The shutter click on your Android smartphone camera is usually not a problem, but if you prefer silence as you shoot, we show you how to turn off the sound.
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New details about Apple’s 2024 iPad lineup recently leaked. There’s some good news, but also an update I really don’t like.
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The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini, a smartwatch and a fitness tracker in one, is a cheap alternative to the Apple Watch, especially following a $ 50 discount from Amazon.
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If you missed out on Prime Day, Monster has a bunch of Bluetooth speakers on sale with discounts of up to 43% to be had so you can have quality sound at your Halloween party. The deals run through October 21st and include the Blaster 3.0 Wireless Boombox, DNA Max Wireless Speaker, and DNA One […]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Turn the sound up with these Monster Bluetooth Speakers at up to 43% off
EQ is so much more than the Rock preset in your Spotify app. If you want better sound, we’re here to show you how to adjust it for the best experience.
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If you live in the U.K., your phone is going to make a loud alarm sound tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know about what’s going on.
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When the Apple Watch Series 8 arrives later this year, it may have a chipset that hasn’t been updated in two years.
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A new entrant to the true wireless headphone space you say? Sure, that might be a fairly common occurrence these days, but this one – Grell Audio – comes with some pretty strong heritage. Its founder, Axel Grell, is well known in the headphone industry for his extensive work at Sennheiser on some of the company’s most prestigious products. The TWS/1 is his first solo product under the Grell brand. Accordingly, we’re interested to see what the $ 200 wireless buds can do.
The TWS/1 has a modern look. The mostly circular design is only interrupted by a small, AirPod-like protuberance on each bud. Originally the plan was to have the outer casing entirely metal but physics and radio waves meant that some concessions (plastic parts) were needed. Overall, they maintain a premium feel that stands above that often found at this pricepoint. They visually remind me slightly of the Jabra Elite 75t, but a little lower profile.
In terms of fit, that slightly more streamlined design means you don’t feel like something is balancing in your ear which can sometimes happen with more rotund models. As per usual they come with a charging case that promises four full charges of the TWS/1. The buds themselves offer around 6 hours per charge which holds true in my experience with ANC activated. Curiously, the buds are placed in the case with the right one to the left and vice versa. I’m not sure why this would be, but it does take some remembering (you’ll soon be reminded as the buds don’t fit the other way around).
In a world of me-too products, it’s hard to stand out. The easiest differentiator is price, then sound quality and or additional/premium features. It seems Grell Audio has tried to tackle all three of these, and with general success, I would say.
The price point puts the TWS/1 in an unusual category. Many premium brands are landing in the $ 250+ zone while more affordable options, like Google’s second-gen Pixel Buds or the aforementioned Jabra’s live in the $ 150 area. Budget options, south of $ 100, are also increasingly more common. This, then, pitches the TWS/1 at the overlap between high-mid and low-premium. I would wager this is entirely intentional as feature set and build quality skew higher end, but the barebones packaging and more accessible price indicate a more mainstream audience.
As for sound quality, this is where things are a little more clear. In my testing, I was generally pleased with the default sound. It was perhaps a little on the thinner side for my personal preference with a slight weight on the lower end for a typically commercial sound. But Grell has partnered with SoundID – a third-party app that tunes select brands of headphones to your personal preference/hearing.
We’ve seen things like this before, most notably with Nura which takes this to a whole new level. SoundID is a little more understated in its approach. It still uses some form of hearing test, but rather than asking if you can hear certain tones, it simply plays you some music and asks “which do you prefer, A or B.” Once I completed this short test, the difference was night and day. With my own personal profile activated (it uploads to the headphones so it applies no matter what you are listening on), my usual mix of mid ‘10s indie and rave nonsense came alive.
I have a slight preference for dynamic range and beefier low and mid-high frequencies. At least, I presume I do because that was the biggest change in sound after completing the test and I instantly found them much more enjoyable. In the SoundID app, you can toggle between the default sound and your own profile and it really does make a huge difference. You don’t need the app to get good sound, but I’m going to guess that you’ll be happier with what it gives you.
Coincidentally, SoundID is also where you’ll get software updates for the TWS/1. I had one during my testing and it improved a few things including the slightly unresponsive touch controls. They’re still not reading my taps 1:1 but its about on par with most other touch-control buds I have used. Before the update, it was much more frustrating (or, maybe I just learned the technique?).
Those controls aren’t user-configurable, so you’re stuck with what Grell gives you. But, fortunately, that’s pretty much everything you’d want and without too many complicated tap or gesture combinations. Swiping forward or back on the left ear skips tracks, up or down on the right for volume, and so on. It was the single taps that I was having issues with which control play/pause on the right and transparency mode on the left – both of which are more annoying if not activated immediately.
This brings us on to smart(er) features. As mentioned, the TWS/1 has Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode – both of which are becoming increasingly standard. But there’s also a Noise Annoyance Reduction (NAR) mode. Grell explained to me during their initial announcement briefing that ANC is great for lower-frequency sustained noises, but doesn’t work as well for higher-frequency annoyances (think, crying baby on a plane). NAR is Grell’s own attempt at offering some reduction of these types of sound.
In practice, I found it hard to pinpoint the difference that NAR makes. With ANC, it’s easy to hear the low rumble of the road outside my apartment decrease in volume. It’s maybe not the most powerful ANC I have heard but it does the job. With NAR, whatever the ear equivalent of squinting is, proved to be a little more indeterminate. It does seem to slightly improve the listening experience in combination with ANC, but it’s also hard to tell how much of that was me willing it to do so. It’s an interesting concept though and one that I hope Grell can continue to improve over time.
Other small perks include a “mono” mode (listening with just one bud). This isn’t as common as it should be in my opinion and it adds more flexibility for those that want to maintain some spatial awareness without having to wear both buds. It’s also, obviously, how some people prefer to handle their calls, too (reliving the Bluetooth headset days).
Another small added bonus is wireless charging “compatibility.” It’s not something I was able to test, but the more things that support it the better? Or, at the very least, it’s a nice perk for those already invested in the wireless charging world.
All in, Grell has given price, features and sound quality enough consideration that the result is a promising first product from an emerging brand. The price point, in particular, strikes a good balance between signaling premium ambitions without putting it too far out of reach for mainstream casuals. I’d love to see some further advances on the NAR technology and the controls could still be more responsive, but if you’re looking for a fresh set of true wireless headphones that are customizable to your taste, these are a great place to start.
Tribit has rolled out their FlyBuds C2, a totally wireless set of headphones that pack in a laundry list of every feature you could possibly want from some earbuds. They’re sleek and stylish with no compromises on the hardware. But a spec sheet doesn’t necessarily make a good pair of headphones. Let’s dig in and […]
Come comment on this article: Tribit FlyBuds C2 review: Good sound, not so great design
Windows XP, aka the operating system that people and corporations just won’t let go of even though they really should, has more to contribute to the world than occasional malware outbreaks. While so far it hasn’t been as celebrated as, say, Windows 9…
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If you’re looking for a functional pair of truly wireless earbuds, we’ve got a new model for you to take a look at today. We’re reviewing the Tranya T10 headphones, a pair of truly wireless earbuds that promise expertly tuned sound, wireless charging, and noise-canceling, which is a pretty bold claim for the affordable price […]
Come comment on this article: Tranya T10 headphones review: Comfortable and functional, but lacking in sound quality
As LG prepares to deliver its new range of 4K OLED TVs — including a new 48-inch model — it’s also got a soundbar to match. The GX soundbar is styled with the same aesthetics as LG’s flagship GX OLED TVs this year, with 3.1 channels of audio built-in…
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After years of using el-cheapo headphones, I’ve come to the realization that a good pair of headphones with excellent noise-cancellation can turn a grueling 10-hour journey into an acceptable, and at times, almost enjoyable experience. Needless to say, a session of chilling in a more comfortable location is also enhanced greatly by listening to music […]
Come comment on this article: Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Review: Style, substance, and incredible sound
Samsung has updated their SoundAssistant app on the Galaxy Store, which is typically the app you use to customize the sound experience on a Galaxy smartphone. This update goes a bit further, though, and lets you change up your volume indicator and apply some theme elements to it. It’s a pretty neat update. Samsung SoundAssistant […]
Come comment on this article: What is Samsung SoundAssistant? Here’s how to make your music sound even better
Since the end of last year, reports indicated that AT&T was planning to add pause ads to its video platforms. According to Variety, the telecom has flipped the switch. AT&T is currently testing the ads on DirecTV, its satellite TV service, an…
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Google is making Live Transcribe, its Android app for easy voice transcription, a lot more useful. Now, in addition to jotting down spoken words, it'll also make you aware of things like a dog barking or audience clapping. It'll give deaf and hard of…
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The audio world just got noticeably smaller. Sound United, the parent company for brands like Denon, Polk Audio and Marantz, has reached a deal to buy Onkyo's home audio division, including everything from smart speakers to receivers and turntables….
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Google has its own set of Google Home smart speakers, but they’ve also opened up Google Assistant to other speaker manufacturers to essentially craft their own unique, Assistant-powered speakers to compete with Google’s own lineup. The results have been a mixed bag, with some speakers offering excellent takes on the smart speaker market, while others […]
Come comment on this article: Polk Assist smart speaker review: Sound quality above all else
There are plenty of portable audio recorders and microphones on the market, but MikMe goes a step beyond all of them. It's a compact wireless microphone that synchronizes with an iPhone app, allowing you to make quick mobile videos with high-quality…
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After developing tinnitus in his own New York City clubs, the owner designed stylish earplugs to reduce volume but preserve music quality. Earos earplugs have left and right orientation for a deeper and more comfortable fit.
The post Club owner designs acoustic-filter protective earplugs that don’t distort sound appeared first on Digital Trends.
Levoit isn’t a household name when it comes to aromatherapy, but it certainly hopes to become one with the forthcoming Halo. The sleek diffuser can issue soothing scents, audio, and lighting.
The post Sound and vision: Levoit’s latest diffuser taps more than just your sense of smell appeared first on Digital Trends.
At E3 next week, Turtle Beach will be showing off the HyperSound Glass, a directional speaker that also happens to be the world’s first speaker made using a transparent pane of glass.
The post Transparent sound takes on a whole new meaning with this directional glass speaker appeared first on Digital Trends.
Move over University of Phoenix, MIT has announced that you can now obtain a highly-regarded Masters degree in Supply Chain Management (mainly) online. The new 14-week credential is called a MicroMaster's and will be open to anyone and once complet…
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Imagine what it would be like if, with the help of technology, you could make your already good hearing better. What if you could filter out certain noises and amplify other ones to customize what you can hear?
The post Get Daredevil-like bionic hearing with these amazing earbuds that let you tweak live sound appeared first on Digital Trends.
Windows 10 won’t have Media Center included but this week Microsoft revealed that it will have support for surround sound in some new ways, and it could make Netflix streaming even better. Beyond supporting Dolby Digital Plus in the Windows 10 OS — …
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