Even though Apple has officially switched to USB-C, modder Ken Pillonel (who made headlines modding the port into the iPhone and AirPods) thinks there are still improvements to be made. He’s designed a replacement outer shell for the first- and second-generation AirPods case that’s designed to make it easier to open for battery replacements. He’s giving away the part for free (minus shipping) throughout October.
In an interview with Brian Tong on the Apple Blitz XL podcast, Apple VP of sensing and connectivity Ron Huang explains that while the second-gen AirPods Pro earbuds also have the H2 chip just like its new USB-C model, the new ones are capable of communicating at 5GHz instead of just 2GHz.
He says that’s why the new USB-C AirPods Pro earbuds have enough bandwidth to do lossless audio wirelessly when combined with the upcoming Vision Pro.
Apple:
The H2 chip in the latest AirPods Pro and Apple Vision Pro, combined with a groundbreaking wireless audio protocol, unlocks powerful 20-bit, 48 kHz Lossless Audio with a massive reduction in audio latency
On the PX7 S2 that it released last year, Bowers & Wilkins made the bizarre decision to eliminate the 3.5mm headphone jack. If you wanted to use the PX7 in a wired capacity, you had to use a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable (you know, that very common cable everyone has). Fortunately for traditionalists out there, the new Px7 S2e has brought back support for the 3.5mm connector, and there’s one included in the box.
The Px7 S2e is available now on the Bowers & Wilkins website for $399 (the same price as its predecessor).
