In June Bose announced the SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth speaker, an update that kept everything we liked about the original speaker, while adding some much-needed features and tweaks. Today the company has laid out another upgrade in the same vein, this time to its SoundLink headphone lineup, unveiling the new SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II.
“We believe when you give up wires, you shouldn’t have to compromise audio performance or convenience,” general manager of Bose Wireless Headphones Bernice Cramer said in the press release announcing the headphones. “So, we did more than make the SoundLink II the best-sounding wireless headphones out there.”
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“We made them the most hassle-free wireless headphones, too. You’ll notice how great your music sounds first, and then you’ll notice that we solved all the little and big problems that no one else has,” Cramer said. “That’s the power of great engineering — it makes the entire streaming music experience that much better.”
The design of the SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II is based on the company’s QC25 noise-cancelling headphones released last year. Unlike that pair of headphones, which relies on a AA battery, these use the more common built-in rechargeable battery, which offers up to 15 hours of playtime. A 15-minute rapid charge will get you up to two hours of playtime, so it’s easy to charge up before heading out as well.
NFC is provided for easy pairing, and controls are provided on the ear cup. Voice prompts come in 11 different languages to tell you things like what device you’re connected to, who’s on the other end when you receive a call, and how much battery life you have left before you need to charge up again.
While sound quality for music and other media is obviously a top priority here, Bose has added a number of features to improve the quality of calls made using the headphones. HD voice is supported, and built-in microphones allow the volume of calls to be changed depending on the level of noise in the environment around you.
As for performance, the headphones boast some DSP designed to optimize the listening experience, including “active equalization,” and “volume-optimized equalization” the latter of which is designed to provide clear detail even at low volume levels. One thing the wireless cans don’t have is noise-cancellation, something increasingly common in wireless cans these days, and a staple for the Bose brand. Perhaps we’ll see that added in the next evolution.
The Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II sell for $280 and are available starting today from Bose’s website as well as other authorized retailers.
Bose SoundLink Revolve, Revolve+ Bluetooth speakers are up to $80 off at Walmart
With the holiday season approaching and Black Friday in full swing, now is the time for dinner parties and dance-offs, and if you need sound that can easily travel both inside the home and out, a portable Bluetooth speaker works wonders. One of Walmart’s best Black Friday deals gets you a Bose SoundLink Revolve Bluetooth speaker for up to $80 off. You can buy the Bose SoundLink Revolve for $120, down from $200, while the $240 price tag on the SoundLink Revolve+ is $60 cheaper than usual.
In the SoundLink Revolve, Bose combines its decades-long audio expertise with smart, omnidirectional engineering. The cylindrical speaker outputs sound in a 360-degree space thanks to dual passive radiators that feed the sound into acoustic deflectors. As a result, you shouldn’t experience degradation in sound quality no matter where it’s positioned. The SoundLink Revolve uses an aluminum shell reinforced with rubber bumpers to protect it from impacts. With a watertight IPX4 rating, this speaker can join you for a trip to the pool without worry — just don’t let it fall in — and 12 hours of battery life will ensure it lasts through lengthier outings. An NFC chip inside facilitates pain-free pairing with up to two compatible smartphones by bringing them in contact with the SoundLink Revolve. The SoundLink Revolve+ is even better, adding more powerful sound, better battery life than many of the products on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, and an integrated carrying handle.
Why should you buy this?
Though the SoundLink Revolve and SoundLink Revolve+ are over two years old, these are still some of the best Bluetooth speakers around. Bose rarely disappoints in the audio department, and the company’s products are built to last. Going up directly against mainstays like the Ultimate Megaboom 3 and value-packed offerings like the JBL Flip, the SoundLink Revolve is usually a tough sell, but it’s more than worth considering with today’s discounts.
What is spatial audio? Apple’s 3D sound feature fully explained
At WWDC 2021 (Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple officially added support for spatial audio with Dolby Atmos Music for Apple Music. It quickly became a popular format among consumers, too: Apple estimates that by February 2022, playback of spatial audio tracks had quadrupled from just a few months prior as people experimented with the format. But what exactly is spatial audio? How is it different from (or the same as) Dolby Atmos? And what kind of audio equipment do you need to listen to it?
There's a lot of ground to cover, and some of it is a bit technical, but we're going to break it all down in easy-to-understand terms. You'll be a spatial audio expert in minutes, and you'll know exactly how to access this growing trend in movie and music streaming.
What exactly is spatial audio?
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With so many podcasts available, there’s no way that you can listen to all of them. To help you out, no matter your interests, we've gathered a variety of shows to turn you on to your next great listen.
