I ditched my Beats for these hi-res wireless headphones — and I'm not going back
I have made it my personal mission to find the best headphones. After being a life-long Beats fan and being inseparable from my Beats Studio 3, I knew it would take a lot to convert me from the sound profile I know and love.
The AKG N9 Hybrids are my new go-to headphones for every eventuality. With an Wi-Fi dongle for hi-res streaming, they certainly impress audiophiles. They have fully customizable ANC and offer 100-hours of battery life.
But when I tested out the AKG N9 Hybrid headphones I was instantly impressed by the sound quality they could achieve wirelessly using Bluetooth 5.3. Like seriously. I've never heard anything like it.
They have become my new favorite way to listen to music and take up a spot on my desk ready for me to lock in on a daily basis. But when I used the built-in 2.4Ghz WiFi dongle, the perfect listening experience got even better.
When connecting headphones or earbuds that aren't made by Apple to my MacBook Air M2, I have found that if it is connected to other Bluetooth devices like a keyboard and mouse, the connection cuts out intermittently. My perfect audio partner can't be unstable.
With the addition of the 2.4Ghz WiFi dongle, the sound the headphones are capable of producing got even better — which frankly I didn't think was possible. The dongle reduces the latency so, especially when using these headphones to stream video, the difference between Bluetooth and the dongle is really evident.
It also eliminates the process of connecting to Bluetooth devices. You literally plug in and hit play. Simplicity at its finest.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
I know, it's amazing how a little dongle can ensure you squeeze the most out of your music. So how does it do it? Wi-Fi has a wider bandwidth than Bluetooth, so it can transfer more audio data. This means you're able to get higher quality codecs like true lossless audio.
I used the dongle to stream Hi-Res music on Qobuz and was genuinely blown away by the sound quality. I just plugged the dongle into my colleague's Android phone (which supports Hi-Res codecs) and listened to heavier rock bands like Linkin Park and Black Veil Brides before moving on to lighter pop music like Sabrina Carpenter and Clairo and was impressed every time.
The higher codecs meant that vocals were crisp, and I heard instruments with clarity I haven't heard before. There was reverb on backing vocals standing out to me that I had never noticed before. Even in songs I could have sworn I knew like the back of my hand. I have no notes for the sound these headphones produce.
And now for my favorite feature of the headphones. The dongle has been taken into consideration with the design of the headphones so you never have to be without it.
The left earcup of the headphones slides open to uncover a compartment which houses the Wi-Fi dongle. It is so easy. I am notorious for misplacing adaptors and cables so this has been a real lifesaver for me and not once have I been scrambling to find it.
If we're spending our money on music subscription services why wouldn't we make sure they're performing to the best of their ability?
Audiophiles know that Hi-Res codecs get you the most out of your tunes, so having a reliable, and stable way to get that sound directly to your eardrums is honestly my new essential when looking for headphones.
The Wi-Fi dongle transfers the audio data in a way which Bluetooth just isn't capable of replicating. I guess you don't know until you try it, but I can say with certainty I won't be going back to Bluetooth-only headphones any time soon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Samsung taking market share from Apple in U.S. as foldable phones gain momentum
In 2014, Apple and Samsung were duking it out to rule the U.S. smartphone market. Samsung was selling devices with large screens, and iPhone fans were demanding a response. It took Apple some time, but the company finally released the iPhone 6, breaking with previous iterations and giving consumers a large-screen option. The iPhone won. But more than a decade later, recent smartphone sales and shipment figures signal that the Apple-Samsung fight has returned. And once again, it's all about the screen. In the second quarter, shipments from Samsung surged in the U.S., with its market share rising from 23% to 31% from the prior period, according to data from Canalys. Apple's market share during the quarter declined to 49% from 56%. Apple remains on top of the U.S. smartphone market, taking the majority of new smartphone sales in the U.S. It's often in second place around the world, but the recent slips point to turbulence for Apple for the first time in well over a decade. That's one reason investors have sent Apple shares down 7.5% this year, underperforming all of the U.S. megacap tech companies other than Tesla. Samsung's stock, meanwhile, is up about 35% in 2025. Apple reported a 13% increase in year-over-year iPhone sales in its July earnings. In July, Samsung introduced a pair of innovative new phones that feature foldable screens. One model, the Z Fold 7, can effectively turn into a tablet, while the Z Flip resembles an old-school flip phone with modern smartphone features. They were added to Samsung's catalog of phones released this spring under its Galaxy brand, including a thin-and-light phone called the Galaxy S25 Edge. The devices are also getting a lot of traction on social media, particularly around durability tests. One user posted a livestream that showed him bending the Z Fold 7 over 200,000 times in a row. The video has been clipped and shared widely on social media, with one version of the clip accumulating more than 15 million views on YouTube. In the past month, Samsung's premium devices, including the Z Fold 7, were mentioned over 50,000 times on social media, and 83% of those mentions were positive or neutral, according to data from Sprout Social, a social media analytics company. The market share numbers aren't just the result of user preferences. Much of the shift in shipment figures in the June quarter, analysts said, can be attributed to tariffs, which are causing 'disruption' in the industry as smartphone makers use different strategies to minimize the impact on their business. But Samsung's gains also reflect the company's ability to offer a much wider range of products at different prices compared to Apple. That includes low-end phones, which accounted for much of Samsung's second-quarter U.S. improvement, as well as high-end devices that cost more than any individual iPhone. Samsung's Galaxy and Z phone lineup 'stretches from $650 up to $2,400. That is a massive span of devices,' said Canalys analyst Runar Bjorhovde. 'There is an idea that you can target people at every single price point, and you can meet them at every spot.' The iPhone has pretty much looked the same since 2017 — a rectangular piece of glass with a touchscreen on the front, and a few cameras on the back. These days, the company offers a series of four slates ranging from $829 to $1,599. Samsung and others are starting to go beyond the so-called candy bar shape and experimenting with new form factors. Apple is expected to start doing the same — beginning with a potential launch next month of a slimmer iPhone that will compete with Samsung's Galaxy Edge. 'Apple is clearly betting that its 5.5mm Air model is going to lift its fortunes as testing suggests a strong desire for the new form factor,' wrote Loop Capital managing director John Donovan in May. JPMorgan Chase analyst Samik Chatterjee wrote in a report last month that Apple may release a folding phone next year to compete with Samsung's Z Fold. 'Investor focus has already turned to the 2026 fall launches with Apple expected to launch its first foldable iPhone as part of the iPhone 18 lineup in September 2026,' Chatterjee wrote. Trying new form factors offers Apple the opportunity to sell devices at higher prices, according to Bjorhovde. Apple's most expensive phone, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, currently starts at $1,199 for 256GB of storage and can go up to $1,599 for a version with 1TB of storage. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which was announced last week, starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and tops out at $2,419 for the 1TB version. Chatterjee said he thinks Apple's version of a folding phone could start at $1,999. Folding phones finally mature Samsung's first folding phone was released in 2019, but got off to a rocky start. The initial launch was delayed after reviewers — including CNBC — discovered that the early devices would break along their folding crease. But Samsung says this time is different, and that folding phones are finally ready to go mainstream, especially with respect to durability. 'There really are no longer trade-offs towards owning a foldable device,' said Drew Blackard, vice president of mobile product management at Samsung Electronics America. The South Korean company doesn't provide sales numbers, but Blackard said the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the latest version, had 25% more preorders than any previous Samsung folding phone and that sales are outpacing the device's predecessor by nearly 50%. 'Samsung with the foldable is able to actually optimize for innovation,' said Bjorhovde. "Try to be ahead, show that something is different, and there's a certain halo effect from that.' According to Counterpoint Research, a firm that estimates smartphone sales to customers, Samsung's sell-through increased 16% during the June quarter, thanks to demand for high-end devices, including a 'slight boost' from the slim S25 Edge. The rise of artificial intelligence is also heralding new form factors for consumer electronics that could one day replace the iPhone. OpenAI in May acquired the startup of former Apple design guru Jony Ive for $6.5 billion. The AI startup plans to develop the next generation of hardware, and other AI startups have released pins, pendants and glasses that rely on users' voice to control the devices. Samsung devices, as well as other Android phones, get access to Google's Gemini, which is widely considered to be one of the best AI models alongside OpenAI's ChatGPT. Gemini has several features that users can't get with Siri and Apple Intelligence. Blackard said folding phones, with their larger displays, are well suited for AI. Google's circle-to-search feature, which allows a user to simply circle something on the screen that they'd like to learn more about, is an example, Blackard said. On a Samsung folding phone, he said, users can still see the original screen with the content they circled, as well as another screen with supplementary information. 'It's much more productive being able to go back and forth,' Blackard said. Investors have worried that Apple's AI delays, including its next-generation Siri that's now scheduled to come out next year, could start hurting sales. But many analysts say that Apple's brand loyalty and lock-in will give it a period of years before iPhone customers start defecting for competitors. Chatterjee told CNBC that Apple's strategy with devices is to wait until a technology is ready for the mainstream before embracing it. That time may be now for foldable devices. Apple has 'never been about trying to be the first to market,' Chatterjee said. 'It's about being watchful, seeing a technology mature, knowing that there are no big roadblocks to that technology adoption, and then moving ahead.'
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Grab a budget keyboard for even less for back to school at Amazon right now - these are my top 3 picks under $50
After getting two degrees, I know how important it is to be comfortable while you are working. All that typing and note taking takes a toll on you pretty quickly, but with one of the best keyboards, you can type all day with ease. Choosing the right keyboard to go with your PC or laptop is going to take the strain off your hands and wrist when you are working long hours, meaning you can work harder for longer (sorry). With back to school just around the corner, there's no better time to pick one up, as many of our favorite models are on sale. To make sure you know what you are looking for, I put together a list of three deals on Amazon right now for keyboards that we love here at Tom's Guide. Keychron is known for its affordable keyboards and the Keychron B6 Pro is no exception. This budget board is a productivity dream, with bouncy scissor switch keys, like you'll find on your laptop, that are perfect for speedy typing and note taking. This board can be connect via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle, or used wired, so you can work however you want to. It looks pretty basic, but I think this makes it looks leek and understated when placed in a study setup. It is hard to find anything wrong with the Keychron B6 Pro. This full-sized wireless keyboard is extremely light, making it perfect for moving around on your desk or taking with you to study. The bouncy scissor switch keys make it a dream to type on, too. The Logitech Signature K650 is a lightweight wireless keyboard that's perfect for students who study from their room. It's not one that can be moved around easily but its bouncy keys do make tying pretty fun. It can only be connected via Bluetooth or USB. It is also spill resistant, making it perfect for those late night study sessions when you need coffee right next to your keyboard. This is an easygoing wireless keyboard that will perfectly complement your study set up. This is a keyboard best kept fixed in place, but when you're in your room studying you'll be grateful for the low-profile keys and the wrist rest supporting your arms. The Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s is the perfect board for anyone looking for something a little bit different. It is highly portable since it has a 75% layout and is lightweight. The real selling point of this board is its incredibly long battery life. It could quite literally last you the whole way through college on a single charge. That's because it has a rated battery life of three years, but this is dependent on how much you use the board. The Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s has an impressive three-year battery life and is fantastically easy to use. If you are already a lover of the pebble key style this is a must, and it is small enough to throw in your school bag with easy. It is also a great one to use with your iPad as well as your computer. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
The iPhone's new Snooze Duration option is the most dangerous iOS 26 feature — here's how you can try it for yourself
Since the alarm was invented, people have wanted to sleep in just a little bit longer. And so the snooze button was born. Naturally, when adding an alarm function to the original iPhone, Apple added a snooze function as well. And that hasn't really changed, until iOS 26 came to turn everything upside down. You may have noticed that when snoozing alarms on your iPhone, the snooze lasts for nine minutes, the traditional snooze length since the first mechanical alarm clocks first introduced the feature. While you could always download third-party alarm apps with deeper customization, or rely on a second, separate alarm to manage your dozing time, the iOS Clock app enforced the nine-minute snooze. But now with iOS 26, you don't have to accept this. Apple now allows users with the latest iOS to set the snooze length between 1 and 15 minutes, and on a per-alarm basis. And I am only partly joking when I say this is a dangerous update for people like me. I'm used to 9-minute snoozes, and I use them fairly regularly. But give me the option to increase my snooze time, and I'm suddenly going to be rocking up late to appointments. Or, since you have to change the snooze for each alarm separately, I'm going to end up depriving myself of a precious few minutes of extra sleep because I've forgotten to change one specific alarm. To everyone I work and meet with from now on — I apologise in advance for being late, or obviously sleep-deprived. To try this for yourself (at your own risk), follow the steps below: Pick an alarm by tapping anywhere on the alarm's listing, other than on the toggle on the right side. You won't be able to adjust a Snooze duration without the ability to snooze turned on. Not that there would be much point in making a change like that anyway. Tap the tick in the top right corner to confirm your choice, or the cross in the top left to cancel. Remember to do this for every alarm. There's no way to make a snooze duration change universally at the time of writing. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
