audiosplitz: Smart Device

Sonos Beam Soundbar - First Look

July 20, 2018

Launched in June, the Sonos Beam voice-assistant powered soundbar marks an interesting and more affordable alternative to its older flagship sibling, the Playbar.

As Sonos currently gears up for its impending IPO, it was only appropriate that the California-based outfit made it a point to drum up the interest with the launch of its latest audio offering, the Sonos Beam. Let's take a look at a comparison before examining the Beam in detail.

Type - Smart Soundbar
Price - USD 399 / SGD 699

Sonos Beam vs Soundbar vs Playbase
With the Beam, there now exist three Sonos products that directly connect to your TV for audio output. Two (Beam, Playbar) function as soundbars while the Playbase is a soundbase.

Read -
Sonos Soundbase Launch in Singapore
Setting Up Sonos One in Singapore

What's the Deal with the Sonos Beam?

1. Alexa in a Soundbar
The Sonos Beam is powered by the Amazon Alexa voice assistant, a new addition to its soundbar range and its second product (after the Sonos One) to offer Alexa. While Alexa is offered only in selected countries (namely US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, NZ), there are ways to use Alexa in Singapore and we've successfully tested this. Do look out for the expected Google Assistant integration in Sonos Beam and Sonos One by the end of 2018.

2. HDMI Port
While this may seem a no brainer function in most soundbars in the market, the HDMI (ARC) port on the Sonos Beam is surprising, considering Sonos' other TV-centric speakers only offer an optical-input. Given the almost universal HDMI port comes fitted with all new LED/LCD TVs, this almost comes as a sigh of relief.

3. Affordability
From the Playbar's lofty price (SGD 1,299) to the Beam's surprising more acceptable SGD 699, this soundbar is obviously geared at providing a more mainstream offering to consumers.

4. Control
You have a flurry of choices in controlling the Sonos Beam:
a) Voice Commands
b) Sonos App
c) Capacitative touch controls

5. Airplay 2 Support
If you want to cast music from your iOS / macOS device, no issues there as the Beam offers Airplay 2 support. Actually since the Beam is a Wi-Fi device, there's no issues connecting with your Android device using Spotify Connect.

6. What Else?
The Beam can be wall-mounted under your TV or plonked on your TV console. At 651 x 100 x 68.5mm and weighing 2.8kg, this is considerable smaller and lighter than its older sibling, the Playbar. There are 5 amplifiers to power the soundbar and capacitative touch controls to control playback (if you don't want to use Alexa) and a microphone mute in case you get paranoid if you somehow reckon Alexa hears too much.

Significance
Sonos expands its product portfolio with a more accessible product that aims to appease the more mainstream crowd. Alexa adds a dimension of convenience that will aid users while emphasising Sonos' embracing of voice assistants.

Price & Availability
Two colors (Black, White) have been launched in mid-June 2018 at the following prices (USD 399 / SGD 699). They are offered by TC Acoustic for the Singapore market, with sales starting 17 July 2018.

Amazon Alexa

Setting Up Sonos One in Singapore

May 02, 2018

Sonos is a well established brand in the domain of wireless home speakers. They have been boosting their repertoire with all types of speaker configurations (subwoofers to soundbars) so it is very welcome that they now spruce up their 'base' unit, the Sonos Play:1 with a follow up called the Sonos One. Visually, it looks very much the same as its predecessor. What makes this an interesting proposition is you'll find that this is the first Sonos product to integrate with the Amazon Alexa digital assistant.

Type - Smart Speaker (Wi-Fi)
Price - USD 289 / SGD 349

Target Audience
You want to plonk a great sounding speaker in your living room powered by a voice assistant.

How to Set Up Sonos One
As I'm staying in Singapore, I think the most crucial part is not the actual review itself but it is how to set up and configure the Sonos One to the extent where you can control the speaker with either the voice assistant (Alexa) or your phone. As I'm using the Sony XPERIA XA, I'll run through the setup with an Android device.

1. Sonos App
This one's pretty straightforward. Just type 'Sonos' in Play Store and install it. Just follow the instructions on the app. It takes a while but you'll need the app to function as a remote control to the speaker. You just need to set up an account and follow the instructions on your phone. Should you encounter problems, just reset and start from scratch.

2. Amazon Alexa app
As I'm in Singapore, it's not possible to install it through Play Store. However, there are a few workarounds.

a. Install geo-restricted apps on Android
I tested this but was not able to get this to work though there are some websites that claim that this method is possible. Nonetheless, here are the steps recommended:
> Install a VPN like Opera VPN
> Set it to US region
> As I was unable to find Amazon Alexa on Play Store, you might want to try doing a Chrome search for 'Amazon Alexa'
> If it says 'This item isn't available in your country', try clearing the cache (Settings > Apps > Play Store > clear cache)

b. Install the .apk file directly
There are a few sites where you can download the .apk file to your phone and trigger the installation. Once you find it, install it. I chose to run VPN on a US region when opening up the Amazon Alexa app.

3. An Amazon Account
This one's a no brainer but since you are using the Alexa app, you'd have to have an Amazon account.

Once done, you are pretty much good to go. It's not that difficult to set up and once you activate Alexa, you can pretty much give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy the music.

Music Support
One question is what type of music can you play using the Sonos One. For non-Sonos users or even Bluetooth speaker users, this question may be peculiar but the reality is that WiFi speakers work in a different way so this deserves a thorough answer, especially since there's no 3.5mm jack for a line-in.

1. Paid Music
If you use the usual suspects in streamed music content like Apple Music or Spotify, these are compatible with the Sonos app. Do note that Spotify (free) is not supported. You will need Premium. On the Alexa app, you can see more options such as Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora and Deezer.

2. Free Music
With the Sonos app, you have access to AccuRadio, a rather good music platform that allows certain channels to be played. Using the Alexa app, you have an expanded range such as iHeartRadio and tunein where you can play music channels and radio stations. I tested 'Alexa, play Class 95 FM' and it worked just fine. Even asking Alexa to play Jazz Radio or playing music from Bruno Mars got me favorable results.

3. Offline Music
While I could not get offline music to work using the Sonos app, using Amazon Alexa allows you to upload up to 250 songs for free using Amazon My Music.

My Review
It would be highly presumptuous of me to say I know Sonos products. I can quite frankly say I did not. Sure I did have a listen to the Sonos Playbase and Play:5 in their full glory at prior events. However, I did not have the intimate knowledge of the mechanics of Sonos products. As for Amazon Alexa products, I had nothing on them apart from a theoretical understanding.

So from the angle of a total newbie, I chose to use the Sonos One as a Sonos speaker for a month before activating Alexa. The reason is very simple - it was important to get to know the speaker within the Sonos ecosystem and find out what is its behaviour.

Once 'broken in', I then dived to add the Alexa element, which opened up a myriad of possibilities that was not taken into consideration previously. It added a refreshing new dimension to the speaker and it was frankly quite exhilarating.

Interestingly, the Sonos One is slated to add integration with the Google Assistant in 2018, one of the rare speakers that supports two voice assistants. This in itself makes the Sonos One one very interesting smart speaker to review.

You can buy the Sonos One at Amazon for USD 289.

Google Assistant

Singapore Launch of Google Home Smart Speakers

April 18, 2018

18 Apr - Google has officially launched its Google Store in Singapore where folks can buy products directly from them. At the same time, why not also launch the Google Home smart speakers with localized content? Sure they've already been released in various other countries but that's a small footnote, no?

Google Store -
While store.google.com/sg existed for some time selling various hardware like the Pixel Buds, they were selling through intermediaries like Lazada (for Chromecast) and Singtel (for Pixel 2 XL). What's the difference now? Well, they're now selling the hardware directly to you. Last time, you'd have to monitor the stock on Lazada so now, this direct B2C model makes purchasing that much simpler.

Content -
Singapore Press Holdings is doing a tie up with Google to allow listening of podcasts from The Business Times and The Straits Times. In addition, the Google Home devices are supposedly localized with local content in the lines of 'Where is the nearest kopitiam (coffee shop)?'. There's also support of selected features pertaining to OCBC Bank and Singapore Airlines where certain queries can be posed like how to finance a new home or a flight timing.

Oh yes, there is some audio hardware too, yea?

Google Home (SGD 189)
The Google Home needs practically no introduction.

If it does, this is a smart speaker running on Google Assistant. Trigger it with 'Hey Google' or 'OK Google' and state your query. The Apple fanboys would turn their noses as they'd likely engage solely with Siri but the reality is Google Assistant has evolved considerably in voice assistant capability since its inception. Its key competition would be the Amazon Echo (with Alexa) and Apple HomePod (with Siri).

Google Home Mini (SGD 79)

The Mini has been the speaker of choice for those wanting affordability with a petite frame (98 x 42mm). It comes in 3 colors - Charcoal, Chalk and Coral. Its direct competitor is the equally compact Amazon Echo Dot running on Alexa. There's Wifi, Bluetooth support and is powered through a micro-USB port.

The Google Home devices are up for purchase from 20 April.
Interestingly, Google Home Max is not among those launched in Singapore as yet. The Google Home Max is available in the US at USD 399.

Google Assistant

CES 2018 - Sony's 2nd Gen True Wireless Earphones

January 10, 2018

To kick off the 2018 with a bang, the yearly Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas always plays host to some really interesting gadgets. Sony usually makes it a point to stamp its mark with some great tech. They duly obliged by showcasing quite a few audio products, but we choose to focus on just this - the Sony WF-SP700N true wireless earphones.

Type - Truly Wireless Buds
Price - TBC

Sony WF-SP700N

Sony is starting to get into the groove with the launch of its 2nd generation pair of true wireless earphones.

What's Special?

1. In its category, they claim these are the first in the world to offer the noise-canceling and splash-proof (IPX4) functionality. Can't disagree with this.

2. Google Assistant - Sony says they are planning to bring this compatibility to these buds and given the prevalence of AI-driven products, this certainly adds to its value when giving voice commands on the move.

3. Ambient Sound - This mode allows external sound in to blend with music playback. Definitely a useful feature should you want to jog safely with nearby traffic.

Other Specs
Battery life - 3 hours
Weight - 7.6g each
Weight (Charging Case) - 45g
Accessories -

Charging case
charging cable (micro-USB)
4 x Silcon earbuds
2 x Arc supporters

Significance
All the big players are now established in the truly wireless arena. What does the future hold? With Apple, Google, Amazon determined to fight it out in the voice assistant domain, manufacturers of true wireless earbuds will likely head toward implementing these in their products within the next year.

Pricing and Availability
These buds will be available in Asia-Pacific from Q2 2018. Pricing is to be confirmed.
4 colors will be available - black, pink, yellow and white.

If you liked what you read, do feel free to support us by buying from Amazon through this affiliate link.

Update (8 May 2018)
The Sony WF-SP700N will be available in Singapore at Sony Stores from 24 May 2018 for SGD 299. When you purchase a unit, you will get a free Fitbit Flex 2, in the form of a redemption letter.

Amazon Alexa

2018 Smart Speaker Roundup

December 11, 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, it's important to look back at what defined the year in music hardware. Speakers and headphones have evolved considerably to a level where app support is practically the norm. True wireless earphones hit the mainstream.

Beyond that, 2017 was all about digital assistant-powered devices such as smart speakers. It kickstarted in May at the Google I/O conference where they announced the expansion of the Google Assistant ecosystem and capabilities. Apple soon followed with the HomePod smart speaker announcement at their WWDC event in June. If not already clear, the next frontier for the big tech companies would be in artificial intelligence and digital assistants. The only question is which would emerge victorious or would there somehow be a convergence of digital/voice assistants in the future? We'll leave that question for another time while we check out the smart speakers that hit the markets this year and pave the way for 2018.

1. Amazon Echo (2nd Generation)

Voice Assistant - Alexa
Launched - Oct 2017
Price - USD 99.99
What's the deal? -
It ups the ante on the 1st gen with a new speaker, with Dolby processing, and new design. It fits very well in the living room as it doesn't look as industrial as its predecessor.

2. Amazon Echo Dot

Voice Assistant - Alexa
Launched - Oct 2016
Price - USD 49.99
What's the deal? -
A very compact alternative to the Amazon Echo, with all the capability of Alexa at your disposal. It connects through a 3.5mm audio cable or Bluetooth. At half the price of the Amazon Echo, this is a great option to an entry-level smart speaker.

3. Apple HomePod

Voice Assistant - Siri
Launched - June 2017. To sell in Early 2018.
Price - USD 349
What's the deal? -
Apple's first big speaker since the discontinued iPod Hi-Fi. To make the deal sweeter, make them look more compact, add Siri voice assistant and presto, you get the Apple HomePod. Would've sold like hotcakes if they'd come out by X'mas. Likely will sell like hotcakes once they are out in 2018, anyway.

4. Google Home Mini

Voice Assistant - Google Assistant
Launched - Oct 2017
Price - USD 49
What's the deal? - No prizes for guessing who its competitor is. The Google Home Mini is about the size of the Echo Dot, has a similar price tag and looks pretty darn good. Only drawback is the lack of a 3.5mm jack.

5. Harman Kardon Invoke

Voice Assistant - Microsoft Cortana
Launched - Oct 2017
Price - USD 199
What's the deal? -
It looks very much like an Echo, or Bose SoundLink Revolve, but is the very first to feature Microsoft Cortana digital assistant. The speakers, unlike the Home or the Echo, are more powerful and hence sound that much better.

6. Sonos One

Voice Assistant - Alexa
Launched - Oct 2017
Price - USD 199 / SGD 329
What's the deal? -
If you've noticed, Oct 2017 was a popular month for smart speaker launches. Likely one of the best sounding smart speakers in the whole selection, the Sonos One differentiates itself from the Sonos Play:1 by the integration of Alexa. Like the other speakers in the Sonos ecosystem, they run only on the Wi-Fi network.

Apple Siri

B&O Beoplay E8 Truly Wireless Buds - First Look

September 08, 2017

Doppler Labs

Here One Truly Wireless Smart Earbuds - Review

August 16, 2017

Truly wireless buds made their entrance to the mainstream in 2016 to much fanfare thanks to offerings from big manufacturers (Apple, Samsung) and others that have established themselves in the niche (Bragi). It's an exciting space that has room for growth and Doppler Labs is a company that sees the potential in the hearables sector for bigger things than just the 'primitive' function of listening to music.

We reviewed the Here Active Listening system, their first commercially available buds exactly a year back and now, Doppler Labs' has added music playback capability. After attending Here One's Singapore launch back in June, we bring you a full review!

Doppler Labs Here One Wireless Smart Earbuds

Read -
Advent of Truly Wireless Earbuds
Here Active Listening System review

Type - Truly Wireless Earphones
Price - USD 299 / SGD 459

Pros (+): Remarkably vibrant sound quality; Pass-through listening; Highly customizable audio features; Great fit.
Cons (-): Pairing may take a while to work; Battery life.

In The Box
The Here One truly wireless buds come in 2 color combinations - Black and White. For purposes of this review, we obtained the latter.

The box is undoubtedly sturdy, something that you'd associate with a company that rhymes with 'Zappel'. Popping open the top gives you the charging case with the buds enclosed. Taking off this layer gives access to the rest of the accessories that are neatly presented.

On taking out the packaging contents, we get:

Here One Wireless Smart Earbuds
Charging Case
3 x Silicon Buds (S / M / L)
3 x Foam Buds (S / M / L)
Charging Cable (USB to micro-USB)
Quick Start Guide and Safety Information

Design
The Here One buds weigh a reasonable 12g (for both), comparable to other truly wireless buds like the Samsung Gear IconX (12g), though are slightly heavier than the Apple AirPods (8g). The overall aesthetic is almost the same as its predecessor with exception of more contact points to link with the Charging Case. The outer edge is a touch panel that allows finger taps to actuate certain functions while the inner portion has five contact points that link to the case for charging purposes.

Charging Case:
The case measures a lengthy 98 x 36 x 29mm and when the buds are stored, it doubles as a charger. On the practical side, there are four LEDs within that indicate the battery life of the buds at any time. There's absolutely no worry that the case will spill the buds out when stashed in a bag as the magnetic clasp that shuts the case is incredibly strong.

Features

Playback / Voice Commands:
While there may be no physical buttons on the Here One, you perform taps to the buds to activate certain features. A single touch takes calls or stops music playback (if already started) and allows ambient sound to pass-through. Now, this feature, while not entirely new, is interestingly one that triggered Doppler Labs to file a lawsuit against Bose. Either way, it works as it should and it's mighty useful. As for a double tap, it activates Apple Siri or Google Now depending on your smartphone, so you can give voice commands.

Layered Listening / App Support:
This feature was what made the Here Active Listening System interesting. Once you install the app (compatible with iOS 9.0+ / Android 5.0+), you can tune environmental sound to your preference and then fuse it with your music.

To give some examples, there's db adjustment, live EQ mixes and noise filters. For potential usage, you can listen to music while fully able to hear / block your surroundings, ideal for bus commuters that require a measure of safety when crossing roads while wanting to isolate noise while on a bus. If you want to amplify speech, just select this filter option and this will give increased focus on chatter directly in front which we found to be mighty useful in situations such as standing at a bus stop.

Pairing:
Doppler Labs' pairing of buds with smartphones did not appear to be extensively tested. I had some intermittent issues when trying them out with the Sony Xperia XA (running on Android 6.0) where I had to reinstall the app twice as it was stuck in the 'Connecting to buds' screen for quite a while. Once it works, you just need to open the app and Bluetooth activates once the prompt is acknowledged.

Tip - Should there be problems when pairing, there's a tiny hole on the underside that allows a full reset of the buds.

Performance

Sound Quality:
The improvement to its experimental predecessor, the Here Active Listening System, is clearly the addition of music playback. Putting it on its paces, the Here One's sound quality is remarkably vibrant, especially when using the silicon tips. A sample of Kygo & Selena Gomez's It Ain't Me gives a really good balancing act of the treble (the snapping alongside Selena's vocals) and especially when the bass from Kygo's wizardry kicks in. For slower tracks like Craig Armstrong & Elizabeth Fraser's This Love, the instrumentation and vocals sound completely natural. It's not overly bright nor muffled like you'd hear from other buds. If you are wondering about sound drop offs inherent in some truly wireless buds, there was no such problem here.

Noise Isolation / Fit:
You have a choice of silicon tips and foam tips that come in the box. If it's noise isolation, use the foam tips (which pretty much function like Comply tips). If you want a good fit, both the types of tips insert snugly into your ear, though if you choose to jog, foam may add that added assurance.

Charging:
A full charge of the Here One through the provided micro-USB cable will give 2 hours playback that is subpar when considering buds like Bragi The Headphone (6 hours) and Apple AirPods (5 hours) though slightly higher than the feature-packed Samsung Gear IconX (1.5 hours).

On the flipside, a quick charge of 15 minutes promises a very decent 1 hour (50% of the full charge). The buds themselves are rated at 60mAh and if the power isn't enough to last your commute, the case has a rating of 560mAh which potentially gives 3 additional full charges once you plonk the buds in to charge. They'll emit a (soothing) pulsating orange light from the front when charging takes place.

Overall
The Here One buds are remarkable in many ways. As a music playback device, it performs unexpectedly well and the ear fit is excellent. The one thing that could be improved is the consistency of the app pairing with the buds, but the layered listening feature set offered by the app provides a highly customizable listening experience that is highly unique.

The Future
The Here One highlights the potential of the hearables market and how it can evolve to cater to folks who want the flexibility to tune out certain noises to focus on other sounds like voices. That's where you see that Doppler Labs is not just an audio hardware company but one where innovation is part of its mantra. Should Doppler Labs venture into audiology, which it very well could based on the Here One feature set, perhaps future product iterations may even extend to provide the elderly an alternative hearing device for those in need.

Credit to Doppler Labs and Leader Radio Technologies for an evaluation unit.

Apple Siri

Plantronics BackBeat 505 - First Impressions

July 05, 2017

Last week saw the Singapore launch of the Plantronics BackBeat 505, their latest pair of wireless on-ear headphones.

Plantronics has been dabbling in headsets for around 50 years but has recently diversified into consumer audio and churning out over-ear, in-ear and on-ear headphones at a consistent rate. If you're familiar with their products, they have already released the BackBeat SENSE (SGD 279) in the on-ear category. The BackBeat 505, known as the BackBeat 500 Series in other countries, is a more affordable proposition at half the price.

We'll do a full review in the coming days but for now, here are some first impressions!

Type - Wireless On-Ears
Price - USD 79 / SGD 139

In The Box
The BackBeat 505 comes in three colors - Dark Grey, Grey and White. For our review, we received the Grey unit though personally, we'd reckon Lime is probably a more enticing name to go :)

The packaging is pretty compact and spartan, measuring just enough to squeeze an inner box containing the BackBeat 505 nicely packed within the carrying pouch.

Spilling the packaging contents out, you get a handy range of:

Plantronics BackBeat 505 headphones
USB cable
Audio cable (3.5mm to 3.5mm)
Carrying pouch
Quick start guide + safety information

Design
The Plantronics BackBeat 505 headphones has an attractive styling and price point that likely targets the youth demographic. The earcups swivel 90 degrees for compact storage while the headband is supported by a solid aluminum like material that you can slide to adjust to your head size.

It is relatively lightweight, yet gives the impression of a sturdy build at 155 grams due to a handy combination of plastics and memory foam for the pads. For a comparison of other wireless on-ears, there's the Jabra Move Wireless (150g), the Bose OE SoundLink (153g) and the Beats Solo3 Wireless (215g).

Carrying Pouch:
The drawstring pouch envelops the headphones when you take it out of the box. It feels rather flimsy though it should minimally protect from scratches.

Features

Pairing:
There's no app support or NFC but seriously, what do you expect for this price point? All you need is straightforward Bluetooth to link to your music device. The pairing process is a breeze - just flip the power switch on the right cup towards the Bluetooth logo and pairing initializes. Select 'PLT BB500 Series' from your source device and you're good to go. The headphone can pair to two devices so you can conveniently watch videos from your tablet and toggle to listen to music from your phone when needed.

Controls:
The controls are parked on the left earcup. The Play/Pause and track change buttons are found on the outer cup while the volume controls are parked on the circumference. One good feature is a dedicated Call button on the bottom of the right earcup that doubles as a battery status check when listening to music.

Wired Mode:
If you don't want to use headphones wirelessly or if you run out of power, there's a provided audio cable that links to your music device through a 3.5mm to 3.5mm connection. This is similar with others in its category like the Beats Solo3 Wireless and Bose OE SoundLink that give you the same cable out of the box.

Performance + Overall
We will look at this once we run through some tests. What we can say so far is that getting this pair of wireless on-ears for SGD 139 is excellent value and is very comparable with the Jabra Move Wireless we tried previously.

Pricing and Availability
The Plantronics BackBeat 505 is available in Singapore in 3 colors - Dark Grey, Grey and White. It goes for SGD 139. You can also buy the BackBeat 505 from Amazon through this affiliate link.

Credit to Plantronics for a review unit.