Originating from Kickstarter roots in Feb 2014, Bragi has since given its backers The Dash, their first true wireless in-ears that has an integrated fitness tracker. This year, they have come up with their second generation product called simply, The Headphone. And just this month, both Bragi earbuds were launched in Singapore. So off we went and got our grubby hands on a unit for a spin!

24 Mar - Sonos announced the launch of the Playbase, their first soundbase product that is meant to sit nicely under your TV. We were invited to a private session by Sonos and TC Acoustic, their South East Asian distributors, to experience the Playbase firsthand in a cozy setting in River Valley, Singapore.

What's The Big Deal?
Sonos product launches are quite a rarity. To prove the point, we'd have to go back one and a half years back to October 2015 when the Play:5 hit the shops. This is their first foray into soundbases and is comparable to their soundbar (Playbar) in terms of specs and sound.

1. Design and Build
The Sonos Playbase is really thin at 5.8cm tall coming with a sufficiently wide base of 72 x 38cm and weighing 8.6kg. It packs 3 tweeters, 6 midrange drivers and 1 woofer within. As soundbases are parked directly under TVs, one big challenge for audio manufacturers is to try to keep the vibrations from the lower frequencies down since the entire TV is placed on the soundbase. From what we hear, Sonos built the Playbase from scratch and included a custom-designed glass filled polycarbonate exterior both to reduce the vibrations and to support the weight of a TV (up to 75lbs / 54 inch screen).

2. Playbar Alternative
Sonos already has a soundbar product called the Playbar, also priced at SGD 1,299, that can be wall mounted under your TV. According to Sonos' research, 70% of TVs actually sit on furniture which inspired them to come out with the Playbase. Basically, these two products serve to give a choice to consumers based on their living room configuration.

3. App Support
The Sonos Controller app (iOS, Android ready) already supports the Sonos ecosystem of speakers and it now adds the Playbase. You can play music from streaming platforms like Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music. There's a Trueplay calibration (only for iOS users) which even allows tuning of your speakers based on your room setup.

4. Connectivity
The ports at the rear are minimal - a digital optical out, LAN and power point. This is actually sparse. One would imagine the inclusion of an HDMI (with Audio Return Channel) or even Bluetooth but on the other hand, Sonos has already designed the rest of its product range to connect to each other through Wifi. 

First Impressions - Sound
Seated in a living room with a sofa at the front and high chairs at the back, the media folks were given a taste of the Playbase. We were played samples such as Dolby "Spheres" that showcased the surround sound capability and then Radiohead's atmospheric Everything In Its Right Place illustrated the clear stereo separation. And then the Playbase was paired with two Play:1 speakers propped on stands at the back and the Sub for a full 5.1 experience, set up nicely for a climactic battle scene from The Force Awakens with X-Wings and TIE fighters zooming around. Just based on those few minutes, it's a undoubtedly a good first impression. There's quite a bit of power that bassheads can relate with instantly and environmental sounds are crisp though it remains to be seen how The Force Awakens fares if we just listen from the Playbase solely.

Pricing and Availability
The Sonos Playbase goes for USD 699 / GBP 699 / SGD 1,299 and comes in black and white variants. It is available as of April 2017.

As the Samsung Galaxy yearly launch approaches next week, the question on many minds is will the Galaxy S8 drop the 3.5mm jack like what Apple did with the iPhone 7? Well, according to a leak from Korean website, Giddlehd.com, it appears that Samsung has decided to keep the 3.5mm jack and bundle the S8 with AKG-branded earphones. These AKG in-ear earphones come with an in-line remote and a straight 3.5mm jack.

Bose introduced a whole slew of portable wireless audio products in their June product launch. One of them is called the Bose QuietControl 30 or QC30 (USD 299.95 / SGD 529) and it hit the shops in North America in Nov 2016 and Singapore just this month. These are their first pair of neckband headphones, in a product category pioneered by the LG TONE series. We check out how these fare in a full review! 

Pros (+): Controllable active noise cancelation (ANC) levels; Good fit; Intuitive voice prompts; App support.
Cons (-): Not for jogging purposes; Non retractable cable.

Unboxing
The Bose QC30 currently comes only in a black color scheme. 

The new packaging identity seen on the Bose QC35 / Bose SoundSport Wireless is yet again seen for the QC30. Sliding off the outer cover, we pop open up the inner black box to get access to the neckband headphones. Here's what's in the goodie bag:

• Bose QuietControl 30 (QC30)
• Charging cable (micro-USB)
• StayHear+ buds (S / M / L)
• Carry case
• User Guides

Design
The Bose QuietControl 30 is approximately 28 grams (1 oz), and the neckband design does feel thicker than the LG TONE Active. The key advantage of neckband headphones is you can simply slink them around your neck and voila, you're good to go. The buds have a subtle 'Bose' logo right in the centre, surrounded by the microphone input holes for ANC noise measuring purposes. Do note that when you remove the tips from your ears, the cable will dangle downwards as they are not retractable.  

The circular carry case is gigantic but needs to be given the size of the QC 30. Within lies an inner pouch to conveniently place any eartips or charging cables.

Features
The in-line remote controls lie on the right cable. The layout is similar to Bose's other buds - a multifunction button (Play / Take calls) flanked with the volume buttons. Skipping tracks is still restricted to double (or triple) tapping the centre button though it would certainly have been more intuitive for users if they implemented holding the volume buttons to do the same.

Controllable Noise Cancelation:
While its predecessor, the QC20 had a single button to power the Ambient Sound mode by fully turning on and off sounds from your surroundings, the QC30 goes one better. The side of the remote features 2 buttons that handily allow you to fluctuate the magnitude of surrounding sounds at 12 different active noise cancelation (ANC) levels. What this means is you can listen to music and hear environmental sounds to suit your comfort or safety (like when crossing a road).

Pairing:
You can pair to your device through Bluetooth or NFC. To link via NFC, you need to activate Bluetooth on your player, power on the buds and press the remote (see the 'N') to the NFC touchpoint of your device. For Bluetooth pairing, hold the power button until the LED indicator flashes blue. Select 'Bose QuietControl 30' from your device to complete the pairing and the LED will give a white glow. The Bose can connect to up to 2 devices simultaneously. You can manage it by stopping music playback on one and then start music on the second.

App Support:
Voice controls were excellent on Bose's previous products and continue to be over here. You get information on the power level, pairing status and it supports up to 11 languages, configurable either by actuating buttons or via the Bose Connect app, that supports all portable audio devices starting from the AE2 SoundLink. You can adjust the product name, power down timing, voice prompt language (out of 11 options) and the most useful is the pairing management to other devices and quick ANC level adjustment. 



Update (21 Mar 2017)
In the latest firmware version (1.2.8), the Bose QC30 now supports Music Share through the Bose Connect app. This allows music to be streamed to two Bose headphones that use the app.


Performance
I would say that the ideal usage for these buds would be when you are traveling by air. I daresay that's where it is actually better than the similar Bose ANC products like the QC35 or the QC20. Why so? Well simply put, the QC35 are headphones so when you choose to rest your head on your seat, the earcups will be the point of contact and as for the QC20, these are wired in-ears so there's always the possibility of tugging them. The QC30 just lies around your neck (ie. no tug) and if you want to figure out what the stewardess is hounding you about, just lower the ANC level. 

Fit:
The very snug StayHear+ tips are the same as the ones used on the Bose QC 20 / SoundSport Wireless and they do not disappoint. Fitting them in the ears, they are gentle on the ears and yet aren't easy to dislodge. Leaving them for hours at a stretch wasn't a problem for me.


Noise Cancelation:
The active noise cancelation (ANC) is like what you'd expect from a Bose. By default, ANC is already activated. The QC20 was astoundingly good for a pair of in-ears and while I did not have them on hand for a mano-a-mano comparison, the QC30 is almost, if not just as, good as its wired predecessor when set at the highest ANC level. When walking, the microphonics is quite negligible and I could turn my head left and right without hearing any cable rustle. However, I would not recommend this for jogging purposes as the neckband will bob up and down. 


Sound Quality:
The sound quality is inclined toward the low frequencies, which to me is good especially when you are traveling ie. with high environmental noise. When listening to Sarah Brightman's Deliver Me (classical), you get relatively decent but never overly crisp vocals but the bass from the orchestration that emanates from these buds is mighty, not in a thumping manner but resoundingly inspiring. 


Battery Life:
According to the Bose website, there's up to 10 hours of power on a full charge that takes just under 3 hours. This is a relatively decent number that compares very favorably with the 9.5 hours from the LG TONE Active (which does not feature ANC) and the 6 hours of the Samsung Level U Pro ANC (with ANC activated).


Overall
With the QuietControl 30, Bose has made one very ideal noise-canceling pair of earphones to use on the airplane. For those used to the LG TONE, sure the cable is non retractable but Bose has done a great job in other areas. The QC30 juggles fit, battery life and app support  easily. And of course, the deal clincher is its ability to adjust the ANC intensity to your level of comfort.  


Where To Buy
The Bose QuietControl 30 can be purchased from bose.com (US - USD 299.95), bose.co.uk (UK - GBP 259.95) or atlas-sv.com (Singapore - SGD 529). 

Alternatively, if you liked this review, do feel free to support us by buying from  Amazon through this affiliate link. 

Credit to Bose, Atlas-SV for an evaluation unit. 

Credit - Bose

We took a first look at the B&O BeoPlay A2 Active when it was first launched late last year. Now after getting our paws on the Natural colored variant, we give you the full review.

In The Box
A thin layer wraps around the typically solid B&O box that you can pull up to open its contents. The packaging contents include:

• B&O BeoPlay A2 Active speaker
• USB charger (Type-C)
• Quick Start Guide
• Safety Booklet
• 2 x Handstraps (1 is already attached)

Design
Check out our First Look for more details on this. Here, we compare the differences between the A2 Active and its predecessor, the A2.

Features
When laid horizontally, you get the power, volume and Bluetooth pairing buttons all lined on the top. And when aligned in this way, there are 4 rubber pieces at the bottom so the speaker sits nicely without scratching the unit. When oriented vertically, the carrying strap is at the top though there are no rubber bases this time round. At this end, there are 2 ports - a USB-C port for charging and an auxiliary-in if you need a cabled connection to your music player.

Should you want equalizer customization, do install the Beoplay app. Open the Tonetouch screen where you just need to touch an area within a quadrant that reflects the desired sound profile ranging from Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright. If that's gibberish to you, bassheads would likely choose the area between Warm and Excited.

If you have two BeoPlay A2 Active speakers, you can actually link them up for a full stereo effect.

Performance
B&O practically touts the True360 sound of these speakers. Basically, the BeoPlay A2 Active has two speaker grilles in which sound emanates from both sides. Sound quality, like its predecessor, is very solid. You get clear vocals and while we felt bass on default settings, is not as powerful as the A1, you can customize the sound settings using the Beoplay app which enhanced the experience significantly to our satisfaction.

B&O mentions that this speaker is capable of 24 hours of playback from less than 3 hours of charging. We got a good 14-19 hours and while it's obvious when spelt out, it's worth noting that the power level will fluctuate when used at the beach vs your bedroom where you can listen at softer volumes. Do note that it uses the new USB-C port for charging.

Now, this speaker is dust and splash resistant. We did not dunk it into a pail of water (pls do NOT do that as it is not designed for that purpose!) but threw some water over the speaker so whadya know, it still works! 

Overall
Putting it simply, the BeoPlay A2 Active is a well built speaker. B&O Play has taken pains to maintain the essence of the original A2 while simplifying it with a (to be) universal USB-C port and making it splash and dustproof. If you're considering a speaker that is powerful enough to listen on your outdoor travels, the A2 Active would make a very decent choice.

Credit - B&O Play

Where To Buy?
You can buy it from Amazon via this affiliate link. You can also visit the B&O Play online store or if you are in Singapore, you can visit Bang & Olufsen Grand Hyatt Showroom. 

The BeoPlay A2 Active portable speaker goes for USD 399 / EUR 399 / SGD 549. 

Credit to B&O for an evaluation unit.