Another week and another TV launch, as Panasonic unfurled its banners and presented a preview of its 2024 range.
And despite rumours circulating that perhaps Panasonic wasn’t as interested in the TV market as it has been in the past, it brought out its entire range of models for the UK and Europe at a preview event in Dusseldorf, including its flagship Z95A OLED TV all the way down to its HD Ready 24-inch model.
As has been previously announced, Panasonic has teamed up with Amazon to provide Fire TV across its premium TVs, which means its My Home Screen interface has been quitetly shuffled off to a peaceful sleep, especially as the remainder of Panasonic’s TVs will take up either Google TV or TiVO depending on where you’re based.
Both the Z95A and Z93A will feature Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI Processor MKII, which appears to be a big enough jump to allow each model to support Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail; a feature that until now only certain LG OLEDs were powerful enough to support.
There’s also the 360 Soundscape Pro, which has been tuned by the expertes over at Technics to ensure “immersive 3D surround sound” from a flatscreen TV.
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More OLEDs appear (five in total) with the Z90A, Z85A, and Z80A. The first model includes the Master OLED Pro panel and the same processing that’s found in the flagship mode. The Z85A comes with 120Hz refresh rate, and the advanced MkII HCX Pro AI processor.
The step down Z80A is, we believe, more of a standard WRGB OLED TV, and gets the less powerful HCX Processor. While prices haven’t announced yet, we’d expect this model to hit a fairly affordable price for an OLED.
Next up are the LED models, of which the W95A tops the range. This is effectively replacing the MX950 from 2023 with its Mini LED panel for a brighter image, and better processing with the MkII processor onboard. Like with the OLEDs the Fire TV interface is built-in, enabling Alexa voice control, and you get premium game features too, with the 144Hz Game Mode Extreme (for PC gamers) and the colour accurate True Game mode.
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The W90A is a Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) model, keeping the same processor and gaming features as the model above.
We swiftly move onto the W80 and W60, the former supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, as well as the colour accurate Filmmaker mode; with Fire TV build into this model to offer a wide range of streaming options. The W60 is powered by TiVo, and will offer just as wide a streaming experience with its comprehensive line-up of content.
Lastly, there’s the HD models in the S55/S50, S45/S40 and N30. The top S-series models come with Fire TV built-in, with the step down models get TiVo. If you choose to get the N40, this is primarily a TV to watch TV on and doesn’t come with smart features.
Pricing and availability haven’t been revealed yet, but we’d imagine Panasonic’s latest line-up will launch towards the summer months as has been the case for the last several years.
Loewer has partnered with superstar French footballer Kylian Mbappé to launch its latest range of Bluetooth wireless speakers.
This is a limited edition wireless speaker, with this speaker marking the first product collaboration in a new partnership with the PSG frontman.
The We. Hear Pro x Kylian Mbappé features 100W of power (Class-D amplifier), and an array of drivers and passive bass radiators to produce what Loewe claims is a “deeply immersive listening experience”, outputting a sound described as both powerful and pristine.
The sound output has been optimised for horizontal placement, and you can customise the sound to have it the way you want it.
Though fairly big for a portable speaker, it does come with an adjustable shoulder strap for carrying about; and when used outside it’ll be able to repel splashes of water and dust with its IPX6 certification. Battery life is up to 24 hours, and fast-charging functionality can top the speaker up in just two hours. If you find other devices are short of battery life, you could plug them into the speaker and have it doubled up as a power bank.
Also onbaord is Loewe’s true wireless multi-pairing functionality that allows the user to sync up to 14 speakers (if you have that many!) all at once to create a big, enveloping sound. If you get a call when your smartphone is connected to the speaker, the built-in microphone allows you to take it hands-free.
Available in denim, neon, and black finishes, the Loewe We. HEAR pro x Kylian Mbappé goes on sale in May 2024, priced at £255.
Audio-Technica affair with wooden headphones continues with the ATH-WBLTD, which builds upon the success of the ATH-WB2022.
Only 300 pairs are to be made available for this pair of portable (yes, portable) headphones when they go on sale.
The headphones have been tuned specifically for analogue connections, its new 45mm HD drivers are intended to help create a “responsive and expressive soundscape”. The integration of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated diaphragm is claimed to be able to reveal the “subtlest tones in audio from the “lowest frequencies to the highest”.
The earcup housings are made from three layers of solid flame maple, walnut, and mahogany; which have been chosen to produce a beautiful grain finish and “superior acoustic and vibration-damping properties”. The hosuings have been hand polished by the artisans at Fujigen Inc., a leading manaufacturer in Japane of guitars.
The stitched earpads and headband are made from smooth, highly durable sheepskin to help keep comfort levels high, while the mageniusm alloy headphone arm is angled to provide the best fit when worn.
While the headphones can’t be folded inwards, they can be folded flat to slip inside the carry case, while accessories include two detachable 1.2m cables with A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) connectors, one with a dual-sided balanced cable with 4.4mm 5-pole plugs, and the other with a 3.5mm stereo mini plus. A 6.3mm adapter is also included for connecting to other audio sources.
You may want to take a sharp intake of breath once you hear the price, however, with the Audio-Technica ATH-WBLTD priced at £1599 / €1799. They’re on sale right now, so if you don want to get this limited edition pair of headphones, stop reading this article and head to the Audio-Technica website now.
The launches are arriving in their droves at Munich High End with the news that WiiM has revealed two new products in its smart home line-up.
And those products are the Ultra streamer and Amp Pro. The former acts as a digital hub within your home, a Swiss Army knife of a streaming device in that it can connect to array of devices within your home. The Amp Pro is an upgraded model of the Amp that was launched in 2023, that looks to give TV speakers or a record player a boost both in sound and in wireless connectivity.
The Ultra streamer mirrors the same compact form factor of WiiM’s previous products, but features a 3.5-inch full colour touchscreen, physical volume dial and a selection of audio inputs and outputs that includes HDMI ARC, line-In, phono-in, and optical inputs, along with line-out, optical, coaxial, USB, subwoofer, and a dedicated headphone output port.
Because of those connectivity options, WiiM says it can be connected to a “wide range of devices” too, a list that includes turntables, TVs, AV receivers, subwoofers, smart speakers, and headphones.
And wireless options are plentiful with Bluetooth 5.3 streaming and Wi-Fi, the latter enabling AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Alexa Cast, DLNA, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect. Within the WiiM Home App, there is access to music services such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, TIDAL, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and SoundCloud.
Inside is a 32-bit/384kHz ES9038 Q2M SABRE DAC, allowing for bit-perfect hi-res audio streaming, and the Ultra packs in room correction technology to optimise the audio performances for any connected speakers or subwoofers.
The WiiM Amp Pro features upgrades based on consumer feedback from the previous model, with the internal circuitry having undergone a redesign, along with minor cosmetic updates to its form factor. WiiM describes it as not “just an amplifier [but] a 2-in-1 solution for the home audio ecosystem.”
credit: WiiM
It offers 60W per channel at 8ohms or 120W at 4ohms, and is capable of powering four speakers at once. Like the WiiM Ultra you get Wi-Fi 6E support and Bluetooth 5.3 streaming, built-in room correction technology, and the same 32-bit/384kHz ES9038 DAC along with a TI TPA3255 Class-D amplifier.
All that’s left to mention is when they’ll be available and the price. Both devices are due in Q3 2024, for the price of $329 for the Ultra and $369 the Amp Pro.
It’s the week of Munich High End and hi-fi brands are littering the interwebs with new product announcements. One of them is Danish brand Dali, which has announced its Rubikore speaker series.
The series consists of five models, two of which are floorstanders in the Rubikore 8 and Rubikore 6. The Rubikore 2 is a bookshelf model, while the Rubikore on-wall is… the on-wall model. Completing the series is LCR home cinema speaker the Rubikore Cinema. The use cases for these speakers involve both hi-fi and home cinema listening.
Drawing inspiration from Dali’s Kore speaker series, the Rubikore series comes packed with “several cutting-edge technologies” that include Clarity Cone technology SMC Drivers, SMC-KORE Inductors, Hybrid Tweeter Modules with a brand new Low-Loss Dome Tweeter, and Continuous Flare Bass Reflex Ports.
Breaking those technologies down, the Clarity Cone bass/midrange driver diaphragms are to ensure “unparelled” natural midrange clarity without any artificial colouration. The SMC motor systems are there to achieve minimal distortion and optimal efficiency.
The Rubikore 8 and 6 floorstanders feature SMC Kore inductors within their crossover circuits to reduce signal loss, while the entire range features high-performance Mundorf capacitors.
The Rubikore 2, 6, and 8 speakers have enclosures equipped Continuous Flare Reflex Ports to maximise efficiency and in the same breath reduce turbelence and noise.
Inspiration from Dali Kore comes from its Evo-K Hybrid tweeter, with the new Rubikore series introducing a new Low-Loss Dome Tweeter to achieve what Dali claims is the highest resolution in high-frequency sound.
Dali says that each Rubikore Series loudspeaker is “meticuously hand-crafted and assembled” by Dali in Denmark. Finishes come in high gloss black, high gloss maroon, natural walnut, and high gloss white.
Availability begins in June 2024, with prices for the loudspeakers as follows.
Q Acoustics has revealed its latest affordable loudspeaker series in the 3000c, building on the legacy of its well-regarded 3000i speakers.
With the 3000c, Q Acoustics once again looks to offer a “sonic performance and high-quality design and build” above its price rivals, presenting an entry-point into “modern audiophile” world for an affordable price.
The series is made up of 3010c bookshelf, 3020c standmount, the bigger 3030c standmount, 3050c floorstander, with the 3090c centre-channel for those wanting to create a home cinema surround system.
There’s trickle down technology from the 5000 series and M40 micro-tower speakers with the 3000c featuring the C3 Continuous Curved Cone mid/bass driver. Q Acoustics claims the 3000c will be able to deliver an articulate but fast mid-range performance, with controlled but powerful bass, alongside “nuanced and detailed high frequencies”.
Other technology that features in the speakers includes Q Acoustics’ P2P bracing to minimise low-end reverberation, improving the stereo image and soundstage as a result. The 3050c floorstander integrates Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser tubes, which are intended to disrupt the build-up of standing waves within the cabinet, smoothing out the frequency response and reducing distortion.
credit: Q Acoustics
The 3000c series continues Q Acoustics’ recent minimalist design approach with its speakers, with no discerning joints or bolts noticeable on the spealer itself. There’s also a one-piece driver trim in satin nickel and satin chrome (white finish only) to help give the 3000c models a more sophisticated air.
The line-up comes in four new finishes, which includes a lighter (Pin Oak) and darker wood (Claro Rosewood) alongside Satin White and Satin Black finishes. The stabilizer from the M40 makes an appearance on the 3050c that features adjustable spikes to level the speakers.
We’ve been given details on pricing and availability, but the former could potentially change as we get closer to its August release date. At the time of going to press, the pricing is:
Sky Sports has announced of a new dedicated channel in Sky Sports+, and it’ll be available to sports subscribers at no extra cost.
The new channel launches in August, allowing customers the ability to watch a wide range of sports via live streams, the Sky Sports mobile app, and the new dedicated channel. Sky Sports says you’ll be able to watch 50% more live sport when it launches.
The channel has the capability to show up to 100 live events via concurrent streams, and has been integrated into Sky TV, NOW, and the revamped Sky Sports mobile app. And of course, you’ll be able to watch on a range of Sky devices, including Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Sky Q and NOW.
The channel will show coverage from the men’s Super League, as well as coverage from the ATP and WTA tours, US Open, PGA Tour golf and other events.
EFL fans will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new channel, as the 2024/25 seasons marks the beginning of a new long-term partnership with Sky, with over 1000 EFL games a season set to be broadcast through Sky Sports. The first weekend of the season will see every game from across all three divisions streamed live in a broadcasting first.
Live pause and rewind functionality will be available on all concurrent streams, and the ‘Recap’ feature that was previously available on Premier League and Championship matches will make its way to all EFL games shown on the Sky Sports+ linear channel. NOW sports subscribers will also be able to pause and rewing live sports content for the first time.
The refreshed mobile app will offer personalisation features to help fans keep track of their favourite teams, while the design and navigation have also been retooled, with a new dark mode to improve usability.
Sky says it’s not just live events that the channel will be host to either, with exclusive access to Sky’s sports documentaries, with the Darts documentary that’s coming later this year set to be broadcast on the channel two weeks before it’s seen anywhere else.
We can’t say we’ve ever heard of Tandem OLED but we (and you) will be hearing more about it with the news that Apple’s latest iPad Pro features the panel technology.
There were rumours back in 2023 that Apple was going to launch a device with a Tandem OLED, replacing the Mini LED display that featured in the previous iPad model.
What is Tandem OLED? Read on to find out.
What is Tandem OLED?
In short, a Tandem OLED panel is one that stacks multiple OLED screens on top of one another.
Apple has done this with its new iPad Pro and branded it as its Ultra XDR Retina Display. As Apple describes it, the Ultra XDR Retina Display uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to boost the full-screen brightness.
The levels of luminance (or brightness) we referring to appear to be massively bright for a portable device. The new iPad Pro is claimed to be able offer 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for both SDR and HDR content, able to hit a peak brightness of 1600 nits for HDR content.
And with OLED’s perfect blacks and infinity contrast, that should make for quite the striking appearance on an OLED screen. Plus, Apple says that the Tandem OLED technology “enables sub-millisecond control over the colour and luminance of each pixel”, which as we understand it, should allow for the screen to react in a more responsive and fluid handling of motion.
credit: Apple
Specular highlights are described as brighter than they were on previous iPad Pros, while Apple also says you’ll be able to see more detail in the shadows and low light areas than was possible.
There’s no mention of burn-in or image retention solutions in Apple’s press release, but from what we can scramble together online, a two stack OLED panel is designed to last for longer.
With the Tandem OLED panel structure, the iPad Pro should be able to deliver the black levels without blooming that OLED is known for, with a level of brightness that’s in the same area as Mini LED, along with a fluid motion that we’d imagine make this a good screen for gaming on too.
We aren’t too sure on who is supplying the glass (i.e. the panel) for the new iPad Pro, but it has been reported that both LG Display and Samsung Display have developed their own Tandem OLED screens to compete for supply for Apple’s future iPads.
Focal has announced two new headphones intended for the home in the Hadenys and Azurys.
We’ll start with the Hadenys model first. An open-backed pair of headphones, the name is inspired by The Hadean, “an eon in which the Earth was first formed” (you learn something new every day). The brown finish of the headphones is meant to evoke a “return to the source” to give the headphones an organic and timeless style.
credit: Focal
As we’ve come to expect from a pair of Focal of headphones with its honeycomb grilles on the earcup, use of genuine leather (which may put some off) and the “breathable” woven fabric utilised fof the headband and yoke to provide more levels of comfort. The sound signature of the Hadenys is described as “precise, dynamic, and warm.”
The Azurys are a closed-back pair of headphones, with Focal describing them as headphones that are suitable for use either at home or outside of it.
The Azurys are aimed at “music enthusiasts and lovers” who want to enjoy Focal sound through an “accessible product”. They feature the same design and materials as the Hadenys, but stand out from the closed-back pair with the blueish hue that’s inspred by Azurite, a semiprecious stone of many virtues.
credit: Focal
The speaker drivers found in both headphones match those present in the Focal Bathys model that this very site gave five-stars to, a pair of cans we found to be one of the best premium headphones around. The 40mm speaker drivers with aluminium/magnesium ‘M’-shaped dome have been adjusted to fit the Hadenys and Azurys to deliver detailed, warm, and dynamic sound. Focal provides each set of headphones with matching coloured carry case and cables.
Price-wise you can expect to pay £499 / €549 / $549 for the Azurys, while the Hadenys is priced £599 / €699 / $699. Both headphones go on sale in June 2024.
When it comes to purchasing a TV, you’ve got a plethora of options at various price points. But if we were to cull those options and end up with two simple choices, you’d have a choice between budget and premium TVs.
Not all TVs are alike, and not everyone has the budget to spend on a premium TV. In some cases your choice will be made for you by how much you can spend. If you have the money to spend on a premium TV, we’d recommend you do just that. You’d get a higher quality performance. If you don’t, there are plenty of less expensive options to choose from.
Nevertheless, we’ll be comparing a few areas which may have an impact on whether you’ll go for a premium or budget TV.
How long do TVs last?
This is an area that we’d describe as rather nebulous. TVs are meant to last for a long time, though there are various competing ideas of how long a TV should last. Some say 4-6 years, other sources suggest 7-8 years. It’s not so much the TV itself that’s the limiting factor, but like with every electronic device, how well you take care of it.
OLED is a premium TV tech but as its panel is made from organic materials, the picture performance degrades over time. Part of this is down to image retention or burn-in.
The former sees static elements in the image retained in the screen, but this issue can resolve itself over time if you watch different types of content. Burn-in is more serious, and sees static elements retained permanently within the screen. However, for this to happen, usage of your OLED TV has to be in the extreme. With normal use, burn-in shouldn’t be an issue.
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That’s primarily because OLED TVs come with a range of technologies to avoid image retention and burn-in. Some of these are done automatically, while others are performed manually, though in the latter case we’d suggest you don’t perform these actions often (only if you absolutely need to) as they can affect the lifespan of an OLED TV.
Plasma TVs suffered from a similar issue, but there are some Plasma TVs such as Pioneer’s Kuro that are still running more than a decade after release.
LCD LED TVs don’t suffer from burn-in, but like with any type of TV there are few things to consider. One is that you shouldn’t run the backlight at its maximum setting all the time. You’ll not only use more energy but potentially wear out the LEDs in the backlight faster.
This applies to any type of TV but heat and ventillation are an issue. There’s a temperature range that TVs perform comfortably in and you won’t want to place a TV in areas where it becomes too hot. At the very least, if the TV is uncomfortable in the heat, you’ll get a warning suggesting that is the case.
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In all the TVs we’ve reviewed on this site, we’ve found issues with TVs to be very rare. Whether you’re buying a premium TV (OLED, Mini-LED) or a budget one (Direct LED, Edge-lit), you’re looking at the same lifespan.
For further peace of mind, you can always purchase from a retailer that offers a long-term guarantee. In the UK, John Lewis & Partners offers a five-year warranty on all its TVs. If you purchase a OLED TV direct from LG, you can get five-year limited panel warranty on a G and Z-series OLED.
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Although we’ve focused on the physical aspect of TVs, in terms of longevity the software is one to consider too. TV interfaces are regularly updated and changed. Features will be added, some features will be taken away, but most important is keeping the same level of performance as when you first bought the TV.
Adding more features can put a strain on the TV’s processor, slowing it down over time, and there is the possibility that it’ll affect a cheaper TV that has a slower processor than a more expensive model. Interfaces that we’ve found quick and easy to use include Roku TV, LG’s webOS, Google TV, and Panasonic’s My Home Screen.
Is there a difference in picture quality?
Picture quality is where you’ll find the biggest differences between budget and premium TVs. TV performance tends to scale upwards, so the more you pay, the better the performance should be.
Premium TVs have more advanced features, whereas budget TVs have fewer. Inexpensive TVs don’t often have motion interpolation, which is processing that helps smooth out a signal to reduce stutter that comes with 24fps content. Whether this is pain point for you depends on whether you care about having it.
Upscaling is another area where a premium TV will outperform a budget TV. The use of AI technologies, machine learning and more advanced processing gives premium TVs the ability to take an image signa and constantly refine each frame. Budget TVs don’t have that level of processing available, with some TVs processing images in a smeary way that lacks detail and clarity.
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HDR brightness is another area where premium TVs have a sizeable advantage. 500 nits is considered the minimum in order to see the effects of HDR, but many budget TVs that we’ve tested struggle to hit 400 nits. Highlights are dimmer, colours are not as wide-ranging, and in some cases, TVs can lack punch, making HDR content look drab and dull.
HDR support is also limited on cheaper TVs. Though some TVs carry Dolby Vision or HDR10+, they’re not widespread across budget models and rarely are both premium HDR formats supported.
That said, premium TVs that carry both these formats aren’t widespread either, with Philips, Panasonic and TCL TVs being the main brands to carry these features.
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The main difference here in terms of HDR picture quality between budget and premium TVs is the type of backlight used. A Direct-LED or an Edge-lit panel won’t offer as much contrast or precision as a Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) screen. Performance improves further with OLED and Mini LED because they can offer more precision in terms of brightness, contrast, and black levels.
Budget TVs won’t be able to hit the performance of a more expensive model but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider buying one. If you’re not looking for a premium home cinema-type experience, and just want to watch daytime TV or what’s on Disney+, a budget TV will do fine, though some are better than others.
If you want the best picture quality then you should be prepared to fork out the money for it. We’re spoilt for options, which is why you should consider taking a look at our best lists to help you decide, whether its the best cheap TV, best OLED TV, best 4K TVs from each brand or the best TVs full stop.
OPINION: Billie Eilish caused a bit of a stir (seemingly with Taylor Swift fans) when she commented on the state of vinyl releases for Record Store Day when she talked about the wastefulness of multiple releases. And she made a pertinent point about it.
And it’s not just multiple vinyl releases that should be viewed as wasteful, but the vinyl record industry as a whole is rather wasteful in its approach to sustainability, an aspect that should – and likely will – be coming under the microscope as vinyl continues its resurgence among music fans.
The company looking to take on this issue is Evolution Music, headed by its CEO Marc Carey, who came to a Clarity Alliance event in May to set his stall out.
He started as a DJ back in the 80s but as a keen environmentalist, he worked in the clean tech sector conducting research about materials and general sustainability, work that involved working for local authorities too.
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At the same time he was still DJ-ing, turning it into the UIC radio show. Having grown tired of working in the corporate/local government area, concerned by greenwashing issues and not having enough impact on sustainability, he focused on the radio show, working with established artists but mainly also focusing on springboarding new talent. And with this environmental bent, the ethos and ethics behind UIC was based on the permaculture movement – “People Care, Earth Care, Fair Share”.
The Earth Care aspect of that proved difficult working in the music industry in terms of finding sustainable options, and like a lightning bolt, an idea flashed into being with regards to vinyl production.
And here we get to the crux of the matter, with estimates putting vinyl manufacturing as creating over 300,000 tonnes of PVC every year – how to reduce that? By creating a new type of record that will work with any record player.
Evolution Music calls it EvoVinyl, which is produced in the same way as traditional PVC LPs (to avoid having to install a new, more expensive set-up), but the raw materials have changed in using bioplastics (renewable biomass sources), the sustainability remit extending further ensure the packaging (reused cardboard) for records is more planet-friendly than before.
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Plenty of testing and proving the concept from the Diamond Black pressing plant in Luton to a test listen with Mark’s friend Rob Cass at Abbey Road, and also taking their EvoVinyl to the National Physical Laboratory to test against traditional vinyl – and they found there was “no real difference”.
There is surface noise, which is being addressed, and the one difference they did find was that the biomaterial used dissipated static better. With traditional vinyl, static can affect the sound and usually involves more care and upkeep.
Having proved it can be a) be produced and b) competes well against vinyl performance, the next hurdle was to see what the music industry makes of it.
So far it’s been positive.
Brian Eno’s EarthPercent charity has done proof of concepts, including Michael Stipe’s album from 2022, with EvoVinyl used for records as part of the EarthDay 2023 concert, with Coldplay, Chvrches, Nile Rodgers, and Emeli Sande just some of a few who had records pressed to EvoVinyl as part of the concert.
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Need more convincing?
As Evolution Music has worked with more pressing plants, they’ve found that because EvoVinyl presses at a lower temperature saving about 30% in terms of energy costs, and its cycle time is 50% faster (the time it takes to press a record).
But don’t think of that to mean that EvoVinyl will be glaringly less expensive than the alternative. Vinyl is expensive, which makes it prohibitive for some to get into, and EvoVinyl is likely to be the same, and with Gen Z discovering vinyl, lower costs are important to keep vinyl’s momentum going.
But the hope is that pressing plants will give over more lines for its production (and why wouldn’t they with the savings involved), and over time this will reduce the price because of the scale it’s being manufactured at.
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British hi-fi brand PMC has invested in EvoVinyl as part of its commitment to sustainability, and it’s likely that you’ll be hearing more as Evolution Music and EvoVinyl gain traction.
It’s true what Billie Eilish said about the amount of waste vinyl production can produce, but the answer isn’t years away but is available right now. You might not have realised or even thought about it, vinyl is on the cusp of changing for the better.
It’s an age-old debate about music whenever new technologies come to the fore or whenever someone introduces a different way of listening to audio. Can you hear the difference?
When it comes to music streaming services that’s a question that’s frequently asked. You might expect all streaming services to sound the same, but we’d say that they are all different from one another.
We’d also assert that it’ll differ depending on your device, and what equipment you’re using too. Each chain in the link will have an effect.
Drivers have a bigger effect than the overall bit-rate
You’ll likely have heard a lot in the past few years about music providers trying to drive up the quality of audio, especially streamed audio.
Spotify still lags behind the rest with its 320kbps OGG Vorbis streams, which aren’t much higher in bit-rate than what iTunes was pumping out with its M4A streams at the turn of the century. Spotify Supremium should hopefully be coming soon to resolve this issue, but at the moment, Apple Music, Deezer, Qobuz, and Tidal all offer higher quality streams.
The marketing hook that’s been used to sell headphones is the uptake of higher quality Bluetooth codecs such as LDAC, aptX Apadative, and aptX Lossless (also known as Snapdragon Sound). This is all well and good, as Bluetooth does have a bandwidth problem and if you want to hear at the highest quality possible (say lossless audio), then that bandwidth pipe needs to be stretched open to allow more data through over a Bluetooth connection.
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However, this doesn’t matter as much as you think it does without high quality headphone or speaker drivers. Poor quality will ensure that detail, clarity, and overall resolution won’t make their way to your ears. Tracks may sound muddy or indistinct, even if they support tech like Snapdragon Sound because the drivers can’t pass through what’s in the signal.
The tuning of drivers will also have an effect on what you hear. Is it more of a neutral sound, a crisp, analytical performance or something that sounds warm and rich. These tuning decisions will have an effect too.
Really, it’s a combination of the driver, tuning, and technology used that will ensure a higher quality performance.
Each streaming service takes a different approach
Some may refute this point, but in our experience, each streaming service is tuned slightly differently in terms of how it sounds.
Qobuz is the clearest, most detailed sounding streaming service we’ve come across. Tidal sounds warmer than others, while Apple Music has a more neutral, if slightly dour tone that lacks the richness Tidal can offer. Spotify is similar, but its low bit-rate and compression also starves it of detail, definition, and dynamism.
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With Amazon Music, we’ve noticed that even when using the same equipment and listening to the same track, the bass can sound bigger. And there’s more to it than that, sometimes the soundstage is smaller (or bigger); other times a streaming service offers better top-end clarity. And listening on different platforms can also yield an effect. Qobuz and Tidal on an iPad sounded much more even, although Qobuz still bested its rivals in the detail and clarity stakes.
All of this is to say the quality of the streaming files, the signature of the streaming service, and how it’s delivered to your device of choice will have an impact.
It depends on the equipment you use
Do you use a portable DAC or a headphone amplifier? You’ll yield much better results with a device that can clean up and remove the noise from the signal before it passes through to your headphones.
Do you stream over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, as that too can have an effect. The former often leads to higher levels of resolution, even with Spotify Connect, than you’d often find when streaming through Bluetooth.
And obviously if you’re using a music streamer, a higher quality one with premium parts will be able to do a better job than a cheaper one, but at some point you’ll hit a limit and it’ll become “much of muchness” in terms of how much you spend and how much performance you get back.
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To hear the differences, every part of the chain needs to be strong without a weak link. Your source needs to be high quality, the connection between the source and the end device needs to keep the quality up and then whatever you’re listening through needs to make sure that what’s in the source at one end makes it all the way to your ears.
There are differences to be heard, some more nuanced than others. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you’re looking for. Is it an audiophile performance? Then that will guide you in one direction. Are you more a casual listener who’s not as interested in quality? Then that’s a different route too. In either case, if you like what you hear, that’s the most important thing.
Although it would be better if everyone listened in audiophile quality.
There’s expensive and then there’s expensive. Astell&Kern’s SP3000T portable music player and NOVUS in-ear monitors belong to the latter category.
The SP3000T follows on from the SP3000 model this site reviewed in 2023, and it features Astell&Kern’s cutting-edge Triple Amp System, with users able to customise the sound using either tube amplification, a digital op-amp or a hybrid of both methods.
The Tube Amp mode uses a dual Raytheon JAN6418 MIL-SPEC Vintage Vacuum Tubes to create a “warm and soothing tone”, while the SP3000T’s Op-Amp delivers a different type of sound in what Astell describes as delivering “dynamic extreme clarity” in its low noise floor.
Much like the SP3000 player, the SP3000T uses AKM’s latest flagship DAC in the AKM AK4499EX that features complete separation of the digital and analogue signals to produce a higher quality performance.
Elsewhere there’s a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM to ensure everything runs smoothly. File format support includes WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, and MQA. Storage is 256GB, and expandable to 1TB
Connections include a 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm auxillary outputs, with the player housed in a stainless-steel body made up of 99.9% pure silver plating. It’s a design that’s already bagged Astell&Kern an iF Design Award.
The A&ultima SP3000T is available now from the Astell&Kern site as well as retailers including Selfridges for £3199 / $2999 / €3,599. Though it’s expensive, it’s actually less so than the SP3000.
The second new product that Astell&Kern announced was that of the NOVUS in-ear monitors, in a collaboration with Empire Ears.
credit: Astell&Kern x Empire Ears
These limited edition in-earphones have been developed to extract the maximum performance when partnered with the SP3000T. Astell&Kern says that every “compenent and material has been meticulously chosen with compromise” to deliver high fidelity sound through its purpose-built W9+ dynamic drivers.
You also get a custom-made four-wire hybrid copper, gold, and silver cable that’s been reinforced with black macro-molecular fibre and a 4.4mm balanced jack to extract every bit of audio goodness coming from the SP3000T’s audio signal.
The Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS arrive a little later on the scene than the SP3000T towards the end of May. They are priced at £4999 / $4,999 / €5799.
Italian music streaming brand Volumio has introduced its Motivo Streamer, which it describes as “blending beautiful Italian craft with true audio innovation”.
And we can genuinely say that the Motivo Streamer isn’t something we’ve seen before, a streaming device that looks like a large tablet but with headphone amplifier integration.
The 8-inch screen features red control dial for operation, with Volumio claiming that it has the software and hardware connectivity to work with a range of streaming services, and the ability to integrate with “any” home entertinment system or pair of headphones. That’s a lofty claim.
And it’s backed up by its specs. Inside is a Sabre ES9038 DAC that supports high-resolution music files up to PCM 384kHz. You’ve also got analogue XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced outputs, along with coaxial and optical digital (up to PCM 192kHz), as well as DSD256 support, and USB audio output up to PCM 768kHz.
The tablet-looking device is driven by Volumio’s customised software, with AI powered music disovery onboard through its app.
There’s a range of music streaming services that the Motivo Streamer is compatible with, a list that includes Spotify, Tidal (including the Connect version), Qobuz, YouTube, Bandcamp, Pandora, Fusion DPS and Roon Ready support. Also available to users is support to cast to Sonos, Google Cast, and Bluetooth 5 devices.
The interface is “fully integrated with Web-Radios Directories”, AirPlay via Shairport Sync, along with CD playback and ripping. By the sounds of it, the Motivo Streamer offers plenty of ways to get into and discover music.
And it incurs a rather large asking price too. The Motivo is available for €1749 / £1499 / $1849.
OPINION: If you could plot the future of where audio devices are going, it’d be a line that splits into various branches. There might be some overlap and some convergence, but it seems that audio brands all have different ideas of what the future will be.
Some have jumped down the direction of wearable audio, some believe immersive audio will be the breakout feature, and others place their faith in delivering true lossless high fidelity audio on the move.
What’s occurred to me in the last few weeks is how personalisation is also driving the direction of headphones, wireless speakers, and even apps.
First up was the news of Sonos’ relaunching its S2 app. It’s no surprise that with so many music streaming services out there, some are beginning to get flustered. If you subscribe to more than one, how do you keep all your favourite tracks together in one place?
That’s what Sonos aims to achieve with its revised app that’s coming in May. It’s made personalisation and customisation key to the experience, as well as simplified and streamlined the app. There’s no jumping from tab to tab to perform various functions – it’s all consolidated into one home screen. And now you can pin albums, songs, and playlists to that home screen, making it faster and easier to get back into the music you like.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
And it makes sense. With so much ‘content’ available to wade through, having choice actually feels overwhelming. Don’t you find it annoying when you open the Netflix app and then spend minutes if not longer scrolling for something to watch before giving up? By making you the curator of your own experience, you’re in charge of what you want.
So there’s the one side in terms of the app and service experience that’s putting personalisation at the forefront. The other aspect I want to talk about is the hardware itself.
Recently I was invited to a demonstration by Japanese brand Final Audio to peek at its technology that could make a sound profile unique to you. Final Audio calls it Timbre Physical Personalization, which I’ll try to simplify as being about how we hear sounds and how our brains interpret those sounds.
In the first session, a virtual version of my head and upper torso was made, as well as a scan of both my ears to create an ‘Acoustic Avatar’. The second session was conducted with me in the UK and technicians in Japan where I listened to a track multiple times to see if I could hear any differences.
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Sometimes the loudness, tone and pitch of sounds changed, other times I could barely hear a difference, but that’s not a problem. Our ears are all different, and it’s about what you can hear rather than overly focusing on what you think you can hear.
What Final is getting at is creating a sound profile, or timbre, that reflects how you hear the world. You’ll see a lot of manufacturers focusing on tone – bigger bass, brighter highs, neutrality, crispness etc but that’s reflective of the brand’s own tastes in tuning. Sony will have a different taste, Bose will have a different philosophy, Bowers & Wilkins have its own approach, and so on. Final’s perspective on the matter is that it wants to remove the philosophy from the equation and echo how you hear the music, not impart how they think music should be heard.
It’s not necessarily a new idea, there have been a lot of acoustic hearing tests in apps, but the method and the depth of the scanning of my body takes it to a whole new level that I’ve not seen before.
Both what Sonos and Final are doing show that personalisation is coming to the fore. We’ve always had that aspect of personalisation and customisation with apps, such as fine-tuning the ANC, swapping out voice assistants or changing the controls; but this feels like a step forward, and potentially a sign of brands relinquishing control over the wheel and putting you in the driver’s seat.
In April 2024, Sony took the covers of its latest range of TVs, and one of the bigger talking points of the announcement was its XR Backlight Master Drive.
The XR Backlight Master Drive is not a new technology, but in combination with Sony pushing its Mini LED TV range and OLED not quite getting the same level of attention as some had anticipated, it has people believing that Sony is taking a different tact with its TVs going forward.
And it hopes that its XR Backlight Master Drive will help it achieve its goal of a brighter, more colourful TV future. Here’s what you need to know about the panel technology.
What is the XR Backlight Master Drive?
In our opinion, the best way to describe what the XR Backlight Master Drive is, is that it’s a combination of various technologies and processing working together to drive picture quality.
So think of the XR Backlight Master Drive as incorporating the panel itself, the clusters of LED drivers within that panel, and the processor that tells those LEDs what to do. They all work in concert to produce a bright and colourful image that reduces the impact of blooming and halos in an image to produce deep blacks, bright highlights and contrast that bounds off the screen.
credit: Sony
The original concept of this technology arrived back in 2016, so this is a technology that Sony has been working on for years and refining it with each generation of its TVs. The BRAVIA 9 marks the most recent implementation of its XR Backlight Master Drive technology.
How does the XR Backlight Master Drive work?
Most (though not all) LCD LED TVs have some sort of local dimming. Local dimming adjusts the backlight and LCD to convey the bright and dark areas of the picture you see on the screen.
Some would say that having lots of LEDs in the backlight exercises more control over the bright and dark areas in an image, but we’d say more dimming zones does not make for a better TV, it’s knowing how to control those dimming zones that makes a difference. And it would seem that Sony agrees with this viewpoint.
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What the XR Backight Master Drive aims to do is to improve picture quality, but also reduce how much energy the screen consumes. The XR Backlight Master Drive makes use of a “unique” local dimming algoirthm that controls the LEDs and Mini LEDs in a backlight “with absolute precision and independence”, with the ability to control each LED indepedently. It’s arguably not too different from an OLED TV.
This according to Sony will help improve contrast, and reduce the spillage of light that results in blooming and halos. And by being more precise in terms of how it marshalls brightness in the picture, not only will a TV such as the BRAVIA 9 be able to hit higher levels of peak brightness, it can also be more energy efficient.
Which Sony TVs support the XR Backlight Master Drive?
The XR Backlight Master Drive only features on Sony’s LCD LED TVs, OLED has no need for this sort of technology because it is a) self-emissive and b) already has the capability of pixel level dimming response.
The TVs we know that support the XR Backlight Master Drive are the following:
Though these TVs feature the XR Backlight Master Drive, that’s not to say that the performance will be the same for each one. Different sized screens, different numbers of local dimming zones, and differing peak brightness will affect the performance. But in general the aim is the same, to produce a brighter, more colourful image while reducing the effects of blooming.
Bang & Olufsen has revealed the second product in its Recreated Classics range, delving back to the 90s to resurrect its Beosystem 9000c.
The 9000c follows on from the Beogram 4000c that was brought back in 2020, and much like that turntable, B&O has sourced 200 units of the original Beosound 9000 CD player back to the company’s factory in Struer, Denmark, where they were first created back in 1996.
It then disassembled the units, which were (thoroughly) inspected by a team of service technicians that included many of the same skilled workers that were on the Beosound 9000 project. B&O even used the original workshop tables to service the devices.
B&O says that every component was painstakingly cleaned and repaired, each Beosound 9000 was individually tested and fine-tuned to meet the Danish company’s specifications.
Though that’s not to say changes haven’t been made. The design team has inverted the deep black and natural aluminium finishes of the original product, matching them with the Beolab 28 speakers. B&O say that to achieve the various finishes, the aluminium has been hairline brushed, etched, and pearl-blasted at B&O’s Factory 5. All aluminium elements are the original parts that have “been re-machined and re-anodised to create unity between products”.
credit: Bang & Olufsen
The Beosound 9000 can hold six (6!) CDs, the CD clamper’s linear movement is said to be swift and soundless. As it moves from the first to the sixth CD, the clamper holds it, registers the information and begins playback within seconds.
The motorised glass lid opens and closes in the same uniform movement whether the system is orientated lying down, standing up or hanging on a wall. There are also two optical sensors and a digital time control that constantly monitor the opening and closing of the door to ensure it does so within the set-time limit of 3.5 to 4 seconds.
With the Beolab 28 speakers there’s also wireless connectivity, with support for AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0 and Chromecast.
But really this is all about the Beosound 9000, and its commitment to both physical media (don’t call it a comeback) and sustainability plus longevity, with Bang & Olufsen looking to create a system that lasts for a very long time.
You will have to pony up a huge chunk of change for that privilege. The Beosystem 9000c Recreated Classic is priced at £45000 / $55000 / €50000, and availability is limited to just 200 units.
While it’s nice to have a product like this in existence, but maybe next time Bang & Olufsen could make one for us mere mortals to enjoy.
Sonos has revealed the biggest update of is mobile app yet, the entire interface overhauled to put customisation and personalisation at the centre of the experience.
The update will go live on May 7th 2024 and will support all existing S2 products, and it’ll be joined by an all-new web app too.
With the revamp, Sonos says that it has foused on “creating a better way to listen”, redesigned the app for an easier, faster, and better experience that can support “more rapid innovation”.
There’s no need to tap between various tabs anymore as the new Home screen puts all your content and controls in one place. You can jump back into tracks you’ve recently played, browse your libraries and recommendations from your services and easily flick your favourite tracks to Sonos speakers in your home.
You can customise how you want the Home screen to look by pinning rows of favourite content and services and then being able to rearrange them as you fit. Want your favourite Taylor Swift songs to eb the first thing you see when you load up the app? That can easily be arranged with this refreshed app.
credit: Sonos
You can, of course, search for content but in the new app you can set your preferred streaming services and get results from them first. We did ask Sonos whether there’s the ability to search/filter spatial audio content given the launch of the Dolby Atmos Era 300 wireless speaker and the answer was that it won’t be possible to specifically filter Atmos content at launch, but who knows, if customer feedback pushes for it, perhaps Sonos might be persuaded to include it…
You can also swipe from the bottom of the Home screen to control your entire Sonos system and see an overview of what’s playing on each device, group speakers together and fine-tune the volume.
From the demo we saw the app looked swift, fast, and streamlined. With only one screen there’s now no need to jump from tab to tab as everything is consolidated into one area.
The new web app will have the same seamless control as the mobile app and will be accessible from any modern web browser. Sonos will gradually begin to phase out the existing desktop controllers for Mac and Windows “over time”
OPINION: As you might have noticed, Sony has revealed what it’s bringing to the TV market for 2024 and it’s got the AV sphere of the Internet all hot and bothered.
Sony’s new backlighting tech did look very impressive when I saw it at CES 2024 and as usual, the nature of the reports have pitted Mini LED vs OLED, which is not unsurprising, but the way some have commented is as if Sony’s XR Backlight Master Drive will somehow replace OLED TVs.
It will not
No picture TV technology is perfect, whether it’s a Full Array Local Dimming backlight, OLED, Mini LED, Micro LED – they all have their strengths and weaknesses, and they all pursue a different philosophy for picture quality.
That’s not to say that they don’t cross paths in some way, but having these technologies is a way of offering choice to the consumer. Sony’s big bet for the future of its BRAVIA TVs is that it believes content will be mastered at higher brightness. Those who create content are mastering at higher brightness – in some cases up to 4000 nits. But does that mean you’ll see that level of brightness on your TV at home? No.
I doubt Sony will comment on the specifics of its 2024 TVs but I’ll make an assumption and say they won’t be able to hit 4000 nits of peak brightness. Having a higher peak brightness does lead to increased colour volume (the range of colours visible at different levels of brightness), which then makes for a colourful image, but that brightness has to be controlled to avoid blooming that affects a TV’s black levels. It looks as if Sony’s new backlight technology may be able to achieve this, but as I wrote earlier, no TV tech is perfect.
Most of the work in mastering content for film and television appears to be at the darker end of the light spectrum. I don’t think many have forgotten about the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon episodes that took this to an extreme, but TVs going forward will have to manage both ends of the spectrum, and the self-emissive nature of OLED screens will have the advantage in terms of pixel level precision dimming.
Credit: Sony
Furthermore, the upcoming BRAVIA 9 looks to only be available at 75- and 85-inches, selling for £4499 and £4999 respectively. That’s respectably priced against the likes of the LG G4 OLED, but as this particular model is only available at those sizes, that restricts it to bigger homes and even bigger wallets and indicates that Sony, like other TV manufacturers, thinks the future of TVs is bigger.
We’ll have to wait and see if Sony’s bet for the future of TV works out but it looks as if Sony is willing to shake things up, and the TV industry does need something of a jolt to propel it forward.
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