Music - Page 51 of 73

Zoox unveils a self-driving car that could become Amazon’s first robotaxi

Zoox, a self-driving car company that Amazon bought in June, has finally revealed its robotaxi after six years of gnarly prototypes and secrecy. And while it broadly resembles other first-generation autonomous vehicles from automakers and Silicon Valley startups, Zoox’s robotaxi has a few standout features, as well as an overall polish to it that makes obvious why Amazon thinks it might be the cornerstone of a fledgling autonomous ride-hailing service.

The autonomous “carriage-style” vehicle is an all-electric four-wheeler that seats up to four people, and is similar in appearance to fully self-driving vehicles created by other companies in the space. At just 3.63 meters long, it falls somewhere in between the big, boxy Origin robotaxi from Cruise (which is owned by General Motors) and the delivery-focused robot made by Nuro.

To further differentiate, Zoox has spent the last few years working on outfitting its autonomous vehicle with the ability to drive both forward and backward, and side to side, or “bi-directionally.” Combined with four-wheel steering functionality, Zoox says its vehicle will be able to handle precise maneuvers like “tight curbside pickups” and “tricky U-turns.” Zoox also claims its vehicle is the first of its kind to be able to travel at up to 75 mph, a possible nod to ambitions to one day put the vehicles on the highway.

Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox
Photo: Zoox

Like most early autonomous vehicles, Zoox’s robotaxi is decked out in safety technology. There’s a crown of six LIDAR pucks up top, as well as multiple radar sensors and cameras. Zoox says this provides a 270-degree field of view at each corner, virtually eliminating blind spots as well as providing redundancy in case a sensor fails. The sensor suite allows the vehicle to see objects up to 150 meters away, Zoox says.

The interior of Zoox’s vehicle is less coldly technological. The cozy bench seats, which face inward (hence the term “carriage-style”) are surrounded by what looks like textured fabric. The seats also conceal what Zoox says is a radical rethink of how airbags work. There are cupholders and wireless charging mats between seats. And the ceiling has a starry sky pattern, the kind commonly seen in luxury vehicles like the Rolls Royce Ghost. A small touchscreen at each seat is the most obvious tech found inside; Zoox says passengers will use these to control music, air conditioning, or see their route and ETA.

Photo: Zoox

The robotaxi is powered by a 133kWh battery pack, which is a little bigger than the packs that currently power Tesla’s most capable vehicles. Zoox says these battery packs will last for 16 hours of continuous use.

That should be plenty of juice to help Zoox and Amazon start chipping away at their collective goal, which is creating an autonomous ride-hailing service. It’s a goal that Zoox has been pursuing since it was founded in 2014, and one it sought in almost theatrical secrecy before stumbling through a public spat with its co-founder and CEO in 2018, who was ultimately pushed out. The company has been testing prototypes of its self-driving vehicle in San Francisco and Foster City in California, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Of course, Zoox is just part of Amazon’s increasingly massive push into the transportation sector. Not only has the e-commerce giant essentially built out its own shipping infrastructure, but it has poured a ton of money into buzzy EV startup Rivian (and is working with the company on a fleet of electric delivery vans). It also has a stake in Aurora, the autonomous vehicle outfit that just acquired Uber’s self-driving division.

“Cyberpunk 2077” in the technical analysis: Great graphics with deductions in the B grade

After several shifts, the action role-playing game “Cyberpunk 2077 “since 10. December available. The Polish development studio CD Projekt is venturing into a new franchise after the “Witcher” series produced three successful titles.

In “Cyberpunk 2000” the in-house Red Engine is used again, however in a further developed version: CD Projekt has the 3D-API of DirectX in the PC version 11 on DirectX 12 changed. This goes hand in hand with improved processor utilization, but also with new graphics effects via DirectX Raytracing (DXR) – initially only in conjunction with GeForce RTX graphics cards. Even without ray tracing, players get delicacies such as global lighting. heise online took a closer look at the PC version of “Cyberpunk 2077”.

Dynamic lighting Instead of “prebaking” large parts of the lighting as in the action role-playing game “The Witcher 3” , so to render in advance at the start, sets CD Projekt to “Cyberpunk 2077” on so-called global illumination with dynamic day-night cycles. As a result, objects cast shadows that are appropriate to the position of the sun.

With the ray tracing setting “Psycho”, the developers go one step further and leave calculate global lighting using virtual light rays. However, this only applies to the sun, because the graphics performance is simply missing for full ray tracing. In the case of local light sources, dynamic cube and shadow maps are used to a large extent, which, for example, cast shadows when playing figures pass by. If you switch on ray tracing, the shadows run out realistically soft.

In addition, ray tracing scattered light, for example from the numerous billboards, influences the coloring of the surrounding surfaces. Even without ray tracing, lamps and display boards illuminate the frequently encountered vapor and haze. Also included: a ray tracing ambient occlusion (AO), which is responsible for the self-shading of objects, for example at edges, and works a little more accurately than the variant without ray tracing.

Ray tracing vs. classic rasterization The lighting in “Cyberpunk 2077 “looks good whether you enable ray tracing graphics effects or not. Even without the virtual rays, CD Projekt has made a great effort to come close to a realistic representation. As a result, the difference between completely rasterized graphics and ray tracing is not immediately apparent: The technology improves details that are particularly noticeable in direct comparison.

A little more stylish with ray tracing are reflective surfaces such as window panes and Puddles that show objects that are not in the player’s field of vision – without ray tracing these are completely hidden (screen space reflections). Without ray tracing, building shadows have hard edges on the ground; with ray tracing, these are soft. The ray tracing global illumination is also subtle: it influences the coloring of areas in penumbra, for example streets in urban canyons or under bridges.

The following screenshots are with almost maximum graphic details when DLSS is activated (Quality) emerged. Only the post-processing filters are switched off because they blur the picture.

Compare “Cyberpunk 2077 “with and without ray tracing (31 Pictures) Maximum ray tracing graphic effects in “Cyberpunk 2000”. To see: accurate reflections (1), soft shadows (2) and colors influenced by scattered light from the sun (3).

(Image: CD Projekt / Screenshot: heise online) Strong graphics card necessary for maximum graphics The ray tracing graphics effects in “Cyberpunk 2077 “are most likely to be of interest to gamers who use a fast RTX graphics card. Our test system consisting of Ryzen 7 3700 X, 32 GByte DDR4 – 3600 – RAM and GeForce RTX 3090 creates with maximized graphics in WQHD (2560 × 696 pixels) in demanding scenes around 30 to 45 Frames per second (fps). Without ray tracing, the fps are almost twice as high.

If you have a mid-range graphics card from the old 2000 generation uses, the ray tracing graphics effects should either reduce or switch off completely to increase the fps. In addition, CD Projekt has created sensible presets with reduced details. In addition, the AI upscaler Deep Learning Super Sampling Technology (DLSS) helps, which reduces the render resolution. In the “Quality” setting, a third of the pixels per axis are lost without the image quality noticeably deteriorating. In our example, the frame rate increased to more than 60 fps.

on the CPU side uses “Cyberpunk 2077 “eight cores and more. In the case of AMD’s Ryzen processors, physical cores are strongly preferred; logical threads through simultaneous multithreading (SMT) are hardly used. User reports suggest that legacy code in AMD’s bulldozer-era compilers could be to blame. With Intel’s ten-core Core i9 – 3700 K all 20 Threads evenly utilized; The behavior can also be enforced with Ryzen processors by adjusting the hex in the game exe.

CPU usage by “Cyberpunk 2077 “; The game hardly uses logical threads with Ryzen processors.

(Image: Mark Mantel / heise online)

Graphics and sound not problem-free The shadows are still lacking in some places. Objects such as chairs in rooms are always lacking any shading, and some light sources generally do not produce any shadows. In the case of vehicles, this is deliberate and common practice in games: Stranger’s cars and motorbikes light up the street in front of them at night, but objects in front of the front do not create any shadows. After all: if you drive yourself, your own headlights cast shadows – be it people on the sidewalk, pillars or lanterns.

The wall lighting at the bar casts shadows, the fluorescent tube at the bottom of the counter does not.

(Image: CD Project / Screenshot: heise online)

Real lucky bags are mirrors: Sometimes your own character is as expected see, sometimes mirrors only represent pixel mud and sometimes your own character appears without any clothing – very detailed.

Example of a mirror that initially showed accurate reflections, but later only pixel mud.

(Fig : CD project / screenshot: heise online)

The so-called LOD provides for levels of detail that change according to the distance between object and player in order to save computing power and memory. In “Cyberpunk 2000” the system is quite aggressive even on the highest setting, What is noticeable in the details of buildings and the shading: characters moving around do not cast any shadows from a distance of a few (virtual) meters, the textures of buildings in the background often appear less detailed.

Example of shadows that can only be seen from close up.

(Image: CD project / screenshot : heise online)

The sound likes to crackle when music is playing – not with all players, but with us continuous. But the “3D” system works very well: Sound sources can be located very well, even without surround sound headphones.

Garmin Venu SQ Music: the elegant smartwatch for sports

Remind Apple Watch for exterior design but under the shell they have the DNA of Garmin products: Venu SQ and Venu SQ Music are the new smartwatches of the American company that, in the face of very interesting prices, allow the passionate sportsman to keep track of their outdoor activities by monitoring during the day your state of health

by Paolo Corsini published on 14 December 2020 in the Wearables channel

Garmin

Venu SQq and Venu SQ Music: the differences with Venu standard

Among the smartwatches offered for sale by the various manufacturers there are significant differences in terms of technical characteristics and approach to the market. If some of the features accumulate the great majority of the proposals on sale, such as the integration of GPS and optical heart rate sensor, for others it is the decision of the specific manufacturer to lean in one direction or the other. Some models are more oriented to being tools for sports activities, while others still the optimization is aimed at notifications and the use of APPs directly from the wrist. Finally, we find some proposals that straddle these two categories, wanting to be valid tools for the sportsman but at the same time not giving up the practicality of a touch screen.

This is the case of Garmin’s Venu SQ range, the most recent proposal of the American company in the smartwatch sector focused on a 1.3-inch diagonal touch screen and which does not give up the typical DNA of Garmin products designed for sport.

Venu SQ on the left; Venu right

With an official price list of 199 €, figure that rises to 249 € for the Venu SQ Music version, this new smartwatch is positioned in the mid-range segment of the market alongside the first Venu smartwatch which remains on the official list at the figure of 349 € (but on the market it is offered at figures close to 300 €). The two proposals are easily distinguishable: the newcomer uses a rectangular-shaped screen while the standard Venu has a circular screen.

In addition to the shape of the screen and the lower cost, there are other elements that characterize and differentiate Venu from Venu SQ:

Venu’s screen is AMOLED type; in Venu SQ we have switched to an LCD screen that is always in color; Venu’s screen diameter is 1.2 inches; for Venu SQ the screen diagonal is 1.3 inches;
Garmin declares a range with active GPS of 14 hours for Venu SQ, value that increases up to 16 hours for Venu;
the standby time remains unchanged at 6 days for both models;
both Venu and Venu SQ maintain a screen with touch functionality and two buttons on the right side;
Venu integrates a barometric altimeter, not present in Venu SQ instead of this reason cannot keep track of the stairs walked per day. The altimetry of outdoor training sessions is indicated using the GPS track altitudes;
both integrate optical heartbeat sensor with PulseOX, for detecting the level of oxygen saturation in the blood;
both are equipped with a GPS sensor with GLONASS and Galileo support;
Venu and Venu SQ Music are equipped with a memory of about 3.4GB to store music tracks, also integrating support for streaming services such as Spotify and Deezer ;
both support contactless payments via Garmin Pay service;
Venu and Venu SQ are able to monitor the progress of sleep, the number of breaths per minute and in general daily activities in motion which are carried out;
allow connection to external sensors ( as a heart rate monitor) via standard ANT + and Bluetooth Smart;
allow you to load preset training sessions from Garmin Connect.

The front of Venu SQ closely resembles that of Apple Watch: it is a very simple design, in which the rectangular screen with a 1.3-inch diagonal obviously stands out. Garmin has also integrated two side buttons, useful for navigating the various menu options but above all to safely manage the execution of outdoor or indoor sports activities without having to interact with the touch screen.

In the back stands the Garmin Elevate optical sensor, which is also able to detect the level of oxygen saturation in the blood. The connector for the charging cable is the standard one adopted by Garmin in its most recent smartwatches, including Venu: the supplied cable ends at the other end with a traditional USB Type-A connector. The smartwatch is very compact, with a limited thickness and a weight less than 40 grams. The supplied strap can be easily removed and replaced with others by the same step as 21 mm.

Venu SQ is set by default with the screen automatically off after a few seconds, so as to preserve the batteries; It is possible to configure the always on mode from the menu which obviously has an impact on the operating autonomy.

Many disciplines to monitor, with summary widgets

From the settings menu it is possible to select which sports activities can be activated from the menu, as well as configure the widgets that the main screen will propose to the user. The approach is the mirror image of what is implemented in the other Garmin sports watches, albeit with differences in graphic terms linked to the rectangular shape of the screen against the circular one that characterizes most of the models of the American company. The sporting activities available are decidedly numerous and meet the needs of all the passionate users:

race
Tapis Roulant
indoor track
bike
indoor bike
indoor walking
pool
golf
sci
snowboard
cross country skiing
SUP
weights
cardio
yoga
pilates
breathing exercises
elliptical
step
rowing
rowing machine

The configurable widgets are just as complete:

my day
health statistics
chronology
heart rate
body battery
hydration
calendar
weather
notifications
music

Interesting presence of the body battery widget, a feature introduced with the most recent Garmin smartwatches that provides an estimate of the energy reserve level, from 100 to zero, that the user has available and that it turns out to be useful during the day in its various moments: in the morning to understand how much you have recovered during the night’s rest, in the evening how tired you are from the activities carried out during the day.

my day – health statistics

By swiping upwards on the touch screen you access the “my day” screen, which provides information on the level of activity that has taken place up to now. The next screen is that of the health statistics, with which you have summary indications on instant heart rate, number of breaths per minute, body battery and instant stress level. All this information is then accessible from your smartphone thanks to the Garmin Connect App, useful for checking the historical trend (example: the level of stress accumulated over the last few days). Some of this information, such as sleep quality analysis, is only accessible from Garmin Connect and cannot be viewed directly on the smartwatch.

While running of a sporting activity it is possible to view data from 3 different screens, each of which offers a maximum of 3 data. At the end of the activity Venu SQ offers a series of information and statistics that allow us to evaluate what we have done and with what intensity, data that we will find in greater detail in the corresponding Garmin Connect screen on our smartphone.

For whom h if you have already used a Garmin product in the past, nothing substantially new, therefore: you find yourself in a familiar environment, in which it is easy to configure the various options. The graphic style adopted is certainly less sophisticated and refined than that of the higher-end Fenix and Forerunner models, resulting in a slightly “retro” visual impact: nothing that compromises usability, but you can definitely do better in this. scope.

The graph shows the heart rate trends recorded with the Garmin HRM-PRO heart rate monitor, connected to a Garmin Forerunner 676, and with the integrated optical sensor in Garmin Venu SQ. The behavior of the latter was overall very close to that of the chest heart rate monitor, with some differences evident especially in the final part of the training session. The optical sensor recorded a pulse peak that lasted about 1 and a half minutes, a period in which the heart rate did not change.

The average data recorded by Venu SQ was equal to 160 beats per minute, against a value of 159 beats per minute of the chest heart rate monitor. Overall, therefore, very limited differences as an average, with a slightly different instantaneous behavior which, moreover, confirms how the optical heartbeat sensor provides a good representation of how our heart is working during training but not with a level of precision comparable to that of a chest band.

In this training session Venu SQ recorded, about 83 minutes in duration, a distance of 18, 16 km against a value of 18, 04 obtained with Garmin Forerunner 676. The difference is less than 1%, due to the tolerance of consumer-grade GPS devices such as these products. In other training sessions we recorded behaviors that mirror the track proposed here both in terms of heart rate and overall distance measured: marginal differences compared to the reference, with an overall behavior of Venu SQ that is almost the same as that of the older brother Garmin Forerunner 945.

A valid smartwatch for sportsmen, with an affordable cost

Venu SQ implements everything you expect from a Garmin sports watch: it provides clear indications during the course of the activity together with final summary data upon its completion. There is not the level of detail and depth that Garmin implements in the more expensive models of the Forerunner and Fenix families but in fact nothing is missing even for the most passionate sportsman. Obviously, there remains the ability to load personalized workouts, which contain different phases in terms of duration, distance and intensity: this also allows the advanced enthusiast to train following the instructions provided by the smartwatch. This is a technical element appreciated by the passionate sportsman who differentiates Venu SQ from competing products, not able to go beyond some predefined training configurations and not customizable at will.

The dimensions compact and light weight make it very practical to wear all day continuously: it is not difficult to keep it on the wrist even during the night, so as to be able to constantly monitor your health as well as the quality of night rest. The only real limitation is the lack of the barometric altimeter: this is a renunciation that has allowed the overall cost to be contained and therefore can be well supported in the light of the 199 € official price list for the Venu SQ model.

Finally, good autonomy with battery: we were able to use it for an average of 5 consecutive days between one battery charge and the other, carrying out a running activity every day with the optical heartbeat sensor and GPS activated, lasting about 1 hour at a time. By enabling the detection of the oxygen saturation level continuously, keeping the screen at maximum brightness and performing longer training sessions, the autonomy is reduced but VenuSQ is certainly not a smartwatch to be recharged every evening, or every two days, even making the most of all its features.

Between the standard version and the Music version we recommend the first: the cost of the second is 249 €, not very far from around 300 € to which it is It is possible to purchase the original Venu model that implements the same functions, but enriched with the barometric altimeter and the on-screen display mode of the gymnastic exercises provided for by your training session.

Apple iPhone 12

Our Verdict

The iPhone 12 delivers impressive picture and sound quality in a premium smartphone package

For

Impressive OLED display
Musical sound
Slick and speedy interface

Against

No charger in the box
Pricier than before

Although some new Apple products are undoubtedly more evolution than revolution, the iPhone 12 sports a brand-new design, a new screen, is powered by a new processor, and is capable of performing some new party tricks including, for the first time, 5G support.

But it’s also gained a more expensive price tag and lost a couple of things from its box along the way (namely a charger and pair of EarPods). Does the iPhone 12 still deliver that all-round ability and performance-per-pound value that made its predecessor, the iPhone 11, such a brilliant buy?

Pricing

As you’d expect, given its premium standing, the iPhone 12 isn’t the cheapest smartphone around. It’s actually £100 ($100) more expensive than the iPhone 11 across all its different storage sizes.

The 64GB iPhone 12 is £799 ($799, AU$1349), the 128GB version comes in at £849 ($849, AU$1429), while the top-of-the-range 256GB handset will set you back £949 ($949, AUS$1599).

This still puts a bit of distance between itself and the flagship iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, which start at £999 ($999, AU$1699) and £1099 ($1099, AU$1849) respectively. However, both of these boast 128GB as their entry-level storage size, topping out at 512GB. It’s a shame the standard iPhone 12 doesn’t offer similar.

Build

(Image credit: Apple)

That fancy new design isn’t quite as new as Apple might like you to believe. We’ve seen flat edges before, on the iPhone 4 from 2010, but there’s no doubt that the flat sides on that aerospace-grade aluminium enclosure gives the iPhone an impressively premium look and feel, especially in the Product Red finish of our review sample (the other finishes available are: white, black, blue and green).

Apple iPhone 12 tech specs

(Image credit: Apple)

Screen size 6.1in

Type OLED

Resolution 2532 x 1170

Operating system iOS 14

Finishes x5

Battery life 17hrs video, 65hrs audio

Dimensions (hwd) 14.7 x 7.2 x 0.7cm

Weight 164g

It’s solidly built and slightly easier to grip than the iPhone 11’s curved chassis, although it arguably doesn’t feel as nice. This also might be down to the fact the iPhone 12 is a little trimmer, with a few millimetres shaved off all round.

The new iPhone also feels light in-hand. This is because the iPhone 12 weighs 164g, which is 30g lighter than the iPhone 11. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but you can definitely feel the difference swapping from one to the other.

Besides the design tweaks, the big headline news for the iPhone 12 relates to its screen. Gone is the 6.1in Liquid Retina HD LCD display from the iPhone 11; in its place is a 6.1in OLED Super Retina XDR display with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels and a pixel density of 460ppi.

It’s still a True Tone and Wide colour display but there’s now proper HDR support built in for HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG content. This boosts the potential maximum brightness of the phone to 1200 nits (it’s 625 nits with SDR content). The screen switch is a big and obvious upgrade for the iPhone 12 and one that immediately makes its presence felt.

The iPhone 12 display also sports what Apple calls a Ceramic Shield front cover, which is claimed to give it extra durability and make the display less prone to cracking and smashing than on previous iPhones.

Features

(Image credit: Apple)

The big changes go deep under the screen too, with the debut of Apple’s A14 Bionic chip and next-gen Neural Engine. According to Apple, it’s the fastest chip inside a smartphone for both GPU and CPU performance and can supposedly complete 11 trillion operations per second.

That’s not something we can measure, but the way the iPhone 12 works with Apple’s iOS14 operating system shows that this is one speedy customer. The phone is a breeze to navigate, whether you’re firing up Netflix for a quick binge or multitasking through a number of different apps. It’s a smooth operator and never seems to get bogged down during daily use. We find it quicker than the iPhone 11 when it comes to booting up video and music streaming services, but it’s not a huge difference.

On the camera front, you still get a 12MP dual-lens set-up on the back, but there have been a few subtle tweaks under the hood to allow for better pictures in low-light. As a daytime snapper, there isn’t much to grumble about, with the iPhone 12 producing nicely balanced pictures with even colours and a fine sense of realism. It’s worth noting, though, that unlike the Pro and Pro Max models, there’s no telephoto lens and, consequently, no optical zoom for the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 can, however, record video in Dolby Vision at 30 frames per second, which could come in handy for those using their phone for the occasional vlog. Battery life is close to the iPhone 11 (Apple doesn’t quote the size of the batteries), at around 17 hours for video and 65 hours for audio playback. Some Android rivals boast bigger batteries that last longer, but we still find a full day of average use doesn’t prove a problem. It is disappointing, though, to see the iPhone charger has been jettisoned from the box (you now only get a USB-C to Lightning cable).

The lack of EarPods is less frustrating. We’ve never been huge fans of Apple’s out-of-the-box earbuds, and if you don’t already have a pair of headphones to hand, we would recommend that you invest in some AirPods or a decent pair of alternatives.

The iPhone 12 also sees the introduction of MagSafe for wireless charging (up to 15W) and compatibility with a new line-up of accessories that attach to a ring of magnets on the rear of the handset.

Sound

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 12 supports Dolby Atmos and Apple’s own spatial audio processing, available to enjoy through the AirPods Pro and the recently announced AirPods Max.

The speakers on the iPhone 12 sound just as good as they do on the iPhone 11 – the balance is good enough to watch the occasional YouTube video or play a few seconds of your favourite Tidal track. It’s nicely balanced by smartphone speaker standards, with decent separation and detail, though as you’d expect there’s not a huge amount of bass weight on offer.

Hook up a pair of wired headphones via Apple’s 3.5mm to Lightning dongle or partner the iPhone with a pair of quality wireless headphones and you’ll get a better idea of the iPhone’s strengths.

Apple has got into the habit of producing some of the best-sounding smartphones on the market and the iPhone 12 picks up where the iPhone 11 left off. It’s a case of more of the same with the smartphone delivering enthusiasm and musicality in spades. The iPhone 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.

Switch to a classical track, such as Time from the Inception soundtrack, and the iPhone 12 continues to impress. The tone and timbre of the strings are expertly judged, as is the weight and impact of the drums that form a powerful undercurrent and drive the track along. A lack of background noise allows the drama and emotion of the track to come to the fore.

Screen

(Image credit: Apple)

The switch to the new OLED screen brings immediate results for the iPhone 12. You’re greeted with a clean and clear picture that boasts impressive depth and realism. There’s a sense of polish and pristineness to the picture which the LCD display of the iPhone 11 simply can’t match.

Add that to the inherent strengths of OLED technology, such as black levels and viewing angle, and this is a picture that draws you in. Staring into the outer space of Star Trek Discovery on Netflix, we can’t help but be impressed by the inky black canvas the iPhone paints. Stars appear as tiny pinpricks of bright white light but there’s no bleeding into the rest of the picture. Each star shimmers in its own space.

Detail levels are excellent whether it’s the stunning CGI or the characters’ faces and costumes. As the Discovery reaches warp speed, the flurry of bright flashes against the galaxy backdrop make the picture pop in a way that its predecessor can’t match. The extra brightness and punch the OLED screen delivers becomes even more obvious when you place it next to the iPhone 11’s LCD display, too.

Verdict

The iPhone 12 is another model we can add to a successful line of smartphones from Apple. The addition of that excellent OLED display has elevated picture performance to another level and helps justify the slight price hike over its predecessor. Sound quality is as good as it’s ever been, too. All these positives combined make for a highly tempting and typically Apple package.

SCORES

Screen 5
Sound 5
Features 4

MORE:

Read our guide to the best smartphones

Read our Apple iPhone 11 review

Google is down: Youtube, Gmail and other Google services cannot be reached

Several Google services have not been available since Monday lunchtime. The video platform Youtube spits out an error page, and the Google Play Store is no longer accessible. Other Google services, including Youtube Music, Gmail, the Google Calendar and Google’s cloud services no longer work either.

The Google search, however, can be used as usual. Other services, including Youtube, can at least still be used without an account link, for example in the browser’s incognito mode. Youtube Music can also be used in free mode without registration. It is possible that the problem is due to Google’s account management. However, Google has not yet commented on the failure.

On its status dashboard, Google shows all of its services as “offline”. Affected users from the USA, Australia and several European countries, among others, report on the malfunction page downdetector.com.

Meanwhile, Google is showing a malfunction on its dashboard for all of its services. So far, however, Google has not provided any information about the causes and the possible time to rectify the malfunction. It only means for the respective service that the problem is known and the users concerned cannot access services.

[Update 14.12.2020 13:40]

In the meantime, Google services as well as Youtube and other offers are gradually coming back; the registration to services like Youtube Music is gradually going again. Google has not yet given any reasons for the complete failure of all of its services.

(dahe)

Apple discontinues music memos

Apple’s music memos app will be discontinued after almost five years: With a last update to version 1.0.7, the manufacturer integrated an export function at the end of last week to transfer recordings to the library of the pre-installed voice memos app – but only for Users who already have their iPhone or iPad on iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

Music memos should be in iOS 14 continue to run Music memos will no longer be in the App Store after March 1st 2021 offered, as Apple explains in a support document that is currently only available in English. Users who have already downloaded the app (or who are still doing so until it is removed) can still download it again from the App Store purchase history and continue to use it – according to the manufacturer, however, only on devices with iOS 14. At the same time, Apple recommends transferring the data from music memos to voice memos to ensure that all recordings are retained. In the music memos app, a message about the move to voice memos is now displayed, which also allows the recordings to be exported. Depending on the size of the library, this can take several minutes, according to Apple. All data should end up in the voice memos app in a new folder called “Music Memos” – it may be necessary to free up storage space to enable the transfer. If new recordings are created in music memos after exporting, they should also be copied to voice memos to be on the safe side, according to Apple.

The beginning 2016 introduced the music memos app was intended to record music ideas on iPhone and iPad and automatically add drums and bass accompaniment to them. It was also possible to publish it on Soundcloud, Youtube and the Connect artist network, which was initially integrated into Apple Music – but the latter has not existed for around two years.

(lbe)

Oppo introduces new “slide” concept phone with three hinges

Oppo introduced the Find X 2021 rollable concept phone, which is some way off from becoming commercially available, but the company is already thinking ahead and what could the next revolution in smartphone design. Oppo collaborated with the Japanese design studio Nendo to bring a new concept slide-phone – it has three hinges on the X-axis, allowing for seven different sizes.

The idea behind this so-called “slide-phone” originated from the idea of people wanting more functionality out of their handset, Oppo and Nendo revealed in a press release. By providing the flexibility to change the form of the phone, users get the ability to change the size to suit the occasion.

The concept also includes a tucked-in stylus. Either way, Oppo is aware there’s still time until this device becomes reality, but it is always important to look ahead and find new innovation avenues.

Both companies also worked on a TWS concept where the pair of earphones connect to a case/power hub, but they will also be able to get attached to each other and become as compact as ever. The case can be placed on top of a smart speaker with wireless charging and the music will continue to play on the speaker.

Source

Sackboy A Big Adventure review: It’ll have you in stitches

(Pocket-lint) – The next-gen gaming landscape in 2020 has already spoiled us with epic adventures and next-level graphics, but so often games tend to lean towards the violent open-world trope. That’s why Sackboy: A Big adventure – which still excels with its lovingly crafted graphics, almost as if hand-stitched – feels so fresh, fun and inspiring: because it’s unbridled joy in game form.

Co-inciding with the PlayStation 5’s launch, this exclusive-to-Sony platformer (it’s also out on PS4) – which is the spiritual successor to 2014’s LittleBigPlanet 3 – will cross-stitch its way into your heart in no time at all. Here’s why it’s a must-have and one of the best formed 3D platformers that you’ll ever play.

Fine looking threads

Load up Sackboy on the PS5 and its mixture of marvellous voice acting – it’s Dawn French taking the lead this time around, with no sign of Stephen Fry – heartwarming character design, and pin-perfect graphical textures will immediately grab your attention. This game has a big heart, pretty much bleeds with cuteness, while remaining decidedly British with its quips and charm.

The storyline is simple enough: Vex, the knitted bad-guy for this adventure, has kidnapped the Sackfolk from their Craftworld, putting them to task to build his Topsy Turver, with the intention to transform the world into a nightmarish land. Well, as nightmarish as is possible with wool and stitch – it’s all still rather cute and fluffy really. It’s up to Sackboy to prove himself and save the Sackfolk from a life of labour.

This all takes place across a series of worlds that are lovingly crafted. The level of detail is sublime, thanks to dynamic 4K resolution on PS5, revealing micro details such as stray threads, realistic textures and playful light that gives the colourful worlds real resonance.

Never missing a beat

But most important is that Sackboy is actually fun to play. How often do you read a review of a game that highlights how much of a grind something is to play, or how the oversized skill-tree feels inbalanced? Without the need for zombies or guns or blood’n’guts – Sackboy can pick up weapons, though, but they’re usually nothing more than a flapping fish with which to gleefully face-slap your foe – A Big Adventure focuses on relatively small levels that you can perfect. And always with a smile on your face.

Sumo Digital / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Each level has a variety of rewards: there are a number of orbs to collect, hidden throughout each level, and which you’ll need to amass to open the path forward. These are the most important – but also easy to miss, so repeat play is a much. There are score bubbles, and gold tokens to spend in ZomZom’s shop – not that you need to worry about additional charges or microtransactions here.

At first we found the flow of the game to feel a smidge slow; but having continued to plough through – often repeating levels time and again, just to get those extra points or costumes or rewards – it builds with its complexity and, to a degree, pace. Simple starter levels soon give way to challenging Knitted Knight Trials which will challenge your DualSense controller wielding deftness. By which point it’s downright addictive to play.

It’s easy for platformers to become repetitive, but Sackboy largely avoids this by layering up various tools for specific levels. Once you’ve mastered jumping, rolling, diving and punching, you’ll be grappling, running up walls, rolling around in protective balls, throwing a spinner, among other features that we’ll let you discover for yourself. It’s all a hoot.

Sumo Digital / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Best of all, however, are the music levels. Never missing a beat, these levels run in-time, sync with the tune, and will just bring a massive smile to your face. The selection of tracks is one of the game’s strengths: from Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk to David Bowie’s Let’s Dance and beyond. Other big names feature elsewhere, such as an underwater rework of Madonna’s Material Girl. As tongue-in-cheek as that is, it’s just so apt for this game’s soundtrack.

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Co-op perfection

Beyond soldiering through single-player, Sackboy: A Big Adventure also goes big on multiplayer – with up to four consecutive players able to take part (levels only ever require a maximum of two players though). And these levels will have you in stitches – there’s nothing quite like the hilarity of innocently messing up your companion player’s attempts. It’s a genuine reason to buy a second DualSense controller, that’s for sure.

Sumo Digital / Sony Interactive Entertainment

At the time of release, however, the game lacks online multiplayer – a PlayStation blog states that it will be coming before the end of 2020. At least it is coming, because the co-op play is one of the standout factors, so PlayStation Plus fans will be extra keen to gain this part of the experience.

A Big Adventure also lacks the Create mode of LittleBigPlanet 3, so you can’t build your own levels. Really we don’t think this is a major loss. The gameworld here is so thoughfully created, so detailed and refined in its layout, that we’re happy to lap it up as delivered. The only slight caveat to that is when depth perception is somewhat thrown by the moving camera – this is a full 3D world, after all, not 2.5D as per the previous game.

Verdict

Sackboy: A Big Adventure could be so easy to overlook as a PlayStation 5 launch title. But to do so would be to lose a bucketload of potential joy from your life. Because this Sackboy adventure is so heartwarming, so addictive, so lovingly made. It really is close to platforming perfection.

From the voice acting, to the replay factor, the graphical finery, and superb multiplayer (shame that’s not online for launch, only in-person co-op), it’s another title to assert PlayStation’s ongoing success story. So if you want something that bucks the trend, that feels fresh and fun, then this is simply a must-have game.

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Review: Cyrus Audio i9 XR

As Cyrus Audio for Ã © Ã One thing, it is a British hi-fi sound in a small, living room-friendly format. The brand is now launching the new XR family: more high-end and powerful but still very compact. The i9-XR that we are testing here is the top model and overwhelms with enormous connectivity and a new DAC section.

There are music lovers who dream of a hi-fi sound and all the possibilities, but who do not want a large music system that dominates the living room. Based on this observation, Cyrus Audio has been working on compact all-rounders that still perform at a high level for almost forty years now. Now there are more brands that occasionally market a device with modest dimensions, but the British of Cyrus are convinced believers in the so-called ‘half width form factor’; everything they build is about half the width and height of a traditional hi-fi device. The depth of this new Cyrus does not differ from large stereo amplifiers, but that is not so bad in itself. And perhaps also inevitable; you can reduce a lot, but in the end you have to give the electronics and power supply the place.

It The end result is in any case a device that is spectacularly small. Something that can easily get an inconspicuous place on or in a TV cabinet. Is all innovation then aimed at miniaturization? No, says the manufacturer. Despite its small size, the i9-XR is truly meant to be a premium device, thanks to underlying technology worked on over the past decade.

Cyrus Audio i9-XR The Cyrus i9-XR positions itself with a suggested retail price of 3. 399 euro so as a challenger for established (and bigger) rivals to brands such as Hegel, NAD and many others. One thing you have to admit: it competes with a set of unique assets.

The i9-XR is the first all-in-one amplifier in the all-new premium XR family, along with the i7-XR of 2. 500 euros. There are other XR devices, including the Pre-XR preamplifier, two CD players (with and without their own DAC) and the PSU-XR. And Cyrus hints that more may follow. The PSU-XR has a special place in this family story. It is an external power supply that you can optionally combine with the i9-XR. It is an option that the manufacturer also offered in the past for Classic devices, intended to remove a potential source of interference from the housing and thus improve the display. Unusually, the PSU-XR is not just a replacement power supply for this one amplifier. It is compatible with four current XR devices (only the i7-XR not) and will also power future XR products.

With its modest size, multitude of connections, extra attention to the headphone output and With an idiosyncratic design, we find the i9-XR a striking appearance in the extensive hi-fi landscape. Compared to the devices from the two other Cyrus series, the more expensive XR family really has its own look and design. The Classic line is full-blooded Cyrus with a similar size and the distinctive green display, while the One devices combine a sleek no-nonsense design with the latest features, such as Chromecast streaming and an HDMI port. Cyrus himself describes his three lines in the Apples way: One is â ???? goodâ ????, Classic is â ???? betterâ ???? and XR is “best”. Even in the hi-fi world, you cannot escape the influences from Cupertino.

With the i9-XR, Cyrus has tackled various parts to lift the devices to a premium level. You have to, because at this price point there are simply worthy rivals. The first target was to combat noise, nutrition was also improved. The company always had its own implementation of ESS-DACs, called QXR, paying extra attention to the filters and analog buffers that followed the DA converters. The latter part has been completely redesigned in the second generation QXR in this new Cyrus. It can therefore handle the highest resolutions via the USB port. New is that you can switch between five filters, so you can tweak the sound in a modest way to your taste.

Maximize Minimalism It is almost a natural law of the hi-fi: if the device is compact, then a manufacturer has fewer opportunities to tempt the hi-fi enthusiast. With flashy design elements such as large VU meters â ???? whether or not it emits blue light â ???? or with massive volume buttons that just fit an adult hand, that is quite easy. A mastodon of 40 kilos of shiny steel is more noticeable than a small box of a few kilograms. So that’s a disadvantage if your name is Cyrus and net bet on compact devices. But just like say TEAC with its Reference 750 series, the British know how to make much of little.

In concrete terms: the i9-XR comes in a relatively heavy housing with a very solid and yet refined appearance. This also has to do with the material used (die-cast metal) and its shape. No, it is not just any rectangular box. Corners have been flattened, a minor change that makes the device more modern and intriguing to look at. An eye-catcher is undoubtedly also the front: in the bottom half the panel shows a bend forward and the corners are even more chamfered. That immediately gives the device a little more character and it is also a functional plus. The operating buttons are better presented to the user by the tilted front panel. By the way, they are keys that almost look like touch-sensitive touch buttons. A light touch is enough to operate them.

At the front, the focus is also on the screen, flanked on the right by a volume knob that also doubles as a selection knob when you dive into the menus. The display is not black on green as with classic Cyrus devices, but black on white. Do you like white letters on a dark background better? Through the settings you can swap the colors, a small but nice option. The brightness is also adjustable or you can turn off the screen completely. Handy, because the LCD screen can be quite bright. The high contrast means you can read it from further away than you would expect, but it still remains small print.

Thanks to all these things, the i9-XR has a more valuable look than previous Cyrus- devices. The bling-bling content is limited, but you can see that this is a premium product.

Greater impact than you might expect You must be prepared you can put your prejudices about small devices away when you listen to the i9-XR. This class AB amplifier promises 2x 399 Watt (6 Ohm) of power, which is certainly not too little. We connect a set of KEF R3â € ™ s, great upright speakers that also matched the One Cast well. Why not a large floorstander? We quietly suspect that music lovers who opt for a small hi-fi device will not suddenly opt for man-sized speakers. Although that contrast between small and large also has something, of course.

The One Cast from a year ago was a class D amplifier and Cyrus himself says that the XR series is also more neutral. tuned. Nevertheless, we find that the i9-XR still conveys much of its British character when we listen to music via Roon (partly Qobuz, partly own collection), supplied via the USB port. A cozy warm glow hangs over â ???? Stay Tunedâ ???? by Canadian jazz singers Dominique Fils-AimÃ ©, very pleasant to dream away with while it’s pouring outside. With the much less slow remix of ‘Free Dom’ ???? the little Cyrus shifts effortlessly to a higher gear, without being bothered by the merciless beats. Even if we chase the volume to neighbor-unfriendly levels, the i9-XR continues to drive those R3’s very well. When we pass by the exciting â ???? Zu Asche, Zu Staubâ ???? from the German TV series Babylon Berlin, with a great drum solo before the whole orchestra starts, it continues to enjoy an impactful, yet slightly warmer presentation in which the finer detail is not missing. Apart from some demonstrations at shows, we don’t know the previous QXR generation that much. But the renewed DAC certainly does not disappoint when we move towards classical music, and the Craig Armstrong â ???? Cecilia Weston theme belonging to â ???? Far from the Madding Crowdâ ???? to listen. The violin line is sometimes very playful and spry, like a stormy wind blowing through a forest, but you still get very layered, scraping violin sounds served. Also in the dynamic performance by the LSO Chamber Ensemble of Stravinksky’s â ???? The Soldier’s Taleâ ???? really enjoy natural, engaging live reproduction of this classic, complemented here by a range of English dialect voices. It is not as bombastic as say the Decca version by Lâ ???? Orchester de la Suisse Romande, but it is much more fun to listen to. Regardless, it remains remarkable that Cyrus has provided a sufficiently large power supply in the small housing so that the amplifier can really handle those difficult dynamic jumps. Of course you want that from a product of a higher class.

Packed with connectors Turn the i9-XR over , then you will discover a small disadvantage of the modest size. Since Cyrus is committed to maximum connectivity, many inputs have been crammed into a small area. It’s actually unbelievable what you can discover here: four analog cinch pairs one one phono connection, four digital inputs (2 x optical, 2 x coaxial) and a USB class B. Cyrus sees the i9-XR also plays a role as a preamplifier, as two pre-outs are provided (with fixed and variable output level).

With only a few square centimeters of empty space left, Cyrus has provided M-Bus connectors (so you can operate multiple Cyrus products together) and a separate connection that is somewhat reminiscent of a VGA port of antique computers but it is for the optional PSU-XR power supply. In short, also in terms of connectivity, the small i9-XR is not inferior to big rivals.

If you like the majority of people connect everything and then never touch those cables again, it is huge range of connections on a small surface, no huge problem. If you are plugging in and pulling out plugs more often, you will have to do that with more attention. Okay, in most cases you plug in an amplifier and don’t look at those connections anymore. Then you will not really be bothered by the busy back panel.

The only exception is if you want to listen with headphones from time to time. That connection is also placed at the back and is a little less convenient to reach. That seems very unfortunate at first, because Cyrus has paid extra attention to the headphone amplification with this device. But then our eye falls on the “Phones” button on the front. If you dive into the settings, you can set the headphone output to turn on (and turn off the speakers) when you tap this button. For example, you can leave a small adapter / extension cable connected, so that you can quickly connect your headphones. By the way, Cyrus chose to place the headphone output at the rear because it makes the front more aesthetically pleasing.

We notice that the main output is of good quality when we connect the Focal Stellia. With an integrated amplifier you can never be guaranteed that the headphone output will sound the same, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case in this case.

Also for TV Unlike the Cyrus One Cast that we tested in March, the i9-XR does not have an HDMI-ARC input. When we peek at the busy back panel, we wonder where you might lose it anyway. In terms of integration with your television, you have fewer options, but it is not very difficult. You can simply bring the television sound to the Cyrus amplifier via an optical cable.

That may sound cumbersome to some, but that is not too bad. We wrote it before this year: the result you get can be very good. This is also the case with the i9-XR. Even with the Sony KD – 65 AF9 that hangs in our test room, you get a nice sound upgrade. That TV comes with Acoustic Surface speakers and a separate subwoofer, and yet it is much nicer to see Bruce Springsteen’s â € œLetter to Youâ € – documentary that you can find on Apple TV + via the Cyrus and the KEF R3- speakers.

In this documentary you can see how Springsteen and the E Street Band are working on their new album, a process in which there is a lot of chattering and of course some music. It is mainly a documentary with a lot of atmosphere, and you get a much larger portion of it through those separate speakers. Not only when songs from Letter to You are played, but also during the playful chatter between recording sessions. Dialogues are also easier to understand in a stereo setup like this one, if you make sure that the speakers are well placed in relation to your screen. In the case of the R3’s, that meant they were also screwed in a bit.

Conclusion Cyrus wants to prove with the i9-XR that you can also expect high-end performance from something that is a fraction of the size of a typical hi-fi device. A mission in which the British largely succeed, because small clearly does not stand for muscleless here. The small size has some consequences for user comfort, such as a smaller screen (which is very contrasting) and a busy back panel. However, these do not detract from the core values of the Cyrus i9-XR: play your music in high quality and in a warm, intimate way, also on Goliath speakers many times larger than this little David.

Cyrus Audio i9-XR

3. 399 euro | Â www.cyrusaudio.com

Rating 4.5 / 5

Review: Astell and Kern KANN Alpha Tackles any headphones without fear

The Astell & Kann family You can safely call Kern the outsiders among music players. In a positive way, that is. They emphasize a high-quality display, like all players of the brand. More unique is the very powerful headphone amplifier. This allows them to handle even very demanding headphones. And that is really special.

The days that everyone had an iPod in their pocket are far behind us. For most, the smartphone fulfills the role of a music player on the go â ???? and that’s fine. But that does not apply to everyone. A smartphone remains a compromise device that certainly does not put audio quality first. With a bit of luck it will be somewhere in place twenty, much lower than things like battery life and beautifully rounded edges on the screen. That’s why high-quality music players like A&K are still a thing.

Anyone who wants the best quality on the go will turn to a separate music player. No more WhatsApp messages, Facebook notifications and updates that install themselves inappropriately. This total focus on music reproduction is also why music players are increasingly used in private homes. If at home you do not only want to listen to a source / DAC / headphone amplifier via your headphones, then a music player or DAP is a very interesting alternative. You can even use real high-end units as sources for your hi-fi music system. You experience hi-fi quality in the garden, living room and bedroom. Who could be against that?

For all headphones

The Kann Alpha that we are looking at here is a special device. While there is a whole boom of high-end DAPs, Astell & Kern’s Kann family still occupies a distinct position. Thanks to a more powerful amplifier hatch, these luxurious devices can also handle particularly demanding headphones, also balanced. Difficult guys like the Sennheiser HD 650 or the Beyerdynamic T1, this Astell has & Kern family not to be alarmed. The Onyx black Kann Alpha stands out from the Kann Cube and the smaller â ???? regularâ ???? Can by combining properties of both. The Alpha is more compact than the large Cube, but is just as powerful. Â

Target audience for this player include demanding headfi enthusiasts. They will find everything they need to drive their headphones, including a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn output. For Astell & Kern this is a first; this connection is still on the rise, especially among Asian brands. But Sennheisers HD 820 also comes with such a cable. Â

The Kann Alpha offers you further classic 3.5 mm output, in addition to a 2.5 mm balanced output. Get a few adapters from the store for exotic edge cases (for example from XLR4 to Pentaconn) and you can connect absolutely anything with this player. Why choose balanced? In addition to other advantages, you can count on double the power, so that those demanding headphones are optimally controlled. It is also possible to use this player as a source within a hi-fi music system with speakers, both analog and via an optical connection.

The Kann Alpha thus positions itself as a media player that can handle anything. That is also true when it comes to where your music comes from. Wide support of music formats, including hi-res PCM and DSD, is complemented by Bluetooth 5.0 (including LDAC and aptX HD, for headphones) and WiFi. And yes, you can of course also just play music files from the built-in storage (or a memory card). Plenty of choices.

Desire the corners

Many music players are designed for a life on the road and are therefore very light and transportable. The Kann Alpha remains a mobile device for its part, but at the same time it is very different from an average player. When we take the device out of its box, we are immediately struck by how fierce and massive the Kann Alpha is in the hand. Astell & Kern likes a more angular design language anyway and you really notice that with this device. It is an aesthetically pleasing object, yes, with a shape that invites you to grasp it.

If you look along the bottom or top, you will see a hexagon. The top is largely occupied by a 4.1-inch touchscreen and is connected to the much smaller brushed metal bottom via the angled, two-piece sides. By the way, the housing is not made of a single piece of metal. But it seems so.

Where most mobile devices opt for rounded corners and smooth surfaces, this is something special, which makes for a distinctive appearance. If we asked us in advance whether a low weight is crucial for a device on the road, we would perhaps wholeheartedly â ???? yesâ ???? answers. Now it becomes rather â ???? usuallyâ ????.

When we take the Kann Alpha in hand, we experience a premium feeling through that design and the build quality that we nowadays miss with even the most expensive flagship smartphones. We wouldn’t like to drop the Astell & Kern player on a glass coffee table, though. There is no doubt about which of the two breaks.

A striking design element â ???? and typically Astell & Kern â ???? is the crown with which you adjust the volume. Thanks to the relief on the rotary knob and many steps you can really fine tune the volume level. A lot more fun than devices that serve you music at a hellish volume after a careless turn of a knob. The halo around the crown is very subtle. During playback it changes color according to the hi-res quality, when you change the volume it becomes redder the louder you go.

Interface The Android-based interface of the Kann Alpha is well put together. When listening you are not exposed to endless settings and options. Via a menu that becomes visible when you swipe down on the touch screen, you get shortcuts to the most important things, such as WiFi and equalizers. If you still find it too busy, you can easily remove the unnecessary icons. For example, the Car Mode option is one that not everyone needs. If you tap on ‘Settings’, deeper options such as the gain level or DAC filters will appear that you will not adjust often.

That the software created is by people who understand headfi, we notice when listening via a MrSpeakers Ether the gain mode to â ???? highâ ???? change while music is playing. It could suddenly play a lot louder, but we get a message that the volume level is being lowered for security reasons. No unpleasant surprises.

As with any new device, the interface takes some getting used to. But the fact that the Kann Alpha is a mono-functional music player keeps the learning curve flat. It really helps that Astell & Kern separates the advanced settings from the things you want to use regularly. With daily use, you only see the essentials and only the more complex options on request. The equalizer is a striking example of this. You will not get a long list of filters already set, but only the equalizer that you have created yourself. You can create that via a multi-band equalizer with sliders, but if you really want to work fine-grained, you can use an advanced mode on 20 frequencies intervene with its own gain and Q setting (the latter indicates how wide in the frequency range the change intervenes: very limited around the chosen frequency or just very wide).

You don’t always have to be on that screen while listening. Astell & Kern provided the necessary hardware buttons so that you can jump to a next / previous track or pause the music without looking at it. And that volume knob inspired by the crown of a watch? Very nice to use. The accompanying on-screen animation consists of ever-expanding geometric triangles that appear to have escaped from a 1980s 3D arcade game.

Dual DAC Open the hood of the Kann Alpha to discover a dual-DAC setup based on two ESS ES 9068 AS with a femto clock. The choice for a double DAC has to do with offering balanced outputs and the aim to get the quietest possible, crosstalk-free output. The manufacturer did not stop there. Astell & Kern states that they uniquely separate their two balanced outputs, via separate analog switches.

The choice of that ESS ES 9068 AS chips give the Alpha broad support for hi-res. With a limit that is at 32 – bit / 384 kHz PCM streams and DSD 256 there is actually no limit on what you can listen to. Also in terms of formats, because in addition to FLAC, WAV and ALAC you can play exotics such as AIFF, APE and OGG.

Astell & Kern doesn’t reveal that much about the hardware, only that the Kann Alpha is powered by a quad-core processor. In use, the player responds smoothly and immediately, that’s the most important. Â

Where does the music come from? For a compact device, the Kann Alpha offers you many options when it comes to playing music. That you can play music files from the internal storage of 100 GB or from a microSD card (the player merges everything in one library if you use both, handy) is obvious. Music services are also possible. By default, the range seems sparse: Deezer and Tidal. But if you just roll up your sleeves, you can add the installation packages (APKs) of other services yourself. You simply copy these APK files to the player via USB. We did that in less than a minute with Qobuz and Apple Music. Spotify and Tune-In internet radio are also available.

Another option is to enable AK Connect. The Kann then becomes a DLNA player that you can control via a suitable app on your smartphone or tablet. Astell & Kern itself offers an app, but you can just as well opt for familiar names such as BubbleUPnP (Android) or mconnect Player. Whatever you like most. Yet another way? In AK Connect mode you can directly browse DLNA shares (e.g. on a NAS) and select music on the Kann Alpha.

USB-DAC mode Â The big plus of a DAP is the focus on one usage scenario: listen to music in high quality, wherever you are. We will promptly undermine that statement by also taking a look at the other special talents of the Kann Alpha. This player can do other things, such as playing and ripping CDs. You may not have expected that â ???? and neither do we. Starting from the philosophy that a player like this can really be your complete music system, it is correct. Plug in an Astell & Kern external CD drive and you can play discs. Music can be ripped to FLAC or WAV.

Given that the Kann Alpha has an excellent double DAC section, it is nice that you can also use it as a USB DAC. This means that you connect the Astell & Kern via a USB cable to a laptop, PC or mobile device, after which you can stream music from your computer. That is not an everyday scenario. For Roon enthusiasts, it does provide a quick way to play your music collection via the Kann Alpha when you are at the computer. Other music programs also work, such as iTunes or Audirvana. Â

Insightful and Driven Â Of course we wanted to try out a musicplayer like the Kann Alpha with as many headphones as possible. Like the MrSpeakers Ether CX, a nice closed to Estel with magnetic planar drivers that we connect in a balanced way to the 2.5 mm output. With an impedance of 23 Ohm have we’re not talking about very challenging headphones here, but it did give us the chance to discover that that background was indeed pitch black. The match is immediately good, but those lightly laidback MrSpeakers (now Dan Clark Audio) are rarely difficult. brown leather Focal Stellia listening to the new Hjevik album. Norwegian doom metal is not on everyone’s menu, but the Kann Alpha controls the Stellia very well in this work. It is always in the interplay of source DAC amplifier headphones, but we certainly do not get the impression that this player delivers anything less than top notch hi-fi quality. With every track on this Viking album, from â ???? Father Warâ ???? to â ???? The Power Ballad of Freyrâ ????, the guitar bursts are very well defined, the double bass drum tight and perfectly defined.

We stay in the far north with â ???? Der Klang Der Offenbarung des GÃ¶tlichenâ ????, a German title but an Icelandic composer and ex-Sigur Ros member, Kjartan Sveinsson, who in our opinion one of the most beautiful neoclassical wrote works of recent years. The first track, â € Teil 1â ????, starts very slowly and builds up to a huge crescendo â ???? watch out for the ears â ???? whereby we cannot catch the Kann Alpha with unnatural sounds, but we can hear how the low, threatening foundation is sufficiently present in this work. A sign that the Stellia is well controlled, because those bass tones do require something. Towards the end of this work, the strings seek out the very highest notes, which in headphones can sometimes be a bit too much of a good thing. However, the DAC in the A&K ensures that those peaks do not derail and remain clear, free of distortion.

Time to make it more difficult: we get the HD 650 out of his cage. This classic is tougher, partly because of its high 150 – Oh, but still one of the most relevant headphones out there. We have to change the volume level immediately to position 100 – 110 (the Alpha goes up to 150), which was not needed until now. And yes, there is a high gain mode to remedy that, but then the battery is very heavily taxed. And after all that northern gloom, we were ready for something else. Some happy, dub- and soul-inspired songs from Mungo’s Hi-Fi for example. The Kann Alpha presents those deep dub tones nice and fat, exactly as it should be, what a DAP in combination with the HD 650 is handsome. Also at â ???? Atomosâ ???? of A Winged Victory for the Sullen, the A&K player puts in a nice performance. Powerful, with an exquisite, long sustain of piano notes, and a clear, open reproduction (by the standards of the dark warm HD 650, or).

Conclusion â ???? How is this possibleâ ?? Can one compact device take so many roles without getting into trouble? â € It’s a question we regularly asked ourselves during testing. The Kann Alpha is a versatile tool in every sense of the word. In addition to the many ways to play music, the dual DAC and the powerful amplifier section deliver high-fidelity playback on all headphones. Also the tricky ones.

Astell & Kern Kann Alpha

â ?? ¬ 1. 199 | Â www.dendaudio.nl

Rating 4.5 out of 5

heise + | HomePod mini in the first test: the clever sound ball

HomePod mini in the first test: The clever sound ball Outside: Ball instead of cone Other speakers New chip, new hardware The first HomePod targeted high-priced network speakers, such as those from Sonos. Despite the excellent sound with rich bass, Apple was unable to achieve resounding success: If Siri’s limited capabilities or the focus on Apple Music as the only streaming service did not deter you, the high price of 330 euros pale. Now Apple is launching a cheaper variant, similar to the iPhone or the Apple Watch: 96 Euro costs the HomePod mini – a bargain for Apple standards.

Outside: Ball instead of cone The HomePod mini, available in space gray and white, is 8.4 centimeters larger than a tennis ball and just half as high as the conical HomePod.

With 345 grams, the little ball is a flyweight; the big brother weighs 2.5 kilos. The HomePod mini is covered with a special mesh that should not distort the sound. On the top there is a touch-sensitive surface that lights up colorfully when Siri is active, just like on the large HomePod, reminiscent of the Siri waveform graphic in iOS. The touch area also houses the volume up and down buttons.

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ZTE Watch Live announced with IP68 rating and up to 21 day battery life

ZTE unveiled its latest smartwatch in China dubbed Watch Live. It packs a square 1.3-inch TFT LCD with 240 x 240-pixel resolution. The Watch Live weighs just a hair over 35 grams while its dimensions come out to 40.6 x 34.6 x 10.8mm. It’s also IP68 rated and comes with a soft silicone band.

You get 12 kinds of activity tracking as well as real-time notifications, music control, sedentary reminders and remote camera shutter functionality. There’s a weather app as well as a find my phone function which can buzz your paired device if you’ve misplaced it.

ZTE Watch Live

The Watch Live does 24hour heart rate tracking alongside as well as your blood oxygen saturation levels. It can also track your sleep logs and stress levels. Battery life is rated between 14-21 days deepening on usage. Charging is done via a proprietary magnetic pad.

The ZTE Watch Live is listed at CNY 229 ($35) on the company’s website and official sales begin on December 3. International availability was not yet detailed.

Source (in Chinese)| Via

YouTube for Android TV app adds support for 8K video playback

YouTube added support for 8K videos back in 2015 – long before 8K cameras or TVs were easily accessible. Five years later, flagship smartphones can shoot video in that resolution and there are some 8K TVs that, while pricey, are not completely out of reach.

So, this update to the YouTube for Android TV app is a bit late, but better late than never. The changelog says that the new version adds “limited 8K support to Android 10 and up”. It’s not clear what “limited” means, but if you have a smart TV running Android 10 you can give it a shot.

Here is probably the first 8K video to be uploaded to YouTube, it seems a fitting video to watch first. Even if you don’t have an 8K TV, the extra bandwidth should result in better image quality.

YouTube for Android TV v2.12.08 changelog

Display YouTube Music splash screen
Cast Connect support
Limited 8K support to Android 10 and up
Improved resolution selection
Fixed incorrect date and time issues
Various other platform improvements
The new app also adds support for Cast Connect. This is an enhancement of the original protocol, which makes it easier for developers to build Cast-enabled apps. The apps can be controlled using the TV’s remote, making for a more native experience. The interface to pick a resolution has been improved as well.

Anyway, an early version of the changelog also mentioned AV1 HDR playback, however that has since been removed (and Cast Connect was added). The YouTube for Android TV added AV1 support in April of this year, but it seems that work on HDR is still ongoing.

Via

Review: Bowers and Wilkins 606 AE Tweaked and improved

If you pair it with a decent amplifier, the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 in its price range is one of the best all-round speakers. Now the British manufacturer is bringing an Anniversary Edition that has been adjusted on details. Are we going with this from â ???? very goodâ ???? to â ???? excellentâ ?????

Who 600 – 800 wants to spend euros for a pair of speakers, it won’t be easy. And not because there is little choice or a quality problem at that price point. On the contrary, for that amount you can now even choose from a number of high-quality products. A name that is absolutely not on the list of speakers to investigate during your quest. may be missing is the 606 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins . It’s a slightly larger bookshelf speaker that combines a no-nonsense look with high-end trickle-down technology 800 Series units of the British brand. It guarantees a beautiful, exciting reproduction. But now Bowers & Wilkins is launching a new version of this audience favorite, the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition. Not a completely new loudspeaker, that is immediately clear, but a further refinement of the concept. Is this version still as good as its predecessor? Will it remain a good choice for people who want to place a nice music system in their living room without emptying their bank account? We investigate this in this review of the 749 – euro per pair costing 606 S2 Anniversary Edition.

A quarter of a century old The addition of the â ???? Anniversary Editionâ ???? – label in honor of the 25 th anniversary of this popular entry-level series at Bowers & Wilkins suggests that we are viewing a limited edition here. But the new S2 Anniversary Editions â ???? we will from here usually â ???? AEâ ???? write because we are lazy â ???? are full-fledged, permanent successors to the 606 S2 family 2018 was introduced.

A quick look at the â ???? oldâ ???? 606 S2 we have standing for tests and the new AE- edition sent by Bowers & Wilkins suffices to see that this is not a major innovation. Rather it is a “refresh” as car brands now use three years after the introduction of a new model. Tweaking, tuning, freshening up, that’s how you can often summarize it with them, and that is actually the case here. Is that a complaint? Not as the starting point of such a â ???? refreshâ ???? is a good speaker. Making something better is never bad.

A term like â ???? refreshâ ???? also does not mean that Bowers & Wilkins has only changed cosmetic matters. The technology has also been tinkered with, in particular the crossovers, says the manufacturer. We immediately think of the beautiful Signature editions of the 700 Series that Bowers & Wilkins presented earlier in the year and which we also tested. Improving the crossovers was also one of the significant interventions for those speakers. Bowers & Wilkins then replaced the capacitors with better Mundorf versions. And that is exactly what happened with the 606 S2 Anniversary Edition .

Hip color version There has been some technical adjustments to the new speakers. At the same time, one of the eye-catchers at the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers slightly aesthetically pleasing. Bowers & Wilkins delivers the speakers in a new trendy finish that combines sides in a light oak with a white front. It looks really good and gives the speakers a high Scandi design content, so that they will not look out of place in more modern interiors. The familiar matte black or white versions will of course also remain. It is even the black edition that we received a visit. When we â ???? blackâ ???? reading on the label of the packaging, we thought at first: “Sorry”. But the matt character of the housing is actually very chic and modern, so that we quickly concealed that disappointment.

Incidentally, there is a fourth color option, a reddish cherry wood. However, the British speaker builder expects little demand for that version in Europe. Cherry will be for sale elsewhere in the world, but those who really want it will have to order this version from us in the store.

In this review we look at the 606 S2 Anniversary Edition, a slightly larger bookshelf speaker that also fits well on a stand and is available in stores for 699 euros per pair. If you are looking for something smaller, the compact 607 AE with a more modest woofer rightly so, who swears by floorstanders will find what he likes with the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition (a review of which will be published here soon). The HTM6 SE Anniversary Edition is the latest addition to the new AE family, a center speaker for the surround enthusiast. The three ASW 600 subwoofers have not been renewed and remain the preferred choice according to the manufacturer if you have a home theater based on 600 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers builds.

Three modern colors In terms of shape and dimensions, not much has changed with the 606 S2 AE. It is a rectangular speaker that would seem very classic, were it not for the fact that Bowers & Wilkins made a few smart choices. To start with, there is the woofer with the silver cone made of the mysterious Continuum material that the brand is so proud of. The big advantage of the stiff but light Continuum is that it reacts very predictably, which fits perfectly with the approach of the technique-driven Bowers & Wilkins.

The woofer also stands out visually very well with the matte black of our test speakers. The effect is slightly less strong with the white and the new white-with-oak versions, but these versions also look very chic due to the combination. The tweeter grille with aluminum outer ring gives the 607 S2 AE also extra class . Overall, the build quality is excellent, especially if you take that price into account. Of course you will not find a gloss lacquer that has been applied in many layers, such as with the more expensive 700 Series, yet this 606 S2 AE exudes the necessary luxury from. It’s in the finish level, so you can’t see any seams despite the sharp edges on the case. There are also no visible bolts or screws on the front. The supplied speaker grille clicks on magnetically. All details, but the total sum does yield a very positive result.

The Bowers & Wilkins speakers are also just finished at the back, which is nice if you want to place the speakers freely in a larger room. At the back we discover very solid speaker terminals, times two. So you can bi-wire or bi-amp these speakers.

All-rounders with a fine nose for detail In our test room we have the 606 S2 Anniversary Edition first listened to with the NAD C 658 – DAC / Preamp and the C 298 – output stage with Purifi amplification. A somewhat expensive combination for speakers of this price range, but the purity of the C 298 allows us to focus on what the speakers can and do themselves. But to keep it a bit more realistic, we then connect the speakers to a Sonos Amp in the living room. It may seem like a curious choice to some readers, but when we tested this little amplifier from Sonos at the time, we found the match with the previous generation 606 S2 really add up.

Initially that was surprising, because the Bowers & Wilkins speakers do have some demands on speakers and for the old Sonos Connect: Amp it would not be feasible have been. The Sonos Amp is clearly a better device, although we estimate its direct competitor, the Bluesound PowerNode 2i, higher. Both devices come with an HDMI input, so you can build a nice stereo music system on your TV that also sounds good when you watch a movie or binge watch TV series. For that scenario, looks like the Denon DRA – 800 us a good option too.

One of the strengths of Bowers & Wilkins is their Decoupled Double dome tweeter, also present with this 606 S2 AE. It is thanks to that tweeter that the recently released â € œThe Sophware Slumpâ € On a wooden pianoâ ???? van Granddaddy (Roon and Qobuz) reveals its full intimist character. You could call the tuning of this Bowers & Wilkins all-round; Noiserock by Magik Markers or the eigenthiessynt by Das Kabinette roll compellingly from the 606 S2 AE for example. Still, the slightly clear detail rendering â ???? slightly more pronounced than the previous one 606 S2 â ??? ? us with the Granddaddy album a more audiophile impression.

Also with â ???? Bach: The Cello Suites â ???? Recomposed by Peter Gregsonâ ???? (which seems to be some sort of attempt to follow up Max Richter’s Recomposed Vivaldi album), release the 606 Anniversary stand out positively. The Continuum woofer lets the rich, warm sounds of the cello resonate nicely in the listening room, and the integration between the woofer and tweeter is also really good here. The 606 S2 AE converts â ???? slightly screwed in â ???? a nice soundstage that hangs in wide between the speakers.

At the last minute arrived â ???? Idiot Prayerâ ???? from Nick Cave on the bus â ???? what a musical gift in these times! This catchy “Best of” was literally played solo on a piano by Cave in the middle of an empty Alexandra Palace in London, originally exclusive and one-off for a live stream. Fortunately, these songs are now available for you to listen to at home again. We can only be happy about it. Again we note that the 606 S2 AEâ ???? s both perfectly convey Cave’s voice and very well reproduce that piano with its lightly reverberating harmonic tones. “Higgs Bosons Blues” is to die for.

Also good with movies and games In our listening room, the Bowers & Wilkins speakers were more than a meter from the wall (with acoustic panels present, to limit reflections from a TV screen), in the living room we place the two speakers a lot closer to a wall, left and right of one 55 – inch television. That moving teaches us that the distance to the wall at the 607 S2 AE is very decisive for the layer reproduction. Always with speakers with a bass port at the rear, of course, but with these speakers just a little more. It does give you some freedom to tune to your own taste. In the listening room, for example, we played to â € œThe Legend of the Eagle Bearerâ €, the mighty title track of the spectacularly beautiful game â € œAssassin’s Creed: Odysseyâ €. Beautiful, detailed, with an openness that shows the ancient Greek instruments in this song. But in the living room, that’s where the percussion got its full impact and slam. Not huge detai Learned or something, for that you have to be in a more expensive price range, but the fun factor is definitely more present. This is a lot more exciting to listen to, if you want to play games or watch a movie. Electronic genres also immediately sound much more fun.

Conclusion

The Bowers & Willkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition builds on and improves on its acclaimed predecessor. It remains a loudspeaker that, despite a fairly compact size, can still play robustly. The 606 S2 AE continues to be an all-rounder that puts listening pleasure before everything perfectly displayed. That is often the case at this price point: the fun factor prevails â ???? and there is nothing wrong with that. But where the Bowers & Wilkins has an edge is in the detail reproduction in the middle and high. Marry the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 AE with a decent amplifier and you’re gonna be a happy music lover.

Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition

749 euro / pair | www.bowers-wilkins.nl

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Review: Edifier S3000 Pro

REVIEW

RESUME The Edifier S 3000 Pro misled us with its appearance. The stereo image with music is to die for, the connection options are very many and the set can be used cross-media. It is a real all-rounder for a very affordable price, and recommended if the design matches the rest of your interior.

PLUS POINTS True All-Rounder Wide stereo image Many possibilities in terms of connection Included cables MINUSES Old-fashioned design

There are those brands that are known to us, but ar often just out of sight. That is certainly not always right, but there is also so much choice. Fortunately, the Edifier S 3000 Pro active bookshelf speaker turned up on our test bench. Thanks to the necessary technological advancements, the brand has done quite a bit of good work.

To pick up on the introduction, the Edifier brand is of course not completely unknown, not even at HIFI.NL. The Beijing company has been operating in the audio industry for a quarter of a century, and especially in the last ten years, the manufacturer has had the clear motto “a passion for sound”. a big step in terms of brand awareness. Edifier dared not to go the regular way, but to come up with daring designs, affordable quality and award-winning sound systems. The brand is now in more than 80 countries, with audio products such as headphones, speakers and full music systems, for both the consumer and the audio pro.

Just plug in The first thing we notice when we see the S 3000 Pro received is the sheer weight of these Edifiers. We had expected some kind of active PC speakers, but once again learned that we should keep assumptions to ourselves. With a total weight of 21 kilos, they are just serious speakers. So a good ten kilos each. That is also allowed, because they are active speakers. Amplification included.

When opening the box , we are once again pleasantly surprised. Many brands are reducing the price by no longer supplying cables. Edifier has a different approach. We only find enough cabling in the box; an optical cable, usb, 3.5 mm to RCA, and RCA to RCA. And then two power cables.

In the set up of the Edifier S 20191114160511 Pro, a speaker is the master, and a speaker is the slave. The connection between the two is wireless. At the back of the master speaker a world of connections meets us. We find a USB, optical, unbalanced and balanced input. We certainly did not expect the latter. And Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD decoding. We also notice three beautiful rotary knobs. Two of these are for the bass and treble. The top one is for input or volume. But volume or input is also possible with the supplied remote control. Can we already say that the remote control is very nice? Yes that is allowed. Although it feels a bit cheap due to the plastic, the design looks modern and feels good in the hand .

Lost in thought, we hear an old telephone ringing in the distance. Amazed by the sound, which we haven’t heard for years. It’s a phone with a dial on the front. We decide to answer. Hello? we ask in a surprised voice. On the other hand, a slightly smoky voice will hear answers; Yes hello, with 80. Years 80. I heard you have the Edifier S 20191114160511 pro. I would like the design back. There’s a Delorean coming up with a kid in it, Marty McFly. Give the speakers to him! Â ???? and the line is disconnected.

Well, we do have to talk about that. That Design! Place these Edifiers next to, say, a Bowers & Wilkins from the 600 series and it gets a little more illustrative. The gold-colored base, the dark walnut color, the crazy gradient on the side and the black middle part. Just really out of this time. Sure, tastes differ, but this makes us slightly melancholic. Also compare it with DALI, where a beautiful light wood color is possible. We might exaggerate a bit, but the design is really something to look at in advance.

Music à la Edifier The ease of connecting is fortunately something very contemporary. Plug in the power cables, switch on and you’re done. That is it. The speakers automatically connect with each other. Do you want to connect something to it, plug the cable and you’re done.

We chose the Bluesound Node to stream music. We hooked it up with an AudioQuest Cinnamon. The Edifier S 3000 Pro has a 6.5 inch driver for the mid and low tones. This is provided with an aluminum cone. The tweeters are flat ribbon tweeters, which provide those fast high tones. To test that, we will of course switch to the HIFI.NL playlist. We start with some Michael Kiwanuka â ???? Cold Little Heart. And then something special happens. Where we just stumbled upon the design , we are now enchanted by a stereo image that is unprecedentedly good. The percussions that get into the room via the left channel are ridiculously clear. It sounds clean and clear, while we are treated to a tightly cast layer from the other side. We continue to listen in amazement. As soon as the singing starts, the party is complete. And only then do we realize that we are listening to a set of less than 700 euro.

If we make the comparison again with the B&W 600 series, which is next to it, gives the Edifier S 3000 Pro a complete fun package. The amplifier is built into the speakers, as is the DAC. It includes a remote control, bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, and the set is ready for high-res music.

We’re still listening some other numbers from the list, but are also curious how the Edifier S 3000 Pro performs in multimedia field. We test the speaker next to the PC for a game of gaming, and next to the TV for a series and film. On the PC we play Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption. In both cases, the Edifier delivers an excellent performance. With the remote control we can choose between 4 EQ modes. With music, preference was given to monitor or classic. Now when gaming, the preference is for dynamic. This is the best way to describe the sound during gaming. Especially the tight layer provides a lot of intensity. It’s almost to cut the tension.

At the TV we put the speakers about four meters apart and we swing Netflix on. We are in the middle of The Punisher and Deadly Class. Here, too, the dynamics provide a true spectacle. The low pops wonderfully. The sound effects such as shots and bullets flying around the ears are carried by the flat tweeters. Due to the wide placement we also create a wide sound. It is a great setup for people who both want to enjoy music and watch movies. The Edifier S 3000 Pro profiles itself with this as a true all-rounder, and that for a very affordable price.

Final Verdict The Edifier S 3000 Pro disguises its true identity. A sleeper. Only when music is listened to, the true identity emerges. We really expected a different sound. Maybe more in the corner of pumped-up PC speakers. In terms of stereo image, the Edifiers play the stars of the sky, especially for that money.

Yet there are also some small things that stood out. Such as pause and play on the remote. This only works if a Bluetooth device is connected. The treble and midrange crossover may work differently with the EQ presets. On the other hand, if you want to reach this level with separate speakers and amplifier, that can be quite a challenge. Especially for that amount. For Allround use the Edifier S 20191114160511 Pro more than capable.

Conclusion Anyone looking for an all-in one, one-stop-shop audio product will not immediately end up with an active set of Edifier. The Edifier S 3000 Pro has us however deceived with its appearance. The stereo image with music is to die for, the connection options are very many and the set can be used cross-media. It is a real all-rounder for a very affordable price, and recommended if the design matches the rest of your interior.

Edifier S 3000 Pro

â ?? ¬ 699 | Â edifier.nl

Rating: 4/5