The Austrian Audio Hi-X50 deliver excellent sound in a carefully designed and well-made package
For
Solid build
Forthright and informative sound
Even-handed nature
Against
1.2m cable is an optional extra
Austrian Audio isn’t the most interesting of names for a new hi-fi manufacturer, is it? But though it shows a certain lack of imagination, it also has the air of a belt and braces company – and we like that.
While Austrian Audio is a new company, the people behind it are ex-AKG employees and some of the most experienced in the industry. That maturity shines through in its Hi-X50 on-ears.
Build
(Image credit: Austrian Audio)
The brand has launched with two headphone models: the on-ear Hi-X50 on test here and a slightly larger over-ear model called the Hi-X55. There’s much commonality between the two, from the shared aesthetics and closed-back design to the use of the company’s new high excursion 44mm driver. Even the difference in weight is marginal, with the Hi-X50 coming in at 285g (without cables), just 20g less than their bigger siblings.
The Hi-X50, like the Hi-X55, feel like solid, no-nonsense headphones. The headband structure is nicely designed and sturdy with it. The extensive use of metal in the headband, folding hinges and mounting brackets gives these cans the aura of quality lacking in more plasticky rivals. It helps that components prone to wear and tear, such as the headband cushioning and memory foam earpads, can be easily replaced, too.
Comfort
(Image credit: Austrian Audio)
Headphone comfort is good once the initially high-clamping pressure eases off with use. We find our ears heating up over extended listening, but that’s the nature of this type of closed design. Beyond that, these Austrian Audios are light and easy to ignore, and that’s a good thing.
Austrian Audio Hi-X50 tech specs
(Image credit: Austrian Audio)
Frequency range 5Hz – 28kHz
Sensitivity 118dB
Impedance 25ohms
Cable length 3m
Dimensions (hwd) 19 x 17 x 7cm
Weight 285g (without cable)
The standard cable is detachable and 3m long, but a 1.2m option is available to buy as an accessory – worthwhile if you’re planning on using these headphones on the move.
Portable use is something worth considering, despite the ‘professional’ tag these headphones are saddled with. There’s certainly nothing we found during testing or in the specifications to suggest that price-compatible portables will have any issue here – unless you count the Hi-X50’s forthright nature, that is.
These headphones won’t suffer fools gladly: if your source or the recording is bright or aggressive these cans won’t sweeten the results. They’re ruthless but also pretty balanced on the whole, and that’s evidence of the company’s studio roots coming to the fore.
Sound
(Image credit: Austrian Audio)
It’s interesting to note that Austrian Audio doesn’t really believe in the idea of ‘running in’, as the engineers can’t find any technical evidence to support the idea. Fair enough, but we have no doubt that the Hi-X50 improve considerably over the first few days of use. An initially forward nature mellows and a hardness in the upper mid area recedes, leaving an impressively clear and explicit mid-band.
We listen to a range of music from Steve Wonder’s Innervisions and Michael Kiwanuka’s Love & Hate to Mahler’s mighty Symphony No.2, and these headphones never miss a beat. They resolve lots of detail and manage to organise it into a musically cohesive presentation. It’s a pretty even-handed sound, without much in the way of undue emphasis on any part of the frequency range.
Unlike the slightly pricier and open-backed Grado SR325e, these headphones aren’t an overtly exciting listen. Mostly, they simply reproduce the signal they’re given. While there’s a tendency to favour analysis over enthusiasm, it’s never taken far enough to be called unemotional or clinical. If you want to hear deep into the recording and track subtle instrumental strands, these cans do it better than almost anything else we’ve heard at this level (certainly if we stick to closed-back rivals).
At this price, there’s little to criticise when it comes to dynamic expression and low-frequency punch either. The Hi-X50 simply get on with the job with little fuss. They sound a little forward, and are more direct and less spacious compared with the over-ear Hi-X55, but beyond that the two share pretty much the same sonic signature, as would be expected by the similarity of design.
Verdict
If you’re looking for well-designed wired on-ear headphones for portable or domestic use, these Austrian Audios should be right at the top of your shortlist. The brand may be new, but its Hi-X50 have what it takes to lead the class.
Best Bluetooth Record Players Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best Bluetooth turntables you can buy in 2021.
While the mechanics of vinyl playback haven’t changed all that much since the medium’s inception, turntable technology hasn’t stood entirely still.
One major evolution that has brought a growing number of record players spinning into the 21st century – and with a growing number of great-sounding decks, more to the point – is the adoption of Bluetooth.
No longer is vinyl solely the preserve of those with a traditional hi-fi set-up. Crate diggers can now enjoy their finds free from wires, with systems consisting only of their deck and a competent pair of wireless Bluetooth speakers or headphones.
In this list there are talented turntables ranging from entry level to premium, and there’s even an Award-winning just-add-speakers system fully loaded with on-board amplification that you can send tracks to via Bluetooth rather than connecting wireless speakers or headphones the other end.
The landscape of vinyl is changing with the times, and with our pick of the best Bluetooth record players, you can come along for the ride too.
10 of the best-sounding vinyl records
1. Sony PS-LX310BT
A fully automatic deck with oodles of character.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 11 x 43 x 37cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Black
Reasons to Buy
Entertaining sound
Easy to use
Plug-and-play
Reasons to Avoid
Purist alternatives sound better
Not only does this Sony leave you with little to do during set-up – just attach the belt to the platter – it does pretty much everything but shaking the vinyl from its sleeve, too.
What’s more, it sounds ridiculously fun. More traditional decks, such as the Award-winning Rega Planar 1 (£250), can be more mature in their performance, but when you consider this fully-automatic deck’s list of features, it’s hard to believe it can sound this good with such a price tag.
Read the full review: Sony PS-LX310BT
2. Pro-Ject Juke Box E
An Award-winning turntable system.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 11.8 x 41.5 x 33.5cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Red, white, black
Reasons to Buy
True just-add-speakers convenience
Capable, even-handed sound
Good range of features
Reasons to Avoid
Some will hanker after more power
Baffling remote control
The Pro-Ject Juke Box E is based on Pro-Ject’s well-regarded Primary turntable and is tricked out with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, amplification (25W per channel into 8 ohms) and Bluetooth receiver, meaning you can stream music to its amp as well.
It’s an all-in-one system that demands very few compromises, given its price. It’s also an all-in-one system that we can’t easily argue against in favour of separates. The Juke Box E delivers convenience and backs it up with Award-winning sound quality. You can’t really ask for more than that.
Read the full review: Pro-Ject Juke Box E
3. Cambridge Audio Alva TT
An interesting spin on premium turntable design.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 13.9 x 43.5 x 36.8cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Direct drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Grey
Reasons to Buy
Solid build
Clear, detailed presentation
Impressive midrange
Reasons to Avoid
Sound lacks a little dynamics and drive
This is no ordinary £1500 turntable. Cambridge Audio has added a twist or two of its own by fitting it with a built-in phono stage, direct drive motor and Bluetooth connectivity. The fact it’s aptX HD Bluetooth means the Alva TT can stream your vinyl wirelessly to compatible Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker in hi-res 24-bit/48kHz.
Sound quality is pleasing, with vinyl given an open and airy soundstage and vocals a particular highlight. If you want a simple home hi-fi system with a premium turntable as your source, the Alva TT could be just the ticket.
Read the full review: Cambridge Audio Alva TT
4. Elipson Omega 100 RIAA BT
A pleasant-sounding deck with plenty of features.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 12 x 45 x 38cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Black, white, red
Reasons to Buy
Defined, insightful and musical
Impressive bass
Simple to use
As well as giving you the ability to archive all your records on your computer via the USB port, a built-in phono stage means you can plug the Omega straight into your amplifier. The Bluetooth connectivity means whether you have wireless or powered speakers, you needn’t have any physical connections whatsoever.
That said, Elipson has still directed its main focus towards designing a turntable that sounds good, ensuring this deck is much more than just an impressive list of features.
Grimes is the latest artist to get in on the NFT gold rush, selling around $6 million worth of digital artworks after putting them up for auction yesterday.
A series of 10 pieces — some one of a kind, others with thousands of copies — went up for sale on Nifty Gateway on November 28th. The highest-selling piece was a one-of-a-kind video called “Death of the Old” that involves flying cherubs, a cross, a sword, and glowing light that’s set to an original song by Grimes. The winning bidder took it for nearly $389,000.
The bulk of the sales came from two pieces with thousands of copies available that sold for $7,500 each. The works, titled “Earth” and “Mars,” are both short videos featuring their titular planet with a giant cherub over it holding a weapon, also set to original music. Nearly 700 copies were sold for a total of $5.18 million before sales closed.
If you’re totally perplexed as to what’s happening here, welcome to the party. After slowly growing in popularity over the past several months, NFTs exploded over the past week or so as the hot new tech thing. The tech — which stands for “non-fungible token” — allows buyers to purchase ownership of a digital good, usually an image, animation, or video, in the form of a unique digital token living on a blockchain.
NFTs allow buyers to support artists, but it also gives buyers a couple things in return. Buyers may not get to hang these digital pieces on their wall, but they might get bragging rights for purchasing a famous work like Nyan Cat or something from a popular artist like Grimes. NFTs are also a speculative asset, and many marketplaces have popped up that offer the ability to resell them — theoretically for a lot more, so long as the hype around NFTs continues.
Grimes isn’t the only artist to have made out big on NFTs already. The digital artist Beeple sold $3.5 million worth of art through Nifty Gateway last year. The artist behind Nyan Cat made around $600,000. And the electronic musician 3LAU reportedly made more than $11 million from album sales and digital goods just this weekend.
Nifty Gateway said that an undisclosed percentage of Grimes’ sales would go to Carbon180, a nonprofit focused on removing carbon from the atmosphere. The donations may be meant to address one of the major problems that NFTs share with other blockchain technologies — they’re hugely inefficient in their electricity use.
Each of the works is part of Grimes’ “WarNymph” collection, made in collaboration with her brother Mac Boucher. Grimes debuted War Nymph in 2019 and initially used the “digital persona” slash “alternative psyche” to promote her album Miss Anthropocene. War Nymph’s appearance has changed over time, morphing into the vaguely demonic winged baby seen in these NFTs last January, shortly before she confirmed her pregnancy.
(Pocket-lint) – It’s safe to say that the TWS (or True Wireless) earbuds market has grown phenomenally over the past few years. Thanks mostly to the huge popularity of Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro.
Just because they’re the market leaders doesn’t make them the only options worth considering. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+ are a decent shout too. Especially if you’re not an iPhone user. Hopefully by the end of this and having watched our video below we’ll help you decide whether the AirPods Pro or Galaxy buds+ are the best option for you.
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Design
Buds+: 17.5 x 19.2 x 22.5mm
AirPods Pro: 30.9 x 21.8 x 24mm
Buds+: IPX2 splash resistant
AirPods Pro: IPX4 water resistant
At the design stage there might be something here that makes you choose one over the other. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds are a neat little rounded triangle shape, but have subtle built-in fins to help keep them in your ears, plus a silicone tip to create a seal within your ear to cut out some noise from outside.
If you’re after a pair that stays in while you’re running or working out, this is going to be your best bet. But, we’ve the found design of the tips and earphones isn’t quite comfortable enough to wear for long periods.
Apple’s AirPods Pro also have the silicon tips to help create that seal in the ear – but they’re a little less secure, so not really great for working out. They seem more comfortable over longer stints though.
We didn’t find that either of them fell out of the ears during everyday listening, while commuting or walking. The AirPods are light enough that they sit pretty well-balanced in the ear.
The charging case
Buds+: USB Type-C wired and Qi wireless charging
AirPods: Lightning wired and Qi wireless charging
Both come with a charging case, and despite being different shapes and sizes, they’re both neat and portable and made from glossy plastic.
The AirPods Pro case charges using either a Lightning cable (the same as the iPhone) or you can use a wireless charger. Samsung’s uses either a USB Type-C cable or wireless charging. So either way, they’re as convenient as each other to top up on the go.
Sound and noise cancelling
Buds+: Ambient noise mode
AirPods Pro: Adaptive Noise Cancelling
AirPods Pro is by far the best pair for noise cancelling. Once in the ears, it’s almost as if they close you in a noiseless bubble, even when there’s no music playing.
They’re great for ensuring you can hear your music as intended when on busy trains or on a plane. It’s also constantly monitoring and analysing external noise and adjusting to match, as well as using an internal mic to detect any leakage and adjusting the sound to compensate.
There’s a transparency mode you can use on the AirPods Pro, but you can’t really adjust it. It’s one setting, and it works well for hearing traffic and platform announcements.
Samsung provides something of a passive shield against the noise around you, although they don’t have any active noise cancelling. Walking near a busy road, they do a good job of cutting out the ambient noise, and they have a really effective ambient mode that lets you choose how much external noise you want to let in using microphones on the exterior.
As for sound quality overall, we like Samsung’s approach of using the app to adjust the sound. Set to ‘Normal’, the Samsung seems a bit more bassy and full than the AirPods, but then you can change it to be more treble heavy, clearer, or add even more bass. The Samsung headphones sound a bit harsher, with a slightly boomy bass. It’s not that it’s bad at all, but to our ears, we didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the AirPods.
The AirPods Pro sound good. You get a bit less bass overall, but it’s better controlled and the sound overall seems a bit clearer with tighter treble. There’s really not a lot in it though, and we think you’d enjoy listening to either of these two.
Battery life
Buds+: 11 hours playback out of case (22 hours total)
AirPods: 4.5 hours playback out of case (24 hours total)
Looking at the ever important battery life, and when it comes to pure out-of-the-case longevity, there’s one winner here: Galaxy Buds+.
They can play music constantly for up to 11 hours before needing to be plonked back in the case again. They have one single charge in the case, meaning you’ll get a maximum of 22 hours before needing to charge the case.
AirPods Pro max out at 4.5 hours in one stretch, with 24 in total including the case. Overall, the listening time – including the battery case is similar – for both of them.
But, if you regularly go more than 4-5 hours in one sitting where you need to be taking calls or listening to music, the Galaxy Buds+ are best, when used in stereo.
Convenience, control and features
If you’re an Apple user, there’s added convenience to using AirPods. That H1 chip inside means that once it’s paired with one of your Apple devices, it’s paired with all of them. Of course, you can pair AirPods with Android phones too, it’s just not as convenient as with an iPhone. One of the other benefits of AirPods however is that you can take them out and the music will stop automatically.
Samsung’s don’t seem to do that at all. In our testing, they just kept playing in both earbuds whether you had both of them out of your ears or not.
Apple AirPods also have the convenience of being able to use one at a time, so you can just use the right one for a long call, and if the battery runs out, put the left one in and seamlessly switch.
Samsung offers a bit more control overall using the app, where you can set the sound profile, see the battery level and choose ambient noise, and use it to find your earphones when lost.
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Price
Galaxy Buds+: £159
AirPods Pro: £249
On the whole, it may come down to price for you. Galaxy Buds are £159 and include the wireless charging case.
AirPods Pro are the more advanced, in terms of noise cancelling and wireless connectivity, and cost £249, also with a wireless charging case. Comfortably more than Galaxy Buds+ and that’s quite a difference.
So, if you’re in the Apple ecosystem and want that advanced noise cancelling and convenience, or even if you’re not and just want a good pair of noise cancelling in-ears, it may just be worth it for you.
If you just want a solid pair of buds to listen to music with, Samsung will save you a lot of money.
If you’re after an affordable injection of clarity and detail for your wired headphones, iFi has it in the Can
For
Expansive, detailed, sound
High-end feature set
Classy build and finish
Against
A little sonically polite
Often when the What Hi-Fi? team receives a new product for review, we like to pit it against a similarly specified class leader within its price category. But here, that’s not really possible, because the rather unique iFi Zen Can is an all-analogue headphone amplifier that costs just £149 ($150).
Features
(Image credit: iFi)
iFi says the Zen Can has many features usually reserved for high-end headphone amps – it employs basically the same Class A discrete power output stage as the outfit’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCan, which is more than 11 times the price of the model on review here.
It also promises prodigious drive capability for such a modestly priced headphone amp, delivering 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output. It’s an amp that iFi bills as ‘nitro for your headphones’ and you certainly do get a substantial power jolt for the money.
Although petite, the Zen Can is a desktop headphone amp rather than a portable device since it requires mains power (a 5V charger is included). Although it offers wired listening, you could of course pair it with the Zen Blue to add Bluetooth connectivity. As well as a headphone amp, it can double as a preamp to feed a power amp or a pair of active speakers, with the use of a dedicated, balanced 4.4mm to XLR cable.
Build
(Image credit: iFi)
As with the other iFi Zen Series products, such as the Zen DAC, Zen Phono stage and aforementioned Zen Blue, the Zen Can is smartly finished with a sturdy and neatly sized aluminium enclosure, the dimensions of which are akin to a large hip-flask or a small pair of binoculars.
In the centre of the Can’s front panel is a premium-feeling rotary volume control. To the left, beside the power button and input switch, is a control for selecting the appropriate gain, with little white LED lights to denote the level you’ve selected. You get four settings in six steps – 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db. These options ensure good headphone matching and an adequate range of operation for the volume control.
iFi Zen Can tech specs
(Image credit: iFi)
Inputs 4.4mm, RCA, 3.5mm jack
Frequency response 20Hz – 20kHz
Dimensions (hwd) 158 x 117 x 35cm
Weight 515g
To the right are a pair of headphone outputs – a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (compatible with all headphones, provided you have a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter), and a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output for headphones with a balanced connection.
Next to the headphone sockets is a button to engage the latest versions of iFi’s ‘XBass’ and ‘3D’ sonic tailoring options for headphones. Again, tiny LED lights signify which options are deployed. XBass adjusts the frequency response to augment low-frequency performance, which could be useful with open-back headphones that might ‘leak’ deep bass. We try it with our Grado SR325e cans and like the extra ounce of power through the low end. It’s not particularly subtle, but it is fun.
Meanwhile, 3D aims to compensate for the ‘in-head localisation’ effect that can occur when using headphones to listen to music that was mixed using a pair of speakers. It does a good job of widening the headphone soundstage to deliver a more speaker-like experience. Both XBass and 3D engage purely analogue processing and may be bypassed entirely if you prefer, but there’s much to like about them – particularly the immersive and opened-out presentation we’re treated to when using 3D.
Around the back, the Zen Can offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm inputs, plus a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. There’s also another 4.4mm connection to provide a balanced output so that the iFi can connect to an appropriately equipped power amplifier or pair of active speakers. All the Zen Can’s inputs and outputs are gold plated, too – a nice premium touch.
Though Class A circuitry often produces a lot of heat, the iFi Zen Can only runs slightly warm – it never gets hot, even when we keep it running overnight. That’s no mean feat and a tribute to iFi’s engineers.
All in all, it’s a lot of attention to detail within a resoundingly classy build. The fact that iFi has implemented all of this in a headphone amp retailing for just £149 ($149) is certainly impressive.
Sound
(Image credit: iFi)
We stream a Tidal Master file of FKA twigs’ Two Weeks from our MacBook Pro, and the heavily altered vocal and bassy intro are expansive and cohesive. Twigs’ ethereal vocal is three-dimensional, textured, well-timed and hugely impactful. It’s a solid step-up in terms of detail and space over simply plugging the same Grado headphones into our laptop.
Switching to a hi-res (24-bit/88.2kHz) FLAC file from our server, we listen to Michael Jackson’s Thriller album in its entirety. There’s a human feel to Jackson’s vocal, alongside a pleasingly musical and competent layering of each musical passage. We play Billie Jean and while the strings toy with our left ear, a synth presents itself to our right, and Jackson’s numerous harmony lines are all different, emotive and noteworthy.
The melodic outro to Human Nature feels sparkling and accurate across the frequencies too, thanks in part to the space it is afforded, while often imperceptible vocal licks as the track ends aren’t lost. It may not be the liveliest presentation, but it still entertains.
We stream a Tidal Masters file of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, this time on our Astell & Kern Kann Alpha portable music player (using its 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output), and there’s just a bit of excess politeness to the sound. This track is raw and untethered, but through the iFi it’s a shade off for rhythmic precision and attack. That said, we look again at the Zen Can’s price and find it easy to forgive.
Verdict
The iFi Zen Can is a resoundingly good upgrade on plugging your wired headphones directly into your laptop or other source. It’s a solid, talented and capable little performer. And on top of this, it offers a premium-feeling build for a truly affordable price.
The MSI GP66 Leopard is a powerhouse gaming notebook housed in a fairly subtle shell that also boasts a comfortable keyboard. It also offers plenty to upgrade or repair, but it’s a chore getting inside.
For
Strong gaming performance
Comfortable keyboard
Replaceable components
Subtle design for a gaming notebook
Against
Difficult to open
Touchpad feels cheap
Too much bloatware
Just because you grow up a bit doesn’t mean you need to stop having fun. The MSI GP66 Leopard ($1,799.00 to start, $2,599.00 as tested) is a powerhouse gaming notebook with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and Intel Core i7-10870H. But it would fit in anywhere, whether it be an office or a gaming room, thanks to its matte-black stylings. If you’re looking for gaming power without all of the flash, this might be on your list of the
best gaming laptops
.
If you ran some workstation tasks on this, you might believe it was a work machine. Only when you turn on the RGB keyboard do you know it’s time to play. There aren’t red stripes, or, say, an RGB lightbar like MSI’s other models.
It’s a powerhouse, and many of the components are upgradeable for replacement down the line. But while the GP66 Leopard is all grown up, there are still some areas, like its touchpad and its bloatware, where it needs some more maturing.
Design of the MSI GP66 Leopard
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As far as MSI’s gaming notebooks go, the Leopard is quite plain. While some of its other laptops have red accents or RGB light strips, the GP66 is an all-black affair. On the aluminum lid, even the dragon shield logo is tone-on-tone. Only the hinges, which are connected to aggressively shaped plastic molds, suggest this is anything other than a workstation PC.
The only real sign of the GP66’s gaming prowess is the keyboard, which has RGB backlighting courtesy of SteelSeries. But the black aluminum deck and the fairly thin bezels around three sides of the display suggest just a premium notebook. The bottom cover is plastic.
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The Leopard is a thick machine at 0.92 inches tall, so there’s plenty of room for ports. However, MSI has placed only a few of them on the sides: The right side has a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, while the left side has another Type-A and the headphone jack. The rest of the ports — USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet and the charging port — are all on the rear of the device. Alienware has been doing this for years, and it’s a benefit if you use your laptop like a desktop replacement and don’t move it around much. But it can also be inconvenient if you like to use your laptop on your lap.
At 14.09 x 10.51 x 0.92 inches and 5.25 pounds, the Leopard isn’t exactly portable in the toss-it-in-a-bag sense. Dell’s 15-inch competitor, the Alienware 15 m4, is slightly lighter at 5 pounds and a similar size 14.2 x 10.9 x 0.9 inches, but its design is slightly more sleek. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G is expectedly larger with a bigger screen, at 5.95 pounds and 14.9 x 10.8 x 1 inches.
3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack, RJ-45 Ethernet
Camera
720p
Battery
65 Wh
Power Adapter
230W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Dimensions(WxDxH)
14.09 x 10.51 x 0.92 inches / 357.89 x 266.95 x 23.37 mm
Weight
5.25 pounds / 2.38 kilograms
Price (as configured)
$2,599.00
Gaming and Graphics on the MSI GP66 Leopard
MSI opted for a powerful implementation of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 for the GP66 Leopard. This version has a 130W max graphics power and a
boost clock
of 1,605 MHz.
Besides running benchmarks, I tried playing Control, a game I use often on laptops with RTX GPUs because of how tough it is to run and because
ray tracing
has a truly noticeable effect. With the settings maxed out at 1080p and with ray tracing on high, the game ran between 52 and 57 frames per second as I traded shots with hiss guards surrounding a control point, though it went as high as 70 during exploration.
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On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, highest), the GP66 hit 106 frames per second. The Aorus 17G, with an RTX 3080
Max-Q
ran the game at 86 fps, while the Alienware m15 R4 with an RTX 3070 played it at 77 fps.
The Leopard played Grand Theft Auto V (1080p, very high) at 125 fps, beating the Aorus (100 fps) and Alienware m15 (108 fps).
MSI’s laptop ran Far Cry New Dawn (1080p, ultra) at 103 fps, beating both the Alienware and Aorus by over 10 frames per second.
The GP66 Leopard outperformed on Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p, medium), playing at 82 fps.
It also won out on Borderlands 3 (badass, 1080p), at 99 fps, while the Aorus 17G ran at 79 fps and the Alienware hit 84 fps.
We also ran our gaming stress test on the GP66 Leopard by looping the Metro Exodus benchmark at RTX settings for 15 runs, simulating roughly half an hour of gaming. It ran at a largely steady average of 76.38 frames per second across the runs. The CPU ran at an average of 3.73 GHz and an average temperature of 61.85 degrees Celsius (143.3 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU ran at an average of 1.1 GHz and 61.49 degrees Celsius (142.68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance on the MSI GP66 Leopard
Beyond gaming, the GP66’s Intel Core i7-1070H and GeForce RTX 3080, along with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD are powerful parts that should aid in creative endeavors like streaming or video editing.
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On the Geekbench 5 overall performance benchmark, the GP66 earned a single-core score of 1,274 and multi-core score of 7,848. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G had scores of 1,265 and 7,895, respectively, while the Alienware 15 R5 notched scores of 1,252 and 7,642.
On our file transfer test, the Leopard copied and transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 1,059.78 MBps, falling just below the Alienware but ahead of the Aorus.
It took the GP66 Leopard seven minutes and three seconds (7:03) to complete our Handbrake test, transcoding a 4K video to 1080p. That’s slightly faster than the Alienawre (7:07) and far speeder than the Aorus (8:33).
Display on the MSI GP66 Leopard
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Our review unit came equipped with a 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 (FHD) display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. The most demanding titles won’t run that fast, but you can take advantage of it if you like playing esports titles like Overwatch, Fortnite or Rocket League.
When I watched the trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie, I felt the need to turn up the brightness for the best experience. Cole’s yellow gloves popped, as did Kano’s red eye lasers against a dark background, but the screen was largely serviceable rather than special.
When I played Control, the screen was bright enough, even in some dark spaces. That game has a lot of red, and it really popped, especially against the Oldest House’s dark walls.
MSI’s panel covers 78.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, matching what we saw on the Aorus 17G. We reviewed the Alienware m15 R4 with a 4K
OLED
screen, so it’s not surprising to see superior coverage there.
However, at 277 nits of brightness, the screen was dimmer than both the Aorus (300 nits) and the Alienware (362 nits).
Keyboard and Touchpad on the MSI GP66 Leopard
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
MSI’s inputs are a mixed bag. Arguably the more important part of a gaming laptop, the keyboard, is the superior of the two. For years now, MSI has partnered with SteelSeries on its keyboards, and they’ve typically been quite good. On the Leopard, the keys are a bit more shallow than I would like, but they’re still fairly comfortable to type on. I hit 120 words per minute with a 2 percent error rate, which is about as fast as I ever get on the 10fastfingers.com typing test.
The 2.5 x 4.1-inch touchpad is fine for navigating and gestures with its Windows precision drivers, but it felt like cheap plastic compared to the aluminum around it. On top of that, I found I had to click harder than on most laptops. For gaming, you should be using a mouse anyway, but this could be a little better for general productivity use.
Audio on the MSI GP66 Leopard
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When I listened to Daft Punk’s “Something About Us,” the various synths and samples were quite clear through the laptop’s bottom-firing speakers. The vocals, purposefully distorted, still stood out on top of the track, along with some piano backing. The low end, including some drums, could have used a bit more punch.
There is a semblance of bass, which many laptops don’t offer, and I was able to tune it more to my liking in the Nahimic audio software.
When I played Control, Jesse’s internal thoughts were clear, especially as her narration ran over the creeping voices of the hiss. At some points, though, I wished I was able to make the volume louder, though this is something else that could be solved with headphones.
Upgrading the MSI GP66 Leopard
The GP66 Leopard is pretty easy to upgrade or repair. Well…it is once you manage to get inside. Compared to some other gaming notebooks, it’s like breaking into Fort Knox.
At first, eleven screws separate you from the GP66 Leopard’s internals. A size 000 Phillips head screwdriver will do the trick. Note, though, that one screw is beneath a factory seal, which is a questionable practice at best. If you send this back through warranty, MSI will know you opened it.
Even after removing all the screws, the system was too tight to open at first. No spudger or pick would fit in the cracks in the chassis. I tried this for longer before I cared to admit, before I eventually found
a YouTube video
from someone that had cracked the case. There is a decorative cover around the hinges, which you can pop off with a spudger. Once that’s off, you can slowly move your way around from the rear ports to the front of the case and carefully remove the bottom.
Once you’re in there, you’ll find that the RAM, Wi-Fi card and the SSD are replaceable. There are two PCIe
m.2 SSD
slots, and since ours came with a sole 1TB boot drive, there is room to expand. The 65 Wh battery, too, is replaceable.
Battery Life on the MSI GP66 Leopard
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The MSI’s GP66 Leopard’s 65W hour battery isn’t going to last it terribly long on a charge. This, unfortunately, is a trend on gaming notebooks, but the Leopard with its full-power RTX 3080, didn’t last as long as competitors.
MSI’s notebook endured for two hours and 25 minutes on our test, which browses the web, runs OpenGL tests and streams video over Wi-Fi, all at 150 nits of brightness. The Alienware m15 ran for 4:01 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17G ran for 4:42.
Heat on the MSI GP66 Leopard
Call it the MSI GP66 Jet Engine.
To keep its components cool, the GPU fans run hard and loud (especially in extreme performance mode, which MSI sent the GP66 Leopard to us set to by default). Admittedly, if you use headphones this is a bit less of a problem.
We took surface temperatures while running our Metro Exodus gauntlet (see the gaming performance section above).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The center of the keyboard, between the G and H keys, measured 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.48 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad reached 25.6 degrees Celsius (78.08 degrees Fahrenheit). The hottest point on the bottom of the laptop was 46.7 degrees Celsius (116.06 degrees Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the MSI GP66 Leopard
MSI has a laptop with a 1080p
webcam
coming this year. This isn’t it.
No, the GP66 Leopard still has a 720p webcam, and an image at my desk was grainy, though at least it was color accurate with my blue eyes and green t-shirt.
One minor annoyance is that the light that notifies you the camera is on blinks, rather than staying on and static. This is extremely distracting when you’re having a video call or streaming and want to focus on what’s on the screen.
Software and Warranty on the MSI GP66 Leopard
There is quite a lot of software preinstalled on the GP66, which has been a trademark of MSI laptops for a bit now. Unfortunately, a lot of it is bloatware.
Let’s start with the good stuff (it’s a shorter list). There’s MSI Dragon Center, which lets you monitor CPU and GPU usage and other stats, as well as change between different modes of performance. SteelSeries Engine 3 lets you configure the lighting on the keyboard, though I feel MSI should roll this into the other app. Nahimic lets you customize audio profiles.
Aside from that, MSI has added a ton of extra bloat, including the Cyberlink suite (AudioDirector, ColorDirector, PhotoDirector and PowerDirector), as well as Microsoft Sudoku, LinkedIn, Music Maker Jam and Norton Security.
That’s on top of the regular
Windows 10
inclusions, like Roblox, Hulu, Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure and Adobe Photoshop Express.
MSI sells the GP66 Leopard with a one-year warranty.
Configurations
We tested the MSI GP66 Leopard with an Intel Core i7-1070H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD and a 15.6-inch, FHD display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. All of that adds up to a grand total of $2,599. (We have, however, seen an identical model with 32GB of RAM going for $2,499, so be sure to shop around).
For $1,799, you can get the Leopard with a Core i7-10750H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an FHD 144 Hz display.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a powerful gaming notebook that draws attention to games, not itself, the GP66 Leopard is worth looking at. The combination of a full-power RTX 3080 and 10th Gen Intel makes for a potent, if loud, gaming machine. And MSI has put it in a chassis that looks and feels fairly adult, even compared to something like the Alienware m15, which has also gone minimalistic.
There are some things MSI needs to work on here: primarily, the touchpad, which feels like an afterthought, and the sheer amount of bloatware that the company includes on its laptops. If you prefer a premium experience, the Alienware may be a better way to go, but a similarly specced model (with a 300 Hz compared to 240 Hz on the Leopard) is a little more expensive as of this writing.
But if you want a gaming notebook with powerful graphics performance, subtle styling and replaceable parts (even if it takes a bit of work to get to them), this Leopard will impress.
You can now listen to Amazon Music on your Google TV- or Android TV-powered tellybox directly through the native Amazon app.
The new app launched last week in the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Australia. It lets Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers access the full music library, while Prime members (who get a more limited Amazon Music catalogue as part of their package, but not Amazon Music Unlimited) can access a curated list of songs and playlists. Don’t have either subscription? You can still listen using the ad-supported option, though that will obviously mean putting up with interruptive adverts.
Amazon Music isn’t the first music streaming service to land on the relatively new Google TV platform (which succeeded Google’s former Android TV operating system): Google’s own YouTube Music is available, as are Spotify and Tidal.
The app’s launch shows relations between Amazon and Google are considerably more cordial than has previously been the case. A few years ago, the two tech giants were at loggerheads, with Amazon refusing to sell Google’s Chromecast streaming devices, and Google pulling the YouTube app from Amazon’s Fire TV streamers. Thankfully for consumers, those days are now behind us.
The Google TV operating system is currently only available with the Google Chromecast with Google TV streamer, a top video streamer that earned a perfect five out of five in our review. However, Google TV will also be coming to smart TVs from Sony and TCL in 2021. Android TV-based TVs, meanwhile, span hundreds of models from the likes of Sony, Philips, TCL and Sharp.
MORE:
Read all about Google TV: apps, features, compatible TVs and more
Read our guide to the best video streamers
Read the full Amazon Music Unlimited review
Or check out our verdict in our Amazon Music HD review
Best Subwoofers Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best subwoofers you can buy in 2021.
Who doesn’t like bass? Whether you have a stereo system or a home cinema system, there’s a lot to be said for bringing a subwoofer to the party.
It’s not just all-action movies and dancefloor classics that rely on bass to sound their best, low frequencies can add tension and drama to more subtle scenes and songs. And a dedicated bass speaker is often the best way to do it.
Read on for our pick of the best subwoofers for stereo and surround sound systems, and think about treating home cinema at this time when you’ll be using it most.
Best speaker packages 2021
(Image credit: Future)
1. Q Acoustics QB12
Upgrade your 3000i or Concept 5.1 package.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 40 x 40 x 45 cm (hwd) | Drivers: 1x 300mm (12in) Paper-Kevlar, Aluminum cone long-throw | Power output: 400 watts | Weight: 21.5kg
Reasons to Buy
Punchy and powerful
Doesn’t impose sonically
Well integrated
The QB12 smashes through the action like a steam train, hitting you right in the stomach and taking your whole body along with it. It isn’t just brute force, though: it’s precise, detailed and really rather dynamic.
There are three things to consider before you get your wallet out to buy a QB12 subwoofer: space, your budget and your neighbours. Because if you’re in the market for a plus-sized Q Acoustics surround speaker package, or aiming to upgrade the low-end response in your current home cinema set-up, those are the only things standing in your way.
Read the full review: Q Acoustics QB12
(Image credit: B&W)
2. B&W PV1D
The most recent model in the unbeatable dynasty.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 34 x 27 x 26 cm (hwd) | Drivers: 2x 200mm (8in) Paper-Kevlar, Aluminum cone long-throw | Power output: 400 watts | Weight: 87kg
Reasons to Buy
Smart design
Excellent precision and agility
Deep, punchy bass
The Bowers & Wilkins PV1D is the successor to B&W’s multi-Award-winning PV1, the ‘D’ denoting a digital upgrade that lets you fine-tune the sub with a wide range of EQ options.
The PV1D’s drive units (2 x 20cm) and amplification (400W) have been tweaked too, and the result, says the company, is a sub with all the speed and agility of its predecessor plus considerable additional bass extension.
In use it’s deeply impressive: the PV1D maintains control at crashing volumes, while delivering ample detail, punch and attack. Precision is paramount, and you really feel the big wallops.
Read the full review: B&W PV1D
(Image credit: B&W)
3. B&W ASW610
The B&W ASW610 sounds bigger than it looks and more expensive than its price-tag.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 31 x 31 x 35 cm (hwd) | Drivers: 250mm (10 in) paper / Aramid fibre cone long-throw | Power output: 200 watts | Weight: 12.5kg
Reasons to Buy
Well-extended bass for its size
Good finish
Small and well-equipped
This sub’s diminutive form disguises a formidably powerful and terrifically dynamic design, its 200w amplifier controlling the excursions of its 25cm Kevlar/paper drive unit in impressive style.
There’s depth, drive and authority to belie its size, with a brilliant blend of power and musicality. It can deliver bass with subtlety and speed, making it a genuine all-rounder when it comes to delivering solid bass as part of a hi-fi or home cinema.
Read the full review: B&W ASW610
(Image credit: Velodyne)
4. Velodyne SPL-1000 Ultra
If you want a small but powerful subwoofer there are few better options.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 34 x 33 x 39 cm (hwd) | Drivers: 10in forward firing, 8in piston diameter | Power output: 1200 watts | Weight: 20kg
Reasons to Buy
Masses of quality bass from a compact cabinet
Good features
Fine build and finish
Velodyne’s SPL-1000 Ultra delivers a mass of bass scarcely believable from a sealed 34cm cube. It has both line and speaker level inputs, remote control and offers four preset modes to optimise performance to the source material.
This is a subwoofer that’s fast and agile enough to convince with music, while still having the sort of muscle required to make the most of the heavy-hitting, large-scale film scenes.
Read the full review: Velodyne SPL-1000 Ultra
(Image credit: Sonos)
5. Sonos Sub
This slim, wireless subwoofer is a solid addition to a Sonos music or cinema system.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 39 x 40 x 16 (hwd) | Drivers: 2 x powered drivers | Power output: n/a | Weight: 16kg
Reasons to Buy
Versatile placement
Simple set-up
Integrates well
Reasons to Avoid
A little expensive
Not the punchiest
The addition of a sub to the wireless multi-room specialist’s range showed the company cared about sound, not least home cinema sound, and perhaps recognised the slight weakness of its small-but-effective One and Play:5 systems.
It’s large and fairly minimal but we’re impressed by what it can do. Similar sonic characteristics ensure the Sub integrates well with the company’s other wireless speakers, and the extra weight, power and scale is obvious. With music, bass lines are controlled nicely, albeit a little on the fat side. Flick the Sub on and off, and the differences in dynamics are apparent.
Read the full review: Sonos Sub
10 of the best movie scores to test your system
25 of the best tracks for testing bass
Best AV receivers 2021: best home cinema amplifiers
Synth music met a new standard with the introduction of EuroRack synthesizers. Maker Rory Allen is using a Raspberry Pi Pico to take things a step further by opening the modular world of EuroRack synths to the creative benefit of an open-source module known as the EuroPi.
The goal was to provide an open-source tool for developers and artists in the DIY synth community. The EuroPi PCB was designed by Allen and features 4 analog outputs as well as 4 digital outputs.
(Image credit: Rory Allen)
The module can be programmed to create custom effects and changed again at any time to create a custom synth experience.
The PCB files are available to anyone who would like to recreate or modify the board design. Allen even has plans to sell pre-built modules for those who may not want to solder the board together themselves.
Read more about the project on Allen’s Behance page and follow him YouTube for more cool projects. Visit our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more awesome creations from the maker community.
It’s been a busy week for Spotify. In addition to news of a forthcoming HiFi tier, and an appearance at a parliamentary inquiry, the streaming giant has also found time to release new features to help listeners curate their sprawling libraries of ‘Liked Songs’.
From today, Spotify is offering free and premium users, with at least 30 tracks in their ‘Liked Songs’ playlist, the option to filter their favourite tracks using up to 15 personalised mood and genre categories.
The new options can be accessed by heading to ‘Liked Songs’ in the ‘Your Library’ tab. The filters you see will be unique to your specific tastes, and Spotify reports they will update as your collection evolves.
For now, Spotify hints there will be a mix of styles already available from the ‘Browse’ page, such as dancehall, J-pop, bluegrass, along with more abstract subcategories like ‘pump up’, ‘moody’ and ‘soulful’.
We think this has the potential to be a useful function as the Spotify algorithm is already one of the most nuanced of the big streaming services. ‘Liked Songs’ playlists are a showcase of every user’s most diverse tastes, from old favourites to those impulsively added after one appearance on a daily mix. The option to listen to familiar music without running the full gamut of genres lurking beneath the ‘shuffle’ button could help set Spotify even further apart from other services in terms of content curation, if not yet in sound quality.
When we tried to access the new filters, we found the feature wasn’t live, but the rollout will be staggered over the coming weeks to listeners on Android and iOS devices in English speaking markets, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
MORE
Our pick of the best music streaming services you can listen to right now
Take advantage of 33 Spotify tips, tricks and features
While slightly compromised in the features department, the CX 400BT are sonic marvels – and, at this price, hugely appealing
For
Lively, detailed sound
Lightweight fit
Excellent value for money
Against
Battery life below the best
Not waterproof
Such is the popularity of true wireless earbuds today that you can go to the website of many established headphone brands and take your pick from several models across a range of price points. Sony, Bose and JBL, for example, all have at least a few pairs in their line-up.
But Sennheiser’s offering has, like Apple’s, been streamlined down to two models: the premium, noise-cancelling Momentum True Wireless 2 and the more affordable CX 400BT without noise-cancelling that we have on test here.
Sennheiser would no doubt argue the case for quality over quantity, and while the CX 400BT may not have the sleekest name, the fanciest design or even the most generous feature set, they are more sonically gifted than most at this level.
These Sennheisers launched at double the price but now inhabit the increasingly populated £100 ($100, AU$150) arena, making them some of the best-value budget earbuds we’ve come across.
Build
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Compared with the excellent Momentum True Wireless 2, the CX 400BT lack active noise-cancelling, smart pause functionality and IPX4 splash resistance, and have an inferior battery life. Their specs next to their pricier sibling seems fair and is to be expected, although we would like to see a few more features from the CX 400BT.
Sennheiser CX 400BT tech specs
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Bluetooth version 5.1, aptX
Battery life 20 hours
Charging USB-C
Weight 6g (each earbud)
Their combined battery life is 20 hours (seven hours from the buds, plus a further 13 hours from the charging case), which is less than that offered by the Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch (50 hours) and Melomania 1 (45 hours), the Earfun Air Pro (35 hours), JBL Reflect Flow (30 hours) and Apple AirPods (24 hours).
We’d also like some degree of sweat- or water-resistance, as featured on many of the Sennheiser’s rivals. Without that, the CX 400BT aren’t recommended for sportswear, and you don’t get the peace of mind that they’d survive being caught in a rain shower.
They do support Bluetooth 5.1 support and mobile app features, though – neither of which is a given at this level. The former promises high-quality, far-reaching Bluetooth transmission, while the latter opens doors to EQ adjustment and control customisation.
Out of the box, the left earbud can be tapped once to play or pause music, twice to jump backwards a track, and held down to reduce volume. On the right earbud, one tap activates your phone’s voice assistant or accepts incoming calls, two taps jump forward a track or rejects calls, and holding it down increases volume.
The playback functions can be reallocated or turned off in the Sennheiser Smart Control app, which is also where you can alter the earbuds’ EQ and save EQ presets. However, unless you’re someone who often adjusts the EQ, it’s likely you’ll use the dedicated app once during set-up and then rarely, if ever, again.
Comfort
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
While touch controls can sometimes be hit and miss with earbuds, the relatively large, flat surface area of the CX 400BT’s touch panels make the controls easy and reliable to use. The Sennheiser’s design is more functional than fancy, but that’s more of an observation than a complaint. And besides, who can argue with designs that just work?
Their oval housings require a push and twist motion for them to nestle nicely in the ears – we’re talking a bit of encouragement, rather than any forceful manhandling – and when in place are comfortably lightweight (6g each) and unobtrusive.
They are just over 2cm deep, so will protrude slightly out of shallower ears. The fit is as versatile as you’d expect, thanks to the four different sizes of silicone ear tips included in the box.
Sound
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Sennheiser is one of the most consistent brands when it comes to sound quality, so expectations are high as we play The Weather Station’s Parking Lot via Tidal. The CX 400BT are instantly likeable: they’re lively and clear-cut, and their relatively open presentation is infused with clarity and generously peppered with detail.
Their inherently energetic, musical nature, which is forward yet not exhausting, can’t help but lap up the track’s jaunty piano melody and bassline. As cymbals, strings and vocals come into the increasingly dense mix, the Sennheisers manage to keep a tab on everything in the name of rhythmic precision.
Similarly, play Black Country, New Road’s Instrumental from their debut album and the rhythm track is presented with gusto and insight. If anything, their up-for-it presentation makes it all the more frustrating that the CX 400BT aren’t particularly good running headphones, because they would undoubtedly spur you on to reach that finish line.
There is enough in their sonic repertoire to keep them interesting when their zest isn’t required, too. Bass is taut and agile, mids are expressive and particularly open, and a crisp, present treble doesn’t let the side down. There’s plenty of detail and dynamic subtlety in a more technical, classical track, such as Ólafur Arnald’s piano-led nyepi, although if your budget can stretch to the likes of the pricier Sennheisers or Sony WF-1000XM3, there is a clear step up in class when it comes to outright transparency.
It has to be said that the CX 400BT’s sparkle comes at the expense of a little refinement. The similarly priced, five-star Panasonic RZ-S500W, for example, offer a smoother, more sophisticated balance that has a level of finesse we wish the Sennheisers possessed – even if the CX 400BT counter with a more energetic listen.
Verdict
When you have two superb-sounding true wireless earbuds in your arsenal – one with ANC at the premium end of the market, and one without at the more affordable end – why would you need any more?
We would have liked the CX 400BT to have a more versatile, sportier design, and perhaps this is where a third pair of truly wireless Sennheisers could be justified, but there’s no doubt that the reputable German audio brand has mastered the sound quality aspect. The CX 400BT would have been recommendable at their original launch price, but now discounted, they are truly excellent value.
Final Fantasy VII Remake’s soundtrack will be available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and other music subscription services tomorrow, February 26th, Square Enix announced on Thursday. It will have an eye-popping (ear-popping?) 156 tracks, according to a press release.
The game’ssoundtrack was an excellent reimagining of the original game’s iconic music, and I frequently listen to it via random YouTube videos. The official arrival on streaming services should make listening to it much easier.
We know you’ve been waiting a little while for this…
From February 26th, the @FinalFantasy VII Remake Soundtrack will be available on online music subscription services such as Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited! pic.twitter.com/IKSSOEhAxW
— FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (@finalfantasyvii) February 25, 2021
The news arrives alongside a flood of other Final Fantasy VII-related announcements. Final Fantasy VII Remake will be getting a PS5 patch with big quality-of-life changes and a new episode focused on Yuffie Kisaragi, an optional party member from the original game. Square Enix also announced Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier, a new mobile battle royale game that’s set to hit Android and iOS later this year. It’s also developing Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, yet another mobile game that looks to be another remake of the original Final Fantasy VII and includes elements of spinoffs like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Ever Crisis is scheduled to debut in 2022.
At this rate, there may soon be 156 Final Fantasy VII remakes.
City pop is a genre defined by nostalgia. Though, as Cat Zhang writes, that nostalgia is algorithmically generated — and its recent popularity is wrapped in the acceleration of global exchange and a whole Western mythology of Japan as the capitalist future. Yesterday, Zhang published an elegant capsule history of the genre in Pitchfork, which also explains why the music is surging in popularity in the US.
Naturally, it started in Japan. “The upswing of city pop likely originates with the Japanese themselves: a few decades ago, domestic crate diggers started critically reevaluating vintage Japanese music, or wamono,” Zhang writes. Then, some decades later, it hit Western ears.
“Japanese music isn’t particularly accessible overseas: The country has been exceptionally slow to embrace streaming, prioritizing the consumption of CDs, and its expansion into foreign music markets has also been sluggish,” Zhang writes. “One recent breakthrough was the compilation Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1976–1986, released in 2019 by the reissue label Light in the Attic as part of their Japan archival series. The project, which now has a sequel, took four years to bring to fruition.”
The other part of city pop’s sudden American popularity has to do with the recommendation algorithms that drive our social platforms. City pop thrives on YouTube because its algorithm can’t recognize nuance. “[T]he algorithm will simply route listeners from “lo-fi beats” videos to “Plastic Love,’” Zhang writes.
The whole piece is fascinating. As the writer Kyle Chayka wrote today in his newsletter DIRT:
[N]one of these artifacts are completely authentic, and none the result of a single gaze, self or other. The stitched-together footage and the remixed, re-uploaded music are the kind of fictions that culture is always producing, the present digesting the past in order to produce something hybrid and new.
Spotify’s making it easier to parse your liked songs. The company is rolling out a new feature today that’ll let users filter their liked songs by genre and mood. This way, you can enjoy more of what you like without compromising on the vibe. I, for example, have songs that would be fun in the club but also folky songs for relaxation time, both of which are under my liked songs umbrella. This new feature would let me decide what mood I’m in and then listen.
To access the filters, you have to have at least 30 liked songs. You can then go to your library, tap into liked songs, and select a filter that’s listed across the top. You can remove that filter whenever you like and swap in a new one. These filters will change as you like new songs, Spotify says. For now, they will only be rolling out to English-speaking markets, including the US, Canada, and the UK.
Spotify has made it no secret that it wants to be the app for every kind of audio need, including music and podcasts. Although this feature is small, it’s the kind of update that makes a product more useful for everyday use and could keep people coming back to the app to like songs, which is what Spotify wants.
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Apple Fitness Plus has been out for a couple of months now, and a few of us here at The Verge have been spending that time running it (and ourselves) through its paces. The $9.99-a-month service offers a decent array of exercise videos with an added bonus: integration with the sensors on an Apple Watch. In fact, an Apple Watch is required to use the service.
Since everybody’s exercise routine is a little different, we wanted to get a variety of perspectives on the service. What’s become clear from all of our testing is that Apple has successfully achieved what we think it set out to do: create an exercise service that is accessible to a broad range of people. There are lots of different ways an exercise service like this could get tripped up, but for the most part, Fitness Plus stays on track.
Whether you like the direction that track goes or if it’s long enough to keep your attention for years to come is another matter. It will take more time for Apple to expand its array of options in the service, but it has already added one new kind of exercise — celebrity walk-and-listens — which could bode well for those hoping for future updates.
But as we always say, never pay for something now in the hopes that it’ll be better in the future. So here’s what we think of Fitness Plus after two months of using the service.
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
The basics of Apple Fitness Plus
Fitness Plus’ main selling point is it’s easy to jump into — so long as your own oodles of Apple devices. The app requires an Apple Watch to access the classes, and then you’ll need an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to stream the workouts. (Critically, there’s no way to stream from a Mac, which makes no sense and required me to stream from my tiny iPhone display.) But because the app connects to the Watch, your rings show up in the corner of the screen throughout a workout. It serves as a reminder of how hard you’ve worked and how far you have to go to meet your goals for the day. Some people might find this motivational. I did.
As for equipment, the app offers a variety of cardio workouts, such as cycling, treadmill classes, and rowing, which require special equipment. But it also offers classes like Time to Walk, which Becca will dive into below, and dance classes that require no equipment at all. Most of the strength classes would like you to use dumbbells (which can be hard to find in stock currently), but you could get away with your bodyweight if necessary.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
There’s no way to filter classes by equipment requirements or even area of focus, so expect to spend time in the app reading descriptions and watching previews to discern whether a class is for you. This is a pain and a hurdle that shouldn’t exist. Filters by workout type and equipment should be table stakes for any fitness app.
What Apple lacks in filters, though, it slightly makes up for with a diverse group of instructors and class formats. The instructors vary in age, background, and body type, which I immediately noticed and appreciated. (I would still like to see a fitness app incorporate all body types and not just what we typically think of as “fit.”) The strength classes also offer three different sets of instructions: one for the prescribed exercise, another to make it more advanced, and a third to modify for injuries or anyone who needs to take it easy. This is the type of setup you’d see in classic fitness tapes, but I don’t find as much in on-demand classes.
This setup contrasts Apple’s biggest competitor in the space, Peloton, which doesn’t offer modifications during its workouts. As someone who has regularly worked out through Peloton’s classes, this was a nice change and one I’d like to see Peloton take as a cue from Apple. —Ashley Carman
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Apple Fitness Plus versus Peloton
Apple and Peloton are similar when it comes to premise and the primary user experience. You can select workouts with different lengths, different playlists, and different instructors in various categories like cycling, treadmill, strength, and yoga, as well as dedicated cooldowns.
I would say the primary reason to use Apple’s program is its seamless integration with the company’s hardware ecosystem. When I start up a workout on my iPad, the workout shows up on my Watch as well, and my Watch’s metrics appear on the iPad’s screen. It’s great to be able to watch my heart rate and rings in real time on the same screen as my workout without having to manually connect anything. You can even launch Fitness Plus playlists in Apple Music if you take a liking to them. (You can sync an Apple Watch with Peloton’s Bike Plus, but its on-screen metrics are limited to cycling workouts.)
I also like that when you start a hill in Apple’s cardio workouts, a clock appears counting down to the end of the interval. I watch that clock religiously during the steepest climbs. It’s easier to survive them when I know exactly how long I have left to endure without having to count in my head.
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Another unique feature of Apple Fitness Plus is — and I apologize for not having a better term here — the vibes. Peloton instructors approach their rides with a wide range of attitudes and personalities. And while this is also true of Apple’s instructors to some extent, all of them (at least, the cycling and treadmill folks) have vibrantly positive personas. They’re enthusiastic, they’re full of energy, and they’re so excited to be running or biking with you that it’s infectious. It’s hard not to be excited in turn. There was an emphasis on overall wellness — reaching goals, eliminating stress, that sort of thing. I don’t feel like Apple’s instructors are just trying to get me through a workout; I feel like they’re trying to make me a better person.
But the biggest difference between Apple and Peloton’s libraries is that Apple’s is newer — and that means it just doesn’t have as much stuff yet. Peloton has a wider variety of music. I’ve done everything from Bon Jovi rides to yacht-music bike rides, where Apple’s playlists are largely more general (“Everything Rock,” “Latest Hits,” “Latin Grooves,” etc.). And as someone who likes longer endurance workouts, I was disappointed that Apple’s cycling and treadmill workouts are capped at 45 minutes. With Peloton, you can ride for up to 90. Peloton also offers a number of live classes where you can interact with fellow riders, while all of Apple’s workouts are pre-recorded.
Another area where Peloton’s ahead is in specific workout hardware integration. Obviously, Apple doesn’t sell a spin bike (yet), and that means the instructors have to be more general about intensity. While Peloton instructors give a specific range (“30 to 50”), Apple instructors speak more generally (“Moderate intensity,” “add a little bit more here,” etc.). This meant I was always kind of guessing where my resistance was supposed to be during Apple’s rides (and I don’t really trust myself to arrive at a legitimately “hard” resistance when asked to find that for myself).
Apple instructors can be more specific with treadmill workouts since metrics like speed and incline are universal. Still, I wish Apple could display the current incline or resistance on the iPad screen like Peloton does. There were times when my teacher instructed everyone to change their resistance while I was zoned out or checking my phone or something, and I ended up doing a portion of the workout at the wrong intensity.
But I think the biggest thing to consider when choosing between Peloton and Apple Fitness Plus is the difficulty. Most of the Fitness Plus workouts I tried are around the same level: a nice challenge for folks like me who work out a few times a week and aren’t super in shape. Peloton caters to a wider variety of abilities, sorted on a scale of 1–10, and you can sort classes by intensity while browsing. If you’re serious about athletic training (and cycling, in particular), Peloton will have more to offer. —Monica Chin
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
Time to Walk
Working out in one space has always been a struggle for me. I get really bored and uninterested when I’m not actively going somewhere or physically achieving something. I usually exercise by doing loops in a park on my bike, going on a run, or slacklining between trees. So Apple Fitness Plus’ at-home workouts were never of interest to me — until a few weeks ago when Apple rolled out the Time to Walk feature. That is something I, in theory, could get behind.
Time to Walk pairs inspirational monologues, music, and photos from famous musicians, athletes, and actors with the Apple Watch’s exercise tracking feature to create a more engaging way to take a walk. I take a walk almost every day and use that time to tune in to a new album or one of my favorite podcasts, so Time to Walk slotted into my routine quite nicely. It’s exactly the level of effortlessness I need in workout tech.
There are only a couple of differences between Time to Walk and a more traditional podcast. Most notably, your Watch will buzz about twice an episode, and a photo will show up on the screen that relates to what the host is talking about. It’s cool but not groundbreaking. Secondly, the hosts are either also on a walk or talking about what walking means to them. I appreciated this a bit more. Ruby Bridges’ episode has a slow, calm pace, and you can hear as she strolls through Audubon Park in New Orleans. There are many loud birds and cars driving by in the distance. While Draymond Green’s heavier foot on a gravel path in Malibu is accompanied by the sounds of distant waves. Apple really nailed the soundstage of these walks, and it creates a pleasing experience that actually makes you feel as if you are walking next to someone.
My only issue with Time to Walk and Apple Fitness Plus at large is the need to live in the Apple ecosystem. You absolutely need an iPhone and Apple Watch to use Fitness Plus, and even outside of that, when you use the Time to Walk feature, your headphones have to be paired to the Apple Watch. If a call comes in on your iPhone and you’re not using Apple or Beats headphones that can switch over automatically, you will have to manually reconnect your headphones to your phone to take the call on them, then manually reconnect your headphones to the Watch to resume the Time to Walk episode.
For someone who doesn’t use AirPods, this is very annoying. Outside of the usual Apple ecosystem walls, Time to Walk is my favorite feature of Apple Fitness Plus. Every Monday, when a new episode with a new mystery celeb comes out, I look forward to my nightly walk. Unfortunately, this is the only feature I loved within Apple Fitness Plus, and a walking podcast is not worth $9.99 a month for me. —Becca Farsace
Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge
If there’s a single message to take away from this review, it’s this: Apple Fitness Plus is great for beginners but may not offer the depth you’re looking for if you’re advanced in any specific sport. It’s accessible to anybody who is able to buy into Apple’s whole ecosystem, though. And for me, a person who has struggled to exercise regularly for my entire life, it’s better than a gym membership.
There is enough variety for me to feel like I won’t have to put videos on repeat, but I’m only using it a couple of times a week right now. My main complaint has nothing to do with the exercise content but instead with the vibe of Apple’s videos. I’m not asking for disaffected ’90s MTV VJs, but the peppy and relentlessly positive chatter is a lot for a Gen-Xer like me. And the vaguely-but-not-actually spiritualistic “mindfulness” that you can’t avoid in the cooldowns also grates. None of this is new to anybody who has used services like this, but for me, it’s a lot. I cringe when a trainer ends a video by trying to get me excited to “close those rings” on the Watch.
Still, the best thing I can say about Apple Fitness Plus is, slowly but surely, it is helping me build a habit of actual exercise. There are plenty of days that I end up going outside for a bike ride or a walk instead of turning on an Apple video, but I think doing a couple Fitness Plus videos a week has made it more likely I’ll do that non-Fitness Plus exercise, too.
And while the Apple Watch integration occasionally feels motivational, for the most part, it feels unnecessary. Fitness Plus is not a reason to go out and buy an Apple Watch, but it might be a good reason to keep using the one you’ve already got. As with many of Apple’s new services, it’s less about drawing people in than it is about keeping people from leaving. I’ll probably keep using Fitness Plus simply because it’s part of the big Apple One bundle I got so my family could have an amount of iCloud storage that didn’t feel punitive.
If you’re not an Apple One subscriber, is Fitness Plus worth $9.99 / month on its own? If you’re already in an exercise routine, I’m not sure that Fitness Plus is going to offer you something better. For me, it’s literally better than nothing. —Dieter Bohn
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