ICYMI: We’re checking out the new Sonos Roam portable speaker

Over the past few weeks we’ve been busy with plenty of new videos and guides – and of course a bunch of product reviews Chris Velazco has been spending time trying out all the new features in OnePlus’ expensive new handset, the 9 Pro, while Billy Steele reviewed the new MW08 headphones from Master & Dynamic. Cherlynn Low brought the new Nest Hub to her bedside to try out its new sleep tracking capabilities, and Nathan Ingraham tested the new Sonos Roam speaker by throwing it across the room and dipping it in a bucket of water. . I also tested several baby monitors to find the best ones for your nursery, and Billy found the best wireless headphones for audio enthusiasts and casual listeners.

Unlike the Sonos Move, the new Roaming speaker is much easier to take with you everywhere. Nathan Ingraham found the $ 170 speaker to be incredibly portable due to its size – it’s just over six and a half inches tall and weighs less than a pound. He tested the Roam’s water resistance and toughness by dropping it into a bucket of water and throwing it across the room. He continued to play through it all.

Nathan said that despite its small size, the Roam still sounds great without any distortion or getting too loud at high volumes. The speaker features a tweeter and mid-woofer instead of a single speaker, and this setup helps deliver clear highs and mids as well as a satisfying thump across the entire volume range. He also found the 10 hour battery rating right on target. While he believed that two speakers playing in stereo provided a wide soundstage in a living room, he argued that the Roam probably wouldn’t be loud enough for outdoor parties.

Chris Velazco has seen every OnePlus smartphone get better, faster and more expensive. The company’s popular lineup now includes the OnePlus 9 Pro, a flagship smartphone that starts at $ 970. Sporting a 6.7-inch, 3216 x 1440 AMOLED display with 1300 nits of brightness, the 9 Pro has one of the prettiest displays Chris has seen on a handset and it performed well even in direct sunlight. With a Snapdragon 888 processor and variable refresh rate, Chris said there was very little he couldn’t handle, including playback. Fortnite.

But that’s not the most notable upgrade from the 9 Pro; Chris said the combination of the company’s partnership with Hasselblad and better sensors has resulted in a dramatically improved camera experience. Chris said his photos were gorgeous and Hasselblad’s contribution contributed to true-to-life colors. However, all of this helps make the 9 Pro more expensive than ever before, which might irritate OnePlus fans. Chris also counted the limited carrier support for 5G and a meh telephoto camera among the drawbacks of the handsets.

Master & Dynamic’s MW08s are the best headphones yet

Billy Steele watched Master & Dynamic work through three iterations of true wireless headphones to produce the MW08, which he calls the company’s best to date. the MW08 The model retains the same D-shaped design, but they are smaller and don’t have a lot of material outside of your ears. While a net positive, it also means that the onboard controls are also smaller, which Billy found cumbersome. Fortunately, the signature sound profile has always impressed: Billy said details are crisp and clear with a natural-sounding setting. The addition of 11mm beryllium coated speakers helped produce a sound profile that Billy called the best he had encountered on a set of true wireless headphones.

The MW08 has also improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with two options: Max ANC and All Day ANC. These modes can be switched via the M&D Connect app, which is a new version of the company. M&D Connect also allows users to change ambient sound modes (of which there are two), adjust the auto-off timer, and turn off in-ear detection. But it doesn’t have any customizable EQ or sound presets, and Master & Dynamic also doesn’t plan to add those features in the future. While Billy’s 12-hour battery life pleased him, he noted that the headphones don’t have any wireless charging.

The signature feature of the new $ 100 Nest Hub is a built-in radar sensor that detects movement to track the length and quality of your sleep. It can also detect your snoring and coughing and indicate how bright or warm your room is. But Cherlynn Low found out that wasn’t all it was meant to be. It needs to be positioned close to your head, at the same height as the mattress (which isn’t always practical), and it requires at least a first week of follow-up before it can start producing results on its Wellness panel. Even though she says it’s impressive as a proof of concept, the data she collected while she slept didn’t turn out to be extremely insightful.

However, she was much more impressed with her abilities as a smart display. At $ 100, it’s cheaper than the original model, but the Google Assistant is faster, the audio was louder and clearer, and it now offers dashboards and interfaces for the controls of the smart home. The new Nest Hub can also make Duo calls, play YouTube videos, and search for recipes. She also liked that the Soli sensor could also be used for motion controls – for example, swiping your hand in the air to ignore a timer alarm. Overall, Cherlynn says she would recommend it if you’re looking for a solid smart display, but don’t count on it being the best sleep tracking solution.