SNAP
BAC K
WORDS: NIDHI GUPTATECH# commute
A year after they were launched
and mocked, AirPods turned
up everywhere, on the ramp
and off, trending like, well, the
iPhone at the peak of its powers.
The 2019 editions are an Apple
loyalist’s upgrade (yes, they pair
with Android devices): They still
look like cigarette sticks, but
they have even better wireless
performance, sound, 50 per cent
more talk time and battery life.
They are easier to set up, and
come with the option of wireless
Qi-charging for the case. You can
now also summon Siri hands-
free; but no noise-cancelling
yet. FYI, that’s a good thing when
you’re crossing the road. `18,900
(with wireless charging case)42 AUGUST 2019In, on, over – these are the best
headphones and earphones in
the world right now, for when
you want to tune that world out#audiophile
It’s not every day that you find Gorilla Glass – that stuff that keeps your
premium smartphone screen crack-free – on the cups of a headphone.
On the closed-back Sennheiser HD820, this glass is deployed to
keep sound from leaking out of its exquisite drivers. The result: a vast
soundstage, immersive enough to let you experience new Bad Bunny
music as if in concert, or to transport you into whatever dystopia Charlie
Brooker dreams up next. You do need a solid amplifier and a good source
of sound – ie, plugging into a smartphone isn’t going to cut it. `1,89,990