But wait I hear you pleading, what happens when one of my earbuds falls out? The best use case for many of these first wireless buds (I just trademarked that name for a buddy action flick starring Keanu and the hologram of Tupac) is in action sports, exercising, or running. Basically, the best times to use these limited battery earbuds is when you are moving around a lot, possibly at high speeds. It’s only natural to think that you’re going to lose one of your earbuds and be stuck with terrible terrible mono sound.

Well that’s exactly the usecase ELWN decided to solve once and for all with their Fit earbuds. Their kickstarter just funded in the first day, and it’s easy to see why. Not only do you get two sexy little buds (I’m not trademarking that movie name, it’s all yours…), plus an additional battery strap called an Infinity Band, but you also get a whole variety of ear tips, hooks, and loops with 180 different combinations to ensure, in their words, “the most customizable truly wireless ear buds.”

If you’re still here and reading, I’m sure your question now is, “but do they work?” Sir, they do indeed. In fact, I’m listening to them now as I write this. Pairing is simple and straightforward (just read the package!), sound quality is good, my custom fit was excellent, and battery life is very respectable 3 hours. When you’ve exhausted that, just plug in the Infinity Band external battery/cord for up to 6.5 hours of running and jumping around.

I doubt I would use these around the office or house, but exercising, rolling around on my bike, or even ignoring other humans on the bus are all great uses for the ELWN earbuds. There have been plenty of wireless earbuds companies to come out this year, but ELWN has really impressed us with their design, fit and finish, and customizability. If you buy wireless earbuds this year, it should be the ELWN Fit. Welcome to the new hotness and real freedom.

The post The Problem with Wireless Earbuds is Finally Solved appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

The Cadillac Seville might not flood your memory with warm feelings of nostalgia, but it does represent a tectonic shift in both the automotive and sonic fields. This car represents the very first time a premium audio company entered the automotive market. Bose was the company to do it, and their vehicle division – Bose Automotive – has stubbornly continued to push additional sonic envelopes with each new generation of their vehicular hi-fi systems. They invented the branded car audio system, and during CES this week they debuted an absolutely stunning four(!) vehicle lines that you will be hearing, and sharing with others, in the coming year.

The Advanced Technology Series

This is it, the big daddy of the Bose Automotive lineup. The Advanced Technology Series (ATS) is not the kind of stereo system you can option into your Honda or a branding exercise that’s all off-the-shelf parts. Bose is only going to be coming out with an ATS system every few years, and to be included in a car Bose needs to have access from the very beginning of vehicle design. We’re talking a 4 year lead time for this product line. Why is all this necessary? How does the fact that with unprecedented access from the frame up, Bose can create the absolute best system for that vehicle strike you? This is why Advanced Technology Series systems will not be available widely, will only be in one specific vehicle at a time, and will only be coming out every few years. Look for their first such system, the 34 speaker Panaray system, in the upcoming Cadillac CT6.

Small Vehicle Series

Up to this point in all of recorded human history, branded hi fi audio systems didn’t exist in the smallest of compact cars. These  typically beginner cars make due with paper cups posing as speakers due to the segment’s bargain pricing. But once again, Bose is stepping into uncharted territory with their Small Vehicle Series. As the name suggests, these systems are exclusively for the heretofore sonically unloved A and B segment cars. And the genius here is in the packaging – bringing high end audio at a price small car buyers can afford. The boffins over at Bose Automotive played some clever tricks with their speakers and placement to create what I can easily and happily describe as the best stereo I’ve ever heard in that segment of car. Car rides with your poor cousin are about to become much more bearable.

Performance Series

Where other audio companies have certainly played is in the luxury and sports car market. Here, you have a wealth of choices depending upon car brand. So it is beyond obvious that Bose would play here as well, and this is where their Performance Series sits. This is their system of choice for your luxury sedans, face-melting super cars, and those that blend the two. While not a full Advanced Technology system, the Performance Series still represents the top shelf of Bose Automotive technology and implementation. From the visual elements to the invisible sound staging, these systems are world class. My personal favorite touch was the distinct placement of every instrument on the invisible stage on the dashboard.

Premium Series

The bread and butter of Bose Automotive – the Premium Series – is likely how you associate Bose and vehicles. These are the systems that are in a frankly amazing 9 manufactures’ vehicles. No other audio company can claim such a feat. The Premium Series will continue to be the cornerstone of Bose’s push into the automotive world, and expect to see the advancements of the ATS and Performance lines trickling down to everyday cars  each year as tech progresses.

Bose forged a brave new world in 1983, bringing high fidelity audio out of the living room and into the car. Now in 2016, with their announcement of 4 lines poised to push new boundaries, the future has never looked, or sounded, so bright. It is a good time to be an audiophile, and an even better time to be a driving one.

The post Bose Automotive Debuts the Future of Car Audio appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

I’m gushing, I know. But this is a piece of equipment that lets you hear lyrics you’ve never before heard, discover instruments in songs you never noticed, and be front and center at an exclusive invite-only concert of your favorite band. I received these headphones to test two weeks ago, and ever since – honest to god – I’ve been running back from the office just to get home and try this artist or that and see how absolutely great it sounds projected inside my brain by these nuggets of greatness.

And if you’re too philistine to appreciate aural greatness, just take a look at their leather and metal construction to satisfy your sartorial desires. White earbuds are so 2001. Today the smart dressed gentleman is rocking “cans”, and Master & Dynamic makes some of the most up-market cans available. Those $30 knockoff pairs that *ahem* I own, these are the hifi headphones they are knocking off in the first place. It’s better to wear the original than the pretender.

Forget any other headphone brand out there, Master & Dynamic headphones are the sweetest things to wrap around your ears beyond the thighs of a supermodel. I’m listening to them right now, and I’ve rolled my eyes back into my skull at the sound of crisp guitars and subtle cymbals 3 times in the last 15 minutes alone. I simply cannot believe how good these sound. I got into hifi car audio when I was in highschool; like really into it. Into it so much that I had a “system” that was worth more than the $8,000 car it was in – and I upgraded from there. And ever since I sold my last system, I haven’t heard quality of sound like that until I put on these headphones. That’s why I’m gushing, because I know how much it can cost to get into this quality of sound. And on that scale, these ear speakers are a bargain.

Price shouldn’t factor into this. These are worth having, full stop. They bring joy into your life, and are exceptionally made. But you know what, don’t believe my gushing. Don’t believe me at all. But do go find a pair of these and try them on your favorite song for yourself. They will blow your mind, and you will buy them, and you will be mind-bending sonic experiences every. damn. day.

The post These Headphones Absolutely Blew My Mind appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.