The Verge’s favorite audio equipment: headphones, speakers and more

Ever since Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded an almost indecipherable version of the French song ‘Au Clair de la Lune’ in the mid-19th century, it is clear that the technology you use to produce and hear sounds can influence your experience . . Even now, about 150 years later, the quality of your gear can mean the difference between a tinny, almost unrecognizable sound or a fully realized auditory experience.

As you can imagine, the people are here The edge spend a lot of time listening to various digital sounds – be it online meetings, music, podcasts, videos or soundchecks of their own multimedia productions. We asked the staff what their favorite devices were for listening, improving or producing their digital sounds. This is what they were talking 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, nicely built, one-ear headset and it came with a short USB cable with ends that magnetically fit together. clicked to become a loop. I thought it was a pretty good piece of technology at the time, so I bought one – and I still use it. Of course, it’s not great for music (it only uses one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly handy to hang it from 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 has a reasonable charge. One of these days I will have to invest in a fully wireless headset so that I can also have fully mobile music – but until then my Explorer 500 is serving me well. – Barbara Krasnoff, review editor

AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC

AudioQuest’s Dragonfly portable digital-to-analog converter (DAC) brings higher quality audio to your devices. Most laptops, tablets and smartphones don’t have great DACs or natively support hi-res files like FLAC (nor tell you when they don’t), but the Dragonfly lets you play uncompressed audio up to 24-bit / 96 kHz. There is also an LED light on the device that changes color to indicate which sample rate is currently supported. AudioQuest makes three separate models: the basic Dragonfly Black; the Dragonfly Red, which uses a more powerful DAC chip; and the Dragonfly Cobalt, the top model.

To take full advantage of the Dragonfly, you’ll 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 – switching between my phone and my laptop is the reason I recommend this for anyone who wants one gadget that lets you listen to High-Resolution Audio on any device. – Andrew Marino, Audio Engineer

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones

Okay, yes, I am aware that these are pretty much all of the internet’s favorite wired headphones. Seriously though, I’ve had mine for six years now and they’ve held up great. Sure, the pleather on the headband is starting to flake, and I had to replace the ear cups a while ago, but they sound just as good as the day I got them. I think music just sounds fun to them – not too analytical, as my DT-770 Pros can sometimes be. The Audio-Technicas are by no means reference headphones, but that’s probably not what most people are looking for.

They were also great value, especially when compared to their Bluetooth counterparts. And honestly, I’ve fallen in love with wireless headphones for something other than exercise, although that’s probably an issue with me, not them. Either way, the newer version, the ATH-M50x (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a removable cable, so you don’t have to worry about being saddled with the ridiculously long cables that sometimes come with a nice headphones are supplied. (Another version, the ATH-M50xBT, removes the cable completely.) – Mitchell Clark, news writer

Antlion Audio ModMic USB microphone

It seems everyone is getting big standalone microphones for their desk during the pandemic, but I don’t want to give up precious real estate. One solution that works better for my needs is Antlion Audio’s ModMic USB microphone. It is cleverly designed. First, you stick a small round 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 the fact that I can quickly turn my headphones into a gaming headset, or to prepare for a conference gig, then back to regular headphones by unplugging the microphone. I use one with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro open-back headphones and it helps me get more out of the kit I already have.

This particular microphone has two modes that you can switch between: omnidirectional (made for broadcasts) or unidirectional, which helps to capture your voice only when 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. If your headphones are wired, it can be tricky to get this mic’s wire into fray. For me, the price is worth it. Antlion also makes a completely wireless rechargeable mic for $ 120, if you want to go that route, which also has dual mic modes and can stick to your headphones with glue. – Cameron Faulkner, writer

AirPods

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

However, I think I like the original AirPods more than the Pros. While the Pros offer some welcome upgrades like active noise cancellation and water and sweat resistance, they just don’t fit my ears very well. The original AirPods never failed, but the AirPods Pro slowly slips out when I talk or eat, and sometimes when I run. That means that I constantly adjust them when I do something other than sitting completely still. (To be fair, I sit still a lot now.)

I hope the next version of the Pros will suit my ears just a little better. If they do, they will likely become one of my favorite Apple products ever. – Jay Peters, news writer

Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production

This audio interface with four microphone inputs from Rode makes it significantly easier to set up a full podcasting session with a design similar to a live mixing console. You can record multitracks on your computer or internally on a microSD with a USB-C connection.

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

Nice tip: it’s also a great way to record phone calls by pairing the RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. Andrew Marino

HyperX QuadCast microphone

I had been looking to upgrade my microphone for a long time, but I wasn’t sure which product to use. 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 insufficient on my end. I wanted to make sure I bought a microphone that was neither too cheap nor too expensive and, most importantly, had a nice long cable so I didn’t have to move my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found the HyperX QuadCast to have great clarity and pick up the subtle details of my audio output.

I really like the somewhat unconventional design of the QuadCast; it comes with simple controls, a kickstand and a shock mount adapter for microphone arms if you want to mount the microphone closer to you. I also find it handy that the mute button is on top of the microphone. It makes it easy to quickly mute myself during Zoom or Discord. —Taylor Lyles, writer

Sonos Five speaker

I’ve never found a smart speaker that sounds better, and I like that it doesn’t have microphones in it. Those are the main points why I have had a Sonos Play: 5 – recently updated as the Sonos Five – lying on my desk for years. 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 abundant bass without overwhelming the highs and mids of your music. It takes two of most other smart speakers paired together to get close to what the Sonos Five can deliver. (Granted, it better sound damn good for $ 500.)

Virtually every audio app under the sun is supported through the Sonos app, including hi-fi options such as 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 this to connect a turntable to your Sonos system.)

No, there is no built-in voice assistant here like Alexa or Google Assistant. But some people will appreciate the absence of always listening microphones. And adding an assistant to the mix afterwards 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-black combination Play: 5 colorway is no longer there; I think this was the best looking speaker Sonos has ever made. – Chris Welch, news editor