Tag Archives: rechargeable

Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio

Noble Audio has spent the last decade quietly earning a serious reputation among audiophiles, not by chasing trends, but by obsessing over sound quality. From handcrafted in-ear monitors to some of the most refined true wireless earphones on the market, Noble has always focused on performance first.

Now the company is turning its attention to something many people overlook entirely: the Bluetooth source itself.

Meet Sceptre, a compact USB-C Bluetooth dongle designed to dramatically improve wireless audio quality from phones, tablets and laptops, without forcing you to replace the headphones you already love.

Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio
Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio

Fixing the Weakest Link in Bluetooth Audio

Most devices today rely on built-in Bluetooth hardware that prioritises power efficiency and compatibility over outright audio quality. Even with excellent headphones, that internal Bluetooth chip can be the bottleneck.

Sceptre sidesteps that problem entirely. By acting as an external high-performance Bluetooth transmitter, it bypasses your device’s internal Bluetooth hardware and unlocks support for advanced codecs such as LDAC and aptX Adaptive. The result is cleaner, more consistent and noticeably more detailed wireless sound.

For anyone who has ever wondered why Bluetooth audio still feels like a compromise, this is a refreshingly direct solution.

Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio
Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio

Serious Hardware in a Tiny Package

At the heart of Sceptre is Qualcomm’s latest QCC5181 chipset, delivering Bluetooth 5.4 with improved efficiency and stability. By handling Bluetooth transmission externally, Sceptre enables advanced codecs including LDAC, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC, even on devices that would normally be limited to basic Bluetooth audio.

Paired with Noble’s own true wireless earphones or any high-quality Bluetooth headphones, the improvement is immediately obvious. Music sounds more open, dialogue is clearer and wireless audio finally starts to feel worthy of good headphones.

Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio
Noble Launches Sceptre, a Tiny Bluetooth Dongle with a Big Impact on Wireless Audio

Designed for Real-World Use

Noble has clearly thought about how Sceptre will actually be used day to day. A charge-through USB-C port allows your phone or tablet to charge while you listen, which is ideal for long journeys, desk use or extended gaming sessions.

Support for HFP, A2DP and AVRCP means calls, media playback and controls all work exactly as they should. With a Bluetooth range of up to 20 metres, Sceptre remains stable in typical home and office environments, and it works happily with true wireless earphones, over-ear headphones and even powered Bluetooth speakers.

Initial setup is handled via the Noble app, after which Sceptre can be plugged into any compatible USB-C device and just gets on with the job.

A Small Device That Expands the Noble Ecosystem

What makes Sceptre particularly interesting is what it represents for Noble Audio. This is not just another accessory. It is an expansion into the wider wireless signal chain, improving sound quality at the source rather than only at the headphones.

It also feels very on brand. Instead of forcing users into a closed ecosystem, Noble has created a compact, portable tool that improves wireless audio across a wide range of existing gear.

Pricing and Availability

Sceptre launches on 6 February 2026 with a UK price of £64.99, alongside pricing of $69.99 and €69.99 internationally. It will be available directly from nobleaudio.com and selected retailers worldwide.

For anyone serious about wireless audio, Sceptre is one of those rare products that solves a real problem in a simple, elegant way. Sometimes, better sound is not about new headphones at all, but about fixing what feeds them.

We Are Rewind Curtis GB001: The Cassette Boombox Renaissance We’ve Been Waiting For

The cassette tape’s resurgence has been one of the most joyful twists in personal audio. After years of streaming convenience running roughshod over the tactile pleasure of physical playback, along comes something that finally bridges the gap without losing the charm that made tapes brilliant in the first place.

The Curtis GB001 from We Are Rewind is a premium cassette boombox built for the modern era. Designed in France, it carries the unmistakable spirit of the classic ghetto blaster, but with a refined materials palette and contemporary engineering that make it feel purposeful, not kitsch.

We Are Rewind Curtis GB001: The Cassette Boombox Renaissance We’ve Been Waiting For
We Are Rewind Curtis GB001: The Cassette Boombox Renaissance We’ve Been Waiting For

It has presence in the way only proper hardware can. A hefty aluminium frame meets real walnut panelling. There’s a solidity to the unit that suggests it belongs on a shelf, in a studio, or under a Christmas tree without ever feeling incongruous or overdesigned. This is a product that’s been considered, prototyped and built with genuine affection for the medium.


Big, Bold Sound from a Single Cassette Deck

Curtis is built around one high quality cassette deck. No double deck accoutrements or tape dubbing circus here, just a single drive that plays tapes with real fidelity. That’s not a compromise, it’s a statement: great sound comes from focus.

We Are Rewind Curtis GB001: The Cassette Boombox Renaissance We’ve Been Waiting For

The playback is warm, dimensional and immersive, the sort of audio experience that makes you forget how sterile compressed streams can sound. Bluetooth 5.1 is onboard for those odd occasions you don’t have a tape handy, but the headline act is the tape mechanism itself, delivered through a stereo driver architecture that extracts every bit of depth your recordings have to give.

Controls are gloriously physical. Buttons push with reassuring resistance. Dials turn. The unit is rechargeable and portable, but it doesn’t lean on portability as its personality. The GB001 earns affection by being good at what it is.


In and Out Options for Every Listener

The input choices are refreshingly sensible and fully modern where they need to be: USB C for power delivery, RCA input for proper audio gear, and 3.5mm line in for plugging in almost anything with a headphone jack.

We Are Rewind Curtis GB001: The Cassette Boombox Renaissance We’ve Been Waiting For

It’s a ghetto blaster that doesn’t discriminate on age or audio source. If you grew up making mixtapes, you’ll love it. If you’re new to tapes but want a boombox that looks as good as it sounds, you’ll love it. And if you just want a premium Bluetooth speaker that happens to play cassettes, you’ll love it too.


A Christmas Gift with Longevity

There are only a handful of tech gifts that genuinely transcend trends. The Curtis GB001 belongs in that rare group. It doesn’t chase a fashion cycle. It nods to an era and elevates it.

If 2025 is truly the year of the cassette boombox revival, this is one of the few units that feels ready to lead the charge. It’s distinctive, memorable, supremely listenable and built with an exacting eye for design and sound quality.


Final Thoughts

The Curtis GB001 from We Are Rewind is an honest, confident cassette boombox debut for 2025. One deck. Big sound. Proper materials. Bluetooth onboard. Inputs present and correct. And most importantly, it rekindles a love for a format that never should have been sidelined in the first place.

Premium? Yes. Unnecessarily so? Not a chance. This one has earned its space.