I’ve come to expect certain things from Audio-Technica earbuds and headphones. First, there’s the company’s warm, soothing sound profile that’s easy to listen to for hours at a time. It’s usually good, but not necessarily great, though the company typically combines it with a solid overall experience thanks to features and performance.
At CES 2023, Roland introduced a streaming mixer called Bridge Cast, which can give creators a way to pipe different audio feeds to different destinations and make it easy for them to create mixes, add vocal effects and remove unwanted audio.
Well, this is certainly an interesting way to debut a new set of wireless earbuds.
Audio cues can sometimes be crucial for success in games. Developers frequently design the sound environment for their experiences to be not only rich and immersive, but to also contain hints about approaching enemies or danger. Players who are hard of hearing can miss out on this, and it's not fair for them to be disadvantaged due to a disability.
So much of what we see at CES tends to be focused on technological innovation for the sake of innovation, or obvious attempts to tap into whatever trend is gripping the internet's attention that year. In the last few shows, though, there has been a heartening increase in attention to assistive products that are designed to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and other different needs. At CES 2024, I was glad to see more development in the accessibility category, with many offerings appearing to be more thoughtfully designed in addition to being clever.
One of the key advantages of Bluetooth LE Audio is Auracast: a way to broadcast content to connected devices in public settings. It will also allow you to easily connect multiple wireless speakers to each other with diving into an app. Perhaps most importantly, the barrier to entry is going to be very low since a dedicated Auracast app will be built into mobile platforms like iOS and Android. What's more, you'll select available channels like you would a Bluetooth device or a Wi-Fi network.
While MEMS drivers may be the next big thing in true wireless earbuds, the first models with the solid-state components still require a hybrid setup. These products pair a MEMS speaker with a dynamic driver to ensure proper bass performance.
Audio-Technica's earbuds have run the true wireless gamut. The company has built separate models over the years that individually offer long battery life or ultra affordability, but it has yet to construct a complete package.
There are earbuds aplenty at CES 2024 and today Sennheiser revealed its two latest models in Las Vegas. The company has updated its flagship Momentum line with a new premium model, the Momentum True Wireless 4, while also debuting its first tech-filled set of fitness earbuds in the Momentum Sport. Both sit at the top end of the company's lineup and will cost you $300 or more when they arrive later this year.