The brand that invented noise cancelling headphones is once again transforming the industry. Today, Bose announces its next generation of truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds—the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. With Bose CustomTune sound calibration technology, QC Earbuds II intelligently personalize audio and noise cancellation performance to the unique shape of every ear—resulting in an unprecedented listening experience and the world's best noise cancellation from any headphone—banded or in-ear.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II have an all-new design. Each bud is about one-third smaller than its predecessor, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, and they come in a pocketable charging case. And for further personalization, they also include an eartip Fit Kit featuring a new two-piece system with interchangeable stability bands and eartips—delivering the all-day comfort and wearability the QuietComfort name is known for.

Apple today announced the second generation of AirPods Pro, the most advanced AirPods ever. With the power of the new H2 chip, AirPods Pro unlock breakthrough audio performance—including major upgrades to Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode—while also offering a unique way to experience Spatial Audio that's even more immersive. Now, customers can enjoy Touch control for media playback and volume adjustments directly from the stem, along with longer battery life, a brand-new charging case, and an additional ear tip size for a better fit.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) will be available to order online and in the Apple Store app starting Friday, September 9, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 23.

"AirPods revolutionized the wireless headphone category with an innovative design and incredible sound quality. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple raises the bar once again," said Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The new AirPods Pro deliver even better sound quality, a more immersive listening experience with Personalized Spatial Audio, and transformative audio features like Adaptive Transparency. With up to double the noise-cancelling power of their predecessor, the world's bestselling wireless headphones just got even better."

Edifier, the forward-thinking audio-technology brand, have announced the release of a brand new earbud, the W240TN, which continues in the brand's outstanding record for affordable but premium quality audio. Aimed at the highly competitive under $100 market, the W240TN true wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation have a range of exciting features and continues Edifier's signature design language and stellar audio fidelity capabilities.

Armed with Dual Dynamic Drivers (Φ6mm+Φ10mm) the W240TN creates a wide sound field aimed at immersing listeners in their favourite songs. Compared to single drivers, the W240TN maintains delicate details even at a high volume threshold and the hybrid ANC functions allow users to block out unwanted sounds and focus in on the music that makes them happy.

oday, Jabra, leader in personal sound and office solutions, introduces the newest addition to its true wireless range, the Jabra Elite 5. The all-round hero is made for those needing to take calls anywhere and is perfect for enjoying media during leisure. These earbuds help people escape a busy day and immerse themselves into media or connect with friends and family on-the-go with the touch of a button.

The Jabra Elite 5 makes it possible for individuals to fully focus on the task at hand with new Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), powered by the Qualcomm QCC3050 Bluetooth chipset. The Hybrid ANC uses feedback microphones on the inside of the ear, and feedforward microphones on the outside. The ANC performance is therefore less sensitive to how you position the buds in the ear and it ensures a more reliable noise cancellation across a wider range of frequencies.

JBL launches its most powerful and feature-rich headphones yet - meet the JBL Tour PRO 2 True Wireless Earbuds and the JBL Tour ONE M2. The latest additions to the JBL Tour lineup push performance to the next level with a smart, seamless user experience and superior audio, including immersive JBL Spatial Audio and the first true wireless earbuds to be encased in JBL's innovative smart case.

JBL Tour PRO 2 launches with the world's first smart charging case. Transform your TWS experience beyond audio - just tap the 1.45" inch LED touch display to manage your music, customize your earbuds, receive calls, messages and social media notifications in real time without touching your phone. Simplified navigation and customisation without the need to take out your phone or open the JBL Headphones app connects you to the things that matter most.

LG Electronics' (LG) 2022 lineup of TONE Free true wireless earbuds provides the ultimate sound experience with advanced audio technologies, a better-fitting design and a host of useful, new features. Demonstrating LG's ongoing commitment to user-centric innovation, the new TONE Free earbuds are the perfect everyday companions for today's on-the-go lifestyles.

This year's flagship model (T90) TONE Free earbuds deliver impressive sound thanks to several upgrades, including a new internal structure with larger drivers that helps generate deeper, more satisfying bass. The use of graphene, a premium material that reduces vibration while boosting audio quality, enables the T90s to produce incredibly dynamic, yet balanced and crisp sound. A treat for the ears in more ways than one, LG's T90 earbuds integrate the performance enhancing capabilities of Meridian Headphone Spatial Processing (HSP), a specialized technology from LG's long-standing partner in delivering superior sound, Meridian Audio. With HSP inside, the earbuds present a full, more natural sound stage with a clear center image - making one feel like they're listening to music played through real stereo sound system. In addition, Meridian's Perfect Balance technology enables the T90 earbuds to achieve a consistent tonal balance at any volume.

USound, the leading provider of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) loudspeakers for hearables and wearables, announces the release of an audio module designed to enhance the performance of TWS and OTC hearing aids. The module design uses physical frequency crossover technology, with finished parts of acoustic design including sound chamber and pipes. This module is a ready-to-use solution for hearing aids and true wireless earbuds. Manufacturers can easily integrate the module in earphones by changing the venting volume to achieve a different sound experience.

The audio module is available in two versions: a two-way audio system and a full-range ultra-compact audio module. The two-way audio system includes a USound's MEMS speaker from the Conamara series as a tweeter and an electrodynamic speaker as a woofer. This combination allows for increased playtime, better sound quality, and performance.

Airoha Technology today announced that its new series of Bluetooth audio chips have successfully completed the latest Bluetooth Low Energy Audio Qualification Process. This is one of the most important R&D achievements of its Bluetooth audio R&D team consisted of hundreds of engineers, who continues to revolutionize the wireless audio end device market. The "flagship" and "professional" series of chipsets support LE audio and Bluetooth 5.3 for multiple applications such as True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds, Bluetooth smart speakers, assistive listening devices, and Bluetooth transmitters. The products are currently being tested by many brand customers and are expected to be available worldwide in the first half of 2023.

"The LE Audio specifications are the most important milestone reached in the Bluetooth audio industry in the past decade. With the support of our strong R&D team consisting of hundreds of engineers who have accumulated nearly a decade of technical expertise, Airoha became one of the world's first certified chip providers. This supports many customers to accelerate the launch of their end devices. The wireless audio innovation brought by the latest Bluetooth LE technology will expedite the process by which consumers and businesses enjoy the convenient and innovative services it brings, fully demonstrating the Airoha's vision and business philosophy." said Yuchuan Yang, Sr. Vice President of Airoha.

beyerdynamic - the audio brand of choice for music lovers around the world - is finally entering the true wireless earbud category with the release of Free BYRD. The all-new TWS earbuds marry beyerdynamic's beloved premium sound quality with a design language reminiscent of the classic guitar pick. By combining the experience of beyerdynamic's audio specialists and world-class manufacturing, Free BYRD provides consumers with meaningful beyerdynamic sound experiences anywhere, anytime. Free BYRD stays true to beyerdynamic's legendary audio quality, and offers smart features like easy Bluetooth pairing, active noise cancelling (ANC) and up to 11 hours of battery life. The new beyerdynamic Free BYRD earbuds are available beginning today for € 229.00 in the beyerdynamic online store and on Amazon.

Free BYRD's release marks the first time the company has brought its genuine premium sound - designed and developed in Heilbronn, Germany - to compact true wireless earbuds. beyerdynamic's obsessive attention to sound quality and detail is paramount in every product brought to market, and no exception was made for its first-ever true wireless earbuds.

HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and brand leader in gaming and esports, today announced the release of HyperX Cloud MIX Buds, designed for multiplatform gaming and digital lifestyle. This is HyperX's first True Wireless (TWS) gaming headset that includes dual-mode wireless connectivity, with low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless for gaming and Bluetooth 5.2 for listening where-ever you go. Cloud MIX Buds offer fast gaming-grade wireless connections with multi-platform compatibility utilizing a 2.4 GHz USB Type-C wireless adapter or Bluetooth wireless for media devices or phones. The included USB-C to USB-C desktop adapter improves accessibility and enables the dongle to serve as a remote control to switch between 2.4HGz and Bluetooth connectivity.

The MIX Buds utilizes large 12 mm dynamic drivers and DTS Headphone:X for an immersive in-game audio experience. The Buds offers 7.1 surround sound with precise spatialization and localization for more accurate in-game sound location. Users can use HyperX NGENUITY software to personalize their preferred sound profile including EQs and assign and re-assign touch controls.

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones with ANC, Sony is one of the best in the business and the company appears to be preparing to launch a couple of new products, if the most recent leaks are anything to go by. First up is the WH-1000XM5, which is an entirely revamped product and doesn't resemble its predecessors in the WH-1000XM series. The LinkBuds S on the other hand is something of a budget version of the WF-1000XM4s, rather than another peculiar design like the LinkBuds.

The WH-1000XM5 aren't as big of a move in a different design direction as Bose's 700-series was compared to the QuietComfort, but they're still different enough to make it obvious that we're looking at a new generation of product here. Sony has slimmed down the headband, but at the same time increased the area of the headband that's covered by soft materials, even though it might not actually touch your head. The earcups have a new design, but it looks like the touch control remains, since the only physical controls that are noticeable in the pictures consist of a power/Bluetooth slider and an NC/AMB button for switching between noise cancelling and ambient mode, as well as presumably turning off noise cancelling.

The new Sennheiser SPORT True Wireless brings superior audio performance for fitness enthusiasts and athletes no matter how intense the workout. Its unique Adaptable Acoustic feature also offers a choice of open and closed ear adapters, allowing athletes to tailor their listening experience to their sport. Thanks to its secure, customizable fit, the SPORT True Wireless is ready for even the most active challenges - all with the unique Sennheiser sound.

SPORT True Wireless delivers an exceptional sound experience thanks to Sennheiser's TrueResponse transducer. Designed and engineered in Germany, the acoustic system is powered by a unique 7 mm dynamic driver that delivers full bass and superior clarity without distortion - even at high volume. The SPORT True Wireless also puts athletes in control of how they experience sound and perceive their surroundings. The unique Adaptable Acoustic feature allows athletes to choose either open or closed ear adapters and adjust EQ settings for the perfect custom training sound.

One of the big downsides of the now commonplace TWS Bluetooth earbuds in the market is battery life and Yamaha's latest addition, the TW-E5B are set to improve things. The new earbuds claim to offer up to 8.5 hours of listening time, with a further 2.5 charges, or 21.5 hours of battery life provided by the charging case. However, unlike many competing products, Yamaha doesn't support ANC, so if you're looking for a noise cancelling pair of earbuds, these aren't for you.

On the other hand, Yamaha has developed some features of its own, such as Yamaha True Sound that's said to deliver more realism, detail and clarity to the audio played. There's also a feature that Yamaha calls Listening Care that claims to reduce the risk of hearing loss by lowering the volume of certain frequencies that can cause hearing damage. Other features include support for Qualcomm's cVc (Clear Voice Capture) technology, as well as aptX Adaptive. There's also a specific gaming mode and support for Siri or Google Assistant. The speakers are a fairly typical set of 7 mm dynamic drivers that are housed in an IPX5 certified water and sweat resistant housing. Rather unusually, Yamaha has gone for tactile push buttons for controls, one on the left earbud for playback control and answering calls and two on the right earbud for volume control and track skipping. Yamaha provides four sets of ear pieces and a USB-C charging cable with the TW-E5B, as well as a dedicated app. So far only UK pricing appears to have been revealed, which is £129.99 or roughly US$170 when they arrive in retail at some point in April.

Sony introduces a new way to enjoy your favourite music and the important moments in life, all at once, with the brand-new truly wireless LinkBuds. You can stay connected and aware at all times, with the help of an open ring design with audio transparency, ultra-small super fit and crystal-clear sound and call quality. By leveraging LinkBuds' unique design and its sensor and spatial sound technologies, Sony is creating new sound experiences together with their partners, such as AR gaming, new work from home experiences, sound AR navigation, and quick access to music.

LinkBuds have been created with a unique open ring design and allow you to tune into the outside world whenever you want, without compromising your listening experience. The newly-developed ring driver unit, has the centre of the diaphragm open for audio transparency, allowing you to clearly hear the sounds around, so you'll always know when someone calls your name whilst on a call, or easily chat with friends while listening to your favourite songs. Their new design makes LinkBuds the perfect companion for a range of uses, including working from home, gaming, listening to music, and more.

When it comes to headphones, Sony is not a company to shy away from trying new things and the leaked LinkBuds are unlike anything else currently in the market. What we're looking at seems to be a set of open back in-ear TWS earbuds, although it's highly unlikely that we'll see any form of noise cancelling support here. Sony did make something similar under its Xperia brand some years ago, although the Xperia Ear Duo XEA20 as they were called, weren't nearly as compact, but it's the only other open back in-ear type headphones we're aware of.

The LinkBuds, also known as the WF-L900 appear to be sitting entirely inside your ears and according to the leaked information, they lack any kind of physical buttons. This might not be a huge issue, as the LinkBuds are said to feature automatic volume control, based on the listening environment. They're supposedly built around Sony's V1 processor and are said to feature support for Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine). Although noise cancelling for the listener might be missing, AI noise suppression for voice is apparently present and is meant to be activated by touching the ear, rather than the earbuds. Other features should include support for voice assistants, Google Fast Pair and multi-pairing.

[Editor's note: Our review of theLypertek PurePlay Z5 can be found here.]

KS Distribution is very proud to announce the new Lypertek PurePlay Z5 true wireless earphones with Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling technology and newly developed PureControl ANC app. Lypertek believe that innovation is key when designing a new true wireless earphone, where sound quality meets functionality - seamlessly connected to create a truly enjoyable and engaging listening experience. With a history of releasing award-winning true wireless products, Lypertek has applied their vast experience and desire to create into designing the PurePlay Z5 - their first ever ANC true wireless earphone. To push the boundaries of what is possible in wireless audio, Lypertek has also developed their brand new PureControl ANC app: Specifically designed for the PurePlay Z5, unleashing its full potential.

Powerful 10 mm dynamic drivers deliver sound like never before, setting a new standard in what can be achieved in the world of affordable true wireless audio: Deep bass that goes low with controlled authority. Mids that provide insightfully clear clarity with richness and emotion. Treble that effortlessly extends far, creating space and definition in a way that sounds as natural as real life. PureControl ANC integrates an extra layer to the experience, providing added functionality and a personalised service to help create your own individual setup. Use the setup assistant to easily get you started on using your PurePlay Z5 quickly and without fuss.

final is an established audio brand that has made its name over the years, with the S'NEXT company it belongs to claiming several engineering designs and patents in addition to a solid reputation in the consumer and professional audio markets as a whole. We took a look last year at what I thought was final's first TWS (True Wireless Stereo) set of IEMs, but apparently that being a collaboration meant it did not count in terms of wholly representing the final brand. As such, final informed us recently that it had indeed been working on its own vision of a first TWS product, which is named the final ZE3000. Sound quality and comfort were prioritized in the design process, and accordingly the use of a single driver was done to avoid phasing issues. The driver itself, a full-range dynamic driver with a new 6 mm adhesive-less injection molded diaphragm, a special silicone surround and a CCAW (copper-clad aluminium wire) voice coil, aims to provide extremely low distortion while at it.

This "f-core for Wireless" driver unit is paired with final's proprietary f-LINK damping system to regulate the air pressure change inside the enclosed housing without introducing a vent. The advantages allowed come in the form of the necessary TWS components not affecting the air pressure regulating system necessary to make the most of the driver, as well as maintaining IPX4 environmental resistance that is crucial for TWS solutions today. This is how final claims the ZE3000 to be able to deliver a non-fatiguing, "relaxing and enjoyable music experience regardless of the music genres". On the technology side, the final ZE3000 is paired with a Qualcomm chipset allowing Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and aptX Adaptive codec support for music playback up to 24-bit/48 kHz, as well as pre-programmed touch controls. The shells employ a claimed ergonomic design with three points of contact in the ear concha, and being on the smaller side also helps with the physical fit. It uses final's Type-E ear tips, which are excellent in my opinion, and comes in black or white colors with a matching case. The advertised battery life is up to 7 hours per charge, and up to 35 hours with the case. The final ZE3000 is available to buy now for £119/€119/$149 from Hifiheadphones (UK) and Amazon US/Amazon UK.

Infortrend Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495), the industry-leading enterprise storage provider, satisfies requirements of high throughput and fast response time for high-performance computing (HPC), media post-production, and medical PACS applications ­— with EonStor CS NVMe SSD storage delivering 13 GB/s throughput in a 3-node cluster, and performance linearly increases in a scale-out mode.

Today's HPC applications perform computationally intensive operations with billions of files across multiple resources of different nature at PB scale. Storage for HPC, therefore, must be able to simultaneously support multiple random and sequential IO workloads of different sizes. Otherwise, it can extensively delay the HPC application output and the company's success. EonStor CS NVMe SSD storage, CS 4014U, effectively eliminates these concerns and guarantees fast response time, satisfying various types of IO profiles.\

There's no shortage of TWS headphones in the market these days, but Philips latest addition, the Fidelio T1's are standing out from the crowd, least not thanks to its claimed 9 hour battery life with ANC on, or 13 hours with it off, which to our knowledge is class leading. Philips also announced a pair of over-ear ANC headphones in the shape of the Fidelio L3 which claims to have a 32 hour battery life with ANC on, which increases slightly to 38 hours with it off.

The T1's come in black or white/silver colour options and feature a 10 mm dynamic driver, as well as a balanced armature, something that is still quite rare in the TWS marketspace. The L3's use typical 40 mm drivers that most headphones in this class seem to use some variant of. Philips has incorporated its Noise Cancelling Pro+ technology, which is said to be a combination of state-of-the-art hardware and advanced audio processing and it's used across both sets of headphones. Both also have no less than four microphones for ANC, with the T1's getting no less than three mics for phone calls, whereas the L3's only gets two, with both supporting echo noise cancellation during calls.

xMEMS Labs today introduced Montara Pro, the world's first monolithic MEMS µspeaker with integrated DynamicVent enabling smart TWS earbuds and hearing aids that create best-of-both-worlds user experiences combining the benefits of closed-fit (occluded) and open-fit earbuds. xMEMS is providing first demonstrations of Montara Pro this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Montara Pro's patented DynamicVent technology can be intelligently opened or closed by the earbud system DSP based on ambient noise levels detected by microphones or the listener's activity from motion sensors. With the vent closed, Montara Pro creates a listening environment with the best passive isolation for music and media consumption or for improved focus in the presence of background noise. With the vent open, Montara Pro enables improved spatial awareness, increased listening comfort, and reduced occlusion effects, such as the perception of the user's own voice as too loud, "boomy," or "hollow." Equally important, DynamicVent eliminates the need for traditional static vents that create a persistent low frequency roll-off that impacts music and media quality and also impacts consumers with low-frequency hearing loss. The DynamicVent can also eliminate the need for oversized speakers in earbuds that are commonly used to compensate for low frequency loss caused by persistent, static vents.

USound, a global developer and manufacturer of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) loudspeakers for personal devices and wearable technology, today announced that it has raised $30 million (€25 million) to move into mass production of its second generation MEMS loudspeakers for several global companies. The investment round was led by Austria's leading venture capital firm, eQventure, with participation from venture capitalists Hermann Hauser (co-founder of ARM) and Longzhong Yang (co-founder of BYD), as well as a strong participation from the European Investment Bank.

USound MEMS loudspeakers take up 50% less space, use 80% less energy, and boast a greater frequency range than rival speaker products used in TWS earphones, headphones, smartphones, VR/AR glasses, wearables, and hearing aids. Due to its reduced size, MEMS speakers impact the size and weight of any wearable, providing more in-ear comfort and style for the consumer. USound's MEMS speakers are dramatically reducing system costs due to its SMT reflow capability, enabling fully automatic assembly of audio products to achieve the highest quality and performance. In comparison to a pure monolithic MEMS solution, USound's MEMS speakers are smaller and offer higher sound pressure levels, better sound quality, and lower manufacturing costs.

Linsoul Audio has been striving to bring the acoustic performance of professional in-ear monitors to the public. After two years of putting passion for perfection to the test and engineering, Linsoul has worked in conjunction with Peacock Audio to introduce the Peacock Flight, which is a superior hand-crafted set of true wireless earphones. Each Peacock Flight unit is handcrafted from start to finish, from the shell molding process to the wiring of the drivers. This is a bespoke design, which makes the earphones be a true one-of-a-kind artwork. The engineering and tuning process is meticulously conducted, and strict testing of each driver component ensures the greatest precision and quality control.

Acoustic performance always comes first on priorities for earphones. Equipped with a Qualcomm aptX HD-compatible chipset, the Peacock Flight supports aptX codecs, which ensures crystal clear sound production with extremely low latency. What's more, the Qualcomm QCC3040 Bluetooth chipset brings a stable connection to achieve the most coherent connection and listening experience. On top of that, the Peacock Flight is also equipped with Qualcomm's latest Clear Voice Capture (CVC) 8.0, which is a noise reduction algorithm that effectively filters out background noise to reduce up to 30 dB of unwanted ambient sound during phone calls. By accurately calculating the position of the caller in relation to environmental sounds, CVC 8.0 allows a pure sound transmission for cleaner and more audible calls.