#soundlink-home

#soundlink-home

Jeff Bezos had been vocal about his desire for a voice computer, believing it would simplify interactions with technology and enhance the shopping experience on Amazon.

The Kallsup is about as simple as a Bluetooth speaker can get. It's a 2.75-inch plastic cube enclosure with four short feet on the bottom and a single speaker inside, and it's available in pink, white, and yellow green.

The ring-like portable speaker has a lanyard that lets users hook it onto a backpack or simply carry it around the wrist. Another option is to wear it around the neck, turning the device into a personal stereo system that surrounds the user with sound while remaining lightweight and portable.

The power of sound is somewhat understated in our image-heavy culture, color and texture a huge part of how we understand design. Yet the tactile and audial are just as important, offering a depth of feeling - a responsiveness that is more than visual, it is somatic. A felt reverberation of sound, and the tactile qualities of it, are central to understanding Rhapsody, a new speaker from Canadian brand Sonoforma. Doubling as a guitar cabinet, founder Mike Nopper makes furniture for musicians, tuning in to the specific wants and needs of some of our most particular hobbyists and professionals. For audiophiles, speaker systems are a serious and complex issue. Rhapsody understands this importance: it's built to work like gear, and live like furniture.

The original KEF Muo launched back in 2015 and felt like a turning point in portable hi-fi. Serious, designer Bluetooth speakers from a respected hi-fi brand were rare back then-with only a few brands like Bang & Olufsen and Loewe interested in combining pretty and portable. These early designs were still given the side-eye by most traditional audio.

Sonos' soundbars are incredibly easy to use; as long as your TV has an eARC port and your home has Wi-Fi, you can maximize their performance and features. All of Sonos' home theater products -- soundbars, rear speakers, and subwoofers -- offer exceptional performance with a plug-and-play setup.

Rather than use Wi-Fi to get multiple speakers playing the same audio, though, the Marshall Heddon uses Auracast. The hub connects to services like Spotify Connect or Tidal over Wi-Fi, or other devices through Google Cast and AirPlay, and then shares that audio over Auracast to the Marshall Acton III, Stanmore III and Wobrun III speakers. You can control playback over a connected Marshall app and the Heddon also has RCA ports to connect other speakers or a record player to the system.

Most consumers believe punchy bass and sizzling highs are key to a good speaker. If that sounds like your taste, then you have a lot of options available for you (because a lot of manufacturers cater to booming bass). But the mark of a truly good speaker is the ability to blend the sound in such a way that you hear it as the artist intended.

A compact, rectangular body with a looped carrying strap makes it easy to hang, grab, or slip into a bag when you're ready to go. It's built to be rugged, dustproof, and waterproof (IP67), allowing it to handle wet, sandy conditions and random rain showers without interrupting your music. Plus, its battery lasts up to 20 hours, providing solid playtime for your playlists, podcasts, and background music until you need to recharge.

You'll get the most out of this soundbar if your set has an eARC port. This soundbar promises room-filling sound, Dolby Atmos support, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, voice commands, and touch controls, and operates as both a soundbar and a smart speaker for your living room. Also: I changed 3 settings on my Sonos soundbar to instantly improve the audio performance Sonos released the Arc Ultra in late 2024, giving the company plenty of time to iron out software issues.

They're called open earbuds (or open-ear buds, depending on the brand), and just about every audio brand has a pair (or three). They come in a slew of styles, but most either loop around your ears like older Beats buds, or clip on like funky-futuristic earrings. Whatever the style, they're designed to deliver satisfying sound while keeping your ear canals open to the sounds of the world around you.