Displaying items by tag: usb - StereoLife Magazine

Klipsch has introduced the ProMedia Lumina, a new 2.1-channel desktop speaker system that updates one of the company's longest-running multimedia audio platforms with revised acoustics, expanded connectivity, and integrated lighting control. Positioned as the successor to earlier ProMedia configurations first introduced in 1999, the Lumina version adapts the concept for contemporary desktop environments used for gaming, content creation, remote work, and everyday listening. The original ProMedia series established a distinctive position in the compact speaker category by incorporating horn-loaded high-frequency drivers, a feature rarely found in desktop audio systems. The new ProMedia Lumina continues this approach with updated MicroTractrix horn technology, now implemented in a wider geometry intended to improve dispersion and maintain clarity in nearfield listening conditions. Each satellite speaker uses a two-way configuration with a 3-inch midrange driver designed to support dynamic output and intelligibility across mixed-use scenarios ranging from voice communication to music playback and gaming.

The moment comes in every audiophile's life. After enough experimenting with speakers, amplifiers, and source components, once the system finally starts sounding genuinely good, a question begins to nag at us - should we be paying more attention to cables? Some people agree completely, arguing that cables are just as much a part of the signal path as an amplifier or speakers. Others laugh the whole idea off and insist that anyone who believes in cable differences simply should have paid more attention in physics class. In truth, there is only one way to find out - try it and decide for yourself. If we hear no difference, there are really only three logical explanations. The first is that our system still is not revealing enough to expose those nuances, or that the cables we borrowed for comparison, despite their prettier plugs and more upscale appearance, are not actually much different from what we already use. The second is that our hearing is not quite as sensitive as we would like to think, and what others describe as a night-and-day transformation is, for us, barely there at all. The third is that cables have no effect on sound whatsoever and serve only to improve the owner's mood and the manufacturer's cash flow.

iFi Audio has introduced the GO link 2, a new version of its compact USB dongle DAC designed for users who want a quick and effective way to improve the sound quality of a laptop or smartphone without rebuilding an entire system. The idea is to retain everything that made the first generation successful while delivering a more noticeable step forward in both measured performance and day-to-day functionality. Like its predecessor, the GO link 2 bypasses the basic integrated audio stages found in most computers and mobile devices, taking over the digital-to-analogue conversion process itself so that even an ordinary notebook or phone can become a genuinely usable source for more demanding headphones.

Final Audio Design has introduced the ZE300, an ultra compact noise-cancelling true wireless earphone created for everyday listening in the smallest form factor the company has produced so far. Each earpiece weighs 4 g and the design draws on Final's Cotsubu series, coming in 20 percent smaller than the ZE3000 SV to offer a secure, barely there fit that is particularly suitable for smaller ears and extended wear. The ZE300 is aimed at users who want a light, discreet earphone for music, podcasts, video and day to day use, with an emphasis on comfort, clarity and versatility rather than showy styling.

We Are Rewind has announced an exclusive collaboration with Duran Duran for the WE-001 Duran Duran Special Edition, a portable cassette player that pairs the band's distinctive visual world with a thoroughly modern take on the classic Walkman style. Finished in a look that echoes the chrome and shimmering tones associated with Duran Duran's Pop Trash era, the player is supplied with a special reissue of the album on cassette, turning the bundle into both a listening device and a collectible object that nods to the period when the band's tapes were a defining part of pop culture.

The latest cable from the Polish brand Melodika is now available for sale. The high-quality USB cable enables a secure and reliable connection between two devices equipped with USB A and USB C sockets. By replacing the factory-supplied cable of your audio equipment, such as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with the Melodika MDUAC cable, you can easily and quickly improve the quality of the transmitted signal. Correct impedance results in low jitter, eliminates timing faults, and distortions in digital signal that might otherwise have occurred.

Audio-Technica introduced the new ATH-M50xSTS and ATH-M50xSTS-USB streaming headsets. As far as we're aware, these models are the world's first headsets specifically developed to address the needs of live-streaming content creators. The headsets are equipped with the same 45mm large-aperture drivers that grace the M50x headphones - long the monitoring choice of top engineers and audio professionals - to provide exceptional clarity throughout an extended frequency range, with a deep, accurate bass response. The models also come with two sets of distinct earpads - M50x earpads that enhance audio quality and sound isolation, and mesh and leatherette earpads that emphasize breathability and comfort.

It has been a while since I had a brush with Tellurium Q products, however, I regularly receive questions from audiophiles who ask which of their cables will be the most suitable with this or another system. I even get the impression that some music lovers try to solve this puzzle in the worst possible way - not based on the listening but rather the reviews, users' comments, and comparing weird figures found online. Yet, they are still convinced that they should buy Tellurium Q cables. They just wonder whether they should choose Blue, Black, Black Diamond, or Ultra Silver series, even though there are lots of other very interesting cables on the market. Why these, then?