If you have a Sonos speaker system at home – or even a standalone smart speaker like the Sonos One – you may be familiar with Sonos Radio, which combines a mixture of radio stations around the world as well as music curated by the audio company itself.
For a limited time, Sonos Radio users will be able to exclusively tune into a series of hour-long radio mixes by none other than Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke.
The first of these mixes is available to listen to until May 27, which according to HYPEBEAST features the singer-songwriter’s influences and favorites, "including music by Duke Ellington, Holly Herndon, James Blake, Little Simz and Thee Oh Sees".
To find it, open up the Sonos app, and head to Browse. From there, select Sonos Radio, and click on the Sonos Sound System show, underneath the Sonos Presents banner – the first hour of this show is formed from Yorke's mix.
The mix itself is squarely aimed at the alternative music crowd (which is entirely to be expected from the Radiohead frontman), with long electronic drones, a capella vocal harmony, contemplative soliloquies, and the sound of digital decay – perfect listening fodder to put your Sonos speaker system through its paces.
A different kind of radio show
Will it prove a rival for other tech company-curated stations like Apple Beats 1? We don't think so – you won't find a bubbly mix of pop, indie, and hip-hop in Thom Yorke's radio mix, or the effervescent patter of Zane Lowe.
Instead, this carefully-curated radio mix is something altogether more reflective – and it's actually ideal for sticking on in the background while you're working. Or, you can take a cue from us – shut your eyes, lay back, and let the sounds take you away...
In any case, we'd definitely recommend checking out Sonos Radio if you have a Sonos Move, Sonos Beam, or any other speaker in the family. It makes a refreshing change from Spotify, and you might just discover something that doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard before.
Looking to buy a new speaker? Check out the best Sonos speaker deals we've found below:
New details about the Sony WH-1000XM4 have come to light, revealing that the wireless headphones could be among the smartest cans we've ever seen.
Twitter user @justplayinghard published their findings from a teardown of the Sony Headphones Connect APK (Android Application Package), uncovering some of the impressive features we can expect from the follow-up to the Sony WH-1000XM3 – otherwise known as the best headphones of 2020 (and 2019, and 2018).
According to the teardown, the Sony WH-1000XM4 will be able to connect to more than one device at once, allowing you to quickly switch between them – this appears to be limited to two devices, however.
While the Sony WH-1000XM3 can already store multiple Bluetooth connections, you do have to disconnect from one to pair with another device. This feature would make it easier to share the headphones with a friend (or quickly swap your audio source from your tablet to your smartphone), however, it looks like the Hi-Res Audio LDAC codec won't be available when using multi-point pairing.
Perhaps the most interesting rumored feature is 'Smart Talking'. This means that when the Sony WH-1000XM4 detect a voice, they'll automatically enable ambient sound, allowing environmental noise to pass through the headphones so you can hear the conversation without removing your earcups. After a time of your choosing (Fast, Mid, Slow, or None), the noise cancellation will be restored.
According to XDA Developers (which corroborated the leaks with its own teardown), "users will also be able to adjust the voice detection sensitivity from Auto (based on ambient sound), High, or Low in case users find that it activates too often (such as when the person speaking is close by) or too little (such as when you’re in a vehicle). You can toggle this setting either from within the app or from (likely) the NC/Ambient button on the headphones."
The Sony WH-1000XM4 won't look very different from their predecessors (pictured).
Extreme upscaling
The Sony WH-1000XM4 will also reportedly "be able to change some (if not all) headphone settings based on your location (set locations or your own) and uses [sic] Google Maps API for it".
Changing the noise cancellation settings based on location is already possible with the Sony WH-1000XM3, thanks to a recent update – however, the use of Google Maps could automate this process, negating the need to input your locations into the Sony Connect app yourself.
It looks like the audio quality will be improved, too. The Sony Connect app teardown revealed strings of code for something called 'DSEE Extreme'.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 already use a feature called DSEE HX to upscale sound sources to higher quality – DSEE Extreme is likely an upgraded version of this technology.
Lastly, and as expected, the teardown revealed that the Sony WH-1000XM4 won't be getting any major design changes – although they will apparently come in three colors, including black, silver, and white.
Unfortunately, no hint of a Sony WH-1000XM4 release date could be found within the APK – here's hoping we get to see the noise-cancelling headphones this year.
Can't wait until then? Check out the best Sony WH-1000XM3 deals we've found today:
Have you ever felt like your smart speaker is listening in on your private conversations? You may have dismissed those feelings as paranoia, but you wouldn't be completely off the mark – voice assistants can sometimes mishear their wake words, activating when you don't want them to.
If that sends shivers down your spine, you may be interested in the latest smart speaker gadgets from Paranoid, which the company says "block smart speakers from listening, while keeping them voice-activated."
How do they do this? Well, in the case of the Paranoid Home Wave, this gadget sits on top of your smart speaker, and "discreetly generates noise and interference in close proximity to the smart speaker's microphones to jam them."
If you want to activate your smart speaker, you'd have to say "Paranoid" before making your usual commands.
Paranoid says that, "the noise generated by Paranoid Home Wave will not be perceptible to the human ear or cause any sort of disruption or distraction." Like all of its products, the Home Wave costs $39, and can be found on the Paranoid website – that works out at around £30 / AU$60, though shipping is only available in the US and Canada at the time of writing.
Push the button
If your smart speaker comes with a mute button – like the Amazon Echo Dot, for example – you could try out the Paranoid Home Button. This USB-powered device physically pushes your smart speaker's mute button and then "re-engages it after you have finished your voice command."
What if you don't trust the efficacy of the mute button? Aside from considering the fact that you may not want a smart speaker in your home at all, you could try the Paranoid Home Max.
This more extreme option requires you to ship your smart speaker to Paranoid's service centers, where "technicians physically cut the microphone and bypass the signal to go through the Paranoid circuitry."
Your smart speaker would then be returned with "Paranoid privacy built-in". Bear in mind that doing this will almost certainly void your smart speaker's warranty – and what's the difference between putting your trust in Apple, Google, or Amazon or in Paranoid?
Of all of these options, the Home Button is probably the safest device to try if you're interested in enhancing the privacy of your smart speaker. Otherwise? Maybe it's all a little bit Paranoid.
If this hasn't put you off buying a smart speaker, be sure to check out the best smart speaker deals we've found today:
Finding a Bluetooth speaker that ticks all the boxes can be tricky, especially if you're looking for something that will perform outdoors as well as in your home.
Bang & Olufsen claims to have the answer with the second-generation Beosound A1, what it says is "the world’s first Bluetooth speaker with fully integrated Alexa".
Now, it's important to take that claim with a pinch of salt – other portable speakers like the UE Megablast can connect with Alexa over Wi-Fi – but the Beosound A1 solely relies on Bluetooth to do this. This means that as long as you have data, you don't need a Wi-Fi connection to access Alexa's smarts or control your smart home devices.
As well as built-in Alexa, the puck-shaped Bluetooth speaker has been given a light redesign, with a slimmer build that are "fully dust and waterproof", according to the company – while retaining its chic carrying handle.
Bang & Olufsen says that the Beosound A1 comes with an IP67 certification, which means "the speaker is resistant to water ingress up to 1m deep for 30 minutes, and safe from sand and dirt so users can enjoy music outside by the pool and at the beach".
So, how does it sound? Well, Bang & Olufsen says that the new Beosound A1 can deliver 360 degrees of audio, with two 30W Class D amplifiers powering a woofer and a tweeter.
If you want to make that audio more immersive, you can pair two of the second-gen A1s for stereo sound, while a dive into the Bang & Olufsen app will give you customizable equalizer presets to let you personalize the sound.
The brand also says that voice calls should sound just as good, thanks to a three microphone array, while support for Microsoft Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair "gives a fast setup if you want to use the speaker for business conference calls".
Available from May 14, the new waterproof speaker will set you back $250 / £200 / AU$400.
Looking for something else? Check out the best Bluetooth speaker deals we've found today below:
The AirPods Pro may be among the best true wireless earbuds you can buy right now, but there's no denying that they're expensive, coming in at $249 / £249 / AU$399.
If you don't fancy shelling out all that cash on a pair of earbuds, Swedish audio brand Urbanista may have the answer with its latest pair of wireless buds; the Urbanista London sport noise-cancelling smarts, just like the AirPods Pro, but at a $100 / £120 discount.
Available to buy from May 25, the Urbanista London are priced at $149 / £129 – which is considerably more budget-friendly than many noise-cancelling earbuds on the market today. That works out at around AU$230, although prices are still to be confirmed in this region.
The new earbuds have taken a few style cues from the AirPods Pro as well, with protruding stems and silicone eartips – unlike Apple's earbuds however, they come in a range of colors, including navy, black, rose gold, and pearlescent white.
They should be suitable for use during workouts, thanks to an IPX4 waterproof rating, which means the earbuds can withstand a little sweat or light rain.
Built-in sensors
As for the sound, Urbanista says that the new true wireless earbuds will deliver "incredible clarity and natural sound reproduction with ground shaking bass and smooth highs".
Active noise cancellation can be turned on and off "at the press of a button", while an Ambient Sound Mode lets you tune into your surroundings – you can also summon your device's voice assistant this way. Handily, your music will automatically pause when you remove an earbud, thanks to built-in sensors.
According to Urbanista, battery life comes in at 25 hours in total – that's five hours from the earbuds themselves, and a further four charges from the case, which can be charged wirelessly on a Qi-certified mat (or via the USB-C port if you prefer).
That battery life is about the same as the AirPods Pro; unlike the Pros however, the Urbanista London support Bluetooth 5 connectivity, which allows for fast pairing times and long pairing distances with your smartphone.
Whether these earbuds can compete with the AirPods Pro – and indeed, even better true wireless earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 – in terms of sound quality and other smart features remains to be seen. All those features do sound promising, however, and we're excited to test them out – after all, we awarded the Urbanista Athens true wireless earbuds four out of five stars when we reviewed them earlier this year.
The long-awaited Google Pixel Buds are set to rival the likes of the Apple AirPods, and with the appearance of a dedicated app in the Play Store, we're expecting them to launch very soon.
There's no official release date for Google's first true wireless earbuds just yet, but if you head to the Google store, you'll be able to join a waitlist for the new earbuds.
Despite the lack of release date, the launch of a new Google Pixel Buds app suggests that they'll be available to buy soon.
According to 9to5Google, the new app can be installed on "any device running Android 6.0 or higher" – though it does point out that "as the buds will undoubtedly utilize standard Bluetooth protocols, it would be safe to assume that basic listening functions will still work on devices running older builds or even other desktop and mobile OSes".
The Google Pixel Buds app confirms some of the features we were expecting from the true wireless earbuds, with controls for touch controls, adaptive sound, in-ear detection, Google Assistant settings, and a Find My Device feature. You'll also be able to use the app to check the battery levels of your buds.
The Google Pixel Buds were announced back in October at the Made by Google event that brought us the Google Nest Mini, and will come with Google Assistant built-in, for hands-free access to the company’s super-smart voice assistant.
Those in the US will be able to buy the new earbuds for $179, and while we're still waiting on global pricing, that works out at around £140 / AU$270 with current conversion rates.
That means that (in the US at least), the Pixel Buds will be more expensive than the Apple AirPods with the standard charging case. However, they’ll still be $20 cheaper than the AirPods with Apple’s Wireless Charging Case, a feature that is rumored to come with the Pixel Buds as standard.
Right now, you can't preorder the Google Pixel Buds, but if you join the aforementioned waiting list, you'll receive an email as soon as they're available to buy.
When will we see the Apple AirPods 3? With over a year having gone by since the last iteration of Apple's true wireless earbuds, the AirPods (2019), there are naturally already murmurs of another updated model coming our way.
There have been rumors of an Apple AirPods 3 crashing into the market before 2020 is out, but recent comments from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest we may be waiting a while longer – speculating that the next-gen AirPods would start mass production in early 2021, with a new AirPods Pro model arriving in 2022 too (via AppleInsider).
According to 9to5Mac, the prolific Apple analyst believes that Apple "will continue to sell second-generation AirPods through this year’s holiday season", replacing the popular true wireless earbuds with the AirPods 3 "in the first half of 2021".
The new 'Pods will apparently take their design cues from the AirPods Pro, which ditched the rigid plastic tips and super long ear stems of the 2019 Apple AirPods, in favor of silicone eartips and a sleeker look. Whether that means they'll come with noise cancellation as well remains to be seen.
It's possible new AirPods could launch sooner than 2021, though. In fact, notable Apple leaker Jon Prosser tweeted that there's a new Apple AirPods model that is ready to be shipped immediately.
Prosser doesn't have specifics as to which model it might be, whether it's the AirPods 3 or the AirPods Pro Lite, but with no mention of new earbuds at WWDC 2020, the next feasible release window is in September, when we're expecting to see the iPhone 12.
They weren’t perfect though – and in 2019, the upgraded AirPods (or AirPods 2, if you will) were furnished with Apple’s H1 chip, which brought with it faster pairing times, longer battery, and a cool hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ feature.
These second-gen true wireless earbuds were a definite improvement upon their predecessors – but they were still easily eclipsed by the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM3, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1, and Apple’s own AirPods Pro in 2019.
While we haven’t heard any confirmation from Apple that it will be launching the AirPods 3 this year, we’ve still had plenty of time to come up with a wish list of all the features we’d want to see from the company’s next true wireless earbuds.
While we have a few ideas about the specs we might see with the new earbuds, a firm AirPods 3 release date still eludes us. Saying that, a May 2020 tweet from respected tech analyst Jon Prosser claimed that a new pair of Apple earbuds are "ready to ship".
Despite this, we aren't counting on a 2020 release date.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an often-cited and often-correct Apple analyst, the third generation AirPods, aka the AirPods 3, are likely to enter mass-production in the first half of 2021.
As for new AirPods Pro? Any AirPods Pro 2 aren't going to see the light of day until the fourth quarter of 2021 – at the earliest – with an early 2022 launch more likely.
If we do see any new Apple headphones in 2020, the next big release window is in September. That's the month the company usually releases its latest handsets, and this year we're expecting to see the iPhone 12.
A report in DigiTimes (via MacRumors) passes on information from the Apple supply chain that production of these ambient light sensors is being ramped up, quite possibly to get ready for some brand new wireless earbuds.
There are a lot of dots to join here, and there isn't necessarily just one way to join them – but that said, it would make a lot of sense for Apple to want to boost the fitness tracking capabilities of future AirPod models, much as it did with the Apple Watch.
If rumors are to be believed, the new AirPods 3 won't look very different from their predecessors, with all the material changes taking place under the hood.
According to Kuo, the AirPods 3 will look most like the AirPods Pro, with silicone eartips and a sleek look.
Whether that means they'll come with noise cancellation as well remains to be seen; MacRumors editor Joe Rossignol has speculated that the AirPods 3 will simply be a cheaper version of the AirPods Pro with noise cancellation removed.
AirPods 3: what we want to see
Better sound than the AirPods 2
The AirPods (2019) were an improvement upon their predecessors in terms of connectivity, but the sound remained exactly the same as the originals – and that audio technology is now four years old.
They have a lively, powerful presentation, although they can sound slightly harsh when it comes to higher-frequency sounds, and they aren’t the bassiest earbuds on the market.
Since the launch of the original AirPods, the sound quality offered by true wireless earbuds has soared; just look at the Sony WF-1000XM3 or the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1.
There’s no reason why Apple couldn’t take a cue from these companies and really develop the sound of their earbuds, with more accurately-tuned drivers for improved bass response and rolled-off trebles – after all, the company has proved it possible with the AirPods Pro.
Adjustable eartips
While we did respect Apple’s refusal to amend the design of the AirPods – for a time – we think it’s time that it furnished the true wireless earbuds with adjustable eartips, just like it has with the AirPods Pro.
Why? Well aside from catering to more ear-sizes, silicone or foam eartips provide a better seal, and therefore superior noise isolation, and passive noise-reduction – making your music sound better, while simultaneously preventing the entire world from earwigging on your favorite songs.
The AirPods (2019)
Better battery life
True wireless earbuds like the Lypertek Tevi have shown that cutting the cord doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your battery life – and there’s really no need for the AirPods to only be offering a measly five hours of playback in 2020.
Sure, the charging case offers a further 20 hours of battery, but that number is far surpassed by lots of models on the market these days – and many of them are far cheaper, too.
Bluetooth 5 and aptX HD support
Again, Apple needs to get with the times in this respect – Bluetooth 4.2 is positively dated these days, with most new wireless headphones coming with support for the latest wireless transmission standard, Bluetooth 5 (and some, like the new Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 even support Bluetooth 5.1).
Bluetooth 5 brings longer pairing distances, more reliable wireless connectivity, and more efficient power usage, which means headphones that support it come with longer battery lives.
Meanwhile, aptX HD support would allow for wireless streaming of Hi-Res Audio codecs at 24-bit/48kHz – which Qualcomm claims makes for better-than-CD quality.
The AirPods (2019)
What about the AirPods Pro Lite?
Before we see the AirPods 3, we’re expecting the release of the so-called AirPods Pro Lite, an entry-level version of the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro.
November 2019 brought us the AirPods Pro, which came with active noise cancellation, a better fit, and superior audio quality. Despite no official confirmation from Apple, and very hazy details on the earbuds, we even heard reports on how the current coronavirus outbreak will stall production on the AirPods Pro Lite – and then later reports disparaging these claims.
While initial rumors suggested new 'regular' AirPods would crash into the market before 2020 is out, but recent comments from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggest we may be waiting a while longer – speculating that the next-gen AirPods would start mass production in early 2021, with a new AirPods Pro model arriving in 2022 too (via AppleInsider).
According to a report by respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who correctly predicted the release of the upgraded Apple AirPods and the AirPods Pro in 2019, the wireless headphones were meant to launch alongside a number of new products in the first half of 2020. However, Kuo has now amended that prediction to late 2020 – and suggested that these inside rumors were actually about a new Beats headphones model, rather than anything in the AirPods range (via AppleInsider).
Whether we see the AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro Lite, or the AirPods Studio in 2020 remains to be seen – especially with so many companies experiencing production delays as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Either way, Apple is almost certainly going to keep us busy in the coming couple of years.
German audio company Sennheiser has launched the follow up to its successful Momentum True Wireless earbuds, which have been given active noise cancelation like the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3.
Like many of the best noise-cancelling headphones, they feature a Transparent Mode that allows environmental sound to pass through the buds, which is handy if you're using these earbuds to work out and want to be more aware of your surroundings.
Alongside noise-cancelling smarts, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 have been furnished with a much longer battery life, with seven hours from the buds themselves, and a further 21 hours from the charging case.
We spent a little time getting to know the new true wireless earbuds, and so far, we're mightily impressed – although we're not sure they're the most comfortable buds on the market, their sound quality could even give the Sony WF-1000XM3's a run for their money.
Like their predecessors, the Momentum True Wireless 2 are packing 7mm dynamic drivers, which the company says will create "outstanding stereo sound, with deep bass, natural mids, and clear, detailed treble".
A handy auto-pause feature means that your music playback will cease every time you remove the buds from your ears, which means you don't need to fumble around for your phone if you need to have a quick conversation.
This sound can be personalized using the Sennheiser Smart Control app, which features a built-in equalizer, and allows you to amend the noise cancelation settings and reconfigure the earbuds' touch controls.
These touch controls allow you to make phone calls, adjust your music playback, and interact with your smartphone's voice assistant, whether you use Siri or Google Assistant. Calls should sound crystal clear too, thanks to two beam-forming microphones designed to pick up your voice.
Connectivity should also be flawless, with the very latest wireless transmission standard, Bluetooth 5.1. These wireless earbuds also come with support for Qualcomm's aptX, which should allow for Hi-Res Audio streaming over Bluetooth.
Design-wise, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 look pretty similar to their predecessors, with shiny metallic housings and a rounded shape. However, these buds are apparently 2mm smaller than the originals, and come with an IPX4 water-resistance rating, making them suitable for use during sweaty workouts (just don't take them into the shower when you're done).
The new buds aren't cheap at $299 / £279 / AU$499.95. You'll be able to buy the black variant from April, with the white model to be released later this year.
Amazon-owned security company Ring has upgraded its lineup of smart security cameras with two new models, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus.
The new Ring cameras boast many of the same specs as their predecessors – including a very similar design – but come with a few new features that should reduce false motion-detection alerts, improve connectivity, better battery life and help to identify people captured by the camera.
These new features could help to prevent would-be intruders and – if worse comes to worst – identify nefarious characters who try to enter your home when you're away.
One of these new features is a 'near motion zone', that comes into effect between 5 and 15 feet from your front door. This new motion zone should prevent the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and 3 Plus from over enthusiastically sending you notifications every time a car drives past, instead focusing on the area directly outside of your home.
Both new Ring cameras now come with dual-band Wi-Fi, offering 5GHz for better wireless connectivity – for comparison, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 could only handle 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
Roll the camera
Another feature, which is unique to to the more premium Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, is the ability to record pre-roll footage.
This means that you'll be able to see up to four seconds of video before a 'motion event'; previously, the camera would only be triggered in the seconds after it detected motion, which meant it was possible to miss footage of a person when they first appeared in the vicinity of your Ring Doorbell.
This works thanks to a module that contains three additional cameras, which all work together to record the scene from your front door; these three feeds come together to create one 1080p image.
Whether this will drain the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus' battery remains to be seen; after all the camera will need to be constantly rolling. Amazon says that the new module actually helps to save battery, and it is possible to hard-wire both new cameras if you'd prefer not rely on their internal batteries.
As the more highly-specced camera of the two new models, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is pricier than its sibling, costing $229.99 (about £180 / AU$350). Meanwhile, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 will cost $199.99 (around £150 / AU$300) – both devices will ship in the US from April 8, with global pricing and availability to be confirmed.
Protection at the expense of privacy?
The new Ring cameras should prove popular, as smart video doorbells have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. These nifty smart home devices give us the chance to see exactly who is at their door – even when away from home – as well as recording intruders in the event of a break-in.
Furthermore, privacy concerns have somewhat dented the Ring brand, with a recent data breach exposing the personal data of more than 3,000 device owners. In response, Amazon unveiled new web dashboard of privacy controls that allows its users to better manage the access settings of their devices, as well as requiring all users to sign in using two-factor authentication.
Apple headphones used to be restricted to the wired EarPods you’ll find in the box of a new iPhone, but these days the tech giant is well on its way to becoming a credible audio brand that can stand up to the likes of Sony and Bose.
Then, in 2016, the company brought out the Apple AirPods, and in doing so, thrust true wireless earbuds into the mainstream. While the AirPods – which were upgraded in 2019 with Apple’s H1 chip – are by no means the best true wireless earbuds you can buy, they’re undeniably iconic, with their long stems and all-white design. Beats followed suit with the Powerbeats Pro, which came with a sports-ready earhook design and pumping bass.
In late 2019, Apple stepped up its true wireless game with the AirPods Pro, which brought noise cancelation, better sound, and a sleek design to its cord-cutting earbuds – that’s why you’ll find them at the top of our guide to the best Apple headphones. Before we dive into our top picks however, we've answered some common questions about Apple headphones to make your buying decision even easier:
Are Apple headphones worth buying? It depends on what you're looking for – if you want easy pairing with your iPhone, you can't go wrong with Apple or Beats headphones. Looking for pure audio fidelity? You're better off looking at competitors like Sony and Bose, though more Apple headphones like the AirPods Pro sound very good indeed.
How much are Apple headphones? Prices vary, but Apple headphones tend to sit at the pricier end of the mid-range. For example, the Beats Powerbeats 3 cost $199.95 / £169.95 / AU$259.95 at launch, while the AirPods Pro cost $249 / £249 / AU$399.
Can I work out with Apple headphones? Yes.The best Apple headphones for working out at the Powerbeats Pro, thanks to their earhook design and sweatproof IPX4 rating. Other models, like the AirPods Pro have no such rating, though Apple says that they're water and sweat-resistant.
Are AirPods noise-cancelling? The only noise-cancelling AirPods are the AirPods Pro. Otherwise you'll have to look to Beats headphones like the Studio 3 Wireless and the Solo Pro to block out environmental sound.
Can AirPods connect to Android phones? Yes, they can. You might find they're marginally slower to pair than they would be with an iPhone, but the difference is negligible. However, if you are using AirPods with an Android, you'll miss out on features like auto-pause or the ability to customize noise cancelation.
Do Beats work better with Apple? Again, Apple headphones – and therefore Beats headphones – are designed to work seamlessly with Apple's ecosystem. That doesn't mean you can't use Beats headphones with other operating systems, but you may miss out on some features if you do.
Apple's best headphones of 2020, the AirPods Pro, bring active noise cancellation, a much better fit, and an improved design to the company's previous true wireless earbuds.
They're not quite the best true wireless earbuds out there (that honor goes to the Sony WF-1000XM3), and at $249 / £249 / AU$399 they aren't cheap, either.
That said, if you’re an iPhone user looking for some well-fitting earbuds with strong sound quality, you could do a lot worse than the latest AirPods – the redesign means they’re far less likely to fall out, and the additional microphones provide strong noise-cancelling (particularly when commuting), as well as a useful Transparency mode, which really does let the outside world in.
The sound quality of the AirPods Pro has certainly improved since the previous iteration – there’s a notable emphasis on vocals and bass, meaning these earbuds are better for pop fans than those who enjoy a more natural presentation that lends itself to classical music or more orchestral sounds.
Apparently, there's a new AirPods model on the horizon to join the original buds and the newer Pros. The AirPods Pro Lite are rumored to be a new, cheaper variant of the company's popular true wireless earbuds, and they could be released this year.
Bringing top-notch adaptive noise cancelling to its on-ear offering for the first time, Beats Solo Pro is a marked step up from its previous iterations – particularly when it comes to build quality.
Sturdier than the Beats Solo 3 and sporting a cool matte finish in each color, the Beats Solo Pro feel like the biggest step up in quality the series has seen in some time for its larger line of headphones. Like the 2019 AirPods and AirPods Pro, they come with the H1 chip which allows for fast pairing and hands-free Siri integration.
Priced at $299.95 (£269.95 / AU$429.95 / NZ$499.95), the Solo Pro will likely appeal most to users who want a great pair of Beats cans without committing to Apple's bulkier, pricier over-ear option, the Beats Studio 3 Wireless.
The active noise-cancelation brings Apple's Beats somewhat closer to the best offerings from Sony and Bose, although those two are still ahead by some distance – the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are our top two picks in this field.
We do like the simple-one button access to the transparency mode here, though. This optional feature allows some outside noise to come through, which can be handy in an office if you want to be aware of someone calling your name or making sure you're aware of traffic around you when walking or cycling.
The PowerBeats Pro true wireless earbuds are something special – they’re supremely comfortable, sound decent and seem to never, ever fall out.
They might not be the best true wireless earbuds in Apple's audio arsenal now that the AirPods Pro are here, but they are Apple’s most premium play into the world of running headphones, and are the buds we'd recommend to most workout enthusiasts.
That's thanks to features like the pressure-reducing micro-laser barometric venting hole, their long on-board battery life and good sound quality. If we had to choose between wearing these and the original AirPods around the house or office, these are what we’d wear.
With an over-ear, closed back design, the Studio 3 are among the best noise-cancelling headphones Beats has ever made.
The battery has massively improved since previous models too, so you can enjoy music for up to 22 hours, or 40 with the active noise cancellation turned off – just like the Beats Solo Pro.
However, there are sound issues you just don’t hear in other good headphones at the price. It’s not boomy bass but a tire of blubber sitting between the bass and mids that makes the Beats Studio 3 Wireless less articulate and open-sounding than most alternatives.
Still, they're a good match for iPhones missing 3.5mm jacks – in fact, you can pair them with any smartphone thanks to the Bluetooth technology. The Studio 3s are available in multiple colors too, including red, matte black, white, porcelain rose, blue and shadow grey.
2019 was a big year for the Apple AirPods; in March last year, the true wireless earbuds were given an upgrade to give us the new AirPods, and most recently, Apple announced the Apple AirPods Pro.
The second generation Apple AirPods, the AirPods (2019), aren't a huge improvement on their predecessors, but they still sport some cool features, that may make them worth buying if you're an iPhone user in particular.
They still feature the iconic design of the original AirPods, and sound quality hasn't changed at all – it's lively, but not on par with the best true wireless earbuds of 2020. The bulk of the upgrade comes from the new H1 headphone chip, which improves connectivity and battery life, and allows for a new ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature.
The AirPods (2019) also come with an optional wireless charging case means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the case, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case.
Like their predecessors, they are super easy to pair, but they are very much optimized for using with iPhones. The best true wireless earbuds give you more flexibility when it comes to your device of choice, and can offer superior sound quality – as well as sleeker designs.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that these are an expensive pair of headphones, and for that kind of money we think that you can find better products elsewhere – especially if you're looking to pair with anything other than an iPhone.
The PowerBeats 3 running headphones are yet another pair of Beats headphones that aim to keep your tunes pumping while you keep your legs pumping. They may come with the high price that is a signature of the Beats and Apple brands, but they offer a lot for runners, and especially for Apple users.
With a 12-hour battery life and a quick charge function that can add an hour of battery life in a few minutes, the PowerBeats 3 should rarely run out of juice in the middle of anything short of an insane ultra-marathon. They’re also ready for all the sweat from your brow, and can even handle a run in the rain.
The Beats Powerbeats 4 could be coming soon, too – and they could make perfect running headphones. After some digging around in iOS 13, a new icon for the upcoming buds was discovered, which shows they'll sport the same workout-friendly design as the true wireless Powerbeats Pro.
According to a report by respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who correctly predicted the release of the upgraded Apple AirPods and the AirPods Pro in 2019, the first over-ear Apple headphones will launch alongside a number of new products in the first half of 2020.
A March release date is possible, based on previous Apple launches, though icons for the new Apple headphones have been discovered in iOS 14, which is due to release between September and November this year – so we may be waiting a little longer.
An inventory listing from US store Target, may have revealed the price of the hotly-anticipated cans, too. YouTuber Jon Prosser posted an image to Twitter, purporting to show the upcoming over-ear headphones in Target's system, mysteriously listed as "Apple AirPods (X Generation)".
The product in the image appears to cost $399, which works out at around £300 / AU$600 – if these are the rumored Apple StudioPods, then the brand is aiming for the higher end of the price scale, surpassing the cost of competitors like the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro Lite will reportedly be an entry-level version of the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro, which suggest the rumored wireless earbuds might be cheaper than the most expensive Apple earbuds currently on the market.
Rumors have been circling since mid-February, after a report from DigiTimes claimed that the new true wireless earbuds will launch in the first half of 2020.
Lastly, the Powerbeats 3 could be getting a follow-up in the form of the hotly-anticipated Powerbeats 4 wireless earbuds.
That’s based on a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing that depicts a pair of wireless earphones, called 'Power Beats Wireless' awarded to Apple on February 27.
While Apple hasn't confirmed the existence of the Beats Powerbeats 4 – if that’s what they’ll be called – FCC filings are usually a good indicator that a product is on the verge of being released.
Most recently, we've seen our first images of the Powerbeats 4; on March 9 WinFuture published what it says are photographs of the new wireless earbuds, along with new information on battery life, design, and support for Siri.
I’ve never had such a visceral, physical reaction to a film as I did when I saw 1917 at the Dolby screening rooms in Soho, central London.
Directed by Sam Mendes, the First World War epic follows two British soldiers who are tasked with crossing no man’s land to deliver an important message to another regiment, warning them that their impending attack on the German army is doomed to failure.
The lights went up, and as I walked the 15 minutes from the screening rooms to the train station, bristling against the wind, I noticed that my hands were shaking a little.
I felt as if I had just walked out of a war zone and found myself on the bustling streets of Chinatown in London. It was… jarring.
I realized that I had been so invested, so utterly engrossed in the film I was watching that some part of me had started to feel like I was actually there, on the Western Front of northern France, dodging bullets, cowering from explosions, and recoiling from the decomposing bodies of countless fallen soldiers.
Aside from the innovative one shot-style cinematography used in 1917, a key contributor to this unusual immersion is down to the sound design – and in particular, the use of Dolby Atmos.
Real danger
Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format that allows you to hear sound in a 360-degree bubble, as if the sound you hear from a film is coming at you from all angles.
This gives the sound a more three-dimensional effect – imagine the difference between hearing a helicopter flying a few hundred yards away versus hovering directly over your head.
The audio mixing happens in sound studios where audio engineers take sound effects in movies and digitally move them around three-dimensional space. When you play the movie back using Dolby Atmos speakers, you'll be able to hear the effects move around you, just like the audio engineers intended.
In 1917’s case, that means that a stray bullet sounded as though it was actually whizzing past my ear, and a shot-down fighter plane seemed to whine and sputter directly overhead before it crashed to the ground, spewing black smoke right in front of my eyes.
The result was that every gunshot made me jump out of my skin, and in my own small way, I was able to experience the sheer panic of characters on screen. At times, it was genuinely frightening.
It felt like real danger, and that’s a testament not only to the prowess of the post-production team (who won the Oscars for Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, and Cinematography), but also the power of Dolby Atmos used to its full potential.
If you can, I urge you to see 1917 at a Dolby Atmos-equipped theater – you won't be disappointed.
We've been waiting for a Sony WH-1000XM4 release date ever since an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) filing from Sony revealed the model number of what could be a brand new pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
While we don't have a release date just yet, we have been given our first glimpse of the new cans, which are set to follow on from the success of the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones – our best headphones of 2020.
According to The Verge, photos of the Sony WH-1000XM4 were discovered by Twitter user Everton Favretto in an Anatel listing – Brazil's version of the FCC.
If these really are the Sony WH-1000XM4 – and it's important to note that Sony hasn't confirmed their existence, yet alone the legitimacy of these photos – they look incredibly similar to the Sony WH-1000XM3. Practically identical, in fact.
A photograph from the listing shows how similar the Sony WH-1000XM4 (pictured) look to their predecessors.
Longer battery, better Bluetooth
While we can't glean much from the photos, a user manual that was included in the listing does reveal a little more information. It's worth noting, however, that this user manual seems to be a draft document, and therefore the details could absolute differ when the final product is released.
That being said, it does suggest some of the ways the WH-1000XM4s will improve upon their predecessors, including and upgrade from Bluetooth 4.2 to Bluetooth 5, which should bring a longer wireless range, more stable connectivity, and speedier data transfer.
Power consumption seems to have dropped from 8W to 2W, which could make the headphones last longer; indeed, battery life also appears to have increased from 36 hours to 40 hours.
There also appears to be a new feature called 'speak to chat', which could allow you to summon your voice assistant of choice (whether that's Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri) by uttering a wake word. Right now, you have to press a button on the WH-1000XM3s to ask your voice assistant to do your bidding.
Hopefully those extra features won't come at a premium. At this stage, Sony hasn't even confirmed that it will be releasing the 1000-XM4s, let alone the price – however, we can hazard a guess based on previous Sony headphones.
The new cans will probably be at least as expensive as the WH-1000XM3, which cost $349 / £300 / AU$499 at launch, as did their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM2 – and if they can keep to this price or even undercut it, it's likely that Sony will remain the king of wireless headphones for the foreseeable future.
Wireless speaker manufacturer Sonos has changed its controversial Trade Up program, so that you don't have to kill your old Sonos speaker if you want to save money on a newer model like the Sonos Move or Sonos One.
The program, which offered a 30% discount on new models to owners of older Sonos speakers, originally required customers to put their old speaker into Recycle Mode, rendering it totally unusable.
The new move means that you can keep your old Sonos speaker and still claim that 30% discount.
Eligible speakers include the Sonos Connect, Connect:Amp, ZP80, ZP90, ZP100, and ZP120 – as well as the Sonos Play:1, which has now been discontinued, and replaced by the Sonos One and One SL.
To take advantage of the program, you'll need to head to the Sonos app, select My Account, and then System. Here you simply need to enter the serial number of your old device (you can do this with multiple speakers) and you'll get the 30% discount.
Once you've confirmed within in the Sonos app, you'll receive your discount to be put towards a new device, whether you opt for the Move, soundbars like the Beam and the Playbase, or wireless speakers like the Play:5, or the One.
Waste not, want not
While Sonos can be commended for its efforts to reduce e-waste (electronic waste) and encourage its customers to recycle unwanted gadgets, requiring its users to effectively destroy products that may still work perfectly seemed a bit, well, mean – and could actually be more wasteful than allowing customers to resell or keep using their old devices.
When Sonos introduced the Trade Up program in October last year, customers were required to effectively kill old devices to take advantage of that 30% discount; putting speakers into Recycle Mode meant that their data was wiped and they were permanently deactivated.
You had a few options when it comes to recycling; you can either take your old Sonos speakers to a certified e-recycling centre or a participating retailer, or printing off a pre-paid shipping label and sending your old speakers back to Sonos.
According to Engadget, if you've already set some products to recycle mode, you can't reverse it yourself, but Sonos has said customers in that situation should contact its customer service team to assist. We've reached out to Sonos for comment, but are yet to hear back.
The Sonos Move (pictured) is the company's latest wireless speaker.
Sonos recently came under fire after announcing that that it will no longer provide software updates and ongoing support for a number of its legacy products, including the original Sonos Play: 5.
On top of the 2010 Play:5, Sonos will cease updates in May for the Connect and Connect Amp, the original Zone Players, the CR200, and Bridge. It's important to note that this doesn't mean your old Sonos speaker will stop working – it just won't receive any new features from May onwards.
This could prove a problem for anyone who uses one of these speakers as part of a multi-room setup, as each speaker needs to be using the same firmware.
This could stop your newer Sonos speaker from receiving the updates it needs; the solution of course, is to disconnect the offending speaker (but then your multi-room setup will be missing one component, which isn't ideal if it consists of only two speakers to begin with).
While Sonos confirmed that it will "monitor and deal with bugs in the future, should they arise" in these older speakers, many customers bought these speakers with the expectation that they would work for decades, like traditional Hi-Fi systems.
In Sonos' defense, the technical capabilities of these older speakers meant that they couldn't support new updates even if they wanted to, due to limitations on memory and processing power.
Even so, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence issued an apology to fans on Twitter:
“We heard you. We did not get this right from the start,” Spence says in the letter, apologizing for Sonos preemptively ending support for older Sonos devices like the original Play:5, and going on to claim that those products will now receive bug fixes and security patches “for as long as possible.”
The earbuds appeared very briefly on the Qualcomm aptX website, being described as 'aptX HD enabled'; this post was swiftly taken down, but not before it was spotted by The Walkman Blog.
While we don't know whether this was a mistake or a premature post on the website, it could mean that aptX HD support is coming to the Sony WF-1000XM3 in the form of a firmware update.
aptX HD is a Bluetooth codec that can wirelessly transmit Hi-Res Audio files at 24-bit/48kHz – something that, until now, the Sony WF-1000XM3 haven't been able to handle.
What's the benefit of aptX HD?
Unlike lossy MP3 files, Hi-Res Audio codecs are capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources, a sound that closely replicates the quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of recording.
The increased bit depth of Hi-Res Audio improves the dynamic range (or, how loud and quiet a track sounds), basically giving you a greater breadth of things to actually hear from the recording, making tracks sound more expansive and detailed.
Audiophiles swear by Hi-Res streaming services like Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and Qobuz for this reason – and if the Sony WF-1000XM3 can appeal to this market by bringing the fidelity of Hi-Res Audio to the convenience of true wireless earbuds, it could reinvigorate its already-brilliant earbuds.
A screenshot of the post before it was taken down.
If the Sony WF-1000XM3 really are getting aptX support, it does raise questions about the brand's own wireless Hi-Res Audio codec.
As What Hi-Fi? points out, Sony already owns its own 24-bit capable codec, called LDAC, which it could use free of charge – unlike aptX, for which Qualcomm charges a license fee.
Saying that, the WF-1000XM3 have never supported LDAC, and its class-leading over-ears, the Sony WH-1000XM3 support both aptX HD and LDAC, and come with a very similar processing chip to their true wireless sibling. So, it's entirely possible that the buds will one day be capable of handling both codecs.
With rumors of yet another competitor coming to the market (the AirPods Pro Lite, to be exact), adding Hi-Res Audio support in any form would be a savvy move from Sony – and could secure the WF-1000XM3's place at the true wireless top spot for the rest of 2020.
Choosing the best music streaming service for your needs can be a little tricky; while streaming is still relatively new in the grand scheme of music-listening, there are so many platforms to choose from these days, two of the biggest being Spotify and Tidal.
Spotify is currently the world’s most popular streaming service, hitting 113 million subscribers in October last year, and continuing to grow; and that’s in spite of mounting competition from the likes of Apple Music.
However Spotify isn’t perfect as a service, and its lossy audio streams have left audiophiles craving a little more fidelity – which is where Tidal comes in.
With a focus on providing Hi-Res Audio at a CD-like level of quality, the platform was acquired in 2015 by hip-hop star Jay-Z, becoming the first major music service to be owned by the artists themselves. As such, Tidal claims to pay higher royalties than its competitors to artists and songwriters.
It’s not just about ethics and audio quality though; both Spotify and Tidal offer different user experiences, pricing structures, and music catalogues. Making the best choice for your needs can be confusing, to say the least.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to both services so you can compare them in one easy place, and hopefully find out whether Spotify or Tidal is the best streaming service for you.
Both Spotify and Tidal offer a number of different subscription tiers – but only Spotify offers a free plan (though it is ad-supported and you can’t listen to tracks in the order you want).
The cheapest paid Spotify plan is Spotify Premium, which costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month, and gives you unlimited access to its 30 million-plus track library on your laptop, phone, and tablet. Spotify Premium also lets you download tracks to three devices at a time for offline playback.
Discounts are available for students, and you can even get Premium and access to mindfulness app Headspace under one discounted plan. Students get Headspace access as part of their Premium package.
If there are a few people in your household that want to use Spotify, you can save money by signing up to a Spotify Premium for Family account, which allows up to six people to connect to Spotify at one time (if you try to do this with a regular account, you’ll get bumped off the service as soon as another user plays a song). This tier costs $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99, and requires all members to live under the same roof.
Tidal offers two subscription plans, the cheapest being Tidal Premium, which costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99, and offers streams at a bitrate of 320kbps – the same audio quality as Spotify.
If it’s Hi-Res Audio you’re after, you’ll need to shell out for $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 per month for Tidal HiFi. So, Spotify offers cheaper subscription plans, but it doesn’t provide a higher fidelity tier for audiophiles like Tidal does.
User interface
One of the reasons that Spotify is so popular is down to its easy-to-use interface. When you open up the app, you’ll find a number of personalized playlists - your ‘Daily Mixes’ – that have been curated by Spotify based on your listening habits, alongside your top artists, top playlists, and new releases.
That’s a thing to note about Spotify; there are a lot of playlists. That might sound daunting, but it’s a strategy that works as its algorithms ultimately tailor the app to each user.
Everything is laid out in colorful tiles that pop against Spotify’s dark background. The tile system is just small enough to make selecting new albums and playlists easy while packing in plenty into a timeline of content that’s ultimately curated to what you’ve been listening to and what you might want to jump into next.
On the desktop app and web player, there’s a sidebar on the left of the screen that lets you navigate new music releases, radio stations, as well as your library, playlists, recently played songs and more. In the mobile app these sections are a little more hidden away to save space, and it’s worth noting that the layout of the desktop and mobile platforms are a little different.
Searching is very intuitive and even if you misspell an artist’s name, Spotify will generally find what you’re looking for.
Tidal uses a similar tile-based interface on a dark background, and you’ll find curated playlists, recommended albums, and charts on your home screen. Clicking the sidebar will take you to your ‘My Music’ area, where you’ll find all your saved tracks, and browsing is generally very easy.
You can’t search by genre, unlike Spotify, which is a shame for a platform aimed at true music lovers. Search generally isn't terribly smart - misspell an album or artist name even by one character or one piece of punctuation, and you'll be left with zero results. A bit of optimization here wouldn't hurt, but as long as you're careful you won't have any problems with it.
Saying that, Tidal does boast one cool feature that Spotify doesn’t; audio-search is essentially like having Shazam built directly into the app. Press the button and it’ll listen out for any song it can pick up in your environment, identify it, and allow you to save it to your own Tidal library.
Compatibility
You can get Spotify on Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices. If you use a laptop or desktop, Spotify also supports OS X and Windows, and there’s a flash-based web player, too.
Support for Tidal is largely the same, so you can get it on devices that run iOS 11 and higher, Android 5 and higher, macOS, and Windows. Both streaming platforms are also supported by a number of more left-field gadgets, including AV receivers, TVs, and even cars.
Music catalogue and discovery
Spotify currently boasts over 50 million songs, whereas Tidal claims to have 60 million tracks in its catalogue.
Spotify’s strong influx of tracks helped it take off in its early days, and with a reported 40,000 tracks added on average every single day – and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The streaming giant has a heavy focus on promoting new tracks and breakthrough artists, through curated playlists like New Music Friday acting as a launch pad for fledgling artists to break through into the big time.
Curated playlists are almost always the first thing you see when you load any version of the app, with the service seemingly designing playlists for almost every musical sub-genre. These are constantly being updated too, so your favorite ones never grate following extended use.
As we mentioned before, you’ll also find personalized playlists based on your listening habits, which is a fantastic way to discover new music, as well as revisiting some of your favorite tracks.
Spotify does have some glaring omissions in its music catalog, however, largely down to artists who don’t want to make their music available to stream anywhere or artists who have a particular dislike of Spotify’s royalty payments.
You won’t find artists like Joanna Newsom and Garth Brooks on Spotify, and until fairly recently you couldn't even listen to The Beatles – though you’ll find their entire discography on the streaming platform these days (thank goodness).
Some of the artists who are absent from Spotify have close ties to Jay-Z and therefore favor his platform, Tidal. Beyoncé’s 2019 album Lemonade debuted on Tidal exclusively, for example.
That means Tidal’s catalogue can feel somewhat skewed towards hip-hop and rap artists, though it’s possible that this is down to the platform’s editorial curation of its tracks.
That being said, Tidal does a good job of curating music playlists based on your listening habits, and you’ll find that just a few weeks of use will give its algorithms enough information to serve you truly exciting recommendations.
Aside from these personalized recommendations, Tidal also signposts the most popular playlists and releases on its service, as well as mood-based playlists, and the Tidal Rising section, which flies the flag for new talent.
Both platforms also offer podcasts, though it seems like Spotify is taking this area a little more seriously, having spent over $200 million to acquire two podcast production companies in 2019.
Audio quality
If you subscribe to Spotify Premium, you can choose between three sound quality levels: normal, high and extreme. When using the mobile and desktop apps, Spotify uses Ogg Vorbis. This was a semi-popular format a decade ago, and Spotify continues to use it because it's open source. Spotify doesn't have to pay a license fee for it.
At Standard setting, music streams at 96kbps, which sounds a lot better than MP3 at 129kbps. Switch up to the high quality setting and the bitrate bumps up to 160kbps. The extreme setting uses 320kbps, which is perceptually close to lossless. Spotify doesn't offer any lossless or Hi-Res streaming, which is one reason why audiophiles might want to consider another service.
If you’re dead-set on the best possible audio quality, then Tidal is your best bet. For that, you’ll need a Tidal HiFi subscription, which allows you to stream lossless 16-bit FLAC and ALAC audio – though there are also thousands of TIDAL Masters files that stream at 24-bit.
Even if you opt for Tidal Premium, its catalogue is still available to stream in 320kbps, the same quality as Spotify’s highest setting – and you may even find that Tidal’s tracks sound a little richer at this setting.
So, why bother with lossless streaming? Well, Hi-Res Audio codecs are capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources, a sound that closely replicates the quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of recording.
The increased bit depth of HRA improves the dynamic range, basically giving you a greater breadth of things to actually hear from the recording, making tracks sound more detailed and clear.
It’s a little like the difference between SD and HD television; the former works just fine, but you’ll notice a real difference in quality if you make the upgrade to higher resolution audio.
Choosing between Spotify and Tidal largely comes down to whether you care about Hi-Res Audio; if you do, you won’t find it in Spotify, and you should absolutely opt for Tidal.
It’s also worth considering Tidal if you’re a devoted fan of specific artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and others – these artists are likely to release music exclusively on Tidal, at least to begin with, with releases trickling down to Spotify months later.
Even with these few omissions, Spotify and Tidal are pretty much on the same level in terms of music catalogue and discovery, and both platforms’ cheapest subscription tiers cost the same (though only Spotify offers a free service).
Spotify does win out in terms of its interface; while the two platforms are pretty similar in this regard, Spotify’s search function is much better than Tidal’s, and it’s just a little bit easier to navigate as a platform.
