Building your own smart home is easier than ever with a Raspberry Pi. Even companies like MicroNova have recognized the potential of our favorite single-board computer (SBC) by using one inside its home sound system, called AmpliPi.
The crowdfunded AmpliPi box is capable of streaming from four separate sources. Users can interact with it using a web-based interface and output audio to a maximum of 36 stereo output zones.
The system is built on top of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 and can interface with the likes of Spotify, AirPlay and Pandora. Users can configure speaker zones and playlists using the AmpliPi REST API created by MicroNova.
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MicroNova’s web app lets users manage audio sources using a series of tabs. It includes settings to adjust groups and zones to make sure music plays in the intended room.
Explore the AmpliPi GitHub for more in-depth information about how the system works.
If Raspberry Pi projects get you excited, check out our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more fun creations from the maker community.
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
New Order – Age of Consent
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
Acast, a podcast host and ad network, is looking to improve its tech and broaden its reach. The company announced today that it’s acquiring RadioPublic for an undisclosed amount with the goal of using RadioPublic’s tech to bring more creators to the Acast platform and make inroads in the US market. RadioPublic’s podcast app will remain live, and its team will stay based in the US.
Among the tools that RadioPublic created — and that intrigued Acast — is something called Podsite, which helps podcasters set up a complimentary website for their show as well as a feature called Affinity Promotions, which helps podcasters target their most loyal listeners with text-based messages. They can use these messages to promote a newsletter, for example, or highlight new merch. RadioPublic, more than anything else, homed in on podcast creators and designed tools especially for them, similarly to Acast.
The Acast team operates a hosting platform, ad network, and listening app and is mostly interested in the creator side of the business. It partnered with Patreon to host its users’ shows and more easily distribute their private RSS feeds, as one example, and it makes hosting free at its most basic level. And while RadioPublic understands the US podcasting market well, which Acast plans to target moving forward, Acast is better known in other places around the world, which RadioPublic would like to reach.
“I think it was a match made in heaven,” says Leandro Saucedo, Acast’s chief business and strategy officer, in an interview with The Verge. He also points out that beyond RadioPublic’s consumer-facing tools, their technology was superb.
“It’s hard for me to explain because you get so down to the technical side, but let’s say within the car that’s Acast there’s a gearbox, which you never see but you definitely feel it if you drive, and there’s some nice gearbox stuff in RadioPublic that you wouldn’t think of, but once we put that gearbox into our car, our car runs smoother,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of that behind the scenes, which really makes sense for us, which is deep tech within the realm of podcasts.”
Broadly, Acast’s goals mirror Spotify’s. The team wants to bring as many creators to its platform as possible so that it can learn from their data and monetize their programming by selling ads through its advertiser marketplace. The more shows it has, the larger inventory it can sell. Spotify, comparatively, has tried to create a similar situation through Anchor and Megaphone, which offer sponsorships and access to an ad marketplace, respectively. The only difference in Spotify’s case is Anchor itself, which makes creating a show easier through software. Acast hasn’t focused on the actual creation toolset yet.
Still, Saucedo claims to The Verge that Acast is “the largest podcasting business in the world,” based on its revenue and investments. He says he can’t share specifics but points to the company’s $120 million in funding and says that, if backtracked, someone could figure out the brand’s valuation, which he wouldn’t divulge. Whether Saucedo is accurate in his claim is somewhat irrelevant, as it speaks to Acast’s ambitions and the wider race to the top in podcasting. Everyone wants to capture the podcast advertising market and ride that revenue to being the biggest name in podcasting. Acast is taking its shot now, and RadioPublic is one way it thinks it’ll win.
The HP Spectre x360 14 is a beautifully constructed 2-in-1 laptop with a vibrant 3:2 OLED touch screen to showcase your work. It has an excellent keyboard and a variety of ports for all of your accessories. Those who prioritize battery life may want to consider a non-OLED configuration, however.
For
Sleek, attractive design
Vivid 3:2 display shows more of your work
Clicky, responsive keyboard
Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-A ports
Against
OLED model doesn’t last all day
Difficult to upgrade SSD
There’s no need to beat around the bush: the HP Spectre x360 14 ($1,219.99 to start; $1,699.99 as tested) is one of the best ultrabooks we’ve tested in the last several months. It’s exquisitely designed with a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that showcases more of your work, whether it be words, numbers, or code.
You’ll pay a premium price for it, but it sure feels premium, with a sleek chassis, clicky keyboard and both USB Type-C and Type-A ports, as well as a microSD card reader.
The model we reviewed had an impressive
OLED
screen with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looks great, but if you want all-day battery life, you may consider alternative configurations.
Design of the HP Spectre x360 14
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HP makes a handsome laptop. The Spectre x360 doesn’t make a ton of changes to what has largely become a tried and true design. It’s an aluminum notebook with solid construction. Ours came in “nightfall black” with copper accents, which I think is a bit showy for my tastes these days, but you can also get in “Poseidon blue” or my likely choice, “natural silver.”
The back two edges near the 360-degree hinge are chopped off, one of which makes room for a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s a divisive choice, but it’s grown on me. That placement lets you flip from a laptop into a tablet while it’s charging and barely move the cable at all.
When you unfold the laptop for the first time, you’ll notice the big difference with this Spectre: a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that feels incredibly luxurious compared to the 16:9 screen on the smaller
Spectre x360 13
that we recently reviewed. There’s minimal bezel around it, putting the focus on your work. It also creates a slightly longer profile for the whole device.
Unlike many 2-in-1s, the power button is on the keyboard, rather than the side of the device. As a person using it primarily as a laptop, I prefer this choice, though tablet-heavy users might be annoyed. There’s also a fingerprint reader next to the arrow keys, this, combined with the IR camera, allows for security options beyond a password whether in tablet or laptop mode, which I appreciate. The speaker grilles above the function keys make for a nice accent.
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There aren’t a ton of ports on the Spectre x360 14, but there’s enough for most people’s everyday use. Most of the action is on the right side, where you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right corner), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card. On the right, there is one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. The rest of that side of the notebook is magnetized to fit the included HP Tilt Pen.
At 2.95 pounds with an 11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67-inch footprint, the Spectre is fairly compact. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 is 2.9 pounds and 11.69 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches — a bit smaller — but also has a 13.4-inch screen in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The MacBook Pro is a 3 pound clamshell and measures 11.95 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, and the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 is 2.7 pounds and 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches.
HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications
CPU
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16GB LPDDR4-3733
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane
Display
13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5
Ports
2x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Headphone/microphone jack, microSD card reader
Camera
720p IR
Battery
66 WHr
Power Adapter
65 W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Other
HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen
Dimensions(WxDxH)
11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 inches / 298.45 x 220.22 x 17.02 mm
Weight
2.95 pounds / 1.34 kg
Price (as configured)
$1,699.99
Productivity Performance on the HP Spectre x360 14
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Our HP Spectre x360 14 review unit came with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe
NVMe SSD
with 32GB of Intel Optane memory. In my use, it could handle plenty of browser tabs and streaming video without an issue.
On the Geekbench 5 overall performance benchmark, the Spectre earned a single-core score of 1,462 and a multi-core score of 4,904. The ZenBook Flip S was in a similar range. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had a higher score in multi-core performance (5,639). The MacBook Pro, too, had a higher multi-core score when emulated through Rosetta 2 to run the same version of the test (5,925).
The Spectre transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 533.61 MBps, faster than the XPS 13 2-in-1, but slower than the ZenBook Flip S (979.37 MBps).
In our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p, the Spectre x360 14 finished the task in 18 minutes and 5 seconds. While this was four minutes faster than the ZenBook, the XPS 13 2-in-1 was speedier and the MacBook Pro led the whole pack, even while emulating x86 instructions.
To stress the Spectre, we ran it through 20 runs of Cinebench R23. It was fairly consistent in the low 4,000’s, though there were some peaks up to around 4,300. The CPU ran at an average of 2.61 GHz and an average temperature of 74.07 degrees Celsius (165.33 degrees Fahrenheit).
Display on the HP Spectre x360 14
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The 13.5-inch touchscreen on the Spectre x360 has a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it taller than it is wide. It’s an opulent amount of space, especially for doing work. You’ll see more text, code, spreadsheet cells or whatever else you’re working on because the screen is taller. It’s a big improvement over 16:9 displays, and makes for a more natural shape as a tablet, as it’s similar in shape to a piece of paper.
Our main review configuration was an OLED model with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looked incredible, with deep blacks and vibrant colors, as has been the case on most OLED monitors we’ve seen to date. Of course, most videos are still 16:9, so when I watched the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong, it was letterboxed on the top and bottom. The beginning of the trailer features the titular ape on a barge during a sunset, and its blue and orange hues were beautiful as jets flew overhead.
The OLED screen covers 139.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (the non-OLED, 1920 x 1280 screen covered 74.6%). The next best was the ZenBook Flip S, also with an OLED display, at 113.1%. The MacBook Pro measured 78.3% and the XPS 13 2-in-1 covered 70%.
The Spectre’s display measured an average of 339 nits on our light meter. This never seemed like an issue in regular use, though the ZenBook, XPS 13 2-in-1 and MacBook Pro all got far brighter.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the HP Spectre x360 14
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The keyboard on the Spectre takes up as much room as possible, moving from edge to edge of the
chassis
. This gave HP room to include a full keyboard, including an extra column for home, page up, page down and end keys. The tilde key is a little squeezed, but not enough for me to be inconvenienced.
The keys are clicky (they even have a bit of a clicky sound!), and I really enjoyed typing on them. On the 10fastfingers typing test, I reached 105 words per minute with my usual 2% error rate.
There’s a fingerprint reader built into the keyboard on the right side, next to the arrow keys. On the function row, there’s a key to kill the camera. The F1 key is sort of wasted, though, in that it is programmed exclusively to open the browser and search for “how to get help in
Windows 10
.”
HP has equipped the Spectre x360 with a 4.5 x 2.8-inch touchpad. It’s slightly smaller than the MacBook Pro (5.1 x 32 inches), but is still plenty spacious. With Windows 10 precision drivers, it responded immediately to every gesture.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
A rechargeable stylus is included with the laptop, the “HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen.” (MPP is short for Microsoft Pen Protocol.) It’s round with one flat edge that connects to the left side of the laptop with magnets. That flat side also has two customizable buttons
The Spectre’s palm rejection worked pretty well, and the stylus worked well with both tilting and shading in supported applications. In Paint 3D, using the crayon tool required extra pressure for a deep hue, just like the real thing. I do wish, like some of Microsoft’s styluses, that HP would add an eraser to the end.
HP claims it lasts 30 hours on a charge. When you slide up the top of the stylus, a USB-C port is revealed, which is a neat addition. A ring light on the very top tells you its charging status.
Audio on the HP Spectre x360 14
HP’s collaboration with Bang & Olufsen has produced winning laptop audio for a while now, and the Spectre x360 14 is no exception.
These things get loud — too loud, even. As I listened to Spotify, I turned the volume down as Fall Out Boy’s “Bob Dylan” stormed through my apartment. The drums, vocals and guitars were clear. Bass was a bit quiet. I tried changing that manually in the Bang & Olufsen control center, but to a little effect. There are presets in that app, but I found most of them to be overkill.
Upgrading the HP Spectre x360 14
Unfortunately, HP has made upgrades and repairs to the Spectre x360 14 more difficult for the average person than they need to be.
There are two visible Torx screws on the underside of the laptop, but underneath the rear rubber foot, there are four more Phillips head screws. The feet are applied with adhesive and could rip when you remove them. HP makes extras available to authorized repair shops.
If you did get into the laptop, per
the maintenance manual
, you would find that while the RAM is soldered down, the SSD, WI-Fi module and battery are user replaceable.
Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 14
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Like most laptops with OLED screens, the Spectre x360 14’s battery life isn’t exceptional. It will last you most of the day, but you’ll want to bring the braided USB Type-C charger with you.
On our test, which continuously has laptops browse the web, run OpenGL tests and stream video over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Spectre ran for 7 hours and 14 minutes. A non-OLED version with a 1920 x 1280 screen ran for 12:11, should you value battery life over image quality.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 lasted 10:52, while the ZenBook Flip S (also with OLED) ran for 8:11. The MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 processor lasted the longest at a whopping 16:32.
Heat on the HP Spectre x360 14
We took skin temperature measurements on the 14-inch Spectre x360 while running our Cinebench R23 stress test.
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The center of the keyboard measured 34.8 degrees Celsius (94.64 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad was a cooler 29.4 degrees Celsius (84.92 degrees Fahrenheit).
The hottest point on the bottom was 47.1 degrees Celsius (116.78 degrees Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 14
It’s a shame this beautiful, high-resolution screen wasn’t paired with a beautiful, high-resolution
webcam
. Like most laptop cameras, the Spectre x360’s is still stuck at
720p
.
An image I took at my well-lit desk was color accurate, catching my navy shirt, blue eyes and the mixed shades of brown in my hair and blue. But overall, the picture was grainy, and light coming in from some nearby windows was blown out.
On the bright side, it works with Windows Hello for facial login. While there’s also a fingerprint reader on the keyboard, this is better for logging in when it’s a tablet.
Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 14
While the Spectre x360 is undoubtedly a premium device, it has the kind of bloat you would expect from some budget machines.
HP has a lot of its own software. I wish it would combine more of these disparate programs into the main app, HP Command Center, which lets you make performance adjustments based on temperature and sound and also lets you decide which software gets network priority.
There are separate pieces of software for choosing among different display modes, switching between headphone and speakers, changing HP telemetry settings and adjusting the buttons on the stylus. There’s also HP Quick Drop to move files between your phone and the laptop.
On top of all that, there is MyHP, which gives you your serial number and is otherwise filled in with some fairly vapid tips for using your PC. HP has also added LastPass, ExpressVPN, Netflix, trials of Adobe software and a promotion with Dropbox for new users to get 25GB of free space. There’s also a suite of McAfee software, including McAfee LiveSafe, Personal Security and File Lock.
Amazon Alexa is also preinstalled, which may be divisive. It sure is more useful than Cortana. Either way, it’s not actively listening. Instead, you have to sign in to your Amazon account.
Of course, there’s also some bloatware that’s included in most Windows 10 installs, like Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.
HP sells the Spectre x360 14 with a 1-year warranty.
HP Spectre x360 14 Configurations
We tested the Spectre x360 14 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory, a 3000 x 2000 OLED display. It comes in black and costs $1,699.99 at Best Buy as of this writing.
HP sells other configurations on its own website, starting at $1,219.99 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD with16GB of Intel Optane memory and a 1920 x 1280 touchscreen. Changing to black or blue adds $10 to the price, and for more money, you can go up to 2TB of storage (up to an extra $320).
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The HP Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop you can get right now. The 3:2 display highlights your work in laptop mode and is more natural than 16:9 or 16:10 screens in tablet mode. It offers solid performance, has a variety of ports, includes a stylus and has an excellent keyboard.
If battery life is your priority, the OLED screen won’t do you any favors, but the 1920 x 1280 model might be more your speed. The
MacBook Pro with M1
, a clamshell alternative, is top of the class in endurance. If you prefer a smaller footprint, the
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310
is still very good, though it has fewer ports and a 16:10 screen rather than 3:2.
But the Spectre x360 14 largely has it all, making this one easy to recommend if you’re willing to pay a premium price.
As part of iOS 14.5, Apple is updating its emoji with new variations from the Unicode Consortium’s 13.1 release, including new skin tone options for popular emoji, several new smiley faces and hearts, and some deliberate Apple redesigns.
The changes to skin tone and gender presentation are probably the most important to note. Popular emoji like “Couples Kissing” and “Couples with Heart” now have many more skin tone variations for all options.
Skin tone variations for the “Couples with Heart” emoji in iOS 14.5.Image: Emojipedia
In addition to more skin tones, the bearded emoji has also been adjusted to allow for not just the neutral “Person:Beard” but also “Man:Beard” and “Woman:Beard.”
The various beard options in iOS 14.5.Image: Emojipedia
On the more unusual side of things, Apple’s update also includes several variations on smiley faces like “Exhaling Face,” “Face with Spiral Eyes,” and the elusive “Face in Clouds.” Hearts, another emoji go-to category, also has two new members joining its ranks, “Heart on Fire” and “Mending Heart.”
Exhaling face, face with spiral eyes, and face in clouds.
Image: Emojipedia
Heart on fire and mending heart.
Image: Emojipedia
Finally, Apple is also making tweaks to some existing emoji: the rock-climbing emoji will now feature a helmet, the syringe emoji is now a more generic one rather than one filled with blood, and the headphones look like the AirPods Max.
The syringe change could be a legitimately helpful one for anyone writing about COVID-19. Not only is the new syringe way less intimidating when emptied of blood, but it’s also more applicable to vaccinations, which will hopefully become a lot more common soon. The headphone change, on the other hand, is just Apple branding, the same way that the preexisting mobile phone emoji was designed to look like an iPhone.
A comparison between the two versions of the syringe emoji.Image: Emojipedia
Apple says all of these emoji are available in the new release of the iOS 14.5 beta, which also comes with a nice little change to the Apple Music app. According to users on Reddit running the beta, you can now add and remove music from your queue with the same kind of swiping gesture used in Apple’s Mail app to archive, delete, or flag emails.
The full release of iOS 14.5 is also said to include several other helpful additions like support for the new Xbox and PlayStation controllers, the ability to set Siri’s default music streaming service to Spotify, and the ability to unlock your phone with your Apple Watch.
A North Dakota bill that would have drastically altered the way app store operators like Apple and Google manage their digital marketplaces has failed to garner enough votes, failing in the state senate by an 11-36 vote on Tuesday, according to North Dakota House of Representatives member Karla Rose Hanson.
The bill, SB 2333, stirred considerable controversy last week when a committee hearing drew the attention of corporate lawyers and lobbyists, experts, and Apple critics arguing both in favor and against the proposed legislation’s potentially far-reaching consequences.
The bill would have barred any company in the business of software distribution making over $10 million in annual revenue from imposing rules on developers dictating they only use one app store, like the App Store or the Google Play Store, and that they have to use the app store owner’s preferred payment system. Using Apple or Google’s payment system, in turn, lets those companies take 30 percent of most sales, per their long-standing revenue sharing policies around app sales and in-app purchases.
Requiring developers to use the App Store and Apple’s own payment system are pillars of the iPhone maker’s mobile business and largely responsible for the App Store’s continued financial success. The App Store is estimated to have generated more than $64 billion in revenue last year. (Google does allow alternative app stores onto Android, but the company requires users to click through security warnings to download and use such software.) Yet, developers have long complained of Apple’s grip on the flow of revenue on iOS, with critics claiming its ever-changing rules are inconsistently applied and that Apple grants exemptions on a case-by-case basis.
Although the bill would only have dictated how companies like Apple operate within the state of North Dakota, the bill’s broad language may have forced Apple to make systemic changes to its business nationwide. The legislation’s success could have also inspired other states to follow suit with similar attempts to regulate app stores’ relationships with developers, although that appears to be already underway despite SB 2333’s failure.
In arguing against SB 2333, Apple’s chief privacy engineer, Erik Neuenschwander, testified that the bill “threatens to destroy iPhone as you know it,” arguing that it would “undermine the privacy, security, safety, and performance that’s built into iPhone by design,” according to the Bismarck Tribune. “Simply put, we work hard to keep bad apps out of the App Store; (the bill) could require us to let them in,” Neuenschwander concluded.
The legislation is just one of a growing number of state bills, which now includes proposed bills in Arizona and Georgia that seek to place limits on the power of Apple and fellow app store owners. a The New York Times report this weekend linked the bills to a multi-state lobbying effort from Apple’s fiercest critics, with Fortnite creator Epic Games leading the charge.
SB 2333 was proposed by Sen. Kyle Davison (R-Fargo) after the state senator was approached by Lacee Bjork Anderson, a lobbyist with the firm Odney Public Affairs based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Anderson, it turns out, was hired by Epic, the Times reported. Epic is also suing Apple and Google after both companies removed Fortnite last August, following Epic’s decision to include its own in-app payment system in the iOS and Android versions of the battle royale hit.
Anderson was also paid by the Coalition of App Fairness, an industry group formed last fall consisting of Epic and fellow app makers like Tinder parent company Match Group and Spotify that have for years railed against the App Store and Apple’s mandate that it take 30 percent of all app sales and in-app purchases.
In a tweet, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney acknowledged Epic and the Coalition for App Fairness’ participation in the ongoing lobbying efforts. “North Dakota’s effort to combat app store monopolies is awesome for consumers and developers,” Sweeney wrote. “The Coalition for App Fairness organized the outreach, lobbying, and developer participation. Can’t take credit for it, but Epic is proud to be a part of it!”
North Dakota’s effort to combat app store monopolies is awesome for consumers and developers. The Coalition for App Fairness organized the outreach, lobbying, and developer participation. Can’t take credit for it, but Epic is proud to be a part of it!https://t.co/Zi0iDMpkaz
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) February 16, 2021
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Electric moped rental company Revel is expanding its product lineup to include monthly e-bike subscriptions for residents of New York City. It’s the latest company to try to capitalize on the e-bike boom by shifting to a Netflix or Spotify subscription model for transportation.
For $99 a month, interested customers can get a stylish electric bike manufactured by NYC-based e-bike company Wing delivered straight to their door. The price also includes complimentary maintenance, including flat tires fixes, loose chains repairs, or brake upkeep. Service requests can be submitted via Revel’s smartphone app, and Revel says a repair technician will respond within 24 hours. The company will also supply a bike lock and educational material to help subscribers navigate New York City’s less-than-bike-friendly streets.
In an interview, Revel CEO Frank Reig said he watched his fellow New Yorkers embrace cycling in much greater numbers during the early months of the pandemic, and was determined to meet that demand with a product of his own.
“We’ve been listening to our users to understand what they want and what they need,” Reig said, “and being ready to deliver a vehicle at a time when it couldn’t be more needed for a city like New York.”
It’s an interesting move from Revel, the shared electric scooter company that has been operating in New York City since 2018. But it’s also very much in line with where things are headed for micromobility companies that survived the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scooter company Lime recently added electric mopeds to its lineup, as well as e-bikes after acquiring Uber’s bike-share company Jump. Bird also dabbled with electric bikes and mopeds before deciding to stick with scooters.
With e-bikes typically costing between $1,400 and $3,000, subscriptions are seen as a more affordable alternative to personal ownership. The founders of SoundCloud recently launched an e-bike subscription service in Germany called Dance. Swapfiets is another service that is well-established in some European markets. The Dutch company just recently added e-bikes to its roster of products and launched in Berlin in July. And in the US, Bird and Lime have been experimenting with subscriptions for its electric scooters, with mixed results. Another company, Unagi, offers its electric scooters for $39-a-month in some US cities.
Subscriptions have been a mixed bag for the auto industry. Ford walked away from its service last fall following low demand. Cadillac shut down its service, Book, in 2018, only to resurrect it several months later with fewer options. BMW recently discontinued its $2,000-a-month Access by BMW service.
Revel’s in the shared moped business; why not something similar for e-bikes? Asked whether Citi Bike’s exclusive contract with the city of New York meant Revel couldn’t have launched a shared e-bike service, Reig said Revel wanted to avoid blocking the sidewalks like most scooter companies. “We don’t want to be on the sidewalk,” he said.
It’s also Revel’s latest effort to grow beyond mopeds. The company recently announced plans to building a DC fast-charging station for electric vehicles in New York City, where it is based. Revel first launched its shared moped service in Brooklyn in 2018, eventually expanding in Manhattan and Queens. And it has been growing ever since landing a $27.6 million investment from a group of backers including Ibex Investors, Toyota AI Ventures, Blue Collective, Launch Capital, and Maniv Mobility.
Now the company is ready to branch out into a new mode of electrified transportation, though not too divergent from its fleet of battery-powered mopeds. Wing has been making and selling e-bikes since 2018, when it first released its stylish, VanMoof-looking Freedom model. Its latest models, the Freedom 2 and Freedom X, are cleaner versions of that original bike.
The Freedom 2 includes an integrated 36-volt battery and a 550W Bafang hub motor. It has a top speed of 20 mph and a range 60 miles, depending on which power setting you’re in. The Freedom X includes the same parts, as well as a hidden digital display and torque sensors that regulate the motor based on how hard you’re pushing the pedals.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Seth Miller founded Wing after his first e-bike was stolen from in front of his office building. The company that manufactured the bike had disbanded, so he started researching different suppliers. He soon discovered that a majority of the e-bikes sold in the US are just cobbled together from a variety of off-the-shelf Chinese-made parts found in a catalog. It sounded simple, so Miller figured he’d try it himself. (The Verge reviewed the original Freedom in 2019 and found it to be a stylish and affordable ride.)
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with a fellow NYC company that shares our vision for modernizing and electrifying urban transportation in an environmentally friendly way,” Miller told The Verge. “Simply put, New York is better with bikes.”
Mopeds are arguably a faster way to get around than e-bikes, but they can also be more dangerous, especially for novice riders. Revel was forced to temporarily shut down its service in New York City last year after two customers were killed and one was critically injured while riding the shared electric mopeds. The company eventually resumed service with new protective measures for riders like a mandatory in-app safety test and a requirement that all riders take a selfie of themselves wearing a helmet before they’ll be allowed to ride.
Revel is also partnering with helmet company Fend to offer a discount on its foldable bike helmets. The e-bike subscription service will be called Coast by Revel and interested customers can joining a waitlist, after which Revel will start delivering bikes starting in March.
Apple, Spotify, and the impossible problem of moderating shows
When former White House adviser-turned-podcaster Steve Bannon called for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray, the tech platforms reacted. Twitter, YouTube, and Spotify all banned him and his podcast relatively quickly, cutting off access to their millions of users. Apple Podcasts, however, took a different stance. The most popular podcast app let his show stay live in its directory so that, months later, when Bannon encouraged his listeners to converge on the Capitol to protest election results, people still had an easy way to access his thoughts. His show, even this week, ranks among Apple Podcast’s top 20 news podcasts.
A story from ProPublica in January pointed out the dangers of not moderating someone like Bannon. It’s reasonable to want Apple to not benefit from clearly harmful voices, but the incident speaks to how unprepared the podcast industry is to moderate: companies face huge challenges in even finding infringing content, and there’s little to no transparency from the big players in how they monitor the listings in their apps. Plus, people in the space have real, philosophical concerns about the extent to which podcasting’s open ecosystem should be policed.
A disparate network of companies makes up the podcasting world, including apps, hosting services, sales teams, and networks. Moderation will need to happen across these companies to be effective, and in this current moment, that effort doesn’t work the way it does at tech monoliths like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, which can remove someone with a push of a button. Put simply, podcasting isn’t ready for full-scale, widespread moderation — if that’s even what the industry wants.
“There’s no podcasting company that has the scale, or the reach, or the resources, to be able to do anything like [that],” says Owen Grover, the former CEO of Pocket Casts, when asked whether he thinks the podcasting ecosystem could monitor shows like Facebook does the posts, images, and videos on its platform. “If the podcasting industry cares about this stuff … it’s going to require multiple organizations that exist across the industry value chain.”
Moderation isn’t a simple task, and even platforms like Facebook and Twitter routinely get it wrong. Audio presents an even tougher challenge. For one, new content rapidly streams into the space. A report published this month from podcast marketing company Chartable says 17,000 shows launch weekly, and to moderate them would mean scanning audio, whether that be with actual human ears, transcripts, or software, and then discerning whether they cross the line. This assumes the companies in the space even care to moderate.
“It’s quite hard to do it at scale,” says Mike Kadin, founder and CEO of the podcast hosting platform RedCircle. “We would have to transcribe everything, maybe, and apply some automated filters to look at everything. A: that’s expensive, and B: even if we could get everything in text, I don’t think a computer can understand the nuance of some of these issues, so it’s super challenging, and we do the best we can.”
Even in high-profile moments, the industry has been slow and inconsistent about moderation. It should have been easy to ban shows from the notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in 2018, for example, but it took weeks to build out even an incomplete blockade across the industry. Spotify started out by removing specific episodes, with Apple Podcasts removing his shows a week later. After that point, a constellation of smaller podcast apps made their own decisions on whether Jones deserved a ban.
These efforts didn’t even remove the podcasts entirely. The Alex Jones Show is still available today on Google Podcasts and smaller apps like Castbox, and the open nature of RSS means you can still listen to his shows inside of Apple Podcasts and other apps where it’s banned if you seek it out.
All of which is to say, one of the most high-profile podcast deplatforming incidents wasn’t even wholly effective, which doesn’t bode well for a future of podcast moderation in which people want apps to take a heavier hand. Now, QAnon podcasts are flourishing on at least one hosting platform, Podbean, which also hosts Bannon’s podcast, and outright fraud has occurred on Apple’s podcast charts. Copycat podcasts have also sprung up on Anchor, Spotify’s podcast creation software. The industry isn’t catching every show that passes through its systems, meaning the problematic programming lives on until someone points it out, forcing the companies to respond. In other cases, the apps and hosting providers either struggle to find these programs or don’t care enough to bother with them.
This speaks to the core of podcasting’s moderation issues, and the industry’s selling point for many: its open nature. Podcasts are distributed through RSS feeds, which are essentially a link to a list of episodes. Most apps (apart from Spotify, Audible, and Amazon Music) effectively serve as search engines for these feeds. As long as a show is hosted online somewhere, it can generally show up in these apps when someone searches for it. Apple, in particular, plays an integral role in the space because it gives smaller podcast apps the ability to incorporate its catalog, meaning Apple’s moderation decisions ripple throughout the industry.
But because the ecosystem is diffuse and multiple podcast indexes exist, most companies end up having to make moderation decisions themselves. The teams’ jobs become easier if a particular program gains the mainstream media’s attention — as Jones’ did — because the team then knows what they’re looking for. But doing their own, preemptive moderation work is tough, if not nearly impossible because day-to-day operations often involve small groups with limited resources.
One podcast app creator, Xavier Guillemane, who made the popular Android podcast player Podcast Addict, says he fills his catalog with shows both from Apple Podcasts and The Podcast Index, a podcast search engine. He relies on user reports for moderation, and if he receives a report, he first checks Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts to see if the show is listed there.
“If it is then it means that the content does not violate their content policies,” he says over email. “If not, then I make sure that this podcast isn’t visible in any popular / suggested lists. That’s all I can do for moderation as I’m developing this app alone. With more than 2 million podcasts available, and with podcasts available in every language, there’s nothing more I can do.”
Grover echoed this idea, saying user reports were mainly how Pocket Casts policed its catalog. Those reports weren’t always reliable, however. “Signals from listeners are not always a good way to go because I will tell you that the whole notion of libertarian, do not censor — these things are powerful currents inside of podcasting,” he says, adding that many users saw the Jones removal as censorship.
Apple and Spotify, the two largest podcast players, each have their own set of community guidelines. Both platforms don’t allow content that encourages violence, for example, or shows that infringe on copyright. Spotify even specifically prohibits programs that promote pyramid schemes, while Apple doesn’t allow Nazi propaganda “as restricted by local law.” Like most terms, though, it’s hard to grasp how moderation would work in practice, and both companies are cagey about how exactly they moderate.
Spotify, which also owns one of the biggest podcast hosting platforms, Megaphone, issued a statement for this story saying Spotify uses a “variety of algorithmic and human detection measures to ensure that content on our platform is in keeping with our long-standing policies.” Apple Podcasts spokesperson Zach Kahn declined to comment.
Beyond the listening apps, podcast hosting platforms, like Podbean, also play a key role in moderation. While they don’t necessarily care about distribution, they’re the ones keeping podcasts live and available. In the past, hosting services haven’t been at the center of the moderation debate, but when Amazon Web Services booted Parler, a chat app known for far-right material, off its servers, it emphasized the critical role these hosts play. Podcast hosting platforms have a particular incentive to moderate when they help shows make money, or sell ads for them, because brands generally don’t want to advertise on a controversial show. Otherwise, the hosting platforms don’t have much reason to rein in their own customers.
At RedCircle, the team needs to moderate because it monetizes its users’ shows, but because the company only employs 11 people, Kadin says they can’t listen to or check out every program that joins the hosting service. Instead, the team reviews the shows that are the most popular each week to make sure they’re within the company’s content guidelines, including copyright, and also to ensure they’re receiving proper account support from RedCircle. Meanwhile, Spreaker, a company that’s now owned by iHeartMedia, uses algorithms and a 10-person team to review shows, says Andrea De Marsi, the company’s COO. They mostly focus on the shows that Spreaker monetizes through its advertiser marketplace and try to avoid taking sides on political rhetoric, so long as a podcaster doesn’t say or do anything illegal.
RedCircle says it’s caught some issues itself, like a neo-Nazi podcast that employed obvious imagery while Spreaker has removed dangerous propaganda creators, like ISIS, because of reports they received from law enforcement agencies.
Even Podiant, a podcast hosting platform that prominently advertises itself as a team of “compassionate liberals,” doesn’t have the bandwidth to screen new customers and mostly monitors shows based on user reports. “It’s a really tricky task, especially at the hosting level,” says Podiant founder Mark Steadman.
Acast, another major hosting provider, says it’ll soon be publishing community guidelines for its service.
“This topic is something Acast takes very seriously, and we know we have a responsibility to constantly learn and work on new ways to support podcasters, listeners and advertisers alike,” says Susie Warhurst, SVP of content at Acast in an email statement.
Ultimately, It’s the bigger companies that will have the most say in how moderation happens in podcasting. But because of the system’s open nature, there’s only so far the biggest company, Apple, can go in policing its platform. Asking it to remove a show from its directory is like asking it to make a specific webpage inaccessible in Safari — is that something people want? Podcasting has, so far, avoided crowning one platform as king, meaning anyone, both on the creator and business side, can enter the space and possibly find success in it. That’s what makes podcasting great, even if it requires unclear answers on moderation.
When maker Guy Dupont came into possession of a few classic iPods, he knew he had a potential Raspberry Pi project on his hands. This led to the development of sPot—a Raspberry Pi-powered Spotify streaming device housed inside of a 2004, 4th gen iPod.
The project uses elements from the iPod like the screen and original scroll wheel to operate the Spotify menu. It also comes with a slew of new features like Bluetooth support—necessary for integrating the device with modern systems and speakers.
(Image credit: Guy Dupont)
Inside the 4th gen iPod is a Raspberry Pi Zero W which provides the wireless access necessary to stream using Spotify. The Pi is running the official Raspberry Pi OS to interface with the Spotify API.
The user interface was built using Python and designed to mimic the original iPod menu. This edition, however, has a few new features like real-time streaming through Spotify, rather than accessing list of locally stored files, and a custom search function. The unit is totally portable thanks to a 1000mAh battery which can be recharged using a micro USB port.
You can find a full video breaking down the project on Dupont’s official YouTube channel. Check out our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more cool Pi projects from the maker community.
Bowers & Wilkins has launched a new Music App that lets you control music across the B&W Formation range of products. The B&W Music App works with Qobuz (including hi-res, 24-bit 96kHz files), Tidal, TuneIn, Dash Radio (in certain markets), NTS Radio and SoundCloud. More services will be added “in the coming months”, according to B&W.
Previously, the B&W Formation range recommended use Roon to control your music (or AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect), with the B&W Home App only offering set-up functionality. Now, much like multi-room systems from Bluesound, Audio Pro and Sonos, there is a fully functioning control app.
The B&W Music App aggregates content from each streaming platform into one “easily browsed and elegant interface”. It brings you tracks, albums, playlists and radio stations, which B&W adds to with personalised recommendation features and a selection of curated Bowers & Wilkins playlists.
Music App is available now on iOS and Android. Initially, it will work alongside the existing Bowers & Wilkins Home App, which guides you on how to set up your Formation device. But soon the Music App will do the job of both, and the Home App will be retired.
Following a management shake-up at B&W, the company is keen to stress that “the Formation platform is wholly owned by Bowers & Wilkins”. B&W has also been on a hiring spree in an effort to expand its development resources and engineering team, which sounds like good news to us.
The Formation family is B&W’s take on a multi-room system. And it’s very good indeed. The Formation Wedge and Formation Duo both picked up a perfect five stars from our reviews, while the Flex earned a still very respectable four. They all offer AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth aptX HD for offline streaming from mobile devices, as well as integrated support for Spotify Connect and Roon. They can all be controlled with your voice using the Amazon Alexa personal assistant, too.
And now there’s an all-new Music App, which sounds like it could make Formation an even more enticing proposition.
MORE:
These are the best multi-room systems around
Get the lowdown: Multi-room audio – everything you need to know
The ZH8 does a lot of things seriously well, but it makes less sense as a purchase than rival models from Samsung
For
Bright and punchy picture
Superb colours and motion
Impressive sound
Against
Blooming around bright highlights
Plays even less 8K than rivals
Missing some HDMI features
With the dearth of real 8K content likely to continue for a good while yet, manufacturers have an uphill battle to convince consumers that an 8K TV is a sensible purchase in the here and now.
With the ZH8, here reviewed as the 75-inch KD-75ZH8 model, Sony gets a huge amount right. This is one of the punchiest TVs we’ve tested, and one of the best-sounding too. It’s also aggressively priced for an 8K model, significantly undercutting our current Award-winner in the category.
That said, the ZH8 also lags a little behind its main rival in a couple of key areas, not least of which is its lack of support for the tiny amount of 8K footage that is actually already available.
Pricing
The Sony KD-75ZH8 (XBR-75Z8H in the US) was priced at £5999 ($7000) at launch, but you can now pick it up for £4999 ($4998).
Should you have the space and appetite for an even bigger 8K set, the 85in KD-85ZH8 (XBR-85Z8H) is currently available for £8499 ($9000).
Features
(Image credit: Future)
A 75in TV is always going to be a physically daunting proposition, but the Sony KD-75ZH8 is even more imposing than similarly sized rivals thanks to its chunky, industrial design. If you expect a high-end TV to be little more than a super-slim screen, you might be disappointed by the ZH8’s relatively thick bezels and 8.4cm depth – the Samsung QE75Q950TS is just 1.5cm deep. That said, there’s an undeniable stylishness to the Sony, its solidity, straight edges and pointy corners amounting to a seriously premium statement.
Sony KD-75ZH8 tech specs
(Image credit: Future / Greenland, Amazon Prime)
Screen type LCD w/ direct LED backlight
Resolution 8K
Operating system Android TV 9.0
HDR formats HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDMI x4
USB x3
Optical 1
It’s hard to imagine a pedestal stand that wouldn’t buckle under the 48kg weight of the ZH8, so it’s little surprise that Sony has opted for sturdy, low-profile feet instead. These look best when positioned at the bottom corners of the set, but a narrower placement is also an option. With this arrangement, the huge TV will stand on any furniture that’s at least 62cm wide – assuming it’s strong enough to take the 50kg weight with feet attached.
In the box, there are a number of plastic panels that can be attached to the rear of the set, concealing connections and creating an appealing chequerboard pattern. Those connections include four HDMIs, one of which is HDMI 2.1 certified. You might assume that means it has the full suite of advanced HDMI features, but that’s not the case: while the ZH8 supports 8K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz (also known as HFR) and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) are missing. The absence of those last two features will be disappointing to next-gen gamers: the Xbox Series X makes use of both and the PS5 is due a VRR update in the not too distant future.
As is the norm for all but the most budget-oriented of Sony’s TVs, the ZH8 uses Android TV as its operating system. Android TV gets better with each iteration, and version 9 is no different. As with all Android TVs, the Android portion is installed over a more functional, core operating system, and it makes for a slightly more disjointed user experience than you get from the likes of Samsung and LG. The smart platform feels more like using an external source than it does a core component, for example. That said, Android TV brings bonuses such as Chromecast and Google Assistant (the set is also ‘Works with Alexa’ certified).
Android TV is already pretty well appointed in terms of apps, but Sony has also worked hard to fill any gaps. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Rakuten are all here, in at least HDR10 and most with Dolby Vision (the ZH8 doesn’t support HDR10+, as is the norm for Sony). For the UK, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, Now TV and BT Sport are all present, too. On the music front, Spotify, Tidal and Deezer are integrated, and while Apple Music and Amazon Music aren’t, you can use Chromecast to cast music to the TV from those apps on your phone.
In terms of core technology, the ZH8 is an LCD set with a direct LED backlight, and it uses the Picture Processor X1 Ultimate chip, which is Sony’s most powerful processor until the 2021 Cognitive Processor XR makes its debut with the company’s 2021 TVs in a few months’ time. The headline features here are Object Based Super Resolution, which is designed to intelligently analyse and enhance the definition of individual objects in an image, and an enhanced version of Object Based HDR Remaster, which applies a similar approach to contrast.
Picture
(Image credit: Future / Greenland, Amazon Prime)
Naturally, you’ll want to watch 8K content on your new 8K TV, but that’s even harder to do on the ZH8 than it is with Samsung’s 8K TVs. The only commercially available 8K content out there is streamed by YouTube in the AV1 format, which the ZH8 doesn’t support. You may only be missing out on aerial footage of lovely landscapes, but the fact that the tiny amount of 8K content out there is unplayable on your expensive 8K TV is hugely irritating. What’s more, it raises questions about the extent to which the ZH8 is future-proofed: it looks increasingly likely that the AV1 format is the one that will be utilised for 8K by other streaming services, including Netflix.
We are able to watch 8K content on the ZH8 for this review by using a Sony-supplied media player containing a handful of demo clips. With these clips, the ZH8 puts in a stunning performance that’s so crisp, dynamic and lifelike that you feel you could step right into each scene. However, that’s not an experience you’re going to be able to recreate at home.
Instead, what really matters is how the ZH8 performs with the content you do have access to right now, with the priority being 4K HDR. We insert Blade Runner 2049, one of our most demanding 4K Blu-rays, into our player, and are immediately impressed with the results. What strikes you first about the ZH8’s performance is how punchy and bright it is, particularly in very high-contrast scenarios. Most TVs shy away from fully illuminating the white text that appears from the black background at the beginning of the film, for example, but the ZH8 has no such reservations – this could well be the brightest rendition of this scene-setting copy we’ve seen.
This extreme contrast capability translates well to the film as a whole. As K travels around LA on foot and by flying car, the neon signs and holographic adverts jump out of the depressing dinginess of the rest of the city.
The effectiveness of that punch is further enhanced by the depth of the blacks. It’s not quite OLED levels of perfect blackness, but the ZH8 gets much closer than most LCD TVs, while also proving a dab hand at digging up dark details: on top of that striking contrast, you get superbly subtle shadows, with next to nothing being lost to the gloom.
However, there’s a problem here, and that’s backlight blooming. There are quite obvious halos of light around very bright objects on very dark backgrounds, and light frequently creeps into the black bars at the top and bottom when you’re watching an ultra-widescreen film. It is enough to be distracting at times, which is the last thing you want when you’re trying to sink right into a movie.
(Image credit: Future / Greenland, Amazon Prime)
The ZH8 is also a little soft and flat in its performance compared with the Samsung QE75Q950TS, which upscales 4K content in such a way that you could almost be fooled into thinking you were watching 8K. The Sony isn’t capable of pulling off the same trick, and the image doesn’t leap from the screen in quite the same way.
That said, there’s a naturalism to the ZH8’s performance that few can match. Its edges aren’t as sharp as those of the Samsung Q950TS, but there’s a smoothness and subtlety to the presentation that’s utterly convincing. It’s significantly better with motion, too, smoothing and sharpening everything without any shimmer or unpleasant artificiality. Its rivals are closing the gap in this regard, but Sony remains out in front.
Arguably the greatest contributor to the ZH8’s naturalism is its colour reproduction. It is capable of stunning vibrancy, but it’s also superbly subtle and nuanced, delivering every character’s unique skin tone, every building’s interior lighting, and every neon sign with unquestionable authenticity. Others might entice the eye a little more effectively, but this Sony (like many of its siblings) delivers on the creator’s intent in a way that few can match.
Dropping down to Looper in 1080p, that overall authenticity remains a strength, and it’s actually sharper and more detailed than the Samsung Q950TS. That said, it’s a fair bit noisier, too, exaggerating the intentional film grain to a degree that some will find distracting. It can be toned down by reducing sharpness and/or increasing noise reduction, but doing so softens the picture too much for our tastes. The perfect balance feels just out of reach, but this is an issue that you’ll encounter only occasionally as few films these days have this level of grain.
Those qualities with Full HD content roughly translate when you switch to standard-definition material. We play our trusty Dirty Harry DVD and the performance is sharp and detailed, which is impressive when you consider the amount of picture information that the TV is creating itself. Again, it’s effortlessly natural and convincing, particularly in terms of colours, although there’s still more picture noise than you’ll get from rival models.
Sound
(Image credit: Future)
Sony has been much more creative than its rivals in recent years in terms of TV sound, most notably by turning the entire panel of its OLED models into a speaker. That feature, called Acoustic Surface Technology, isn’t possible with an LCD model such as the ZH8, but Sony has sought to recreate the effect (which it calls ‘Sound from Picture’) by using a couple of tweeters to vibrate the frame of the TV. These work in conjunction with two forward-facing drivers mounted at the bottom to make it seem as if the sound is coming directly from the screen, while two rear-mounted woofers fill out the presentation.
All that effort has paid off handsomely. The ZH8 is clear and direct in its presentation, with the sound and picture linked in a way that’s supremely engaging. This is no one-trick performance, though – the sound is also detailed and dynamic by the standards of a TV sound system, making for an overall delivery that’s both engaging and exciting.
Dolby Atmos is supported and, in conjunction with the Acoustic Auto Calibration feature, which tailors the audio performance to your room, gives appropriate soundtracks plenty of scope and scale without sacrificing that directness. Few if any TV-integrated sound systems can fill a room quite as effectively, while also clearly projecting dialogue.
You can even use the ZH8 as the centre speaker of a surround sound package, should you wish, using the standard speaker terminals on the rear of the set. We wouldn’t recommend that, though – while the ZH8 sounds mighty impressive for a TV, even the best AV amplifier will struggle to tonally integrate it with a set of traditional speakers.
Verdict
There’s so much that the ZH8 gets right, most notably its supremely authentic picture performance and very impressive sound, but we can’t give it our wholehearted recommendation.
8K TVs are already a hard sell, and the fact that the ZH8 won’t play the tiny amount of 8K content that’s already available is a real issue, not least because it raises doubts about its ability to play other 8K content that might appear in the future. What’s more, it doesn’t make use its extra pixels with 4K content the way that the rival Samsung Q950TS does.
As such, the ZH8 may as well be a 4K TV. Even viewed on those terms it’s almost worth the full five stars, but the high price and backlight blooming hold it back to a four.
Sure, you can drink at home with some music on, but that doesn’t replicate the feeling of being out at a bar among friends and total strangers. As it turns out, nothing can, other than… well, being at a bar.
But a project called I Miss My Bar, via belong.io, comes the closest to making me feel like I’m at my local watering hole — loud voices, street sounds, and all. The only element missing is the trademark bar scent of booze mixed with cleaning products. You know the smell.
Anyway, head to I Miss My Bar, where, unlike real life, you can choose just how loud everyone is talking. You can also tweak the volume of a number of different sound effects that might make you even more nostalgic for better times, like the clinks of a bartender working, corks being popped, liquid being poured into a glass, the rain pattering on a window, horns honking outside, you get the idea — the normal commotion of pre-pandemic gatherings.
This project was kicked off by Maverick, a bar out of San Pedro Garza García, Mexíco. It was developed and designed by two companies, Lagom and Tandem, that operate out of the same city, so it’s less of a fan project and more of an ad campaign of sorts. Nevertheless, folks who work at that bar are updating the playlist on the site each week, and I already like what I’m seeing here. This particular week is hosting nothing but David Bowie, and if you want to subscribe to its playlist on Spotify, you can do that right here.
Once you’re all settled, hop on Zoom or your preferred video chat app, and try to relive some of the good times with friends and family. Cheers.
The same people who originally brought Android to the Nintendo Switch, the Switchroot team, are back with an Android 10 update, according to XDA-Developers. While the mod is only available for certain Switch models, it allows users who install it to run apps from the Google Play Store, like games, emulators, and streaming services like Netflix and Twitch.
The update also brings some more polish to the mod, letting the Joy-Con sticks work as proper analog sticks instead of eight-way D-pads, deep sleep support that the devs say “can last for weeks,” over-the-air updates, and better Wi-Fi support that promises fewer disconnections.
Of course, the real reason for adding Android to a Switch is so you can play games that aren’t Switch games, likes the ones made playable by the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PSP emulators on the Play Store. You can see how those perform on the Switch in the video below. Of course, you can also get other Play Store games like Genshin Impact or apps like Spotify. But you’re also not giving up the ability to play Switch games, as Android is installed on a microSD card instead of being flashed to the console itself.
It’s worth noting that Android on the Switch is extraordinarily unofficial. The LineageOS team isn’t officially supporting the port, and it’s more or less a modified build of the OS that was meant for Nvidia’s Shield TV. The exploit to get Android running also only works on Switches that came out before Nintendo’s chipset and battery upgrades, which completely excludes the Switch Lite. Even if you own one of the moddable Switches, which you can check with an online tool, some of the guides on how to get into the Android bootloader say it’s possible to brick your Switch if you make a mistake. Extreme caution is advised.
There are also caveats, like the fact that the games built for the Nvidia Shield don’t work, according to the XDA forum post that acts as a guide on how to install the mod. However, the list of bummers is way smaller than it was last time when the version of Android was LineageOS 15.1, which was based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The new version is based on LineageOS 17.1, which is a build of Android 10.
It’s nice to see this Switch mod get some love and become improved over the years. The changelog below includes a solid number of updates, so it’s worth checking out if you’re running a previous version.
* Android 10 based on Lineage 17.1 * OTA updates. * Full Joy-Con and Pro Controller support with analog sticks and rails. * Hori Joy-Con support. * Deep sleep that can last for weeks. * An Android TV based build. * Reworked fan profiles for quieter operation. * Optimised dock support with resolution scaling. * A rewritten charger driver supporting USB-PD and third party docks. * Optimised touch screen driver. * Easier install via hekate partition tool. * Reworked, simpler, power profiles. * Much improved WiFi driver with less dropouts. * Shield TV remote app support for easy docked control. * Reboot to payload support. * Improved Bluetooth accessory support. * Auto rotation support.
After years of niche positioning in the music world, “high-resolution audio” (or “hi-res audio”) finally hit the mainstream, thanks to a huge raft of support in streaming services (such as Tidal and Amazon Music HD) and products (from smartphones to most digital hi-fi components).
So why should you care about hi-res audio? If you want the best digital music experience possible or at least better sound quality than you’re currently used to (and why wouldn’t you?), hi-res audio is definitely worth investigating.
It can be a daunting prospect. After all, what exactly constitutes hi-res audio, what do all the different file formats and numbers mean, where can you download or stream these high quality files, and what devices do you need to play it?
Indeed, where do you even begin?
That’s where we come in. Our handy guide will take you through the ins and outs of hi-res audio. By the end, we hope you’ll know everything you need to know (and then some) and will be well on your way to enjoying your new and improved sonic lifestyle.
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What is high-resolution audio?
Unlike high-definition video, there’s no single universal standard for hi-res audio. In 2014, the Digital Entertainment Group, Consumer Electronics Association and The Recording Academy, together with record labels, formally defined high-resolution audio as “lossless audio that is capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better than CD quality music sources”.
In its simplest terms, hi-res audio tends to refer to music files that have a higher sampling frequency and/or bit depth than CD, which is specified at 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Sampling frequency (or sample rate) refers to the number of times samples of the signal are taken per second during the analogue-to-digital conversion process. The more bits there are, the more accurately the signal can be measured in the first instance, so going 16bit to 24bit can deliver a noticeable leap in quality. Hi-res audio files usually use a sampling frequency of 96kHz or 192kHz at 24bit. You can also have 88.2kHz and 176.4kHz files too.
Hi-res audio does come with a downside though: file size. A hi-res file can typically be tens of megabytes in size, and a few tracks can quickly eat up the storage on your device or be cumbersome to stream over your wi-fi or mobile network. Thankfully, storage is much cheaper than it used to be, so it’s easier to get higher-capacity devices. And technologies such as MQA (see below) have arrived to help tackle that.
That’s not all: there are also several different hi-res audio file formats to choose from, all of which have their own compatibility requirements.
They include the popular FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) formats, both of which are compressed but in a way which means that, in theory, no information is lost. Other formats include the uncompressed WAV and AIFF formats, DSD (the format used for Super Audio CDs) and the more recent MQA (Master Quality Authenticated).
The relative merits of each of the formats can be argued, but the most crucial issue will be the file’s compatibility with your chosen products and software.
Here’s a breakdown of all the main file formats:
MP3 (not hi-res): Popular, lossy compressed format ensures small file size, but far from the best sound quality. Convenient for storing music on smartphones and iPods, but doesn’t support hi-res.
AAC (not hi-res): An alternative to MP3s, it’s lossy and compressed but sounds better. Used for iTunes downloads, Apple Music streaming (at 256kbps) and YouTube streaming.
WAV (hi-res): The standard format all CDs are encoded in. Great sound quality but it’s uncompressed, meaning huge file sizes (especially for hi-res files). It has poor metadata support (that is, album artwork, artist and song title information).
AIFF (hi-res): Apple’s alternative to WAV, with better metadata support. It is lossless and uncompressed (so big file sizes), but not massively popular.
FLAC (hi-res): This lossless compression format supports hi-res sample rates, takes up about half the space of WAV, and stores metadata. It’s royalty-free and widely supported (though not by Apple) and is considered the preferred format for downloading and storing hi-res albums.
ALAC (hi-res): Apple’s own lossless compression format also does hi-res, stores metadata and takes up half the space of WAV. An iTunes- and iOS-friendly alternative to FLAC.
DSD(hi-res): The single-bit format used for Super Audio CDs. It comes in 2.8MHz, 5.6mHz and 11.2mHz varieties, but isn’t widely supported.
MQA(hi-res): A lossless compression format that efficiently packages hi-res files with more emphasis on the time domain. Used for Tidal Masters hi-res streaming, and product support is picking up pace.
MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC: all the audio file formats explained
What’s so good about hi-res audio?
The main claimed benefit of high-resolution audio files is superior sound quality over compressed audio formats such as MP3 and AAC.
Downloads from sites such as Amazon and iTunes, and streaming services such as Spotify, use compressed file formats with relatively low bitrates – such as 256kbps AAC files on Apple Music and 320kbps Ogg Vorbis streams on Spotify.
The use of lossy compression means data is lost in the encoding process, which in turn means resolution is sacrificed for the sake of convenience and smaller file sizes. This has an effect upon the sound quality – those formats aren’t telling the full story of our favourite songs.
This might be fine when you’re listening to Spotify playlists on your smartphone on the bus on the morning commute, but serious audiophiles and music fans should want better. This is where high-resolution audio comes in.
To illustrate why it should sound better than MP3, for example, let’s compare the relative bitrates. The highest quality MP3 has a bitrate of 320kbps, whereas a 24-bit/192kHz file has a data rate of 9216kbps. Music CDs are 1411kbps.
The hi-res 24-bit/96kHz or 24-bit/192kHz files should, therefore, more closely replicate the sound quality the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio. And they could be that very same recorded file, too. These files are labelled as “Studio Masters” in some cases.
With more information on the file to play with, hi-res audio tends to boast greater detail and texture, bringing listeners closer to the original performance – provided your system is transparent enough.
What do I need to play hi-res audio?
There’s a huge variety of products that can playback hi-res audio. It all depends on how big or small you want your system to be, how much your budget is, and what method you’ll mostly be using to listen to your tunes. But it’s never been easier to get involved, now that plenty of the digital and streaming ecosystem supports hi-res, and especially as popular streaming platforms such as Google Chromecast (although not AirPlay 2) do.
These days, even, you don’t have to completely abandon your vinyl collection to go hi-res, either; turntables such as the Sony PS-HX500 let you digitise your vinyl collection by ripping your record tracks into hi-res audio files.
Smartphones If you’re going portable, smartphones are increasingly supporting hi-res playback. This is restricted to higher-end Android models, though – Apple iPhones so far don’t support hi-res audio out of the box (though there are ways around this by using the right app, and then either plugging in a DAC or using Lightning headphones with the iPhones’ Lightning connector).
Phones that have USB-C sockets instead of 3.5mm headphones jacks for music playback – as is becoming the norm – can boost their USB-C output with adapters such as Zorloo’s Ztella USB-C DAC.
Hi-res audio is increasingly easy to stream wirelessly thanks to new advancements in Bluetooth. Phones with aptX HD Bluetooth support (which many these days have, although Apple’s iPhones are an exception) can wirelessly transmit hi-res audio to aptX HD-supporting headphones (such as the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 noise-cancelling headphones).
aptX HD Bluetooth: What is it? How can you get it?
Portable music players Alternatively, there are plenty of dedicated portable hi-res music players such as various Sony Walkmans and Award-winning Astell & Kerns and Cowons that offer more storage space and far better sound quality than a multi-tasking smartphone. More digital players than not support hi-res audio, although again an Apple product is the exception, this time the iPod Touch.
Desktop For a desktop solution, your laptop (Windows, Mac, Linux) is a prime source for storing and playing hi-res music (after all, this is where you’ll be downloading the tunes from hi-res download sites anyway), but make sure the software you use to play music also supports hi-res playback. Apple iTunes, for instance, doesn’t support it, even if your MacBook does, so you’ll need to buy and download separate music playing software. The likes of Channel D’s Pure Music and Amarra are worth considering for a Mac. On a PC? Try JRiver Media Center.
DACs We wouldn’t just rely on your computer or phone’s internal DAC to do hi-res audio justice, either. A USB or desktop DAC (such as the Cyrus soundKey, Chord Mojo or Audiolab M-DAC nano) is a good way to get great sound quality out of hi-res files stored on your computer or smartphone (whose audio circuits don’t tend to be optimised for sound quality). Simply plug a decent digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) in between your source and headphones for an instant sonic boost.
Best DACs: USB, portable and desktop DAC
Music streamers
If you’re after a proper hi-fi set-up, you’ll need to look into music streamers that support hi-res, and highly recommendable contenders include the Audiolab 6000N Play, Cambridge CXN V2 and NAD C 658. This is especially if you’ll be storing your growing hi-res library on a NAS (Network Attached Storage, essentially a hard-drive with processing built in), which we would recommend.
Systems
There are plenty of other products that also support hi-res playback, including hybrid DAC-amp-streamer systems (Moon Neo Ace), speaker systems with everything built into them (KEF LS50 Wireless II), just-add-speaker systems (Marantz PM7000N) and current AV receivers (Sony STR-DN1080).
The ever-popular Sonos multi-room system still has no plans to support hi-res audio, and neither does Apple. But that has led rival companies such as Bluesound to offer hi-res playback across their range of connected products (for a higher price, of course).
Wireless speakers At the higher end of the wireless speaker market you’ll find hi-res support the norm. The likes of the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation, Linn Series 3 and Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge are all able to handle hi-res file playback over wi-fi.
Best wireless speakers 2021
Where can I buy and download hi-res music?
Now that you’re armed with all this information on hi-res music, your next question should be: where can I get all these glorious hi-res music tracks?
There are currently a handful of UK download sites that let you buy and download single tracks and full albums in various hi-res formats. There are also plenty of US and European sites, though not all of them let you purchase from the UK.
Major music labels such as Sony, Warner and Universal have made their extensive music catalogues available to these hi-res download services – which is a real shot in the arm for fans of high-resolution audio. With all sites, make sure it’s clear what file format and bitrate you are buying. Ultimately, you may end up with a favourite go-to site, but even then, it’s worth checking across the different sites for the same album or track, too, as some stores can offer better prices than others.
Here are the top UK hi-res download sites:
7Digital With a strong catalogue offering hi-res music from all genres and a website that makes buying music easy, 7digital is an excellent all-rounder. There’s an accurate search function and the website is simple to navigate. You can easily spot hi-res recordings thanks to a ’24bit FLAC’ badge on an album or song’s thumbnail, and there’s also a dedicated hi-res section. The sole drawback is that it only offers downloads in the FLAC format. Prices are affordable, though, and you can buy individual tracks as well as full albums.
Qobuz Sublime
Music discovery and front-end intuitiveness get full marks on French download store Qobuz. Both the website and dedicated app are easy to navigate, and you can search by genre or new releases, which can be sorted by sample rate. There is a strong Francophile focus, although the catalogue is growing more varied every day. Pricing is competitive, but if you opt for the hybrid download-and-streaming Sublime+ service you do get discounts when buying hi-res albums.
HDtracks
HDtracks may be one of the most established hi-res download stores, but it’s in need of a refresh in looks and catalogue. It can feel aimed at an older audience (there’s strong focus on jazz, classical and dad rock), which can be off-putting for wider audiences, especially fans of more current, popular music. On the other hand, whereas other download sites offer FLAC as default, HDtracks lets you choose between FLAC, ALAC, WAV and AIFF (and the sampling rate for each) before downloading. There’s a selection of DSD tunes, too, which is great for audiophiles.
How to build the perfect hi-fi system
Where can I stream hi-res music?
Not ready to download hi-res files, or simply prefer streaming? Tidal and Qobuz streaming services have offered hi-res and CD-quality streams for years, putting them ahead of rivals Spotify and Apple Music. And now that Amazon has joined the party with its HD service, hi-res streaming is now firmly in the mainstream domain.
Tidal Masters Tidal and MQA’s partnership has brought us one step closer to mainstream hi-res music streaming. You’ll need to subscribe to Tidal’s HiFi tier (which offers CD quality streaming) to unlock the Masters section, and then you can stream hi-res MQA files through the desktop app and Android/iOS mobile apps.
Tidal claims a 30,000-strong catalogue of MQA files, with about 400 clearly labelled. The MQA files have a resolution of up to 24-bit/96kHz (any 192kHz files will be unpackaged to 96kHz by MQA’s core decoding). With the right kit, the streamed tunes sound great, too. It’s a solid foundation from which the hi-res streaming experience can only evolve.
Qobuz Sublime+ Qobuz strikes again here and says its hybrid download-and-streaming tier is ‘”the best music subscription in the world.” This top-tier package offers hi-res streaming up to 24bit/192kHz files (as well as CD quality tracks) on its desktop and mobile apps, with its 50-million-track catalogue including more than 240,000 hi-res albums.
The big downside is the price – you have to pay an upfront £250 annual fee to use Sublime+ and all its perks (which does include good discounts when buying hi-res albums). And in comparison, we found Tidal offers more drive and dynamism when it comes to sound quality. Qobuz’s hi-res streaming tier is a great venture, but only if you’re fully committed to hi-res streaming.
Amazon Music HD The most recent entrant into the hi-res streaming service world is Amazon – and its arrival at the end of 2019 largely marked hi-res streaming going mainstream. The cheapest hi-res service of the three, the value-packed streaming service is up there with the best thanks to its Intuitive desktop and mobile apps, good CD-quality and hi-res library and excellent value.
What’s next for hi-res audio?
With more support than ever before, hi-res audio is a viable choice for anyone interested in audio quality, whether part of your home audio system or when on the move.
Whether the biggest players – Apple, Sonos and Spotify – will ever natively support hi-res remains to be seen, but there are plenty of other, increasingly affordable ways that you can start delving into the hi-res audio world. (Interestingly, 360-degree or surround sound formats such as Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos Music respectively are also making headway in offering higher quality, if not necessarily ‘hi-res’, music experiences, so they’re other options for melomaniacs to explore.)
With this wider availability, more people are able to learn and understand exactly what high-resolution audio is, and the benefits it can bring to music. There’s plenty of content out there, and there’s plenty of hardware to go with it.
So if you want the ultimate sonic solution, you know what to do.
MORE:
Where is Spotify Hi-Fi? And do we still want a lossless Spotify tier?
3 of the best high-res audio systems
Here’s a superb-sounding hi-fi system with streaming skills
Live concerts, gigs and festivals are still out as we march further into 2021, so the need to feel transported to somewhere more beautiful via melodies, lyrics and rhythms has rarely been felt more keenly. In short, music has never been in greater demand.
Whether you’re after a selection of sounds to help you get a good night’s sleep, tunes to entertain children at home or a selection of inspiring albums written in self-isolation, heading down to your local record shop and rifling through crates is off-menu right now. But that’s where streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer and Apple Music come in. These offer a lockdown-approved lifeline at the click of a button – a chance to test-drive new tracks and try sounds before you buy.
Spotify isn’t our reigning champion when it comes to value, variety and audio quality, but its popularity and accessibility is undeniable. And the platform is always trying to offer something new, whether it be artist-led algorithms to better personalise your music recommendations, listing virtual events in lieu of real ones or giving Spotify account-holders a chance to ‘tip’ acts while listening – acts who are clearly losing gig revenue right now.
If you’ve ever used Spotify, you’ll know that typing ‘new music’ into the search bar will yield a selection of curated mainstream newness from the likes of Lady Gaga, Ella Eyre, Jake Bugg and Stormzy, (and New Music Friday UK is always a good playlist shout here) but what if you’re looking for something a bit different? That’s where we come in. Why not lend your and ear to a few of these slightly more niche curated playlists? It’ll make a change from the hi-res files stored on your laptop, whatever’s on the Astell & Kern, the playlist someone shared with you at the start of the first lockdown or the CDs you retrieved from your car glove box, at any rate…
See our Spotify review
Crate Diggers Anonymous
(Image credit: Spotify)
Imagine a record store (remember those?) in Las Vegas. Now imagine one in east London. Now think about popping into one in Bilbao for a crate rummage. What new and old LPs might you unearth? You could soon be spinning John Mayall, Led Zep, Kool and the Gang, Barry White or Weather Report, it depends. There’s no specific genre here. Click play. Let’s see.
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Anti Pop
(Image credit: Spotify)
Think beat-driven spitting segued with melodic, softly-sung but often edgy vocals – forget commercial pop music, there’s a message here if we’ll only listen. Expect new tracks from Curtis Waters (pictured) and ballads from Joji interspersed with hard rap from Kenny Mason and everything in between. If OutKast, Wu Tang Clan, Dave, Dungeon Family or Bel Biv DeVoe have ever featured in your heavy rotation, give this a spin. You’ll almost certainly learn something.
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Defected Records (Deep House)
(Image credit: Defected Records)
There’s a time and a place for house music, and that time is right now, in your actual house. Home entertainment remains the only entertainment for most of us, so go ahead and bring it home. Defected Records is a British independent record label specialising in deep house music and recordings, founded in 1998 and based in London. This playlist does exactly what it says on the tin, with over 25 hours of head-nodding tracks from the likes of FISHER, Gorgon City, Ferreck Dawn and Jack Back.
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(Image credit: Matt Berninger/Spotify)
American singer-songwriter Matt Berninger (frontman of indie rock band The National) curates and updates this playlist on a weekly basis. You might get Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen or Interpol. And you might get Marilyn Monroe, Whitney Houston or even John Prine singing about a happy enchilada.
“Playlist themes subject to change according to moods and events,” is the cover description. We say, if you want someone to serve up the collective mood through the medium of music, subscribe.
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Most Necessary
(Image credit: Spotify)
It’s like the ultimate new rap music label. Spotify describes this playlist as “the official voice of generation next”. If you’re looking for a soundtrack for your next virtual house party, Most Necessary gets it done. With one eye on the next huge hit-single and another on capturing a snapshot of the current vernacular, you’ll rarely hear a track that misses the mark. Expect new offerings from CJ, DaBaby, Lil Tecca, BRS Kash (pictured) and Toosii, for starters.
Spotify Connect: what is it? How can you get it?
Phonica Recommends (Home)
(Image credit: Phonica)
Independent UK record store Phonica only opened in London’s Soho in 2003, but it quickly became one of the capital’s most-loved vinyl specialists. Basically, if Phonica recommends it, that’s more than good enough for us.
Phonica’s Spotify page reads: “So much great music out there that we’ve decided to split up our recommended playlists into two: one for the club and one for home listening”.
So now you’ve got two extra playlists to add to your list, spanning everything from dub, reggae, nu jazz, soul and funk to broken beat and techno. Click the link below to access Phonica’s recommended ‘home’ playlist, or turn your abode into a particularly exclusive club for the night, with the Phonica Recommends (Club) selection.
Gold School
(Image credit: Spotify)
Vintage throwback hip-hop that strays from the well-explored coastal tracks and celebrates lesser-known heroes of the genre. Think Camp Lo, Big L and Mac Miller alongside Drake, Ghostface Killah, Eminem, 50 Cent (pictured) and Nas.
Got a pressing Zoom meeting or big grocery shop ahead? Get the cans on and stream this. You’re going to ace it.
Acoustic Covers
(Image credit: Spotify)
Discover Hozier’s laid-back cover of the Destiny’s Child classic Say My Name, John Mayer’s take on Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ using just a mic and two guitars, or Teenage Dirtbag as you’ve never heard it before; sung not by Wheatus but by Ruston Kelly.
The moments of surprise, recognition and ultimately approval come thick and fast here. A staple go-to for when you just can’t decide what to listen to.
R&S – Office Favourites
(Image credit: R & S Records)
R&S Records is an independent record label founded in 1984 in Ghent, Belgium. R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple responsible for creating the label.
Expect heavier electronica, house and trance offerings from Richard Fearless or V interspersed with expansive soundscapes from Darkstar, Nautic or Axel Boman, alongside the occasional grime track from Novelist. It’ll easily double as your running playlist too, if you’re pushing your time.
Late Night Lofi
(Image credit: Lofi/Spotify)
Think laid-back chill-hop, juicy lo-fi beats, layered synthy vocals, classical and jazz-infused piano chords with crisp textures; ice clinking in a glass, rain on a window, crunchy leaves and even the brushing of teeth. It’s perfect for playing through the cans and relaxing, zoning out, getting ready to sleep or seeing you through a bout of insomnia ’til sunrise.
At 4am in New York, when (if?) Birdland calls time at the bar, you’ll finish your drink and talk about the price of a subway ticket versus a yellow taxi home to this playlist, one day…
The What Hi-Fi? Lockdown Playlist (and more)
(Image credit: Bobby Womack)
Shameless self-promotion aside, this surely beats another Brian Eno album. What you’ll get is a What Hi-Fi? curated playlist featuring five-and-a-half hours of tunes to celebrate staying healthy and not going out.
It’s all relatively upbeat – no lonesome crooning – and all the titles here are relevant to our shared predicament, tangentially or otherwise. Think Lost In The Supermarket by The Clash, Outkast’s So Fresh, So Clean, Iggy Pop’s I’m Bored and Music For A Nurse by Oceansize, for starters.
Treat yourself to the full experience on Spotify and Tidal.
Like what you hear? There’s plenty more where that came from. We also regularly curate a monthly playlist featuring the music we’ve been listening to (and testing with) over the past 30 days. To enjoy it via the streaming service of your choice, just click on the relevant link below and drink your fill.
Listen: What Hi-Fi?Spotify playlist 2021
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Tidal playlist March 2021
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Deezer playlist March 2021
Listen: What Hi-Fi? Qobuz playlist March 2021
MORE:
Now stream 11 of the best musical soundtracks to test your speakers
See the best music streaming services 2021: free streams to hi-res audio
Watch 30 of the best music videos of all time
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