Pump up the Beethoven

When I was a kid visiting my grandparents, my granddad often played classical music at ear-splitting volume.

And because I was into The Specials and The Clash, I thought it was a horrible racket.

But in my twenties, a roommate was a huge fan of Brahms, which he’d also play at high volume, and my God, I’d never heard such thrilling music in my life.

Alas, since then, I haven’t gone much deeper than Beethoven and the music in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

My knowledge of classical music remains profoundly limited. I have a discovery problem — it’s not easy to find stuff I might like. I tune out during the slow parts.

Apple Music Classical is designed to tackle that. It’s a massive but carefully curated platform that offers several discovery mechanisms, from expertly curated playlists to a classical music chart. And it’s now available on the web for the first time, so you can listen in a browser rather than an app.

If you want to explore Apple Music Classical (it’s free for Apple Music subscribers, and new users can take advantage of a free one-month trial), consult our how-to about using the platform so you can make the most of it.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• These new clip-on earbuds from Anker’s Soundcore brand look really interesting. They clip onto the side of your ear, leaving your ear ‘oles open — but are supposed to sound pretty good, nonetheless.

• A lot of us Mac users would love Apple’s gorgeous but pricey Studio Display, but are put off by its astronomical price. ViewSonic has a new rival that naturally costs less, but also bests Apple’s offering in some specs, like refresh rate. Check it out.

• Yesterday’s poll elicited a couple of reader comments I closely identify with: The problem of sneaking pricey purchases past your spouse — see below. And it’s not just Apple gear — pity my obsession with road bikes!

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

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