Report Door’s favorite audio gear: headphones, speakers and more

Ever since sincedouard-leon Scott de Martinville Nearly unprepared version recorded In the mid-19th century French song “au clair de la lune”, it is clear that the technique you use and use to hear sounds can affect your experience. Even now, some 150 years later, the quality of your gear can mean the difference between a pungent, almost unrecognizable noise or a fully felt frightening experience.

As you can imagine, the people here The Reporter Door Spending a lot of time listening to a wide variety of digital sounds – whether it be online meetings, music, podcasts, videos, or sound checks of your own multimedia productions. We asked employees whether their favorite devices were either to listen to, amplify or produce their digital sounds. Here’s what he talked about.

Plantronics Explorer 500 Bluetooth Headset

About six years ago, I reviewed a middleweight Bluetooth headset from Plantronics (now Poly), called the Explorer 500. It was a small, well-made, single-ear headset, and came with a small USB cable that magnetically snapped together. Become loop I thought it was a very good piece of technology at the time, so I bought one – and I’m still using it. Of course, it’s not great for music (it only uses one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly convenient to hang on the loop in my bag, so I use it for quick phone calls. Catch or if I want to listen to a podcast. And amazingly, the battery still carries a reasonable charge. In these days, I have to invest entirely in wireless headsets, so that I can get fully mobile music – but until then, my Explorer 500 works well on me. – Barbara Krasnoff, Review Editor

AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC

Audioquest’s DragonFlu Portable Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) brings high-quality audio to your devices. Most laptops, tablets, and smartphones do not have great DACs or do not support high-res files natively FLAC (Nor tell you when they don’t), but with DragonFlu, you’ll be able to listen to uncompressed audio up to 24-bit / 96kHz. There is also an LED light on the device that changes color to indicate at what time the sampling rate is being supported. Creates AudioQuest Three different models: Original DragonFly Black; Dragon Red, which uses a high-performance DAC chip; And DragonFly Cobalt, its highest model.

To take full advantage of Dragonfly, you will also need a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for iPhone or Android devices with a Lightning-to-USB-A adapter for your phone. Portability is the biggest feature here – the interchange between my phone and my laptop, which is why I’m recommending it for anyone who wants a gadget that will let you listen to Hi-Ray audio on any device. – Andrew Marino, Audio Engineer

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones

Okay, yes, I know that these are my favorite pair of wired, over-ear headphones from long ago. But seriously: I was mine for six years now, and they held great. Sure, the feathers on the headband are starting to flap, and I had to replace the ear cups a while back, but they look just as good as the day I got them. I think the music just sounds fun with them – not too analytical like me DT-770 Pros Sometimes audio-techniques are certainly not meant to refer to headphones, but this is probably not what most people are actually looking for.

They were also a big price, especially compared to their Bluetooth counterparts. And honestly, I’m falling out of love with wireless headphones for something other than working outside, although this is probably a problem with me, not them. Either way, the new version, the ATH-M50X (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a removable cable, so you never have to worry about being miserable with ridiculously long cables that never. – Sometimes come with fancy headphones. (Another variant, ATH-M50xBT, completely disposes of the cable.) – Michelle Clarke, news writer

Antillean Audio Modic USB Microphone

It seems that everyone is getting large standalone microphones for their desks during the epidemic, but I don’t want to give up any precious real estate. One solution that works better for my needs is Antilion Audio’s modem USB microphone. It is cleverly designed. First, you follow a small circular base (about the size of a large chocolate chip) on the side of your headphones, then the microphone can be magnetically attached and separated into a will. I like being able to quickly turn my headphones into a gaming headset or get ready for a meeting appearance, then switch off the mic and return to regular headphones. I use one with me Bairdynamic dt 990 pro

Open-back headphones and it helps me get out of the kit already.

This particular microphone has two modes you can switch between: omnidirectional (designed for broadcasting) or unidirectional, which simply helps to capture your voice when in a noisy environment. The sound quality of the voice recording done with ModMic is very good – far better than all the gaming headsets I’ve tried. The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4 and PS5.

The downside is that this model costs around $ 70. Also, if your headphones are wired, fraying the wire of this mic can be a little difficult to manage. For me, the price is worth the effort. Also makes antillean An all-wireless rechargeable microphone for $ 120, If you want to go the route that also has dual mic modes and can stick to your headphones with adhesive. – Cameron Faulkner, author

AirPods

I love my AirPods and I have my first pair. They are lightweight, they charge quickly in their case, and they are good enough for everything I need, listening to most notifications, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos. It helps that I’m an iPhone and a Mac user, because they work really well with both devices.

I think I prefer the original AirPods more than the pros, though. While professionals have offered some welcome upgrades like active noise canceling and resistance to water and sweat, they don’t even fit my ears. The original AirPods never dropped out, but AirPods Pro would slowly slide out if I’m talking or eating, and sometimes when I’m running. This means that if I am doing anything other than sitting perfectly then I am constantly reading them. (To be fair, I’ve been sitting around for a long time now.)

Here’s hoping my ears get a little better in the next edition of Pros. If they do, they will likely become one of my favorite Apple products. – Jay Peters, news writer

Rhodestar Pro Podcast Production

This four-mic input audio interface by Rode makes it quite easy to set up a full podcasting session with a design that mimics a live mixing board. You can record multitracks on your computer or internally on a microSD using a USB-C connection.

As they mix podcasts after recording, this setup is more attractive to me for live streaming on Twitch or YouTube. You also get a built-in customized sound bank, compression and EQ settings, multiple outputs for monitoring, and an intuitive design for traditional live mixing.

Fun Tip: This is a great way to record phone call interviews by pairing RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. – Andrew Marino

HyperX Quadcast Microphone

I have been wanting to upgrade my microphone for a long time, but I was unsure which product to go with. Some friends recommended the HyperX quadcast, and this is what I ended up buying.

Previously, I used a Blue Yeti microphone, but I felt the audio quality was unsatisfactory on my end. I wanted to make sure that I was buying a microphone that was not too cheap and not too expensive and most importantly that a good cable was long so I didn’t have to reorder my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found that the HyperX quadcast had a lot of clarity and picked up subtle detail from my audio output.

I really enjoy some of the unconventional design of the quadcast; If you want to mount the microphone close to you then it comes with direct controls, a stand and a shock mount adapter for the boom arms. I also find it convenient that the mute button is above the microphone. Makes it easy to quickly mute yourself while zooming or discording. -Taylor Rhythms, Writer

Sonos Five Speaker

I have never found a smart speaker that sounds better, and I prefer that there are no microphones inside. Those are the main bullet points for people who have had a Sonos Play: 5 – recently refreshed as Sonos Five – on my desk for many years. For a speaker that does not have a 360-degree design, the Five still produces a very satisfying soundstage that can fill most rooms. It can kick enough bass without overpowering your music’s highs and mids. this two Most smart speakers are paired together to go anywhere to deliver the Sonos Five. (Granted, it sounded great for the better $ 500)

Almost every audio app under Sooraj is supported through the Sonos app, which includes Hi-Fi options such as Tidal and Amazon Music HD. The Sonos Five works with Apple Airplay, and has a 3.5 millimeter aux input for wired playback. (You can also use this to get a turntable in your Sonos system.)

No, there is no built-in voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant. But some people will always appreciate the absence of Listening Mix. And adding an accessory to the mix after the fact, either through a Sonos speaker like one or simply by hooking up an Echo Dot or Nest Mini.

It’s just a shame that the white and black combo play: 5 is not a colorway; I think that was the best looking speaker made by Sonos. – Chris Welch, News Editor