Latest news with #audio
Gizmodo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
LG 5.1.1-Channel Soundbar Bundle Hits All-Time Low Only at Best Buy, Subwoofer and Rear Speakers Included
Living‑room movie marathons lose their sparkle when the dialog whispers, the explosions mumble, and the bass feels like a polite tap instead of a heartbeat. The LG 5.1.1‑Channel S70TR Home Theater Soundbar with wireless subwoofer and rear speakers aims to fix all that in one shot. Unbox it, park the slim bar under your television, and place the wireless sub and two petite surrounds behind the couch, then settle in for audio that wraps around you instead of drifting from a single speaker strip. Head over to Best Buy to get the LG 5.1.1‑Channel S70TR Home Theater Soundbar for just $400, down from its usual price of $500. That's a discount of $100 and 20% off. See at Best Buy The main bar hides a surprising nine drivers, including a center channel that keeps speech clear no matter how chaotic the scene, plus up‑firing units that bounce sound off the ceiling for Dolby Atmos height effects. Rain patters overhead, helicopters sweep past the sofa, and crowd noise rolls in from the stands, all while the wireless sub drops low notes you can feel in your chest. Two compact rear speakers round out the bubble, giving game night crowd chants and streaming concerts a genuine live vibe. LG's WOW Orchestra feature lets the bar coordinate with many LG televisions so the TV's built‑in speakers add extra lift rather than sitting silent, useful when you want even more front presence without cluttering the setup. Automatic room calibration pings the walls with brief test tones, then fine‑tunes each channel in under a minute, so the sweet spot lands where the coffee table already sits. If late viewing risks waking kids, Night Mode pulls back the bass bump and raises voices so every word stays intelligible at lower volumes. Connection options cover nearly any device. HDMI eARC carries uncompressed Atmos tracks from Blu‑ray players and modern streaming boxes, while a second HDMI input keeps a game console ready to roll. Optical and Bluetooth round out the list, the latter handy for quick playlists from a phone when the television is off. The remote places volume and sound mode buttons under a thumb, but Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility mean you can also say, 'Turn up the bass,' and the bar responds without hunting for the clicker. Movie lovers, sports fans, and casual listeners alike will notice the leap from flat panel audio to room‑filling surround the first time a theme song swells. The LG 5.1.1‑Channel S70TR Home Theater Soundbar is still available for $400 at Best Buy, a welcome drop from its regular $500 price. See at Best Buy
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
These $130 Asus Gaming Headphones Get Almost Everything Right
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Asus ROG Pelta $130 at Amazon Pros Sound great Comfortable Customizable sound Affordable Three connection modes Cons No noise cancellation No Xbox support Minimal headband adjustment Asus ROG Pelta $130 at Amazon After reviewing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 headset last year, I was impressed by just how much a good headset can improve the gaming experience. While headsets like the Stealth 700s are great, they're also expensive. The ROG Pelta headphones from Asus, on the other hand, nail the basics while being more affordable. I've been testing the Pelta's for several weeks now and I'm quite impressed. They get just about everything right and only cost $130. That's still a fair amount of money, but much of what you get with the Pelta is often only found on headsets that cost twice as much. What I like about the Asus ROG Pelta CNET/Jason Cockerham For starters, the 50mm titanium-plated drivers sound great. No matter what game I played, I heard everything clearly. Both music and movies sounded fantastic, almost as good as my $300 Sony XM3 headphones. The best part is that with the Asus Armory Crate app you can customize the sound profile in detail. Asus gives you lots of options for tuning the headphones precisely to your liking, which is a welcome touch at this price. There are some custom profiles as well for those who just want to pick one and leave it. To be honest, I never felt the need to switch from the default settings during my entire time with the Peltas. They're also comfortable to wear. The earcups fit well over my ears, and the cushions are comfortable -- more so than the Stealth 700s. They're made of soft mesh material that gives them greater breathability than others I've used. They're also very lightweight. There's no carrying case, which is disappointing. CNET/Jason Cockerham Microphone quality is also solid. I never had any teammates complain about not being able to hear me, and I even took a few video calls with them and didn't have any issues. The mic is also removable, which is convenient, so it doesn't get in the way when you're not using it. The 70-hour battery life (90 on Bluetooth) is quite decent, and you can get 3 hours of usage with 15 minutes of charging. The Pelta's can connect to PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch and mobile devices via Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. There's also an included USB-C cable with an adapter if you want to go the wired route. The odd part is that there's no Xbox support. What I didn't like about the Asus ROG Pelta CNET/Jason Cockerham The only real downside is that the headband is not telescoping, which means there are only three predetermined positions for adjusting the headset. This may not be a problem for most, but I have a small, weirdly shaped head and the Pelta never quite fit as snugly as I would have liked. I always felt like they would slip off at any moment. They never did, but it always felt like they were about to. There's also no 3.5mm headphone jack. I get that this is becoming more common these days, but it's still annoying. There are still those of us who want a good analog connection from time to time. Noise cancellation also doesn't make an appearance, but that's not uncommon on gaming headphones, especially at this price. Should you buy the Asus ROG Pelta? Overall, for $130, there's really not much to dislike about the ROG Pelta headphones. They work with almost any device, sound great, have good battery life and are quite comfortable. If you're looking for a good gaming headset that won't have your wallet complaining, and you don't have an Xbox, the Pelta's should be high on the list.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
MCMC: Facebook removed leaked meeting clip for breaching content rules
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that an audio clip, allegedly recorded during an internal meeting and widely circulated online, was removed by Facebook (Meta) for violating the platform's content policies. In a statement yesterday, MCMC said the removal was made entirely based on Meta's community guidelines and content standards. The commission added that monitoring and investigations were initiated following public complaints. 'MCMC takes seriously the act of uploading or sharing audio or video content without consent, especially when it potentially violates privacy, contains offensive material, spreads misinformation, or causes unnecessary distress to those involved. 'We urge all parties to exercise greater caution when sharing content on digital platforms,' the statement read. MCMC further cautioned that the dissemination of unauthorised or provocative content may result in legal action under existing laws, including the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. — Bernama
CNET
3 days ago
- Business
- CNET
These Stylish Bluetooth Headphones With Unbelievable Battery Life Are Cheaper Than Ever
Discount available: Marshall's Major V headphones are worth it even at full price but right now they're down to $100 -- or around 38% off -- on Amazon, their all-time lowest price on the site. This covers the black, brown and cream colored versions, but not the midnight blue version for whatever reason. I might not be a true battle-tested headphone expert like CNET's David Carnoy but I still love headphones and I'm confident in what I like about them. My most recent pickup, the Marshall Major V on-ear Bluetooth headphones, quickly became a pair that I adore. What is Marshall? Marshall is a British audio hardware company that got its start in the early '60s and became renowned for producing amps and speakers for live music performances. More recently, it's made a mark in consumer audio, producing home speakers with a distinctly rock 'n' roll aesthetic -- think rough-patterned black leather materials, gold trim and prominent physical buttons. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. The brand also has brought its signature sound and style to headphones. Recently, I picked up the Major V, Marshall's latest iteration of its on-ear Bluetooth model (that's V as in 5), and I could hardly love them more. Marshall boasts that these headphones can last up to 100 hours on one charge, an almost ludicrous number that has largely held up as I've used them. The audio quality, while not a patch on the heavier hitters in the Bluetooth market, is excellent for its price, with strong bass and clean high notes. Vocals can sometimes come off a little shabby at first blush, but I find you get used to it real quick. The connectivity performance has also really impressed me. For such a cheap pair of headphones, the Major V easily maintain connections to at least two devices at a time and can switch between them almost seamlessly. That's not something I've found to be the case for a lot of the affordable Bluetooth headphones I've tried in the past. It's a strong contender overall in the budget Bluetooth headphones space. Why does this deal matter? I was able to scoop up the Marshall Major V for $100, the lowest their price has gone since they debuted last year. For that price, it's basically a steal. For the amount of blissful use I've gotten out of them so far -- listening to music, watching movies or getting through my audiobooks -- it's been more than worth the price of admission. They usually retail for about $160, making their current price a 38% discount.
Phone Arena
3 days ago
- Phone Arena
Google Messages set to benefit as a new RCS upgrade boosts audio and security
The messaging experience on Android is about to improve again. The GSMA has officially announced Universal Profile 3.1, the latest version of the technical standard that powers RCS (Rich Communication Services). The update introduces a few new capabilities that will roll out gradually across apps and carriers that support the platform, including Google Messages (and hopefully Apple Messages at some point as well).The headline feature in Universal Profile 3.1 is the addition of the xHE-AAC audio codec, which supports better sound quality in shared audio content. This means voice messages, background sound clips, and other audio-based features sent through RCS will now have clearer and more natural playback. According to the GSMA, this enhancement benefits both speech and non-speech use cases, including AI chatbot interactions that rely on xHE-AAC codec is designed for efficient audio compression and decompression, which allows for improved quality without significantly increasing file size. It should also help ensure more consistent playback across different devices and network conditions. While it may take some time for apps and carriers to implement this update, it marks a noticeable upgrade in how Android users communicate via voice. RCS messaging use is exploding in the U.S. | Image credit — T-Mobile Beyond audio improvements, Universal Profile 3.1 also introduces technical changes aimed at streamlining how RCS connects to mobile networks. Specifically, the GSMA outlines "new mechanisms for connecting RCS clients to operator services," which should lead to a more reliable and seamless onboarding experience for users setting up RCS for the first time. However, the details of how this works behind the scenes haven't been shared in full yet. There are also a few smaller upgrades included in the update. These include better spam protection, more secure file transfers, and support for using deep links to start conversations from other apps or websites. All of these are expected to roll out in future versions of apps like Google Messages as they adopt the 3.1 standard. We've been following the evolution of RCS closely, especially as it plays a larger role in Android's messaging ecosystem. With this update, the standard becomes even more competitive against services like iMessage and WhatsApp, particularly when it comes to voice communication. While RCS still depends on carrier and device support, updates like Universal Profile 3.1 show that it's steadily evolving into a richer, more capable messaging platform. Switch to Total Wireless and buy 2 months of a 5G Unlimited plan to score the phone free! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
