The Verge’s Favorite Audio Gear: Headphones, Speakers & More

Ever since Édouard-Léon Scott of Martinville recorded an almost indecipherable version of the French song “Au Clair de la Lune” in the mid-19th century, it’s clear that the technology you use to produce and listen to sounds can affect your experience. Even now, around 150 years later, the quality of your gear can make the difference between tiny, almost unrecognizable noise or a fully realized hearing experience.

As you can imagine, the people here at The edge spend a lot of time listening to a variety of digital sounds – whether it’s online meetings, music, podcasts, videos, or sound checks of their own media productions. We asked staff what their favorite devices were for listening to, enhancing or producing their digital sounds. Here’s what they talked about.

Plantronics Explorer 500 Bluetooth Headset

About six years ago, I reviewed a mid-level Bluetooth headset from Plantronics (now Poly) called the Explorer 500. It was a small, well-built one-ear headset, and it came with a short USB cable with ends that magnetically interlocked to become a loop. I thought it was great tech back then, so I bought one – and still use it. Sure, it’s not great for music (it only uses one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly handy to have it hooked on a loop in my bag so I can grab it. for a quick phone call or if I want to listen to a podcast. And surprisingly, the battery still holds a reasonable charge. Someday I’ll have to invest in a fully wireless headset so that I can have fully mobile music as well – but until then my Explorer 500 is serving me well. – Barbara Krasnoff, editor-in-chief

AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC

The AudioQuest Dragonfly portable digital-to-analog converter (DAC) brings better sound quality to your devices. Most laptops, tablets, and smartphones don’t have great DACs or natively support high-res files like FLAC (nor tell you when they don’t), but with the Dragonfly you will be able to listen. uncompressed audio files up to 24-bit / 96kHz. There is also an LED light on the device that changes color to indicate the currently supported sample rate. AudioQuest manufactures three distinct models: the base Dragonfly Black; the Dragonfly Red, which uses a higher performance DAC chip; and the Dragonfly Cobalt, its top-of-the-range model.

In order to fully enjoy the Dragonfly, you will also need an adapter for your phone with a Lightning-to-USB-A adapter for an iPhone or a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for an Android device. Portability is the biggest feature here – swapping between my phone and my laptop is why I recommend it to anyone who wants a gadget that will allow you to listen to high resolution audio on any device. . – Andrew Marino, sound engineer

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones

Okay, yeah, I’m aware that these are pretty much the internet’s favorite pair of wired headphones already. But seriously: I’ve had mine for six years now, and they’ve held up very well. Sure, the crease on the headband is starting to peel off and I had to replace the earbuds some time ago, but they sound just as good as the day I received them. I find the music to sound fun with them – not overly analytical like my DT-770 Pros can sometimes be. Audio-Technicas are certainly not the benchmark headphones, but they probably aren’t what most people are actually looking for.

They were also a good price, especially compared to their Bluetooth counterparts. And honestly, I fell in love with wireless headphones for more than just exercise, although that’s probably a problem with me, not them. Anyway, the most recent version, the ATH-M50x (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a detachable cable so you don’t have to worry about getting saddled with it. the ridiculously long cables that sometimes come with fancy headphones. (Another version, the ATH-M50xBT, does away with the cable entirely.) – Mitchell Clark, News Editor

Antlion Audio ModMic USB Microphone

It seems everyone has big, standalone microphones for their desks during the pandemic, but I don’t want to give up precious real estate. One solution that better meets my needs is Antlion Audio’s ModMic USB microphone. It’s cleverly designed. First, you glue a small circular base (about the size of a large chocolate chip) to the side of your headphones, then the microphone itself can be magnetically attached and detached at will. I like being able to quickly turn my headset into a gaming headset, or prepare for a meeting appearance, then switch back to normal headset by unhooking the mic. I use one with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro open back headphones and it helps me get the most out of the kit I already have.

This particular microphone has two modes that you can toggle between: omnidirectional (designed for broadcasts) or unidirectional, which can only capture your voice if you are in a noisy environment. The sound quality of a voice recording made with the ModMic is very good – much better than most gaming headsets I’ve tried. The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4 and PS5.

The downside is that this model costs around $ 70. Also, if your headphones are hardwired, getting that mic’s wire into the fray can be a bit difficult to deal with. For me, the price is worth it. Antlion also makes a rechargeable wireless microphone for $ 120, if you want to go that route, which also has dual mic modes and can stick to your headphones with adhesive. – Cameron Faulkner, writer

AirPods

I love my AirPods and have had them since my first pair. They’re light, they charge quickly in their case, and they sound good enough for what I need, which is listening to notifications, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos. It helps that I am an iPhone and a Mac user as they work great with both devices.

I think I like the original AirPods more than the Pros. While the pros offer welcome upgrades like active noise cancellation and water and sweat resistance, they just don’t suit my ears. The original AirPods never fell out, but the AirPods Pro will slide slowly if I’m talking or eating, and sometimes when I’m running. This means that I constantly readjust them if I am doing anything other than staying completely still. (To be fair, I’m sitting completely still most of the time right now.)

Hopefully the next version of the Pros will suit my ears a little better. If they do, they will probably become one of my favorite Apple products. – Jay Peters, journalist

Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production

This Rode quad microphone input audio interface makes it much easier to set up a full podcasting session with a design that mimics a live mixer. You can record multitracks to your computer or internally to a microSD using a USB-C connection.

As someone who primarily mixes podcasts after recording, this setup appeals to me more for streaming live on Twitch or YouTube. You also get customizable built-in soundbanks, compression and EQ settings, multiple outputs for monitoring, and an intuitive design for traditional live mixing.

Fun tip: It’s also a great way to record phone conversations by pairing the RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. – Andrew Marino

HyperX QuadCast Microphone

I had been looking for a long time to improve my microphone, but I was not sure which product to go with. A few friends recommended the HyperX QuadCast, and that’s what I ended up buying.

Previously I used a Blue Yeti microphone, but I felt the audio quality was not good on my end. I wanted to make sure I bought a microphone that wasn’t too cheap and not too expensive and most importantly I had a nice long cable so I didn’t have to rearrange my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found the HyperX QuadCast to have great clarity and picked up the subtle details of my audio output.

I really appreciate the somewhat unconventional design of the QuadCast; It comes with simple controls, a bracket and a shockproof boom arm mount adapter if you want to mount the microphone closer to you. I also find it convenient that the mute button is above the microphone. It’s easy to quickly cut me off in Zoom or Discord mode. —Taylor Lyles, writer

Sonos Five speaker

I’ve never found a single smart speaker that sounds better, and I love that there aren’t any microphones inside. These are the main reasons why I have had a Sonos Play: 5 – recently updated as Sonos Five – on my desktop for several years now. For a speaker that doesn’t have a 360-degree design, the Five still produces a very satisfying soundstage that can fill most rooms. It can produce plentiful bass without overpowering the highs and mids of your music. It takes of them of most other smart speakers paired up to get closer to what the Sonos Five has to offer. (Granted, he had a better damn good sound for $ 500.)

Almost all audio apps in the sun are supported through the Sonos app, including hi-fi options like Tidal and Amazon Music HD. The Sonos Five works with Apple AirPlay and there is a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input for wired playback. (You can also use it to connect a turntable to your Sonos system.)

No, there is no built-in voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant included here. But some people will appreciate the lack of always-tuned microphones. And adding an assistant to the mix after the fact is easy, either through another Sonos speaker like the One, or simply by plugging in an Echo Dot or Nest Mini.

It’s just a shame that the white and black Play: 5 color combo no longer exists; I think it was the most beautiful speaker ever made by Sonos. – Chris Welch, editor-in-chief