Green Beasts

27/07/2022

Razer’sRazer’s Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds are a major improvement over the company’s first pair of true wireless earbuds. They’ve switched from an open-air design to a sealed fit; have better sound, thanks to that decision (and a partnership with THX); and they offer adequate active noise cancellation. Razer has thrown in a generous heap of ear tips (including Comply foam), and there’s also a low-latency gaming mode to keep the earbuds in sync with your mobile gaming.

$200 is a lot for sub-par noise cancellation and average battery life.

26/07/2022

It’s much more compact than the standard flash drive-sized USB dongles included with many headsets. It’s more capable, too, operating with the aptX low latency (aptX LL) codec that delivers good-sounding audio with no perceivable lag. Using the receiver, the GTW 270 Hybrid can be especially great for fast-paced games where sound cues count for success; but really, it’s nice to have for any title.

However, there is one problem: the microphones don’t work when you’re listening to audio via the USB-C receiver. (The earbuds’ built-in microphones do work, however, when they’re paired to a device via Bluetooth.)

Solid ex*****on when it comes to minimizing latency and preserving audio quality, but the microphones don’t work while connected wirelessly to the USB-C dongle.

25/07/2022

The Buds 2 improve upon their predecessors by adding active noise cancellation. But in the few days I’ve spent with them so far, I’d say the bigger, most impressive progress Samsung has made is with their design and fit. These are the company’s smallest and lightest true wireless earbuds yet. And in my ears, the Buds 2 provide a flush, discreet fit that uniquely stands out among the company’s top competitors. Still, they trail the Buds Plus in battery life, so not everything is necessarily better. But Samsung got enough right that these could end up the new go-to pick for Android users who want an easy and reliable pair of wireless earbuds with satisfying sound. In fact, Samsung did so well with the Buds 2 that the flagship Buds Pro just became a much harder sell.

Samsung’s lightest and smallest wireless earbuds yet.

24/07/2022

Bose’sBose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, released in 2019, are a perfectly fine pair of premium noise-canceling headphones. They’re Bose’s attempt to leapfrog Sony and other competitors with a revamped, sleek design and more powerful active noise cancellation. But for some of the company’s most loyal fans, they veer off a little too far from what they expect Bose headphones to be. The NCH 700s don’t have the same feather-light comfort as the QuietComfort lineup, they annoyingly can’t be folded for easy carrying, and generally, it seems like Bose needlessly tried to fix something that wasn’t broken.

Now with even better noise cancellation and USB-C.

23/07/2022

Sony’sSony’s new WF-C500 true wireless earbuds have an appealing price of $99.99 and come with a sleeker, more traditional design than the WF-XB700 buds that they’re replacing. Aside from the reined-in looks, they improve upon that model by adding support for Sony’s Headphones Connect app, which allows you to customize the EQ to your liking. The WF-XB700s had the company’s “Extra Bass” branding, but Sony has done away with that this time for a sound that’s much more balanced out of the box. Battery life has also improved slightly to an impressive 10 hours of continuous playback, and the C500s offer easy-to-use controls with large buttons on each earbud.

If you can get them on sale, they won’t disappoint.

22/07/2022

AnkerAnker has managed to hold its own against giant tech rivals by delivering better-than-expected sound and cramming features into its Soundcore-branded wireless earbuds — all while pricing them lower than the competition. The Liberty 3 Pros are the latest example of this and a showcase of how far the company has come in designing audio products.

At $170, the Liberty 3 Pros are the most advanced earbuds in the Soundcore lineup, with dual drivers in each bud, active noise cancellation, wireless charging, plus extra conveniences like multipoint and LDAC support. They offer a powerful, rich sound signature that’s a rung above something like the Liberty Air 2 Pro, lengthy battery life, IPX4 water resistance, and more. They also come in a range of colors, including white, black, purple, and the gray set I reviewed.

LDAC and multipoint for under $170? Not bad.

21/07/2022

Sony’sSony’s LinkBuds S are the company’s latest earbuds, fitting into a lineup that consists of the flagship WF-1000XM4s, the very unique LinkBuds, and the entry-level WF-C500s. Though they share a name with the open-air LinkBuds, the “S” model earbuds have a far more conventional design that seals in the ear with silicone tips. This makes it possible for them to include active noise cancellation, which the regular LinkBuds lack, and Sony also added support for its higher-quality LDAC Bluetooth codec.

Sony’s new earbuds are its most comfortable yet.

28/06/2022

That’s so true. Do you know Hailey personally?

Yeah, because my boyfriend is opening for Justin right now on tour. They’ve been so nice to Eddie and me. We look up to them as a couple—they’re so amazing and so in love. It’s really refreshing to see that they have that love but that things can be up and down. It’s cool that they talk about it publicly. It’s not relatable to never have a problem.