Audio Archive

It’s a shame, but there’s no such thing as the perfect pair of earbuds. Because everybody wants different things from their audio equipment. Some people are willing to settle for mediocre sound quality if it means they’re capable of getting an enormous battery capacity. Some people are willing to live with a 2-hour battery if it means they can better audio. Perhaps someday, choosing a …

People seeking true wireless earbuds are walking a tightrope. You don’t want to choose cheap crap because you’ll run into sync issues between the buds. You don’t want to go overboard with features you don’t need because you can easily increase the price of earbuds without increasing performance. Striking the right balance often means finding something in the middle. Headphones with great performance per dollar, …

The market is full of great portable Bluetooth speakers. The problem is that it’s also full of terrible ones, and it can be tough to tell them apart. It’s even trickier because different people need different types of speakers, so what works great for your friend won’t necessarily work great for you. Thankfully, it’s not impossible to tease all this apart with a thorough investigation. …

It can be tough to choose portable headphones. All types of portable headphones have their own weaknesses, especially long-term comfort problems. To achieve the greatest portability possible, manufacturers gradually strip down a headset until it’s made from as few parts as possible. Ultimately, you’re left with a bit of copper wiring that’s attached to bits of silicone. The most comfortable portable headphones will eventually become …

Athletic earbuds need some measure of waterproofing, a reasonably good battery life, and in-ear security. You don’t want to feel as though the earbuds might pop out of your ears at any moment. Equally important, you don’t want to have to stop and adjust the earbuds every couple of minutes if they start shifting around. If nothing else, it helps if you know the earbuds …