Creative built its reputation by making PC audio matter long before laptop manufacturers decided that two downward-firing drivers were sufficient punishment for buying a thin computer.

The new Creative XF1 desktop speakers return to that battlefield with a surprisingly complete feature set for $179.99 USD, which includes Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, 24-bit/96kHz USB audio, bi-amplification, a 10-band parametric equalizer and a dedicated output for adding a powered subwoofer.

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Active Two-Way Design With 72 Watts

The XF1 is a compact 2.0 active speaker system built around two custom 3-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters.

Creative says it used Finite Element Analysis to model the woofers and optimize their behavior for higher output and lower distortion within the XF1’s small enclosure. That kind of computer-assisted driver development is common in serious loudspeaker engineering, although the eventual listening results matter considerably more than the colorful simulation graphics.

The system uses a bi-amplified architecture with a dedicated amplifier channel for each driver. Creative rates each woofer channel at 26 watts RMS and each tweeter channel at 10 watts RMS, producing a claimed total system output of 72 watts RMS.

Specified frequency response is 55Hz to 40kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 85dB and THD+N below one percent. The XF1 has received both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.

Bluetooth 6.0 and LDAC

Bluetooth 6.0 remains uncommon among desktop speakers, although the version number should not be mistaken for an automatic guarantee of better sound. Key benefits include channel sounding, advertising improvements, and lower-latency framing options. However, wireless sound quality could vary across its supported codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC, A2DP and AVRCP profiles, and over its 10 meter (33 feet) of range.

LDAC can carry substantially more data than SBC under suitable conditions and will be most useful to listeners streaming from compatible Android devices, Windows computers or dedicated transmitters.

Apple users will fall back to AAC because iPhones and iPads do not transmit LDAC. That does not make the XF1 useless within the Apple ecosystem, but it does remove one of the product’s more heavily promoted advantages.

USB Type-C, Analog Input and Subwoofer Expansion

The XF1’s USB-C input accepts PCM audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, allowing a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or compatible smartphone to bypass its internal headphone output and send digital audio directly to the speakers.

A 3.5mm stereo line input supports analog sources. Creative shows a turntable among its suggested source components, but the XF1 does not include a phono preamplifier. A turntable must therefore have a built-in phono stage or connect through an external one.

The dedicated subwoofer output is especially useful. Compact 3-inch woofers are not going to reproduce the bottom octave with meaningful authority, regardless of how many times the words “extreme fidelity” appear in the brochure. Adding an active subwoofer should provide better extension for electronic music, hip-hop, games and movie soundtracks while reducing the temptation to force too much bass from the main speakers.

Controls include a front-mounted multifunction knob for power, volume and source selection. A Bluetooth pairing button and defeatable energy-saving switch are positioned on the rear panel.

There is no optical input, HDMI ARC, balanced XLR or TRS connectivity, RCA input, headphone output or integrated phono stage. The XF1 is designed primarily as a desktop system rather than a miniature television sound system or production monitor.

Creative Nexus Parametric EQ

Creative’s Nexus app provides one of the XF1’s most distinctive features: a 10-band parametric equalizer.

A parametric equalizer offers considerably more control than the fixed bass and treble adjustments found on many powered speakers. Users can target particular frequencies, adjust gain and change filter width rather than merely pushing broad sections of the spectrum up or down.

That can be useful on a desktop, where reflections from the work surface, nearby walls and computer monitors frequently alter tonal balance.

Creative also provides more than 120 presets covering over 20 music genres and almost 100 games. That number borders on absurd, but the underlying control is genuinely valuable. Nobody requires a separate EQ preset for every game involving a man with a rifle and unresolved childhood trauma, but the ability to create and save sensible custom curves is welcome.

Compact Enough for a Real Desk

Each speaker measures 155 x 99.7 x 191 mm (6.10 x 3.93 x 7.52 inches). The left speaker weighs 1.29 kg (2.84 pounds), while the right weighs 1.36 kg (3 pounds). The XF1 will be available in black and white.

Creative also includes removable cork feet that angle the speakers upward toward the listener. Proper tweeter alignment matters in a near-field system, particularly when the speakers sit below ear level beside a computer display.

What Makes the Creative XF1 Different?

No single XF1 feature is revolutionary.

USB-C audio is becoming common. LDAC is available from Edifier and FiiO. Kanto and Audioengine offer compact speakers with subwoofer connectivity. App-based EQ is no longer exotic.

The XF1 stands out because it combines nearly all of those capabilities in one compact system:

• Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, AAC and SBC
• 24-bit/96kHz USB-C audio
• Active bi-amplification
• A 10-band parametric EQ
• More than 120 presets
• A dedicated subwoofer output
• A small desktop footprint

The parametric EQ and subwoofer output are the strongest differentiators. Together, they give owners a meaningful way to address both desktop placement problems and the inevitable low-frequency limitations of a 3-inch woofer.

Who Is the Creative XF1 For?

The XF1 is best suited to desktop listeners, remote workers, gamers, students and music listeners who want a substantial upgrade over built-in monitor or laptop speakers without adding a separate DAC and amplifier.

Android users with LDAC-compatible devices receive the strongest wireless feature set. PC and Mac users can ignore Bluetooth entirely and use USB C for a reliable 24-bit/96kHz digital connection.

The subwoofer output also makes the XF1 more appealing to buyers who want to begin with a compact 2.0 system and expand later.

The XF1 is less appropriate for recording engineers who require balanced inputs, television viewers who need HDMI ARC or optical connectivity, and vinyl listeners hoping to connect a conventional turntable directly without a phono preamplifier.

Competitors?

The Edifier M60 is the XF1’s most obvious rival. It sells for $199.99 in the United States and combines 66 watts, 3-inch mid-bass drivers, 1-inch tweeters, Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, USB C and app support. The Creative counters with Bluetooth 6.0, a published 10-band parametric EQ and a dedicated subwoofer output.

The Edifier MR4.5 costs $249.99 and offers larger 4.5-inch drivers, 80 watts, Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, balanced XLR and TRS inputs and room compensation. It is the more appropriate option for content production and audio interfaces, but it omits USB audio and a subwoofer output.

The Audioengine A2+ Next Gen costs $279 and provides USB-C, Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD, RCA and 3.5mm analog connectivity in proven wood cabinets. It lacks LDAC and app-based parametric EQ but has an established performance record and broader analog connectivity.

The Kanto ORA sells for $349 and includes USB-C, RCA, Bluetooth and a subwoofer output. It remains a strong compact desktop option, but the XF1 offers newer Bluetooth support, LDAC and substantially deeper software adjustment.

The FiiO SP3 BT also costs $349 and supports LDAC, aptX Adaptive, USB, optical and coaxial digital inputs. Its broader digital connectivity and 3.5-inch drivers make it a more ambitious system, although at more than twice the XF1’s confirmed European price.

Creative XF1 Key Specifications:

• Model: MF1730
• Speaker Type: 2.0 powered desktop speaker system
• Available Colors: Black or white
• Dimensions: 6.10 x 3.93 x 7.52 inches per speaker
• Weight: 2.84 pounds left speaker; 3.00 pounds right speaker
• Drivers: Two 3-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters
• Power Output: 72 watts RMS total
  • Woofers: 2 x 26 watts
  • Tweeters: 2 x 10 watts
• Frequency Response: 55Hz – 40kHz
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 85dB or greater
• THD+N: Less than 1%
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 6.0
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, and LDAC
• Wireless Range: Up to 33 feet
• USB Audio: USB-C, up to 24-bit/96kHz
• Analog Input: 3.5mm stereo
• Subwoofer Output: Yes
• Controls: Multifunction power, volume, and input knob
• Additional Controls: Bluetooth pairing button and energy-saving switch
• Certifications: Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless
• Included Cables: 4.9-foot USB-A-to-USB-C cable and 6.6-foot speaker interconnect cable
• Power Adapter: 48 watts, 24V/2A

The Bottom Line

At $179.99 USD, the Creative XF1 looks like an aggressive attempt to move the company beyond inexpensive computer speakers without abandoning the desktop category that helped make Creative relevant in the first place.

The Edifier M60 will be the immediate fight. Both offer compact cabinets, LDAC, USB C and similar power, but the Creative’s parametric EQ and subwoofer output provide a more flexible upgrade path. Ultimately, the XF1 does not look like another pair of plastic PC speakers designed to make notification sounds and gunfire slightly less miserable. There is enough engineering, connectivity and useful adjustment here to make it genuinely interesting.

Price & Availability

The Creative XF1 will be available in black or white beginning August 6, 2026, priced at $179.99 at Amazon in the United States, £139.99 in the United Kingdom, and €159.99 in Germany.

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Legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Curtis Mayfield’s third solo album, released in 1972, was also his first soundtrack, created for the controversial blaxploitation film Super Fly. Although the film was not a major success, Mayfield’s Grammy-nominated, soulful, and funky score took on a life of its own, reaching No. 1 and eventually selling millions of copies worldwide.

Super Fly’s combination of timely themes opposing drugs and violence, which ran counter to the film’s message, and killer grooves proved irresistible, keeping the music in heavy rotation on the radio. The album features at least three bona fide soul classics: “Freddie’s Dead” and the title track, both million sellers, along with the poignant “Pusherman

Over the years, as I began seriously collecting Curtis Mayfield’s albums on vinyl, I came to understand just how popular this album was and remains. It took me ages, with several upgrades along the way, to find an affordable original Curtom Records pressing with the super cool die cut half cover in good condition.

Super Fly was a party album, and like many hit soul and jazz records of the era, it was played hard, often on the average automatic record changers of the day. As a result, clean original pressings in excellent condition are fairly scarce and can command high prices on the secondary market, ranging from about $50 to well over $100. Check Discogs for an idea of what I am talking about.

Fortunately for audiophile oriented Super Fly fans, that is no longer an issue. Rhino High Fidelity’s excellent edition is readily available and actually sounds better than my original pressing. The overall presentation is far less compressed, with richer bass, more expressive midrange, and cleaner highs. The stereo soundstage also feels wider, more spacious, and more natural.

That is not entirely surprising given Rhino High Fidelity’s exemplary track record for presenting classic recordings in their best light. Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio cut the new lacquers, and Optimal Media in Germany manufactured the 180 gram vinyl pressings.

The glossy laminated tip on style cover is arguably more attractive than the original, save for one crucial detail: Rhino did not recreate the die cut design. In a way, I get it. You cannot play the cover, right? True. But it remains a very cool and iconic part of the album’s visual identity.

Still, you know what? I am learning to live with it. The overall production quality of the new Rhino High Fidelity edition is superior, with crisper photography, clearer details, and a full gatefold featuring newly included period images.

At the end of the day, it is all about the music, and Rhino High Fidelity’s Super Fly reissue sounds terrific. More than five decades later, the album remains timeless. While the album will probably eventually be available on other outlets, the current numbered limited edition (of 5000) is available direct from Rhino’s website for $39.98 so get one while you can.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ (5 out of 5) Music

★★★★★★★★★★ (5 out of 5) Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ (4.9 out of 5) Packaging

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. Learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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The start-up was co-founded by Dublin-born chief operating officer Robbie Falkenthal in 2023.

Irish co-founded legal-tech Wordsmith AI is extending its Series B to $84m led by new investment from Toronto-based Intact Private Capital.

The $14m extension to the round first announced in June also includes investment from existing backers Highland Europe and Index Ventures.

Wordsmith also added the corporate venture arm of the Financial Times (FT) Group, FT Ventures, as a shareholder.

The New-York headquartered company is the creator behind an AI platform designed to assist in-house legal teams with routine tasks, and is used by the likes of Canva, BT, Trip.com, FT and Trustpilot.

The additional investment comes as the company recorded a 14-fold growth in revenue year-over-year, following a positive trend seen across this niche sector in AI that is expected to grow at an compound annual growth rate of nearly 10pc.

The funding deepens Wordsmith’s presence in North America, where demand from enterprise legal teams is accelerating, it said.

Wordsmith said it planned to expand its global workforce to 300 by the end of the year, adding to its 130 employees across offices in the US, the UK, and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

A new Irish office to meet local demand is also on the cards for the company this year. It hasn’t confirmed the location for its EU headquarters, but said in June that Ireland was a strong contender.

Wordsmith was co-founded in 2023 by Dublin-born chief operating officer Robbie Falkenthal, who spent six years at KPMG in Dublin before occupying senior roles at Flutter Entertainment, RSM Ireland and TravelPerk.

Alongside Falkenthal as co-founders are CEO Ross McNairn, a former lawyer who helped scale Perk and held senior roles at Skyscanner, and chief technical officer Volodymyr Giginiak, who held senior engineering roles at Facebook and Instagram.

“In-house legal teams at financial services and insurance companies need legal infrastructure that can operate at enterprise scale while maintaining the control and auditability required in highly regulated environments,” said Justin Smith-Lorenzetti, the managing director at Intact Private Capital.

“Wordsmith is built precisely for that challenge, with a deep understanding of how these organisations work and the infrastructure to match.”

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

from the right-to-repair dept

For years, John Deere had actively made repairing their tractors near-impossible for anyone but itself and the few “authorized” repair shops—regardless of the ability of its customers to actually visit such shops. Now, in a major win for farmers and right to repair advocates, John Deere must soon provide farmers with not just the tools and resources to finally repair their own John Deere equipment, but also access to future updates for said equipment.

In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought a suit against farm equipment manufacturer John Deere, alleging John Deere used their control over equipment repair tools and resources to limit the ability of farmers and independent repair providers (IRPs) to repair John Deere equipment. Earlier this month, John Deere reached a settlement with the FTC in which they will immediately make available a tranche of repair resources, then continue to make further resources available until the end of the year. Five states joined the FTC in this suit, and over the next 10 years these states will work alongside the FTC to ensure John Deere complies with this settlement. 

It is worth noting there is a second, farmer-initiated antitrust lawsuit against John Deere, also concerning a farmer’s right to repair their own equipment. In April, John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement in that case, which also includes right to repair provisions.

This fight is just one example of how, as machines become increasingly computerized, companies like John Deere restrict your ability to repair machines behind software subject to legal regimes that don’t just lock down repair, but make unauthorized repair a potential criminal offense. 

John Deere’s market dominance in farm equipment led to an extraordinary power over access to the tools and resources of repair. John Deere actively restricted who had access to repair tools, and monopolized who could do the repair. This revenue stream—and control of it—is built into the business models of a lot of the technology we buy today. It also encourages companies to move away from the kinds of devices that can be easily fixed at home to ones that offer bells and whistles no one wants but makes repair difficult—like app-enabled toasters. 

This whole saga with John Deere has been an exemplar of the greater need for right to repair laws, policy, and enforcement.  There was a time when you bought a tractor and with some know-how and a manual could fix it yourself. It is easy to envision why someone with John Deere farm equipment might find it inconvenient to wait for John Deere approved repairpeople to come and fix any broken equipment. Especially when it meant waiting for days or weeks. Especially if it meant their crop was withering on the vine. This settlement will help ensure this is no longer the case. 

But it’s not just about farm equipment; If you can’t fix it, you don’t own it. While some might feel more willing to agree they “shouldn’t” futz with laptops or smartphone, it still stands that — whether it’s farm equipment, a car, a laptop, or even your phone — if you legally cannot fix it yourself, if you must go hat in hand to an “approved provider,” you are at the mercy of a corporation. It is why EFF continues to support right to repair laws that ensure people truly own what they buy. And it is why EFF continues to fight for exemptions to the law that makes it most difficult to tinker and repair your own devices.

Originally published to the EFF’s Deeplinks blog.

Filed Under: ftc, ownership, right to repair

Companies: john deere

Klipsch is arriving at Audio Advice Live 2026 with considerably more than a few familiar copper-colored woofers under its arm. The American loudspeaker manufacturer will use the Raleigh show for the full debut of its new Reference Premiere III speaker lineup, following an early preview at CES 2026, with Onkyo electronics helping power the demonstration.

A second system will move considerably further up the Klipsch food chain, pairing the Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with the company’s Heritage Active Crossover for what should be one of the more interesting two-channel demonstrations of the weekend.

The timing and venue are significant. Audio Advice Live returns to the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel from August 7 through 9, 2026, with more than 60 experience rooms, more than a dozen immersive Dolby Atmos theater systems, major product debuts, educational sessions, simulators, and live music. More importantly for enthusiasts, you can actually buy a ticket and walk through the front door. Unlike CES and CEDIA, which are primarily industry events, Audio Advice Live is built around giving consumers direct access to manufacturers, engineers, designers, and the equipment itself.

That increasingly makes Raleigh a destination for hi-fi and home theater enthusiasts who want an actual ears-on experience with new products rather than forming an opinion from a YouTube video, measurement chart, or 47-message forum argument between people who have never heard the product.

The company behind the show is also becoming much harder to describe as merely a regional retailer. Raleigh-headquartered Audio Advice has expanded beyond its North Carolina locations in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Wilmington into Nashville and St. Louis, recently acquired Sound Components in Miami, and has a new Las Vegas location listed as “coming soon.”

That gives the retailer an increasingly national footprint at the same time Audio Advice Live is evolving into one of the more important consumer-facing audio and home theater shows in the United States.

We have already reported on several of the more significant products making their way to Audio Advice Live 2026, along with an in-depth look at the rather ambitious Ascendo, Trinnov, and Christie 9.7.4 home cinema showcase systembeing demonstrated in Raleigh. 

Playback Distribution is also taking over three rooms at this year’s show, giving attendees a much broader look at its growing portfolio of high-end audio, networking, furniture, subwoofer, and acoustic-treatment brands.

Klipsch and Onkyo Go Big With a 7.4.4 Channel Home Theater System

For its primary home theater demonstration at Audio Advice Live 2026, Klipsch and Onkyo are building a 7.4.4-channel system around the global debut of Klipsch’s new Reference Premiere III loudspeaker lineup, powered by Onkyo’s current flagship TX-RZ70 11.2-channel AV receiver.

And Klipsch is not exactly easing the new range into the shallow end of the pool. The system uses four RP-8203F floorstanding loudspeakers, four RP-1600CSW subwoofers, four in-ceiling height channels, and enough amplification and processing to give attendees a proper sense of what the new Reference Premiere III models can do inside a full-scale Dolby Atmos home theater.

Klipsch and Onkyo 7.4.4 System

• Klipsch RP-8203F Floorstanding Speakers (Walnut) x4: $799.99 each
• Klipsch RP-6103M Bookshelf Speakers (Walnut) x2: $699.99 each
• Klipsch RP-5403C Center Channel Speaker (Walnut) x1: $749.99
• Klipsch Pro-180RPC In-Ceiling Speakers (Black) x4: $699.99 each
• Klipsch RP-1600CSW Compact Subwoofers (Black) x4: $1,499.99 each
• Onkyo TX-RZ70 11.2-Channel AV Receiver (Black): $2,899.99

Audio Advice Live System Price: approximately $17,050

Klipsch Reference Premiere III Series

The Klipsch Reference Premiere III Series consists of nine models in total, with four of them featured in the company’s 7.4.4-channel Audio Advice Live demonstration and compared in our chart below.

The new Reference Premiere III lineup builds on the previous Reference Premiere II Series with a redesigned high-density Tractrix horn tweeter that uses an upgraded BMC material intended to reduce unwanted resonance. Klipsch has also flush-mounted the horn assembly into the front baffle to minimize wave breakup, improve off-axis response, and create a wider, more consistent listening sweet spot.

Klipsch has also given the Reference Premiere III Series a cleaner and more contemporary industrial design. New knife-edge cabinets are designed to improve structural rigidity while giving the speakers a more streamlined appearance that should integrate more easily into modern living spaces.

The technology may be familiar territory for Klipsch, but the changes suggest the company is focused on refining the Reference Premiere formula rather than reinventing it — probably the smarter move for one of its most important speaker families.

Klipsch RPIII Speakers Compared

Four Klipsch RP-1600CSW Subwoofers Bring the Low-End Muscle

The Reference Premiere Subwoofer Line

The Klipsch Reference Premiere Subwoofer Series consists of three models, with one of them featured in the company’s 7.4.4-channel Audio Advice Live demonstration.

Each subwoofer combines a rigid sealed enclosure, a high-excursion front-firing Cerametallic woofer, a precision analog preamplifier, and a high-efficiency Class D amplifier designed to deliver clean, articulate bass with impressive depth and output from a relatively compact cabinet.

The new Reference Premiere subwoofers are equally at home in two-channel and home theater systems, and are designed to integrate with Klipsch loudspeakers or just about any system in need of more low-frequency authority. Klipsch says the compact designs can extend bass response by as much as an additional octave, adding greater impact and realism to music, movies, and gaming without demanding a ridiculous amount of floor space.

And then there is the most important specification of all: the rear-panel gain control goes up to 11.

The spirit of Spinal Tap is alive and well in Hope, Arkansas.

Klipsch and Onkyo Go Old School With a Heritage Reference Two Channel System

If high-end two-channel listening is more your speed, Klipsch and Onkyo are also teaming up on what they are calling the “ultimate” two-channel system, anchored by the Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with Heritage Active Crossover.

Priced at $24,998 per pair, the anniversary Klipschorn sits at the opposite end of the Klipsch universe from the Reference Premiere III system being demonstrated elsewhere at the show. The system pairs the legendary horn-loaded loudspeakers with Onkyo’s new Icon Series P-80 preamplifier and M-80 power amplification, giving attendees an opportunity to hear one of Klipsch’s most historically significant designs with decidedly modern electronics and active crossover technology.

Klipsch and Onkyo Heritage Two Channel System

• Klipsch Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with Heritage Active Crossover: $24,998/pair
• Onkyo Icon P-80 Preamplifier: $1,999
• Onkyo Icon M-80 Power Amplifier: $1,999 each

Audio Advice Live System Price: approximately $32,000

The Klipschorn has been around in one form or another since 1946, but pairing an 80-year-old loudspeaker concept with an active crossover and Onkyo’s latest flagship separates is hardly an exercise in looking backward. If you want to understand how Klipsch intends to carry its Heritage lineup into its next chapter, this might be the more revealing of its two demonstrations in Raleigh.

Klipsch Brings the New Rebellion Heritage Bookshelf Speaker to Raleigh

Beyond the components featured in its 7.4.4-channel home theater and two-channel Heritage systems, Klipsch will also be showing the Rebellion, one of the company’s most interesting new loudspeakers of 2026.

First shown at HIGH END Vienna 2026, the Rebellion expands Klipsch’s Heritage lineup into a more compact form factor while drawing heavily on the company’s horn-loaded design history. That alone makes it one of the more intriguing Klipsch products to hear in Raleigh, particularly for listeners who appreciate the Heritage aesthetic and dynamics but do not necessarily have room for a Klipschorn or La Scala.

Onkyo will also bring several products first introduced in Vienna, including the Muse Series Y-50 Network Integrated Amplifier Anniversary Edition, along with the CREATOR GX-30ARC and GX-10DB Powered Monitor Anniversary Limited Edition compact speakers.

The Bottom Line 

Klipsch and Onkyo appear to be entering one of their strongest product cycles in years, with a complementary approach to home theater, two-channel audio, and increasingly ambitious product development. Audio Advice Live 2026 gives consumers a rare opportunity to hear much of that progress in one place.

The $17,050 Reference Premiere III 7.4.4 system should be especially compelling for home theater enthusiasts because it is relatively attainable compared with many of the more elaborate demonstrations at the show. Heritage fans will gravitate toward the anniversary Klipschorn and Rebellion, although we still wish Klipsch had brought the much-discussed OJAS kO-R2 along for the ride.

You can’t bring everything to Raleigh.

Price & Availability

Klipsch Reference Premiere III Speakers will be available beginning in October 2026; Reference Premiere Compact Subs will become available in November. The Pro-180 RPC in-ceiling speaker is currently available.

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Microsoft Edge is finally making the same controversial move that Google Chrome did earlier this year, and it could mean the end of some of the browser’s most popular ad blockers. Microsoft has announced that Edge is officially transitioning its extensions ecosystem to Manifest Version 3 (MV3), Google’s newer extension platform that promises better security, privacy, and performance. As part of that shift, the browser will gradually stop supporting older Manifest V2 (MV2) extensions over the coming months, meaning legacy extensions such as the original uBlock Origin will eventually stop working in Edge.

What is Manifest V3, and why is Microsoft adopting it?

Manifest V3 is the latest version of the browser extension framework used by Chromium-based browsers. Microsoft says it offers a more secure architecture by limiting background processes, tightening extension permissions, and reducing the attack surface for malicious extensions. According to the company, the update also improves performance by making extensions more efficient and less resource-intensive.

Microsoft says the transition will happen gradually. Beginning this month, remaining Manifest V2 extensions will start being disabled by default in Canary, Dev, and Beta versions of Edge before expanding to the Stable release in the coming months. Consumer devices are expected to complete the transition by the end of 2026, while enterprise-managed devices will continue supporting MV2 until early 2027. Microsoft also notes that only 58 MV2 extensions on the Edge Add-ons Store still see meaningful usage, and all but three already have Manifest V3 alternatives available.

What this means for Edge users

For most users, the biggest change will affect ad blockers and privacy extensions. Manifest V3 replaces the more powerful WebRequest API with the stricter Declarative Net Request API, meaning older extensions like the original uBlock Origin can no longer work without being rewritten. Fortunately, many developers have already released compatible alternatives, including uBlock Origin Lite, AdGuard, and Ghostery.

The shift has been controversial ever since Google introduced Manifest V3. Supporters argue it makes browser extensions safer, faster, and less resource-intensive, while critics believe it limits what advanced ad blockers and privacy tools can do, stripping away some of the power they previously had.

By adopting Manifest V3, Microsoft is bringing Edge fully in line with the Chromium ecosystem. For most users, the transition should be relatively smooth, but anyone still relying on older Manifest V2 extensions—especially classic ad blockers—should start looking for MV3-compatible replacements. The browser itself isn’t losing ad blocking, but some of the most capable tools will never work quite the same way again.

The transition from a purely technical expert or individual contributor position to a broader leadership role is one of the most challenging phases in a STEM career. It requires moving away from relying solely on technical excellence toward mastering systems thinking, adaptive leadership, and team alignment.

To help mid-career professionals navigate the shift, the inaugural IEEE International Leadership Conference is designed to provide attendees with practical tools to step into broader responsibility and champion an entrepreneurial mindset.

The ILC event is scheduled for 3 and 4 October in Budapest. Registration is open.

Thinking beyond technical contributions

To successfully step into a leadership role, technical professionals need to look beyond their individual output and focus on “understanding the larger system, and championing innovation by building trust and aligning new ideas with organizational goals,” says IEEE Life Senior Member Daniel Sniezek, cochair of the ILC program committee.

Because engineering decisions don’t exist in a vacuum, navigating the larger system requires recognizing how technical choices intersect with the organization’s broader business, operational, and ethical realities, Sniezek says.

By letting go of the need to be the sole technical expert and focusing instead on collaborative empowerment, he says, engineers can pivot into transformational leaders who align new initiatives with the organization’s strategic vision.

Ultimately, over the span of a career, an individual’s leadership journey evolves far beyond personal advancement to “creating a lasting legacy through the people you develop, the knowledge you share, and the innovations you inspire,” he says.

Solving the intrapreneur’s dilemma

Championing disruptive ideas within established corporate structures—sometimes called the intrapreneur’s dilemma—does not mean working against the organization. Rather, it requires emerging leaders to act like business owners instead of passive task-takers.

To begin thinking like an entrepreneur from within, professionals should shift their focus from merely executing assigned work to proactively identifying hidden areas that would create value for the company, building trust with colleagues, and presenting bold innovations as solutions to the organization’s long-term strategic goals.

That kind of self-starting entrepreneurial mindset is how leaders create opportunities out of institutional constraints.

IEEE Senior Member Deyasini Majumdar, cochair of the ILC program committee, advises professionals to exercise leadership and strategic thinking skills without being asked.

“Within the constraints of established organizational structures you can unearth a treasure trove of opportunities to innovate,” Majumdar says. “Remember: A key trait of an effective leader is to engineer solutions and lead, even in the face of difficulties.”

A multidirectional exchange

Leadership is a multidirectional exchange of ideas across generations—which is one focus of the ILC.

Although emerging leaders can gain invaluable strategic guidance from seasoned executives, the relationship is a dynamic, two-way street.

Modern leadership requires established executives to remain active learners. Addressing what senior leaders can glean from their mid-career counterparts, Majumdar emphasizes, the leaders must maintain “the openness to seek opportunities, to quickly adapt, and to learn and grow with everyone around them.”

A continuous-learning mindset is what keeps leaders agile and effective in a rapidly changing technological landscape, he says.

The mutual openness can serve as a bridge between generations.

Whether an emerging professional is making a mid-career pivot from technical expert to manager, or a senior executive is transitioning into a mentoring and advisory role, the fundamental rule of transformational leadership is similar. Success means shifting your focus from individual achievement to enabling the capability, growth, and legacy of others.

Building influence and impact

To help with the shift toward transformational leadership, the ILC is featuring sessions focused on questions professionals must ask at key career inflection points.

Rather than a single workshop, the distributed sessions aim to address diverse professional transitions, such as evaluating promotions, learning how to influence laterally, pitching innovative projects, and sustaining leadership energy.

Inflection points include evaluating new internal roles; building lateral or upward trust; pitching an idea about a disruptive project; and facing rapidly expanding responsibilities.

The questions include:

• How do I evaluate career transitions without discarding hard-won experience?
• How can I exercise leadership through credibility and collaboration, regardless of formal authority?
• How do I use an entrepreneurial mindset to create value and gain sponsorship for new ideas?
• How can I avoid the early warning signs of burnout while taking on more responsibility?

The conference is designed to equip attendees with systems thinking and communication mastery needed to cultivate influence.

Leadership is not just about reaching the top; it is also about engaging in a collaborative effort to multiply your impact across the ecosystem.

WiiM has spent the past few years making some much larger audio companies uncomfortable by offering an absurd amount of streaming functionality, connectivity, room correction, and amplification for considerably less money.

Now the company gets to make that argument inside Best Buy.

WiiM has announced its first nationwide brick and mortar retail partnership in the U.S., giving its streamers, amplifiers, wireless speakers, and expanding home theater ecosystem a much larger physical presence. Products are already appearing on BestBuy.com, while WiiM has indicated that additional inventory will begin reaching physical stores as the rollout expands.

For a company that initially became an enthusiast favorite with inexpensive little streaming boxes, this represents a significant change. WiiM now sells the Ultra network player, Amp and Amp Ultra streaming amplifiers, Sound wireless speakers, Sub Pro, and the new Dolby Atmos capable WiiM Bar.

That is not a collection of unrelated products anymore. It is an ecosystem, and Best Buy gives WiiM access to mainstream shoppers who may have never read an audio forum, watched a YouTube review, or even heard the name before walking into the store.

The opportunity is obvious. How Best Buy demonstrates all of this is considerably less obvious.

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Putting WiiM on a Shelf Is the Easy Part

The WiiM Pro Plus barely needs an explanation. Connect it to an existing audio system, open the app, select a streaming service, and you are largely off to the races.

The WiiM Amp and Amp Ultra require a better conversation.

A shopper needs to understand that these are not merely small integrated amplifiers with streaming tossed into the chassis. The real appeal is how WiiM combines amplification, HDMI connectivity, subwoofer integration, extensive EQ, multiroom playback, streaming services, and RoomFit room correction inside one platform.

That raises some rather obvious questions about the Best Buy experience.

Who is going to show customers how the WiiM Home app works? Who explains how easily Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music, or another supported service can be integrated? Who demonstrates RoomFit, shows customers where to adjust the subwoofer crossover, or explains why somebody might use TIDAL Connect instead of initiating playback inside the WiiM app?

The Amp Ultra at least gives Best Buy something visually interesting to work with. Its 3.5-inch touchscreen can display album art, playback information, and VU meters, helping it stand out from the usual collection of anonymous black boxes. But getting someone to stop and look is only half the battle. The real test will be whether the in-store demonstration shows shoppers what the Amp Ultra can actually do once it is connected to a capable pair of loudspeakers.

If the sales demonstration consists of pointing at a product card and saying, “It streams music too,” somebody has rather spectacularly missed the point.

And What Speakers Will They Use?

There is another part of the equation that matters even more.

What exactly will Best Buy connect the WiiM Amp and Amp Ultra to?

Best Buy already sells WiiM Amp packages with MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 loudspeakers, which suggests at least one sensible direction. A proper demonstration with a capable pair of bookshelf or floorstanding loudspeakers would allow shoppers to hear that a compact streaming amplifier can anchor a genuinely good two channel system without requiring a rack full of electronics.

That matters because WiiM’s potential audience inside Best Buy is much broader than somebody already searching specifically for a network streamer.

Imagine somebody shopping for a Sonos system, soundbar, AV receiver, or pair of passive loudspeakers who suddenly discovers that one small WiiM amplifier can handle music streaming, television audio over HDMI, room correction, a powered subwoofer, and a pair of speakers.

That is the sale.

But only if somebody demonstrates it.

Connecting a WiiM Amp Ultra to mediocre loudspeakers in the middle of a noisy sales floor and letting it play Spotify for thirty seconds is not going to explain why enthusiasts have been making such a fuss about these products.

The Software Is Where WiiM Earned Its Reputation

WiiM has built its reputation partly because the company keeps improving products consumers already own rather than treating software as something finished on launch day.

The WiiM Home app has evolved considerably, adding deeper EQ controls, room correction, improved bass management, and broader system integration. RoomFit is particularly important because it gives consumers a tool that was historically uncommon on inexpensive two channel amplifiers.

We have used it extensively during our reviews of WiiM products, and it can make a meaningful difference when properly configured.

That creates both an opportunity and a challenge for Best Buy.

A customer can purchase a WiiM Amp Ultra, connect speakers and a television, add a subwoofer, run RoomFit, log into their preferred streaming services, and have a rather sophisticated audio system running without spending the afternoon studying the back of an AV receiver with a flashlight.

That simplicity is precisely what Best Buy needs to demonstrate.

Because there is a big difference between simple to use and self explanatory from across the aisle.

Best Buy Changes Who WiiM Is Competing Against

The other reason this deal matters is that WiiM is no longer competing only with Bluesound, Cambridge Audio, Eversolo, and traditional network audio products.

The WiiM Bar, Sound speakers, and Sub Pro move the company directly toward Sonos territory, while the Amp and Amp Ultra increasingly offer an alternative to conventional integrated amplifiers and receivers for consumers building compact music and television systems.

Best Buy is where all of those categories collide.

Someone buying a television might start by looking at a soundbar and end up considering a WiiM Amp with a pair of passive speakers. Another shopper considering Sonos could discover that WiiM offers a different route toward whole home audio with considerably more flexibility for traditional loudspeakers.

That type of discovery rarely happens when the products exist primarily online.

It can happen at Best Buy.

The Bottom Line

WiiM getting nationwide exposure through Best Buy is a much bigger deal than another distribution announcement. The company has grown from selling inexpensive streaming adapters into offering amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, and home theater products that increasingly operate as one ecosystem.

But Best Buy and WiiM need to demonstrate what makes that ecosystem compelling.

Show customers the app. Run RoomFit. Connect an Amp Ultra to loudspeakers worthy of it. Demonstrate television audio over HDMI. Add a subwoofer. Let somebody connect their preferred streaming service and discover that the entire process does not require an engineering degree or three calls to customer support.

Do that properly and WiiM suddenly becomes accessible to millions of consumers who previously had no idea the brand existed.

Put the products on a shelf beside another dozen anonymous black boxes and hope somebody understands what all those logos mean?

Best Buy already has plenty of shelves that can do that without assistance.

For more information, view WiiM’s product line-up at Best Buy.

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If you spend more time on Hulu scrolling through rows of titles than actually watching anything, you are not alone. To save you from decision paralysis, I’ve put together a lineup of three underrated rom-com movies that range from a breezy London romance to a quiet drama about connection and vulnerability. Whether you are in the mood for something playful or something more reflective, there is a pick here for you. Given below are three Hulu titles worth adding to your watchlist this weekend.

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.

Rye Lane (2023)

• Genre: Romance, comedy
• IMDb: 7.2/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Yas and Dom meet in a restroom of an art gallery while recovering from brutal breakups. They end up spending an entire day wandering South London together. I know the premise sounds familiar. It has the classic walk-and-talk formula, but the specific detours these two take, including an awkward run-in with an ex, keep it feeling fresh.

I recommend this movie for its visual style. Director Raine Allen-Miller shoots the city in warm, saturated colors that make even a restroom meet-cute look vibrant. David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah share an effortless chemistry that comes through in their rapid-fire dialogue, which never feels scripted. By the end, you will want to book a flight to London just to walk their route.

You can watch Rye Lane on Hulu.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

Genre: Comedy, drama
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Nancy Stokes is a retired schoolteacher looking for the intimacy she missed during her uninspiring marriage. She books a hotel room to meet a sex worker named Leo Grande. Their scheduled hookup quickly evolves into a series of deep, witty conversations about body image and vulnerability.

I liked how this Hulu movie skillfully turns what could be an awkward premise into a gentle, funny reflection on self-acceptance. The scenes remain mostly confined to a single hotel room, yet the conversation between the two carries the entire film without feeling stagnant. Lead actors Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack share a tender dynamic that ends up saying more about self-acceptance than most bigger movies manage.

You can watch Good Luck to You, Leo Grande on Hulu.

Palm Springs (2020)

Genre: Comedy, romance
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Nyles wakes up at a wedding, stuck reliving the same day over and over, and he has fully given up trying to escape it. Everything changes when Sarah, the bride’s sister & maid of honor, accidentally ends up getting stuck in the loop. Together, they bounce between chaotic antics, nihilistic freedom, and existential dread.

Even though the premise leans on a sci-fi plot, the movie focuses mostly on emotional isolation, burnout, and what two people do when consequences stop existing. I liked the chemistry and playful banter between Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti and how funny, strange, and surprisingly tender it gets by the end.

You can watch Palm Springs on Hulu.