audio – Techin' Geek

Can Bose Aid Skullcandy in Enhancing Its Budget Brand Reputation?

July 16, 2026sparta

Skullcandy, recognized for its mediocre audio performance, has been working to reshape its image. The company’s voyage started in collaboration with Bose in 2025, culminating in the launch of the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, a $130 set of wireless earbuds that offer unexpectedly good sound and noise cancellation for their cost. Up next on their enhancement list is the notorious Crusher line of headphones, which has allowed users to heighten bass vibrations since its introduction more than ten years ago. The newest model, the Crusher 1080 ANC, unveiled at an event in New York City, seeks to enhance mid and high frequencies while preserving that enveloping bass, thanks to insights from Bose’s audio knowledge.

Skullcandy is highlighting its roots in the board sports community, with the company’s initial product envisioned on a ski lift in 2003. In spite of ownership by private equity firm Mill Road Capital, Skullcandy continues to project its image as a lifestyle brand rather than merely an audio provider for audiophiles. CEO Brian Garofalow admits to previous engineering flaws but notes recent initiatives to integrate Skullcandy’s Crusher bass technology with effective noise cancellation, resulting in enhanced sound quality. Through its partnership with Bose, Skullcandy’s new Crusher headphones boast improved noise-canceling, spatial audio for surround sound effects, and exceptional call clarity from a six-microphone array.

Top Bone Conduction Headsets of 2026: Shokz, Suunto, Mojawa

July 3, 2026sparta

Shokz continues to lead the bone conduction headphone sector, and the OpenSwim Pro is no different. It addresses the absence of Bluetooth streaming present in the first-generation OpenSwim, making it perfect for more than just swimming activities.

Whether you are streaming through Bluetooth or using the integrated 32-GB music player, the OpenSwim Pro offers outstanding open-ear sound. It features surprising bass and warmth, along with the clarity necessary for audiobooks and phone calls.

Adaptable to both standard and swimming EQ settings, the audio can be tailored for land or aquatic environments. With an IP68 waterproof rating, it effectively protects against sweat and water, while the silicone and titanium neckband guarantees comfort and a secure fit.

Boasting easy-to-reach physical controls, the battery lasts up to nine hours during Bluetooth streaming or six hours with the internal music player. Although it is not Shokz’s top-tier model, the OpenSwim Pro stands out in sound quality, design, and performance, securing a high rank on my list.

**Specs**

– **Headphone design:** Neckband
– **Weight:** 27.3 g/0.96 oz
– **Bluetooth version:** 5.4
– **Microphones:** 2
– **Battery life:** 6-9 hours
– **Music player storage:** 32 GB
– **File formats:** MP3, M4A, WAV, APE, FLAC
– **Waterproof rating:** IP68
– **Charging type:** Proprietary cable

Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2: A Beloved Choice, Now $50 Discounted

April 20, 2026sparta

Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds are presently the leading noise-canceling earbuds on the market. They are currently available at a $50 reduction, aligning with the best pricing typically seen outside major sales occasions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While waiting until November may lower the price back to $200, $250 still represents a sensible deal—particularly since the price frequently rises back to $300. The reduced price applies to all five color variants, including Black, Deep Plum, Desert Gold, Midnight Violet, and White Smoke, which is unusual as typically only the vibrant colors receive discounts.

These earbuds excel at blocking out distracting sounds, whether you’re trying to concentrate by looping 10 hours of Coconut Mall or dealing with aircraft noise such as wailing infants or strange noises. The active noise cancellation greatly improves your audio experience.

Featuring advanced noise cancellation, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds also deliver remarkable sound quality with a custom profile designed for your unique ear shape, and an app is available for EQ adjustments, touch controls, and spatial audio configurations. They offer around six hours of battery life, or 24 hours with the charging case. The earbuds come equipped with an Aware mode that allows outside sounds in while dampening the loudest noises, making it ideal for being aware of your environment without unexpected interruptions.

These earbuds are highly proficient, providing crystal-clear call quality, exceptional audio, and a contemporary aesthetic, although they may not be comfortable for those with very small ears. In summary, they offer substantial value at their full price, so saving $50 is an additional perk.

For anyone considering other headphone alternatives, supplementary guides on the finest wireless earbuds, workout headphones, noise-canceling headphones, and open earbuds are available to assist in finding the ideal pair for your requirements.

Sonos Play Evaluation: Merging Efficiency and Ease

April 5, 2026sparta

It’s more streamlined and mobile than the bulky Move, yet sufficiently large to provide a fuller sound in comparison to the compact Roam. It can stay put on its charging stand like the home-focused Sonos Era 100, or follow you wherever you go. Fundamentally, it represents Sonos’ versatility, and now that it’s operating smoothly, it’s hard to resist.

Keep Playing

The unboxing of the Play’s brown cardboard box exudes a blend of Scandinavian elegance and sustainability, mirroring recent items like the Arc Ultra soundbar. Inside, a white cloth reveals a sturdy, cylindrical speaker with a rubber loop, measuring 7.6 x 4.4 x 3 inches and weighing just under 3 pounds. It comes with simple setup instructions and a wireless charging dock, but no wall adapter. You will need an adapter that supplies at least 9 volts and 2 amps (18 watts), but a 15-volt, 3-amp (45-watt) one is optimal for “best” charging. Sonos states that omitting the adapter is to help minimize e-waste, though they’ll offer one for $29.

Other than this, the Sonos app is all that’s needed for setup. Following a mandatory firmware upgrade, my Play was connected to my home network in minutes. Sonos directly supports over 100 streaming services, and you can also stream through third-party platforms like Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay, and others. The speaker appears as a separate “Room” on the app’s main page, allowing you to swipe to pair it with other Sonos devices on your network, or access settings to modify features like EQ, Room name (crucial if you own more than one Play), and Sonos Trueplay for audio tuning to your surroundings.

A Battery Saver feature is available by default, powering down after being idle for too long. This feature, according to Sonos, caused the connection issues I faced while confirming the speaker’s 24-hour battery life claim. Sonos has pinpointed the main issue, and after the firmware update, I’ve let the speaker power down multiple times without experiencing any subsequent network problems during a week of further testing.