Headphones were the original piece of wearable technology and they remain as essential today as ever. But they are starting to change rapidly now, as things like noise cancelling and Bluetooth wireless technology enable the dream of completely cable-free living. What will the best headphones of the future look like?
Elago has updated its AW5 Hang Case so that the silicone Game Boy homage is now compatible with the Apple AirPods 4 featuring active noise cancellation. The $18.99 case doesn’t play any retro games, but it will help protect the AirPods 4’s charging case from scuffs and damage if dropped, while still allowing features like wireless charging and Find My to continue to work.
The official Pixel Buds web app is now available for Windows (version 11) and macOS (running Sonoma 14 or newer) allowing more desktop users to manage firmware updates, battery levels, and specific controls like ANC and multipoint connectivity.
Prior to this update, Pixel Buds users needed a Chromebook or Android phone to access advanced features.
[support.google.com]
The second-gen QC Earbuds have wireless charging and multipoint right out of the box, which hasn’t been the case for Bose’s pricier buds.
The second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C introduced last September are now available in Apple’s Certified Refurbished online store for $209 — $40 cheaper than a brand new pair.
But they’re also available new from Amazon and Best Buy for $189.99, and have sold for cheaper.
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In a section on its website titled “Out in the open,” Nothing says that “a new arrival is landing on 24 Sep 2024, 14:00 BST.” (That’s 9AM ET.) The earbuds are rumored to be called the “Ear Open.”
Apple’s busy updating the AirPods lineup, but MacRumors reports that when the Powerbeats Pro 2 revision ships next year, workout warriors can expect the heart rate tracking feature that has popped up on other buds like Sennheiser’s Momentum Sport.
Information from a software update also points to ANC, spatial audio, adaptive audio, and four colors with matching cases: orange, purple, black, and beige.
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On the opposite end of its mass market noise-canceling headphones, Sony still routinely releases models designed to accurately reflect creative intent in studio environments. The new $249.99 MDR-M1 has an “exclusively developed driver unit that achieves ultra-wideband playback of 5Hz – 80kHz,” a detachable cable, easily replaceable ear cushions, and a “well-balanced and uncolored frequency response.”
The WH-1000XM5, by comparison, are quite colored.
That seems to be the name the company is going with for a new addition to its Ear line, based on a recently granted Singapore certification spotted by 91mobiles.
The certification reveals little else — only that the headphones will connect with Bluetooth and are assigned the model number B182.
[91mobiles.com]
Apple is still planning to refresh the entry-level and mid-tier AirPods models this fall, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote today in the subscriber-only version of Power On, reaffirming his earlier reporting.
What he didn’t mention is a 2024 AirPods Max refresh he’d also mentioned before. It’s been nearly four years since they were released — one hopes they’re still on Apple’s roadmap.
