Soundcore’s latest version of their flagship wireless earbuds, the Liberty 4 Pro have arrived. Do they have what it takes to take top place of the true Wireless headphones category? Read on to find out.
The Liberty 4 Pro come with a full range of features that are sure to satisfy the most demanding customer, with three listening modes that can be adjusted between various levels of Transparency and ANC – with Normal listening right between the two. There’s also Spatial Audio, which can be accessed from the charging case
Look and Feel
The earbuds feel comfortable and snug, but they also come with ear tips sized from Small to XL for those with dumbo lobes. The ones pre-installed fit my ears just fine.
Sound Quality
When it comes to audio, the Liberty 4 Pro’s don’t disappoint.
Features
The Liberty 4’s come with more features than you would expect at its price point, and the quality of the sound modes are industry leading. The three main modes, Normal, ANC, and Transparency mode all work as expected.
Conclusion
the Liberty 4 Pro in-ear headphones are a cut above the Liberty 3 in every way. Great sound quality and a long list of features for the price of the entry-level Airpods should put these earbuds at the top of your list.
Apple might not make AirPods for computing devices that they don’t manufacturer, but in many instances their Beats brand is the better bang for buck buy.
Build Quality
The design has been refined and updated with a studier headband (the gaudy beats branding removed ☺️), metal hinges where the headphones fold and touch/swipe controls.
They fold inward to store in the Beats-branded pouch that comes with the headphones, which also has two pouches for the included USB-C and 3.5mm cord for analog connection. You can also listen to Hi-Fi Audio through the USB-C cord, which will simultaneously charge the headphones.
The Beats Studio Pro stands at the top of the Beats headphones hierarchy – offering the most powerful audio drivers and the largest feature set. The Noise Cancelation is some of the best in the market and uses the same algorithms as the AirPods Max – as they both have the
AirPods Max for Android?
The Beats Studio Pro’s are compatible with Android Fast Pair, so they connect like AirPods would to iPhones.
The Beats app is the hub where you handle the settings of your headphones, like adjusting EQ or setting up features like the Noise Cancellation or Transparency modes.
The Studio Pros are rich in lows, with broad mids and tamed high frequencies. The high end doesn’t sound muffled or muted, but the subwoofers in the headphones there to dominate the frequency spectrum. The color and warmth of the sound the Beats Studio Pros produce is reminiscent of Subwoofer based car audio systems built to showcase bass heavy music like Hip-Hop or Reggaeton. They are good set of reference headphones for audio engineers working with similar genres of music, which is where the USB-C and 3.5mm connections are invaluable. There are also three personalized sound profiles for USB-C audio through its built-in DAC (Digital to Analog Converter).
Conclusion
We’re doing a in-depth comparison of the Beats Studio Pro, in Pro Audio environments like Recording and Mastering Studios; As well as comparisons to the top Over-The-Ear headphones in the market and will conclude this review shortly.
There are many AEMs (Audio Equipment Manufacturers) who make products that are decent enough to market as the best, at times the plethora of options can be overwhelming to the average consumer.
This is where we come in handy, where we break down the top 5 brands behind some of the best quality Headphones, Earphones, Microphones and more into a cohesive list.
Blue Microphones merged with Logitech a few years ago, bringing their audio expertise and quality microphone lineup to the popular electronic accessory maker.
Blue’s Yeti line-up of Streaming USB Microphones are popular amongst game streamers and podcasters, but they’ve been major players in the pro audio market for years with their XLR mics. The $3999 Blue Bottle Flagship Tube Mic is a studio mainstay.
Samson is another reliable audio brand, whose USB microphones are usually on display and in stock at local stores like Best Buy or Target. They’ve been in the game since XLR’s were the only way to go, with their CO1, CO2, and CO2 Condenser mics being must have studio staples.
Audient is a audio brand out of the UK, with 20+years of expertise under their belts. They make everything from Audio Interfaces, Mixers, Microphones and more with a history of developing analog gear. Their no slouches in the digital workspace though, with their EVO Start Recording Bundle being quite mobile AND packed with Android,iOS, MacOS an Windows compatibility.
The Rodecaster Pro II is one the most versatile Audio Production Studios on the market today.
Rode has been riding the wave of dominance since their all-in-one systems invigorated public interest. The awesome RodeCaster Pro II, a follow-up to their renowned Rodecaster series – has every few contenders in the Streaming and Podcasting space; but its equally at home in a recording studio or News Agency.
JLab is the newest company on this list, but one that is rising fast as a respected audio brand. They are known for their wireless earbuds and headphones, as you might have seen the brands logo in your local dept. store – but what many people aren’t aware of us they also make webcams, USB Microphones like the Epic Talk , and the Studio Pro Over-Ear Studio monitors. JLab is quickly becoming known for making products at very reasonable very reasonable prices while retaining high quality control and quality output.
This rounds up out list of our top five Audio Brands (Hardware) for 2023, but we also have software, and entertainment categories to cover – so stay tuned!
PreSonus, manufacturers of some of the world’s most renowned Audio Interfaces, Control Boards, Mixing Consoles, Preamps, and Microphones – releases the Revelator USB mic for project studios , gamers and podcasters. We take it through the paces to see if it adds something new to the market and offers new and rare features. To find out where the Revelator stands in the grand scheme of a recording setup, keep reading.
The Revelator Mic is USB-C powered, and connects to Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices. For Windows and MacOS, it has a software hub that adds the ability to broadcast a feedback signal (useful for podcasts) and source mixing (game streaming). But the most useful and powerful feature, is the Revelator’s ability to save up to 5 audio effect Presets directly into the microphone.
Top to Bottom: Preset (light blue), Monitor (dark blue), Volume (Press for Mute)
The Revelator Mic comes with 5 effects pre-installed, Plain/Dry, Broadcast, Slap Echo, Female Voice, and Screamer – which reminded me of a Megaphone. Any or all of the presets could be replaced with a new effect by connecting the Mic to your device with the software installed simply by connecting to two devices using the included USB-C cord.
The Revelator’s Default Preset is effect-free, and it has a flat and dry audio signal that provides clear and crisp vocals or field audio. Broadcast adds a rich EQ, Low Pass Filter, and AutoDuck all in one to give that ‘Radio Announcer’ sound. Female Voice is a Chipmunk-y, high pitched effect; as Screamer and Slap Echo have more self-explanatory Preset names.
Revelator is a part of a suite of products from Presonus that offers an all in one solution for audio recording from the Home to full-fledged Recording Studios. Like in the picture above, where you can see the Revelator as part of a modern home recording studio. It comes with a table stand in the box, but it’s compatible with any standard mic stand, so it can be an all-around ‘Swiss Mic’ for recording any type of sound.
PreSonus has released the ATOM SQ a TR-808 styled groove box/MIDI controller, to accompany their 1st gen Atom Drum Machine. Here we take a look at the former to see if it’s a worthy addition to the line up and how it compares to the latter. Let’s get it!
The ATOM SQ has a more robust, durable build than it’s predecessor – not that the original Atom was a slouch at all. The body is firm and solid with no creaks or pops when you flex anywhere on the frame, the buttons are tight and the knobs are stiff. No wobbly or flimsy parts, PreSonus has done the Atom SQ justice – when picking up the device, placing it on your set up table and powering up the device it gives the impression it means business.
There are 32 velocity and pressure sensitive pads that are laid out like Roland’s TR-808 grooveboxes, yet the ATOM SQ goes a step further by incorporating an assignable multifunction touch strip. There are also two Octave buttons to the left of the pads. Transport controls occupy the left side of the controller’s panel, below eight assignable bank buttons.
The LCD screen is a crisp, Context-sensitive display, which gives visual info on parameter information,note repeat, swing, and much more.
ATOM SQ is tailor-made for PreSonus’ stellar DAW Studio One 5, offering tight integration and no mouse navigation of all parts of the interface, – including instruments and effects.
The ATOM SQ + Revelator Mic + Studio One 5 = All you really need
PreSonus also made sure the ATOM SQ has Ableton Live integration built-in, for control that’s just as extensive as it is with Studio One.
Conclusion
PreSonus ATOM SQ and Cubasis 3 on the Pixel 6
ATOM SQ is a shockingly impressive MIDI controller, that works with Studio One the way a standalone device does. Besides typing in the name of your song or session for the first time, you can create compositions with the SQ and Studio One (Ableton Live also) without touching your computer. And it works nearly as good out the box with apps like Cubasis and FL Studio Mobile on Android and iPhone/iPad. If you’re looking for a MIDI controller/ groove box styled instrument for more expressive control over the virtual instruments in your music production software – few are as versatile and fully featured as the ATOM SQ.
