Apple TV+ may not pack in as many movies and TV shows as other major streaming platforms, but what it showcases rates highest for quality on IMDb, according to a new report.
Apple TV+ tops quality ratings in 19 genre categories on the movie-database site, including drama, comedy, action, biography and children’s content. But its relatively small catalogue helps keep it from ranking high on value for its price.
Apple TV+ top all streamers for quality content per IMDb ratings
Apple TV+ offers best-quality content rated by IMDb but also has the smallest library of content among several major streamers, a detailed survey from Self Financial found.
Other streamers the survey rated: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ (including Hulu), Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+ and Peacock.
These findings echo what JustWatch found in averaging critics’ scores of content in mid-2023. Apple TV+ has the best stuff, not the most stuff. And its rise based on that strategy continues.
Top quality, low quantity
Apple TV+ tops the list for quality content. Photo: Self Financial
Apple TV+ movies and series averaged a rating of 7.01 out of 10 (7.3/10 for family content), topping Self’s list for the third year in a row.
In fact, Apple TV+ came out on top in 19 of 27 genre categories. But in 11 of those, its rating carried an asterisk because it offers fewer than 15 titles in each of them.
And to that point, Apple TV+’s catalogue remains small compared to services like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu. The biggest, Amazon Prime Video, pushes 14,511 titles (it acquired MGM in 2022, for one thing). Netflix carries 6,643. And Apple TV+? Just 277, according to the survey.
What about value?
The Self survey also examined value offered for the cost of service. If found that Amazon’s Prime Video, which has surpassed Netlix in size but hasn’t increased prices like other services have, takes the value crown.
Prime Video offers the most movies rated “Excellent” on IMDb per $1 spent, at 42 (and 557 rated “Good”). However, Netflix still rates higheset for TV value, offering 60 “Excellent” shows and 241 “Good” shows for every $1.
Apple TV+ offers best quality including 4K content
When it comes to quanity of content, Apple TV+ brings up the rear. Photo: Self Financial
With a much smaller catalogue, Apple TV+ rated lower on value, understandably. It simply has few titles per dollar spent across the board.
However, the service took top honors for having the top audience ratings for its 4K movies and TV series (7.18/10). The hit comedy Ted Lasso accounts for some of that, with its 8.8 rating.
For comparison, Netflix comes in at a 4K content rating of 6.53. Prime Video comes in last at 5.93.
Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
Earlier this month, Google released Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2. It brought many features, and among them were two new accessibility options meant for use with a physical keyboard, sticky keys, and bounce keys. It was reported that these two features will soon be joined by another option, slow keys. Well, that third option is finally here.
According to a new report from Android Authority, the newly-released Android 15 Developer Preview 2 offers three accessibility options that you can use with a physical keyboard: Sticky keys, Slow keys, and Bounce Keys. While sticky keys and bounce keys were already present in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, the slow keys option is new.
The slow keys option allows you to specify the duration a key should be pressed for the system to register the keystroke. This feature helps people with physical disabilities. With the three new options, Android 15 will make it more convenient for people to use a keyboard with their tablets or with their phones operating in desktop mode.
Now, here’s something that will make you feel good if you own a smartphone or tablet from Samsung. The Korean tech giant already offers these three options with One UI. This is one of the reasons why people prefer One UI over stock Android. One UI offers many useful features that stock Android still misses out on.
Samsung has released an update to ClockFace, a module for Good Lock that gives you additional options to customize clock face for the lock screen and always-on display over what Android and One UI offer.The update changes the app’s version to 3.1.7 and according to the changelog, it brings three features for phones/tablets running on One UI 6.1 and one improvement for devices running on One UI 6.0.
Let’s start with the three features for phones/tablets running on One UI 6.1. First, the update offers new font options for the clock face. Second, it adds a new weather item. Third, it allows you to add frames to images and GIFs. With the three new options, you can personalize the clock face in an even finer way than before.
As for the one change for One UI 6.0, Samsung says that now when you open ClockFace on devices that don’t support clock style for always-on display, the app will show only the option to customize clock faces for the lock screen. Up until now, it used to show the option to customize clock faces for AOD as well, an option that couldn’t do anything.
We have received the latest update for ClockFace on our Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24+ in India. So, it looks like the company has made the new version of the app available globally. To get the update, go to Galaxy Store » Menu » Updates. Recently, Samsung also updated Good Lock’s two more modules, Multistar and Wonderland.
Samsung has announced Galaxy Ultra Days in India. During this promotional event, the company is offering the Galaxy S24 Ultra with three benefits worth INR 18,720 in total, making this a great chance for you to buy the smartphone. Let’s take a look at the benefits.
First up is an instant discount of INR 6,000 on the phone if you make the payment using a credit or debit card from HDFC Bank. Second is a cart discount of INR 6,720 if you grab a Smart View Wallet Case. It costs INR 6,720, which means that you will be getting the case for free. Third is an upgrade bonus of INR 6,000. Even if you don’t consider the upgrade bonus, you are getting benefits worth INR 12,000.
Samsung has priced the base variant of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has 256GB storage, at INR 1,29,999. With the two benefits, you will be able to get the smartphone for INR 1,17,999 effectively. Whereas, the price of the 512GB and 1TB storage variants will drop down to INR 1,27,999 and INR 1,47,999 respectively.
Galaxy Ultra Days will be live till 22 March 2024 on the brand’s official website for the country. So, you have four days to grab the deal. If you were eyeing the phone, now is a great time to get it. On a related note, Samsung has also announced the Holi Sale in India. During the event, the company is offering discounts, cashback, and freebies on many products, including the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+.
TipTop, an app for trading in used devices and getting instant cash, today launched a new feature called Shop. With TipTop Shop, users are able to buy new, open box, and refurbished items, while also trading in old devices at the same time.
The feature allows customers to sell items, trade them in, and/or buy new devices in a single transaction. It is a unique option for a trade-in/device selling app, as there is no need for a multi-step process when upgrading to a new device.
Now, with TipTop Shop you can purchase any item and, at the same time, trade in any device from any manufacturer. Cross brand trade-in is an industry first, as other trade-in programs rely on multiple step transactions, gift cards or other complicated arrangements.
Want to trade in your Samsung Galaxy for a new iPad? No problem. An Apple HomePod mini for a solid discount on the new Nintendo Switch? You bet. Trading in your iPhone for a Nothing Phone? We can help with that. And TipTop can do it all in one tap.
TipTop was founded by Bastian Lehmann, the founder and CEO of Postmates, and its marketing VP is former TechCrunch editor-in-chief Matthew Panzarino. The app’s trade-in prices are similar to the prices offered by Apple, though it offers more than Apple on some newer devices and less than Apple on older devices.
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still around six months away from launching, there are already many rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of March 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch…
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple’s flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple’s iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company’s more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%…
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver’s license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,…
Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro models are expected to be announced in a matter of weeks, so what can customers expect from the highly anticipated new machines? The 2022 iPad Pro was a minor update that added the M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover, and specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The iPad Pro as a whole has generally only seen relatively small updates in…
Apple appears to be internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software update in our website’s logs this week. Our logs have revealed the existence of several iOS 17 versions before Apple released them, ranging from iOS 17.0.3 to iOS 17.3.1. iOS 17.4.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear when…
Apple today announced three further changes for developers in the European Union, allowing them to distribute apps directly from webpages, choose how to design in-app promotions, and more. Apple last week enabled alternative app stores in the EU in iOS 17.4, allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers’ apps as well as the marketplace developer’s own apps. As of…
Apple acquired Canada-based company DarwinAI earlier this year to build out its AI team, reports Bloomberg. DarwinAI created AI technology for inspecting components during the manufacturing process, and it also had a focus on making smaller and more efficient AI systems. DarwinAI’s website and social media accounts have been taken offline following Apple’s purchase. Dozens of former DarwinAI …
With the refresh of the MacBook Air models in March, Apple now has M3 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Air, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 15-inch MacBook Air, all with the same chip inside. For those trying to decide between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, we did a comparison video to highlight what you’re getting with each machine. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. …
Samsung has announced the Holi Sale in India on the occasion of Holi. The sale will be live from 15 March 2024 to 26 March 2024. During this sale, the company is offering heavy discounts, exchange benefits, bank offers, and free goodies on many product categories, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, laptops, TVs, and home appliances. You can check out category-wise discounts and offers in the image below.
It is worth pointing out that the percentages of discounts that Samsung has mentioned in the image above for each product category apply to the MRP of products rather than the price the company usually sells them at, and the tech giant usually sells its products at much lower prices than their MRP. That means, in reality, you will not get as much discount on a product as Samsung is boasting in the chart above.
That being said, there are some genuine offers in this sale, including a 50-inch Serif TV for free with Neo QLED TVs, free-of-cost installation and gas charging for air conditioners, and up to 22.5% cashback on credit/debit banks from select banks. According to Samsung, all offers will be available on the official website, Samsung Shop App, and Samsung Exclusive Stores. If you have been eyeing a Samsung product, now is a great time to buy it.
Blink is once again attempting to challenge conventional wisdom about how good a $40 security camera can be. The Amazon-owned company is today announcing the Blink Mini 2, which crams in plenty more smart features into that relatively tiny body. Headline features include better image quality day and night, as well as a built-in LED spotlight for color night vision.
Blink
Paired with Blink’s custom system-on-chip, the Mini 2 will also offer smart notifications and person detection. Those features will require a Blink subscription which, for $3 a month, will get you cloud recording, 60 days of video history and live streaming. You’ll also need to pony up some more to use the Mini 2 outside — $49.98 will get you the camera and the necessary weather proof power adapter.
We’ve written previously about tinybox. The $15,000 AI server system is powered by AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics cards and can reportedly deliver 37% of Nvidia H100 compute performance.
It seems however, that the creators of tinybox have run into problems with bugs affecting the Radeon-based platform. After parent company tiny corp posted several tweets expressing frustration with AMD’s AI acceleration toolkit – in which it cheekily tagged AMD rivals Nvidia and Intel – AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, stepped in, saying her team was working to fix the issues.
Unfortunately, the fixes weren’t good enough for tiny corp, which fired off another round of frustrated tweets, asking AMD to “fix their basic s*t” and suggesting the tech giant open source its firmware so that the tiny startup could do what AMD seemed incapable of – namely “fix their LLVM spilling bug and write a fuzzer for HSA”.
If AMD open sources their firmware, I’ll fix their LLVM spilling bug and write a fuzzer for HSA. Otherwise, it’s not worth putting tons of effort into fixing bugs on a platform you don’t own. https://t.co/c4I2So27YGMarch 5, 2024
See more
The dilemma
After things got even more heated, Su tweeted “Thanks for the collaboration and feedback. We are all in to get you a good solution. Team is on it.”
While that could be good news for tiny corp – time will tell – Su could well face a backlash for essentially stepping in to support the use of its consumer products in a server aimed at the enterprise.
As jlake3 commented over on Tom’s Hardware, “tinybox is buying consumer cards instead of datacenter models, but seems to expect a datacenter SLA? They got revised firmware within 6 hours of the earliest linked tweet and a call with engineering the next day, which is more than I’d think a startup buying a bunch of gaming cards would qualify for when there are actual paying enterprise clients, and they appear to be having a public meltdown that AMD isn’t doing more for a startup with less than 100 servers built and none yet shipped (and expressly avoiding using pro GPUs).”
He also made another good point. “As for Nvidia, their EULA forbids using GeForce products for datacenter CUDA applications, so they’d definitely not be dedicating anyone to talk to tinybox in this situation, except maybe a lawyer.”
Leica’s SL family has always been the most “mirrorless” looking of its cameras, offering pro photographers handling that’s similar to rivals like Canon and Sony. That continues with the launch of the SL3, a 60-megapixel (MP) model that looks nothing like its famous rangefinder cameras, offering a new phase-detect autofocus system, 8K video capability and more.
The new model has the same sensor as the M11 rangefinder and Q3 compact models, but very much resembles the SL2 and tips the scale at a hefty 767 grams. It’s also IP54-rated so you can shoot in weather conditions ranging from 14 to 104°F without worrying about dust, moisture etc.
Leica
The biggest change in the layout is a new dial on the left top (all the dials are blank as you can customize them any way you want). At the back, Leica moved the three key buttons (play, function and menu) to the right, and changed the power switch to a button.
The SL3 now has a new 3.2″ 2.3m-dot LCD, and unlike past models, it can tilt (but not swivel). The EVF has also been updated to a higher-resolution 5.76m-dot 0.78x OLED version. As for storage, it supports both CFexpress type B and SD UHS-II memory cards. It comes with a full-sized HDMI and USB-C charging ports, along with mic/headphone jacks.
Leica
The new sensor increases resolution from 47 MP on the SL2 up to 60 MP, a significant bump. It’s likely similar to the sensor Sony uses on the A7R V, and supports a wide native ISO range from 50-100,000, with a claimed 15 stops of dynamic range.
It can shoot bursts up to 15fps, but more importantly, offers a new phase-detect AF system that’s faster and more intelligent, according to the company. It combines phase detection, contrast and object autofocus for faster and more consistent performances. That includes face and eye detection, along with a new animal detection feature. It’s also supposed to be better at tracking action, Leica says.
Leica
As for video, the SL3 can record internally in DCI 8K 8192 x 4320 at 30 fps and DCI 4K at up to 60p with a maximum bitrate of 600Mb/s. It can also record externally via the HDMI output, also at DCI 8K and DCI 4K up to 60fps. Those resolutions are all available in 10-bit with the choice of L-Log Rec. 2020 and HLG Rec. 2020. It supports ProRes recording, but only up to 1080p.
As you’re probably expecting, the SL3 isn’t cheap at $6,995, though it is significantly cheaper than the $9,000 M11. It’s now available at B&H Photo Video and elsewhere.
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The Audio Pro C20 has a lot of connectivity options. As anyone familiar with the category of best wireless speakers knows, a box of drivers that’s able to harness your home’s Wi-Fi network can offer superior sound to that afforded by a Bluetooth connection, whether music is accessed via Google Cast, Apple’s AirPlay, ‘connected’ services such as Tidal Connect (which actually lets you stream losslessly in 24-bit hi-res, where AirPlay taps out at 16-bit CD quality) or a dedicated multi-room app such as the Audio Pro Control app. And the Audio Pro C20 offers all of this.
But just quickly, let’s explain why Audio Pro’s latest wireless speaker is worth your time from a technical perspective. First off, pinging music over Bluetooth from phone to speaker incurs compression. Wi-Fi’s higher bandwidth means you can listen in (very) high resolution, up to 24-bit/192kHz. Now, a Wi-Fi enabled speaker accesses your chosen tunes from the internet (or local drive connected to it) rather than from your phone itself – and if you walk into another room or take a call, as long as you stay within range of your Wi-Fi router, the music keeps playing.
Why explain this in the intro to a product review? Because Audio Pro gets it. The Swedish company’s been in the game for 40 years and the firm gets that we want more than one open gate leading to our music. Also, we now have plenty of kit we’d like to physically connect our shiny new speaker to, if possible (and thank you very much in advance). So, on top of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, Audio Pro has added to the sizeable C20 a compelling array of ports on the back: an RCA in (for turntables with an RIAA amp), a phono MM in (for moving-magnet cartridge decks without a phono stage), an RCA sub out (if you wanted to connect a dedicated subwoofer to it), a Toslink Optical in (for CD players or budget soundbars, say) and the arguably the biggest draw of the lot – an HDMI ARC in, so it can go straight into your TV and challenge some of the best soundbars. So long as it’ll fit beneath it without obscuring the screen, that is.
The grille attaches easily with magnets and offers clean lines, if you want those… (Image credit: Future)
What you need to know is this: this thing sounds fantastic, offering clarity, depth, excitement and finesse, even at higher volumes. The control app is easy to navigate and corrals all of your chosen music streaming services – but of course, you could go into each app on your phone and click the little Google cast or AirPlay icon to see the C20 ready to connect.
Audio Pro calls the C20 the complete solution for music and TV and it’s hard to argue. It’s also hard to imagine a home interior, color scheme or decor style that the Audio Pro C20 couldn’t be friends with – and the grille can remain on or easily be whipped off, if you prefer to see its three talented drivers.
The metal top plate adds an extra touch of class and the buttons click nicely, in a build that feels both reverent to traditional techniques and yet strikingly modern.
The fact that it comes from a long line of hits means it doesn’t come cheap though. I’ve written odes to Audio Pro’s beautiful speakers and I helped review the slightly smaller Audio Pro Addon C10 MkII for TechRadar’s sister site, What Hi-Fi?, so I can personally vouch the five-star rating there (and the multiple awards it subsequently gained), although I fear those likely didn’t do much to keep prices low.
In summary, it’s chic, it’s unique and it’s (virtually) the complete package. Why virtually? If you wanted a 3.5mm in for your headphones (or 4.4mm, 6.35mm, or XLR), you won’t find it – you’d have to go the the FiiO R9 for that. The C20 is for the enjoyment of shared music. And what an experience that is.
Audio Pro C20 review: Price and release date
Unveiled January 8, 2024, shipping from March 2024
$550 / £450 / €550 (around AU$820)
The Audio Pro C20 is available for pre-order now, and ships from March 2024. In the US, it costs $550 and in the UK, it’ll set you back £450, hardly a trifling sum, whatever whistles and bells it sports.
That said, the competition here isn’t much more affordable. Yes, the Q Acoustics M40 HD is (excellent and) a music system squirrelled into a set of speakers, but as far as wireless connectivity goes, it’s a Bluetooth only one. Then, there’s the fantastic FiiO R9, with all of the connectivity and hi-res wireless streaming smarts you could wish for, as long as you’ll provide your own speakers or headphones.
Sonus Faber and Naim also offer similar solutions – see the Naim Mu-so Qb, a 2019 release which doesn’t boast an HDMI ARC input, support, or the Sonus Faber Omnia, which does – but while the former is now available for similar money to the C20, the latter is a lot more expensive…
Audio Pro sports so many connections, it advises you on which to use for different kinds of turntable… (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Drivers
2x 1-inch tweeters, 1x 6.5-inch woofer
Weight
6.2kg
Connectivity (wireless)
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Audio Pro multi-room
Connectivity (wired)
HDMI ARC, Toslink, RCA, Phone, Line, Sub Out
Power
190W (2x 30W and 1x130W Calss D amps)
Audio Pro C20 review: Features
Built in RIAA amplifier
Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Audio Pro’s own multi-room audio option
HDMI ARC
By adding a phono stage to its latest masterwork, Audio Pro C20 can be plugged straight into your devoid-of-phono turntable (as long as it sports a moving magnet cartridge), allowing you to simply power it on, select ‘phono’ on the Audio Pro’s top plate, lower that needle and get into the groove. Got one of the best turntables with an RIAA amp inbuilt? That’s OK too, there’s a separate RCA line in for you too.
Of course, this is Audio Pro, so the new C20 also features the winning multi-room option triumvirate that the company introduced with the 2021-release Addon C10 MkII: AirPlay 2, Google Cast, plus its own multi-room audio capability. You also get Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth (v5.0) and HDMI ARC – so you can hook it straight up to your TV.
Thanks to a combination of these these things, you can also re-stream music (including vinyl from your turntable) to other Audio Pro speakers you may have collected from its A, C, or D-series, in a wireless multi-room system around your home (and you don’t even have to start making holes in your walls).
The C20 also offers the option of connecting an external subwoofer via its sub-out (the company would direct you to its own Audio Pro SW-5 or SW10) enabling you to enhance the C20’s bass performance even further, should you wish – although I didn’t find this necessary.
Finally, two C20’s can be set-up as a stereo pair using the Audio Pro app, or even via Apple Airplay 2. I think you’ll agree, that’s a lot of options. If you want a 3.5mm headphone jack, you won’t find it… but do you really?
Features score: 5/5
That’s a lot of options – and six presets (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Sound quality
Clarity, neutrality and detail in spades
Ample bass clout without muddying the soundstage
Not an omnidirectional solution
Simply put, the Audio Pro C20 sounds very good indeed, whether physically hooked up to your TV or turntable, or when commanded to play music by your phone. You might anticipate having to make a compromise when buying a jack-of-all-trades box – a minor hit on sound in return for something that works with everything – but not so here.
Coheed and Cambria’s In Keeping Secrets of the Silent Earth: 3 accessed on Tidal Connectis a raucous proggy album and the C20 never shies away from any of it, serving indomitable energy across the frequencies in a cohesive but rigorously regimented mix.
Given delicate string progressions such as Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You, Mitchell’s textured vocal soars above her dynamically agile and three-dimensional Appalachian dulcimer (and James Taylor’s emotive acoustic guitar) where each musical passage is given enough space to have the necessary impact the track.
When handling TV content, the C20 is an easy (easy!) step up from anything my Sony TV’s speakers can do, opening out the sound and offering that extra ounce of detail through intakes of breath and clacks of high-heeled shoes on cobbles in Shetland.
It’s not a Dolby Atmos solution, of course, and the sound isn’t particularly omnidirectional (owing to the C20’s design), but there’s a wide soundstage here nonetheless.
However I listened to it across the course of my testing, the C20 continued to delight and entertain with its myriad connectivity perks, ease of use and gifted audio chops.
Sound quality score: 5/5
The remote certainly adds value – although volume adjustment is a slightly blunt affair (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20: Design
2x 30W and 1x 130W digital class D amplifiers
Removable grille
Choice of three finishes
The Audio Pro C20 is available in Soft Satin White, Stylish Grey or Classic Black. The woven fabric front is fixed to the C20 by magnets and can be easily removed, giving the option of two very different looks, depending on your favored aesthetic.
I like to take off the grille off to better hear (and observe) Audio Pro’s iconic eyes-and-nose style driver configuration, as seen in the brand’s beloved T3+, C5 MkII and C10 MkII, for starters. Here, you get two 30W and one 130W Digital Class D amplifiers, powering the C20’s dual 1-inch tweeters and a 6.5-inch woofer.
At 41cm across,19.6cm high and 22cm deep (and weighing in at 6.2kg, which roughly the same as a gallon of paint), the C20 is a substantial thing and while it fits under my wall-mounted TV just fine, those thinking of using it as a soundbar will need to think about that height.
My ‘Stylish Grey’ sample is just that. The gold-tone top plate (with solo LEDs to denote which source you’re using as well as lights around the six preset buttons) also helps and while the gold accent on the grille is gone (as seen on the C10 MkII) I don’t miss it. Do I miss Audio Pro’s glorious rock ‘n’ roll leather handle? A little, but I also concede that this isn’t proposition is not meant to be especially portable.
It’s always been hard to find fault with Audio Pro’s build quality, and the C20 is no exception.
Design score: 4.5/5
You need a bit of clearance, but it works with my TV (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Usability and setup
Simple, app-guided setup
App can handle your music –or not
No supplied remote
After powering the speaker on (in case it needs to be mentioned, the C20 needs to be plugged in to power at all times), you’re quickly guided to the Audio Pro companion app, which will add the C20 to your Wi-FI network and generally do the rest. During my time with it, it neither crashed nor tripped up even momentarily.
On the app, the ‘Browse’ tab (which seeks to keep your music all in one place) will open Apple Music natively through ‘open on Apple Music’ if using an iOS device, but third-party streaming services (such as Tidal) will require you to login again if going this route. You can also select the C20’s source here, whether that’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, phono, line in (I hooked it up to the FiiO R9 before setting it up and it did a fantastic job), optical or TV.
The central ‘Device’ tab in the app is meant to organise your speakers rather than your music, so here you can name your speaker, (either the model, or its placement in your home, such as ‘kitchen’) and with the C20 there’s a three-band EQ tab for bass, treble and subwoofer out.
The third and final ‘Settings’ tab basically lets you choose which services are displayed on ‘Browse’, as well as an FAQ section and details on the app version you’re running.
Audio Pro hasn’t supplied a dedicated remote control in the box (although if you’re using the HDMI ARC to your TV, you can just use your TV’s remote for volume) and honestly, I don’t miss it, because the app does the heavy lifting – or of course, you can use the premium top plate.
Usability and setup score: 5/5
Audio Pro’s companion app makes it really easy to group your music and your wireless speakers for multi-room audio (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20: Value
Obviously, if you don’t have the expendable income to afford such a speaker, it doesn’t matter how good it is – you won’t be buying it.
That said, Sonus Faber will offer you something with a similar spec sheet that’s double the price, while Naim has an older option that offers less in terms of connectivity, but sounds excellent, for similar money (see below for a comparison of these products).
My advice? You will not be disappointed with the sound-per-pound value here.
Value score: 4.5/5
Audio Pro C20 review: Should you buy it?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Audio Pro C20: Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Audio Pro C20
Naim Mu-so Qb (2019)
Sonus Faber Omnia
Price
$550 / £450 (around AU$820)
$899 / £749 (around AU£1300) but can be found for less
$2,000 / £1,600 / AU$3,500
Drivers
2x 1-inch tweeters, 1x 6.5-inch woofer
7-driver array
7-driver array powered by a 490W amplifier
Connectivity (wireless)
2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Audio Pro app for multi-room connectivity
Ethernet (10/100Mbps), Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), BLE v4.2,Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast Built-in, UPnPTM, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Roon Ready, Bluetooth, Internet Radio
2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX HD), AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect
Weight
6.2kg
5.6kg
7.6kg
Connectivity (wired)
HDMI ARC in, Phono, RCA line in, Optical Toslink in, Sub out
Optical S/PDIF, USB 2 (type A), 3.5mm jack
Switchable phono/line in (for turntable analog devices), HDMI Arc in, Ethernet port
Audio Pro C20 review: How I tested
Tested across seven days
Used as a TV soundbar, wireless speaker, wired to the FiiO R9, wired to a turntable and as a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker
Listened to a variety of music; watched three episodes of an action-packed TV show
When testing the Audio Pro C20, the only connection I didn’t use was the subwoofer out – because honestly, I really like Audio Pro’s tuning within its speakers and never felt the need to try to augment the low end.
The analogue inputs accommodated both pre-amplified and non-amplified turntables, the digital optical was used for a CD player, the line in for FiiO R9 (as a source device), my TV was hooked up to it… and, of course, Bluetooth and my home Wi-Fi network were handy for using it with my iPhone.
And then it’s the usual: listening to lots of familiar music from my reference playlist, (as well as three episodes of Shetland on TV, which I’m really into and highly recommend – yes, I know I’m late to that particular party) at a variety of volume levels, for the duration of my testing.
As a brief aside, I removed the grilles for the duration of my testing – it’s what I always do whenever possible. Why? The fewer physical obstructions between you and your music, the better…
