In these unpredictable times, the last thing we’re looking for is commitment. So many streaming services want you to sign up for years. Not Amazon. Right now, until August 18, the retail giant is offering a free three-month subscription to its ad-free Amazon Music HD music-streaming service, with no money down and no commitment. Usually, with deals like this, there are subscriptions and strings attached. Not here, so we’re in!
Well, how do you like to listen to music? We don’t mean do you prefer to bop around with Taylor Swift blaring through your fancy Bose noise-canceling headphones versus relaxing at home and letting Frank Ocean play from your soundbar — we mean how good do you want your music to sound? How clear? How precise?
Amazon offers the highest-quality streaming audio by giving us its library in HD, or even ultra-HD (if you want to opt for that — only the HD version is free). This means that you can depend on lossless streaming — no more interruptions to your favorite songs as the kbps rate races to catch up. That rate? It streams up to 850kbps, which is phenomenal (Spotify’s highest streaming rate is 320kbps, less than 50% of what Amazon is offering). If you like to stream, that should be music to your ears.
So what will you need to take advantage of it? A wireless connection, like LTE, that can cope with data speeds of 1.5Mbps. In terms of devices, you’ll want to see that your smartphone or tablet (or whatever you use to stream music) support 16-bit/44.1kHz or higher. In the world of iPhones, this means you need an iPhone 5 or later. In terms of your headphones or speakers, they should be able to carry a dynamic range of 20 kHz-plus for HD (and double that for Ultra HD). Of course, it sounds great on your Amazon Dot, as well.
But what does Amazon offer in terms of music? Tons. Amazon has done a ton of work to make sure that its 60 million song collection has the newest music, as well as current hits, classics, and niche artists from all genres and periods. It can also recommend new artists and playlists. It’s super convenient.
There are so many ways to listen to music now, but streaming is by far the most convenient. Before August 18, you can take advantage of this offer from Amazon to get Amazon Music HD for three months for free. Leave anytime you want. No Commitment. And get the highest-quality streaming available, with unparalleled access to your favorite music.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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