With smartphones removing the headphone jack, we have all embraced the wireless headphone revolution. However, what happens if you want to use your expensive wireless noise-cancelling headphones to watch an inflight movie? Twelve South AirFly Pro has solved this problem.

What is a Twelve South AirFly Pro?

The AirFly Pro is a travelling accessory that lets you convert headphone jack audio into a Bluetooth signal for wireless headphones.

WHY should you buy a headphone jack to Bluetooth adapter?

Chances are you now own a set of wireless earbuds or headphones. With most smartphones now only supporting Bluetooth audio connection and the convenience of wireless connection when working with a PC, the days of wired headphones are numbered. However, older cars, most Gyms and aeroplanes still only support analogue headphones or audio connection.

Watching a movie on a plane without noise-cancelling headphones is terrible. This simple device means you can bring one set of headphones rather than multiple.

A headphone-to-Bluetooth adapter lets you connect your expensive Bluetooth noise-cancelling earbuds to the aircraft inflight entertainment system. Alternatively, some adapters do the opposite, allowing you to stream audio from your smartphone via Bluetooth to an adapter that allows audio in (aux in) to an older car to allow you to playback through the in-car stereo system.

What is in the Box?

You will find the AirFly Pro, a USB A to USB-C cable, a carry pouch, an airline headphone adapter, and a key ring storage plug in the box.

The AirFly Pro weighs 16 grams and measures 57x26x11 mm. Charging via a USB-C cable takes less than 2 hours and can be done whilst in use.

Even without access to power, the AirFly will last around 25 hours of use from its internal battery, keeping you entertained for even the longest flights from Australia, assuming you can stay awake that long.

At $55, the AIrFly Pro is an economical solution to improve your audio enjoyment.

Using the AirFly Pro

After charging, the AirFly Pro adapter connection to my earbuds was as simple as putting both devices in pairing mode, which, for most devices, is holding the power button down until an LED starts to flash. Once connected, plug into your audio source and enjoy. If on a plane, you must use the two-pronged plug adapter to fit the aircraft’s anti-theft style plug in your seat.

A neat feature of this device is the ability of 2 sets of wireless headphones to be paired, meaning that you and a friend or the two kids can now share the audio output source. I found this great for watching a movie on a tablet while travelling with my wife. (Tablet must have headphone socket)

The Value of the AirFly Pro comes out with the audio-in feature. By toggling a small switch on the side of the AirFly, you can change from transmit (Tx) to receive (Rx), allowing you to stream audio from a smartphone to a car, boat, or home stereo audio input. You benefit from the connected device’s bigger speakers and more powerful amplifiers to listen to your audio without headphones. As your phone is already paired, it is as simple as flicking a switch and selecting your app for playback.

Our Take AirFlyPro review.

The Twelve South AirFly Pro is a simple, inexpensive accessory that allows you to use old and new audio technology to ensure the most enjoyment and listening quality. Whether you want to use your latest noise-cancelling wireless earbuds on a flight to filter out the background noise and enjoy the movie or blast your streaming playlist on your 10-year-old convertible as you power down the highway. Maybe you want some peace and quiet in the car and entertain the kids in the back, allowing them both to listen to the latest episode of Bluey with wireless headphones.

Easy to use and small to carry, the AirFly Pro provides flexibility to improve audio playback by mixing analogue wired technology with wireless Bluetooth.

My go-to earbuds have been the Jabra Elite 7 and, until now, Jabra’s premium earbuds. Eighteen months on, Jabra has launched the Jabra Elite 10 wireless earbuds. We start this review with excitement about what has improved.

What is a Jabra Elite 10 wireless earbud?

The Jabra Elite 10 earbuds are Bluetooth, noise-cancelling, rechargeable and support Dolby Atmos. The Elite 10 is the top-of-the-line in a range of earbuds from the Danish audio giant.

WHY should you buy wireless earbuds?

Earbuds are a convenient way to listen to music or conversation without wearing traditional on or over-ear headphones. They are not bulky and will not mess up your hair.

Earbuds come with a case that, in most cases, also acts as an extra battery to charge your earbuds, allowing extended time away from a mains power source.

The compact size allows them to be discrete in your ear or easily carried in a pocket or handbag.

A big reason for wireless earbuds is that smartphone vendors no longer include wired earphones in the box, nor do most have a headphone socket. If you want to listen to audio without disturbing others, wireless headphones are your only option.

What is in the Box?

In the box, you will find the charging case containing the two earbuds, a USB A to USB C cable and, for the first time, three extra sets (previously 2 with other models) of silicone ear gels. The ear gels are used to match different-sized ear canals to ensure you get the correct fit. These ear Gels are also oval (traditionally round) to better fit your ear shape.

Each earbud weighs 6 grams, and the charging case is 46 grams. The charging case dimensions are 65x24x47 mm.

The earbuds are charged via the case, which needs to be charged via the USB cable to a mains charger (not included), a PC, a car USB, etc. The charge time is up to 3 hours and will provide up to 36 hours of listening time by using the case. When fully charged, the earbuds will provide up to 8 or 6 hours with noise cancelling switched on. (same as Jabra 7). The case also supports wireless charging.

If you run out of power in the buds, 5 minutes in the case will give you one hour of listening.

Pairing these buds is super easy, with my phone and PC recognising them before I even tried to set them up.

Priced at $379, Jabra Elite 10 are available in 5 colours. The included warranty is 2 years, protecting you from failure due to dust and water if you register your product on the App.

Using the Elite 10 earbuds

A feature I like about the whole Jabra earbud range is the large physical button on each earbud, which allows various operations like pause, skip Siri/Google Assistant, etc. This button gives a reassuring click.

You can set these earbuds up with ten Bluetooth devices, such as a PC or smartphone, and easily change between them. Connection is done via Bluetooth 5.3 with a range of approx. 10m. Leaving my phone in the centre of my house, I can continue to listen in every room.

The earbuds can be used independently, just one, not two earbuds. However, with the hear-through technology, there is no real need other than personal preference to leave one earbud out. While wearing both earbuds, any media playback is immediately paused if you remove one. I find this a courtesy thing when talking to someone, as with the hear-through feature, you can hear just as well, leaving the earphones in.

Sound reproduction is excellent from a 10mm speaker, 33% larger than the Elite 7, providing excellent base (deep sounds). The big addition to these earbuds is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos, which uses timing trickery to make your brain believe sound is coming from different directions beyond just left or right. Watching a movie or listening to music encoded with Dolby Atmos enhances your listening pleasure. I enjoy this feature, which is a reason to buy these earbuds. The jury is still out on the Dolby Head Tracking, which moves the sound around as you move your head to give the impression the sound comes from the same place. I find this a bit disorientating, and gives the sound an echo, which I don’t particularly appreciate when listening to podcasts.

Jabra promotes the Elite 10, having twice as good as “Jabra Standard ANC” (Advanced Noise Cancelation). Compared to Jabra’s cheaper models, this is no doubt true. Still, compared to the Elite 7, I found the Noise cancellation only slightly better.

Having tested many different headsets and earbuds, the most anticipated feature for me was how well the Elite 10 could handle voice calls in noisy environments. Having Six microphones (compared to 4 in the 7), I hoped for big things with this model and, unfortunately, was left still hoping. My standard test for headphones is my weekly call with my mother. I am exposed to construction noise, traffic, lawnmowers, etc. Manufacturers use multiple microphones to work out what your voice is and what is background noise. The technology then attempts to remove the background noise so only your voice is heard. The Elite 10s are okay, but headphones with a boom microphone with ANC built-in do a better job at this. Unfortunately, earbuds are still a work in progress.

The ear gels I found took a bit to get used to as it is a different feel to the round gels. I went to a bigger size but returned to the standard size and now happily wear them all day. Speaking of different shapes, the charging box is a new shape that fits your pocket better but must be held to reinsert the buds. The 7 had a flat bottom, so buds could be inserted without holding the case.

I wear earbuds as I do chores on a weekend and always worry I will drop a bud by accident into a bucket of water. To date, the buds have remained in place in my ears and only hit the ground with no damage from my fumbling fingers. If I were to drop a bud in a bucket, they are IP 57, meaning they should survive a quick dunking in water.

Our Take Jabra Elite 10 review.

The Jabra Elite 10 certainly are the best earbuds to date from Jabra. The sound playback quality and noise cancellation are exceptional for such a small size.

Suppose you are using these buds for work and play. In that case, there is definitely a bias towards play, as calls in a noisy environment are, unfortunately, still challenging for the other party.

The Dolby Atmos support is a standout feature and worth every cent of the $379 RRP of these buds, and with so much more content being consumed on a smartphone, it really enhances the experience.

If your budget does not stretch, look at the Elie 7 Pro reduced to $199, which is now a bargain.

For a long time, I did not use wireless earbuds, and I think I was worried about losing one or having to charge them. Today I use them every day, and irrespective of that, most smartphones have dropped the headphone socket, so you have no choice. Jabra has a range of wireless earbuds, and we look at their latest offering, the Elite 4.

What is a Jabra Elite 4 wireless earbud?

The Jabra Elite 4 are Bluetooth noise-cancelling rechargeable headphones in an earbud format for audio playback and voice calls. The Elite 4 is the entry-level in a range of earbuds from the Danish audio giant.

WHY should you buy wireless earbuds?

Earbuds are a convenient way to listen to music or conversation without wearing traditional on or over-ear headphones. They are not bulky and will not mess up your hair.

Earbuds come with a case that, in most cases, also acts as an extra battery to charge your earbuds, allowing extended time away from a mains power source.

The compact size allows them to be discrete in your ear or easily carried in a pocket or handbag.

A big reason for wireless earbuds is that smartphone vendors no longer include wired earphones in the box, nor do most have a headphone socket. If you want to listen to audio without disturbing others, wireless headphones are your only option.

What is in the Box?

In the box, you will only find the charging case containing the two earbuds, a USB A to USB C cable and two extra sets of silicone ear gels. The ear gels are used to match different-sized ear canals to ensure you get the correct fit.

Each earbud weighs 5 grams, and the charging case is 33 grams. The charging case dimensions are 64x28x35 mm.

Charging the earbuds is done via the case, which itself needs to be charged via the USB cable to a mains charger (not included), a PC, a car USB etc. The charge time is up to 3.5 hours and will provide up to 28 hours of listening time by using the case. When fully charged, the earbuds themselves will provide up to 7 hours or 5 hours with noise cancelling switched on.

If you run out of power in the buds, 10 minutes in the case will give you one hour of listening.

Priced at $139, Jabra Elite 4 are available in 4 colours. The included warranty is 2 years.

Using the Elite 4 earbuds

A feature I like on the whole Jabra earbud range is the large physical button on each earbud which allows various operations like pause, skip, Siri/Google assistant etc. This button gives a reassuring click.

You can set these earbuds up with six devices, such as a PC or smartphone, and easily change between them. Android and Windows set-up is super easy, with your devices automatically seeing the earbuds and allowing you to connect them. Connection is done via Bluetooth 5.2 with a range of approx. 10m. Leaving my phone in the centre of my house, I could continue to listen in every room.

The earbuds can be used independently, just one not two earbuds. I find this useful when I ride my bike so I can still hear the traffic clearly with one ear and listen to podcasts in the other. Sound reproduction is excellent from a 6mm speaker.

To test the Elite 4, I used them for my normal routine for a few weeks and took them on an interstate flight.

Getting straight to the point, the Elite 4’s are a great earbud, but I found a lack of features compared to the Elite 5 and 7. Don’t get me wrong, if you want a great set of earbuds to listen to audio on a walk or around the house, these are great value for money.

The Elite 4 supports noise cancellation, but compared to the more expensive models, I found that the more costly models worked far better in noisy environments like a train station on a train or in an aircraft.

In fairness, I found phone calls to work just as well.

A feature I missed found on the more expensive models was automatic pausing when you remove a bud which is a very convenient way to talk to someone without audio continuing or you fumbling for buttons.

This model has less dust and rain resistance and no wireless charging support.

Our Take Jabra Elite 4 review

Suppose you are after great quality earbuds for occasional use. In that case, the Jabra Elite 4 provides good sound basic noise cancellation and long battery life in a neat package.

If you are a heavy user of earbuds on the go in noisy environments, I recommend you spend the extra money and buy the Elite 5 or Elite 7 pro’s

Almost 30 years ago, I worked for Optus as the Mobile handset product manager. Digital phones had just replaced analogue mobile phones. Back then, a vendor would have several models with different software features. The more software features, the higher the price. The outsides looked different, but inside, the electronics were almost identical.
Fast forward to today, and the software is all the same, other than Apple vs Google, and the hardware makes the difference. In this review, we look at the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G smartphone and ask whether you really need to buy the most expensive smartphone.

What is a Galaxy A54 5G smartphone?

The Galaxy A54 smartphone is a mid-tier 5G mobile phone from Samsung with a good screen, camera and battery life.

In Australia, Samsung and Apple make up 90% of the market, and depending on how you cut the numbers, each is as popular as the other. The battle comes down to Apple’s IOS versus Samsung using Google’s Android. IOS is a proprietary software with a reputation for simplicity and being cool. Android allows more user flexibility, and vendors such as Samsung can change the user interface to differentiate Samsung from its Android competitors.
In reality, users get used to either IOS or Android and tend to stay with that software. Both software sets do the same thing, and Apple and Google constantly copy each other’s features. After you buy a phone, both Samsung and Apple will provide you free software upgrades for several years.

All this is to explain to you as opposed to 30 years ago, the software is not the difference in today’s phones, but the hardware.

Australians love to buy something because it can do something, not because they actually need it to do that. We might buy a car because it has a V8 engine, sounds great, and can do 250km/hr. If you are stuck in city traffic doing 25km/hr or even on an expressway doing 110km/hr, why do you need a car capable of more?

Thus the Samsung A54 is a mid-tier phone with hardware features that will do everything the average consumer or small business owner would ever need a phone for. The key hardware features users consider are screen, camera, battery life, speed and storage.

WHY should you consider a Samsung A54?

To buy an A54 outright that is not bundled as part of a plan will cost you $699. The top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will cost you $2,649, and a Galaxy A23 5G will cost $399.

To understand and compare all the features, we suggest you read out guide on buying a mobile phone.

Considering the key hardware features we listed above, how does the A54 stack up?

Screen

The S23 has a bigger screen with higher resolution but is harder to fit in your pocket and uses more power. The A23 screen is slightly bigger but with cheaper screen technology. The A54 6.4-inch screen is a full high-definition Super AMOLED screen with 1080×2340 pixels that is easy to read and works well in bright sunlight. When you look at the A23 screen in comparison, you can see the improvement

Camera

A high-quality camera is a double-edged sword. The better the quality, the larger each individual picture file is. A larger file takes up more room, meaning you need more storage on your phone or in the cloud. Consider: Unless you pay extra, Google Photos reduce the resolution of your images when it stores your photos. So, how much storage do you need in your phone? Also, consider that most smartphones have 3 or more cameras. Each of those cameras has a different resolution, and do you consider that when taking a selfie, that camera has lower quality? Thus, do you want to pay more for a camera or a camera that does the job well?

The A54 has a 32MP (Megapixel – number of dots or resolution) front selfie camera. This rear 12MP ultra-wide camera will fit more of what you see into the image. A 50MP main camera which is the best quality, and a 5MP Macro camera for taking photos of things close up.

Battery Life

A bigger battery means a larger phone and more weight. A bigger battery might also mean more time between charges. So many factors affect battery life, including network coverage, usage, demand and processor type, so comparing phones is very hard. The ability to charge fast also means a quick top-up keeps you going longer. I will say the A54 with a 4,905mAh battery is on the large side, and Samsung quotes two days of life with lots of disclaimers.

Speed

Speed relates to the processor inside the smartphone and is the brains behind running all the amazing apps on your phone. The latest top-of-the-line smartphone will have the latest and fastest processor. The A54 has a 2.4GHz Octa Core processor, which is, as you would expect, a mid-tier processor for performance. Back to our V8 analogy, do you need a V8?

Storage

A common complaint is that I cannot load more apps or take more photos as my phone’s storage is full. The S23 Ultra mentioned above supports 1TB of data, or ten times as much as the 101GB on the A54. However, I think you will be fine with the ability to move photos to the cloud and add up to a 1TB MicroSD card to the A54.

What is in the A54 Box?

Not much. A phone, a sim removal tool and a USB charging cable are standard these days. The A54 measures 158x77x8 mm and weighs 202 grams.

Samsung indicates that this phone will receive 4 generations of OS upgrades which means the phone will receive the next 4 yearly versions of Android. They also state 5 years of security patches. Considering that after around 3 years, the battery will have deteriorated, and you will be eyeing new models, the phone’s software features will still be the latest for its life.

Speaking of a tough life, the phone is IP67, meaning it is water- and dust-resistant. Don’t take it for a swim but don’t stress if it splashed in the rain.

The sound playback through the inbuilt speakers is impressive. The phone supports Dolby Atoms, a technology that gives the impression that sound comes from multiple directions, not just left and right. I listened to a Dolby Atmos test track and was impressed by the results. You probably will not use this feature through the inbuilt speakers, though, and it will work through headphones.

Having 5G in its name indicates the phone supports 5G. Most people still do not have the use cases that take advantage of 5G, and 4G is fine for most of us. However, 5G does future-proof the phone.

Using the Galaxy A54 5G

I use an Android phone every day, a high-end phone that is 2 years old. Although a slightly different flavour of Android, I found the A54 pretty much the same as my old phone. The software features and apps are the same, and the hardware performance in the new A54 is about the same as my 2-year-old top-of-the-line phone. Do I want better hardware performance? No, I am happy with this level. My existing phone cost double what the A54 costs.

Our Take Galaxy A54 review

Do I want the latest top-of-the-line Samsung phone? Hell yes! Am I going to buy it? No.!
At $699, the A54 does everything and more I need out of a smartphone. It is durable, has the right features and has the same software as every Android phone.

A small business smartphone is really just a consumer smartphone. I recommend saving money by buying a mid-tier phone like the A54 and updating it every two years to have newer hardware and battery. You will still have money left over for something else.

Working from anywhere means you will most likely do video calls. Those video calls, of course, require video; however, communication is done by voice. Many people will use a headset to improve their audio, but there is another way to enhance your audio experience. This review looks at the Jabra SPEAK2 55 professional portable speakerphone.

What is a Jabra SPEAK2 55 professional portable speakerphone?

The Jabra SPEAK2 55 is an accessory for your PC or smartphone that enables high-quality audio conversations. It is a large hockey puck-looking device with an internal speaker and 4 inbuilt microphones. It allows you to have a hands-free/headset-free conversation, whether at a boardroom table or the bonnet of your car. It is ideal if several people are at your end so everyone can join the conversation.

WHY should you consider a Speakerphone?

A speakerphone facilitates a natural conversation as if all parties were in the same room. A speakerphone enhances the sound substantially compared to a PC or smartphone speakers and microphone. This sound enhancement is achieved by a larger speaker and numerous microphones to ensure everyone in the room is heard.

The SPEAK2 55 has an internal battery that will last up to 12 hours without being plugged in. It can be connected to your smartphone or PC by Bluetooth or alternatively plugged into a USB C or USB A socket, which also facilitates charging.

Traditionally when using speakerphones, they operated in a simplex type mode meaning no one could talk over another. Although this sounds attractive, it also means that it is difficult to get heard; indeed, you will not be unless no one else is speaking. The Jabra supports full duplex, which means you can talk while others speak. You will be heard, exactly like what happens in a normal conversation.

Now everyone is heard; there are some noises, like background noise from a building site or kids playing in the background, that you do not want to hear. The Jabra uses beam-forming microphone technology and active noise-cancelling technology to ensure listeners on the other end are not disturbed.

What is in the Box?

In the box, you will only find two items. The SPEAK2 itself and a felt carry pouch allowing you to protect the Jabra as you travel with it.

The Jabra has a diameter of 12cm and is just over 3cm thick. It weighs 280 grams and is IP64 rated, meaning it is resistant to water and dust.

The USB cable winds around the base for storage and has a USB- C plug and a USB_A adapter attached. Buttons on the unit allow you to Power on/off, answer a call, end or reject a call, increase and decrease volume, mute a conversation, pair via Bluetooth, Battery status and Microsoft Teams control. A LED ring of light helps you understand the status, such as mute battery and volume levels depending on which button is pressed.

Priced from $269, Jabra is so confident in the product that it comes with a 100-day free return policy. The included warranty is 2 years.

Using the SPEAK2 55 speakerphone

We have been trialling the SPEAK2 55 for around a month, mainly for doing Microsoft teams calls. We found it to fully integrate with the Teams PC consul, so features like mute synchronise and you can answer a team’s call from the Jabra. The speaker quality is far superior to that of a late-model Dell PC. The audio quality received by others has filtered out the background noise of working from home. Although not tested extensively, the 55 also works with Zoom and Google meet.

A feature we like is voice level normalisation which means that the Jabra automatically adjust each person’s voice to a similar level. Thus, if you have three people in a room at different distances from the microphones and speak at different loudness, the people at the other end of the connection will hear everyone’s voice at the same volume.

Running a small business means you probably cannot afford to provide all staff members with a SPEAK2. As the Jabra supports connecting up to 8 different Bluetooth devices, multiple people could share a unit without setting up a new Bluetooth connection each time.

We know the SPEAK2 allows you to connect to your mobile phone or PC for voice or video calls. Still, another advantage is it is also a Bluetooth speaker that can play back music or your favourite podcast. You could also use it as a hands-free car kit.

One feature I would like to see included in a future software upgrade is when permanently connected to your PC via the USB cable. It automatically shuts down when the PC shuts down.

Our Take Jabra SPEAK2 55 review

Whether you work from anywhere or simply just the kitchen table at home, the Jabra SPEAK2 55 converts your conference call setup to the same quality found in boardroom speakerphones.

Small businesses can use this device to share between staff to make conferencing with groups of people simpler and of better-quality audio. I picture a bunch of tradies standing around the bonnet of a Ute taking clear instructions via the Jabra from an engineer so the job is done right.

We rely so heavily on technology, and every year we seem to have more and more gadgets.
Once, we just needed to change the battery in our watch once a year. Now we must charge our devices every day or more! Specifically for Apple users, we test the HiRise 3 Wireless Charging Stand to understand its worth.

A Wireless Charging Stand is a small plinth that allows you to rest your device on it to charge device/s without cables.

The Apple ecosystem encourages you to buy all their products. If you have an iPhone, chances are you also have an Apple Watch and a pair of Airpods. If you were to charge these devices out of the boxes, you would need 3 cables and potentially 3 power supplies plugged into 3 power points. That is a mess of cables.

The HiRise 3 wireless charging stand allows you to ergonomically and simultaneously charge your Apple iPhone, Watch and Airpods.

Benefits of a HiRise 3 wireless charging stand:

• Compact design declutters your desk or bedside table.
• A single supplied cable replaces the need for multiple cables. (Note you do require a 20w USB-C power source)
• Pleasing aesthetic design to match the Apple styling.
• A vertical stand magnetically holds your iPhone for easy reference to the screen.

The HiRise is available directly from twelvesouth for $179.95

Impressions of the HiRise 3 Wireless Charging Stand

This stand will only work with iPhone 12 and 13 models. You must have AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case. Any Apple watch will charge. If all three products are placed on the stand, it will take approximately 2 and a half hours to bring all to a full state.

A handy feature is that any wirelessly charging capable smartphone, including Android phones, can be charged on the lower charging base—a handy feature when friends need a top-up.

Available in black or white, the stand is an attractive addition to a desk or bedside table. It has a very sturdy construction and a reasonable weight, so your phone will be stable when attached and not topple over. We did not like the silicone feet on the bottom, which slide easily on a desk. This can be easily fixed by adding your own rubber stick-on pads, but we would like to see this change in future models.

Our takeaway from using the HiRise 3

The true test of any product to support Apple is to get an Apple fanboy/girl involved. I enlisted my 24-year-old daughter to give me her feedback. Her desk and background are styled, and Android is a dirty word. Her feedback was simple she loves how slim and neat the product is and likes that she can see alerts on the screen within her eye line. Beyond that, her generation just expects everything to work; in the case of the HiRise 3, it just does.