Audio Technica Gaming Headsets Designed For Streaming Announced At CES
At every CES, there are always too many announcements to keep track of, but make sure to keep this one on your radar: Audio Technica has announced what the brand is calling a 'world first' with the ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB streaming/gaming headsets.
Headsets aren't really designed with streamers in mind, but that's where Audio Technica is stepping in and where that 'world first' claim is coming from, meaning these new headsets are designed not just for gaming but for actual streaming and content creation, too. So, what makes these headsets special?
According to Audio Technica, the ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB are designed specifically to "address the needs of live-streaming content creators." To that end, you're getting the same 45mm large-aperture drivers you'll find in Audio-Technica's iconic M50x headphones.
But where these headsets really separate themselves from the pack, according to Audio Technica, comes down to their microphone. On both sets, you're getting a cardioid condenser capsule with a flexible boom arm taken from Audio Technica's own 20 Series of microphones. Reportedly, this is set to bring "rich, studio-quality vocals without background noise" to the table.
Depending on the headset, you can definitely find some good-sounding sets, but they do often lack the neutral quality of studio headphones. What's more is that headset mics do usually tend to be lacklustre, so if Audio Technica can successfully innovate and address both of these tendencies of headsets, that makes for an interesting product to keep an eye on.
Plus, as you might expect from the name, you'll be able to choose between an XLR model (the ATH-M50xSTS) and a USB model (ATH-M50xSTS-USB) depending on how you want your setup to work. Both sets will be available starting late Winter 2023, and you can get the ATH-M50xSTS for £169 / €199 / $199 and the ATH-M50xSTS-USB for £199 / €229 / $229.
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Audio-Technica’s New Flagship True Wireless Earbuds Are Simply Superb
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 are an accomplished pair of true wireless earbuds that tick most of the ... [+] boxes that a premium pair of earbuds should tick.
Audio-TechnicaAudio-Technica has been around for 60 years, making fabulous headphones, microphones and turntable cartridges. However, in recent years the company has made quite a few true wireless earbuds, but it’s never really had cut-through in the market in the same way that Sennheiser and Sony have. However, that all looks set to change if the company’s new ATH-TWX9 earbuds are anything to go by.
The ATH-TWX9 are premium true wireless earbuds with just about every feature and customization option you could wish for. As well as offering dual-hybrid active noise cancelation, they also have features like deep-UV sterilization, 360 Reality Audio, plus Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform for higher quality music, video and calls. These are earbuds that tick every box.
Thanks to their splashproof design and IPX4 rating, the ATH-TWX9 can shrug off rain, water splashes and even sweat. There’s a companion smartphone app available for iOS and Android which offers five preset noise-canceling modes or the opportunity to optimize the noise cancellation by pressing the touch sensor on the left earbud.
The driver used in the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 are custom designed 5.8mm dynamic units with extended ... [+] frequency range.
Audio-TechnicaThe earbuds are supplied with a dozen ear tips in various sizes and stem lengths to create the perfect acoustic seal, no matter the listener’s ear shape. A full charge of the built-in battery of each earbud provides up to six hours of listening time and up to 18.5 hours, with the backup charge held in the storage case.
Audio-Technica has used a newly designed 5.8mm diameter driver with an extended high-frequency range inside each earpiece. Built around Bluetooth Version 5.2, the ATH-TWX9 earbuds can support aptX, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC audio codecs. If you have a compatible smartphone that supports the latest SnapDragon Sound platform, Audio-Technica claims it is even possible to play digital audio up to 24-bit at 96kHz. With aptX Adaptive codec, the bit rate and resolution automatically adapt to suit the environment depending on how crowded the wireless spectrum is.
The earbuds are fitted with dual high-performance MEMS microphones that use beamforming technology to provide clear speech when making calls or taking part in video meetings. With Qualcomm cVc 8.0 technology, the microphones can mute unwanted background noises. Another neat feature when making calls is the inclusion of sidetone so you can hear yourself speak when making calls. Sidetone is very useful and stops the user from speaking too loudly when making a phone call because they can hear themselves talk.
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 come with a selection of ear tips in different sizes and stalk lengths.
Audio-TechnicaLike most new Bluetooth earbuds, the ATH-TWX9 can pair with up to two devices simultaneously. This handy feature enables you to listen to music on a personal phone while still being able to take phone calls on a business phone. The advanced technology built into the earbuds enables the user to listen to Sony’s 360 Reality Audio sound, giving a stadium feel to the music. Many music streaming services support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, so you can listen to your favorite music as if you were at a live gig.
Anyone who uses their earbuds when exercising will know how grubby the ear tips can get with dirt, sweat and earwax. The ATH-TWX9’s charging case has a deep-UV LED sterilization system with mirror processing that eliminates bacteria and viruses from the surface of the earbuds.
I had a chance to try the ATH-TWX9 recently; to my mind, these are the best earbuds Audio-Technica has made to date. The sound is superbly detailed but without being harsh or distorted. There’s plenty of bass available, but it’s never woolly or overbearing. The overall sound is wonderfully well-balanced and suits most genres of music. You can use the Audio-Technica Connect app to tweak the sound with EQ controls.
Every time the ATH-TWX9 are put back in their case, a powerful UV light sanitizes their surface ... [+] killing germs and viruses.
Audio-TechnicaUsing the Connect the app, it’s possible to customize the ATH-TWX9 extensively. Initially, I had a few problems getting the earbuds to sync correctly with the app, but a firmware update seems to have fixed that. The app can also customize the clickable control buttons on each earbud.
The control buttons can pause music, skip tracks, take phone calls, adjust volume levels, or turn on the ANC function. I prefer clickable buttons on earbuds as they are less prone to being triggered accidentally. The Connect app can also choose a favorite voice assistant, such as Amazon Alexa Built-in, Google Assistant or Apple Siri.
The ATH-TWX9 true wireless earbuds are supplied with a selection of ear tips. The charging case can ... [+] be charged using a USB-C cable or any Qi-compatible wireless charging mat.
Audio-TechnicaVerdict: The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 are the best-sounding true wireless earbuds that Audio-Technica has ever made, although they aren’t cheap. The ATH-TWX9 tick almost every box imaginable regarding audio codecs, waterproofing, UV sterilization and fully customizable ANC function, which works very effectively. I also love that the ATH-TWX9 have a sidetone function for making phone calls or taking part in video meetings. However, a pair of earbuds is not much use if they don’t sound good. Fortunately, the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 sound superb, with a beautifully clean tone and no hint of hiss or distortion. The earbud battery life is good and the overall design is excellent. There’s nothing to criticize here. If you want a pair of earbuds that do absolutely everything, the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 are a brilliant buy.
Pricing & Availability: The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 true wireless earbuds are available now from Amazon and other retailers for $299 / £279.99 / €319.
More info: www.Audio-technica.Com
Tech Specs:
The Best Audio Gear From CES 2023
The annual tech extravaganza that is CES 2023 has come and gone, but we’re still sifting through all that we saw — from the best TVs on the show floor to everything else we loved, which you can read about in our roundup of the Top Tech of CES 2023 Awards.
But what’s gotten us in the AV section buzzing (besides the TVs, of course) is all the cool audio gear that was announced at the show. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites.
Victrola Stream Onyx streaming turntable
© Provided by Digital Trends VictrolaThe popularity of vinyl records and turntables continues to grow. But some may be deterred by the analog format’s need for various — and often expensive — components such as integrated amplifiers and passive speakers to bring it all together. This stings all the more when you already have a perfectly good Sonos system in your home. Longtime audio maker Victrola aims to change all that with the Victrola Stream Onyx, a “Works with Sonos”-certified streaming turntable that connects directly to your Sonos system over Wi-Fi and integrates with the Sonos app so you can send sweet vinyl sounds throughout your multi-room system.
Victrola first brought this breed of vinyl-over-Sonos turntables to market last year with the Stream Carbon, an $800 deck with a carbon fiber tonearm and a high-quality Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. With the Onyx, Victrola’s looking to make it more accessible with an aluminum tonearm and a more reasonably priced Audio Technica VM95E cartridge, which brings the price down a couple hundred bucks to $600. Preorders open on February 7, 2023 via Victrola’s website and on Amazon, as well as Best Buy, Crutchfield, and other retailers.
JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds
© Provided by Digital Trends JBLJames B. Lansing’s iconic namesake company was dropping gear fast and furiously at CES 2023, announcing everything from turntables to speakers to soundbars. But sometimes it’s the small and mighty that garner the most attention. In the case of the new JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds, it seems like all it took was adding a nifty, and actually helpful, touchscreen to its charging case.
JBL’s flagship Tour Pro 2 earbuds also raised eyebrows because of some key improvements made over their excellent predecessor (the JBL Tour Pro+, which our reviewer Simon Cohen loved). The Tour Pro 2s now sport a stem design, JBL has added its version of spatial audio to the buds, Bluetooth multipoint connectivity (the ability to connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously) is now available, and they’ve gotten a bump up to the latest wireless audio standard, Bluetooth LE.
But let’s talk about that “smart” case! It seems so obvious to add a functional screen to a charging case, but few have ever done it. The Tour Pro 2’s 1.45-inch color LED touchscreen lets you keep your phone in your pocket with control over key functions of the JBL One app, including playback and call control, EQ presets, active noise cancellation (ANC) mode, and notifications. It also allows you to glance at the battery power for each bud (which JBL says will deliver up to 8 hours with ANC, and up to 10 without) and the charging case. The JBL Tour Pro 2 will be available in the spring and will cost $250.
Nakamichi Dragon wireless surround sound system
© Provided by Digital Trends NakamichiDigital Trends editor-at-large Caleb Denison isn’t easily impressed, so you know something’s gonna be good when he won’t shut up about it (wink). And, boy, did we get an earful about the insane Nakamichi Dragon, which Denison describes in his video as “a no-holds-barred, unapologetically over-the-top, wireless sound bar surround system” from the legendary audio maker. Simply put, the demo blew him away (literally and figuratively), and that probably has a lot to do with the 11.4.6-channel system’s 31 drivers and more than 3,000 watts (you read that right) of power.
There are 17 drivers in the soundbar alone, 10 across the two surround speakers, and a total of four subwoofers housed in two cabinets. Six up-firing speakers support all that amazing Dolby Atmos and DTS:XPro surround sound, plus this beast supports Dolby Vision and Bluetooth aptX HD. Denison says that the main soundbar is made from a solid piece of steel sourced from an auto supplier, and the whole system (soundbar, two surround speakers, and dual subs) weighs in at a total of 76.5 pounds. And guess what? It’s not a prototype or anything — this thing will be available in spring 2023.
But it’ll cost you. $3,500. For that kind of money, it better breathe fire, too.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
© Provided by Digital Trends Audio-TechnicaLivestreamers and content creators got a nice little surprise from Audio-Technica at CES 2023, with the company launching StreamSet, a pair of headsets based on its industry-leading and iconic M50x studio monitor headphones: the $299 digital/USB-based ATH-M50xSTS-USB and the $199 analog version, the ATH-M50xSTS. Both “streaming headsets,” as Audio-Technica is calling them, feature the M50x’s renowned 45mm large-aperture drivers and come with two sets of swappable earcups, one for comfort and one with a focus on sound isolation.
A-T has outfitted the StreamSets with a cardioid condenser microphone (based on its own 20 Series mics) at the end of a bendable boom for great sound quality. Both headsets are available for preorder now.
The hearables are coming
© Provided by Digital Trends SennheiserCES 2023 is the first show since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the go ahead for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to be sold by general retailers to those with mild-to-moderate hearing issues, without a prescription. Big-name players like Sony, Bose, and Jabra already have jumped into what is sure to be an exciting new market, but this year’s CES brought a few more products worth noting.
Sennheiser launched its Conversation Clear Plus wireless earbuds, and while they’re not technically OTC hearing aids, their main focus is what the company is calling “advanced speech enhancement technology.” Developed by the world’s biggest hearing aid maker, Sonova, the Clear Plus uses a combination of active noise cancellation and “Automatic Scene Detection” to analyze the sound and noise of any given environment and adjust the volume of what’s being said so it can be heard clearly. There are presets for various situations, too, all accessed via a companion app, and because it’s Sennheiser, it’s likely that these Bluetooth-connected earbuds sound pretty great, too. While cheaper than full-on hearing aids, their $850 price tag might repel some. If not, you can preorder them from Sennheiser now.
© Provided by Digital Trends EargoLeaning more toward the actual OTC hearing aid realm is the self-fitting Eargo 7, launched by the hearing health company at CES 2023. You won’t find any Bluetooth connectivity in the Eargo 7s, but that means that these hearing aids are focused on helping you hear. And they’re virtually invisible while doing it, thanks to a tiny profile that fits snugly in your ear canal, like traditional hearing aids but without the bulky piece around the ear. Eargo says that the Sound Adjust+ feature analyzes the sound around you and “automatically chooses whether to emphasize speech or reduce noise for comfort.” They’re also IPX7 water-resistant (submergible up to a meter for up to 30 minutes), which is a big deal for hearing air wearers, who can sometimes forget to take theirs out before jumping in the pool. Similarly priced yo last year’s Eargo 6, the Eargo 7 will set you back $2,950, but for that, you’re getting legit hearing aids and Eargo’s “premium” tech support. There’s no word yet on availability.
Other hearables announced at CES 2023 include the Nuheara-HP Hearing Pro self-fitting OTC hearing aids, a combination wireless earbud/hearing aid, and the Jabra Enhance Plus, a $719 pair of “3-in-1 earbuds for hearing advancement.”
Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors
© Provided by Digital Trends DropIt’s hard to find a pair of affordable desktop speakers that sound great, especially if you’re into music production or sound mixing. Nearfield speakers are a great choice for this as they are designed to be listened to at a desk-appropriate 2-to-3 feet from the listener, and that’s where these audiophile-level monitors from Drop shine.
Configurable either vertically or horizontally to maximize desk space, the $129 Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5mm AUX and have a 3.5mm subwoofer output to add extra bass to what Drop says is a balanced, distortion-free, and natural sound, as the artist intended. They’re available for preorder on Drop.Com starting January 31.
JBL Bar 1300X soundbar
© Provided by Digital Trends JBLWe already talked about JBL’s new Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds above, but we couldn’t wrap this roundup, er, up, without mentioning another area that JBL excels in: speakers.
In this case, the Harman-owned company revealed it’s latest flagship soundbar, the 15-channel, 1,170-watt Dolby Atmos beast that is the JBL Bar 1300X. The $1,700, 11.1.4-channel unit consists of a main soundbar with two wireless detachable surrounds that are rechargeable and can be placed anywhere (even wall-mounted) as surrounds. They can also be joined back to the main soundbar to expand its sound while charging. The 12-inch wireless subwoofer is the largest in JBL’s Bar range, and provides all the low-end rumble you’ll need.
The new JBL One app delivers all kinds of custom EQ settings and more, including the ability to stream music over Wi-Fi from various streaming services. It’s also got Bluetooth, is AirPlay 2 compatible, has Chromecast built-in, and is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri voice assistants.
