September 23, 2016

JBL Reflect Aware Active Noise-Cancelling Lightning In-Ear Headphones Review

September 23, 2016/ Nir Schneider

Apple has officially kissed the headphone jack goodbye and put it to rest in favor of the all-mighty Lightning connector. But you shouldn’t worry too much now that every audio brand is starting to release Lightning connected headphones. So if you can’t wait until Apple releases its weirdest looking wireless AirPods or perhaps you’re looking for a higher-quality sounding pair of in-ear headphones to use with your iPhone 7 (or any Apple device with a Lightning port), then you may want to consider JBL’s new Reflect Aware. These sporty and sweat-proof in-ear headphones feature a Lightning connector instead of the now obsolete 3.5mm jack. And for the very first time, the Reflect Aware are the first in-ear headphones to have powered active noise-cancellation technology. And because power is being delivered through the Lightning connector, the Reflect Aware never need to be recharged and don’t even have a weighty built-in battery. The only question left unanswered is whether or not JBL's active noise-cancelling headphones are worth purchasing over others that are truly ahead of the curve – truly wireless earbuds.

September 09, 2016

Harman Kardon GO+PLAY Wireless Portable Speaker Review

September 09, 2016/ Nir Schneider

Harman Kardon has taken an old favorite and has given it a total makeover with the new and improved GO+PLAY wireless speaker for 2016. Designed to provide a rich and room-filling audio experience with its set of six high-performance drivers, the new GO+PLAY is a weighty Bluetooth 4.1 wireless speaker you can still pick up and carry with you to your next destination thanks to its large internal battery capacity, which Harman Kardon says will last up to 8 hours. While it isn't its most expensive speaker on offer, the GO+PLAY is Harman Kardon's most powerful and perhaps even the best sounding portable speaker yet. So how does it stack up against speakers like the JBL Xtreme, Vifa Oslo, B&O Beoplay A2, and the Marshall Kilburn? You're about to find out!

August 12, 2016

Logitech Create Keyboard Case for iPad Pro (9.7-inch) Review

August 12, 2016/ Nir Schneider

When it comes to keyboard cases, Logitech is at the forefront with its innovative accessories for tablets. Logitech's Create has been a great alternative for iPad Pro users looking to replace Apple's own Smart Keyboard with a more protective, backlit keyboard accessory to serve as a more complete laptop replacement. And it's now finally available for the smaller and more portable 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Like its larger brother, the Create for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is a folio cover case with an integrated backlit keyboard that never requires charging or wireless pairing as it is designed to be powered on using the iPad Pro's Smart Connector, just like Apple's Smart Keyboard. But unlike Logitech's Create for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, this smaller and slightly cheaper version has a built-in Apple Pencil holder and doesn't feature an aluminum-reinforced keyboard construction. And as a result, it's also much lighter and easier to carry around. Albeit, nowhere near as light and slim as the arguably flawed Smart Keyboard cover from Apple. Want to know more on how the Create fares in day-to-day usage? We've got the full review for you after the break!

August 03, 2016

Libratone One Click Review

August 03, 2016/ Nir Schneider

If there's one thing Scandinavian brands have in common is conceiving one of the cleanest and minimalist speaker designs backed by ridiculously good sounding audio quality. Bang & Olufsen and Vifa were two standout names that have rubbed us the right way recently with the introduction of the beautifully made and ultra-compact Beoplay A1 by B&O, and Vifa with its powerfully capable Oslo portable wireless speaker. Another noteworthy Danish company that makes some incredibly well designed, unique wireless speakers is Libratone. And just so happens that we've gotten our clean hands on the company's newest offering – the One Click. Which we of course had to compare against some of the most popular speakers available right now, the Charge 3 and Beoplay A1.

Priced in at $200, Libratone's new One Click portable Bluetooth speaker is customizable right out of the box with its unique accessory system, and like Libratone's much larger Zipp speakers, it also offers none other than Libratone's signature 360-degree audio output using three internal drivers and a unique acoustic dispersion design that evenly delivers sound in every direction. This feature-rich portable speaker sounds like it could be the one, but is it really? Catch our full review to find out!

July 06, 2016

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H5 Wireless In-Ear Headphones Review

July 06, 2016/ Nir Schneider

Meet the Beoplay H5 by Bang & Olufsen. The classiest and arguably the prettiest, most premium and one of the more expensive wireless in-ear headphones ever made. Have you ever found yourself wanting the best possible sound out of small wireless in-ear headphones, but couldn't compromise on design? Then you might like what Bang & Olufsen has got to offer with its new H5. Made to withstand water, sweat, dust and the occasional thrashing, the Danish designed Beoplay H5 won't require you to wear any awkward stabilizing wings or ear hooks like most other wireless earbuds in order to achieve the perfect fit. They'll also let you customize their signature Bang & Olufsen sound using an Apple Watch-supported app, turn off automatically when snapped together, and even offer to replace any neck jewelry you have as you can also continue wearing them when you pull them out of your ears.

All that's left now is to find out if Bang & Olufsen's first attempt at making wireless in-ear headphones is anything worth writing home about. And more importantly, how do the Beoplay H5 fare when compared to noteworthy alternatives from the likes of Jaybird and Bose? Find out in our full review after the cut!

June 30, 2016

Fender FXA6 In-Ear Monitors Review

June 30, 2016/ Nir Schneider

Internationally renowned for its electric guitars and amplifiers, Fender has released its first ever line of in-ear monitors geared towards audiophiles and professional musicians alike. Although a bit too late to the party there Fender. Nevertheless, we were excited to have been given the momentous opportunity to review one of six in Fender’s new professional-grade series of in-ear monitors – more specifically, the FXA6 model. Hand-assembled and designed in Nashville, the FXA6 are Fender’s intermediate offering boasting an ergonomically-shaped, 3D-printed housing for a better universal fit said to be compatible with 95% of users. Fender’s custom molded-like design is made precisely so that it can fit the natural shape of the ear while not only greatly reducing ambient background noise with a superior seal, but also ensuring a low profile is maintained whilst inside the ear. Where it gets even more exciting is what’s waiting for you on the inside. The FXA6 combine the best of both worlds using a hybrid driver array comprised of a single balanced armature tweeter along with a custom full-range 9.25mm driver to produce some seriously impressive audio performance. In other words, we haven’t reviewed a pair of in-ear headphones quite as good as these.

June 16, 2016

Bose QuietComfort 35 Noise-Cancelling Headphones Review

June 16, 2016/ Nir Schneider

The world’s best active noise-canceling headphones have finally been set free. The QuietComfort 35 are Bose’s new wireless headphones with an industry-leading active noise-cancellation technology and Bluetooth wireless audio streaming with up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. The QC35 have a more durable, higher-end design compared to the old QC25 as well as a built-in rechargeable battery. Bose has kept the familiar styling the same between these two models, but it did give the new QuietComfort 35 this coherent fresh coat of matte-finished coloring that looks cleaner than a pair of NMDs. These are said to be the best headphones Bose has ever made, but we'll be the judge of that. So be sure to catch our full, in-depth review down below!