Your Next Movie Theater: Inside Your Earbuds!

Shopping for wireless headphones is fun again. The current models are not only flagships with next-generation Bluetooth capabilities but also offer some innovative features.
The restructuring of this half-a-billion-a-year market is long overdue. Yes, there are some recent developments, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 with excellent sound quality and the new level of noise cancellation Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. But overall, the performance of last year's headphones is about the same as last year's models. Just like last year.
The latest generation of Apple's 2nd generation AirPods Pro didn't receive much fanfare when the tech giant introduced them last September. Yes, they sound a little better and last longer on a single charge. But there are no new features. They work pretty much the same as the first-generation Pro Buds - and every other pair on the market, for that matter. You can make calls, listen to music, block external noises, and switch between devices. And they look just like their predecessors.

What are the benefits of LE audio?

Much of this innovation is related to the new Bluetooth Low Energy audio standard. Combining the high-fidelity features of classic Bluetooth with highly efficient, low-power specifications, Bluetooth Audio LE can dynamically adjust the quality and stay connected even in the most demanding environments. It also paves the way for new features like maintaining multiple connections at the same time.

And headphone manufacturers are taking the opportunity to add their own innovative features.
One of the coolest new features I've seen in a long time is now available - remote control. Newer models—namely the recently released HP Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC and the upcoming JBL Tour Pro 2—have built-in touchscreens for quick access to volume, transparency, noise reduction, and other complex, unreliable settings. Access via headphones and smartphones will take longer.
I've been reviewing the Voyager Free 60+ Buds for almost a month now, and the case menu has proven to be an invaluable addition. On my morning walk with the dog, when my neighbor talks to me, instead of pulling the headphones out of my ears, I can leave them in place, quickly stop the music, and switch the transparency setting to "speech" to hear. What's what. you say.

Like Sony's WF-1000XM4, Jabra Elite 7 Pro, and several other headphones, the Voyager Free 60+ headphones feature multi-channel connectivity, a new Bluetooth feature that allows the headphones to simultaneously connect to your smartphone and laptop or tablet It supports points, which works much more smoothly and intuitively than technology that can only connect to one device at a time.
Multipoint lets you watch videos on your tablet while listening to notifications on your smartphone. When you answer a call on your smartphone, the video on your other device will automatically pause.
Many new smartphones, tablets, and laptops are technically capable of supporting Bluetooth LE audio features such as multipoint, but many still do not. To solve this conundrum, HP offers another great option with its new headphones. It's a USB dongle that instantly adds Bluetooth LE audio to your laptop. The dedicated link is great for creating a bankable audio connection for video calls in Zoom or Teams when connected to your smartphone.

Bluetooth LE Audio has a multi-connect feature called Aracast. When it becomes available later this year, Auracast will work with multipoint connections. This means that multiple headphones, earphones, and speakers can be connected to the same audio source.
Auracast opens up many possibilities for using headphones. For example, Auracast is great for watching a movie with another person on a plane. It creates new ways to play or watch multiplayer games with friends. Auracast helps deaf people by connecting hearing aids directly to stage microphones at conferences and other events.