They say that a good audio adds a whole lot of value to your videos. They also say that even if your video looks bad, your audio can more than make up for it. It does sound counterintuitive, but it can be quite true.
While it is true that the first thing that should stand out in a video is the visuals itself, bad audio can destroy a perfectly good video experience. Audio is one of the most underrated tools in a video production that people sometimes do not pay too much attention to it, especially when it is good. When it is bad though, you just cannot bear to watch the video for too long because the audio just annoys you.
Audio gear is not exactly cheap or straightforward to work with though. Cheap solutions are out there, but they usually come with a whole slew of compromises that makes you think twice about using them sometimes, especially cables. Cabled set-ups, while are some of the most reliable and easily the best sounding while remaining relatively cheap to work with, is rather restrictive. That is also why plenty of productions have preferred to work with wireless microphone systems.
Source: DJI
There are plenty of good choices out there too in this department. One of the most popular choices out there is made by RODE. Plenty have also sort of followed suite in the same form factor. All of them are similar kits too with one receiver and two mic transmitter combos. Each item must be charged individually and kept separately though. There are a few risks to that, obviously.
What if you can just put them in a single place, and charge them simultaneously? What if you can just work with them like most true wireless earbuds now? They are sort of the same thing are they not?
Oddly enough, the first manufacturer that does this is not RODE or Shure. It is DJI with their new DJI MIC. DJI should not be an unfamiliar name to content creators at this point. They make some of the most interesting video recording hardware to date. A lot of them are also targeted to independent and small-time content creators. Most of them are video recording gears though, not really audio recording dedicated items until the DJI MIC.
It is a unique product, this DJI MIC. It will set you back US$ 329 (MYR 1,386*), which is just a little bit more expensive than the RODE Wireless Go II. It is a little smaller than the RODE alternatives. In concept, they work similarly. But there is one fundamental difference between the two. The DJI can be charged on a single platform and that single platform also works as their battery extenders, very much like true wireless headphones today.
Source: DJI
Obviously, coming from DJI, it also comes with a slew of adapters for maximum recording flexibility. There is a USB Type-C adapter and a Lightning adapter that comes with the set if you prefer to shoot with your smartphones. Because it is made primarily with DSLRs to mind, of course it comes with a hot shoe mount adapter and a matching 3.5mm audio cable.
According to DJI, the audio is transmitted via 2.4GHz frequency band that allows audio to be transmitted to the receiver from up to 250m away, which also means long lens shooting is not out of the question. DJI’s clever technologies have also ensured that the signals are free of interference for when your shoot locations get busy.
DJI also says that the entire package allows you to record videos at up to 15 hours in total (5 + 10 from charging case). That means that an entire day worth of shoot will be a non-issue with the DJI MIC. You are not going to be shooting five hours at a time as well, so you are not going to need to worry about the MIC running out of battery. If you need to, you can also record audio directly on to the receiver itself at up to 14 hours, either for backup, or when you are recording a podcast outside.
The DJI MIC is available now in select regions. As mentioned, it will set you back US$ 329. It is not officially available in Malaysia just yet. You can pre-order it in Malaysia for MYR 1,599. For more information on the DJI MIC, you can visit their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.21 on xe.com as of 05/04/2022
Today, content is king. When you talk about popular contents in the modern digital age, streaming is always something that comes up. The streaming industry is not limited to e-sports or gaming titles anymore, it could be anything really.
The entire streaming culture really can find its roots in gaming tough. When you talk gaming, you inevitably talk Razer. Razer is not just a gaming brand anymore though; they are a lifestyle brand with nice stuff for your PC and your gaming needs. We are also personal fans of the brand; we use their gaming peripherals and a certain compact USB mic for our podcasts (keep a look out for season 3!).
The streaming industry, as we pointed out, while started from the gaming culture is constantly growing. It used to be that you needed to have a capable enough gear to stream, a stable internet connection at home, preferably a fast one too just so that you can sit down and talk to hundreds to millions of people around the world. Today, 5G is looming upon us. Even without 5G, 4G LTE is more than enough to allow streamers to go LIVE anywhere and at any time. The number of digital platforms that allows anybody to stream whatever they like has changed the streaming industry.
Razer, as one of the brands that advocates the streaming culture must make progress with the streaming industry. To do that, they released a few new gears that streamers can up their game. They launched a new mic, a new mixer, and a lighting pad.
Taking Your Stream Anywhere – Razer Seiren BT
Source: Razer
To take your stream anywhere, anytime, you need to be mobile. The best hardware you have in your disposal is your smartphone. Your smartphone does everything a PC can while you are on the road. Most of the time though, while the camera on modern smartphones is more than capable of capturing clear, high-resolution videos for your Twitch stream, the audio is usually quite choppy unless you use a wired headphone and look cumbersome. Most wireless audio gear also means extra heft and a lot of cost.
The most elegant solution for this is using technology that is already available to us. That is why the Razer Seiren BT exists. The Razer Seiren BT is optimised to be used with smartphones and mobile streaming set ups to ensure that streamers always get the best audio quality no matter where they stream. Its simple clip-on design allows the mic to be mounted conveniently without disturbing your visuals. The wireless mic is also built with clever noise cancelling technology to cancel out background noise and wind noise in the environment, controllable via the Razer Streaming Mobile App.
Have More Control Over Your Streamed Radio – Razer Audio Mixer
Most of the time, audio is an afterthought in streaming. While setting up, plenty of people will tell you how important it is to get your visual right. You tend to focus on getting a good camera on hand and to make sure you and your environment looks good. Then you forget you need to let your voice get through in the stream, so you get yourself a mic that easily plugs into the USB port.
Source: Razer
While that is all good, you will have a problem when you want to work with multiple audio streams. You can, technically, control all these audio streams on your PC itself if you have the technical know-how. If you do not though, the Razer Audio Mixer is here to help.
The Audio Mixer is a clever solution to your Audio problem when streaming. It allows you to control up to 4 audio input channels to stream audio into and from your PC. It is an analogue board as well, so you can have direct and quick fader control over all the audio channels you have for your stream.
The Audio Mixer takes on most audio inputs too including hybrid-XLRs inputs, TRS Line, Optical TOS and others. Integrated to Razer’s versatile Synapse 3 software, streamers not just adjust the volume of your audio inputs and outputs. You can access the EQ of each channel via the software to tune your audio in your streams. All of these is done and loaded on the Razer Audio Mixer’s processor, so your PC can focus on working the video streams.
Visuals is Still Everything Though – Razer Key Light Chroma
Source: Razer
Being one of the big advocates of RGB hardware in gaming hardware, Razer is still all about the visuals too. Of course, visuals are still very important in streaming culture. You do not want to see badly filmed stream with dim lighting on the star of the show. As a star, you do not want your face to be covered by darkness too. But the regular cool or warm lighting is just too boring. What do you do?
You get the Razer key Light Chroma RGB light pads, mount it to your desk with an included desk clamp pole, point the pads to you, and choose whatever colour you want on your face, or lighting up your room. The Razer Key Light Chroma looks very much like a regular professional light pads used to light up a room or a scene with 16.8-million choice of colours with RGB Chroma. But connect them to your or smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and you will find that Razer’s Synapse 3 and Streaming App features more controls over the light pad than you know. Sadly, it is not battery compatible, you do need to carry a power adapter that can supply 52.5W to each light pad to power the pads. If you want to take your streaming mobile with the 2800 Lumens light source, you do want to make sure you have a power outlet available.
The Razer Seiren BT, Audio Mixer, and Key Light Chroma is now available on Razer’s online store and authorised stores. Unlike some of other devices in Razer’s arsenal, there are no colour options for these devices. Prices start from US$ 99.99 (MYR 479*) for the Seiren BT, US$ 299.99 (MYR 1,399*) for the Key Light Chroma, and US$ 249.99 (MYR 1,209*) for the Audio Mixer. More information on Razer’s range of streaming focused hardware can be found on their website.
Clubhouse became the rage late last year when Elon Musk decided to host a conversation and discussion on the platform. It became the biggest social media fad since Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat joined the party too in 2020. To be fair, Facebook is getting a little old, and people are getting a bit bored by it. It is still one of the foremost social media platforms, do not get us wrong. It is a place for absolutely everything you can imagine, from making friends, getting trades, source of daily news, to even getting dates.
Clubhouse is a unique platform though. Unlike the usual social media platforms which are heavy on visuals and are mainly visual based platforms, Clubhouse is purely audio based. Unlike most platforms as well, which stores or records your media for at least the next 24 hours, Clubhouse does not have audio recording built-into the platform. That also means that once you miss a session on Clubhouse, you missed it.
It also comes in a time where the need for human interaction is at an all-time high. The whole pandemic situation around the world has isolated us in an unprecedented rate. Working from home and not being able to interact with people as normally as we can has taken a toll on everyone. On Clubhouse, some normalisation can be achieved by naturally talking to your friends or meeting new people on the platform on subjects that you can relate to.
It started out as an iOS exclusive as well with the Android version released a bout a month ago. While Android users have to content with plenty of missing contents and features from the beta app compared to the iOS version, they were pretty much warned about the beta status. What a lot of other people do not realise though, is that while the app has existed for a year or so, the app was still in Beta mode.
That also explains the fact that you can only be invited to the app instead of simply signing up on the platform and get access to all the contents that the platform has to offer. With the Beta status taken off and finally launching in full, Clubhouse’s invite only exclusivity will be removed. Anyone in the waiting list with no invite will immediately get full access to Clubhouse’s various contents and curation.
Aside from the no waiting list update, there are a few things that is released with the updated Clubhouse. To celebrate the Japan Olympics, users can now add a national flag to their bio. There is a new icon to the app as well as part of the update.
Clubhouse, so far, is still the most popular platform of its kind. That has not stopped companies like Spotify, Facebook, and even Discord to try to get in on the Slack action with their own version of an audio chat platform though. While newer platforms like Spotify’s Greenroom may do a few things better than Clubhouse, the platform is fairly new and might take some time to stick compared to clubhouse.
Clubhouse is now available for free on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. As mentioned, there are no more waiting list to get on the platform, so signing up and getting to the contents is just as simple as signing up on the platform itself with your mobile number. As far as we are concerned, the only downside to the platform is that the account is tied to your mobile number.
We were planning to review this item on video. The problem was our studio had to close because of the Pandemic. It is now a written review instead.
There is a reason why we wanted to review the Razer Seiren Mini on video though. We technically can use it as our audio input for the video, completely using the audio recorded from the Razer Seiren Mini as our voice over for the video. Why? Because it made sense.
The Razer Seiren Mini is not necessarily a new product segment for Razer though. They had the Razer Seiren X before this, a big mic thing that Razer made for streamers. That USB mic received plenty of praises for being one really good mic especially for streamers.
It was a little big though. Then again, having a big mic is not really an issue when you have a streaming set up at home. Having a big mic is never really touted as an issue at all for streamers.
So, what is the Razer Seiren Mini? Why would anyone buy this little mic if they could just get the adult sized Razer Seiren? Is it even something you should consider?
Design
It comes in three colour shades; it comes in plain black, solid white, and even pink. There are no green mics though; quite odd considering this is Razer we are talking about. But at least the black is universal enough that it does not look like it is out of place on the video. If you want a little bit of a flavour, the pink should fit your style nicely. Keep in mind that it does not taste like cotton candy though, it tastes metallic.
Literal taste aside though, the whole package of the Razer Seiren Mini is rather unassuming. The capsule looking body with mic does not look like it is made to impress anyone. The whole package comes with its own mini legs too, which is nice, because that means you do not need to get a separate mic stand for it. It is easy to set up too because the mic uses a proper, regular mic stand ¾-inch thread. There are two standard mic holder thread though, so do check properly.
In some ways, it looks cute because it is just so tiny, and light. It looks and feels durable too, and that is the best part because we think that users might use this mic as a portable mic set-up as well. At least, that is also what Razer is selling this product as, a “portable mini microphone”. The only missing thing from the whole package, in that case, is a carrying case for the mic.
Hardware
Inside this tiny capsule is a 14mm super cardioid condenser. Which also means it is not a passive type of dynamic mic that words by just plugging it into an amp or mixer; you need power. At the same time, you cannot plug this into any XLR, or ¼” jack though. It is a USB Type-C mic that also draws its power from the PC it is connected to.
Specifications
Sample Rate
44.1 KHz – 48 KHz
Microphone
14mm Super Cardioid Condenser Built-in Shock Mounting
Frequency Response
20 Hz – 20 KHz
Power
5V 500mA Via Micro USB
Sensitivity
17.8 mV/Pa (1 KHz)
Max SPL
110 dB
Features
While the mic does not look like much, there is quite a lot of things packed into the small capsule mic though. It is a USB Type-C mic, which also means it is a simple plug and play now. The USB port is designed to sort of hide the cable connection and make the whole capsule look whole. There is some clever surprise inside the capsule body as well.
Flush USB Plug and Play
Micro USB is not necessarily new in electronics. The difference between this one mic with other mics of its type is how they hide the cable. Well, they did not really hide the cable, just the fact that they made it seem like the cable is a part of the mic capsule itself. Of course, they colour match the cables too.
Razer does not just give you a regular looking USB cable for you to connect to your Razer Serine mini and calls it a day. They made an effort to properly design a USB cable head that matches and sits flush with the body of your Razer Seiren Mini.
While it is a plug and play mic solution, it is not Razer Synapse compatible unfortunately. That can be a good thing too though; it just works. To control the volume, you just go to Windows audio settings and sort it out. All you have to do is figure out the best place to put your mic and you can get streaming, podcasting, and even use it in your video conference.
Super Cardioid Condenser
Source: Razer
What you get inside the capsule mic, as mentioned before, is a 14mm super cardioid condenser. A condenser cannot work without a power source, unlike dynamic mics. There are advantages to dynamic mics compared to condensers. For example, on a dynamic mic, you get cleaner audio and it is simple to work with. Dynamic mics are known to be durable as well, just find a studio and ask them for their oldest Shure SM58 mic, ask them how old it is, and you will understand why.
Condensers have their own advantages as well though. Condensers tend to be a lot more sensitive than dynamic mics. Heightened sensitivity allows you to place the mic further away from you or have more control over sensitivity depending on where you place the mic. But that also means that you have more freedom to place your mic in different locations and positions to pick up different sounds like ambient noise and such. On top of that, condensers can be a lot more compact than dynamic mics.
Super cardioid refers to its pickup pattern which centers mostly at its front and a little bit at the back. It is a tighter pattern compared to a general cardioid mic though which also means that it will be a lot less sensitive to noise and sounds from the sides of the mic. Which also means you really want to point the front of the mic toward the source of the sound you want being picked up, you. At least that is straight forward enough to do; the front of the mic is where the power indication LED and RAZER branding is.
Built-in Shock Mount
Because condensers are also more sensitive, every little bump and shake can be picked up by the mic. That is why shock mounting is important when you get a condenser. That was our concern as well when we picked up this little Seiren Mini. Fortunately, Razer thought of that and figured out a way to fit a shock mount into the capsule, and it works. You still hear knocks on the mic, obviously, but when you place it on the table, knocks and bumps on the table is hardly heard through the mic, unless it is a hard knock. If you are using a boom arm and accidentally brushed or knocked your hands against the boom arm, the shock is also hardly heard through the mic. You only head knocks and bumps very clearly if you are bumping or knocking against the mic directly.
Tilting Stand
We will not call this the best quality tilting stand that you can find in the market. We are going to say that this is a good mic stand for your Razer Seiren Mini though. The best part about it is that you can use it with other mics or mic holders with standard mic stand threads. That also means that you can technically use different mic with a standard mic holder, and it works too. Although, you do want to make sure that you either balance the weight properly or that the mic is not too heavy to work with; dynamic mics like the Shure SM58 should be fine.
It is made with plastic mostly, even the base is covered with plastic material. Excluding the mic, there are two parts to the stand that comes standard with your Razer Seiren Mini. You get a base with a tilting thread, and a plastic stem that adapts the base to the mic because the thread on the base is a smaller standard thread. The base also comes with an anti-slip foam at the bottom to grip ensure that it does not get to move too much on your desk. The foam bottom also helps eliminate micro vibrations from your desk, which is a bonus in getting cleaner sound from you.
Performance
When you talk about the performance of a mic though, its sound quality and reproduction is everything. The thing is, specific mics serves different purposes in its design though. Mics like the Seiren Mini is really built for streamers and podcasting. That also means that it should deliver that ‘radio voice’ quality over voice chats and when you are recording a podcast, or in video calls.
Audio Quality and Reproduction
First of all, before you start thinking about downloading software solutions from Razer to control the mic, forget it. Even Razer’s synapse does not recognise the device. That also means that Razer’s own apps will not control the mic’s pickup. There are no physical buttons to the mic either, which also means you have to go into Windows 10’s or MacOS’s sound settings and control the mic sensitivity there.
No complains on that though, because it is simple enough to get to Windows audio settings and set the mic to default to the Razer Seiren Mini, set the volumes correctly in different use cases and just leave it from there. In most cases, we leave our mics to 100% sensitivity in Windows settings, especially when we tuck the mic further away from us (about 0.5m away from the mouth).
When we do our podcast though, we stuck the mic closer to our mouths and lowered the sensitivity on Window itself because the mic is now that much closer to our mouths to the point that we are almost kissing the mic. Here we find a problem with the Razer Seiren Mini. It does not have a pop-filter and Razer does not sell a Seiren Mini specific pop-filter too. That results in pops when we say things like “pick”, or “ping”, or “pack”. It is easily corrected by buying a generic pop-filter though. You only have to worry about mounting the stuff.
The audio you get from the mic is quite remarkable though. You get the same sort of sound signature with the bigger Seiren X from this little capsule. That also means a crisp voice with very clear mid-frequencies and low frequencies for great and clear voice. That also means your teammates or audience can hear you very clearly. Just be sure that nothing else is making noise behind you though, since it is a condenser.
Of course, you need to be the judge of the sound quality that the Razer Seiren Mini reproduces for you too. So, we have included a few voice clips for you to listen to. We used Adobe Audition to record all sample sound tracks.
The Razer Seiren Mini – Portable Goodness in Value for Money Package
You can get your hands on the Razer Seiren Mini at MYR 249 from Razer’s official store on Shopee, or their own online store. If you really look through Shopee, you can get a Seiren Mini for even lower prices. There are three colours to choose from as well with the Razer Seiren Mini – Quartz, Mercury, and Black. We do suggest the Black for a more professional and cleaner look.
Still, if you do want to spice up your set up a little bit, the white coloured mercury colour scheme looks great too. While we are not fans of the pink Quarts colour scheme, we do think that there are plenty who would like that colour option too. Whatever it is, the colour options do give a little more freedom for expression, we think.
While we would like to see USB Type-C replacing Micro USB on the Razer Seiren Mini, there is nothing much wrong with Micro USB. A lot of older USB devices still work nicely. Plenty of audio interfaces in the market are still relying on USB Type-B ports too. With the provided cable anyway, the connection is secure and reliable.
At the same price with the Razer Seiren Mini, there are other solutions like HyperX’s Solocast USB microphone. The Solocast does come with a nice built-in stand that looks extremely sturdy. The mic is also taller and a little bigger than the Razer Seiren Mini. Because of that though, it is a little more cumbersome, less portable. When connected to your PC, the USB cable sticks out like a sore thumb too, which could be less appealing in terms of cable management. The HyperX Solocast does have a touch sensitive ‘mute’ button though, while the Razer Seiren Mini does not.
Thing is, recommending the Razer Seiren Mini is really easy for us. At its price, it is hard to find a compelling enough mic that boasts the same quality and features. It is also a relatively economical and simple way to increase the audio quality of your conference calls and even streams. Because it is so small, you can easily throw it in your bag and set up anywhere and anytime.
Spotify is already the world’s most popular music streaming app. The platform probably also houses the largest collection of podcasts known in the modern world. In some sense, in the world of audio streaming at least, Spotify arguably has the best interface and discovery Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Looking for music and discovering music that would suit your preferences is a breeze on Spotify. Spotify itself will surface music that suits your tastes based on your playlists, and even based on songs that you frequently listen to. Podcasts is a different story though.
It is not exactly difficult to find podcasts in Spotify. We would not call the podcast discovery function excellent either. We think that they might as well be non-existent sometimes. That is about to change though.
Spotify is acquiring Podz, a podcast discovery service. It uses AI to generate highlights for a particular podcast and let users listen to 60-second samples of a chow or podcast before listening to the full show or subscribing to a channel or show. In some ways, it allows you to evaluate the podcast even before you spend your precious time on it.
With the acquisition, Spotify will be looking to integrate Podz’s clever AI algorithm and working into Spotify itself. The integration will make it not just easier and less time consuming for users to evaluate shows before committing to the show. It will also allow Spotify to improve the discovery algorithm of their podcast platform with the highlights.
At the same time, as a user, it will really make Spotify’s library of 2.6 million podcasts much easier to navigate and a lot more interesting. Spotify has been continuously building their podcast platform over the years, even getting some podcast exclusives up and running in the past two years. With Podz integrated, they could surface and push their own exclusive podcasts on users’ landing page in their app or web player. If the service is successful also, it could attract more creators into the platform just because their contents will be a lot more visible than before.
Spotify is planning to integrate Podz into Spotify before the end of 2021. Of course, that also includes the roll out to users all around the world. Last week, Spotify has also launched their Clubhouse competitor, Greenroom. Greenroom is now available for free on both iOS and Android. With the integration of Podz and Greenroom, Spotify looks to be the world’s largest audio streaming solution.
We are still reeling from LG’s big announcement with their mobile business unit. Yesterday they told the world that they are backing out from the smartphone market. They are still active in other areas though. For example, they are still a strong player in the home audio market.
They have just introduced their new line-up of soundbars for 2021. Of course, they come with even more features and before to really complete your audio experience. They also still come with everything that made the older soundbars great too. For one, you still get Meridian technology.
LG’s new 2021 soundbars introduces Meridian’s Horizon technology though. The technology cleverly mixes regular dual channel to virtually create a multichannel experience for true immersion when it comes to music and even movies regardless of their position. Meridian’s technology and tuning also shines in the soundbar’s Music Mode.
The LG soundbars for 2021 now supports Dolby Atmos and DRS:X audio. That also means you get more dynamic audio and immersion from the soundbars. If you have a Dolby Vision certified 4K TV, the soundbars adjust themselves to optimise audio and picture experience. Your Netflix set-up at home just got even better.
What is a modern soundbar without its smart features? The 2021 soundbars is compatible with Google Asisstant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri. With support for Apple AirPlay 2, the soundbars can now control their favourite contents directly from their Apple iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
To make your audio experience even more immersive and even better is LG’s clever AI features on the soundbar. The new 2021 soundbars packs their own clever Room Calibration tool that utilises its AI to optimise your audio experience no matter the kind of room you work with. Using a combination of its multiple mics and speaker units, the AI measures it own space and adjusts itself according to the room. In combination with the AI Sound Pro feature, the soundbar cleverly adjusts its frequency range and field extensions depending on contents to optimise your audio experience even more.
The 2021 LG soundbars are Hi-Res Audio certified supporting 24-bit/96kHz audio playback. The soundbars get HDMI eARC compatibility as well for high bitrate, high-resolution content playback and of course, Dolby Atmos audio. There is also USB playback as well as Bluetooth connectivity for a wider flexibility in terms of audio sources.
The new 2021 LG soundbar line-up will be available in Europe and North American market this month onward. There is no official pricing announced just yet even for the key markets. There are also no local (Malaysia) availability information yet for the soundbars. We are looking at a third quarter availability in Malaysia though. The new product line-up includes SP11RA (7.1.4), SP9WA (5.1.2), SP8YA (3.1.2), SP7Y (5.1), and SPD7Y (3.1.2). For more information on LG’s 2021 line-up of soundbars, you can head over to their website.
Mobile and wireless sound are some of the most ubiquitous things that we are taking advantage of nowadays. Just in recent years, we saw an increase in the number of people adopting true wireless headphones and earphones like the Sony WH-1000MX3 and the Galaxy Buds Pro. However, as Qualcomm’s James Chapman put it, the industry has a “dirty secret” – sound quality is reduced – sometimes significantly when it goes wireless. That’s where Qualcomm believes it can step in to help revolutionise wireless audio with its new initiative called Snapdragon Sound.
Source: Qualcomm
Snapdragon Sound is essentially Qualcomm flexing its proven prowess in two fields – wireless audio and mobile. A flex which, in the company’s own words, puts them in a unique position to address the issue of lacklustre sound when it comes to mobile and wireless audio. The new Snapdragon Sound initiative merges the technology and capabilities from Qualcomm spanning their mobile platforms, Bluetooth audio connectivity and video technologies to culminate in what is, essentially, a new certification for mobile sound.
Qualcomm’s new audio-centric efforts seem to have borne some fruit with the company already touting 2 times the bitrate when it comes to streaming music wirelessly and even when taking voice calls over wireless audio products. They also report a 45% lower latency when it comes to audio-video synchronisation. These comparisons were done against the mSBC codec with Qualcomm’s developed aptX codec.
Source: Qualcomm
That said, Qualcomm has lofty goals for Snapdragon Sound promising partners an already optimised sound experience for devices. Their optimisation focuses not only on the quality of the connection from the source device to the headphone or earphone but from the audio itself to the ear. At least, that’s what Qualcomm is claiming. Snapdragon sound promises to improve overall user experience by focusing on better fidelity, battery life, latency, and voice among others.
Source: Qualcomm
Qualcomm says that they will be certifying devices that utilise their Snapdragon Sound platform in a facility in Taiwan. These devices will be tested to meet their requirements at this facility before they are certified. At the time of the announcement, Qualcomm announced Xiaomi, Audio-Technica and Amazon Music HD as official Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound partners. Of note, Qualcomm did mention that current Snapdragon flagships do not have Snapdragon Sound certification.
We loved the WF-1000XM3, this is no secret. I personally own a WF-1000XM3. We actually went out to pre-order one to get it before they officially launched them in Malaysia. It is that good.
But there is something better than an in-ear headphone though. That is an over-ear headphone like the WH-1000XM3. There is a reason why we settled for the WF-1000XM3 though. Its performance is close enough to the WH-1000XM3 and is fractionally cheaper, and it is a lot more portable.
We still love the WH-1000XM3 very much though. It is one of the best active noise cancelling headphone in the industry at its time and still holds its own to this day. If you are looking for a noise cancelling headphone at a budget at this time, the WH-1000XM3 is still a very good choice. The problem is, the new Sony WH-1000XM4 is not that much more expensive in price.
The WH-1000XM4 is still a premium product at MYR 1,599. The question here is not whether it is better than the WH-1000XM3 or not though. The question here should be, should you change from the WH-1000XM3 to this one? Or should you get this one over the discounted Mark III? We find out.
Design
It looks exactly the same as the WH-1000XM3, and that is it. Really, they look the same. They come with the same shaped hardcase too, with a slight difference in material choices over the case. Put the two side by side and they look nearly indistinguishable other than the WH-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4 label on the head band.
So that is that, right? Not really
The padding on the Sony WH-1000XM4 is of newer materials that is supposed to be more breathable and more comfortable than the WH-1000XM3. This is not to say that the Sony WH-1000XM3 was not a comfortable headphone to work with in any way though. The newer materials ensures that the WH-1000XM4’s earcups are slightly more breathable apparently.
In Malaysia, you are still going to sweat your ears out wearing the headphones out in the open. It will still be warm no matter how you put it, but that is not the fault of the headphone itself. We suspect also that the extra breathability has something to do with the more comfortable clamping force on the headband.
There is another subtle change within one of the earcups too. Specifically, on the left earcup there is now what seems to be a cut out for some sort of a sensor. The sensor is an optical sensor to tell the headphone whether or it is being worn.
Features
The Sony WH-1000XM4 inherits most of its great features from the Sony WH-1000XM3. That is kind of expected. What we did not expect is how much Sony added on the WH-1000XM4 to make it a class of its own.
Talk-to-Chat Transparent Mode
The new Sony WH-1000XM4 is a rather clever piece of kit to bring with you wherever you go. You technically do not have to take it off your ear ever (until the battery drains and you have to charge, of course). It turns on ambient noise mode the moment you want to start a conversation with anyone.
We tried the function in the office to have conversations with everyone else in the office. It only detects speech from you before it turns to transparent mode automatically. Which also means that your friends still need to tap on your shoulders to get your attention and you have to start talking first before the feature itself is turned on.
We do find it nifty in certain situations, and a little jarring in a lot of situations. There are times that we had to say “what?” twice before you can get the headphone to turn transparent mode on. You can still cover the right cup of the headphone to turn on ambient mode temporarily too, which might work better in our opinions.
Transparency mode on the Sony WH-1000XM4 may not be the most natural experience you have on your surroundings too. You can sort of hear your friends when you talk to them in transparent mode, but there are times where you tend to hear more environmental noise and buzz than the people you want to have conversations with. At least the delivery of ambient noise is accurate enough you know where everything is coming from.
Noise Cancelling Made Even better
The WH-1000XM4 packs the same type of audio signal processor from its predecessor. It is the very powerful Sony QN1 processor. This is also the reason why the Sony headphone is not aptX or aptX HD certified. Then again, it is not a Qualcomm processor the headphone packs.
The QN1 on the WH-1000XM4 is programmed differently compared to the QN1 in the older headphone and the WF-1000XM3 though. It is technically more powerful as it now does more complex and robust calculations for noise cancelling. That also means that the noise cancelling in the new WH-1000XM4 is technically better than the WH-1000XM3.
To put it in words, you might hear the headphone feeding you anti-noise at times, when there is no other audio playing through the headphone. When the music comes alive, most of the world is tuned out and quiet. There are still some situations that you can hear the rest of the world, especially when loud noises are involved, but no active noise cancelling technology can remove noise or sounds completely.
Using the active noise cancelling feature on the WH-1000XM4 for an extended period of time is a very comfortable affair. You do not feel like your head is stuck in a vacuum chamber or feel like your eardrums are being sucked dry by the headphone. What we mean to say is that you will not get a headache or discomfort.
DSEE Extreme
But the QN1 does more than just clever noise cancelling. It upscales audio now with Sony’s proprietary DSEE Extreme, an even more powerful version of Sony’s DSEE HX from the WH-1000XM3. What it does is it upscales audio and delivers them more cleanly via Bluetooth. The technology fills gaps in an audio and delivers it to the listener for a better listening experience.
Again, the differences are very marginal to a regular listener. To us at least, the differences between audio delivery between the new headphone and older headphone is hardly noticeable and very easy to miss if you do not pay attention. The differences lie in some of the higher-end frequencies and a slightly fuller low-frequency notes.
In theory then, even Spotify should sound a little more amazing and impressive with DSEE Extreme. It does though, it does work. It does make Spotify sound less Spotify and a little more Tidal. To put it into perspective, Spotify can be likened to compressed MP3 audio format and Tidal delivers up to CD AAC audio format, which has higher bitrate and throughput. In turn, AAC audio format tends to be more detailed and in higher fidelity compared to MP3.
Multi-Device Connection
There was not much we could complain about when it comes to the WH-1000XM3. The only thing we thought was a little lacking was the fact that the headphone could only connect to one device at a time. Sony also fixed that with the new WH-1000XM4.
While the new WH-1000XM4 headphones does connect to multiple devices, do not be fooled into thinking you can connect your smartphone, your notebook PC, and your tablet at the same time. You can only choose up to two devices to connect to the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Connecting your WH-1000XM4 to both devices as simple as you would expect too. You can use your smartphones to connect to the device via NFC and then Bluetooth. Connecting your PC too is just about a simple working with Windows’ Bluetooth.
You might have to keep in mind that the Sony WH-1000XM4 turns off the moment you plug a USB Type-C cable to the headphone. The headphone will automatically go into charge mode. You can still plug the headphones in to a 3.5mm AUX jack for listening though, just that you do not get to use the noise cancelling function.
Performance
Of course, the whole point of a headphone is an audio experience. That is what this MYR 1,599 Sony WH-1000XM4 is all about, the aural experience. For that kind of money, you will not be disappointed with the Sony headphones.
An Aural Experience
It is a solid product no matter how you look at it for MYR 1,599. While the build is mostly plastic, most of the money goes into making the internals as good as it can be. You are looking at a 40mm driver that is capable of producing frequencies from as low as 4hz all the way to 40,000hz. Of course, what you hear depends on your own ears and the music format itself.
We tested most of our audio products with Tidal because it streams at 16-bit/44kHz quality. Spotify streams at half that. That also means that you get higher quality audio and more detailed audio from Tidal to work with.
As with plenty of Sony audio products, we can safely say that the WH-1000XM4 produces a very balanced sound signature. Sound is detailed enough through all the frequencies. Some might say that it lacks lower frequency punch (bass) though, and that is also mostly a matter of preference. Still, the mid and high frequencies shine with detail and there is enough punch for us in the lower frequencies.
What it lacks in punch though, the Sony WH-1000XM4 makes up in detail. The lower frequencies forms with distinction, not just booms that you hear in your ear. You also have to keep in mind that too much lower frequencies can hurt your ears too. This will not do that.
The headphone gets pretty loud too on Bluetooth. If you plug it in though, depending on your source device, the headphone tends to be a little softer and less punchy. We do somehow find a bit more detail when you plug it in though. Just remember that you still need to use the battery if you want to use the Noise Cancelling function and DSEE Extreme.
Listening on the WH-1000XM4 can be very personal though. Via the app, you could also take a picture of your ears and let Sony tune the headphone to your ears. In that case, your friends might not get the same experience as you do on the headphone itself. Of course, the app also allows you to adjust your own equaliser to make it even more personal.
With the WH-1000XM4 as well you get the benefit of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio that gives you some spatial effect. Of course, not all streaming platforms have this feature. That is also why we refer to Tidal for our audio needs, they support the 360 Reality Audio feature.
Battery Life
Sony claims that the WH-1000XM4, like the WH-1000XM3, has 30 hours of continuous playback. That is technically longer than the world’s longest direct flight at 18 hours. We have not had the privilege to travel from Singapore to New York directly for that matter. No thanks to the pandemic situation too, travelling is rather limited to intercity travels by car. Which also means that we have not sat in an airplane for over a year now.
If we do though, we are glad that we have the WH-1000XM4. In our tests, we can assure you that it the headphones can last more than 20 cumulative hours of use. Of course, this also depends on how high or how low you set your volume to. We set our volumes to an average 70 to 75% most of the time and we mostly use it with our PC and smartphone wirelessly. In that regards, we only had to charge the headphone once in a week.
Call Quality
Of course, because we pair it to our smartphone as well, we use it to make phone calls from time to time. On PC as well, by default the headphone connects to the device as two separate devices and go into handsfree mode the moment you get into a conference call. This is also to prevent the headphone to go into talk-to-chat transparency mode.
In hands-free mode, or when you make a call, the audio gets a little distorted for some reason. It is not as bad as before where audio sounds tiny and extra distorted though. We just thought that it sounds a little sketchy at times and it could be a little better and clearer.
It is still convenient for you to just pick-up a call and tune everything else out. Whenever a call comes in, the headphone prioritises feed from the calls on your smartphone or your video conferencing tools first.
On the PC, you will hear the difference between conference calls made in hands-free mode and with hands-free mode turned off. It is night and day. You also want to keep in mind that if you want to use this headphone for multiplayer gaming (it is quite excellent for gaming too, if you must know), you really want to disable hands-free mode and Talk-to-Chat function.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 – Oh Yes!
We really like the Sony WH-1000XM4. They never really changed its design compared to its predecessor. To be fair, the design language has not changed all that much since their first iteration of the noise cancelling over-ear headphone series. Then again, why fix something that is not broken? That is also very Japanese, if we must say.
Issue with that is that ergonomics is the same and the touch controls are the same too. The touch controls are not exactly the Sony WH-1000XM4’s strongest suit. Thank goodness you have a smartphone app to control the headphone too. Of course, the app makes the WH-1000XM4 even more personal.
It is a slightly more comfortable headphone compared to the older WH-1000XM3. It is also better sounding and packs better active noise cancelling algorithm. We thought talk-to-chat function was something that would be a game changer, but we end up looking at it as more of a gimmick now instead.
So, if you are looking to spend a little bit more money for a headphone, the WH-1000XM4 is a good buy. We would recommend it very strongly. The problem only comes if you already own a WH-1000XM3.
To solve the problem, we would not recommend you change from your WH-1000XM3 to this new one. While all the small improvements may make it seem like the fourth-generation headphone from Sony holds a big gap over the WH-1000XM3, the improvements made in the areas that matter is not so much that the older generation headphones become obsolete. If you do want the latest and greatest though, who are we to say that you should not spend your money on the Sony WH-1000XM4?
Never heard of RuarkAudio? We cannot blame you. It is practically a brand that technically does not exist in Malaysia before today. If you are not an audiophile, you might not have heard of the brand before. If you are, there is also a slight chance you may not be too familiar with the brand.
RuarkAudio is a British company that makes speakers. Unlike Senheiser or Bose though, they have less than half the resources these company boasts. That said, their offerings are not half as bad. In fact, their offerings can be highly competitive in terms of audio performance compared to the likes of Senheiser.
For some context, the company was founded in 1985 by Alan O’Rourke. It started in an industrial estate in Raleigh, Essex as a small workshop to make their own loudspeakers. Over the years they have been making high-end speakers, studio monitor speakers and even DAB radio receivers. They receive high praises in making all these products.
Fast forward to 16th July 2020 and they are launching their brand-new compact speaker system for the discerning millennials. They introduced the Ruark R3. It sits in between their R2 and R4 wireless speakers, effectively making the R3 a mid-range product in Ruark Audio’s highly acclaimed product range. Yes, they have quite an extensive range in their workshop.
Their flagship Ruark Audio R7 is something of a furniture. It looks more like a very thick table you put in your living room rather than play your audio. With that solid wood finish too, you can easily mistaken it to be decorative coffee table. It is a powerful speaker with a class A-B amplifier built into the wooden chassis though. You can plug any audio source like a turntable, your media player, or even your smartphone to it and it will work. You can also tune into the local radio channels, if you really want. Or, if you still carry CDs, you can put that into the R7 and it will play too. This one will set you back a cool MYR 15,999.
The R7 too rich for your taste? The R5 then, a shrunk down tabletop version of the R7. Smaller body does not mean smaller power though. It still packs the same amplifier from the Ruark Audio R7. That makes the Ruark Audio R5 the perfect audio furniture to own in a smaller condominium unit.
The class A-B amplifier combined with a downward firing subwoofer, the Ruark R5 produces excellent low frequencies while maintaining powerful mid and high frequencies. You can even put a CD into it like the R7. This has a specific RIAA turntable input though, this would be the one you want if you have a turntable. This will set you back MYR 6,999.
The Ruark Audio R3 is their latest product to grace the audiophile market. It is even smaller than the R5, which makes it quite perfect for your bedroom technically. Then again, your home is your home, so you decide where this goes. Being the latest product from Ruark Audio, this is also one of Ruark Audio’s most cutting edge product to date. You can easily stream music via Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, and Deezer over WiFi, or Bluetooth with aptX (not aptX HD, sadly). Its Smart Radio can tune into internet based radios, or DAB or DAB+, or local FM Stations, making this the most flexible radio set you have in your room. You can even play CD through it. The R3 is also compatible with your smart TVs, or Amazon Echo Dot, or Google Home Mini to make it even cleverer. This sets you back MYR 3,999.
No need audio for the room? Need a stereo set up for your desk instead? The MR1 is the perfect desktop speakers for that. Be it your work station, or even your media player centre, the Ruark Audio MR1 will sit on the desk like it belongs. It still packs the class A-B that the R3, R5, and R7 has. That also means that this is a powerful little speaker that produce clean, crisp audio. Unlike most desktop set ups, you only need two of these little boxes to get a full aural experience. You do not need a secondary subwoofer for this. This one is MYR 2,099.
If ease of use is your thing, then there is the MRx instead. The single speaker unit has more in likeness to the MR1 than the other products in Ruark Audio’s product range. It does not have a player unit or a large display unit. It plays audio via Bluetooth, or USB stick, or the internet, or even an AUX input. You can only control the speaker via the UNDOK app available for Android and iOS. This will set you back MYR 2,399.
The Ruark Audio R7, R5, MR1, and MRx will be available in Malaysia at the end of August. You can get them either online or Ruark Audio’s retail partners in Malaysia, Atlas Sound and Vision at the Gardens Mall, Mac Studio at BB Plaza KL and Bangsar Shopping centre, and Flash Gadgets at Sunway Pyramid. You do need to experience the products first before justifying the investment though. To do that, you can head to Atlas Sound and Vision at The Gardens Mall for a Ruark experience. For more information, you can head over to their website.
