Bringing the party from Down Under, Australian audio company BlueAnt today has unveiled the X5i party speaker, a new portable that delivers 120 watts of sound, built-in light show, and even includes two wireless microphones for karaoke. Priced at $270 and boasting up to 30 hours of battery life, the Aussies are betting that the combination of sound, lighting, and karaoke functionality will make the X5i a hit.
Built for those looking for volume in a compact size (weighing under 10 pounds), the X5i’s dual 2.3-inch tweeters and single 6.5-inch mid/bass driver, combine with BlueAnt’s “psycho-acoustic” bass tech, that BlueAnt says “ensures a powerful and immersive sound experience.” And if you want to dial up the low-end, a dedicated bass boost button offers an extra punch.
The X5i isn’t BlueAnt’s first foray into the party speaker market, though. It joins the lineup as a smaller sibling to the more powerful, 160-watt BlueAnt X6, which goes for $479 in Australia (U.S. $303). While the more premium X6 aims for bigger power, the X5i looks to capture a wider audience with its more accessible price and shoulder-able form factor (if the marketing images are to be believed).
The X5i isn’t just about raw power, though, it’s got a light show, too. Just like many party speakers on the market form competitors such as JBL and Soundcore, the X5i features seven vibrant lighting modes that sync to your music from the LEDs that are wrapped around the speaker’s frame. Whether you want a subtle glow or a full-on strobe show, the X5i’s lighting effects will turn any room into, well, a disco.
Speaking of the competition, this is where BlueAnt might have a leg up on some of them — they’ve decided to throw in two wireless microphones. Karaoke fiends will for sure like not having to fork over extra cash to singalong to their favorite Sabrina Carpenter tunes. They charge directly from the speaker, so no scrambling for batteries when your rendition of Espresso demands an encore, and they boast 50 hours of playtime. BlueAnt says that their range will “reach around corners,” great for wandering around and working the crowd.
Despite its power, the BlueAnt X5i is designed for portability. Its built-in phone and tablet holder puts DJ controls in convenient reach, while the IP54 splashproof rating means you don’t have to worry about a little rain or spilled drinks. Plus, with a built-in power bank, you can keep your devices charged while streaming tunes from your favorite music services.
For its small package and accessible price point, the X5i is impressively connection-adept. Bluetooth 5.4, USB, and an AUX input are there for no matter how you like to play your music. You can even pair two X5i units together for stereo sound or even more, if you have deeper pockets, to broaden the volume in, say, a bigger party room.
The BlueAnt X5i party speaker is available now on Amazon for $270.
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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