Latest news with #LDAC
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget AirPods — I ditched mine for these budget ANC earbuds 9 months ago, and now they're on sale at Amazon
For quite some time, I was a huge proponent of Apple's AirPods Pro 2, and don't get me wrong, they're some of the best wireless earbuds around for Apple users. Nine months ago, though, my AirPods Pro 2 started having issues with microphone quality. I was already on my second set of then after the first set broke, but by then I was out of warranty. Luckily for me, we had a set of EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds spare in the office, so I picked them up and, honestly, haven't looked back. These fantastic budget earbuds punch way above their weight. The good news for you is that right now, the EarFun Air Pro 4 are 21% off at Amazon, and almost as cheap as we've ever seen them. The EarFun Air Pro 4 are our favorite budget wireless earbuds for a reason. Great sound quality, excellent ANC, long battery life and an oh-so-attractive price tag. Seriously, what more could you want? Right now these buds are 21% off in the U.S., which is only around $3 more than their cheapest ever price. There's practically never been a better time to buy them. Seriously, I still can't quite believe how good these earbuds are for the money. As I mentioned earlier, these are our favorite budget wireless earbuds, and for very good reason. In fact, a few very good reasons. The sound quality on these things is really impressive given the sub-$100 price tag. I genuinely believe it's as good, if not better, than the sound on my AirPods Pro 2. Bass response is excellent, but doesn't overwhelm the rest of the frequency range, making for a balanced sound. As we pointed out in our EarFun Air Pro 4 review, these are budget buds for audiophiles. These buds also support advanced codecs, so Android users can stream via aptX lossless and LDAC, for respectable sound quality over Bluetooth. The ANC on the Air Pro 4 is also very effective. Now, I'll give it to the AirPods Pro 2 here, which admittedly have slightly better noise cancellation, but is it good enough to justify the gulf in price between the two? I don't think so. The Air Pro 4 are IPX5-rated, meaning they're sweat and splash resistant. I've been using these buds in the gym for, well, the nine months I've owned them, and they're still as good as new. Battery life is also decent. The buds themselves have a 7.5-hour battery life when using ANC, with a further 27.5 hours from the charging case. This was enough to get me through almost a whole flight from London to Chicago (8 hours) last year, and I've never once found the batteries dead when I need to use the buds. All in all, the EarFun Air Pro 4 are some pretty unbeatable earbuds for the money, and I won't be going back to AirPods any time soon.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
Get the best sound quality for your headphones, earbuds and Bluetooth speaker with these 3 Android tips and tweaks
So you've got your shiny new wireless headphones, and they're all connected up to your Android phone. You open Spotify, get that 25-hour Pop Punk playlist running, and set off for some on-the-go listening. But there's a problem — it doesn't sound quite right. You can't put your finger on it, but you feel like your headphones could sound better. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways on an Android phone to make sure your best wireless headphones are performing at their best. Even better, they're usually only a settings menu or an app installation away. Thanks to the freedom of Android, you have a whole lot more options when it comes to audio settings than Apple users. One of the biggest bonuses is that you can select a more powerful codec (the technology that makes sending your music over Bluetooth possible) that can improve the sound quality. Usually, the best codec is pre-selected when you connect your headphones, but sometimes it will default to SBC. A better option would be any one of the aptX versions, or LDAC, as those are capable of transmitting more data. Better bandwidth here equals richer sound in your headphones. Again, usually this is something you don't have to play around with, but it's always worth double-checking — just hop into the settings menu to find out. Head to the Bluetooth and connections menu, and then tap the settings cog next to your headphones. On this next screen, you should find the codec options. Remember that a better codec can also make Bluetooth less reliable in some circumstances, so be ready for some dropouts in busy environments. Before you go to the settings menu, double-check that your headphones and your phone support the codecs. This can be checked on the manufacturer's website. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If both your phone and headphones both support LDAC but the codec isn't appearing in the connections menu, you'll need to activate developer options in your phone. Remember, most of the settings found here are useless, and if you play around too much, you might even cause usability issues in your phone. For our uses, we're just looking for LDAC connection — it will be highlighted if your headphones support the standard. Switch that on (and touch nothing else) and you'll soon find much better sound quality coming from your earbuds or headphones. All good headphones these days come with an accompanying phone app. For headphone testers like me, it's a pain — your phone gets loaded to the brim with applications that you're barely going to use. For you? They're a great way of changing the settings of your headphones, be that the ANC, the sound quality, and more. Generally, there'll be an app named after the manufacturer of your headphones. That could be the Sony Sound App, the Bowers & Wilkins Music App, the Bose Music app... you get the picture. Not every app is created equal, unfortunately. Some have loads more options than others. For better sound quality, you'll be looking for the EQ settings and the connection options. If you're rocking Spotify, it's likely that your music isn't sounding as good because of Spotify's low quality streams. If you want the best sounding music possible, you should head over to the likes of Tidal and Qobuz. There you'll find much higher quality streams — and it might not even cost as much as you think. From $10.83 per monthIf you want the best sound quality possible, make sure you grab a Qobuz subscription. It's the best sounding streaming service around, and we use it when we test any headphones that we review. Subscribe for the year and save loads of money over Spotify. When you're streaming your music, it's changing the quality of the track to match the quality of the internet connection that it's using. That means that sometimes you might get lower quality music coming to your ears. It's very clever, but if you want the best sound all the time, then make sure you download your music for offline listening. This is an option in most apps — generally you'll find it in the apps settings menu under 'offline listening'. From there, you'll find either a slider, or an option for each track, album, or even playlist.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I test headphones for a living — here's what you need to know about audio specs before you buy your next phone
You may already know about what you need to look out for when buying a new pair of headphones, but did you know that there are also things you need to watch out for when you're buying a new phone? If you want to maximize audio quality, there are some important phone specs you need to consider before dropping your dollars on a brand new portable companion. From software to extra connectors, let me tell you all about what you need to look for when you're next looking for a cellphone upgrade. And why you shouldn't do what I did... Toward the end of last year, I had to make a choice. My phone contract was up, and I wanted to move over to Android so that I could make better use of its superior Audio options. I also wanted a foldable — if I was trading in my trusty iPhone 15 Pro Max, I needed to make sure that I was getting something at least interesting. Alas, I made a mistake. Despite my research, I wasn't aware of the issues that Pixel devices have with high-resolution LDAC audio and support for the codec. Some of the best headphones worked when I connected them up, while others didn't see the option appear in the settings menu. Since then, I've managed to acquire a device that supports every known codec, the Sony Xperia 1 VI. Now, I'm penning this list for you, so you don't make the same mistake. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The Xperia 1 VI is generally regarded as a camera-first device, but thanks to its 3.5mm headphone jack, it's also a great option for those looking for an audio step-up. It supports all high-quality audio codecs, and there are buckets of storage to store loads of hi-res streams offline. A codec is very important, and actually fairly easy to explain. It's a method of packing a track so that it can be sent over Bluetooth, and played over your headphones. Because both devices are either doing packing or unpacking, they both need to support the same codec. You'll have seen them if you've ever read headphone reviews — we make sure to talk about them in all of ours — and they have names like SBC, AAC, and LDAC. There are a couple you'll want to watch out for when buying a new phone, and you need to make sure that both your headphones and your phone support them. LDAC and the various aptX versions are what you're looking for. Those are the best quality codecs, with better packing and unpacking abilities. Then do some further research. I've found that while a device might support LDAC or even aptX, the setting might not appear in the menu. Make sure you check message boards and other users' actual experiences before you make your final purchasing decision. There was a time when I would have told you to "just buy an iPhone, the DACs are better." Since the advent of higher quality codecs and other various different audio strangenesses, the story now is a whole lot more complicated. Well, more complicated in that you now have more options. The iPhone is no longer the best way to get high-quality audio sent to your headphones. See, iPhones don't support any of the accepted high-quality codecs, like LDAC or aptX. Instead, it only supports ALAC. That's another codec, and there actually aren't all that many headphones that support the standard. So, you're better off buying an Android phone that supports the other high-quality codecs. If you're planning on listening to the very best streams on the likes of Tidal and Qobuz, you're going to need plenty of onboard storage. Especially if you're going to be using the offline listening functions of the best streaming services, as the top-quality streams are going to be stored directly on your phone's internal storage. Ideally, you'll want a minimum of 256GB of storage. That gives you plenty of space for all your tracks, which will have to share the space with all the other stuff on your phone; think images, apps, and other assorted phone things. Even better, look for a device with expandable storage. That way, you won't have to worry about running out of space if you've got a really, really big Qobuz library. A dying rarity, the physical headphone jack is still one of the best ways to get excellent audio from your phone. With a pair of wired headphones you won't have to worry about Codecs, Bluetooth versions, or stuff like Auracast. Instead, you can rest easy knowing you can plug some great headphones in and enjoy lovely high-res audio. It's not easy though — there's all of about one phone you can buy at the moment with a headphone jack. Sony's phones are generally loaded with a 3.5 plug, so you're best off looking there.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I test headphones for a living — here's what you need to do before you buy a pair
Don't be fooled — the headphones I'm wearing in that image are some of the worst headphones I've ever used. They're proof that you need to do your research when buying new headphones. I test headphones every single day — it's my job. Yes, it's a real job. I absolutely adore finding the best headphones in a very oversaturated market. Equally, I cruelly love finding the worst headphones and rightfully warning people against buying them in my reviews. I come to you with this knowledge: this is everything I've learned from testing loads of headphones. I'll tell you exactly what you need to look for (and stay away from), and help you understand marketing jargon from real audio specifications. There are so many headphones on the market right now. You could even say... too many. I'll run through some features you'll need to think about now. That list doesn't include everything, but it's the main information you need to figure out. I'll use myself as an example. I need excellent audio quality. I'm not too fussed about call quality. ANC is a must for public transport. I will almost certainly not use headphones during workouts. I need customizable EQ, but don't care about game mode or spatial audio. I do have a hi-res streaming service (shoutout Qobuz), so I'd like it to come with a wired cable, but it also needs to be wireless. Budget? As low as possible. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That gives me a few options: realistically, the Bose QuietComfort headphones, Sony WH-MX10005, or the Soundcore Space One Pro. When I tested these headphones back in February, I couldn't believe my ears. Considering they're just $199 (cheap compared to others these days), the sound quality is excellent, and they have a range of premium features like personalized EQs, confident ANC, and a wired connection. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers, but sometimes promises aren't exactly followed through. Phrases like "8K sound", "Hi-res wireless audio" and capitalized phrases like "[brand name] Proprietary Cotton Pillow Cushions" are worthy of a raised eyebrow and a chin scratch. Don't be gullible — make sure specs and reviews corroborate these claims. There's little point in a manufacturer claiming its headphones have "SilentSoundAIMic" if the actual mics are just... the same as everyone else's. Companies may also claim things like "amazing 20Hz-20KHz frequency range". This is just the normal frequency range. If it's 5Hz-30KHz, that's more impressive (and very rare). Similarly, "dynamic driver" is the standard. More impressive is "magnetic planar driver", but even so, that doesn't guarantee good sound quality if the hardware itself doesn't match up. If you want higher-quality streams, you'll need to make sure headphones are compatible with the following Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, ALAC (Apple only), and the many variants of aptX. Even so, compatibility with these codecs doesn't guarantee good sound, which brings me onto my next point... A review is just one person's opinion. Therefore, you need to read a variety of reviews — but make sure they're from reputable publications. It's worth reading a bunch of that author's reviews to make sure they don't just praise every single piece of gear under their byline. I would read a minimum of five. Once you know exactly what you need (as we discussed in point 1), you know what to look for. Are you a massive bass lover? Make sure the reviewer discusses bass in the article. Do you need the headphones for work calls? Make sure the reviewer positively rates the microphones and call quality. Do you value comfort over all? Make sure the reviewer says the headphones are comfortable. The brand-new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have universal positive ratings. We gave them 4-stars, but I've seen reviews with 5-stars too. Another unanimously-lauded option is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, not to mention the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3. All of these headphones have two things in common: a big brand name and a plethora of fantastic reviews. While reviews aren't everything (everyone has different opinions), if you go into a review knowing exactly what you're looking for, they are the most helpful part of pre-purchase research. Even so, I think reading reviews is most important for budget gear. Because budget gear tends to have a lot of bold claims, as I discussed in the "Don't fall for good marketing" section above, I think checking out reviews for cheap headphones is the most important thing you can do. There are loads of affordable headphones with terrible sound quality — I know, I've reviewed enough of them. So if your budget is on the smaller side, I would read every single review humanly possible. There's more room for error here, as truly good budget gear can be hard to come by. I always recommend the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for epic headphones under $80. Hopefully now you can cut through the noise and figure out exactly which headphones will suit your needs. Remember: do your research, and don't fall for good marketing. Then you should be golden.
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
I just found the best Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones deal — get a free $30 gift card at Amazon
There's a new contender for the best headphones you can buy — Sony's new WH-1000XM6. We've loved Sony's flagship headphone series for years, and the latest iteration is no exception to that. Hence why I'm super excited to see this awesome Amazon deal. Right now, you can get the Sony WH-1000XM6 for $448 at Amazon with a free $30 Amazon gift card. This gift card can be spent on anything you want over at Amazon, which makes this deal the best way I've found to get your hands on the new XM6 cans. (They're also $1 cheaper than the price listed in Sony's online store — nice.) Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones: free $30 gc @ AmazonOur Sony WH-1000XM6 review said that while these headphones don't reinvent the wheel, that's no bad thing considering how excellent their predecessors are. Their excellent audio quality and active noise canceling continue to impress, and they now have improved clarity and codec support. You also get up to 30 hours of battery life with active noise canceling enabled, or up to 40 hours without. So, why should you buy the Sony WH-1000XM6? Our Sony WH-1000XM6 review said these are 'sure to be a staple on our list of the best headphones for years to come.' They're incredibly well-rounded and deliver excellent performance in almost all categories, making them a great buy for just about anybody. We enjoyed their clear, detailed sound in our testing, and appreciated that they support a wide variety of audio codecs like LDAC, SBC, AAC and LC3. You also get access to 360 Reality Audio for more 3D sound. We did find that the soundstage wasn't as wide as some other headphones we've tested, like the AirPods Max. But if you love a highly detailed audio experience, you'll love listening to the Sony WH-1000XM6s. We also saw a big upgrade in call quality for the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones. So if you frequently take voice and video calls, your voice will come through clearly even in noisy environments thanks to their 12 on-board microphones. This Amazon deal is the best way I've seen so far to pick up the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, so get them while you can! For more savings, check out our Amazon promo codes coverage.
