Sony

Sony threatened to topple the apple cart in 2016 when it unleashed its flagship MDR-1000X cans on a headphones market which up until then had been dominated by Bose in the premium travel-grade noise-canceling department. Combining excellent wireless sound with active NC that made even QuietComfort fans sit up and take notice, Sony's awkwardly named headset proved that the Japanese company's extensive acoustic R&D had finally hit on a winner, giving rival NC headphone makers due cause for worry in the process. Unsurprisingly, Sony has sought to improve upon this winning formula in the intervening years, starting with another tongue-twisting rebrand of its flagship range (the inexplicably named WH-1000X series) and two follow-up models boasting incremental improvements, both of which have been well received. What's perhaps more surprising about these developments is Bose's lack of response to them, having released in that time only a tweaked version of its flagship QC35 cans with support for Google Assistant. Whether that's down to complete confidence in the quality of its existing noise-canceling smarts or just lack of innovation is a moot point, given that Sony's adaptive NC technology and sonic prowess has essentially overtaken the company, as these latest cans exemplify. The WHX-1000XM3's are essentially an upgrade to last year's 1000XM2's, featuring a series of minor improvements that Sony believes collectively justify a new model number. Let's take a look at them and see just how far the company's noise-canceling range has come. Design On the face

The wireless headphone market has been shaken up so much recently that it's hard to know where to begin when a new entry appears on the stage and announces itself as the next big thing. Fortunately this latest Bluetooth offering from Sony is targeting a very specific market segment best referred to as "premium noise cancelation", and the company seems pretty confident that with the MDR-1000X headphones ($400), it has got a hit on its hands. Sony is claiming "industry-leading noise cancelation" with these luxury cans, which use ostensibly the same drivers as last year's highly regarded MDR-1A headset made for listening to Hi-Res Audio, as supported by the company's audiophilic Walkman range, not to mention its line of wireless home speakers and in-car audio systems. Can it improve upon the finely honed features of Parrot's Zik 3.0, Bose's QuietComfort 35, and Sennheiser's PXC 550 Wireless noise-canceling headphones? Let's take a look.

With iOS 13 and tvOS 13, Apple users are now able to connect their favorite console controllers to an iPhone or Apple TV. In this guide, we've provided a quick rundown of how to go about pairing the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller and Xbox Wireless Controller to both iOS and tvOS devices. Previously, MFi controllers were the only solution to playing games on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. With the new update, console players don't need to spend extra money on another controller to play iOS and tvOS games. PS4 players also have a reason to look into DualShock 4 pairing since Sony's Remote Play iOS app provides streaming of compatible games to the iPhone or iPad, which can now be controlled by a DualShock 4. How to connect the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller to iPhone or iPad Press and hold the PS logo and Share buttons simultaneously on your DualShock 4 controller until the light bar flashes. Open your iOS device's Settings app and navigate to Bluetooth. Under "Other Devices," tap on your DualShock 4 wireless controller.How to connect the Xbox Wireless Controller to iPhone or iPad Press the Xbox button to turn on the Xbox Wireless Controller. Press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds. Open your iOS device's Settings app and navigate to Bluetooth. Under "Other Devices," tap on your Xbox Wireless Controller. Sony's Remote Play iOS app controlled via DualShock 4 The steps for pairing controllers with an Apple TV are largely similar to the ones for iOS devices. You can find this information below. How to connect the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller to

In addition to select LG smart TVs, Apple today announced that its Apple TV app will be available on select Sony and Vizio smart TVs later this year. Apple shared the news in a press release highlighting the success of its various services. When available, the Apple TV app will allow owners of newer LG, Sony, and Vizio smart TVs to stream Apple TV+ shows and movies, use the à-la-carte Apple TV Channels feature, access their iTunes libraries of movies and TV shows, and buy or rent more than 100,000 shows and movies from the iTunes Store. The Apple TV app is already available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Apple TV, select Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, and select Samsung smart

Sony today announced the upcoming launch of several new 2020 4K and 8K sets TV, including the 8H 8K LED, A8H and MASTER Series A9S OLED, and X950H and X900H 4K LED televisions. All of the new TVs offer support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. With ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support, the new TVs will be able to interact with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 devices such as the HomePod or ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled speakers for multi-device whole home audio. ‌HomeKit‌ support allows the Sony TVs to show up in the Home app and respond to Siri voice commands for doing things like changing volume and turning the TV on and off. Sony started rolling out ‌HomeKit‌ and ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support to some of its existing 2018 and 2019 TVs in December, but the 2020 models will support it out of the box. While the 2020 TVs will support ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌, there is no mention of Sony introducing the Apple TV app on Sony TVs. According to Sony, the 2020 TV lineup will include features that have previously been limited to the MASTER series models, with the company aiming to deliver a more immersive viewing experience. Features will include Sony's Picture Processor X1, Triluminos Display, Sound-from-Picture Reality, Netflix Calibrated Mode, and IMAX Enhanced for an IMAX experience at home. A new feature called Ambient Optimization is also included for optimizing picture and sound quality in any environment, and all of the new TVs will use Sony's new Immersive Edge design concept with a minimalist stand. TV sizes will range from 48 inches to 85 inches, with full details on each TV available via Sony's press

Sony could be about to launch the next generation model of its popular WH-1000XM3 over-ear noise-canceling headphones, if a new FCC filing is anything to go by. The company's WH-1000XM3 cans, which we reviewed back in March, are considered by many to offer some of the best noise-canceling in the business, providing great sound, excellent comfort and long battery life. Now it appears that Sony wants to go one better with news that the company has filed for certification for the next model in the series. The new "WH-1000XM4" headphones aren't actually named as such in the filing, which doesn't reveal any specs or pictures either. However, The Verge notes that the product ID gives a good indication that the version number will be XM4. (The last two models had the version numbers of M2 and M3.) With so much going for the current model, it's difficult to know what improvements Sony is aiming for in the XM4's. Having said that, the XM3 cans don't support dynamic switching between audio sources. Bose's QC35's and 700's have no trouble pairing with two devices and automatically switching between them based on which one is transmitting an audio signal. We think it's baffling that the 1000XM3's lack this ability given how convenient the feature is, so hopefully Sony has been listening. The filing offers no hint as to when the new model will be out, but the Consumer Electronics Show is coming up in January, so maybe Sony will announce the headphones then. In the meantime, the WH-1000XM3's are still a top choice if you're looking to get some wireless

Sony has begun rolling out a software update for some of its smart TVs that enables AirPlay 2 and Apple HomeKit support, including its XBR Z9F and XBR A9F series of 4K and 4K OLED TVs. Earlier this year, Sony announced that ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ support would come to some of its mid-range and high-end smart TVs by way of a software update. This Android 9 Pie update makes good on that promise, and also includes Dolby Atmos support. The update is available for the 2018 A9F and Z9F models as well as the 2019 A9G, Z9G, X950G, and X850G (55, 65, 75, 85-inch). TV tech site FlatpanelsHD notes that the 2018 A9F and Z9F models weren't listed as compatible models in Sony's original announcement, but they've since been included. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support will allow users to stream videos, music, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to compatible Sony smart TVs, complete with lock screen controls. ‌HomeKit‌ support will enable users to easily control the TVs using Siri voice commands or the Home app on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac. The software update is available in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. There's no word yet on the availability of the update in Europe and elsewhere, but presumably Sony plans to extend the staggered rollout beyond these regions. To update the Android-based software, you need to press the HELP button on the remote control and select "System software update." If you don't see the update, enable the "Automatically check for update" option, and a notification will appear on your TV when the update is available. Sam

As live TV streaming services continue to increase prices and make viewers look toward lower-cost services, or return to cable altogether, Sony today announced that it's bowing out of the race completely. PlayStation Vue's servers will shut down for good on January 30, 2020, nearly 5 years after soft launching in March of 2015. According to Sony's Deputy President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, John Kodera, the company has decided to "remain focused" on its core gaming business and step away from OTT streaming services. "Unfortunately, the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected," said Kodera. We are very proud of what PlayStation Vue was able to accomplish. We had ambitious goals for how our service could change how people watch TV, showcasing PlayStation’s ability to innovate in a brand-new category within the Pay TV industry. We want to thank all of our customers, some of whom have been with us since PlayStation Vue’s launch in 2015. PS4 owners will still be able to rent and purchase films and TV on the PlayStation Store, and the console will still support media apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The only thing going away is PlayStation Vue, which includes all of its connected apps, including those on iOS and tvOS. In other live TV streaming news, AT&T this month announced that it would be increasing the price of its AT&T TV NOW grandfathered plans by $10 per month. Additionally, AT&T will increase the price of the new PLUS and MAX plan tiers by $15 per month, all starting on

Sony today unveiled its latest CarPlay and Android Auto receiver with a large 8.95-inch touchscreen that hovers over the dashboard, allowing it to fit into a smaller single-DIN space. Equipped with a three-way mount, the receiver's height, depth, and tilt can be adjusted during installation in most vehicles. XAV-AX8000 Sony says the XAV-AX8000 will be available in December 2019 for a suggested retail price of $599.99 in the United States. Aftermarket receivers like this one allow for CarPlay and Android Auto to be installed in older vehicles. This particular Sony model is a wired ‌CarPlay‌ receiver, so an iPhone must be connected with a Lightning to USB cable. Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ receivers are available from brands like Alpine, Kenwood, and JVC. ‌CarPlay‌ is Apple's in-car platform that enables ‌iPhone‌ users to access a range of apps from the dashboard, such as Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, WhatsApp, Downcast, Slacker Radio, Stitcher, and as of iOS 12, third-party navigation apps like Google Maps and

Sony today announced the WF-1000XM3 earbuds, a new set of true wireless earbuds that will launch this August for $229.99. The new earbuds come with advanced noise cancellation, powered by a dual noise sensor that catches more of the ambient sounds from your surroundings. This is paired with a dedicated HD noise-cancelling processor, the QN1e, which cancels more noise across all frequencies while using less power. All of the noise cancellation features can be customized in settings, and you can choose to hear more or less ambient noise at any time. There are a few gesture-based features as well, allowing users to place a finger over the earbud to turn the volume down and let in ambient sounds. In terms of audio quality, Sony promises high-resolution audio powered by a small 0.24" driver unit and the company's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX. The earbuds also have a new Bluetooth chip and an optimized antenna design for wider coverage and uninterrupted streaming. The earbuds offer six hours of power on one full charge, and the included charging case provides three charges. Users can also opt to turn noise-cancelling features off to boost listening time to eight hours per charge. A quick 10-minute charge in the charging case offers up to 90 minutes of play time. The Verge has hands-on coverage of the earbuds, noting one major downside: they aren't sweat or water-resistant, so any gym-goers may do better looking into other wireless headphones. Sony's WF-1000XM3 earbuds will launch next month for

Sony today announced that its live TV streaming service, PlayStation Vue, will receive a $5/month price hike across every one of its multi-channel plans. This means that the cheapest PS Vue plan will now be $49.99/month for the "Access" tier. Additionally, the "Core" tier will be priced at $54.99/month, the "Elite" tier will be $64.99/month, and the "Ultra" tier will be $84.99/month. The price hike is effective today for new customers, while existing customers will retain their existing prices for at least 30 days, and then will see new prices during their first billing cycle on or after July 31, 2019. Sony said that because of the rising cost of content each year, it decided to increase prices to ensure that it provides "the best live TV viewing experience at the most compelling value." The company also noted that it will continue to develop new features and integrations for the service in the future, and pointed out that PS Vue already offers multi-view on Apple TV, a conflict-free DVR, and more. With costs rising each year for content, we constantly evaluate each deal to ensure we continue to deliver the content you want while considering the overall value of each package. After reviewing this, we have made the decision to raise the price of all of our multi-channel plans by $5. This change starts today for new customers. Our existing customers will keep their current price for at least 30 days and will see the new price beginning on their first billing cycle on or after July 31. PS Vue is the latest live TV streaming service to see a price hike this year; it

Apple this week announced that iOS 13 and iPadOS will introduce full support for Sony's DualShock 4 controller, which is the main game controller for the PlayStation 4. This announcement, along with confirmation of Xbox One S controller support, is great for iOS gamers, but even more enticing thanks to Sony's existing Remote Play app for iOS. Released in March, the Remote Play app [Direct Link] lets you connect your iPhone or iPad to your PS4 to stream and play games while away from your living room (but still on a Wi-Fi network, because the app doesn't support cellular connectivity). At launch, the app worked well and provided a sample of what it would be like to play games like Overwatch and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on your ‌iPhone‌, but the touchscreen controls and lack of full support for certain buttons on existing MFi controllers left many games nearly unplayable. Now, with ‌iOS 13‌ and DualShock 4 support, your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ will essentially be a portable PS4. You'll encounter all of the usual PS4-related controls, including full support for the console's dashboard, store, and user profiles. You can even allow it access to your iOS microphone to talk to your friends in a party or through game chat. We used a DualShock 4 to play Kingdom Hearts 3 on the ‌iOS 13‌ developer beta There are some downsides to the Remote Play app, including the fact that some games are not compatible with it and won't let you stream or control the game from your iOS device. But, for the games that do support Remote Play, users will have a chance to play full console

Sony today announced that some of its upcoming smart TVs will support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit in summer 2019, including its A9G series of 4K OLED TVs, Z9G series of 8K LED TVs, and X950G series of 4K LED TVs. The TVs themselves will be released on a staggered basis, starting with the X950G series in late April and followed by additional models in May and June, including a 98-inch 8K TV for a whopping $70,000. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ will presumably be rolled out in a subsequent software update. Apple also lists Sony's upcoming X850G series of 4K TVs in its AirPlay 2–enabled TVs list, but no timeframe for those features was provided for that model. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support will allow users to stream videos, music, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to compatible Sony smart TVs, complete with lock screen controls. ‌HomeKit‌ support will enable users to easily control the TVs using Siri voice commands or the Home app on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac. Samsung, LG, and Vizio are also releasing ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled smart TVs this year. Earlier this month, we went hands-on with one of Vizio's compatible models

Sony today announced that its PlayStation Vue app for the Apple TV has been updated with multi-view support, allowing users to watch up to four live channels on one screen. The new PlayStation Vue feature for ‌Apple TV‌ comes just ahead of the NCAA March Madness season, with the goal of letting sports fans keep an eye on all of the ongoing games or mix and match live games with news or other TV programs. Multi-view has long been available on the PlayStation 4, but prior to today it wasn't an option on the ‌Apple TV‌ platform. PlayStation Vue is Sony's streaming TV service, offering live and on-demand content at prices starting at $44.99 per month. Sports packages start at $49.99 per month. PlayStation Vue works on PlayStation consoles, the ‌Apple TV‌, iOS devices through the PS Vue app, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Android mobile devices, PC, and

Sony today released a new app called "Remote Play" for iOS devices, after launching the same app on Android a few years ago. The app allows you to connect your iPhone or iPad to your PS4, and directly control both the console interface as well as most games through on-screen iOS touch controls [Direct Link]. To get everything set up, make sure your PS4 is updated to version 6.50 (which just began rolling out in the early hours of the morning). Then, download the PS4 Remote Play app from the iOS App Store, sign into your Sony account in the app, and allow it to search for your PS4. You'll need to be on a Wi-Fi network for this to work, as the app cannot be used via mobile networks. Once connected, you'll see your PS4 home screen displayed on your ‌iPhone‌, sitting above a row of touch controls that mimic the buttons on a DualShock 4 controller. If you tilt the ‌iPhone‌ to a horizontal orientation, the buttons will disappear until you tap on the display. The app supports the ability to talk to your friends in a party or through game chat, but you'll have to allow it access to the iOS microphone. The app's controls include the DualShock 4's Share and Options buttons, as well as the central PlayStation logo that brings you back to the home screen. You can browse around the PS4 and launch most games in the Remote Play app, but Sony does note that there are some games that will be incompatible with the app. Additionally, you can't directly connect the DualShock 4 to the ‌iPhone‌ to play games. Sony has shown interest in iOS in the past, previously launching

Sony today at CES 2019 introduced its latest aftermarket CarPlay receiver with improved sound quality and a dedicated voice button. The new XAV-AX7000 has the same 6.95-inch capacitive touchscreen as the current XAV-AX5000, but features a higher-power 100W class-D amplifier for more impactful sound and a higher-power 5V pre-out for clearer sound with less distortion when the receiver is connected to an external amplifier, according to Sony. By comparison, the XAV-AX5000 has a 55W class-D amplifier and a 2V pre-out. Beyond the dedicated voice button, the design of the XAV-AX7000 is identical to the XAV-AX5000, including slim bezels with physical buttons for volume and playback controls, settings, and returning to the home screen. Both receivers have dual USB-A ports for wired CarPlay. Android Auto is also supported. The rear chassis of the XAV-AX7000 is designed with space-saving single-DIN dimensions, according to Sony. Like the XAV-AX5000, the XAV-AX7000 can be connected to a vehicle's rear-view camera with adjustable parking guidelines. Both receivers also have Bluetooth, SiriusXM compatibility, and boot approximately 2.5 times faster than Sony's lesser-end XAV-AX100 receiver after the vehicle is turned on. Sony says the XAV-AX7000 will be available in North America starting in summer 2019, with pricing to be announced at a later date. The XAV-AX5000 retails for a suggested price of $399.99 in the United

A few days ago, Apple announced that AirPlay 2–enabled smart TVs are coming soon from leading manufacturers, and we've since seen a series of announcements from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio at CES 2019. Apple has now shared a list of AirPlay 2–enabled TVs announced to date: LG OLED (2019) LG NanoCell SM9X series (2019) LG NanoCell SM8X series (2019) LG UHD UM7X series (2019) Samsung QLED Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 8 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 7 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 6 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 5 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 4 Series (2019 and 2018) Sony Z9G Series (2019) Sony A9G Series (2019) Sony X950G Series (2019) Sony X850G Series (2019 85", 75", 65" and 55" models) Vizio P-Series Quantum (2019 and 2018) Vizio P-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio M-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio E-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio D-series (2019, 2018 and 2017)We've yet to see any AirPlay 2 announcements from smaller brands such as TCL, Hisense, Panasonic, or Toshiba. AirPlay 2 support will allow users to stream video, audio, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to supported smart TVs. HomeKit support is also coming to many of these TVs, enabling users to control volume, playback, and more using Siri or the Home app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Samsung announced that its latest smart TVs are also getting an exclusive iTunes TV and movie app for accessing the storefront. Apple is widely expected to launch a Netflix-esque streaming video service later this year, and AirPlay 2 support on leading smart TVs

Starting later this year, Sony's new 2019 Z9G Series 8K LCDs, A9G Series OLED 4K TVs, and X950G 4K LCD TVs will support Airplay 2 and HomeKit protocols from Apple. Other TV manufacturers, including Samsung, Vizio, and LG have also announced support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2 for their 2019 smart TV lineups. All of the major TV brands will support both, with the exception of Samsung. Samsung TVs support AirPlay 2 and will have an exclusive app for accessing iTunes content, but won't work with HomeKit. With AirPlay 2 support, compatible Sony television sets will be able to stream videos, music, photos, and more right from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and multi-room audio across multiple AirPlay 2 devices will also be available. Content AirPlayed on Sony television sets will be able to be controlled using the Lock screen widget or the Control Center of an iOS device. Users will be able to play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, and adjust volume on the TV when AirPlaying TVs, movies, and music. With HomeKit and Siri integration, users will be able to control their TVs via Siri voice commands, using voice requests to do things like play specific TV shows on a specific television. The TVs will be present in the Home app, so Siri controls will also be available for doing things like turning on the TV or including the TV in a HomeKit scene. Sony's television sets run an Android-based operating system with built-in Cast support from Google, which means users will be able to choose between using Google and Apple services. AirPlay-compatible Sony television sets include

Following DirecTV Now's addition of numerous local stations for its customers, Sony this week announced the addition of around 200 new local network affiliates for PlayStation Vue users in cities across the United States. These include affiliate partners with ABC, FOX, and NBC in cities like Buffalo, Honolulu, Memphis, Austin, and many more. ABC affiliates on PS Vue now include Cincinnati, Ohio (9 On Your Side); Columbia, South Carolina (ABC Columbia); Corpus Christi, Texas (KIII-TV 3); Lafayette, Louisiana (KATC TV 3); and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (WBRZ 2). A few Fox affiliates include Bangor, Maine (FOX 22); Denver, Colorado (FOX 31); Eureka, California (FOX 28); and Jackson, Mississippi (FOX 40). Lastly, some NBC affiliates include Alexandria, Louisiana (KALB); Anchorage, Alaska (KTUU); Fargo, North Dakota (KVLY); and Lima, Ohio (WLIO). Check out PS Vue's FAQ page for the entire list of new local stations. PS Vue head Dwayne Benefield made the announcement on the PlayStation Blog: I am excited to announce that PS Vue users in select markets will gain access to local broadcast stations at no extra cost, starting today. With this expansion, PS Vue now offers more than 450 local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC stations, in cities all over the US – from Buffalo, NY, to Honolulu, HI. As we gear up for football season and Fall TV premieres, now over 97% of the US population has access to at least one major broadcast station from ABC, CBS, FOX, and/ or NBC. Unfortunately, there are many local stations that are restricted from recording shows through PS Vue's cloud DVR,

Sony today introduced its new XAV-AX210 receiver, which doubles as an aftermarket CarPlay and Android Auto system. The XAV-AX210 is an update to Sony's year-old XAV-AX200 receiver, with the headline new feature being support for iDatalink Maestro, a car audio system that seamlessly interfaces with steering wheel controls, amplifier functions, on-screen vehicle settings, and more when used outside of CarPlay mode. The receiver has a 6.4-inch touchscreen, but Sony hasn't specified if it's resistive or capacitive. Other key features include hands-free phone calls and music playback via Bluetooth, SiriusXM compatibility, rear view camera readiness, a built-in four-channel amplifier, and a built-in CD/DVD player. This product is ideal for vehicles that don't come with factory installed CarPlay, mirroring several apps onto the dashboard, including Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Spotify, and starting with iOS 12, Google Maps and Waze. As a wired system, an iPhone must be connected via Lightning cable. Sony said XAV-AX210 pricing and availability in North America will be announced in the fall of 2018. It will likely have a similar price as the XAV-AX200, available on Amazon for between $399 and $499 depending on configuration. Of note, the XAV-AX100 and XAV-AX200 have received favorable reviews from publications such as The Wirecutter. Other brands with aftermarket CarPlay and Android Auto receivers include Alpine, Pioneer, JVC, Kenwood, and

Sony today at Mobile World Congress revealed an upgraded version of its Xperia Ear earphones, called the Xperia Ear Duo. Sony previously showed the earphones in prototype form during last year's MWC, but the company has now officially announced a price point of $280 and release date of May 2018 for its latest smart assistant earphones (via The Verge). The main new addition to Sony's earphones is the "Spatial Acoustic Conductor," which Sony describes as a way to allow the sound generated behind the user's ear by the unit's driver "to be transmitted directly into the ear." This way users will be able to hear their music while not being totally out of tune with noises coming in from their environment, which the company refers to as "Dual Listening." As such, there is no toggle to turn off the feature and block out ambient sounds. The Xperia Ear Duo doesn’t block the ear canal, so you can hear your music and the environment around you simultaneously. Even better, the volume automatically adjusts depending on your surroundings for an optimised audio experience. The Spatial Acoustic Conductor, developed by our in-house technology incubator Future Lab Program™, allows the sound generated behind the ear by the unit´s driver to be transmitted directly into the ear. The specially designed ring supporter surrounds the ear canal so your music can blend seamlessly with sounds from your environment. Similar to Apple's AirPods, the Xperia Ear Duo earphones have multiple gesture controls that let users control music playback with taps. Additionally, Sony's earphones recognize

Sony today announced a collection of new products that it plans to showcase during the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany this upcoming weekend. One of the biggest additions to the company's line-up is a new smart home speaker, called the LF-S50G wireless speaker, which looks similar to Apple's upcoming HomePod, has a built-in Google Assistant, and is being pitched with a "high quality" music-focused message. Users can start off music playback by saying "OK Google," and from there they can ask the assistant for any information that it normally provides, including basic trivia, unit conversions, nutritional information, recipes, and more. The sides of the speaker have an LED clock display, while the top includes various sensors that support gesture controls for starting a song, skipping a song, and adjusting volume. "Now you can get Sony’s awesome sound quality and design with the Google Assistant built-in," said Mike Fasulo, President and COO of Sony Electronics. "This functionality is another example of Sony’s commitment to customer choice by delivering new and innovative technologies." The LF-S50G wireless speaker includes a 360 degree, vertical two-way facing speaker system, which Sony said provides for "maximum sound coverage" in any average-sized room. The device's full range speaker reproduces vocal and treble notes, while a dedicated subwoofer reproduces bass sounds and an omnidirectional two stage diffuser evenly spreads the sound to anyone in the room. For music playback, the speaker supports smartphone pairing through Bluetooth and NFC.

Amazon is currently offering $101 off the price of Sony's highly rated MDR-1000X noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, which came out last October and usually retail at $399. The headphones boast the same drivers as the company's well-regarded MDR-1A headset made for listening to Hi-Res Audio, as supported by the company's Walkman range and its line of wireless home speakers and in-car audio systems. They also offer up to 20 hours' battery life, touch controls, and exceptional adaptive noise-canceling, rivaling the likes of Bose's QuietComfort 3 and Sennheiser's PXC 550. In addition, Sony's headset supports the full range of wireless codecs, including AAC, aptX, SBC, and the company's proprietary LDAC, which transmits up to three times more data than conventional Bluetooth for superior sound on supporting devices. The cans are available on Amazon for $298 in beige or black. You can read MacRumors' in-depth review of Sony's MDR-1000X headphones here. Note: MacRumors may benefit from affiliate links clicked in this article.