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Audeze Penrose X Wireless Gaming Headset review

Jason England
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Last year I reviewed the Audeze Mobius planar magnetic gaming headphones for all of you PC gamers out there. Now with a new generation of consoles coming out, Audeze was nice enough to send out its Penrose wireless gaming headset made especially for them.

Design

When it comes to the look and style of the Penrose X, Audeze keeps it simple and understated. Besides the larger size, flourish of green, and additional controls–the Penrose X could easily be mistaken for a typical pair of over-ear cans. That’s fine by me, I don’t need my gaming headset to have an edgy design or include a bunch of embellishments.

What does matter about the design is the access to frequently used controls, such as the volume dial, mic volume dial, mic mute switch, and multi-function button that’s used for switching sources–all of which are housed on the left ear cup. That’s not all though, when the dials are pressed they gain additional functionality.

For example, pressing on the mic dial enables you to adjust the chat and game mix audio on the Penrose X. Long-pressing for three-seconds on the volume wheel will also cycle through your five different equalizer presets, while doing the same on the mic wheel enables or disables sidetone.

Besides the buttons, the Audeze Penrose X also has a multitude of ports, including one for the boom mic, a 3.5mm jack, and a USB-C port.

With all these ports you have your choice of connecting the Penrose X with either the wireless dongle, Bluetooth, or with a 3.5mm cable. Unfortunately, you cannot use the USB-C port to connect the headset as you could with the Audeze Mobius, it is strictly reserved for charging on the Penrose X.

Comfort

The Penrose X is a hefty headset when compared to traditional over-ear headphones, however, it’s about average for most gaming headsets. That means, you’re definitely going to feel these on your head, but the clamping force isn’t overly strong and the padding is adequate for wearing for long gaming sessions. Like most closed-back headphones though, your ears will tend to get warm after extended periods.

User experience

First off, let me say that I’m a PlayStation 5 user and I don’t currently own an Xbox. However, the Audeze Penrose X works with the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and even the PS5. Even though it’s not directly marketed towards the PS5, there are no issues whatsoever in using it with the PlayStation 5 if you toggle the dongle to PC. For that reason, the Penrose X is the do it all Penrose model and the one worth purchasing.

My experience with the Penrose X was near exceptional. I was able to use it with my PS5, my PC, a Chromebook, and it even worked when I plugged it into my Stadia controller while using a USB-C adapter.

However, I wouldn’t recommend the last one, as it kept cutting in and out when using it with the Stadia controller. It was more of a curiosity to see how universal the Penrose X is when using the wireless dongle.

Early reports showed some users having issues with the connection cutting out when using the Penrose. Perhaps those were isolated incidents or it was fixed with software updates over time, because I didn’t experience one dropout while using mine the past couple of months. Although, my PS5 is only around 8-10 feet away, but I did try the dongle in both the back and front USB ports.

The headset has received several updates though, and each brought bug fixes and improved functionality, such as disabling side-tone by default and adding new ways to change settings with the wheels on the ear cups.

Additionally, Audeze has since released the Audeze HQ app to help you manage the Penrose headsets. That’s really nice because one of the key features of the Penrose is the ability to connect simultaneously between the wireless dongle and your phone.

This allows you to make calls on your phone or with chatting apps like Discord or Whatsapp while you’re playing. It’s perfect for joining group chats with your team on cross-platform games, and the app makes it easier to adjust the balance between game audio and call audio.

Audio quality

Using the Penrose X made me fall in love with using a gaming headset with my console. Previously, I always used a 5.1 surround sound system with my PS5, but when wearing the Penrose X, I found the audio score in games came to life and I was able to pick up little details like sound effects that I never previously heard. Part of this is attributed to just using a headset, but some of it is just because of how clean and rich the audio is from the Penrose headset.

The sound signature on the Audeze Penrose X is pretty flat giving all frequencies a level playing field. This means you get to clear crisp sound with detail throughout the range, similar to reference headphones.

Game audio sounds incredibly detailed and music is crisp and bright. However, Audeze makes several audio presets available aimed at changing the sound profile for gaming and music on its website. These presets can do wonders at bringing out the low-end for more bass and boom when playing games or listening to music, as well as helping to isolate certain sounds like footsteps.

My only complaint with the Penrose X is the low-level hiss I would sometimes hear during silent moments in games, between music tracks, or when a song is paused. It’s only irritating to hear during those quiet moments and doesn’t affect the sound quality when there is sound playing though.

Microphone

Audeze touts a detachable boom mic designed with help from Shure. In my experience, the microphone performed very well. My friends were able to hear me clearly and listening to recordings of my voice showed that it has no troubles in reproducing my voice.

Battery Life

I found that the Audeze Penrose X was easily able to last me through gaming sessions of four hours or longer. In fact, I’d say I didn’t have to charge it up until after a good eight hours or more of gaming time.

If your battery starts running low during a heated gaming session, then no worries, the Penrose X allows you to charge up while actively using them. Sure, it adds a wire to your wireless headset, but that’s better than not being able to use them until they have time to charge up.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Audeze Penrose X ushers in a new era of high-quality wireless audio when gaming with your console or PC. Audeze has shown it is dedicated to providing updates to enhance the Penrose headsets, while also providing stellar audio quality. Even though they may be on the expensive side, you get what you pay for with a great pair of headphones for gaming, listening to music, or watching movies.

I will say that if you are exclusively a PC gamer and don’t mind wires, then I’d suggest the Audeze Mobius. The 5.1 sound processing and head tracking really make a difference on PC, but when it comes to consoles there’s really no benefit.

Buy from Amazon Buy from Audeze

Project Starline is about to make video chatting get a lot more real

Jason England
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Over the past year, we’ve all done our fair share of video calls–and as great as it is to see friends and loved ones face to face–a 2D flat screen just isn’t as good as seeing them in person.

Google knows this, and yesterday at Google I/O 2021, it introduced a new project called Starline that it has been working on for over five years now. Starline’s purpose is to help bridge the gap between video calls and being there in person with a photorealistic view of the person you are calling, complete with shadows and depth.

In essence, Starline is still only a video call, but it uses a specialized display, computer vision, machine learning, and spatial audio to make the person on the other end appear as if they are actually in the room with you. The 65-inch light-field glass display gives the person on the call a 3D appearance with real depth that is photorealistic.

According to an article from Wired, from a journalist who has personally used the device, Starline uses a specialized booth with “more than a dozen different depth sensors and cameras” to produce the holographic image on the screen.

The Wired author also remarked about the surreal realistic nature of Starline, that was until he moved a few inches off-axis. If you’re not sitting directly in the center of the booth then the image loses its holographic effect and looks like a traditional 2D image. There were also the occasional artifacts that appeared on screen to remind you that you’re still on a video call and it’s not real life.

In other words, don’t expect this to show up anytime soon in your home or office. Besides, Google hasn’t even mentioned how much the Starline booth might cost, or the bandwidth requirements. Despite Google employing real-time compression and transmitting over WebRTC, you can bet it still requires a fast pipe to deliver all those pixels.

Project Starline is still in its early stages of development, but Google has already spent thousands of hours testing it with Google employees in the Bay Area, New York, and Seattle. Later this year, Google will expand testing with Starline and begin trial deployments with enterprise partners.

Hurry! Score the waterproof Xcentz Bluetooth neckband headset for just $11 with this code

AndroidGuys
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Are you in the market for a pair of wireless headphones but don’t have much of a budget to work with? We’re not talking about $100 or even $50 for a pair, we’re aiming lower. How about grabbing a set of wireless headphones for less than a decent meal?

The Xcentz XBuds S2 Bluetooth Neckband Headphones, available in Amazon for just $21.99, are a great value on its own. Features include IPX7 waterproof protection, magnets for securing them around your neck, and three sizes of ear tips. A single charge can provide up to eight hours of playback; charging takes about two hours from fully depleted.

Xcentz Xbuds S2

  • Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones: Xcentz Bluetooth neckband headphones has faster & stable signal transmission, clearer sound quality and lower power consumption.
  • Extended Playtime: Listen for up to 8 hours nonstop on a single charge. A 10-minute charge keeps you going for 70 minutes.
  • IPX7 Sweatproof๏ผšSweatproof design keeps liquids out and the internal components protected.
  • Magnetic Earbuds: The built-in magnet attracts the earplugs when you donโ€™t use them. Versatilely used in running, jogging, gym and other kinds of sports.
  • Lightweight Neckband: Xcentz Bluetooth neckband headsets weigh only 0.75oz in flexible and durable silicone material.

Limited Time Savings!

As great as it would be pick these up for $22, we have a deal that drops the price nearly in half. Indeed, use the coupon code 4W8NJV9H at checkout and you can score a pair of Xbuds S2 for just $10.99.

You’ll have to act fast though because this limited time deal expires at 11:59PM PDT on May 19! This means you have but a few hours left.

Grab a pre-owned Google Pixel 3a for just $150

AndroidGuys
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The Nitty Gritty: Purchase a pre-owned unlocked Google 3a for just $150 and use it with your favorite carrier.

On the hunt for a new handset but don’t need all the bells and whistles that come with a flagship model? That’s totally understandable; most people can get by with a phone that’s a generation or two behind. What’s more, you don’t need a device that was ever considered a “flagship” to begin with. Take the Google Pixel 3a, for instance.

One of our favorite phones of the last few years, the Pixel 3a is the Google standard for what a mid-range device should look like and how it should operate. And while it originally launched in 2019, it still has a decent amount of hardware for most people. , Google will continue to support it with timely software updates and patches for another year or two.

The AG Deals Store has a sale on pre-owned versions of the Google Pixel 3a, listing them for just $150 right now. Sold unlocked, it will work with your carrier of choice, and has a 30-day parts and labor warranty.

If you’re the type to only replace your device every few years, this would a great, and affordable way, of buying time until your next purchase.

Pixel 3a Highlights

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 + Android 9.ย Flip through menus, run home screens, apps & more
  • LTE unlocked.ย Choose the network that you want to use
  • Network access.ย Browse the net & download videos, music, and movies
  • 12MP camera.ย Record your favorite memories with good resolutions
  • 5.6″ FHD+ touch display.ย Browse apps, view photos, & watch videos in crisp detail
  • 64GB storage.ย Save more contacts, music, photos, apps & more

Refurbished Rating

This product is listed with a grade of โ€œAโ€. It arrives in a near-mint condition and may have very minimal to zero amounts of scuffing on the case.

Order Yours!

Visit the AG Deals Store and purchase your Google Pixel 4 XL for just $299 while supplies last!

AT&T Prepaid Buyer’s Guide

AndroidGuys
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Many of you are likely familiar with the so-called “Big Four” wireless service providers of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. A lot of people might assume that this is pretty much all there is when it comes to carrier choice in the US. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Most of the top-tier carriers offer their own prepaid services with different rate plans, phone selection, and support. Let’s take a look at AT&T Prepaid.

About AT&T Prepaid

Once known as GoPhone, AT&T Prepaid operates in the US using the same network as its tier-one brand and, for the most part, provides nearly identical coverage. One key difference is that there is no third party coverage in pockets of states such as Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska.

AT&T Prepaid features include no annual contract, no credit check, and easy activation.

What are AT&T Prepaid rate plans like?

AT&T Prepaid rate plans let subscribers go month-to-month with no long-term agreement or cancellation fees. Moreover, it does not charge for going over your allotted data; you receive “throttled” 2G  speeds on data for the remainder of the bill cycle.

The prices shown below are with automatic bill payment, or AutoPay. Rate plans may vary based on limited-time promotions.

  • $30/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 5GB of high-speed data
  • $40/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with 15GB high-speed data
  • $65/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with unlimited high-speed data
  • $75/month: Unlimited Talk and Text with unlimited high-speed data

What’s with the two unlimited plans?

You’ll note that there are two plans with “unlimited” data. The $55 option normally costs $65 per month while the $50 one usually runs $75 per month.

It definitely makes more sense to go with the cheaper plan as you get a lot more for your money. The main catch, however, is that it’s for new customers only.

Here’s what’s notably different between the two:

  • $55 plan: Data may be slowed in times of congestion
  • $50 plan: Allows for access to 5G network speeds, data may be slowed in times of congestion after 22GB used, includes 10GB mobile hotspot, 100GB cloud storage, and video streams can be up to 1080p

Mobile hotspot/tethering is available to most of the plans as an add-on. There are other features available for the various plan, including unlimited calls and text to Mexico and Canada or usage in Mexico and Canada. Those on the 2GB or 8GB plans who do not use the allotted amount will be able to roll it over to the next month.

Multi-Month Plans

AT&T has three online-only offers for customers who opt to pay in advance. A 3-month plan ($99) gives users 8GB of data per month; a 6-month plan ($180) brings the price down to $30 per month; a 12-month plan ($300) equates to $25 per month.

It includes unlimited talk and text within the US, Mexico & Canada, and unlimited text from the US to 100+ countries. These are limited time offers with no known expiration date.

Are there any other features worth noting?

AT&T Prepaid offers add-ons such as international calling and monthly data plans for tablets and hotspots. Moreover, add-on data can be purchased in the event you hit your plan’s data threshold.

What about family plans?

Customers interested in family plans or multiple lines can do so with discounted pricing. As of today AT&T Prepaid offers a discount on each line, when adding a line of service. Additionally, there’s also a discount for AutoPay, automatic bill payment. It’s possible to mix and match plans based off of individual data needs.

Tell me about the phones at AT&T Prepaid

Look at the current lineup of phones offered through AT&T Prepaid and you’ll see familiar names from brands like LG, Samsung, Apple, and Alcatel.

As one might expect, the overall selection pales in comparison to the standard AT&T brand and skews toward affordability instead of power. For those looking to save money there are also a handful devices which are certified restored.

A few phones have promotions which might add credit to your account or save money when paired with a particular rate plan.

Can I bring my own phone to AT&T Prepaid?

You can often use your current phone on AT&T Prepaid, especially if it was previously paired with the standard AT&T service. Contact your current service provider to see if you can unlock your phone for usage on AT&T.

We’re also seeing a growing trend of unlocked phones with support for AT&T and its Prepaid bands sold direct to consumer. Examples include models from Samsung, Motorola, Blu, Nokia, and Alcatel.

Google Drive will soon allow you to block spammers

Jason England
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If you’ve never received a spam message from Google Drive, then count yourself lucky. Over the past couple of years, I’ve received so many that I eventually just disabled notifications from the app entirely. While that’s not exactly a fix, it certainly freed me from all the spam messages I had been receiving.

Now, Google is announcing that it is working on a proper fix for all of this Drive spam. In a post on its Google Cloud Blog, it revealed that user blocking is coming to Drive.

Driveโ€™s sharing capabilities fuel productivity and collaboration, but bad actors can abuse tools that are meant to facilitate helpful sharing. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s important to have the necessary security controls in place to fend off these sharing threats. Today, weโ€™re announcing user blocking in Drive to do just that.

When you block a user, it will accomplish three different actions at once. First, it will block the user from sharing any content with you in the future. Second, it will remove all existing files and folders shared by the user. Thirdly, it will remove the other person’s access to your content.

While blocking each individual user who spams you sounds incredibly tedious, it’s a lot better than the previous option we had, which was to report the spam message.

From the looks of it, the block option appears to be present in the “shared with me” section of the Google Drive web interface. Perhaps it will also be present in the notification, but who knows? Personally, I know I’d rather block it immediately from the notification rather than on the web.

Google says this feature will roll out over the next few months. However, this announcement came from the Workspace section of its blog. Meaning, it’ll most likely roll out to business users first, and hopefully to the rest of us later on.

Google Photos is supercharging Memories, Cinematic photos, and adding a locked folder

Jason England
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Google Photos won’t be storing your images for free much longer, but Google is still working on new ways to keep people interested in using the app.

One of these ways is with Memories, which gives you a way to look back at your photos from years past. Google realized that most photos we take never get viewed, data shows that most of the four trillion photos stored in Google Photos are never viewed again.

Improved Memories

While Memories is nothing new in the Google Photos app, it’s about to get smarter. Later this summer, Memories will be able to resurface images based on more than just themes, it will also begin to highlight photos that share the same shapes or colors.

When testing this out, Google’s engineers made some funny discoveries, such as one who always goes traveling using an orange backpack. He found Google Photos created an album full of photos from his journeys with his trusty backpack, helping him relive the memories of his trips.

Along with this, Memories will also begin to show moments from holidays including Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Hanukkah later this year. While Memories categories such as Best of Month Memories and Trip highlights have already begun to roll out.

More Control

Google Photos is not only ramping up what types of Memories you see, but it is also giving you better control over them. Since the launch of Memories, Google has heard feedback from users about how some photos can bring back painful feelings. For example, photos of lost loved ones or of your ex. Specifically, Google has heard the voices of the transgender community and how certain photos can be harmful.

That’s why Google has been working with GLAAD and listening to its users to make it easier to find the controls to hide photos of certain people or time periods. More granular controls are coming to Memories as well.

starting today, youโ€™ll be able to rename a Trip highlight, or remove it completely. And coming soon, youโ€™ll be able to remove a single photo from a Memory, remove Best of Month Memories and rename or remove Memories based on the moments you celebrate.

Cinematic Moments

Google is also looking at ways to help you enjoy your favorite snaps with improvements to Cinematic photos, a feature that rolled out last December and turns static images into 3D versions.

Now, going a step further, Google Photos will begin using multiple photos of the same scene–and some machine learning magic–to create frames in between the images piecing it together into a short video called Cinematic moments.

This is perfect, because I’m sure if you’re anything like me, you capture multiple images of the same thing every time, just to make sure you get a good one. Google will now be able to use all of these images to create something one of a kind for you and your family.

Locked Folders

A way to hide personal and private images has been something Google Photos has needed for a long time. Well, now it’s finally coming. The new feature was announced yesterday at Google I/O 2021 and unfortunately, it will roll out to Pixel smartphones first. However, Google did say that Locked Folder will “arrive on more Android devices throughout the year.”

When it does finally reach your device, you’ll have a special Locked Folder within Google Photos that hides images and videos behind a passcode. After being added to the Locked Folder, it will no longer show up in your library or any other apps on your device. Making sure your private photos stay private.

Pixel users will also be able to save photos and videos directly to the Locked Folder directly from the camera app. Something we probably won’t see on other Android devices since they don’t use the Google Camera app.

Digital car keys, Android Auto, and Android Automotive OS are coming to more vehicles this year

Jason England
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Google I/O 2021 kicked off with a ton of information and announcements, and among these was some new information about Android Auto and Android Automotive OS.

For starters, Android Auto is now available in more than 100 million cars, supported by nearly every major manufacturer with Porsche being the latest. Even better, brands such as GM, Ford, Honda, and more will support Android Auto wireless. No more having to lug a cord around like some caveman when you want to use Android Auto in your car.

Of course, you’re still going to have to pair your phone up to your car, and that in itself can be more of a pain than using a cord. Thankfully, car manufacturer’s like BMW and Ford are both working on adding Fast Pair to its vehicles. Much like with headphones, Fast Pair will make it quick and relatively painless to connect your phone to your car with a prompt that walks you through the process.

Now that you have an easy way to get Android Auto on your car with Fast Pairing, what could make it even better? How about unlocking or starting your car up with your phone using a digital car key? That’s what Google is working on for Android 12 using Ultra-Wideband technology that will allow you to get into your car and start it up without even touching it. There will also be a version that uses NFC for cars that support it that will require you to tap the phone to the door handle, not quite as cool, but I’ll take it.

That’s not all though, using this technology you’ll also be able to securely share your digital car key with friends and family if they need to use your car.

Don’t get too excited just yet though. Currently, Google says it’s working with car manufacturers to make this a reality, but the only one it mentions by name is BMW. Plus, so far, it looks like digital car keys will only become available later this year on select Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones.

Furthermore, Android Automotive OS, the standalone car infotainment system, has been making more strides in getting itself into some new cars. The latest are the Polestar 2, Volvo XC40 Recharge, and the Volvo XC60. Additionally, by the end of 2021, it will be available in “more than 10 car models from Volvo, General Motors and Renault.”

Google also showed off Android Auto projecting onto the display of a BMW iX and running Android Automotive OS on the all-electric GMC Hummer EV.

Wear OS and Tizen are merging into one unified platform to take on the Apple Watch

Jason England
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It’s long been rumored that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch 4 would make the switch to Wear OS after seven years of running its own in-house Tizen OS. In fact, the latest rumors pointed to the Galaxy Watch 4 using a Tizen skin over Wear OS.

Now, we know there’s much more to it than that. Today, at Google I/O 2021, Google announced that it has been working in partnership with Samsung to bring the best of Wear OS and Tizen together for the biggest upgrade to the platform yet, promising faster performance and longer battery life.

Google is now promising faster animations, a smoother user interface, and apps launching up to 30% faster on the latest chipsets.

While to improve battery life they had to dig deep and optimize the lower layers of the operating system utilizing low-power hardware cores to optimize continuous heart rate and sleep monitoring. All of which should spell battery life savings allowing you to make it through a full day and overnight with juice to spare.

As for the Galaxy Watch 4 running a custom Tizen skin, it does appear Google is opening up the platform to custom UIs for the first time saying, “This isnโ€™t just for Google and Samsung. All device makers will be able to add a customized user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools they already know and love to build for one platform and ecosystem.”

On top of everything else, by having one unified platform going forward, app developers won’t have to split focus. Instead, they can focus directly on a single platform making it easier to develop and maintain apps. Google says you can expect more tiles on the way from apps such as Calm, Sleep Cycle, and Flo.

Additionally, redesigned and improved versions of Google Maps and Google Assistant are in the works for Wear OS. Then there’s the long-awaited YouTube Music app coming later this year with the ability to download songs to your watch for subscribers, along with Google Pay snagging a UI refresh and support for 26 new countries.

And have you forgotten about Google’s Fitbit acquisition? Because it appears they are finally doing something with it, promising the best of Fitbit with features like health tracking throughout the day and on-wrist goal celebrations.

Last but not least, Google has also been working on some usability enhancements mentioning a new way to swap between apps on the watch. This will come in the form of a double-press of the button on the side of the watch, which will take you back to the last app you were using. For example, if you’re tracking your run with an app, you’ll be able to double-press on the button to swap over to your music app to change tracks before doing the same action again to return to the app tracking your run. It’s a small thing, but also a huge improvement.

All in all, it appears the biggest thing to happen to Wear OS is on the horizon, and it couldn’t come soon enough. Google has neglected the platform for years now and it has been in dire need of a refresh. As a huge wearables fan myself, I couldn’t be more excited about all these changes.

The new Panasonic Toughbook S1 is a 7-inch Android tablet that can take a beating and more

Jason England
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Panasonic may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of Android tablets, but it just released one named the Toughbook S1. You may remember the Toughbook brand from years past when Panasonic used to produce a line of rugged laptops.

Now, Panasonic has taken that same know-how and has created an ultra-tough 7-inch Android tablet that works with a stylus, fingers, or gloves for enterprise use. It features a Qualcomm SDM660 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 13MP rear camera, and runs Android 10 out of the box.

There is also LTE and GPS availability to make sure you stay connected no matter where your job takes you and NFC built-in as well. For workers in warehouses, manufacturing, and more–an optional barcode scanner that works in landscape or portrait orientations is available along with an additional USB-A port add-on.

On top of that, the Panasonic Toughbook S1 is built to MIL-STD-810H standards, able to withstand drops of up to 5 feet on concrete and it’s IP65/67 water and dust resistant. Plus, it is also rated to work in temperatures as low as -4ยฐF and in heat up to 122ยฐF.

Additionally, it includes a 5580mAh warm swap battery. This means, besides having good battery life, you’ll also be able to swap out the battery during long shifts or in the field instead of having to wait for it to charge back up.

Essentially, the Panasonic Toughbook S1 is made to take a lick and keep on ticking, and operate in some of the most extreme conditions. That’s why it doesn’t come cheap, the Toughbook S1 starts at $2,499 and it’s available for purchase now.

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