AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 review: Are USB Type-C headphones any good yet?

A more in-depth version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, SoundGuys.com

With the TMA-2 MFG4, AiAiAi has released the first set of USB Type-C headphones that actually work well. It’s surprising how bad this category has been since the Pixel 2 ditched the headphone jack — it’s been a train wreck so far.

Who are the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 for?

  • Current Android phone users will appreciate the ability to listen to music without a proprietary dongle.
  • If you want to use your headphones with your laptop, owners of brand-new laptops will be able to use these without any fuss or apps.
  • Tinkerers will love the ability to swap out parts and experiment with the headphones.

What is the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4?

In short, the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 is the very first Made For Google set of on-ear USB Type-C headphones. They’re an amalgamation of interchangeable parts for the AiAiAi TMA-2 series, comprising of the standard headband, the S01 speaker units, the E01 earpads, and the C60 USB Type-C to 3.5mm cable. If you want to add or swap out parts for these headphones, you can do that without a second thought, as these are completely modular by design.

A photo showing the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 taken completely apart.

You can completely take apart the TMA-2 MFG4 and swap out components at a whim.

If you’re unsatisfied by any part of the headphones — or just a little rough with your peripherals — you can repair or replace any component without losing the whole unit. That’s a pretty incredible value right there, considering most headphones are trashed when the band or cable breaks. This is especially good because the housings are made of inexpensive plastics, so they may not take many tumbles before giving up the ghost.

By offering an in-cable DAC, the headphones don’t need anything but a standard USB Type-C port to plug into. Of course, this isn’t always a given on devices, so you may be in for a stupid surprise depending on your device — through no fault of the headphones. However, that digital audio processing is a treat if you use the headphones with a modern smartphone. There’s only a very small number of headphones that use the new USB Type-C standard, and none really qualify as “audiophile” cans.

A photo of the ear cups on the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4.

Be sure to get a good fit, as the rigid band and on-ear design is tough to get right.

The stock setup isn’t exactly to my tastes, as I’m not a fan of on-ear headphones at all. However, these are decent for what they are. The cloth padding snaps into the ear cups, and can be removed for easy cleaning. Additionally the band provides a consistent (but not overpowering) clamping force to keep these things on your head. You may get uncomfortable after an hour and a half like I did, but like every set of on-ear headphones, that’ll vary from person to person. They’re a little on the heavy side compared to models like the JLab Rewind Wireless Retro.

How does the cable connect?

A photo of the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4's analog plug used to interface with the headphones.

AiAiAi’s USB Type-C cable terminates in a standard male 3.5mm plug to send an analog signal to the headphones.

My biggest gripe with the AiAiAi TMA-2 is their 3.5mm connections. While I’m happy they’re there, I loathe the proprietary system of twisting and locking the connections into place preventing the use of generic components should something break. Being unable to connect cables to your headphones due to a tiny plastic thing breaking defeats the entire purpose of having a removable cable, so it’s more than a little frustrating.

How do the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 sound?

On-ear headphones are popular because they’re usually pretty comfortable, but they come with their own drawbacks inherent to the design — namely, they don’t isolate all that well. While the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 sound great when everything’s perfect, it’s not always possible to get that result. If you manage to get a perfect fit, the headphones sound pretty nice, with only a few foibles. No notes fall more than 10dB below others, which is surprisingly decent for any set of headphones. This allows you some latitude to equalize your tunes and hear mixes the way they were intended to sound.

A chart showing the performance of the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4.
A chart showing the performance of the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4.

I’m a fan of the flatter (all notes the same power) kinds of frequency response, but bassheads may want to try one of the other headphone modules AiAiAi offers for the TMA-2. The upside to a flat response is clarity. You can easily hear things you may have missed in the mixes of your songs — that’s a big plus if you’re a fan of older songs like I am. You’ll actually be able to hear the bass and lowest piano octaves in Barry White’s Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up.

Mids see an ever-so-slight emphasis over all other notes, but that’s really not a bad thing. It adds a little more punch to vocal features important to immersing yourself. Language will sound “off” or strange if you can’t hear the initial impact of a plosive, for example. A response like the TMA-2’s lends itself well to vocal-heavy mixes, much like the mother of the MP3: Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega.

Should you buy the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4?

If you’re in a position where USB Type-C audio is preferable to Bluetooth, these are currently the headphones to get. They aren’t amazing, they cost $150, and they don’t offer any killer features. However, they work well — without an app — on both Android and Windows. That’s enough to be the top of the USB Type-C heap for 2018.

A photo showing the inside grate of the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4.

Underneath everything else, the headphones are still pretty standard plastic cans.

However, they aren’t better than other headphones at the same price. They absolutely have their audience, but for under $100 you can get some damn decent options. USB Type-C may yet provide a killer audio product, but the TMA-2 isn’t enough to justify the death of the headphone jack.

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. See our disclosure policy for more details.

Source: Android Zone

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Xiaomi leak suggests there’s a fourth Mi 8 variant inbound

Leaked images of the Xiaomi Mi 8X in light blue and in metallic blue

  • An unannounced Xiaomi smartphone has been spotted online, currently believed to be part of the Mi 8 series.
  • The Mi 8X, as it’s being referred to, is said to feature a Snapdragon 710 chipset and in-display fingerprint scanner.
  • Little else is known about the rumored device, but it shares much in common design-wise with the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.

An unknown Xiaomi phone, currently speculated to be a variant of the Mi 8, has been spotted online. A Weibo user uploaded photos of the handset on the Chinese social media website earlier today (via Playful Droid), referring to the handset as the Mi 8X.

Xiaomi revealed its Mi 8 series, which includes the Mi 8, Mi 8 SE and Mi 8 Explorer Edition, at the end of May but this is the first we’ve heard of a potential fourth model. The photos, seen above, include shots of the rear of the device, one with a pale, duck egg type rear and one in metallic blue.

Editor’s Pick

The device shares a lot in common aesthetically with the Mi 8 Explorer edition, like the curved back and upper-left mounted dual camera system. Also like the Explorer Edition, the uploader said it would come with a Snapdragon 710 chip and in-display fingerprint scanner.

Neither the standard Mi 8, nor the Mi 8 SE, include in-display scanning, so it’s possible that the Mi 8X would be at the more premium end of the scale. However, we don’t know what concessions (if any) might have been made. For context, the Mi 8 starts at 2,699 yuan (~$395) and the Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes in at 3,699 yuan (~$540), so the Mi 8X could potentially fit somewhere in between.

This is firmly in rumor territory for now but it will be interesting to see how this turns out. Xiaomi already launched one new X device this year with the Mi 6X (the basis of the Mi A2), while the 5X appeared around August 2017. Could the 8X appear later this month? We don’t have long to wait to find out.

Source: Android Zone

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Should You Choose a New Domain Extension for Your Website?

Recently one of our readers asked our thoughts on the new domain extensions. As you already know that apart from the popular dot-com extension, there are many new domain name extensions that you can choose from. In this article, we will answer the question: should you choose new domain extensions for your website with pros and cons?

Should you choose new domain extensions for your website?

What are Domain Extensions?

Domain extensions or TLDs are the last part of a domain name. These are the letters that appear after the dot and to the right side of the domain name. For example, WPBeginner has a .com domain extension (i.e. wpbeginner.com) and Wikipedia has a .org domain extension (wikipedia.org).

To learn more about domain name system, see our beginner’s guide on what is a domain name and how do domains work.

The first domain extensions were .com, .net, and .org. They are still the most popular domain extensions.

As time passed, new domain extensions were introduced. These included country specific domain extensions like .co.uk or .com.de, and generic extensions like .travel, .app, .mobi, .photography, and more.

Today, there are hundreds of domain extensions available that can be used for starting a website.

Domain name extensions

You can register a domain name from one of these top domain registrars. Some registrars offer more variety of domain extensions than others. The cost for each domain extension will vary, and some of the new ones are quite expensive when compared to the popular .com, .net, and .org extensions.

Once you have purchased a domain name, you’ll still need web hosting to build a website. For more details see our beginner’s guide on the difference between domain name and web hosting.

Should You Choose a New Domain Extension for Your Website?

Choosing a domain name with the right domain extension is crucial for the success of your website. The extension part of your domain affects your branding.

The new domain extensions are not as popular because most people are not familiar with them. In fact, some users may not even recognize them as a proper domain name.

The .com domain extension has become synonymous with the internet. Nearly 46% of all registered domain names are .com domains. Even most smartphones have a default .com key for quick typing.

The dot com extension

This is why we recommend using only the .com domain extension.

The .com domains are easy to remember. Most internet users instinctively use .com when entering a website address in their browser. Due to the popularity of .com domain names, they are easier to brand, promote, and help you grow your business.

A .com domain name can be used to create almost any kind of website and business. This flexibility also gives you the freedom to change your website’s scope or your business while keeping the old brand and domain name.

Due to its familiarity, flexibility, and potential, we recommend that you only choose a .com domain extension for your new website.

What to Do If My Preferred .com Extension is Not Available?

Majority of websites on the internet are using a .com extension. This means there are nearly 136 Million .com domain names already registered.

This would make you feel that all the good domain names are already registered. However, there are still plenty of clever ways to find a good .com domain name.

  • Your domain name should represent your business and what you do. For example, starplumbingservices.com is better than starservices.com
  • You can try adding small words before or after your preferred domain name to make it unique. For example, starplumbingboston.com
  • Make sure your domain name can be easily pronounced. Don’t use hyphens or numbers in your domain name.
  • Take advantage of online domain name generators. These free tools will help you find domain name ideas that are still available.

If you need more help, then see our beginner’s guide on how to choose the best domain name for some more practical tips.

That being said, let’s review some other popular domain extensions, their intended purpose, and what kind of websites they are suitable for.

Other Domain Extensions That Are Available

There are hundreds of domain name extensions available. We have tried to pick up some generic and popular extensions to give you an idea of how these domain extensions are intended to be used.

When should you use .Net domain extension?

The .net extension is the second most popular domain extension. It was intended to be used by networking businesses, internet service providers, or networks of online communities.

Using it for an unrelated business website is a bad idea for your brand. For example, you can use .net if you sell networking devices on your website but not for a clothing store.

For more details see our comparison of .com vs .net domain extensions.

When should you .Org domain extension?

The .org was initially launched to accompany .com and .net domain extensions. It is suitable for non-profit organizations, charities, religious, or social awareness websites.

Using it for a business or personal website can give your customers a wrong impression. There are organizations that use .org for their non-profit activities and the .com version of the same domain for commercial activities.

When should you .Biz domain extension

The .biz domain extensions are an acronym for business. Similar to .com extension, .biz is intended to be used by any kind of business website.

However, .biz is a lot less familiar to customers which makes it difficult to remember. It may also affect customer’s perception of your business when you are not using a .com extension.

When should you .Info domain extension

The .info extension is an acronym for information and can be used by information portals or similar websites.

Using this extension for a blog or a business website can give users the wrong impression. This would also affect your brand’s reputation, and your website’s goals in the long run.

When should you .Name domain extension

The .name extension is intended to be used by individuals. This new less popular domain extension was created to provide people with another option to register a domain name for personal websites with their own name.

Due to the unfamiliarity of the extension and its scope, you can only use it for a personal website or blog. You should never use it for a small business website.

When should you .TV domain extension

Technically .tv domain extension is a country based TLD for websites based in Tuvalu (a tiny island nation in the Pacific ocean). However, the domain is used by tv-related websites around the world.

You should only use this domain if your website or business is about the tv industry. Using it for other businesses or blogs would look odd.

In fact, even if you have a tv related website, we would still recommend you to go with a .com domain name instead. Many popular tv companies don’t use a .tv domain extension. For example, HBO, CNN, CBS, and dozens more.

There are dozens of more domain extensions like .photography, .club, .xyz, .blog and more. All of them are too specific, less memorable, and limit your website’s potential in one way or another.

What About Country Specific Domain Extensions?

You should only use country specific domain extensions if you only want to target users in that particular country.

The intended purpose of country-specific domain extensions is to be used by individuals and businesses in that region. Many such domains can only be registered if you are located in that country or have a representative there.

Country-specific domain extensions are great for creating multilingual websites or creating region-specific websites.

Some websites use country domain extensions to come up with clever ideas for their domain names. For example, bit.ly uses the domain extension for Libya, or goo.gl, the URL shortener service by Google using the country domain extension for Greenland.

This kind of domain names are called domain hacks. While they look cool, you will need some serious marketing skills to turn them into a recognizable brand and memorable for your users.

We hope this article helped answer the question about choosing new domain extensions for your website. You may also want to see our guide on how to make a website with step by step instructions for beginners.

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The post Should You Choose a New Domain Extension for Your Website? appeared first on WPBeginner.

Source: Wordpres

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