Wicked Audio is known in the audio world as a company that makes great-sounding and affordable headphones featuring more youth-oriented styling. In 2019, though, it appears the company will take aim at Apple, Jabra, and other companies that currently make excellent true wireless earbuds. The company has announced an expanded lineup of earbuds that it will show off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.
The most exciting of the four new models the company has announced is the Dunmore, a pair of true wireless earbuds with an IPX5 waterproof rating and 6 hours of battery life. That’s an hour more than industry leaders like Apple’s AirPods, and could make them a very enticing option. We’ve been expecting battery life to increase in true wireless earbuds in 2019, and the Dunmore are the first of many options we expect to boast battery life of more than 5 hours — a trend we’re very excited about.
The company also announced two other pairs of true wireless earbuds: The budget-friendly Gnar, which feature ambient noise protection and a mic for calls, and the Syver, a pair that come with IP65 dust and water resistance and a charging case that doubles as a portable speaker while on the go.
Those who are more workout oriented may be interested in a new pair of banded wireless headphones from Wicked called The Portal. This new pair will provide an even more comfortable listening experience, courtesy of large earfins, and will likely boast even better battery life than its true wireless counterparts.
One thing we’re somewhat surprised about is the understated look of each of the new headphone models, which all appear to come in black-on-black colorways. It’s an interesting (and exciting) pivot for a company that spent years developing its brand recognition as a more-affordable Beats competitor. We’ve been impressed with Wicked Audio’s value proposition in the past, and hope that each of the new models will live up to that reputation in the broader headphone market.
All four new models will be available in spring 2019, though pricing has yet to be announced by the company. We’ll hopefully get a closer look at the headphones on the CES show floor, and will update this story with more information as we get it.
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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