Speakers - Page 21 of 58

Lenovo’s refreshed ThinkPads feature Ryzen 5000 mobile chips and 16:10 displays

Lenovo has announced a number of updates to its ThinkPad line. We’re getting upgrades to the lightweight ThinkPad X13 and convertible X13 Yoga, as well as the high-end T-Series, the budget-oriented L-Series, and the P-Series of mobile workstations.

The biggest news is that all of these models have gotten spec bumps. Each series includes models with AMD’s Ryzen 5000 mobile processors as well as Intel’s 11th Gen vPro chips. They’re also getting connectivity upgrades, including some options for Wi-Fi 6E on the Intel systems and Wi-Fi 6 for the AMD ones. Some models support 5G as well.

The news I’m personally most excited about is that the X13 i (Intel), X13 (AMD), and X13 Yoga (Intel) are getting 16:10 displays. Manufacturers across the board have been switching to taller screens for business and productivity notebooks. They give you more room for multitasking and less of a need for scrolling and zooming out. There’s also a new Dolby Audio speaker system with user-facing speakers on the X13 — they were bottom-firing on previous models.

The updated T-Series (including the T14s i, T14 i, and T15 with Intel and the T14s and T14 with AMD), L-Series (including the L14 and L15 with AMD and the L14 i and L15 i with Intel), and the P-Series (including the P14s, P14s i, and P15s) all include the new chips as well. The models also have new security options including Match-on-Chip fingerprint readers; some Intel systems including the T14s i and X13 i have human presence-detection sensors.

And here’s the ThinkPad L15, Gen 2.

Image: Lenovo

Pricing and availability are a bit confusing, so bear with me. It looks like most of the Intel models are coming in March, while the AMD models are coming in May. The X13 Yoga is the exception — it’s coming in April. The T-Series starts at $1,159 (for the T14), the L-Series starts at $689 (for both models), and the P-Series starts at $1,3169 (for the P14s). The X13 starts at $1,139 (for the AMD model) and the X13 Yoga starts at $1,379.

Hyundai’s electric Ioniq 5 crossover could be the ultimate camping companion

With two-way charging, the Ioniq 5 could supply power for a full range of electrical devices

Hyundai unveiled the all-new Ioniq 5, an electric midsize SUV with nearly 300 miles of range and a two-way charging feature that is sure to make this a popular EV for outdoor activities.

The Ioniq 5, which will go on sale in the first half of 2021, is the first vehicle to be built on Hyundai’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that the automaker says will serve as the basis for an entire family of planned EVs. Hyundai and its sister company aim to sell 1 million EVs in 2025 in a bid to capture 10 percent of the global EV market.

The Ioniq 5 looks like a promising start to that effort. The sharp-edged crossover SUV takes some of its design cues from the automaker’s 45 concept vehicle first unveiled in 2019, which was an homage to the 1974 Pony Coupe, Hyundai’s first mass-produced car and first export.

In lieu of a traditional grille, the front of the car features Hyundai’s first clamshell hood and a front bumper with a distinctive V-shape that incorporates a set of unique daytime running lights. These small, pixel-like clusters also appear at the rear of the vehicle.

But Hyundai packed the interior with a number of really interesting surprises. The center console can slide back as much as 140 millimeters, allowing either driver or passenger to enter and exit through whichever door they choose. This “universal island,” as Hyundai is branding it, could prove useful in especially tight parking situations. The movable console also provides access to the vehicle’s integrated 15-watt wireless phone charger, in addition to tons of extra storage space.

Most of the Ioniq 5’s interior touch points — seats, headliner, door trim, floor, and armrest — use eco-friendly materials, such as recycled PET bottles, plant-based yarns, and natural wool yarns, eco-processed leather with plant-based extracts, and bio paint with plant extracts. But unlike other EVs like the Polestar 2, Hyundai doesn’t go so far as to claim that its interior is 100 percent vegan.

That said, it may be comfortable enough to take a nap (but not while driving, obviously). The driver and passenger seats recline enough to offer a “weightless” feeling, Hyundai claims. The design theme is “living space,” which is meant to emphasize the roomy interior where you can kick up your feet and relax.

The Ioniq 5 comes in standard and long-range configurations, with either 58 kilowatt-hours or 77.4 kilowatt-hours of respective battery capacity. Hyundai estimates that the driving range will fall between 470-480 kilometers, or just under 300 miles, based on the European Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Hyundai has yet to certify its range estimates, but it’s helpful to remember that WLTP estimates are typically more optimistic than the EPA, so expect that number to be less when the Ioniq 5 reaches the states.

Still, this represents a serious improvement over Hyundai’s previous EV offerings. The Ioniq 5’s range is up nearly 20 percent from the Kona EV, for example, which previously had the longest range among Hyundai’s EV lineup.

EV ownership is often defined by how much time you need to spend charging the battery, and by that measure the Ioniq 5 sounds like it could be a winner. Hyundai says the EV supports up to 350kW DC fast charging and is capable of getting up to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes.

The Ioniq 5 supports both 400-volt and 800-volt charging. In fact, Hyundai’s E-GMP platform offers 800V charging as standard, along with 400V charging, without the need for additional adapters. Hyundai says this multi-charging system is a “world’s first patented technology that operates the motor and inverter to boost 400 V to 800 V for stable charging compatibility.”

But that charging capability flows both ways — literally. The Ioniq 5 boasts a two-way charging feature that Hyundai calls “vehicle-to-load,” which can supply up to 3.6kW of power. There are two charging ports, one located under the second-row seats and the other at the charging port on the exterior. Using a converter, customers can charge a range of electrical devices, including electric bicycles, scooters, or camping equipment. The outside port provides power even when the vehicle is turned off.

(A commercial for the EV features actors using the Ioniq 5 to power a convection oven, treadmill, and half a dozen speakers, all while camping.)

This two-way charging feature is not unique to Hyundai, but it is rare for a passenger vehicle. The Ford F-150 Powerboost, a hybrid version of its full-size truck, can provide as much as 7.2kW of power through a built-in generator. But 3.6kW is a decent amount of output. To be sure, the Ioniq 5 doesn’t generate its own energy, so any power drawn from its battery will ultimately come off the vehicle’s range.

If you’re wondering how the Ioniq 5’s price compares to other electric crossover SUVs, like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID 4, or Tesla Model Y… well, so are we. Hyundai didn’t release any price information for the EV, unfortunately, though we expect it to be in the $30,000-$40,000 range, before tax incentives.

Unlike Tesla or General Motors, Hyundai is still eligible for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which should help the automaker move a lot of units. Customers will also be looking for a range certification from the EPA and more details about partnerships with EV charging station operators before making their decision.

For the first time in, well, forever, customers will have a range of options when it comes to shopping for midsize electric SUVs. And the Ioniq 5 is already looking like it will be a strong contender.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek explains how the company plans to help artists (and itself) make money

Photo Illustration by Alex Castro | Photograph by Spotify

The company wants to be at the center of creator monetization

Spotify hosted an event on Monday to discuss its ambitions in audio, and one message came through loud and clear: the company wants to play a major role in helping creators make money.

During the 90-minute event, the company rattled through a series of announcements. It detailed a slew of new podcasts, including one featuring former President Barack Obama and rockstar Bruce Springsteen as co-hosts, as well as a full universe of DC Comics programming. It debuted an expanded podcast ad marketplace, bolstered by its Megaphone acquisition and Streaming Ad Insertion technology, along with a Hi-Fi subscription tier. And it teased new tools for podcasters to engage with their audiences and make money through subscriptions. Spotify obviously intends to make podcasting a real revenue driver.

But none of the announcements were groundbreaking for people in the industry. If anything, they demonstrated how far Spotify has yet to go. Crucially, Spotify announced that 7,500 musicians are making at least $100,000 per year through its platform, which isn’t much considering the service is available in 93 markets. Now, Spotify is trying to make the same pitch to podcasters as it did to musicians — that they’re all on the same side and share the same goals.

Spotify will both support its own shows and also host and sell ads for third-party programs, all with the stated goal of helping creators profit off their work. That seems like a tall order, and one that podcasters might hesitate to participate in, but Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says it’s critical to the company’s future. He tells The Verge that Spotify will incorporate a hybrid business model with three distinct parts. One will involve the typical user subscription revenue, another is advertising dollars through its podcast ad marketplace and music streaming ads, and the third is a la carte options, like helping musicians and podcasters sell merch, tour tickets, or even subscriptions to their own content.

“I think you’re going to see platforms making a distinction of not a one-size-fits-all, not just in terms of the creators or how they think about their audience, but really about how you can grow your audience, engage with them, turn them into fans, and then create new and important ways to monetize that fan base,” he says.

Following the event, The Verge chatted with Ek about the tension between launching Spotify’s own exclusive shows while also trying to sell ads, as well as how Spotify might help creators monetize. And yes, we asked about Clubhouse, too. You can read an edited version of the interview below.

Ashley Carman, senior reporter, The Verge: Today your team announced that 7,500 creators are making at least $100,000 per year on your platform. How does Spotify plan to grow that number?

Daniel Ek, CEO, Spotify: Long term, it’s really about — as I kind of outlined in the remarks, as well, during the event — we think the space is so much larger than most people realize, both in the amount of consumers that care, the minutes that will be spent in audio, and the amount of creators that ultimately will create content. So it’s in the billions of consumers, and we believe more than 50 million creators will create.

Obviously, not all of these [creators] are going to be able to support themselves full-time doing this, but our job is to create as many possibilities as possible for these creators to create, to grow, to engage, and to monetize with their fans. And I’ve talked about this in the past, but I think the future of Spotify, and really all successful media companies, is by allowing a multitude of different monetization models. In the past in the internet, you’ve seen platforms choose either to be ad-supported or to be subscription. In the future, I think you’re going to see ad-supported, subscription, and a la carte play key roles.

I think you’re going to see platforms making a distinction of not a one-size-fits-all, not just in terms of the creators or how they think about their audience, but really about how you can grow your audience, engage with them, turn them into fans, and then create new and important ways to monetize that fan base. How you monetize an average consumer the first time you have them listen to you is going to be very different than how you monetize one of your super fans. And in that future, I think Spotify will recognize all of those different abilities and allow the creator to find the best ways to monetize their fan base based on both their ability and how they think about sustaining their creative endeavors.

What timeline are you thinking about this on? Five years? Ten years?

It’s really a long, long-term goal, but the way I think about the world is really, if you think over the next 10 years for certain, what’s now radio is going to collapse and move from a linear space to an on-demand space. And all of those minutes spent, and we’re talking two to three hours a day of the average American, just to name one example, is now going to move online.

When you look at that space, which I think is just really, really interesting, all of audio as a category will grow — not just the minutes spent, but I think monetization, too — when you bring infinite level sophistication to it. So the targeting that you can imagine, the types of interactivity features you can create, and the types of monetization you can enable by having both ad-supported subscription and pay wall, so it’s really kind of the next decade that I think this will play out.

And that’s where I think we’re in this race to try to get as many people as possible to convert into streaming on demand and hopefully choose Spotify as their preferred platform.

Some musicians argue that streaming devalues their work while podcasters see the industry as not needing to be fixed or changed. How do you plan to keep the narrative positive and not like a corporate behemoth entering the space?

Community management is going to be one of the most critical things, but honestly this is part of the reason why we wanted to put this event out. Because what we realized is that we’re no longer this kind of small startup from Sweden. We’re in fact a very, very important platform for a lot of these audio creators. So rather than just telling everyone about everything that we’ve already released and then explaining them one by one, we wanted to create a narrative story that tells people about where we’re going and why we’re going there.

So I think this is exactly the type of reason why we wanted to have the event that we’re having today, and I think so much of this is going to be solved by constant communication and by also experimenting and being clear when we are experimenting. You saw that today, too. A lot of the features that we released are really tests and experiments, and the reason isn’t because we’re not committing to rolling it out if it’s successful, but it is because we want the feedback from the community so that we can iterate and improve and hopefully create something that better suits their needs and methods. So we’re really kind of changing our way of working in order to invite more of the creative ecosystem to give feedback and help us iterate and improve.

Spotify has focused a lot on launching platform-exclusive podcasts. What are the metrics of success for an exclusive show?

We have a number of different metrics that we’re internally looking at evaluating the success of this, but a huge part of it is just around can we create an awareness, can we create an audience for a creator that rivals the one that they would have been able to [make] on their own? And I think so far, we’re obviously early in our sort of exclusive efforts, but what we’re seeing is it’s very rewarding.

We are seeing that people are in fact tuning into Spotify, even though there was a creator maybe available in some other outlets before, as evidenced, for instance, by Joe Rogan being the number one podcaster on Spotify. And as they’re engaging, they’re finding more and more other podcasters, as well. And so the average listener on Spotify is now listening to a lot more podcasters than they were doing before, so that’s helping both the creator, and the consumer, and the whole creative ecosystem, as well. So we’re looking at a number of different KPIs (key performance indicators) to kind of evaluate if this is working or not, but ultimately, it’s all about creator retention and user retention. Those are the most important metrics that we track.

Are you concerned with whether you can convert listeners to paid subscribers through the exclusives?

No, not really. What I can tell you from 15 years of doing this now is, if we start with music, the reality is there wasn’t too many people that woke up in the morning thinking, “I’m going to find a music streaming subscription service to subscribe to.” That just wasn’t the case. But there were a lot of people that were looking for how can I listen to music? That turned out to be a very good amount of people.

And what we found is that as they got into Spotify and started listening, because of the platform, and because of the features, and because of the recommendations that we were offering, people started engaging a lot more. So the number of people that, from the beginning, said, “I’m never, ever going to pay for music,” because they may have come from a pirate environment that then slowly turned into, “This is just an amazing service. I’m getting so much value out of this. It’s a no-brainer to start paying.’”

My point by telling that story is that what we found so many times before is that the more people engaged, the more likely they are to pay. And the same is true with music as it is with podcasts, too. It’s really all about getting them onto the platform and starting to expose them to this entire ecosystem of creators and amazing content that we have on the platform. And once that happens, we know people eventually will convert into paying customers.

Spotify also debuted its podcast ad marketplace today, so I’m wondering how exclusives play into that. Exclusives seem to go against the point of ads — brands want to reach the largest audience possible. How might you make choices about keeping something exclusive versus letting it reach as many people as possible?

I think, overall, the main trade-off as a company is we’re all focused on growth, and growth is a function of engagement, the retention part that I talked about. So we monitor those metrics meticulously, and we’re looking at it for every single piece of content that we have on the platform and every single consumer we have on the platform, and just on an hourly basis modeling that, looking at that.

The answer, however, may be unintuitive, but I still want to share it which is, in the end, I think this whole notion about what is ads and what’s subscription, and the fact that when you look back on the internet there was this division. I just don’t believe that’s going to be true in the future. Think about television. It used to be the same way. You had broadcasting that only had ads and then you had cable that was the only subscription, but the reality is it converged because it turned out that the better consumer experience was the combination of both, and I think you’re going to find that into the future of the internet, too, is that we can deliver a great user experience with both advertising and subscription, and I think the future for us is both and a la carte, as well. So it’s really kind of three models, and that’s when you bring to bear the entire opportunity of the internet, I think, for monetizing that content.

So you don’t worry about turning off premium, paying users by having ads in your Spotify podcasts?

We’re constantly monitoring it, but I don’t think you should view it as we’re having ads or we have no ads. I think the future may be that some consumers don’t mind ads and would rather have that as something, and some people may not enjoy ads a lot. Our ad system should be able to realize that and be able to serve ads depending on who’s engaging with that content and what their propensity is to engage with that advertising, as well. And I think you’re going to see lots of different ways to monetize, I guess is what I’m trying to say.

Social audio, specifically Clubhouse, is super buzzy right now. What are your thoughts on it? Is it something Spotify would ever consider building into the app?

I think that there’s a number of different elements of what social audio or Clubhouse even is. So I think on the one end, you’re seeing the interaction between two or more people talking, and obviously if you think about podcasts today, that’s typically the format that’s working pretty well there, too. So I’m not surprised that that’s working.

I’m also not surprised that social features, users to users interacting with each other, are working. So it is an interesting space, and it’s definitely something that we’re keeping an eye on. Long-term, though, I think the broader shift that has been true with the internet has been most of the hours of consumption, we believe, will be moving from linear to on-demand. Meaning consumers should be able to consume whatever content that they want on their terms and not necessarily be beholden to someone else’s schedule. So I think it’s a really interesting format from a creation perspective, but I suspect that from the consumption perspective, most of the time consumed will still be on-demand which is what Spotify is known for today.

Do you worry about Clubhouse taking people away from the time they typically listened to podcasts?

Andy Grove, the [former] CEO of Intel, said 30 years ago, “Only the paranoid survive,” and it’s definitely something that I think he was right in assuming. But I’m paying as much attention to Clubhouse as I am looking at Fortnite, or Minecraft, or Roblox. All forms of media and entertainment is minutes that could have been spent listening to audio instead. So we’re definitely paying attention to it.

We’ve talked a lot about the creator side of things, but I want to focus on the listeners. Much of Spotify’s strategy is dependent on their data. How do you think about communicating with listeners to explain how you use their data? Do you worry about a pushback?

Obviously that’s super important for us, and being a European company with its roots in Europe, too, GDPR is a massive thing here in Europe, and so we take user’s privacy very, very seriously. It’s obviously something that we constantly think about as we’re evolving our data products, both to consumers but also to advertiser partners, and I think you will see that we’re very, very careful about how we’re using our users’ data in every aspect that we’re doing and conducting business.

Spotify announced its Hi-Fi subscription tier today with hardware partnerships to come. Amazon is making moves in the podcast space, and Apple is already established. Both those companies also offer hardware for audio playback. Is hardware something you think Spotify will need to invest in on its own?

We have something internally that we call the Ubiquity Strategy, and what you saw me talking about today is the fact that we have 2,000 [hardware] partnerships now, and, in fact, because of this network of creators that we now have — 8 million — and all the exclusive content we have, we’re seeing great success on the Google Home speakers, and the Alexa devices, Sonos, Sony PlayStation, GM cars, and just the breadth and wealth of this.

I would have been a lot more concerned if consumers were locked into just one ecosystem. If it was just an Apple, or just a Google, or just an Amazon that kind of owned the consumer across their entire ecosystem. That is a very concerning development, if it were to be true. But I think the good news is what we’re finding is that while Apple, for instance, is very strong on mobiles in many markets, we’re finding Amazon is very strong in their homes, and most of the cars today are being built on Android Auto, which is Google’s ecosystem. And the one thing that is true about Spotify is we play nice on all of them, and I believe we’re the only player that has that relationship where we’re now on 2,000 devices, and we play nice on all of them.

And that’s been our strategy from day one, and I think that would be very hard-pressed to do if we were also a hardware maker. So we think about the experience. We think about ubiquity, and we want to be everywhere where our consumers are.

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.

Sound

(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

Spotify HiFi tier (finally) launching to offer CD-quality streaming

(Image credit: Spotify)

Spotify HiFi is official. Almost four years after it was first teased, a CD-quality tier is finally coming to the world’s most popular streaming service, the green giant has revealed during its ‘Stream On’ online event today.

Spotify will join the likes of Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer and Amazon in offering lossless streaming “beginning later this year”. Spotify HiFi will begin rolling out in select markets later this year, with the company promising to share more details – such as price, device compatibility and specific launch dates – soon.

CD-quality streams will be compatible with Spotify Connect, allowing Spotify HiFi subscribers to easily play such high-quality streams between their phone (via the iOS and Android apps presumably) or, fingers crossed, their computer (via the desktop app or web player) and the mass of Spotify Connect-enabled speakers and devices on the market.

“We’re working with some of the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers to make Spotify HiFi accessible to as many fans as possible through Spotify Connect,” reads Spotify’s statement.

According to Spotify, “high quality music streaming” has consistently been one of users’ most requested new features. Last summer, we speculated as to whether it was still part of the service’s roadmap and questioned if, with so many services already offering higher quality streaming, it would still be as welcome.

We concluded that “we’d love Spotify, the world’s biggest music streaming service, to champion high-quality music. However, thanks to a trio of fine alternatives, including Amazon flying the hi-res flag for mass-market streaming… we can’t say we need it”. Now that it’s (almost) here, we can’t help but feel that the service will be more or less complete, having filled that gaping hole. That said, Spotify hasn’t said anything about ‘hi-res’ streams (generally defined as anything above CD-quality), which are also offered by many of its rivals, such as Tidal and Amazon Music HD.

Price will, of course, come into play – and we wonder how close Spotify will come to Amazon Music HD (£12.99, $12.99 for Prime members; £14.99, $14.99 for non-Prime members). If Spotify can match or even undercut that monthly fee, the future landscape of music streaming will be very interesting indeed.

MORE:

Where is Spotify Hi-Fi? And do we still want a lossless Spotify tier?

How Spotify saved the music industry but left some genres behind

33 Spotify tips, tricks and features

Spotify HiFi is a lossless streaming tier coming later this year

Spotify is going hi-fi. Well, “HiFi.” It’s taken longer than competitors like Tidal and Amazon Music, but today, the leading subscription music service announced a new lossless streaming tier that will allow listeners to get the most from their digital music library. The news came at the company’s Spotify “Stream On” virtual event.

Spotify HiFi will be available later this year and “will deliver music in CD-quality, lossless audio format to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, which means fans will be able to experience more depth and clarity while enjoying their favorite tracks.”

Spotify has done small tests of higher-quality streaming in the past, but now it’s going to launch the feature more widely — with the caveat that it’ll be available only “in select markets.” Pricing is yet to be announced. Higher-quality streaming has apparently been among the top requests from its customers; as it stands today, Spotify tops out at 320kbps audio.

Amazon rolled out Amazon Music HD in 2019. The lossless plan costs $14.99 per month (or $12.99 for Prime customers), a premium over the standard Amazon Music Unlimited service. Tidal, which has supported high-resolution audio since its very beginning, is priced slightly higher at $19.99 monthly for the “Hi-Fi” plan. Tidal offers what it calls “Tidal Masters” that go up to high-resolution 96 kHz / 24 bit audio. Smaller services like Qobuz have also sought to appeal to audiophiles with lossless streaming.

Apple Music, on the other hand, still lacks any kind of lossless streaming tier, despite Apple selling the very high-end AirPods Max headphones.

Developing…

The best streaming device to buy in 2021

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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.

Best Budget 4K Monitors 2021

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

When it comes to sharp image quality, 4K resolution is where it’s at in 2021. Sure, there are 8K screens and even more modest 6K ones. And lower resolutions deliver higher frame rates on even the best graphics cards. . But if we’re being realistic about what our eyes need and can perceive, how big of a screen we can fit, our budget and the media available, 3840 x 2160 sits on the upper echelon of premium viewing experiences, whether you’re gaming, watching a movie, surfing the web or getting work done. And with one of the best budget 4K monitors, you can get there without going broke.

For a while, 4K was a luxury that wasn’t quite reasonable for a PC monitor. But as these high-res screens have become more common and the bleeding edge has turned to higher pixel counts, a market segment of budget 4K monitors now allow you to take the Ultra HD experience to your desktop.

Below are the best budget 4K monitors we’ve tested. All usually go for about $400 or cheaper.se.

When shopping for the best budget 4K monitor, remember the following:

What size do you need? For a budget screen, 32 inches is a good sweet spot, giving you ample space while still being able to fit on your desktop. 28-inch and 27-inch screens are also common in this price range and will be cheaper. They’re good for productivity, but you probably won’t want to share a screen that size.

Decide the monitor’s main purpose. If it’s gaming, higher refresh rates and Adaptive-Sync (AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync) are priorities, as is a beefy graphics card. You should have a minimum of a GTX 1070 Ti or RX Vega 64 for medium settings or, for high or better settings, an RTX-series or Radeon VII. For general productivity or entertainment, look for high contrast for high image quality. Creatives should strive for accuracy. For more, see How to Buy a PC Monitor and our Best Gaming Monitors page.

Errors under 3 Delta E (dE) are generally invisible to the naked eye. A monitor with a 5dE color error, for example, probably has colors that look visibly off. Accuracy matters more for creative work.

Do you need HDR? A 4K monitor with the right HDR implementation makes 4K/HDR content look significantly better than it would on a regular, or SDR, monitor. While many 4K monitors support HDR, few budget ones do it with noticeable impact. If you want a monitor that makes the HDR upgrade worth it, consider upping your budget to stay in 4K or opting for a lower resolution to save money. See our How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor article for more.

Consider ports and other features. Do you need HDMI 2.1, the latest DisplayPort (1.4)? Are USB Type-A ports important, and do you want USB-C for charging or a single-cable setup? Speakers and the stand’s ability to tilt, swivel or rise are also factors.

Best Budget 4K Monitors

(Image credit: Samsung)

1. Samsung UR59C

Best Budget 4K Monitor

Screen Size & Aspect Ratio: 32 inches / 16:9 | Panel Type: VA | Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Adaptive-Sync: None

Stunning picture

Effective curve

No USB ports

Needs calibration

The Samsung UR59C is the best budget 4K monitor, offering a 32-inch VA panel with accuracy and curves. Image quality is superb with bold, accurate colors and clear text — after calibration, that is. When we tested in sRGB mode, we recorded a color error of 4.3dE with visible errors, but our calibration (see our recommended settings on page 1 of the review) got it down to 0.9dE. Your web and games should look as intended. The UR59C also offers fantastic contrast, as expected from a VA panel, hitting an impressive 2,590.5:1 after calibration.

Ultrawide screens typically offer more noticeable curves, but despite its 16:9 aspect ratio, the UR59C’s1500R curve is noticeable and beneficial, allowing us to keep more windows in view.

This monitor isn’t fit for serious gaming, but casual players can make it work. The UR59C has a 60 Hz refresh rate, 4ms response time and no FreeSync or G-Sync to fight screen tears. You’d get noticeably better response times and input lag scores from a 75 Hz screen even. But with its high contrast and the pixel density of a 32-inch, 4K screen, games didn’t look bad. If you’re games that aren’t graphically intense or at lower settings and you have a speed enough graphics card that can consistently hit 60 frames per second (fps), you can enjoy blur-free gaming on the UR59C.

More: Samsung UR59C review

(Image credit: Asus)

2. Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q

Best Budget 4K Monitor for Gaming

Screen Size & Aspect Ratio: 28 inches / 16:9 | Panel Type: IPS | Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x 3.5mm | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Adaptive-Sync: AMD FreeSync (40-60 Hz)

Accurate color

Good build quality

Average contrast

HDR looks only slightly better than SDR

You’ll have to pay a hefty price for a monitor that can push 8.3 million pixels at a 144 Hz refresh rate. The best budget 4K gaming monitor, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q, is a slower 60 Hz but fights screen tears with FreeSync. Yes, input lag is significantly larger than what you’ll find on a 144 Hz monitor, as is response time. But if you’re working with a budget graphics card and want your games to look detailed and realistic, this is a great option. SDR games looked extra colorful on the VG289Q, and dynamic contrast brought subtle visual benefits, like added dimension. There are screens on this page with better contrast though.

HDR isn’t as fantastic as you’ll find on a monitor with a full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight or even an edge array backlight, but shadows and highlights looked more distinct, and we enjoyed the boost in color.

For more premium high-res gaming screens, check out our Best 4K Gaming Monitors round-up.

More: Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q review

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

3. LG 32UN500-W

Best 32-Inch Budget 4K Monitor

Screen Size & Aspect Ratio: 31.5 inches / 16:9 | Panel Type: VA | Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Adaptive-Sync: AMD FreeSync

Decent build quality

Good contrast

No portrait mode or adjustable height

HDR is lacking

If the best budget 4K monitor for you is in the 32-inch range, check out the LG 32UN500-W Contrast is a top consideration when it comes to image quality, and the 32UN500-W’s VA panel didn’t disappoint in our benchmarks, hitting 2,353.9:1 out of the box. The 32UN500-W’s native color gamut is P3, and it covers that color space accurately without any visible errors.

Again, as a budget 4K monitor, the 32UN500-W isn’t winning any HDR prizes. Color lacks the expected pop, and overall the image doesn’t provide a noticeable boost over SDR.

But the 32UN500-W also thoughtfully includes two 5W speakers and even AMD FreeSync to fight screen tears during casual gaming. In general, it delivered popping colors with deep blacks, making it a great fit for your favorite 4K movie and the like.

More: LG 32UN500-W review

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

4. Dell S2721QS

Best 27-Inch Budget 4K Monitor

Screen Size & Aspect Ratio: 27 inches / 16:9 | Panel Type: IPS | Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 31x .5mm | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Adaptive-Sync: None

Accurate, bright image

Helpful productivity features

Low-impact

HDR support Clunky OSD

The Dell S2721QS earns the title of best 27-inch budget 4K monitor with a bright screen, reliably accurate image and useful add-ons. Those bonus add-ons include the ability to connect multiple PCs and view them simultaneously via picture-in-picture or picture-by-picture and an optional app that makes it easy to calibrate the screen or arrange up to 6 windows in various preset layouts. The latter is a productivity boon.

HDR isn’t this monitor’s strong suit. We recorded undersaturated color in this mode, as well as as well as visible grayscale errors. And this monitor doesn’t have the speed or Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync or G-Sync) to make it an appropriate gaming screen.

But in terms of image quality, this is a bright screen, hitting 393 nits in our testing, along with strong contrast for an IPS monitor (1,101:1). You can also expect accurate colors. We recorded just a 2.6dE error with sRGB color

More: Dell S2721QS review

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

5. HP U28

Best Budget 4K Monitor for Creatives

Screen Size & Aspect Ratio: 28 inches / 16:9 | Panel Type: IPS | Ports: 1x USB-C, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x USB Type-A (3.1 Gen 1)3.5mm | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Adaptive-Sync: None

Accurate sRGB, P3 color

Good port selection, including USB-C

Lackluster HDR

A little pricey

If you’re doing professional work, you should probably opt for a professional monitor. Pro monitors are known for offering exceptional accuracy for a premium price. But with monitors continuously improving, we’re at a point where you can find monitors with pro-level accuracy in key areas, like color, just without the pro-level price tag.

The HP U28 is one such screen and the best budget 4K monitor for creatives. None of the monitors on this page are color slouches, but the U28 stands out with its ability to accurately cover both the sRGB and P3 color spaces with just a switch in the OSD and no calibration. You also get an adjustable stand that allows height and swivel adjustments and the ability to flip into portrait mode, offering plenty of flexibility for creative work.

HP’s U28 comes at a premium though. While not as pricey as professional monitors, the U28 is the most expensive monitor on this list as of this writing.

Still, with a USB-C port letting you charge laptops (or other devices), you may be able to reduce cable clutter, and there are many other ports here too. With that bonus in mind and creative-level accuracy, the U28 is great for feeding your hobby or even career.

More: HP U28 review

JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review: The best all-in-one soundbar solution?

(Pocket-lint) – If you’ve got a medium-to-large size telly and want some extra audio grunt then there are plenty of soundbar or soundbase options to choose from. Many are complex and expensive though.

The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam, on the other hand, takes a simple approach: it’s an all-in-one box solution – so no fuss with separates or a subwoofer – complete with Dolby Atmos pseudo surround enhancement via MultiBeam technology. It’s reasonably priced, too.

If that kind of all-in-one neatness is exactly what you’re looking for then just how well does the JBL Bar 5 deliver upon its audio-enhancement potential – and can the Dolby Atmos mode truly deliver additional dimensionality from such a speaker arrangement?

Design & Setup

Ports: HDMI In, HDMI Out (HDCP 2.3 compliant, eARC & 4K HDR passthrough), Ethernet, Optical
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Google Chromecast, Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant
Controls: Included physical remote, four-button top-of-‘bar panel
Dimensions: 705 x 100 x 58mm / Weight: 2.8kgs

Much of the JBL Bar 5.0’s appeal is that it’s an all-in-one solution. Pull the ‘bar out of the packaging, plug it in using the included fig-8 power cable and then you’ve got various options on how to plug-in your A/V devices.

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With both an HDMI input and HDMI output, supporting eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel), you can use a single cable solution from ‘bar to TV and it’ll deliver your other audio sources with ease.

Our setup, for example, has a PlayStation 5 plugged into the TV’s HDMI 1 (as it’s 4K/HDR compliant), the JBL Bar 5.0 plugged into the TV’s HDMI 2 (as it’s the eARC appointed slot; thus our BT TV box is plugged into the soundbar’s HDMI In to passthrough to the telly via its HDMI Out), with Nintendo Switch and Chromecast sitting in the TV’s HDMI 3 and 4 (as neither of those sources/ports can handle 4K).

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The JBL Bar 5.0 supports HDCP 2.3, which is the latest High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection protocol – i.e. the method that permits it to pass protected content signals from a variety of sources. That’ll ensure no issue with your Blu-ray player, games console, streaming box, PVR, and so forth. Whatever you plug in, it’s going to work, and it’ll auto-switch to the correct source too.

All those cables connected and the JBL Bar 5.0 sits tidily atop our A/V cabinet setup. The ‘bar measures just shy of 60mm tall, making it a near perfect fit under the stand of our 55-inch Panasonic 4K FZ800 OLED TV. It’s 700mm long, so leaves a spare 260mm either side of the telly in this setup. It’s not a massively long soundbar compared to some out there, which is just the kind of scope we want – nothing too dominating or distracting.

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Visually the JBL’s build is pretty straightforward: a black enclosure with rounded edges that’s covered entirely by a mesh to the front; up top there’s the same black finish, which isn’t too glossy and therefore saves from TV panel reflections, complete with a built-in four-button control section. We like our soundbars unobtrusive, so this does just the job.

Source is reflected by the small panel hidden behind the mesh to the front left – it’s not an especially large panel, as it has to scroll to display the full information, but as it’s LED based when it’s off it’s well and truly off. Again, that means no unwanted light pollution (we have our PlayStation 5 to take care of that job, sigh) or reflection.

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In addition to that up-top control section – for volume up/down, source, on/off – there’s also a bundled remote control in the box. It’s a simple remote, which takes 2x AAA batteries (also included) and, frankly, you’ll never really need to use it once you’ve set things up as you like – because your standard remote controls will take over control of volume, settings and source.

What you will need this controller for, however, is adjusting the bass level – there’s five levels to select from – and for calibration. However, neither of these are obvious to access: one is a three-second hold of the ‘TV’ button; the other a five-second hold of the ‘HDMI’ button. Not even the manual explains how to do this (unless the shop-worthy products have an updated quick-start manual).

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We found the bass level was actually a little too ripe and therefore pushed it down one notch (to 2/5) for best overall balance. Calibration – which sends out signals to measure your setup position and soundwave reflection from nearby surfaces – is also an essential to match the best sound profile to your physical setup. As there’s no on-screen menu system, however, it wouldn’t be able to randomly do this upon first activation as a proper setup is required first.

Sound Quality

Adjustments: 5-level bass control / Automatic MultiBeam Calibration (AMC) / virtual Dolby Atmos mode
Speakers: 5x drivers (48x80mm) / 4x passive bass radiators (75mm diameter)
Frequency range: 50Hz – 20kHz / 5x 50W output (250W total)

As we don’t have the TV on in the day, our first use of the JBL Bar 5.0 was as a speaker. It has Bluetooth, Chromecast, AirPlay and plays nice with all kinds of sources, so we’ve been typing away listening to our favourite tunes. And this ‘bar is really musical in its delivery – able to deliver a chunky sound that, if you were in the market for a living room speaker, might entirely change your mind. Just buy the soundbar and you’ve got the double benefit – plus it’s Multi-Room Music compatible if you have other speakers.

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The JBL Bar 5.0 has, as the name helps define, five main speakers housed within. It’s the “.0” that tells you there’s no separate subwoofer, otherwise it would be a “.1” for the separate bass channel. There are, however, four bass radiators (or “woofers” if you prefer) to pump out ample low-end – which is why there’s a mesh to the top of the soundbar, to release the air.

It’s important to note that the mesh up top has nothing to do with upward-firing speakers, because this ‘bar doesn’t have any. The 5.0 arrangement covers centre, left, right, surround left, surround right – helping to push sound out across a wide soundstage. It does this amply, but lacks a certain amount of verticality – which is perhaps its most noticeable detriment when, as is our case, paired with a 55-inch telly. There’s just a certain lack of height.

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However, the Dolby Atmos mode does enhance audio. Don’t think of it as insta-surround when you click it on, not if your source is basic stereo (as so often from TV) anyway. It will add roundness, building up greater impact from bass and giving a stronger sense of placement to audio.

Feed the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam a decent source, however, and you’ll really begin to believe in what Dolby Atmos can do – even from just the five speaker arrangement. Watching Lupin on Netflix and the rain scenes took on a whole other life, pushing around the room and really enhancing the sense of immersion.

That can sometimes go a little awry – far left/right speakers can ping off sounds that reflect a bit too abruptly – but, in general, if you’ve got a 48/50-inch TV it’ll bring real rich enhancement. No, it’s not true surround, it couldn’t be in this arrangement, but it’s decent nonetheless – as it the whole point of MultiBeam technology and why, of course, it’s featured proudly in the product’s full name.

Best Bluetooth speakers 2021: Top portable speakers to buy today

By Dan Grabham
·
22 February 2021

Pocket-lint

There are some minor issues though. The passthrough is rather slow, so it takes a number of seconds for source and signal to kick in. We’ve had rare issues with lip-sync too, which is likely a software issue – eARC carries a mandatory lip-sync provision, so it shouldn’t be an issue – which has been easily fixed with the usual “turn it off, turn it on” solution.

The other point, of course, is that the Bar 5.0 isn’t future expandable. You can’t add a subwoofer later, as this system isn’t designed for that. You can’t add other separates for true rear/vertical enhancement either. Which is perhaps less criticism than simply pointing it out: after all, JBL also makes the Bar 5.1, which comes with a subwoofer, and therefore has all its bases covered (there’s the Bar 9.1 if you want to go all-out too).

Pocket-lint

So while the 50Hz low-end quota of the JBL Bar 5.0 is decent for low-end punch, it can’t distribute this with quite the cinema-going movie-tastic guttural slap of a separate sub. Those pitch-down “wommmms” won’t quite make your furniture vibrate anyway. But they will certainly be a lot tastier than baseline TV audio, that’s for sure.

Verdict

The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is a neat all-in-one soundbar solution that delivers sonic grunt, well-balanced musicality, and can passthrough all the necessaries – 4K HDR via eARC (albeit slowly on start-up) – to play nice with any up-to-date A/V setup and add roundness to your TV’s audio.

No, there’s no separates or subwoofer, but that’s half the point of this solution (other options exist within the range to cater if you’d rather splash out). And while it’s not fully, truly surround sound, feed this ‘bar a decent source – namely Dolby Atmos from Netflix – and it does a convincing job of adding extra wideness and immersion to your viewing experience.

If you’re looking to enhance your TV’s audio prospects and don’t own a super-massive screen, this unobtrusive single box solution does a sterling job for an affordable price – with only a few minor hiccups along the way.

Also consider

Polk

Polk Signa S3

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This affordable and effective solution is not only cheaper than the JBL, it comes complete with a separate subwoofer too. It’s not as smart when it comes to pseudo surround though – as there’s no Dolby Atmos certification (but there is Dolby Digital 5.1).

Read our review

Yamaha

Yamaha SR-B20A

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If you want to go cheaper still, then Yamaha’s all-in-one solution – which has the option for a sub to be added later – is a sturdily built box that delivers sturdy audio to boot.

Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Philips Momentum 558M1RY 55-inch Monitor Review: Jumbo 4K Gaming With Audio to Match

Our Verdict

The Philips 558M1RY represents a price breakthrough in the jumbo gaming monitor category. Though it leaves out HDMI 2.1, it brings everything else to the gaming table with 120 Hz, adaptive sync and accurate DCI-P3 and sRGB color. Add in killer HDR and you have a winner for a relatively low price.

For

Good contrast
Color accurate
Bright
Perfect Adaptive-Sync at 120 Hz
Unbeatable audio quality

Against

No HDMI 2.1
No streaming apps

Go to page:

Features and Specifications

Go big or go home. Size matters. The bigger, the better. Whatever your favorite cliché, games are more fun when you play on a big screen. That’s part of the reason the PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X and console gaming in general is so popular. It’s not just cost; consoles also make it easier to play on the large TV in the living room, rather than the desk-sized screen sitting in the home office.

But PCs have a huge performance advantage over consoles. You’re not going to hit 144 fps on a console, and you’re definitely not going to find a DisplayPort on a console or TV. For those committed to high-performance and speed in one of the best 4K gaming monitors, the question is how much are you willing to spend on a jumbo monitor?

If around $1,500 is within your budget, the Philips Momentum 558M1RY may be for you. It’s a 55-inch VA monitor specced for up to 1,000 nits brightness, HDR, AMD FreeSync and a 120 Hz refresh rate. If that’s not enough, the 558M1RY includes a high-quality soundbar from Bowers & Wilkins. Yes, that B&W. That’s a premium package at a premium price.

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Specs

Panel Type / Backlight	VA / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio	54.5 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate	3840×2160 @ 120 Hz
	FreeSync: 48-120 Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut	10-bit / DCI-P3
	DisplayHDR 1000, HDR10
Response Time (GTG)	4ms
Max Brightness	SDR: 750 nits
	HDR: 1,200 nits
Contrast	4,000:1
Speakers	B&W 40-watt Ported Soundbar: 2x tweeters, 2x mid, 1x sub
Video Inputs	1x DisplayPort 1.4
	3x HDMI 2.0
Audio	3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.2	1x up, 4x down
Power Consumption	53.5w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base	48.5 x 32.8 x 12.1 inches (1232 x 833 x 307mm)
Panel Thickness	4 inches (102mm)
Bezel Width	Top/sides: 0.4 inch (10mm)
	Bottom: 0.9 inch (22mm)
Weight	58.3 pounds (26.5kg)
Warranty	4 years

We’ve looked at a few jumbo monitors in the past, like the HP Omen X 65 Emperium and the Alienware 55 OLED panel. Both perform admirably but cost a fortune. In terms of jumbo gaming monitors, Philips’ 558M1RY is the least expensive we’ve seen yet.

There’s no question around whether or not the 558M1RY is a TV. There’s no tuner and no smart TV apps. But despite Philips advertising the monitor as offering “new-level console gaming,” there is no HDMI 2.1 to support the new PS5 and Xbox consoles’ fastest frame rates. If you use the monitor with a console you’ll be limited to a 60 Hz refresh rate, unless you drop down to 1440p resolution, where you can reach 120 Hz. For 4K at 120 Hz, you have to use the DisplayPort connection, which, of course, is only found on PCs.

A VA panel promises high native contrast, there’s an extended color gamut and an LED edge-array backlight that Philips promises is good for 750 nits brightness with SDR content and a whopping 1,200 nits with HDR, which surpasses VESA’s highest HDR certification, DisplayHDR 1000, which requires 1,000 nits. The 558M1RY certainly has the tools to produce a stunning 4K image.

Gamers will enjoy the 558M1RY’s seamless AMD FreeSync Premium Pro implementation. Compared to standard FreeSync and FreeSync Premium, FreeSync Premium Pro adds HDR support and low latency in HDR mode. We also got Nvidia G-Sync to run on the scree,n even though it’s not G-Sync Compatible-certified. (To learn how, see our How to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor tutorial). We verified that both kinds of Adaptive-Sync work over a 48-120 Hz range with or without HDR through DisplayPort 1.4.

Assembly and Accessories on Philips Momentum 558M1RY

You’ll need a friend to help you unbox the Philips Momentum 558M1RY because it arrives fully assembled with stand and soundbar already fixed in place. The package weighs around 65 pounds in total. As with a desktop monitor, you get an IEC power cord plus HDMI, DisplayPort and USB cables. A tiny remote is also included which makes menu navigation a lot easier. If you plan to wall mount, there’s a 200mm VESA pattern in back with four large bolts included in the box.

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Product 360

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It’s hard to appreciate the scale of the Philips Momentum 558M1RY from the photos, because it’s styled just like a standard PC monitor. The first clue that this is an extreme display is the soundbar firmly attached to the panel. These B&W speakers are covered with a burlap-like wool-blend fabric in dark gray. Meanwhile, the base and upright are very solid and stable and offer a tilt adjustment like a desktop display. The generally low-key design makes sense, considering that this will likely sit in a living or family room for all to see. There are no gaming cues in sight — until you activate the 558M1RY’s colorful lighting effect.

The 558M1RY features what Philips calls Ambiglow, a lighting feature across the sides and top of the panel’s backside. It can glow a single color with adjustable brightness or you can set it change according to what’s currently on the screen. That effect adds an interesting motion element you won’t find on any other gaming monitor. It works particularly well if you have a neutral-colored wall behind the screen.

From a side view, the 558M1RY looks chunky with angles and straight lines making up the 558M1RY’s shape. In back, you can see a heat vent across the top and a tiny Philips logo. The small dots around the perimeter are the Ambiglow LEDs. On the soundbar, you can see a port on one side that extends the bass lower.

Perfect for a living room, the 558M1RY even comes with a 6-inch-long wand-shaped remote that easily controls all monitor functions. You get a power toggle, plus mute, input and menu up top. After the four-way nav pad is picture mode and return. Two rockers at the bottom adjust brightness and volume.

The input panel is up under the upright and fairly hard to reach. You get three HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4. USB is version 3.2 and includes one upstream and four downstream ports. Two of them can charge or power devices when the 558M1RY is off.

OSD Features on Philips Momentum 558M1RY

With 12 logically arranged submenus, the on-screen display (OSD) is exactly like the one found in all the Philips monitors we’ve reviewed. You can access it with a joystick on the back-right side of the panel or the handy remote control.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

First up is Ambiglow, the LED lighting effect. You can set any color to a steady state and adjust its brightness with a slider, or choose a random rotation of colors. The coolest feature is image match, where the colors change with the onscreen content. It sounds gimmicky, but in practice, it added an interesting dimension to both gameplay and video.

A Game Setting menu offers aiming crosshairs, a low input lag mode, which can be left on all the time, and a three-level overdrive. The speediest overdrive settings, Fastest, works well at reducing motion blur without leaving ghosting artifacts.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Most of the image controls are in the Picture menu, where you get brightness and contrast, along with sharpness and color saturation. At the top, SmartImage offers 7 different picture modes, which are task-specific. One of the modes focuses on improved screen uniformity. It delivered but reduced contrast in the process. Our sample didn’t need that feature though.

There are also five gamma presets in the Picture menu.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Color menu offers color temp adjustments by Kelvin value or with RGB sliders. The Philips Momentum 558M1RY measures well out of the box and doesn’t need calibration, but there are slight gains available with a few adjustments. Here also is the sRGB mode, which effectively renders that gamut with decent gamma and grayscale tracking. Color purists will be happy to have this feature available.

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Calibration Settings

The 558M1RY has a native DCI-P3 color gamut that it uses for all content unless you engage the sRGB mode in the Color menu. Since sRGB mode can’t be calibrated, we calibrated the 558M1RY via the User Define color temp and left SmartImage off. With slight changes to the RGB sliders and a switch in gamma from 2.2 to 2.4, we achieved excellent results.

You’ll notice in the table below that we could only turn the backlight down to 105 nits minimum. That’s a bit bright for gaming in a completely dark room, but you can get some relief by turning on Ambiglow and setting it to a dim white.

Here are the calibration settings we used for SDR mode on the 558M1RY:

Picture Mode	Smart Image Off
Brightness 200 nits	54
Brightness 120 nits	12
Minimum	105 nits
Contrast	50
Gamma	2.4
Color Temp User	Red 99, Green 99, Blue 99

When an HDR signal is applied, you get five additional presets. For the brightest presentation, choose DisplayHDR 1000. For the best HDR image, choose Personal.

Gaming and Hands-on with Philips Momentum 558M1RY

Using a 55-inch monitor for workday tasks is a bit unusual, but if you sit around 6 feet away, it works. The Philips Momentum 558M1RY’s stand raises the screen a bit less than 5 inches from the desktop, so to put your viewpoint in the center, you’ll have to raise your chair or use a lower than typical piece of furniture. Unlike a TV, the Philips’ stand has a tilt function of 10 degrees, so there is some flexibility there. The soundbar moves with the panel so its sound is always focused on the user.

With font scaling set to 300%, Windows apps were easy to use from up to 10 feet away. Small text was easily readable, so if you want to sit on the couch and browse the web, the 558M1RY can oblige. Contrast is superb with a nearly 5,000:1 contrast ratio available in SDR mode. We used the extended color gamut for most productivity apps, except Photoshop, where we switched to the sRGB mode.

Movie watching is a pleasure with such a large screen. You can sit close and have a very immersive experience, both visually and sonically. The impact of good audio cannot be overstated either. In the AV world, the most commonly given — and most commonly ignored — advice is to spend twice as much on audio as video. This is hard to do because we all want the largest possible display. But when sound is as good as the B&W soundbar included with the 558M1RY, you’re getting a huge value-add.

With two tweeters, two 10W midranges and a 20W woofer for bass, the Philips Momentum 558M1RY has some of the best built-in sound we’ve ever heard. The full frequency spectrum is represented and only the very deepest bass, below 80 Hz, is a little weak.

For gaming and movies, the soundbar is a huge asset. Not only is the audio crystal clear, but also the sound stage is much wider than the bar’s physical size. Higher partials, like female voices and finely detailed ambient effects, came through in perfect balance with no trace of sibilance or harshness.

Of course, the Philips Momentum 558M1RY is at heart a gaming monitor, and for that, it excels. SDR games, like Tomb Raider, look fantastic when running at 120 frames per second (fps) at 4K resolution with max detail. We paired the monitor with a system running a GeForce RTX 3090. One of the best graphics cards, it has no trouble keeping frame rates high. We also tested the monitor with a Radeon RX 5700 XT-equipped machine. In either case, we got Adaptive-Sync to run perfectly. And in general, response and input lag were low enough not to call attention to themselves.

Contrast was particularly impressive in the dark areas of the game environment where blacks were true and shadow detail was rich. The depth afforded by a quality VA panel like this makes the suspension of disbelief far more palpable.

Color also stood out, thanks to an accurate gamut. We played Tomb Raider in sRGB mode, where it looked great, and with the full DCI-P3 gamut engaged, where it looked even better. Though purists like us prefer to use the mastered color spec whenever possible, there’s no denying the impact of a little more saturation.

Switching to HDR in Windows worked seamlessly, and thanks to the availability of the contrast slider in the HDR Personal mode, we were able to dial down the extreme brightness to make the desktop less fatiguing to look at. With the HDR title Call of Duty: WWII, however, we enjoyed 750-nit highlights that made the picture really pop. It never looked too bright, even in daylight outdoor scenes.

Video processing was also perfect with HDR engaged. 120 Hz and Adaptive-Sync worked flawlessly on both AMD and Nvidia platforms with HDR content.

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Features and Specifications

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Everybody loves low frequencies, right? To celebrate all things bass we’ve rounded up a list of some of our favourite test tracks when it comes to the bottom end. Volume isn’t everything, quite the opposite, so expect subtlety and detail, as well as the occasional trouser-flapper.

Whether you’re listening to a stereo system or a decent pair of headphones, you’re in your car or testing a subwoofer, all of these tracks will help when it comes to figuring out how your set-up handles low pitch frequencies. From reggae to rock, classical to dance, there should be something to tickle your fancy, with double bass, bass guitar and serious sub-bass all on show.

You can get a taste for the tracks via YouTube below, or head straight to our Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal playlists where you can find all 25 in one place.

40 of the best 1990s albums to test your speakers

Fat Larry’s Band – Act Like You Know

An instantly recognisable slice of early 80s funk, thanks in no small part to its fat slap of a bass line. Sliding up and down the bottom-end of the frequency spectrum, the plucked bass notes should sound punchy, natural and full of detail. The vocals and keys make for a nice juxtaposition at the other end of the range, too.

View Fat Larry’s Band on Amazon

Like this? Try Gwen McCrae All This Love That I’m Giving

Massive Attack – Angel

A brilliant, brooding bass riff from the Bristolian trip-hop kings. The group aren’t short of songs that could have made this list, but we love the way this slow-burner looms into view, shifting through the gears as the track progresses, the bass note opening up, changing texture and getting louder by the end. A lovely workout for a subwoofer.

View Massive Attack Mezzanine on Amazon

Like this? Try Portishead Numb

Peter Hook’s bass is one of the most recognisable sounds in music. The sound under-pinned Joy Division and New Order (need we go on?), delivering a list of classic hooks as long as this article. Simple but effortlessly effective, this might be our favourite earworm from the New Order arsenal, with the, err, hook, seemingly finding a fresh rhythm and texture with every eight bars.

View New Order Power, Corruption & Lies on Amazon

Like that? Try this Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart

Rhythm & Sound – Mango Drive

Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus are the godfathers of dub techno. Better known as Basic Channel, Rhythm & Sound sees them focusing on the dubbier end of the sound. Here, a repetitive sub-bass pattern is filtered slowly and subtly, tweaking the sound enough to keep your ears engaged. Familiar reggae stabs reverberate higher up the frequency range but it’s the bass heft that needs to be clean and assured to keep the track nodding along.

View Rhythm & Sound Mango Drive on Amazon

Like this? Try Global Communication 5 23

Igor Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring

You might need to towel yourself down after this one, such is the power on show. Stravinsky himself referred to the end of this piece as “a noise”, and who are we to argue.

It certainly builds to a cacophony of instruments, with ominous, pounding drums keeping the focus as the rest of the orchestra seemingly battles for supremacy. Angry strings and rasping brass demand power and precision, and probably an apology to your neighbours.

View Stravinsky Rite of Spring on Amazon

Like that? Try Johann Strauss II The Blue Danube

GoGo Penguin – Raven

GoGo Penguin is impossible to pigeon-hole. Marrying jazz riffs, breakbeats and epic melodies, the Manchester band delivers stadium-ready tracks that are at once staggeringly complex and instantly accessible. The bassline on Raven is a rapid, twitching, rollercoaster ride of a double bass blowout, requiring no small level of attention to follow as it dances around a grand piano riff and scattergun drums.

View GoGo Penguin A Humdrum Star on Amazon

Like that? Try Nitin Sawnhey Acquired Dreams

Van Morrison – Moondance

The title track from one of the greatest albums of all time features a textbook walking bassline, complete with live-style improvisation to the melody, sat comfortably in the background. Van the Man’s vocals take centre stage, while saxophone stabs and flourishes on the flute will grab your ear throughout. The bass just ticks over throughout, keeping everything in time. A great check of the overall balance and organisation of your system.

View Van Morrison Moondance on Amazon

Like that? Try Tom Waits Swordfishtrombone

Mala – New Life Baby Paris

Do you want to feel your bass as well as hear it? You’re in the right place. Dubstep referenced garage, drum ‘n’ bass, dub reggae and more to spawn a new sound in the early ’00s. Characterised by scattered drums and sub-bass notes, this is an archetypal track from the early days of the sound from one of its founding fathers, and a great test of rhythm and bass control. Deep bass hits sit beneath synth stabs and lazy drums for a complex rhythm that requires a careful hand, so wish your speakers good luck.

View Mala New Life Baby Paris on Amazon

Like that? Try Skream Midnight Request Line

Miles Davis – So What

One of the key questions a good sound system needs to answer is, do the instruments sound like instruments? If you want to check, this is a great track to use – not least when it comes to the upright bass. Each note has attack, decay, reverb, dynamics and subtle details that the best systems will deliver untainted. Can you hear the size of the room and almost taste the smoke in the air? Your system’s passed this test.

View Miles Davis Kind of Blue on Amazon

Like this? Try Marcus Miller Scoop

The xx – Fantasy

Reverb-laden guitar, minimal drums and weighty bass notes are what The xx do. And they do it very well. If your system doesn’t go low, you simply won’t hear half this track. Provided you’re not listening through a laptop’s speakers, or worse, you can close your eyes and enjoy a couple of minutes of rolling, powerful bass notes, set against a spaced-out guitar riff.

View The xx xx on Amazon

Like this? Try Polica Lately

Ini Kamoze – World-A-Music

You can’t talk about bass without talking about reggae. A much-sampled bassline and track, this Sly and Robbie production is designed to be heard on a sound system that can push some serious air. From the simple-but-effective school, you want to hear solid, rounded bass notes that stop and start cleanly and don’t muddy the midrange. Red Stripe optional.

View Ini Kamoze 16 Vibes on Amazon

Like this? Try Wayne Smith Under Mi Sleng Teng

Rage Against The Machine – Bullet in the Head

Rage Against The Machine’s brand of funk-metal lends itself perfectly to loud, powerful, low-strung bass riffs. This example sees bassist Tim Commerford taking it easy with a workmanlike contribution… before switching it up for a couple of minutes of shredding.

An insightful system will pick out plenty of detail in the neck-breaking finale – you should be able to hear the slap of the strings, not just a wall of noise, especially when the extra layers of guitar come into the mix.

View Rage Against The Machine Rage Against The Machine on Amazon

Like this? Try Korn Here To Stay

Hans Zimmer – Time

There are almost as many layers to this track as there are to Inception, the film in which this track appeared. Hans Zimmer has a hefty back catalogue of stirring soundtracks but when it comes to bass weight and detail, coupled with stirring dynamics for good measure, few do it better than Time.

This should really fill your room and the move from mezzo to forte should be enough to bring a bead of sweat to your forehead – without a firm handle on the vigorous strings, your system’s delivery will fall flat.

View Inception soundtrack on Amazon

Like this? Try Gulstav Holst Mars

Bicep – Aura

“For anyone wondering what the little technical issue was during Aura, the bass was so loud on stage it actually shook the soundcard connection out,” posted Northern Irish duo Bicep on Instagram after a recent live performance.

Loud isn’t everything but there’s no denying there are some beautifully smooth and deep bass rasps on this evocative house track, complete with crisp, contrasting strings. Got a sub? You’ll know if it’s turned up too loud with this one.

View Bicep Bicep on Amazon

Like this? Try Orbital Halcyon

Cream – Badge

Eric Clapton and George Harrison wrote it, Jack Bruce delivered the iconic bassline. Certainly considered one of the greatest bass guitarists of all time, it’s Jack’s nimble, bouncing bass riff that gives this track its energy and drive.

The quick notes will test your system’s dynamics. They should stop and start on time to avoid slowing the song down and ensure the track is nicely balanced and light on its feet, despite the depth and weight of the bass licks.

View Cream Goodbye on Amazon

Like this? Try Fleetwood Mac The Chain

Dead Prez – Hip Hop

One of the most famous basslines in hip-hop, a genre well-endowed with sub-rattling bottom frequencies. The wobbling sub-bass is layered with the catchy mid-303 effect, but it’s that sub bass you want to hear.

It’s an almost non-stop bass assault, so an over-bearing low-end will be all too apparent – a moment’s pause towards the end of the track will give you a quick test of speed and dynamics. Another good track for finding the right level on a sub.

View Dead Prez Let’s Get Free on Amazon

Like this? Try Nas Halftime

Rush – YYZ

Just listen to it.

View Rush Moving Pictures on Amazon

Like this? Try Interpol Evil

The Weeknd – Wasted Times

Adding enough of a twist to the current fashion for ultra-deep but often quite ploddy basslines in RnB and hip-hop, this track delivers bass with weight, definition and texture.

View The Weeknd My Dear Melancholy on Amazon

Like this? Try J Hus Common Sense

Talking Heads – Burning Down The House

A Talking Heads classic driven by a bubbling juggernaut of a bassline.

Inspired by attending a Parliament-Funkadelic concert, Byrne and bassist Tina Weymouth came up with the riff and the vocal hook – ‘Burn down the house!’ had been a popular chant at the gig – during a subsequent funk-infused jam. Those bass notes should sound full and deep without blurring into each other or stifling the overall tempo.

View Talking Heads Speaking In Tongues on Amazon

Like this? Try Gang of Four Not Great Men

Anton Bruckner – Symphony No.7

An hour of huge peaks and troughs that will test dynamics and control, alongside just about every other aspect of your system’s musicality. Tubas and timpanis, double basses and oboes, there’s a huge range of sounds vying for attention, especially at the bottom end of the spectrum. The second and third movements are particularly likely to trouble your bass drivers.

View Bruckner Symphony 7 on Amazon

Like this? Try Mahler Symphony No. 1

Muse – Hysteria

One thing’s for sure, you’re better off listening to this bassline than trying to playing it. Muse favour overdriven, slightly fuzzy bass parts and that roughness around the edges will find out just how insightful your system is. The wall of sound production will have you sitting back in your chair, but hear it at its best and you should be able to discern plenty of detail in the mire. And it should go down pretty low.

View Muse Absolution on Amazon

Like this? Try Metallica For Whom The Bell Tolls

Chic – Good Times

“A bass riff that made HISTORY!”, reads the top comment on this YouTube video. And they’re not wrong. The Wikipedia list of songs that sample this track currently stretches to 27, and it’s labelled as “incomplete”.

Not all famous basslines make for a useful test track but we think this one certainly passes the test. There’s more variation in length and attenuation to notes than you might notice at first listen, which require a little digging out, while some systems just won’t muster the necessary spring and rhythm.

View Chic Risque on Amazon

Like this? Try Stevie Wonder I Wish

James Blake – Limit To Your Love

You might not see it coming but the fragile vocals and simple piano chords of the track’s opening soon give way to a deep, sofa-shaking bass, that rattles around at the bottom of the register and rapidly vibrates just for good measure. Whether your kit can deliver the goods will quickly become apparent.

View James Blake James Blake on Amazon

Like this? Try SBRKT Wildfire

Thundercat – Uh Uh

An unassuming intro gives way to a frantic, two-minute finger workout for Stephen Lee Bruner, aka Thundercat.

As well as working his bass guitar and songwriting magic for the likes of Erykah Badu and Flying Lotus, Thundercat has, to date, delivered three studio albums of genre-bending, jazz-fused funk. Uh Uh is typically freeform and provides a test of timing, rhythm and insight as the bassline runs up and down the musical scale at a fast, erratic pace.

View Thundercat Drunk on Amazon

Like this? Try Cashmere Cat Mirror Maru

Atmospheric, technical drum ‘n’ bass from Photek’s revered debut album. While the genre might now favour noisier, distorted basslines, this track features a more authentic double bass sound, giving the bassline real texture and subtlety.

There’s plenty of weight, too, with complex drum patterns in the top end, so the bass shouldn’t overload the mix. There’s a lovely warmth to the rounded bass notes, which should come across on a good system.

View Photek Modus Operandi on Amazon

Like this? Try Peshay Piano Tune

MORE:

10 of the best songs to test your speakers
10 of the best tracks for testing treble
19 of the best tracks for testing dynamics, rhythm and timing
21 of the best vocal tracks to test your system
50 of the best hi-fi albums for audiophiles
Listen to the What Hi-Fi? playlist

Brand & Model	BenQ Zowie XL2546K
Panel Type & Backlight	TN / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio	24.5 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh	1920×1080 @ 240 Hz
	FreeSync: 48-240Hz
	G-Sync compatible
Native Color Depth & Gamut	8-bit (6-bit+FRC) / sRGB
Response Time (GTG)	0.5 ms
Brightness (mfr)	320 nits
Contrast (mfr)	1000:1
Speakers	–
Video Inputs	1x DisplayPort 1.2
	3x HDMI 2.0
Audio	3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0	–
Power Consumption	19.4w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base	22.5 x 14.5-20.7 x 7.9 inches (572 x 368-526 x 191mm)
Panel Thickness	2.2 inches (55mm)
Bezel Width	Top/sides: 0.5 inch (13mm)
	Bottom: 0.7 inch (17mm)
Weight	13.7lbs (6.2kg)
Warranty	Three years

Picture Mode	Standard
Brightness 200 nits	67
Brightness 120 nits	32
Brightness 100 nits	23
Brightness 80 nits	15
Brightness 50 nits	3 (min. 45 nits)
Contrast	32
Gamma	4
Color Temp User	Red 96, Green 100, Blue 97

Our Verdict

For

Against

Features

Build

Sound

Verdict

1. Chromecast with Google TV

The best streaming stick for most people

2. Roku Streaming Stick Plus

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

3. Apple TV 4K

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

4. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

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

5. Nvidia Shield TV

Best streaming device for home theater enthusiasts and gamers

Best Budget 4K Monitors

1. Samsung UR59C

2. Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q

3. LG 32UN500-W

4. Dell S2721QS

5. HP U28

Design & Setup

Sound Quality

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Polk Signa S3

Yamaha SR-B20A

Our Verdict

For

Against

Features and Specifications

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Specs

Assembly and Accessories on Philips Momentum 558M1RY

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Product 360

OSD Features on Philips Momentum 558M1RY

Philips Momentum 558M1RY Calibration Settings

Gaming and Hands-on with Philips Momentum 558M1RY

Vaio Z Specs

Fat Larry’s Band – Act Like You Know

Massive Attack – Angel

New Order – Age of Consent

Rhythm & Sound – Mango Drive

Igor Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring

GoGo Penguin – Raven

Van Morrison – Moondance

Mala – New Life Baby Paris

Miles Davis – So What

The xx – Fantasy

Ini Kamoze – World-A-Music

Rage Against The Machine – Bullet in the Head

Hans Zimmer – Time

Bicep – Aura

Cream – Badge

Dead Prez – Hip Hop

Rush – YYZ

The Weeknd – Wasted Times

Talking Heads – Burning Down The House

Anton Bruckner – Symphony No.7

Muse – Hysteria

Chic – Good Times

James Blake – Limit To Your Love

Thundercat – Uh Uh

Our Verdict

For

Against

Build and features

Sound

Verdict

Our Verdict

For

Against

Features and Specifications

BenQ Zowie XL2546K Specs

Assembly and Accessories of BenQ Zowie XL2546K

Product 360

OSD Features of BenQ Zowie XL2546K

BenQ Zowie XL2546K Calibration Settings

Gaming and Hands-on with BenQ Zowie XL2546K