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Specs

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Features

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Can plug case into other devices to stream audio
  • 6-hour buds battery, 36-hour with case
  • App has some features, including soundscapes

I’m going to start with the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2’s signature feature: using a cable included in the box, you can plug the case into any device that has a 3.5mm headphone jack or USB-C port, and immediately stream audio from the device into your earbuds.

In practice, this didn’t always work, and when it did it wasn’t ideal. Not all devices recognized the Elites, and sometimes I just couldn’t use the feature – on other devices I had to manually change the audio output to the device, which was annoying and fiddly.

When it did work, it… well, worked as intended: I used the feature to stream music from an MP3 player and from my iPad (with less effort than actually setting up the Bluetooth itself). Other than when I was intentionally using the feature to test it, though, I found myself totally ignoring it: it simply doesn’t seem that useful.

Two examples Jabra gives for the feature's handiness include for TV viewing and on a treadmill. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a treadmill with any kind of music port (maybe it’s just the gyms I go to?) and my TV has this thing called a ‘speaker’ which is a bit better for audio. The other use case, which it’s touting more than the others, is on planes for in-flight entertainment. I can see the point, but between the middling noise cancellation and low max volume, there’s no way you’re going to hear subtle dialogue in your movie over the sound of the engines and air-con. 

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)

The feature becomes less impressive when you remember that plenty of over-ear headphones have 3.5mm jacks and will naturally block out lots of background noise by virtue of their design. Many of them also have ANC and spatial audio like the Jabra. Check out our list of the best noise cancelling headphones for some great options – just make sure that they come with a 3.5mm cable in-box to save you buying one separately.

Okay, so I’ve torn apart the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2’s key feature, how do they fare beyond that? Uh… fine, I guess. 

The battery life isn’t amazing, but it’s not the worst I’ve seen: with the buds, you’re getting just over 6 hours of listening time with ANC on or 8 hours with it turned off. Using the case you can get 27 hours of playback total with ANC and 36 hours with it turned off, which is actually pretty good compared to some rivals.

There are two modes of active noise cancellation on the Jabra: first is the standard one. It’s okay for removing the worst of background noise, but it doesn’t cut it for louder environments. If you’re on a train or by a busy road it’ll barely make a dent in what’s around you.

Then there’s ‘hearthrough’, which is supposed to allow certain sounds in, to keep you safe. It generally worked well, pulling through nearby noises that the standard ANC mode removed. One thing that confused me was that in the app, the hearthrough mode gives you a slider to change the intensity. I could never tell if this corresponded to how much background sound was allowed through, or how much was cancelled out.

And there’s my segue to the app: Sound+, as it’s called, gives you the basic features that most Bluetooth headphone tie-in apps offer. You can change the ANC, turn on spatial audio, fiddle with an equalizer and also turn on a range of background soundscapes if you want to relax. None of these are new to earbuds but they all work well, with the Elite 10 giving accurate head tracking for the spatial sound and the range of soundscapes being pretty impressive.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Design

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Fairly small earbuds, average-sized case
  • Easy-to-press on-bud buttons
  • Five color options, IP57 rated

The case for the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is fairly standard as wireless earbuds go, and is nigh-on identical to the first-gen version. It’s a small clamshell that houses the buds, which has space for a USB-C port to charge with (and for one other feature…).

It’s a lightweight case, weighing 46.6g and measuring 19.6 x 18.8 x 28.2mm. It’s made of plastic but feels nice and smooth in the hand. However the pinkish-beige color of our test unit showed up marks, stains and smears very easily, and I had to wipe the unit a few times to clean it.

The four other color options will likely avoid this problem, all being darker. There’s the greenish-blue Denim, brown Cocoa, black Titanium Black and also black Gloss Black.

Then onto the music machines themselves: these are small bean-style buds with a tip and a little oval body. They weigh 5.5g so they’re basically average for earbuds like this – weight is doubly important for bean-style wireless earbuds like this as, if they’re too heavy, it can make them prone to falling out of your ears.

When I was sitting still, the buds fit fine and were totally comfortable; when walking they sometimes got a little loose, requiring me to push them back into position, but it didn’t happen nearly as often as on some other earbuds I’ve tested.

Each bud has a button on it – if you look at the pictures, this is the large silver panel, and it only takes a slight depress to press. Of all the earbuds I’ve ever tested, this is one of the easiest to use as it’s easy to hit the button due to their large size, and the fact you only need a little bit of pressure to trigger them ensures you’re not jamming the buds right up your ear canal every time you want to pause a song.

  • Design score: 4/5

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Sound quality

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tinny audio
  • Bass lost in the mix
  • Equalizer fixes some issues

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 are by no means the worst-sounding wireless earbuds I’ve tested, but when you consider how much you have to pay for them, they’re not great.

The main problem, that I noticed as soon as I started to test the Jabras and that never abated through testing, is simply that audio sounds quite tinny.

This peaking is most noticeable in parts of songs that are prone to peaking: drum cymbals and hi-hats, acoustic guitar rhythms, shakers and other background percussion, sometimes vocal harmonies. But it would also show up where I wasn’t expecting it: the vocal lines of some songs would show symptoms, as would electric guitar solos or piano accompaniments. 

For some kinds of music, this was noticeable but not a big issue. But for some songs, particularly in folksy or acoustic-heavy genres, it drastically reduced the quality: tunes like Langhorne Slim and the Law’s Strangers or City of the Sun’s W. 16th St missed the edge that made me love them in the first place.

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)

Treble is audible in the Elite 10 Gen 2’s mix but I don’t see bass-loving audiophiles enjoying the Jabra either – lower-frequency sounds struggle to be heard in the mix by default.

If there’s a bigger problem than its sound quality, though, it’s that the Jabra Elites are just too quiet. At max volume and with noise cancellation turned up to max, it can still be quite hard to hear music when you’re in a busy environment. I’m writing this paragraph while on a train, and I had to give up on podcast listening because I was losing every couple of words — music doesn’t sound great either if you can only hear the most prominent instruments and lines!

You’d hope that the Jabra app would solve some of these issues, but let’s rule the latter out straight way: there are no volume controls in Sound+. There is an equalizer, though.

Using this equalizer, I managed to fix a few problems with the buds; boosting the bass reduces the impact of the tinny sound to a degree. It wasn’t a fix-all cure, but if you know what you’re doing with equalizers, you might be able to improve the sound quality somewhat. There are some presets too and I’d recommend trying out the Bass boost, Energize or Smooth options first.

  • Sound quality: 3/5

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Value

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Wait for a discount
  • There are better-value alternatives

At their current asking price, the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 just don’t offer you good value for money.

Their feature set, battery life and design are all on par with earbuds that cost half as much, while the sound quality is actually worse than many cheaper rivals that I’ve tested – it’s just incredibly hard to recommend the buds.

That’ll change if you can find them seriously discounted in sales, but at their asking price, there’s no way these offer decent value for money.

If you’re about to say “yes, but I need the wired audio feature” follow my advice from the features section – find over-ear headphones that have a 3.5mm jack. You’ll thank me later. 

  • Value: 2.5/5

Should I buy the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for 2 weeks
  • Tested at home, in the office, on walks and on holiday

I tested the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 for just over two weeks, which included plenty of natural and real-life testing, and standardized TechRadar tests too – including our new mic test. 

I mainly used the headphones paired to either my Android phone or iPad, but using the wired cable I tested it briefly alongside my laptop, computer, MP3 player and another smartphone. Testing was generally for music or TV shows but also on podcasts and phone calls.

My tech testing experience at TechRadar spans over five years, and recently it's been largely focusing on audio products; I've tested plenty of the true wireless headphones that you might consider alongside the Jabra.

  • First reviewed in July 2024
YouTube Music review: no doubt it’s gaining on Spotify, so is it time to switch?
1:00 pm | July 13, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Audio Streaming Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

YouTube Music: two-minute review

YouTube Music is YouTube’s music streaming service. It works like rivals Spotify and Tidal, with an app that looks similar. However, it’s not as nice to look at or as intuitive to use as the best music streaming services, especially when it comes to creating playlists. 

Sound-wise, it’s similar to the Spotify experience but doesn’t have high-res streaming or boosted audio quality, in the way that Tidal, Qobuz and and Apple Music do. It also has recommendations in the form of “radio”, which generates a radio station with a selection of music like the track you’re listening to, and personalized playlists. They get to know you well, but don’t suggest the kind of eerily accurate recommendations (or bizarrely-named Daylist titles) that Spotify has become known for. 

Apologies for constantly comparing YouTube Music to Spotify, but it’s long been the best music streaming service for many – and the platform most people are familiar with. And when you do get into the weeds and compare the two side-by-side, you start to ask the question: why would someone use YouTube Music when better, more intuitive alternatives exist?

The thing is, nothing about YouTube Music is bad. You just find most things – audio, recommendations, app experience, connectivity – are better from rivals. However, there are two key things that make YouTube Music the best proposition for its 100 million subscribers (that includes both free and premium versions).

The first is that it comes with YouTube Premium. This is YouTube’s paid-for subscription that strips ads from videos. For people who already pay for that, it’s similar enough to other streaming services, so why pay twice for another service like Spotify too? 

Secondly, it has a dedicated base of users who want to have access to all of the music in its library. You’ll find everything uploaded to YouTube here too, which means user uploaded music (including your own), remixes, amateur music, recordings of live sets, more obscure tracks, emerging artists and much more. 

YouTube Music is also constantly rolling out improvements to its offering. For example, it added podcasts in late 2023 and recently announced a sing to search feature, which lets you literally sing into your phone and it’ll find the track for you. As well as a new prompt-generated AI radio trial. Which, to be fair, Spotify already does in the form of AI DJ and its more recent AI playlist generator which is (in Beta at the time of writing this review, but) really fun to use. 

Yes, Spotify got there first with some of these upgrades, but YouTube Music seems to be taking major steps to catch up. It would be a sensible moment to do so, given the fact some users are growing tired of Spotify’s promises, especially after the PR disaster when it bricked Car Thing earlier this year – and the fact it has yet to deliver on its hi-res Spotify HiFi promises, despite recent price hikes. Does YouTube Music have what it takes to compete? Read on for our full YouTube Music review.

Screenshots of the YouTube Music app on a smartphone.

Your Music Tuner is a feature within YouTube Music that allows you to select your favorite artists so it can quickly get to work preparing recommendations and getting to know your tastes. (Image credit: YouTube)

YouTube Music: what is it?

Before we get into what YouTube Music is, let’s get clear on YouTube’s different offerings. So firstly, there’s YouTube. We’re all familiar with this hugely popular video streaming service. There’s YouTube Premium, a subscription service that gives you more YouTube features, like playing music in the background on mobile devices and stripping away ads. 

Then there’s YouTube Music, a music streaming service that also incorporates regular YouTube’s music videos. It’s best to think of it as a mash-up of the original YouTube app and Google Play Music. Because YouTube is part of the Google ecosystem, it’s tied to your Google account.

There are a couple of ways to pay for YouTube Music. We’ll get into that in more detail below, but you can access it for free with some restrictions and there’s a premium version. One of the big benefits for YouTube Premium subscribers is that they’ll also get access to YouTube Music premium bundled into the deal. 

At the time of writing, YouTube has recently announced that there are now 100 million subscribers to YouTube Music, which includes both free and premium users. 

In terms of what YouTube Music offers, there are more than 100 million tracks. But it’s also home to anything users have uploaded to YouTube that’s classed as music, amateur content, unofficial content, more obscure content, you get the picture. This is one of the unique selling points of YouTube Music. Not only is there a lot here, but music you’ve uploaded can live among everything else you’re streaming. Good news for those who like everything neatly in one place.

Otherwise, YouTube Music looks and feels very similar to other streaming services. You’ve got a grid-like app with suggested music and personalized playlists packed with recommendations, and there’s the ability to save tracks, like them and add them to playlists.

YouTube Music review: pricing and subscription

  • A free version with restrictions
  • YouTube Music premium is $10.99/£10/AU$11.99 per month
  • Premium tier comes free with YouTube Premium

Just like Spotify, there’s a free version of YouTube Music. This has some restrictions. It’ll have ads and you can’t download tracks for offline listening. A YouTube Music Premium subscription is $10.99/£10/AU$11.99 per month and that rids the experience of ads and means you can download tracks, albums and playlists for offline listening. 

As we mentioned above, you can also access YouTube Music by paying for a YouTube Premium subscription. That costs $13.99/£11.99/AU$16.99 per month but you can test it out with a free trial, which at the time of writing is for three months. 

At $10.99/£10/AU$11.99 per month, YouTube Music is around the same price as most rivals, including Tidal, which is also $10.99/£10.99/$11.99. Spotify’s premium tier costs $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month, so YouTube Music is slightly cheaper. 

As we’ll get to later on, there are ways in which both Tidal and Spotify beat YouTube Music, which makes it seem as if it’s not good value. Then again, there are some key things YouTube Music offers users that rivals don’t, so everything starts to balance out – depending on what you’re looking for. 

A screenshot of youtube music app in browser

My Mix 2 is a playlist generated from my listening history, packed with tracks I've not listened to on YouTube Music but certainly aligns with my tastes. (Image credit: YouTube)

YouTube Music review: audio quality

  • No high-res
  • Spotify marginally better
  • Sounds the same as Spotify in testing

When you start using YouTube Music, you’ll automatically be listening to ‘Normal’ audio quality, which is a bitrate of 128kbps. If you want to save on data when streaming from your phone, you can go into the Settings in the app and change to ‘Low’ quality, a bitrate of 48kbps. If you’re on an unlimited monthly plan (you lucky thing you), you can select ‘High’, which is 256kbps. 

Even that highest bitrate is low compared to rivals though – especially rivals that offer hi-res and lossless listening, like Tidal. But even Spotify Premium allows you to stream music at 320kbps. It’s not just about the bitrate either, YouTube Music delivers AAC-compressed audio, which can lack the detail and clarity of the more hi-res audio file types.

However, there’s some speculation online (take a look at Reddit) about why YouTube Music sounds better than Spotify for some listeners. During my testing, I didn’t notice a major difference between the two. Despite Spotify’s minor quality bump, if anything, YouTube Music had a richer and more expansive sound. Then again, this is of course subjective and while I marginally favor YouTube's sonic presentation, it's also dependant upon how you listen; if you're streaming wirelessly via Bluetooth (which incurs compression) or using the DAC inbuilt in your laptop (rather than one of the best portable DACs hooked up to some of the best wired headphones, which would be largely wasted here anyway) you're unlikely to notice much difference. 

What matters most here is to note that like Spotify, you won’t get audiophile-grade sound from YouTube Music, but in a battle strictly between the two, there’s not much in it.

The Sessions tab in youtube music shows music videos and content that's been recorded live.

(Image credit: youtube music)

YouTube Music review: catalog

  • A huge selection of music
  • Live sessions and videos too
  • More obscure and unofficial tracks

Gone are the days of judging streaming services by the number of tracks they have in their library. With only a handful of exceptions, you’ll find more artists and types of music everywhere you look. 

However, if you’ve ever felt like Spotify and the like aren’t catering enough for your tastes, then YouTube Music could be a great choice for you. Most of what you’ll find on rivals like Spotify are official tracks. On YouTube Music, you’ll find all of the music uploaded to YouTube, which means you’ll get mixes, fan uploads, work from amateur artists, more obscure tracks, rare stuff, and so much more. 

It’s worth mentioning here that although this sounds great, it won’t be for everyone. For example, if you search for a track you often don’t get the official track served up first, but endless mashups and remixes. This will be, quite literally, music to the ears of those who have always craved more choice. But others will be overwhelmed and want to be spoon-fed the more mainstream, regular version – I’m not ashamed to say that although I found YouTube Music incredibly fun to use, I definitely fall more into this last camp.

As well as getting access to more music, there are a lot of extras here. You can easily tap to see the music video of anything you’re listening to if one exists – which you’d expect from YouTube. Although other streaming services do offer some video, it works seamlessly here. Great if you’re a fan of music videos, you’ll feel like you’re transported back to your teens watching MTV again.

You’re also able to add any music you already have, whether that’s on your Google Play Music library, iTunes or a hard drive, to your YouTube Music library. This is great if you feel like you’ve got pockets of disparate music and want what you own, and what you stream, to be in one place. FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, and WMA files are all supported and the process of uploading them is really straightforward, just go to your profile via the web and click ‘Upload music’.

Late in 2023, YouTube Music added podcasts to its offering, sort of folding in Google Podcasts, which is in the process of being discontinued. We can’t find an official number about how many podcasts are available through YouTube Music, but it seems that some of the big names and popular shows are here, but not everything. If you’re really into podcasts, especially those that don’t rake in the big viewer numbers, you’d be better off looking elsewhere. 

A screenshot of how the youtube music streaming service looks on the web when opened in the google chrome browser

Here's what the home page of YouTube Music looks like when you open it within a browser. (Image credit: youtube music)

YouTube Music review: platforms and apps

  • Main iOS and Android apps are good
  • Some clunky UI points
  • Rivals do it a little better

There’s an iOS and an Android YouTube Music app. It also works as a web player from your browser, on Sonos, some Fitbit and Garmin devices, Apple HomePod and on anything related to Google, like Wear OS smartwatches, Google Home and Nest speakers and Chromecast. Rivals like Spotify and Tidal have more connectivity options, but these are likely to be enough for most people. 

We tested YouTube Music using the iOS app. It’s functionally similar to rivals and, as it’s been updated over the past year, it looks like them too (especially Tidal). Expect black and grey styling and bright artwork for albums and recommendations. Content is presented in a scrolling, grid-like layout. It’s a design we’re familiar with but that’s fine because it works well and feels clean, simple and easy-to-use.

Wherever you use YouTube Music you’ll find slightly different variations of the same layout, just tweaked for different screen sizes. You’ll find Home, Explore and Library tabs. Home is where new tracks, recommendations and playlists, both generic and curated live. Explore contains more searchable content, recommendations and ways to find new tracks based on moods and genres. And Library is where everything you’ve saved and curated lives. 

Something about the experience doesn’t feel quite as slick or smartly designed as Spotify or Apple Music at times. But it’s still nice to use and we’re maybe nit-picking here. What we’re saying is, if you haven’t tried the others you would probably be content. If you have, there’s a sort of clunkiness that takes a few days to get used to. 

Screenshots of the youtube music app for ios

The home page shows you recommended tracks and albums YTM thinks you might like. There are also different moods across the top, I loved Feel Good for its top suggestions. (Image credit: Youtube Music)

YouTube Music review: playlists and recommendations

  • Solid recommendations
  • Plans to make them better
  • Spotify is still king here

Like all music streaming services, the more you use YouTube Music, the more it learns about your tastes and preferences. You can get recommendations in a bunch of ways. You can play the ‘Radio’ option from any track or album, which generates a radio station filled with similar tracks and artists. There are also a bunch of playlists that update regularly and are personalized to you, including Discover Mix, Replay Mix and New Release Mix. Over time, you’ll get even more to sit different moods, like Workout Supermix, Romantic Supermix and Focus Supermix.

There’s also the ability to create your own radio station. Through a feature called Your Music Tuner, which is located in the Home tab of the app, you can fine-tune a custom radio station experience. You select artists, artist variety and tweak other filters. When you’re done, the YouTube Music algorithm will build a custom station that you can continue to tune. 

After trialling YouTube Music for several weeks, I can confidently say it’s got to know me and my preferences. Many of the suggested tracks and artists are the kind of music I like listening to. I also love that mixes are created for certain moods and situations. But it doesn’t quite feel as good as Spotify. 

Now, I’m willing to admit this could be subjective and I’ve been using Spotify longer. But Spotify’s recommendations feel fresher to me. I have that eerie sense that new tracks and artists (and even new genres) are unearthed that I like but have never heard before. Whereas youTube Music serves up some of the same artists and tracks again and again. This is nice and still has a personalized touch, but doesn’t feel quite so effective for new music discovery.

Then again, I’m well aware we’re comparing YouTube Music to the best of the best. Although not everyone loves them, Spotify’s recommendations and generated playlists are one of the main draws of the music streaming service. 

As mentioned above in the intro, YouTube Music is making changes and adding AI to create better playlists. As far as I can tell (these features haven’t rolled out yet), they’re largely the same as Spotify’s offering, but it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out in future.

Another way YouTube Music wants you to find new music is with Samples. YouTube Music is going all in on this as it has a whole tab of its own in the mobile app. Think of Samples as TikTok for music. Click on the tab and you’ll be served a continuous feed of short form video clips to get you interested in new artist and tracks. This is a nice touch for integrating video and will take you back to the days of finding out about new artists from the likes of MTV and Kerrang. 

Want to create your own playlists? That’s easy too, with the same kind of look and feel as Spotify and Tidal. Simply add a track to a playlist then you can choose a name for it and select an artwork theme. YouTube Music will serve up suggestions for new tracks you can add, which I’m often doing instinctively now. The functionality doesn’t feel quite as natural as rivals, for example, you can’t search within a playlist. 

YouTube Music review: should you subscribe?

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  • First reviewed: July 2024
Pro-Ject E1 review: a low-price, beginner-friendly turntable that looks as good as it sounds
1:09 pm | July 10, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Turntables | Comments: Off

Pro-Ject E1: Two-minute review

The Pro-Ject E1 is a very capable, but affordable, turntable that's a particularly good option for people who are new to vinyl or who just want a fuss-free turntable that won't break the bank. It looks good, it sounds good and it comes with everything pre-set so you can simply assemble it, plug it in, and start playing.

The simplicity means that the Pro-Ject E1 lacks features you'll find in some rivals, such as a 78rpm speed setting, a phono stage pre-amp, a USB port or Bluetooth streaming – so if you want to stream old shellac singles to your Bluetooth headphones or rip them to digital this may not be the best turntable for you. But its simplicity is its strength: the focus is on delivering an involving sonic performance, and the E1 does that very well.

For this price, you won't really get any better sound than this has to offer. And it comes basically ready to out of the box – you won't need to have any fears over the set-up process, which makes it fantastic for beginners. It lacks automatic operation, which is a bit of a shame, but not a big deal. It's also quite lightweight, so make sure it's not positioned somewhere vulnerable to vibrations.

Aside from these notes, it's hard to fault this for what it delivers – it's designed to make great sound analogue sound easy, and it 100% achieves that.

The version we tested here is the plain Pro-Ject E1, which does not have its own phono stage – it's designed to be connected to an amplifier or to a system that has a phono stage before the amp. It's also available as the Pro-Ject E1 Phono with an integrated pre-amp, enabling you to use it with self-powered speakers, and as the E1 BT, which has the same pre-amp and adds Bluetooth transmission.

Pro-Ject E1 review: price and release date

  • Released in May 2022
  • $349 / £299 / AU$649
  • Usually available for less

This isn't Pro-Ject's cheapest turntable – that honour goes to the Primary E, which is about a third cheaper – but it's still priced keenly. The Pro-Ject E1 has a recommended retail price of $349 / £299 / AU$649, but at the time of writing it was available in the UK for as little as £209 and AU$494 in Australia, so buy at the right time and you can get a serious bargain. It was launched in 2022.

Pro-Ject E1 with raised lid

The Pro-Ject E1 is very light, so much so that you'll probably want to loosen the hinges for the acrylic cover. (Image credit: Future)

Pro-Ject E1 review: design

  • Beautiful in an understated way
  • No need to adjust tracking force
  • Very lightweight

The Pro-Ject E1 is beautiful in the way that a classic Swiss watch or a really good tailored suit are: understated rather than look-at-me flashy. The version I tested was entirely black with a gloss black plinth and matte black hardware, a look that reminded me of Hotblack Desiato's spaceship in The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy or the cover of Spinal Tap's Smell The Glove.The other colors retain the black hardware but replace the black composite fibre plinth with gloss white and walnut versions respectively.

The tonearm is rigid but lightweight aluminium with tracking force and its anti-skid pre-set and the 8.6-inch platter is lightweight ABS polymer with ridges designed to reduce unwanted resonance. The power supply plugs into the back, where you'll also find the decently long phono cables and ground wire. Unlike other Pro-Ject turntables, the RCA cable here is pre-soldered directly to the turntable. The cable length is 1.23m.

This is a very light turntable, so much so that lifting the lid can move the entire thing. You'll want to use the supplied hex key to loosen the hinges a little, and ensure your turntable isn't close to the speakers, or anything else that shakes the room, because it's likely to pick up some vibrations when it's this lightweight. High-end turntables are often seriously heavy in order to absorb unwanted vibrations, but this one is slight.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Pro-Ject E1 close up cartridge

Our turntable came with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, which is a good all-rounder. (Image credit: Future)

Pro-Ject E1 review: Features

  • No flashy bells or whistles
  • No need to do a belt change
  • Fully manual operation

This is a very zen turntable: if it's not necessary, it isn't here. It's a fully manual turntable without bells and whistles, which helps explain how Pro-Ject has managed to keep the price down.

Unlike many belt-driven turntables, there's no need to do an awkward belt change when you want to change speeds: the E1 has an electronic speed switch with three positions, 45, off, and 33.

Although the Pro-Ject website currently lists the E1 with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge, our review unit came with an Ortofon OM 5E. That cartridge is known for its neutral sound, making it a good choice for eclectic music tastes. It's upgradeable to Ortofon's other Super OM styluses.

As mentioned above, you don't get a built-in phono stage here either, so pay attention to whether your amp has one, or whether you might be better off getting the E1 Phono model.

  • Features score: 3/5

Pro-Ject E1 power socket

It doesn't get much simpler than this: plug the power supply in here, connect the cables to your amp and you're good to go. (Image credit: Future)

Pro-Ject E1: Audio performance

  • Exciting and involving sound
  • Great clarity and separation
  • Bass is big without being baggy

Belt-driven turntables are typically quieter than direct drive ones, and that's definitely the case here. The E1 is very quiet in operation, enabling the music to shine. And it really does. After reviewing some much cheaper turntables, listening to the same records on the E1 was like the bit in The Wizard of Oz where everything goes into technicolor. 

The stereo stage was much better defined, the high frequencies were airier, and the low end was thrilling and tight rather than merely thumpy. Although the Ortofon cartridge is known for its neutrality it still delivered what I'd describe as a warm and lively sound, especially on vocals and acoustic instruments.

This is a very musical turntable. Old classics such as Fleetwood Mac's Rumours were a delight, the backing vocals and keyboards taking their rightful place without overpowering those lush vocals; Billy Duffy's guitar on The Cult's Electric growled and soared; Sigrid and Pet Shop Boys' electronic pop was propulsive without becoming crowded. If the mark of a good audio product is its ability to let you hear things that were previously buried, the E1 passes with flying colors: it makes room for details that you simply can't hear on lesser turntables.

Obviously, at this price, they're not the last word in turntable sound. If you spend more, and have the amp and speakers to make the most of it, you can get even more dynamic range and crisp detail. But you won't feel wanting as a result of listening to the Pro-Ject with a suitable setup, and an affordable pair of the best stereo speakers to match,

I also have one of the E1's main rivals here, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120X-USB, which has a similar price. And while the rival turntable has more features, such as Bluetooth and USB connectivity, I think the Pro-Ject E1 is the better sounding of the two. The AT is a very good affordable turntable but the E1 is more involving.

  • Audio score: 4/5

Pro-Ject E1 belt

You'll only need to see the belt when you first assemble your turntable: speed changes in this model are electronic, not manual. (Image credit: Future)

Pro-Ject E1 review: Usability and setup

  • Everything's been done for you
  • You'll be up and running in no time
  • No automation

The Pro-ject E1 has been designed to be effortless to set up. The tracking force is already set, as is the anti-skid, so getting organized is just a matter of following the simple instructions to put the belt onto the pulley, the platter on top, and the felt mat on top of that. Run the cables to your amp or phono stage, plug in the power, and you're good to go. 

That super simplicity does mean some sacrifices, though: there's no automation, so you'll need to manually lift the tonearm when you reach the end of a side. 

Although the tracking force is pre-set, you can adjust it: the counterweight is locked but the supplied hex key loosens it should you wish to increase the downward force. 

  • Usability & setup score: 4.5/5

Pro-Ject E1 review: Value for money

  • You're not paying for features you won't use
  • Sounds more expensive than it is

At this price, the E1 is excellent value for money: you're not paying for bells and whistles you won't use (how many people are really ripping vinyl to USB these days?), so pretty much every penny is going on how your records will sound. So while lacking the extra flexibility of a phono stage or Bluetooth connection knocks this score down a little (though you can always get the E1 BT model instead!), it's still superb value overall.

It's a similar kind of thing with its lack of automatic operation – it would be even better for beginners if it had this option, but it's not a big deal that it doesn't have it. The really important thing is the quality, and it has that in spades.

If you're looking for a fuss-free turntable that looks good and sounds even better this is a Pro-Ject you'll want to join.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Pro-Ject E1?

Buy it if...

You’re time-poor
Setting this turntable up is incredibly quick and simple.


You don't need shiny things
The E1 is focused on sound, not on adding extra features. 

You like it simple
Minimalism is the order of the day here, in features and design.

Don't buy it if...

You want to stream
This turntable isn't Bluetooth, although there is a Bluetooth model in the range – look for the Pro-Ject E1 BT.

You're not familiar with hi-fi terms at all
This particular E1 needs to be connected to an amp with a phono stage, or you need a separate phono stage. If you don't know what this means, you'll need to learn – or get the E1 Phono, which has this built-in.

You want to tinker
The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon would be the better option for anyone who thinks they might want to upgrade parts in the future.

Pro-Ject E1 review: Also consider

Fluance RT81
Fluance's turntable is similarly priced, and like the Pro-Ject is belt driven for low noise. The stylus is an Audio-Technica AT95E and there's a built-in Texas Instruments phono stage. It's also heavier than the Pro-Ject. In our Fluance RT81 review we said it was the best starter turntable you can buy. It's been out for many years now but remains a superb performer.View Deal

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
It's a bit more expensive than the E1, but this sibling turntable is a superb all-rounder with a better cartridge and a metal platter, and in our Pro-Ject Debut Carbon review we said it's well suited to people who might want to upgrade its parts over time. The only negative is that it has a manual speed change.View Deal

How I tested the Pro-Ject E1

  • Tested over several weeks alongside the Pro-Ject Juke Box E1
  • Tested with Onkyo amp and Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers / Beyer-Dynamic headphones

I tested the Pro-Ject E1 at home over several weeks, connecting it to my Onkyo amplifier (with the direct setting enabled to completely bypass the amp's EQ circuit) which in turn powered twin Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf speakers and Beyer-Dynamic studio headphones. 

I listened carefully to albums I already know inside out across a wide range of genres to assess how well the turntable delivered not just spacious, well-recorded music but also much more rowdy and crowded recordings.

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: a budget Bluetooth speaker with booming, well-rounded sound
3:00 pm | July 6, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Tribit XSound Plus 2: Two-minute review

The Tribit XSound Plus 2 is an impressive Bluetooth speaker, especially given its modest price. Into its slight frame, Tribit has managed to squeeze two 15W, neodymium full-range drivers, as well as a battery that it says will last a healthy 24 hours. You also get IPX7 weatherproofing, which means it’ll see off any splashes or showers, and Tribit’s app offers nine-band EQ, enabling you to fully customize the sound. Not bad for $69.99 / £63 (about AU$105).

When it comes to performance, the Tribit Xsound Plus 2 isn’t short of enthusiasm. It’s able to produce a ridiculous amount of sound for a relatively small unit: it can happily fill a room with energetic, full-bodied sound, and doesn’t skimp on detail just because you’re sitting outside the sweet spot of its stereo field. And it can reach ear-splitting volumes if pushed: I’d urge you to use caution when hitting that volume button, lest it upsets your neighbors or audiologist.

But it’s not just a blunt instrument – it’s capable of some surprisingly sophisticated sound for a speaker of the price. Producing decent, well-rounded and expressive mids, as well as pumping bass, it makes certain genres shine. However, higher frequencies don’t fare quite as well as they do with some of the best Bluetooth speakers – these sometimes sound a little thin and fragile, and tracks that lean on a full, treble-heavy mix, can end up feeling a bit glassy.

Fortunately, the Tribit XSound Plus 2 has a secret weapon here. That nine-band EQ means you can tailor the sound it produces to suit your favorite songs and genres, create your own presets, and assign them to one of the three settings on the programmable EQ button atop the speaker. Given how much the sound profile of the speaker can vary though, any genre-hoppers among you might find yourselves needing to chop and change the EQ pretty regularly to ensure it keeps sounding its best.

Design-wise, the XSound Plus 2 is pretty conservative, with a matte-black plastic casing and slightly convex grille. Behind a rubber plug on its rear is a 3.5mm jack to use as a line-in, and a USB-C port for charging the device. There are buttons on the top for turning it on, activating pairing mode, changing the volume, playing, pausing and skipping music, changing EQ presets, and pairing with another Tribit speaker. It’s maybe not quite as robustly built as rivals like the Ultimate Ears Boom 3, so bear that in mind if you’re looking for something that can cope with a proper adventure out in the wilderness.

All things considered, the Tribit XSound Plus 2 can produce sound that its size and – more importantly – its price would belie. If you’re willing to really ride the EQ settings, you can get a lot out of it for such an affordable speaker. But if you’re looking for something that’s a true jack – or, preferably, master – of all trades, you'll likely want to spend a bit more on something that has more range, like the JBL Flip 6, which you'll be able to rely on for great sound regardless of the genre you play.

'XSound Plus 2' is engraved on the reverse side of the Tribit XSound Plus 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Price & release date

  • Released April 2024
  • Costs $69.99 / £63 (about AU$105)

Released in April 2024, the Tribit XSound Plus 2 is available to buy in both the US and the UK, although it doesn’t seem to be available in Australia at the time of writing.

It's priced at a very reasonable $69.99 / £63 (around AU$105). Perhaps its closest rival at this size and spec is the JBL Flip 6, which costs $99.95 / £129.99 / AU$149.95; even Tribit’s more pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker, the StormBox Micro 2, costs $59.99 / £54 (about AU$90), making the XSound Plus 2 look like something of a bargain.

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Specs

Power, Bluetooth, and volume down button on the top of the Tribit XSound Plus 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Features

  • Supremely customizable 9-band EQ
  • Rock-solid Bluetooth connection with easy pairing
  • Epic battery life

Surprisingly for a speaker of this price, the Tribit XSound Plus 2 has an impressive feature set. While you’re not going to get top-of-the-range features like lossless audio Dolby Atmos, or fancy automatic room-correction algorithms, this speaker does offer plenty of attributes that rivals twice its price don't.

Across the top, a band of buttons allows you to control most aspects of the speaker. The power and pairing switches behave exactly how you’d expect, while there's also a button to toggle between the three assignable EQ presets, and one to toggle Party Mode. There are also volume controls and the play button, which can be tapped once to play / pause, twice to skip forward, and thrice to skip back.

Fire up the Tribit app and not only does it allow you to toggle the speaker's auto-shutdown feature on and off, it gives you access to a pretty comprehensive EQ. This comes with six pre-programmed presets – XBass, XBass Off, Audiobook, MaxSound Traditional, Rock and Jazz – but also allows you to create your own profiles with its nine-band EQ. As a result, you can seriously customize the sound it produces, based on your tastes and the genre you’re listening to.

By default you can quickly switch between XBass, XBass Off, and Audiobook mode using the physical EQ button on the speaker, with the light above it turning white, off, or blue respectively to indicate which mode you’re in. But what if your tastes extend beyond just ‘bassy’, ‘less bassy’ and ‘books’? Then you’re in luck: you can assign any of the presets, or your custom profiles, to each setting. Personally, as someone with absurdly eclectic tastes, I’m a big fan of any speaker that allows me to quickly fire up dedicated sound profiles for witch house, UK drill, and psychobilly at the press of a button.

Thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.3, the XSound Plus 2 also has rock-solid connectivity. The connection can in theory extend as far as 150 feet and, while I rarely stretched it this far, it was able to cover the full 46-foot length of my apartment through walls without breaking a sweat. And the multi-device pairing that's built into more recent versions of Bluetooth meant it was always consistently quick to pair and swap between devices – you won’t need to spend 10 minutes forgetting and repairing connections just to get the speaker to swap from your phone to your laptop.

This also means the XSound Plus 2 supports pairing with other Tribit speakers. Once it's paired with your phone, all you need to do is tap the TWS button on the right-hand side of the speaker and the two speakers form a stereo pair. Alternatively, if you’re just looking to boost the volume for a larger space, you can press the TWS button on a stereo pair to switch the speakers into Party Mode, turning them into an ersatz multi-room setup.

If you throw particularly epic parties, perhaps the XSound Plus 2’s most attractive feature is going to be its battery life, especially for such a small unit. Tribit claims it will last 24 hours at 60% volume, which is a life long enough to make Methuselah envious. Putting this to the test, I set it to play at that volume until it had dropped down from 100% to 60%, which took eight hours and 45 minutes – that means it should last almost 22 hours on a full charge. That’s a little shy of what Tribit promises, but very few Bluetooth speakers are going to give you this much juice, especially for this kind of budget.

  • Features score: 4/5

Various button controls on top of the Tribit XSound Plus 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Sound quality

  • Seriously loud, room-filling sound
  • Punchy bass and warm mids…
  • …but you’ll really need to ride the EQ to make some tracks shine

The Tribit XSound Plus 2 offers shockingly good sound considering its cost; both in terms of dynamics and how well rounded its lower frequencies are, it can hold its own against speakers twice its price. It's tuned to play to its strengths, and it smashes any music that matches its preferred sonic profile. Unfortunately, this also means it can rapidly come unstuck when served something outside its wheelhouse.

Despite its relatively small footprint, it can pack a pretty decent punch when it comes to anything with dynamic bass, especially when you enable XBass. When I dropped Cirrus by Bonobo, I was genuinely impressed by how effortlessly the XSound Plus 2 was able to shift between the punchy kicks and the organic melodies of the kalimbas. The sound felt very cohesive, and while it didn’t have quite the outrageous levels of bass that the more party-focused Bluetooth speakers can muster, the bass response was tight and well-integrated with the rest of the frequency range.

But there are definitely some compromises going on in order to enable such a cohesive, well-integrated sound. Listening to Paul Simon's vocals and Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s choral hook during the intro of Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes feels like you’re being immersed in honey and, when the drums kick in, they rise through the mix without overpowering it. However, I could detect some undeniable sharpness in the treble of elements like those jangly guitar chords, suggesting the XSound Plus 2 is less proficient when it comes to handling transients.

Some songs clash with the XSound Plus 2’s processing, coming off much worse. Initially, when I played Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, I was rather taken aback – it sounded tinnier than my hearing after a week-long festival. Both the high-mids and trebles sounded surprisingly brittle and, unlike with other genres, the band’s leaner soft-rock sound didn’t serve up enough bass to stop things from sounding seriously top-heavy. Playing the same song on the JBL Charge 5 really showed me what I was missing – the tom tom fills that were almost entirely neutered on the XSound Plus 2 added much more body. Clearly the cohesive sound the Tribit delivers while playing some genres means that certain frequencies are ducked and, to me, those low-mids seem to be one of the areas that are squeezed out.

This is where those EQ settings come in handy. When I flipped the XSound Plus 2 to its rock setting, Fleetwood Mac’s breakup anthem sounded much more like the song I recognized – the treble had a bit more oomph across the spectrum, while the bass was less subby, prioritizing the register of those toms and bass kicks. And finding the right setting can make other tracks shine too: Kamasi Washington’s Clair de Lune already sounded solid, but when I popped it into jazz mode, it gave due deference to that double bass, while giving more timbral depth to rest of the instruments, particularly that sultry trombone solo.

Ultimately, though, there isn’t any set-it-and-forget-it EQ setting that shows all tracks off in their best light. That may be less of an issue if you tend to only listen to one or two specific genres, but if you have diverse tastes or chop and change a lot, you may find yourself having to pull out the app more often than you’d like to ensure you’re getting the absolute best sound for your favorite tunes.

Given that it only has two forward-facing drivers, I’ll admit I was a little skeptical about the kind of presence that the XSound Plus 2 could deliver. But blow me down: it’s actually a solid little performer when it comes to soundstage. Naturally, it’s very much a point source of sound, but I tried sitting with it at a range of angles, and I didn’t find that the audio suffered when I was outside of the optimum stereo field. Even with the speaker pointing directly away from me, the treble didn’t significantly diminish, so when you have guests round they won’t all be jostling for the one seat from which they can actually hear the tunes playing.

And it’s just absurdly loud when you push it. Not only could it happily fill my living room with sound – which is no small feat given that I have cavernously high ceilings – but while running the above battery test at 60% volume in our offices, I could still hear it two rooms away despite the fact that it was wrapped in a jumper, stuffed in my rucksack, and in a room with acoustic damping on the walls. Inevitably, there’s a fair amount of distortion when you really crank it up to its eardrum-melting maximum, but you’re never going to be left wanting when it comes to sheer volume.

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Tribit XSound Plus 2 with attached lanyard on gray surface

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Design

  • Pleasant (if slightly anodyne) matte plastic finish
  • IPX7 rating protects it from rain and puddles
  • Lanyard feels a bit flimsy for a speaker of this weight

All told, the Tribit XSound Plus 2 is a likeable enough package. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not an objet d’art, but equally it doesn’t look conspicuously cheap. It’s far from the most flamboyantly hued Bluetooth speaker ever: your choices here are black or… erm… black. But plenty of brands offer brightly colored speakers; the XSound Plus 2 is clearly aiming for a subtler aesthetic, and I’d say it nails it.

Its body is made of a matte-black plastic that feels pleasingly soft to the touch, while the round curves on its rear make it comfortable to grasp in a single hand. On the front of the device, the drivers are covered by a convex metal grille, which is a bit more visually distinguishable than the cloth-covered cylinders that seem pretty much ubiquitous these day. If there’s any speaker the Tribit resembles, it's the Beats Pill, but less rounded overall.

If you’re wanting to take the Tribit XSound Plus 2 into the great outdoors, it will easily be able to handle the elements. Thanks to its IPX7 rating, it should be able to cope with being dunked in water up to 3ft / 1m for up to 30 minutes, which means it’ll shrug off splashes with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever. But, beyond this, it’s probably not as hardy as some of its rivals: it’s not been tested for dust and grit ingress, and I’d argue its relatively dainty build won’t handle accidental drops quite as well as more robust portable speakers on the market.

And that last point really makes me question one design choice. The XSound Plus 2 comes with a lanyard on one end that allows you to wrap it around a wrist or attach it to a backpack, but it feels pretty flimsy, especially given the speaker’s 1.76lbs / 0.8kg weight – leaving it dangling and pirouetting around at the end of this string felt like I was hanging a $70 speaker from a 50¢ cord. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to hold in a single hand or stick in a pocket that I never really needed to trust the Tribit to this tenuous lifeline.

  • Design score: 4/5

Removable tab on reverse side of the Tribit XSound Plus 2 open to reveal an AUX and USB-C port

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit XSound Plus 2 review: Value

  • Produces sound almost as good as speakers twice its price
  • Offers a broader range of features than many budget rivals
  • IPX7 weatherproofing make it a wise purchase for outdoor use

With the Tribit XSound Plus 2, you’re getting a lot of speaker for not very much money. The features it offers exceed what I’d expect for a speaker at this price. Sure, you’re not getting cutting-edge features like lossless audio or Dolby Atmos, but its EQ settings are super-customizable, and the ability to network multiple speakers together should give you a much more impressive soundstage than you’d get from one single $140 / £130 / AU$200 speaker.

And design-wise, its utilitarian looks are still pleasing enough, while that IPX7 rating will shrug off most of what the great outdoors can throw at it, making it a wise purchase for anyone looking for a cheap, durable speaker to take trekking or camping.

Admittedly, it’s hardly the most neutral listen, and this does cause some inconsistencies, depending on what you’re listening to. In comparison, the similarly sized JBL Flip 6 offers superior sound – but it also costs more than double the price. So in terms of bang for your buck, you’re getting a pretty sweet deal here.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Tribit XSound Plus 2?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Tribit Xsound Plus 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Tribit Xsound Plus 2

  • I tested for two weeks, and I tested it against the JBL Charge 5
  • I used it in the office and at home
  •  listened to Spotify, Apple Music and Pocket Casts on an iPhone 13 Pro and a MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019)

I tested the Tribit XSound Plus 2 over the course of two weeks. Not only did I listen to a wide range of different genres and styles on it, but I also tested it using TechRadar’s reference playlist, which helped me assess the speaker’s full range and how it handled specific frequencies.

As well as connecting the XSound Plus 2 to multiple devices, including my iPhone 13 Pro and my MacBook Pro, I also directly compared how it performed relative to the JBL Charge 5, testing each speaker side by side. To test the speaker’s battery life, I set it to play continuously at 60% volume, and measured the battery drop over time.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets and technology for nearly 10 years, particularly headphones, speakers, and music hardware. I also regularly produce audio and music in my spare time, giving me a strong understanding of sound dynamics and frequencies.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: June 2024
Sennheiser IE 600 review: these wired earbuds illuminate details you didn’t even know existed
3:00 pm | July 5, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Sennheiser IE 600 review

The Sennheiser IE 600 are a pair of in-ear monitors that paint the most delicate details onto a canvas. They excel in tying several sonic elements together into a beautiful work of art, with exceptionally clear and beautifully balanced audio, plus strong separation, too. Of course, such qualities come at a steep price (around $800 / £700 / AU$1,200), but there’s no denying that the Sennheiser IE 600 offer excellent quality on a number of levels.

First of all, the Sennheiser IE 600 are particularly skilled in supplying defined audio – in part because of their dual two-chamber absorbers. These essentially capture and attenuate multiple sounds occupying the same frequency range, according to Sennheiser, meaning that you can enjoy textured audio and pick out the finer details. As a result, it never feels like you have to go on a mission to discover intricate audio attributes – the Sennheiser IE 600 does all the necessary heavy lifting to ensure that each unique sonic element is unearthed.

The IE 600 perform fantastically across all frequencies – perhaps unsurprising given that they’re the higher-priced sibling of the Sennheiser IE 300, which proudly sit on our list of the best wired headphones.  When listening to Rains again by Solji, the rain coming down throughout the introduction is utteraly natural and convincing, with each drop defined. In addition to that, the earphones perfectly captured the delicate nature of the track’s high-pitched vocals and finer details, such as the click of the singer's tongue on the palate. Vocals in the mid-range also pop really well on the IE 600, and often sound slightly forward, but never in a way that disrupts overall balance.

Sennheiser claims that the IE 600 deliver “fast, accurate bass”, and it isn’t wrong. When tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, I was wowed by the rapid pumping of the drum machine as the bassline dipped to impressive depths; it bounced up in a very controlled manner. The depth of the bass was certainly imposing, so if you’re the kind of person who wants to experience meaty low-frequency sounds, these IEMs won’t disappoint.

The authoritative nature of the bass ties into a wider theme with the IE 600; they excel in serving up powerful, full-bodied audio. When switching between the far cheaper, but still fantastic, Sennheiser IE 200 and the IE 600, I certainly felt that the latter offered a more all-encompassing listening experience, mainly due to their ability to show off subtle sonic details. For instance, I used the IE 600 to test out I Want You by Moloko and felt genuinely energized by the almost cinematic reproduction of the tune. The IE 600 faithfully captured the track’s complexity, including the intro’s breathy vocals, natural-sounding keys, and the several instruments that enter the fray later in the track to form a dense, layered mix.

Of course, you understand why they're so difference when you compare the IE 200's price of $149.95 / £129.99 / AU$239.95 to the IE 600 at 4-5 times that. No wonder the IE 600 are a cut above for sound, and will impress hardcore audiophiles.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk design. The IE 600 are beautifully manufactured, and their 3D-printed metal casing rocks a textured, classy look. Fun fact: the metal used to build the IE 600 – ZR01 amorphous zirconium – is the same type used for the drilling head of NASA's Mars Rover. Now, that’s pretty sturdy. The earphones are still small and relatively lightweight, though. Coming in at 0.21oz / 6g (per bud), they bring elegance alongside durability. They also fit really well, and it took me no time at all to find the right feel. The earphones are attached to a bendy cable, which makes it easy to adjust the fit around your ear and achieve maximum comfort. Speaking of which, I never felt any irritation while wearing the IE 600, even when keeping them in for full work days. Thankfully, I was subjected to very limited cable noise, something that can be a real mood-killer with a lot of wired in-ear headphones.

My personal feeling is that the IE 600’s gray cable is a bit of a downgrade on the plaited silver one included with the IE 200. Although the IE 600’s wire has a smooth, clean aesthetic, I found myself more attached to the feeling and chain-like appearance of the cheaper model. Like the IE 200, it’s a shame that the included cable here doesn’t include an in-line controller or mic, which makes the IE 600 a little inconvenient if you’re on the go and have to adjust volume via the source device. There’s a way around this – but it involves spending an additional £59.99 (about $75 / AU$115) on an alternative Sennheiser cable with built-in controller.

The default wire for the IE 600 has a 3.5mm connector, but the box also includes one with a 4.4mm connector that you can attach the earphones to instead. There are other extras bundled in too, including a hard carry case, a cleaning tool, a clip that you can attach to the IE 600’s cable, and a collection of different-sized foam and gel ear tips. I found that the foam tips were the most comfortable, and they assist in enabling pretty solid noise isolation. If you want near-silence, though, you'll get a greater effect from the best noise cancelling earbuds. 

Overall, the Sennheiser IE 600 are a brilliant pair of IEMs that I thoroughly enjoyed using. If you’re looking to invest in some top-quality wired in-ear headphones, these will almost certainly sound the part – and last you for many years to come. As a result, I can definitely recommend the Sennheiser IE 600 – especially because you shouldn't need to pay list price (which is a touch high in my opinion), but should be able to pay more like $500 / £500 / AU$1,000.

Sennheiser IE 600 next to gray/black carry case

(Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser IE 600 review: Price and release date

  • $799 / £699 / AU$1,199
  • Launched in March 2022

There’s no denying it, the Sennheiser IE 600 are pretty expensive. With a list price of $799 / £699 / AU$1,199, they’re truly in the high-end category compared to the likes of the Sennheiser IE 200 – although they’re capable of fuller, more detailed sound. On the flip side, the IE 600 are considerably cheaper than their even more premium sibling, the Sennheiser IE 900, which have a list price of $1,499 / £1,299 / AU$2,399. 

A crucial factor here is that it’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to fork out the list price to get your hands on the Sennheiser IE 600. I spotted them for as little as $469.95, £499.99, and AU$972 (in the latter’s case via Sennheiser’s own online store), so be a savvy shopper.

Sennheiser IE 600 review: Specs

'Sennheiser IE 600' is engraved on the reverse side of one of the Sennheiser IE 600 earphones

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Sennheiser IE 600?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sennheiser IE 600 review: Also consider

How I tested the Sennheiser IE 600

Sennheiser IE 600 plugged into FiiO M11S music player

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested across the course of two weeks
  • Used in the office and on walks
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal on the FiiO M11S music player

I put the Sennheiser IE 600 to the test over two weeks. I predominantly used the IEMs while seated in the office, but I also used them while on walks and at home. Most of the time, I used the IE 600 with the FiiO M11S hi-res music player, listening to tunes on Tidal.

When playing music, I started by tuning into the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a wide variety of genres. I also used the IE 600 with my Windows laptop when watching YouTube videos or playing games, to ensure quality was high across multiple devices and media. I also used the Sennheiser IE 200 and Shure Aonic 3 to directly compare audio quality, comfort levels, and design features, when appropriate. 

Read more about how we test earbuds.

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: poised, informative stereo speakers with detail and dynamism in equal measure
11:00 am | July 1, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Comments: Off

Monitor Audio Studio 89: Two minute review

Back in the day, ‘Studio’ was Monitor Audio’s most expensive, most aspirational range of loudspeakers. And now the name is back, with an ‘89’ attached for good measure, in a loudspeaker the company reckons is more ‘Formula 1’ than ‘sports car’.

It’s a distinctive looker, that’s for sure – whether or not you find the proportions attractive is one thing, but there’s no denying the gloss-black cabinet with its vertical, copper-colored driver array is dramatic. Bolt the speakers to the matching stands (if you don’t mind the extra outlay) and the look is coherent and, to me at least, striking.

Using driver and crossover technology originally developed for a loudspeaker that costs $92K / £70K per pair is pretty promising, too – and the way it’s been deployed shows similarly little inclination to compromise. Heck, even the speaker terminals on the rear of the cabinets are rhodium-plated and quite extravagantly shaped. 

How does this more affordable option stack up against the best stereo speakers on the market? Well, the star-rating above is a good start isn't it? But let's delve into the nuts and bolts of the thing – and also, of course, the sound. 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Price and release date

  • Released July 1, 2024
  • $2,500 / £2,000 / AU$4,000

The Monitor Audio Studio 89 are available now, and in the United Kingdom they’re yours for £2,000 a pair. In the United States they go for $2,500, while in Australia the asking price is AU$4,000. 

When you consider that Monitor Audio is perhaps most-noted of late for releasing a $92K Hyphn proposition (once called the Concept 50, initially unveiled at High End Munich 2022), it's affordable territory.

That’s just for the speakers though, you understand – if you fancy the bespoke stands too (and they have a lot to recommend them beyond a harmonious aesthetic) you’re looking at an additional $625 / £500 / AU$1,000.

The majority of this test is conducted with the Studio 89 bolted to their matching stands – but not entirely. I also positioned the speakers on my reference Atacama Moseco 6 stands, where they are perfectly happy (although don’t look quite as swish). This review, then, is purely an appraisal of the loudspeakers and the loudspeakers only.  

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Features

  • MPD III tweeter; 2 x 108mm RDT III mid/bass driver
  • Rear-facing bass reflex slots
  • 48Hz - 60kHz frequency response

These are passive loudspeakers, of course, and consequently ‘features’ are fairly thin on the ground. What features the Studio 89 have, though, are thoroughly researched and thoughtfully applied.

The front baffle of the speaker, for instance, is a slice of aluminium that’s isolated from the main body of the cabinet by a dense layer of foam. The baffle and the drive units it houses are then secured using ‘through-both’ technology running from the rear of the drivers to the rear of the cabinet. The intention is to create a very rigid cabinet structure in which the drive units can operate in isolation – and consequently offer cleaner and less coloured sound. The fact that this methodology means there are no visible fixings or screw-heads doesn’t do the look of the Studio 89 any harm, either.

The drive units themselves are arranged vertically – a couple of 108mm RDT III mid/bass drivers are positioned with an MPD III tweeter between them. This ‘MTM’ (mid/tweeter/mid) arrangement, says Monitor Audio, offers the advantage of large sound dispersion thanks to its ‘vertical symmetry’.

The RDT III mid/bass drivers are the latest refinement of the ‘C-CAM’ technology Monitor Audio has been enamoured of for years now. A combination of three very thin layers of ceramic-coated aluminium/magnesium, carbon weave and Nomex honeycomb core combine to produce a light, responsive driver that’s positioned ahead of a powerful motor system that uses a magnet that’s larger than the cone itself. 

The MPD III tweeter, meanwhile, uses its low-mass diaphragm pleats a bit like an accordion for smooth and rapid high-frequency response. Its square radiating area is designed for equal directivity both horizontally and vertically. Its carefully designed waveguide contributes to its directivity and soundstaging abilities, too – and the fact that it looks quite dramatic doesn’t do any harm, either.

Underpinning this driver array, sonically speaking, are a couple of narrow velocity ports positioned at the top and the bottom of the rear of each cabinet. The relatively large port area keeps both internal pressure and airflow within the cabinet balanced, and reduces turbulences – with the result, says Monitor Audio, that airflow is smooth and bass response is significant.

Elsewhere, the crossover that delivers the electrical signals to the drivers is a careful new design that uses polypropylene and polyester capacitors. Along with air-core and low-loss laminated steel-core inductors, the design is intended for optimal signal transfer and minimal distortion. Chunky rhodium-plated, precision-machined speaker terminals complete the impression of some thoroughly uncompromised engineering.      

Features score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Sound quality

  • Poised and informative sound
  • Detail and dynamism in equal measure
  • Express rhythms expertly

There are plenty of loudspeakers that can peer deep into a mix and return with every scrap of information that’s in there. There are plenty of loudspeakers that can entertain with the vigorous nature of their presentation. Loudspeaker that can do both, though, are in rather more short supply. So it’s nice to be able to add the Studio 89 to the list.

What’s perhaps most immediately enjoyable about the way the Monitor Audio sound is how much they seem to be enjoying themselves. When playing an uncomplicatedly good-time recording like You! Me! Dancing! By Los Campesinos! there’s proper energy and vitality to the presentation, a sense of engagement that’s by no means a given no matter how much you spend on your speakers.

But this is not at the expense of insight. The Studio 89 create a large, well-organised soundstage that allows even a rather compressed and hazy mix like this one to stretch out and give each individual element a bt of space in which to operate. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the Monitor Audio manage to put even the most fleeting, transient occurrences into convincing context. Without making any part of the recording sound remote or estranged, the Studio 89 makes it easy to identify individual stands - yet the unity and togetherness of its presentation gives a genuine sensation of ‘performance’.

Something a bit less headrush-y and a bit more considered – Bad Kingdom by Moderat, say – allows the Studio 89 to demonstrate a nicely neutral tonal balance and extremely smooth integration of the frequency range. The handover between drivers is imperceptible, and no part of the frequency range is unduly underplayed or overstated. Low frequencies are deep, properly varied and textured, and controlled to the extent that rhythmic expression is never in doubt and momentum levels are always high. The opposite end of the scale is bright and substantial, so treble sounds shine without veering anywhere near hardness. And in between, the midrange is open and eloquent to the point that vocalists of all types, all techniques, all characters and all emotional states, are able to communicate fully.

Dynamic headroom is considerable, so big shifts in volume and/or intensity are tracked faithfully. And the less obvious, but no less crucial, dynamics of harmonic variation are given just the right amount of emphasis too. No matter how spare or how complex a recording, the Monitor Audio exercise authority over it.

About the only area in which the Syudio 89 might conceivably be described as ‘deficient’ is where simple attack is concerned. There’s nothing matter-of-fact about the way these speakers deliver a recording, you understand – but there are some alternative designs that have greater bite and assertiveness. But the more I think about it, the more I’d describe this as a ‘trait’ rather than a ‘deficiency’. If you’re one of those listeners who likes maximum drive and attack, you may find the judicious and balanced nature of the presentation here to be just slightly on the tentative side. The rest of us, though, will just admire what a thoroughly convincing sound is available.   

Sound quality score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Design

  • Gloss black finish
  • 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD)
  • 7.6kg (each)

There’s a disproportionately tall, thin elephant in the room where the design of the Monitor Audio Studio 89 is concerned – so I may as well get right to it. At 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD) these are, without doubt, quite strangely proportioned loudspeakers. Seen from dead ahead they look quite tall and thin, because they are. But move around them and you realise they’re even deeper than they are tall. It’s an unusual effect, and it makes the bespoke stands Monitor Audio has developed for use with these speakers seem more like an essential than an option.

Rather gawky proportions aside, though, these are beautifully finished and quite good-looking speakers. The driver arrangement in the aluminium front baffle somehow makes them look rather startled, but the gloss black finish (your only option) is lustrous and deep – and it contrasts nicely with the copper/bronze color of the mid/bass drivers. The little badges that wrap around the bottom of each speaker, with their none-more-80s Ford Sierra typeface, are nicely judged too.

Design score: 4.5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Value

The usual caveats apply here, of course – you should really only consider the Studio 89 if you’re going to use them in a similarly expensive and capable system, and you are almost certain to have to find the money for the matching stands. But as long as you can live with these Ts & Cs, there’s no denying the value for money these speakers represent both as objects and, most importantly, where the sound they make is concerned.

Value score: 5/5 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

You like a sound with its eyes out on stalks
They’re an assertive listen without doubt, but it’s equally true to say that some alternative designs will attack a recording even more readily. 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 in a hi-fi listening room

(Image credit: Future)

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Also consider

You have a lot of choice, from a lot of very well-regarded manufacturers, if you have this sort of money to spend on a pair of compact passive loudspeakers. 

The R3 Meta by KEF, for instance, are maybe $120 cheaper than the Studio 89 – and while they don’t look as dramatic, they certainly have plenty to recommend them where sound quality is concerned. 

Or you may decide to chuck even more money at it and check out the 705 S3 by Bowers & Wilkins – there’s nothing retro about they way they look, and the stands will cost you even more money than the Monitor Audio equivalent – but if you’ve the readies, these speakers are among the most rewarding around. 

(And if you've not? It's perhaps worth giving the B&W 600 Series a look). 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: How I tested

  • Using the extra-cost stands – and using my stands
  • Connected to a Naim Uniti Nova, listening to Qobuz and Tidal tracks
  • Also hooked up a Rega Apollo for CDs; Cambridge Audio/Clearaudio for vinyl

My time listening to the Monitor Audio Studio 89 was split pretty much 50/50 between their being bolted to their bespoke, quite expensive, stands and sitting on more affordable (but eminently capable) Atacama Moseco 6 alternatives. 

They were powered by a Naim Uniti Nova streamer/amplifier capable of twisting out 70 watts of power per channel. As it’s a streamer as well as an amplifier, I used the Naim for listening to Qobuz and TIDAL. 

I used a Rega Apollo for listening to compact discs, and both Cambridge Audio Alva TT v2 and Clearaudio Concept turntables for vinyl listening. 

The speakers stayed in my listening space for the entirety of the test – the space is nothing esoteric, it’s fairly ordinary (although not especially reflective) room that works very well for my purposes. And I listened to a great many different recordings via these different sources, of a great many genres and from a wide range of eras.  

Astell & Kern HC4 review: a petite but powerful DAC that sometimes oversteps the mark
1:00 pm | June 30, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi | Tags: | Comments: Off

Astell & Kern HC4: Two-minute review

Astell & Kern is no stranger to digital audio in all shapes and sizes, and the A&K HC4 is its latest attempt to coax worthwhile sound quality from your smartphone or laptop – and for good measure, it’s got strong gaming credentials too.

It’s a thoroughly specified little device, from its high-end AKM AK4493S DAC chipset via its balanced and unbalanced headphone outputs to its support for UAC 1.0 as well as UAC 2.0 to ensure compatibility with as many gaming devices as possible. Its aluminium construction looks and feels smart, too – so while there’s not much of it, the AK HC4 nevertheless appears to offer decent value for money.

And when it comes to its single function – taking the digital audio information from your source device and converting it to the analogue equivalent – there’s plenty to admire here. The HC4 sounds big and organised, and extracts a lot of detail from a recording – it’s a peppy and informative listen. It overplays its hand somewhat where the highest frequencies are concerned, though, giving treble sounds a rather insubstantial and unyielding edge that is at odds with the rest of the work it’s doing. In a competitive and saturated market, then, does the A&K's plucky performance still make it one the best portable DACs going for the money? Let's see. 

Astell & Kern HC4 review: Price and release date

Astell & Kern HC4 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in November 2023 
  • Priced at $220 / £219 / AUS399

The A&K HC4 portable headphone amp/DAC is available now for $220 in the United States, £219 in the United Kingdom and in Australia, it'll cost you AU$399 or somewhere closely in that region.

The world is hardly short of portable USB headphone amp/DACs, though, and while the A&K refreshingly undercuts the $499 / £449 / AU$769 iFi GO Bar Kensei, it's still dearer than the five-star iFi hip-dac 3 (which can be yours for $199 / £199 / AU$349). 

So, competition is fierce at the level, and missteps will likely have repercussions. 

Astell & Kern HC4 review: Features

Astell & Kern HC4 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • AKM AK4493S DAC chipset
  • 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs
  •  ‘Digital Audio Remaster’ technology

When it comes to features, you don’t have to read all that far down the HC4’s spec-sheet to realise that Astell & Kern is deadly serious. By prevailing standards, the feature-set here is formidable. 

The main business is taken care of by an AKM AK4493S DAC chipset that’s more commonly found doing its thing in (among many other devices) Astell & Kern’s well-regarded and witheringly expensive digital audio players. It’s compatible with every worthwhile digital audio file type, and is capable of dealing with content of up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 resolution.

Getting the information into the HC4 in the first place happens via the USB-C slot on the bottom of the device - Astell & Kern provides both USB-C / USB-C and USB-C / Lightning cables to get the job done. Getting it out again happens using either the unbalanced 3.5mm socket or the balanced 4.4mm equivalent on the top – it’s worth noting the 4.4mm output only supports five-pole jacks. 

Another feature Astell & Kern has incorporated from its pricey digital audio players is ‘digital audio remaster’ technology – it is designed to upsample the native sample rate of the source material to go beyond the limits of the source format. Sounds like quite a trick, doesn’t it? Astell & Kern reckons it delivers – and I quote – “more refined playback and… a delicate, analogue-like sound”. 

And by way of an encore, Astell & Kern has ensured the AK HC4 is compatible with as wide a selection of devices as possible by making the device’s USB-C input supports UAC 1.0 as well as UAC 2.0. Almost every smartphone, laptop and tablet supports UAC 2.0, but there are plenty of gaming devices that are still UAC 1.0 – but if you want a low-latency connection to your Playstation, Switch or what-have-you, the HC4 has you covered.   

Features score: 5 / 5

Astell & Kern HC4 review: Sound quality

Astell & Kern HC4 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Detailed, informative sound
  • Open and well-defined presentation
  • Slightly skewed towards the top end

The AK HC4 is an admirably consistent device. During the course of this test I listened to 16bit/44.1kHz and 24bit/96kHz FLAC files via the Tidal app, loaded onto both iOS and Android smartphones, as well as some DSD128 stuff stored on the internal memory of a MacBook Pro. And while there are, of course, advantages to the higher-resolution stuff, the Astell & Kern doesn’t really alter its overall stance no matter what standard of content you’re listening to or the type of music you enjoy. Its fundamental attitude is always the same.

And in broad terms, it’s a revealing and explicit attitude. No matter if it’s the voice-and-guitar intimacy of Lua by Bright Eyes or the rather more complex Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men, the HC4 is able to see to the bottom of the mix and return with all sorts of information regarding tone and texture you may not previously have been aware of – certainly not if you’ve been listening directly from a smartphone to some wired or wireless headphones before now. 

Throughout the frequency range, detail levels are sky-high – and rather than draw attention to how clever and insightful it is, the HC4 puts everything into the correct context in order to poverty serve the recording. It’s dynamic both in the sense of ‘quiet/LOUD’ and where harmonic variations in a strummed guitar are concerned. And it creates a big, well-defined and easy-to-follow soundstage, and lays out a recording explicitly – but it doesn’t make any part of a recording sound remote from any other. There’s a singularity and idea of ‘performance’ to the sound of the HC4 that’s as enjoyable as it is impressive.

Low frequencies are substantial and properly controlled, so there’s never an issue where rhythms or tempos are concerned. The midrange is perhaps the greatest beneficiary of the A&K’s powers of analysis – there’s a stack of information about a vocalist available, and it makes for an immediate and positive description of a singer’s abilities and motivations.

It’s only at the top of the frequency range that things are anything less than fully impressive. There’s a glassiness and a rather relentless edge to the way the HC4 serves up treble information that a) puts it at odds with the rest of the frequency range where tonal balance is concerned, and b) discourages the listener from increasing volume levels much beyond ‘moderate’. The relative hardness and lack of substance to the top end makes those recordings with a high-frequency emphasis sound edgy – and overall it doesn’t make for all that relaxing an experience.  

Sound quality: 4 / 5 

Astell & Kern HC4 review: Design

Astell & Kern HC4 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • 65 x 30 x 15mm (HxWxD) 
  • 31g 
  • Aluminium construction

There’s usually not a lot of scope for ‘design’ to happen when a product ideally needs to be as light and compact as possible. But this is Astell & Kern we’re dealing with here – you won’t be surprised to learn that the company has given it a good go where ‘design’ of the AK HC4 is concerned.

The all-aluminium construction keeps the weight of the device down to a trifling 31g. It also allows for a hint of the trademark Astell & Kern angularity on the top surface, and for the sides to be mildly curved in order to make the HC4 easily graspable. 

One of the curved sides features a shallow rocker switch and a DAR on/off slider. At one end of the chassis there’s the USB-C input, and at the other end the balanced 4.4mm and unbalanced 3.5mm outputs. Apart from a tiny LED (which lights up in white to indicate standby, red for PCM and blue for DSD audio files), that’s your lot. And frankly, I am tempted to ask what else you might reasonably be expecting? 

Design score: 5 / 5 

Astell & Kern HC4 review: Value

  • Priced in line with rivals
  • Not a nailed-on winner

Astell & Kern HC4 on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t judge the effectiveness of a piece of consumer electronics simply by how big and/or heavy it is. The AK HC4 may not look like much, but the effect it can have on your listening experience can’t be denied – so in this respect, it represents decent value. 

When you compare it to the best of its rivals, though, it ceases to be a nailed-on favourite and becomes more of an interesting option… which probably undermines its value-for-money credentials somewhat.

Value score: 3.5 / 5 

Should I buy the Astell & Kern HC4 review:?

Buy it if...

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Astell & Kern HC4 review: Also consider

iFi hip-dac 3
Now, you do get the looks; it's even styled like a hip-flask. This likeable, cheaper DAC won't fit in your pocket quite as easily as the A&K HC4 but it's nothing if not a conversation starter – and a talented one soncially at that.
Read our in-depth, five-star iFi hip-dac 3 review.

How I tested the Astell & Kern HC4

  • Used for over a week (after a thorough running in)
  • Tidal and Qobuz were go-tos, using various headphones/IEMs

I spent over a week listening to the Astell & Kern HC4, using Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphones. I connected it to Sennheiser IE900 in-ear monitors via its 4.4mm balanced output and to a pair of Grado SR80x using its 3.5mm connection. 

I used it at home, navigating traffic, and on the train. I listened to music almost exclusively from Tidal and Qobuz (since these streaming services are full of high-resolution content and 24bit/192kHz standard), and I made sure to check for connectivity and cable noise as I did so (you're fine there). 

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