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A Simple 5-step Path to Setting up a Home Theatre: Audio POV

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Over the last year, the importance of quality home entertainment has increased. To better understand the impact 2020 has had on entertainment, Dolby conducted a consumer study with Wakefield Research, which revealed that Indian consumers are prioritizing and seeking better experiences possibly driven by long hours spent at home. Indian consumers are spending more on quality to better connect with content—and to connect with each other.

There was a clear shift in consumer preference for premium content experiences. Consumers are willing to invest in premium quality content and in devices and are being able to have an enhanced audio and visual experience. The study reveals that 94% of consumers in India are willing to pay more for a premium subscription for enhanced video & audio quality, whereas 96% of them will upgrade their entertainment equipment in the span of the next 6 months.

There is a variety of equipment available in the market, depending upon one’s budget, area, and technology upgrade. Many of us hear “home theatre” and think of soundproof rooms, cushioned seats, and a large screen. However, building a home theatre does not need to break a bank.

Whether you want to upgrade the audio in your living room or invest in a full home cinema set-up, here are our recommendations to ensure you get a seamless entertainment experience.

Space Optimisation

Where you plan to set up your system can dictate what you will need. If you have a fairly large room, invest in a home theatre system but for a smaller room, you could go with a soundbar with a sub-woofer.

If you are doing up a big room and want surround sound with a theatre experience, go for a 5.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound system. This has 5 or 7 separate speakers, including a centre speaker, and an audio-video receiver or home theatre. For an immersive experience, get a Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system.

Large speakers can overwhelm a small room. Hence, when setting up a home entertainment system in a smaller space, consider getting a Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar.

Another important aspect is to buy a home theatre system that has a Dolby Vision compatible logo. This will pass High Dynamic Range Dolby Vision video through the home theatre to the television and will enable you to enjoy the HDR content.

Allocate the right budget

When you plan the home entertainment system, it is important to understand how to divide your budget. Don’t neglect the speakers. They are a critical component in experiencing great sounding audio. While planning the setup, allocate the bulk of your budget (up to 80%) on speakers and about 20% on the amplifier. Don’t spend large amounts of money on unnecessary features or a very expensive amplifier.

A common misconception is that all home theatre devices which deliver a cinematic experience are expensive. Today, an Indian consumer can find living room audio devices with next-generation object-based immersive audio technology like Dolby Atmos, at various price points that suit the needs of the price and quality conscious Indian consumer.

Choose the right supporting equipment

Video accounts for a major part of the cinema experience. The right television can enhance your entertainment manifold. It is recommended to go with 4K (or UHD) televisions that support Dolby Vision HDR and are Dolby Atmos enabled. Another important consideration is the eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) feature found in most new smart televisions. This enables you to transmit the original full-resolution audio signal back through the HDMI cable to your home theatre or soundbar and reproduce immersive audio without compromise. The home theatre should always be connected to the ARC/ eARC port of the television.

If there is no eARC port available on the television, it may be better to connect your media streaming device (TV stick) directly with the home theatre system for enhanced audio output.

Everything In the Right Place

Nowadays, most home theatre systems and soundbars are easy to plug and play. However, one needs to consider the positioning of the speakers while setting it up. For optimal effect, place your Dolby Atmos enabled speakers at the height of your ears when seated, with no obstructions between you and the speakers.

A soundbar should be placed beneath the television screen. Some Dolby Atmos enabled soundbars have speakers which point upwards and reflect sound off the roof for an enhanced immersive experience. If you have one of these, take care that these speakers don’t get obstructed by the TV. Keep the soundbar below and slightly ahead of the TV.

The Final Touches

The most crucial part after installing a home theatre system is the final alignment of the system. 90% of home theatres have an auto-alignment feature. A small microphone is usually provided, which should be placed at the listening position while running the auto-alignment process. This usually results in optimum quality output. Make sure to keep the listening environment completely silent during the alignment process to guarantee the best results. 

To get the best immersive experience, it is recommended that you stream content in Dolby. Stream your favourite content from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video or any other streaming service in the unmatched combination of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. People often assume that setting up a home theatre is an overwhelming task, but the key is to get the basics right. Plan it right and enjoy an immersive cinema-like experience in your home

About the Author

Pankaj Kedia is Managing Director for Emerging Markets at Dolby Laboratories and has been with the company since 2009. In his current role, he has developed and executed strategy for growing Dolby’s business across the Emerging Markets region. He has also helped in driving the adoption of Dolby’s technology across the Consumer Entertainment ecosystem. Prior to this, he has worked with Autodesk as their Business and Regional Manager for 11 years. He has an experience of over 25 years in digital entertainment and technology.

Review: Fastrack Reflex Tunes F02 Headphones

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Price: ₹7,995

This around-the-ear headphone isolates noise with tight-fitting earmuffs and provides ANC as an add-on

Fastrack had its beginnings as Titan’s urban youth brand, initially establishing itself in watches and sunglasses. Since then, the brand has expanded into various other accessory segments. Reflex Tunes wireless audio devices include TWS earbuds, neckbands, and over-the-head headphones. The F02 is an over-the-head, around-the-ear headphone that offers an affordable solution to high-quality audio.

The Reflex Tunes F02 retails at a price that is within the reach of most people looking at an over-the-head headphone, and at this price, it is feature-packed, offering Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and quick pairing. The device has a typical design, that looks uninspiring, yet provides a comfortable fit with large and well-cushioned earmuffs that efficiently cuts off most of the background noise even without ANC. The adjustable headband also offers soft and thick cushioning. The plastic used in the band and ear cups does not provide much confidence and appears flimsy. Hence, we would advise you to be cautious while bending it. However, we can vouch for its longevity in normal use. The headphones have a foldable design. The ear cups flex a little, helping you fix it properly over the ears. The device is IPX4 certified and hence splashproof. At 260 g, the F02 is quite lightweight. The headphones are available in black and grey colours.

The F02 has all the controls and ports on the right side including a multifunction button for power, pairing, play/pause, and call answer/hang up, a volume up/next track button, a volume down/previous track button, an ANC button, status LEDs for power/pairing and ANC, USB Type-C charging port and a 3.5mm AUX jack. To use the device in wired mode, you only need to plug in the AUX jack irrespective of whether the headphones are powered on or not. Similarly, ANC works even in offline mode. Just flip the ANC switch and it gets active, cutting off most background noise even when the audio signals are off. The Reflex Tunes F02 uses five microphones for audio pickup and ANC. The device houses a 580 mAh battery, and Fastrack claims up to 15 hours of battery life with ANC and up to 20 hours without it. Though our music listening was erratic on this device, thanks to the number of headphones and speakers on review, our estimate was close to what is claimed. The battery takes three hours to fully charge.

The Fastrack Reflex Tunes F02 uses a 40 mm driver that reproduces audio with good separation. Though the bass is enhanced, the headphone offers competent treble also, unlike the bass-boost devices flooding the market. The mid frequencies are a bit suppressed, and vocals felt somewhat less refined to our liking. However, considering that this is not a premium device at the top end of the market, Fastrack has done a great job with these headphones. ANC is not overwhelming, and you might not feel much difference when you are listening to music because it cuts off only the most disturbing noise such as the hum of air conditioners and ceiling fans. That being said, these are the only disturbances you feel after the tight-fitting earmuffs cut off most outside noises. Call quality was excellent, both in listening and being listened to. The headphone supports voice assistants including Google Assistant and Siri.

★★★★

WE’RE IMPRESSED Value for money, Comfortable fit, Excellent passive noise isolation

WE’D IMPROVE Build quality

THE LAST WORD The Fastrack Reflex Tunes F02 offers excellent value for money with balanced output, active and passive noise cancellation, and superior call quality in a low-to-mid priced headphone. We would certainly recommend the F02 to anyone looking for affordable over-the-head headphones with ANC.

Ambrane Launches TWS Earbuds; More Audio Products on Anvil

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Ambrane, one of the leading mobile accessories brands, announced the launch of Dots 38 and NeoBuds 33 TWS earbuds.

The Dots 38 TWS comes with a long playback time of up to 16 hours with a fully charged case. The TWS comes with an in-built mic that gives you crystal clear audio on the go. Available in white, the Dots 38 sports a stylish yet minimal design, which further provides you with portability and a secure fit.

Neobuds 33 is an extension to the very successful Neobuds TWS series. The buds feature a deep bass as well as 10 mm drivers delivering a dynamic audio experience. The bass is punchy with a rich mid-section and treble enriching the music experience of the audiophiles. The Neobuds 33 are Available in Black, white, and Indigo Blue, with a compact charging case. These buds offer a long playback time of 15 hours with the charging case.

Both Dots 28 and Neobuds 33 feature Bluetooth V5.0 with a wireless range of 10 m, enabling a quick and reliable wireless connection, as well as an easy touch operation allowing you to activate the voice assistant and manage your calls through the touch sensors. Both the devices feature IPX4 ingress protection rating, offering sweat and splash resistant features with 365 days warranty. The Dots 28 and Neobuds 33 are priced at Rs.2,499 and Rs.1,799 respectively and are available on Amazon and Flipkart.

In the next three months, Ambrane aims to launch more products in the Audio range including Headphones, Neckbands and True wireless.

Play launches the lightweight TWS and ANC PlayGo T44 and PlayGo N82

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Play has launched its first-ever True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones with the PlayGO T44, an extremely lightweight featuring ‘half-in-ear’ design similar to the first iteration of Apple’s AirPods. Along with the T44, Play has also announced the launch of their premium noise cancelling PlayGo N82 that will be available in the second week of August.

PlayGo T44 is equipped with a 500mAh battery and along with the charging case, the earbuds provide a total battery life of over 20 hours. Apart from promising to deliver HD sound quality, each T44 earbud weighs only 3.5g and boast of a 10mm ‘Extra Base Extra Loud’ (EBEL) drivers.

The charging case is also portable and sleekly-designed, enabling users to slip into their pockets. On opening the charging case, the T44 connects to the paired device automatically. The T44 also provides touch control, where users can touch to accept or reject calls and control the music as well.

Play’s TWS T44s also have in-built microphones at the base of the earbud, enabling better quality calls. With a Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity, the T44 can be paired with latest devices.

While the T44 is commercially available, the PlayGo N82 is set to release in mid-August in the price range upwards of Rs. 10,000. However, Play did reveal a few details and the highlight is the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology and possess 13mm ‘EBEL’ drivers on the neckband earphones. The N82 also provides over 18 hours of battery-life even with the ANC mode turned on.

The IPX4-rated sweatproof T44s are available for a price of Rs. 2,999 on Play’s e-store, Amazon and other offline stores from July 14, 2020. They’re available in White abd Black colour variants. To know more about these products, please visit this page.

Xiaomi announces its first true wireless earphones in India

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It did take some time but Xiaomi’s first-ever truly wireless earphones are announced for the Indian market.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 design is inspired from Apple AirPods but it’s distinct enough with its wide stem. Besides, Xiaomi claims the earphones are tuned for audio, thanks to the 14.2mm dynamic driver, making it one of the biggest in its class.

Moreover, the TWS supports LHDC Hi-res codec that delivers better quality audio compared to SBC. However, LHDC-compatible devices are few at the moment, which also includes Xiaomi’s own Mi 10.

Other features include Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, one-step pairing with MIUI 11, smart in-ear detection with gesture control, noise cancellation for calls, voice assistant support and up to 14 hours of battery life.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 will be available on Mi.com, Amazon India, Mi Homes and offline stores for Rs. 4,499 from May 12 but can be availed at a special price of Rs. 3,999 till May 17.