This week on The Wrap, delve into a review of the $399 Sonos Ray, plus what’s new in PCs from Microsoft and LG, and more, all in five.
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It’s the first few days of June and close to the middle of 2022, and you’re listening to The Wrap, Australia’s fastest tech roundup, and with the past few weeks practically dominated by TV news, this week has been more of a grab bag of things. that connect.
While Philips and LG and Bang & Olufsen and Anker have brought news for Australians looking to project ambitions onto the big screen, this week featured things that improve the way you hear those gadgets plus a bunch of other stuff, so let’s get to that. stand still.
Starting with computers, because there will be a few more.
While Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference this week will likely give us a taste of a new MacBook Air, perhaps rather than likely, it’s not just rumors and speculation about Apple’s gear that has made its way.
LG has announced that it has three styles of laptop innovation on the way, with its ultra-light “Gram” laptops, which are basically MacBook Air competitors made very light.
The new models get Intel’s latest 12th-generation Core i5, and they come on 14, 16 and 17-inch computers. Where they get interesting is how light they are, with both the 16- and 17-inch LG Gram laptops weighing just over a kilogram, while the 14-inch Gram model manages to hold just under one kilogram. to come, with a weight of 999 grams.
We’re not sure how many people count those grams specifically, but if you’re used to carrying a heavy piece of laptop with you, this could be a computer to consider.
Alternatively, there’s what Microsoft has, which claims to be, and could be, a MacBook Air competitor, but also isn’t. It comes in the Surface Laptop Go 2, a generation of its Surface computers that comes with a built-in keyboard — already a plus over the keyboard-less Surface Pro — and offers a 12.4-inch display with a slightly lower screen resolution. . That’s something we weren’t thrilled about in last year’s model, the Go 1, but Windows 11 is on the rise, as are new chips, although not as new as Intel’s 12th generation, which offers the 11th generation instead.
Pricing is where things get confusing, because in America the starting price of the Laptop Go 2 is $599, which should be the maximum here, but instead starts at $1200, which feels like the Australian tax in action.
We’re not sure if Microsoft really cares about this, but we’ll definitely know when they arrive for review.
In the meantime, let’s talk about TVs, or more specifically, equipment designed to connect to them, because that’s an area we don’t always think about.
Big screens and projectors are one way to watch something, but if your sound isn’t strong, the experience can be less than impressive.
Two options have surfaced this week to explain that, and they are completely different.
On the one hand, there’s what comes from Sennheiser, in the TV Clear. This is one way to personalize the sound experience of watching TV so that the whole thing is louder for one person, possibly if they are hard of hearing.
It’s like another pair of true wireless earphones, something Sennheiser makes a pair of, but these connect to your TV via a transmitter, so you can listen to your TV’s sound independent of the normal volume, while someone else can simply listen through The Speaker.
We’ve seen Sennheiser use headphones like this before, but never really wireless earphones, and in an interesting twist they’ll work with phones and tablets too.
They won’t be cheap, costing just over $600 in Australia when they arrive later this year. We’re not sure if Sennheiser’s TV Clear will work with a sound system, but speaking of sound systems, there’s also one this week that we’re reviewing right now.
And it’s something much less expensive, a soundbar fetching $399 in Australia. That’s not expensive, and on purpose, as Sonos wants to cater to those who might be looking for a sound upgrade without the extras like Dolby Atmos spatial sound.
It’s a fairly basic soundbar, but an easy one, producing well-balanced sound in a minimalist design, while supporting most of what makes a Sonos a Sonos. It handles music sync across multiple speakers, plays music from services, and supports AirPlay, all in a three-channel sound system.
There are no sub or rear speakers, but you can add them later if you want, as it’s compatible with other Sonos speakers.
Even without them, the Sonos Ray is a well-balanced soundbar designed for those who want an upgrade without necessarily spending an arm and a leg. Decent soundbars typically cost over $500, and this one doesn’t. You don’t get the really cool 3D sound, and there’s no voice assistant, but even without them it’s still a solid value.
Great sound is really the point, and great value too. You can get cheaper soundbars, but few with this level of balance. If you don’t need the extra stuff, this is a soundbar to try.
And for this week, you’ve watched The Wrap, Australia’s fastest tech collection. Every week there is a new episode on Listener, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For now, have a nice week and we’ll see you next time on The Wrap. Stay safe, stay healthy and be careful.
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