Audio

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

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 you.
Dolby Atmos builds on a 5.1 system in two key ways. Firstly, two additional speakers are used for overhead sounds e.g. 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 space. This allows 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 a TVs Audio. 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. Some models also support wired connections to Media Players.

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

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.

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. They come with a hard body carry case that a USB cable can be plugged into and will act 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, they will carry less charge over time after years of frequent use. To help slow down battery degradation, it is recommended to keep Wireless Headphones 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 (aka ANC), adaptive and adjustable Noise Cancellation.

Headphones with Passive Noise Cancelling use the seal and design of the earcups or earbuds as physical barriers to dampen and block out external sounds. All other types of Noise Cancelling Headphones take advantage of Passive Noise Cancelling designs in addition to their other technologies.

Some such as Sony, Bose and JBL, utilise Active Noise Cancellation to take advantage of built-in microphones to detect the frequency of background noise, emitting an inverse soundwave that cancels out the noise.

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