Sound

The Verge’s favorite audio gear

Ever since Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded an almost undecipherable version of the French song “Au Clair de la Lune” in the mid-19th century, it’s been clear that the technology that you use to produce and listen to sounds can affect your experience. Even now, about 150 years later, the quality of your gear can mean the difference between a tinny, nearly unrecognizable noise or a fully realized aural experience.

As you can imagine, the people here at The Verge spend a lot of time listening to a variety of digital sounds — whether it’s online meetings, music, podcasts, videos, or sound checks of their own multimedia productions. We asked the staff what their favorite devices were to either listen to, enhance, or produce their digital sounds. Here’s what they talked about.

Plantronics Explorer 500 Bluetooth headset

Plantronics Explorer 500

Photo: Poly

About six years ago, I reviewed a midlevel Bluetooth headset from Plantronics (now Poly) called the Explorer 500. It was a small, nicely built, single-ear headset, and it came with a short USB cable with ends that magnetically snapped together to become a loop. I thought it was a pretty good piece of tech at the time, so I bought one — and I’m still using it. Of course, it’s not great for music (it uses only one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly convenient to have it hanging on a loop in my bag so I can grab it for a quick phone call or if I want to listen to a podcast. And surprisingly, the battery still holds a reasonable charge. One of these days, I’ll have to invest in a fully wireless headset so I can have fully mobile music as well — but until then, my Explorer 500 serves me well. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor

AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC

AudioQuest Dragonfly series

Photo: AudioQuest

AudioQuest’s Dragonfly portable digital-to-analog converter (DAC) brings higher-quality audio to your devices. Most laptops, tablets, and smartphones don’t have great DACs or don’t natively support hi-res files like FLAC (nor tell you when they don’t), but with the Dragonfly, you’ll be able to listen to uncompressed audio up to 24-bit / 96kHz. There’s also an LED light on the device that changes colors to indicate which sample rate is being supported at the moment. AudioQuest makes three separate models: the basic Dragonfly Black; the Dragonfly Red, which uses a higher-performance DAC chip; and the Dragonfly Cobalt, its highest-end model.

In order to take full advantage of the Dragonfly, you’ll also need an adapter for your phone with a Lightning-to-USB-A adapter for an iPhone or a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for an Android device. Portability is the biggest feature here — swapping between my phone and my laptop is the reason I’m recommending this for anyone who wants one gadget that will let you listen to hi-res audio on any device. — Andrew Marino, audio engineer

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Photo: Audio Technica

Alright, yes, I’m aware that these are pretty much already the internet’s favorite pair of wired, over-ear headphones. But seriously: I’ve had mine for six years now, and they’ve held up great. Sure, the pleather on the headband is starting to flake off, and I had to replace the ear cups a while back, but they sound just as good as the day I got them. I find that music just sounds fun with them — not too analytical, like my DT-770 Pros can sometimes be. The Audio-Technicas are for sure not reference headphones, but that’s probably not what most people are actually looking for.

They were also a great price, especially compared to their Bluetooth counterparts. And honestly, I’ve been falling out of love with wireless headphones for anything other than working out, though that’s probably a problem with me, not them. Either way, the newer version, the ATH-M50x (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a removable cable so you don’t have to worry about being saddled with the ridiculously long cables that sometimes come with fancy headphones. (Another version, the ATH-M50xBT, disposes of the cable entirely.) — Mitchell Clark, news writer

Antlion Audio ModMic USB microphone

Antlion Audio ModMic USB microphone

Photo: Antlion Audio

It seems like everyone’s getting big standalone microphones for their desks during the pandemic, but I don’t want to give up any precious real estate. A solution that works better for my needs is Antlion Audio’s ModMic USB microphone. It’s cleverly designed. First, you adhere a small circular base (about the size of a large chocolate chip) to the side of your headphones, then the microphone itself can be magnetically attached and detached at will. I like being able to quickly turn my headphones into a gaming headset, or to get ready for a meeting appearance, then back to regular headphones by detaching the mic. I use one with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro open-back headphones and it helps me get more out of the kit I already own.

This particular microphone has two modes you can switch between: omnidirectional (made for broadcasts) or unidirectional, which helps to capture just your voice if you’re in a noisy environment. The sound quality of a voice recording made with the ModMic is very good — far better than most of the gaming headsets I’ve tried. The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, and PS5.

The downside is this model costs about $70. Also, if your headphones are wired, introducing this mic’s wire into the fray can get a little tough to manage. For me, the price is worth the effort. Antlion also makes an all-wireless rechargeable microphone for $120, if you want to go that route, which also has dual mic modes and can stick to your headphones with adhesive. — Cameron Faulkner, writer

AirPods

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

I love my AirPods and I have since my first pair. They’re lightweight, they charge up quickly in their case, and they sound good enough for what I need them for, which is mostly hearing notifications, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos. It helps that I’m an iPhone and a Mac user, as they work really well with both devices.

I think I like the original AirPods more than the Pros, though. While the Pros offer some welcome upgrades like active noise cancellation and water and sweat resistance, they just don’t fit my ears as well. The original AirPods never fell out, but the AirPods Pro will slowly slip out if I’m talking or eating, and sometimes when I’m running. That means I’m constantly readjusting them if I’m doing anything besides sitting completely still. (To be fair, I’m sitting completely still a lot of the time right now.)

Here’s hoping that the next version of the Pros will fit my ears just a little bit better. If they do, they’ll likely become one of my favorite Apple products ever. — Jay Peters, news writer

Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production

Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production

Photo: Rode

This four-mic input audio interface by Rode makes it significantly easier to set up a full podcasting session with a design that mimics a live mixing board. You can record multitracks onto your computer or internally on a microSD using a USB-C connection.

As someone who mostly mixes podcasts after they’re recorded, this setup is more appealing to me for live streaming on Twitch or YouTube. You also get built-in customizable sound banks, compression and EQ settings, multiple outputs for monitoring, and an intuitive design for traditional live mixing.

Fun tip: it’s also a great way to record phone call interviews by pairing the RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. — Andrew Marino

HyperX QuadCast microphone

HyperX QuadCast

Photo: HyperX

I’d been looking to upgrade my microphone for a long time, but I was unsure which product to go with. A few friends recommended the HyperX QuadCast, and that’s what I ended up buying.

Previously, I used a Blue Yeti microphone, but I felt the audio quality was unsatisfactory on my end. I wanted to make sure I was buying a microphone that was not too cheap and not too pricey and, most importantly, had a nice cable lengthy so I did not have to rearrange my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found the HyperX QuadCast had great clarity and picked up the subtle details from my audio output.

I really enjoy the somewhat unconventional design of the QuadCast; it comes with straightforward controls, a stand, and a shock mount adapter for boom arms if you want to mount the microphone closer to you. I also find it convenient that the mute button is on top of the microphone. It makes it easy to mute myself quickly while on Zoom or Discord. —Taylor Lyles, writer

Sonos Five speaker

Sonos Five

Photo: Sonos

I’ve never found a single smart speaker that sounds better, and I like that there are no microphones inside. Those are the main bullet points for why I’ve had a Sonos Play:5 — recently refreshed as the Sonos Five — on my desk for several years now. For a speaker that doesn’t have a 360-degree design, the Five still produces a very satisfactory soundstage that can fill most rooms. It can kick out ample bass without overpowering the highs and mids of your music. It takes two of most other smart speakers paired together to come anywhere close to what the Sonos Five can deliver. (Granted, it had better sound damn good for $500.)

Pretty much every audio app under the sun is supported through the Sonos app, including hi-fi options like Tidal and Amazon Music HD. The Sonos Five works with Apple AirPlay, and there’s a 3.5-millimeter aux input for wired playback. (You can also use this to get a turntable hooked into your Sonos system.)

No, there’s no built-in voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant included here. But some people will appreciate the absence of always-listening mics. And adding an assistant to the mix after the fact is easy, either via another Sonos speaker like the One or simply by hooking up an Echo Dot or Nest Mini.

It’s just a shame that the white and black combo Play:5 colorway is no more; I think that was the best-looking speaker Sonos ever made. — Chris Welch, news editor

Best workout headphones 2021: The best exercise earphones to buy

(Pocket-lint) – When looking for the best running headphones or for the gym, priorities are slightly different to when you’re searching out the best headphones for casual listening.

Headphones for exercise need to be comfortable and secure fitting as well as being sweat resistant. This is important as sweat is really bad for electronics.

Best in-ear headphones: Wired, wireless and wire-free

With that said, that means the best sports earphones are the ones that will stay in your ears, are lightweight and are comfortable to wear when you’re a sweaty mess pounding your feet against tarmac.

It also helps a lot if there’s plenty of bass pumping to keep you driving on. So without further ado, let’s check out the best headphones for running, the gym and general exercise.

Pocket-lint

Beats Powerbeats Pro

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Beats has reinvented the earphone and got rid of the wire, resulting in an amazing pair of workout earphones. They ensure that they fit as comfortably as is possible while they’re light too, so when they’re in your ears, not only do they fit very securely, but you can barely tell that they’re there.

Battery life is, quite frankly, insane for a pair of wire-frees, with the Powerbeats Pro capable of lasting up to 9 hours of constant music listening outside the case. All things considered, right now, these certainly seem like the best workout headphones you can get.

Beats Powerbeats Pro review: Perfect workout companions

Pocket-lint

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 Sport

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If you want sports earphones that don’t look like sports earphones, this is where it’s at. Beoplay E8 Sport is – in every sense – a premium pair of true wireless earphones, but with design and features that suits runners and gym fiends.

You get water/sweat resistance, but also a grippy secure fit from the rubber outer of the earbuds. With B&O, you know you’re getting great quality sound in a package made from high end materials. In every way, this is just as much focused on sound and premium feel as any other B&O product, but they also happen to be great for working out too. You even get the convenience of wireless charging in the case.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 Sport review: Classy workout ‘buds

Pocket-lint

Beats Powerbeats

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Imagine if you took the comfort, sound and convenience of the Powerbeats Pro and put it in a pair of earphones that’s cheaper, but connected by a slim cable. That’s essentially what the latest generation of non-Pro Powerbeats earphones is.

The sound is delivered by the same custom drivers developed by Apple to offer great control over a wide range of frequencies, meaning bass is great, and don’t get boomy or muddy, while trebles/highs are still clear. They also have the Apple H1 Chip, and that means you get easy pairing with iPhones, plus automatic pairing/connecting with any other Apple device with the same iCloud account.

Apart from the lower price, the other reason you might prefer these to the Powerbeats Pro: battery. They can get through 15 hours of music playback before needing to be plugged into a Lightning cable for refilling, and when they do charge, they charge quickly

Beats Powerbeats review: Great earphones without the ‘Pro’ price

Pocket-lint

Master & Dynamic MW07 Go

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Master & Dynamic took the sound and drivers from its awesome first pair of true wireless earphones, then put them in smaller, lighter pair of in-ears with IPX6 water resistance. The tip offers a good seal in the ear, then the soft, bristled silicone comb fin in the ear keeps the pair securely in place during exercise.

If you’re into long exercise sessions, the MW07 Go has you covered. They can go up to 10 hours in a single session before needing to be placed back in their charging case. Couple that with sound that dynamic, rich and detailed, and you have one of the best sounding and – in our opinion – most attractive pair of workout earphones out there.

Master & Dynamic MW07 Go review: Same great sound, sportier appeal

Pocket-lint

AirPods Pro

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Apple’s new kids on the block are, quite simply, the best AirPods yet. We were some of the many people who would occasionally use previous AirPods models in the gym, guiltily, and knowing that their lack of waterproofing made it a real risk. No more — AirPods Pro bring water and sweat-proofing to let you go hard, and that in-ear design makes for a way more secure fit, too.

Plus, the addition of active noise cancellation means that you won’t have to crank the volume too crazily to drown out the playlist your gym chooses, or the honking and sirens of your outdoor environment. They don’t have many dedicated fitness functions, and while the fit is secure and comfortable, the hooks from the Powerbeats Pro do make those earbuds even more safe.

Apple AirPods Pro review: Silence is golden

Pocket-lint

Jaybird Vista

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These are superb running headphone, and are extremely reasonably priced given the features on offer. They don’t boast a huge range of controls, but they’re comfortable, lightweight and sweatproof. The security of the fit on offer is best-in-class, too, which matters a lot when you’re working out vigorously.

With a good charging case into the mix, taking the earbuds’ six-hour battery life up to 16 hours without needing main power, and really decent sound, too, the Vista marks a genuinely impressive effort from the ever-improving Jaybird.

Jaybird Vista review: Affordable workout king

Pocket-lint

Jabra Elite Active 75t

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We loved the standard Jabra Elite 75t, and still do – the Active version is almost exactly the same set of earbuds, just with the waterproofing dialled up to make sure that they’re perfect for sporty uses.

One thing we loved about this pair is the ability to tailor the sound to suit the individual. They give a lot of control over tone through the Jabra app for iPhone/Android.

The earbuds are also really comfortable and secure, a must for working out, and while 7.5 hours of music playback isn’t the best battery performance on this list, it’s definitely adequate for most workout sessions or activities. The ability to switch ‘HearThrough’ on means you can hear traffic around you when you’re running at night time.

Jabra Elite Active 75t review: True wireless sport star

Pocket-lint

Bose SoundSport Free

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These fantastic true wireless headphones are comfortably some of the best sports earphones for pure music enjoyment. The disadvantage is that they don’t have some of the smart fitness features you get in the likes of the Lifebeam Vi or Jabra Elite Sport we’ve talked about elsewhere; there’s no heart-rate or cadence measure for example. They are comfortable though and crucially don’t fall out.

You get a battery life of around five hours per charge although naturally there’s extra power in the case – enough to charge the earphones twice over again. So that’s around 15 hours in total. Because they’re black, they’re also a lot more subtle than many of the other choices out there.

Bose SoundSport Free review: The best wire-free sports earphones by a mile

Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

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Samsung’s newest Galaxy Buds+ are great value for money, offering a convenient wireless charging case, lots of bass and a secure fit that ensures the latest pair of Galaxy-branded earphones will stay in your years.

Like some of the other modern pairs on the list, one of the best features is battery life. You can get up to 11 hours of music playback outside the case, so that should easily see you through your longest exercise sessions. Even if that session happens to be a long hike up a mountain range and back down again.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review: Enough of a plus?

Pocket-lint

Philips ST702

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If you’re pretty concerned not just with getting good wireless running performance, but also making sure that your earbuds don’t just become sweaty messes over time, Philips could have a solution here.

The ST702 have a UV-lit case that cleans them after each use, which means they should be clear of bacteria – it’s a nice touch. That said, it makes the case slightly chunky.

The buds are comfortable and stay secure thanks to wing-tips, and sound quality is very solid.

Philips ActionFit ST702 review: Truly wireless sports buds that keep it clean

Pocket-lint

Adidas FWD-01

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If you don’t mind having a neckband, these earbuds are pretty impressive – right down to the nice, woven fabric finish on that cord.

They’re nicely priced and have really decent battery life, plus a punchy sound profile that’s heavy on the bass.

Selecting the right buds and wing-tips should help you get a comfy fit, although we found that we had to adjust it every so often.

Adidas FWD-01 Sport In-Ear Headphones review: Pump it up

Writing by Cam Bunton. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.

Nvidia Estimates $100-$300 Million in Q4 Revenue from Miners

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Nvidia is raking in cash in the midst of ongoing graphics card shortages, but there isn’t a lot of good news for gamers on the near horizon. Nvidia released its Q4 and fiscal 2021 earnings today, notching an impressive record of $5 billion in quarterly revenue, up 61% over the prior year, as it powered its way to net earnings of $1.457 billion, but the company’s comments on the current mining boom paint a dire picture.

Like most semiconductor manufacturers, Nvidia has suffered from a string of crushing shortages fueled by pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions. To make matters worse for gamers searching for a graphics card, the sudden reemergence of cryptocurrency mining, particularly Ethereum, has severely worsened the situation. Nvidia doesn’t expect the situation to end any time soon, either, saying that it expects shortages in the channel to last throughout the quarter.

Nvidia CFO Collete Kress explained that the company predicts that, by its best estimates, $100 to $300 million of its Q4 revenue came from sales to cryptominers, but conceded that it couldn’t accurately predict the impact due to sales through AIBs and distributors. Exposure to the finicky cryptomining market isn’t a good look for Nvidia with its investors, and it’s easy to think this is a lowball prediction: Overall, even at the full $300 million, this represents a small portion of Nvidia’s $2.5 billion (up 67% YoY) of gaming revenue for the quarter.

“We suspect that the significant increase in the Ethereum hash rate observed over the past few months was driven by a combination of previously-installed mining capacity that was reactivated, as well as news sales of GPUs and ASICs,” Kress explained.

Both Kress and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that the company doesn’t expect cryptocurrency mining to end soon, citing increased acceptance by companies and financial institutions along with a continued trend of ‘proof of work’ mining. These factors prompted the company to institute new measures that hamstring Ethereum mining performance on the upcoming RTX 3060 graphics cards.

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Nvidia also recently introduced its new line of CMP (cryptomining processors) cards designed specifically for cryptocurrency miners. The company expects to sell roughly $50 million worth of those cards during the first quarter of the year. This number doesn’t include sales of other graphics cards destined for mining over the coming months, though, and Nvidia didn’t provide any predictions for its future overall mining income. Nvidia did say it will provide detailed revenue breakdowns for CMP cards in its future earnings reports.

Huang acknowledged that the company is supply-constrained but said that he doesn’t expect GPU shortages to impact its supply to the lucrative data center market. That implies that Nvidia is prioritizing the supply of its data center GPUs over gaming GPUs, which makes sound business sense given the much higher margins in the data center. Nvidia says it sees continued strong demand for its gaming GPUs, though, citing that only 15% of its install base has upgraded to its RTX graphics cards.

Huang said that he expects mining to continue to rely upon ‘proof of work,’ which requires intense GPU computational power, and that the shift to ‘proof of stake,’ which doesn’t require as much compute (GPUs), will take place gradually. That means that Nvidia sees demand for mining GPUs remaining strong for quite some time.

As we’ve seen in the past, a sudden drop in mining profitability can result in a flood of graphics cards on the second-hand market, which threatens Nvidia’s profitability. Huang said that might not be the case this time around, as he thinks the majority of industrial miners will retain their graphics cards even if Ethereum profitability recedes temporarily, largely so they can press the cards back into service when profitability improves.

Nvidia raked in $16.7 billion for the year and $4.3 billion in net income as it continued to outperform estimates, and it says it still has room to grow despite the ongoing shortages. The company expects to earn another $5 billion this quarter, largely propelled by GPU sales to gamers. Unfortunately for gamers, Nvidia didn’t give any predictions of when supply will return to normal.

Watch the trailer for the Rugrats reboot headed to Paramount Plus

A Rugrats reboot is headed to the new streaming service Paramount Plus this spring, ViacomCBS announced today. The show is described as a “reimagining of the classic ‘90s hit,” and you can see a preview of the new CG-animated style in this trailer:

But even though the animation might look different, many of the characters should sound the same — Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Angelica Pickles, Susie Carmichael, and Phil and Lil DeVille will all be voiced by their original voice actors.

The new show is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, according to a press release.

“Rugrats is one of the most iconic cartoons recognized by fans around the globe, and this original version is one we are taking great care and pride in creating for a brand-new audience,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation, in a statement. “Having the voice cast behind these special characters come together is one of the essential pieces to making the show recognizable and we can’t wait to watch this talented group bring them to life again.”

The original show debuted in August 1991, and was a staple of my childhood. I’m curious to see how this reboot turns out.

Netflix won’t be adding support for Apple spatial audio any time soon

(Image credit: Netflix)

Sad news for those of us happily anticipating 12-hour binges through the latest Netflix craze in glorious surround-sound on our Apple headphones and iOS device: Netflix has confirmed it actually isn’t testing support for iOS 14’s new spatial audio functionality.

The news quashes claims made in a January report from iPhoneSoft, which suggested that the streaming giant had actually been testing spatial audio support on the iPhone and iPad since December, and that (citing an anonymous Netflix developer) we could even expect a rollout of support for spatial audio on Netflix by spring.

In a statement to MacRumors, a Netflix spokesperson said that the company is not currently testing spatial audio support, and it has no plans that it wants to share at this time. Instead, the streaming giant and Originals content creator said it was testing multi-channel support for built-in speakers, as part of its efforts to provide “new experiences” for its users and “improve” its offering.

Spatial audio is essentially Apple’s take on Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and Sony’s PS5 3D Audio. It is designed to deliver surround sound and 3D audio via your headphones – specifically your Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. The feature arrived as part of iOS 14 in September 2020.

Netflix’s chief competition – Disney Plus, HBO Max and Apple TV+ to name but a few – will probably rest a little easier in light of this update. And if a recent job vacancy at Roku for a lead production attorney is anything to go on, competition is only getting stronger…

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The original voice of Siri makes an appearance in Persona 5 Strikers

If you’ve spent the day playing through Persona 5 Strikers and noticed the voice of the in-game digital assistant sounded familiar, it’s likely because it’s played by the original voice of Siri (via Kotaku). Susan Bennett originally provided the voice for Apple’s digital assistant, and now she’s playing EMMA, the in-game AI.

You can hear what she sounds like in the role in the video below, around the 9:44 mark.

If you ask your iPhone for directions to the nearest camping store, though, you may notice that its response doesn’t exactly sound like the game. That’s because, while Bennett was the original voice for Siri when it debuted with the iPhone 4S running iOS 5 (though technically Siri existed with Bennett’s voice before it was ever added to the iPhone), she was replaced with the launch of iOS 7.

Typeform has an interview with Bennett about how she became the voice of Siri, and it includes tons of voice recordings from her, which you can compare to her work in Strikers. You can also watch Apple’s ad that introduces Siri on the iPhone 4S to get a feel for what Siri sounded like back then in case its current iteration has overwritten those memories.

This is the kind of extra mile we love to see game developers go. “We need someone to play the voice assistant in the English version of the game. How about the person who played one of the first major voice assistants?” If you want to experience it for yourself, Persona 5 Strikers is out today on PlayStation, Steam, and Switch.

How Sonos wireless headphones could stand out from the crowd (because they’ll need to)

(Image credit: German Patent and Trademark Office)

Sonos is developing a pair of wireless, potentially noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones. The company hasn’t confirmed as much, but filed patents and subsequent rumours and reports all point in the same direction.

They could be officially unveiled as soon as next month – Sonos is hosting a product launch on 16th March for, as suggested by the event’s invite, a ‘portable’ product, although behind the curtain could just as likely be a smaller version of the Move Bluetooth speaker (also heavily rumoured). Alternatively, the Sonos headphones could arrive later in the year as the company’s second new product promised for 2021. Wherever they appear on our timeline, Sonos wireless headphones are almost certainly coming. The question is, does the world want them?

In short, we expect it does. The prospect of this inevitable Sonos expansion excites us, anyway. But in a wireless headphones market awash with excellent pairs, Sonos needs a unique selling point or two, not to mention competitive sound quality. Apple recently managed to separate its AirPods Max from Sony, Bose and Sennheiser rivals with Apple-centric features and a significantly higher price tag (which we found to be justified thanks to their superior sound quality).

Does Sonos have what it takes to carve out its own corner of the headphones market and garner mass appeal? Again, we believe so. And here’s how it could do it.

Sonos wireless headphones: release date, rumours, and all of the news

Sonos headphones ‘swap’

Sonos hasn’t become one of the world’s best and most popular audio brands by following the herd. It more or less spawned the multi-room speaker market nearly 20 years ago, and it continues to dominate, despite a wealth of competition. It’s maintained favour through consistent operational seamlessness, unique features and exemplar sound, and it is these strengths of the Sonos ecosystem that will need to translate into the Sonos headphones experience.

Sonos products are all about working together, so it’s impossible to imagine a beatnik Sonos outsider that sits on the edge rather than properly inside the ecosystem. Sonos users will undoubtedly want a Sonos-savvy pair of headphones – otherwise, what’s the point? – and Sonos appears to be on the same wavelength. At least in one aspect, anyway.

In the approved patent is mention of a ‘swap’ feature, which would let owners simply and easily pass the music playing on their Sonos headphones to one (or more) of their Sonos speakers. The patent reads: “For example, if a particular piece of content play is currently playing on the wireless headphone, a swap changes the playback to play that piece of content on one or more other playback devices on the local network.”

It sounds similar to how iPhones can ‘hand-off’ music to a HomePod or HomePod mini (and vice versa) by simply putting the devices close to one another, but this would mark the first implementation of this kind of feature in a pair of headphones. We imagine a similar process would work between a pair of Sonos headphones and Sonos speaker, but perhaps the headphones could even sport a button or touch gesture to initiate this.

Maybe the user could set the headphones to automatically send music to a particular Sonos ‘zone’ when they detect your home network when you step in the door. It would be a neat asset (albeit, alone, not a huge selling point) that would no doubt appeal to existing Sonos users.

Sonos: everything you need to know
Which Sonos speaker should you buy?

Sonos zones and app control

This Sonos system integration brings up the matter of a wi-fi network, which is how the Sonos system connects together. Now, Sonos is hardly going to launch a pair of wireless headphones without Bluetooth connectivity. This is almost essential to connect to your phone, tablet or portable music player while you’re out and about, but including wi-fi connectivity as well could open the gateway to further Sonos-centric functionality.

For one, it’d open up the possibility of including the headphones in a ‘zone’ in your Sonos system. They could be part of your ‘TV’ zone, for example, alongside your Sonos Beam or Arc, to be used simultaneously or as an alternative. Would they have support for surround sound decoding (including Dolby Atmos, as supported by the Arc) or perhaps a proprietary pseudo-surround sound feature comparable to Apple’s spatial audio?

The Sonos S2 app – the puppet-master of the Sonos system – could also step in as a useful means of headphones control. Many headphones come with dedicated apps that allow the owner to personalise their pair, alter EQ and see battery life, but the Sonos app could, if compatible with the headphones, offer wearers access to a slew of streaming services and sources – all aggregated in one place, rather than from a range of apps on their phone – offering a nifty means of control within the home environment.

Sonos S2 update: the lowdown on Sonos’ latest platform

Bluetooth and wi-fi: better sound quality?

There’s also the potential of wi-fi offering better sound quality, too. Bluetooth has come a long way to conveniently deliver high-quality, wireless audio, currently peaking with the aptX HD standard (which supports up to 24-bit/48kHz), but if owners could connect their headphones directly to a wi-fi home network, rather than only to a phone over Bluetooth, it could potentially mean longer range a more stable connection and high-resolution audio support.

While we’re only too aware of Sonos’ neglect of the latter to date, the increase in audio bandwidth that comes with Sonos S2 app has left us hopeful for future support of hi-res FLAC and maybe even MQA music.

Again, such network reliance would surely make this feature a home-only experience, but it would perhaps make the Sonos wireless headphones the most convincing best-of-both-worlds solution out there.

Sonos Trueplay for headphones

Sonos Trueplay is an auto-calibration technology that tunes Sonos speakers for the room they live in to deliver the best sound possible. The question here is could Trueplay be adapted to customise your Sonos headphones experience?

Instead of working to ensure a speaker sounds great tucked away in a corner or sandwiched between a stack of books, could Trueplay for headphones automatically adapt their sound to your surroundings in real-time, as ‘adaptive noise-cancellation’ does? Trueplay for headphones could also go down the route of helping create a customised sound profile to match the headphones’ sonics specifically to someone’s hearing system, as headphones like nuraphones do.

Generally, with Sonos speakers, Trueplay works by using the microphones in your iPhone. The exception to this is the Sonos Move, which uses internal mics of its own. As wireless headphones tend to have mics, we think the implementation of such a feature could be a real possibility.

Why I will never own a pair of noise-cancelling headphones

Nailing everything else – including price

Naturally, while the Sonos wireless headphones have plenty of potential to stand out from the crowd, they’ll also want to stand in line with their rivals when it comes to popular features and competitive specs. That includes active noise-cancellation, a 20-to-30-hour battery life with USB-C charging (including fast-charging), and increasingly common functions like auto-pause and ‘transparent hearing’ mode.

And then there’s the price. The Sonos wireless headphones have been tipped by Bloomberg sources to launch at about £220 ($300, AU$400), which would keep them well clear of the Apple AirPods Max; undercut Sony’s range-topping class-leaders, the WH-1000XM4, plus the current crop from Bose and Sennheiser; and put them more or less in the firing line of still-popular, last-generation models like the Sony WH-1000XM3.

Really, Sonos’ experience with driver hardware and audio processing, its near-faultless history of aesthetic and usability design, and of course its nailed-on mass appeal puts it in a great position to not only enter but usefully expand the headphones world. Let’s hope Sonos makes the most of it.

MORE:

Check out the best wireless headphones 2021 you can buy

AirPods Max teardown shows the inner workings of Apple’s headphones

Sonos is working on a compact, portable Bluetooth speaker

Google is expanding its Password Checkup tool to older devices

Google is expanding its Password Checker feature to older devices, the company announced today. Now, phones and tablets running Android 9 or newer will have access to the feature, which is part of Google’s autofilling password manager and which checks password strength or if any logins have been compromised in a data breach.

It’s part of a new batch of updates Google is rolling out on Android, a list that also includes the ability to schedule text messages to send later on, a new version of TalkBack (Google’s screen reader for Android), and better support for Google Assistant to accomplish tasks even when your phone is locked.

Messages’ new scheduled send feature.

Image: Google

Scheduled text messages are exactly what they sound like: once you’ve updated Google’s Messages app, you’ll be able to tap and hold on the send button for a message to select the date and time that you’d like to send your text. The company envisions the feature as being useful for messaging friends and family members in other time zones. It’ll be available on devices running Android 7 or newer.

A more substantial update, though, is coming to Google’s TalkBack screen reader, which allows blind and low vision users to more easily interact with their phones. In the latest update, Google is adding what is says were some of the most requested features: “more intuitive gestures, a unified menu, a new reading control menu and more.”

The new card UI for using Google Assistant on a locked phone.

Image: Google

Lastly, Google is enhancing Assistant by adding new cards to glance at when you’re interacting with the voice assistant while your phone is locked. The goal is to make it easier to use Assistant to do things like setting alarms, sending texts, or playing a song, even when your phone isn’t in your hand.

Royal Albert Hall celebrates 150th birthday with film narrated by Mick Jagger

(Image credit: Royal Albert Hall)

Hot on the heels of the announcement that public indoor events are set to return to the UK this May, the Royal Albert Hall has released a 90-second clip, entitled Your Room Will Be Ready, to commemorate its 150th anniversary year. Indeed, the timing couldn’t be more apt for the arrival of a new short film celebrating live music.

Narrated by Mick Jagger and directed by Tom Harper, Your Room Will Be Ready features previously unseen archive footage of performances on the world-famous stage dating back to 1933. It’s the first ‘event’ planned for the legendary venue’s 150th-anniversary celebrations, which will now extend into 2022 and include commissions from British artists, headline musical performances and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent.

Your Room Will Be Ready comprises over 40 snippets of archive footage with shots of the empty auditorium and backstage spaces, soundtracked by Jagger reading from the poignant poem For Friends Only by W.H. Auden. The Royal Albert Hall shut its doors to the public on March 17th 2020 due to the global pandemic and has since lost £34m in income from the cancellation of more than 330 shows.

The video includes moments of both music and social history, with appearances from artists, athletes and activists. It contains unseen footage of Chris Cornell, Jimi Hendrix and Creedence Clearwater Revival, as well as rare shots of Diana Ross’ 1973 Hall debut, restored footage of Led Zeppelin’s 1970 appearance, and Peter Whitehead’s film of The Rolling Stones’ 1966 headline show.

You’ll also see Albert Einstein speaking out against the Nazis in 1933, recently rediscovered material from a 23-year-old Jacqueline du Pré’s 1968 concert for the people of Czechoslovakia, and Freddie Mercury’s flamboyant appearance at Fashion Aid in 1985.

Speaking about his involvement in the project, Sir Mick Jagger said: “Without doubt the Royal Albert Hall is one of the greatest concert venues in the world.

“I have some wonderful memories of performing there with The Stones in the 1960s when once or twice it did get a bit wild, with enthusiastic fans joining us onstage and almost bringing the show to an abrupt end – but we soldiered on and had a great time.”

The original score accompanying the footage was composed by Steven Price, who won an Academy Award for his work on 2013’s Gravity, and was recorded at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios.

Price has been able to draw upon his long personal experience of listening to musicians play the imposing space, saying: “It has been my massive good fortune to have enjoyed so many wonderful nights at the Royal Albert Hall. I once saw Neil Finn step away from the microphone to perform using only the acoustics of the hall itself, the entire place transfixed. I’ve seen poetry readings, Christmas carol concerts, and live performances of the film scores that inspired me to see if I could one day become a part of that world.

“In 2019 a piece of my own was played as part of a film music Prom and I couldn’t quite believe that the sound that I’d originally first heard in my head was now bouncing around those walls, walls that had, at some point in the past 150 years, reverberated to the sound of so many of my heroes. Somehow the hall manages to be both grand and intimate at the same time, and it seems to bring out the best in everyone who performs there.”

A full list of the featured archive footage can be found below.

Albert Einstein, 1933 – British Pathé

The Film Ball, 1933 – British Pathé

Chelsea Arts Club Ball, 1952 – British Pathé

Sir Winston Churchill, 1954 – British Pathé

HM The Queen, 1964 – British Pathé

Bob Dylan, 1965 – Don’t Look Back by D.A. Pennebaker

The Rolling Stones, 1966 – Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London by Peter Whitehead.

Jacqueline du Pré, 1968 – ‘Concert in Support of the Brave People of Czechoslovakia’. BBC Archive

*Jimi Hendrix, 1969 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Royal Albert Hall by Jerry Goldstein.

Jethro Tull, 1969 – Swing In. Rockpalast / Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Led Zeppelin, 1970. ‘Communication Breakdown’ from Led Zeppelin DVD. Filmed by Peter Whitehead, restored by Dick Carruthers and Jimmy Page

*Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970. Unreleased, restored footage. Craft Recordings.

Shirley Bassey, 1972 – from the BBC Archive

Diana Ross, 1973 – from the BBC Archive

Luciano Pavarotti, 1982 – from the BBC Archive

Freddie Mercury, 1985 – Fashion Aid 1985. Kevin Godley / Band Aid Trust.

Evgeny Kissin, 1997 – The Albert Hall Encores. Christopher Nupen / Allegro Films

George Michael, 1999 – Concert for Linda. From the BBC Archive.

Billy Preston, 2002 – Concert for George. David Leland / RadicalMedia.

Simon Rattle / Berliner Philharmoniker / BBC Proms, 2004. From the BBC Archive.

The Killers, 2006. Live from the Royal Albert Hall. Dick Carruthers.

Sinfónica Simón Bolívar Orquesta / Gustavo Dudamel / BBC Proms, 2007. From the BBC Archive.

Adele, 2011 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Paul Dugdale / Done & Dusted.

Florence + the Machine, 2012. Florence + the Machine: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Richard Cohen / LoveLive TV

Foals, 2013 – Holy Fire: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Dave Ma / Pulse Films

Joshua Bell / BBC Proms, 2013. From the BBC Archive.

Mitsuko Uchida / BBC Proms, 2013. From the BBC Archive.

Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn, 2013 – from the Teenage Cancer Trust archive.

Coldplay, 2014 – Ghost Stories Live.

Eric Clapton, 2015 – Slowhand at 70 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Blue Leach / Eagle Rock.

Iggy Pop, 2016 – Post Pop Depression. Nick Wickham / Eagle Rock.

*Chris Cornell, 2016 – unseen footage courtesy of the Chris Cornell Estate / Patriot Management.

Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2017 – The Nutcracker. Royal Albert Hall Archive.

Songhoy Blues, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.

Dizzee Rascal, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.

Foo Fighters, 2017 – ‘Later…with Jools Holland 25 at the Royal Albert Hall’. BBC Archive.

The Who, 2017 – Tommy – Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Chris Rule / Eagle Rock.

Cirque du Soleil – OVO, 2018. Cirque du Soleil Archive

Bastille, 2018 – ‘Quarter Past Midnight (Live From Royal Albert Hall)

Wizkid, 2018 – ‘Wizkid: Lagos to London’

Anthony Yarde v Travis Reeves 2019

Stormzy, 2019 – ‘Global Citizen Awards’

*denotes unseen or unreleased footage

MORE:

30 of the best music videos of all time

10 of the best musical soundtracks to test your speakers

8 brilliant albums recorded in self-isolation

Dali Oberon 1 C

Our Verdict

Whichever connectivity hub you choose, the Oberon 1 C package promises sonic satisfaction in spades

For

Detailed, musical sound
Superb midrange clarity
Two Sound Hub options

Against

Not the last word in authority
Slight lack of bass depth

The shared pursuit of love and happiness aside, not everyone is after the same thing – as Dali acknowledges in the design of its latest stereo speaker system, the Oberon 1 C. Audio systems, whether they are modest all-in-one micros or more ambitious active speaker types, often adopt a one-size-fits-all model – it’s part of their convenient, fuss-free selling point, after all. However, the Oberon 1 C have been designed to appeal to more than one kind of buyer and set-up.

Features

(Image credit: Dali)

This standmounter package belongs to a three-strong active speaker system series, which also incorporates the 7 C floorstanders and On-Wall C wall-mounted speaker and is based on the Danish company’s Oberon passive speaker range. As Dali’s most affordable active range, they sit beneath the Rubicon C and Callisto C series, which are themselves based on passive speaker ranges.

However, the Oberon C models are a slightly different proposition to their active system siblings, largely due to their more accessible nature. While the brains of the Rubicon C and Callisto C speakers lie in a separate wireless network preamplifier called the Sound Hub, the Oberon C package introduces a smaller, modified version of this box, the Sound Hub Compact.

Dali Oberon 1 C tech specs

(Image credit: Dali)

Bluetooth aptX HD

Power 4x 50W Class D amps

Finishes x4

Dimensions (hwd) 27 x 16 x 23cm

Weight 4.4kg

This box is packaged with the Oberon 1 C, but you can choose to have the original Sound Hub instead for a £250 premium. Going down the hub route, rather than packing all the connectivity inside the speaker cabinets, allows Dali to offer upgradeable boxes in the future. From an aesthetic point of view, it also gives owners the option to keep cables from connected sources away from speakers. But why two hubs? Dali feels that this price point makes the Oberon 1 C (and 7 C) an alternative to a soundbar, for those after a higher-performing TV-based system with a more convincing stereo soundstage than offered by a single bar.

The Sound Hub Compact’s connectivity certainly reflects those ambitions. There’s an HDMI ARC socket providing one means of connecting to a TV, allowing the TV remote to control the Oberon 1 C’s volume adjustments and, as the hub also supports auto input switching, largely negating the need for the system’s provided remote.

Optical inputs provide another, with one geared towards TV connectivity so that the Sound Hub can automatically power up when the TV is turned on. There’s also aptX HD Bluetooth – handy for wirelessly playing music from a phone or other Bluetooth-toting audio source – plus a pair of RCA inputs, a subwoofer output and a USB service port.

What is missing, compared with the full Sound Hub, is the BluOS streaming module, which offers DLNA playback, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and built-in access to other streaming services, such as Amazon Music, Qobuz and Deezer. The Sound Hub Compact’s lack of BluOS support and general network access means that both multi-room functionality with other BluOS devices and MQA file support aren’t available – and for some this will be an issue. The Sound Hub also features a coaxial input and preamp output, which the compact version doesn’t.

But for those who wish to keep their set-up simple, or who don’t rely upon music streaming services, the Sound Hub Compact may be all they need. Those after an active stereo system but have a bigger budget or more ambitious performance requirements should be aware that the Sound Hub Compact is also compatible with Dali’s Rubicon C and Callisto C active speakers, too.

Build

(Image credit: Dali)

Dali has reduced the size of the hub, mostly in terms of its height, so that it can more easily be tucked away on a rack. Whereas the Sound Hub’s size is comparable to a set-top box, the Sound Hub Compact is more akin to a wi-fi router, with a simple half-circle arrangement of LED lights that denote input selection.

We test both hubs with the Oberon 1 C, but whichever you choose, one of their design’s biggest blessings is their wireless transmission to speakers. The hub sends music to the Oberon 1 C over a proprietary 30-bit wireless protocol, with transmission latency from input to speaker claimed to be less than 15mS.

Upon receipt of the signal from the hub, the wireless receiver modules in the speakers detect which channel data (left or right) to play, depending on the channel assigned to each speaker during set-up. The correct channel data is passed at 24-bit/96kHz resolution to the DSP-based equalisation and crossover filter electronics. During our testing, we don’t experience any connection or latency issues and the experience is solid.

The speakers are largely unchanged from the passive Oberon 1, which in our review we said were “solid and nicely made” and “compact enough to fit unobtrusively into most rooms”. There are still four finish options – black ash, matte white, dark walnut and light oak – but, as with the Oberon 1, the biggest aesthetic statement here is provided by the mahogany coloured 13cm wood fibre mid/bass cone, which is used in conjunction with Dali’s Soft Magnet Compound (SMC) technology and sits below the 29mm soft dome tweeter in the familiar Dali arrangement. Each unit, this time though, is fed by a dedicated 50W Class D amplifier.

The Oberon 1 C’s compact dimensions mean they should be easy to house, whether flanking a TV on a rack or pair of stands (such as Dali’s own Connect Stand E-600) or alternatively wall-mounted via the speakers’ rear-panel keyhole slots. The Dalis sound pretty balanced up against a wall, despite the use of a rear reflex port, but we find they perform best when placed around 20cm to 30cm away from one, facing straight ahead. This way, the Oberon 1 C display familiar sonic behaviour – clear, articulate, fast and notably superb with vocals.

(Image credit: Dali)

We connect the Oberon 1 C to the full Sound Hub – a pairing costing £1449 – and stream Tom Odell’s Heal over Tidal Connect. The vocal-led track comes through the speakers with tangible clarity and the kind of levels of insight you can feel. Odell’s delivery is full of tenderness and the Dali is sympathetic to that, while also keeping a firm hand on the accompanying keys. This midrange insight was one of the passive Oberon 1’s highlights, and something the addition of wireless active operation hasn’t changed.

There is depth and obvious layering to what is generally an open and precise soundstage – and that still rings true with denser compositions. We play The Theory Of Everything by Jóhann Jóhannsson and the Dalis display a tight organisation in their presentation of the piano, string and percussion instrumental, while also proving astute in capturing the dynamic surges of the string ensemble.

We move to the Love Theme From The Godfather by Nino Rota and the Dalis not only have plenty of insight – the mandolin is unmistakable, the accordion textured – but they also communicate the dense and crude nature of the production. It grasps what scale there is to the strings and keeps things tidy as the piece reaches its climax.

This organisation, combined with dynamic aptitude and agility, makes for a rhythmically engaging listen. The Oberon 1 C work musically, capturing the experimentalism at the core of Oneohtrix Point Never’s Long Road Home; all the musical strands are held together well, without ever sounding messy.

(Image credit: Dali)

The Dalis have a good go at rip-roaring through pg.lost’s Suffering – there’s more than a hint of drive and weight behind the crashing electric guitars and walloping drums. However, as with the Oberon 1, you don’t get the authority or bass volume and depth you would from a physically larger pair of speakers – something that those who need to fill a big room should be aware of.

We replace the Sound Hub with the Compact version and, connecting it to the Naim ND 555/555 PS DR music streamer via RCA, are presented with the same admirable strengths and more, which is hardly surprising considering the Naim’s high-end calibre and the wired connection.

Streaming from our Samsung Galaxy S21 phone to the Sound Hub Compact over Bluetooth (in aptX form) offers less clarity, openness and refinement than that delivered by the Sound Hub’s BluOS streaming – and certainly by the Sound Hub Compact and Naim streamer pairing, as is to be expected. But, though comparatively cruder, the Dali’s detailed, organised and musical presentation is still prevalent.

Verdict

Active streaming systems are becoming increasingly common in this convenience-craving world, and the Dali Oberon 1 C are among the best examples we’ve seen at this level.

Whether you stick with the bundled TV-friendly Sound Hub Compact or upgrade to the full streaming-savvy Sound Hub, this package will make the most of the features on offer with an easy-to-use operation and a musical, clear sound. As affordable stereo speaker systems go, this one’s satisfyingly complete.

SCORES

Sound 5
Features 5
Build 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best active speakers

Read our Dali Oberon 1 review

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Looking for a new TV gadget to stream all of your favorite entertainment? Buying an excellent streaming device is easier in 2021 than ever before — and the prices only continue to drop and get more appealing: $50 is the sweet spot if you want a streaming stick or set-top box that can do crisp 4K resolution, Dolby Vision / HDR, and immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound. Each of the picks below has its own strengths, whether it’s a snazzier interface, better voice controls, or a more comprehensive universal search for digging through all of your services. Depending on your wants, there are several good contenders, but the Chromecast with Google TV stands out as the best streaming device for most people.

Pretty much any 4K TV you buy today will come with a batch of built-in streaming apps. But they won’t always have everything. (For example, my LG OLED doesn’t have HBO Max.) So a dedicated streaming device is the best way to guarantee you’ll be able to watch that show or movie everyone’s been talking about. You can spend less money on entry-level Roku or Amazon streaming players, but you’ll be better off with one of our recommendations if you want your purchase to last.

The features and fantastic price of the Chromecast with Google TV make it the best streaming stick for most people.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

1. Chromecast with Google TV

The best streaming stick for most people

Google has done the best job figuring out what the home screen on a streaming stick should look like. That’s really the long and short of why the Chromecast with Google TV has taken the crown of best streaming player. With its new Google TV software, the company has taken a content-first approach that feels more focused and refined than what Amazon and Apple have managed in their own attempts to aggregate popular shows and movies.

On a Roku or Fire TV, my instinct is always to head right for the app where I want to watch something. But with the Chromecast, I’m equally happy browsing through Google’s rows of recommendations. The Google TV software always clearly shows where content is coming from — you can pick which streaming apps get factored into these recs — and it also provides helpful information (like Rotten Tomatoes ratings) at the surface level when you’re hunting for that night’s entertainment.

When you actually hit play, you’re punted over to Netflix or Prime Video or HBO Max just like always, but there’s no avoiding that. In terms of app selection, Google’s got all of the main players covered. You can still cast content to the Chromecast from your phone or laptop, and Google Assistant voice searches consistently work well and showcase Google’s accurate voice recognition.

Everything about Google TV feels tasteful, from the fonts to the way the background color subtly shifts to match the artwork of whatever content is highlighted. And the universal Watchlist, which lets you put together a list of stuff you’re interested in from various streaming services, is super convenient — especially since you can add to it from the web or your phone.

But not everything about the Chromecast with Google TV is perfect. The software can slow down from time to time, and some customers have encountered significant bugs that Google has tried to iron out with software updates. More annoyingly, despite the hardware supporting both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, there are still very popular apps like Disney Plus — which delivers both on other platforms — that aren’t doing so on the Chromecast. HBO Max says it does Atmos, but that hasn’t been my experience. Why? Who knows, but these inconsistencies are a mark against Google. And as for the Watchlist, some services like Netflix have already started removing their shows from it. Again, that’s something Google has no control over, but it does lessen the feature’s usefulness.

With its easy-to-use software, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is the best streaming device for people looking for a good, simple option.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

2. Roku Streaming Stick Plus

The best streaming device for people who want to keep it simple

It’s hard to really complain about a Roku. The company’s streaming devices are about as simple and straightforward as they come. All of your apps are laid out in a big grid, which can make the experience feel a bit siloed — but there’s no beating that ease of use. And Roku has tried to touch up and modernize the home screen a bit with new sections like “Featured Free” to highlight content you can stream without any subscriptions.

Despite some occasional spats with content companies, Roku now has pretty much all of the entertainment you could want, including (most recently) HBO Max and Peacock. And the wonderfully neutral universal search remains one of the best aspects of the platform, favoring your existing subscriptions and free-to-stream options over making you pay money to rent or buy. And the company’s Roku Channel has grown into a legitimate streaming app of its own, offering a mix of ad-sponsored movies, TV shows, and live news for those days when you’re burned out on combing through Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

The $50 Streaming Stick Plus remains the best overall pick among Roku’s hardware when you weigh price and performance. It gives you HDR, Dolby Atmos, and speedy performance. The main thing you’ll miss out on is Dolby Vision. If that’s a must, you should look at the $100 Roku Ultra set-top box instead, which also includes an Ethernet port for optional wired connectivity and a helpful remote finder feature. Plus, the Ultra’s remote has customizable shortcut buttons and a headphone jack so you can listen privately to whatever’s on-screen if you’re trying to keep quiet at night. (Other Rokus let you do the latter with the company’s mobile app.)

If there’s one area where Roku falls flat, it’s probably voice search. Your voice queries for specific shows or movies should work well enough, but Roku lags Amazon and Google when it comes to natural language interactions. (And forget about using your voice to control smart home gadgets or look up entertainment-related facts.) Still, the company is adding other perks to offset that weakness. Late last year, it added support for Apple’s AirPlay, letting you easily send content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the TV screen. Speaking of Apple…

It’s more pricey than the competition, but the Apple TV 4K offers a top-notch user experience.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

3. Apple TV 4K

The best streaming device overall experience (for a steep price)

The Apple TV 4K is laughably overpriced compared to its competitors, but Apple’s set-top box still has its own set of appealing qualities. The interface is fantastic. It supports Dolby Vision and Atmos across a wide variety of services, has all of the important apps checked off, and also gives you add-ons like Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness Plus (if you pay for them) that you won’t find on other streaming devices.

Apps sometimes have a higher level of polish on Apple TV and are generally better about taking advantage of everything it can do. Another benefit of the Apple TV is privacy — to some extent. Apple itself isn’t obsessed with tracking your viewing data in the same way that a company like Roku is, but the streaming apps can still see what you’re doing. I generally think consumers aren’t particularly averse to sharing their streaming habits, but Apple’s privacy practices might matter to you.

Even with AirPlay now on Roku, the Apple TV still wins out for people deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem. You can use HomePods as its speakers or connect two sets of AirPods for private listening with audio sharing. You can view the feed from HomeKit security cameras or see who is at the door if you have a HomeKit video doorbell. The Apple TV still makes it easy to tap into content on a Mac in your home, and services like Apple Music and iCloud Photo Library are right there in easy reach on the TV screen.

But there’s no forgiving the infamous remote, which is cumbersome to use and too easy to lose. And it’s more difficult than ever to recommend that you spend $180 on hardware that’s now several years old. Doing so isn’t wrong; you’ve just got to know why the Apple TV 4K is right for you.

The Fire TV Stick 4K checks off all the boxes for HDR support and costs just $50, making it the best streaming stick for people in Amazon’s ecosystem.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

4. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The best streaming stick if you’re in Amazon’s ecosystem

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K is yet another popular pick in that $50 range of streaming gadgets. The latest model added support for Dolby Vision, which made it the only product to offer everything HDR (Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, HDR10) for such little money — until the new Chromecast came along.

The Fire TV Stick 4K’s software is similar to the Chromecast in that the home screen takes a content-focused approach instead of just throwing a grid of apps at you. Amazon tends to showcase its own Prime Video content more prominently than shows and movies from other services, but the newly revamped software goes a long way in improving the look and feel of the Fire TV. Alexa voice commands with the remote also work reliably, whether you’re saying “open Netflix” or asking to dim the smart lights in your living room.

Amazon offers most major streaming apps, but there are some frustrating omissions: Vudu — a good source of Dolby Vision movies — and Peacock are both still absent from the Fire TV platform.

There’s also the $120 Fire TV Cube to consider. It essentially doubles as a streaming device and small smart speaker. Rather than make you press and hold a button to speak to Alexa like with the Stick 4K, the Cube takes a hands-free approach and has beamforming mics that respond to “Alexa” prompts just like an Echo speaker would. It also features something Amazon calls Local Voice Control, which allows it to understand more spoken commands without needing help from the cloud. The Fire TV Cube has a more powerful processor than the Fire TV Stick 4K, making it the fastest of the Fire TV bunch, but the difference isn’t very noticeable.

When it comes to their streaming capabilities, the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Cube are on equal footing. And you could always put the money you save by going with the Stick toward one of those new sphere-shaped Echo Dots, which will sound far better than the Cube’s tinny built-in speaker.

Nvidia’s Shield TV is a powerful Android TV streaming box that’s popular with home theater enthusiasts.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

5. Nvidia Shield TV

Best streaming device for home theater enthusiasts and gamers

Home theater enthusiasts, gamers, and people who like to tinker with their streaming devices have loyally stuck with Nvidia’s Shield TV and Shield TV Pro for a reason. They can serve as excellent players like any of our other picks, but you can also go more advanced and use them for cloud gaming or set up a Plex media library (in the case of the Pro). GeForce Now and Steam Link probably do more to sell gamers on the Shield lineup versus something like Apple Arcade on the Apple TV.

The Nvidia Shields currently run Android TV with Google Assistant built in, but it’s expected they’ll eventually get the same Google TV experience that’s on the Chromecast. Nvidia’s AI-powered upscaling can eke out some extra detail from the shows and movies you stream, and I’d rate the included remote control (with backlit buttons, even) as the most ergonomic of them all.

But like with the Apple TV, the main hurdle here is the price. The Nvidia Shield TV costs $150, so you’re looking at spending $100 more than devices that offer most of the same functionality. You get Ethernet and a very powerful streaming device for the added premium, and you can push the Shield TV farther and make it do more than just about any of its competitors.