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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I swapped my Bose Ultra Open for these $80 open earbuds — here's what happened
Price: $129 / £97Colors: GreyBattery life (rated): 8 hours; 40 hours (charging case)Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4Durability rating: IPX5Weight: 5.5g per bud Open headphones have become my go-to option for runs and other workouts, offering a good balance between the sound quality you get from in-ear buds and the awareness you get from the best bone conduction headphones. My favorite running headphones are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which offer the best sound quality I've come across from open buds, and a comfortable, secure clip-on fit. No-one would say the Bose buds are cheap, however, so I was keen to see how the Nank Ultra open headphones compared, given they cost less than half the price. I tried the Nank Ultra clip-on headphones for a few weeks of workouts and general use and found they have a great fit and good sound quality for the price. They're a solid, affordable option for those who want open workout headphones in particular. Although the Nank Ultra open headphones have an MSRP of $129.99 / £97.31 they seem to always be reduced on the Nank website to $79.99 / £59.88, which puts them amongst the cheapest open headphones I've tested. The Nank Ultra buds are lightweight buds you clip on the middle of your ear so that a speaker rests near the ear canal without blocking it. There is only one color available — shiny grey. The buds don't look bad, but a strength of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in particular is the range of 10 colors to pick from. Given that clip-on buds resemble jewelry, a wider range of styles is always going to be better. A flexible band between the two pods on the headphones allows them to stretch and accommodate most ear types, and the fit was secure for me for a variety of workouts, including runs, bike rides and strength sessions. The buds also didn't place too much pressure on my ear, so they were comfortable to wear for several hours at a time. With an IPX5 rating the Nank Ultra buds are not fully waterproof, but will withstand sweat and rain during workouts, and I did several runs in wet conditions while wearing them. There are touch panel controls on each bud on the section that sits behind your ear. You can't customize these and I found that the controls were hard to use during workouts in particular, as some functions require you to hit the panel several times in a row. A button would be a lot simpler to use. For the most part I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the Nank Ultra headphones. The sound is not only clear and crisp in the upper ranges, but there's a good level of bass too, especially for open headphones. On busier tracks I noticed that the lower end did sound a little compressed at higher volumes, and I lost a lot of the drums when listening to Hole's "Celebrity Skin", for example, but for the price I don't have substantial complaints about sound quality. You don't get the noise cancellation of in-ear buds of course, and I found that the Nank buds can be drowned out when using them on trains or running by busy roads, but the volume is loud enough for most scenarios including when using the buds in a half marathon race with loud crowds on the sidelines. I also confirmed with those around me that they don't leak much sound even when playing music at high volumes. The call quality isn't great, however. Even in quiet environments I found that other people's voices sounded tinny and a little crackly, and they reported the same for my voice. Given the relatively small case and buds, the listed battery life of the Nank Ultra headphones is impressive at eight hours on the buds and 40 in total with the case. The case is charged via a USB-C cable. The buds lived up to their claimed battery life during my testing, and they outlast the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which offer 27 hours of battery in total. The Nank Ultra offer better sound quality than you'd expect for their price, and a comfortable and reliable fit for workouts. They aren't as good as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, but cost far less, and are also cheaper than most earhook open buds I've tested like the Shokz OpenFit 2. I could see them being a good purchase for people who want open buds to use on occasion, such as when running outside or in an office where they want to hear others, but mainly use more expensive in-ear buds when travelling or when they want superior sound quality. In this situation spending hundreds of dollars on the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds doesn't make a whole load of sense, and the Nank Ultra are much more affordable. If you're going to use open headphones are your main buds all the time, however, spending the extra on more impressive-sounding buds might be worth it.
Vogue
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Farewell Jill Sobule, Sage Who Saved Me From the Suburbs
We listened every night. The 'top nine at nine'—those songs that were broadcast 'from the top of the Empire State Building,' as Z100's tag phrase boasted—meant something to two likeminded oddballs growing up in the New York suburbs. Our parents had relatively strict ideas about how much MTV should be watched after school, and this was before high-speed internet was a phrase we could even comprehend. So these after-dinner transmissions were essential temperature checks on the culture beyond our manicured town. Out there, in the wider world, it was the era of grunge (Nirvana, Hole), emo imports like the Cranberries and home-grown varieties like the Smashing Pumpkins, and also—the singer we were hoping would make it onto the countdown—Jill Sobule. Sobule died late last week, tragically, in a house fire in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota, where she was staying with friends. She was only 66—impossibly young, given that she seemed on a different plane of maturity when I first encountered her on the airwaves as an adolescent. If you knew of Jill Sobule, it was probably because of her improbable 1995 hit, 'I Kissed a Girl,' celebrated as one of the first openly gay anthems. 'Hit' is maybe a bit of of an overstatement, given that it only ever reached the mid-'60s on the Billboard Top 100, but it nonetheless made an impact for a time—though it was overshadowed, annoyingly, by the less-substantial Katy Perry single of the same name in 2008. Sobule's version told, in perfect, three-minute miniature, the story of two disaffected would-be wives, killing time with conversation and flirtation: Jenny came over and told me 'bout Brad 'He's such a hairy behemoth,' she said 'Dumb as a box of hammers But he's such a handsome guy' And I opened up and I told her 'bout Larry And yesterday how he asked me to marry And I'm not giving him an answer yet I think I can do better … Funnily enough, the song didn't resonate with my friend and I because of its tongue-in-cheek questioning of heterosexual norms—or at least, not exactly. Ironically, we have bucked the demographic trends of our generation: We both married men in our 20s; four kids for me, five for her. And yet there was something in 'I Kissed a Girl' that spoke to us straight from the speakers of our Casio stereos: I think I can do better. The perfectly mown lawns, lacrosse sticks and tennis rackets, low-rise jeans and summer nose jobs, traffic jams of SUVs, bar mitzvahs every weekend—this wasn't it, was it? The commuter town where we live in was a 55-minute train ride to Grand Central and most households seemed to have one parent at home (guess which one). What were these women doing all day long?
The Sun
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
One of Britain's oldest pubs closes doors for final time after nearly 500 years as owner says he's ‘very, very sad'
ONE of the country's oldest boozers has closed down after nearly half a millennium of pouring pints. The aptly named Hole in the Wall in Torquay has survived the English Civil War and the Second World War. 4 4 The iconic pub has served pirates and smugglers since 1540- the same year that Henry VIII married and divorced his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. The pub has charmed Torquay, the town famous as the backdrop to Fawlty Towers, with its cobbled floors and low-beamed ceilings for nearly 500 years. Rather than flatscreens showing sports, it boasted daily live music. Pub landlord Richard Rossendale-Cook, 81, said rising costs meant he could no longer afford the rent. He told ITV News last month: 'I'm very, very sad, of course, I'd like to carry on. 'But unless somebody comes up - a Russian oligarch or someone will give me £360,000 to go and pay off the bill, you are going to shut and that's the end of it.' On March 26, the pub's Facebook page posted: 'It is with great sadness that we announce that the Hole In The Wall will cease trading from the close of Sunday, 13th April 2025. 'We'd like to thank you all for your loyal custom over the years, with many great memories created, to add to the centuries' more storied history here at the Hole.' Richard estimated he had paid £ 1.2 million for the brewery in the past 7 years, but declining footfall had made the situation financially untenable. But right until its last weeks, Richard couldn't believe the pub would close. Just two weeks before its closure, he told ITV News: 'I can't see it being shut down, it's too famous- but the brewery will probably find a better way.' 4 4 But tragically, it closed its doors on April 13. Liquidators from HMRC arrived on April 16, priced up all the fixtures and fittings and took ownership of the building. Going out in style, legendary Prince guitarist, 'the Funktastic Mike Weave,' graced the historic hole with some tunes on April 4. 'Life goes on and so must the show…' wrote the pub. Asked why Richard thinks the resilient pub is finally having to close the door, he mused that he thinks habits are changing. He said: 'The world is totally changing! '(People say) Oh, I love your pub, I've never been anywhere like it- but they don't come back. 'They've been here, they've got the T-Shirt and that's it.' One dismayed customer, Oliver Nuther, commented on the closure: 'So we are losing a real pub, one without big sports screens and gambling machines dominating the place. 'A place to chat with people from around the country and the world who have found the Hole. 'The local musicians brought a great atmosphere to this unique pub in Torquay; it will be greatly missed. 'I hope that Richard will be able to move on from the unhelpful way he has been treated by the distant hand-off landlords.' The pub is legendary across the world, with Debbie Swan Saunders lamenting that she had planned to visit her 'favourite old pub' when she travelled from Australia for the first time in 35 years- but she arrived a day after it was shuttered. A third fan lamented: 'Aww no, so sad. I only managed to visit this perfect pub for the first time last year on holiday. 'I was really looking forward to coming back again! All the best for the future." "I'm absolutely gutted. There will be no decent pubs left at this rate," fumed another.' The tragic news comes as some 412 pubs closed in the last year in England and Wales, around 34 a month, with many demolished or converted into homes, offices and nurseries. Covid lockdowns and soaring energy prices, along with changing drinking habits, particularly amongst the young, have hit boozers where it hurts- in their finances. This was a rise of 6.7% on the previous year of rocketing pub closures, and the sharpest fall in numbers since 2021, when 444 pubs closed their doors. The Pink and Lily in Princes Risborough pulled its last pint in Buckinghamshire after 7 years of business. In the last five years, a whopping 2047 watering holes have closed, according to an analysis by Altus Group. What is happening to the hospitality industry? By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out. Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation. Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches. Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs. Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon. Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
The Irish Sun
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Iconic 115-year-old sports car brand to build its first-ever EV – but it won't be for years, boss reveals
AN ICONIC British sports car company will be making its first electric vehicle, but not any time soon. Advertisement 1 Morgan wants combustion engines for as long as possible Credit: Top Gear The company is still waiting for the technology to catch up with the requirements of their brand until it will release an Boss of Morgan, Matthew Hole, told that an electric sportscar won't be coming any time soon from them as they will "stick with internal combustion for as long as possible. "That's the DNA of our cars and it's what our customers want", he continued. Hole revealed that Morgan is currently running an electric programme in parallel with the development of internal combustion engines. Advertisement Read More Motors News However, until the weight of tech is optimised and solid state batteries become available, the existence of a Morgan EV will not be on the cards. Hole added: "For us, it is all about building lightweight sportscars that are great to drive". The announcement comes amid concerns around the UK's mandated The zero emission vehicle mandate requires mainstream motor firms to reach an 80% EV mix by 2030. Advertisement Most read in Motors However, manufacturers selling fewer than 2,500 vehicles a year are currently exempt. The 115-year old company is reported to produce 850 cars annually, with orders on a six month waiting list. Iconic sports car brand's new £100k model unveiled by Top Gear legend Therefore, Morgan is for now not among those having to develop an all-electric motor in the coming years. The iconic sportscar brand unveiled its newest Advertisement In a video posted to the Morgan Motor Company YouTube channel, the new Supersport's removable hard-top roof and 3.0-litre inline-six engine sourced from BMW were revealed. Morgan's had a powertrain partnership with BMW for more than two decades now, with the two in talks about a potential EV programme. Hold said: 'We need longevity, and with engines and the size of business we are, we can't afford to change the powertrain every five years or so - we need 10-15 years". Insurance company Advertisement Top 5 cheapest electric vehicles to insure Lexus LBX - (Average annual premium: £622.23) is the smallest Lexus, that means luxury driving, excellent in-car entertainment, a lush interior and a smooth ride . Cupra Born - (Average annual premium: £623.33) is an all-electric hot hatch that's fast and a little furious. Volkswagen ID - (Average annual premium: £626.24) a small(ish), city-style SUV that's leading VW's all electric range. It's a reliable and robust car that's aimed at the urban marke t. Honda E:Ny1 - (Average annual premium: £633.04) a practical electric vehicle with above-average performance and battery life, slightly let down by slow(er) battery charging time when compared to rivals. Mini Cooper Electric - (Average annual premium: £641.07) is a huge amount of fun to drive with great handling. Space is limited, but the clue is in the name with a battery-powered motor.
Scottish Sun
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Iconic 115-year-old sports car brand to build its first-ever EV – but it won't be for years, boss reveals
LOW CHARGE Iconic 115-year-old sports car brand to build its first-ever EV – but it won't be for years, boss reveals Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ICONIC British sports car company will be making its first electric vehicle, but not any time soon. Morgan Motor Company will provide its first electric sportscar in the future, but not within the next five years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Morgan wants combustion engines for as long as possible Credit: Top Gear The company is still waiting for the technology to catch up with the requirements of their brand until it will release an EV. Boss of Morgan, Matthew Hole, told that an electric sportscar won't be coming any time soon from them as they will "stick with internal combustion for as long as possible. "That's the DNA of our cars and it's what our customers want", he continued. Hole revealed that Morgan is currently running an electric programme in parallel with the development of internal combustion engines. However, until the weight of tech is optimised and solid state batteries become available, the existence of a Morgan EV will not be on the cards. Hole added: "For us, it is all about building lightweight sportscars that are great to drive". The announcement comes amid concerns around the UK's mandated electrification timeline. The zero emission vehicle mandate requires mainstream motor firms to reach an 80% EV mix by 2030. However, manufacturers selling fewer than 2,500 vehicles a year are currently exempt. The 115-year old company is reported to produce 850 cars annually, with orders on a six month waiting list. Iconic sports car brand's new £100k model unveiled by Top Gear legend Therefore, Morgan is for now not among those having to develop an all-electric motor in the coming years. The iconic sportscar brand unveiled its newest Plus Six model of the Supersport vehicle last month, with Top Gear legend Richard Hammond. In a video posted to the Morgan Motor Company YouTube channel, the new Supersport's removable hard-top roof and 3.0-litre inline-six engine sourced from BMW were revealed. Morgan's had a powertrain partnership with BMW for more than two decades now, with the two in talks about a potential EV programme. Hold said: 'We need longevity, and with engines and the size of business we are, we can't afford to change the powertrain every five years or so - we need 10-15 years". Insurance company Admiral have listed their cheapest electric vehicles to insure. Here they are in order of cost to insure, also available on Sun Motors:
