Audio

Numbers are used to describe different sound system setups. A 2.1 channel sound system has two speakers on the left and right plus a subwoofer to produce low frequency bass tones.

A 5.1 channel surround sound setup is made up of the same speakers in a 2.1 setup with an additional centre speaker and two rear speakers. This type of setup creates the effect of sound coming from every direction around the listener.

Dolby Atmos builds on a 5.1 system in two key ways. Firstly two additional speakers are used for overhead sounds in a 5.1.2 channel setup, adding verticality to the audio by bouncing off the ceiling. Secondly Dolby Atmos treats sounds as objects that can be tracked in three dimensional spacem allowing sounds to move realistically and independently of each other. Examples of Soundbars with Dolby Atmos include Samsung and LG.

Soundbars are single multi speaker units designed to boost TV Audio capabilities. Different models can support 2.1, 5.1, 5.1.2 Atmos and even more channel setups for purely immersive sound at home.

Bluetooth Speakers are portable rechargeable speakers that don't play audio directly, instead receiving Audio from a paired device. Bluetooth Speakers can pair with a wide range of Bluetooth compatible devices such as Phones, Tablets and PCs with some also supporting wired connections.

Wi-Fi or Home Wireless Speakers connect with other devices over a Wi-Fi connection and can play Audio directly from streaming services or a digital collection. Wi-Fi Speakers can be controlled remotely by other devices connected to Wi-Fi, but they don't rely on paired devices.

Smart Speakers like Wi-Fi speakers are internet enabled and make use of a digital voice assistant like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Samsung Bixby that can be instructed with voice in addition to controlling other devices on the network. Smart Speakers stream music directly from the internet allowing for higher quality audio but can’t be used without a Wi-Fi connection.
 

Wireless Headphones generally have a much better battery capacity than True Wireless Earbuds. Because Earbuds are so much smaller, they are not able to house a bigger battery with a larger charged capacity in each bud.

From a single full charge many Wireless Headphones models can run for over 20 hours, while Wireless Earbuds generally run for around 5 to 8 hours off a full charge depending on the model. Buds generally come with a hard body case to plug a USB cable into and acting as a charging station. A battery inside the case can provide an additional two or three full charges to the pair of Earbuds when not being actively charged off a power outlet.

Like all devices with a rechargeable battery, these batteries carry less charge over time after years of frequent use. To help slow down battery degradation it's recommended to keep Wireless Headphone batteries charged between 20% and 80% of full capacity.

Noise Cancelling Headphones are designed to block out ambient background noise that can interfere with listening experiences. There are a few different types of noise cancellation: Passive, Active, Adaptive and Adjustable Noise Cancellation (all also known as ANC).

Headphones with Passive Noise Cancelling use the seal and design of the earcups or buds as physical barriers to dampen and block external sounds. All other types of Noise Cancelling Headphones take advantage of Passive NC in addition to their own technology.

Some such as Sony, Bose and JBL, utilise Active Noise Cancellation with microphones to detect background noise, emitting an inverse soundwave that cancels out the noise known as phase cancelling.

Adjustable Noise Cancellation Headphones can manually change their levels of Noise Cancellation to suit the situation, while Adaptive Noise Cancellation adjusts levels in real time for optimal results as in some Sennheiser Headphones.