Awesome Audio

Foley artists create sound effects for TV shows, movies, and video games. Sanaa Kelley and Monique Reymond are two of the industry’s best and brightest. This video from Insider shows us how they produce sounds for SpongeBob SquarePants, Kung Fu Panda, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more.

Upgrade your gaming audio with this desktop sound system from OXS. The Thunder immerses you in sound thanks to 10 audio channels, upward-firing drivers, and a satellite neck surround speaker. It supports Dolby Atmos and has built-in LED lighting that can react to on-screen action. ScorpioTech checked out early review unit.

The Syng Cell Alpha is a high-end wireless speaker with upward- and downward-firing woofers and a three-element beamforming driver array to produce spatial sound. Built-in microphones calibrate the speaker to your room, and multiple Cell Alphas can be networked for surround sound. It comes in table- and floor-standing versions.

This made-to-order controller from Return to Paradise adds five linear slider controls to your Windows or Linux PC (sorry, no Mac support). It can be used to map volume controls and faders in DJ and gaming software via a USB connection. It works right out of the box with the open-source app deej.

Audiophiles and tech junkies generally prefer component systems. We love the look of this equipment rack from Silver Beard Lamp Co. It’s handmade from thick threaded rods, bolts, and blackboard – birch laminated plywood with a layered pine core. It comes in 4- and 5-tier heights and sizes from 22″ x 12″ to 30″ x 22″.

The smallest of JBL’s Partybox speakers still kicks out some impressive volume. It offers 100 watts of amplification, excellent sound quality, and thumping bass. Its built-in LED RGB lighting syncs up with the beat of your music, and you can connect two for stereo sound. It runs for 6 hours per charge and is IPX4 splashproof.

Sony’s new Inzone line offers audio and video gear for hardcore gamers. Their headphone series features clean and modern aesthetics, 360º spatial sound, crystal-clear sound reproduction, long-wearing comfort, and immersive bass. They come in wired (H3), wireless (H7), and wireless noise-canceling (H9) models.

This miniaturized version of the classic Fender Tone-Master amplifier is perfect for practice sessions. Its vintage styling includes metal amp corners, a brown grille cloth, and white knobs for adjusting gain, volume, and tone. It packs a 1-watt amp and a pair of 2″ full-range speakers, and runs on a single 9-volt battery.

This augmented reality app from Signal-to-Noise lets you visualize the sounds that vinyl records produce. Aim your iOS device’s camera at a spinning record, and turn up the volume. Sonic analysis software generates a real-time graph of the waveforms overlaid on each disc as it turns.

Trettitre’s Bluetooth speaker is designed to produce immersive audio from a single unit. Its conical design offers visual interest while optimizing driver positions for the best sound. It packs a Class-D amp, two 1.25″ neodymium magnetic tweeters, two 2.25″ neodymium magnetic full-range speakers, and a 5.25″ subwoofer.

This compact device combines a USB-C DAC, pre-amp, and a powerful amplifier. It offers hi-res audio with 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD, and full MQA decoding. Digital filters let you customize its sound profile. In addition to the alloy model, there’s a limited Anniversary Edition with a copper chassis plated in 18ct gold.

The updated Turtlebox Bluetooth speaker is more rugged than ever. It has a durable new nylon handle, a new grill pattern that improves strength and sound, a stainless steel tie-down, and a better position for its controls. It’s 100% waterproof and loud as hell, pumping out 120dB of volume. Pair two together for stereo sound.

Sony’s updated wireless cans offer a great balance of audio quality and active noise cancellation. The WH-1000XM5 has a sleek new design, though they no longer fold like the M4. They have smaller but more accurate drivers, eight microphones to eliminate unwanted background noise, and run for up to 30 hours per charge.

This compact soundbar from Sonos produces room-filling sound despite its size. It packs four Class-D amps, two full-range mid-woofers with a bass reflex system for punchy lows, and two tweeters with waveguides for a wide soundstage. It connects to any TV with an optical output and supports streaming audio via WiFi.

Engineers from MIT have developed an incredibly thin and lightweight speaker that flexes like a sheet of paper. The piezoelectric speaker’s volume increases when it comes into contact with other surfaces, so theoretically, it could be used to turn entire walls into immersive, room-size loudspeakers.

Volcanic eruptions are known for their visual spectacle. But nature photographer Jakob Vegerfors thinks that sound is just as important as sight. He captured this surprisingly soothing footage during the March 2021 eruption at Geldingadalur, Iceland. We’re putting this on a loop instead of white noise at bedtime.

3D printers make a bit of noise when they’re generating objects, but that’s not what this video is about. Maker’s Muse wanted to see what objects made the most noise once printed and tested out several designs which are ridiculously noisy without the use of batteries, motors, or other electronics.

Razer’s all-in-one audio system is like a home theater soundbar for your computer. It has two tweeters, two full-range drivers, a downward-firing subwoofer, immersive THX spatial audio, and Razer Chroma RGB lighting. Bluetooth 5.2 support lets you switch instantly between your computer and mobile devices.

Electronic instrument and gear maker Teenage Engineering applied their minimalist design to this palm-sized mixing board. The TX-6 runs on batteries and has six 3.5mm stereo inputs, an equalizer, effects, synthesizer and sequencer, and an iOS app. It’s made from aluminum with a PU leather pad on back.

LG’s cylindrical speaker projects audio in all directions, enveloping your space with sound. It’s engineered to deliver smooth and consistent frequencies across the spectrum, and it runs for up to 10 hours on a single charge. It’s also got LED mood lighting and can be connected with a second XBOOM 360 for double the output.

Guitarist Rob Scallon previously played his guitar through the world’s largest effects pedal board. This time, he and fellow musician Andrew Huang ran the sounds of this electric guitar through his enormous wall of modular synthesizers, resulting in some of most interesting sounds ever produced by a string instrument.

Computer speakers aren’t the most elegant things. Matthew of DIY Perks wanted something different, and decided to build a sound system from pieces of bamboo flooring. He built a pair of angled dual-driver speakers and connected them with a monitor stand that houses a subwoofer, amplifier, USB hub, and led lighting.

Long for the startup sound of your old Macintosh? Or perhaps the squeal of a dial-up modem? Save the Sounds’ Museum of Endangered Sounds offers an online soundboard where you can enjoy the sounds of retro technology any time you’re feeling nostalgic. Try playing them all at the same time for fun.