Audio

There's a good chance that the headphone jack of your laptop or PC doesn't offer stellar plugged-in audio quality. Chinese hi-fi brand Fiio is aiming to offer a significant quality boost with a mechanical keyboard rocking its own DAC/headphone amp.

Vienna's Austrian Audio has announced a pocket recording system designed to capture "what you want, where you want, and when you want." The MiCreator Studio wraps a tilting condenser microphone and a USB audio interface into one rugged package.

UW researchers say they can now mute different parts of a noisy room, or isolate one conversation in a chaotic environment, thanks to a swarm of small audio robots that auto-position themselves to pinpoint and follow multiple moving sound sources.

Presonus has overhauled some of the world's best-selling studio monitors. The new Eris speakers deliver reference-grade audio at surprisingly affordable prices, with more low end, wider sweet spots for mixing, and the nifty inclusion of Bluetooth.

Fender is pushing hard to expand and refine its flagship DAW software package, a recording-studio-in-a-box packed with everything you need to write, record, mix, master, perform, livestream and present music, podcasts and videos. It's a monster.

Rather than trail wires around the room for a home theater audio setup, Dolby's new technology pairs a big-screen television's own sound system with wireless speakers spread across the room – "transforming any seat into the best seat in the house."

Australian audio company Røde has launched what's claimed to be a wireless microphone like no other, offering unclippable audio recording, lag-free encrypted transmission and compatibility with any camera, smartphone or computer.

Back in April, xMEMS Labs revealed solid-state technology aimed at replacing coil-based speakers in audio wearables like in-ear monitors. Now the company has partnered with Creative Technology for an upcoming pair of true-wireless earphones.

If you consume much of your audiovisual content on a smartphone, then the living-room soundbar isn't going to satisfy your listening needs. Sony's new HT-AX7 could fit the bill though, which promises room-filling immersive audio in a portable package.

While there’s a lot of debate over how much AI will impact different industries, perhaps one job you won’t mind it taking is note-taking and transcribing. Enter the Plaud Note, which records phone calls and employs ChatGPT as a PA for your audio.

How many speaker drivers do earphones need to deliver great stereo sound? One in each earpiece? Two? Six? The Knowles Corp has partnered with Ultimate Ears Pro for the release of the UE Premier in-ear monitors, which rock 21 drivers per earphone.

Teenage Engineering has added another member to its field portable audio range. The retro-futuristic TP-7 field recorder puts the power to capture quality audio in the hands of journalists, lawyers, medical professionals, and of course musicians.