Headphones

AirPods volume control

Is your AirPods' volume low? AirPods Pro and AirPods volume control can be a bit nonintuitive. It's not easy for everyone to figure out how to adjust the volume on AirPods when there are no buttons and no dials! If you've been wondering how to work AirPods and AirPods Pro volume control, read on to learn how to make your AirPods louder or lower the volume. 

Rumor has it that Apple will announce new AirPods at its "Unleashed" event on the 18th of October, and we've collected all the info we can about features and how much they will cost. It's not just one new model, though. The latest we've heard is that Apple will soon release the AirPods 3, followed by the AirPods Pro 2. Here's everything we know about the new AirPods coming in 2021.

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Headphones and earbuds make great presents for the audiophiles in your life or even a treat for you. We've shopped around for the best earbuds and cool headphones so you don't have to. Below, you'll find our top picks.

Apple introduced new MacBook Pros at its October 18 'Unleashed' event, with the option to purchase with the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip. While the latest iterations of the M1 chip are impressive, Mac fans will probably be just as excited about all the new ports, the 1080P FaceTime camera, mechanical function keys in place of the Touch Bar, and the return of MagSafe to MacBooks. While the MacBook Pro was the main event, Apple also unveiled third-generation AirPods, additional color options for the HomePod mini, and a voice-only Apple Music subscription tier. Here's everything you need to know about the latest MacBooks, AirPods, and HomePod minis, including when you can get your hands on them!

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AirPods, second-generation AirPods, and AirPods Pro users: did you know you can answer a call on your AirPods? If you’re sporting AirPods, you’ll certainly want to adjust your AirPod settings so that you can answer the phone with AirPods using this hidden feature. You can answer your iPhone with AirPods and hang up calls with your AirPods as well; we’ll go over how to do both. You can even set up your iPhone to announce calls via AirPods, so you know who's on the line before you answer the call. When learning how to use your AirPods, make sure to memorize this short set of AirPods instructions and keep track of your AirPods' battery life. Here’s how to use AirPod controls to answer a call with your AirPods.

Owning a late-model iPhone means that you don't have a headphone jack on your iPhone. For many people, AirPods are the solution they've chosen to get excellent audio quality with cord-free ease. These convenient Bluetooth accessories have made living without wired headphones a breeze, but did Apple make AirPods waterproof? We’re here to help you with that and provide some other important AirPod information.

Whether you're a brand new Apple Airpods owner or have recently purchased a non-Apple device, the process to set up your AirPods is easy! We've already covered how to pair AirPods with Apple devices, and in this article, we'll focus on how to connect your AirPods to Android, Windows, Chromebook, and other non-Apple devices. To pair your AirPods, all you need to do is make sure your device Bluetooth is on, enable AirPods pairing mode, and select your AirPods from the Bluetooth device list. Let's get started.

Want to remove your AirPods from your ears without the audio pausing or the device disconnecting? A simple settings toggle makes it all possible! Dancing through your kitchen, you quickly remove an AirPod as your housemate walks by saying something. Realizing the audio has now paused, you remove the other AirPod only to find your device has now disconnected.

You can rename your AirPods, AirPods (2nd Generation) and AirPods Pro using your iPhone. Renaming your AirPods can save you a headache if you have multiple pairs of AirPods in your household. Here's how to change the display name of your AirPods, making them quick to find if you need to do some adjustments. Note that your AirPods will need to be paired and connected to your iPhone to change their name. 

Apple's over-ear headphones have been rumored for over two years, and now, they're here. Apple announced the AirPods Max on December 8; they're currently available for pre-order and ship on December 15, just in time for Christmas. Apple calls these headphones "the ultimate personal listening experience... radically original, completely reimagined, and elaborately simple". The high-fidelity, wireless AirPods Max and offer Active Noise Cancellation with Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and more. The catch is... the price is $549! If you're an audiophile, that price point won't make you blink but, for everyone else, it seems a bit outrageous. So, what makes the AirPods Max so expensive and, how do they compare to similar high-quality headphones from Bose, Sony, and Beats?   

Any set of wireless earbuds is going to be compared to Apple's AirPods and AirPods Pro. Fortunately, the AU-Stream Hybrid ANC Earbuds ($189.95) that Ausounds sent me to try have a lot of distinctions to make them a worthwhile competitor. First, they are compact enough to fit entirely in the ear with no microphone stalk extending towards the mouth of the user. That marginally impacts the quality of the speaker's voice, but it isn't too much of an issue since the primary focus is on listening not talking.

Moshi makes some of the most inspired accessories for Apple equipment. The company sent a review unit of the Avanti C USB Type-C Headphones ($199.95) and it is somehow futuristic and retro at the same time. Just looking at the headphones reminds me of an aviator from the 1950s or even the headphones I used as an aspiring DJ in the 1970s and 1980s. While even more expensive headphones rely on plastic these days, the Avanti headphones use stainless steel for the headband and adjustment knobs that help you find the right fit. They pair the steel with leatherette to protect your head and hair and ears. 

I have a special place in my heart for Jabra, as the company made the first Bluetooth earpiece I ever owned about a decade ago. So I'm always interested in their latest model. I saw them at CES and was able to pick up a review unit of the Elite Active 75t ($199.99). First, it looks great, and is sold in assorted colors including black, black with copper, navy blue, mint green, and sienna. If you want to stand apart from the boring, white-AirPod-wearing crowd, these will help. They fit snuggly in the ear and have adjustable tips to help stay in during workouts for active users, hence the name.

As popular as Apple's AirPods are, there are openings where other vendors can fill in the gaps. For starters, enough with the white plastic. I had the opportunity to try ATH-CK3TW In-Ear Wireless Headphones ($99) by Audio Technica at the Consumer Electronics Show. Immediately, you see the dark teal blue color and know these are not your standard earbuds. They are also sold in black or white for those who prefer more mundane color choices.

If you alternate between listening to music and podcasts or web conferences, there's a pair of headphones for that. ONANOFF sent me a review unit of its Fokus headphones ($49.99) to try. The name is appropriate, as at the flick of a button, you can switch between music and voice modes, to emphasize bass sound or spoken words, alternatively. Additionally, they are covered in stylish gray fabric on the earcups, exterior, and headband. I found them quite comfortable to wear for a long time, in part due to the fabric, but also because the earcups go around my ears instead of resting on them.

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