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Digital Trends
15-07-2025
- Digital Trends
I love my AirPods, but I can't stop listening to the OnePlus Buds 4
Over the years, I've grown a love-hate relationship with wireless earbuds. Primarily, because I strictly adhere to wired audio gear for hi-res audio playback. Second, they serve me the 'yet another device I need to charge' lifestyle dilemma. Forking a few hundred dollars on a pair that doesn't offer the audio flexibility of wired earphones with a DAC that costs nearly half as much seems perplexing to me. I've spent a healthy few months with the vanilla AirPods 4 and still feel the sting of the brand premium I paid for them. But every once in a while, a brand makes wireless earbuds that punch above their weight. The OnePlus Buds 4, which currently start at $100 (after a special OnePlus Store bargain), fall squarely into that vaunted territory. Recommended Videos On a regular day, however, you can get them for the same $129 pinch as the AirPods 4. After pushing them for a few weeks as my primary calling and music companion device, I've been thoroughly impressed by the whole package. Better, right at the gates When picking wireless earbuds, the most important aspect is the in-ear fit and comfort. The AirPods ditch the ear tip design, which means the ear canal seal is loose. A lot of noise creeps in from the sides, and in the absence of active noise cancellation, you're perpetually dealing with it during music playback. Another major issue with the AirPods 4 is their one-size-fits-all approach. In my case, they go in, but the hold is far from reassuring. I can't make it past 200 meters without having to adjust them during my morning walks. When it gets sweaty, the situation is worse. With the OnePlus Buds 4, I'm in a different ball game. The angled earpiece head, paired with the rubber eartip, offers a noticeably better grip and comfort. I don't have to worry about the earbuds slipping off during workouts at all. Plus, the supplied box comes with ear tips in three sizes, so you will likely find one that fits right with the unique shape of your ear canal. For me, the M-size tips offer the best seal, helping land at the perfect fit as well as passive noise isolation. That approach brings its own set of benefits. Even with noise cancellation disabled, there is simply less commotion and chaos getting into my ears. With the AirPods 4, the volume levels have to be cranked up in order to drown out the ambient noise before you can even think of losing yourself in a soulful track or a thoughtful podcast episode. Now, let's talk controls. Apple goes with pinch-based controls on the stem. Every time you go to attend a call or switch to the next track, you almost always end up readjusting the in-ear position. The shorter stem looks better, but at the same time, it also makes the job of executing those gestures more disruptive. Most importantly, you can not make volume adjustments on the AirPods directly. One either has to rely directly on the phone or summon Siri to do the deed. On the OnePlus Buds 4, the process feels natural and intuitive. I just have to slide my finger up and down on the touch-sensitive strip, and the job is done. OnePlus also lets you customize the gestures across long and short taps for a variety of tasks. And it doesn't matter whether the paired device is an Android slab or an iPhone, you can make the tweaks without any ecosystem limitations. It's also worth pointing out that Apple limits the AirPods 4 to IP54-tier dust and water resistance, while the OnePlus Buds 4 do one better with IP55 level protection. These are all fundamental conveniences and shape the daily experience of using wireless earbuds. The AirPods 4 prove to be the less thoughtful product in the race despite being the world's highest-selling product of its kind, while the OnePlus Buds 4 offer a more rewarding (read: less frustrating) time on a daily basis. Audio quality is simply no match The AirPods 4 are your vanilla pair of true wireless earbuds. They are entrenched deep within the Apple ecosystem conveniences and get the basics right, too. You want earbuds for calling and the occasional tunes to dim the drudgery of the daily commute? Get the AirPods 4. Despite featuring fewer mics than the OnePlus Buds 4, the Apple earbuds offer superior clarity during calls, both cellular and app-based. The OnePlus device doesn't disappoint with its triple mic system, especially at silencing the ambient noise signals. It's just that the audio signature is a tad different for the person on the other end. Switching to other aspects of owning wireless earbuds, I'd pick — and recommend — the OnePlus Buds 4 over the AirPods 4 any day. Sheer audio quality is just one of those reasons. The current-gen AirPods are not terrible, but they can't match the refined bassline and soundstage of earbuds that feature a dual-driver system, each with its own DAC. There is simply no equivalence between the level of detail you can resolve while listening to cinematic tracks or instruments in folk music. After testing the OnePlus Buds 4, the AirPods 4 just sound too muddy, chaotic, and lacking character. Listening to 'Lost But Won' by Hans Zimmer, the thumping bass was dampened, robbing the song of its definitive pulsing beats. Likewise, Havi's deep and warm crooning sounds flat with the AirPods 4, compared to the sparkling and layered output you get from the OnePlus Buds 4. Now, there are two other aspects that I would like to highlight collectively. The absence of a sealed design and active noise cancellation means you need to crank up the volume levels to drown out the ambient noise. That's a rational strategy, but it comes with its own caveat. The big differentiator, of course, is active noise cancellation and transparency modes. But more than just the obvious benefit of a noise-free listening experience, ANC ensures that you can listen to music at nearly 50% volume level and don't necessarily have to boost it all the way up, which eventually leads to tearing and clarity issues. At high volume levels, especially above the 80% mark, vocal distortions become inevitable. With the AirPods 4, it's easy to notice the tear in vocals and the overt instrumental sharpness. There's a visible sibilance in the treble range, as well. The OnePlus Buds 4 go with a warmer tone and higher frequency bandwidth, letting you enjoy near-pristine hi-res LHDC audio even at 50% volume levels, while ANC does its job in the background. It just makes more sense OnePlus' implementation of 3D audio sounds more immersive than Apple's Spatial Audio on the AirPods 4. But what truly sets the OnePlus apart are the sheer number of add-on features. There are a couple of ear canal and hearing tests that personalize the audio to the sensitivity and shape of each ear canal. Then there's the audio customization system in place. You get a proper EQ customization system complemented by sound profile presets and dedicated bass output controls. Apple doesn't offer custom EQ profiles for the AirPods 4, but only a long list of tuned presets to pick from, hidden deep within the Settings app. Next, even with ANC enabled, the OnePlus Buds 4 consistently last longer than their Apple rival, and similar is the situation is with the charging case. Apple says 10 minutes of charging time is good enough for two hours of playback, while the fast charging system on the OnePlus Buds 4 will give you 11 hours of listening time. That's over five times higher playback time compared to the AirPods 4. Apple doesn't offer anything in the retail package, but the OnePlus Buds 4 come with a charging cable and three pairs of eartips, so there's that thoughtful perk, as well. Overall, what I got from the OnePlus Buds 4 is a far better value than the entry-level AirPods 4 for the $129 price tag. In my home market, the OnePlus Buds 4 are currently going for $70, or $75 without a store discount. At that value, they're leagues ahead of Apple's audio ware. In conclusion, it's not just the bargain value, but the fantastic listening experience that makes it hard to put down the OnePlus Buds 4 these days.
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
FiiO Reveals K15 Desktop DAC And Headphone Amplifier For Premium Private Listening
The FiiO K15 DAC and headphone amplifier is designed for headphone enthusiasts who listen to hi-res ... More music. Audio brand FiiO is back again with yet another product launch in the form of the new K15 Desktop DAC and Headphone Amplifier. The new unit merges power and innovative engineering in a slim case designed to be aesthetically pleasing. Anyone attending CanJam London 2025 can get a sneak preview on June 19. At the heart of the K15 are dual AKM AK4497S DAC chips, part of AKM's new 'VELVET SOUND' range. These are premium chips designed to deliver pristine digital-to-analog conversion, preserving the smallest of details from low to high frequencies while ensuring ultra-low distortion and a wide dynamic range. The K15 is one of the first audio products in the world to implement these flagship AKM chips in a dual configuration. FiiO claims they achieve an organic and immersive sound signature. The K15 also has a 10-band parametric EQ available via the FiiO Control app, which can be used to tweak the sound. At the heart of the K15 are dual AKM AK4497S DAC chips, part of AKM's new 'VELVET SOUND' range. Powerful Amplification The K15 can drive demanding pairs of headphones thanks to a discrete Class-AB amplifier circuit with up to 3,000mW per channel via the balanced output. Whether it's used to drive sensitive IEMs or high-impedance over-the-ear headphones, the K15 does it with low-noise and high-current performance. From its DACs to the amplifier stage, the K15's audio path is fully balanced and differential. This means the layout is designed to enhance channel separation and also minimizes distortion and noise while maximizing fidelity to keep the music uncolored and sounding lifelike. To further protect the integrity of the signal, FiiO has used a tri-board design with separate digital, analog and power supply sections spread across different circuits. This layout reduces the chance of crosstalk and electrical interference which should result in an audibly cleaner sound. There is a full complement of inputs and outputs at the rear of the FiiO K15 DAC and headphone amp. Precision Power The K15 has a high-efficiency 30W internal AC power supply but also supports 12V DC input for external linear power upgrades. It has independent digital and analog power rails with a multi-stage analog supply with multiple dropout regulators that guarantee a constant supply of clean current to each audio stage. A 3.93-inch color LCD touchscreen on the K15 front panel provides visual controls, while tactile knobs provide quick access to key functions. For hands-free operation, there's an infrared remote and the FiiO Control app enables the unit to be controlled remotely. With a choice of Gigabit Ethernet for lossless network streaming or 2.4G/5G dual-band Wi-Fi for wireless convenience, the K15 can remain connected with both stability and speed. The FiiO K15 will be released on August 1, 2025. The price is $549 / £499 / €599.
Digital Trends
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
How to experience lossless audio
There's been a lot of talk lately about lossless audio, and that might have led you think that you need special equipment or an expensive streaming music service to get it. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you probably already own everything you need to hear lossless audio. So let's take a quick look at what lossless audio is, and maybe more importantly, what it isn't, and how you can listen to it. Recommended Videos What is lossless audio? Simply put, lossless audio is any type of digital audio that hasn't been processed using a lossy, destructive form of compression. Lossless doesn't necessarily mean hi-res audio (though most hi-res is often lossless), and it doesn't even mean CD quality (though the term CD quality is used, it implies audio that is lossless). And lossless isn't a special format that belongs to any company or streaming service. Any streaming service that chooses to offer lossless audio can do so (we'll talk about why some services don't offer it, later). Why does lossless audio matter? When audio is recorded and turned into huge collections of zeroes and ones in a studio, engineers use uncompressed forms of digitization. This means that every detail of the audio is captured digitally, at the highest resolution possible. This creates a near-perfect digital recording. Unfortunately, uncompressed digital audio is massive in file size, so it's always compressed before it gets turned into a file that's ready for distribution. There are two kinds of compression. Lossy compression can make audio files truly tiny — up to a tenth of their original size. But to do that, it discards some of the original information. The best versions of lossy compression discard info in a way that most people wouldn't notice. You'd never listen to good lossy compression and say 'this sounds bad.' Lossless compression, on the other hand, makes a smaller audio file without discarding any of the information needed to recreate the recording on your listening equipment. I won't get into the math behind it, but it works. However, there's still no such thing as a free lunch: Lossless files are smaller than uncompressed audio, but still much bigger than lossy — often four times as large. For those who want to know they're getting the best possible listening experience, lossless is worth that tradeoff in file size. How can I tell the difference between lossless and lossy audio? The hope is that you'll be able to tell the difference simply by listening to both, but realistically that may not be possible — especially if you're listening in a noisy environment. The easiest way to tell is look at the audio file on your computer. If the filename ends in .mp3, .aac, or .ogg, it's a lossy file. If it ends in .alac, .aiff, .wav, .flac, or several other extensions, it's lossless. Since most folks listen to streaming music these days, you need to rely on some knowledge about the formats each service uses plus the display in your streaming app's now playing screen. Apple Music, for instance, will show you an indicator when it streams in lossless, hi-res lossless, or Dolby Atmos. If you change the settings to reduce the amount of data it uses, these indicators won't show up, which means you're getting lossy compression. Each music service has its own version of these labels and the ability to control the maximum quality used when streaming. However, not all services offer lossless. Spotify, for example, has so far resisted the lossless trend. Even with a premium subscription, Spotify only streams music using lossy formats. How do get lossless audio? The first step to hearing lossless audio is making sure you have a source of lossless content: A streaming service that offers lossless audio A CD, SACD, or DVD-Audio disc and a working player Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray with audio recorded in Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio Digital music files saved to your computer, phone, or portable music player, in one of the lossless formats mentioned above The next step is to make sure you have a way to play that lossless content. Streaming service apps like Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, and Qobuz all have built-in decoders that can transform lossless streams into something that can played on your phone or computer. For disc-based music, the CD or Blu-ray player performs the same task. For lossless music stored locally (perhaps ripped from a CD or purchased from a download site), you'll need software that can decode and play it. There are many free apps that do this, regardless if you're on a Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android. Finally, you'll need to make sure that you aren't inadvertently introducing lossy compression because of your choice of headphones, speakers, or earbuds. As convenient as wireless listening is, even the most expensive Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, or speakers use some form of lossy compression when they receive that wireless stream from your phone or computer. There are some rare exceptions, like Qualcomm's aptX Lossless codec, but even then, it can be hard to guarantee that the connection is truly lossless. To ensure your lossless audio stays lossless, you'll need: A wired connection between your disc player, amplifier, and speakers Wireless speakers that use Wi-Fi and receive a direct stream from a platform like Sonos or Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, or Alexa Cast, but not Apple AirPlay 2 A computer or smartphone with a built-in headphone jack or, An external digital-to-analog converter (DAC), plus: wired headphones or earbuds Headphones that support USB Audio via USB-C You probably already have what you need If you already own wired headphones or earbuds, plug them into your laptop or amplifier/receiver and you're good to go. Even if you don't have dedicated wired devices, most wireless headphone also come with a cable you can use for analog wired listening. Because most smartphones don't have headphone jacks anymore, you'll need to buy an external DAC if you want to use your wired headphones or earbuds. The good news is that as long as you aren't fussy about getting audiophile-level hi-res audio compatibility, even something as inexpensive as Apple's lightning- or USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter (typically $9-$11) will do the trick. Gotchas to avoid Here are a few things that can get in the way of lossless listening and should be avoided. Apple AirPlay2: As noted above, your wireless speaker or soundbar may use Wi-Fi, and it may offer the ease and convenience of Apple's AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming, but AirPlay 2 is not lossless audio compatible. It downconverts any audio to 256kbps AAC before sending it to the target speaker. As I said earlier, no one will hear 256kbps AAC and say 'this sounds bad,' but it's not the same as say, 1,411kbps FLAC. Transcoded files: It may be tempting to simply run a lossy MP3 file through a converter and turn it into a lossless format like FLAC or WAV, but unfortunately, that doesn't result in a lossless audio file. All you've done is created a much larger file that still contains no more information than it had when it was an MP3. There are ways to make lossy files sound better — Sony has an algorithm that called DSEE that can 'restore' some of the quality that lossy compression loses, but it can't magically put back the info that was discarded when the MP3 was created. Dolby Atmos Music: This one seems really unfair. We've been led to believe that Dolby Atmos Music represents an entirely new way to enjoy music — one that is more immersive and cinematic. And though that's true, here's another truth: if you're listening to Dolby Atmos Music via the three music services that currently support it (Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music), you're listening to lossy audio. The reason is similar to Spotify's reason for avoiding lossless stereo so far: lossless Dolby Atmos requires huge file sizes. Bigger files mean more bandwidth requirements and that adds up to higher streaming costs for the services. So instead of using the lossless Dolby TrueHD format to transport Dolby Atmos, these services use the lossy Dolby Digital Plus. Again, just like no one is going to complain that Apple's 256kbps AAC sounds bad, you're unlikely to mind how lossy Dolby Atmos Music sounds. But if you ever get a chance to hear lossless Dolby Atmos, I suspect you'll agree it sounds better. You can get lossless Dolby Atmos Music as a digital download, or by buying music on Blu-ray (make sure it specifically says it has Atmos in TrueHD).
