RHA announced some dope new products, accessories maker Grovemade is trying their hand at audio, and Proxima Centuri has an Earth-sized planet orbiting it that just might have liquid water at it’s surface. Not really audio news, but still cool. This is Sound Guys Monthly. The show where we catch you on everything that happened this past month in the world of audio. Let’s get into it.

We’re always looking out for new RHA products because we’ve had such great experiences with them in the past. And now they’re releasing two new pairs of headphones and a DAC/Amp in October, just in time for the holidays. The Dacamp L1 is their newest DAC and it has high res audio support, a 10 hour battery life, and a $549 price tag. There’s the new CL1 Ceramic headphones that aren’t your ordinary in-ears. These are optimized to be used with amps, like the Dacamp L1. They’re an upper tier pair of headphones with dual transducer configuration, high density ceramic housing, and custom cables for $449. The last pair of in-ears announced were the CL750s. They’re also optimized for amps with stainless steel housing and a much more affordable $139 price tag.

In the era of putting smart chips in everything from coffee machines to lightbulbs, the speaker was uniquely placed to be transformed into a new and practical piece of tech. Thanks to the Amazon Echo, everyone wants to build a smart speaker and the newest to join the fray is the Whyd wireless speaker which, might also actually be good sounding speaker.

It has touch sensitive controls for changing tracks and adjusting the volume, a 100mm subwoofer and four 40mm drivers strategically placed to provide 360 degree sound, and coolest of all you can talk to it thanks to four omnidirectional microphones and noise cancellation technology that will pick up your voice from across the room. You can connect to it using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Airplay, Google Cast, and tell it what to play by speaking. You can pre-order it now for $299, but once it starts shipping in early 2017 it’ll be $499.

Grovemade is a company I personally shop at, but I would’ve blame you for not knowing them. They specialize in wooden accessories for your desk and pockets and came out of left field recently with a gorgeous pair of desk speakers. These new speakers come in two kinds of wood: walnut or maple. They were designed by Joey Roth who already released a cool looking pair of speakers a while back. The Grovemade speakers have two 2” full range drivers and also come with a matching amplifier.

Jabra has updated their Coach and Pulse in-ears. For runners, there’s the new Sport Pulse special editions. Along with tracking your heart rate can they can now calculate your VO2 max as well. That’s a measurement for your rate of oxygen consumption that’s pretty useful while training. They’re coming out sometime in Q3 and will be $159. The Sport Coach have also been updated with a TrackFit motion sensor that works with an app on your phone to track your movements and count your reps and will cost $119 when they release.

Amazon may have started smart speakers, and now they might be the first to make smart headphones. What exactly does that mean? Well, we’re not sure. But they recently filed a patent that showcases at least one of the features. They will have active noise cancellation but will also probably be able to recognize your name, and lower or pause the music. This could be useful to help people be more aware of their surroundings in case of emergencies while wearing headphones. Only time will tell.

We reviewed a few cool things this past month but the coolest had to be the VerveOnes by Motorola. They’re not perfect, and they do have their flaws, but they also work. Something about popping in truly wireless earbuds into your ears makes you feel like you’re living in the future in a way that few other gadgets can. For more info make sure to check out our full review.

Our bang for your buck pick have to be the Xiaomi Mi Headphones Pro which we also reviewed this past month. Good sound and a sleek design made these one of my new favorite pairs of cheap earbuds to use. Speaking of which, if you want to know what some of our other favorite cheap earbuds are make sure to check out our best earbuds under $50 list.

But if you’re not looking for earbuds we have another best list recommendation for you. The best headphones for bass. Whether you’re looking for an accurate reproduction of the low end or you want to rattle your eyes with bass kicks, this list has you covered.

Giveaway: JBL Charge 3

Before we get into the new giveaway let’s all congratulate Enzo R. from the Netherlands. Hope you like your Bose SoundSport Wireless! As always, this month we’re doing another giveaway. This time it’s in the shape of the JBL Charge 3. A waterproof, phone charging, great sounding speaker that’s also portable. The giveaway is international and all you have to do win is follow the link in the description to win. Good luck!

JBL Charge 3 International Giveaway!

