The Mandalorian Season 3 has kicked off on Disney Plus, as Grogu and Mando come across friendly and hostile characters en route to their intergalactic voyage. Just the right time for gamers to zone off with a pair of headphones themed on Din Djarin (lovingly known as Mando), the pop culture hero of current times.
Created by Logitech G in collaboration with Lucasfilm, the “A30 Wireless Gaming Headset The Mandalorian Edition” is more of a collector’s item for Star Wars fans who’ll in all likelihood use the accessory to stream the latest installment of this hit series and beyond.
To keep fans engaged, there are numerous easter eggs concealed in the headset itself. It’ll be a fun exercise to discover them once you own these pair of cans. For now, we’ll focus on the Mando-inspired aesthetics and features of the headset. Based on the A30 headset’s iconic design, these headphones have the Beskar steel-inspired theme which is an absolute nod to the galactic roamer in search for resurrection. The clamping force on these special edition headphones strikes the right balance for a comfortable and secure fit, which is a very important feature for geeks who value ergonomics.
A die-hard Star Wars fan will never want to part with this headset given it features custom speaker tags having the Din Djarin profile on the left tag and the Clan Mudhorn signet on the right. The earcups have authentic Mandalorian script and those signets pump up your chest to be a warrior (or I should say gamer) to be dealt with. The aesthetics are undoubtedly impressive on this headset, and the specifications truly complement the looks.
A30 Wireless Gaming Headset The Mandalorian Edition connects seamlessly to Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with a dongle accessory. Battery life is rated at 27 hours on a single charge, and audiophiles will appreciate the inclusion of the in-house LIGHTSPEED Wireless technology. When the battery runs out and there’s no way to charge it, the 3.5 mm connectivity comes in handy.
Being a gaming headset at its heart, there is ultra-low latency wireless connectivity at the core. Audio coming out of these Mando-themed headphones should be crisp courtesy of the 40 mm drivers tuned for crystal clear spatial audio. These pair of cans can be pre-ordered right away for a price tag of $249 with shipping promised in April 2023.
Open-back reference-level headphones are something audiophiles can’t part with, more so, when they are from the acclaimed Sennheiser HD 600 series. Right from the HD 600 introduced in 1997 to the current era HD 660S, the German audiophile brand has come good on the expectations of the most demanding music listeners out there.
Sennheiser’s newest member in the series are the HD 660S open-back headphones that address the most common irk with the HD 660S. Yes, I’m talking about the low-end frequencies in your favorite hip-hop, EDM or Rock songs. So, one can expect deeper and clearer bass levels without compromising on the expansive soundstage details.
The sensitivity across all audible frequencies has been tweaked slightly so that the listener can hear sounds never heard before. Impedance on them gets a bump up thanks to the improved 300 ohms (150 ohms on HD 660S) transducers. This lowers the resonant frequency from 110 Hz to 70 Hz so that the hefty kick drums are audible in clear detail.
On the design front, nothing much drastic has been changed in the choice of material and the overall look. The pair of cans weighing 260 grams are crafted in Germany and hand-built in Ireland bearing the same velour-wrapped foam headband and earcups, acoustic metal mesh grilles and folding hinges. One thing that’ll make them distinguishable from the earlier model is the presence of the bronze accents on a jet-black finish.
Just like any other open-back model on the market, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 headphones are best suited for at-home listening. They are intended for audio purist, and don’t come with any ANC or wireless connectivity option. That said Sennheiser has paired them up with two 5.8 ft user-detachable cables that have a 1/4-inch single-ended stereo plug and a 4.4mm balanced stereo jack plug. The package also includes a 1/4-inch to 3.5mm adapter.
The Sennheiser HD 660S2 will be up for grabs on February 21 for a price tag of $699.95. Clearly more expensive than the feature-rich Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max, but as I said, these pair of cans are for hardcore audiophiles who value audio quality more than anything else.
Bowers and Wilkins have been tailoring high-performance audio systems for McLarensupercars ever since 2015, and now a Bowers and Wilkins accessory gets their special treatment.
The British luxury automaker’s signature colors are now adorned by the premium audio manufacturing expert who’s produced reliable audio systems for McLaren cars all these years.
Riding on the success of the Px8 headphones which have already struck a successful partnership with the James Bond franchise, these special edition pair of cans adorn the papaya orange hues of the rising Formula-1 team. Dubbed the Px8 McLaren Edition, the headphones have a dual-toned finish with the Galvanic Grey dominating the look.
According to Dan Shepherd, B&W’s Vice President of Licensing & Partnerships the Px8 McLaren Edition extends the “appeal of our industry-leading sound performance and McLaren’s DNA to outside the car.” Those subtle instances of McLaren’s iconic color are present inside the ear cups (with matching fabric covers), metal bands on the edges and also on the audio cable running out of the smooth chassis. Of course, the McLaren branding on one edge of the leather headband and the grey case cover top things off in style.
Other than this, these over-the-ear headphones get the same soft napa leather finish and the exact same dimensions as the regular Px8 headphones. Technical specifications are virtually the same with the 40mm Carbon Cone drivers angled at an angle rocking the sound. The regular model has already impressed tech pundits, and the legacy continues on to this special edition model with one of the best (if not the best) active noise cancellation and an impressive 30 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Audiophiles and Motorsports lovers will find the perfect match in the form of these headies that feature aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec. McLaren Edition Px8 headphones can be directly plugged into a DAC or a digital USB-C connection to experience lossless 24-bit audio. When the battery runs dry and there’s no way to charge the cans, you can continue listening to audio with the accompanying 3.5mm cable.
McLaren Edition Px8 will carry a price tag of $800 – which is $100 more than the regular version. For McLaren fans that won’t be a huge price barrier to cross over, since these headphones do actually look good. Matching them up with the automotive brand’s livery is going to be the course for audiophiles.
A concert in a headset, is essentially what this India-based audio startup wants to deliver…
Have you ever listened to good music on TWS Earbuds? It sucks, frankly. That small driver is incapable of delivering the kind of audio you’d expect from great speakers. Headphones are a marginal improvement, but they really don’t get your heart thumping the way being at an actual concert does. The reason is simple, tech startup Sonic Lamb explains… our ears are well tuned to higher frequencies, but not so much with low-end frequencies like bass. Instead of hearing the bass, we ‘feel’ the bass through our body- this is why you can feel the drumbeat or bass drops in your chest when you’re at a concert. Earphones can hardly deliver that experience, and headphones can only do so much with their marginally larger audio drivers. The solution, Sonic Lamb says, is to enable users to not just hear music through the ears but also FEEL it through one’s body. Good bookshelf speakers and home theater systems reproduce this experience through dedicated audio drivers for mids and highs and a subwoofer system that moves air to create that powerful and immersive bass… As audiophiles and engineers with prior experience working on hearing aids and audio systems for helmets, the folks at Sonic Lamb decided to make headphones that deliver a theater-like experience in headphones using their Hybrid Driver technology.
Designers: Navajith Karkera, Jagath Biddappa, Sudesh Acharya & Mohammed Fadil
Powered by the world’s first and patented Hybrid Driver Acoustics.
Sub-wooder now in a headphone.
The headphones come with a patented hybrid-driver architecture, featuring a pair of full-range drivers for the mids and highs to mimic loudspeakers and a proprietary impulse driver that emulates a sub-woofer system by converting audio signals into corresponding mechanical motions that are then directed to your body. Using a method not too different from bone conduction, this headphone relies on audio waves and actual vibrations to help you both hear as well as feel the music you listen to. The resulting experience is nothing short of feeling like attending a concert, with a part of the music flowing right through your body. The Sonic Lamb Headphones are perhaps the only pair of cans mad enough to integrate sub-woofers into their architecture, and surprisingly enough, have low listening fatigue because the bass is directed to your body rather than to your ears.
Loud and clear.
Forget fidgeting with EQ controls.
The over-ear headphones are built with a bunch of high-end features, including the ability to charge and simultaneously play studio-grade 24-bit audio at 96kHz thanks to direct USB-C input, and Bluetooth 5.1 for handling wireless audio. A twin-mic array also gives the headphones ambient noise suppression and vocal enhancement abilities. Instead of fidgeting with EQ controls, you can personalize your listening experience by performing a quick 2-minute hearing test on Sonic Lamb’s app, or better still, use the Multimode dial to cycle through the multiple listening modes on the headphones by turning the knob built into the cans.
Multimode for personalization.
Sonic Lamb offers four immersive modes to choose from, ranging from the relatively milder ‘Feel’ mode for melodious music genres (in which case the subwoofer just purrs), to the ‘Beast’ mode (for a fully activated subwoofer that delivers the most powerful and immersive bass response) that’s well-suited for action movies, gaming and for absolute bass-heads who want nothing short of peak eargasm. These modes obviously affect the Sonic Lamb’s overall battery life too, with the Hear mode providing 24 hours of use, and the Beast mode giving you a solid 6 hours of eargasm on max volume.
Replaceable earpads and silicone headband liner.
The headphone’s design and build are well in line with premium headsets too, with two-tone color finishes that sit well on the headphone’s sleek body. There are 6 color variants to choose from, all with their own replaceable ear pads and silicone headband liners to ensure that the headphones last longer. The headphones also come with detachable boom microphones, turning them into great video-chatting headsets or perhaps the most immersive gaming headsets on the planet, as well as USB charging and audio cables. The Sonic Lamb headphones start at a pretty modest $189 for the first 25 early bird backers (the price bumps up to $199 after that) and come along with a travel case, a soft pouch, and a tamper-proof box.
The holidays are a good time to upgrade an audio setup, whether it's for yourself or for someone on your shopping list. We’ve compiled a group of the best audio gear that ranges from noise-canceling headphones to true wireless earbuds and speakers. There are also a range of prices for each product type, so you don’t necessarily have to break the bank unless you’re really looking to splurge this year.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
If you’re shopping for the complete package in a new set of headphones, there’s one clear best choice. No other company packs in as many features as Sony does on the WH-1000XM5, and they’re combined with a stellar sound and effective ANC. With this model, Sony redesigned its flagship headphones, making them way more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The company also made noticeable improvements to the active noise cancellation, adding a separate V1 chip in addition to the QN1 that was inside the M4. The 1000XM5 still has all of the features that typically make Sony’s premium headphones so good. 30-hour battery life, a combo of touch controls and physical buttons, Speak-to-Chat automatic pausing when you talk, and the ability to change noise modes based on your activity or location. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor
If sound quality is the primary factor in your next set of headphones, Bowers & Wilkins pair impressive audio quality with solid ANC performance. The Px7 S2 are my favorite headphones I’ve reviewed this year in terms of sound. There’s also a more refined design that doesn’t look overly plasticky and the headphones fit comfortably even after hours of use. Call quality, ambient sound and automatic pausing need some refining, but they get the job done. At the end of the day, the design, sound quality and noise cancellation make the Px7 S2 a strong pick in the current field. Plus, they’ll last way beyond the stated 30 hours of battery life. — B.S.
When picking the best-sounding headphones from 2022, it’s difficult to choose between the Px7 S2 and the Momentum 4. However, Bowers & Wilkins gets the edge in terms of design, but they’re evenly matched on sound quality and the rest of the competition isn’t close. Sennheiser does have an impressive 60-hour battery life in its favor and improved ANC performance. Those two items alone might be enough for you to overlook the very generic design for the music lover on your list this year. — B.S.
Audio-Technica’s affordable wireless headphones have consistently offered solid performance that would make a great gift, even with the lack of noise cancellation. The company’s latest are the M20xBT, a Bluetooth version of the A-T’s popular M20x wired cans. A comfy fit and up to 60 hours of battery life will cost you just $79. Connect to multiple devices at once with Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and reliably control tunes with physical buttons. The design isn’t as refined as the company’s pricer models like the M50xBT2, but you get the bulk of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper options so good. — B.S.
Sony’s first set of LinkBuds were a unique open-wear concept, but they weren't for everyone. To expand the lineup with more universal appeal, the company debuted the LinkBuds S back in the spring. These earbuds may be tiny but they still offer active noise cancellation and the smaller size means they’re more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. That’s the entire point of the LinkBuds S as Sony built them to be worn all the time, although you can expect up to six hours of use with ANC enabled. Transparency mode makes this possible and features like Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control highlight the list of additional features. — B.S.
If you're shopping for a set of workout earbuds this year, the best option is the Beats Fit Pro. These offer a lot of handy features from AirPods thanks to Apple's H1 chip. The overall size is smaller than a lot of earbuds, which leads to a comfy fit. Plus, the added wing helps keep them in place during physical activity. Punchy bass brings energy to cardio sessions but the low-end tone remains balanced, rather than overpowering, and six-hour battery life should be enough to get you through the bulk of the day. — B.S.
Thanks to JLab, you can give a decent set of true wireless earbuds as a stocking stuffer. For $20, the Go Air Pop covers most of the basics. Eight-hour battery life, on-board controls, EQ presets, IPX4 moisture protection and the ability to use just one earbud at a time are all on the features list. The Go Air Pop is smaller than its predecessor, the Go Air, and this model comes with a case that completely closes. What’s more, the company kept the integrated USB on the charging case, so you don’t have to worry about looking for a cable when you’re out of power. — B.S.
If you’re shopping for a Bluetooth speaker this year, the UE Wonderboom 3 is an affordable, tiny option that still packs a punch. It’s adventure-proof thanks to an IP67 rating, audio quality is bright and an outdoor mode boosts treble and bass so sound can be heard over a greater distance. You can also easily pair two Wonderboom 3 units for stereo sound, which won’t cost you a fortune thanks to the low price. And with up to 14 hours of battery life, you should be able to keep the tunes going for a while. — B.S.
If someone on your list asked for a Bluetooth speaker but has a more refined audio taste, perhaps the Marshall Tufton will fit the bill. It’s pricey, but the investment gets you up to 20 hours of battery life and the option of a wired connection via 3.5mm aux jack. As is the case with all of the Marshall wares, the Tufton carries the look of the iconic guitar amps and this model has an audio quality that’s equal parts dynamic, warm and almost analog in its performance. On-board treble and bass knobs are also there to assist with any adjustments. — B.S.
While portable Bluetooth speakers are great on-the-go, there are benefits to the set-it and forget-it options like Marshall’s Acton III wired model. It’s ideal for someone’s bedroom, living room or kitchen and offers 60-watts of power for just $280. Marshall’s classic amp-styled exterior looks great too, with its fabric grille and soft-touch exterior made up of 70-percent recycled materials. On top, you’ll find backlit physical controls so you can adjust settings in the dark and won’t always need a phone to control playback.
The Acton III delivers a rich and dynamic sound across a wider soundstage than previous models, with a bass response that’s also hefty for its size. On top of the sound quality, you get app support with EQ controls, OTA updates and a placement compensation feature to adjust for the acoustics in your space.
The overall build quality and sound makes it a gift anyone can appreciate, even as a stationary companion to a small portable speaker. There are two larger options as well, if you know someone who likes it loud. Either way, you’ll be a shoe-in for the party that will inevitably follow. – Jon Turi, Homepage Editor
If you’re unsure of what to give the music lover in your life this holiday season, why not allow them to give high-resolution streaming a shot. Several services offer the option of higher quality audio, but unfortunately not many of them allow you to gift a subscription. Instead, you’ll simply need to purchase a gift card that your recipient can apply to a high-res plan. Gift cards are available for Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal and others, although you may just need to buy a generic gift card for the company in cases like Amazon and Apple. I’d also suggest giving an App Store or Google Play gift card for someone to apply to a Nugs.net plan to unlock a vault of high-resolution live performances from Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Pearl Jam, Dead & Company and more. — B.S.
For audiophiles, headphones are like owning a new pair of shoes – you buy one and then after a year or so, a new one arrives, and the insatiable urge to get them leads to burning more money on a new pair of cans. The process is infinite for audio lovers as they are always seeking those god-level headphones that are the perfect balance of sound, ergonomic comfort and style.
More often than not, this complete package (if you ever find one) comes at a steep price tag, and the probability of it going obsolete over the years due to developments in audio technologies is even greater. Case-in-point, audio driver technology graduates over time, and mostly, new drivers bring new possibilities in how audio would sound. So, why not have a pair of headphones, that can have swappable drivers?
Designer: German Shustovskij
These are the Nautilus headphones that give audiophiles the freedom to swap drivers for an upgrade without investing in a new pair of headphones which eventually leads to the old ones losing their relevance over time. This makes complete sense as the modular freedom lets the audio listeners keep their super comfy and stylish headphones without losing out on audio tech development over the years.
I personally am an audiophile and like to stick to a pair that is the most comfortable to wear while sounding good. Even though I have a couple of buddies who spend exorbitant money in getting those new elusive headphones, I find the money-burning practice a bit too much. That makes, these headphones with swappable drivers even more intriguing.
The designer proposes a housing that fits isodynamic and electrostatic drivers without much fizz. Their size is similar, even though the principle mechanism of generating sound is different. This gives the freedom to use different drivers with different audio input sources as well. For example, the isodynamic driver doesn’t require much amplification and works well with simple analog or digital sources while on the other hand, electrostatic drivers use different amplifiers to achieve premium-quality sound from high-powered output DACs.
Once my headphones are in, the rest of the world is out. I scroll through my playlist and deep dive into my favorite musical tunes. And then I’m in my own little audio world, where everything is peaceful, my favorite singers are my best friends, and they just knohew the right things to say. If you’re a music fanatic as well, you know how important and sacred your personal music time can be, and how holy your relationship with your headphones is. After all, these are the resourceful little things that transport us into our beloved audio world. And, one of the most popular headphones these days are the Apple AirPods Max. But hey! Let’s remember that great headphones go beyond Apple as well. And this nifty list includes all of them – from Yamaha’s wireless noise-canceling headphones to Adidas’ solar-powered ones. Headphone designs these days are at an all-time high, and I’m sure you can’t wait to introduce your ears to them!
1. The Yamaha L700A
Coming from a company that has a reputation for making ‘serious’ audio equipment for serious musicians and audio professionals, the Yamaha L700A looks to treat a balance between being pro-gear and consumer-worthy. It sports a gray design, finished with fabric trims on the headband as well as on the earpieces themselves, making them look like condenser microphones from afar. The wireless headphones fold flat like the AirPods Max, for easy traveling, and instead of touch-sensitive panels or rotary knobs, the earphones actually come with buttons on the right earpiece for that reliable tactile experience.
2. The Nothing Head (1)
The Nothing Head (1) is a conceptual pair of over-ear cans designed keeping Nothing’s design language and company DNA in mind. Carl Pei’s latest venture has focused on wanting to make products more open, transparent, and fun and the Head (1) is quite literally all those things. It comes with its own Glyph Interface, like on the phone (1), taking the audio experience of a headphone and turning it into an audiovisual one. It acts as branding, doing exactly what the Beats logo did, but better… more importantly, it can act as a notification light to let you know if your Head (1) is connected, or let others know that you’re busy listening to music and shouldn’t be disturbed.
3. Bowers & Wilkins Px8
According to the Worthing, West Sussex-based audio equipment maker, these new headphones have the “best sound quality” ever offered on a pair of cans. That claim is based on the fact that Px8 has 40mm carbon cone drivers angled inside the earcups to produce distortion-free sound in ultra-high resolution at all audible frequencies. For audio lovers, this means a wider and more accurate soundstage closer to what the music composer intended. According to them, it is even better than the five-star rated Px7 S2 which apparently sounds great.
4. The Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Dubbed the Adidas RPT-02 SOL, these pair of over-the-ear cans juice up with natural light or even artificial light. So, they’ll not need to recharge any time soon. These headphones are a follow-up to the RPT-01(not solar-powered) and promise almost double the playback time at around 80 hours. Not to forget that the RPT-02 SOL are solar powered, and the battery keeps topping up as long as you are exposed to good lighting conditions.
5. The Google Pixel Headphones
Without really any speculation (given that this is a concept), let’s really break down the Pixel Headphones’ design. It’s classic, understated, and feels a lot like the designer borrowed cues from the AirPods Max and the Chromecast. The headrest is slim but padded, and the earcups have a weave fabric overlay with the letters L and R embroidered inside the cups to tell you how to wear the phones. Metal sliders give you precise height adjustment, although the earcups don’t fold frontwards like the AirPods Max, and there’s no awkward charging case/handbag with this too.
6. Bambass
Bambass is a concept for an open-back headphone that uses traditional bamboo weaving as a major component of its sustainable material. It is made up mostly of thin coiled bamboo stripes which are not just sustainable but also bring you a more insulated sound. You get a stainless steel strip to help support the headband that is made mostly from stacked stripes of bamboo. The joint for the earcups have a screw mechanism that allows you to adjust the cups to your comfort. Lastly, you get a single-layer coating of melamine to preserve the life cycle of the bamboo material.
7. Olfoo
Life without headies is unthinkable in modern times for audiophiles at least, isn’t it? This useful accessory has evolved in technology from being wired to truly wireless in the last few years. Features like touch/gesture buttons to toggle the volume, start/stop music, seek tracks, or switch between ANC modes. While most prefer gesture-controlled input, I personally like to have a more tactile experience with my gadgets. Headphones are no exception, and these ones dubbed Olfoo fall right into my alley. The reason is, that they have a physical button that can do all the above tasks with a profound physical input.
8. Sony WH-1000XM5
This new pair from Sony uses two processors: an Integrated Processor V1 and a 30mm driver unit. The first one uses the HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 to enhance bass production and sound clarity. The 30mm driver unit is for the noise canceling. With these improvements, the headphones offer incomparable noise cancelation. You can switch off the world around you with this thing. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones’ two processors control eight microphones. The latter reduces the frequency and optimizes noise cancelation.
9. The Thermaphones
Meet the Thermaphones – a pair of cans that alter the temperature to nullify the effect of extremely hot temperature or the chill of winter. These headphones have a hybrid design, wherein, they have temperature-changing earbuds for unique thermal comfort. The earcups on these headphones are compact with protruding earbuds on the inside. This promises superior sound isolation honed by the vacuum seal of the earbuds and topped by the encapsulating properties of the ear cups. Temperature control is achieved via the 2 integrated Peltier chips which are capable of toggling the temperature between 25°C and 38°C.
10. The Samsung Galaxy Level
While the Samsung Galaxy Buds are named because of their ‘bud’-shaped design (they look like kidney beans, personally), the Level headphones are named the way they are more because of how calibrated their sound is. The headphones have a slick outer design that comes with buttons located on the rim around the leather ear-cups, although touch-sensitive surfaces on the sides allow you to better interact with your multimedia, doing things like increasing or decreasing volume, answering/rejecting calls, cycling through music, or invoking Bixby or your phone’s own Voice Assistant.
Move over Apple and Sony as a new headphones king in the making is here, but with an eye-watering price tag. The new Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones have shaken up the audio market, as they built on the success of the Px7 S2 model revealed over the summer.
Most of the looks have been retained from the Px7 S2 but there are some highlighting updates that make Px8 irresistible if you have got $700 to spare. Yes, these headphones cost more than a respectable smartphone. Just for comparison’s sake, the Apple AirPods Max cost $549 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 cost $400. Now, suddenly those price tags seem fair!
According to the Worthing, West Sussex-based audio equipment maker, the new headphones have the “best sound quality” ever offered on a pair of cans. That claim is based on the fact that Px8 has 40mm carbon cone drivers angled inside the earcups to produce distortion-free sound in ultra-high resolution at all audible frequencies. For audio lovers, this means a wider and more accurate soundstage closer to what the music composer intended. According to them, it is even better than the five-star rated Px7 S2 which apparently sounds great.
Flagship headphones need a winning luxurious design, and the Px8 doesn’t disappoint. Weighing 320 grams, they are encased in a durable cast-aluminum arm design with the earcups getting the attractive aluminum logo plate matching the aesthetics. The embossed Bowers & Wilkins logo and the diamond-cut edge lend the headphones a unique character one would expect from the brand. Flagship aesthetics are further honed by the Nappa leather finish on the earcups, headband and memory foam cushions. There’s no doubt these headphones will be a treat to listen to and wear for long hours.
ANC on these is the same as that on the Px7 S2, since they are loaded with six microphones – two mics a piece to measure the driver output, react to ambient noise, and bring vocal clarity courtesy of the enhanced noise suppression. Battery life on the headphones is good at 30 hours (similar to the XM5) with fast charging giving seven hours of playback with just 15 minutes of charge.
Px8 support Bluetooth 5.2, and ACC codec compatibility, and have Qualcomm’s Adaptive aptX audio codec support for 24-bit high-resolution sound from streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz. The premium headphones are surely all set to take to top spot some in two different finishes – black leather and tan leather.
The Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset has quite a few undeniable merits – it’s lightweight, comfortable and can run graphics-intensive games without twitching. The self-contained VR headset could be the best out there depending on the user’s requirements – be it raw power or the ease of use for long hours of roaming in the Metaverse.
Built-in speakers on the VR headset deliver stereo sound, but if you are looking for a more immersive listening experience to match the visuals in virtual reality, Logitech has just got the right accessory.
The off-ear headphones (they don’t sit over the ears like regular ones) christened “Chorus” bring ultra-realistic audio to the listener’s VR experience. The fact that they don’t encapsulate ears means you’ll still be listening to outside ambient sound, something similar to the open ring design of the niche Sony LinkBuds. While personally, I like a secure seal to get fully engulfed in the music, games or movies I watch while being plugged in, there’s still a huge market for such audio listening accessories.
Specifically designed for the Meta Quest 2 headset, these headphones strap onto the VR headset on each side. Mind you, they are compatible with Meta’s Elite straps. The speakers on either side can swivel to adjust the preferred position for listening which is great for customizing the audio being delivered. The thing is powered by the VR headset’s USB-C port and the volume is controlled by the Quest 2 volume rocker button itself.
According to Logitech the speakers weighing 182 grams in total come with custom-tuned drivers capable of delivering the “biggest moments and the tiniest details in the Metaverse.” The open-back design means the sound signature is going to be on the warmer side. Looking around in the playing field, the first similar competition that comes to mind is the HTC Deluxe Audio strap which has a pair of decent-sounding headphones and a set of straps for a similar effect as that of the Chorus.
Matt Green, senior manager, acoustics engineering at Logitech summed up the existence of the headphones by saying that Chorus is more than the next step in audio for VR, it represents years of feedback from developers, gamers, and the VR community, and we couldn’t be more excited for this addition to the immersive VR experience.
Logitech Chorus is soon going to be available from the official Logitech portal and so on Amazon for a price tag of $99. For someone who doesn’t mind shelling out $399 on a VR headset, adding this pair of accessories won’t shake things up that much.
A pair of wireless headphones are good to have in your possession but there’s one irk I wish goes away. The need to charge them again and again, especially if one is glued to music more than anything else. More so when you are an outdoorsy person and a passionate music listener.
Adidas wants to get over this jam with their newly announced solar-powered wireless headphones. Better yet, just in time to give the Urbanista Los Angeles self-charging wireless headphones a good run for their money. The reason, these are more suited for an active lifestyle since the Los Angeles ones are a tad bulky.
The lifestyle brand has surprised us all with innovative performance gear all these years, and now these solar-powered headphones are perfectly in line with the visions of the present and near future. Dubbed the Adidas RPT-02 SOL, these pair of over-the-ear cans juice up with natural light or even artificial light. So, they’ll not need to recharge any time soon. These headphones are a follow-up to the RPT-01(not solar-powered) and promise almost double the playback time at around 80 hours. Not to forget that the RPT-02 SOL are solar powered, and the battery keeps topping up as long as you are exposed to good lighting conditions.
Another merit of these IPX4-rated headphones is their build – crafted out of recycled plastic and nylon. Now coming onto the solar charging capabilities Adidas has left nothing to chance. They’ve used a highly flexible light-cell material by Powerfoyle (a Swedish solar tech company) that brings to the fore superior energy capture and charging capabilities even in artificial light. This solar cell material is useful for a wide line of applications thanks to its ability to screen print onto plastic.
There are other underdog companies in the market offering solar-powered headphones but practically speaking they are not as good as Adidas or Urbanista offering. Adidas, however, takes the lead ahead with the advanced Powerfoyle technology and will turn out to be a very good option for Generation-Z.
RPT-02 SOL comes with a light indicator to keep the user informed about the strongest light conditions for maximum charge. The companion app tells about the charge levels and current battery status along with other familiar options for toggling sound output and connectivity. Just in case you have been in the dark trenches and the battery depletes, it can be charged via a USB-C port.
These cool pair of headphones are priced at $229 and will be up for grabs from August 23. Can I wait till then? I’m not sure!
