The Verge’s favorite audio equipment: headphones, speakers and more

Since Édouard-Léon Scott of Martinville recorded an almost indecipherable version of the French song “Au Clair de la Lune” in the mid-19th century, it has become clear that the technology you use to produce and listen to sounds can affect your experience. Even now, about 150 years later, the quality of your equipment can mean the difference between a tiny, almost unrecognizable noise, or a fully realized listening experience.

As you can imagine, people here in The Verge they spend a lot of time listening to a variety of digital sounds – whether online meetings, music, podcasts, videos or sound clips from their own multimedia productions. We asked the team what their favorite devices were for listening, enhancing or producing their digital sounds. Here’s what they said.

Plantronics Explorer 500 Bluetooth Headset

About six years ago, I reviewed a mid-level Bluetooth headset from Plantronics (now Poly) called the Explorer 500. It was a small, well-built, one-ear headset, and it came with a short USB cable with magnetically tips snapped together become a loop. I thought it was very good technology at the time, so I bought one – and I’m still using it. Sure, it’s not great for music (it only uses one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly convenient to have it hung on a strap in my bag so that I can pick it up for a quick call or if I want to listen to a podcast. And surprisingly, the battery still maintains a reasonable charge. One of these days, I will have to invest in a fully wireless headset to be able to have fully mobile music too – but until then, my Explorer 500 serves me well. – Barbara Krasnoff, review editor

AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC

The DragonQuest portable digital to analog converter (DAC) from AudioQuest brings high quality audio to your devices. Most laptops, tablets and smartphones do not have great DACs or do not natively support high resolution files like FLAC (nor do they let you know when they don’t), but with Dragonfly, you will be able to hear uncompressed audio up to 24 bits / 96kHz. There is also an LED light on the device that changes color to indicate which sample rate is currently being supported. AudioQuest makes three separate models: the basic Dragonfly Black; the Dragonfly Red, which uses a high-performance DAC chip; and the Dragonfly Cobalt, its latest generation model.

To get the most out of Dragonfly, you’ll also need an adapter for your phone with a Lightning-to-USB-A adapter for an iPhone or a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for an Android device. Portability is the biggest feature here – switching between my phone and my laptop is the reason why I recommend this to anyone who wants a gadget that lets you listen to high resolution audio on any device. – Andrew Marino, audio engineer

Headphones Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Okay, yes, I’m aware that these are already the favorite wired headsets on the Internet. But seriously: I have had mine for six years, and they have been doing very well. Sure, the pleather on the hair band is starting to peel and I had to replace the earmuffs a while ago, but they look just as good as the day I bought them. I think the music sounds fun with them – not very analytical, as my DT-770 Pros can sometimes be. Audio-Technicas are certainly not reference headsets, but it’s probably not what most people are looking for.

They were also a great price, especially compared to their Bluetooth equivalents. And honestly, I’m falling in love with wireless headphones for anything other than working out, although that’s probably a problem with me, not with them. Either way, the latest version, the ATH-M50x (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a removable cable so you don’t have to worry about being overwhelmed with ridiculously long cables that sometimes come with sophisticated headphones. (Another version, the ATH-M50xBT, completely discards the cable.) – Mitchell Clark, news writer

Antlion Audio ModMic USB Microphone

It looks like everyone is going to get big stand-alone microphones for their tables during the pandemic, but I don’t want to give up any precious assets. A solution that works best for my needs is Antlion Audio’s ModMic USB microphone. It is cleverly designed. First, you glue a small circular base (the size of a large piece of chocolate) to the side of your headphones, and then the microphone itself can be attached and disconnected magnetically at will. I like being able to quickly turn my headphones into a gaming headset or get ready for a presentation at a meeting and then go back to normal headphones by disconnecting the microphone. I use one with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro headphones open and help me get more out of the kit I already have.

This particular microphone has two modes that you can switch between: omnidirectional (made for broadcasts) or unidirectional, which helps to capture only your voice if you are in a noisy environment. The sound quality of a voice recording made with ModMic is very good – much better than most gaming headsets I’ve tried. The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4 and PS5.

The downside is that this model costs about $ 70. Also, if your headphones are wired, introducing the wire from this microphone to the fray can be a little difficult to manage. For me, the price is worth the effort. Antlion also manufactures a fully wireless rechargeable microphone for $ 120, if you want to go that route, which also has dual microphone modes and can be sticked on your headphones with adhesive. – Cameron Faulkner, writer

AirPods

I love my AirPods and have been doing it since my first pair. They are lightweight, load quickly in the case and sound good enough for what I need from them, which is mainly listening to notifications, listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos. It helps that I am an iPhone and Mac user, as they work very well with both devices.

But I think I like the original AirPods more than the Pros. Although the professionals offer some welcome updates, such as active noise cancellation and water and sweat resistance, they just don’t fit well in my ears. The original AirPods never fell, but the AirPods Pro will slip slowly if I’m talking or eating, and sometimes when I’m running. This means that I am constantly readjusting them if I am doing anything other than sitting completely still. (To be fair, I’m sitting completely still most of the time now.)

I hope that the next version of the Pros will fit my ears a little better. If they do, they will probably become one of my favorite Apple products of all time. – Jay Peters, news writer

Podcast production Rode RodeCaster Pro

This Rode’s four mic input audio interface makes it significantly easier to set up a complete podcasting session with a design that mimics a live mixer. You can record multitracks on your computer or internally on a microSD using a USB-C connection.

As someone who mixes podcasts after recording, this setting is more appealing to me for live streaming on Twitch or YouTube. You also get built-in customizable sound banks, compression and EQ settings, multiple outputs for monitoring and an intuitive design for traditional live mixing.

Fun tip: it’s also a great way to record phone interviews, pairing the RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. – Andrew Marino

HyperX QuadCast Microphone

I had been trying to update my microphone for a long time, but I wasn’t sure which product to use. Some friends recommended HyperX QuadCast and that’s what I ended up buying.

Before, I used a Blue Yeti microphone, but I felt that the audio quality was not satisfactory on my side. I wanted to make sure I was buying a microphone that wasn’t too cheap or too expensive and, most importantly, it had a good long cable so I didn’t have to rearrange my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found that the HyperX QuadCast had great clarity and captured the subtle details of my audio output.

I really like the somewhat unconventional design of QuadCast; it comes with simple controls, a pedestal and a shock mount adapter for boom arms if you want to mount the microphone closer to you. I also find it convenient that the mute button is on top of the microphone. It becomes easier to mute my sound quickly when using Zoom or Discord. —Taylor Lyles, writer

Speaker Sonos Five

I never found a single smart speaker that sounded better and I like that there are no microphones inside. These are the main points that explain why I have a Sonos Play: 5 – recently updated as Sonos Five – on my desk several years ago. For a speaker that doesn’t have a 360 degree design, Five still produces a very satisfying sound environment that can fill most rooms. He can release wide bass without mastering the highs and mids of his music. Takes two of most other smart speakers paired to get close to what the Sonos Five can offer. (Granted, it is better to sound great for $ 500.)

Virtually all existing audio apps are supported by the Sonos app, including high-fidelity options like Tidal and Amazon Music HD. Sonos Five works with Apple AirPlay and there is a 3.5mm aux input for wired playback. (You can also use this to get a turntable connected to your Sonos system.)

No, there is no integrated voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant included here. But some people will appreciate the absence of microphones that are always open. And adding an assistant to the mix after the fact is easy, whether through another Sonos speaker like the One or simply by connecting an Echo Dot or Nest Mini.

It is a pity that the Play black and white combo: 5 colorway no longer exists; I think it was the most beautiful speaker that Sonos has ever made. – Chris Welch, news editor