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Asics, Converse and sneaker tech, as premium Audio Technica earbuds make a mark

Oct 10, 2024 07:15 AM IST

ASICS Gel Kayano 31: This is, by far and away, a sneaker line that has withstood not just the test of time, but has crucially evolved along the way.

ASICS Gel Kayano 31: This is, by far and away, a sneaker line that has withstood not just the test of time, but has crucially evolved along the way (and that’s why it continues to go strong). Take for instance, last year’s Gel Kayano 30, which I had classified as a “radical tech evolution”. You have runners and every day users who swear by the Gel Kayano 31, at a price point (the sticker price is around 15,999) that’s the perfect mid-point between entry level running shoes, and the flagships. The Gel Kayano 31’s rivals include the Nike Pegasus 41 and the Adidas Supernova Rise (read my analysis). The Gel Kayano 31 is building on the Gel Kayano 30, and yet, isn’t a cyclical annual refresh for the sake of it.

Asics_Gel_Kayano_31
Asics_Gel_Kayano_31

The “4D guidance system”, Asics’ terminology for the outsole, grip and upper combinations, sees subtle tweaks from last year’s sneaker. The results include an even better ventilated toe box, a snug fit and better responsiveness when running at slower speeds (jogging too, benefits). The one observation I must speak about is the forefoot to heel stack height transition, which is slightly more than usual—and that means this shoe’s landing and balance might take some getting used to if you habitually land on your forefoot while running (heel led contacts are ideal for this shoe’s rocker underfoot design). Asics has again got the combination of the gel (they call it PureGel) and foam (FF Blast+ Eco, is the name) just right, and it is now right up there with the combinations Adidas and Nike have also worked on. The Gel Kayano 31 has just the right amount of cushioning for slow or quicker runs on hard surfaces, but you may notice it dulls up if running on a softer surface. It is clear the Asics Gel Kayano 31 derives most value from versatility—it is equally adept as a daily workhorse, as a marathon footwear.

Converse_Chuck_70
Converse_Chuck_70

Converse Chuck 70 AT-CX: First things first, the CX in Converse’ shoe naming scheme, references the CX foam, which is essentially a composition of a single-density polyurethane. That means three parts come together to make what is the rather interesting looking Chuck 70 AT-CX sneaker. This is an all-terrain shoe, and Converse’s approach is freshening up a category that otherwise looks more at thick outsoles, rugged uppers and considers it a job done. Everything about the design is to make the innards roomier, and more plush. Such as the reinforced canvas in the forefoot area, and the slightly higher sidewalls. The textile upper meets the CX foam midsole, which in my testing became clear that it takes some time to get the suppleness knuckled in. But once it does, the perception of comfort that you see when looking at the thick midsole (it is multi-layered too) component of a Chuck 70 AT-CX from the outside, comes through in earnest.

These sneakers (around 7,999) are a little heavier at 454 grams or thereabouts, also something you’ll get used to soon enough. The outsole component is where attention to detail becomes more than apparent (as it should, for an all-terrain sneaker). Converse has thickened this slightly compared to their other sneakers, the idea being more underfoot cushioning (and protection layers). The traction pattern is such, you’ll find a lot of grip. I couldn’t find any surface or transition where I could get the Chuck 70 AT-CX to even remotely lose a sense of traction or grip. Not even the dry to wet marble floor transition, which often catches out many a sneaker.

AUTHENTICATION

Just days ahead of the annual Adobe Max showcase, the tech company is already rolling out the announcements. If that’s a precursor to a hectic next week, so be it. Many of you may remember (also perhaps, from our extensive coverage about the AI landscape) Adobe’s role as the co-founder for the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) that’s been around since 2019 and gained rapid relevance in the past couple of years, as has the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) which started in 2021. Their core objectives are to help users such as you and I, to be able to better ascertain whether what we are seeing (on social media or any other form of communication) is an actual image or an original piece of content, versus something that’s been created using generative AI. To further that objective, incoming is the Adobe Content Authenticity Web App.

Different stages of rollout beginning later this year, first for creators and then for everyone else. The idea is to allow for application of Content Credentials to individual pieces of work, or a batch of work, be it images, audio or video files. Creators and users will have control over the information included in the attached Content Credentials, such as their name, website and social media accounts. Social media accounts too can be linked, which would make this easier for integration to content thats already been published in the public domain. This is in addition to Content Credentials support that’s already baked into Adobe’s apps, including Photoshop, Lightroom and Firefly. More on this, in the coming weeks.

PLANS

A big development (actually, a set of them) this week was Apple India announcing something that was expected (the latest generation iPhone 16 Pro will now be manufactured in India) and one that wasn’t at this juncture at least (new Apple Stores arriving in 2025, in Pune and Bengaluru, as well as second stores in Delhi NCR and Mumbai). This focus underlines the fact that for Apple, India has consistently delivered growth. For the June quarter, Apple reported a revenue record for the company at $85.8 billion; 5% higher than the same quarter last year. CEO Tim Cook highlighted that the company set quarterly revenue records in India as well alongside a few other countries including the UK, Thailand, France, Mexico, and Canada.

Apple had one eye on the India manufacturing scope expansion. That is the reason for pricing the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at parity with the predecessors, and the iPhone 16 Pro as well as the iPhone 16 Pro Max at a significantly lower price tag than the iPhone 15 Pro phones. It is something I’d illustrated earlier (read that here). By making all current generation iPhones here, Apple will not only reduce input costs to a large extent, but also have the advantage of simplified taxation on the final product as well as being isolated from currency fluctuations.

Opening more stores, two in the tried and tested cities, and two more in new cities, is a good balancing act. Think of this as chapter two for Apple’s India retail plans. Apple BKC and Apple Saket get a lot of footfalls—and while difficult to judge how much of that translates into business, the queues to buy the iPhone 16 series a couple of weeks ago, indicates they cash registers may be ringing rather nicely too.

SOUNDTRACK

SOUNDTRACK-Audio_Technica_ath_twx7
SOUNDTRACK-Audio_Technica_ath_twx7

It has been this way for many years. There’s a consistency to the sound signature that defines Japanese brand Audio Technica’s headphones. These may not be the first choice for anyone who’s more interested in a bass heavy signature (enough mass market brands appeal to that demographic), but for the audio enthusiasts particularly looking for good headphones on a budget (that’s a highlight, in a broad product portfolio), their cans delivered. I can name so many. The ATH-AX3 from 2014, Sonic Fuel ATH-AX1iS in 2017 and ATH-AR3BT, to name a few. With that as the backdrop, I was more than intrigued to find out how the ATH-TWX7, the company’s premium wireless earbuds, fared in a space that’s got far too many choices than ideally necessary (and I’m being fair here).

The ATH-TWX7 can be purchased for around 19,990 and that means its competition landscape includes everything from the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro, to the latest buds from OnePlus, Sony and Samsung. The design is refined, and feels well built, and with the correct ear-tip size (spend some time getting this right; most of us miss this fine detail), can be worn comfortably for long music or podcast listening sessions. Once this was set up, I was quite happy to see these earbuds mostly holding on to that warm and inviting sound signature, which I’d referred to earlier. Struggle Jennings’ Monte Carlo and Hamidshax’ Can You Forgive, two songs at either end of the spectrum in terms of what they demand from headphones, come through with appreciable dynamics. There’s just the right level of lower frequencies coming through without impeding on the mids. Vocals are crisp, without being exhaustingly sharp. Noise cancellation too works well with most mechanical and ambient noise.

But there is a slight problem, which no matter the experimentation with settings, persisted. The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 seems to struggle with dynamic soundstages. It audibly feels restricted. Hemmed in, so to say. The funny thing is, not every track you listen to, make this noticeable. But some do, and not any specific genres either. It isn’t audio compression. It’s purely how the dynamics of sound are configured. That’s an unpredictability we could have done without. At the time I had the ATH-TWX7 for review, there was no software update to change this dynamic—one can hope this can, and does get fixed, by new software.

VIRTUAL

Google Cloud's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (AFP)
Google Cloud's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (AFP)

How many times has a tech company, a digital platform, an app or a service let you down? I’ve lost track, to be honest. Services changing terms of use, invoicing a paywall to push premium subscriptions, or simply shutting down a functionality that you’d become used to. Some such changes don’t impact as much, many do. In my column this week, the examples of how Evernote and Google’s strategies have been regular reminders of the perils of digital ownership.

I was particularly disappointed by Evernote’s business practices for the best part of the past decade, before coming to terms with it and moving on. The Apple Notes, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote and eventually the new age options such as Notion, Bear 2 and Obsidian, made that easier. More than us as consumers who need to keep an alternate plan in place, it is also a warning for app developers that you can only try to push a customer’s loyalties, that much. Not that many of us are averse to paying for premium features behind a paywall, but the way Evernote took a free to use app and turned it into something else, became more a matter of principle. No one would like suddenly finding their device numbers restricted unless they pay for unlocking that premium feature. I’m as willing as you are to pay for Notion, Microsoft 365, Google One, and other apps as needed—and it may be too late for Evernote’s corrective measures, as they’re trying to implement.

But the bigger worry here is, can we expect a constant in the digital world? One that we can rely on, to simply work? I call it an example of smoke and mirrors. The way content delivery and consumption are shaping up to be (or have already, depending on your optimism), we’ve come to terms with temporarily licensing content we see and hear, rather than outright ownership. Take your PlayStation games, for example. Either we get into the habit of reading those realms of terms and conditions before clicking accept, or we come to terms with the vagaries and eccentricities that define subscription libraries. Just a week ago, YouTube and YouTube Music ended up dropping a significant chunk of its library due to licensing issues with SESAC, or the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers. That’s luckily been resolved. Not that we get as lucky, every time.

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