Apple has expanded its popular HomePod mini lineup with the introduction of a stylish new colour option – Midnight. Joining the existing white, blue, yellow, and orange options, the Midnight HomePod mini offers a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic that seamlessly integrates into any home environment.
Source: Apple
Despite the new colour, the core functionalities and design of the HomePod mini remain unchanged. This compact smart speaker continues to deliver impressive sound quality with its full-range driver, dual force-cancelling passive radiators, and Apple’s computational audio technology.
The HomePod mini thrives as the heart of your smart home, seamlessly connecting with your Apple devices to control a variety of accessories. Using intuitive voice commands via Siri, you can adjust lighting, control thermostats, manage smart plugs, and access a variety of other features.
Source: Apple
Apple prioritizes user privacy and security within the HomePod mini. On-device intelligence ensures your requests are processed without sending information to the cloud unless explicitly requested. Additionally, features like personalized listening profiles and secure authentication further enhance user privacy.
The HomePod mini in Midnight doesn’t compromise on functionality. You can still utilize the intercom feature to broadcast announcements throughout your house, and pair two HomePod mini speakers for immersive stereo sound.
Pricing & Availability
The Apple HomePod mini in Midnight will be retailing for USD$99 internationally and for RM529 in Malaysia. It’s now available for order from Apple’s website and the Apple Store app While Apple hasn’t revealed the official pricing details for the Midnight HomePod mini in Malaysia, it is expected to be priced similarly to the existing colour options, which retail for RM99.
Samsung is switching things up a little bit with the launch of not one – but two new entries into the Galaxy Buds lineup. The new Galaxy Buds3 series comes with updates and a total revamp of its design that will turn heads in more than one way.
The new Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro take very different approaches to audio catering to a wider group of people. The vanilla Galaxy Buds3 isn’t Samsung’s typical earbuds – instead, Samsung has opted to make it a more open ear earbud. The Buds3 doesn’t come with the rubber tip that enters the ear canal, it rests right at the opening of the ear. The Buds3 Pro, on the other hand, continues the Galaxy Buds lineup of being in-ear earbuds complete with the rubber tip.
Both the Galaxy Buds come with a bid redesign. Samsung has ditched the old design language of the Galaxy Buds series and opted to have a stemmed design for the new Buds lineup. However, these stems aren’t just for show, they do have some thought put into the redesign – at least when it comes to the Pro. The stems on the Pro come with coloured LEDs on the side – called blade lights – which light up according to the music you’re listening to – a nice DND indicator if anything. However, aside from this, the stem also contains a mic and has pinch controls for easier control of your music.
The Galaxy Buds3 Pro also comes with a 10mm dynamic driver with a planar tweeter that promises better sound quality. It also has dual amps and supports up to 24-bit audio. The regular Buds3 comes with a single 10mm dynamic driver without the planar tweeter. Both of the buds come with an IP57 rating and have about 7 hours of battery depending on whether noise cancelling is turned on.
Both the new entries have better voice isolation thanks to the stem. However, the Buds3 Pro comes with additional features like Siren Detect and Voice Detect. These features, as their names suggest, allow the buds to dynamically change settings when you’re talking or a siren goes off nearby. This will allow you to be more alert of your surroundings or allow you to converse.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro are now available for pre-order. Both are available in White and Silver colourways. The Galaxy Buds will be priced at USd$179.99 while the Buds3 Pro will be priced at USD$249.99.
In Malaysia, the vanilla Buds3 will be retailing at RM599 while the Buds3 Pro will be priced at RM999. Pre-orders are open now at official Samsung channels including the Samsung website. Pre-orders of the Galaxy Buds3 or Galaxy Buds3 Pro will come with a free case worth RM169.
Jabra is no stranger to audio products; in fact, the company may have the most impressive track record and catalogue of audio devices in the market. That said, the company has unveiled the next generation of its popular Elite series – the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2. These earbuds boast innovative features designed to elevate the user experience, including the world’s first LE Audio smart case, enhanced sound quality, and improved noise cancellation.
The LE Audio Smart Case: A Game Changer for Connectivity
The most striking innovation lies in the accompanying charging cases. These cases integrate LE Audio, a next-generation Bluetooth standard promising significant improvements in audio quality, power efficiency, and connection stability. While the earbuds themselves utilize standard Bluetooth 5.2, the LE Audio smart case acts as a wireless transmitter for connected devices.
Source: Jabra
The new LE Audio smart case will allow travellers to use their Jabra Elite earbuds by simply plugging them in. Traditionally, you’d need a separate adapter to connect your earbuds to the aeroplane’s entertainment system. The case then wirelessly transmits the audio stream to your earbuds in LE Audio format, potentially offering improved sound quality and lower latency compared to traditional Bluetooth connections. This functionality extends beyond aeroplanes, allowing the case to act as an LE Audio transmitter for any device with a 3.5mm headphone jack or USB-C port.
Enhanced Audio & More Personality
Jabra has also equipped both the Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 with improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology. This enhanced ANC promises to effectively block out unwanted background noise, creating a more immersive listening experience. Additionally, Jabra has partnered with Dolby to deliver Dolby Audio support. This collaboration aims to provide a richer and more nuanced soundscape, potentially elevating the audio quality for music, movies, and calls.
(Source: Jabra) The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2
While the overall design language remains largely unchanged, Jabra has introduced new colour options for both models, allowing users to express their personal style. The Elite 10 Gen 2 retains its sleek, bud-style design, while the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 maintains its secure, in-ear fit ideal for active lifestyles.
Better Durability, Longer Battery
Jabra prioritizes user experience with extended battery life. The earbuds themselves last up to 7 hours on a single charge, with the case providing an additional 25 hours of playback time. Additionally, the earbuds support fast charging for quick power top-ups when needed.
(Source: Jabra) The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2
The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 retains its IP57 water resistance rating, making it ideal for workouts or running in the rain. Both models offer intuitive touch controls for music playback, call management, and voice assistant activation.
Jabra has also improved call performance in the Elite 8 Active Gen 2. This upgrade includes six microphones, wind-protecting mesh, and a noise-cancellation algorithm specifically designed to enhance call clarity in various environments.
Pricing & Availability
The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are expected to be available globally from mid-June 2024. Pricing information varies by region, but here’s a general breakdown:
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2: USD$280 (approximately RM1,318.11)
Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2: USD$230 (approximately RM1,082.73)
Sony is at it again! The company has released a brand-new lineup of audio devices catered to those looking to get that extra untz in their music. The New ULT Power Sound series marries some of Sony’s iconic form factors with exceptional low-frequency performance. The new line is launching with options for every situation with three different speaker form factors and a wireless headphone.
Source: Sony
All the devices come with an “ULT” button that kicks them into a specially calibrated mode to lift the bass and make you feel the beat. The new ULT Power Sound Lineup comes with two different ULT profiles. The first, ULT1, that’s designed to make you feel the beat and get your grove on and ULT2 that lifts the bass to make you feel every vibration. The lineup also features Sound Field Optimisation that automatically tunes the sound for music clarity even in crowded, noisy areas. Sony’s Part Connect feature allows you to connect up to 100 speakers wirelessly for that true party experience.
Bring the Concert & Rave Into Your Home with ULT TOWER 10
Sony ULT Power Sound’s big hitter is the ULT Tower 10, a tower speaker with all the bells and whistles you’d need to replicate live music vibes indoors. The speaker can even be hooked up to your tv to create an even more immersive soundscape for your movies.
Source: Sony
The ULT Tower 10 is designed to be a one stop sound station and can even hook up to your TV for that extra umph. You can even hook up a guitar or even sing your heart out with included wireless mic. It also gives you complete control of your sound with Echo and Key Controls located on the top of the speaker.
The Tower 10 will also get the party started with its 360° Party Sound that delivers powerful sound to every corner of the room. 360° Party Light will let you vibe with your music complete with RGB synchronicity.
Vibe on the Go with the ULT FIELD Speakers
The ULT Power Sound line up also comes with two portable choices with the ULT Field line up. The ULT Field comes in two different sizes to cater to different needs on-the-go. The series has the iconic cylindrical Sony design with a tweaks that make it easy to carry and transport. The line up also comes with IP67 dust and water resistance with the added benefit of being salt water resistant.
Source: Sony
The ULT Field 7 is the larger of the two ULT Field speakers and comes with a larger 30 hour battery life complete with quick charge. A 10 minute charge will get you about 3 hours of play time. The Field 7 also comes with carry handles that have been designed for portability both in horizontal and vertical configurations. It even comes with support for guitar and karaoke similar to the Tower 10.
Source: Sony
The ULT Field 1 takes portability even further with a compact design and multiway strap. The speakers compact size doesn’t mean it’s not big on sound though. It comes with the same ULT Power Sound standard and has a dedicated ULT Power Sound for enhanced bass. It has 12 hours of battery life and comes with added shockproofing. It’s also the most colourful, coming in Black, Off-White, Forest Grey and Orange. The Field 1 can also be your video conferencing speaker on the go with a built-in mic and Echo Cancelling technology.
ULT Power Sound Gets Personal With ULT WEAR
Good Vibes don’t get more personal than with the ULT Wear headphones. The new headphones come with Sony’s Inegrated Process V1. Yep, that’s the same processor that’s in Sony’s award-winning 1000X series headphones. It’s got drivers that are designed specifically for the ULT Power Sound series that keeps the power and untz without muddying the details. It’s also got Dual Noise Sensor techology that allows you tune out the world and zone out to your music.
Source: Sony
The ULT Wear comes with one of Sony’s most comfortable designs yet. It has soft ear pads with more space around the ears for added comfort and sound dampening. The foldable design of the headphones also allows you to carry it anywhere with its compact form and carrying case.
The headphones are able to connect wirelessly over Bluetooth with up to two deices simultaneously. It also disconnects automatically when you take them off. Sony says that the ULT Wear has up 30 hours of battery life with Noise Cancelling on and up to 50 hours with it off. Quick charge allows you to top 90 minutes of play time with only 3 minutes of charge.
Pricing and Availability
The ULT Power series is being rolled out globally in stages. It is available for pre-order in the U.S.. For Malaysia, it looks like the ULT Wear is already available for purchase at Sony’s website. However, the full lineup will be available in June 2024.
In the U.S., the ULT Tower 10 has a retail pricing of US$1,199.99 (RM5,717.13), the ULT Field 1 is priced at US$129.99 (RM619.80), the ULT Field 7 is priced at US$499.99 (RM2,384.07) and the ULT Wear is priced at US$199.99 (RM953.60).
In Malaysia, the ULT Wear is priced at RM899. It is currently available on the Sony Store website. No local pricing has been announced for the ULT Power Sound Speakers yet.
Sony is at it again bringing its audio prowess to gaming-focused products. Its latest offerings, the INZONE Buds and INZONE H5 are set to level up your gaming experience. These audio devices are a collaboration with Fnatic, the iconic esports team with back-to-back international titles.
INZONE Buds Wirelessly Elevating Your Gameplay
With the INZONE Buds, your gaming experience becomes a truly wireless one. The INZONE Buds come with a high-performance driver unit, the Dynamic Driver X, which can deliver deep bass, robust mids and highs. It also brings every sound within the game, from powerful explosions to subtle footsteps to life off the screen with minimal distortion. Sony touts unparalleled auditory realism with Buds. They also come with a new design that minimizes ear contact, making extended gaming sessions more comfortable.
The INZONE Buds comes with 360 Spatial Sound. The 360 Spatial Sound immerses you in the game. You’ll be able to hear your opponents no matter where they are with precision giving you a competitive edge. Sony has taken the science of sound to another level by customizing the sound field to your ears. Using the 360 Spatial Sound Personaliser app, you can create a personalized hearing profile based on your ear shape and canal acoustics.
INZONE Buds feature Sony’s active noise cancellation, ensuring you’re fully immersed in your game. This is enhanced with AI-augmented noise reduction which utilises the microphones of the buds to intelligently cancel out ambient noise.
Sony’s INZONE Buds takes speed and latency seriously. Like its recently announced PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds, the INZONE Buds come with a USB-C dongle connection. According to Sony, the USB-C dongle ensures a latency of less than 30ms and latency is crucial when it comes to gaming especially if you’re doing it competitively.
The INZONE Buds boast an impressive battery life, thanks to the low-power L1 processor. You get up to 12 hours on the headphones and an additional 24 hours with the charging case – the industry’s longest battery life. With Bluetooth Low Energy compatibility the INZONE Buds can provide 24 hours of battery life when connected to your smart device. You can even leverage Sony’s Headphone Connect app to tweak your settings.
INZONE H5: Your Ideal Gaming Companion
The INZONE H5 Headphones are a step above the H3 which was announced nearly a year ago. They offer a 2.4GHz wireless connection freeing you from your gaming setup. Like the INZONE Buds, the H5 delivers 360 Spatial Sound, pinpointing sound positions in 3D space.
Weighing just 260g, featuring soft-fit ear pads and a low-pressure design, the INZONE H5 is built for extended gaming sessions. AI-based noise reduction and a bi-directional microphone enhance your gaming experience while you also get to communicate seamlessly with your teammates.
You’ll be able to enjoy up to 28 hours of wireless gameplay on a single charge. If you run out of juice midway through your gaming session, you can simply plug in with the 3.5 mm plug.
Pricing & Availability:
These gaming audio devices will be available in Malaysia from October 2023.
The INZONE Buds will be available in Black and White and will be priced from MYR899.
The INZONE H5 will be available in Black and White. No pricing details have been announced just yet. However, given that it’s positioned between the H3 which is priced at MYR439 and the H7 which is priced at MYR1,099, we expect it to be priced at about MYR700 to MYR850. In the US, the H5 is priced at USD$149.99 which equates to about MYR709.
Together with the two new products, Sony also announced a new black colour for the INZONE H9 which is priced at MYR1,299.
Anker continues to expand its influence in the earbud market with its latest True Wireless entry in the Soundcore series, the Soundcore A20i. With prices going as low as RM 89 on discount, one could easily doubt the quality of these earbuds. But you are in for a pleasant surprise!
Design
Positioned as a budget-friendly model, the A20i is not the flashiest in terms of design. The charging case has the conventional cuboidal shape with rounded edge, as with most entries in the market. There is only the Soundcore logo branded on the top, a white LED charging indicator on the bottom lip of the case opening and a handy lanyard. This minimalistic design is also reflected on the earbuds themselves, with only the engraved Soundcore logo and slightly tapered edges for the button heads.
The same lightweight material is used for both the Soundcore A20i case and earbuds. It has good grip and more importantly, is not a magnet for dust or fingerprints. When using these earbuds in the gym or during brisk walking, its light weight coupled with well-fitting tips helped the earbuds stay on. The buds were still easy to grip even when handling with sweaty hands. The form factor of the buds are also on the smaller side and comes with rubber tips, which makes it very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Even through sweat and long hours, there are times where I almost forget that I’m wearing them.
Hardware and Features
The wireless sound of the Soundcore A20i works over Bluetooth 5.3, with a very stable connection. I frequently used the buds at the gym or at work and rarely ever had a disconnect. Even when moving up to 4 meters away from my connected device, I did not experience any crackling or connection drops.
Pairing the earbuds was very quick and is mediated through the Soundcore app. Simply remove the earbuds from the case and it is immediately discoverable by Bluetooth, and with one tap, its ready. Connecting with PC was also seamless, with the buds being immediately discoverable and connected on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
As this is a budget set of earbuds, there are limitations in its features. There is no multi-point connection available, so you can only have one device connected to the A20i at any given time. There is no support for higher end audio features such as Hi-Res Audio and also, no Active Noise Cancelling. It does however, come with IPX5 waterproof rating, so no stress when caught in bad weather or hitting the gym.
Soundcore App
The Soundcore App is one of the plus points of getting the A20i, or any other Soundcore product for that matter. The landing page is streamlined, showing your connected device and a battery snapshot.
Tapping into your device brings up the device settings, allowing you to adjust the equalizer and customize the tap controls on the earbuds. At the bottom, tapping the tab with the Anker logo in the middle brings you to an Anker landing page with a few nifty features. The Discovery tab shows the latest news and products from Anker while the White Noise tab gives a selection of free, white noise channels with different subgenres to them. I spent some hours on these channels as they are quite diverse and rather relaxing to listen to while I’m at work, or even writing this article.
The Equalizer is pretty comprehensive and there are audible differences in the audio with each setting. As someone who prefers more punchier bass in their music, I find the soundcore Signature setting with BassUp turned on to be quite acceptable. I use the Podcast setting when I’m listening to podcasts, which helps improve clarity especially in noisy environments. The customization of the tap functions is simple yet covers the necessary bases. It is good enough to let me listen to music and use Google Assistant features without looking at my phone screen. One minor complaint is that when adjusting the volume via tap, there is a bit of a delay between the tap and the volume changing. However, it is no dealbreaker. I also found the user interface of the Soundcore app to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.
Performance
Sound Quality
Considering its price tag, the Soundcore A20i pleasantly surprised me with its sound quality. Testing was mainly done with Spotify, YouTube and Netflix. I was impressed with the volume of the earbuds. In a busy environment with the smaller ear tips, I was able to clearly listen to YouTube videos even without noise cancelling. There is very good clarity on the highs and mids; they did not sound muddled and even at full volume, I never heard any distortion. While the bass will not set your heart racing, it is audible and punchy enough to round out the music. The BassUp feature in the Soundcore Signature is definitely a must if you prefer louder punchier bass as without it, I found it pretty middling. The voice clarity, be it in music, podcasts, Netflix or YouTube videos, were always crisp and clear.
No complaints on call quality too. With testing on WhatsApp calls, Microsoft Teams and regular phone calls, I found call audio to be clear and crisp. The earbuds also come with dual mics, which resulted in the voice being clear and have good volume too. In a noisy environment however, the background noises did get picked up by the mics.
Audio quality in games is also good. There is a dedicated game mode which is claimed to enhance the sound of footsteps, voices and improves latency too. The audio quality on PUBG Mobile was good, with footsteps and gunshots ringing clear. Honestly, I did not hear a remarkable improvement in the sounds of footsteps in Game Mode. But that is mainly because I found the audio quality to be loud and clear enough even without Game Mode.
Battery life
The battery life is another impressive feature of the Soundcore A20i. With a single charge on the buds, I managed to get around 9 hours of playtime. The case holds up to two (almost) full charges and is charged with the provided USB-C cable. With a fully charged earbud and with additional charging from the case, the total playtime from the A20i was approximately 27 hours.
The Verdict – Probably the best no frills wireless earbuds of 2023!
Overall, the Soundcore A20i offers an impressive, no frills, true wireless earbuds that does the essentials really well. For a price point below RM100, it has impressive sound quality, IPX5 rating, stable connectivity, good build quality and wearing comfort. It is a great option for anyone looking for their first TWS earbuds on the cheap, as a pair of secondary earbuds or even as a pair of basic fitness buds.
After announcing their MariSilicon X last year, OPPO is continuing their foray into the silicon space with a new dedicated processing unit they’ve named the MariSilicon Y. This year, they aren’t focusing on optics though, they’ve set their eyes on Bluetooth Audio. The MariSilicon Y comes with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) and is capable of up to 509 GOPS of on-device computing.
Source: OPPO
The new System on a Chip (SoC) is made using N6RF technology – the same technology used to create cutting edge 5G technology. OPPO has utilised the fabrication to create a dedicated chip that helps increase the fidelity of Bluetooth audio by increasing Bluetooth bandwidth by up to 50%. This is in comparison to currently available Bluetooth SoCs. OPPO has developed an in-house Pro Bluetooth pack that enables this increase. It allows for transmission of 24-bit audio at 192kHz. That’s the same lossless quality we used to get with audio CDs! Simply put, this processor is able to give you more detailed audio over the same Bluetooth connection that you have with your wireless earbuds.
The unprecedented bandwidth, 12Mbps transmission ratge and audio quality empowers a more robust listening experience complete with the capabilities for spatial audio experiences. OPPO also uses an in-house codec to achieve this. OPPO touts that their new URLC codec is supposedly able to have better compression rates than current codecs like LDAC, LHDC, AAC and AptX. However, the MariSilicon Y still supports these codecs for universal compatibility and is one of the first SoCs with next generation L3C codec support.
Source: OPPO
The MariSilicon Y also has built-in AI that is able to take listening experiences to the next level. It is able to recognise and isolate different layers of music and even change the spatial location of given layers. In the demo during the INNO Day 2022, they isolated a single instrument – the guitar – in the audio and were able to up the volume as well as swap the space which the sound occupied during playback. Of course, this would be more obvious with headphones than on a speaker.
Being in the sound technology space is not very new for OPPO. Prior to being a big name in the mobile space, the company built its reputation with some of the best audio products on the market until 2018. However, they have recently been returning to the audio space with products like their OPPO Enco line up of earbuds.
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
