The less often used of the passive components, the humble and mysterious inductor is the subject of this video. The essence of inductance is a conductor’s tendency to resist changes in current. When the current is steady it is invisible, but when current changes an inductor pushes back. The good old waterwheel analogy is given to explain what an inductor’s effect is like.
There are three things to notice about the effect of an inductor: increases in current are delayed, decreases in current are delayed, and when there is no change in current there is no noticeable effect. The inductor doesn’t resist current flow, but it does resist changes in current flow. This resistive effect only occurs when current is changing, and it is known as “inductive reactance”.
After explaining an inductor’s behavior the video digs into how a typical inductor coil actually achieves this. The basic idea is that the inductor stores energy in a magnetic field, and it takes some time to charge up or discharge this field, accounting for the delay in current that is seen.
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There’s a warning about high voltages which can be seen when power to an inductor is suddenly cut off. Typically a circuit will include snubber circuits or flyback diodes to help manage such effects which can otherwise damage components or lead to electric shock.
[Prof MAD] spends the rest of the video with some math that explains how voltage across an inductor is proportional to the rate of change of current over time (the first derivative of current against time). The inductance can then be defined as a constant of proportionality (L). This is the voltage that appears across a coil when current changes by 1 ampere per second, opposing the change. The unit is the volt-second-per-ampere (VsA-1) which is known as the Henry, named in honor of the American physicist Joseph Henry.
NASA is engaged in the final preparations for the much-anticipated Artemis II mission that will send astronauts toward the moon for the first time in more than five decades.
The space agency is targeting 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1, for the launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The four crew members — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, together with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen — will travel aboard an Orion spacecraft launched by NASA’s formidable SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
After a couple of days in low-Earth orbit checking the spacecraft’s systems, the crew will send the Orion on course for a rendezvous with our nearest neighbor. The 10-day voyage won’t touch down on the moon but instead fly around it before returning home.
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The mission is of course super special for every single one of those crew members, but for Hansen it comes with added personal impact as the flight will mark his very first time in space.
While Wiseman, Glover, and Koch each flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on their first orbital experience, Hansen will be traveling several hundred thousand miles further from Earth for his debut space ride.
Hansen will also become the first non-American, and first Canadian, to travel to the moon, a historic achievement that will cement his place in history and make him a national hero.
“I just want Canadians to feel that pride,” Hansen told CBC when he was announced as one of the Artemis II crew members in 2023. “I just want Canadians to realize, hey, we are up to big things here in Canada and can accomplish the seemingly impossible if we believe in ourselves.”
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Artemis II is also a groundbreaking mission for Glover and Koch, who are about to become the first Black person and the first woman to travel to the moon — major milestones in their own right.
With only days to go before the targeted launch date, the four crew members are now in quarantine, poring over the flight plan and making sure they’re all set for the mission of a lifetime.
Want to know more about the mission? Then watch NASA’s video showing exactly how it expects the flight to unfold.
It sounds absurd: an airline trying to channel Apple. Can an airline fly as high and smoothly as the tech icon?
After a few days with United Airlines — testing Starlink in the sky and previewing its next-gen ‘Elevate’ cabins — the comparison stopped feeling like an impossible stretch and more like a strategy.
United Airlines will turn 100 next month on April 6, 2026, and while it has plenty of competition domestically in the United States and on the global stage, it’s seen something of a renaissance in recent years.
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It’s been swapping smaller jets for larger ones, upping the in-seat experience with redesigned interiors, going all-in on a next-gen Wi-Fi product, and doubling down on infrastructure in ways that passengers actually see — and that employees feel behind the scenes.
Now, much of my focus is on technology and consumer electronics, but after attending United Elevated, the idea that United wants to be the Apple of airlines, not just a better airline, started to make sense.
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It all really began to sink in when I sat inside one of its hangars at Los Angeles International Airport this week, where United debuted its latest aircraft with the elevated interior – a massive Boeing 787-9 – and several other eye-opening announcements, including more aircraft.
Reaching Apple-like heights might sound a little lofty, but the more time I spent with what United is building, the more it clicked.
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To be fair, Scott Kirby — CEO of United Airlines — essentially said it first: “We’re trying to copy Apple’s approach to their supply chain” for what the airline does with engines, adding, “we’ll do it for other stuff as well.”
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Yes, the comment came in response to a question about supply chain strategy and tariffs, but it’s a telling one. Even in that narrower context, it offers a window into how United is thinking more broadly.
And honestly, you can see it.
United has long been a partner with Apple and is quick to adopt its ecosystem. It rolled out Bluetooth connectivity for seatback screens and spotlighted it with AirPods, integrated with the Find My network so you can share an AirTag if your bag goes missing, and its app has been early to support things like Live Activities and the Dynamic Island.
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None of that is revolutionary on its own. But together, it starts to feel familiar — like an airline trying to build a more connected, cohesive experience instead of just layering on features.
That shows up most clearly in the app.
The app is becoming central to the experience
(Image credit: United Airlines)
Over time, United has turned it into something closer to a travel control center than a simple boarding pass. Boarding groups are easier to see, ConnectionSaver proactively helps with tight transfers (so long as it doesn’t delay an on-time departure), airport maps make navigating less of a guessing game with turn-by-turn directions, and bag tracking removes some of the usual anxiety. More recently, the “Trips” experience has been redesigned to put everything front and center in the days leading up to as well as on departure day.
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Again, none of these are huge swings individually. But that’s kind of the point, and United was the first for many of these, and with a keen ability to squash bugs. Other airlines, including Delta, JetBlue, and American, have added these similar features, but none were first.
It’s the same playbook Apple has used for years — iterate, refine, and stack improvements until the whole thing just feels better to use. The innovation isn’t always obvious, but you notice it when everything works the way you expect it to. Similar to the Cupertino-based tech giant, it’s clear that United isn’t necessarily rushing to swing for the fences with major updates or even smaller ones.
Of course, not every bet has landed.
(Image credit: United Airlines)
For a while, United moved away from seatback screens on some aircraft, leaning into personal device streaming instead. It was a tech-forward idea, but it didn’t quite line up with the goal of delivering a consistent, premium experience across the board. Now, the airline is course-correcting, bringing screens back as part of its next-generation cabins. That’s a process, though, and some aircraft still fly without seatback screens.
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That push for consistency extends beyond software.
United has generally taken a more unified approach to its premium cabins —especially Polaris — compared to competitors like Delta Air Lines, which has introduced multiple versions of its Delta One seat across different aircraft. With its “United Elevated” strategy, that consistency is becoming more deliberate, stretching from widebody jets to narrowbody planes and even regional aircraft. It’s also ensuring large OLED screens at every seat — these looked especially punchy and vibrant — plus power and USB-C ports, even in economy.
And then there’s Wi-Fi.
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Cabins, seatback screens, and Starlink Wi-Fi show the push for consistency
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
By rolling out fast, free Starlink connectivity — and tying it to loyalty — United is making internet access a core part of the experience, not just an add-on. It’s not just about having Wi-Fi; it’s about having Wi-Fi that works well enough, consistently enough, that you start to expect it every time you fly. It’s a process, though, and while 344 aircraft currently boast the improved connectivity, it’ll take until the end of 2027 for Starlink to be on every aircraft in United’s fleet. Other airlines have offered free Wi-Fi, such as Delta and JetBlue, but United Airlines is the first to work toward equipping the entire fleet with a much faster standard. It’s likely that other airlines will end up going this route, with American Airlines rumored to be in talks with Starlink, and JetBlue opting for Amazon’s Leo, formerly Project Kuiper.
Even so, that’s a very Apple-like move: set the baseline high, and don’t go backwards. Doubly so with United doing it first or setting the pace, and then having other airlines seemingly copy it.
But here’s the reality check — airlines aren’t iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, or even any type of consumer electronics analogy.
(Image credit: United Airlines/Apple)
Apple controls the hardware, the software, and the services. It can be designed for consistency because it owns the entire stack, and we’ve seen that flourish across the line, especially with the advent of Apple Silicon. Airlines don’t get that same level of control.
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Weather, air traffic control, airport congestion, maintenance — so much of the flying experience sits outside of any airline’s hands. Even within their control, fleets are mixed, configurations vary, and not every plane can be brought up to the same standard overnight.
So the thing United is chasing — consistency — is also the hardest thing to actually deliver. And that’s what makes this strategy interesting, and one to keep watching.
The goal might not be to eliminate every variable. Maybe it’s just to smooth out the parts passengers actually feel. If the app is clear, the Wi-Fi works, the seat feels familiar, and when something goes wrong, it’s handled quickly, the overall experience can still feel… reliable — even if the system behind it isn’t perfect.
If Apple’s whole thing is “it just works,” then United Airlines is trying to bring that idea to 35,000 feet — turbulence and all. And it might have started to show its cards with the day-long event where it showed off its new Elevated Boeing 787-9, a reimagined CRJ450, countless demos, fireside chats, and speeches from leaders. It all felt very Apple event-esque — albeit at a location that might even rival Apple Park for views. I mean, you can’t beat a sound system for music and speakers that can be heard over an active taxiway and runway, right?
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I connected with Zach Griff, a travel expert and author of From the Tray Table, on this idea, and he shared: “Just look at how United took inspiration from Apple at Tuesday’s event. It referenced the company numerous times — both overtly in how it wants to mimic Apple’s supply chain strategy and the more subtle, in how it came prepared with a ‘one more thing’ style reveal. United wants to be to airlines what Apple is to tech.”
That one more thing was an upgrade to Economy, dubbed the Relax Row — essentially the ability to book out three Economy Plus seats with leg rests that raise to create a bed that takes up a whole row, paired with bedding, pillows, and stuffed plushies. It’ll likely be a hit for long-haul routes, as it’s set to debut on the 777 and 787 in 2027, and be far cheaper than Polaris.
In short, United has a bold goal ahead. Maybe even an impossible one. But for an airline about to turn 100, it’s a pretty compelling direction to take.
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For years now, smartphone makers have made the camera bump on devices bigger in order to chase camera improvements. Even if that kind of design makes cameras better, at times it creates usability issues. With the Pixel 10a, Google took a new approach of entirely removing the camera bump and making a flat phone that lies completely on surfaces.
While this is a delightful change in the world of big camera bumps, Google hasn’t otherwise made major design changes with its newest budget smartphone. The Pixel 9a looked mostly the same, with a very small camera bump.
I have the plain old black unit, but Google offers the phone in Lavender (a mix of bright blue and purple), Berry (coral), and Fog (a gray-green tone) colors.
Look! No camera bump Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
The screen size of 6.3 inches is the same as last year’s device, but the display is now brighter at 3,000 nits. Google is using the Actua display series of screens that it used with the other Pixel 10 devices to make it more usable in bright conditions. The display is capable of reaching a 120Hz refresh rate, but the unit ships with it set to 60Hz, so you will need to manually change that through the phone’s settings.
Build and specification-wise, the Pixel 10a goes toe-to-toe with the Pixel 10, with a few differences. For instance, the Pixel 10 has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and the back, while the cheaper 10a has a plastic back and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front. The budget device also has a bigger battery of 5,100 mAh, as compared to 4,970 mAh on the base Pixel 10. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a battery of 5,200 mAh.
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There are only small differences between the Pixel 9a, the Pixel 10a, and the Pixel 10, most of them having to do with performance and compute power. The obvious hardware difference is that the budget phones use the Google Tensor G4 chip, as compared to the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10. The Pixel 10 charges at 30W through USB-C, up from the 23W charging capacity of the Pixel 9a. Wireless charging is supported at 7.5W for the Pixel 9a, 10W for the Pixel 10a, and 15W (magnetic) for the Pixel 10.
Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
The battery capacity and faster charging speed are helpful as the battery lasts easily throughout the day, including for regular apps, a few hours of video watching, and light gaming. Plus, the brighter display makes the device better for all-around experience in different lighting conditions. Yes, the 10a has chunkier bezels than its more costly cousins, but they don’t make too much of a difference in daily use. After all, you’re getting the device for a much lower price than a flagship.
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The Pixel 10a uses the Tensor G4 chip, which was also used in the Pixel 9a. That means there are no performance gains this year, which you might notice if you switch between a lot of apps. Because of the older chip and its 8GB RAM combo, the Pixel 10a can’t run the updated Gemini Nano AI model, which means it has fewer on-device AI features than the Pixel 10a series.
The display is bright, but there are thick bezels around it Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
The feature list not available on the Pixel 10a includes notification summaries, the Pixel screenshot app, Magic Cue (a feature that offers contextual suggestions across apps like Gmail, Messages, and Maps), call notes, and on-device call translation.
The phone features a 48-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera, which is the same as last year’s device. The main camera performs fine for most conditions, even in low light. But given the older and smaller sensor on the the wide-angle lens, it tends to lose some details, and it doesn’t have autofocus.
The Pixel 10a has a camera coach AI feature that can guide you in taking a shot of an object by helping frame it better in the viewfinder. There is also Auto Best Take, which merges photos to create the best composite from a bunch of shots — useful when photographing a group. The phone also has support for up to 8x super-res zoom, but the processing and quality aren’t as good as the Pixel 10, which offers up to 100x zoom through this feature.
Notably, some AI features might make it to the Pixel 10a through a Pixel Drop, Google’s periodic software updates that** often bring new capabilities to older models.
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Google offers seven years of software updates with this device, which is crucial for receiving both operating system updates, along with feature drops and security updates. While this is not Pixel 10a exclusive, the phone has a quick share feature that now works with Apple’s AirDrop. This means I could simply transfer photos, just like I did for this story, to my MacBook within a few taps. Previously, I had to connect the Pixel 10a to my MacBook with a USB-C cable.
At $499, good battery life, a bright display, and faster charging are the main things going in favor of the Pixel 10a. For this price, the phone offers good value for money in a light and flat design. However, if you already have last year’s Pixel 9a, there is no reason to change. Also worth considering: the Nothing phone 4a Pro, also at $499, poses tough with better specifications, such as a bigger and brighter screen, a more capable Qualcomm processor, a dedicated telephoto lens, and faster charging speeds of 50W.
If these decisions survive appeal — which isn’t certain — the direct outcome would be multimillion-dollar penalties. Depending on the outcome of several more “bellwether” cases in Los Angeles, a much larger group settlement could be reached down the road… For many activists, the overall goal is to make clear that lawsuits will keep piling up if companies don’t change their business practices…
The best-case outcome of all this has been laid out by people like Julie Angwin, who wrote in The New York Times that companies should be pushed to change “toxic” features like infinite scrolling, beauty filters that encourage body dysmorphia, and algorithms that prioritize “shocking and crude” content. The worst-case scenario falls along the lines of a piece from Mike Masnick at Techdirt, who argued the rulings spell disaster for smaller social networks that could be sued for letting users post and see First Amendment-protected speech under a vague standard of harm. He noted that the New Mexico case hinged partly on arguing that Meta had harmed kids by providing end-to-end encryption in private messaging, creating an incentive to discontinue a feature that protects users’ privacy — and indeed, Meta discontinued end-to-end encryption on Instagram earlier this month.
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Blake Reid, a professor at Colorado Law, is more circumspect. “It’s hard right now to forecast what’s going to happen,” Reid told The Verge in an interview. On Bluesky, he noted that companies will likely look for “cold, calculated” ways to avoid legal liability with the minimum possible disruption, not fundamentally rethink their business models. “There are obviously harms here and it’s pretty important that the tort system clocked those harms” in the recent cases, he told The Verge. “It’s just that what comes in the wake of them is less clear to me”. The article also includes this prediction from legal blogger/Section 230 export Eric Goldman. “There will be even stronger pushes to restrict or ban children from social media.” Goldman argues “This hurts many subpopulations of minors, ranging from LGBTQ teens who will be isolated from communities that can help them navigate their identities to minors on the autism spectrum who can express themselves better online than they can in face-to-face conversations.”
Sony announced earlier this week that the PS5 is getting a price increase, with the new $649.99 price taking effect on April 2nd. Anyone willing to act in the next few days can still pick up the current 1TB disc edition at the existing $549.99 price from major retailers, which amounts to a $100 saving well worth acting on if a PS5 has been on your list.
Once you have one in hand, the performance speaks for itself. Demanding games load in seconds rather than minutes, large open worlds snap into place almost instantly, and moving between areas happens fast enough that waiting around simply stops being part of the experience. The DualSense controller adds a layer of physical feedback that changes how games feel. Adaptive triggers shift their resistance depending on what you are doing, whether that is the tension of drawing a bowstring or the grip of a steering wheel under load, and the haptic feedback translates things like surface textures and environmental details into subtle sensations in your hands.
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The first party library is where the PS5 really makes its case. Studios like Santa Monica and Insomniac have built games specifically around the hardware, and it shows in the detail of the worlds, the depth of the characters, and the overall sense that you are somewhere that actually exists. Multiplayer holds up just as well, with co-op and competitive options that have a way of turning a quick session into several hours without you noticing. Plus you get compatibility with loads of PlayStation 4 games, which is just a lucky break. You get instant access to a whole bunch of content you can dive into right away, without having to start from scratch all over again, and the older games all run a lot faster and sharper on this newer hardware. It’s a ready made library that instantly turns this console into the total entertainment package.
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Sony’s release schedule for the months ahead is looking strong, with familiar franchises alongside new titles that should keep the library fresh well into the future. Regular system updates continue to improve performance and add features over time, which means the console you buy today will quietly keep getting better without any additional cost.
The first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis moon program may take off in a matter of days, with a launch window that opens on April 1, and as preparations are underway for that, the space agency is refocusing its plan to establish a human presence on the moon. NASA announced major changes to its approach for moon landings that are expected to play out over the coming years, including axing its plan to build an orbiting station called Gateway. Read on to learn more about the agency’s new vision for the moon, along with other interesting science stories from this week.
Gateway out, moon base in
Just a few weeks after overhauling its Artemis program, NASA this week announced even more changes to its plans for putting astronauts back on the moon. Most notably, the space agency is abandoning the lunar Gateway project, which was intended to be the first ever space station orbiting the moon. Gateway, an international collaboration, wasn’t just going to support exploration of the lunar surface, but deep space missions too. But the writing has been on the wall for some time; in the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts last May, Gateway was among the programs selected for the chopping block. Now, NASA is officially putting it on “pause” and plans to build a $20 billion moon base instead.
“NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again, to return to the moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said at the agency’s Ignition event on Tuesday.
There are three phases to the moon base plan, according to NASA: first using contractors to send rovers and instruments to the moon through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program; next establishing “semi-habitable infrastructure,” with astronauts on the ground and collaboration with other space agencies; and finally adding “heavier infrastructure” to support long-term stays on the lunar surface, including the Italian Space Agency’s Multi-purpose Habitats and the Canadian Space Agency’s Lunar Utility Vehicle. NASA says it’s aiming to start this plan off with crewed moon landings every six months following the Artemis V mission, which is currently planned for 2028.
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Comet 41P pulls a reverse card
A study published this week in The Astronomical Journal describes what’s said to be the first observation of a comet reversing its spin. Observations taken several months apart in 2017 show the comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák starting to spin more slowly after making a close flyby of the sun, before picking up speed again by December of that year. Its spin period, measured using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, was about 46-60 hours in May 2017, but later observations by the Hubble Space Telescope showed it was just 14 hours, according to NASA. The researchers say what likely happened is that the heat from the sun caused the comet’s ice to sublimate, sending gases spewing off its sides.
“Jets of gas streaming off the surface can act like small thrusters,” author David Jewitt of the University of California at Los Angeles, said in a statement. “If those jets are unevenly distributed, they can dramatically change how a comet, especially a small one, rotates.” Jewitt compares it to pushing a merry-go-round. “If it’s turning in one direction, and then you push against that, you can slow it and reverse it.”
Comet 41P is thought to have come from the Kuiper Belt and passes through the inner solar system every 5.4 years. It’s small, with a nucleus of just around .6 miles, and the researchers found it’s become less active over recent years, indicating that there are changes taking place on the surface. While it’s thought to have been in this orbit for about 1,500 years, it now appears to be rapidly evolving, and the rotational changes — which could cause structural instability if it continues — could mark the beginning of the end for it. “I expect this nucleus will very quickly self-destruct,” said Jewitt.
Saturn in a new light
A side-by-side-comparison of photos captured of Saturn from the Webb telescope and the Hubble telescope. (NASA/ESA/CSA)
Stunning images of Saturn released this week by NASA, ESA and CSA provide a more detailed look at the many layers of the ringed planet’s “busy” atmosphere. The images, which show storms, clouds at different depths, Saturn’s “ribbon wave” jet stream and so much more were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope in 2024. Read more about it here.
Spray paint artists have long dealt with a frustrating problem. Getting the range of colors a single mural might need means carrying a heavy collection of cans and inevitably running out of one shade mid-project with a pile of barely used others left over. Sandesh Manik spent years as a mechatronics student building a solution he calls Spectrum, a compact machine that draws from four standard spray cans and blends them into hundreds of custom shades on demand.
Spectrum gives artists the freedom to call up any color on the fly and spray it through a single nozzle without stopping to swap cans or pre-mix batches. Manik’s goal from the start was to build something that worked with standard off the shelf spray cans, avoiding the need for custom components or expensive pumping systems. Early testing quickly revealed just how difficult that constraint would make things.
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The core problem turned out to be trickier than expected. Different cans operate at slightly different pressures, and trying to push multiple colors through the same tube simultaneously was a reliable recipe for leaks and backpressure. Manik worked around issue by using a pulsing mechanism that opens valves one at a time, unleashing short bursts of each hue in quick succession. A ratio of one part red to eight parts white, for example, indicates that the white valve remains open for longer than the red valve throughout each cycle. These pulses pass down a small one-millimeter tube, where turbulence thoroughly blends them before they reach the nozzle. Color changes take only a second or two, and the tube diameter is important to its effectiveness, large enough to sustain spray pressure but tiny enough to keep color transitions sharp.
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Getting the pulse system to work consistently was the most difficult aspect of the build. Standard solenoid valves clog easily because dried paint collects inside the moving parts, so Manik designed his own rotational pinch valves instead. A small stepper motor turns a lever that squeezes or releases a flexible silicone tube, which is frequently pinched tight to prevent leaks or backflow. The paint never comes into touch with the mechanism, therefore the entire system stays clean and uniform. An Arduino Nano sits at the heart of it all, reading four knobs on the handle, calculating the exact pulse lengths for each hue, and firing the valves at precisely the right time, all while a display on the side indicates the current settings.
Pulling the trigger gets the paint moving, and a force sensor built into the trigger adds an extra layer of control. Squeeze harder and the color mix shifts smoothly toward a different tone, creating natural looking gradients through pressure alone without touching a single dial. The whole build is designed for a home workshop, using silicone tubing to carry the paint, 3D printed fittings to keep connections tight, and simple toggle levers to hold the can nozzles open when needed. Total materials cost came in at under $150. [Source]
If you’re after an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with a mild factory overclock, a clean white finish and a useful set of extra features, the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice 16GB is well worth considering. At $1,099, it sits at the premium end of the price spectrum, but it does offer enough to still make it compelling compared to more affordable options.
If you want a slightly cheaper option, the non-Ice version (the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16GB) has the same spec and performance as the Ice variant we tested.
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The Gigabyte card comes with a factory overclock to give a little extra performance from the get-go, with a game clock of 2520 MHz and a boost clock reaching up to 3060 MHz under peak loads. That’s a 120 MHz uplift to game clock and a 110 MHz increase to boost clock compared to AMD’s stock RX 9070 XT.
In real-world terms, that translated to roughly 5% better frame rates than a standard RX 9070 XT, and keeps it competitive against other factory overclocked cards. This means the RX 9070 XT is perfect for high-end 1440p gaming but also very capable at 4K in many games.
To keep temps under control, Gigabyte has used its Windforce cooling setup, which has three ‘Hawk’ fans that spin in alternating directions to reduce turbulence and improve airflow.
Underneath the cooler, there’s a large vapor chamber, chunky composite copper heat pipes and the Gigabyte ‘Screen Cooling’ extended heatsink design with rear cutouts for airflow.
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Gigabyte also uses server-grade thermally conductive gel on components like the VRAM and MOSFETs.
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The white design of the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice shows off your case lighting. (Image credit: Future)
Like most GPUs these days, the Gigabyte card includes a dual BIOS switch, which lets you swap between Performance and Silent modes depending on whether you want the best cooling or a little less noise.
As expected, the cooling setup easily proved itself in testing with temperatures slightly lower than many of its competitors — in performance mode, the card idled at 33°C and peaked at 59 °C, with fan noise staying under 32dB. Switching to Silent mode dropped noise to under 30dB and resulted in peak temperatures rising slightly to 65°C.
Visually, the Gaming OC Ice goes for a clean white and silver look that is meant to be shown off in a windowed build, and includes subtle customizable RGB lighting with a sliding cover.
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While it’s a large triple-fan card, the 288 x 132 x 56 mm dimensions are pretty reasonable compared to some of the chunkier RX 9070 XT models. That said, smaller mid-tower builds should double-check clearances before purchase. The card does have a reinforced metal backplate to add rigidity, but there’s no support bracket in the box.
Connectivity is very good, with two HDMI 2.1b ports and two DisplayPort 2.1a outputs — more than enough to support both high FPS gaming and a multi-monitor productivity setup. Power comes from three standard 8-pin PCIe connectors, and Gigabyte recommends an 850W PSU.
One handy feature — there are little power indicator lights that will let you know if there is an issue with one of the PCIe connections. Gigabyte also backs the card with a standard but appreciated three-year warranty.
While a larger card, the 9070 XT isn’t too hard to accommodate. (Image credit: Future)
How much is it? It retails for about $750 / £700 / AU$1,099
When can you get it? The Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice is available now
Where is it available? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia
The Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice is available now, retailing for about $750 / £700 / AU$1,099 depending on the region and retailer. That puts it comfortably above entry-level RX 9070 XT cards, but that premium does at least get you a mild factory overclock, a larger cooler, a clean white finish, plus a few useful extras like dual BIOS support and power indicator lights.
At this price, the Gigabyte card lands well below the roughly $999 / £800 / AU$1,399 that RTX 5070 Ti cards tend to sell for, but slightly above the cheaper end for an RTX 5070. That gives it a solid position for gaming performance if you are happy with AMD over Nvidia.
While I’ll dig into performance below, given current street pricing the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice still makes a pretty good case for itself if you want a more premium RX 9070 XT. It’s not the cheapest RX 9070 XT available, but compared to the RTX 5070 Ti in particular, it’s quite competitive for what you’re getting.
The non-Ice version (the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16GB) has the same spec and performance as the Ice variant we tested and is often up to 10% cheaper.
Of course, prices have been shifting rapidly of late, up and down, so make sure you do your own comparison before shelling out.
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Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice: Specs
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Useful factory overclock and board-level extras
Not a huge boost over the stock 9070 XT
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Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice vs AMD RX 9070 XT vs RX 9070
Header Cell – Column 0
Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice
Reference RX 9070 XT
RX 9070
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Process Node
4nm
4nm
4nm
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Transistor Count (Billion)
53.9
53.9
53.9
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Compute Units
64
64
56
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Shaders
4,096
4,096
3,584
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Ray Accelerators
64
64
56
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Tensor Cores
128
128
112
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Render Output Units
128
128
128
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Cache (MB)
64
64
64
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Game Clock
2,520
2,400
2070
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Boost Clock (MHz)
3,060
2,970
2,520
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Memory Clock (MHz)
2,518
2,518
2,518
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Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
GDDR6
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Memory Pool (GB)
16
16
16
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Memory Interface (bits)
256
256
256
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Effective Memory Speed (Gbps)
20
20
20
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Memory Bandwidth (GB/s)
640
640
640
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PCIe Interface
5.0 x16
5.0 x16
5.0 x16
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TBP (W)
304
304
220
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Recommended PSU (W)
850
700
550
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Power Connector
3 x 8-pin
2 x 8-pin
2 x 8-pin
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Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice: Design
Image 1 of 7
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Clean white finish with useful extra touches
Large, but still fairly sensible by RX 9070 XT standards
Since there isn’t a reference RX 9070 XT design from AMD, what matters here is how well Gigabyte’s own board and cooler come together, and on that front the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice makes a pretty good first impression.
The headline feature is obviously the white and silver finish, which gives the card a cleaner, more premium look than the usual black slab. It is clearly aimed at windowed builds, but Gigabyte has kept things fairly restrained, with just a little customizable RGB lighting rather than going overboard.
Cooling duties are handled by Gigabyte’s Windforce setup, with three Hawk fans, a large vapor chamber, composite copper heat pipes and a sizable heatsink with rear cutouts to improve airflow. It is still a triple-fan card and still a fairly chunky one, but at 288 x 132 x 56 mm (11.34 x 5.20 x 2.20 in) it doesn’t feel absurd by RX 9070 XT standards.
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The Hawk fans have winglets on the tips for improved airflow and efficiency.(Image credit: Future)
The Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice has a tough patinia on the white shell (Image credit: Future)
There are a few little extras too — like a dual BIOS switch for Performance and Silent modes, a reinforced metal backplate and power indicator lights that can help spot PCIe connection issues.
The only real downside is that there is no support bracket in the box, so smaller cases and heavier builds will need a quick clearance check before you buy. There is an attachment point though, so you can add your own support if needed.
Like most cards in this class, it still takes up a fair bit of space and needs three 8-pin PCIe power connectors, so cable management isn’t especially fun. Still, if you want an RX 9070 XT that looks the part without getting too flashy, Gigabyte has done a bang-up job here.
Image 1 of 3
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The card has a slidable panel over the RGB LEDS — here it is shown open.(Image credit: Future)
The card has a slidable panel over the RGB LEDS — here it is shown closed.(Image credit: Future)
The card does have support mounting points on the end.(Image credit: Future)
About 5% faster than a reference RX 9070 XT in my testing
Very close to the RTX 5070 Ti in gaming, and comfortably ahead of the RTX 5070
Cool-running for a premium factory-overclocked card, peaking at just 59°C
Simply put, the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice does exactly what you want a mild factory-overclocked card to do — take the already very capable RX 9070 XT and squeeze a little more out of it.
In testing the factory overclock resulted in about a 5% uplift over my reference RX 9070 XT results averaged from cards running at stock speeds. Keep in mind that my RTX 5070 Ti comparison results are from when the card was first released and a non-OC version. I also had quite a few stability issues with the 5070 Ti early on. So with updated drivers and a comparable factory overclock, the 5070 Ti will be ahead in most gaming scenarios — especially when ray tracing is involved where the difference can be significant. If you are a fan of DLSS, then team green can often give much higher frame rates in certain games.
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The PCIe power connectors have LED indicators to show any power problems. (Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
In synthetic benchmarks, the Gigabyte card turns in an excellent 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6,624, which is very slightly ahead of both the reference RX 9070 XT and even the RTX 5070 Ti. In more ray-tracing-focused tests like Speed Way and Port Royal, Nvidia still has a slight edge, but the gap is nowhere near as dramatic as it once was, as AMD’s ray tracing hardware is markedly improved over previous generations.
Gaming performance is what we all care about, though, and here the Gigabyte card excels. Across my 1440p gaming results, it was about 5.9% faster than the reference RX 9070 XT, about on par with the RTX 5070 Ti on average, and roughly 50% faster than the RTX 5070.
At 4K, it stayed about 3.6% ahead of the reference card, finished effectively level with the RTX 5070 Ti overall, and remained about 50% faster than the RTX 5070.
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That makes this a very capable high-end 1440p card and a genuinely solid 4K option in a lot of modern games, particularly if you’re happy to lean on upscaling where needed. Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong both ran well at demanding settings, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider showed just how much fps headroom there is in lighter games.
Outside gaming, the picture is a bit more straightforward. Blender and Geekbench 6 Compute scores were a little higher than the reference RX 9070 XT results, but still behind the RTX 5070 Ti.
Thermals are an area where the Gigabyte card stands out, though, with the card peaking at 59°C and idling at 33°C in my testing, which is an excellent result and shows that the Gigabyte triple-fan setup handles the RX 9070 XT well.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Benchmark results
Header Cell – Column 0
Gigabyte RX 9070 XT
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RX 9070 XT
RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070
Row 0 – Cell 0
Row 0 – Cell 1
Row 0 – Cell 2
Row 0 – Cell 3
Row 0 – Cell 4
Synthetic Benchmarks
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Row 1 – Cell 1
Row 1 – Cell 2
Row 1 – Cell 3
Row 1 – Cell 4
3DMark Steel Nomad
6624
6577
6559
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5001
3DMark Speed Way
6814
6409
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7680
5366
3DMark Port Royal
17899
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17181
18866
12489
Row 5 – Cell 0
Row 5 – Cell 1
Row 5 – Cell 2
Row 5 – Cell 3
Row 5 – Cell 4
Gaming (average fps)
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Row 6 – Cell 1
Row 6 – Cell 2
Row 6 – Cell 3
Row 6 – Cell 4
Row 7 – Cell 0
Row 7 – Cell 1
Row 7 – Cell 2
Row 7 – Cell 3
Row 7 – Cell 4
Cyberpunk 2077 – 1440p
85
79
81
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59
Cyberpunk 2077 – 4K
65
63
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66
44
Row 10 – Cell 0
Row 10 – Cell 1
Row 10 – Cell 2
Row 10 – Cell 3
Row 10 – Cell 4
Black Myth: Wukong – 1080p
83
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78
81
59
Black Myth: Wukong – 1440p
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72
69
74
41
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Black Myth: Wukong – 4K
46
45
48
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30
Row 14 – Cell 0
Row 14 – Cell 1
Row 14 – Cell 2
Row 14 – Cell 3
Row 14 – Cell 4
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – 1080p
160
154
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161
104
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – 1440p
149
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141
149
106
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – 4K
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115
109
111
77
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Row 18 – Cell 0
Row 18 – Cell 1
Row 18 – Cell 2
Row 18 – Cell 3
Row 18 – Cell 4
Compute benchmarks
Row 19 – Cell 1
Row 19 – Cell 2
Row 19 – Cell 3
Row 19 – Cell 4
Row 20 – Cell 0
Row 20 – Cell 1
Row 20 – Cell 2
Row 20 – Cell 3
Row 20 – Cell 4
GeekBench 6 Compute (OpenGL)
223532
218,599
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243,483
155,791
GeekBench 6 Compute (Vulkan)
212114
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211,247
247,323
147,369
Blender (aggregate score)
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2,197
2,050
2,557
1,701
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Row 24 – Cell 0
Row 24 – Cell 1
Row 24 – Cell 2
Row 24 – Cell 3
Row 24 – Cell 4
Thermals (°C)
Row 25 – Cell 1
Row 25 – Cell 2
Row 25 – Cell 3
Row 25 – Cell 4
Peak GPU temp
59 °C
60 °C
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70 °C
71 °C
Idle Temp
33 °C
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35 °C
30 °C
31 °C
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultra Ray Tracing, balanced scaling
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Black Myth: Wukong: Ray Tracing: Cinematic, 50% upscaling
Should you buy the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice?
Pricier than entry-level RX 9070 XT cards, but the Gaming OC Ice offsets some of that premium with a factory overclock, cooler and cleaner design.
4.5 / 5
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Specs
The underlying RX 9070 XT formula has not changed, but Gigabyte adds a useful bump in clocks plus dual BIOS, four display outputs and power indicator lights.
4 / 5
Design
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The white and silver finish looks the part, and the cooler is well judged for a card in this class, even if it is still large and there is no support bracket in the box.
4 / 5
Performance
A roughly 5% gain over the reference RX 9070 XT and results that run very close to the RTX 5070 Ti make this an appealing premium take on AMD’s GPU.
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4.5 / 5
Final score
It is not the cheapest route into an RX 9070 XT, but it is a well-rounded one if you want better looks, cooler running and a little extra performance.
How I tested the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice
I spent about a week testing the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice
I used my complete GPU testing suite to analyze the card’s performance
I compared it against competing graphics cards using a mix of synthetic and real-world gaming benchmarks
Test System Specs
Here are the specs on the system I used for testing:
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Motherboard: MSI Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi CPU: Intel Core Ultra 285K CPU Cooler: Corsair Titan 360 RX RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 (2 x 16GB) SSD: Samsung 9100 Pro PSU: Corsair HX1000 Case: Thermaltake Core P3 TG Pro
I spent about a week with the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice, testing it and comparing its performance against competing graphics cards.
I used industry-standard benchmark tools like 3DMark alongside games including Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong and Shadow of the Tomb Raider to get comparable results across the cards I have recently reviewed.
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LAiV is a relatively new name, founded in Singapore in 2023, but the brand has moved quickly with a growing lineup of design forward, higher end components. The LAiV Crescendo VERSE marks a shift in strategy, arriving as a compact all-in-one DAC, preamplifier, and headphone amplifier priced at $849 and aimed squarely at a far more competitive segment of the market. That puts it head to head with established players like FiiO, Shanling, Topping, Schiit Audio, Eversolo, and TEAC, brands that have spent years refining affordable desktop systems that do not feel compromised.
The question is not whether LAiV can design something that looks the part. It already has. The real issue is whether the Crescendo VERSE can deliver the performance, features, and reliability expected at this price in a category where excuses do not last very long.
Technology & Specifications
The DAC section of the Crescendo VERSE is built around an R2R ladder topology, a design approach often associated with a more natural tonal balance and a less processed presentation. In simple terms, it relies on a network of precision resistors arranged in a ladder configuration, switching between R and 2R values to convert digital data into an analog voltage signal.
On paper, R2R designs do not usually win the measurement game against delta-sigma DACs, but LAiV has clearly made an effort to keep the numbers respectable. The Crescendo VERSE posts 0.008% THD+N, signal to noise ratio above 110 dB, and less than 30 µVrms of noise from the balanced headphone output. That level of performance is supported by tightly matched resistors with tolerances below 0.05 percent, which is not something every manufacturer bothers to implement at this price.
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In terms of format support, the DAC handles up to 768 kHz PCM and DSD256, with native 1-bit DSD processing that avoids unnecessary conversion. The tradeoff is that switching between sample rates or encoding types can introduce occasional pops between tracks. If that becomes distracting, switching to Multibit mode for PCM playback eliminates the issue and allows for smoother transitions without interrupting the listening experience.
The Crescendo VERSE also includes an integrated sampling rate converter, allowing PCM files to be upsampled by 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, or even 16x. DSD can likewise be resampled to DSD64, 128, 256, and 512 when operating in native DSD mode, giving users a fair amount of flexibility depending on how they prefer their digital processing handled.
Beyond the DAC section, LAiV has built this as a true all-in-one unit, incorporating a headphone amplifier alongside a discrete, output buffered preamplifier for use with power amplifiers or active speakers. Switching between modes and functions is handled via the included remote or the front panel controls. Operation is generally smooth, although the 20 by 7 dot matrix display limits how much information can be shown at once, which makes menu navigation less intuitive than it should be.
On the amplification side, the headphone stage delivers up to 1.1 watts and 11 Vrms in high gain. That is not class leading on paper, but it is sufficient for the vast majority of headphones. Medium and low gain settings are also available, making it flexible enough for more sensitive headphones and IEMs without introducing unnecessary noise.
It is not a power focused design, and that feels intentional. More power does not automatically translate into better sound quality. What matters is how it performs where it counts, which we will get into in the listening section. But first, let’s take a closer look at the build quality.
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Design & Build
The LAiV Crescendo VERSE leans heavily into premium territory when it comes to build quality and materials. The chassis is machined from anodised aluminium, and the front LED display sits behind a sheet of tempered glass that adds a bit of polish without feeling overdone.
There are two finishes available: ebony black with gold accents, or sterling silver with gold buttons and knobs. The latter is what we have in for review, and it looks exactly like what LAiV is going for—angular, slightly industrial, but with enough refinement to avoid looking like lab equipment. It feels intentional rather than flashy.
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Its compact footprint helps. Measuring 188 x 168 x 50 mm (7.4 x 6.6 x 2.0 inches), the Crescendo VERSE does not dominate a desk, which makes it a far easier fit in smaller setups or cleaner, more minimalist spaces. Not everyone wants a full-width component staring them down while they work.
Despite the smaller size, connectivity is not an afterthought. Up front, you get both a 6.35 mm (quarter inch) and 4.4 mm balanced headphone output. Around the back, there is a full set of RCA and XLR outputs, along with four digital inputs: USB, coaxial, optical, and I2S. Power is handled via an external supply, which makes sense given the size. There was no realistic way to keep the unit this compact and fit everything internally without compromise.
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Back on the front panel, volume is controlled via an analog knob with a smooth, well-damped feel that avoids being overly loose or stiff. The included remote works as expected, although LAiV skips the small courtesy of including AAA batteries. Not a deal breaker, but it is the kind of detail you notice when everything else is this well executed.
Listening & Headphone Synergy
The LAiV Crescendo VERSE was used both as a complete DAC and headphone amplifier and as a standalone DAC paired with several external headphone amplifiers. Source material ranged from Spotify streams to high resolution FLAC files, with listening done across a wide selection of headphones, including low impedance planar magnetics, high impedance dynamic drivers, and everything in between.
After several weeks of use, one thing became clear. Despite its R2R architecture, the Crescendo VERSE does not lean as warm as some might expect. Compared to other implementations, such as the FiiO K13 R2R, which noticeably softens the treble on something like the Beyerdynamic DT880 Edition 600 Ohm, the LAiV takes a more balanced approach. It does not round off the top end to the same degree, which will likely come as a surprise to those expecting a traditionally rich and forgiving R2R presentation.
What it does deliver is a sense of fullness and flow that feels cohesive rather than exaggerated. There is a natural ease to the way it presents music, with instruments and vocals coming across as grounded and unforced. It avoids sounding clinical without tipping too far into coloration, which is not always an easy balance to strike. R2R designs are often praised for this kind of presentation, and while not every implementation gets it right, the Crescendo VERSE makes a convincing case for why the topology still has a following.
Starting at the low end, the Crescendo VERSE reaches deep and maintains good control, even if it stops short of being the most hard-hitting or visceral option under $1,000. What stands out more is texture. Bass notes have shape and definition, giving lines a sense of weight without turning them into a blunt instrument. On Jadu Heart’s “Woman,” the low, guttural guitar work comes through with a satisfying sense of density and presence rather than sheer slam.
That same sense of body carries into the midrange, where the Crescendo VERSE does its best work. Vocals, both male and female, are presented with a natural sense of scale and focus that draws attention without feeling pushed forward. On “Alaska” by Portair, Drew Southwell’s breathy delivery cuts through cleanly, but there is still enough weight behind it to avoid sounding thin. It manages to stay clear and articulate without tipping into harshness, which is not always a given at this price.
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Treble is handled with restraint, but in a way that feels intentional rather than rolled off. There is enough energy to resolve detail and maintain separation, but peaks are kept in check, especially with more aggressive headphones. The result is a presentation that leans relaxed and listenable over long sessions, without losing the finer details that give recordings their sense of air and nuance. Just keep the volume in check, unless fatigue is part of the plan.
As an example, I sometimes find the HiFiMAN HE1000 Unveiled a bit too forward in the treble with certain tracks, including L’Impératrice’s “La lune.” Through the Crescendo VERSE, that edge was dialed back just enough to make the synths easier to live with, without stripping away their detail or energy.
In terms of pairing, the Crescendo VERSE handled most headphones without complaint, from low impedance planars to high impedance dynamic designs. Where it begins to show its limits is with more demanding planar magnetics. Headphones like the HiFiMAN HE6se V2 need more current than the internal amplifier can comfortably provide. Paired with an external amplifier like the Aune S17 Pro, however, the Crescendo VERSE steps into a different role and performs exceptionally well. The Class A design of the S17 Pro complements the DAC’s more organic presentation, resulting in a combination that feels both controlled and musically engaging.
Imaging and soundstage are clear strengths. The Crescendo VERSE presents a well organized, layered soundstage where instruments and vocals are placed with precision rather than smeared across the field. There is a convincing sense of separation between elements, which helps complex recordings retain their structure. On TOOL’s “Chocolate Chip Trip,” a track that can quickly turn into a mess on lesser gear, individual sounds remain distinct and easy to follow, with each layer occupying its own space without collapsing into the next.
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The Bottom Line
The LAiV Crescendo VERSE gets a lot right for a first attempt at an all in one in this price range. Build quality is excellent, the design feels considered rather than decorative, and the feature set covers just about everything most users will need, from flexible digital inputs to balanced outputs and a capable preamp stage. The R2R DAC implementation is the real differentiator. It delivers a sound that is full, controlled, and natural without leaning too warm or soft, which helps it stand apart from both typical delta sigma designs and more colored R2R alternatives.
It is not without limitations. The internal headphone amplifier is good, but not class leading in terms of raw power, and demanding planar headphones will still benefit from an external amp. The interface, while functional, could be more intuitive, and native DSD playback comes with minor usability quirks. None of these are deal breakers, but they are worth noting in a category where the competition is deep and well established.
What makes the Crescendo VERSE compelling is how complete it feels. It is not trying to win on specs alone or overwhelm with features. Instead, it offers a refined, well integrated solution that prioritizes sound quality and usability in equal measure.
This is for listeners who want a compact, well built desktop hub that can anchor a serious headphone or small speaker system without turning their desk into a rack system. If you value a more natural presentation and do not need extreme power on tap, the Crescendo VERSE makes a strong case for itself in a crowded field.
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Pros:
Excellent build quality with anodised aluminium chassis and premium finish options
Compact footprint that fits easily into desktop and minimalist setups
R2R DAC delivers a natural, cohesive, and non-fatiguing sound
Strong imaging and layering with a well-defined soundstage
Flexible connectivity including USB, coaxial, optical, I2S, RCA, and XLR
Integrated preamplifier adds real system versatility
Good gain range for a wide variety of headphones and IEMs
Cons:
Headphone amplifier lacks the power for more demanding planar magnetics
Menu system and display are not the most intuitive to navigate
Native DSD playback can introduce occasional pops between tracks
No internal power supply, relies on an external brick
Competitive segment with strong alternatives from established brands
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