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Audio

From streaming music and audiobooks to live audio rooms and podcasts, every major player in tech is trying to own a chunk of the listening experience. Spotify is expanding beyond music streaming, YouTube is becoming an audio-only destination, and Apple Music is hoping to stand out with spatial audio while Tidal, Pandora, SoundCloud, and so many more scramble to set themselves apart.

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Andrew Liszewski
Teenage Engineering’s portable recorder, mic, and mixer will be available in black.

Following the release of its $2,299 OP-XY sequencer, synthesizer, and sampler, Teenage Engineering has announced matching versions of three other devices in its Field System lineup.

The $1,499 TP-7 audio recorder, the $1,199 TX-6 compact mixer, and the $1,199 CM-15 studio microphone will all be available in a new black finish starting on June 10th, 2025. However, the OP-1 Field, which is part of the same lineup, will remain in its original color.

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Andrew Liszewski
Bang & Olufsen boosted the bass on its swanky portable speaker.

The third-generation of the Beosound A1, B&O’s compact Bluetooth speaker, is now available with a honey tone, eucalyptus green, or natural aluminum housing for $349. The upgraded model features up to 24 hours of battery life, an IP67 rating so you can submerge it to depths of up to one meter, and an improved woofer delivering an extra 2dB of bass over its predecessor. B&O has also added support for the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec.

<em>The battery inside the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is replaceable so it doesn’t become e-waste when it stops holding a charge, but you’ll need to sent it in to B&O to have it replaced.</em>
<em>In addition to being waterproof, the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is sealed against dust and debris, so a day at the beach won’t destroy it.</em>
<em>The three color options for the Beosound A1 3rd Gen include eucalyptus green, honey tone, and natural aluminum.</em>
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The battery inside the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is replaceable so it doesn’t become e-waste when it stops holding a charge, but you’ll need to sent it in to B&O to have it replaced.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
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Andrew Liszewski
Audio-Technica is making just 10 of these $6,800 Darth Vader headphones.

If you’re headed to Star Wars Celebration in Japan later this month, Audio-Technica has announced a pricey souvenir for you, as spotted by Notebookcheck. Unlike its Star Wars-themed wireless earbuds, only 10 of these ATH-AWSW DV headphones, featuring wooden ear cups adorned with images of Darth Vader made using traditional Japanese crafting techniques, will be available.

Each pair is priced at 990,000 yen, or around $6,817.

<em>The headphones feature 53-millimeter drivers and are compatible with hi-res audio sources, but feature no wireless capabilities.</em>
<em>The left ear cup features Darth Vader’s helmet.</em>
<em>The right ear cup features a silhouette of Darth Vader with his glowing lightsaber.</em>
<em>The ATH-AWSW DV come packaged in a wooden storage box featuring Star Wars design elements, and include an aluminum headphone stand.</em>
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The headphones feature 53-millimeter drivers and are compatible with hi-res audio sources, but feature no wireless capabilities.
Image: Audio-Technica
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Andrew Liszewski
Bang & Olufsen is putting its Beosound Balance smart speaker on a marble pedestal.

The smart speaker was already available with an optional marble base that boosted its price tag from $3,300 (for a solid oak base) to $3,900, but Bang & Olufsen has now partnered with Italian marble company Antolini for an even fancier version, as spotted by Engadget.

The Beosound Balance Natura speaker sits atop a tall pedestal made of materials like marble, quartz, or petrified wood. There’s no pricing details, which probably means it’s jaw-dropping expensive.

<em>Bang & Olufsen says it created a limited collection of 16 unique speakers to celebrate the partnership with Antolini, which are all made to order.</em>
<em>The Beosound Balance Natura will be available with a pedestal made from materials like marble, quartz, fossilized wood, and petrified wood.</em>
<em>Bang & Olufsen says the pedestal elevates the speaker to its optimal height for improved sound performance.</em>
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Bang & Olufsen says it created a limited collection of 16 unique speakers to celebrate the partnership with Antolini, which are all made to order.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
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Dominic Preston
April Fools’ 2025: “Beautifully inconvenient.”

That’s how Nothing describes its April Fools’ launch this year, the Ear 3.5mm. They’re earbuds that look a lot like last year’s Nothing Ear Open, but come with a handy 50m (164 ft) cable so you can enjoy wired audio quality without giving up the range of Bluetooth.

Nothing hasn’t announced a price, so it seems a safe bet this is the sort of April Fools’ joke you can’t actually buy.

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Andrew Liszewski
Even the driver on JVC Kenwood’s wooden Bluetooth speaker is made of wood.

If you’re on the hunt for a Bluetooth speaker not made of bright plastic or filled with flashing lights, JVC Kenwood’s WDS-01 is made of oak, cedar, pine, spruce, or walnut wood including its 60-millimeter driver cone.

Battery life is claimed to be up to eight hours, but availability is going to be a challenge. Only 100 custom-made units were released in Japan today, ranging in price from around $257 to $550.

<em>The six-watt WDS-01 wireless speker is recharged using USB-C.</em>
<em>Despite the premium pricing, JVC Kenwood warns that since it’s made of solid wood warping or cracking may occur over time.</em>
<em>There is no water resistance. JVC Kenwood recommends keeping it dry and away from sunlight to preserve its appearance.</em>
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The six-watt WDS-01 wireless speker is recharged using USB-C.
Image: JVC Kenwood
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Andrew Liszewski
Victrola’s Sonos-compatible turntables can now wirelessly stream to other speakers.

Through an upcoming automatic software update, Victrola is expanding the wireless compatibility of its Works With Sonos turntables to include Bluetooth, Roon, and UPnP, allowing them to connect to other speakers and audio gear.

This functionality was already introduced in 2024 with the premium Victrola Stream Sapphire, but is now being added to its Stream Carbon, Stream Pearl, and Stream Onyx turntables, as spotted by Engadget.

The Victrola Stream Onyx turntable on a white dresser next to a black Sonos speaker.
The software update will be installed automatically and users will find new options in the Victrola Stream mobile app allowing them to toggle on the additional connectivity options.
Image: Victrola
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Andrew Liszewski
Bang & Olufsen has resurrected an iconic ‘70s turntable for $35,000.

The Beogram 4000 series turntable is an iconic piece of ‘70s hardware that’s available once again through another collaboration between Bang & Olufsen and Saint Laurent. But while the B&O Beogram 4000C comes in a fancy case made from ziricote wood, your $35,000 isn’t getting you entirely new hardware.

These are original ‘70s units that have been hand-picked, restored, and updated by B&O with new cartridges and preamps. Only 10 of them will be available.

<em>Just 10 units of the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000c Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition by Anthony Vaccarello turntable are available.</em>
<em>B&O has restored original Beogram 4000 series turntables and upgraded them with several modern components.</em>
<em>The turntable comes in a case made from South American ziricote wood, and each one is numbered.</em>
<em>The wooden case opens to reveal the turntable inside, which can be removed and used on its own.</em>
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Just 10 units of the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000c Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition by Anthony Vaccarello turntable are available.
Image: Saint Laurent
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Dominic Preston
Apple throws the UK a bone.

British AirPods Pro 2 owners can now enable the Hearing Aid feature, available today in a free software update. The update was made possible after the UK government stripped out “pointless regulation” in January.

It’s a little bit of good news for UK Apple users after the company withdrew its encrypted iCloud storage on Friday following reports of a government demand for a security backdoor.

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Andrew Liszewski
A retro record player inspired by a retro Mac.

Gadhouse has updated its Cosmo portable turntable that debuted last year with three new color options reminiscent of Apple’s colorful iMac G3 lineup. The $199 record player is now available in venus red, jupiter green, and neptune blue as part of a new Solar Edition collection, as well as the original lucid white option.

The Cosmo has its own built-in speakers but also includes Bluetooth connectivity, a radio tuner, and can play music from an SD card.

Four versions of the Gadhouse Cosmo Solar Edition turntables in new colorway options.
Gadhouse’s Cosmo turntable is now available in three new color options.
Image: Gadhouse
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Richard Lawler
Apple could upgrade its iCloud calendar with ‘Confetti.’

In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman writes that the PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds are preparing to launch on February 11th, with heart-rate monitoring as previously rumored, and also about a new iCloud feature.

Apparently called Confetti internally, it’s an invite service for events like parties and meetings, which could be tied to a “broader” reworking of Apple’s calendar app. It certainly sounds easier than working out the issues with launching AR glasses.

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Jess Weatherbed
AirPods now require four steps to turn off noise cancellation.

Before, it only took one step to eliminate audio processing and extend battery life on newer AirPods.

Apple removed the “Off” toggle from the default modes after introducing hearing protection features to noise control in iOS 18. To restore it, open the Settings app, tap your connected AirPods, and toggle on “Off Listening Mode.” They will still default to Transparency mode when you connect, however.

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Andrew Liszewski
Klipsch’s new party speakers have sound effects for pumping up a crowd.

The company is expanding its Music City Bluetooth speaker lineup with three new party models that introduce RGB lighting that syncs to the music playing.

The Vegas, Miami, and New York speakers also feature a mic for karaoke and three dedicated buttons that play airhorn, record scratch, and applause sound effects in case the lights aren’t getting the party started fast enough.

The Klipsch Music City Party Speakers against a background collage of party photos.
The Klipsch Vegas Music City Party Speakers against a white background.
The Klipsch Miami Music City Party Speakers against a white background.
The Klipsch New York Music City Party Speakers against a white background.
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Klipsch’s new Music City party speakers, now available for preorder, range in price from $299 for the Vegas model, $549 for the Miami model, and $699 for the largest New York option.
Image: Klipsch
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Andrew Liszewski
Soundcore’s Rave 3S party speaker uses AI to remove vocals from songs.

The 200W wireless speaker also puts on a beat-synced light show and includes two wireless mics with vocal enhancement and reverb effects to improve your next karaoke performance.

The Anker brand also announced a smaller 140W Soundcore Boom 2 Pro speaker at CES that’s dustproof, waterproof, and floats, so it can join you in the pool, not just beside it.

The Soundcore Rave 3S party speaker against a colorful rendered background.
The Soundcore Boom 2 Pro against a white background.
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The Soundcore Rave 3S has a 12-hour battery and launches on March 10th for $349.
Image: Anker