James Holland

James Holland

Freelance writer

James Holland loves checking out gadgets of all sorts, whether it's audio equipment, laptops, or vacuums (especially of the robot variety), and does so for a number of Future Publications including TechRadar, Top Ten Reviews, Homes & Gardens, and T3. He's built up an expertise for in-depth reviewing over the last four years. When he's not putting in the work on the latest tech, he loves to travel, play music, and eat questionable food.

Articles by: James Holland

Hisense UR9 HERO
The Hisense UR9 delivers impressive performance that shows what RGB LED TVs are capable of, but you're paying a premium to be an 'early adopter'

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Hisense UR9 is the company’s RGB LED effort, and it’s quite the TV. But you’ll pay for being an early adopter.

The Acer Swift Air 14 has an etched lid, though it has more minimal etchings in some territories.
Acer Swift Air 14 is an affordable MacBook Neo rival that should give Apple a run for its money

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Acer Swift Air 14 is the ideal budget laptop in that it looks much better than the price suggests, is light and portable, and comes with a very impressive battery life.

Bissell CrossWave Reach Plus vacuum cleaner beside plants
Tired of mopping after vacuuming? The Bissell CrossWave Reach Plus is an affordable machine that tackles both chores at once, and it got my floors spotless

By James Holland Published

The Bissell CrossWave Reach Plus cleans wet and dry with equal confidence, though it comes with some slight limitations.

LG Gram Pro 16 angled view
The LG Gram Pro 16 might be the ultimate large screen portable Windows 11 laptop

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The LG Gram Pro 16 is light and thin, yet rocks a 16-inch screen and comes with enough power to tackle even demanding tasks. Unfortunately, the price tag is pretty high.

JBL LIve 680NC HERO
The JBL Live 680NC may sound good, but the battery life and plethora of top features are the star of the show

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The JBL Live 680NC are almost a budget set at $150, plus they sound pretty good, come with a ridiculous amount of features and a long, long battery life.

A wide shot of the Goldenear T44
Why Goldenear's hybrid T44 tower speakers somehow boast the best of powered and passive worlds

By James Holland Published

The Goldenear T44 are both powered and passive speakers (depending on the driver and frequency you want to talk about), allowing for some truly unique blending of sound.

Trinnov Altitude CI close-up
How Trinnov's Altitude CI AV processor showed me the importance of flagship 3D room correction in elite home cinema setups

By James Holland Published

The Trinnov Altitude CI AV processor is a magical piece of equipment you didn’t know you needed. Its 3D room correction, software-based processing, and modularity are all next level.

A wide shot of the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X
How hearing the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X made me fall in love with the surpreme detail and clarity in electrostatic speakers

By James Holland Published

One of this year's Audio Advice Live's biggest surprises is the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X speakers, and their detailed sound at a somewhat reasonable price.

A wide shot of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 with signal path
4 of the most detailed and sonically stellar elite hi-fi speakers I heard Audio at Audio Advice Live

By James Holland Published

This year's Audio Advice Live has brought with it some of the best new stereo speakers from Bowers & Wilkins, Focal, Klipsch, and JBL, redefining what a great HiFi speaker is.

Fluance RT87 is a gorgeous looking turn table.
I breathed new life into my vinyl with Fluance's RT87 turntable and while setup was finicky, it's well worth it for seasoned record collectors

By James Holland Published

The Fluance RT87 sounds as great as it is finicky to set up — but then again, if you're a seasoned hi-fi tinkerer, you may actually enjoy the process… 

The Klipsch The Nines II are great for use with a TV
I reviewed Klipsch's The Nines II powered stereo speakers, and they're definitely keepers — great sound and nice features in a compact size (though it helps if you're feeling strong)

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Klipsch The Nines II are a great-sounding set of speakers that come with a surprising price bump.

Creative Pebble Pro in use
I spent a week with the budget-friendly Creative Pebble Pro and was impressed by its solid sound and petite form factor

By James Holland Published

Great Value

The Creative Pebble Pro is very, very affordable and it sounds pretty good for the price. Of course, it comes with plenty of compromises due to its low price.

JBL Live 780NC single earcup
'Everything you want in headphones at this level': I tested JBL's Live 780NC over-ears and if you're all about that bass, these cans go on and on (and on)

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The JBL Live 780NC offer great if somewhat bass-heavy sound, a vast array of features including Dolby Atmos support, and an impressive battery life.

Testing the H20 Audio Sonar 2 Pro
I spent 2 weeks testing the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro, and found them to be the perfect headphones for swimming

By James Holland Published

Between the form factor and features, this is one of the best bone conduction headphone options for the pool.

Zygo Z2 bone conduction swimming headphones
Zygo Z2 review: more than swimming headphones — they’re the Peloton of the pool

By James Holland Published

Radio waves over Bluetooth, and onboard workout classes — the Zygo Z2 are swimming headphones with a 'deep ecosystem' of features.

The Cadillac Lyric, with emphasis on the AKG Dolby Atmos speaker array
'God-tier audio in a car’ — I heard the new Cadillac’s AKG Dolby Atmos sound system and I’m never going back

By James Holland Published

Long and dark, shiny and black: why AKG’s new Optiq EV Dolby Atmos sound system made me want to drive straight to the Cadillac ranch

HP OmniBook 7 Aero laptop on a wooden desk
After a few weeks with the HP OmniBook 7 Aero, I was impressed by its performance and portability

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is light, surprisingly powerful, and comes at a good price for all that’s on offer.

The Fluance Ri91 speakers together, in front of a TV
I reviewed Fluance's Ri91 wireless active stereo speakers, and I loved them for the price — except for a couple of concerns

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Fluance Ri91 are fantastic in most regards, especially for the price – but I wobble on quality control concerns

Sony and Bose soundbars on orange background
Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: which Dolby Atmos soundbar is right for you?

By James Holland Published

The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and the Bose Smart Soundbar are great Dolby Atmos soundbars, but for very different reasons.

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) showing image from The Batman
I spent a month testing the new Roku Pro Series (2025), and it’s a solid upgrade on an already high-value TV

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Roku Pro Series TV (2025) is an excellent lower-cost TV with a unique design and upgraded picture and audio.

Fluance Ri71 bookshelf powered speakers on a windowsill, with trees outside the window.
Fluance's chic powered bookshelf speakers offer impressively detailed, almost neutral sound – with very few drawbacks

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Fluance Ri71 are great for mid-range powered bookshelf speakers, offering detailed sound with an almost neutral, polite quality.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 headphones on a wooden table
I really like Beyerdynamic's newest on-ear headphones, but more for their looks, battery life, and portability than their sound quality

By James Holland Published

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 look good, are portable, and have superb battery life. Oh, and they sound pretty good, too.

A Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 on a desk
I review computers for a living and I was wowed by the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 as soon as I started using it

By James Holland Published

Recommended

The Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 is a great-looking all-in-one that has very flexible ergonomics, not to mention it can be used as a monitor with other computers.

Dell Tower Plus desktop resting on a desk in front of a window
After a couple weeks of using the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250), I’m as impressed as I am perplexed by it

By James Holland Published

The Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) can be so many things, a budget productivity machine or gaming powerhouse, depending on the configuration. Regardless, it’s worth your attention.

Klipsch Flexus Core 300 on stand with TV in background
Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review: a seriously immersive soundbar system with Dirac Live room correction

By James Holland Published

Editor's Choice

The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 soundbar sounds great and comes with an almost unparalleled feature set, including Dirac Live room correction.

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