❌

Reading view

Bose acquires Skullcandy to help it reach a wider audience

A pile of Skullcandy headphones sitting on a mixing board in a studio.

Bose announced today it has acquired Skullcandy. Although the two companies are competitors in the consumer audio space, Skullcandy recently partnered with its new owner to bring several of Bose's audio technologies - including its head-tracking spatial audio and excellent active noise cancellation (ANC) - to products like the Skullcandy Crusher 1080 ANC headphones and Method 360 ANC earbuds.

Specific details about the deal weren't shared, but according to a news release, Bose plans to keep Skullcandy a separate brand that will become part of its premium consumer audio business. Skullcandy will remain based in Park City, Utah, where it was …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

It’s hard to imagine wireless headphones ever getting lighter than these

A person wears the Final Porta wireless headphones with orange ear pads.

If you're on the hunt for lightweight wireless headphones but wearing earbuds or clip-ons never feels comfortable or secure, a relatively obscure Japanese headphone maker could have the solution. Final's new Porta headphones feature an on-ear design supported by a headband but with a structure made from a single piece of wire so they weigh just 40 grams. For comparison, Marshall's recently-launched Milton A.N.C. are also designed to be smaller on-ear headphones but weigh 200 grams.

The Final Porta are available for preorder now through the company's online store for 12,800 yen (around $80) with black or orange ear pads and shipping expected …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

Fairphone’s latest repairable earbuds are smaller, lighter, and longer-lasting

The Fairbuds 2 have had a total design revamp from the original pair.

Repairable, ethical phone brand Fairphone has released its second pair of earbuds. The Fairbuds 2 are just as repairable as the first generation, but deliver improved audio and almost twice the battery life. The Fairbuds 2 are out now in the UK and Europe from Β£99 / €119, and a US launch at $119 will follow on November 2nd.

The Fairbuds 2 have been redesigned from the ground up, moving to a stemmed design, available in black or green, and a case that's 37 percent smaller than the first generation. Despite that shrinking hardware, Fairphone has almost doubled the buds' battery life, which now totals 40 hours without active noise cancellation …

Read the full story at The Verge.

  •  

The Nothing Headphone A are half off for the first time

The Nothing Headphone A in white on a wooden desk with the carry bag off to the side and an open laptop behind.
The Headphone A keep the shape and style of Nothing’s over-ear design, but with an opaque instead of transparent case. | Photo by John Higgins / The Verge

One of the best deals we’ve seen today bundles together a great pair of headphones with a solid album. When you add the Nothing Headphone A in black or white and the CD version of the Charli XCX album Music, Fashion, Film to your Amazon cart, you’ll save 33 percent on your order, bringing the total down to $97.52. That’s lower than the best price we’ve seen for the headphones on their own, which retail for $199, and you get a free album to boot. The other colors also qualify for the discount, but have a higher starting price, so the discounted price will be higher as well.

Nothing Headphone A

Nothing’s second over-ear headphones may not offer everything found on the pricier Nothing Headphone 1, but you do get physical controls, good sound, and more than five days of battery life per charge. Their design is also a bit more discreet, for better or worse. Read our review.
The Nothing Headphone A with its carrying bag, 3.5mm cable, and USB-C cable on a wooden desk with an iPhone nearby.

Where to Buy:

We reviewed the Nothing Headphone A when they launched earlier in 2026, and praised them for their physical controls, IP52 dust and water resistance rating, and excellent battery life. They have a more subtle design than other Nothing products, opting for an opaque housing instead of the translucent shells on other Nothing headphones.

Read our Nothing Headphone A review.
  •  
❌