Latest news with #Audio-Technica
Irish Examiner
19-06-2025
- Irish Examiner
Majority Stylo turntable review: Classic vinyl meets modern streaming
Vinyl is back, and in a big way. I'm constantly amazed at how busy my local record shops are, no matter when I stop by. Whether you're rediscovering dusty favourites or starting fresh, modern turntables like the Majority Stylo blend old-school charm with new-school convenience, including Bluetooth streaming. Design and build The Majority Stylo certainly looks the part, featuring an all-black, minimalist aesthetic that gives it a sleek and modern appearance. It has a matt black MDF plinth that is clean and understated. The aluminium die-cast platter adds a bit of weight and stability, and the carbon fibre tonearm is a surprising touch at this price point. It feels more premium than expected, though the overall construction is light. This isn't a tank of a turntable, but it's solid enough for regular use. There are a few plastic elements that remind you it's an entry-level model, but nothing that feels flimsy or likely to break with careful handling. Features The Stylo is packed with features that make it appealing to newcomers and casual listeners. The built-in phono preamp allows you to connect it directly to powered speakers or systems without the need for a dedicated phono stage. There's also a pitch control slider for minor speed tweaks, which is useful for correcting minor playback issues. Of course, the big feature here is Bluetooth connectivity. It streams wirelessly to any compatible speaker, headphones, or hi-fi system, with no cables needed. That kind of freedom is a huge win, especially in small spaces or clean setups where you want fewer wires on show. You also receive a pre-installed Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge, which provides reliable tracking and a smooth, balanced sound. It's not high-end audiophile gear, but it's more than enough to bring your records to life. One area where the Stylo could use improvement is the pre-amp. While it's great to have, it's a little underpowered. You'll get better results running it through a separate amp or powered speakers with some extra grunt. Another downside is the lack of an autostop function. The platter continues to spin at the end of a record, which means you'll need to be nearby to avoid unnecessary stylus wear. Real-world use I tested the Stylo with Majority's own D100 bookshelf speakers, using both Bluetooth and a direct line-in connection. The Bluetooth pairing was fast and hassle-free. It worked right out of the box, and within seconds, I had warm, rich vinyl playing wirelessly. This is precisely the kind of plug-and-play simplicity newcomers need. The D100 speakers proved an excellent match. Their clarity and balanced response brought out the best in the Stylo's sound. There was none of the harshness you sometimes get with budget Bluetooth setups. Vinyl purists might still prefer a direct wired connection, and I tried that too. Unsurprisingly, the wired route gave a little more punch and detail, especially at higher volumes. Bluetooth doesn't match the fidelity of a clean analogue signal, but the trade-off for convenience is more than fair, especially in everyday listening scenarios. I found myself reaching for the wireless option more often, simply because of its convenience. Verdict The Majority Stylo is a versatile turntable that nails the basics, sounds excellent, and keeps things simple. With solid audio performance, good build quality, and an accessible price, it's easy to recommend. €249
Stuff.tv
17-06-2025
- Stuff.tv
These earbuds have a 65-hour battery life, but that's not the best thing about them
Some of the most popular wireless earbuds have exceptional battery life these days. Audio Technica's latest buds have some of the best I've seen, clocking in at 65 hours in total. But that's not the best thing about them. I'm seriously impressed by the ability for the earbuds to magnetically snap to each other and switch off to save juice. Even better, you don't need to fiddle around with an app or any fiddly buttons. It means the earbuds don't just become paperweights if you forget to pack the charging case. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen a feature like this. Read more: Best cheap headphones in 2025 rated and reviewed Now, about that ridiculous battery life. You get 25 hours from the earbuds themselves, and another 40 from the charging case. Even with noise cancelling turned on, they'll still go for 15 hours in-ear and 25 hours from the case. There's also a 5-minute quick charge that gets you 90 minutes of playback. Sound-wise, Audio-Technica is going for a fully fledged experience. The ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds pack in custom-designed 9mm drivers that should excel in low-end grunt, while also keeping things crisp up top. They're also waterproof and dustproof, so will survive just about anything you throw at them. You've got your usual suite of features too: hybrid noise cancelling, adjustable transparency modes, beamforming mic for clear calls, and compatibility with Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec. You can even go low-latency if you're the sort who games on their phone. Available from 17 June 2025, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds will set you back $149/£125/€149. They come in green or black, and you can order them directly.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
New ear resolution: Sanjoy Narayan on the iconic Sennheiser HD 600 headphones
There's something humbling about stumbling onto greatness way after the hype train has left the station. Like binge-watching The Wire in 2024 (I did this!) and cracking open Dune with everyone else already quoting it (I'm on it!), my late discovery of the Sennheiser HD 600 headphones feels like I've unearthed a gem that's been chilling in plain sight for nearly 30 years. For years, I have been a bit of an audio wanderer. I've vibed with budget-friendly Chi-fi (or Chinese hi-fi) earbuds, grappled with the surgical precision of Audio-Technica's ATH series, geeked out over AKG's studio-grade clarity, admired Shure's obsessive craftsmanship, and even dabbled in HiFiMan's planar magnetic magic. I've scrolled through endless Reddit threads where audiophiles argue about soundstage depth like it's a matter of life and death. Yet, somehow, the iconic HD 600, launched in 1997 and basically unaltered since, slipped under my radar. When I finally plugged them in, these understated headphones had me sceptical. Then I hit play. The opening piano chords of Bill Evans's Peace Piece didn't just play; they breathed. Each note carried the creak of the piano's wood, the air of the recording room, even Evans's subtle exhales. The HD 600's famed midrange peeled back layers I'd missed all these years — not by hyping the sound, but by stripping away the haze I hadn't even known was there. These aren't headphones that scream for attention with booming bass or glittery treble spikes. They're a slow burn that makes one rethink what 'neutral' means, over hours of listening. My digital rip of Led Zeppelin's Ten Years Gone suddenly felt like a 3D soundscape. Jimmy Page's layered guitars weren't just stacked, they were having a conversation across space. John Paul Jones's bass didn't just hold it down; it told its own story. Robert Plant's vocals revealed raw emotion and technical finesse I'd missed in countless spins. I became a Led Zep head. Again. The magic kept unfolding across genres. Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage floated like it was recorded on a cloud. D'Angelo's Voodoo hit like a masterclass in production, Questlove's drums pulsing with life. Even Burial's Untrue, usually a dreamy sonic haze, broke into distinct layers without losing its moody soul. The HD 600's clarity is a double-edged sword. Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly showcased the headphones' knack for untangling dense, jazz-infused mixes. But some of my favourite '90s hip-hop tracks? Yikes. These cans exposed mastering flaws I had happily been oblivious to. These headphones don't sugarcoat; they just tell it like it is. Doesn't such precision feel sterile? No way. Nina Simone's gut-wrenching Strange Fruit hit even harder, the raw edges of her vocal break cutting deeper. Not because the HD 600 added drama, but because it let her pain shine through unfiltered. Miles Davis's Kind of Blue felt brand-new. I found myself discovering new notes in Coltrane's sax tone and Bill Evans's subtle comping. And to think these details had always been there, just waiting for gear honest enough to let them shine through. What's wild about the HD 600 is how it has stayed relevant in a world obsessed with the shiny and new. While brands churn out 'game-changing' drivers every year, this 28-year-old design is still the gold standard. There's a quiet confidence in that. In a world of planned obsolescence, Sennheiser's loyalty to this design feels like a middle finger to the hype cycle. One can replace every part of the Huh Duh Six Hungeos (as they're known in audiophile circles) oneself: the drivers, the earpads, even the headband. It's no surprise that the model has spawned a cult following. Hop onto any audiophile subreddit and one will see 'HD 600 lifers', people who have tested $3,000 electrostatics but keep coming back to these humble German cans that can be bought for about $270. They're the audiophile's equivalent of a beat-up Fender guitar: a tool that melts into the art instead of stealing the spotlight. The HD 600 isn't flawless. Today's headphone models might boast wider soundstages or deeper bass. But none I've tried nail the vibe quite like these do, whether I'm sinking into Tom Waits's gravelly vocal experiments or getting lost in Radiohead's melancholic brilliance. What these headphones deliver is the deeper satisfaction of knowing one is hearing music as it was meant to be heard; no filter, no fluff. They essentially just get out of the way. This shines brightest with live recordings. Jeff Buckley's Live at Sin-é puts the listener right there in that tiny NYC café. John Coltrane's Live at Birdland doesn't just play notes, it captures the room, the moment, with Elvin Jones's drums resonating like they're alive. In a world of endless gear upgrades, there's something real about finding a tool that doesn't demand one's attention but points it where it belongs: to the music. The HD 600's real superpower isn't what it adds; it's what it takes away: the techy noise between the listener and the artist. Sometimes the best finds are the ones right under your nose, waiting for you to catch up. Almost three decades late, I've finally shown up — and the music's never felt more real. (To write in with feedback, email
The Verge
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
You can see right through Audio-Technica's new transparent turntable
Audio-Technica's engineers are seemingly working overtime to elevate the design of the record player. Following the reveal of its floating, glowing Hotaru turntable last month, the company has announced its new AT-LPA2 featuring a chassis and platter made from transparent acrylic. With electronics like its power supply and playback controls packed into a separate unit that can be kept out of sight, the turntable is a reminder that transparent tech can still look modern and sleek. The AT-LPA2 features a similar design to the Audio-Technica AT-LP2022 turntable that was released in January 2023 to help commemorate the company's 60th anniversary. The previous version was limited to just 3,000 units made available worldwide and sold for $1,200. The new AT-LPA2 is available starting today, and while its rollout won't be as limited, it now costs $2,000. The base of the turntable is made from a 30mm thick slab of high-density transparent acrylic, while the spinning platter atop is made from the same material that's 20mm thick. It not only makes for a striking design, but acrylic is also an effective material for dampening vibrations which improves playback performance and helps keep the turntable operating quietly. Direct drive turntables, in which the spinning platter is part of the electric motor, offer superior performance over those that use a separate motor connected with a belt. But in this case, a belt drive actually serves to enhance the aesthetics of the AT-LPA2. To ensure accurate playback, Audio-Technica includes an optical sensor that monitors the platter's rotation so it maintains a constant speed of either 33 1/3 or 45rpm. The company redesigned the tone arm included with the limited edition model, but it's still made from carbon fiber to help reduce its weight and includes interchangeable counterweights that can be added and removed to help keep the arm balanced with different cartridges. To help keep the turntable's chassis as transparent as possible, playback controls and other buttons are included on a separate unit that also houses the power supply. That approach not only lets you position the control unit out of sight since it's not transparent and doesn't match the AT-LPA2's aesthetic, Audio-Technica says it also isolates the turntable's audio components from power supply noise 'resulting in a cleaner, more accurate sound.'
Stuff.tv
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
If this Audio Technica turntable sounds as good as it looks, I'm in for a treat
There are plenty of top turntables for you to pick from, but they all look fairly samey. Limited releases aside. But this new Audio Technica turntable is one of the best looking I've ever seen with a transparent design. And if it sounds as good as it looks, then I'm in for a treat. The AT-LPA2 is a striking slice of acrylic engineering that looks like it's been nicked straight out of a sci-fi film set. You can gawk at its 30mm acrylic chassis and 20mm platter, all while your vinyl spins round. Read more: Best Bluetooth speakers in 2025 reviewed and rated It's a fully manual affair – no buttons in sight. Just a belt-drive setup with speeds for 33-1/3 and 45 RPM, which is all most of us need unless you've got some ancient 78s knocking about. The newly designed carbon-fibre tonearm, with adjustable vertical tracking angle, screams precision. It's paired with an AT-OC9XEN moving coil cartridge, which uses a 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical nude stylus. There's also no USB output here, nor Bluetooth, nor an app pretending to 'enhance' your listening experience. It's just pure, mechanical vinyl playback done with precision and flair. That 20mm acrylic platter isn't just for show – it adds real weight and stability, helping keep your records spinning at exactly the right pace without any of the wobbly nonsense. And while the turntable is stealing the spotlight, Audio-Technica has also quietly overhauled its VM cartridge line with the new AT-VMx series. It's their first big refresh since 2016, which in vinyl years is practically a generation. With a range that stretches from entry-level to audiophile indulgence, the new cartridges promise better responsiveness, deeper low-end grunt, and a generally richer sonic experience. They're using PCUHD wire in the coils now – the same stuff found in their high-end audio cables. It's also nice to see a variety of stylus options, from your standard conical to more advanced profiles. The Audio Technica AT-LPA2 turntable will set you back £1699/€1999, and is available through Richer Sounds and The new AT-VMx cartridges start at £99/€119, with pricing scaling up depending on just how audiophile you fancy being. There's no US pricing or availability information yet, but we'll let you know if this changes.
