Baseus Inspire XH1

MSRP $149.99

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“Budget headphones that surpass expectations.”

Pros

• Really good battery life
• Lovely build and comfort
• Pleasing audio output
• Sufficiently durable
• Generous accessory kit

Cons

• ANC incurs an audio tax
• Transparency needs work
• Wear detection is missing
• Earcup hinge is a tad loose

Quick Review 

On an average day, when a company makes “best ever” claims for its new product, I usually take it with the proverbial pinch of salt. Naturally, when Baseus launched the Inspire XH1 and marketed them as the “finest headphones” it has ever made, I was skeptical. I’m glad that I was wrong. These are the best budget headphones in years, and they hit way beyond their weight class on multiple metrics. 

These fall in the rare class of audio wearables that make you double-check the price tag. It takes features that usually live behind a premium paywall and folds them into something almost absurdly affordable. Tuned in collaboration with Bose, these over-ear cans carry a “Sound by Bose” profile that leans into punchy bass and a clarity that outdoes its weight class. The aesthetics borrow plenty from Bose’s premium headphones, serving a comfortable folding frame, plush memory foam earcups, and a proper hard carrying case that you don’t have to fork extra cash for.

The headline numbers are absurd in the best way, especially for the per-charge mileage. They aren’t without their own set of sonic flaws, though. The companion app can be finicky, the Dolby Spatial Audio isn’t a winner, and the active noise cancellation (ANC) mode takes some toll on the audio quality. But the bigger picture is still bright. If you want premium comfort, multi-point connectivity, high-resolution LDAC support, and a warm sound without spending flagship money, the Baseus Inspire XH1 is one of the most compelling options you can get.

Baseus Inspire XH1 specs: What’s inside these cans?

Baseus Inspire XH1 design and build quality: Luxury ride on a bargain ticket

Engineering wallet-friendly wireless headphones usually means cutting costs in a few places, and you can normally see them from a mile away. The Inspire XH1 mostly skips that trend, and to a surprising extent. At a relatively light 275 grams, these closed-back over-ear cans feel a class above what Baseus has offered so far, and you’ll feel it the moment you pick them up.

Now, let’s talk about that Bose brand-and-tune job. The design language is unmistakably Bose-inspired, leaning hard on the styling of the flagship QuietComfort Ultra, with a thoughtful mix of metal and high-grade plastic. Even the colorways, which include Cosmic Black, Starlight Off-White, a muted blue, and a punchy red, echo the grown-up elegance of pricier gear you will come across in the Bose portfolio.

Baseus has wrapped the sturdy aluminum headband and roomy ear cups in a soft, velvet-like leather. Beneath it sits memory foam that settles comfortably onto your skull, while the clamping force is just about right. It’s gentle enough for the long haul, but I often found the slipping from my sweaty head in the charring Summer of New Delhi.

Thankfully, even after hours of sustained usage, I didn’t feel any fatigue, save for a bit of warmth around the ears that comes with the closed-back territory. The cups run deep and generous, easily cradling larger ears without complaint. That said, certain ear shapes may find the big internal microphones tucked in the driver cavity brushing against the ear, which takes a small nudge of the cup to get in a comfortable position.

Another aspect of the Baseus Inspire XH1 that I love is portability, thanks to the versatile dual-hinge design. The cups swivel 90 degrees to lie flat across your collarbones when slung around the neck, and the metal hinges let the arms fold up into a tidy package. The hinges feel a touch loose, though, and they’ll spin with barely any resistance. But at the end of the day, these headphones are built to last. To further sweeten the deal, Baseus throws in a color-matched hard travel case, something you’ll hardly find on a product in this price bracket.

Coming to the controls, they are entirely physical, skipping fiddly touch panels for buttons you can actually find by feel. The left cup holds the power button and the ANC toggle, while the right side handles playback and volume. The track-skipping logic is a little awkward. Holding the volume-up button jumps back on the queue, while volume-down moves the dial forward.

Thankfully, you can customize the behavior of these buttons in the companion Baseus app. The quiet showpiece, though, is the official IP66 rating, meaning serious protection against dust and strong jets of water. Most over-ear wireless headphones ship with no ingress protection at all, which leaves the XH1 oddly well-suited to sweaty gym sessions, light rain, or a dusty walk home.

Score: 9/10

Baseus Inspire XH1 audio quality: Pleasing, if you stick to the basics

The real winner of the Basesus Inspire XH1 headphones is the audio driver architecture. They come equipped with 35mm dynamic drivers, but it’s not just the hardware that must make it to the headlines. It’s the tuning. Basesus knocked at Bose’s doorsteps to build the “Sound by Bose” default EQ, and in doing so, the brand has nudged the Inspire XH1 out of the budget hearable conversation.

Straight out of the box, the Inspire XH1 leans towards a warm and lightly V-shaped frequency curve. In simpler terms, it’s engaging but doesn’t get in your face with exaggerated frequencies. There’s real energy injected into the upper-mids and lows, and the music feels alive because of it. The bass is the standout aspect. It’s deep, rich, and full-bodied, dropping low without too much effort or distortion.

Budget-focused headphones tend to smear the low-end into the vocals, but the Inspire XH1 keeps things controlled. The bass is thumping, but never overpowering. Listening to Hatikoli’s Go was a pleasing experience. Likewise, with Bass Boost enabled, Twin’s Uzi got a discernible lift, producing deeper bass without meddling with the synths or the electronic vocals.

One of my friends, after trying Gucci Mane’s I Get The Bag, remarked that the bass is literally vibrating their ears without any jarring effect. The mid-range comes through smooth and textured. Voices sit clearly in the mix, especially with the “Sound by Bose” EQ profile enabled. If there’s a soft spot, it’s right at the top.

The treble misses a little sparkle, so the finest details in cymbals or upper strings can read slightly muted. The upside is that there’s no noticeable sibilance or harshness, even when you crank up the volumes. For fans of classical music, the XH1 offers a surprisingly wide soundstage, making it easy to map instruments across an orchestra.

The breath behind a woodwind or the low hum of a cello lands with startling clarity. If you’re a fan of Hans Zimmer or artists like Olafur Arnalds, these headphones won’t disappoint. Rock and progressive metal tracks run into a bit of trouble as the highs tend to sound a bit muddy, but you can still salvage them with a bit of EQ tuning.

The biggest hiccup is the Dolby Audio. The two built-in presets that ship with it (Music and Cinema) just suck the life out of songs, especially those where you want to enjoy the lively vocals. Listening to Moein and Sivash Ghomayshi’s Parandeh was a test of patience, as the Dolby Audio mode flattened the highs and mids, making the track feel bland.

In general, the Sound by Bose is the one you should stick with for nearly all genres of songs. For Android users chasing the hi-res dream, the XH1 supports the LDAC codec. There’s also a 3.5mm input for passive, wired listening when the battery finally taps out. Without the internal DSP and amplification doing their thing, though, the sound feels thin and tinny.

Score: 8/10

Baseus Inspire XH1 noise cancellation and transparency: A bright picture

Noise cancellation is a well-known litmus test, and it’s usually where budget headphones fall apart. Thankfully, the Inspire XH1 headphones pull off a competent performance and make the daily sonic grind a tad easier to handle. As far as numbers go, Baseus touts up to -48 dB of reduction, which is fairly standard for the price bracket.

Qualitatively, the Inspire XH1 headphones can handle low, sustained drones with ease. Airplane engines, office HVAC units, and the constant roar of a subway car are easily shoved into the background. All you hear is a faint (but not totally faint) remnant of the external noise.

It’s excellent for the money, but it isn’t the vacuum-sealed silence you get from the likes of Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6. High-pitched or sudden sounds, such as a siren, a barking dog, or sharp chatter nearby, still pierce through. It can completely silence a room fan, but not the Reels playing on a phone being used on the next table.

Oddly, with the noise cancellation enabled, I could still feel the rumble of your footsteps, irrespective of whether I was wearing rubberized slippers or heavy boots. The ANC also affects the audio output. Once enabled, it discernibly shifts the sound profile, giving it a slightly thicker flavor for the low frequencies, while the mids also get a bit suppressed. If you’re chasing the pristine audio output, disable ANC and crank up the volume to drown out the external noise.

Moving to transparency mode, it pipes the humdrum of the outside world into your ear canals to keep you aware of your surroundings. It’s pretty good on the Inspire XH1 headphones. Low-cost headphones usually produce a loud hiss with a synthetic reproduction of the external noise. On the Baseus headphones, the sounds are natural, but the hissing is still there. What baffles me is Baseus’s decision to switch transparency off the moment you take a call.

Moving to the microphone and call quality, things are fairly smooth here. There are five microphones here, and they get a lift from AI-powered noise reduction. On calls, the voice comes through clean and stable. In the noisy landscape of a city street, the AI algorithms kick into action and scrub the background noise. In my time testing these headphones, callers never complained about any jarring background interference. However, a few of my friends pointed out that the voice sounds a tad different and subdued. But overall, the Inspire XH1 can handle calls fairly well, if that’s a key concern for you.

Score: 7/10

Baseus Inspire XH1 software: Clean and straightforward

In order to get the best out of this package, you must head over to the Baseus companion app. The interface is clean, intuitive, and all the features are conveniently laid out. There’s barely any bloat, and all the core controls are easily accessible. All the core controls, including ANC and transparency, can be handled through the app.

There’s also a “Sound Fit” personalization test that plays a run of tones to gauge your hearing and accordingly creates a customized EQ to compensate for any hearing discrepancies. It works surprisingly well. If you’re an audio purist, there are seven EQ presets, including a “Powerful Bass” mode for bassheads and a “Clear Treble” mode to lift those recessed highs.

For maximum flexibility, there’s a custom 8-band equalizer, as well. As far as wireless connectivity goes, it’s rock solid. Multipoint support ensures that you can simultaneously pair these Baseus headphones with two devices at once. There’s also a Low Latency mode that is tailor-made for gaming.

What’s missing is the quality-of-life stuff. There are no wear sensors, so the music won’t pause when you pull the headphones off, and it won’t pick back up when you put them on. Thankfully, they can automatically power off after a brief spell of inactivity and save on the battery juice.

Score: 8/10

Baseus Inspire XH1 battery life: An absolute warhorse

If there’s one aspect where the Inspire XH1 headphones demolish the budget perception (and even pricier headphones), it’s the battery life. The stamina here borders on the ridiculous, and is well past what you would reasonably expect from a wireless pair. Baseus claims a colossal 100 hours of continuous playback with ANC off, clocking down to roughly 50% volume on the standard AAC codec.

Even with ANC enabled, you’re still looking at 65 hours of per-charge mileage. For comparison, flagships from Apple, Bose, and Sony tend to land somewhere in the 30 to 40-hour range, and that’s mostly restricted to the latest and greatest models. The Baseus Inspire XH1 stands out, and I can vouch for its frugal power uptake.

On average, you can go at least two to three weeks of heavy listening without even worrying about low power warning messages. You can comfortably carry them on a multi-stop international flight, run them through a full office week, and survive weeks of gym duties without plugging in a cable.

The idle power draw is absurdly low and almost negligible. As far as charging goes, the Inspire supports fast charging over USB-C, with a 10-minute plugged-in time delivering enough juice to last 12 hours of music playback. In a nutshell, the proverbial battery anxiety is effectively gone.

Score: 9/10

Should you buy?

The Baseus Inspire XH1 is nothing short of a masterclass in milking the most value out of your spending, discounted or otherwise. What you get is class-leading comfort, an enormous battery, and capable drivers that will please your ears. In doing so, Baseus offers something that trades blows with the heavyweights of the mid-tier.

If you love that warm, dynamic Bose signature but won’t drop a minimum of $350 to enjoy it, the Inspire XH1 offers a strikingly close acoustic experience for a fraction of the cost. In case you spend an hour (or more) commuting each day and absolutely need music to focus on work, you have a solid pick here. Thanks to a combination of solid battery life, a protective hard case, and effective noise isolation, these headphones are hard to beat for the 9-to-5 lifestyle.

The cherry on top is the IP66 rating, which means you can comfortably take them for a sweaty gym session. But it’s not a flowery picture everywhere. If a flawless ANC experience is what you can’t live without, you must pay the flagship fee at Bose or Sony’s counter. The Inspire XH1’s ANC is good, but not perfect. Plus, if you lean too much on transparency for long calls, you’re out of luck.

Finally, if you’re chasing those pristine treble lines, you may not like the bass-forward Bose tuning on these headphones. At the end of the day, wireless over-ear cans tag along with compromises. The Baseus Inspire XH1 serves fewer of them than, and effortlessly proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy good audio.

Why not try?

Sennheiser Accentum Plus — If pristine, audiophile-grade sound sits above everything else for you, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a solid pick. They skip the big, punchy bass of the Baseus XH1 in favor of a detailed soundstage. The treble clarity is better, which makes them a natural fit for critical listening, jazz, and acoustic material. You get aptX Adaptive support, a finer ANC system, and touch controls on the cups. Battery life lands at a respectable 50 hours, though there’s no ingress protection available.

Sony ULT Wear ($250) — If the bass-forward tuning on the Baseus headphones is not enough, the Sony ULT Wear will satisfy your basshead cravings. A dedicated button slams on huge sub-bass boosts on demand, and these are tuned to rattle your skull. Past the low-end theatrics, you get Sony’s noise-cancelling pedigree, which edges slightly ahead of the Baseus offering. Additionally, wear sensing for auto-pause and resume is seriously convenient.

Beats Studio Pro — In case you’re swimming deep in the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio Pro is a smart choice. The sound is far more balanced and refined, but the real standout on these cans is the fully supported Dynamic Head Tracking and Spatial Audio, which is leagues beyond the lackluster Dolby Audio experience on the Baseus. You also get lossless USB-C output. On the flip side, the fit is uncomfortably tight, and you will feel the pain after long listening sessions.

How we tested  

For a spell of two months, I used the Baseus Inspire XH1 headphones as my primary noise-cancelling over-the-ear audio gear. I kept them paired with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro, and MacBook Pro, while using the official Baseus (v1.1.11) mobile app.

To test the audio quality, I played music across different genres and compared the audio quality while using Sony’s WH-1000XM6 as a reference device. To test the noise cancellation and transparency modes, I wore the headphones in buzzing cafes with music playing in the background, on metro rails, in auto rickshaws on busy roads, and in my own room to gauge noise isolation across different frequencies.

Battery life was tested across three full charging cycles, spanning hours of music playback every day with volume levels usually hovering between the 50% and 60% mark. I used Apple Music and Amazon Music (Unlimited tier, Ultra HD quality preset, Dolby Atmos playlist) to stream audio in wired and wireless modes.

Microsoft had a lot to prove with its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. The Xbox maker has faced big concerns over the past year, with reports that console sales have fallen short of expectations, especially after multiple price increases. Adding to the pressure, its portfolio of studios isn’t selling as many games as expected, while Xbox Game Pass is costing it a ton of sales.

However, with recent high-profile leadership changes and a business reset following an Xbox Game Pass price increase, it seems like Microsoft is course correcting before a next-gen console is announced. And this showcase was another step in the right direction. 

More than 25 trailers were shown in Sunday’s showcase. While there were updates for several live service games, such as Fallout 76 and Sea of Thieves (a tactic that Sony avoided with its State of Play), Microsoft showed off a number of major titles. Some were exclusive, such as Gear of War: E-Day, but others were revealed for the first time at the show and will be available on day one for Game Pass, including Persona 6. 

Microsoft didn’t have a reveal on the scale of Sony’s God of War: Laufey, but it’s clear the company is leaning into its strengths: big titles that’ll also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Will that help Microsoft move more consoles or attract more Xbox Game Pass subscribers? It’s hard to say, but at least the company doesn’t appear to be fading anytime soon.

Gears of War: D-Day game trailer

Fable game trailer

Halo: Campaign Evolved game trailer

Resonance: A Plague Legacy game trailer

Persona 4 Revival game trailer

State of Decay 3 game trailer

Sea of Thieves: Season 20 game trailer 

Metro 2039 game trailer

Bad Magpie game trailer

Wo Long 2 game trailer

Join Us game trailer

Senua game trailer

Doom: The Dark Ages | Revelations game trailer

Crazy Taxi: World Tour game trailer

 Age of Empires 4 game trailer

Minecraft Dungeons 2 game trailer

 Magicians: The Devil’s Deal game trailer

Valor Mortis game trailer

The Elder Scrolls Online: Return of the Thieves Guild game trailer

Fallout 76: Infestations game trailer 

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, World Update 22 game trailer 

Where Winds Meet: Hidden Mountain game trailer 

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse game trailer

Vivarium game trailer

Persona 6 game trailer

Spyro: A Realm Beyond game trailer

Clockwork Revolution: The Heist game trailer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | DMZ game trailer 

(All times ET)

GROUP STAGE

Thursday, June 11
3pm – Mexico vs South Africa
10pm – South Korea vs Czech Republic

Friday, June 12
3pm – Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
9pm – USA vs Paraguay

Saturday, June 13
3pm – Qatar vs Switzerland
6pm – Brazil vs Morocco
9pm – Haiti vs Scotland

Sunday, June 14
12am – Australia vs Turkey
1pm – Germany vs Curacao
4pm – Netherlands vs Japan
7pm – Ivory Coast vs Ecuador
10pm – Sweden vs Tunisia

Monday, June 15
12pm – Spain vs Cape Verde
3pm – Belgium vs Egypt
6pm – Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
9pm – Iran vs New Zealand

Tuesday, June 16
3pm – France vs Senegal
6pm – Iraq vs Norway
9pm – Argentina vs Algeria

Wednesday, June 17
12am – Austria vs Jordan
1pm – Portugal vs DR Congo
4pm – England vs Croatia
7pm – Ghana vs Panama
10pm – Uzbekistan vs Colombia

Thursday, June 18
12pm – Czech Republic vs South Africa
3pm – Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
6pm – Canada vs Qatar
9pm – Mexico vs South Korea

Friday, June 19
3pm – USA vs Australia
6pm – Scotland vs Morocco
9pm – Brazil vs Haiti

Saturday, June 20
12am – Turkey vs Paraguay
1pm – Netherlands vs Sweden
4pm – Germany vs Ivory Coast
8pm – Ecuador vs Curacao

Sunday, June 21
12am – Tunisia vs Japan
12pm – Spain vs Saudi Arabia
3pm – Belgium vs Iran
6pm – Uruguay vs Cape Verde
9pm – New Zealand vs Egypt

Monday, June 22
1pm – Argentina vs Austria
5pm – France vs Iraq
8pm – Norway vs Senegal
11pm – Jordan vs Algeria

Tuesday, June 23
1pm – Portugal vs Uzbekistan
4pm – England vs Ghana
7pm – Panama vs Croatia
10pm – Colombia vs DR Congo

Wednesday, June 24
3pm – Switzerland vs Canada
3pm – Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar
6pm – Morocco vs Haiti
6pm – Scotland vs Brazil
9pm – South Africa vs South Korea
9pm – Czech Republic vs Mexico

Thursday, June 25
4pm – Curacao vs Ivory Coast
4pm – Ecuador vs Germany
7pm – Tunisia vs Netherlands
7pm – Japan vs Sweden
10pm – Turkey vs USA
10pm – Paraguay vs Australia

Friday, June 26
3pm – Norway vs France
3pm – Senegal vs Iraq
8pm – Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
8pm – Uruguay vs Spain
11pm – New Zealand vs Belgium
11pm – Egypt vs Iran

Saturday, June 27
5pm – Panama vs England
5pm – Croatia vs Ghana
7.30pm – Colombia vs Portugal
7.30pm – DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
10pm – Algeria vs Austria
10pm – Jordan vs Argentina

KNOCKOUT STAGE

ROUND OF 32

Sunday, June 28
3pm – A2 vs B2

Monday, June 29
1pm – C1 vs F2
4.30pm – E1 vs A/B/C/D/F3
9pm – F1 vs C2

Tuesday, June 30
1pm – E2 vs I2
5pm – I1 vs C/D/F/G/H3
9pm – A1 vs C/E/F/H/I3

Wednesday, July 1
12pm – L1 vs E/H/I/J/K3
4pm – G1 vs A/E/H/I/J3
8pm – D1 vs B/E/F/I/J3

Thursday, July 2
3pm – H1 vs J2
7pm – K2 vs L2
11pm – B1 vs E/F/G/I/J3

Friday, July 3
2pm – D2 vs G2
6pm – J1 vs H2
9.30pm – K1 vs D/E/I/J/L3

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, July 4
1pm – Round of 16 game 1
5pm – Round of 16 game 2

Sunday, July 5
4pm – Round of 16 game 3
8pm – Round of 16 game 4

Monday, July 6
3pm – Round of 16 game 5
8pm – Round of 16 game 6

Tuesday, July 7
12pm – Round of 16 game 7
4pm – Round of 16 game 8

QUARTER-FINALS

Thursday, July 9
4pm – Quarter-final 1

Friday, July 10
3pm – Quarter-final 2

Saturday, July 11
5pm – Quarter-final 3
9pm – Quarter-final 4

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday, July 14
3pm – Semi-final 1

Wednesday, July 15
3pm – Semi-final 2

FINALS

Saturday, July 18
5pm – Third-place playoff

Sunday, July 19
3pm – 2026 FIFA World Cup final

Sriram Krishnan, the White House’s senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence, is stepping down. The former Andreessen Horowitz partner was tapped by President Donald Trump to help shape the administration’s AI strategy during his second term. He will leave at the end of June, according to the Washington Post.

Krishnan played a central role in the administration’s AI action plan. In May, he helped broker an agreement with Google, Microsoft, and xAI to give the US government early access to their AI models before public release. The arrangement lets the government assess capabilities and security risks during a 30-day review window.

White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks credited Krishnan with work on “policy initiatives and international diplomacy” as part of efforts to ensure “American AI dominance.” White House spokesperson Kush Desai called him “a critical asset for President Trump’s push to cement American dominance in technology and innovation.”

Krishnan said he plans to continue working with the White House as an outside adviser. He is reportedly starting a new institution focused on AI policy. “After a break, I’ll be working on helping tackle some of the large challenges facing America on AI,” he wrote on X.

The departure follows a busy stretch of AI policymaking. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order outlining a voluntary framework for cybersecurity threats posed by AI, stopping short of mandatory testing. On Friday, he directed national security agencies to work with more than one AI provider, a move that followed the Pentagon’s feud with Anthropic over contract terms.

Anthropic had been the only vendor approved for classified military use until the Defence Department blacklisted it as a supply chain risk after the company refused to allow its models to be used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance. The administration has since signed classified AI deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AWS.

Krishnan’s exit also raises questions about Andreessen Horowitz’s influence on AI policy. The firm has been a significant force in shaping the administration’s approach, with Bloomberg previously reporting on its rising role in Trump-era AI decisions. Whether Krishnan’s new institution maintains that pipeline remains to be seen.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Hoops roles.

Green group hint: Think Tom Brady.

Blue group hint: They excel in beam and floor exercise.

Purple group hint: The Big Apple.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: First words of basketball positions.

Green group: Things a QB does with the football.

Blue group: Women’s gymnastics all-around gold medal winners.

Purple group: Ends in a New York team, in singular form.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is first words of basketball positions. The four answers are point, power, shooting and small.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is things a QB does with the football. The four answers are hand off, pass, spike and tuck.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is women’s gymnastics all-around gold medal winners. The four answers are Biles, Douglas, Lee and Liukin.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends in a New York team, in singular form. The four answers are Allegiant, Chalamet, Granger and inkjet.

New dummy unit photos shared by leaker Sonny Dickson on X offer the clearest look yet at Apple’s first foldable iPhone, expected to launch later this year alongside the iPhone 18 lineup. The images confirm several design details that have been circulating in the rumor mill for months, and one that is more surprising.

What the dummy unit reveals

The iPhone Fold dummy shows a book-style foldable with a roughly 7.8-inch inner display when open, putting its screen real estate close to an iPad mini. The front camera sits in the top-left corner of that inner screen. The outer display measures around 5.5 inches, and the closed phone takes on a short and wide form factor, closer to a passport than a standard iPhone.

Two rear cameras are visible on the outside of the device. Face ID is notably absent, which aligns with rumors suggesting that the device will use Touch ID through the side button for both unlocking and Apple Pay.

Only one color?

The more eyebrow-raising detail from Dickson is the color situation. Although earlier leaks have claimed the Fold would come in black and white, Dickson now suggests white may be the only option at launch. Apple has launched new product lines in limited colorways before, gradually expanding the palette with later generations, so this isn’t completely out of the question.

iOS 27, expected to be unveiled shortly at WWDC 2026, could reveal more about how Apple is building the software experience around the foldable form factor. Foldable-specific features like split-screen multitasking and an iPad-style UI have been reported as part of the update, and the keynote may include additional cues about the device itself.

The opening keynote of WWDC has been presented by Tim Cook every year since 2012, but as his time as CEO draws to an end, there is speculation over whether he’ll make one last appearance.

Tim Cook does appear, unsurprisingly, to have already handed over the reins to the incoming CEO John Ternus for Apple’s future planning. But Cook remains CEO until September, so the first time we’ll see Ternus hosting an event will be the iPhone launch later that month.

Speculation by Bloomberg backs up the idea that Cook will have one last hurrah. However, it argues that Cook will quickly hand over to Apple’s Craig Federighi for the majority of the keynote video. This is fairly typical of WWDC, though.

Federighi is always prominent at the annual software developer conference, as he’s Apple’s Senior Vie President of Software Engineering. But he is now also effectively leading the company’s moves in AI, and this year Apple Intelligence is expected to be featured prominently.

Beyond that, Bloomberg maintains that whether we do or not, we should see Mike Rockwell introducing the new Siri. He was behind the Apple Vision Pro and in April 2025 moved over to managing the AI team.

There will also be multiple people presenting various segments of the keynote video. The report says Jeff Norris should present about visionOS, and David Clark should do the watchOS portion.

Separately, if this video follows the format of previous ones, it will include at least a nod toward Apple’s health features. That means Dr Sumbul Desai is likely to appear too.

Apple doesn’t tend to speak about personnel changes at WWDC, but then it’s been 15 years since there was one as big as a new CEO. It’s conceivable, then, that Tim Cook will open the event and John Ternus will close it.

But it’s more likely that, at least in terms of presenters, WWDC 2026 will follow its familiar form and be book-ended by Tim Cook.

Dual used High End Vienna 2026 to preview the CS 629Q, a fully automatic direct-drive turntable that looks backward and forward at the same time. That is not always a good thing in hi-fi. Sometimes it means “heritage-inspired” wood trim slapped on something that might be too clever for its own good. In this case, Dual might have come up with something that actually inspires users to actually want to listen more.

The CS 629Q is still a prototype, with global availability expected in mid-2027 and pricing expected around €1,800. That means nobody should treat this as a finished retail product just yet. But the concept is interesting because Dual is returning to one of the things it historically did rather well: automatic turntables that were genuinely useful, not disposable convenience machines.

A Fully Automatic Direct-Drive Turntable

The Dual CS 629Q is a fully automatic turntable built around a newly developed direct-drive motor. According to the manufacturer, the motor has been engineered specifically to work with Dual’s automatic mechanism, with the goal of delivering smooth operation and stable speed control.

The automatic functions include start, stop, repeat, and electronic speed selection for 33, 45, and 75 RPM playback. The new model also adds a pause function, which is not exactly revolutionary in consumer electronics, but in the world of high-end turntables may cause some people to clutch their felt mats in horror.

That is part of the appeal. The CS 629Q is aimed at listeners who want vinyl playback without pretending that manually cueing a tonearm is some sacred religious ceremony. Ever tried putting on a record after one drink too many? That stylus suddenly looks very expensive, and your hands start negotiating with gravity.

Bluetooth Remote App Control

The CS 629Q also includes Bluetooth connectivity and app control, allowing users to operate the turntable remotely. That follows the direction Dual has already taken with the CS 529, which includes Bluetooth for audio and remote-control functions, but the CS 629Q pushes the idea into a more premium direct-drive platform.

There is always a risk with app-controlled hi-fi products: the app becomes the product’s weakest link. But Dual’s approach makes sense if the core mechanical platform is solid. Automatic operation is not new for the brand. Remote-controlled automatic operation is not completely new either. The CS 629Q appears to bring that history into a more modern control environment.

Dual’s Automatic Turntable Legacy Still Matters

Dual’s first fully automatic direct-drive turntable, the CS 701, arrived in 1973. The CS 650 RC followed in 1979/80 with remote-control functionality. That history gives the CS 629Q more credibility than it would have coming from a brand with no automatic-turntable lineage.

This is not Dual chasing a gimmick because someone in marketing discovered Bluetooth. The company has a real history with fully automatic and remotely controlled record players. The CS 629Q looks like an attempt to modernize that idea for listeners who want convenience without buying a flimsy plastic deck with a ceramic cartridge and all the dignity of a hotel ice machine.

The Bottom Line

The Dual CS 629Q could become one of the more interesting turntables to watch heading into 2027. It is fully automatic, direct-drive, app-controllable, and expected to land around €1,800. That gives it a very specific lane: high-end vinyl playback for people who still appreciate convenience.

The risk is obvious. If the app experience is clunky, the automatic mechanism is noisy, or the direct-drive platform does not deliver the expected speed stability, the CS 629Q becomes an expensive novelty.

Because the CS 629Q remains a prototype, Dual has not yet published the deeper specifications, including cartridge, tonearm, platter construction, dimensions, weight, output options, or final pricing. For now, the story is the concept: a fully automatic direct-drive turntable with app-based control, aimed at bringing Dual’s automatic turntable heritage into a more modern platform.

Not every vinyl listener wants to perform a small ceremony every time they play Side B. Some just want the record to spin correctly, the arm to behave itself, and the music to start without drama. Radical stuff, apparently.

Price & Availability

The upcoming Dual CS 629Q will join the existing range of automatic turntables.

For more information: dual.de

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