Liability for interference: Cloudflare must prevent access to illegal links Universal Music Group against Cloudflare in court Neutral business model Article in c’t 2 / 2009 read Since there have been sufficiently powerful connections, the Internet has also been used for the illegal distribution of copyrighted music. Laws, jurisprudence and technical detection methods, which have been refined over and over again, have made some pirate practices unattractive over time. Gone are the days of simple download websites with locations where the operators are threatened with legal access.
Even once booming file sharing networks via peer-to-peer systems are largely history. But in the age of cloud computing and globally distributed network resources, music pirates are finding concepts that mean new territory for courts. This applies to the use of content delivery networks (CDN) such as Cloudflare.
The 2009 provides its contract customers with all sorts of services related to their offers on the network. Cloudflare products can use distributed caching to keep direct traffic away from customer servers by acting as a reverse or mirror proxy. You can redirect access to the Domain Name System (DNS) with your own DNS resolvers and thus disguise the identity of the site operator. They provide web providers with protection against hacker attacks and at the same time can significantly accelerate data traffic.
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Samsung Galaxy S21 leaks are the gift that keeps on giving. Yesterday, we brought you leaked images of the range-topping S21 Ultra’s redesigned stylus pen; today we bring news that the S21 Ultra could feature a WQHD+ display and 120Hz refresh rate.
The story broke when reliable tech tipster @UniverseIceposted a screenshot of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s display settings, which appears to support his claim that “WQHD+ resolution (1440 × 3088 pixels) and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate can be turned on at the same time.”
Assuming today’s leak is correct, enabling both technologies simultaneously could see the S21 Ultra deliver remarkably-stable scrolling and silky-smooth video playback.
(Image credit: @UniverseIce)
As AndroidCentral points out, the current Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra handset is “technically capable” of supporting both features but Samsung made the decision not to include it to preserve the phone’s battery life (currently, if you enable WQHD+ on the S20, the refresh rate drops to 60Hz).
Rumour has it the upcoming Galaxy S21 Ultra will use a beefy 5000mAh battery to power WQHD+ at 120Hz. If true, that tip would tie in rather neatly with today’s leak.
As for the basic S21 and S21 Plus, they’re tipped for 4500mAh and 4800mAh batteries so they likely won’t have the oomph to compete with the S21 Ultra’s full WQHD+ display. Indeed, Samsung is said to have selected a modest FHD+ display for the S21. On the upside, it could deliver a huge upgrade in battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra are expected to be unveiled at Samsung Unpacked on January 14th, alongside the hotly-anticipated Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you up to date with all the latest Samsung leaks in the run-up to launch day.
MORE:
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: leak exposes S Pen stylus and case
What about the headphones for the S21? Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds revealed in new leak
Our pick of the best smartphones for music and movies
The Wilson Benesch Precision P2.0 are exceptional speakers that set the standards at this price
For
Exceptional detail resolution
Impressive engineering
Excellent build
Against
Need a larger room to shine
Wilson Benesch has never followed the herd. Its first products – a turntable and tonearm – were made using carbon fibre, something considered exceptionally high-tech back then in 1989.
In the UK, only three other companies could produce the material at that time – Lotus Racing and two manufacturers working for the Ministry of Defence. That’s quite some company for a small fledgling hi-fi brand to keep, and it’s that forward-thinking approach to materials technology that has shone through ever since.
The Wilson Benesch Precision P2.0 we have on test here can trace their lineage right back to the company’s first speakers, the A.C.T. One. Launched in 1994, the One used carbon fibre as the side panels for their innovative curved cabinets but also mixed wood and aluminium into the enclosure to create a quiet and well-damped yet immensely rigid structure.
Build
(Image credit: Wilson Benesch)
Currently Wilson Benesch’s most affordable floorstanders, the Precision P2.0 use the same hybrid construction principles as the A.C.T. One, though there’s not a patch of carbon to be seen.
The speaker’s build quality is excellent, just as the price point demands. The P2.0’s enclosure feels reassuringly solid and is finished to a suitably high standard. Our only complaint is a minor one – we wish the exposed edges of the tweeter faceplate looked slicker.
Wilson Benesch Precision P2.0 tech specs
(Image credit: Wilson Benesch)
Type 2.5-way, floorstanders
Drivers 1x 25mm Tweeter, 2x 17cm Mid/Bass Unit
Nominal impedance 6ohms
Sensitivity 89dB
Frequency response 34Hz – 24kHz
Dimensions (hwd) 110.5 x 27 x 47cm
Weight 50kg (each)
The Precision P2.0 are available in a wide range of finish options for the side panels, varying from real wood veneers to painted (including a rather fetching green), so there’s likely to be something that suits most living environments.
Inside, you’ll find a mix of aluminium and birch plywood panels that are strategically braced, carefully damped and held together by high-tensile steel tensioning rods. The result is an impressively rigid and quiet box that supports the drive units brilliantly.
You also get the same Tactic 2.0 mid/bass and bass drivers as used in Wilson Benesch’s more upmarket products. Unusually for such a small company, these units are designed, engineered and built in-house rather than bought in from a larger OEM supplier. They are sophisticated designs featuring a die-cast chassis, a powerful neodymium magnet, and a 17cm cone made of Isotactic Polypropylene – a material claimed to give a good balance between rigidity, low weight and damping.
The Precision 2.0’s Leonardo tweeter is a 25mm silk dome, as opposed to the silk/carbon dome used on the firm’s more premium offerings. It’s a development of the Semisphere high-frequency unit used in Wilson Benesch’s well-established (and much pricier) Geometry series and uses the same neodymium motor system.
The clever bit here is the tweeter faceplate, which is elaborately shaped to minimise any distortion caused by reflections of the dome’s sound output. The claimed result: a flatter frequency response.
This faceplate pattern is so complex that it can only be manufactured by 3D printing. The part is made of a carbon-reinforced polymer and decoupled from the main baffle to reduce distortions caused by the vibrations generated by the larger units.
Compatibility
(Image credit: Wilson Benesch)
Wilson Benesch has long promoted simple crossover networks on the grounds of signal integrity and that remains the case here. The tweeter uses a gentle second order filter, while the bass driver takes the simplicity even further by going first order. Interestingly, the mid/bass unit – the upper large driver – doesn’t have a crossover at all, being directly connected to the single-wire speaker terminals. It takes considerable engineering skill to make such a combination work seamlessly.
Electrically, the Precision P2.0 prove a fairly conventional load with a sensitivity of 89dB/W/m and nominal 6ohm impedance, with a minimum value that stays above 4ohms. Any well-designed amplifier should be able to drive these, though if you listen at high volume levels or have a particularly large room, it won’t hurt to have something with a bit of grunt. Around 100W per channel is a decent starting point.
These towers prove pretty easy to position in our listening room. They’re fairly substantial at 111cm high, so you’ll need a decently large space, particularly as they sound best well away from the rear and side walls. A small degree of angling towards the listening position helps to solidify the stereo image, too.
There’s no point in buying at this level if the source or amplification is compromised. We use our usual reference set-up of a Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R record player along with Burmester’s 088/911 Mk3 amplifier. We use the similarly priced ATC SCM50 speakers for comparison purposes.
Sound
(Image credit: Wilson Benesch)
It doesn’t take us long to realise that these Wilson Benesch floorstanders are exceptional performers. Rarely do we hear speakers that sound so clear and transparent. We listen to Mahler’s Symphony No.2 (one of our favourite classical music tracks to test with) and are transported to the concert hall, the speakers’ excellent resolution providing all the acoustic clues necessary to take us there.
That same ability to dig up low-level details gives us convincing instrumental textures and a degree of finesse in tracking subtle dynamic shifts that we haven’t heard bettered at this price. Of course, there’s muscle here too, with crescendos rendered with conviction and no shortage of brute force. We’ve heard rivals with more in the way of punch, but nothing that combines that with the degree of control and delicacy these towers have.
Stereo imaging is well planted, with precisely located instruments and a wonderfully stable presentation. Things stay layered and focused even when the music becomes demanding or volume levels rise. We find the Precision P2.0 have a fairly narrow sweet spot, though, so you need to be careful about where you sit relative to them.
Wilson Benesch has done a fine job with the tonality of these speakers, too. They sound a touch lean but remain nicely balanced, and have enough in the way of top-end refinement so that less-than-perfect recordings are still enjoyable. Even so, they won’t hide any shortcomings in the recording or the rest of the system.
We switch to Time Machine by Alicia Keys and the P2.0 shift gear effortlessly. They prove musically cohesive and deliver the song’s pulsating rhythm with ease. This is an entertaining and energetic presentation that’s huge fun to listen to. We love the speakers’ articulate and agile nature, the way they communicate the passion in Keys’ voice and their surefooted sense of drive. If you want to analyse the recording, these Wilson Benesch speakers are happy to do that, but they make it so easy for you to simply sit back and enjoy the music that it would be rude not to.
Verdict
Both of the speakers we’ve reviewed from Wilson Benesch’s Precision range have turned out to be superb performers. The £5995 ($8800, AU$11,990)P1.0 are excellent standmounters and terrific for smaller spaces, but if you can stretch to these floorstanders you won’t be disappointed.
They have all the good points of their smaller siblings but add a degree of authority and dynamic punch the smaller speakers simply can’t match. For us, the Precision P2.0 set the standard for floorstanders at this price.
Bose is kicking off 2021 by launching something rather unusual. The new Bose Sport Open Earbuds, which have been anticipated since they were spotted in a FCC filing in December, are truly wireless buds that don’t go in your ears or even cover them – but instead gently grip the ear’s outer ridge to lock in place. There are no ear tips, “virtually no skin contact”, and no vibrations that you’d get from an outer-ear model using bone conduction technology.
As anyone who’s familiar with the fit and purpose of bone conduction headphones might have guessed, the Sport Open Earbuds have been designed to entertain while also keeping the wearer aware of their surroundings.
“Runners and cyclists have been asking us for headphones that let them stay focused on their performance without wires, neckbands, or having to pop out a bud to hear traffic, a training partner, nature, or anything else they don’t want to miss,” said Mehul Trivedi, category director of Bose wearable audio.
(Image credit: Bose)
To facilitate this best-of-both-worlds’ approach, the earbuds (which weigh only 14g each) feature a contoured earhook attached to an entirely new kind of enclosure that sits above the ear canal. Each enclosure uses a tiny dipole transducer placed for “loud-and-clear” audio that stays at the ear, and there’s a microphone system built in that works to not only isolate your voice by reducing interfering wind and noise, but also isolate their voice from being heard by others near you.
In fact, while ‘open’ headphones are inherently associated with sound leakage, Bose says that even at high volumes only you will hear your music and conversations – not passers by.
Bose has patented this ‘Bose OpenAudio’ technology, so we imagine it’ll appear in future earbuds too.
(Image credit: Bose)
As more conventional earbuds specs go, the Bose Sport Open Earbuds use the latest Bluetooth 5.1 protocol, provide eight hours of battery life from a single charge, and are IPX4-rated (i.e resistant to water splashes from any direction). On-bud control is via a button on each bud – the one on the left lets the user launch their phone’s voice assistant, while the one on the right is for power, play/pause, song skips and call functionality.
As it is with the company’s more typical Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Bose Sport Earbuds, the Bose Music app for iOS and Android is a gateway to other features, too.
Available in Triple Black only and supplied with a protective carrying case and charging base, they can be pre-ordered in the US now for $199.95, with shipping beginning mid-January. UK and Europe availability is yet to be confirmed.
MORE:
Best sports headphones 2020: keep active with these earbuds
The official default ringtone for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series can now be heard. For “Over The Horizon 2021” Samsung has chosen a piano melody.
With the introduction of a new S-series smartphones, Samsung also introduces a series of new wallpapers and ringtones, to give the new line-up its own character. Some time ago, the official Galaxy S21 wallpapers already appeared online. Now the default ringtone is also available. No doubt Samsung-users will know the “Over the Horizon” ringtone. The melody is adjusted every year, the same counts for the S21 line-up.
The calming tune, which will appear as the default ringtone on all three Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphones, can now be heard on YouTube. After it appeared on a Korean forum and was picked up by the Korean Twitterer Tron.
Samsung Over the Horizon 2021
Every smartphone manufacturer makes its own ringtone. Since the Galaxy S2, Samsung has been using the “Over The Horizon” ringtone. While the song title has remained the same every year, the beat has changed every time – with pretty big differences over the years.
From rock to new age to fusion jazz, every year Samsung keeps up with the trend of the moment. This year the company chose a quiet piano melody, which increases in tempo as the song continues. During the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy S series, Samsung made a great overview of all the Over The Horizon ringtones – here you can listen to all the old variants.
The jingle can be used as a ringtone, but also as a sound to turn the device on and off or as a notification signal for incoming messages. When you turn on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone for the first time, “Over The Horizon” will be listed in your music library by default.
On January 14, 2021, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S21, the S21 Plus and the S21 Ultra during the virtual Samsung Unpacked 2021 event. The high-end smartphone models go into presale the day after. It is expected that Samsung will also put together several interesting bundles – such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with a choice of a free S Pen and case or the new Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds.
The pre-order period lasts two weeks, on Friday January 29 the three new models will most likely be officially released. At that time, the preorder orders will also be delivered.
Ilse is a Dutch journalist and joined LetsGoDigital more than 15 years ago. She is highly educated and speaks four languages. Ilse is a true tech-girl and loves to write about the future of consumer electronics. She has a special interest for smartphones, digital cameras, gaming and VR.
Best wireless speakers Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best wireless speakers you can buy in 2021.
The category of wireless speakers evolves and multiplies at a rate similar to new titles on Netflix. When it comes to driver-housing sonic boxes (cylinders, oblongs, spheres, wedges, jewels and teardrops) if you just want something for blasting out tunes in the kitchen, there are now some splendid options out there for little money. If you’re after something with a bit more versatility and have a slightly more malleable budget, however, you can get a whole host of features plus better sound and multi-room capabilities for marginally (or substantially) more outlay.
Increasingly, wireless speakers also boast smart skills if you want them, with voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant baked in for good measure. That means they’ll be at your beck and call when it comes to shopping, weather forecasts or taking charge of smart home appliances like your lights and thermostat.
Whatever your needs, we have a great recommendation for you. And with several What Hi-Fi? Award winners in this list, it’s an excellent opportunity to check for bargains. Want to read more about your favourite in this list? There’s a full What Hi-Fi? review attached to each product.
Want a smaller, cheaper wireless speaker you can sling in a bag and take to the park? Check out our best Bluetooth speakers recommendations.
(Image credit: Naim)
1. Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation
Just a few tweaks make for a superb second version
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 21 x 22 x 21 | Power: : 300W | Features: Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Roon Ready, Hi-res up to 24-bit/384kHz, remote control | Connections: 3.5mm aux, USB, optical S/PDIF, Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Open, detailed and expressive
Loads of streaming options
Multi-room ready
At What Hi-Fi?, we know full well the value of revisions. Yet still, it was quite the surprise when first we heard about one made by Naim, with its second generation of the Mu-so Qb wireless speaker. The previous iteration was great, earning five stars when it was first reviewed. This version, however, is is truly phenomenal.
You can now choose between an Olive, Terracotta or Peacock grille alongside the standard black, but the best tweaks Naim has made go far deeper. Remove whatever colour grille you’ve gone for and you’ll be rewarded with upgraded and optimised midrange and bass drive units, all powered by a total of 300W of amplification.
Belying its box-like dimensions with a punchy bass alongside sparkling and rich tones across frequencies, the Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation scooped up our most recent 2020 What Hi-Fi? Award for the best home wireless speaker over £500 ($500) – for the second year running.
Read the full review: Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation
(Image credit: Linn)
2. Linn Series 3
The best-sounding wireless speaker we’ve heard
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm):25 x 29.6 x 20.6 | Power: : 2x100W | Features: Wireless integrated Linn DSM player, Exakt digital crossover | Connections: Ethernet, USB, HDMI ARC
Reasons to Buy
Wonderfully articulate
Luxury design
HDMI ARC for TV connection
Reasons to Avoid
No analogue inputs
No Tidal Masters support
Let’s address the elephant in the room: the Series 3 is the most expensive wireless speaker we have tested. It’s over three times the price of the B&W Formation Wedge (listed below) and its looks are just as divisive. Can such an outlay be justified? Well, yes. And Linn’s proprietary Exakt technology helps. Linn Exakt aims to reduce phase errors by intentionally delaying higher frequencies so they arrive at your ear at the same time as lower frequencies. It also keeps the music signal’s data in the digital domain for as long as possible to avoid any degradation caused by signal processing.
We’ve heard Exakt do its thing in many a Linn product before, and here again it contributes to an absorbing performance. What’s immediately striking is the stunning midrange clarity. The Series 3 is a sharp performer, and we don’t just mean tonally.
The Linn’s low-end agility ensures the accompanying bassline bobs along with bounce and interest. Where there’s quality there’s quantity, too. Whatever we throw at it, the Series 3 appears at ease – partly down to its balance and clarity but also the seamless integration of its drivers. Its insight sets it apart from its more affordable competitors, too.
Read the full review: Linn Series 3
(Image credit: Bowers & Wilkins)
3. Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
This wireless speaker beats the competition by some distance
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm):25.4 x 28 x 26 | Power: : 4x40W + 80W | Features: proprietary mesh-system wi-fi, multi-room, Bluetooth v4.1 aptX HD, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay2, Roon ready | Connections: Ethernet, USB
Reasons to Buy
Detailed, balanced sound
Multi-room integration
Quality build
Yes, it’s pretty expensive for a one-box proposition, but the B&W Formation Wedge offers the kind of detailed, balanced, cohesive sound that cannot be ignored – making it a class-leader in its category. Offering 24-bit/96 kHz hi-res audio playback and B&W’s proprietary mesh system for a basically-imperceptible microsecond between speakers when used with other Formation products (like the Formation Duo, below) the Wedge leaves the competition for dust.
Its looks can be divisive and you’ll need to consider investing in a Roon subscription to get it at its glorious best, but even if you forgo Roon entirely, it’s an excellent standalone performer.
Read the full review: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
(Image credit: JBL)
4. JBL Link Portable
For a great, affordable, durable home smart speaker, you’ll be hard-pushed to find a product that can match JBL’s Link Portable
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 17 x 8.8 x 8.8 | Power: 20W | Features: waterproof, Bluetooth v4.2, Google Assistant built-in, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, music over wi-fi | Connections: 3.5 mm stereo
Reasons to Buy
Expansive sound
Packed with features
Premium design
Reasons to Avoid
No JBL Connect support
Fussy over placement
The JBL Link Portable’s neat connectivity features bring a plethora of streaming options to the table – features rarely seen at this end of the market, including AirPlay 2, Chromecast and hi-res support. You also get hands-free voice assistance, a charger cradle and wireless streaming via wi-fi or Bluetooth.
The Link Portable looks and feels like a premium product. For a speaker of this size, it has oodles of detail and an expansive mix with everything present, including bass. While there’s no PartyBoost or Connect+ support for daisy-chaining other JBL speakers, the Link Portable makes JBL a serious contender in the category of affordable wireless speakers.
Read the full review: JBL Link Portable.
(Image credit: Apple)
5. Apple HomePod Mini
For a great, affordable, durable home smart speaker, you’ll be hard-pushed to find a product that can match JBL’s Link Portable
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 8.4 x 9.8 x 9.8 | Power: 20W | Features: Bluetooth 5.0, Siri, Apple Music, AirPlay 2, music over wi-fi | Connections: None
Reasons to Buy
Sophisticated, engaging sound
Substantial smart skills
Impressive music discovery
Reasons to Avoid
Limited third-party service support
Lacks a full control app
The HomePod Mini really is bijou. At just 8.4cm tall and 9.8cm wide, it’s quite a bit smaller than the similarly spherical new Amazon Echo. In fact, it’s even dwarfed by the new Echo Dot. Get its swirling orb of coloured light up and running (when Siri is listening or processing) though, and you realise you’ve got a classy performer on your hands.
It goes loud, too. From the moment we start playing music, it’s clear that the HomePod Mini comfortably outperforms its size and price, quite frankly embarrassing its direct competition with the sophistication and maturity of its sound.
Siri is your voice assistant, and after a short period of learning it’ll respond to the phrase “Hey Siri, play something I’ll like” not by streaming your most played track of the last few weeks, but by playing something that you may have never listened to before but is a good fit for what you often do listen to. It’s a really powerful way to discover new music, and Alexa is nowhere near as good at it.
Read the full review: Apple HomePod Mini
(Image credit: Dynaudio)
6. Dynaudio Music 5
A superb sonic performance from a distinctive speaker
The Dynaudio Music 5 is the second-largest one-box speaker in the company’s inaugural, four-strong Music series. Love or loathe the way it looks, (think huge, Indiana Jones-style ruby or the objects in the abstract chamber in Pixar’s Inside Out) we can’t help but be won over by how the Dynaudio Music 5 sounds.
The Dynaudio Music 5 is a powerful proposition, but one that still displays the sonic nous to keeps things refined. While the Award-winning Naim (above) just edges it for both subtlety and a slightly livelier sound, there isn’t much in it – and the Dynaudio Music 5 boasts superiority in other ways. In a larger room, it boasts better weight, scale and authority. It also offers something smooth, detail-rich, refined and resoundingly listenable – a sonic performance that will suit many tastes.
Depending on your room size and requirements, the Dynaudio Music 5 brings a meatier – and more easily adaptable – performance to the table.
Read the full review: Dynaudio Music 5
7. Audio Pro Addon C10
Another class-leader from a company on a roll
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 11.5 x 21.5 x 13.5 | Power: 2x5W + 15W Digital class D | Features: wi-fi, multi-room, Bluetooth V4.0, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay | Connections: 3.5 mm stereo
Reasons to Buy
Rich, powerful performance
Expert sense of timing
Multi-room functionality
Audio Pro currently makes some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market and the Addon C10 is another impressive Award-winning model. Connectivity is among the most thorough you can expect at the money, with wi-fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay, plus aux and RCA inputs. It has all the major music streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz. The Addon C10 sounds big and bold, but is equally able to capture the subtler, more nuanced tracks as it is firing out big bassy numbers. Every inch a 2020 What Hi-Fi? Award winner, a title it also stormed away with in 2019.
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 39.5 x 19.7 x 30.5 | Power: 2x 125W per unit | Features: Bluetooth aptX HD, wi-fi, multi-room, Spotify Connect, Apple Airplay 2 | Connections: USB, Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Excellent multi-room features
Snappy timing
Tight, authoritative bass
Transparent performance
They’re not cheap and the aesthetic won’t appeal to everyone, but if you want a wireless pair of standmounts that nothing comes close to right now in terms of sound, you’ve just found them. The Duos are deadly precise speakers with excellent clarity and a performance that makes you want to dig out tune after tune just to hear what they can do.
The multi-room feature set, while not perfect (we’d prefer a single app to handle every function), is more than made up for by the superb audio performance.
Read the full review: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo
9. Naim Mu-so 2
A super-sounding and feature-packed premium wireless speaker.
The Naim Mu-so-2’s extensive feature set includes all manner of wireless streaming technologies such as AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. Tidal and Spotify are also supported, as is high-res audio to the tune of 24-bit/88kHz. It’s not just about streaming, though, with a HDMI ARC input allowing you to hook up a TV and boost its sound at the same time.
The Naim looks like a premium wireless speaker and it sounds like one too, with a rich, confident sound, packed full of detail and delivered with immense rhythmic drive. Bass is plentiful and of a high quality.
If your budget allows, you’ll be suitably impressed.
Read the full review: Naim Mu-so 2
10. Sonos One
Sonos sound quality meets Alexa voice control smarts
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 16.1 x 12 x 12 | Power: 2x Digital class D | Features: wi-fi, Alexa voice assistant, AirPlay 2, multi-room, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Deezer, Tidal | Connections: Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Stylish and unobtrusive
Solid, sophisticated sound
Alexa well integrated
The second-generation Sonos One is really a Sonos Play:1 in new clothing, but that’s no bad thing. It now boasts Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant for voice controls, and it’s all the better for it. In fact, with its room-filling sound, it stands apart from the glut of smart speakers that are smart first and speakers second. Throw in Apple’s AirPlay 2 tech and the fact that the One fits seamlessly into a multi-room set-up, and you’ve got a winner on your hands.
Read the full review: Sonos One
(Image credit: KEF)
11. KEF LSX
This system might be small, but it has a big sound and lots of features…
SPECIFICATIONS
Hi-res support: 24-bit/192kHz | Streaming services: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal | Bluetooth: 4.2 with aptX | Inputs: Optical, 3.5mm, ethernet | Finishes: 5 | Dimensions: 24 x 15 x 18cm (each) | Weight: 3.5kg (each)
Reasons to Buy
Brilliant insight
Lots of connections
Colourful
This is actually an all-in-one system, comprising a network streamer, Bluetooth receiver and amplifier, all built into a pair of stereo speakers. The speakers talk to each other wirelessly, so there’s no need for a joining ethernet cable, and they come in a range of bright but stylish colours. But you will need to plug them into the mains.
You have plenty of choices when it comes to sources: streaming comes either over DLNA or from Tidal (both from within the KEF Stream app), while Spotify Connect, Roon compatibility and Apple AirPlay 2 are also part of the package. And the sound? As beautifully expressive, tonally even and rhythmically astute as you would expect given their lineage.
Read the full review: KEFLSX
(Image credit: Sonos)
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 16.1 x 12 x 12 | Power: 2x Digital class D | Features: wi-fi, AirPlay 2, multi-room, stereo pairs with Sonos One, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal | Connections: Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Works in stereo with Sonos One
Open, clean sound
Solid and agile bass
A Sonos One without voice control is still a great wireless speaker, whether stereo paired, added to a home theatre set-up or used solo. For the uninitiated, this is a product that looks identical to Sonos’ latest five-star smart speaker, the Sonos One (above), but without the smart aspects – ie. those little microphone dots around the top and the built-in voice assistant.
How is it better than its older brother, the wireless-but-not-voice-activated Sonos Play:1? You’ve guessed it: you can now pair a One and One SL in stereo, a set-up that looks and sounds good for the money. For those who either already own a Sonos One or want to buy into Sonos but don’t care about speaking to their speakers, this should be on your radar.
Read the full review: Sonos One SL
13. Audio Pro Addon C3
A talented multi-room speaker with excellent sound quality
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 11.5 x 21.5 x 13.5 | Power: 2x5W + 15W Digital class D | Features: wi-fi, multi-room, Bluetooth V4.0, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay | Connections: Ethernet, 3.5 mm stereo
Reasons to Buy
Impressive timing
Solid build
Tight, textured bass
This is basically the wi-fi-enabled, multi-room version of Audio Pro’s Addon T3. It has the same minimalist looks that the Scandinavian company is known for, complete with textured surfaces and embossed leather carry handle, but the wireless tech adds a whole new dimension to your listening. It’s just a shame that controlling it using the smartphone app isn’t a bit better thought through. Still, this is a belter of a speaker, make no mistake, and a fine addition to any home set-up. A What Hi-Fi? 2019 Awards winner.
Read the full review: Audio Pro Addon C3
14. Apple HomePod
Apple’s smart speaker sounds better than most
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 17.2 x 14.2 x 14.2 | Features: wi-fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth V5.0 multi-room, Siri voice assistant, Apple Music
Reasons to Buy
Compact, solid, stylish
Great positional set-up
Weighty, authoritative sound
Reasons to Avoid
Relies heavily on voice control
Muddled mid-range
Too Apple-centric
Apple may have taken its time launching its own entrant into the crowded smart speaker market, but boy was it worth it. Rivals might tout their smart credentials first, with the speaker part a bit of an afterthought, but not the HomePod: it delivers a weighty, authoritative sound worthy of a bona fide speaker maker. That it has wireless skills and the Siri voice assistant onboard are the icing on the audio cake. Downsides? You’ll have to buy into the Apple ecosystem to get the full benefit, and in typical “brave” Apple fashion, it relies heavily on voice commands. But for dedicated Apple users, this smart speaker should be top of the shopping list.
Read the full review: Apple HomePod
15. Audio Pro Addon T3
Another compelling wireless speaker from Audio Pro
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 11.5 x 21.5 x 13.5 | Power: 2x 5W + 15W Digital class D | Features: Bluetooth V4.0 | Connections: 3.5mm stereo, USB
Reasons to Buy
Good balance
Expressive and dynamic
Faultless build
This is one of the less portable speakers in this list, but it can still be carted around thanks to the carry handle. It’s robust rather than heavy, and boasts a battery life of up to 30 hours at half volume or 12 at full blast. The bass, made feasible by that larger chassis, doesn’t ruin the balance, instead it does just what it should, offering extra stability. And that is where the upgrade on something such as the Roll 2 is justified – the noticeable leap in audio quality will have you enjoying music much more readily than on a smaller speaker.
Read the full review: Audio Pro Addon T3
16. Audio Pro A10
It’s a new design for Audio Pro, but the same winning performance
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 19.3 x 14 x 14 | Power: 52W Digital class D | Features: Bluetooth V4.0, multi-room, wi-fi, Spotify, AirPlay 2 | Connections: 3.5mm stereo
Reasons to Buy
Wide dispersion of sound
Excellent timing and dynamics
Versatile positioning
Audio Pro has switched up the design for the A10, stepping away from the more industrial-looking Addon range. But you’ll be pleased to hear it has the same winning sound quality – it’s versatile, dynamic and has an impeccable sense of timing.
The cylindrical design disperses sound throughout the room, too. It might not be quite up there with the very best Audio Pro has produced, but the A10 is still a viable option, especially considering its nominal price.
Read the full review: Audio Pro A10
(Image credit: Ruark)
17. Ruark MR1 Mk2
A very appealing set of desktop speakers.
SPECIFICATIONS
Hi-res support: 24-bit/192kHz | Streaming services: N/A | Bluetooth: 4.2 with aptX | Inputs: Digital optical TOSLINK, line-in | Finishes: 2 | Dimensions: 17 x 13 x 13cm (each) | Weight: 1.7kg (each)
Reasons to Buy
Musical sound
Compact design
Lean skillset
With their retro wood-and-grey styling, these speakers will look at home on almost any surface, be it an office desk or a kitchen work surface. But they’re not just lookers – for our money they’re the desktop speakers that come closest to sounding like a proper hi-fi set-up.
The soundstage is gloriously spacious, giving each instrument enough room to breathe, and the sound is bathed in rich detail and fluid dynamics. Their timing is also a highlight. Put them in any room, and they’ll immediately add character along with some brilliant sonics.
Read the full review: Ruark MR1Mk2
18. Audio Pro Drumfire
Audio Pro’s flagship multi-room speaker is an absolute delight
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 15.5 x 36.5 x 19 | Power: 300W Digital class D | Features: Bluetooth V4.0, multi-room, wi-fi, Spotify, AirPlay 2 | Connections: 3.5mm stereo
Reasons to Buy
Nice and loud
Good impression of space
Great build quality
Although we’re prepared to give it some good-natured ribbing for an aesthetic that abandons the dashing handsomeness of other Audio Pro speakers, the Drumfire is put together very well. The big bottom portion of the Drumfire houses a 20cm subwoofer powered by a 200W Class D amplifier to pump bass into the room. And you can hear it.
If you want a seriously powerful, seriously impressive sound – look no further. You get plenty of volume and weight but don’t be thinking this speaker can’t also do subtle; it’s a highly-accomplished wireless speaker, whatever you throw at it. Add in multi-room connectivity and the option to extend the Audio Pro family and you have an enticing, excellent high-end speaker.
The LS50 Wireless speakers aren’t completely wireless – both master and slave speaker need to be plugged into the mains, and there’s a cable connecting them. But still, it’s a lot neater than a full hi-fi set-up with lots of separate boxes.
And the sound is very impressive indeed – there’s a ton of detail to get your teeth into, and it’s all delivered in an organised and stable manner. It’s a refined listen, too, able to handle dynamic shifts without breaking a sweat, with a soundstage that opens up like a vista in front of you. A brilliant buy.
Read the full review: KEFLS50 Wireless
(Image credit: Dynaudio)
20. Dynaudio XEO 10
They’re certainly pricey, but they’re versatile and sound fantastic.
SPECIFICATIONS
Hi-res support: 24-bit/96kHz | Streaming services: N/A | Bluetooth: 4.0 with aptX | Inputs: RCA, 3.5mm, optical digital | Finishes: 2 | Dimensions: 26 x 17 x 15cm (each) | Weight: 4kg (each)
Reasons to Buy
Detailed, agile sonics
Spacious soundstage
Plenty of features
Reasons to Avoid
Don’t feel premium
Bluetooth issues
Pricey
With Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack, compatibility with TVs, and an optical input that supports 24-bit/96kHZ files, you’re not short of choice when it comes to sources you can add. You’re also spoiled when it comes to placement – the Xeo 10s have a switch that optimises their performance depending on where you put them, be it close to a wall, in a corner or out in open space.
For speakers so small, they have an impressively panoramic soundstage, and they stay sounding clean even at high volumes. The low-end also packs plenty of weight, while the timing remains spot-on whatever you throw at them. Compact, versatile, great sounding… these speakers have it all.
DSP and analogue combine to great effect in these wireless wonders, and there are some nice design flourishes to show off (such as the ability to change volume by running your finger along the front edge of the top panel). To get the most from them, you’ll need Dali’s Sound Hub, which is basically a wireless preamp that adds Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer music streaming, plus Bluetooth.
It won’t leave you disappointed – the sound is dripping with drive and energy, while the bass has plenty of precision, agility and texture. The imaging is also handled with aplomb, making for an expansive soundstage. Worth every penny.
The New Year is a special moment in the minds of each of us. For a long time, this date has marked the moment when we plan what will change in our lives in the next 365 days. Depending on our character, these provisions may concern starting some activity or giving up something that has a negative impact on us. Unfortunately, it is not easy to change your lifestyle overnight. Therefore, many New Year’s resolutions end up with the fact that after a few weeks we just get discouraged and give up. What if there was something that would help us stick to our resolve and make it a little easier? This is where technology comes in handy. Here are six inexpensive gadgets that can help you meet your New Year’s Resolution.
The New Year has begun, and with it – the time of resolutions and their implementation. But what to do in order not to give up this time and persevere in our promises? Technology can help. Here are 6 gadgets to help us meet New Year’s resolutions.
E-book reader
One of the most frequently made decisions is that we will read more books in the coming year. Such a promise is most valuable, because the readership statistics in our country are decreasing every year. However, in today’s busy world, some people simply find it difficult to find time to read, and reading on the go and carrying books with you everywhere can be just uncomfortable. Books are not only heavy, but also easy to destroy and to lose the place where we finished reading recently. Therefore, instead of paper copies, it may be worth investing in an e-book reader, among which the Kindle brand reigns. This device can store thousands or even tens of thousands of books in its memory, it is light, handy and resistant to the hardships of everyday use. Moreover, it usually has some nice features. First of all – by opening a file with a given book, we are automatically directed to the place where we finished last, and additionally we can adjust such things as the font size and the brightness of the screen backlight, which makes it easier to read in dark rooms. Thanks to such a device, we can devote every moment of our free time to reading, which will greatly facilitate the implementation of our resolution.
Onyx Boox Max 3 e-reader test – on Android and without inhibitions
Fitness band
Another very popular resolution that we promise ourselves for the New Year is that we will do more sports, or – even exercise at all. In order to maintain a high level of motivation, it is crucial to be able to track your progress, because it is very easy to get discouraged without seeing results. Therefore, a smart fitness band is a good choice here. Such devices do not cost much and offer many possibilities related to tracking and organizing training. They can monitor the number of calories burned by us, the repetitions made, and if they are equipped with GPS – thanks to them we can track the routes of our run or cycling. In addition, most of them are also able to monitor our rest, which allows you to determine the appropriate training intervals. All this data is of course collected in the accompanying smartphone application, thanks to which we have easy access to them and we can both track our progress in training, and on their basis, for example, plan its expansion.
Review of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 smartband – invariably invincible
Good headphones
Hardly any gadget helps in implementing New Year’s resolutions as much as headphones. They are very versatile and thanks to them we can help ourselves in achieving many goals. If we want to exercise, good, motivating music can help a lot. If our goal is to read more books, why not reach for audiobooks? And if we want to be more productive at work, nothing helps us better than cutting ourselves off from our surroundings. So what kind of headphones should you choose? First of all, if we value comfort and convenience, it is worth considering the TWS model, i.e. wireless. In addition to the quality of the sound itself, let’s pay attention to whether the pair we are looking for has ANC (active noise reduction), thanks to which we can cut off from the sounds of the environment and work or exercise in peace. The prices of such headphones are decreasing every month and today it is not difficult to get good quality with really little money.
Great test of True Wireless in-ear and in-ear headphones
Heater of tobacco
A lot of Poles still smoke cigarettes, and many New Year’s resolutions are related to the desire to reduce smoking. After all, we all know how harmful cigarette smoke is to the smoker and to the smoker himself. Therefore, perhaps on the New Year it is worth getting a tobacco heater, also popularly known as IQOS after the name of the most popular model. It is a device that (as the name suggests) heats the previously pressed tobacco, supplying the body with nicotine, but without emitting unpleasant odors and without causing discoloration on the skin and teeth. The most important advantage, however, is much lower (studies even say about %) the amount and concentration of harmful substances compared to cigarette smoke produced in the process smoking traditional cigarette. And it is cigarette smoke and its tar, not nicotine, that is the leading cause of cigarette disease. So if we are disturbed by an addiction, but we do not have the willpower enough to end it on the move, it will be a good move to buy such a heater. Thanks to it, we will harm ourselves and the environment less.
IQOS 3 Duo tobacco heater review – back to menthol
Smart Bathroom Scale
Too high weight is slowly becoming a very popular disease of civilization also in Poland. Therefore, a large part of New Year’s resolutions is about losing two, five or maybe more kilos. Here, however, as in the case of sports, the key issue is to accurately track and analyze your progress and draw conclusions from the collected data. If we use a regular weight, it will only tell us how many kilograms we have, but it will not let us know what these kilograms make up. Therefore, it is worth looking for a scale that, in addition to this information, will conduct a thorough analysis of the body composition. All because thanks to this data we will know how our weight loss process is going. Often, if we want to lose weight thanks to exercise, our total body weight does not change, but the fat under the skin is displaced by much heavier muscles. With this information, it will be much easier for us to stay motivated, especially as modern bathroom scales also send all measurements to the smartphone app, which makes tracking the weight reduction process much easier.
Smart scales test: Huawei, Xiaomi, Fitbit, or maybe Hoffen?
Guitar neck protector
Who among us would not like to become a rock star or even be able to play focal classics to play with friends? Unfortunately, learning to play guitar can be a tedious and frustrating process if we don’t know how to go about it. Fortunately, technology can also help us here, because you only need to search for a while to find special guitar caps (eg Fret Zealot) that will help you learn to play. When placed on a fretboard, they will illuminate it in specific places, showing us on which frets we should press the strings to play specific chords. Thanks to the built-in tutorial companion applications, we will learn the basic techniques of the game, and the huge library of songs, to which the overlay can show chords in real time and make us quickly learn our favorite songs. Such a device will guide us through the most difficult stage of learning, allow us to see the effects of our work and can be the beginning of a very pleasant adventure with the guitar.
Testing Tests overview Smartphone Huawei P Smart 2021: Budget model with room for improvement Asus Zenfone 7 Pro: Turbo smartphone with flip camera Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro in the test: Hard but slow Oneplus Nord N 03 5G in the test: galloped in price Oppo Find X2 Pro in the test: performance bargain Asus ROG Phone 3 in the test: Perfect gaming smartphone LG Wing in the test: 1.5 displays and gimbal cam Smartwatch Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 in the T est: competition for Apple? Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Apple Buy Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 in the test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Huawei Watch GT in the test: record-breaking battery life Multiroom Ikea Symfonisk in the test: Sonos loudspeakers under 100 Euro Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: battery, WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: Versatile multi-room system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Teufel Raumfeld in the test: rich multiroom sound Keyfinder Tile Slim (2019): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range! Key finder Tile Pro in the test: the range champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test: looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0: smart key finder under test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder under test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without registration obligation Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 64 – Megapixel sensor Actioncam Insta 360 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test: The modular action cam Motorola Moto G8 Plus Review: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro-GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test : Good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microSDXC Kit MicroSD card for smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Test report: Lexar Professional 1800 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 64 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 20: Inexpensive high-end smartphone in the test Xiaomi Mi 9: top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 90 in the test: modular outdoor smartphone ZTE Axon 10 Pro in the test: high-end phone at a competitive price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, small price Sony Xperia 10: smartphone with 21: 9 display in Test Counselor Advisor overview Purchase advice The right cordless screwdriver for the home workshop t Bargain: Which Fire TV Stick from 19 € is the right one? Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless headphones: How much do you have to invest? Buying advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Adviser: Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: Is the predecessor XZ3 worth it now? Practice Caution, money away: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Turn off Android notifications from annoying apps Here’s how: Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: Use “Ok Google everywhere” in Germany In the test : Will the jailbreak work for iOS 7.1? Goder ma and mobile medicine: The doctor apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5, 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs, taxes and tricks Drones & copters: From toys to FPV Racer What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: What’s the point? Overview of smartphone processors: Everything Snapdragon? Evolutionary dead ends: the very worst cell phones mpass: Pay with the NFC mobile phone – or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Calculate pixel density, number and display proportion Best list Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Counselor TV-OS: Strengths & weaknesses of Android TV & Co beginning Android TV Tizen OS Web OS My Home Screen Loewe OS Metz VIDAA U3.0 Conclusion Comments by Jochen // 03. 01. 2021 11: 10 Clock
Does it matter which operating system the new Smart TV has? TechStage presents the most important OS for TVs in the guide and explains where they score.
Modern smart TVs no longer only differ in terms of appearance, equipment, and picture and sound quality. An essential feature is the operating system, which is largely responsible for ease of use. While the smartphone market is dominated by Android and iOS, several operating systems are competing for flat screen televisions. We will introduce you to all the important ones and address the respective strengths and weaknesses.
The article appears in our UHD TV theme world. There were other articles published there, for example our guide for really big TVs, tips for buying a next-gen TV or our constantly updated list of the cheapest TVs from all categories (e.g. OLED, HDMI 2.1 or just huge).
Android TV Not only on smartphones, but also on smartphones TVs are very popular with Android. In addition to Sony and Philips, TCL and Metz Blue rely on Android TV from Google. Corresponding televisions can not only be set up using the remote control supplied, but optionally using an Android smartphone.
Tile-like structure, clear structure and a lot of apps: that’s Android TV. #The start page has a uniform design on almost all Android TVs: Here you can find a list of the most important apps, streaming services and TV channels. All applications are arranged in tiles on the user interface; additional applications can be added in next to no time. While Android was still a bit sluggish and unstable to use in previous versions, these teething troubles have been resolved with Android 9.0 (Pie).
The gear wheel at the top right takes you to the most important system settings, the Google Assistant is lurking at the top left, for example to browse streaming services by voice or to call up current weather information or traffic reports.
The selection of apps under Android TV is generally huge and one of the best on the market. Thanks to the Google Play Store, you will find a varied portfolio in the areas of video, music, games and news. The integrated Google Chromecast ensures flexible compatibility with smartphones. While the standard interface is identical on all Android televisions, the individual manufacturers adapt their menus for picture and sound settings individually.
Overall, Android TV scores with a clear design, high operating speed and an extensive selection of apps. Smaller weak points in terms of performance can only be found on very inexpensive or older flat-screen TVs with an Android system. It is therefore important to check every now and then whether there is an update for your own TV.
Tizen OS With Tizen, Samsung uses its own operating system; the sheer number of Samsung TVs alone makes it a major competitor to Android TV. With Tizen OS, all functions are packed into a horizontal menu bar. You can store the most important apps here, preview streaming content, switch sources, open TV recordings from USB sticks and jump to the picture and sound settings.
Tizen OS from Samsung offers a lot of information at a glance and likes it colorful. All of this succeeds quickly even if the selected Samsung television does not have the fastest processor. In contrast to its competitors Philips and Panasonic, Samsung has integrated a powerful media player into Tizen OS, which can play photos and videos as 360 Degree view. In addition, there is a function in “Ambient Mode” to display paintings, photos or infographics with news or weather data on the screen when not in use. Alternatively, this takes on the look of the wallpaper behind the flat screen TV.
Relatively new is the intelligent program guide, which combines content from television and streaming services. In terms of apps, Samsung is one of the leading manufacturers on the market. In addition to HD +, you can also find Disney +, Apple TV, DAZN, Sky Ticket, Netflix, Tidal, Amazon Music, Spotify and Deezer. Tizen OS supports Apple AirPlay 2 to stream photos, music and videos from iPhone or iPad wirelessly to the hip flask, as well as Google Chromecast and Bluetooth.
If you like control by voice, you will also get your money’s worth with Tizen OS. A recent software update makes Google Assistant available on Samsung smart TVs in addition to Bixby and Amazon Alexa. Together with WebOS from LG Tizen OS is one of the most user-friendly and versatile operating systems on the market.
Web OS LG uses the WebOS operating system in its OLED and LCD televisions, which is visually reminiscent of the keyboard of a piano. The latest version, WebOS 5.0, is extremely fast and clearly structured. The high level of operating comfort is also due to the fact that you can control a mouse pointer on the TV with the LG remote control. So you can move the so-called Magic Remote freely in the air and navigate to the desired window like with a laser pointer. This is surprisingly precise and you get used to it quickly.
LG’s WebOS provides apps and functions like on a keyboard. The individual tiles give access to the TV program, the most important apps (these are freely configurable), the home dashboard – an overview of all connected and networked devices – as well as the art gallery, the sports alarm and the fast media player for 360 – degree representations. The art gallery contains paintings, photos and drawings that transform the LG TV, including a wooden or metal frame, into a deceptively real work of art. The sports alarm provides timely information about when your favorite team is playing again, for example in football or basketball, and provides constantly updated results.
With AirPlay 2 and the support of Chromecast and Miracast, WebOS 5.0 is very communicative. The range of videos and games in the app area is plentiful, including Apple TV, Disney +, DAZN, Sky Ticket, Google Play Films, Netflix and Zattoo. However, music and news apps still have room for improvement. The already installed application “Reelgood”, a streaming guide that bundles content from Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video and Maxdome, is very useful.
LG has thought of the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. In terms of handling and clarity, WebOS 5.0 is currently ahead, closely followed by Samsung Tizen OS, Panasonics My Home Screen and Android TV.
My Home Screen Panasonic equips its current flat screen TVs with the My Home Screen 5.0 operating system. This is clearly laid out, almost spartan, and requires little space on a flat screen. In the horizontal bar you can find the app icons from Netflix, YouTube and the “HD +” platform as well as access to the complete range of apps and an overview of all connected devices.
My Home Screen from Panasonic is limited to the essentials and is therefore intuitive to use. The sorting of the symbols is flexible, other applications can be added. You can also assign a button on the remote control to start your favorite app with just one press of a button.
New in My Home Screen Version 5.0 is the preview of thumbnails with various cinematic content as soon as you navigate to the streaming apps from Netflix and YouTube. The Panasonic software works quickly and smoothly with barely noticeable waiting times when changing menus. In addition to a DLNA server, My Home Screen also has the TV> IP function. This allows the TV signal to be transported over the network to a television set in another room in which no programs are traditionally accessible via cable, satellite or DVB-T2.
At Panasonic, the app offer is still expandable. With Disney + and Apple TV, two industry giants are missing here. Even those who like to stream music are currently losing out with the Japanese. When it comes to voice control, Panasonic is also not up to date: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can only be used in conjunction with separate speakers.
Loewe OS The traditional Loewe brand, which after the takeover by the Skytech Group was able to avert its final end at the very last second, is building its high-priced television with the Loewe OS6.3 operating system. In contrast to earlier Loewe TVs, the current models are easy to operate thanks to their attractive user interface with rectangular symbols and a simple menu structure. However, you have to get used to some little things first, such as the fact that a longer press on the “Home” button leads to the picture and sound settings.
The Loewe OS is clear, but important streaming apps such as Netflix are missing. The start page gives you access to the TV recordings that land on the internal hard drive. With the apps, however, you have to do without industry giants such as Netflix. These are only accessible via a Fire TV Stick from Amazon, which Loewe makes available to its customers free of charge after registering online. All applications on the streaming stick can be accessed via the heavy Loewe remote control.
In the spring 2021 Loewe wants to significantly expand the range of apps with a new platform. Loewe OS6.3 works quickly overall, but like Panasonic only enables voice control via Amazon Alexa via separate speakers such as the Echo Dot. Multimedia files can be accessed from a smartphone or a Fritzbox, for example. Loewe OS 6.3 has caught up with the market leaders from LG, Samsung, Panasonic and the like, but cannot quite keep up in terms of appearance and comfort.
Metz While the cheaper smart TVs of the Metz Blue series are delivered with Android, some Metz televisions come with a Linux Operating system used. This offers a special feature: The user can decide for himself how complex the user interface should appear. In addition, the number of functions can be gradually adapted to your own needs (“Simple”, “Comfort”, “Expert”). The start page and the submenus are kept very factual with clear labeling, but dispense with colored frills. But you know immediately which function is where.
The Metz user interface is based on a Linux system and attaches great importance to sober objectivity. The Linux system promptly implements control commands via the remote control and works at a good speed. The heavy metal signaling device with a well-structured key arrangement has reserved three keys so that preferred functions can be freely assigned to them.
If apps are important to you, you should think twice about buying a Metz TV. Because Netflix, Disney +, Apple TV, YouTube, Rakuten TV or Amazon Prime Video are just some of the relevant applications that are not available here. You have to buy a Fire TV stick separately.
Instructions are stored in the operating system so that you can look up almost any important topic quickly if you have any questions. Bluetooth and Chromecast are supported for streaming. Overall, the Linux operating system is very tidy and quickly transparent, without setting optical highlights.
VIDAA U3. 0 At the steadily growing TV manufacturer Hisense, the operating system listens to the bulky and somewhat getting used to name VIDAA U3.0. Here memories of Android TV are immediately awakened. This is ensured by the large tiles on the user interface, which not only include apps, but also the entrances and the media player.
Reminiscent of Android, but is named VIDAA U3.0: the operating system from Hisense . The operating concept is well thought out, Hisense dispenses with a nested menu structure and also makes life easy for new customers who previously trusted a different TV brand. There is also an aluminum remote control, which is also clearly designed and has four direct selection buttons for the streaming portals Netflix, YouTube, Rakuten TV and Amazon Prime Video.
Hisense cannot keep up with the range of apps from Sony, Philips, Samsung or LG, but the most important streaming platforms are on board. Via the home network, VIDAA U3.0 allows access to multimedia files that are slumbering on a PC hard drive or a media server in the network. The media player is, however, quite simple and neither does 360 – Degree representations still zoom in on photos. Amazon Alexa can be used for voice commands via voice.
Overall, VIDAA U3.0 makes a very smooth impression, but you have to be patient when switching and starting recordings on USB Bring your hard drive. Because the remote control does not have its own record button. Rather, you first have to navigate to the TimeShift menu and from here to the record button. Top dogs like LG, Samsung and Panasonic are still ahead in the area of ease of use.
Conclusion The operating system of a TV may not seem essential at first glance. But it depends a lot on how you want to use the television in the future. Anyone who mainly watches traditional television or plays via a Blu-Ray player (guide) does not have to attach excessive weight to the TV OS. But if you use apps and streaming services, or stream video games from the cloud via a cloud service such as Shadow or Geforce Now, you should take a close look at what you are buying. Android TV is one step ahead here, and hardly any other manufacturer has app support.
The good news is that these functions can be upgraded if necessary. There are enough cheap streaming sticks, as our guide to streaming boxes shows in comparison. If you need a little more power, you should take a look at the Nvidia Shield TV (guide).
The article appears in our UHD TV theme world. There were other articles published there, for example our guide for really big TVs, tips for buying a next-gen TV or our constantly updated list of the cheapest TVs from all categories (e.g. OLED, HDMI 2.1 or just huge).
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Ticket sales for the virtual performance of “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” grossed more than one million US dollars at the premiere. The money will go to the American charity The Actors Fund, which helps employees in need in the fields of film, theater, television, music, opera and dance.
Prominent participants What started in the TikTok community as a funny musical adaptation of the famous Disney-Pixar film about a rat with great cooking ambitions, transformed quickly turned into a full-blown production, in which not only well-known TikTokers but also professional singers and actors like Tituss Burgess (“The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Adam Lambert (since 2011 Singers from Queen) and Wayne Brady (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Ashley Park (“Emily in Paris”) participate.
“Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” premiered on 1. January. The stream should still be available until tomorrow, Monday. Tickets are sold on a “Contribute what you can” basis at prices ranging from $ 5 to 100 US dollars. According to the initiators, the virtual musical has so far reached more than 200 million viewers.
Amazon is reacting to the growing interest in podcasts and is taking over one of the largest independent networks for such content with the US company Wondery. The Internet group, which has only been offering podcasts via its streaming service Amazon Music since September 2020, is now much closer to its most important competitor, Spotify. The Swedes recently secured numerous rights to well-known podcasts.
Amazon does not comment on the purchase price in a statement. According to the Wall Street Journal, it is said to be more than 300 million US dollars – by the summer 2019 the value will have 100 Millions located. Since then, Wondery has been able to expand its sales. For the year 2020, the company that was founded only 2016, whose shareholders include Disney, expects sales of 40 million US dollars. Three quarters of this comes from the advertising and licensing business, the rest from partnerships with other podcast providers such as Audible and our own premium subscription. Its users can play like podcasts without advertisements.
This is likely to remain the case in the future. Because as Amazon reports, nothing should change for previous Wondery users. They also want to keep working with their current partners – so well-known podcasts such as “Dr. Death” or “Dirty John” can still be accessed via Apple Music and Spotify. It is not yet known when the content will also be available via Amazon Music. The reason for this is probably the fact that negotiations have not yet been fully concluded, according to the company.
(Pocket-lint) – The fitness tracker market is as crowded as it’s ever been, and only getting busier with time. The benefit of that competition is that more and more devices are releasing that do a great job of tracking your wellbeing and fitness without costing a bomb.
Filtering through to the best devices can be a bit of a challenge though. Luckily, we’re here to help. We’ve weeded out the weaklings to select only the best fitness trackers on the market for you to choose from. We’ve also got distinct features for best smartwatches and best GPS sport watches too, for those who’d prefer a different flavour of wearable.
If what you want is step counting, calorie tracking, sleep advice and maybe even heart rate tracking and GPS connectivity, you’re absolutely in the right spot.
The best fitness trackers to buy today
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Charge 4
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The Fitbit Charge 4 takes everything that’s great about the Fitbit Charge 3 and adds GPS to it. That means it’s a better standalone fitness device, able to give you a little more information without the need for a connected phone. It’s still slim, comfortable and able to track all your daily stats like steps, sleep and activities, with the added extra of being able to give you an accurate route and speed for runs and rides. It also supports Fitbit Pay for mobile payments.
The downside that functionality brings is that heavy GPS use will drain the battery quickly, but if it’s a fitness tracker you’re after, this certainly ticks all the boxes. On top of that, the Fitbit ecosystem is great, supported by a brilliant app that presents your data in a way that’s easy to understand and doesn’t baffle too much with numbers – instead it presents sensible metrics, so you’re always in the picture.
Fitbit Charge 4 review: The most accomplished fitness band?
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Charge 3
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Yes, the Fitbit Charge 4 might be a better option, but the Fitbit Charge 3 still has a lot of appeal. Not only does it offer all those metrics such as sleep, steps and activities, but because it’s slightly older, it offers better value for money.
Sure, you miss out on some of the headline features like GPS, but if you’re not going to be doing a lot of running or riding – or have no interest in speed and distance details – then you might get all you want from the Charge 3. If it’s mostly lifestyle tracking you want rather than sports tracking, the Charge 3 has plenty to offer.
Fitbit Charge 3 review: A stand-out smart fitness tracker
Pocket-lint
Garmin Vivoactive 4
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The Garmin Vivoactive 4 distills much of the goodness that Garmin offers in its advanced fitness trackers and puts them into a device that’s more accessible and offering better value for the money. It offers great heart rate tracking and GPS, as well as monitoring things like steps, sleep and your daily activity.
This is a Garmin device aimed at those who want all those things but don’t really consider themselves to be an athlete who needs the more advanced functions and options offered by the Forerunner or Fenix devices. What the Vivoactive 4 offers is just about enough fitness tracking to keep most happy, in a stylish package with plenty of options.
Garmin Vivoactive 4 review: Great tracking without the huge price tag
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Inspire HR
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The Fitbit Inspire HR offers almost everything the Charge 3 does but in a slimmer, cheaper package. It’s not as premium in appearance as the Charge 3 but it offers great value for money, interchangeable straps and plenty of features including heart rate tracking, exercise tracking and advanced sleep tracking.
The Inspire HR replaces the Fitbit Alta and Fitbit Flex lines, offering a good OLED display, great performance, good battery life, smartphone notifications and it is also waterproof. For its price tag, the Inspire HR is an excellent fitness tracker. It has been succeeded by the Inspire 2 though so consider that one if this sounds up your street.
Fitbit Inspire HR review: The new fitness tracking king?
Pocket-lint
Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
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The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is more sports watch than standard activity tracker but it offers song storage, waterproofing, changeable straps, heart rate, GPS, altitude, cadence and motion so it is a great option for those all about data.
It has the functionality of most smartwatches with notifications and functions, while offering excellent sports and activity tracking, a compact design for this style of activity tracker and it is comfortable to wear whilst also being compatible with Bluetooth headphones. It’s very expensive when compared to the likes of the Fitbit Charge however and while the battery life is better than many smartwatches, it isn’t better than the likes of the Charge or Inspire lines.
Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review: On the beat?
Pocket-lint
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
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Garmin’s Fenix 6 is a stone-cold stunner of a smartwatch, and its fitness features are pretty much best-in-class. The reason we haven’t placed it further up this list, though, is that it’s pretty unlikely to be in many people’s budgets. The Forerunner 645 has a great set of features at a big price, but the Fenix 6 Pro takes that even further on both counts.
If you’re willing to spend big, you’re getting a great two-week battery life, with some of the best tracking in any device, and mapping that can take you as far off the beaten track as you’re willing to go. PacePro, meanwhile, is a revelation if you’re into racing, and will genuinely help you regulate your pace for those elusive personal bests. If you want all these features and a boost in battery, you could also consider the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar.
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro review: Sublime sports watch, great smartwatch
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Versa 2
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Fitbit’s Versa 2 has been succeeded by the Versa 3 but it’s still a worthy consideration if you’re looking for more of a fitness smartwatch than fitness tracker. It offers a coloured display, NFC for Fitbit Pay and several smartwatch features, including some third party apps. There is a heart rate monitor, an altimeter and the Versa 2 is waterproof too.
It misses out on built-in GPS, which the Versa 3 has, offering connected GPS instead, but the Versa 2 allows you to connect to Bluetooth headphones for listening to music and it offers all the excellent features of the Fitbit platform. You’ll pay more for this device than the Charge 4 but if you want something more substantial without going full smartwatch, the Versa is a good option and the Versa 2 is cheaper than the Versa 3.
Fitbit Versa 2 review: Alexa, what’s the new Fitbit smartwatch like?
Pocket-lint
Garmin Forerunner 45
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For those after a fitness tracker that’s good for running, the Garmin Forerunner 45 is a great budget running watch. It doesn’t offer full Connect IQ support, it has limited additional sports tracking and it lacks training insights, but the Garmin Forerunner 45 is easy to use, works with Garmin Coach and has a week-long battery life.
This watch sticks to the basics, but if you’re looking for a simple and easy-to-use running watch, plus some added smartwatch features, the Forerunner 45 definitely fits the bill.
Garmin Forerunner 45 review: A great budget running watch
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Sense
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The Fitbit Sense has a solid and premium design, a lovely vibrant display, it’s easy to use and it comes packed with sensors, making it an excellent health watch.
It’s not great as a smartwatch, and quite a few of its brilliant features are locked behind the Fitbit Premium subscription, but the Sense is fantastic as a device for monitoring your health.
Fitbit Sense review: Good health watch, average smartwatch
Pocket-lint
Withings Steel HR Sport
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The Withings Steel HR Sport is the newer model of the Withings Steel HR. It offers a similar design but it introduces a different strap, along with VO2 Max measuring and GPS.
This activity tracker fills gaps left by other hybrid watches and fully smart watches. It delivers a fantastic battery life, nice analogue face and it isn’t excessively expensive. The Steel HR Sport tracks over 30 sports, it is lightweight and durable and it’s equipped with enough features to ensure fitness enthusiasts aren’t left feeling short-changed.
Withings Steel HR Sport review: Analogue and digital collide
Pocket-lint
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
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The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is again more sportswatch than fitness tracker but it’s a great option for those into running but not wanting to spend the big bucks on a top-of-the-range Garmin. It doesn’t have an altimeter and there’s no Garmin Pay, but the Forerunner 245 Music has a slim and light design, training insights and easy to use music features.
The Forerunner 245 is a watch where run tracking is the focal point and if that’s what you care about the most, it certainly delivers a great experience.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music review: Hitting all the right notes
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is another option that’s slightly more watch than activity tracker, but it is still packed full of features including waterproofing, heart rate and built-in GPS. It also offers fully-fledged smartwatch capabilities.
It’s one of the most attractive designs on the list, too – we’re big fans of its subdued looks. Like the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music though, you won’t get the battery life of devices like the Fitbit Charge 4 and Fitbit Inspire 2, and sleep tracking isn’t as accomplished on Fitbit’s range of options.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review: Buy now or wait for the pending features?
Pocket-lint
Garmin Venu Sq
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The Garmin Venu Sq retains the potency of Garmin’s sporting heritage but in a less sporty design compared to the rest of the company’s portfolio.
It’s a compact and comfortable design that offers lots of sports tracking and GPS, along with good accuracy and Body Battery.
Its display isn’t the best and the user interface is a little basic, but the Garmin Venu Sq hass a decent battery life and offers something a little different.
Garmin Venu Sq review: Sporting smarts in a compact watch
Pocket-lint
Polar Vantage M
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Polar redesigned its sports watches in 2018 and launched the Vantage series. There’s the V which is the top model and the M, which loses some functions and doesn’t quite have the same premium design as the V, but offers much of the same goodness. It offers great heart tracking and GPS, with lots of metrics for fitness fans and runners.
It’s supported by Polar Flow, a great app to view your data and sort things and for those wanting to track their training, the Vantage M puts in a good showing with a lot of useful metrics. Where it can’t quite compete is in the smart functions – it’s not as well connected as Garmin or Fitbit, there’s no support for mobile payments or music. But the M is better value for money than the Vantage V, so we think it’s the better option.
RESUME The Qnap TVS – 672 N is a NAS aimed at the true audio enthusiast. With the enormous amount of storage capacity, lovers of films and series will not complain. Support for Roon, Linn Audio and the possibility for virtualization are big pluses. The scalability of the hardware ensures that you are ready for years to come. The Qnap TVS – 743 N is (almost) a must have for the digital audio enthusiast.
PLUS POINTS Hardware Scalability Future proof Storage capacity Roon Virtualization MINUSES Price can deter You still need to buy hard drives With the exponential growth of streaming services, we would almost forget that not too long ago we provided our own streaming or still do. The NAS is an extremely suitable system for this. NAS systems have gone through many developments and are now able to accomplish a lot more. We’re going to enter the Qnap TVS 672 N and at the same time wondering if owning a NAS is still interesting.
Qnap TVS 672 N: Large amount of local self-managed storage
Netflix, Disney +, Amazon, Videoland, Tidal, Spotify, Deezer and Qobuz. Just a quick selection from the enormous range of streaming services. But many audio enthusiasts have already built up a huge library of music. And many film lovers also have a collection with films and series. Of course, it would be weird to pay a streaming service money to watch movies or listen to music you already own. So why not start your own streaming service at home on your own computer network?
We have received a heavyweight from Qnap: the TVS – 672 N NAS server. NAS stands for Network Attached Storage, or in plain English, storage capacity on the network. Perhaps an overkill for one person, a solution for another. We are curious what the Qnap TVS – 743 N us in the streaming era can offer.
Qnap TVS 672 N: Scalable Hardware for User (s)
Technology has an expiration date . You know from a smartphone that a faster and better model will be on the market in a year. A NAS server should be more aging-free. The Qnap TVS – 672 N therefore has a lot of functionality on board, which you can scale. We have the test model with 4 GB DDR4 RAM (RAM stands for Random Access Memory, that is working memory, not storage memory). The processor on board is a desktop processor and supports up to 32 GB RAM. So if the initial amount of RAM is not enough, you can just expand.
This also applies to the storage capacity. It is also easy to expand. Our test model TVS 743 N has six hard drive bays. These can easily be put in at the front. In addition, the device also has 2x m.2 NVMe ssd storage slots (Gen 3 x2.2 GB / s). This makes SSD caching possible, which can increase the overall speed considerably. There is also a USB connection on the front for easy and fast file transfer and a display for reading information.
The party really starts at the back. The first thing that strikes us are the two expansion options with Pcie. It is therefore possible to expand with, for example, a (small) video card. Or the Qm2 card for an extra SSD, if necessary. We also see three ethernet connections type RJ 45. These have different speeds. 5G / 2.5G / 1G network ports make it possible to work with large files over the network. There is also 1x a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 2x a Type C USB 3.2 Gen 2 port and 2x Type A USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. Because the Qnap TVS – 743 N equipped with a desktop I3 8100 T 3.1 GHz processor, you have access to Intel graphics. At the back we also find an HDMI connection that supports 4K. To make it complete also a 3.5 millimeter audio input and output.
On the Qnap TVS – 672 N runs Qnap’s own software. The Qnap operating system runs from 5 GB flash memory and that is nice and fast.
This is really just the hardware that we can see on the outside just as quickly. This gives you as a user, but also as a small company, an enormous amount of functionality. And we haven’t even looked at the software yet. It does indicate that this NAS is focused on the future.
Qnap TVS 672 N: Roon Ready
Connecting and installing is almost as easy as connecting a Sonos Five or Bluesound to the network. Qnap has paid attention to this in the right way to make it as easy as possible for the user (s). We set a password and end up in the Qnap environment of the NAS server. The first thing to do is add storage. We set a raid volume. This ensures that we significantly reduce the risk of data loss. Preference is given to large discs in sets of two. The support for a large amount of storage is of course available. Drives up to 18 TB are supported should it be needed now or in the future. Multiply that by a factor of six and we can get rid of quite a bit of music and movies, even with raid volumes configured.
There’s actually little you can’t do with the Qnap TVS – 672 N can do. You can set up the Nas for the office or for entertainment. And the latter is exactly what has our attention. Qnap has its own piece of software for music and movies. That works fine and for the average music and video enthusiast this is more than enough. Butâ ?? ¦â ?? ¦ there is something that we as audio enthusiasts attach a lot of value to. Roon! One app to rule them all! Roon does not need any further introduction (If you do, read our article about the Roon Labs software). But if you still want to read more about it, read all about how Qnap how Roon works enabled on the NAS. It can be downloaded and installed as an app. There is a small catch. To get Roon working properly, Roon has a few requirements. For example, Roon would run best from a separate SSD of at least 300 GB and 4 GB RAM to keep it running smoothly. The SSD can be both internal and external. 6 TB of storage is also not an unnecessary luxury. So if you want to do a lot on the Qnap TVS – 672 N, you can always upgrade the amount of RAM. Consider, for example, a mail and / or Ldap server, together with Roon and also Plex. Because Roon, as we know, is a demanding piece of software. Still, it’s nice to know that the Qnap TVS – 672 N is prepared for it.
However, the possibilities don’t stop there. We choose to install Roon on an external Samsung T7 SSD. The Samsung T7 SSD uses USB 3.2 Gen 2 and can therefore use speeds of until 1000 Get Mb / s. Plex is slightly less demanding and can be installed without Diva behavior.
Qnap also offers the possibility to run virtual systems. For this Qnap uses the software Container station. This gives you the option to run a Linux virtual machine or use Docker. Why can that be useful (and we think mainly in audio and video)? Because it gives you the option to set up a virtual machine that is purely focused on audio. Suppose you don’t have Roon but Linn. Qnap also provides this. But if you prefer to work with a different system, you can set up a virtual machine that serves as an audio streamer or database. Many people love to interact with a Raspberry Pi and try things out. On the Qnap you just create a virtual â ???? Raspberry Piâ ???? and you start working with it. Maybe you have a security camera around your house and you want the images for a few more days can look back. So there are a lot of possibilities and functionality that the Qnap TVS – 672 N us can offer.
Qnap TVS 672 N: work in your own cloud Today you cannot open the newspaper or newspaper app or there is a message about a data breach. Another company that has lost data or data that has ended up on the street. Working in â ???? the Cloudâ ???? is of course great and also offers many outcomes, but â ???? The Cloudâ ???? In short, is still someone else’s computer. And the use of someone else’s computer is usually not unlimited, nor is it free. Why not just your own cloud? That is not a bad idea at all in this special period, in which we all work more and more in different places from a distance.
This actually happened organically for us. We had the Qnap TVS – 672 N fully equipped for entertainment. But slowly we started to use more functionality. We started working on the Qnap with text files and photos that we want to be able to share. More and more the Qnap started to become a digital partner in our daily use. With the Boxsafe app you can link the suite from Google or that of Microsoft Office 400.
But if there are more information is put on the Qnap, another aspect becomes important. Especially if the server can also be accessed from the internet. We are referring to information security. This is a subject to which complete books and training courses are devoted. Telling it in one paragraph how this should and works is simply not possible. Nevertheless, we would like to give a few tips. Make sure you have good passwords, but preferably a passphrase. Create separate users, other than Admin and do not give those users the admin rights. This separates the powers / rights. If you want to use third party software, make sure you can validate the origin of the software. It should preferably be a reliable source and maker. It’s safer to use Qnap’s app center itself, but in some cases it’s no different.
Qnap TVS 672 N: Final Verdict
The Qnap TVS – 672 N is a fairly heavyweight. With a price of 1. 599 euro is the Qnap TVS – 672 N not suitable for everyone. The price of one or more hard drives is in addition to that, but the user can start with one or two drives and expand later if necessary. But for the digital audio and video enthusiast, the Qnap TVS 672 N one solution and offers more than enough possibilities to provide storage. The Qnap is also highly scalable and you will always be able to upgrade in the coming years. Think of more RAM, an M.2 SSD or even a video card. And as an audio enthusiast, you don’t have to purchase a separate Roon server, you just install it on the Qnap. An Intel Nuc that functions as a server can easily cost around 365 a 599 euro (without storage or memory), but can expire when using a Qnap NAS.
Our initial question “Is it interesting to own a NAS?” we can answer with “yes”. Qnap also has smaller models and also more extensive models. Should the Qnap TVS – 743 If you are a heavy overkill or even fall short, then there is certainly a Qnap model that suits your personal needs.
Qnap TVS 672 N: c inclusion
The Qnap TVS – 672 N is a NAS aimed at the true audio enthusiast. With the enormous amount of storage capacity, lovers of films and series will not complain. Support for Roon, Linn Audio and the possibility for virtualization are big pluses. The scalability of the hardware ensures that you are ready for years to come. The Qnap TVS – 672 N is (almost) a must have for the digital audio enthusiast.
For the true music fan, there should be as little difference as possible between listening to your music on your home system and listening when you’re out and about – whether that’s simply being in the garden, on a walk or even (fingers crossed for the future) on your daily commute or on holiday.
Until fairly recently, though, being able to listen to your tunes on the go required a massive compromise in the quality you had to accept. That gap between home and mobile is, as is the way with technology, closing all the time – and here we have a terrific example of just how good your music can sound from a relatively simple handset and headphones combination; with a rather important addition to link the two…
Here’s a brilliant turntable, tablet and wireless speaker system
Here’s an excellent hi-fi system combining vinyl and streaming
Enjoy CDs and streaming with this complete digital hi-fi system
While we’re huge fans of bespoke personal music players (and for the very best sound, you should plump for one, and listen to high-resolution music files), being practical about this, it’s clear that for most people, using their mobile device is the preferred option. It’s simply more practical to use one piece of kit for everything – provided it can do a competent job. And today’s smartphones do a really fine job of being the jack of all trades. You can take your pick of the best Android or Apple devices, but for our purposes, we’re going down the Apple route here, as the Cupertino king has produced consistently great-sounding products over the years.
And, of course, for our purposes here it’s the sound that we’re thinking of. Plug in a decent pair of in-ear headphones (you’ll need Apple’s 3.5mm-to-Lightning dongle), or fire up a pair of wireless earbuds and the iPhone 12 really earns its stripes. We’ve come to expect musicality and rhythm where Apple’s smartphones are concerned and its latest effort doesn’t disappoint.
Essentially, it’s a case of more of the same, with the iPhone 12 delivering enthusiasm and musicality in spades. It works well across multiple genres and keeps you entertained right to the last second of every track.
Play Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror and there’s plenty of sparkle in those highs during those opening seconds. The iPhone picks out plenty of detail and texture from Jacko’s voice and its ability to handle dynamics with aplomb means you feel the full impact as the vocal switches from sounding delicate in the verses to punchier and more direct in the chorus, reinforced with the backing of the gospel choir.
Best smartphones 2020
(Image credit: AudioQuest)
The iPhone is a decent music player in its own right, then. But, to really boost the sound of this little system, you need to add a good DAC. Audioquest’s DragonFly range has always impressed us with its abilities at a reasonable price. And the DragonFly Cobalt we have here is its best effort yet – although also its most expensive. You’ll need to invest in Apple’s USB camera adapter to use it (another £26/$29 to the bill, sadly), but you’ll certainly appreciate the difference to the sound the investment makes. And it’s not restricted to simply improving your mobile tunes; use this little stick on your laptop and it will be a winner as well.
Once attached to your device and selected as means of audio output, the DAC’s LED will shine one of six colours to indicate sampling rate: red for standby, green for 44.1kHz, blue for 48kHz, yellow for 88.2 kHz, light blue for 96kHz or purple when decoding MQA.
The Cobalt does wonders in cleaning up sonic performance, no matter what kind of file we feed it or whether it’s streaming from YouTube, Spotify, Tidal or playing from our own hi-res library.
AudioQuest claims its new DAC ‘strips away fuzz and fog that weren’t even noticeable until removed’, and we’d have to agree. It is so precise a rendering that we feel almost duty bound to play our highest-resolution recordings through it.
Lines are indelibly drawn round the edges of each instrument, with granular detail on offer to complement the cleanliness and military precision. The Cobalt isn’t necessarily concerned with polishing your music, only the lens through which it can be seen: bedroom recordings can still sound intimately lo-fi, purposefully screeching treble remains uncensored and grisly riffs still drag their knuckles along the floor.
You could spend your time analysing the music if you like; the Cobalt makes that easy with its wide-open soundstage and impressive clarity, but AudioQuest has not lost itself entirely in the detail, offering still a keen sense of rhythm and expressive dynamic range. The Cobalt’s hard work is also heard as it belts out grand dynamic shifts before donning its reading glasses to contour those more diminutive quivers.
The only reason some people might be put off the Cobalt in favour of the cheaper DragonFly Red is that the Cobalt is a serious performer. It improves on almost every aspect of its older sibling’s Award-winning presentation, yes; but with that added insight and maturity comes a slight loss of the fluidity that makes the Red sound so human. That doesn’t counteract any of the sonic improvements you’re getting for your premium outlay, but some may favour the Red’s more relaxed temperament.
Best DACs 2020
(Image credit: Shure)
Our choice of headphones for this on-the-go system might be a surprise to some – they’ve been around for many a year now, after all. But the Shure SE425, for all their lack of modern wireless connection, are still, after seven years, hugely competitive in-ears. As we said when giving them their gong in 2019, these simply sound fun, absorbing, classy, polished, captivating…
Get some music going and it’s as if the Shures disappear, leaving you with just their sound. To say it’s an immersive experience is an understatement. The level of finesse on offer is astonishing even at this price: you’ll hear things you never thought were there, even on recordings you know inside out.
They’re energetic, too, more than capable of handling tight rhythms and punchy rock, while never tipping over into brashness. It would be easy to overcook the top-end in the name of excitement, but Shure has kept just enough of a lid on it to create space and fun without making it feel like someone’s squirted lemon juice into your ears.
The midrange performance is as solid as you like – that vein of detail continues all the way down the frequency range.
Vocals are nuanced and placed to the fore, yet they never conflict with other elements in the same frequency range.
Move down to the bass and there’s a decent amount of thud. The sense of isolation helps with low-frequency extension too – these really do block out almost everything around you.
And, of course, that cable only helps to get them in this system. As with most hi-fi, having a direct physical link tends to help quality – and the DAC and headphone combo here is a superb recipe for sonic success.
An iOS app called Vybe Together that promoted private parties during the COVID-19 pandemic has been removed from the Apple App Store, had its account on TikTok banned, and scrubbed most of its online presence. The app’s creators told The Verge that Apple was the one to take it off the App Store.
Vybe Together billed itself on TikTok and its website as a place to organize and attend underground parties, using the tagline “Get your rebel on. Get your party on.” Organizers would have to approve everyone who wanted to attend, and the ones that got approved would receive the address two hours before the event. Most of these gatherings would have been illegal under current US pandemic restrictions — which may explain why the app required you to submit a profile for approval before you were allowed on.
Screenshots from the iOS App Store page.
Calling a phone number on Vybe Together’s site connected The Verge with someone who identified themselves as Albin, one of the app’s co-founders. They said that the app had a few thousand users, and that a few thousand additional applicants had requested access to it since the company started putting videos on TikTok. Applying involved submitting your Instagram handle and uploading pictures of you partying to the service, presumably to make sure that you weren’t someone who was going to spill the beans about the events.
Vybe Together largely had a low profile before today, although it was mentioned in at least one EventBrite invitation to a New York party in September. It received wider exposure after The New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz critically tweeted screenshots of the website and described it as an app for “finding and promoting COVID-unsafe large, indoor house parties.”
Vybe Together’s now-removed FAQ page acknowledged the danger of the pandemic, but it said the app was designed to promote “small gatherings” rather than “big parties.” (Smaller gatherings of people from different households can still spread the coronavirus, creating chains of infection that extend far beyond the original event, putting people who didn’t attend the party at risk.)
It’s unknown whether the app substantially contributed to people holding unsafe events, although it promoted “gatherings every weekend” — including an upcoming New Year’s Eve party — in a TikTok video. The Vybe Together app had only 25 ratings before being removed, and its Instagram page has under 1,000 followers. In a statement to The Verge, TikTok said the account on that platform had only 139 followers when it was removed. The app appears to have launched previously under the name Trendies, a name mentioned on its now largely empty Instagram page.
Vybe Together’s website also advertised a “Vybe House” for the 2021 Zamna Festival music event in Tulum, Mexico. The house’s pictures correspond to an Airbnb listing for a rental called the Casa Remy Villa. However, the listing’s manager couldn’t confirm the existence of a “Vybe House” event to The Verge. “We have rented the villa to some influencers,” said the owner, who had “no idea” if any renters were linked to the app. “But they know parties aren’t allowed of any kind as they are forbidden by authorities during [the] pandemic, with the risk of shutting down the property and a huge fine.” The Airbnb host also notes that the Zamna festival was recently postponed to April — not the January dates listed on its website.
Vybe Together’s Instagram account now contains a single text post. “Blown out of proportion by media,” it reads. “We DO NOT CONDONE LARGE GATHERINGS.”
Update December 29, 8:06 ET: The app’s creators have now clarified that Apple was the one to pull the app from the App Store.
This year marked the introduction of the first Macs to be powered by Apple’s own silicon instead of Intel chips. As is evidenced by our reviews of the M1 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, these machines are incredibly powerful and offer wicked fast performance. This is especially true for apps that are designed to run natively on them and take full advantage of Apple’s latest technologies.
So in that vein, this year’s Mac apps list is going to focus on some of the software that has already been optimized for this new era of Apple hardware. Last year’s picks remain just as relevant and useful today if you’re on an Intel machine. But if you’ve been gifted (or are gifting yourself) one of these new speed-demon Macs, these are a few great ways of sampling what they can do.
We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro is one of the very best image editing apps for the Mac. It has the usual set of RAW editing tools, presets, sophisticated layer editing, and photo filters, and makes it easy to control every detail of your images. What sets Pixelmator Pro apart are the automatic adjustments it can make through a machine learning algorithm that has been trained with over 20 million photos. The latest update also allows greater customizability over the interface, letting you put everything where it makes the most sense for your workflow. And in a world where many creative apps demand a subscription, I really appreciate the one-time $19.99 price for everything this app gives you.
Pixelmator Pro’s iPad app ($4.99) is also wonderful — especially if you like retouching things with your Apple Pencil, which is how I edit many of my review photos.
Lightroom
Lightroom
Lightroom is the first of Adobe’s hugely popular apps to be optimized for Apple’s M1 silicon. And for many people, it’s the default choice for editing and organizing their photo collection. Now the app has been updated to leverage the power of Apple’s M1 chip to make that editing go even quicker.
Keep in mind this is the regular version of Lightroom; Lightroom Classic doesn’t run natively on M1, but Adobe says there are no known issues running it through Rosetta 2 translation. In my experience, Lightroom Classic feels very similar to its performance on Intel Macs.
A native M1 version of Photoshop is set to follow sometime next year, but Adobe hasn’t given release time frames for other apps such as Premiere Pro.
Google Chrome and Firefox
Google Chrome
Two major browsers, Chrome and Firefox, have already been updated to run natively on M1 Macs, so you shouldn’t encounter any issues or irregular performance drops when using either. In the case of Chrome, just be sure that you select “Mac with Apple chip” when downloading — otherwise you’ll end up installing the Intel version, which will still run, but not as efficiently.
Microsoft Edge currently has M1 support in its beta channel, so that shouldn’t be too far off either.
Fantastical
Fantastical
If Apple’s built-in Calendar app isn’t doing it for you, then Fantastical might be the more advanced alternative you’re looking for. Its natural language parser can turn normal sentences about your plans into a perfectly formatted appointment entry. You can set your calendar view in exactly the way you want, and Fantastical also has widgets that you can pop into your Mac’s “Today” sidebar. There is a basic free version; the Premium version, which starts at $4.99 a month, offers additional features such as the ability to add tasks, full screen views, and calendar syncing.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365
Microsoft has quickly updated its entire Mac suite to fully optimize Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote for M1. So you should notice very speedy performance when doing work with any of them. I’m sure many people will prefer these over Apple’s own productivity apps like Pages and Numbers.
Twitter
Twitter
Hear me out: the Twitter app for macOS has actually gotten very good. It took some polishing and bug fixes to reach this point, but Twitter for Mac is now full-featured, responsive, and not nearly as crash-prone as before. If you haven’t given Twitter’s native app a chance yet, now’s a great time.
If you still prefer a third-party app, Tweetbot remains the go-to, and it’s also universal and M1-ready.
iMazing
iMazing
iMazing is a great device manager for digging into everything residing on your iPhone or iPad. You can create backups (different from the regular Apple ones) and grab your messages, photos, music, and more right off the device.
But it was also discovered soon after the launch of M1 Macs that this software can be used to “side load” and install iPhone apps — even those that have not yet opted in — to macOS. If you’re experimenting with this, just expect that not everything will work flawlessly.
iMazing also recently added the option to clearly see which apps on your system are universal or developed for Intel.
Bartender
Bartender
If you’ve got a cluttered mess of a menu bar at the top of your Mac’s screen, Bartender can help you bring order to things. A longtime favorite macOS utility of ours, this app lets you neatly hide everything under one menu bar icon to ease up on the chaos. You can also set triggers so that certain icons only show at those times when it makes the most sense.
Neural Mix Pro
Neural Mix Pro
Neural Mix Pro is an app that lets you separate the various parts of a song — vocals, instrumentation, and beats — and listen to them individually. You can also change up the tempo of a song without ruining the pitch. A handy tool for DJs and musicians, it also just appeals to my inner music nerd. The end result can still sometimes sound a bit phase-y (like most vocal remover software) and have some artifacts, but it does a better job than other apps I’ve tried for this purpose. Just know that it’s pricey compared to other recommendations here; you’ll have to pay $50 to unlock the app.
BetterTouchTool
BetterTouchTool
If you’ve got the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 chip, well, that means you’ve also got the love-it-or-hate-it Touch Bar above your keyboard. There are ways of customizing it to your liking in macOS settings, but BetterTouchTool is a utility that gives you even greater flexibility over what goes where when using the Touch Bar, allowing you to quickly tap useful shortcuts for your most important apps.
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