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Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds are down to $248, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals
This week's best tech deals include $32 off Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds, $60 off Apple's AirPods Pro and $150 off iRobot's Roomba j7+.
THX's tiny Onyx USB-C DAC is $50 off at Amazon
THX's tiny USB-C DAC is on sale at Amazon for $150 through the end of November.
THX's Onyx is a tiny USB-C headphone DAC that supports master-quality audio
THX's first consumer hardware is a portable USB-C DAC that gives wired headphones a powerful audio upgrade for $200.
Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro review: Sound over everything
Razer's latest true wireless earbuds offer active noise cancellation, THX audio and more in a bid to take on the AirPods Pro.
Razer reveals Hammerhead Pro earbuds with ANC and THX audio
Razer's latest true wireless earbuds offer active noise cancellation and THX-certified audio for $200.
TCL’s next 6 Series TV has a THX-certified gaming mode
TCL has collaborated with THX on the next edition of its 6 Series TV with a Certified Game Mode, continuing the company’s recent foray into gaming technology. THX first announced the partnership with TCL and the advent of Certified Game Mode at this year’s CES. The device earned THX Certification, meaning it underwent more than 400 tests ensuring high fidelity of color, tone and images, the statement said.
Razer Opus headphones review: Stellar THX sound for $200
The Razer Opus noise-cancelling headphones sound amazing, thanks to THX-certified sound quality and handy EQ presets. Top that off with a lightweight and comfy fit and you have a great option for $200.
Razer Opus is a set of noise-cancelling headphones with THX audio
Much like its cute Pikachu earbuds, Razer once again proves that it can make cool headphones without slapping three snakes and RGB onto them.
THX spatial audio is coming to smartphones
It's only been about a year and a half since audio mastermind THX announced the first product featuring its new spatial-audio format, which is meant to simulate 360-degree sound from less-advanced devices, like two-channel headphones. As such, there aren't many products that support it, but THX just unlocked a major new category. Today, THX and ZMBIZI jointly announced the first smartphone that supports spatial audio, regardless of what headphones are plugged into it.
Watch and listen to THX's new Deep Note trailer with spatial 3D audio
THX has unveiled a new trailer for its famous "Deep Note" audio logo that lets audiences know that a theater is THX certified and also how loud it's likely to be (usually very loud). The trailer, which will be deployed in theaters around the world, shows off the company's 7.1 surround sound and other audio tricks. However, it's also a 4K visual tour de force meant to highlight the THX Ultimate Cinema premium theater experience with "increased brightness, contrast, clarity and rich brilliant colors," THX wrote in a press release.
THX's large-format cinema will take on IMAX later this year
THX will debut its premium large format brand called THX Ultimate Cinema this spring or summer, it announced. It features a dual-laser 4K Barco projectors and a THX-certified 7.1 immersive sound system and will take on the likes of IMAX and Dolby in the premium large format (PLF) category. It will debut at the at the 1,400 seat Regency Westwood Village Theatre in LA, which has hosted numerous red-carpet premieres.
Razer's THX-enabled headset helps you locate sneaky enemies
Razer has unveiled a headset that makes the best use of its THX acquisition so far by letting you know where your enemies are coming from. The Kraken Tournament Edition is the first product with THX Spatial Audio that plays sounds from all around you with "pinpoint accuracy" and adjusts when you turn your head. It can also auto-detect audio formats, let you set up a personal profile with parameters like voice clarity and bass boost and find just the right balance between game and chat volumes.
Razer's 2017 Blade Pro boasts a new CPU and THX certifications
If you've been eyeing one of Razer's "professional gaming laptops" since December, you're going to want to wait just a little bit longer. That's because the company announced today that it's releasing a new iteration of its flagship laptop, the Blade Pro. It now features a seventh-gen quad-core Intel i7 CPU and faster RAM than what was offered on last year's model. Additionally, the new model has earned THX certification for both video and audio.
Panasonic follows LG with its first OLED TV
You don't have to opt for LG to get OLED now that Panasonic has announced the EZ1002. For its first OLED TV, the display is probably still the same one you'd get from LG, but Panasonic has tied this to its Studio Colour HCX2 processor, plus it has ISF calibration settings and is CALMAN compatible to help pros get the picture exactly right. Panasonic has applied for (but apparently not yet received) THX Certification and Ultra HD Premium certification and says the TV supports HDR 10 as well as Hybrid Log-Gamma HDR. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision support isn't mentioned anywhere, for the new TV or for the pair of Ultra HD Blu-ray players Panasonic announced. We'll see if a software update changes any of that, but with more Dolby Vision content on the way it could be an important line dividing these from other OLED or UHD Blu-ray options.
Razer's THX purchase means cinema-approved VR and laptops
Longtime cinephiles might be disappointed by the following news: THX will now operate as an "independent startup" under the Razer banner. Yep, the gaming PC and peripherals company. The cinema certification outfit founded by George Lucas will keep its management and employees (phew) and will continue to operate as it has for the past 33 years just under a new owner, according to a prepared statement. "With their focus on quality, design and innovation, Razer supports our vision to optimize and deliver the best audiovisual experiences to audiences worldwide," THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor said in a canned press release quote.
UHD Alliance reveals its specs for 'premium' 4K TVs
Last year a number of TV manufacturers, Hollywood studios and other content companies got together so they could avoid ruining the home experience of 4K. A battle over competing standards and formats has made a mess of tech like Blu-ray/HD DVD and the rollout of 3D, but this industry consortium is committed to making sure that doesn't happen with Ultra HD. As Fox exec Mike Dunn put it during a panel discussion, "Unless you have a standards group that puts the glue for the industry together, it's not seamless for the consumer." Tonight the group showed off the logo and specs (above) that you should probably look for if you consider buying a high-end Ultra HD television. Update: Samsung says its entire line of 2016 SUHD TVs has been tagged with the UHD Premium certification.
Sharp's 70-inch, THX-certified Aquos Ultra 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $7,500
We are well past mid-August, which is when Sharp initially estimated its new 70-inch Aquos 4K Ultra HD LED TV would begin hitting shelves. Despite the late arrival, however, something tells us folks will still be glad to have yet another choice when shopping for their next 4K television set. To make things better, Sharp's super high-res, THX-certified Smart TV is set to be carrying a $7,499.99 MSRP here in the States, making it about $500 cheaper than when it was originally announced. Those of you interested shouldn't have trouble finding one, as Sharp says it'll be available at many regional and major retailers across the country.
Sharp announces first THX-certified 4K TV, the $8,000 Aquos Ultra
Sharp has just revealed the Aquos Ultra at CE Week, a 70-inch Ultra HDTV the company says is the only THX-certified 4K model on the market. Calling it the company's "best designed TV ever," Sharp said that it put the model through "four hundred rigorous performance tests" to gain the THX nod, which is meant to assure that content is reproduced as closely as possible. On top of the 3,840 x 2,160 pixel count, the model features advanced HD upscaling tech via a dual-core signal processor, pre-calibrated THX Movie viewing modes, a dual subwoofer system with 35 watts of sound output, Sharp's SmartCentral Smart TV platform and a flash-enabled web browser. You'll also be able to change channels or send video directly from your smartphone via the Beam app, and watch 3D films at 4K with the set's active shutter technology (two Bluetooth 3D glasses are included). If you're not dissuaded by the $8,000 price tag, it'll be up for grabs in mid-August -- check the PR and video after the break for more.
Apple, THX work to resolve patent lawsuit
This past March audio pioneers THX sued Apple in California's federal court for patent infringement. The case involves narrow-profile speaker designs that can enhance sound output. THX is claiming the infringement of their 2008 patent is only found in the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and some models of the iPad and iMac computer. Now both sides in the dispute are attempting to settle the case out of court. Bloomberg is reporting that lawyers from Apple and THX have filed a request with San Francisco's federal court to reschedule a June 14 case-management conference until July 26. The filing explicitly states the reason for rescheduling as "the parties are currently attempting to resolve this matter outside of litigation." We've included an example of an iMac featuring the speaker design in question above. THX was founded by George Lucas in 1983 as a division of Lucasfilm. A majority stake in the company was sold to Creative Labs in 2002.
Daily Update for March 18, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
