Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature headphones preview: For those serious about their music
It was only a short while ago when Bowers & Wilkins unveiled the P7 Wireless, a wire-free version of its then flagship headphones and they are top quality – worthy of a premium tag for sure. However, the company has just gone one better. There are now a pair of headphones at the top of its line-up that make even the superb P7 and P7 Wireless models seem standard.
As part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Bowers & Wilkins has introduced the P9 Signature headphones, which benefit from its experience in super high-end audio performance and luxury design know-how.
In the past, the Signature label has usually been reserved for extraordinary, limited edition loudspeakers, such as the incredible Signature Diamond floorstanders, retailing for £11,000 a pair. To get the badge, the product has to be the best of the best and be reference standard in its field.
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The P9 Signature is the first pair of headphones to meet such high levels of performance that it qualifies. And from our brief listen so far, the accolade is not awarded lightly.
Engineered by the same team who designed and build the 800 D3 loudspeakers, there is care and attention poured into every detail – all with high-end performance in mind.
There are two 40mm drivers on board, one inside each earpiece. They are built of a sturdier material than those inside the P7 ‘phones, and have wider surrounds around each in order to attain as rigid a structure as possible – thereby reducing unwanted vibrations.
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Both drivers are also angled, to shoot towards the ear in more natural a fashion. It gives the impression of a soundscape further forward than with most headphones and adds further rigidity through an aluminium side wall at the front of each unit.
The design of the headphones and materials used are chosen to also improve performance. The main chassis features a composite aluminium build that feels incredibly solid, yet lightweight. Even the decoupling mounts around each ear cup are specifically tooled to provide stability yet are sprung for comfort.
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The same lamb’s leather usually found on Bowers & Wilkins headphones adorns the ear pieces, although in brown rather than the traditional black, and memory foam is inside to ensure a cosy fit. There is also Saffiano leather on the headband for durability.
The headphones come with three cables, which can be swapped by unclipping the left ear cup and include one with an in-line remote, one that’s five metres long and a 6mm jack adapter.
Bowers & Wilkins is also in the process of making a special MFi Lightning cable for Apple users and customers who buy the P9 Signature headphones can get one for free by simply registering their purchase online.
First Impressions
There’s no doubt that the Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature headphones are among the best we’ve used on Pocket-lint. They have a simple stunning spatial awareness and clarity, while ensuring a throaty, accurate control over low frequencies.
What might deter some is the price. At £700 the P9 Signature cans are far from cheap. However, we feel you would be hard pushed to even find comparatively priced peers capable of this level of performance.
We’ll know more when we put them to more stringent tests, but for now you can colour us impressed. Very impressed indeed.
Pixel leaks keep flowing on the eve of Google’s big event
Everybody keeps spilling the beans on Google’s upcoming Pixel phones. After a UK retailer and a Canadian carrier posted about them early, it’s now Verizon’s turn. Gizmodo has spotted listings of the upcoming devices on the carrier’s Enterprise website, where you can find both the Pixel and the XL under its smartphone section. They also come with a short description of the devices’ features, including a mysterious one called “Google Magic.” We’ll probably find out what that is at Google’s big event. Serial leaker Evan Blass (aka evleaks) has also tweeted out an image of the devices for Verizon, and it looks like they will be available in silver/white and blue.
Across the pond, Google has applied for a trademark on the name “Pixel,” according to The Trademark Ninja. He found the official application on the EU’s Intellectual Property Office website after expressing concerns that other companies might block the devices’ release in member countries, since Google doesn’t own the trademark for the name.
In case you’re sick and tired of Pixel leaks by now, though, here’s an unconfirmed detail about another device that the big G’s expected to reveal tomorrow: its Daydream VR headset could be priced for as little as $79. According to Variety, Daydream could be more affordable than the Gear VR and could ship later this month.
Google Pixel (bottom) and Pixel XL (top) for Verizon Wireless, in blue and silver pic.twitter.com/o1phG9esbP
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 4, 2016
Source: The Trademark Ninja
UE’s new PartyUp feature broadcasts to multiple speakers
Ultimate Ears’ Boom and Megaboom Bluetooth speakers have been some of our favorites in recent years, and if you or your friends picked one up, today’s new software update may surprise you. The company is launching a revamped app interface and OTA firmware update that now allows you to pair far more than two UE speakers at a time. This new feature is called PartyUp and leverages Bluetooth Smart LE to let you see, remotely turn on and add nearby speakers to your audio output. The company claims you can easily add up to 50 at once, provided they’re all running the new firmware. To help kick off the party, you can pick up speakers from the company’s website at a discounted rate in groups of two, five or ten, which will be offered through the holidays.
Once you launch the app and swipe into the PartyUp screen, it will automatically scan for any available speakers and list them at the bottom of the screen. You can then simply drag and drop them onto the main area, where they’ll display as either a full speaker icon (if just doing stereo) or small discs for three or more speakers. They’ll display with a loading icon in the center until they’re fully connected, or occasionally drop back into the found speakers list if the pairing didn’t work the first time.
The design and interface is much improved over previous iterations, although it’s not a drastic overhaul. Connectivity and pairing is generally better too, although we’re at the mercy of Bluetooth, so there’s still a few potential hurdles. I was initially shown the feature on an iPhone 6 and it seemed to work near-flawlessly, finding 10 nearby speakers quickly and adding them to the group, even if they were powered off at the time.
My subsequent tests were done using a Nexus 5X running Android 7.0, with mixed success. Sometimes I had to toggle Bluetooth on and off a few times to get things going. This happened a few times during my tests and isn’t a particularly new occurrence, at least with handset I’ve been using. Once the app connected to the main speaker and found the other devices nearby, things proceeded smoothly, for the most part. As you can see in video below, it took some time to load and a few tries to get them all connected.
Individual speaker volumes can be adjusted while part of the PartyUp output. However, this will add a Volume Sync prompt at the top of the app to allow the person in charge to bring them all up to the same volume again.
This is, by the way, a free update and works for all Boom, Boom 2 and Megaboom speakers. Unfortunately, the Roll and Roll 2 don’t have enough on-board memory to join in and if you want to use the Block Party feature in the app, you’re still stuck with a maximum of two speakers (which the Roll can handle just fine).
It’s hard to say how many people will have access to enough speakers to really put this feature to the test, but I tried it with two Megabooms and five Boom / Boom 2 speakers. The experience feels immersive, especially if you crank it up indoors. On a large outdoor roof deck, they also pumped out enough volume to consider using for a large group or dance party, so invite your friends to bring a UE speaker along. I’ve yet to see if crowds of people would interfere with the Bluetooth connection or not, though.
While UE casually says you can pair up to 50 speakers at once, it’s said that it has broadcast to 150 in a test environment, which was all they had on hand. Keep in mind, this all works by being broadcast from a single host speaker as a one-to-one connection for each additional unit instead of any daisy-chaining. That’s pretty impressive and we’ve only noticed a couple other systems that go beyond pairing two units, like the Bayan Audio SoundScene, which pairs up to eight.
It’s worth noting that you can bypass the app and pair multiple devices manually, in the same manner as before. Just press and hold the Bluetooth and plus volume button on the host speaker until you hear the pairing bongo sound, then double click the Bluetooth button on any nearby speakers to hop into the Party Up zone. This is one way you could use a DJ app on your laptop and have a series of UE speakers to flesh out the sound system. However you choose to use this new feature, it’s bound to be an interesting — and potentially loud — experience.
Find your next ‘Destiny’ raid group with latest Xbox One patch
Next time you need to find a group to help you through Destiny’s latest raid, you won’t have to venture outside your Xbox One. That’s because the Looking For Group feature teased at E3 is starting to roll out to Dashboard Preview Program members at the moment. Those posts can be made up to a week in advance of when you’re ready to play. The update also includes Arena, Xbox Live’s take on daily tournaments, starting with fighting game Killer Instinct according to a post on Xbox Wire.
That’s not all. Xbox is catching up to what PlayStation has offered for awhile and adding rarity ratings to achievements. Meaning, if you completed a championship starting at every race route in Forza Horizon 3 and unlocked the “Horizon Hardcore” achievement, you’d see how unique it is among the general Xbox Live community. The blog post goes on to say that rare accomplishments have a special notification and a diamond icon as a way of differentiating them from commonly unlocked tasks.
Need more? There’s also group messaging shoehorned in as well, and soon it’ll work across the Xbox One, the Xbox app on PC and mobile. As these things tend to go, the wider Xbox Live audience should see these features in a month or so after the preview program has them.
Source: Xbox Wire
Verizon leaks additional Google Pixel info, including new blue color
Another carrier, another leak of the Pixel phones.
Well, this is just getting ridiculous. We’re closing in on October 4 itself, and now Verizon — America’s largest carrier, natch — has revealed another enticing tidbit about the upcoming Pixel phones.
By now we know that the Pixel phones are coming on October 4, and they are indeed called just that. We know that there will be two models, with largely identical specs but for the size of their screens — 5 inches and 5.5 inches, with 1080p and QHD resolutions, respectively — and their batteries.
But Verizon’s leak exposes another interesting tidbit: a new feature called Google Magic, likely a front-and-center implementation of Google Assistant, which was hinted at in the Carphone Warehouse leak from the weekend. Or, it could just be Verizon being funny. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess.
Another interesting thing: Verizon advertises three colors of the Pixel: Very Silver, Quite Black, and Really Blue. Yes, apparently there will be a blue variant of the Pixel, as you can see in the outline of the Pixel above. It’s possible the blue version will be a Verizon exclusive, but I doubt it. We’ll have to see in, oh, 12 hours or so.
No pricing or availability is revealed in this particular leak, though it does seem fairly obvious that pre-orders will begin tomorrow. Who’s ordering?
Update: We now have a full render of the blue Pixel and Pixel XL variants, thanks to the Verizon leak and Evan Blass.
Looks pretty good, right?
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Everything we know so far
- New navigation buttons
- Google UI + circular icons
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- Pixel vs Pixel XL
- Older Nexus phones
Mastercard’s ‘selfie pay’ comes to Europe
Have you dreamt of a world where everyone verifies their online purchases with a selfie? Me neither, but apparently that’s a future Mastercard believes in. The company’s “Identity Check Mobile,” better known as selfie pay, is rolling out now in the following European markets: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It follows trials in the US, Canada and the Netherlands, which have presumably gone down a storm — Mastercard says the technology will be available “across the globe” starting next year.
Instead of a long-winded password, the technology allows you to verify your identity with a fingerprint or selfie. You simply download the app and take a photo so the service can create a digitized map of your face. It’s then stored on Mastercard’s servers and used as a reference point whenever you want to complete a new purchase online. It’s possible, of course, that someone could simply print a photo of your face — to get around the problem, the app will ask you to blink before confirming each transaction.
Mastercard says the new system will “dramatically” speed up the checkout process online, “while also improving security.” Even if the latter is true (it’s probably not) you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the resulting embarrassment. Like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 and Microsoft’s Lumia 950, I think I’ll choose a fingerprint over a cumbersome retina scan for now.
SteelSeries keeps it classy with its new gaming headsets
Any gamer can benefit from a good headset, whether to stay in clear contact with their teammates during an intense raid or to keep the noise down while their spouse is asleep. But some cans are loud in a different way, boasting garish designs or cheap plastic builds that you might not feel comfortable wearing outside your home. Newcomers like LucidSound have taken a stab at building headgear on the more stylish side, but now industry vet SteelSeries enters the arena with its own line of fashionable gaming headsets.
SteelSeries’ products have always been known for their clean lines and relative lack of embellishment. But when it came to the company’s signature Siberia line of headsets, it still needed a way to allow users to resize the fit to their liking. While the distinctive suspension system was effective at ensuring the right fit, its design also made the Siberia headsets look a bit odd.
The new headsets, called the Arctis 3, 5 and 7, avoid that telltale double band by switching to a sizing system that should seem familiar to anyone who’s spent a bit of time outdoors. There’s a tight, stretchy band across the top, similar to the ones that hold snow goggles on your head. You’ll feel a bit of pressure when you first put an Arctis on, but it’s not uncomfortable and eventually fades into the background.
SteelSeries took other ideas from sporting goods as well, covering each earcup in a thin, breathable fabric akin to the material used to make jerseys and gym shorts. The AirWeave material is soft and perforated with small holes, preventing your head from getting as hot and sweaty as it might otherwise. If you do sweat, though, both the earcup fabric and the stretchy band are removable and washable.
The ability to remove the headband means that you can swap it out for a different one of your liking. Outside of that bit of fabric all three headsets embrace a simple design typical of SteelSeries products. The earcups are oval with just the company logo printed on the side; the headband is a simple curve. Out of the line, only the Arctis 5 comes equipped with RGB lighting, and even then it’s just the logo and a thin line around each ear cup. The colors and pattern can be adjusted using the SteelSeries software.
To be clear, though the three headsets are named after consecutive odd numbers, those digits don’t actually refer to the number of channels (stereo or surround) each headset has. All three Arctis products are equipped with 7.1 surround sound that was designed to not favor any particular end of the spectrum — no overpowering bass, no “crisp, clear highs” like so many gaming headsets tend to push. It’s great to “feel” an explosion, but SteelSeries would like you to hear the non-player characters reacting to it as well and their footsteps as they run away.
The team at SteelSeries gave plenty of extra attention to the microphone as well. Many headsets tend to offer just “good enough” sound, using unidirectional mics that filter out some — but not all –surrounding noise. The Arctis’ mic is bidirectional, making it better at capturing your voice and ignoring any sounds coming from next to you. It’s also retractable, so you can use the Arctis as just a pair of headphones without the worries of losing a detachable mic unit or looking silly because it’s sticking out.
The Arctis 5 and 7 are equipped with DTS’ Headphone:X system for slightly better audio, but otherwise the three headsets are identical internally. That makes it a bit easier for shoppers, who don’t have to worry about whether the lower tier will provide what they need, or if the top tier will be “too much.” It’s a solid experience all around, allowing buyers to focus on features instead.
Indeed, the Arctis line offers a lot of variety on that front. The Arctis 3, which costs $80, is a pretty standard wired headset. It uses 3.5mm jacks for input and output with all the adapters you’d need to attach it to an Xbox controller or a laptop with no microphone port. There’s also a jack on the headset itself, for sharing audio with a friend; this feature is also available on the other two Arctis sets.
The $100 Arctis 5 expands the feature set with RGB lighting and it also connects via USB. The headset has a special ChatMix Control dial that allows player to vary the volume of their incoming audio — If you’re having trouble hearing your friends, you can easily raise that side, or turn it in the other direction if you’d rather focus on the game’s audio. There’s a slight ‘click’ to let you know when the dial is centered between the two.
With the Arctis 7 the price jumps to $150, but that cost brings with it 2.4GHz wireless which should boast zero latency compared to Bluetooth. The ChatMix dial is built into the headset to avoid adding more cords, and the headset boasts 15 hours of battery life with 40 feet of range. All three headsets are exclusive to Best Buy starting today.
T-Mobile to resume Galaxy Note 7 sales on Oct 5, joining Verizon and Sprint
It’s even easier to get a new Note 7 this week.
Though Verizon and Sprint have been selling new safe Galaxy Note 7s for a couple of weeks now, T-Mobile has announced it will start selling fresh Note 7s starting October 5. This comes after a pretty hefty number of original defective Note 7s have been exchanged, though reserving new stock only for exchanges rather than new sales really was the responsible thing to do.
That leaves AT&T as the final big U.S. carrier to still not offer new Note 7s officially, though for its part it has updated its website to reflect that the Note 7 is available for in-store exchanges. As a higher percentage of its customers return their defective units, we can expect new sales from AT&T to commence soon.
If you have a T-Mobile Note 7 and still haven’t returned it, there’s literally no reason not to at this point as the carrier continues its very well-crafted exchange program and has plenty of stock at this point. But if you’re been waiting to get an altogether new Note 7 and T-Mobile is your carrier of choice, this week is finally the time you can do it.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Google hires Amazon exec to develop its new phones
Google has hired one of the key personnel in Amazon’s hardware division, according to The Information. The Big G has apparently signed up David Foster (no, not the composer) to head up the development of its Pixel phones and fill a new position in the company. He’s now Google’s vice president of product engineering, underlining Mountain View’s bigger focus on hardware going forward. Foster was with Amazon for five years, leading hardware development of the Echo speakers, the Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage, among other devices at Lab126.
That laboratory, as you might know, is Amazon’s formerly secret hardware facility, which was originally formed to create the Kindle e-readers. It eventually spawned not just the Echo speakers, but also the company’s other devices, such as the Dash buttons, Fire tablets, TV and even the late Fire phone. The last one turned out to be a huge flop — Amazon kept slashing its prices for a year in an effort to move stocks before killing the product altogether. Due to its failure, the company decided to shelve its sequel and several other projects in the pipeline.
Before Amazon, Foster worked on hardware for Microsoft, helping create the Zune HD. He was also with Apple for five years, developing hardware components for its devices. It’s not clear what role he played in creating the Pixel phones Google is expected to reveal tomorrow. But the company’s future devices will have his fingerprints all over them.
Google just hired a key Amazon Lab 126 hardware guy to lead development of the Pixel phones you’ll see tomorrow. https://t.co/ohmQ9qi8VA
— Amir Efrati (@amir) October 4, 2016
Source: The Information
Trump campaign snaps up ClintonKaine.com
The next step of the 2016 Presidential election? Apparently, domain squatting. Wired reports that after Hillary Clinton’s campaign declined to buy a domain consisting of her last name combined with that of her running mate, the owner sold it to her opponent. As noticed earlier today by a reporter for Politico, ClintonKaine.com hosts a Drudge Report-styled collection of negative headlines about its namesakes (and absolutely no bad news about its owner), with a small tag at the bottom indicating who owns the website.
The former owner snapped up the domain back in 2011 for $7.30, and USA Today reports he sold it for $15,000 after Clinton’s campaign offered $2,000. Of course, the strategy is not making its first appearance in this year’s race, as Donald Trump’s campaign previously obtained JebBush.com as a redirect to its official website. Unless it’s due to media coverage, it’s hard to see who will run across a website that the previous owner said was getting 50 hits a day, but we suppose you have to do what you can for SEO.
Source: USA Today
AIVAnet 