Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9 active noise-cancelling headphones get you 95% closer to true peace of mind

News

  • May 8, 2012 at 1:35 pm

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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9 headphones

Audio-Technica makes some pretty awesome audio equipment, like our favorite noise-cancelling earbuds the ATH-ANC23, which we’ve reviewed here. Well the company is now updating its full-sized cans and has just announced the ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint active noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones.

The ATH-ANC9 headphones improve noise cancelling performance, with Audio-Technica claiming that they can block up to 95% of outside noise. Active noise cancelling headphones include a powered circuit that creates an out-of-phase wave to outside noise that effectively cancels it, you can read more about the technology in our primer here. The ANC9s provide three different selectable noise-cancelling settings, targeted for use in airplanes, trains and buses, crowded places and finally already quiet locations like libraries for even more peace of mind.
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How to upgrade your music to 256kbps AAC DRM-free quality with iTunes Match

Guides

  • May 1, 2012 at 1:29 pm

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Apple iTunes Match

So you’ve signed up for iTunes Match and you’ve been enjoying access to all your music from the cloud, but did you know that there was another great benefit from the service?

You can easily upgrade all your lower audio quality locally stored music to iTunes-quality 256kbps AAC files. As long as an audio file has been matched and made available on iCloud you can get yourself a spanking high-bit-rate quality copy.

In this guide we’ll show you how you can quickly and easily upgrade your entire local music library with iTunes Match by first batch-deleting all low-bit-rate files and then downloading 256kbps tracks from iCloud. Note that iTunes will not overwrite any of your tags, the new high quality files you will download below will maintain all your original metadata and even play counts.

Everything we’ll be doing in this guide happens inside iTunes, so first fire up the software and read on.
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Jean Michelle Jarre inspired AeroPad Two iPad speaker dock is the most futuristic yet

News

  • April 27, 2012 at 4:14 pm

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Jarre Technologies AeroPad Two iPad speaker dock in bamboo

It’s pretty hard to get excited about an iPod, iPhone and iPad speaker dock anymore but this one is special, as special as the man who is behind the company that makes them.

The AeroPad Two is a massive 86 x 30 cm (33.9 x 11.8 inches) machine that can pump out your tunes through four 30-watt speakers, with the speakers in each pair positioned across each other, and an 80-watt subwoofer; that’s a lot of air-moving power!

It has a 30-pin dock connector and enough space to dock your iPad, or otherwise it would be willing to dwarf your iPod, iPod Touch and iPhone.
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Slow music: listening as an experience, vinyl vs. digital audio

Editorials

  • April 14, 2012 at 3:08 pm

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Turntable loaded with vinyl record and album cover

This isn’t a discussion on which medium sounds better, analogue or digital, vinyl or CD (or SACD). There are already plenty of articles disputing either way. My only two cents on this is that some vinyl recordings sound incredible on a good analogue system, way beyond what any CD can offer, though CDs offer accurate sound reproduction.

No, this article will tackle listening to music as an experience and how the digital age has changed that. The two extremes are the slow, involved process of listening to an LP and the quick “take-out” experience of listening to digital audio files on a media player, be it an iPod, a Sonos system etc. It’s a subject that has not received much attention and is analogous to the comparison of the reading experience between the good old-fashioned book and the rapidly emerging eBook.

I will certainly not argue that we should trash our PMPs or digital audio systems and go back to listening music on vinyl. I store 95% of my music as digital audio files on a NAS and mostly listen to it from a computer and on the go on a Zune HD. But then I also have a relatively small collection of LPs that provide something more than a quick fix.
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MSN Visualizer combines Flickr photos and lyrics to create on the fly music videos

News

  • January 30, 2012 at 6:55 pm

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MSN Visualizer

Using some smart HTML5 code, Swiss design studio Hinderling Volkart has created a showcase website on behalf of MSN, which combines Flickr images and song lyrics together with music to create a random and visually stunning result.

Music comes courtesy of the independent British record label, Ninja Tune. Images are picked at random matching each word from the song’s lyrics with a picture on Flickr; the lyrics themselves are displayed in a typical Metro UI typographical manner. The entire player reminds us of the Zune software player.
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Behringer launches three XENYX iX series mixers with iPad support

News

  • January 20, 2012 at 8:07 am

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Behringer iX1642USB iPad mixer

Behringer is a big name when it comes to audio and particularly mixers. The German company has announced three new small format mixers that can use the iPad as their brains. The XENYX series iX1642USB, iX2442USB, and iX3242USB mixers can also draw music from the iPad and record to it. You can also connect the mixers directly to a Mac or Windows computer via USB to record audio digitally.

The three mixers only vary in the number of input channels, 16, 24 and 32. All feature 32 editable presets, such as reverb, chorus, flange, delay and pitch shifter. Using the iPad to control the mixers’ FX Processor gives the user a full spectrum analyser and deep control of the EQ — of course turning virtual knobs can never beat the satisfaction of real ones. The mixers feature 130 dB dynamic range mic preamps and using the iPad’s video out capability, you can also sync performances to video.
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AKG K495 and K490 active noise cancelling headphones to bring the sound of silence at CES 2012

News

  • January 5, 2012 at 6:22 pm

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AKG K495 NC active noise cancelling premium headphones

We’ve disputed before that it’s hard to put a price on piece of mind, though AKG intends to do just that. The Harman owned quality audio brand has announced a pair of active noise canceling headphones the K490 NC and K495 NC. Active noise cancellation (ANC) works using small microphones and special circuitry to cancel out unwanted outside noise; we’ve covered the technology in some detail, and invite you to read out primer on noise cancellation here.

Though we are better inclined towards the more portable in-ear variety, like the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23, full-sized over-the-ear cans can provide better noise cancellation performance and audio quality. The K490 and K495 are both USB chargeable using integrated batteries, providing 40 hours of enjoyment. Thankfully, both will continue to pump out your tunes, even with the ANC circuit off, when the battery runs out.
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SiriusXM Lynx Wi-Fi and satellite portable radio now on sale

News

  • December 30, 2011 at 3:05 am

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SiriusXM Lynx Portable Radio

If you are serious about radio, then you might want to take note. SiriusXM has announced the availability of its dedicated portable radio the SiriusXM Lynx. The Lynx can receive both satellite radio broadcasts, through an optional vehicle or home kit, as well as internet radio through its built-in Wi-Fi. The 3.5-inch 800×480 multitouch device is running a very custom version of Android, which brings SiriusXM 2.0 capabilities, such as live pause, rewind and replay of radio content and an electronic programming guide.

The SiriusXM Lynx can store up to 200 hours of satellite radio or 5 hours of SiriusXM internet radio programming. You can also connect the device to Bluetooth enabled speakers, headphones and vehicle stereo systems. It’s selling now over at shop.siriusxm.com for MSRP of $249.99, which is a lot to pay for a single purpose device nowadays.
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Sony MDR-NC300D noise cancelling earbuds review

Reviews

  • November 20, 2011 at 3:18 pm

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Sony MDR-NC300D earbuds for monster noise cancelling performance

This review is part of our round-up of three active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones. We’ve already covered the excellent Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 in-ear headphones here, and I recommend that you read that review as well. This review centers on the Sony MDR-NC300D noise cancelling earbuds and the final review will be of the Panasonic RP-HC55-S. As we’ve mentioned before, this group test only deals with the more portable earphone variety; if you read Stuff-Review you will know how much we appreciate portability and I wouldn’t imagine adding bulky headphones to my daily load.

You might also want to brush up on the terminology and technology behind active noise-cancelling headphones. Our primer, which can be found here, covers the different types of noise reduction implemented in consumer audio headphones and the differences between active noise cancellation and passive sound isolation.

In simple terms, sound isolation works by stopping sound from reaching your eardrum through soundproofing, while noise cancellation through special circuitry which create a noise-cancelling sound wave. I’m more in favor of the latter kind, simply because they offer the most comfortable experience and are more effective in cutting out constant frequency noise. Most ANC headphones offer noise isolation as well, and when you load-up your music, turn the ANC circuit on and cut-out the outside noise you are transported to a different world.

If you use any form of public transportation, or frequent any public place you cannot appreciate how much ambient noise there really is until you cut it out.
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iTunes Match is finally here, access your music from the cloud in high quality, US only for now

News

  • November 14, 2011 at 1:46 pm

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Apple iTunes Match

Although Apple missed its own end-October deadline for the release of iTunes Match, the $25 per year service is now available as a public beta for people living and breathing in the US.

The service basically uses iTunes to scan your music collection and gives you access to the same songs in high quality 256Kbps AAC on Apple’s servers. That is, unlike other cloud services, you don’t need to upload your files directly. It’s a neat idea since, it saves you the time and effort to upload files and gives you access to better quality rips, irrespective on the quality of your own files, accessible from all your iOS 5 devices. Of course if a file is not matched with one in Apple’s servers then it will be uploaded the old-fashioned way.

Because iTunes Match is in beta you get three free extra months on the annual subscription. Be warned that demand has been so high initially that Apple has suspended sign-ups temporarily. Those from other countries will have to wait unfortunately as Apple is still negotiating licensing deals outside the US.

To get started you need to download the latest version of iTunes (link after the break) 10.5.1 on your Mac or Windows PC. After installing, you can subscribe to the iTunes Match service from inside the iTunes Music Store — a link with iTunes Match will be highlighted on the right side of the main store page. After you sign-up and scanning and syncing is complete, on your iOS 5 device, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Music’ and slide the iTunes Match switch to On.
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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 QuietPoint in-ear headphones review

FeaturedReviews

  • November 13, 2011 at 3:52 pm

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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 active noise-cancelling in-ear headphones

We’ll be covering an important, but neglected, section of portable audio, active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones. We’ve already covered in detail the different types of noise reduction implemented in consumer audio headphones and the differences between active noise cancellation and passive sound isolation, so you may want to read our primer here first.

In simple terms, sound isolation works by stopping sound from reaching your eardrum through soundproofing, while noise cancellation through special circuitry which create a noise-cancelling sound wave. I’m more in favor of the latter kind, simply because they offer the most comfortable experience and are more effective in cutting out constant frequency noise. Most ANC headphones offer noise isolation as well, and when you load-up your music, turn the ANC circuit on and cut-out the outside noise you are transported to a different world.

If you use any form of public transportation, or frequent any public place you cannot appreciate how much ambient noise there really is until you cut it out.

We’ll look at three different ANC earbuds: first, in this review, the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23, then in follow-up reviews, the Sony MDR-NC300D and finally the Panasonic RP-HC55-S. This group test only deals with the more portable in-ear earbuds/earphones; if you read Stuff-Review you will know how much we appreciate portability and I wouldn’t imagine adding bulky headphones to my daily load.
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Active noise cancelling vs. passive sound isolating headphones, a primer in noise control

Guides

  • November 6, 2011 at 10:57 am

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Noise isolation primer

I’ve always been into audio technology of any kind, from high-end Hi-Fi separates to portable audio. Some years back I was introduced to noise isolating and noise cancelling headphones/earphones, since then I never looked back. It’s not until you cut out external noise from your listening that you will appreciate how much ambient noise there is, especially if you travel by and means of pubic transport.

This is a primer in the technology behind passive and active noise control, which will hopefully introduce you to the theory, benefits and caveats of these technologies.
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Why we love tech: Björk’s Biophilia is an album wrapped in an app; or is it the other way round?

Reviews

  • August 18, 2011 at 11:47 am

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Björk Biophilia iPad app

Biophilia is a project/album by Icelandic singer-actress-composer Björk. What makes it so special is that it’s the first interactive ‘app album’ putting as much importance on the experience and visuals as the music. Björk has composed part of the album on an iPad and so completing the circle the application has been released, in collaboration with Apple, on iTunes for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod touch).

The ‘host’ application is free to download and includes the theme song, Cosmogony. The host app is an interactive 3D map of the ‘cosmos’ made up by the different songs. Each additional song takes the form of an in-app purchase for an eventual total of ten songs for the album. Every song operates as a mini-app with different visuals and animations, a game, moving score for the song with karaoke playback and an essay. There are currently two songs that have been released, Crystalline and Virus, each available for $1.99.

Putting any discussion on excessive commercialization to the side, this is one of the most exciting and ground breaking music related productions we’ve seen. What’s important is that you are not checking your friends’ status on Facebook or sending an email while listening to the music, but actually interacting with the song. Art direction by interactive artist Scott Snibbe is excellent, though quite abstract, and certainly the experience is engaging. Although this is something that could have ended in just being a gimmick it certainly is not. We only lament the fact that this is an iOS app only.

You can find more about the app in the intro video narrated by the man himself, David Attenborough, together with the song Crystalline, after the break.
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How to stream your music around the house on a budget: Logitech S715i speaker and Audiogalaxy app review

FeaturedGuidesReviews

  • July 31, 2011 at 3:21 pm

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Logitech S715i Speaker and Audiogalaxy app

There are as many options for streaming music around the house as there are combinations of portable speakers, speaker docks, network players and portable device apps — and that’s a whole lot.

Here I’m going to go over just one of these combinations, which was the result of my search for a cost efficient, convenient, and aurally pleasing way to stream and listen to my locally stored music around the house and in the garden.
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