Audio

The third-generation of the Beosound A1, B&O’s compact Bluetooth speaker, is now available with a honey tone, eucalyptus green, or natural aluminum housing for $349. The upgraded model features up to 24 hours of battery life, an IP67 rating so you can submerge it to depths of up to one meter, and an improved woofer delivering an extra 2dB of bass over its predecessor. B&O has also added support for the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec.

If you’re headed to Star Wars Celebration in Japan later this month, Audio-Technica has announced a pricey souvenir for you, as spotted by Notebookcheck. Unlike its Star Wars-themed wireless earbuds, only 10 of these ATH-AWSW DV headphones, featuring wooden ear cups adorned with images of Darth Vader made using traditional Japanese crafting techniques, will be available.

The smart speaker was already available with an optional marble base that boosted its price tag from $3,300 (for a solid oak base) to $3,900, but Bang & Olufsen has now partnered with Italian marble company Antolini for an even fancier version, as spotted by Engadget.

That’s how Nothing describes its April Fools’ launch this year, the Ear 3.5mm. They’re earbuds that look a lot like last year’s Nothing Ear Open, but come with a handy 50m (164 ft) cable so you can enjoy wired audio quality without giving up the range of Bluetooth.

If you’re on the hunt for a Bluetooth speaker not made of bright plastic or filled with flashing lights, JVC Kenwood’s WDS-01 is made of oak, cedar, pine, spruce, or walnut wood — including its 60-millimeter driver cone.

Through an upcoming automatic software update, Victrola is expanding the wireless compatibility of its Works With Sonos turntables to include Bluetooth, Roon, and UPnP, allowing them to connect to other speakers and audio gear.

The Beogram 4000 series turntable is an iconic piece of ‘70s hardware that’s available once again through another collaboration between Bang & Olufsen and Saint Laurent. But while the B&O Beogram 4000C comes in a fancy case made from ziricote wood, your $35,000 isn’t getting you entirely new hardware.

British AirPods Pro 2 owners can now enable the Hearing Aid feature, available today in a free software update. The update was made possible after the UK government stripped out “pointless regulation” in January.

Gadhouse has updated its Cosmo portable turntable that debuted last year with three new color options reminiscent of Apple’s colorful iMac G3 lineup. The $199 record player is now available in venus red, jupiter green, and neptune blue as part of a new Solar Edition collection, as well as the original lucid white option.

In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman writes that the PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds are preparing to launch on February 11th, with heart-rate monitoring as previously rumored, and also about a new iCloud feature.

Before, it only took one step to eliminate audio processing and extend battery life on newer AirPods.

The company is expanding its Music City Bluetooth speaker lineup with three new party models that introduce RGB lighting that syncs to the music playing.

The 200W wireless speaker also puts on a beat-synced light show and includes two wireless mics with vocal enhancement and reverb effects to improve your next karaoke performance.

The next version of JBL’s Bluetooth alarm clock features a larger design with two 1.5-inch speakers paired with dual passive radiators for improved sound. If you’re looking for a more gentle way to drift off or wake up, it can play relaxing nature sounds like ocean waves, or slowly illuminate a room with a built-in light to “help regulate circadian rhythms.”