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Whether you’re at the beach or enjoying a backyard barbecue, when you need powerful sound for an outdoor space, you’re going to want to choose a Bluetooth speaker that’s up to the task of providing loudness and projection while delivering great sound quality. With its heady collection of two 3-inch main drivers, twin 1-inch tweeters, and a 6-inch powered bass radiator, Nyne’s Rock Bluetooth speaker handles this task impressively well.
Every outdoor party speaker needs to be able to handle rain, sand, and the occasional physical impact during travel. The Rock (no relation to Dwayne Johnson) passes these basic tests, but falls short of being “very rugged.” Its IPX-3 water-resistance rating means it can get rained on or survive a spilled drink, but it cannot be fully submerged. The lightweight rubberized exterior and metal grilles are prepared to take on some bumps and resist scratches, but a hard fall would likely damage the smooth finish or dent the flexible grille. We don’t think you’ll spend a lot of time carrying around this 10 pound speaker, although the conveniently placed hidden handle in the back makes this task easier than it looks.
The Rock has a few extras in addition to standard playback controls like hands-free calling with a built-in mic, NFC pairing, and a USB port for charging mobile devices. You can also connect an input source via Aux-in and chain to a second Rock or other speaker using the line-out port. The ports and charge indicator LEDs are safely stowed behind a rubber gasket that keeps the unit waterproof when closed. The speaker’s 6600 mAh battery doesn’t have a ton of capacity, but it’s enough to keep the speaker playing for up to 8 hours depending on volume level.
As for sound, the Rock does a great job reproducing bass and the low rumble of sub-bass ranges. However, the treble register is somewhat over-pronounced, which can make midrange vocals sound harsh at louder volumes. That was disappointing since blasting music at maximum volume is a big draw for a boombox-style speaker. In spite of this, backing off the volume a few notches helps to avoid the sibilance and distortion; you still get plenty of sound with a decent amount of detail from a dozen yards away at moderate listening levels.
Nyne’s Rock joins the ranks of contemporary large-bodied boombox speakers like Monster’s Superstar Blaster and Braven’s BRV-XXL. While it lacks the on-board EQ control and PA system capabilities of its competitors, the projection and the sound quality are comparable across all three. The Rock’s MSRP of $250 is already the most affordable of the bunch, but we spotted it recently online going for $180. At that price, this speaker could be an enticing option for your next backyard bash.
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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