Latest from TechRadar AU in Headphones

Forget waiting for Black Friday — my favourite Apple earbuds just got a massive AU$130 discount

Max Langridge — Thu, 12 Nov 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Given the fact we have confirmation that the Amazon Black Friday sale kicks off next week on Tuesday, November 17, I certainly wasn’t expecting to see the Apple AirPods Pro 3 dropping to AU$299, or the AirPods Max 2 getting a 20% discount so soon, yet here we are.

Focusing on Apple’s flagship earbuds for moment, they're now on the receiving end of a huge AU$130 discount, and this low price matches what I saw during the retail juggernaut’s Prime Day sale back in July of this year.

If you use an iPhone and want excellent noise cancellation, a secure fit and seamless Apple device switching, the AirPods Pro 3 are for you. This deal matches the lowest Amazon price we’ve seen since Prime Day, so it’s well worth considering if you’re looking for some new earbuds for your Apple devices.View Deal

It’s not often we see discounts on Apple tech, and it’s certainly rarer to find discounts of such magnitude. And for it to not even be Black Friday proper just yet, this is a fantastic chance to beat the crowds and score what are easily among the best wireless earbuds for less.

I’ve been using the Pro 3 for just over a year now, and simply cannot find fault with them. The noise cancellation, fit and overall sound quality all make them easy to recommend, and this AU$299 price makes that recommendation even easier.

And that's not all where discounts on Apple headphones is concerned, as a 20% saving on the AirPods Max 2 is also worth shouting about.

AirPods Max 2: was $999 now $797
Now down to AU$797 in all colours, there's never been a better time to secure Apple's ridiculously good noise cancelling over ears. While the design hasn't changed much, the internals have been upgraded to deliver even better ANC performance, Lossless audio over USB-C and a wealth of useful features made possible by the new H2 chip. View Deal

If you’re a devoted iOS user, then either of these pairs of Apple headphones are going to be your best friend. Not only do they sound fantastic and offer incredible ANC, but they offer unique features that work seamlessly with iOS devices. I encourage you to check out our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review and Apple AirPods Max 2 review for more information on each.

My audio-loving colleague, Becky Scarrott, surmised of the Pro 3 that “iPhone owners who value great, shut-out-the-world noise cancellation need look no further than this set of earbuds”. Furthermore, on the subject of ANC, she adds, “it's almost scarily good at sucking the noise out of your ears”.

As for the Max 2, well they ran away with her Headphones of the Year Award, primarily thanks to the inclusion of the new H2 chip. This processor "this makes them punchier sonically, ups the ANC efficacy significantly and adds new perks such as Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Head Gesture control and the Camera Remote feature", says Becky.

In short, no matter if you're an in-ear or over-ear kind of person, either of these pairs of Apple headphones will steer you in a winning direction. And now that they're discounted — quite significantly — ahead of Black Friday, you can now take advantage of a winning combination of price and performance.

Sony WH-CH530 review: swell-sounding, budget-friendly on-ear headphones

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Wed, 11 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Sony WH-CH530 review

I’m not a massive on-ear headphones guy. Often, I find that they lack the sonic skills required to engross me in my music, and can even feel a little irritating to wear after an hour or so.

So, when I was presented with the new Sony WH-CH530 — a relatively cheap pair of on-ears — it’s safe to say that my expectations weren’t particularly high. But they well and truly blew those expectations out of the water.

Yes, for a pair of headphones that cost just $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95, the WH-CH530 almost seem too good to be true. They serve up impressive sound quality, a comfortable fit, and quality features that help them to compete with the very best on-ear headphones around.

Let’s delve into a little more detail, though, and start by unpacking the sonic capabilities of the WH-CH530 in full. Out of the box, there’s a slight preference towards the low-end, but I think that’s a sensible choice, as a lot of on-ear headphones tend to leak low-frequency sounds more than an over-ear set would. While you’re not getting the most even-handed presentation, mids still sound clear and treble comes through articulately.

The sound signature is exciting and energetic, and I found that it suited dance and electronic tracks very well. In Do Ya by Jazz-N-Groove, I was impressed with the punch and dynamism of the pounding bass, which sounded regimented and textured. Vocal chops in the mids and drums in the treble range also cut through with clarity, and the WH-CH530’s rhythmic, controlled replication of the track instantly grabbed me.

With Spirit Potion by Garoad, electronic elements in the mid-range were beautifully clear, even when dark bass entered into the mix, while sudden percussive hits came through with excellent impact. While the WH-CH530 may not provide the most nuanced soundstage or intricately detailed audio, they get the fundamentals spot on, which is exactly what you want from headphones in this price-range.

Although the WH-CH530 shun lossless audio, both by leaving out wired listening options and higher-res codecs such as LDAC, there are plenty of ways to customize the sound. First up, you’ll be able to switch on DSEE in the Sony Sound Connect app. This essentially upscales lower-res audio files in order to restore a bit more detail. There are also a number of EQ presets and a 10-band custom equalizer to work with.

The Sound Connect app also includes a Find Your Equalizer test, multi-point device switching, a low-latency audio setting for gaming, and volume controls. Even though some features, including wear detection and touch controls, are missing, this is still a solid lineup for a budget pair of headphones, and it's paired with a solid 55-hour battery life, meaning listeners are getting all the basics they need.

There’s one key omission on the WH-CH530 that may put some people off though: active noise cancellation. A growing crop of on-ears (and even a new set of Bose wired in-ears) have ANC now — and the Marshall Milton ANC, for instance, pull it off pretty well. But ultimately, this is to be expected for inexpensive on-ears, and I didn’t find the lack of ANC to be too jarring, even when out and about. Of course, louder sounds and chatter are still going to seep in, even with music at higher volumes, but if you can live without noise canceling, then you shouldn’t count the WH-CH530 out.

Let’s take a minute to talk about the design of the Sony WH-CH530. Yes, they have a plasticky build that doesn’t feel particularly premium, but these headphones still look pretty attractive and have a great array of color options to pick from. They also feel very comfortable and lightweight in use — I happily kept them on throughout an entire work day without experiencing any fatigue thanks to their generously cushioned ear pads and relaxed headband.

All in all, the Sony WH-CH530 are an exceptional value for money option. Sonically, they punch well above their weight, and their impressive all-day comfort and feature-set far exceeds what you’d expect from similarly priced competitors. For less than $70 / £50 / AU$100, it really doesn’t get much better than this, so if you’re on a budget and like the on-ear style, I’d strongly recommend picking these up.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-CH530 review: price & release date

Priced at $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95
Released in September 2026

The Sony WH-CH530 were released in September 2026, and are the successor to the Sony WH-CH520 headphones, which we gave a glowing 4.5-star review. The WH-CH530 cost the exact same as their predecessor did at launch, coming in at $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95. That puts them in the budget category, with rivals including the over-ear Anker Soundcore Q30 and the on-ear OneOdio Focus A1 Pro.

Sony WH-CH530 review: specs

Drivers	30mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	No
Battery life	55 hours
Weight	150g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony WH-CH530?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Good battery life, DSEE and expansive EQ options; no noise cancelling, wear detection, or wired listening option.	3.5/5
Performance	Warm bass, clear mids, articulate treble, and impressive dynamism — just don’t expect the most nuanced sound.	4/5
Design	Comfortable, lightweight, nice color options, slightly plasticky build.	4/5
Value	No price rise over predecessor, and exceptional quality for the cost.	5/5

Buy them if…

You want on-ears that don’t skimp on sound
A lot of on-ear headphones tend to produce slightly lackluster audio, but not the Sony WH-CH530. They supply great sound for the price, with beautiful warm bass, clean mids, and expressive treble.

You’re looking for great all-day comfort
While on-ears may not suit everyone, I found the WH-CH530 to provide an ultra-comfortable experience, even for longer listening sessions. Their padded earcups and relaxed yet secure fit makes them perfect for all-day use.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re not a fan of the on-ear design
If you find that on-ear headphones don't fit your ears all too well or provide enough noise isolation, then the Sony WH-CH530 may not be the best option for you. Instead, it may be worth considering Sony’s budget over-ear headphones, the Sony WH-CH730N.

You want ANC
The Sony WH-CH530 skip on active noise cancelling, meaning you can’t enjoy your tunes in a bubble of silence. You don’t need to break the bank to get good ANC, though, with plenty of great yet affordable options out there, such as the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51, listed below.

Sony WH-CH530 review: also consider

	Sony WH-CH530	OneOdio Focus A1 Pro	1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
Price	$69.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95	$34.99 / £43.99 (about AU$85)	$89 / £99 / AU$130
Drivers	30mm dynamic	40mm dynamic	40mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	No	Yes	Yes
Battery life	55 hours	70 hours	100 hours
Weight	150g	200g	246g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-40kHz

OneOdio Focus A1 Pro
The OneOdio Focus A1 Pro are an outrageously cheap pair of on-ear headphones with solid sound quality, excellent battery life, and even ANC. They’re also pleasantly lightweight and comfortable, so they’re easy for us to recommend. Read our full OneOdio Focus A1 Pro review.

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
If you’re open to going with an over-ear design , then I couldn’t recommend the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 enough. These headphones sound great, look pretty suave, and serve up admirable ANC to boot. They’re already a great pair of headphones for their price, but I see them discounted all the time, so why not give them a go? Read my full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review.

How I tested the Sony WH-CH530

(Image credit: Future)

Spent two weeks testing
Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal
Tried in the office and while on walks

I spent two weeks testing the Sony WH-CH530, during which time I listened to hours worth of music and tried out all of their various features.

To begin with, I sifted through all of the tracks in the TechRadar reference playlist, which features songs from a wide variety of genres. In addition, I tuned into a ton of tracks from my personal library. I made sure to use the headphones in a controlled, quiet environment at the office, as well as on-the-go when on walks.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from budget-friendly wired earbuds like the Sennheiser CX 80U to premium wireless over-ears like the Sonos Ace Ultra, so I know exactly what is required of a model to stand out in this highly competitive market.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: November 2026

These new wireless earbuds prove that wired tech isn't the be-all, and they come with some incredibly premium specs

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Wired audio is a growing revival trend, but not everyone's on board
Noble Audio unveils Astrid, wireless IEMs with three drivers and a fit test
Breggz's new Zohn 2 sport dual drivers and IMAX Enhanced certification

Are you getting a bit tired of this wireless audio resurgence? Are you glad of the option to forego tangling cables, starting to shirk a source device that isn't your phone, or finding it ironic that Sony's new Walkman headphones don't work with actual older Walkmans? You're not alone.

On the same day (today, November 10), two premium audio brands have come to market with two high-end wireless earbuds, (hopefully) giving audiophiles something to enjoy without the tangling cables.

Meet the Noble Audio Astrid and Breggz Zohn 2. And keep your eye on your bank account, because neither of these earbuds sit within the budget category.

The Noble Audio Astrid is available to buy right now for $539 / £499 (about AU$1,000 — ouch!) but the Breggz is even more expensive, yours for £549 (about $600, AU$1,100). Zohn 2 will hit shelves in the UK from November 17, and will be rolling out to other countries through 2027, so US and Australian buyers will likely have to wait just a little longer for these earbuds.

Noble Audio Astrid: what you need to know

(Image credit: Noble Audio)

Let's look at Noble's Astrid first; partly because you can buy them right now, and partly because I've tested some similar buds in the form of the Noble Osprey.

These premium IEMs have three drivers per bud: an 8.3mm dynamic driver, 6mm planar driver and balanced armature unit, which means they can cater to the broad audio range.

But that's not the best bit: Noble has continued its partnership with Audiodo, who helped on the Noble FoKus Artemis, to bring a personalized listening test and equalizer. This'll let you fine-tune the buds to best cater for your ears, so you can make those buds work for you.

The earbuds have 11-hour battery life, ANC and, as with previous Noble buds, have a lovely textured design for the buds and case — something that looks like a high-end IEM headshell but without the wires. This time, said design flourish looks like petrified palm fronds, or the natural cracks on a crystal. Nice.

Breggz Zohn 2: what you need to know

(Image credit: Breggz)

Next up, Dutch brand Breggz is here with an expensive model... that's way cheaper than its $1,750 Zohn-1 which launched in 2024, and the new model also quietly ditches the 'in-ear computer' mantra its predecessors failed to make waves with.

No; the Breggz Zohn 2 are here for enhanced movie watching and more. At least, that's certainly the implication behind their IMAX Enhanced certification, making them the second buds to receive this award after the original pair (it's a title usually saved for soundbars and AV receivers). This certifies that the buds meet IMAX's audio standards for movie watching, so if you want to watch The Odyssey on your iPhone, say, they'll give you the true listening experience.

The earbuds also have five drivers per bud including a 10mm dynamic, 6mm planar driver and three BA drivers for detail. What they don't have is ANC, so the buds seem to be designed for home listening rather than the great outdoors (though there is a transparency mode).

Hidden in the press release, Breggz also confirms that its carry case has a replaceable battery, so the Zohn 2 are repairable to a certain degree. For buds at that price, it's a great thing to add, so one fault won't wipe them out. They have a 7-hour battery life, but the average IMAX movie is only about five hours, so you're safe.

Will they challenge some of the best earbuds we've tested? And can the audio beat any of the best wired earbuds on the market? Time will tell. Let's see…

Bluetooth 7 will bring a major speed boost for hi-res audio in 2027

Carrie Marshall — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:11:52 +0000

Bluetooth LE gets support for High Data Throughput (HDT)
It boosts the standard's maximum supported bit-rate by almost four times
That means support for hi-res audio, spatial audio and multi-channel audio

Good news for the best headphones of 2027 and beyond: the latest Bluetooth technology includes High Data Throughput technology, HDT for short, which gives Bluetooth LE a huge performance boost. It can transmit almost four times as much data as the current version, enabling it to send hi-res audio, spatial audio and multi-channel audio to other devices.

The fact that HDT is part of Bluetooth is important, because that means you aren't reliant on a proprietary technology for your hi-res music: if manufacturers choose to use HDT, which we'd expect them to do, then you'll have compatibility across a huge range of headphones, Bluetooth speakers and other home entertainment hardware.

There are other benefits too, as many current hi-res audio streams are sent via Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth. Sending them over Bluetooth LE removes that traffic from your home network, potentially cutting down on congestion, and it is likely to boost your headphones' battery life, too.

Faster data transfer means less work for your Bluetooth radio, whether you're listening to hi-res audio or lower-res streams.

What's new in the blue

A new version of Bluetooth is always welcome, but it'll be a few months before Bluetooth 7.0 devices will be available. (Image credit: Bluetooth SIG)

HDT is an optional feature in the newly published Bluetooth Core 7.0 standard, and it ups the bitrate of Bluetooth LE connections from 2.5Mbps to 7.5Mbps. Those are headline speeds, and as ever you'll get a bit less in the real world. But it's still a huge boost.

The benefits aren't just limited to headphones and other audio equipment. Anything that currently transmits or receives data via Bluetooth could benefit from the improved throughput of HDT, whether that's a smartwatch, smart glasses or a smart home device. If HDT can make updating my Apple Watch software take less time than forever, I'm sold on it already.

The downside is that you can't buy an HDT device yet. That's because there's always a lag between a new version of Bluetooth being published and products with the latest version appearing on shelves.

Bluetooth 6.0 was released in September 2024 and the first Bluetooth 6.0 headphones arrived in June 2026, with major headphone brands such as Sennheiser updating their flagships mid-year. You can expect a similar time frame with Bluetooth 7.0, so that's a summer to look forward to.

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Samsung's new earbuds sound like a revival of its Gear line of exercise wearables, following on from the recent Galaxy On.

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:56:16 +0000

FCC listings hint to another pair of Samsung earbuds coming soon
This pair looks set to have exercise hooks
Samsung may be aiming at sporty users, as open earbuds go mainstream

If you cast your mind back to a time Before The Pandemic, you might remember that Samsung used to release products with the 'Gear' name. These were smartwatches and earbuds designed for fitness (see the Samsung Gear Icon X for reference, also in the main image of this piece), but the line was retired when the company started making its all-in-one Galaxy gadgets which could do everything, making its fitness-specific tech all-but obsolete.

But it looks like Samsung's Gear range could be back — in spirit.

An FCC filing for an as-yet-unreleased pair of Samsung earbuds have been spotted. No, these aren't the Galaxy Buds On open-ears, because they're already out in many parts of the world. This is another pair of mystery earbuds.

The documents refer to them as the Samsung Galaxy T1, though that's possibly a code-name. Either way, it points to a new pair of earbuds coming from the company soon, and a previous leak pointed to the T1 earbuds having sports loops.

Earbuds with sports loops are, naturally, made for fitness users, as they keep the buds locked in place when you're running or jumping up and down. So these could be the first pair of exercise-designed buds from Samsung since the Gear line was ditched (it's worth noting that Gear earbuds didn't actually use sports loops, just ear ridges to lock them in place, like in the picture above).

It's unlikely that Samsung will revive the Gear name itself, but if it did put out some exercise earbuds, they'd be Gear in spirit.

Samsung's return to fitness earbuds

(Image credit: Future)

Since it stopped making Gear earbuds, Samsung hasn't made bespoke workout headphones. Instead, it pitches its standard buds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro as being great for running, and as someone who's tried to work out with them, their fit issues ensure this is not the case.

Perhaps that's why the tech giant began branching into the world of open-ear headphones. These non-noise-blocking buds are bought for a range of safety and awareness reasons, but their initial (and, to my eyes, still primary) use case was for running in busy areas while remaining aware of your surroundings.

As we covered recently, stats show that open ears are massively surging in popularity, so the release of the Galaxy Buds On makes sense. But what about noise cancelling exercise earbuds? I can't find any sales figures that suggest this kind of bud is 'booming', more than just growing at roughly the same rate as the entire market is.

Discounting open earbuds, the bespoke sports earbuds market is a rather quiet one. Options from brands such as Skullcandy, JBL, JLab and Soundcore mark some of the few in-ear buds with sports loops, and new releases aren't afforded the attention or buzz that non-sports-buds are.

Does Samsung know something we don't? Hopefully. It has its own research and sales figures that we're not privy to, and so any decision to release sports-specific headphones or earbuds likely points to the market segment being bigger than we realize.

That would also explain why Sammers also supplements its fancy premium smartwatches, such as the Galaxy Watch 9, with cheaper options like the Galaxy Fit 3: it knows sports users want their own tech, not just jacks of all trades. It's as true in wearables as it is in hearables.

When I tested the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, their in-ear fit was the big issue. If Samsung released them but with a sports loop to lock them in place, they could be the best headphones on the market... for exercise users and normies alike.

Jabra Evolve3 85 business headset review

mark@pickavance.com (Mark Pickavance) — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 09:20:00 +0000

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: 30-second review

Business headsets have long had something of an image problem. The boom arm shouts “call centre” long before you have said a word. Jabra's answer, with the Evolve3 range, is to remove it entirely.

The Evolve3 65 Flex follows the same recipe as the Evolve3 85, but the emphasis shifts from luxury to portability. It is a foldable, on-ear design that Jabra says slips into the slimmest laptop bag.

The headline technology is Jabra ClearVoice, which uses a deep learning system trained on 60 million sentences. It separates your voice from background noise without any visible microphone. Jabra also claims over 95 per cent voice pickup accuracy outdoors, and over 99 per cent in open offices.

The adaptive ANC uses four microphones and adjusts to both your surroundings and your fit. Like the Evolve3 85, it keeps working while you are on a call, which remains rare in this class. A 360 degree busylight tells colleagues when to leave you alone.

Battery life is where the Flex gives ground. Jabra quotes up to 16.5 hours of call time and 80 hours of music with ANC off. Fast charging adds up to four hours of music from ten minutes on the cable.

The price is lower than the flagship models, but this is still business kit. If your employer is paying, it makes a good case. If you are, you will want to think carefully. [MP: adjust once testing is complete.]

The Evolve3 65 Flex makes a compelling case on every front except price. But even at this cost, these will most likely be considered for our best Bluetooth headset guide.

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: price and availability

How much does it cost? From $285/£260/€299
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from Jabra and online retailers

Jabra announced the Evolve3 65 Flex alongside the Evolve3 65 and Evolve3 45 as a cheaper step-down from the Evolve3 85 and Evolve3 75. The recommended price is $389 in the US and €299 in Europe, but the USB-C model for Teams is now $285 directly from Jabra. For comparison, the Evolve3 65 is $300, and the Evolve3 45 is only $199.

My review model is part number 36699 999 899, a Microsoft Teams variant with a USB-C Bluetooth adapter. A Teams-certified button sits on the headset, and the box includes a USB-C cable and a carry case, but no Link 390 adapter. The packaging is a plain cardboard box, and the standard package includes no wireless charging pad.

Street pricing is already lower than the launch MSRP. Some US resellers list this exact model at the same price as Jabra, and that includes Amazon. European business resellers list the Teams USB-C variant at roughly €190 to €235 before VAT. The review model is £260 from Jabra in the UK, but you can find it on Amazon.co.uk for £219.99 with next-day delivery.

Jabra also offers UC variants for those who don’t use Teams, as well as models with USB-A adapters. Versions bundled with a wireless charging pad cost more.

One lure is that Jabra offers free trials to companies with 500 or more employees that are replacing existing devices. The Jabra Plus Management platform handles remote configuration and firmware updates for larger deployments.

Individual buyers are less well served. But this headset is aimed at the corporate ear, like the Evolve3 85 before it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Value score: 3.5/5

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: Specs

Model	Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex
Weight	220g
Form factor	On ear, foldable headband
Microphone	Six in total, boomless (Jabra ClearVoice, deep learning)
ANC	Adaptive, four microphone, active during calls, with HearThrough
Battery life (calls)	Up to 16.5 hours with ANC and busylight off, 14.5 hours with both on
Battery life (music)	Up to 80 hours with ANC off, 35 hours with ANC on
Fast charging	Up to four hours of music from a ten minute charge
Wireless charging	Yes (flat exterior surface supports Qi pads)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio, Link 390 USB C adapter, USB C cable
Codecs	LC3, AAC, SBC
Dual connectivity	Two simultaneous connections, eight paired devices
Range	30m
UC certification	Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet
Software	Jabra Plus mobile app, Jabra Direct and Xpress, desktop Jabra Plus app in 2027
Replaceable parts	Battery, ear cushions
Sustainability	Leatherette cushions, recycled stainless steel headband, 37 per cent recycled or biocircular content
Warranty	2-years
Colours	Black

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: design

No boom arm
Elegant construction
Easier to carry than the Evolve3 85

Like the Evolve3 85, this headset has no boom arm. Therefore, nothing sticks out towards your mouth, and nobody will assume you work on a helpdesk while wearing them.

Instead, you get a slim, minimal headset with angled oval ear cushions. They are covered in leatherette over soft acoustic foam. The headband is recycled stainless steel, wrapped in more foam and leatherette.

But where this design diverges from the previous Evolve3 concept is how lightweight these are, making them ideal for anyone travelling for business. At 143g, it is notably lighter than the over-ear Evolve3 85, which I measured at 220g in a previous review. Jabra calls its cushion design Air Comfort, which is corporate speak for being smaller.

The Flex part of the name refers to the folding design. The earcups rotate, and the headband collapses, so it sits in the supplied case without taking up much space.

But the supplied case is about 60% of the size of the Evolve3 85 case, and neither of these has a pocket, or the room, for even the charging cable. The case holds the headset and a Bluetooth dongle only.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

On a more positive note, Jabra has also kept the replaceable battery and ear cushions from its bigger models. That matters for longevity, and it sits well with current repair legislation across Europe. Finding it in a headset at this price is still less common than it should be, so keeping the hardware going longer matters.

The 360-degree busy light is here too, and it works from every angle, as it saves you from having to announce, loudly, that you are on a call.

My review sample was the Teams model, so there is also a specific Teams button on the headset. How headphones have ended up with these opposing standards is a rant for another day, but for those who still think Microsoft has something to offer business, Jabra has you covered.

As with the 85 model, these designs seem biased toward right-handed use, but I’m sure left-handers will cope with the four buttons on the right side.

The materials are also allegedly more planet-friendly. Jabra says 37 per cent of the headset by weight is recycled or biocircular, and the packaging is FSC certified.

It’s interesting how Jabra have managed to take its earlier Evolve3 designs and then make them smaller and lighter, without making them impractical to use.

From my perspective, the smaller cushions aren’t as comfortable for long sessions as the larger ones on the Evolve3 85, but they’re fine for shorter periods. That fits well with the smaller battery capacity and reduced running time.

Design score: 4.5/5

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: Hardware

Bluetooth 5.2
Microsoft Teams vs UNC
ClearVoice

Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio forms the wireless backbone of this equipment. It supports the LC3 codec, along with AAC, SBC and Jabra also lists Auracast support. Not sure why it doesn’t use the 5.4 version of Bluetooth like its predecessors, but Bluetooth 5.2 is fine for this use case.

The Link 390 adapter in the box gives a secure, low-latency connection to a PC. Or, you can also connect directly over Bluetooth if you prefer. Critically, dual connectivity lets you stay attached to a computer and a phone simultaneously. Jabra says the range is 30m, so wandering off for a coffee mid-call is possible if you don’t hide behind too many walls.

Pairing is easy on most platforms. Microsoft Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair are both supported, and Apple Find My and Android Find Hub are also covered. I even used this headset with an old Parrot-branded Bluetooth adapter, and it connected easily.

UC certification covers Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, which is the set most UK and European businesses rely on. Jabra also claims a Premium Microphone for Open Office certification, for those who like to be understood.

The Jabra Plus mobile app provides equaliser controls, firmware updates and settings. A desktop version is promised for 2027, which is odd. I say that because when I covered the Evolve3 85, the same app was promised then for 2026. Jabra needs to pull their finger out and build that app before someone sets an AI to reverse-engineer it in an afternoon and then releases it.

IT teams get Jabra Plus Management for fleet control, plus Xpress and Direct.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

What makes this design so useful in an office environment is the ClearVoice functionality. It replaces the boom arm with a multi-microphone array and a neural network trained on over 60 million sentences. I do wonder where they found all those sentences to train their model, but Jabra undoubtedly draws on the hearing expertise of its parent company GN here.

The end result of ClearVoice is that callers should not notice the missing boom. Jabra claims over 95 per cent voice pickup accuracy outdoors and over 99 per cent in open offices, as measured with AI assistants.

That is a very specific claim, and worth testing, but I got bored after twenty sentences. What I can say is that omitting a boom doesn’t seem to affect audio pickup much, and it also avoids those annoying crunch sounds that happen when the boom is touched.

Wind noise reduction is also a configurable option, which shows Jabra expects these to leave the office and jog to the nearest sandwich shop, presumably. The hearing protection features include Intellitone and PeakStop, if you like trademarked features.

The Evolve 65 Flex delivers most of the critical aspects of the Evolve3 85 without treading on that product’s toes, demonstrating the product agility Jabra is rightly known for.

(Image credit: Jabra GN)

Hardware: 4/5

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: Performance

Effective ANC
Excellent charging options

The Flex works as a call headset first and a music headphone second, making it a flexible solution. Jabra supplies 28mm drivers, spatial sound, and an equaliser, which suggests it expects you to listen as well as talk.

Spatial Sound is intended to place voices in front of you rather than inside your head. That should make long calls less tiring, and less like a disturbing mental condition.

The adaptive ANC adjusts to the environment and to the quality of the seal around your ears, which, given the size of these cushions, is critical.

Most ANC systems apply a fixed profile, which either works or it doesn’t. This one recalibrates as the headset moves, making it more likely to be useful. This technology, termed HearThrough, also stays active during calls, where most business headsets switch it off.

The main caveat is reduced battery life, especially compared with the Evolve3 85.

Battery life is more modest than on the Evolve3 85. Jabra quotes up to 16.5 hours of calls with ANC and the busylight off, or 14.5 hours with both on. That is still two working days of calls, just about, but that’s a day less than the 85.

What seems slightly curious is the quoted music playback timescale, which is more heavily impacted by leaving ANC on. Without ANC, Jabra quotes 80 hours, but you can reduce that to only 35 hours if you leave the ANC on.

It was expected that it takes more power to run ANC than to drive the sound, since the Evolve3 85 was 120 hours with ANC off and 55 hours with it on. That is worth noting, since most people will leave ANC running.

(Image credit: Jabra GN)

Fast charging is generous and has your back if you leave work without remembering to put them on charge. Ten minutes on the cable gives up to four hours of music. Jabra quotes 35 per cent arrives in 30 minutes and 65 per cent in an hour. A full charge takes up to three hours, but you should be able to get through a working day with only 90 minutes total charging. You can use them while they charge; just don’t forget you are connected by the USB-C cable.

Wireless charging is supported, so the headset can sit on a Qi pad on your desk. My model did not include a charging pad, and it arrived in a simple cardboard box. Jabra has a SKU with the charger that’s another £45, which seems steep for such simple technology.

The battery is user-replaceable, which is a real benefit for long-term ownership. It beats binning a serviceable headset because the cell has faded.

I am not an audiophile, so I will not pretend to review the music quality in depth, but the smaller drivers on these seemed less inclined to bass than the Evolve3 85, and those weren’t strong on bass either.

Mid-range and higher frequencies are better represented, but these aren’t something that audiophiles would realistically use. Using the Jabra+ app, you can boost bass and treble, but these settings have limits with 28mm speakers.

Performance: 4/5

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex: Final verdict

The Evolve3 65 Flex does what the Evolve3 range does best, but in a more travel-friendly package. It is light, it looks sensible, and it keeps ANC running during calls.

The trade-offs are shorter battery life, a less isolating on-ear fit, and a price firmly aimed at budget holders rather than typical home users. The missing desktop app is a minor irritation, since most users will install the Jabra+ app on their phones. But missing a release by a year is poor effort on Jabra’s part, however you look at it.

If you split your time between desk, home and train carriage, these make perfect sense. If you only ever work at one desk, the Evolve3 85 is probably the better headset, if you can stretch to the cost of those.

Should I buy a Jabra Evolve3 85?

Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex Score Card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Not cheap, but less than the flagship options	3.5/5
Design	Light, foldable and discreet	4/5
Hardware	Great for office use and fleet controls	4/5
Performance	ANC and ClearVoice, but limited by 28mm speakers	4/5
Overall	Lightweight business headset for those on the move	4/5

Buy it if...

You travel between workspaces
The folding design and 143g weight make it easy to carry, and the case protects it in a bag. If you need headphones away from the office, these are a solid choice.

Your business wants managed devices
UC certification and Jabra Plus Management will suit IT teams that need central control. And, you can choose between different SKUs if you need Teams or even USB-A connectivity.

Don't buy it if...

You are working within a budget
The price is hard to justify for personal use when consumer headphones offer more sound for less cash. But even for business use, there are cheaper options.

You want maximum battery life
The Evolve3 85 lasts much longer, 21 hours to be direct, and manages that with ANC running. Whereas the Evolve3 65 Flex delivers only 14.5 hours with the ANC/busylight on. And, when the battery gets low, Flex also doesn’t charge as quickly as its bigger brother.

For more business audio solutions, we've reviewed the best headsets for working from home.

Someone found their lost Bose bud in a field of gravel using ChatGPT, and it's genius

Carrie Marshall — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Imagine the scene. You're in the park with your family, you're running to catch up with them, and your earbud case falls out of your pocket, scattering your earbuds. You find one but the other has vanished and all you can see is gravel. Who ya gonna call?

For Just-a-fungi893 on Reddit, the answer is: ChatGPT.

"I spent a solid 10 minutes searching, knowing there's basically no way I'm going to find a tiny white earbud in a sea of white gravel, especially with the sun setting," they explained. "I use ChatGPT for A LOT of stuff, and it suddenly dawned on me to ask it for help instead of pointlessly scanning the area myself."

Five minutes later, earbud and owner were reunited, with ChatGPT steering him towards the exact point in the relevant photo. It's not because ChatGPT has magic powers, but because LLMs are really good at spotting tiny things in big pictures: earbuds in gravel, needles in haystacks, indicators of tumors in X-rays. It's all pattern recognition.

ChatGPT found my lost earbud
from r/ChatGPT

It's time to embrace our AI overlords vs no, it isn't

As fun as the story is — I'd never have thought of taking a photo and feeding it to a chatbot; it's smart thinking — one of the other comments on the Reddit thread made me laugh: Mindless-Apricot-236 responded that they once lost a screw outdoors, uploaded a picture to ChatGPT and "asked the oracle to help me find it. It said it found it. Showed me the picture... It just modified the original picture and put a random screw on it lol"

Other commenters had suggestions that didn't involve AI at all, such as 4-jr1's "how about next time you just open Spotify and listen for the one rock among hundreds that sings out loud" — although that wouldn't work if the headphones weren't on and paired; I have Bose QuietComfort earbuds and they don't turn on until they're in my ears — and SpehlingAirer's "When this kinda thing happens to me I turn on my phone's flashlight and bring it low to the ground pointing almost horizontally. The way the light reflects off the common background (gravel, carpet, grass, etc) and the way it reflects off the glossy plastic are often different enough to help spot it quickly."

And of course many of the best earbuds have some variation of Find My, enabling you to locate them from your phone. But it's nice to know that all those years we've been identifying bicycles, stairs and traffic lights in website CAPTCHAs has paid off: computer vision has become really incredible.

As to whether it's reliable, I'll just leave this, by AnalogAngeleno, here: "I tried something similar at a used bookstore. Took a photo of the shelve and asked it to help look for books since they were not in any kind of order. Unfortunately it started making up books that were not even there."

Still, you'll get different results depending on the type of task and the model you're using — evidently, this one worked well enough, and seems like a good tip to keep in mind for your own earbud emergency.

Fairphone FairBuds 2 review: decent-value eco-friendly earbuds

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Fairphone Fairbuds 2: Two-minute review

I don’t like Fairphone’s products because they’re more environmentally-friendly and repairable than anything else on the market (though they’re all definitely perks). I like them because they always offer something a little different to make them recommendable as some of the best wireless headphones by their own merits.

Last year’s Fairbuds XL 2025 over-ears, for example, had the best controls I’ve used on a pair of headphones before or since (and remain the best-looking cans I’ve reviewed too). And now the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 are here, with a little design decision I didn’t know I wanted so much.

Fairphone is best known for its mobiles, like the recent Fairphone 6 Plus; its whole modus operandi is making green tech (eco-friendly, not colored, although they’re usually also colored green). The brand dabbles in audio too, though, alternating between releasing new earbuds or headphones every other year, and after the original Fairbuds launched in 2024, a new pair are here.

Like the last pair, these are relatively affordable earbuds — 'expensive budget' or 'cheap mid-range' might suffice as definitions — which are great for eco-friendly buyers. They let you enjoy your listening safe in the knowledge that your buying choice was made from renewable energy, using plentiful recycled parts, and won’t impose planet-unfriendly, water usurping AI features on your device.

And then there’s the unexpected bonus. Earlier this year, a fairly shocking study revealed that basically all headphones are coated in PFAS, or forever chemicals, which had people wondering whether they're rubbing toxins on their ears and head. As someone who uses these products for a living, I was a little alarmed to read this, and I’ve been pretty conscious of my listening since then, usually opting for speakers over headphones when I can help it.

It won’t surprise you to learn that the Fairbuds 2 have none of these ‘forever chemicals’, and I could listen for as long as I wanted without worrying about the effects of doing so. It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind, but for music listening, the Fairbuds 2 provide just that.

But I’ve beaten about the bush long enough: beyond health and eco concerns, just how good are these things? Well, the reason I’ve beaten about the bush so much is that “yeah, they’re just fine,” isn't engaging copy.

Design-wise, these are pretty simple buds, with a hardy and light carry case, and pretty feature-light design. There’s little to distinguish them from other buds however, beyond their lack of discernible features. Being pretty plain isn’t the end of the world, and they fit fine.

They’re not the best-sounding earbuds I’ve tested by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re fine for the price if you can look past some rough edges.

I found the ANC pretty good, though it takes its toll on a battery life which roughly matches their price-competitive AirPods rivals (that is to say, it’s not very long). An app brings some extra features, including some of the most effective audio EQ presets I’ve heard from earbuds — if you like customizing your music but aren’t familiar with equalizers, it’s a great option.

If it wasn’t for the Fairphone touch, these would just be middling wireless earbuds that’d disappear behind the competition. But the eco-friendly appeal, their repairability plus the absence of toxic chemicals, all make them far easier to recommend.

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Released in October in Europe, November US
Sells for $119 / £99 (about AU$200)
Cheaper than AirPods 5, which is all that matters

Fairphone unveiled the Fairbuds 2 on October 14, 2026, roughly two years after the release of the original pair and a year after the reimagined Fairbuds XL 2025 over-ears. They went on sale immediately in Europe, but US buyers had to wait until November 2.

You can buy the Fairbuds 2 for $119 / £99 (about AU$200) — Fairphone doesn’t sell its tech in Australia. The brand is increasing its presence in the US; while the original buds did sell there, it only began selling phones earlier this year with the Fairphone 6 Plus.

That phone makes the Fairbuds 2 slightly pricier than their predecessors in the US, but cheaper in the UK; the original Fairbuds went for $99 / £129. Despite this reshuffle, they’re still more affordable than the cheapest version of AirPods 5 (which will set you back $129 / £129 / AU$219), and the Fairphone option actually has ear tips.

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Specs

Drivers	11mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	6 hours (ANC on), 8 hours (ANC off)
Weight	5.8g (buds) 64g (case)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency response	20-20kHz
Waterproofing	IP54

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

6-hour battery life isn't amazing
ANC is surprisingly solid
App has EQ including useful presets

According to Fairphone, the earbuds last for 6 hours of listening with ANC on, or 8 hours off; that’s not a very competitive spec, all things considered. In my own testing, I’d say I got a little extra time on those figures, but not enough that I can call the battery life ‘good’. Apple's base model AirPods 5 only last for 4 hours with ANC; the step-up model with wireless charging support last 5 with ANC (or 7 without it) so it's a little better than that, but not by much.

The case provides up to 40 hours of battery life, which is a little better (Apple's step-up model only offers 22), but that spec is for ANC-off listening. An ANC-on figure isn’t provided, but I’d estimate it’s about 32 hours.

The ANC is more impressive — I’ll confess, I wasn’t expecting Fairphone to have created top-of-the-class noise cancellation. While this doesn’t match the likes of Soundcore or Bose, the Fairbuds 2 were surprisingly effective at stripping out noisy backgrounds or the kinds of sporadic sounds that other buds struggle with.

(Image credit: Future)

The Fairbuds app is pretty basic, but it’s not strictly necessary; I’d used the buds for two whole weeks before I decided to download it to my phone.

The app lets you toggle between ANC modes (on, off, or transparency), see the charge levels, play with an EQ and presets, and set up multipoint connectivity, although I couldn’t find the option to do so myself. There’s also a Find My Earbuds tool which lets you summon both the left or right bud, and this is a feature you don’t always see in earbuds.

The equalizer is a simple five-band one, but I was surprised how effective the five presets are: Balanced, Bass Boost, Treble Boost and Voice all had significant impacts on the sound profile, in a way that I see being really useful for those who like their audio a certain way and don’t want to play with the custom EQ mode. I found Voice useful for spoken-word content, as it did a great job at maintaining the reader’s voice while dampening other sounds.

Features score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Design

Small, hardy carry case
Simplistic buds which fit well
Eco-friendly, chemical-free design

In one way, the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 are some of the most basic-looking buds there can be, but modest looks hide the real selling point of these options. But we’ll get to that later.

Firstly, the case: it’s a small cylinder, weighing 64g (when the buds are inside) and opening in a clam-shell form. You get the basics: a pairing button, a USB-C port, plus a handy three-LED strip to show you how charged your buds are. Handy! The case is made of plastic that’s so solid that I initially thought it was metal, and it feels more robust than most at protecting your buds.

Next, the buds: unlike the first-gen models, these are stem-toting options, and they look far too simplistic to be confused with AirPods: there’s the in-ear bud, a straight and flat stem, and nothing much else (well, other than some lovely responsive touch controls). They weigh 5.8g each.

When I first started testing them, the Fairbuds 2 felt a little loose in the ear; I thought I had another Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro situation going on. But quite quickly they took to my ear, and after the second day they fit perfectly. So if you've just bought a pair, and are having problems, just give them time.

(Image credit: Future)

Now for the whole point of the Fairbuds: Fairphone’s eco credentials. The brand is at the forefront of eco-friendly tech, using eco-friendly materials and processes when possible, and in the buds that means the speaker magnets and solder is all recycled material, while the cobalt, copper, gold and silver are all fairly mined or sourced. The eco-friendly-ness doesn’t just keep your conscience clean, though, because it manifests in a few great ways.

Firstly, these things are completely repairable, so if they break you can buy and replace one part instead of needing new buds. There are seven parts in all, all of which can be replaced using a simple screwdriver. Also in the Fairbuds 2, the earbuds don’t use PFAS, or forever chemicals – you can listen for as long as you want without any fear of the chemicals and their as-yet-unknown effects on the human body.

You can buy the FairBuds 2 in green or black, but if you’re going for green tech, I don’t see why you shouldn’t also be buying green-colored tech. The buds themselves have an IP54 protection against dust and splashes, but the case doesn’t have an official rating.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Sound quality

11mm driver per bud
Prominent bass downs out treble
Supports LDAC playback on supported phones

The Fairphone Fairbuds 2 come with 11mm dynamic drivers, working as jacks of all trades to cover the audio spectrum.

As fairly affordable earbuds go, the Fairbuds 2 are just fine — you’re not getting any obvious issues like tinny audio, overblown bass or a lackluster sound profile, and so I can’t give them a bad sound score. But there are a few audible issues which it’s worth flagging.

I’d call these buds bass-first, because low-end has more heft than high-end, and it does mean that sometimes vocals can lack the sparkle they deserve. In something like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Factory of Faith or Dispatch’s May We All, the singers sound like they’ve lost an argument with their bassists and rhythm guitarists, and in Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall the drums and bass keep distracting you from the lyrics.

Bass, while prominent, is perhaps not especially refined; the lack of a bespoke low-end-focused driver here is noticeable. Low-end has power prominence but less direction or distinction than you’d hope. It results in a low-end that sometimes sounds just fine, other times a little rumbly.

(Image credit: Future)

In Tom Petty’s Supernatural Radio, for example, the bass riff sounds meaty until the other instruments come in, making it sound indistinct. However with the later guitar and piano solo, the bass drowns out the higher-pitched parts.

These are the first buds I’ve tested in about a month in which I can really hear a song’s mids, though, so props go to Fairphone for not leaning too hard into popular sound profiles. However I did notice peaking in certain songs around the high-end.

It’s easy to point out the issues in the Fairbuds 2, because some rivals at this price point are putting out frankly incredible options, but I should clarify that the buds are still pretty good, and most people will be perfectly happy with them.

For some technical specs, the buds support LDAC if you’re using a compatible Android phone, and use the Bluetooth 6.0 standard.

Sound quality: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Value

You get what you pay for: solid, reasonably-priced earbuds
However, there are some fantastic alternatives at the price

The Fairbuds 2 straddle the border between affordable and mid-range earbuds, but given that the brand's tech generally comes with a green premium, I'm happy to consider these a more affordable option.

If I were to close my eyes, and picture buds at this price, I'd basically envision the Fairphones; they audio quality, feature set and design all roughly match what you'd expect from the price. Fine value for money...

... if it wasn't for the fact that it's a really competitive market segment, with some stellar alternatives.

Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Fairphone Fairbuds 2?

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The ANC and app presets work well, though the battery life isn't great.	4/5
Design	The eco-friendly and chemical-free build wins all the points, though the simple carry case and buds are charming in their own way.	4.5/5
Sound quality	Audio is perfectly serviceable, though a few quirks will put off audiophiles.	3.5/5
Value	They're fine value for money, though not the best in their market segment.	4/5

Buy them if…

You want eco-friendly tech
Fairphone is second-to-none with its green materials, production and sourcing.

You'll repair your earbuds if they break
Repairable tech is all the rage, and if you think you'd be up to fix broken buds, these are the ones to buy.

You like svelte carry cases
The Fairbuds 2 have one of the smallest carry cases I've seen in ages, and it's pretty protective too.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You're a staunch audiophile
If all you care about is the sound, I think you'll find the Fairbuds 2 a little disappointing.

You'd like something long-lasting
The Fairbuds are long-lasting in terms of the product life span, but the actual battery life isn't that great.

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Also consider

Looking for alternative in-ears? Here are a few alternatives at the same price point.

	Fairphone Fairbuds 2	Soundpeats H3	Huawei FreeBuds Neo
Drivers	11mm	12mm + dual balanced armatures	11mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (ANC on)	6 hours (buds) 32 hours (case)	7 hours (buds) 37 hours (case)	6 hours (buds) / 22 hours (case)
Weight	5.8g (buds) 64g (case)	6g (buds) 53g (case)	4.8g (bud) 31.4g (case)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 6.0
Waterproofing	IP54	IPX5	IP55

Soundpeats H3
For a tiny amount more, you can buy arguably the best-sounding earbuds at this price point. The H3 look funky, fit well and sound incredibly, but don't have the eco appeal of the Fairbuds.
Read our full Soundpeats H3 review

Huawei FreeBuds Neo
A Fairbuds 2 contemporary with pretty similar specs, the Neo sound better and are lovely and small, but the app barely works and the ANC isn't as good.
Read our full Huawei FreeBuds Neo review

How I tested the Fairphone Faurbuds 2

Tested for three weeks
Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth playback
Used on holiday as well as use at home and around neighborhood.

I used the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 for about three weeks before writing this review; I used them back-to-back with the Huawei FreeBuds Neo, generally bringing them both with me on trips.

In this testing time I went on holiday, so they got time on flights, train and coach trips, and I also used them at the gym, at home and on walks around my local area.

For the entirety of the testing time, the buds were connected to my Samsung phone. I listened to Spotify, played from my high-res collection, played games, conducted video calls and watched videos to test them out.

I've tested most of Fairphone's gadgets since I joined TechRadar in 2019, including the Fairbuds XL 2025 last year, and also have experience reviewing plenty of other earbuds from a range of brands (including almost every other pair mentioned in the review)>

First reviewed in October 2026

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Samsung Galaxy Buds On's pricing and availability has been revealed, and the debut clip-on open earbuds cost a lot more than I was expecting

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:59:45 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Buds On cost $229, on sale November
European price unconfirmed, will hit shelves some time in 2027
That asking fee makes them some of the priciest new open earbuds

One of the biggest draws of the best open earbuds is that they're pretty inexpensive. The lack of ANC, fancy ear tips and oodles of in-ear-exclusive features means that the go-to picks generally cost no more than the best cheap earbuds.

Samsung disagrees. It unveiled its first open earbuds, called the Galaxy Buds On, at the start of the month, but only for the Korean market. However, the company has now revealed worldwide availability (while telling us about how its engineers made them), and there are some pieces of disappointing news.

Firstly, if you're in Europe, put your excitement on the backburner. The buds will only launch there (including, presumably, the UK) in 2027, so you can't arrange to try these any time soon. No world on an Australian release either.

If you live in the US, you can buy the earbuds from early November, so you won't have long to wait. But you might want to think about them for now, until the price drops (possibly during a key sales event?), because they cost a princely $229, which is about £170 or AU$340, but I imagine they'll cost a little more in those regions upon launch.

The price of open earbuds

(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launched for $249 / £219 / AU$399 at the beginning of the year, which might make these open earbuds look like a budget alternative. But given how cheap and cheerful these buds tend to be, $229 is a significant sum.

To my knowledge, there are only two pairs of current open earbuds which cost more: the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), released in September for $299 / £299 / $449 and the Shokz Openfit Pro, which arrived in January toting ANC-like noise reduction, for $249.95 / £219 / AU$399. Bose clearly knows they're expensive, which is why it launched them alongside a cheaper alternative — and the Shokz set boast a feature very rarely seen in such designs.

Other than the Sony LinkBuds Clip, which sell for $229 / £180 / AU$329 (and which we weren't impressed with in our initial tests), I can't think of any open earbuds I've tested recently that come close to this in price.

Anything over $200 or thereabouts is a premium price for open earbuds, and I wouldn't blame you for thinking twice before buying them. Even Shokz, another segment leader, only charges $199 / £179 / AU$339 for its also-premium Shokz OpenDots 2.

And there are some fantastic options for less. The Soundcore AeroClip 2 , from a reliable brand, go for $169 / £159 (about AU$240). I've been using the Baseus Bowie MC2 for a few months, ever since publishing my review in August, and they cost just $79 / £89 (about AU$180). And other brands have loads of options too, like Soundpeats and Earfun, which also cost little.

As I said when I covered in influx of open-ears earlier this week, there isn't a huge difference in design, feature set or sound quality in any of these earbuds, which makes it really hard to justify splurging for a premium pair. You can get basically the same earbuds as the Galaxy Buds On for half the price, and I'd personally never spend more than about $120 on this kind of earbud.

Because of this, I was expecting the Galaxy Buds On to sell for less than the Galaxy Buds 4 ($179 / £159 / AU$299), and I'm really surprised that's not the case. If you're interested in this form factor, I'd recommend picking up a cheaper pair from a competitor, or waiting to see if they get discounts further down the line.

Meet the TechRadar Product of the Year 2026 winners

TechRadar — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:05:44 +0000

Though 2026 has been a tumultuous time for technology when it comes to price hikes and shortages, the tech that's reached us has been excellent — in fact, it's been a banner year in most areas, just with some downsides for your wallet.

We've already crowned the best tech of the year as chosen by you in our TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 — but this is where we let our experts have their say.

Our writers and editors chose their favorite products in nearly 100 categories, ranging across all the kinds of products we review. In some cases, we agree with the readers; in lots of cases, we don't. So read on to see which gadgets we rate as being the most impressive of the last 12 months.

Phones & tablets

Phone of the Year

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

Wherever you look, the iPhone 18 Pro excels. It might not have the biggest camera sensor or the longest-lasting battery of any phone on the market, but it does offer a near-unrivaled combination of premium flagship features. From its variable aperture feature and pro-level video capabilities to its phenomenal performance and gorgeous display, the 18 Pro is the Swiss Army knife of 2026 smartphones.

Read our full iPhone 18 Pro review

Phone Brand of the Year

Honor

The Chinese company has brought something competitive to the table at every turn in 2026. The Honor Magic 8 Pro is an extremely capable flagship. The Magic V6 is easily one of the best foldables you can buy. The Honor 600 series offers some serious value for money in the mid-range sector. The MagicPad 4 is an iPad-beating tablet in several ways. And the Robot Phone is, well, the Robot Phone. Honor’s products aren’t globally available in the same way as, say, Apple's or Samsung’s, but those who have tried the brand’s phones and tablets will know about their level of hardware quality.

Phones Innovation of the Year

Honor Robot Phone

Sticking with Honor, it’s hard to see past the Robot Phone as the most exciting Phones Innovation of the Year in 2026. There's been some competition from foldables in this area this year, but Honor deserves credit for bringing something wildly different to the market (in China, at least). Will we ever see the Robot Phone and its fully motorized mechanical gimbal arm in Western markets? I doubt it — but that doesn’t make it any less exciting.

Read our Honor Robot Phone hands-on

Best Value Phone

Motorola Edge 70 Fusion

The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion is in another world for pure value compared to most phones — for example, compared to the iPhone 17e, it costs almost exactly half the price and offers an extra camera, a much larger battery, faster charging, and a higher display refresh rate. The Edge 70 Fusion is not a flashy phone, but it certainly punches above its budget price tag.

Best Mid-Range Phone

Apple iPhone 17

The Apple iPhone 17 is over 12 months old now (it just slips into this year’s eligibility window), and it wasn’t replaced with a successor in September — but it didn’t need to be. With its 120Hz refresh rate, two great rear cameras, powerful A19 chipset, and still-industry-leading Center Stage selfie camera, the iPhone 17 is still the iPhone we recommend to most people.

Best Folding Phone

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the only globally available passport-shaped foldable we’ve tested fully (and that's eligible for this year's awards), and it's earned our pick as the Best Folding Phone of the year. We were skeptical about the practicality of the Z Fold 8’s stumpy form factor, but after living with the phone for a month, we came around to its charming oddness.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z fold 8 review

Best Flip Phone

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 (or Motorola Razr 70 Ultra, as it’s called in certain regions) is, for us, the best phone you can buy in this category. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 has better software, a newer chipset, and is slightly more affordable — but the latest Razr Ultra has a larger battery, faster charging, and better cameras. It’s a close-run thing, but this is the flip phone we'd choose.

Best Camera Phone

Oppo Find X9 Ultra

The Oppo Find X9 Ultra is an absolute beast of a camera phone. It boasts a 200MP main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 200MP 3x telephoto lens, and a 50MP 10x telephoto (f/3.5) lens, which is a combination that helped it beat the Galaxy S26 Ultra and hold its own against even the Lumix TZ300 and Nikon Z8 in our head-to-head comparisons. It’s heavy, thick, and eye-wateringly expensive, but the Find X9 Ultra is the closest we’ve come to a truly camera-rivaling smartphone.

Read our full Oppo Find X9 Ultra review

Best Gaming Phone

RedMagic 11 Pro

If you’re looking for an unashamedly gamer-y smartphone, it doesn’t get much better than the RedMagic 11 Pro. With its exposed water-cooling system, capacitive shoulder buttons, powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and gorgeous 6.85-inch OLED display, it’s more handheld console than phone.

Read our full RedMagic 11 Pro review

Best AI Phone

Google Pixel 11 Pro

Even though Google’s latest Pixel series doesn’t bring much newness to the table, it’s hard to argue against the Pixel 11 Pro’s status as the Best AI Phone money can buy. There’s Camera Coach, Magic Cue, Magic Editor, Magic Capture, Rambler, and, of course, system-wide Gemini integration to take advantage of with Google’s latest flagship. If AI is your jam, the Pixel 11 Pro should be your phone.

Read our full Google Pixel 11 Pro review

Best Phone Accessory

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P

Phone gimbals aren’t the flashiest products around, but the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P deserves credit for being one of the best phone accessories money can buy. As we noted in our review, the 8P adds a remote control and even better tracking capabilities to the already impressive Osmo Mobile 8 formula, and as such, it’s an easy recommendation for content creators.

Read our full DJI Osmo Mobile 8P review

Best Tablet

Honor MagicPad 4

The Android tablet market is a real mix of good, bad, and terrible right now, but the Honor MagicPad 4 surprised us by being a genuinely iPad-rivaling slate in testing this year. For a lower price than the latest iPad Air, the MagicPad 4 offers a thin and lightweight design, a stunning OLED screen, an excellent eight-speaker stereo setup, and near-unbeatable update support. Here’s hoping Honor continues its hot streak into 2027.

Read our full Honor MagicPad 4 review

Best eReader

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025)

The last 12 months have seen plenty of great ereaders and digital note-takers come to market, but the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) has become our go-to recommendation for those after an ereader/notebook hybrid. It's pricey, yes, but the Scribe’s 11-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display is a joy to behold.

Read our full Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review

Cameras & drones

Camera of the Year

Sony A7R VI

Perfect ratings are rare, but the A7R VI earned five stars with its 66.8MP stacked full-frame sensor, image stabilization, new processor and improved subject-detection autofocus, which combine for class-leading quality and performance. Whether you shoot landscape photography or action, the A7R VI can handle it all, and its excellent handling and new and improved battery was the cherry on the cake. Our verdict? "Sony can stop making cameras now."

Read our full Sony A7R VI review

Brand of the Year

Sony

Following a relatively quiet year, Sony has stood out in 2026 with three top cameras and a raft of new lenses. We gave a perfect five-star rating to the Sony A7R VI, which received high praise from our veteran Cameras Editor who said it had "no weaknesses". The A7 V took top spot in our best mirrorless cameras guide, while the RX10 V revived bridge cameras and extended Sony’s lead at the top in this category. Add Sony’s stellar macro lens to the mix and this award was inevitable.

Camera Innovation of the Year

Antigravity A1

The Antigravity A1 was a first-of-its-kind drone, one that can shoot true 360 degree video thanks to its dual camera array. The Insta360-backed company effectively gave us an airborne Insta360 X5, with immersive 8K video recording that sees in every direction. At the launch event, we donned the company’s goggles and followed racing cars around a track, and the whole experience was intuitive — but most of all immersive. You don’t need to worry about framing the shot, because that happens later using Insta360’s clever software, which can frame and compile videos after the fact.

Read our full Antigravity A1 review

Best Beginner Camera

OM System PEN

It was a tight call between the OM System PEN and the Lumix L10, but ultimately we felt that the PEN is the better starting point for beginner photographers, at a much lower price point. Not only is the PEN easy on the eye, but it features image stabilization, a rangefinder-style EVF, a weatherproof body, and a host of clever computational photography modes that smartphone upgrades will feel at home with, and that encourage creativity. A huge choice of lenses and a new weatherproof kit lens complete the package.

Read our OM System PEN review

Best Mid-range camera

Sony A7 V

The mid-range full-frame category is fiercely contested by Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic, but Sony stole back its crown with the new A7 V, in a year that Canon also released the stellar EOS R6 Mark III. Between those two 5-star cameras, we felt the A7 V had the (slight) edge overall; there's nothing to choose in terms of resolution, but the A7 V has a partially stacked sensor for what should be quicker readout speeds, plus snappier subject detection autofocus, wider dynamic range, versatile flip-and-tilt screen, and class-leading battery life.

Read our Sony A7 V review

Best Professional Camera

Sony A7R VI

It’s actually been a quiet year in the professional camera category, but that's probably good for the other companies, because the A7R VI would’ve been hard for anyone to compete with. It ups the bar with a class-leading 66.8MP full-frame stacked sensor that's backed up with the power, speed and pro-grade body that make the camera a formidable tool in any pro photography scenario. We shot landscape, portrait and wildlife photography, and the pro camera thrived in all situations.

Read our full Sony A7R VI review

Best Compact and Instant Camera

Ricoh GR IV

Being intimately familiar with the GR III, we were super excited about the GR IV launch and the upgrades it would bring. A new 26MP APS-C sensor with five-axis stabilization and improved battery life topped the improvements, but we’ll have to keep fingers crossed for next time for the improved build quality, a tilt screen and built-in-flash we wished for. Even still, the GR IV can shoot the best quality photos from a truly pocketable camera, with a dedicated Monochrome edition that came alter to boot. The price hike stung, but no other brand is making a compact like Ricoh is.

Read our Ricoh GR IV review

Best Action and Vlogging Camera

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

It’s been a busy year in this category, with Insta360 and DJI in particular trading blows. First came DJI's Pocket 4, which was a modest upgrade of the Pocket 3, but DJI had something extra special up its sleeve; a twin-lens gimbal camera Pocket 4P, which would change the game for vlogging. Insta360 then tried to steal DJI’s thunder with its innovative Luna Ultra's twin lenses and removable remote module — but DJI's Pocket 4P feels like the more polished of the two, and the one we have found ourselves turning to more often for shooting stabilized 4K content.

Read our DJI Osmo Pocket 4P review

Best Camera Lens

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art

Lenses is a competitive category year after year, and 2025-2026 was no different, with a top Sony macro optic, Nikon's slimmed down 70-200mm f/2.8 and a number of superb-value Viltrox optics. However, we must recognize innovation and give credit where it's due, which is why Sigma’s first 135mm telephoto lens with a f/1.4 aperture blew us away. Bulky, yes, but we gave it five stars in our review, calling the 135mm F1.4 DG / Art the 'bokeh master' — if you want the dreamiest portraits, look no further.

Read our Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art review

Best Camera Accessory

Insta360 Mic Pro

DJI and Insta360 have been trading blows all year, but it was Insta360’s Mic Pro that was the final piece of the jigsaw for the 360 camera maker’s ecosystem. Insta360 fans using the likes of the class leading X6 360-degree camera, Ace Pro 2 action cam and Luna Ultra vlogging cameras can enjoy all the benefits of direct compatibility with one of the best wireless mics we’ve ever tested — mixing and matching their camera with a third party mic is no longer necessary. And what a mic it was — the Mic Pro has DJI-beating noise cancellation and an eye-catching, customizable e ink display.

Read our Insta360 Mic Pro review

Best Drone

DJI Avata 360

First came the Antigravity A1 drone, and then came the DJI Avata 360, which felt like the more polished and versatile 360-degree drone of the two. Where the A1 has two fixed lenses to capture 360-degree footage, the Avata 360’s twin lenses are mounted to a gimbal which can rotate 90 degrees to switch between regular (front-facing) single-lens and top/bottom facing 360-degree use. The product also joins DJI's existing Avata ecosystem, which already includes superb FPV goggles and motion controller accessories. Bottom line — the A1 came first, but the Avata 360 upped the bar, and it costs much less.

Read our DJI Avata 360 review

Computing

Laptop of the Year

Apple MacBook Neo

If there's one laptop that has made the biggest impact in 2026, then it's the MacBook Neo. When Apple announced its brand-new MacBook earlier this year, along with the impressively-affordable starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$1,049, it sent shockwaves through the industry. That might sound like hyperbole, but by releasing a budget laptop that still features a premium-feeling (and looking) design and without too many compromises when it comes to features and performance, the MacBook Neo shook rival PC makers out of their complacency and got them to up their budget laptop game. We had numerous laptop makers freely admit that they were releasing $600 laptops to challenge the MacBook Neo. For the sheer impact alone, the MacBook Neo has to be our pick as laptop of the year.

Read our full MacBook Neo review

Computing Brand of the Year

Nvidia

Once again, Nvidia has dominated the computing industry this year — all without releasing a new consumer graphics card. While the AI bubble, and Nvidia's role in it, continues to have a huge impact on the computing industry, the company has continued to innovate. DLSS 4.5 brought improved image quality to Nvidia's upscaling tech, while also introducing 6x Multi Frame Generation that can help improve gaming performance, especially on lower-end cards. Nvidia also released RTX Spark, its Arm-based System-on-Chip (SoC) aimed at taking on Apple's M-series chips, especially in regards to creative and local AI tasks. Even its controversial DLSS 5 feature has won over some critics since its announcement.

Best Computing Innovation

Intel Arc G3 Extreme

This year's release of the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip — yes, another SoC, this time one that's been specifically designed for mobile gaming devices by concentrating on graphics performance and power efficiency. So, it's not surprising that it is the beating heart of many of the most powerful and exciting PC gaming handhelds that have come out this year, including the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, Acer Predator Atlas 8, and OneXPlayer 3. They're all expensive, sadly, but they offer truly brilliant gaming performance in even the most graphically-intensive titles, and the Intel chip is why.

Best Value Laptop

Dell XPS 13 (2026)

While we were very tempted to give the MacBook Neo our award for the best value laptop of 2026, we've actually gone for one of the laptops it influenced: this year's XPS 13. In the past, Dell's XPS 13 laptop was a premium thin and light laptop, but Dell relaunched it as an affordable alternative to Apple's laptop, initially targeting the same $600 starting price. This isn't a conspiracy — Dell explicitly compared the XPS 13 to the MacBook Neo when showing off the laptop to us. The reason we're giving the XPS 13 the edge is that it feels like Dell made fewer compromises with its affordable laptop, especially when it comes to backlit keyboard and faster USB-C ports.

Read our full Dell XPS 13 (2026) review

Best AI Laptop

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra

Pretty much any laptop these days ships with some form of AI feature included, even baked into the operating system — but of all the laptops that have come out this year, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is, in our view, the best AI laptop because it doesn't just settle for adding AI features from other companies. Instead, Samsung has included its own Galaxy AI features, which offer additional tools, and work across its laptops, smartphones, and tablets. While not every Galaxy AI feature is a killer app, it shows a level of ambition and investment that many of its competitors lack.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review

Best Gaming Laptop

Razer Blade 18

Razer has been putting out excellent gaming laptops for years, marrying cutting-edge technology with thin and light designs that banish any memory of big and bulky gaming laptops of yore. This year's Razer Blade 18 is no exception, offering almost desktop-levels of performance thanks to some of the most powerful components on the market today, with up to an RTX 5090 GPU and 128GB of DDR5 RAM. You can throw any game at this thing and it'll handle it like a champ, and its large 18-inch display offers UHD+ resolution at 240Hz, and FHD+ at an incredibly fast 440Hz, for unbelievably slick performance in games.

Read our full Razer Blade 18 (2026) review

Best PC Gaming Handheld

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

While all the Intel Arc G3 Extreme-powered PC gaming handhelds that we saw at Computex were impressive, one stood out: the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Not only was it one of the first handheld to come with Intel's latest hardware, but MSI completely redesigned the device itself to make it feel more comfortable and responsive when playing. This bore out in our full review, which highlighted the incredible performance (for a handheld) and the bright and vibrant screen that really made the games look spectacular.

Read our full MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review

Best Gaming Keyboard

Corsair Makr Pro 75

Reliability, performance, and build quality are all incredibly important considerations in a keyboard, and the Corsair Makr Pro 75 ticks every box. Its Corsair MGX Hyperdrive magnetic hot-swappable hall effect switches are an absolute joy to type on, and the overall build quality is exceptional (if a little heavy). It's expensive, and the software isn't great, but when crowning 2026's top gaming keyboard, there was only one choice here.

Read our full Corsair Makr Pro 75 review

Best Gaming Mouse

Razer Naga V3 Pro

The Razer Naga V3 Pro is an incredibly versatile gaming mouse that, thanks to its swappable side plates that offer gamers two, six, or 12 additional buttons, will appeal to almost any one, no matter what time of games you play. We use this mouse with the six-button side plate (which is easily attached via magnets) for quick access to macros and shortcuts while playing current obsession Planet Coaster 2. The mouse feels very comfortable to use, the 50K optical sensor offers fantastic control and with an 8,000Hz polling rate, even when used wirelessly, this is a mouse that can give you a serious competitive advantage.

Read our full Razer Naga V3 Pro review

Best Gaming Monitor

Alienware AW3426DW QD-OLED

The Alienware AW3426DW is an ultra-wide gaming monitor with a stunning five-layer tandem OLED panel that offers incredible, vision-spanning image quality. It supports Dolby Vision HDR, and a very fast 280Hz refresh rate that makes it a great choice for fast and frantic competitive games. The 3440x1440 (offering a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio) offers plenty of detail without putting too much strain on your GPU, and that wider field of vision, along with the fast refresh rate, could make a huge difference when playing.

Read our full Alienware AW3426DW QD-OLED review

Gaming

Gaming Device of the Year

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite

The Arctis Nova Elite is the best gaming headset we've ever tested. It's simply that good. It's not just a headset that has you covered by collecting features you'll find elsewhere altogether either; this is a genuinely individual beast. The design and build are of premium materials: SteelSeries has made a custom Carbon Fiber driver with a brass surround ring for spectacular hi-res audio. Connectivity is all you could ever want in terms of need and convenience, and the whole experience is absolutely fantastic. A world-beater of a gaming headset and device that is peerless.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review

Gaming Brand of the Year

Asus

With an enormous number and diversity of products being launched by the gaming brand, from first attempts at desktop soundbars to quality PC gaming handheld follow-ups, and more excellent gaming monitors with the latest panels in that you can shake a stick at, Asus has been the hardware brand to beat this past year.

Gaming Innovation of the Year

Nvidia DLSS 4.5

With PC gaming becoming increasingly demanding, DLSS has never been more important, and DLSS 4.5 is one of the biggest leaps forward for upscaling tech yet. It delivers such high image quality and clarity that you can barely tell the difference between Quality and Performance modes, helping supported games like Doom: The Dark Ages and Arc Raiders look better and run better than ever before.

Best Console Accessory

Corsair Novablade Pro

A pleasant surprise in the past year or so's gaming hardware releases, the Novablade Pro leverless fightstick is a fantastic game controller that oozes quality and prioritizes customization to make life easier and better for fighting game players.

Read our full Corsair Novablade Pro review

Best Gaming Service

Amazon Luna

With hardware prices spiraling out of control, cloud gaming has never been a more attractive proposition — and Amazon continues to offer one of the best services in the space. This year saw Amazon Luna games integrated directly into the Prime Video app on Fire TV devices, making it easier than ever to access great games wherever you are.

Read our full Amazon Luna review from 2024

Best Gaming Controller

8BitDo Pro 3

The 8BitDo Pro 3 looks like a small upgrade compared to the Pro 2, but in real-world use, the improvements are simply astronomical. 8BitDo has crammed drift-eliminating TMR thumbsticks, magnetic hot-swappable face buttons, trigger locks, and an extra pair of optional remappable buttons into a versatile, budget-friendly package that is miles ahead of the competition.

Read our full 8BitDo Pro 3 review

Best Gaming Headset

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite

The best gaming headset we've ever tested. The Nova Elite raises the bar for premium, do-it-all, high-end gaming headsets, and this ticks every box from feature set to battery life, and from connectivity to audio quality, design, and build.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review

Best Gaming Chair

Secretlab Atlas

Secretlab's latest chair is a hit. This practical task chair offers the brand's supreme materials and build quality in a less gaming-oriented format, making it perfect for your work-from-home setup. It's attractive, comfortable, and feature-packed — what more could you ask from your seat?

Read our full Secretlab Atlas review

TV & home theater

TV of the Year

LG C6

In terms of all-around performance, features and versatility balanced with price, the C6 is the best TV around. When we tested it next to its predecessor, the LG C5, it was a noticeable upgrade: one that's rare to come across, and that was helped by LG adding its highest-end image processing. If you want a TV that can do it all, the C6 is that TV. Few TVs have impressed me as much this year as the C6, and that's why it takes the top spot.

Read our full LG C6 review

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Sony

Sony released two RGB LED TVs this year after years of teasing, and both of them were best-in-class, and are the TVs that most have me believing that OLED really should watch its back based on where this technology could do. Outside of this, the brand has also produced some excellent soundbars and speakers across the board, including the ground-breaking Bravia Theater Trio wireless LCR system, which is something we've been hoping to see a company make for years.

Home Entertainment Innovation of the Year

Sony True RGB

RGB TVs have been the big buzz of the TV world in 2026, and while it's been a mostly mixed bag, Sony's version called 'True RGB' stands above the rest. While it delivers spellbinding colors and superb brightness, it's the OLED-level black tones that impressed me most. I've tested Sony's two True RGB TVs and it's the best that dark and high-contrast scenes have ever looked on a backlit TV. In terms of innovation, it doesn't get more impressive than this in 2026.

Best Gaming TV

LG C6

For gaming, there's no better option in 2026 than the LG C6. Not only does it have a full list of features — 4K at up to 165Hz, full variable refresh rate support, and Dolby Vision Gaming — and fantastic performance, but it's also available in 42-83-inch sizes to suit all gaming spaces. When I played games on the C6, I had a fantastic time thanks to its buttery-smooth response times and excellent picture quality. There are other great gaming TVs around, but none delivers such a good all-round experience for the same price.

Read our full LG C6 review

Best TV for Sound

Sony Bravia 9 II

While TV sound is often a mixed bag, no other TV delivers better built-in audio in 2026 than the Sony Bravia 9 II. It delivers impeccable detail and clarity with a wide soundstage and pinpoint accuracy. Watching our reference scenes just impressed us across the board — very few other TVs have ever delivered such a level of audio authenticity.

Read our full Sony Bravia 9 II review

Best OLED TV

LG C6

Our TV of the Year is also the best OLED TV of 2026. More premium models may deliver better picture or more features, but none deliver a more complete package that's a significant step above their predecessor for a seriously competitive price. The C6 is a jack-of-all-trades TV that ticks every box a user could need across a wide range of sizes, and no other OLED has impressed me as much as the LG C6 when compared to last year's models.

Read our full LG C6 review

Best Mini-LED TV

Sony Bravia 9 II

RGB mini-LED is the next step in the evolution of mini-LED and no other TV this year does it better than the Sony Bravia 9 II. It delivers fantastic backlight control, OLED-rivaling black tones, vibrant, rich colors and realistic detail. No backlit TV has ever wowed our reviewers more than the Bravia 9 II, and it's an exciting sign for the future of mini-LED.

Read our full Sony Bravia 9 II review

Best Value TV

TCL QM7L/C7L

It really doesn't get better in terms of bang-for-your-buck value than the TCL QM7L (US model) and TCL C7L (UK and Australian version). The new SQD panel delivers great brightness and color, as well as excellent backlight control. Its great for gaming for a near-full suite of features, and it has credible built-in sound. The real highlight however is its price-to-size ratio, where you can get a big screen at a ridiculously affordable price, given how good the picture looks. If you want the best value, the QM7L/C7L is our top pick.

Read our full TCL QM7L review

Best Projector

Hisense XR10

This projector simply creates the most impressive pictures you can expect from a living-room-friendly projector — anything beyond this requires going pro. It's bright enough to work for lit rooms as well as dark-room viewing, and looks fantastic in both cases — and it even has a slick decor-friendly design. Sure, it lacks 120Hz at 4K, but cinephiles won't care — and this is made for cinephiles, make no mistake. Our full review will land shortly.

Best Soundbar

Sonos Beam Ultra

This wasn't the only soundbar this year to earn a rare five-star rating, but it's the one with the most 'wow' factor, because it's hard to believe such an expansive sound is coming from such a small design. The Dolby Atmos effect reaches a scale you'd never expect for a compact bar, and does it with clarity and precision of spatial audio. This feels like a premium bar, but with a mid-range price, and that's why it earns this award.

Read our full Sonos Beam Ultra review

Best Wireless Home Theater Speakers

Sony Bravia Theater Trio

This is product option we've wanted for so long: a wireless LCR system (meaning left, center, right channels) that's as easy to set up as a soundbar, but with the better width and impact that you get from a separates system. And that's what you get here: tons of power, a super-immersive Dolby Atmos experience, and a sense of scale to match a projector screen or giant-screen TV in a way a soundbar can't match. It's the wireless living home theater dream come true, especially with its easy expansion to add rears and subs. Our full review is coming soon.

Streaming

Streaming Service of the Year

HBO Max

Three years on after winning our coveted Best Streaming Service of the Year crown, HBO Max has done it again — and with good reason. Its long-overdue launch in multiple European nations, including the UK and Ireland, and the introduction of new user-friendly features are two such reasons why it was an early contender for this year’s prize. Throw in its unrivaled catalog of unmissable new shows and returning TV favorites, ongoing movie-exclusive partnership with acclaimed indie studio A24, and ever-expanding live sports coverage, though, and no other platform came close to besting it.

Best for Movies

Prime Video

Movie lovers should flock to Prime Video, as it boasts a library of over 20,000 movies in the US. The streaming service regularly adds new movies from Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, and classic cinema across the years, as well as its own Prime Video Original movies. Recent additions include the romantic comedy Love of Your Life and survival horror The Devil's Mouth.

Best for Documentaries

Netflix

Considering Netflix has everything from true crime to celebrity-fronted food documentaries, it's the place to be if you love all things real life. There's plenty of shocking stories of scandals, murders, mysteries and more, as well as lighter options for those in need of some escapism. Whatever you're after, Netflix probably has it. Recent must-see documentaries include a nail-biting series called Worst Neighbor Ever and the shocking Titan: The OceanGate Disaster.

Best for TV Shows

Apple TV was the most awarded streaming service at the 2026 Emmys, with many of its original series being hailed as the best. We’re inclined to agree, considering the quality of Apple TV shows has been consistently excellent across the board. Whether you want a mind boggling thriller like Severance or a horror comedy like Widow’s Bay, there’s plenty on offer for all tastes.

Best Free Streaming Service

Tubi or not Tubi? That’s the question we ask ourselves who should win our annual Best Free Streaming Service of the Year award. Well, this year, it is Tubi. Supported on over 30 devices — the most of any ad-supporting video on demand (AVOD) service — it’s available to every kind of person working to every kind of budget. Add in its movie and TV show catalogs, which number hundreds of thousands of offerings covering numerous genres, as well as its ongoing featuring of myriad live television channels and networks, and it’s the 2026 people’s AVOD champion.

Audio

Headphones of the Year

Apple AirPods Max 2

As we said in our full review, these cans are "doubtless the best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet" — and we weren't expecting to love them as much as we did. Aside from the USB-C lossless audio and incredible comfort, they also boast some of the best voice capture on any headphones we've ever experienced. This was a really hot year for headphones, the AirPods Max 2 still lag behind the competition for battery life (and the weird bra case continues to mystify) — but that they won out should tell you just how good they are in every other way.

Read our full AirPods Max 2 review

Audio Brand of the Year

iFi

Hi-res specialist iFi isn't afraid of conquering the whole hi-fi market, serving up launches such as the excellent five-star elite iFi iDSD GR2 and the cheap and cheerful Go Cable this year. We love seeing this hard-working visionary outfit in full flow. Whatever level you're at, it's got something for you — and it's hard to look past a brand that hires out London's Tower Bridge, gets its entire team into black tuxedoes, plasters the walls with the word 'Phantom' so it feels as if 007 himself could drop in at any minute and then unveils the most stunning-sounding flagship DAC we've ever heard. Bravo, iFi. For you, the world is not enough…

Audio Innovation of the Year

Cambridge L/R S speakers

Before I heard these speakers, I thought Cambridge had taken a big risk here. Then, I gave them a thorough listen and I knew they were winners. The L/R S is a genuinely active stereo speaker system, so it does not involve a powered primary speaker and a dumb counterpart to make a pair. OK, only the primary speaker receives power, but there are two channels of amplification for each speaker. Then, there's a full DSP crossover which acts as a PWM signal to each amp — and that's before the bespoke four-conductor cable to connect the primary speaker to the secondary! Might we call them over-engineered? Maybe — or you could simply call Cambridge's work ethic ‘admirable’, as I do.

Read our full Cambridge L/R S review

Best Wireless Headphones

Nothing Headphone (a)

There's something so untethered about Nothing's approach to audio architecture and design that it makes these cans downright joyous in their appeal — we actually have the pair with yellow accents (you can call them over-easy eggs if you like, that actually makes me dig them even more). The company upgraded and finessed the audio compared to the original Headphone (1), while keeping the excellent on-ear controls (the roller for volume is a true highlight) stellar battery life, very good ANC and truly useful app — then somehow shaved a load off the price. A deserved winner.

Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review

Best Wireless Earbuds

Soundpeats H3

These delightfully different, affordable and sonically superb buds from Soundpeats sound better than some buds at twice their price (and at around $129 / £129, they're really quite humbly priced), thanks to their triple-driver array per bud, a secure fit, plus aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless and LDAC support. Audiophile on a budget? Add this name to your list.

Read our full Soundpeats H3 review

Best Open Earbuds

Shokz OpenFit Pro

Our Audio Editor uses these superb, if pricey, open earbuds multiple times per week, and it's hard to look past the personal recommendation. The fit is sports-worthy (aided by extra optional bands in the box, useful for sports that require a different fit, such as tennis) but they're also office-friendly and professional in terms of design — and the excellent active noise reduction is as unusual as it is class-leading. As far as I'm concerned, Shokz served an ace here.

Read our full Shokz Openfit Pro review

Best Value Headphones

CMF Headphone Pro

We knew we loved these minty fresh cans as soon as we slipped them over our ears. Would you expect hearing tests for a personalized sound profile, LDAC support, an excellent volume 'roller' control on the right ear cup, glorious build quality, zealous wireless sound, exemplary battery life and 3.5mm hi-res wired listening for under $100 / £100? The design flair, energetic audio quality and additional perks won this race.

Read our full CMF Headphone Pro review

Best Value Earbuds

JLab JBuds Mini ANC

Look at them! The JLab JBuds Mini ANC's one perceived failing stems from their biggest selling point: because they're tiny enough to fit on a keyring (they are the smallest ANC earbuds on the planet), you might think they're little more than junk. I'm here to tell you emphatically that they are not — in fact, they're so far from junk that you can't lose them. They're the first earbuds to have support for Apple's Find My network. I don't think any rival came particularly close to the value you get here for $39 / £39 — our full review is coming soon.

Best Value Open Earbuds

Baseus Bowie MC2

We think a Labyrinth-era Bowie (that's 1986, to save you the bother of checking) in full Goblin King Jareth regalia would've put these dark, cuff-style open earbuds on without a second thought — and he'd have looked fantastic in them. These cheap clip-style buds often had us wondering whether you even need to spend more on a flagship set from class-leaders such as Shokz or Bose. If all you need is good sound with surprisingly regimented, impactful bass (and you're prepared to forego expensive extras) these Baseus buds are a winner.

Read our full Baseus Bowie MC2 review

Best Wired Headphones

Meze Audio Strada

We're going for a set of stunning racing green closed-back headphones that sound as airy and spacious as open-back headphones, except nobody hears your playlist. As a closed-back option, they're also relatively easy to drive and they're capable of supremely detailed, organized and thoroughly addictive audio.

Read our full Meze Audio Strada review

Best Wired Earbuds

Sennheiser CX 80U

I said it before (because these were your choice too, dearest reader) and I'll say it again: when people ask me, "What's the cheapest way to get better sound from my phone?" my first response is to suggest these delightfully inexpensive 2026-release USB-C wired earbuds. For around $35 / £30 you really cannot do better. You don't get volume controls on the in-line remote and the mic doesn't deliver crystal-clear calls, as our Sennheiser CX 80U review explains. What you do get is acutely nimble but impactful bass, clear mids and sparkling, appealing highs. Pair that with their surprisingly effective passive noise isolation and you’re looking at an incredibly good pair of wired buds for the money.

Best Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Xtreme 5

Do you want a Bluetooth speaker you'll be able to slip into a purse and take to the park for a podcast, or do you want a party-ready beast with a shoulder strap all of its own? Because JBL's Xtreme 5 is in the latter camp, but if that's what you want, you'll be delighted with it. This is one of the best bigger Bluetooth belters we've ever tested — as our five-star JBL Xtreme 5 review will impress upon you at great length. OK, enough talk: let's dance!

Best Wireless Speaker

Denon Home 400

I got a chance to hear this speaker among its siblings (the Home 200 and 600) at launch, and it is my favorite of Denon's 2026 wireless home trio. It is also the best-looking new wireless speaker on the market, for me (it's about the size of a chopping-board rack or bread bin, fitting neatly on shelves and bookcases while serving up delicious sound). Another great feature is that during setup, you are encouraged to list where the speaker is placed — far from a wall, close to one wall or in a corner — within the HEOS companion app. You can then opt for a 'pure' stereo hi-fi mix, or add 'width' to boost the horizontal spaciousness of the sound field. The spatial and directional stuff is a lot of fun to play with and, as our full Denon Home 400 review explains, provided you don't rely on a voice assistant to do your bidding at home (I do not) it's a hugely talented wireless speaker.

Best Portable Audio Player

Astell & Kern PD5

I absolutely get why the TR readership chose Astell & Kern's newest 'entry level' hi-res audio player, called the A&K PD5 (I put 'entry level' in quotation marks because A&K's definition and ours may well differ). And while I've been lucky enough to listen to the May 2026-release flagship Astell & Kern SP4000T, very briefly — and I have to tell you, it's excellent — it is a huge chunk of cash. This option is far more palatable from a purely financial perspective and is still a fantastically gifted DAP. We gave the PD5's wonky, quirky SR35 older sibling a glowing five-star review, and now this glorious successor is here in a more conventional form factor. Our full review is almost here, but here's a spoiler alert: it's good news. I predicted this category would be won by Activo's parent company, and so it has come to pass — the hi-res DAP specialist is truly bossing the quality portable music machine market.

Best Turntable

Fluance RT87

This is a player for the purist, and so it is pretty light on convenience-focused features — there's no built-in phono preamp, for example — but we don’t think that is a bad thing. The Fluance RT87 is designed for someone who is ready to enter a more serious vinyl listening state and is prepared for manual tone arm adjustment and tweaking to make the turntable as flat as possible using the provided bubble level. This means you won't damage your particularly irreplaceable presses when you spin them — that's the kind of person this turntable is aimed at, and it nails that brief.

See our full Fluance RT87 review

Best DAC

iFi iDSD GR2

When we chose iFi as our Audio Brand of the Year, one of the key deciding factors was this phenomenal digital-analog-converter. It's all stunning design, punchy power, exceptional performance, and a bright TFT display for extra features. I love iFi's dedication to K2HD restorative mastering tech, and its fan-fave XBass and XSpace filters. This DAC even has a lower asking price than its xDSD Gryphon predecessor at launch. It would be churlish to ask for much more than that in 2026.

Read our full iFi iDSD GR2 review

Best Stereo Speakers

Dali Sonik 1

While these may be small and budget-friendly, sonically they’re huge and luxurious. Think clear-headed, stunning vocals with more room to breathe than should be possible at this level, plus tangible transients through to a deep, thrumming low-end. They are far from the first of this type of speaker, and they certainly won’t be the last — but they’re emphatically among the best currently on the market, especially at such a wallet-friendly price.

Read our full Dali Sonik 1 review

Health & Fitness tech

Health & Fitness Device of the year

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro

Expensive the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro may be, but the ultimate adventure smartwatch is one of the best devices Garmin has ever produced, building on years of technical advancements. It's a money-no-object powerhouse with amazing build quality: the all-titanium case houses a powerful battery, behind the super-tough sapphire crystal lies a vibrant AMOLED screen, and during my test runs against a heart rate monitor it's consistently accurate. I've been wearing the 43mm version non-stop since getting my testing unit — a clear indicator that it's first in line for valuable wrist real estate this year.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 9 Pro review

Health & Fitness Brand of the Year

Garmin

Garmin has had a strong 2026. It's revamped its cycling range, brought out a few new features such as AI-powered nutrition tracking to justify the cost of its Garmin Connect+ service, and has developed a few extremely well-reviewed gadgets — notably, the screenless Garmin Cirqa fitness tracker and the top-flight Garmin Fenix 9 series, both of which feature in this list to no-one's surprise. It remains the brand to beat in the endurance world, but the Cirqa shows that it's making inroads with the gym crowd too.

Health & Fitness Innovation of the Year

Huawei Watch D3

This watch advances the smartwatch-as-medical-device category further into refinement, boasting more than its signature medical-grade blood pressure cuff technology. With emergency fall detection, blood pressure trends, sleep tracking and six days of battery life compared to the Apple Watch's 24 hours, it's the watch I recommend to people looking for a health-orientated smartwatch for seniors. It's all packed into a sleek Apple-inspired design.

Read our full Huawei Watch D3 review

Best Smartwatch

Apple Watch Ultra 4

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 retains its crown for another year as this year's top smartwatch. Like every other Apple Watch Ultra model before it, this is an iterative update to an already-excellent watch, rather than a top-down redesign, but did we expect anything else from Apple? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What has changed is the back of the watch: a redesigned LED Health Sensing System ensures better-than-ever accuracy and more frequent heart rate readings, enabling improved sleep tracking (along with a boost in battery life, as you're less likely to take it off to charge it) and the new Readiness Score.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 4 review

Best Running Watch

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro is back. The redesigned Maps feature places you right into the middle of things, mimicking your perspective to reduce the glance-to-interpretation delay when you're trying to find your way on long runs, which even the Apple Watch doesn't do. It's a triathlon athlete or ultra marathon's dream watch thanks to its trail features, while its battery life is more impressive than the Ultra 4. Recommended workouts based on your Training Readiness score and Garmin Coach training plans are the icing on the cake.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 9 Pro review

Best Fitness Tracker

Garmin Cirqa

The Garmin Cirqa narrowly beats up the Fitbit Air: even though it's more expensive up-front, the lack of reliance on a subscription service and its tactile button (just click it to start tracking, no messing around with the app) means it's the screenless fitness tracker of choice this year, and the best new fitness tracker overall.

Read our full Garmin Cirqa review

Best Smart Ring

Oura Ring 5

The competition was super-hot this year, but Oura came back swinging with the Oura Ring 5. It's thinner than ever, which is so important in a smart ring, earning top marks for design in our review. Its slickly-orientated app and smorgasbord of metrics justify the ongoing, mandatory subscription, making this a great premium smart ring option.

Read our full Oura Ring 5 review

Best Electric Toothbrush

Suri Core 1.0

The Suri Core 1.0 takes the original Suri brush's elegant, simplified aesthetics and environmental credentials, and manages to cut a few corners to shave some money off the price. A bio-plastic handle rather than aluminium, and a slightly less powerful motor and battery, helps keep the Core affordable. You can still recycle the brush heads for free, and the unit still looks nice and stylish, especially with its slick magnetic mount. Its battery life will last over a month between charges.

Read our full Suri Core 1.0 review

Best Connected Fitness Tech

Withings BodyScan 2

Withings is a brand that's quietly been making excellent health products for years, from discreet hybrid smartwatches to under-mattress sleep analyzers and, well, smart scales. The Withings BodyScan 2, with its handle creating a circular current and offering a comprehensive list of 40 different metrics, is not just its best yet, but our best smart scale at the premium tier. It tracks blood oxygen levels, hypertension risk and estimates your vascular age. And you thought scales were just for BMI!

Read our full Withings BodyScan 2 review

Home tech

Home Device of the Year

DJI Romo P

The Romo P is DJI's first robot vacuum, but you wouldn't know from its performance. It offers the best obstacle avoidance of any robovac we've tested, as well as superb wet cleaning on hard floors, and very good vacuuming on carpet. It gets our seal of approval as this year's best robot vacuum, if your wallet can take the hit.

Read our full DJI Romo P review

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Philips Hue

Philips Hue is the biggest name in smart lighting for a reason, and this year it's become more accessible than ever with the launch of Hue Essential — a range of budget-friendly bulbs and LED strips that are an affordable entry to the smart lighting ecosystem. Meanwhile, power users can enjoy AI-powered lighting tools thanks to the new Hue Bridge Pro, which supports over 150 lights in a single network.

Home Tech Innovation of the Year

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

The smartest fan we’ve tested this year, the Dyson Find+Follow uses AI to track you as you move around the room, ensuring you’re kept cool and comfortable at all times. It blew us away with its 350 degrees of oscillation, super quiet operation, and smooth air flow — and its voice and app controls make operating it a breeze.

Read our full Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review

Best Home Light Tech

Philips Hue Omniglow Strip Light

The Omniglow uses tiny micro LEDs to produce a seamless gradient unlike any LED lightstrip we’ve seen before — and it looks amazing. Not only are the individual LEDs invisible, it’s also incredibly bright, and looks particularly stunning when flowing from one color to the next in a Dynamic Scene. One of the most exciting smart lights I’ve seen in recent years.

Read our Philips Hue Omniglow review

Best Home Security Device

Aqara Camera Hub G350

It might look like a children’s toy, but the Aqara Camera Hub G350 is a serious home security camera, and one you can trust to guard a whole room thanks to its 360-degree panning. Despite its cute looks, the G350 is packing a 4K wide-angle camera, plus a 2.5k telephoto lens for getting up close. It’s compatible with all the main smart home ecosystems, and you can store footage on an SD card so there’s no subscription necessary. And, for some reason, it has detachable bunny ears. What more could you want?

Read our full Aqara Camera Hub G350 review

Best Robot Vacuum

DJI Romo P

DJI's first robot vacuum is a triumph — the company has put its expertise in obstacle-detection to good use, and the DJI Romo P is the best robovac we've ever tested when it comes to avoiding common hazards. Its cleaning is top-notch as well, with its mopping function proving particularly effective at removing tough spills from hard flooring.

Read our full DJI Romo P review

Best Vacuum

Roborock F25 Ultra

The F25 Ultra packs a lot more cleaning power than your typical wet/dry vacuum, with steam-cleaning, hot-water degreasing, and powerful suction to tackle huge amounts of dirt and water. Its power-assisted wheels make it feel surprisingly nimble too. Perfect for households with pets, children, or both — your floors won't know what hit them.

Read our full Roborock F25 Ultra review

Best Air Fryer

Ninja French Door Premier Air Fryer Convection Oven Toaster

This is much more than just an air fryer — it’s a full countertop oven, with an extra-large cooking area that can accommodate an entire pizza or chicken. It cooks astonishingly fast, with 10 dedicated modes, and produced perfect fries, vegetables, quesadillas, and even bagels during our tests. It looks great as well, and you can open the French doors one-handed for easy access.

Read our full Ninja French Door Premier Air Fryer Convection Oven Toaster review

Best Coffee Machine

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2

The classiest coffee maker we've tested in the last 12 months, and the one I'd be proudest to have in my own kitchen, the Meraki Gen 2 is a pleasure to use, automating certain parts of the brewing process without taking over, and helping you hone your own barista skills. The results? Sensational coffee, provided your wallet can stand the hit.

Read our full Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review

Best Value Coffee Machine

Philips Baristina

If you're looking for an affordable coffee maker, you can't go wrong with the Philips Baristina — an innovative little appliance that combines the best features of manual and automatic espresso machines. It handles the whole brewing process for you, but without the awkward maintenance of your typical bean-to-cup machine. Look for the version bundled with a milk frother and you'll never bother buying takeout coffee again.

Read our full Philips Baristina review

Best Fan

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

Dyson's smartest fan to date, the Find+Follow tracks your movement as you walk around the room, and makes sure its airflow is always angled in your direction. The airflow is smooth and quiet, which makes the Find+Follow an ideal choice for night time as well, and the filtration system effectively removes dirt and allergens while it's keeping you comfortable.

Read our full Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review

Meet the TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 winners — all 100% chosen by you

TechRadar — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:55:19 +0000

It's been an excellent year for tech releases, with the arrival of everything from new TV panel developments, to groundbreaking drones, to awesome spatial audio speakers, to a new breed of AI-connected screenless fitness wearable.

It's also been a really difficult year in tech, though, due to the component crisis and rising prices across nearly all products. In the middle of that tension, it only makes sense for us to find out which companies navigated the challenges best by asking the community of tech lovers out there — and so here are the first TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards.

The results are in, so below we've listed the TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 winners winners in every category, all 100% voted by you!

Phones & tablets

Phone of the Year

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

It’s no great surprise that readers chose the iPhone 18 Pro as the Phone of the Year. After all, this — along with the iPhone 18 Pro Max — scored five stars in our review, which is a rating we hardly ever give out to phones. But with its excellent camera system — complete with genuinely useful upgrades like a variable aperture and pro controls — plus an exceptionally fast chipset, great battery life, beautiful new Burgundy and Glacier colors, and a superb screen and software, the iPhone 18 Pro excels in just about every area. So its five stars, and Readers' Phone of the Year award, are well deserved.

Phone Brand of the Year

Apple

Given that the iPhone 18 Pro won Phone of the Year and that Apple’s handsets are well represented among the other Readers’ Choice award winners below, it’s hard to see how any other company could have won Phone Brand of the Year. Apple might not release as many different models as some brands, but it still has a phone for almost everyone — whether you want a high-end flagship, a top-tier gaming phone, a DSLR alternative, something more affordable, or even, this year, a foldable phone (though the Duo was released too late to be eligible for these awards). And not only has Apple covered most of the bases here, but all of its handsets excel and e with genuine upgrades compared to last year’s models.

Phones Innovation of the Year

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Given that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 was the first passport-shaped foldable to arrive on the scene in Western markets this year, it's easy to see why readers voted it as the Phones Innovation of the Year. This new form factor makes it even more pocketable than a book-style foldable, but still gives you a large screen when it’s unfolded. The smaller cover screen also makes it perfect for one-handed use when you don’t need the large inner display, and coupled with flagship performance and high–quality displays, this is a great all-round phone — not just an innovative one.

Best Value Phone

Apple iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e might not be the cheapest phone, but its lower price makes it highly affordable by iPhone standards, and it comes with double the storage of the iPhone 16e without upping the starting price. Plus, with features like MagSafe and an A19 chipset, you’re getting a lot for your money, so it’s no wonder this was voted Best Value Phone. iPhones tend to get updated for many years and hold their value well too, so this isn’t just good value on day one — it should also serve you well for a long time.

Best Mid-Range Phone

Apple iPhone 17

There’s no base iPhone 18 yet, and it’s a testament to just how good the iPhone 17 still is that readers have voted it the Best Mid-Range Phone. Everything that was good about the iPhone 17 at launch still remains so in 2026 — including its powerful A19 chipset, always-on display with ProMotion, and improved cameras. The iPhone 17’s price hasn’t dropped since launch (in fact, thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, it's actually gone up), but you’re still getting a lot for your money compared to many other mid-range phones.

Best Folding Phone

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the Readers’ Choice Phone Innovation of the Year, it’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra that readers think is the overall Best Folding Phone. This isn’t surprising either, as while the form factor here is nothing new, this is Samsung’s most polished, premium, and feature-packed foldable yet — so much so that it got ‘Ultra’ added to the name. For the first time, the foldable screen is essentially flat, with a near-invisible crease, and the Z Fold 8 Ultra also has a bigger battery, more power, and improved cameras compared to its predecessor, while still being slimmer, making for a phone that lives up to its ‘Ultra’ name.

Best Flip Phone

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung is clearly still the king of foldables for now in readers’ eyes, since they’ve also voted the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 as the Best Flip Phone. Arguably, this phone didn’t have much competition outside of the Motorola Razr line, but that doesn’t take away from its achievements, including new Horizontal Lock and Fan Cam features, which make it a major upgrade for recording videos. Coupled with a slightly slimmer design than last year, improved software, and a chipset upgrade, it’s no wonder the Z Flip 8 has flipped its way into readers’ hearts.

Best Camera Phone

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro — along with the iPhone 18 Pro Max — have some serious camera upgrades, so it makes sense that readers would have voted this the Best Camera Phone. You’re getting a trio of 48MP cameras on the back, covering wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto (4x zoom) views, and in a rare move for phones, the wide snapper also has a variable aperture. That feature, coupled with new pro controls, gives you more power than ever to take control of your shots. But the iPhone 18 Pro still shines for point-and-shoot photography, too, and its cameras capture more detail than ever before.

Best Gaming Phone

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro also takes the Readers’ Choice Best Gaming Phone award, and this makes total sense too, given the sheer amount of power on offer here. The phone has a seriously fast A20 Pro chipset paired with improved thermal management — so it can keep cool and maintain its smooth performance even over a lengthy gaming session. On top of that, the App Store simply has a better selection of high-end games than you’ll find over on Android, and they’re usually well optimized for Apple’s hardware.

Best AI Phone

Google Pixel 11 Pro

Between them, Samsung and Apple have swept almost all of these awards — but not quite all of them, as readers voted the Google Pixel 11 Pro as the Best AI Phone. Despite Siri’s recent AI makeover, this makes perfect sense, as Google has spent the last few years improving the Pixel’s AI features and more deeply integrating them into the operating system. The result with the Pixel 11 Pro is a phone with AI everywhere. You can tap into Gemini from any screen, and new features such as Rambler for voice dictation and Magic Capture for photography bring genuinely useful AI-powered upgrades to this phone's core functionality.

Best Phone Accessory

UGreen Qi2 25W Wireless Power Bank

The UGreen Qi2 25W Wireless Power Bank is a top-tier portable charger with speedy 25W wireless charging, an ultra-compact design, and a lightweight feel. As well as wireless charging capabilities, the model has an integrated USB-C cable for charging your devices or the power bank itself, a USB-C port that supports 30W charging, and even a neat little display. Pair that with high build quality and 13-layer protection for safe charging, and you’re looking at one of the best wireless power banks on the market — and TechRadar readers clearly agreed.

Best Tablet

Apple iPad Pro (M5)

The Apple iPad Pro (M5) is a powerhouse of a slate, with that M5 chip delivering what our review described as “amazing performance.” It also has a sumptuous 11-inch screen, a sleek design, and impressive cameras and software. Whether for work or play, this tablet can handle tasks exceptionally well, so it’s a deserving winner.

Best eReader

reMarkable Paper Pure

This isn’t just an ereader, it’s a lightweight, distraction-free writing tablet that’s portable, comfortable, and — according to our reMarkable Paper Pure review — offers a “flawless writing experience.” So while this isn’t necessarily going to be the best choice to read a novel on, if you’re after an epaper tablet to sketch and write on, this is an ideal choice — so it’s no real surprise this was voted Best eReader.

Cameras & drones

Camera of the Year

Sony A7R VI

From a shortlist that included the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Sony A7 V, Leica M-EV1 and a trio of five-star DJI products, it was the A7R VI that topped your votes, and it’s easy to see why: Sony gave us highly-detailed images and blazing-fast performance in a single, well-designed model, rounding the package off by debuting its first new battery in almost a decade for class-leading endurance. We rarely use the word ‘perfect’, but for many photographers, the Sony A7R VI mirrorless camera will be just that.

Camera Brand of the Year

Sony

Readers voted the A7R VI as a double winner, the A7 V as the Best Mid-range Camera, the RX10 V as the Best Compact Camera and the 100mm F2.8 macro as the Best Lens winner — so it’s little wonder that the camera giant wins the Brand of the Year vote too. And the accolade is fully deserved; other leading brands have had a majorly quiet year by comparison, besides perhaps the relentless DJI. Sony’s mirrorless camera lineup is looking strong, and its lens range is formidable. If you can afford its admittedly pricey gear, it’s the ecosystem that has it all.

Camera Innovation of the Year

Antigravity A1

Antigravity was a complete unknown before this year, but the Insta360-seeded company burst onto the scene with the world's first 360-degree drone, the A1. Pipping DJI to the post, the Antigravity A1 is effectively an Insta360 X5 that flies, which means it shoots crisp 8K video of every angle, and when paired with the company’s goggles and motion controller, gives a flight experience that’s both immersive and intuitive. The possibilities for this tech are truly exciting.

Best Beginner Camera

Fujifilm X-T30 III

Love Fujifilm’s retro design but can’t stretch to the pricey X100 VI or X-E5? In steps the portable Fujifilm X-T30 III, fitted with the company’s entry-level 26MP APS-C sensor for sharp stills, 6K video with 10-bit color depth, a tilt screen, EVF and a flash. It’s an excellent entry point to the Fujifilm X-mount for photography-focused users, with very few rivals at its affordable price point, besides the recent OM PEN. The X-T30 III is set to become one of Fujifilm's best sellers.

Best Mid-range camera

Sony A7 V

The Sony A7 IV held onto top spot in our best mirrorless cameras guide for years and had only recently lost its spot to the Nikon Z6 III, only for Sony to wrestle it back with the mark IV’s successor. The Sony A7 V feels like the complete camera; its new processor, ‘partially stacked’ sensor and improved subject tracking autofocus deliver a boost in stills and video performance, even if the A7 V has the same 33MP resolution as its predecessor. The A7 V is a true all-rounder.

Best Professional Camera

Sony A7R VI

Of course the readers' Camera of the Year also scoops top prize in its individual category. With Canon doing its business last year, and Nikon remaining totally quiet, the A7R VI really stood out. and it's a solid upgrade of the A7R V, with a bump in resolution from 61MP to 66.8MP, but more importantly it’s a quicker stacked sensor that’s ultimately way more versatile. The completely new battery (for class-leading battery life) and Sony’s best autofocus and design yet add further polish to the Sony A7R VI.

Best Compact and Instant Camera

Sony RX10 V

We didn't see it coming, but nine years after the now-discontinued RX10 IV, Sony revived its series of bridge cameras, and made the best even better. It ditched the Cyber-Shot name and brushed up the Sony RX10 V’s design to feel more Alpha, but ultimately the shooting experience from the same 20.1MP 1-inch sensor and 24-600mm F2.8-4 lens combo is entirely familiar, and it's one that many enthusiast wildlife photographers will love. Add the chunkier battery, better autofocus and faster burst shooting, and it’s an even better, albeit pricier, all-in-one camera.

Best Action and Vlogging Camera

Insta 360 Luna Ultra

DJI was busy priming its twin-lens Pocket 4P camera to attempt to change the vlogging camera game, only for Insta360 to steal its thunder with the Luna Ultra, and what an innovative camera it is. Taking the compact, gimbal-mounted camera formula of the Pocket series, the Insta360 Luna Ultra went one step further by adding a 3x telephoto camera, and fitted the device with a clever detachable remote module, which can control the camera remotely and doubles up as a mic. Never has solo vlogging been easier.

Best Camera Lens

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS

At 10 years old, Sony’s 90mm macro lens was beginning to look a little dated, and so Sony macro photographers were delighted when the company released an entirely new model with a larger than life 1.4x magnification: the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS. Much like the similar Canon 100mm macro lens from 2021, Sony’s doubles up nicely as a portrait lens too, plus it's supported with image stabilization, compatible with teleconverters, and optically it's pretty much flawless.

Best camera accessory

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro

We’ve been reviewing bird feeder cameras for years, but it was the Birdfy Bird Bath Pro that made a splash in 2026 (pun intended). Amid warnings of the part that flat tray bird feeders can play in spreading avian diseases, in stepped this unique bird bath camera, with a more hygienic fountain, and that enabled us to observe a different kind of splashing and preening bird behavior from up close, with the same live feed and app notifications we've come to love from bird feeder cameras. The first generation product needs a little refining, but there's nothing else like it for bird lovers.

Best drone

Antigravity A1

The Antigravity A1 clearly made an impression on readers, picking up its second award here. It’s great to see a company besides DJI entering the drone space, and to do it so well with its first 360–degree drone. The Antigravity A1 shoots 8K video taken from any angle, and delivers an immersive flight experience through its goggles and motion controller. And with firmware updates and new accessories since the product's launch, Antigravity looks like it's just getting started.

Computing

Computing Brand of the Year

Apple

Apple shook up the computing world this year with the introduction of its affordable MacBook Neo, which combined a relatively low price tag with a premium design, all without making too many compromises when it comes to performance. It left Windows competitors scrambling to compete, so we ended up with a range of excellent affordable Windows 11 laptops arriving later — which means Apple had perhaps the biggest impact on computing in 2026, and readers clearly felt it.

Best Computing Innovation

Nvidia DLSS 4.5

Out of all the AI upscaling tech that's been helping PC gamers eke out more performance from their rigs, Nvidia's DLSS is by far the most advanced, and its 4.5 release brings better image quality, while Dynamic Multi Frame Generation does a great job of balancing image quality with high frame rates. Nvidia also added 6X Frame Generation, which allows compatible GPUs to reach incredibly high frame rates.

Best Value Laptop

Apple MacBook Neo

When Apple launched the MacBook Neo earlier this year for $599 / £599 / AU$1,049, it made a huge impact. It was a lower price than many of us were expecting, and no Windows 11 laptop, or Chromebook, that cost similar could compete. Sure, there were compromises to keep the price down, such as a lack of backlit keyboard, slow USB ports and just 8GB of memory, but the overall package offered incredible value for money. So, it was a bit of a shame that Apple increased the price a few months later to $699 / £699, making it less good value. Still, even with the price rise, you won't find a better laptop for the price.

Best AI Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 (2025)

After a few years where it felt like Apple was being left behind, it's beginning to roll out more of its Apple Intelligence (AI) features, and while it's still early days, the results are promising, with many of the tools featuring Apple's signature polish. Because the company has been including its Neural Engine in its chips for years, it actually has a bit of a head start when it comes to on-device AI, and the latest MacBook Pro is a great example of this.

Best Gaming Laptop

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026)

Gaming laptops don't come much bigger and brasher than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026). It features desktop-grade performance thanks to a mighty RTX 5090 laptop GPU, plus a cutting-edge Intel Core Ultra 9 processor. Its huge 18-inch screen is also fantastic, powered by mini-LED technology, which makes modern games look gorgeous. However, all this power comes with a high price tag.

Best PC Gaming Handheld

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

While some PC gaming handhelds are going all-in on raw performance with cutting-edge components, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 is more of a refinement of the existing ROG Xbox Ally — but that is actually a bit of a masterstroke, as it means it's cheaper than rivals such as MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Don't think this is a budget device, however, and the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 features some nice improvements such as an OLED screen that looks fantastic, as well as improved buttons and TMR joysticks.

Best Gaming Keyboard

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL is an unusual gaming keyboard, because instead of a physical numpad, it has a built-in touchscreen that can give you quick access to macros, apps, and shortcuts that can give you a competitive edge. Thanks to its 8K polling rate, it's fast and responsive, and when you're not playing games, it feels great to type on as well.

Best Gaming Monitor

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is a brilliant gaming monitor for people who are seriously into their competitive esports, thanks to its incredibly fast 500Hz refresh rate. Matched with ultra-low response times, and you have a monitor that will keep up with even the most frantic of games, and the OLED screen tech makes those games look incredible.

Best Gaming Mouse

Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike

The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike more than earns its rare five-star rating thanks to its fantastic build quality and lightweight design that makes it feel comfortable no matter what your grip type is. It also features a unique haptic inductive trigger system that lets you fine-tune the mouse buttons to perfectly suit your playstyle.

Gaming

Gaming Device of the Year

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2

The new Stealth Pro 2 headset from Turtle Beach is a fantastic premium headset that builds on everything great about its predecessor. The sound quality is spectacular, of course, but there's now improved battery life and solutions within its dock, a slick new lifestyle-friendly design, and a fantastic microphone all working together at the core of what makes it excel in gaming audio.

Gaming Brand of the Year

Turtle Beach

Gaming hardware behemoth Turtle Beach has released a whole heap of awesome gaming gear and devices in the past year or so, from pushing the boundaries of what a gaming mouse can be, deploying brilliant aesthetics to controllers, all the way to following up one of the best headsets of recent times with a superb successor.

Gaming Innovation of the Year

Turtle Beach MC7

A screen on a mouse?! Outrageous! But also: excellently innovative by Turtle Beach. In terms of changing perceptions about what gaming mice can do, the Command Series MC7 is a brilliant gaming product and should increase the functionality that gaming mice can offer players.

Best Console Accessory

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race KD3 wheel

Offering a brilliant direct-drive bundle, the KD3 wheel is a fantastic addition to the budget end of the market and offers incredible value for money. The feedback from the 3.2Nm motor, pedal set, and even the aesthetics all play their part in making the VelocityOne Race KD3 a brilliant racing wheel.

Best Gaming Service

Xbox Game Pass

Having its price slashed this year, thankfully, is a big boon to players, and it has meant that Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription still offers good value while also allowing players to jump into the likes of Gears of War: E-Day without paying the full price of a game.

Best Gaming Controller

Turtle Beach Pacific Skyline Wireless Controller

This might be the best possible controller for GTA 6. With a delightfully retro pastel aesthetic, this Xbox pad stands apart in a sea of comparatively boring-looking alternatives. It's got beautiful RGB lighting to boot, and competitive specs, including features such as remappable rear buttons and built-in audio controls, to back up the good looks.

Best Gaming Headset

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2

A premium headset that does it all, the Stealth Pro 2 from Turtle Beach is about as close to the full package as gaming headsets have gotten in the past year. It also had a tough act to follow, with its predecessor being so good too, and is worthy of its place as one of the past year's best.

Best Gaming Chair

Secretlab Atlas

Having thoroughly mastered the gaming chair, this year saw Secretlab branch out into something new. The Secretlab Atlas is a strong task chair that's perfect for work, relaxation, and, of course, gaming. The unique design incorporates a fantastic self-adjusting lumbar mechanism, which makes comfortable seating effortless.

TV & home theater

TV of the year

Sony Bravia 9 II

A TV needs to be sensational to stand out from the best TVs of 2026, and the Bravia 9 II is exactly that. Its RGB mini-LED panel delivers OLED-grade contrast and color, but with the brightness of mini-LED — and its audio system means it sounds as good as it looks.

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Sony

With multiple gongs in this year's reader-voted awards, it's not a surprise to see Sony pick up the Brand of the Year award too. Sony's focus on making premium products with innovative tech has yielded impressive results across TVs and soundbars, and its RGB technology and wireless speaker systems have been especially worth the wait.

Home Entertainment Innovation of the Year

Sony True RGB

True RGB is Sony's branding for its RGB mini-LED technology. Like other mini-LED displays, True RGB uses a very bright mini-LED backlight to deliver brightness that OLEDs can only dream of. RGB mini-LED takes the tech further, with each LED packing separate, independently controlled red, green and blue diodes instead of a single color. That means much better color accuracy and off-angle viewing. Sony isn't the only company to introduce this tech in 2026, but the way it designed its version has led to the most impressive results.

Best Gaming TV

TCL QM8L

The TCL QM8L is a superb TV for gaming thanks to its support for 4K at up to 144Hz across all four HDMI 2.1 ports, variable refresh rate at up to 288Hz, low latency, and impressive built-in audio as a bonus. We gave it a maximum score for gaming in our review, and said it's "a pleasure to game on" — and clearly the readers agree. This TV is TCL doing what TCL does best: delivering lots of fun for a way lower price than you expect.

Best TV for Sound

Sony Bravia 9 II

It's another win for Sony's flagship, this time for its Acoustic Multi-Audio+ sound system that has two full-range drivers, two subwoofers, two tweeters and a pair of angled beam tweeters to add height. With 80W of power, the Sony Bravia 9 II is impressively loud as well as beautifully detailed, and it sounds terrific in movies and music.

Best OLED TV

LG G6

The LG G6 stood out this year for massively improving its visibility in even very bright rooms, and it set a very high bar for OLED excellence overall this year. The picture quality is outstanding, it's phenomenal for gaming, and webOS remains one of our favorite smart TV platforms.

Best mini-LED TV

Sony Bravia 9 II

RGB mini-LED is spectacular, and right now nobody's doing it quite like Sony. The Bravia 9 II is the best backlit TV we've ever seen, breaking new ground when it comes to color and contrast, but maintaining the realistic, reference look that Sony strives for.

Best Value TV

TCL QM7L

The TCL QM7L is a remarkable achievement, reaching image quality shockingly close to the heights of TCL's flagships for a significantly lower price. Like its award-winning QM8L sibling, it's a superb gaming TV, and it's an excellent all-rounder with a good specification and a generally premium feel.

Best Projector

Anker Soundcore Nebula P1

It looks like you share our view of the Anker Soundcore Nebula P1: it's a lot of fun, and as a package it's hard to beat. The P1 takes the best bits of the much more expensive X1, including its nifty wireless speakers, and boils them down into a much more affordable portable projector package so you can enjoy big-screen fun anywhere.

Best Soundbar

Sonos Beam Ultra

The days when Sonos had the premium soundbar sector to itself are long gone, but the Sonos Beam Ultra puts the company right back at the head of the pack: five out of five stars-good as we detailed in our Sonos Beam Ultra review. It's an Arc Ultra but smaller, delivering superbly detailed and immersive audio in a really small package.

Best Wireless Home Theater Speakers

Sony Bravia Theater Trio

The Sony Bravia Theater Trio is an LCR system, which means it has left, center and right wireless speakers to create a much wider soundstage than the best soundbars alone can deliver. It delivers a powerful, warm and wide sound, and if you add a wireless subwoofer things get even more entertaining. In the world of giant-screen TVs, this is a really tempting option, as our voters clearly felt.

Streaming

Streaming Service of the Year

Netflix

Netflix is always a controversial company, especially when it comes to price hikes — but there's a reason it can get away with all the rises, and that's because it's the best. Its own Netflix Originals continue to excite and delight, it makes smart buys from all around the world, and its documentaries are often superb. Add in excellent parental controls, apps for every conceivable device and a very affordable ad-supported tier and you can see why Netflix is a worthy winner.

Best Streaming Service for Movies

Netflix

Netflix's mix of original movies and bought-in blockbusters in a huge range of genres means there's always some movie magic to stream, whether that's the latest Wallace & Gromit movie (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), Godzilla Minus One, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse or classics such as Jaws. Netflix's current movie catalog features some of the world's most celebrated filmmakers including Alfonso Cuarón, Martin Scorcese, Jane Campion, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Spike Lee and many more.

Best Streaming Service for Documentaries

Netflix

Netflix was quick to recognize the power of documentaries to deliver big drama with very low budgets, and its current slate includes a huge range that stretches from the hard-hitting to the heart-warming. From true crime reconstructions to spectacular shows such as American Symphony, Netflix's documentary department is full of must-watch stories.

Best Streaming Service for TV Series

Apple TV

The recently renamed Apple TV, formerly Apple TV+, may not have the massive catalogs of its streaming rivals, but when your line-up includes the likes of Slow Horses, Pluribus, Small Prophets, Hijack, Shrinking, Severance, Margot's Got Money Troubles, Widows Bay and more, it's clear that you're prizing quality over quantity. Apple's one-tier approach is refreshing: there's no need to pay more for ad-free viewing, higher resolution or spatial audio.

Best Free Streaming Service of the Year

Tubi

Like many readers we're big fans of Tubi: it's one of the finest free ad-supported streamers around, with a huge range of entertainment to choose from. Don't expect the very latest hit shows or blockbusters, but the catalog is impressively large and wide-ranging so there's always something fun to watch — and the ads aren't so frequent that they become irritating.

Audio

Headphones of the Year

Apple AirPods Max 2

As we said in our full AirPods Max 2 review, these cans are "doubtless the best noise-cancelling iPhone headphones on the planet" while also being incredibly comfortable and boasting some of the best voice capture on any headphones we've ever experienced. Clearly the readers felt the same way, and like us were able to overcome the fact that Apple kept that weird, weird case…

Audio Brand of the Year

Bowers & Wilkins

There's something undeniably elite, sophisticated and next-level about B&W's products, whether it's the luxurious five-star PX8 S2 headphones, the deliciously expensive earbuds, or its astounding new-generation Diamond-series speakers. Clearly, the readers agreed that the attention to both design and sound here is a cut above the rest.

Audio Innovation of the Year

Cambridge L/R S speakers

We called this set of bijou active speakers "an immediate pound-for-pound market-leader contender" in our five-star review. There are two channels of amplification for each speaker, and a full DSP crossover which acts as a PWM signal to each amplifier, for astounding accuracy, and custom connecter between the speakers for ensuring all of that comes through appropriately. Are they a tad over-engineered? Perhaps — but this is an innovation award, and it seems like that's exactly what the readers responded to.

Best Wireless Headphones

Sony 1000X The Collexion

What better way to mark a whole decade (yes, we feel old too) since Sony's now modern classic 1000X headphones landed than to distill everything that's ever been great about them into a solo, celebratory product? OK, they're the company's priciest set of wireless Bluetooth headphones yet but, as we said in our Sony 1000X The Collexion review, "their luxurious build, detailed sound, and top-tier comfortability help to justify their price tag."

Best Wireless Earbuds

Sony WF-1000XM6

Another Sony winner, and no one can argue with Sony's detailed sound quality. But Sony's buds are also always a leader due to their features, and the Quick Attention option, should someone need a quick word with you have the ANC on, alone is a good enough reason for the readers to have voted for these buds.

Best Open Earbuds

Shokz OpenFit Pro

We were happy to see that, despite their not-insignificant asking fee, these are getting the recognition they so fully deserve. The fit is secure and fuss free (aided by extra optional bands in the box, which are useful for sports), and the excellent active noise reduction is nothing short of class-leading. Read our full Shokz Openfit Pro review for the full match report, but as far as we're concerned, Shokz hit an ace here.

Best Value Headphones

Sony WH-CH730N

There's a strong set of features in Sony WH-CH730N for the money, plus competent sound and a nifty, foldable design. At such a low price, the all-round quality you get here is impressive, and Sony's budget headphones have been popular for years — evidently, the new model is landing with readers as well.

Best Value Earbuds

Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus

Earfun's built up a huge, loyal fanbase owing to its consistently good, affordable earbuds. The Earfun Air Pro 4 do nothing to buck that trend, delivering very good value for money, and premium features. So we're not surprised to see them as the readers' pick, and they're a deserving winner.

Best Value Open Earbuds

Anker Soundcore Aeroclip 2

Yes, we're into second-generation ear cuff-style open earbuds in 2026 and long may they reign! The Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 are a solid upgrade over their predecessors, offering higher-resolution audio, better waterproofing, clearer calls, and a more tailored sound, as we explored in our Soundcore Aeroclip 2 review. They benefit from a bit of extra tuning to sound exciting, but they're a great option for fans of this clip-on design, particularly in the pictured 'Burgundy Red' finish. Very 'new romantic'!

Best Wired Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000

A huge win for a set of 58mm open-back drivers and A-T's known wizardry in the game. I'd caveat the win by saying you can't just buy these headphones and expect great sound from your source device — you have to buy a decent amp to drive them too — but we've covered it all in our five-star Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review. Know this: get them properly powered and, as long as you don't care that other people will hear whatever you're listening to, they'll reward you with some of the best audio quality we've ever heard from headphones.

Best Wired Earbuds

Sennheiser CX 80U

When people ask us, "What's the cheapest way to get better sound from my phone?" our response is to name-drop these cheap 2026-release USB-C wired earbuds. For around $35 / £30 you really cannot expect more. OK, you don't get volume controls on the in-line remote and the mic isn't especially good in calls, as we note in our glowing Sennheiser CX 80U review — but you do get agile bass, clarity through mids and vivid, sparkling highs. Pair that with their surprisingly solid noise isolation and you’re looking at an awesome pair of wired buds for music.

Best Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Xtreme 5

JBL seemingly cannot go wrong when it comes to portable speakers, whatever their size — although it's worth noting that this is a big boy… but the triumph is big too. Truth be told, we've never met a JBL Bluetooth speaker we didn't like quite a bit, but this particular model? This is one of the best portable Bluetooth puppies we've ever tested — as our five-star JBL Xtreme 5 review emphasizes — so it's easy to see why the readers picked it.

Best Wireless Speaker

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker

If your budget can stretch to it, there’s just so much to like about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, and so little to take issue with — and we're happy that you think so too. In our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review we appreciated the tall, punchy and well-defined spatial audio performance from a winsome and well-made Wi-Fi speaker.

Best Portable Audio Player

Astell & Kern PD5

Astell & Kern's newest 'entry level' hi-res audio player (we put that in quotation marks purely because entry level for A&K may be different for the rest of us…) is a simple and deserved winner here. The hi-res digital audio player specialist knows what it's doing with quality portable music machines.

Best Turntable

Sony PS-LX5BT

This is Sony's joint-newest Bluetooth record player (the slightly pricier of a new duo), and because the PS-LX5BT features Bluetooth transmission via the aptX Adaptive codec, it'll give you better-quality streams if your receiver is up to it. Because of its onboard phono stage, it can also hard-wire to pretty much any system you care to mention — and to top it all off, Sony's made the whole thing automatic where playback is concerned. See our full Sony PS-LX5BT review for the full scoop on why this is the beginner-friendly player to beat — something the readers clearly agreed with.

Best DAC

Astell & Kern AK HC5

In our full-fat review of the HC5, we praised this little hi-res audio DAC for the spacious detail it brought to our portable music game, its classy build and finish and the fact that it really is portable. Essentially, it gives your phone, laptop or even your games console the audio skills of a top-end hi-res music player.

Best Stereo Speakers

Cambridge L/R S

A double win for the colorful little Cambridge speakers! These little beauties also won our readership's Audio Innovation of the Year gong too, and it means Cambridge's gamble with these all-new active speakers (the smallest and most-intriguing in a new three-strong range) has really paid off. As our Cambridge Audio L/R S review and the awards here prove, they're a winner.

Health & Fitness tech

Health and Fitness Device of the Year

Apple Watch Ultra 4

It's always tough to push the Apple Watch Ultra off the top spot, and readers once again voted it to give it the top price, and that's because it's such a comprehensive best-in-class beast of a smartwatch. While it doesn't look much different from last year's design from the front, the Ultra 4's redesigned sensor array means it can record heart rate readings up to 60 times more often as older models, plus it (finally!) gets a Readiness score. It remains the smartwatch to beat for another year at least.

Health & Fitness Brand of the Year

Garmin

Garmin has had a good year. The hugely popular brand went from strength to strength this year, not only delivering another five-star watch with the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro (among other great adventure- and cycling-focused devices), but also delivering the wearable we named the best screenless fitness tracker of 2026 (and there have been quite a few) — the Garmin Cirqa.

Health and Fitness Innovation of the Year

Google Fitbit Air

Despite hot competition (including the Garmin Cirqa), our readers voted the Google Fitbit Air (which came first) the best health tech innovation of 2026. It was quite revolutionary in the fitness tracker field: up until it landed, the screenless space was dominated by the cripplingly expensive Whoop. The Fitbit Air broke this trend and used the power of Google's existing Gemini AI framework to democratize the AI element, delivering it at a lower price, while keeping the basics nice and cheap for under $100 / £90.

Best Smartwatch

Apple Watch Ultra 4

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 hasn't changed a huge amount since last year (or indeed, since its inception), but it's improving on an already-excellent model with increased battery life and a redesigned health-sensing LED array. This new 'Health Sensing System' takes heart rate readings 60x more often during the day, resulting in what Apple says is the most accurate heart rate detection ever on a wearable. Of course, it's also a fantastic smartwatch with a sumptuous screen and useful features.

Best Running Watch

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro

From a technical standpoint, this may be Garmin's finest watch yet, and the one on every serious endurance athlete's Christmas list. The Fenix 9 Pro takes Garmin's excellent Fenix 8 and adds a brighter screen, an all-titanium nano-moulded case, a new green light for improved visibility, better maps, InReach and Solar options, and loads more. We rated it a five-star triumph in our Garmin Fenix 9 Pro review.

Best Fitness Tracker

Garmin Cirqa

Although the Fitbit Air came first, we labelled the Garmin Cirqa as our ideal 'Goldilocks' tracker: cheaper than the Whoop, but more feature-rich than the Fitbit. Garmin's tracker lasts for over a week and features a tactile button to start-stop workouts and alarms, after which you get a haptic notification. This is a terrific way to interact with a screenless device and get assurance your workouts are being tracked, rather than opening up the app to manually start an activity.

Best Smart Ring

Oura Ring 5

Although there were other smart rings released from the likes of RingConn and Circular this year, the Oura won out again this year simply by virtue of its app's powerful smarts. You do need a membership, but Oura is a premium device, and new health insights along with a redesigned, slimmer ring means it's easy to see why the readers voted it as their pick.

Best Electric Toothbrush

Suri Core 1.0

Suri is the toothbrush company that creates simple sonic toothbrushes with sustainable elements, and it's managed to bring the price down a touch with the Suri Core 1.0, becoming more affordable while retaining its Apple-esque, good-looking design ethos. With the magnetic back attachment and simple dual modes, it's unspectacular, but a free brush head recycling program and a slick look go a long way to making it popular.

Best Connected Fitness Tech

Withings BodyScan 2

Withings' top-flight smart scale is this year's best connected tech entry, which offers so much more than just weight. The retractable handle enables the scale to run currents through the whole body, taking heart rate readings and cardiovascular snapshots in addition to all the usual metrics and a new 'vascular age' metric. Its accurate, reliable, and usable by the whole family with multiple profiles.

Home tech

Home Device of the Year

Philips Hue Essential

The Philips Hue Essential series is an affordable entry to smart lighting that doesn’t compromise on quality. Philips Hue Essential bulbs and LED strips are compatible with all devices in the Hue ecosystem, but work equally well on their own, with brightness, color reproduction, and responsiveness that rivals smart lights costing several times the price.

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Philips Hue

It's been an epic year for Philips Hue. At one end of the scale, the brand has made smart lighting more accessible with the budget-friendly Hue Essential series of bulbs and LED strips. At the other end, the new Philips Hue Bridge Pro lets power users connect over 150 lights in a single network and delivers exciting AI features — with lots more on the horizon. Smart lighting has never been so exciting.

Home Tech Innovation of the Year

Philips Hue Essential

If you like the idea of installing smart lights, but have been put off by the price, the Philips Hue Essential series is for you. This innovative collection of smart lights offers all the best features of the Philips Hue system without the hefty price tag, meaning that it's a game-changer for people put off by the price of whole-home smart lighting in the past.

Best Home Light Tech

Philips Hue Essential

Another win for Philips Hue Essential, though this one was inevitable given its other victories here. The Essential light range is affordable and versatile, offering brightness, color, and smart functionality that belies the products' modest price. In side-by-side tests, it’s hard to differentiate between these and their premium counterparts, and they’re fully compatible with automations, scenes, switches and sensors through the Philips Hue app. A perfect entry to smart lighting.

Best Home Security Device

TP-Link Tapo C660

When it comes to home security cameras, the TP-Link Tapo C660 checks off everything on our wishlist: easy installation, extra long battery life topped up with a solar panel, crisp 4K footage, and no subscription necessary to store it all. It’s remarkably affordable too, and if you have a large property, a multi-camera bundle will let you watch over it from all angles. For peace of mind, it's unbeatable.

Best Robot Vacuum

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai

The ingenious Spot+Scrub Ai is designed to tackle stubborn dried-on stains that other robovacs can’t handle, using artificial intelligence to identify troublesome dirt and then mopping it repeatedly until it’s gone. Its self-cleaning is exceptional too, and overall it’s an excellent choice for little-and-often cleaning that will keep your floors looking immaculate.

Best Vacuum

Dyson V10 Konical Cordless Vacuum and Auto-Empty Dok

A winning pair — the ultra-light and super-maneuverable Dyson V10 Konical funnels hair to the center of the brushroll to prevent it wrapping around the spindle, while the Auto-Empty Dok removes all the hassle and mess of emptying the vacuum’s dust cup. A perfect duo for allergy-sufferers and pet-owners alike.

Best Air Fryer

Ninja Crispi Pro Glass Air Fryer

The Ninja Crispi Pro’s standout features are its clever glass cooking dishes, which let you store, cook, and serve food with no mess or hassle. The air fryer cooks quickly and quietly, whether you’re crisping up a few fries or roasting a whole chicken, and the dishes are a cinch to clean in the dishwasher when you’re done. Air frying should always be this easy.

Best Coffee Machine

Lavazza Assoluta

The Lavazza Assoluta takes the guesswork out of making espresso with a clever system that scans the barcode on your coffee beans, then tweaks the machine’s brew settings accordingly. Its built-in milk frother prepares creamy lattes and macchiatos without the need to master a steam wand, and its drinks menu is fully customizable. Want an extra shot in your cappuccino? No problem!

Best Value Coffee Machine

Philips Baristina

The Philips Baristina makes brewing espresso with fresh beans just as simple as using coffee pods. It handles dosing, grinding and extraction for you, and its ingenious design with a removeable portafilter handle makes it a cinch to clean compared to a typical automatic coffee maker. A perfect entry-level espresso machine — and accessibly priced, too.

Best Fan

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1

This compact fan will serve you well all year round, offering effective cooling during the summer and efficient heating during the colder months. It’s supplied with a remote, but we were most impressed by the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1's mobile app, which made setting timers and schedules a breeze — and even let us pre-heat a room so it was cozy when we arrived home.

Samsung has new clip-on buds, OnePlus has new clip-on buds — when do we say 'that's enough new open earbuds'?

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:48:18 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Buds On go on sale, in Asia
OnePlus Buds Clip are revealed, but you can't buy them either
The clipping-bud market is getting overwhelming

If you've been idly browsing our best open earbuds guide, you might find your job getting a little more tricksy with each passing day. Why? Because it feels like more clip-on open earbuds are launching than there are days in the week. Case in point, two new options are here... sort of.

First up is the Samsung Galaxy Buds On, which we covered the launch of, at the start of the month. These are Samsung's debut open-ears, and they're finally going on sale on Tuesday 27th October... in Korea, at least. We're still waiting on global availability, but apparently some European websites have listed the buds (and have since had said listings quickly removed), which makes it sound like a worldwide roll-out is on the near horizon.

What about a brand new pair? The OnePlus Buds Clip have also been unveiled, and they sound like something I'd love to test. They have dual drivers, sound leakage prevention, an above-average battery life and automatic left-right detection so you can clip either bud on either ear and get the right music.

The catch? OnePlus retreated from the US and UK earlier this year. While the buds will sell in Asia, Europe and several other regions, you or I won't be able to buy them. And despite a market that continually makes me ask, 'How many is too many open earbuds?' that's a shame.

You have plenty of other options though, as I mentioned above; the clip-style open earbuds market is absolutely saturated at the moment. In fact, buying a new pair is pretty overwhelming.

Don't get c-lippy with me

(Image credit: Future)

According to sales figures, open earbuds are massive right now, and I get it. They're comfortable to wear, don't block out the world around you, have great battery lives (thanks to the typical lack of ANC), often cost less than alike standard in-ear buds, and don't sound all that bad any more.

This all explains why there are so many open earbuds on the market right now; in fact, most brands have multiple options. Bose recently unveiled two options. Shokz sells the OpenDots Air alongside its premium model. Soundcore recently shook up its range with two near-identical options. Many more entry-level audio companies such as Soundpeats, Baseus and Earfun have even more.

Competition is good, but to a point. Case in point: open earbuds don't have the scope for variety that, say, in-ear buds do, and 99% of the pairs I test feel largely the same. They fit the same, sound the same and work the same.

So it makes it harder for new buyers to know which pair they should be picking up, and I imagine many people are put off by the deluge. The frequency of releases also means it's easy to lose faith in your choice; a new option will be on shelves before you know it.

Want my advice? Cut out the noise and just buy from a brand you trust at a price that fits your budget (or use our suggestions below if you need pointers).

Remember the headphones with a built-in valve amp? They're back in a new and improved version

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:34:00 +0000

Écoute unveil improved TH2 headphones
Use valve pre-amps for analog sound
They're not cheap!

British audio brand Écoute — no, not French, despite the name — wowed us in January 2025 by sticking valve amps into headphones for a classy hi-fi appeal. And now it's done it again, but apparently better.

The Écoute TH2 promise improved noise cancellation, a more comfortable fit, design tweaks to reduce chances of microphonic interference in the valves — and, most importantly, improved sound quality. The brand hasn't changed the make-up of its cans, just made some adjustments and improvements.

The new cans use a redesigned resonance chamber to improve bass and reinforced shielding to avoid the interference with the analog valve design.

Getting tubular

(Image credit: Écoute)

Despite being an older form of tech, valve amps are beloved amongst audiophiles because they're an analog form of amplification, giving a warm and natural sound while offering loads of the perks of digital amplifiers. We've covered it before: valve amps sound better thanks to physics.

On most hi-fi pieces of kit, valves are large and fragile, but Écoute uses the smaller and lighter NuTube 6P1, so the tubes don't shatter as soon as you sneeze, and don't weigh too much.

The Écoute TH2 connects via Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C and, of course, 3.5mm, and they even work with external amplifiers if you'd rather not use the tech you're paying for.

Another perk is that you can change the EQ and it applies to the DSP, instead of overlaying a blanket change, giving you the ability to make more nuanced changes to your sound.

The catch? These aren't showing up on our list of the best cheap headphones any time soon. They sell for $999 / £999 / AU$1,446, and that's for the fabric band. Getting the leather option costs even more (£1,099 in the UK, and I can't find pricing elsewhere just yet) and both go on sale in November.

Skullcandy headphones are set to get a whole lot better thanks to Bose, especially the cheaper buds

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:06:39 +0000

Bose has bought Skullcandy
The brands have worked together on headphones recently
Acquisition all but guarantees more Skullcandy cans will get Bose tools

Bose, one of the top-tier audio companies, has spent the last few years helping out other brands with audio tuning and features, and Skullcandy is one of the highest-profile beneficiaries. Just look at the Method 360 or Crusher 1080, both of which were better for the Bose touch — and more recently the Noise Master Buds Open, which we got to try at IFA Berlin last month.

Now, Bose has decided a slice of credit is not enough; it wants the whole pie. The noise-nixing pioneer has just bought Skullcandy, in a deal which seems to guarantee the bony brand's continued success.

It sounds like little will change for Skullcandy, despite its acquisition (although you never can know with these things), but it should ensure that more of the brand's headphones will get Bose touches. Soon, you'll likely see Sound By Bose and the brand's noise cancellation in more devices, beyond the flagship ones.

That'll be particularly great for the Park City, Utah-based company's non-flagship headphones, speakers and earbuds. Skullcandy makes portable party speakers, workout headphones and buds, all at more affordable price-points than its now-parent company, none of which would likely have been in line for a Bose makeover before the acquisition.

Now, there's little for Bose to lose in using its magic touch liberally.

They Bose to the challenge

(Image credit: Future)

A few weeks ago, prior to news about the acquisition, TechRadar's Audio Editor Becky Scarrott spoke to Bose's President of Premium Audio, Raza Haider. One of her questions actually happened to be about whether Bose was empowering its rivals perhaps too much, by offering out its tech?

"We exist as a company to produce great sound, through audio research," Haider said, on September 30. "Our products are a very small way of that research manifesting itself onto human beings in the world. The more places we can find for that technology to land, the more service we're doing for the vision of the company.

"Bose cannot be that brand, or that company, that delivers all those use cases. One brand can't cover every single passion point, otherwise it becomes a plain vanilla tech giant. You might as well make washing machines, right? I'm not taking a dig at anyone, but you know what I'm talking about."

So, perhaps we had a preview of Bose's intentions then. It certainly shows that Bose has been wondering about the competition, and how best to maintain its unique positioning in the audio market.

For those of us who just love what Bose can do with ANC and can't wait for it to become more prevalent in a wallet-friendlier brand (and surely that's all of us?), things are looking very good indeed.

4 cheap headphones and earbuds we've tested to avoid 'headphone dodger' fines — they're all cheaper than the £100 you'll pay if you're caught

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:49:25 +0000

UK government cracks down on people who annoy others with phone music
Fines of up to £100 for those people
It's cheaper to just buy these headphones

People who play music, TikTok videos or out-loud video calls on public transport probably aren't self-aware enough to know how annoying it is, but apparently the UK government does, because it's finally cracking down on so-called "headphone dodgers".

From next Monday, transport authorities will be allowed to fine rule-breakers by up to £100 if they're causing a nuisance. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is fronting the campaign, after previous governments toyed with the idea.

It's a good idea, but the success is dependent on enforcement, as transport safety officers and not drivers are expected to hand out the fines. Given how minimally-staffed most public transport services are, some (me) are dubious that the rules will make a difference.

However if you've been a 'headphone dodger' and you want to turn a new leaf (good on you), it'd make sense to buy a pair of headphones that cost much less than the £100 penalty fare.

And naturally, we've tested a few that we can recommend…

Sennheiser CX 80U

(Image credit: Future)

Starting with something nice and cheap, we've got some wired earbuds, which you can easily plug into the USB-C port on a phone and keep bundled up in your pocket the rest of the time. No Bluetooth dropouts, no losing a bud as you board the bus, no apps, none of that.

The Sennheiser CX 80U sound great, block surrounding noise quite well, and offer a nice simple design. We gave them 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, only knocking them for some missing features of pricier buds.

Best of all, though, they're really cheap. They launched for $39.95 / £34.99 in January this year, but you can find them even a little cheaper than that on Amazon.

Sony WH-CH530 (or even the Sony WH-CH730N)

(Image credit: Sony)

If you want great-value headphones, you can't go wrong with a pair from Sony, and its recently-released Sony WH-CH530N are really affordable at $69 / £50.

We haven't yet finished testing these on-ears, they're that new, but their predecessors the WH-CH520 got 4.5 stars in our review. We praised the balanced sound and long-lasting battery, and the newer pair will likely bring improvements.

As you can see in the picture, they come in a wide range of colors, and also have noise cancellation, which isn't something you can say about all options at this price point.

Prefer over-ears? Go for the just-reviewed, all-new Sony WH-CH730N: a solid four stars and they're just under that £99 (or equivalent, in your country of residence) fine line, if you'll pardon the pun…

JLab JBuds Mini ANC

(Image credit: Future)

Last, but not least, let's look at some standard wireless noise-cancelling earbuds, which we got to try earlier this year.

The JLab JBuds Mini ANC are tiny — you can even clip the case onto your keyring — so you've got no excuse for not having buds on the bus. At $49.99 / £49.99 they won't break the bank either.

We enjoyed the non-ANC JLab JBuds Mini too, when they came out three years ago, and they're ideal for people who want lightweight buds.

Have further thoughts? Drop us a comment — or better yet, fill out the poll below this text and then add your comment!

Foldable phones could be hot – in more ways than one

Mike Housholder — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:16:50 +0000

The most fascinating thing about Apple's new iPhone Duo – and others like it – may not be that it folds. It may be the innovation required to keep it cool. Because at a time when performance demands from edge AI continue to increase, we’ve now taken available smartphone real estate and – though not exactly halved it – constrained it more than ever. And that impacts heat. Which impacts performance.

What makes the Duo interesting isn't simply the engineering required to create a folding phone. It's that Apple is confronting the same challenge every edge device manufacturer now faces: AI capability is increasing faster than our ability to manage the heat it generates.

That’s why I believe we’re entering a new phase of device innovation, with thermal design increasingly shaping what’s possible. In the edge AI era, managing heat helps determine what a device can do, how long it can sustain performance, and how small or thin it can be.

The iPhone Duo is just the latest reminder that smartphone manufacturers have run into a stubborn engineering problem: How to keep mobile processors cool when there’s almost nowhere left to put a cooling system.

For its part, with the Duo, Apple has packed its A20 Pro and other heat-generating electronics into an exceptionally thin, foldable design. It’s also created a custom vapor chamber to help dissipate heat and sustain performance in the new form factor.

The latter is more than an engineering footnote. It’s a glimpse at a challenge the edge AI industry is starting to confront. Thermal design and industrial design are inseparable. And new solutions to thermal challenges must be considered.

Foldables Make the Challenge Obvious

Foldable phones make the thermal management challenge easy to perceive. Conventional smartphone design gives engineers a relatively predictable enclosure in which to arrange the processor, battery, cameras, and thermal management system. A foldable must accommodate a hinge and two display sections while remaining thin enough to fold comfortably and fit in a pocket.

At the same time, the processor and other electronics still generate heat – more, even, when we consider how people are starting to use mobile devices. Which means foldable designs necessarily concentrate significant heat-generating components into smaller and thinner portions of the device, precisely where space for thermal hardware is already constrained.

In general, vapor chambers remain one of the most effective ways to manage heat in a compact electronic device. They work by moving heat away from a concentrated source, such as a mobile processor, and spreading it across a larger area. But vapor chambers ultimately spread heat rather than remove it.

Sure, as processors become more powerful, manufacturers can increase the size and effectiveness of the vapor chamber. But eventually that thermal component itself becomes a design constraint, especially in foldable phones.

Agentic AI Makes the Challenge Urgent

In foldables, innovating around thermal management is itself an admirable design goal – if folding were the only technological advancement engineers had to tackle. But they’re pushing the envelope on physical design at the exact moment when smartphones are being asked to do much more. Namely, to process agentic AI workloads.

As agentic AI moves from the cloud to edge devices – AI-capable smartphones, wearables, glasses, and more – thermal management becomes the industry's most important challenge. Imagine a new foldable smartphone with its own specialized thermal management system, designed to accommodate an innovative new form factor. Now imagine asking that foldable to process vast amounts of data differently than before.

Unlike traditional mobile apps that perform discrete tasks, AI agents operate continuously. They sense their environment, preserve context, analyze streams of data, and act in real time.

In my view, the industry is still underestimating how significant this transition will be. Historically, a smartphone's thermal profile was defined by short bursts of activity: launching an app, streaming a video, capturing a photo. Agentic AI at the edge changes that model entirely. Devices are moving toward persistent intelligence, continuously sensing, processing, reasoning, and responding. With these sustained workloads, a device’s ability to manage heat becomes a defining constraint on its performance.

Passive thermal technologies remain indispensable. Vapor chambers, graphite, heat spreaders, and advanced materials will continue to play a critical role in future devices. The challenge is that Edge AI introduces thermal loads that increasingly benefit from more than heat spreading alone. As devices become thinner and workloads become more persistent, designers will need additional ways to not just to move heat away from sensitive components, but to move heat out of the system entirely.

Micro-Cooling Complements the Vapor Chamber

So here we are, with foldable smartphones capable of agentic AI processing. It’s a perfect storm of thermal design challenges. Engineers can continue enlarging or customizing the thermal systems they integrate into new and different form factors. Or they can find other ways to extract more thermal performance from available space.

The latter approach is where active, micro-cooling technology becomes a viable and important solution.

Unlike miniature rotary fans, which exist today and take up precious real estate of their own, MEMS-based piezoelectric actuators, fabricated in silicon, generate airflow inside extremely compact packages. Basically, it’s a fan on a chip, capable of precise active cooling that fits where conventional solutions cannot.

With micro cooling (µCooling), heat isn’t just spread out, it’s removed from the device entirely before it can sink into the case, delaying or eliminating thermal throttling. This hybrid approach to cooling in highly constrained spaces delivers better thermal performance in today’s AI-enabled smart devices.

It also creates greater design flexibility – a must as devices themselves become more physically flexible. If active µCooling can provide additional thermal performance, manufacturers may not need to maximize the physical dimensions of vapor chambers. A more appropriately sized, passive thermal system could be paired with localized active µCooling and thereby free up internal volume for other components and give designers more flexibility in how a device is assembled.

Put simply, with µCooling, thermal hardware wouldn’t have to consume as much of a device’s design envelope.

µCooling As Part of the Compute Architecture

The implications extend beyond folding smartphones. AI glasses, headphones, watches, robots, and other edge devices face the same fundamental problem, often with even tighter constraints on size, weight, and power.

The industry wants to put more intelligence into mobile devices while simultaneously making them smaller and more comfortable. That creates a physical contradiction. More compute generates more heat. Smaller devices provide less room to manage it.

µCooling offers a way to change the equation. Not by eliminating vapor chambers and other passive solutions, but by supplementing them with localized active cooling that provides additional thermal headroom while giving product designers more freedom.

As AI runs more continuously in the background, edge devices will spend more time computing and less time idle. Sustaining performance will matter as much as reaching peak capability. Foldable phones make this challenge acute, but it extends across the edge AI market as more intelligence and local processing place greater demands on compact hardware.

That intelligence has a thermal cost. Over the next decade, progress will depend as much on what physical devices can sustain as on what AI models can do. That’s why I believe thermal management is becoming a foundational technology of the edge AI era. The companies that solve this challenge will help define the next generation of intelligent devices.

Manufacturers already know this, which is why thermal management is so essential to product design. µCooling is the innovation behind the innovation – like smartphones that fold.

Check out our list list of the best product management software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

TDM Neo review: they twist and shout, but they don't sound good

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000

TDM Neo: Two-minute review

If you follow your audio news, no doubt you followed the early-2026 unveiling of the TDM Neo with fascination. It’s a novel audio gadget: it functions both as a loudspeaker and as a pair of headphones, with a neat twisting mechanism folding it or unfolding it between the two.

Months on, and the TDM Neo has been released, so I naturally made sure to test a pair to see how well they work… and unfortunately, I can’t really recommend it to anyone but collectors of neat knicknacks.

The problem is almost entirely in the audio department: the Neo just doesn’t sound good. As a pair of headphones it’s okay, but imprecise in a way that many rivals aren’t. However, when you turn it into a portable speaker, you get a tinny bass-less hiss which even bargain-bin Amazon options beat.

I’ll be forgiving: it’s likely that you can’t get high-tech driver systems in a gadget like this due to its form function. But at the same time, a valid reason for something bad doesn’t mean it’s not bad. Pick up something else from our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, I promise you’ll enjoy it more.

Not helping the Neo's case are a few other imprecisions. Take, for example, the design: the twisting mechanism locks the speaker mostly in place, but not always; it’s a bit loose. This means you don’t always get a secure fit, and the speaker can be quite wobbly.

Another gripe: there’s a TDM app, but to use some of its key features, you need to make an account. You can’t just boot up your speaker and change the EQ, without giving over some of your data. Why?

It’s a real shame that the TDM Neo has these issues, because there are signs that the company put some real thought into the device, with some neat touches. There are some useful in-box extras such as a sturdy carry case and high-quality cables, and some of the features (including different EQ modes per format) let you tweak with the nitty-gritty.

I’d be remiss not to mention the price. It matches top-tier Bluetooth speakers or mid-range headphones, despite the sound and build quality — again, as a proposition it's just really hard to justify.

As a viable consumer product, the TDM Neo isn't easy to recommend. It’s a neat concept, with some thought put into its various departments, but several gaping weaknesses mean you’ll be disappointed if you spent your money on it. Keep your eyes peeled for a Neo 2, though – if TDM fixes these issues, it could make something really special.

TDM Neo review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Unveiled in January 2026, sold from October
Available for $249 / £249 (about AU$500)
TDM also sells battery replacements

The TDM Neo was initially unveiled at CES 2026 in January of the year, but it took until September for the device to go on sale and October for it to ship.

You can buy the Neo for $249 / £249 (about AU$500, but I can’t find the device available to buy in Australia). It’s a high price, but a little more justified when you consider that you’re getting two devices.

While repairability isn’t touted as one of the Neo’s key features, TDM does sell battery replacement kits online for $29 / £23 (about AU$46) , and has an online guide on how to swap them out. So the brand deserves kudos on the repairability front.

TDM Neo review: Specs

Drivers	40mm / 40mm
Active noise cancellation	No / No
Battery life	16 hours (speaker) 200 hours (headphone)
Weight	340g
Connectivity	3.5mm, USB-C, Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency response	Not specified
Waterproofing	None

TDM Neo review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

Incredibly good battery life
App brings EP, some extra tools
Account required for some features

One real strong suit is the TDM Neo's battery life. You’re looking at 16 hours of listening in speaker mode, which is above-average for a device of this size… and a wild 200 hours of listening when you’re in headphone mode.

That’s right, well over a week straight of listening without having to charge them up, and dwarfing the 100-plus hours the previous frontrunners hit. Helping that figure is the lack of ANC, which is par for the course with on-ears, so nothing to get upset about.

On your smartphone, you can download the TDM. app to get some extra features. I found it a little tricky to locate, since putting ‘TDM’ into the app store brings up loads of options, so make sure to download the option with the full stop after the letters.

(Image credit: Future)

The app offers all the basics: you can see battery level, toggle a low-latency gaming mode, and find the Neo if you’ve mis-placed it. There’s also an option to change what twisting the unit does, away from switching formats as it currently does, and some battery saver modes which are an appreciated rarity.

The equalizer has several presets and space for two custom modes, and I really appreciate that you can set a separate EQ for when the Neo is in headphone mode and when it’s in speaker mode. It’s a neat touch, but it shows that TDM has really thought through the design.

However to actually edit the 5-band equalizer yourself, and also to use the find-device function, you have to create an account and log in on the app. The TDM Neo is an audio gadget; you shouldn’t need to create an account to use all of its features.

Features score: 3.5/5

TDM Neo review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Twisty twisty: headphones to speakers using magnets
Headphones are fairly sturdy, but a little heavy
Speakers feel unstable and wobbly

Well, this is the whole thing of the TDM Neo, isn’t it? They’re designed to be dual-purpose. They begin as headphones, and you twist them into a speaker configuration, wherein the cups are housed in the headphone band and use outward-facing drivers. I’d compare the process most to using those pop-up festival tents: it takes a knack but when you know, you know.

As headphones, they’re fairly sturdy on-ears which are surprisingly comfortable to wear. That’s despite these puppies weighing a fair bit more than the average pair, at 340g. They have a fairly reliable fit, as long as you’re not jogging in these things. A small release catch lets you extend the length of these; I say this because it took me a good week of testing to realize that’s what the buttons do, so if you own a pair, there’s a good chance you missed it.

But twist the Neo into speaker mode, and it’s a different affair. Music automatically switches to play from the speakers when the cups are bent to a certain degree, and two magnets on the band meet (or roughly at that point, although they don’t need to physically touch).

(Image credit: Future)

It’s not a precise science, and every time I twisted the device down, I’d end with the two halves of the speaker in different places; sometimes they were aligned, sometimes not, and sometimes pointed in different angles.

Musically, this doesn’t make much of a difference, but it means the device is weighted in different ways, and doesn’t have a flat base to lean on. As a result, the speaker would be unstable, rocking when I put it down and constantly shaking if it was on a surface that was being jolted (like, say, a table where board games were being played).

On one of the cups there’s an LED indicator and USB-C port, the latter of which is facing directly upwards, so I imagine this is a no-go in rainy environments or anywhere where particles could fall in (there’s no IP rating). The other cup houses a 3.5mm jack, pairing button, volume rocker and power button. The volume and power buttons are made of a cheap-feeling rubber, which quickly looked scuffed on my review unit.

At least it’s a fairly compact speaker, being only slightly bigger than my Tribit Stormbox Micro 3. Several times I took it to other locations, because it’s small enough to carry in a bag fairly comfortably, without taking up too much room.

Design score: 3/5

TDM Neo review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

Headphones & speakers both have dual 40mm drivers
Speakers are tinny, lack much bass
Headphones have muddy, rumbly sound

Important context: the TDM Neo has two sets of drivers, and so when you’re in headphone mode, you’re listening to different drivers than when you’re in speaker mode. Otherwise, the room-filling audio would deafen you the first time you put the Neo on your head. Sensible.

This results in two very different sound profiles for the device, even if all four drivers are 40mm ones. Unfortunately, depending on your mode, the sound ranges from ‘not great’ to ‘bad’.

It’s the loudspeaker mode that I’m filing as ‘bad’ – years of using Tribit, JBL or Ultimate Ears speakers has ruined me, it seems. Put frankly, the TDM Neo sounds tinny. It lacks any credible bass to speak of, relying on a steaming pile of treble to pass as a song. But even then, high treble and mid lines are conspicuously absent too.

One of my favorite bands to test hi-fi gadgets with is Morningsiders, as their varied instrumentation (‘band’ instruments with strings, brass, piano, so on) makes it easy to analyze speakers. I wanted to put on one of their songs with a more prominent bassline, to see how the Neo fared, and skipped through nearly an entire album without finding one… until I realized that the Morningsiders weren’t the problem.

In something like Hang the Cedar, bass is only apparent from the void in a track it leaves, while acoustic guitar sounds like a metallic sneeze and even some of the guitar harmonics are missing.

(Image credit: Future)

I don’t like being overly negative in product reviews, and luckily I can calm it, because the headphones don’t sound as bad. I still wouldn’t pick them over… well, much, but I didn’t physically recoil while testing them for this review.

The headphones have bass — in fact, it’s quite prominent, even if you’re not coming straight from the speakers. It’s a little ‘looser’ than I like from bass, sometimes sounding rumbly and imprecise, but it’s certainly powerful. I was half expecting the treble to be missing in compensation, but that’s not the case — it’s not too energetic or sharp, but it completes the V-shape sound profile that ensure the headphones are much more pleasant than the speaker.

Yes, V-shape means that mids are a little lacking, but not to a fault. In Morningsiders’ Four Face Liar, for example, acoustic guitar is barely audible between the bass and vocals. But ‘barely audible’ is still a step above the ‘nonexistent’ bass of the speakers.

With support only for the SBC and AAC codecs, you won’t be able to enjoy high-res music with the Neo. And you’re probably wondering whether the equalizer or presets saves the sound? Unfortunately not, it just exacerbates or masks the issue depending on how you use it.

Sound quality: 2.5/5

TDM Neo review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

You're getting two devices in one...
... but two devices would be cheaper...
... and they'd work and sound better, too

As mentioned before, the TDM Neo is essentially two devices in one. In the same way that you pay a premium for folding phones, because they’re both smartphones and tablets, you’d expect to pay a little more for a novel hybrid gadget like this.

Saying that, it dashes their appeal against the rocks. You could easily pick up a solid option from our Bluetooth speakers buying guide and one of the best cheap headphones for less; each device would beat the TDM Neo’s audio and design pretty handily

The premium price really doesn’t help the Neo; $249 / £249 is a cost that you’d only really consider going for if you were buying from a big audio brand like Sony or Bose, not a Kickstarter brand selling a rough-and-ready piece of kit. If you find it half price, maybe it’s worth buying; and if you have some unique use case in which you need a 2-in-1, then perhaps pick it up. But if you’re just interested in the novelty, it’s hard to recommend.

Value: 3/5

Should I buy the TDM Neo?

TDM Neo score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The incredible battery life, and a few other neat touches, work well. It's a shame that you need an account to run them.	3.5/5
Design	It's a neat twisty concept, but neither form works well compared to alternatives.	3/5
Sound quality	The speaker sound bad, and the headphones aren't great.	2.5/5
Value	It's a jack of all trades, but a master of none	3/5

Buy them if…

You only have space for one device
I've said you'd be better off buying two devices for the price, but if you literally only have space for one, this is basically your only way of listening to music.

You need headphones with incredible battery
Need a pair of headphones with an absolutely ludicrous battery life? This is it.

Don’t buy them if…

You want good audio
Not everyone buys audio gadgets with sound quality in mind, but if you care even 1% about how your music sounds, you might want to skip these.

You don't want any more accounts
Hate making new accounts for every app, service and feature? Honestly, me too.

TDM Neo review: Also consider

Usually, we'd list several similar gadgets to the reviewed one, which you may want to do instead. However I'm going to do something different here; I'm going to list one speaker and one pair of on-ear headphones, which together cost less than the TDM Neo.

	TDM Neo	Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 (speaker)	OneOdio Focus A1 Pro (headphones)
Drivers	40mm	48mm	40mm
Active noise cancellation	No	No	Yes
Battery life (ANC on)	16 hours (speaker) 200 hours (headphone)	24 hours	70 hours (ANC off)
Weight	340g	330g	200g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 6.0
Waterproofing	N/A	IP68	N/A

Tribit Stormbox Micro 3
This is my go-to portable Bluetooth speaker; it's about a quarter of the price of the Neo, yet sounds far better. It has a useful carry strap and sits nice and flat on a surface. Plus, it's incredibly durable.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 review

OneOdio Focus A1 Pro
For even less money than the Tribit, these are solid on-ear headphones released earlier in year. They sound decent and last for ages, plus weigh far less than the Neo.
Read our full OneOdio Focus A1 Pro review

How I tested the TDM Neo

(Image credit: Future)

Tested for over two weeks
Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth
Used mostly at home, but on some walks too

The testing time for the TDM Neo lasted for two weeks, not including the writing time for the review.

I used the TDM paired with my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, over Bluetooth. Lots of the testing took place at home in speaker mode, but I also used the headphones at home and while going on walks around my local area. Testing was largely done via Spotify, for music and audiobooks, but also on YouTube and several games.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have tested plenty of speakers and headphones.

First reviewed in October 2026

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

These headphones promise better bass by transmitting it through your skin, not your ears

Carrie Marshall — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000

"Wooferpads" transmit pulses through your skin
Coming to the US in November 2026
$249 (about £187 / AU$357)

As much as I love hearing music on some of the best headphones, there's something missing from every mix: the physical sensation you get from a set of speakers pushing lots of air. Sonic Lamb has a solution. Its latest headphones model features unique drivers to deliver sound that you can actually feel.

The new Beyond headphones look like any other premium pair, but in addition to their dynamic drivers, they have what Sonic Lamb calls an Impulse Driver in each ear. That driver transmits low-frequency vibration as low as 2Hz through the headphones' "wooferpads" so that you can feel the vibration through your skin.

The vibrations are synchronized with the audio to follow not just their timing but the dynamics of the song. It sounds gimmicky, I know, but I promise you it isn't: we've tested the first generation of this technology and it really works.

We were very impressed with Sonic Lamb's first generation in 2022, bar a few niggles over the design. (Image credit: TechRadar)

We're getting those good vibrations

We've seen lots of attempts to bring the physicality of bass to headphone listening, with various degrees of success (and various levels of practicality, if you recall Ol' Thumpy, which had its wearer "looking like a human dumbbell).

So far, Sonic Lamb's version is one of the most compelling: the first generation was subtle but effective and really did add an extra dimension to music. This newer, more advanced version offers 10 intensity levels and personalized profiles for different use cases: music, movies, gaming or just adjusting the audio to suit your preferences.

Even without the impulse drivers the Beyond headphones offer an impressive specification, although there's no active noise cancellation. The Beyond headphones have Bluetooth 5.4, LDAC, aptX Lossless, Bluetooth LE Audio, LC3, USB-C digital audio, 3.5 mm analogue audio and multipoint connectivity. There's also Beyond Link, a dongle that gives you low-latency connectivity for gaming, and you can expect up to 40 hours of battery life.

Other than the somewhat tacky "eargasm" marketing slogan, which Sonic Lamb is still using, our main gripe we had with the initial model was the design, which we said was "a little unrefined".

But the key features — sound, comfort, weight and padding — were all very good. As our audio editor Becky put it: "they recreate the experience of being at a live gig much better than I could've imagined."

The Sonic Lamb Beyond headphones go on sale in the US in November 2026 with a price tag of $249 (about £187 / AU$357).

Sony WH-CH730N review: affordable headphones done right

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Sony WH-CH730N review

If you want affordable wireless headphones with a lot of the fancy features and design elements found on Sony’s flagship cans, then the Sony WH-CH730N might just be perfect for you.

With ANC, highly customizable and energetic sound, and a neat folding design, there’s a lot to like about the WH-CH370N right off the bat. I’ve spent hours upon hours listening to music with Sony’s latest affordable cans, so here’s whether I think they’re worth picking over some of their fiercest rivals in this competitive segment of the market.

Of course, if you want to stand out against the best headphones in the budget category, you need to do one thing above all: provide great sound quality with as few sacrifices as possible. And all in all, I think that the WH-CH730N do just that.

(Image credit: Future)

If I’m honest, these headphones didn’t make an amazing first impression on me. They have a somewhat strange tuning out of the box that makes them sound unbalanced, with a slightly restricted soundstage and both vocals and drums in the treble-range are especially held back. But this can be solved. Just hop onto the Sound Connect app and switch to the Clear EQ (that enhances treble), or create your own Custom tuning. After doing this, you’ll be able to experience far more open and revealing audio that’s genuinely impressive for budget headphones.

When tuning into Just Gets Better by TJR and Xavier, I was impressed by the WH-CH730N’s ability to provide pumping bass that sounded satisfyingly deep yet controlled, never obscuring vocals or higher-pitched percussion in the process. Sure, bass doesn’t have the level of texture and warmth that Sony’s pricier WH-1000XM6 headphones supply, but it’s far more impactful and regimented than I’ve come to expect from most affordable over-ears.

In Miracles by Change, the WH-CH730N continued to impress, with clear guitars in the mid-range beautifully weighted against smooth, punchy bass, tight and expressive drums in the treble-range, and expressive, well-defined vocals. Again, you’re not going to get the grand expansiveness and expert instrument separation that Sony’s flagship headphones plate up, but the clarity and balance available is commendable for the price.

It certainly feels like these headphones have a preference for the low-end, and as a result, you get a really energetic, exciting listen out of them for certain genres — think house, funk and hip-hop. But they’re more than capable of handling more stripped-back tracks too. For instance, with Yuta Orisaka’s Yureru, I was struck by the tonal accuracy and tastefully forward vocal performance, but emotive strings were also given plenty of room to express themselves.

Yes, the WH-CH730N require a bit of tuning to sound their best, and they’re not quite serving up flagship-level audio. But they do sound great for the price. And considering you gets DSEE upscaling (which you’ll need to activate in the Sound Connect app) to elevate lower-quality files, as well as 3.5mm audio for wired listening and highly customizable EQ, there’s a lot to love about these, sonically speaking.

(Image credit: Future)

Some may have wished for LDAC support, which enables you to stream in higher-res quality over Bluetooth — especially as it's Sony’s proprietary technology. There’s also no USB-C audio passthrough (though this is common for Sony headphones). But aside from this, there are plenty of features for you to dig into — both related and unrelated to sound.

Most of these features can be found in Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is easy to use, with no sign of bugs or faults during my testing. Other than what I’ve already mentioned, you’ll be able to switch between your devices (with multi-point available), customize the function of the noise cancelling button, activate a voice assistant and more.

Although some features (including wear detection, which is one you may miss) are absent, there’s so much to explore on the WH-CH730N. There's an option to prioritize sound quality, stability, or use a Bluetooth LE connection. Then, there's the ability to activate a background music mode, turn on battery life conservation modes, and to switch between ANC or a transparency mode (there’s also an option to turn these off altogether).

And while we’re on the topic of ANC, let’s talk about how effective it is. The WH-CH730N make use of four microphones in total — which isn’t all that many in 2026 headphones. And the noise-cancelling capabilities are, in my view, fairly middling. They dull external sounds pretty well, meaning harsher noises (the roar of traffic and the like) aren’t too invasive. But when typing in the office, or when playing a video out loud, I could still hear the clicking and clacking of keyboards and the video presenter’s voice, even when listening to music above 50%. If you just want to dampen the world around you, these are up to the task — but if you want to shut it out completely, you might be left wanting more.

The four mics do handle calls pretty well though, and whether I was taking a video call or listening back to a recording, my speech was clear and articulate.

Something else that I liked about the WH-CH730N was their battery life. You get 50 hours with ANC on, and up to 75 hours when it’s switched off. While some budget rivals, like the Nothing Headphone (a) outdo it here, that’s still an awful lot of playtime, and more than double of what you’d get from Sony’s most premium wireless headphones, the Sony 1000X The Collexion.

In terms of design, the WH-CH730N aren’t quite setting the world alight, but I do like how they’re fully foldable, which is useful if you’re on the go and want to tuck them away in a small-sized bag. They’re pretty plasticky, and the headband isn’t the sturdiest around, but the WH-CH730N do have plush ear cups which feel nice and comfortable in use. They’re also available in an enticing set of colors, including Pink, Blue, Beige, Black, and White.

So, are the Sony WH-CH730N worth the money? I think so. They supply good sound quality, a boatload of features, a practical design and strong battery life. The ANC is by no means bad either, even if it's not the most impressive I’ve experienced. So, as long as you don’t expect the most expansive soundstage and intricate detailing, sonically speaking, and you don’t need top-tier noise cancelling, you’ll almost certainly be satisfied with the Sony WH-CH730N.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-CH730N review: price & availability

Priced at $179 / £99.99 / AU$229
Released in September 2026

The Sony WH-CH730N were released in September 2026, about three and a half years after their predecessor, the Sony WH-CH720N. The previous model was $149 / £99 / AU$259 at launch, meaning that the WH-CH730N are a bit pricier than their predecessors at the point of release, but there’s been no change in the UK, and an actual decrease in Australia.

These headphones sit in the budget camp, but are a little costlier than the Sony WH-CH530, a cheap pair of on-ear headphones that launched alongside the Sony WH-CH730N. Still, they’re considerably cheaper than the flagship model, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and ultra-premium Sony 1000X The Collexion. Price-wise, the WH-CH730N are in competition with models like the Nothing Headphone (a), the Sennheiser Accentum Plus, and the Anker Soundcore Space 2.

Sony WH-CH730N review: specs

Drivers	30mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)
Weight	0.5lbs / 207g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-CH730N review: should you buy them?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Great EQ options, control app, DSEE upscaling and battery life, but ANC could be better, and no LDAC or wear detection.	4/5
Sound quality	Impressive bass and clear all-round sound, but need some tuning to sound their best.	4/5
Design	Not the most premium, but foldable and nice color options.	4/5
Value	Great price for the all-round quality on offer.	4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want great features at an affordable price-point
The Sony WH-CH730N have a great feature-set, with customizable ANC, ten-band EQ, and DSEE upscaling. They’re also highly affordable, coming in at less than $180 / £100 / AU$230, so getting such advanced options at this price is a big bonus.

You’re looking for headphones with great battery life
With 50 hours of battery life — even with ANC switched on — the Sony WH-CH730N are sure to last you for multiple days of listening without needing a charge. They even last longer than the far more expensive Sony WH-1000XM6.

Don’t buy them if…

You want premium sound quality
While the WH-CH730N sound good for the price, I wouldn’t say that they offer premium audio — even after some tuning. For that, I’d recommend picking up an on-sale pair of the Sony WH-1000XM5, or if you’re flexible with your budget, a set like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

You need class-leading ANC
The ANC on the WH-CH730N is good enough for dampening surrounding sounds, but if you want to immerse yourself in a bubble of silence, you’ll likely be left wanting. Sony’s very own WH-1000XM6 are top-tier in this department, as are the first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which can often be found on sale since their successor launched.

Sony WH-CH730N review: also consider

	Sony WH-CH730N	Nothing Headphone (a)	1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
Price	$179 / £99.99 / AU$229	$199 / £149 / AU$329	$89 / £99 / AU$130
Drivers	30mm dynamic	40mm dynamic	40mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)	75 hours (ANC on), 135 hours (ANC off)	65 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
Weight	0.5lbs / 207g	0.7lbs / 310g	0.5lbs / 246g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-40kHz	20Hz-40kHz

Nothing Headphone (a)
We loved the Nothing Headphone (a) when we tested them earlier this year. Even though they’re considerably cheaper than Nothing’s flagship cans, the compromise on quality is minimal. They provide clear, well-rounded sound, an eye-catching design, and plentiful battery life, making them a top-tier alternative to Sony’s new affordable headphones. Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review.

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
I still consider the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 to be among the best-value headphones on the market, even years after their release. They provide detailed sound with LDAC support, ludicrously long battery life, a sleek look, and plenty of features through the 1More companion app. Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review.

Sony WH-CH730N review: how I tested them

(Image credit: Future)

Spent two weeks testing
Used at home, on walks, and on public transport
Predominantly streamed tunes over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the Sony WH-CH730N, using them everywhere I went — the office, public transport, on walks…you name it.

For the most part, I streamed tunes over Bluetooth via Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, but I also tried them out using a wired connection with my laptop. As always, I commenced testing by sifting through the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to hours worth of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from wired earbuds like the Sennheiser CX 80U through to party speakers, such as the Marshall Bromley 750. I’ve also tested a whole host of wireless headphones, so I know exactly what it takes for a model to stand out in this highly competitive market.

As an audio expert, I rate Nothing’s headphones for style and sound — and you can already save up to 48% ahead of Black Friday

Max Langridge — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:28:43 +0000

If you’re shopping for a new pair of headphones, you’re not exactly short of options. As an audio reviewer, I naturally have to consider sound quality when recommending headphones, but I’m also partial to pairs that look distinctive. Who wouldn’t want to stand out in the crowd for all the right reasons? And if you can get a set for basement-bargain prices without too many compromises, who am I to say no?

That’s where Nothing comes in. The fledgling brand has made a serious mark on the headphone industry with its distinguished style, which you can see clearly across both its over-ear and in-ear headphone models. What’s more, we’ve found they perform exceptionally well under review. A double win.

Right now, some of our favourite pairs have received generous discounts on Amazon, including a 44% saving on the highly rated Headphone (a), and the same 44% discount on the Ear (a) if you prefer in-ear buds. And Black Friday 2026 sales in Australia haven’t even started yet!

The only caveat with these deals is that they’re exclusive to Prime members and ship from Amazon Japan, so you’ll need to wait a bit longer than usual for them to arrive at your doorstep. If you’ve not been a Prime member before, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial, make your purchase, then cancel any time.

The Ear (3) are Nothing’s current flagship buds and admittedly, at full price, they are a little tricky to recommend over the Ear (a) below. This mega discount takes care of that, however, making it money well spent. You get excellent ANC, LDAC support for higher-res streams and some hearing tests that help tailor the sound to your preferences. We said the sound quality had “excitement, energy, bass clout and oomph” in our Nothing Ear (3) review, and we love the level of customisation on offer. Note that the best price is on the white model only.View Deal

We love the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds. They sound fantastic, offer excellent noise cancellation and they boast an impressive 42.5 hours of battery life. Plus, if you pair them with a Nothing phone, you get the added benefit of ChatGPT integration. They were around AU$10 cheaper during Black Friday last year, making this a great price outside of a major sale. All three colours are discounted to below AU$100.View Deal

They’ve now been superseded by the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro for flagship status, but the Headphone (1) are well worth considering for their looks alone. We thought the audio was a little flat in our review, at least compared to price-comparable rivals, and this discount helps to fix that gripe. Plus, they’re brimming with useful features like tactile controls, and they deliver strong ANC.View Deal

The jewel in Nothing’s headphone crown if you ask me, the Headphone (a) represents a big improvement over the Headphone (1). The sound quality is objectively better, while the customisable EQ, spatial audio, and adaptive noise cancellation make them more useful for day-to-day listening. Add the obscene 135-hour battery life and IP52 dust and water-resistance rating into consideration, and it's basically golden. Only the yellow version is available at this price. Black, white and pink are all available for a smidge under AU$210 via Amazon US. View Deal

Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 review: a solid pair of ultra-compact, featherweight clip-on earbuds

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 review

I was incredibly excited to try out the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2. The original model is easily among my favorite pairs of clip-on open earbuds, delivering immersive audio, an exceptionally comfortable fit, and a solid feature-set to match. So can the sequel build upon the strengths of the original AeroClip? Here’s my verdict after testing them.

Let’s start by talking about the upgrades on the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2. Perhaps the main event is the new 'AnkerThus' chip, which — according to the company — offers 150x more computing power than the previous model. The key feature of the new chip is that it powers "Crystal-Clear Calls" and, indeed, you do get very solid call quality on the AeroClip 2. AI helps to scoop out pesky external sounds, and whether I was making a call or taking a voice recording, I found that my speech never sounded obscured. I also enjoyed the Whisper mode, which made my voice clear even if I was talking quietly.

One of the changes I really appreciate is HearID. Here, a few soundbites play, and you select the signature that sounds the best to you, before being shown your result. Perhaps unsurprisingly, my result favored a bit more emphasis in the low-end, making up for the low-end limitations of open-ear design. This feature helps the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 to stand out, even among the best open earbuds, and I recommend every user try it before they start listening to their tunes.

Elsewhere, the earbuds receive a huge waterproofing upgrade, from IPX4 to the AeroClip 2's IP57. This sees the buds protected against dust ingress, and submersion in up to a meter of water for as long as 30 minutes.

Battery life has also been improved. While the buds still offer a respectable, albeit unremarkable, eight hours of playback, they will stay alive for 32 hours with the charging case — an eight-hour boost over the original AeroClip.

The case design also see some changes; it's far more compact than the charging cradle on the first AeroClip. The buds also now slip into the case back-to-back, making the AeroClip 2 more convenient to slide into your pocket than their predecessors. The buds themselves look very similar — and still have that comfortable, lightweight, and secure fit of the original model that I so loved. They’re also pretty stylish, arriving in a range of colors including Burgundy Red, Cloud White, Midnight Black, and Mist Blue.

(Image credit: Future)

So, now on to how the AeroClip 2 sound. Something that piqued my interest is that the new buds seem to favor bass a little less than their predecessors — at least out of the box. If anything, I’d argue that bass is a little recessed, not helped by the AeroClip 2’s open architecture, which naturally leaks low-frequencies more than standard in-ear buds. But fear not: these are still very solid performers overall.

With my HearID tuning in use, I was able to get a bit more weight at the low-end, while still leaving plenty of room for instruments to breathe in the mid-range and treble. And while the sonic upgrade over the first AeroClip buds is more incremental than revolutionary, it's still noticeable.

To get the best sound possible, you'll want to have LDAC switched on, which makes a return on the AeroClip 2. LDAC enables you to stream higher-res music over Bluetooth with a compatible device (such as a modern Android phone). In practice, LDAC did make a difference — finer details in vocal performances and subtle percussive elements came through more prominently, opening up a more intricate listening experience.

Into my listening notes now, and we’ll start with the jazz-funk track Pret-Á-Porter by Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. The AeroClip 2 offered a wide, expansive soundstage — something clip-on open ears often excel at. Bass was well weighted and didn’t overstep its remit, but it wasn’t the most punchy or impactful. Treble sounded more articulate than on the original AeroClip, with precise, controlled percussion, and I was impressed by instrument separation, with horns and guitars operating separately rather than getting in each other's way.

Next, I switched over to a house track, Foreva by Caleb Jackson. Again, bass didn’t have that full-sounding, rich quality I love from my in-ear buds and over-ear headphones, but it was still agile and rhythmic. Vocals were well defined in the mix, and treble, while expressive and responsive, didn’t sound overly forward or grating — even at higher volumes. The subtlety of synths in the mid-range was also handled tastefully.

I finished up with Michi by Yuta Orisaka, a more stripped-back, acoustic track. Acoustic guitars in the intro were delicate and emotive — with LDAC helping the AeroClip 2 to provide additional insight. Vocals, while not the most textured, were clear in the mic, and subtle bass came through nicely. All in all, the AeroClip 2 are a bit more revealing than the original model, and while they have limitations due to their open architecture, they perform pretty admirably overall.

The AeroClip 2 also feature a spatial sound mode, which can make your tunes sound more immersive, but I tended to keep this off for the most precise, natural presentation. You can access settings such as this in the Anker Soundcore app, which is responsive, well-laid out, and has a flashy UI. From there you can also alter EQ, with HearID, presets, or access a multi-band custom option. There’s also a section that enables you to listen to relaxing sounds such as waves crashing or forest noises — a little gimmicky, sure, but fun all the same.

In addition, the AeroClip 2 introduce customizable button controls, whose functions you can swap out for each bud via the Anker Soundcore app. So, for example, you might make one press on the right earbud to pause playback, but one press on the left earbud to trigger the voice assistant.

There’s no noise cancelling on the AeroClip 2. This is the norm for open ears, but there are some rival models, such as the Edifier LolliClip, for example, that include it. But the draw of the open fit is that you’ll be able to stay highly aware of your surroundings, which was true for the AeroClip 2, even when I was using them at max volume. Personally, I prefer the option to switch between ANC and a transparency mode, so I’m still more likely to reach for the JBL Live Beam 4, say. Nevertheless, if you like the open style, then the AeroClip 2 are a strong option.

(Image credit: Future)

So, are the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 worth buying? Overall, I'd say yes…but there’s a "but".

Anker has ramped up the price of its flagship clip-on earbuds to $169.99 / £159.99 (about AU$240), marking a $40 / £30 (about AU$30) increase over the first model. But do the improvements justify the increase?

Well, I really like the HearID setting, and the enhanced call quality is a neat bonus — as is the more compact design. But the sonic jump or boost in battery life isn’t massive, and some of the new features such as the AI assistant / translation and spatial audio feel more like "nice-to-haves" rather than essential upgrades. So, it really depends on what you value as a user.

The AeroClip 2 are still priced relatively well overall, and deliver very solid sound quality, a fantastic fit, and plenty of customization options. And I still think that they’re some of the more functionally fleshed-out and better-sounding models you can buy right now. Having said that, I don’t think the original AeroClip buds should be overlooked — especially if you’re looking to make a bit of a saving.

The AeroClip 2 (in black) beside the original AeroClip (in white) (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 review: price & release date

$169.99 / £159.99 (about AU$240)
Released in September 2026

The Anker SoundCore AeroClip 2 were released in September 2026, around a year and a half after their predecessors, the Anker Soundcore AeroClip. The AeroClip 2 are priced at $169.99 / £159.99 (about AU$240), which is a significant jump up in price from the original AeroClip model, which cost $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) at launch.

Of course, there are a number of improvements that help justify this price hike, including a more compact build, enhanced waterproofing, and implementation of the AnkerThus chip. And while the AeroClip 2 are still cheaper than rivals such as the Shokz OpenDots 2 and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, you can get impressive quality from cheaper models such as the Edifier LolliClip and budget-friendly Baseus Bowie MC2.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 review: specs

Waterproof rating	IP57
Drivers	12mm dynamic
Battery life	8 hours (buds), 32 hours (with charging case)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Weight	6.2g (per bud)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	HearID works great, customizable controls, decent battery life, LDAC good to have.	4.5/5
Performance	Solid detail and balance, although open design limits bass output.	4/5
Design	Ultra-comfortable and lightweight, more compact than before, neat color options, open design has its pros and cons.	4.5/5
Value	A price hike that’s justified in many areas, but some improvements could be greater.	4/5

Buy them if…

You’re drawn to the clip-on design
If you like the look of cuff-type earbuds, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the AeroClip 2. They have a stylish aesthetic, they're comfortable, and their highly secure fit all combine to make them solid all-rounders.

You’re looking for highly customizable sound
HearID enables you to take a multi-choice test that optimizes the AeroClip 2’s audio to suit your specific tastes. But if that wasn’t enough, there are also a handful of EQ presets as well as a multi-band custom equalizer, giving you advanced control over the sound of your open earbuds.

Don’t buy them if…

You want premium audio
If you’re looking for premium sound quality, you won’t get it here. That’s largely inherent to the open design that leaks sound, with the low-end especially weaker than in-ear buds.

You want noise cancelling
If you’re looking to shut out the outside world, then the AeroClip 2 aren’t for you. Some open earbuds include noise-cancelling technology, but it's pretty rare. Want ANC? I’d recommend the JBL Live Beam 4 or AirPods Pro 3 instead.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 review: also consider

	Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2	Shokz OpenDots 2	AirPods 5
Price	$169.99 / £159.99 (about AU$240)	$199.95 / £179.99 / AU$339	$129 / £129 / AU$219
Drivers	12mm dynamic	Dual 11.8mm dynamic	Custom high-excursion
Waterproof rating	IP57	IP55	IP57
Battery life	8 hours (buds), 32 hours (with charging case)	10 hours (buds), 40 hours (with charging case)	4 hours (buds), 20 hours (with charging case)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 6.1	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6.2g (per bud)	6.4g (per bud)	4.3g (per bud)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	100Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz

Shokz OpenDots 2
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are an excellent pair of clip-on buds that boast great sound quality with punchy bass, good battery life, a secure and comfortable fit, and plenty of customization options. They’re a little bit pricier than the AeroClip 2, but you get more playtime, intuitive controls, and premium build quality that makes the investment feel worthwhile. Read our full Shokz OpenDots 2 review.

AirPods 5
Time for something a little different. The AirPods 5 are open-fit earbuds rather than clip-ons, but they still let you hear plenty of the world around you while delivering great style and sound quality to match. There's ANC to block out the outside world, plus they’re also highly waterproof, rammed with features, and beautifully lightweight. Non Apple-users may find their functionality overly restricted, and their battery life is disappointing, but they’re still a great pair of open-fit buds overall. Read more about the AirPods 5.

How I tested the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tested in the office and while out and about
Mainly streamed music over Tidal
Compared directly against predecessor

I spent countless hours testing the Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2, during which time I made full use of their features, spent countless hours listening to music, and assessed their performance in a range of environments.

As always, I started my testing by sifting through the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also tuned into a huge variety of tracks from my personal library. I made sure to test the AeroClip 2 directly against their predecessor, as well as a handful of rivals.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from party speakers such as the Marshall Bromley 750 through to premium wireless headphones such as the Sony 1000X The Collexion. I’ve also tested a number of clip-on open earbuds, such as the Edifier LolliClip and the Sony LinkBuds Open.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: October 2026

Samsung may finally be putting all of its Harman, AKG, JBL and B&W juice in a blender for its first headphones in 10 years

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:46:54 +0000

The rumored name for Samsung's first over-ears in a decade was spotted
They may be called Galaxy Studio, according to a leak and a trademark
And also, they'll give Samsung's various audio brands something to do

For almost a decade, Samsung has been the proud owner of a who's-who of legacy audio brands, and it finally looks like it's ready to do something with them. A potential AirPods Max 2 rival, possibly called the Galaxy Studio, is rumored to be on the way.

That Samsung has some over-ears in the works has been leaked before, but people are finally taking the rumors seriously now because of the mention of an actual name. These fresh leads stem from a leaker on Twitter called @evowizz, who also successfully leaked the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. It is they who gave us the Galaxy Studio moniker.

Now, the title 'Studio' might suggest professional uses for these headphones. Maybe they're made for music mixing and/or critical listening? This is Samsung though, a tech giant that typically sticks to the consumer product realm to support its ecosystem, so perhaps the name was simply chosen because it makes them sound premium.

In fact, Samsung trademarked this name a whole decade ago, and re-filed it in mid-September. So the Galaxy Studio is sounding increasingly likely. And with the brand's recent push into new audio form factors, including the Galaxy Buds On, it makes the new cans seem increasingly likely.

There's no indication of price, feature set or release date just yet. Some fans are hoping for a 2027 release date, so maybe they'll come alongside the Galaxy S27, Galaxy Z Fold 9s or another release that year. But it's impossible to say for sure.

It's an audio party and everyone's invited

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung bought Harman International in November 2016, which means the likes of Harman Kardon, JBL and AKG are all in its trophy cabinet. A later acquisition of Masimo's audio brands in late 2025 means that Bowers & Wilkins, Denon and Marantz are also on its roster.

Despite all that knowledge and R&D on its shelves, the brand has been content releasing in-ears only, including the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. We haven't seen any over-ears since the likes of the Samsung Level On Pro, back when ANC was a new novelty, rather than a mandatory feature for any new wireless over-ears.

The shame is that some of the Harman International brands have languished recently. JBL and Bowers & Wilkins still push out glorious over-ears regularly, but Harman Kardon now seems to exist solely as a brand which tunes others' headphones, and when was the last time we saw a major AKG release? These are legacy audiophile brands, seemingly going to waste.

Hi-fi fans have been begging for an proper AKG revival for a long time, and the Samsung Galaxy Studio won't be that — they won't be designed and honed for audiophiles in the same way that AKG's cans might be.

But if there's even a small splash of juice from all of its well-known names, the Studio could turn out to be a pretty tasty smoothie. For now, we wait…

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? 9 months after being revealed, that twisty pair of headphones which turns into a speaker just finally became available to buy

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:05:24 +0000

TDM Neo is a headphone and loudspeaker in one
Finally on sale, 9 months after CES unveiling
It's smarter than you think

One of the most memorable product launches at CES 2026 in January was the TDM Neo, which was thoroughly tested by our editor back then, and now you can finally buy the gadget.

As you may be able to tell from the headline, this is a novel two-in-one audio product. It's both a pair of headphones, and a loudspeaker, with a twisting mechanic letting you switch it from one to the other (and telling the gadget which speakers to play music out of).

As of Tuesday, October 6, you can now buy the TDM Neo from a range of retailers, including Amazon, TDM's website and Walmart. It costs $249 / £249 (about AU$500) so it's not a cheap device, but bear in mind you're getting two gadgets for one.

In our initial testing, our editor was pleasantly surprised by how well the TDM Neo was thought out: it's not a gimmicky gadget, but has a few smart considerations. Stay tuned for a full review whenever we get the Neo in our hands (or on our head? About our person?).

Twist and shout

(Image credit: Future)

The TDM Neo has a quartet of 40mm speakers: two of them are part of the headphone module, placed against your ears, and the other two are for the speaker, facing outwards at all times. This combination means the drivers aren't playing jacks of all trades, and can focus on their respective role. It even has multiple microphones, for calls when it headphone mode.

Is this thing a battery too? Because the device lasts for an incredibly 200 hours when you're using it as a pair of headphones. That drops to 16 hours as a speaker, which still beats many of our go-to party speakers.

As headphones go, it's a little heavy at 340g. It's nice to see features from both the headphone and speaker world come together here: there are control buttons, various features like find-my and a low-latency gaming mode, and a separate EQ for the two different Neo functions.

As with all novel products like this, I can see a lot going wrong. What if the twisting mechanism fails, so the speakers play when you're in headphone mode, or could parts wear down from all the motion? So I'm especially curious to test the thing out.

Earfun Pro X review: highly capable headphones that seriously undercut rivals such as Bose on price

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Earfun Wave Pro X: Two-minute review

Earfun is not a company known for unveiling premium tech. The audio specialist keeps to the budget side of the tracks, and we’re better off for it — see winning products such as the Air Pro 4 Plus in-ear buds or Earfun Clip 2 open options for starters.

The Earfun Wave Pro X aren’t premium headphones; they’re not going up against the AirPods Max 2 or Sony WH-100XM6 in our list of the best headphones you can buy. But nevertheless, they’re Earfun’s most high-end over-ears yet; the company says it took over 30 months to design them — and it’s clearly true, given the year-long gap between their announcement and actual release.

All of Earfun's typical traits — which I’ve come to really appreciate from the brand’s kit — are evident in the Wave Pro X. The battery life is great, lasting 90 hours if you turn ANC off, and the app is chock-full of useful features — including one of the most in-depth equalizers I’ve ever seen on headphones I’ve reviewed.

The Wave Pro X also have a more refined design than I’ve seen from Earfun headphones in the past. Neat flourishes and smart material choices make these feel like headphones that’d usually cost twice the price. Before them, I tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), and these feel just as well-designed as those pricey options.

In fact, I was surprised by how how similar these cans are in general, focusing on comfort and solid noise cancellation. The Earfun don’t sound quite as good, but if you want budget Boses, these are a pretty solid pick.

You’re getting all that for a relatively affordable price. These won’t find a place on our list of the best cheap headphones by any means, but they’re an inexpensive option which you could feasibly buy as a gift or pick up for yourself without it being a scary purchase.

However they’re not perfect, and I wish the sound was a little bit more refined. The Wave Pro X offers a slightly muddy performance overall, which occasionally drowns out trebles with overstated mids and bass, and presents some peaking as well as a reduced soundstage.

In true Earfun fashion though, the list of features may overwhelm some, especially in the ANC menu (there are loads of different modes), and with a listening test that challenges you to pick your favorite in a carousel of honestly identical-sounding mixes. I also associate top-end headphones with fun color ways, thanks in part to Bose’s range of hues, and Earfun has nothing of the sort.

But these are affordable, offer some of the perks of the recent Bose headphones, and beat them in a few departments — including battery life. So they’re well worth picking up if you want a premium-adjacent set of headphones that won’t break the bank.

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Released in August 2026, almost a year after their official unveiling
Sells for $129.99 / £119.99 (about AU$240)
Earfun's most premium offering

The Earfun Wave Pro X had a long road to release; they were first announced in September 2025, re-announced in January 2026 with some tweaks, and then actually unveiled to buy in August 2026. Better late than never, then!

You can buy the Earfun Wave Pro X for $129.99 / £119.99 (about AU$240; Earfun does ship globally but the cost will be the current conversion from the USD price). So they’re not quite affordable cans — they’re a touch too pricey to qualify for our best cheap headphones round-up — but you’re not going to confuse these for premium cans.

The original Earfun Wave Pro sold for $79.99 / £79.99 (about AU$120) but they came out two and a half years prior, and so can be found for about half that price now.

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Specs

Drivers	40mm + 10mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	50 hours (ANC on), 90 hours (ANC off)
Weight	259g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C, 3.5mm
Frequency response	Not specified
Waterproofing	None

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

ANC good for most uses
Fantastic 90h battery life (with ANC off)
Range of app features including loads of EQ tools

You’ll get a solid, commendable amount of listening time with the Earfun Wave Pro X; the company estimates that they last for 90 hours with ANC turned off, or 50 hours with it turned on. And from my testing, those figures sound about right. That means these puppies will last for much longer than your standard flagship ANC cans, with top options from the likes of Bose, Sony and Apple generally lasting 20-30 hours, but they don’t quite match the longest-lasting options on the market.

The ANC works well, doing a reliable job of blocking out most annoying noises around you. I can’t pretend it’s best-in-class, suffering most to unpredictable and non-repetitive nearby sounds, but it’s close enough that you won’t mind if you’re not a silence connoisseur. Earfun overcomplicates matters with a range of different noise cancelling modes, such as "AI Ear Adaptive ANC" and "AI Environment Adaptive ANC", but take my advice: just slap on full-strength normal ANC, and leave it there.

‘Loads of features’ was likely another bullet-point on the flipboard when Earfun was workshopping these headphones, because the brand’s audio products always come chock-full of the kind of tools you’d be lucky to get on another device.

(Image credit: Future)

I’m talking hearing health protection modes; I’m talking gaming-focused low-latency settings; I’m talking dual-device connections, AI translation and the ability to change the volume and language for voice prompts. I know!

The highlight on the features list — which I don’t recall from other Earfun products — is an equaliser that beats basically anything else in the business right now. There are 30 presets, a 10-band custom EQ mode, a listening test to create a personal EQ, and a ‘Professional EQ’ tool which gives you even more control over filters, frequency and gain. It’s a wonderful range of customization — even if the listening test is quite hard to use.

If you really love EQ, a tool called SoundSense lets you adjust the EQ on the fly and customize it per song. That’s a lot of admin, but a way to fine-tune your favorites, if you're so inclined.

These all come courtesy of the Earfun Audio app, readily available on the Play Store or App Store. Over my several weeks of testing, connection was generally impeccable, save for one occasion in which my Android phone couldn’t detect the Wave and I had to ‘Forget’ then re-pair them.

Features score: 4.5/5

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Comfortable to wear thanks to soft padding
Some premium materials; folds up small
No IP rating; useful buttons on cup

The Earfun Wave Pro X are the brand’s premium headphones, and it lets you know in their design. Banish the thought of some all-plastic, generic-looking cans; there are some refinements in the Wave.

Look at the headband, for example. It has a soft fabric top, and comfortable leather padding. Like in the Sony WH-1000XM6, a sleek cylindrical bar, not a thin plasticky beam, connects the band with the cups. They’re little details, but they paint the picture of a more refined design than we’ve seen from Earfun before.

The Wave Pro X is comfortable to wear; I used it for hours at a time without any kind of ear or head pain. The cans weigh 259g so they’re not particularly heavy, and the soft material used for the cups and band keeps your cranium happy.

(Image credit: Future)

You can rotate the cups inwards, extend the band a fair way, and fold the Wave Pro X up too; they even come in a protective carry case. Oh, and while I’m mentioning neat touches: they have a 3.5mm jack, which I can’t say about every pair of over-ear headphones I’ve tested recently.

That joins the power button, volume rocker and noise cancellation toggle on the right cup (all of which save the first can be customized to change their function). The left cup has the USB-C charging port.

If the Earfun Wave Pro X has an IP rating, I haven’t been able to find any information on it. That’s not particularly unusual for over-ear headphones, but worth knowing in case you were planning on wearing these in the rain.

Design score: 4/5

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

40mm woofer + 10mm tweeter
Slightly muddy, bass-heavy sound
24-bit audio; LDAC, aptX, Snapdragon Sound

Are the Earfun Wave Pro X some of the cheapest over-ear headphones with dual drivers? Not quite, but only because the company itself has the even-cheaper Tune Pro. In the Wave Pro X you’re getting a 40mm dynamic woofer for low-end, as well as a 10mm diaphragm precision tweeter to handle the high-end; they’re positioned on top of each other to avoid undue sonic spacing.

So Earfun’s talking audiophile-grade language, but do those words translate to music? Unfortunately, not to the degree you’d hope.

Bass is controlled and powerful, instilling songs like Fire by Kasabian with a punchy undercurrent. Despite the tweeter, though, treble doesn’t have quite the sparkle you’d want, often falling low in the mix to bass and mids. In something like I IV V by Don McCloskey, it sometimes sounds like the singer is hiding behind their guitar.

(Image credit: Future)

It all gives the impression that the woofer and tweeter are working independently, not creating one cohesive sound. It’s like having some really great performers in your band, but no matter how great they shred or sing, they’re playing the song with no thought for their other band members — so it’s not going to sound especially harmonious. That’s especially true if one’s playing a loud electric guitar, and the other an ocarina.

Of course, you can use the numerous EQ tools to fix the audio a little bit, but it doesn’t help with the other issue: they often sound a little muddy. Mids are more prominent than I’m used to in consumer headphones like these, but they sound a little… gloopy, is the best word I can think of. At the same time, sounds from hi-hats and high-pitched acoustic guitars often turn into a hiss, reminding you of the artifice of what you’re listening to. The soundstage also isn’t what you’ll get from other headphones at this price.

You’re getting highly-detailed music, at least. The Wave Pro X supports 24-bit audio with Snapdragon Sound, and a range of codecs including LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and apTX Lossless.

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

In many areas, these are top-value headphones
The only minor issue is that the audio isn't exceptional

The Earfun Wave Pro X are a little pricier than some other headphones from the brand, but they justify that price in a few ways, particularly the design and noise cancellation. If you’ve been considering a budget option but would be open to a step-up alternative, you’ll get the uptick in quality you're paying for.

However, they're also a great step-down alternative to pricier options, like the aforementioned (and contemporary) Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). They're comfortable, long-lasting and full of features.

If they sounded better, Earfun could sell these for a fair-amount more, so if you don't care especially about top-tier audio quality, they're an even more tempting pick.

Value: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Earfun Wave Pro X?

Earfun Wave Pro X score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The battery life, ANC and feature roster are all solid, with the EQ modes a real highlight.	4.5/5
Design	The Earfun are comfortable and versatile, with handy buttons.	4/5
Sound quality	The sound is muffled, so it's really only excellent for bass-heads.	3.5/5
Value	The Wave Pro X feel surprisingly affordable, when you consider what you're getting.	4.5/5

Buy them if…

You need a long-lasting pair of cans
If you turn off ANC, you can get 90 hours of listening, or almost 4 days. That's fantastic for people who can't charge regularly.

You want comfortable headphones
The Wave Pro X were comfortable to wear for hours at a time, longer than most cans I've tested.

You like tweaking with your EQ
I can't get my head around how the Earfun have better EQ options than audiophile offerings.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

Audio quality is your deciding factor
If you want audiophile-quality cans, these will disappoint you. Buy them for their features and value, not the sound.

You need some durable headphones
The lack of an IP rating means these might not survive a nasty spell in mother nature.

Earfun Wave Pro X review: Also consider

Looking for alternative over-ears? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend.

	Earfun Wave Pro X	Soundcore Space 2	Nothing Headphone (a)
Drivers	40mm + 10mm	40mm	40mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (ANC on)	50 hours	50 hours	75 hours
Weight	259g	264g	310g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, 3.5mm	Unspecified Bluetooth, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, 3.5mm
Waterproofing	Not specified	Not specified	IP52

Soundcore Space 2
For the same price, these are just as comfortable and have incredible ANC. They also sound a little better, and are more colorful.
Read our full Soundcore Space 2 review

Nothing Headphone (a)
For a little more money, Nothing's boxy cans have a much longer-lasting battery, and they sound great.
Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review

How I tested the Earfun Wave Pro X

Tested for over two weeks
Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth and USB-C
Used on walks around neighborhood, at work, and on public transport

I used the Earfun Wave Pro X for two weeks before writing this review, and it got another week of use during the writing process.

During this time, I used the headphones alongside an Android smartphone, paired mostly with Bluetooth but occasionally over USB-C. I mostly listened to music via Spotify, but also watched videos and played games. Listening was done at home and on walks around my neighborhood, as well as on public transport and while working out at the gym.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have tested many other pairs of over-ears, and countless Earfun audio products.

First reviewed in October 2026

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: the most hypnotic-sounding pair of headphones I’ve tested

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis: two-minute review

In Ancient Greece, Artemis was a goddess of many things: vegetation, hunting, wild creatures, childbirth… the list goes on. It’s fair to say that she was considered abundant in talent. And her moniker is not wasted on the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis: a set of wireless headphones that have far-reaching, broad talents of their own.

The FoKus Artemis are, put simply, an exceptionally strong performing set of cans. In fact, they might be the best-sounding pair of wireless headphones I’ve used. They have a triple-driver configuration, with dynamic, balanced armature, and planar drivers, affording them all of the dynamism, precision, and speed required to showcase your favorite tracks in their best light.

Like the best headphones around, the Artemis supply palpable yet regimented bass, beautifully detailed and textured mids, and expressive, articulate treble. But the real shining star is their excellent soundstaging. The Artemis bring forth an immense sense of space and scale, making for a highly immersive listen time after time. With aptX Lossless, LDAC, and USB-C audio, you also get high-resolution, nuanced sound that competes with the greatest headphones on the market.

But something else that sets these headphones apart from the crowd is their granular sound control. With help from Audiodo, Noble has included personalized EQ on the Artemis, which can account for hearing loss and provide optimized audio for all users. There’s also parametric EQ and a number of presets that will suit any listener.

The FoKus Artemis boast quite the suite of features, actually, with an effective companion app, wear detection and multi-point connectivity to give you the everyday convenience that you’d hope for at this money. ANC is here too, with a number of modes, including a transparency option. Noise cancellation here isn’t the best of the best, and the Artemis’ looser fit also means a fair few external sounds creep in now and then. But it’s still relatively effective, and will still help dull the world around you.

Spatial audio modes, though functional, also felt a little underwhelming to me during testing, but the Artemis’ wide soundstage means you get a nice and expansive listen from the headphones anyway. Call quality is strong, though, owing to the headphones’ seven-mic array, and you get up to 55 hours of playback (35 hours with ANC on), as well as a replaceable battery, adding longevity to the headphones.

In my view, the Artemis look great as well. Their metallic detailing, fabric headband, and textured ear cups ensure they exude all of the style and luxury you’d look for in an ultra-premium pair of headphones. There aren’t any touch controls, but the physical buttons work well, and are highly responsive. It also helps that the headphones are extremely well-fitting, and they feel comfortable to wear throughout the day.

But here it comes: the price. The Noble Audio FoKus Artemis cost a whopping $899 / £799 (about AU$1,200). Is the price-tag justified? It really depends on your outlook. They’re a seriously advanced set of headphones, with the triple-driver set-up, personalized EQ and premium build adding a lot in terms of value. But you can get phenomenal sound for less — even the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are $100 / £170 less than these.

Still, if you want truly stellar audio and ultra-precise sound control, then it really doesn’t get much better than the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis. They’re a wonderful pair of headphones, and if you’ve got the budget, then they’re pretty easy for me to recommend. But for some slightly cheaper yet excellent alternatives, be sure to head down to the ‘also consider’ section.

(Image credit: Future)

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: price & release date

Priced at $899 / £799 (about AU$1,200)
Released in August 2026

The Noble Audio FoKus Artemis started shipping in August 2026, although I got to try them back in June, when the headphones were showcased at High End Vienna 2026. The Artemis are an ultra-premium pair of wireless headphones, and as a result, they carry a very hefty asking price. They’ll typically set you back $899 / £799 (about AU$1,200).

Sure, some rivals, like the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 and Focal Bathys MG, will set you back even further, but I won’t pretend that the Artemis aren’t a huge investment. And you can get exceptional sounding headphones for considerably less — for example, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are a good $100 / £170 less than the Artemis at $799 / £629 / AU$1,299.

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: specs

Drivers	1x dynamic, 1x balanced armature, 1x planar
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	55 hours (35 hours with ANC on)
Weight	324g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C
Frequency range	10Hz-40kHz
Waterproofing	IP52

(Image credit: Future)

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: features

Personal EQ can account for hearing loss
Strong battery life of up to 55 hours
ANC is acceptable, rather than great

Noble Audio has put a ton of thought and effort into the feature-set of the FoKus Artemis, and this results in a great user experience.

Where to start? Well, I think the most interesting function is the personalized EQ, which offers surprising depth. Noble Audio partnered with Swedish firm Audiodo to implement a hearing test on the Artemis, meaning you can unlock a sound that suits you — it even accounts for hearing loss. Using Noble’s app, you’ll be asked to listen to a set of prompts, which test your hearing across the frequency range in each ear, and you’ll get a custom EQ that provides bespoke, optimized audio.

This works really well, and can be toggled on or off. There are also a number of presets and a parametric equalizer if you want more granular control. Few headphones offer this attention to detail, and even though I loved the default tuning on the Artemis, they really can sound however you want them to.

There are also some spatial audio modes, with a subtle and immersive option. I didn’t love these so much — I found that tracks sounded less clear and concise, and given that the Artemis whip up an impressive sense of space anyway, I kept this off.

Let’s talk about one of the most important features next, ANC. The Artemis have a seven-microphone system with multiple noise-cancelling modes, including low, mid, and strong ANC and a transparency mode.

So, how good is noise-cancellation with the Artemis? Well, it’s decent. I used them across a huge range of environments: flights, trains, when out on walks, in the office, and at home. When using the strongest mode, I found that they eliminated sounds like typing and light chatter nicely, but more intensive stuff, like a plane’s engine running and passing-by traffic, tended to seep in quite easily. In part, this comes down to the more relaxed fit and clamping on the Artemis, but I did expect a bit more in terms of noise-crushing from these cans, given their price.

Something the mics handle very well, though, is calls. Whenever I made a video or voice call, people on the other end of the line reported that my speech was clear, and never tinny or obscured. This was also the case when I made some recordings and listened back.

The Artemis also impressed me a fair bit in terms of battery life. They offer up to 55 hours of playback with ANC off, and 35 hours. That’s slightly above the standard 30 hours that a lot of premium models offer, and means you’ll be able to listen for days on-end without having to charge the Artemis at all. The battery is also user-replaceable, which is becoming more common with EU legislation making this a requirement for portable devices.

Controlling the Artemis is also pretty straightforward. They feature traditional button controls, favored by a lot of audiophiles for their reliability. Personally, I’m a fan of touch controls (when done right), but this is omitted on the Artemis. Something that does feature, though, is wear detection and this is highly responsive and accurate — it can be toggled off if you’d prefer. Finally, the app is incredibly easy to use and well-laid out. I’ve seen some reports of iOS users having issues, but on my Android phone, the companion software worked perfectly.

Features score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: sound quality

Triple driver configurations delivers exceptional balance across the frequency range
Wide soundstage creates a hypnotic listening experience
Top-tier codec support and USB-C audio passthrough

It may not surprise you to find out that the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis are a truly spectacular-sounding pair of wireless headphones. In fact, they’re up there with some of the best performers I’ve tested here at TechRadar.

This model stands out from the crowd due to one specific design choice: its triple driver configuration. Dynamic drivers are great for handling the bass and mids, but balanced armature and planar drivers enable the Artemis to deliver enhanced precision, speed, and fidelity. But what’s the actual listening experience like?

Well, the most striking thing about the Artemis for me is their ability to conjure up a tremendously spacious, wide sound. For closed back, wireless headphones, the scale on offer is striking, and I was always treated to an almost hypnotic experience, no matter what genre I threw on.

In What We Got by Midas Field and Marjin Jensen, pumping bass hit with great impact and dynamism, without ever shrouding vocals in the mid-range or percussion up high. The speed and responsiveness of the low-end is excellent, and extends nice and low, meaning that even the darkest sounds in the frequency range sound full-bodied and controlled. Drums in the treble range were also precise and expressive without sounding overly bright, helping the Artemis to perfectly capture the energy of the track.

Switching over to Miracles by Change, and the Artemis continue to impress. Electric guitars were perfectly weighted in the mix, and sounded beautifully textured. They were also expertly separated from emotive vocals, which were in turn given plenty of room to express themselves. Subtle percussive elements were also perfectly audible, and the wide soundstage opened up a highly immersive listening experience.

As my phone supports both LDAC and aptX, I was able to get a highly detailed listen from the FoKus Artemis. USB-C audio passthrough also opens up genuine lossless playback, and with this, the Artemis offer up a phenomenally revealing, layered, and nuanced sound that helps to justify their high asking price.

Sound quality score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: design

Stunning design with fabric headband and metallic detailing
Very comfortable in use, though looser fit has its downsides
IP52 dust and waterproof rating

If I could use one word to describe the look of the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis, it would be ‘striking’. The silver metallic detailing on the earcups is bold and eye-catching, and truly exudes a sense of luxury. The fabric headband is also built to a great standard, and the plush earcups appear textured and stylish.

There are a few plastic elements on the Artemis, and you could argue that some parts — like the buttons and carry case — don’t exactly look the most premium. But overall I think that the Artemis are a great-looking pair of headphones. They’re also relatively flat and low-profile, which I really like — I’ve never been a fan of the bulkier look of headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6.

On top of this, the Artemis are amazingly comfortable in-use. I happily kept them on for hours upon hours when making a long train journey, and never found them to be uncomfortable or overbearing. On my (relatively large) head, I’d say that the Artemis fall on the looser side, fit-wise. While this ensures great comfort, it could sometimes mean that external noises crept in a bit too easily — combined with the fairly middling ANC, this means that the Artemis fail to challenge the gods of the ANC domain, such as Bose and Sony.

Something that’s good to see, though, is that the Artemis have an IP rating. Sure, it’s nothing ground-breaking at IP52 — meaning they’re protected against dust ingress and water sprays — but very few over-ears actually display a rating, so kudos to Noble Audio for this.

Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: value

Undoubtedly expensive
But the exemplary sound quality helps to justify this
Still, exceptional performers are available for less

Look, the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis are a very expensive pair of wireless headphones. At $899 / £799 (about AU$1,200), they sit right up there with models like the Focal Bathys MG, and even exceed the excellent Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 in cost.

But are they really worth it? It honestly depends. If you want some of the best-sounding wireless cans on the market, then you’ll get just that with the Artemis. I’m not sure I’ve experienced any wireless headphones that outperform these. Their spacious, nuanced sound is a delight, and has made me never want to take them off. They also look great and offer a real sense of luxury, while features like the personalized EQ are rarely seen elsewhere.

Still, I can’t help but feel that their ANC could be better for the price, and you can still get incredible sound for a fair bit less with a luxury design from the Px8 S2. As a result, I’d consider the Artemis to be good value if you’re all in on sound, but perhaps consider the options in the ‘also consider’ section if you want to spend a little less.

Value score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Great EQ options, good call quality and app, but ANC could be better.	4/5
Sound quality	Hypnotic, spacious sound with excellent balance across the frequency range.	5/5
Design	Fantastic looks, comfortable fit, but looser fit can let quite a lot of sound in.	4.5/5
Value	Top-tier sound quality and great features, but you can still get amazing quality for less.	3.5/5

Buy them if…

You want top-class wireless audio
The reason that the Artemis net such a high score from me is that their sound quality is absolutely top-tier. You get balanced sound, with hard-hitting yet controlled bass, rich and detailed mids, and articulate, snappy treble, largely thanks to the headphones’ ingenious triple-driver configuration.

You’re looking for granular sound control
With personalized EQ that accounts for hearing loss, a parametric ten-band equalizer, and a few presets for good measure, the Artemis are some of the most accomplished headphones on the market when it comes to sound customization.

Don’t buy them if…

You want class-leading ANC
Perhaps my biggest criticism of the Artemis is that their ANC isn’t the best. Will they dull your surroundings effectively? Sure. But will they give you that silence-inducing ANC that cans like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 provide? Not quite.

You want the ultimate value-for-money option
At full-price, the Artemis are eye-wateringly expensive. And while I think they sound absolutely spectacular, and I commend their expansive EQ options, you can still get incredible-sounding headphones for considerably less — see the Px8 S2 below.

Noble Audio FoKus Artemis review: also consider

	Noble Audio FoKus Artemis	Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2	AirPods Max 2
Price	$899 / £799 (about AU$1,200)	$799 / £629 / AU$1,299	$549 / £499 / AU$999
Drivers	1x dynamic, 1x balanced armature, 1x planar	2 x 40mm dynamic full-range carbon cone	Apple-designed dynamic driver with new 'custom high dynamic range amplifier'
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	55 hours (35 hours with ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)	20 hours (ANC on)
Weight	324g	310g	386.2g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C
Frequency range	10Hz-40kHz	10Hz-30kHz	Not stated

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
For the money, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are easily some of the best-sounding wireless headphones on the market. But they also offer excellent build quality, a strong suite of features, and solid noise cancelling. Like the Artemis, they’re pretty pricey, but we still think they’re well-worth the investment. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 review.

AirPods Max 2
Want incredibly spacious sound at a slightly easier-to-stomach price? Then the Apple AirPods Max 2 might be exactly what you’re looking for. They provide stronger ANC than the FoKus Artemis, are phenomenally stylish, and, of course, sound great too. You’ll need an iOS device to get the best out of their feature-set, and their battery life is certainly on the low side, but they’re still a great pair of over-ears. Read our full AirPods Max 2 review.

How I tested the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis

(Image credit: Future)

Tested for one month
Used on flights, trains, on walks, and in the office
Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal

I spent one month testing the Noble Audio FoKus Artemis, using them as my primary set of headphones. I used them on flights, trains, and buses, but also when out on walks, working at the office, or relaxing at home. Using them in such a range of environments helped me to fully understand the effectiveness of their ANC capabilities.

When listening to music, I typically streamed tunes over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports aptX and LDAC codecs, but I also dipped into Spotify from time to time. As always, I sifted through the TechRadar reference playlist when testing, but I also listened to countless hours of music from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, including everything from wired IEMs like the Beyerdynamic DT 30 IE to party speakers such as the Marshall Bromley 750. I’ve also tested a whole host of premium headphones, including the Sony 1000X The Collexion and Bang & Olufsen H100, so I know exactly what a pair of headphones needs to stand out in a highly competitive market.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: October 2026

Samsung finally announces its first ever clip-on open earbuds, with a neat Galaxy Buds 4 feature… but you can't buy them yet

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:02:04 +0000

Samsung unveils its first ever ear-cuff style buds, Galaxy Buds On
Clip-on, C-bridge style open earbuds with head gestures and other features
Only announced for Korean market for now, global launch TBC

We've been hearing leaks about new open earbuds from Samsung for months now, but I'm going to have to find a new rumored product to speculate about, because the brand has finally unveiled these new buds. Behold! The Samsung Galaxy Buds On.

This is the brand's long-awaited attempt to attack the best open earbuds market, and it's great timing, because recent figures show it's a booming sector. These are earbuds which don't block your ear canal, letting you hear your surroundings. Originally, they were targeted at outdoor runners and cyclists, but now I see them used all the time by couriers, drivers and commuters.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy Buds On can only be used by buyers in Korea right now, because the earbuds have only been confirmed for the sole market. According to the brand, they'll be released in other markets later, but there are no specific release dates just yet.

The buds will go on sale on October 27, for 299,000 won, which converts to around $220 / £170 / AU$320. For a little speculation mixed with a dash of context, that's roughly half-way between the Korean price of the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, so I'd expect them to land for somewhere around $200 / £190 / AU$350 if we're going half-way between the prices in each region.

Let's get (Samsung Galaxy Buds) On with it

Enough price guessing: what's going on with these earbuds? Well, from the outside, they come in a case very similar-looking to the Galaxy Buds 4 models, with a clear top, and I appreciate the shared design bone.

Otherwise, they look like pretty standard open earbuds, with a bud and counterweight joined by an arch. Unlike many other brands which release clip-style buds, Samsung hasn't spent ages waxing lyrical about the design of the arch, simply describing how it analysed different ear shapes to make sure the speaker and battery were balanced well.

Audio-wise? Again, we've got little, but apparently they'll use something called 'TwinBoost speakers' which sounds more like car technology you'd hear bragged about in F1. That implies there are dual drivers per bud, but we'll have to wait to see to find out.

What Samsung has described, in detail, is the range of features the Galaxy Buds On will get. There's an audio leakage avoidance tech, like in the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro, so people nearby won't hear that you're listening to the Runescape Soundfont cover of Pink Pony Club while you're on a run. There are touch controls on the counterweight but also head gestures and voice command functionality, as in the Galaxy Buds 4 models.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use the buds with Galaxy AI, and enjoy a fast-pairing mode too. The battery life of the buds is said to be 9.5 hours, which is much better than the other recent Galaxy Bud models too.

Samsung has confirmed that it'll reveal more about the Galaxy Buds On when their Korean official release date lands on October 27, so we'll have a better idea then. We'll also let you know when we find out about an international release date.

I'm an audio reviewer and these 14 Prime Day headphone deals are still worth checking out

Max Langridge — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The second Prime Day in Australia for 2026 has bid its final farewell. And while that means we now have Black Friday to look forward to (the deals train really is a'rolling right now), it also means your time is running out to secure any headphone deals that are still live post-sale.

I've had a check of all the deals that were live during seven-day Prime Day sale, and while the situation certainly isn't as good, it's not all bad news. There are still good savings on the Nothing Headphone (a), Bose QuietComfort SC Headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

I very much expect the deal prices below to come to an end within the next couple of days, so if you see a price you like, make sure you don't miss out.

The best Prime Big Deal Days headphone deals in Australia still live

Over-ear headphones

If you're looking for a truly cost-effective audio upgrade, the 1More Sonoflow are up for the task. We praised the comfort, noise cancelling capability and the mammoth 70 hours of battery life in our 1More Sonoflow review. You'll struggle to find better at this price, which is the lowest I've seen in a long time.View Deal

Sonoflow Pro: was $129.99 now $82.14
If your budget can stretch a little, you can get yourself the Pro version of 1More's talented over ears. They've maintained a position as the best budget noise-cancelling headphones for some time now, due to their satisfying sound, excellent battery life and the best ANC for the money.View Deal

Soundcore is another brand that knows how to produce a budget-friendly set of headphones that don't scrimp on quality. Check out our Anker Soundcore Space One review for more info, but they reduce noise by 98% and offer continuous playback of up to 55 hours. In other words, these headphones are perfect for any audiophile and offer a great Beats alternative where looks are concerned.View Deal

Soundcore Space One Pro: was $349.99 now $219.99
The Space One Pro headphones improve upon the non-Pro version with improved sound quality, with the added benefit of hi-res audio support (thanks to LDAC). ANC is strong, and battery life is great at up to 60 hours. The companion app also opens up a wealth of customisation and includes a HearID feature that will tailor the sound profile to your personal preference. View Deal

Live 780NC: was $299 now $189.05
JBL's rather stylish over ears are definitely worth checking out if you want a touch of style with your music. They also happen to be a top performer, as we said in our review, they are "everything you want in headphones at this level". View Deal

Not only do the Headphone (a) offer a distinctive design, but they’re also crammed with features that make them an utter joy to use. Sound quality is superb too, making these attractive over-ears a genuinely viable alternative to the more established names. The best price is on the white colour option.View Deal

The Bose QuietComfort SC Headphones are simply stunning and prove why the company is the king of ANC. They do miss out on some features only found on their Ultra sibling, but for a solid, everyday pair of over-ear cans, you really can't go wrong here. The SC variant essentially means they come with a soft case only and aren't different from the standard Bose QuietComfort Headphones. View Deal

Momentum 4 Wireless: was $624.95 now $240
Sennheiser has now finally released a newer version of its stunning Momentum headphones, but that only means this fourth-gen model becomes even more affordable. In our five-star Sennheiser Momentum 4 review, we highlighted their effective active noise-cancellation, 60-hours of battery life and excellent sound quality. The best price is on the black model, but other colours get good discounts.View Deal

WH-1000XM4: was $439 now $299
They might be a couple of generations old now, but the Sony XM4s are still a formidable pair of headphones that I'm always more than happy to recommend. They're comfortable, sound fantastic, and benefit from very capable ANC. A true gem.View Deal

QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Black): was $649 now $361
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra are a stunning set of headphones and comfortably the best when it comes to active noise-cancellation. Their sound quality is nothing short of exquisite, and the ability to turn any song into a spatial audio one thanks to Immersive Mode earns it another gold star. View Deal

Apple's first-generation AirPods Max get a welcome discount for Prime Day, in a variety of colours too. Undoubtedly still an investment, but one that is worth it if you're looking for excellent ANC and "unbelievable audio performance" according to our Apple AirPods Max review. They do have a couple of flaws, but the pros outweigh the cons. View Deal

In-ear headphones

It's not the all-time low price of AU$299 that I saw during the last Prime Day, but any saving on the AirPods Pro 3 is worth mentioning. They offer a much-improved fit over the 2s, class-leading ANC and a wonderful sound profile. If you own an iOS device, they're a no brainer.View Deal

Ear (3a): was $179 now $127.75
We're not a fan of the call recording feature, but in all other aspects, these Nothing earbuds are excellent. Sound quality is exemplary, and there's plenty of tweaking available via the app, and the ANC is effective too. The best price is on the black model, but other colours including yellow and pink also see discounts.View Deal

QuietComfort Earbuds: was $289 now $178
Coming in at just AU$10 more than their Prime Day price (in black, pink or white only) the Bose QC Earbuds are worth checking out. They employ best-in-class noise cancellation, an unbelievably comfortable and secure fit, solid battery life and a feature-packed app.View Deal

AirPods 4 (ANC): was $299 now $185
If your budget doesn't quiet stretch to the Pro 3, there's a great discount on the AirPods 4 with ANC. They're mightily impressive, being able to effectively block out external sounds, despite not fitting in your ear quite as much. The soundstage is excellent, and they support spatial audio. Battery life is decent with five hours on a single charge or 30 hours with the included carry case.View Deal

Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds: was $499 now $246
We gave these stunning earbuds 4.5 stars out of 5 in our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review, as they have class-leading audio handling and impeccable sound quality that rivals the best wireless earbuds. With balanced sound, effective ANC and a great battery life, these Sennheiser buds will make any audiophile smile. View Deal

Powerbeats Fit: was $329 now $269
We've not reviewed this set of Beats earbuds just yet, but we've been impressed with the brand's previous efforts, including the previous Beats Fit Pro. This new model arrives with a more secure fit, perfect for workout sessions, a smaller case and full IPX4 water and sweat resistance. They don't get the heart-rate sensor as found in the Powerbeats Pro unfortunately, but otherwise this is a cracking set of in-ear headphones. The price here is just AU$19 more than Prime Day.View Deal

EAH-AZ100: was $499 now $349
These Technics buds deliver a sound packed with detail and clarity, and one that is entirely engaging. ANC is great, and they're packed with useful features. View Deal

They are still expensive for a set of in-ear headphones, we know, but the B&W Pi8 are unlike any pair of earbuds we've heard before. They are exceptionally detailed in their audio delivery and the ANC onboard can comfortably compete with the very best. A number of other useful features only add to their appeal.View Deal

Open earbuds

Clip 1: was $86.99 now $66.74
If you're unsure if the a clip-style earbud is for you, then you can try it out with this inexpensive pair from Soundpeats. They've claimed a spot in our guide to the best open earbuds thanks to superb battery life and the fact they support hi-res audio. Admittedly, more expensive pairs do sound better, but you can at least tweak the EQ settings in the app to find a sound that's good for you. View Deal

If you're in the market for a pair of open-style earbuds, the Soundcore AeroClip are a fine choice. As we found in our review, they deliver "clear, engaging audio", and are incredibly comfortable to wear. They do miss out on some features you'll find in other, more expensive models, but where sound quality is concerned, they're a winner.View Deal

OpenFit 2+: was $340 now $227
We heaped praise on these open-style earbuds in our review, going as far to say they're "better than Bose". They're comfortable, boast long battery life and we loved the inclusion of Dolby cinematic sound. The price here is for the white model, black is available for AU$238. View Deal

Our reviewer called the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 the ideal runner’s headphones thanks to its lightweight form factor, comfort, stability and sound quality. There’s also a “classic mode” to switch to purely bone conduction that’s better suited for windy conditions or for cycling. The listing here is for both the 'Mini' and 'Standard' sizes. This price is the lowest we’ve seen on Amazon so far. The black colour has sold out, but you can still get this price in orange.View Deal

Offering “incredible sound” according to our review, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have all the power and quality you’d expect from a Bose-branded item while providing the benefits of an open-ear form factor. The Immersive sound is excellent, and they give up to 7 hours of music. At full price they're certainly a premium investment, but this discount scratches that itch.View Deal

Wired headphones

Soundmagic has been at the forefront of quality wired earbuds for years now, and the E11C are the latest in a long lineage of top-performing pairs. They are a few years old, but they're so brilliant, Soundmagic hasn't felt the need to replace them. And at this price, they represent an affordable route to quality in-ear headphones. Note that I've taken the 'before' price from the official Soundmagic Australia website. Make sure to tick the 5% coupon for the best price.

The E11D with a USB-C connector for higher quality audio is also available for under AU$62 with the same 5% coupon saving.View Deal

Triple Driver in-ear headphones: was $119.99 now $83.99
We said in our 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphone review that these wired buds deliver "stellar audio", alongside "excellent build and design". Do note that these use a 3.5mm aux connection, but if that's ok for you, this is a great example of what's possible from wired earbuds.View Deal

This Quad Driver set of earbuds ups the ante over the Triple Driver model, delivering an even more engaging sound that's also better built. We did say their higher price could put people off in our 1More Quad Driver in-ear headphones review, but your money does get you improved performance.View Deal

HD 505: was $449.95 now $310
These open-back Sennheiser headphones are extremely comfortable to wear over longer periods and, as we said in our review "are an expansive, wide-open listen — and they can control a soundstage just as confidently as they lay it out in the first place". The fact they're open-backed does mean they're better suited to home listening though.View Deal

iFixit’s AirPods 5 teardown reveals one key improvement to Apple’s earbuds

alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake) — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:42:31 +0000

Repair experts iFixit tore down Apple’s latest AirPods 5 earphones
The firm found a few important changes compared to previous AirPods
Yet the case still proved to be a repairability ‘disaster’

Apple products aren’t exactly known to be paragons of repairability, with many devices proving to be daunting work for even the most hardened of repair professionals. It probably won’t come as much of a surprise, then, to see that iFixit has given the new AirPods 5 a lowly score in its latest teardown — but there are still a few bright spots for Apple fans.

iFixit decided to dig into the AirPods 5 in a step-by-step article and an accompanying video. The video came with the teaser-heavy title “We’ve Given AirPods 0/10 for 10 Years. Until Now,” while the article dubbed the earphones “the most repairable AirPods earbuds ever.” But if you’re hopeful of a lofty 10/10 score, don’t hold your breath. No, the AirPods 5 came home with a lowly 2/10 score for repairability.

That’s mainly thanks to the charging case, which iFixit described as a “disaster.” In fact, the case was so tightly sealed that it had to be destroyed in order to get to the internal battery. Throw in a total absence of replacement parts and repair manuals on Apple’s part and the AirPods 5’s score took a nosedive.

That said, there were a few silver linings. One of the key improvements came to the batteries contained inside the earphones. Instead of being soldered in place, they are outfitted with a set of plug-in prongs, making them much simpler to replace.

As well as that, the AirPods could be opened up using a hairdryer and a clamp, meaning specialized tools aren’t required — significantly lowering the hurdles facing repairers.

A step towards repairability

As iFixit pointed out, Apple’s AirPods don’t necessarily need to be this hard to repair. Companies like Fairphone have released products (such as the Fairbuds) that make accessing the case battery far simpler, allowing a user to swap the component out and prolong the lifespan of their device. Likewise, Sennheiser’s excellent Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds are built with replaceable batteries and even come with a compatible screwdriver.

In the past, new Apple CEO John Ternus has said that Apple tries to balance durability and repairability, arguing that swinging too far towards repairability can compromise the durability of a device (such as its waterproofing). And it’s surely true that the majority of consumers would not be interested in opening up their Apple products and conducting repairs themselves.

But for those who do want to do that — or who don’t mind paying someone else to do it for them — a more repairable device is one that lasts longer and doesn’t need to be replaced so quickly.

Ultimately, iFixit said that “for the first time, we think skilled technicians and even intrepid DIYers will probably be able to replace AirPod batteries with a decent success rate.” The AirPods 5 are not the kind of product that your grandma will be keen to crack open, but for anyone with the experience and determination to perform their own repairs, they’re a step in the right direction from Apple.

Don't pay AU$699 for premium headphones — these 8 discounted sets are my favourites, with up to 63% off

Max Langridge — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:43:43 +0000

As an audio reviewer, I am of course always excited when a new pair of headphones is announced. However, I’ve noticed a worrying trend in the last couple of years whereby every new premium pair seems to cost AU$699.

The Sony WH-1000XM6, Sonos Ace and Sonos Ace Ultra, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, Edifier Stax Spirit S5, Nothing Headphone 1 Pro, Technics EAH-A1000 all cost AU$699 at launch, to name a few. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless went even further with a AU$749.95 debut.

That’s a lot of money to pay for a set of cans — and that’s why the current Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale is worth sitting up for, as I’ve found a few pairs of truly talented headphones that have received significant discounts.

Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: was $645 now $361
These flagship Bose headphones launched at AU$649.95, and are one of the earlier examples of premium pricing. Now they’ve been replaced by a second-gen model, which means their price can take a hit. I consider this first-gen set to be the best ANC headphones right now, owing to the fact they’re a lot more affordable, and that the ANC performance difference isn’t all that huge compared to their newer sibling. They’re extremely comfortable too, and they serve up a lovely, lively and engaging sound. View Deal

QuietComfort Headphones: was $448 now $283
This more mid-range pair of Bose over-ears also make my guide to the best noise cancelling headphones thanks to their ability to block out virtually all external sounds. As with the Ultra set above, they sound glorious, are comfortable and fold away for travel. They miss out on spatial audio, but otherwise are near-faultless. Note that the only colourway left is Pink. View Deal

HD 600: was $599.95 now $299
These open-back Sennheiser headphones are nearly 20 years old, but the fact they can still command their original AU$600 list price should tell you everything. They’re truly stunning, offering excellent dynamics and lively sound. As mentioned however, they’re open-back, which means they’ll leak sound, so they’re not ideal for use on the go, but rather for listening at home with some capable source equipment. View Deal

If the idea of a detailed, open-back sound sounds good to you, but you want it everywhere you go, the HD 620S could be for you. They’re a conventional closed-back design, and as our friends at What Hi-Fi? said in their review, “these headphones invite you to simply sit back and enjoy the detailed and smooth sound, no matter what genre you’re listening to”. View Deal

WH-1000XM6: was $699.95 now $513
I mentioned them in my intro, and thanks to this week’s Amazon sale, you can get the Dusty Pink colourway with a respectable discount. While still not cheap, they are arguably one of the best headphones available today, there's no doubting performance here, with beautifully balanced sound and great ANC. View Deal

Momentum 4 Wireless: was $649 now $240
Sennheiser has now finally released a newer version of its stunning Momentum headphones, but that only means this fourth-gen model becomes even more affordable. In our five-star Sennheiser Momentum 4 review, we highlighted their effective active noise-cancellation, 60-hours of battery life and excellent sound quality. At this price, they certainly deserve your consideration.View Deal

EAH-AZ100: was $499 now $331
Earbuds can also enter at the premium end, and these Technics buds have been my number one since they launched. They deliver a sound packed with detail and clarity, and one that is entirely engaging. ANC is great, and they're brimming with useful features. View Deal

QuietComfort Earbuds: was $289.95 now $170.05
These mid-range Bose ‘buds punch well above their weight, and now they’ve dropped to AU$170, they’re an even easier recommendation for anyone seeking premium sound without paying premium money. Plus, the ANC is by far and away the best in its class, and they’re packed with genuinely useful features. View Deal

Bose's latest ANC earbuds come with something you probably wouldn't expect (it begins with W and rhymes with 'tires')

Carrie Marshall — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:26:49 +0000

Like wireless ANC earbuds, except with wires
Lossless audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz
£99 / AU$169.95 (about $131)

For all their joys, there's something missing from many of the best earbuds: wires.

I'm serious: wires can be great for audio, which is why so many audiophile IEMs have them. So I'm intrigued by the latest earbuds from Bose, which are very definitely wired: they come with a 4.2-ft / 1.3m cable.

Wired earbuds don't need to compress audio to broadcast it over Bluetooth, they don't have batteries you'll forget to charge, and they don't lose features or sound quality if your phone doesn't have the right operating system.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds aren't so retro that you can plug them into your Walkman, though. There's no 3.5mm headphone plug of the kind that UK pop star Sir Cliff Richard would recognize; They're USB-C powered, with plug-and-play compatibility. And because they don't have to pick a lossy codec for transmitting audio, they deliver up to 24-bit/48kHz lossess — no pairing, no app, no charging, no fuss. Refreshing!

(Image credit: Bose)

Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds: key features and pricing

The keen-eyed will have spotted something: ANC in wired earbuds isn't usually a thing. But make no mistake, there's active noise cancellation here and you can control it via the inline remote.

There are three levels of noise control: off, Aware and Quiet, with that last two taking advantage of Bose's four-mic QuietControl system to process and remove ambient audio. As they're USB-C buds, connection is instant and widely supported thanks to USB Audio Class 2, which enables lossless audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz. Bose says the connection is very low latency and keeps audio closely in sync with anything on screen, too.

The earbuds come with an inline remote for volume, playback, calls and noise cancellation modes, and the remote also contains a dedicated microphone for voice calls and voice control. They're IPX4 rated for water resistance and come in a choice of three colours (Black, White Smoke and Dewdrop Mint) with two sizes of wingtips and three sizes of ear tips included.

Pricing is keen: £99 in the UK and AU$169.95 in Australia (which is roughly $131). All three models will be available to buy from 15 October 2026.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Nothing's priciest headphones ever land — and our full review verdict is in

Carrie Marshall — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:05:00 +0000

Three tuned drivers and ten ANC microphones
Hi-res wired and wireless audio with LDAC
$399 / £349 (about AU$657)

Nothing has launched its most advanced and most expensive headphones yet, the Headphones (1) Pro — and we've been putting them through their paces.

In our in-depth Nothing Headphones (1) Pro review, Becky Scarrott says that the headphones are "sonically gifted" with good ANC, smart spatial audio and a particularly good transparency mode. But they're expensive and, in their rather chunky carrying case, very heavy — and as Becky points out, Nothing's other headphones are gifted too, and a lot cheaper.

There's one key way in which the Headphones (1) Pro aim to differ from the company's cheaper options though…

(Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing Headphones (1) Pro: key features

The goal of the Headphones (1) Pro is to replace two pairs of headphones: the ones you use on the move, and the ones you use for serious music listening or production.

To do that, familiar features such as ANC are teamed up with an unusual triple-driver setup rather than the standard one-driver design of most similar headphones. As with IEMs, each driver is designed to specialize in a particular frequency range; here that means a dynamic bass driver, another dynamic driver for the mids and an xMEMS driver for the high frequencies.

Those drivers have been tuned by the pro-audio experts at Metropolis Studios, and there's a dedicated Flat EQ switch, aiming to deliver a completely neutral sound profile for music production. There's also Studio B, a dynamic spatial audio mode designed to mimic the acoustics of a mixing room.

The ANC features 10 mics and works very well, especially in windy conditions or in transparency mode, and the redesigned ear cushions deliver a stronger seal. The headband has been made wider with better padding for better long-term comfort, and the headphone cups are finished in scratch-resistant 9H Panda Glass.

The Headphone (1) Pro deliver hi-res wired and wireless audio via LDAC, with USB-C delivering lossless audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz. There are five dynamic spatial audio modes with head tracking, and you can adjust the EQ of your headphones to suit your preferences.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro are available in black or white from today, 29 September, with a recommended retail price of $399 / £349 (about AU$657). And you can read our full review right now, right here.

'Promises to topple giants': I've been praising open earbuds for years and now, fresh stats prove they're the anti-tech gadget you've been longing for

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +0000

It feels like half of the reviews I do for TechRadar are of open earbuds, a relatively new form of listening gear that won't block your ear canals, leaving them free hear your surroundings. I'm not the only one who's been preoccupied with them though; it's becoming clear that they're the new big category in the headphone world.

According to fresh data from global technology analyst Omdia, the open earbuds market has been booming, increasing in sales by 12% in the year leading up to the second quarter of 2026. That's despite the overall wireless earbuds market dropping by about 2% in that time, now making up 13.5% of all sales of true wireless stereo (TWS) products.

Clip-on buds such as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have proven more popular, making up 61% of the open-ear sales, with hook models like the Shokz OpenFit 2+ taking up that other 39%.

But the biggest winner was the cheap earbud market, with sub-$50 open buds like the Soundpeats Pop Clip2 surging in sales by over 320%.

I've been reviewing this kind of design since the early days (well, since about 2023, but it's a very new form factor) and its surging popularity makes sense; it's part of a tech-wide trend which promises to topple giants and bring back classics.

The best tech is no tech?

(Image credit: Shanling)

A growing trend we've been seeing in the tech gadget world is... well, a desire to not have tech gadgets. Or rather, avoidance of the everything-smart, everything-connected world which big companies have been pushing onto us.

Feature phones (or dumb phones) are growing in popularity, as people look for a digital detox device which can keep them connected without being at the behest of a deluge of notifications, endless social media walls, incessant group chats.

New gadgets are increasingly sold on their suite of AI features... and as a result, struggle to gain consumer interest, because smart agents and tools like this are increasingly proving to only have niche appeal.

In the audio (and entertainment) world, streaming sites are increasingly being ditched in favor of physical media ownership; we're constantly seeing the release of new turntables, CD players, cassette players, so people don't have to rely on digital releases and algorithms.

And when was the last time you heard about the 'Internet of Everything', or smart homes? Or blockchain and cryptocurrency? We keep being told that these are the future, and consumers keep roundly ignoring them.

Despite this, big brands insist on inundating us with unwanted gadgets, and it is drawing the ire of the general public. Just look at smart glasses: their super-techy nature has resulted in a massive backlash, so much so that they've been widely banned in courts, theaters and restaurants. And that's before I mention the public's new fruity moniker for them — something it'll be tough to bounce back from.

There are numerous reasons for our new-found preference for the 'dumb'; price hikes on gadgets and a plateau what gadgets can do both contribute. But there's another factor: being 'connected' in a tech sense often means being online, which can increasingly mean being a) having our data scraped and stored, and b) disconnected from the real world.

The ultimate digital detox headphones

(Image credit: Future)

And that last point is where open earbuds come in. These headphones are defined by the fact that you're not disconnected when you use them.

I love open earbuds because, when I'm wearing them, I'm still aurally connected to the world. If I'm wearing them on the road, I can hear traffic. If I'm at home and my flatmate speaks to me, I know what he's saying. If I'm on the train and hear an announcement, I get the information.

For years, the best noise-cancelling headphones have sold themselves on increasingly advanced ways of isolating you from the annoyingly noisy reality of a world filled with people. But that's clearly not what many buyers actually want; just look at the resurgence in wired earbuds, which have no noise cancellation to speak of.

It's not just the open nature of these buds, though. It's a rebellion against all the smart features brands think we want in our earbuds — think AI assistants, health features and real-time language translation.

Most open earbuds I've tested have been quite light on features, omitting many of the smart tools that in-ear buds sell themselves on. Partly, this could be because their actual earpieces are rather small, and they just don't have space for the hardware to support this kind of feature.

But in part, it's a key component of the sales pitch: these are supposed to be light, in weight and in feature set, so they can fit effortlessly on top of your life without shoving a plethora of features down your throat.

To me, digital detox devices give you the key thing you want from the gadget (in this case, music) without adding extraneous layers on top — a fact which often cuts their price. And that's why open earbuds are proving so popular: they offer the one thing you want, and relatively few dubious extras.

Solving non-tech user gripes

(Image credit: Future)

Aside from the dumb-tech trend, open earbuds also offer a tempting alternative to headphones, in that they solve some common gripes. They're also seen as a safer option when travelling solo, particularly at night — my audio editor tells me she's often been warned, in public, about wearing over-ear headphones when walking home alone.

The lack of noise cancellation or smart features in most open buds means that their battery lives are good; I'd say the average single-charge life span of most open earbuds I test sits at 10-12 hours, while standard noise-cancelling earbuds last for about 6-8 hours.

I personally love how well they fit, especially clip-style open earbuds. Early models were intended for fitness uses, and they've kept this a core part of their DNA. I frequently run, cycle or gym, and I have a massive problem with in-ear buds falling out of my ears when I'm exercising (or just walking, in some of the worst cases). Not so for open earbuds; other than a few exceptions, they can be relied on to have an impeccable fit.

Now, I'd be remiss not to bring up open earbuds' one longstanding problem: they don't sound quite as good through the bass as other earbuds. After all, the entire point is that the driver is some distance from your ear, to avoid blocking it. And while many brands are making great progress in this area, I can't pretend that, say, the Soundpeats Clip1 match the contemporary Soundpeats H3, for example.

But does anyone buy wireless earbuds because they care about music fidelity? Anyone who wants amazing sound will buy the best headphones, or wired earbuds / in-ear monitors. I maintain that wireless earbuds are gadgets of convenience first and foremost. Which is why I'm finding it increasingly easy to forgive open earbuds' sound quality.

It's not a fad, but is it a phase?

(Image credit: Future)

Open earbuds are a continuation of something that's been going on for years. Plenty of buds, like the standard AirPods, don't fully block up your ear canal (something referred to as 'open-fit earbuds', rather than fully 'open earbuds') letting you hear what's going on around you. But in those buds, that was a side-effect of the tip-free design, rather than the point.

Because of that, I don't see these being a fad. I think we'll continue to see open earbuds released for years to come. But we're seeing a huge spike in popularity, which isn't sustainable.

Many massive audio brands have, so far, sat out the open earbuds trend. Major names such as Apple, Samsung and Beats have so far sat out of this race (no, the Powerbeats Pro aren't open, despite the arm around the ear) even while releasing wireless earbuds (though Samsung is said to be working on some). Instead, plenty of the smaller brands — or dedicated sports tech specialists — are inundating the market with options.

I'm sure open earbuds will follow the noise cancellation trajectory: they'll boom for a few years, then see a lull in sales, and will slowly settle into a sustainable share of the market. After all, a defining trait of the 'dumb-tech' trend is that you don't frequently buy new gadgets. One pair will see you through for years.

So open earbuds aren't a fad; they're here to stay. But that doesn't mean the market share will keep increasing forever. Enjoy this period of weird experimentation and countless new models.

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: which noise cancelling headphones should you buy?

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Sonos Ace Ultra

With a significant improvement in musicality, excellent Dolby Atmos performance, and a more fleshed-out feature set, the Sonos Ace Ultra feel like a big improvement over their predecessor. Incremental additions to battery life, ANC, and Sonos ecosystem interactivity only help these stylish cans to stand-out more than the original model. While the Ace Ultra may still get edged out by a few rivals in terms of sonic detail and travel convenience, they’re still easy to recommend.

Pros

Excellent audio for movies
Good Sonos ecosystem interactivity
Stellar look and great build quality

Cons

Not fully foldable, like the XM6
No LDAC support
Don’t sound quite as detailed

Sony WH-1000XM6

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones that combine the best design elements of their predecessors, while levelling up the sonic and ANC capabilities of what came before. With super-clean touch controls, an ultra-comfy fit and a ton of features at your disposal, there’s a lot to love about these headphones – though they do look a little bulky.

Pros

Class-leading ANC
Fantastic sound quality
Incredibly intuitive touch controls

Cons

Slightly weaker battery life
Bulkier look than the Ace Ultra
No Snapdragon Sound/aptX support

The Sonos Ace Ultra just dropped, and they might just be my favorite headphones of 2026. They’re a considerable upgrade over the original Ace, boasting far better musicality, incredible movie audio, expanded Sonos ecosystem support, and seriously good ANC. It really feels like Sonos has made a statement with this release, and the multi-room specialist is finally ready to take on the titans of the headphone world.

But just how well do the Sonos Ace Ultra shape up against their class-leading rivals at this money? I wanted to find out for myself, so I tested them against one of their fiercest competitors: the Sony WH-1000XM6. Sony’s flagship headphones come in at the same price point as the Ace Ultra and they too supply stellar sound, noise-crushing ANC, and a swathe of fantastic features.

So, which headphones are better: the Sonos Ace Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6? I’ve compared them across four key areas: features, sound quality, design, and value, to help you decide which are the best headphones for you. The Sony WH-1000XM6 have been my go-to headphones for well over a year, but this contest was genuinely far closer than I’d expected. But anyway, let the battle commence — oh, and make sure to stick around 'til the end, for my verdict.

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: price & availability

The Sonos Ace Ultra were released in September 2026, about two years after the original Sonos Ace headphones arrived on the scene. The Ace Ultra cost $449 / £399 / AU$699, which is cheaper than the standard model cost at launch in the UK, and the same price as the original Ace launched at in both the US and Australia.

Meanwhile, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are a little older, and hit the market back in May 2025. They cost the same as the Sonos Ace Ultra, carrying a price tag of $449 / £399 / AU$699. As they’ve been about for a little longer, it’s more likely that you’ll find these cans on sale, and we have seen them drop below $380 / £300 / AU$500 before. While neither of these models are cheap, they both offer incredible quality across the board, with excellent sound quality and features, which helps to justify the steep asking price.

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: specs

	Sonos Ace Ultra	Sony WH-1000XM6
Price	$449 / £399 / AU$699	$449 / £399 / AU$699
Drivers	Next-gen 40mm custom	30mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes
Battery life	35 hours	30 hours
Weight	322g	254g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: features

Let me be clear from the offset: when it comes to features, these two pairs of wireless headphones are arguably the very best on the market. So, as you can imagine, it’s hard to pick a winner here.

The Sonos Ace Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 share a lot of the same positives: they each have extensive EQ options, with multi-band custom options, wired and Bluetooth connectivity, wear detection, and impressive ANC.

When it comes to noise-cancelling specifically, both are excellent performers, and easily dispose of external sounds like surrounding chatter and traffic noise. In my testing, I found the Sony WH-1000XM6 to have a very slight edge, though, perhaps lending to their larger microphone system (12 mics to the Ace Ultra’s 10) — they dulled deep sounds like engines rumbling to slightly greater effect.

Something that the Sonos Ace supply that Sony can’t compete with, is wider ecosystem support. TV Audio Linking enables you to transfer audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar and enjoy immersive sound privately, while Headphone Linking gives you the option to hand off audio to supported speakers, including the Sonos Play (or vice versa) for a seamless listening experience, no matter where you are.

Another thing that I love about the Ace Ultra is their native Dolby Atmos support. This means you can enjoy Dolby Atmos music and movies at their very best, and with the help of head-tracking, I’ve been able to enjoy deliciously expansive movie audio with impressive height effects and clear dialogue to boot. The Sony WH-1000XM6 aren’t as accomplished for movies, and while they feature a Cinema upmix mode, which transfers a stereo signal into a more expansive format, the actual quality of this is a little disappointing.

While we’re on the topic of sound-related features, it’s worth talking about codecs. Each of these headphones possesses something the other does not. And that’s because the Sonos Ace Ultra boast aptX codec support — something Sony skips on — while the XM6 feature LDAC, which their competitor leaves out. Both of these open up higher-res Bluetooth streaming, opening up a more detailed listen than you’d get with SBC or AAC, for instance.

The key differentiator here is compatibility. Apple fans, I’m sorry, but your phone supports neither of these. Android users, there’s a very high chance that your handset can make use of LDAC, which is actually a proprietary technology developed by Sony itself. However, it’s a different story with aptX. Fewer phones support this, and although I get to enjoy it on my Xiaomi 17, a lot of models leave it out. Both models support lossless wired listening, although only Sonos has USB-C audio passthrough, which is more convenient in my view — after all, so many of us carry around USB-C cables to charge our phones and other devices

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of battery life, these cans are close, but Sonos is the overall winner. The Ace Ultra provide 35 hours of playback with ANC switched on, whereas Sony give you 30 hours. That’s a pretty average amount of playtime to get from headphones in this price-class, but if you do run out of charge, you can use both pairs while they regain life via USB-C.

Finally, a word on controls. The Sonos Ace Ultra feature responsive, well-sized, and precise button controls. But they don’t have touch controls, something the WH-100XM6 pull off brilliantly. Sony’s cans have reactive and intuitive touch controls that I love. A single press won’t trigger anything so you can avoid accidental commands, but you can swipe on the right earcup to adjust playback and even cover it with your hand to enter into transparency mode. As much as I appreciate the reliability of Sonos’ buttons, I prefer Sony’s approach.

So, who’s the winner in the features category? It’s such a close one: I think Sony has a slight edge in ANC, I like the touch controls, and the broader compatibility of LDAC is a win. However, Sonos’ ecosystem interplay, native Atmos support, USB-C audio, and better battery life is pretty impressive too. Let’s call this category a tie.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: sound quality

While both of these headphones sound great, and there’s not a big different in quality, there’s only one winner for me.

The Sonos Ace Ultra made a big step up from the original Ace, especially when it comes to musicality. They provide well-balanced sound, with satisfyingly deep, regimented bass, clean mids, and expressive highs. But how do they compete against the Sony WH-1000XM6?

Well, allow me to reference my listening notes. In the funk tack, Joía rara by Brylho, both sets kept electric guitars well-separated from vocals and other instruments in the mid-range, almost making it sound as if they were playing in a unique pocket. Both also plated up well-weighted, clean bass, and finer details, like subtle percussive elements came through nicely. I did find, though, that the XM6 handled vocals with a bit more care — they sounded a bit more natural, and more effectively defined in the mix.

Moving onto a house track next, with Get it on by Jansons. This was a tight contest, the Ace Ultra’s deep bass came through with palpable impact, and higher-pitched drums sounded tastefully forward without getting shrill or tinny. It was the same on the XM6 — thumping yet agile bass alongside bright and precise treble, helping to capture the exciting, energetic vibe. I perhaps found that the XM6 offered slightly better dynamism, though — drops just had a bit more impact, which isn’t to say that the Ace fell flat, they were just marginally outclassed.

(Image credit: Future)

More generally, I found that the XM6 slightly edged out the Ace Ultra with more dynamic low-end output and better detailing, especially in the mid-range.

It’s worth noting that I do consider the Ace Ultra to be superior for movies. They have native Dolby Atmos support, and with built-in head-tracking, you can experience truly mesmerizing audio for all your movie-watching needs. When I connected the headphones up to the Sonos Beam Ultra via TV Audio Swap, I was blown away by the fidelity of height effects, the phenomenal width, and clear dialogue available. Sony’s headphones are good for movies, and they do feature some head-tracking technology (albeit more restrictive), but the Ace Ultra were clearly designed with movies in mind to a much greater extent.

Still, it’s important to have some perspective. The vast majority of people aren’t buying wireless headphones solely to watch movies. The most important thing is portable musical performance, and while the Sonos Ace Ultra get close to the Sony WH-1000XM6, they fall just short overall — and as a result, I’m handing Sony the W here.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: design

At a glance, these headphones might not look wildly different, especially as I tested two very similar colorways… but there are some notable deviations worth discussing.

In my view, the Sonos Ace Ultra are the better looking pair of headphones. They have a slimmer form factor with flatter ear cups, which look a bit more flattering than the XM6’s bulky ones. Their metallic details and curved look also gives them a premium yet understated aesthetic which I can’t get enough of.

The XM6 aren’t bad-looking at all, I just don’t think they quite match the luxurious vibe of the Ace Ultra. But what I do like about these is that they’re fully foldable. This means they’re amazing for travel — just fold’ em up, throw them in your bag, and you’re good to go. The ear cups can fold down on the Ace, enabling them to fit in their carry case, but they’re not quite as flexible as Sony’s flagship model.

(Image credit: Future)

On the topic of cases, Sony takes the win here. They have an enticing hard case which uses a magnet lock, meaning it’s so quick and easy to whip them out or stow them away. The Ace Ultra’s case doesn’t have the same premium feel, and it also has a pretty low-quality zip that jams a bit too regularly for my liking.

Neither of these models have an IP rating, which denotes dust and waterproofing capabilities — something that, in fairness, is rarely seen on over-ears (though some, like the Noble FoKus Artemis, do boast an IP rating).

But both models are very comfortable and don’t clamp too hard on my head, which makes it easy to listen to music for hours on end. This means they’re pretty close overall in the design section, but personally, I’d take the sleeker look and more luxurious design of the Ace Ultra over the XM6 — even if the latter are fully foldable and have a better carry case.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: value

So, it’s been a tight contest so far. And when you consider that both the Ace Ultra and XM6 have the same list price, deciding which offers better value for money is very tough indeed.

The truth is this: the better-value model is going to be very dependent on your needs and expectations. If you already own a Sonos system, and want interplay with your speakers and maybe even a soundbar, then the Ace Ultra are incredibly attractive. Their ANC and sound quality isn’t far off the XM6’s, they’re superior for movies, and I think they’re more stylish too.

(Image credit: Future)

But if you want the best all-round pair of headphones in this price bracket, I still don’t think you can beat the Sony WH-1000XM6 right now. They offer slightly more detailed, dynamic audio than the Ace Ultra, their ANC is class-leading, and they have no shortage of features, a fully foldable design, and their battery life is close to that of their Sonos rival.

In the context of this showdown, the XM6’s older age also works in their favor somewhat — we’ve seen them go on sale a few times here and there, so chances are, you’ll be able to swipe them up for less than the Ace Ultra in practice. I think you’ll be exceedingly happy with either of these models, but unless you want interplay with your Sonos system and top-tier Atmos for movies, then I think the Sony WH-1000XM6 give you ever-so-slightly more bang for your buck.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: verdict

So, there you have it. As I mentioned in the value section, it’s been a close affair, but I think the Sony WH-1000XM6 are the best headphones for most people at the time of writing. Ultimately, their marginal wins over Sonos in terms of ANC, musicality, and flexibility give them the edge.

If you have a Sonos system, though, I do think the Ace Ultra are worth picking for their seamless connectivity with your speakers and soundbar. And the Ace Ultra do offer a few improvements over Sony’s cans, like higher battery life, a more luxurious look, and better sound for movies.

Both are great options, however, so you can feel confident in your choice, whether you opt for Sonos or Sony. But what do you think? Would you choose the Sonos Ace Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM6? Let me know in the comments.

As an audio expert, it's easy to recommend Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 5 — but their equally competent predecessors are a lot cheaper

Max Langridge — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:02:28 +0000

We’ve just published our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review and, spoiler alert, it’s glowing and they're certainly in with a shot of claiming a spot in my guide to the best wireless earbuds in Australia. However, for all their talents, there’s no denying they’re expensive at AU$499 RRP.

The good news is that now they’ve launched, it means their just-as-talented predecessor, the Momentum True Wireless 4, enjoys a significant discount, and have now plummeted to AU$249 in Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

The sleek and compact Momentum True Wireless 4 are brimming with features including aptX Lossless and Auracast support, along with an impressive 30-hour battery life. Audio quality is top notch, offering very much a balanced and neutral profile, meaning each aspect of your favourite tunes gets the attention it deserves. The best price is on the black model. View Deal

Sennheiser is no stranger to producing quality headphones, but I do feel the brand can go under the radar for many, being overshadowed by the likes of Apple and Sony. And that’s a shame, because when you consider pairs of earbuds such as the Momentum True Wireless 4, there’s an awful lot to like.

As we said in our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review, “sound quality is where [they] shine”. These compact ‘buds serve up a neutral sound profile, and will reproduce any genre you want to throw at them with accuracy and packed with detail.

The new model also favours a neutral approach, and as we said in the review of that pair they "essentially sound about the same as Momentum True Wireless 4”, no doubt in part because they use the same 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers. That makes the huge price cut on the MTW4 all the more impressive and worth considering.

There are a few concessions compared with the newer model, of course. The MTW4 have Sennheiser’s older, slightly bulkier design, while the MTW5 sit lower in the ear and have been reshaped for a more comfortable fit. The newer buds also step up to Bluetooth 6.0, increase total battery life from 30 to 40 hours, add an improved eight-mic calling system and introduce user-replaceable batteries.

However, none of those upgrades fundamentally change the core listening experience — especially when the MTW4 is now half the price.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: truly the new flagship earbuds to beat

Simon Cocks — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5: Two-minute review

Sennheiser doesn’t rush its new products — especially within the best earbuds market. It’s been over two years since the launch of the Momentum True Wireless 4 and, even back then, I remember the brand saying at my product briefing that they were already at work planning ahead for potential EU regulations. Which regulations specifically? That the batteries within these tiny earpieces may well need to be user-replaceable in coming launches.

Those laws are still on the horizon… sort of. Other brands have had their complaints, saying the rules force tiny devices to be bulkier and less waterproof, so there are now various exceptions. Sennheiser, though, stuck to its plan. With the launch of the Momentum True Wireless 5, the company is proving that user-replaceable batteries are possible even in products as small as wireless earbuds.

Longevity is only one part of the story when it comes to these new buds though. Much like the new Momentum 5 over-ear headphones, they’re stuffed full of upgrades. They’ve now got a refreshed premium design, a different shape and fit, improved noise-cancelling and transparency, refined sound, and extra features, such as immersive Dolby Atmos audio and aptX Lossless high-res streaming. Spoiler alert for the rest of this review, but they’re the complete package.

After more than two weeks of use, the Momentum True Wireless 5 (or MTW5) have quickly become my new favorite wireless buds for just about anything and everything. They’re quite clearly the flagship to beat in 2026.

To my ears, they’re better-sounding than the top rivals from Technics and JBL, with an enjoyable, neutral, yet non-fatiguing sound that caters to critical listening. The improved ANC is now only a slight step behind Apple, Bose and Sony’s best, and that gap is close enough to barely matter for most of us.

Crucially, the Sennheiser buds are highly customizable with the Smart Control Plus app, an intuitive platform that I find to be one of the best companion apps in the business. Should you want to, you can adjust the sound, tap controls, ANC levels, codecs in use, battery preservation, and more.

The sustainability credentials and long-term usability make them easy to recommend. But once you add in their natural audio on a wide soundstage, high-end style, comfortable fit, and smart companion app features, the Momentum True Wireless 5 might just be the best buds out there for the money.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Cocks )

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5: price & release date

Launched in September 2026
Sells for $300 / £250 / AU$499

How much money, though? For high-end earbuds, you expect a high cost, and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are launching at the competitive price of $300 / £250 / AU$499.

Unsurprisingly, that puts the MTW5 pretty much in the mix with the rest of the flagships. Apple’s AirPods Pro are $50 cheaper at $249, but these directly compete with Sony’s WF-1000XM6 — costing $329 / £250 / AU$499.95 — and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) – for $299 / £299 / AU$450. And, of course, luxury or boutique pairs such as the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 ($399 / £349 / AU$599) or Master & Dynamic MW09 ($349 / £319 / AU$599) will still cost a fair chunk of cash more.

No matter how you look at it though, these are pricey for most of us. But once you factor in the replaceable batteries, it’s easy to see how these could keep you going for longer than others on the market. And these are the first premium buds from an audio brand to have this repairability feature, with Fairphone's Fairbuds being essentially the only other rival even attempting it. So, kudos there.

Future / Simon Cocks

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: specs

Drivers	7mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	Up to 12 hours per earbud, 40 hours in total
Weight	7g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency range	5 Hz-21 kHz
Waterproofing	IP54

(Image credit: Future / Simon Cocks )

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Features

User-replaceable batteries (for both the buds and the case)
Bluetooth 6.0 with seamless multipoint switching
Head-tracked Dolby Atmos spatial audio

The replaceable battery is the headline feature here, of course. It’s a big deal because the batteries are what's most likely to degrade first in your earphones. Until recently, the glued-in cells in wireless buds have meant that, one way or another, they’re destined to be e-waste in only a matter of years.

Sennheiser includes a battery replacement tool for the buds in the case, and you can access the case battery and the bud batteries with the help of a tiny screwdriver. Luckily, the required screwdriver is the one I have on hand to adjust my glasses. To do my due diligence for this review (even though these fresh buds would be a long way away from needing their batteries replaced) I’ve gone through the process of opening up both the case and buds, and can confirm it’s easy enough as long as you follow the instructions on how to use the included tool. Just be careful as you’re dealing with delicate, small parts.

I also spoke with Frank Foppe, the product manager for the MTW5, and I asked how long they’re made to last before a battery replacement might be needed. He confirmed that about 80-90% of the capacity should remain after 500 charge cycles. That’d mean you could use them every single day for two hours and get to four years of use before you notice much of a difference.

And, while Sennheiser isn’t yet able to confirm the cost of replacement batteries, once those are available, they should make a big difference to the longevity of the MTW5. You could realistically buy these earbuds, take care of them, replace the batteries and keep them working for well over five years or much more (as long as all other parts remain functional).

Right now, you should get 6 hours of playtime with ANC on, and up to 12 hours with it off. Sennheiser claims an ANC-off battery life totalling 40 hours once you factor in the charging case, which seems to be about right in my testing. I ran a test playing a Spotify playlist for three hours at 50% volume with ANC on, and had 60% remaining, which confirms a single-charge runtime of around 7.5 hours, a little better than Sennheiser’s estimate. Recharging is via the USB-C port on the case or wireless charging, and a quick charge of eight minutes gives you an hour of use.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Cocks )

Much like the MTW4, Sennheiser has also made these a “future-proof” pair of earbuds when it comes to the feature set. They include several abilities other current launches still lack, and they have the brand’s excellent battery protection feature (to slow down charging and limit the charge level to 80%), which is another way they’re designed for long-term use.

You’ve got Bluetooth 6.0 with Snapdragon sound, a low-latency mode, support for lossless audio and 24-bit/96kHz streaming, Dolby Atmos head-tracked immersive audio, reliable wear detection, excellent multipoint switching, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and upgraded microphones for better noise-cancelling and transparency, along with LE audio and Auracast (not at launch, but promised for a future firmware update).

While I’d found ANC on the MTW4 “effective”, I’d say the new version definitely takes things a step further. We’ve now got four microphones per earbud (plus bone-conduction voice sensors for calls), which is up from three per bud on the predecessor. In all the environments where I’ve used noise-cancelling – including coffee shops, city streets and the London Underground – I’ve found my music or podcasts still audible at reasonable volumes without needing to turn it up to overpower the noise.

The wind-noise reduction kicks in quickly and is also excellent, and I should know, as it’s been particularly windy on my walks lately! Noise-cancelling, overall, feels quite natural while still being capable enough to silence a great range of outside sounds, adapting well to changes in your environment.

But it still isn’t quite the “bubble of silence” ANC that you can get from the AirPods Pro 3 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds! I don’t find that it’s a difference that matters that much anymore, but it’s worth knowing that there’s even more powerful ANC out there.

Transparency is brilliant, though, and up there with AirPod models for how natural its passthrough of the outside world is. I also love that turning on transparency pauses your audio. I listen to podcasts a lot, and having a one-tap way to pause and get awareness is fantastic for quickly saying hi to the cashier at my local corner shop. I also tested the microphones with calls and voice notes. They’re decent at isolating my voice when playing loud, busy cafe background noise, but with the occasional missed word or two. That said, they’re good for outdoor calls and great in a quiet room.

Features score: 4 / 5

Future / Simon Cocks

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Sound quality

Neutral sound on a wide soundstage
Excellent detail and warmth for a non-fatiguing listen
Highly customizable in the app

Sennheiser markets these as “engineered for serious listeners” and I don't disagree. They’re not really made with bass-heads in mind, and have more of a neutral approach when compared to some consumer sound profiles. But they’re also not sterile, offering warmth, depth and smoothness. You get just enough weight and control to the bass, a natural midrange and crisp highs, plus a lot of flexibility to adjust the sound to your liking.

If you know much about the previous generations of these earbuds, all that I’ve just said won’t come as a big surprise. While there are slight refinements to the sound, these essentially sound about the same as the MTW4 and MTW3 before them. They use the same 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers from the predecessors, and one notable benefit over rivals is a greater width to the soundstage and a palpable sense of instrumental separation.

Billie Eilish’s Oxytocin is a fantastic test track for these buds — with effects zipping across the mix, perfectly centered lead vocals, and breathy backing vocals coming at you from all sides. I played the spatial mix from Apple Music and switched on Dolby Atmos, and it’s definitely a convincing implementation of the processing. As my playlist went on, I began to encounter tracks not mixed for spatial audio, though, and you’d need to manually turn off Atmos so those don’t sound a bit weird.

I far prefer Dolby Atmos over most proprietary spatial options, so I appreciate its presence here, but I’d make sure you only use it when listening to playlists or albums full of tracks optimized for Atmos. It works best with Atmos-certified content, and in those cases much of the processing will be done on the source device.

Head tracking works, but it’s still not essential. The fixed spatial audio is plenty, and I still recommend mostly using this mode with films and TV shows designed for immersion, rather than music, which can be a little more hit-and-miss. I tested it with Severance on Apple TV and found it enhanced the eeriness of the quiet sound design and the dialogue clarity.

I tested bass with my go-to low-end thump test, the slow-burn sub-bass of Massive Attack’s Angel. The MTW5 excel, not coming off as overly bloated or boomy, but instead clear and textured. Vocal and midrange realism is where Sennheiser’s natural tuning pays off most. Listening to Coldplay’s Clocks reveals more detail and subtleties I don’t usually hear. And I moved on to the busy mix of Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, where every element feels defined, without the smearing you so often hear from lesser drivers. The width of the soundstage makes for a more engaging listen and, when combined with the tightness of the bass and detail in vocals, I’d say they’re a pair that’s ideal for a relaxed listening experience.

They’re so non-fatiguing that I can keep listening for hours and hours. The most intense audiophiles may still have their nitpicks, as these are tuned more for musical enjoyment than they are for being analytical, but I really think there’s very little that can’t be solved with the 8-band EQ. A full parametric equaliser (as on the HDB630 over-ears) would’ve been a great customization feature, but it’s also one that many users wouldn’t find intuitive.

Sennheiser’s Sound Personalization is a companion to EQ, and is a blend between a preference test and hearing evaluation, where you tweak the volume of different instruments to your liking, and then use a slider to find the lowest level at which you can hear the sample track. The result still sounded great for me, but I ultimately found that I prefer the default “Neutral” after comparing the two.

My honest view on the codec support is that it’s very easy to get lost in the weeds with it all, and far more of this is marketing than most of us tend to admit. The high-res aptX Lossless codec is present, but only kicks in with compatible Android sources, so you may not be able to engage this mode anyway.

I tested it with the Fairphone 6 Plus, which supports the full aptX suite, but it wouldn’t shift out of Adaptive. But this isn’t surprising given that “Lossless” is more of a “mode” hiding inside aptX Adaptive. Basically, this can all get a bit confusing, and there isn’t a substantial difference. A competent codec like AAC will give you quality with virtually no audible difference from aptX, thanks to Sennheiser’s great tuning and driver design. If you have a phone supporting aptX Adaptive, you may hear a tiny difference, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

These sound superb, so you’re not losing anything by choosing “Robust connection” instead of the “Advanced sound quality” mode. You won’t be able to tell them apart, and you’ll get to use every feature (Atmos is unavailable if you turn on high-res, for example).

Sound quality score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Cocks )

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Design

New, premium design with a shallow fit and slim case
Comfortable to wear all day
Screws for the user-replaceable batteries

Fans of the fabric-wrapped case may be disappointed to see how Sennheiser changed things up with the MTW5. The buds now live in a slim and lightweight, textured plastic casing with a shiny circular logo on top. This case has a sturdy metal hinge, one of the best I’ve tried, and the USB-C port is now at the bottom left (it used to be on the front of the older design). On the case and buds, you’ll see the screws needed for changing batteries, but the earphones are still IP54 dust- and splash-resistant.

The fabric case of the MTW4 I tested quickly picked up a big scuff, so I’m hardly mourning its departure. In fact, everything about the MTW5 feels significantly more premium to me. Another added benefit? This svelte approach is far more pocket-friendly.

The buds themselves are very shiny, which I quite like but may divide opinions, and they’ve got a different form factor, at a similar size and weight (7g per bud vs 6.2g for the MTW4). They’re on the chunkier side, so are harder to recommend for those with the smallest ears. They now fit in a totally different way from the predecessor, too, with a much shallower fit and no stability fins. Despite lacking the fins, they actually fit me slightly better.

Even more than with other buds I’ve tried, you absolutely must double-check your ear tip sizes with the four options in the box (I needed a larger tip size in my right ear than in my left). And try not to twist them too much, as I’ve found that can break the seal and introduce friction noise when you walk while ANC is on. A gentle turn is all you need to lock them in place, and with the new thicker silicone tip material Sennheiser uses, they shouldn’t budge. With a good fit, it’s a secure seal that offers great passive noise isolation.

Aside from being shiny, the buds have a more curved look (a bit reminiscent of the Sony WF-1000XM5) and an “anti-wind” design, with a visible grille covering the mics at the front. They’re still controlled with customizable tap gestures, but the touch target is now noticeably smaller, and it’s one of my few (minor) negative points. I find you have to be pretty intentional about where you tap, because it’s easy to miss and do a single tap when you intend to double-tap.

Overall, I’m a big fan of the rounded, stylish new design, and I love that it comes in a more expansive range of colors (Graphite, Copper, Denim, Lavender and the Cream shade reviewed here) than the likes of AirPods or Sony buds. But you might find these distractingly shiny and not suit the shallow fit or chunky body. How much you like them will come down to personal preference.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Cocks )

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Value

Competitive with other high-end buds
Feature-packed and premium
Loads of rivals, but very few offer replaceable batteries

Sennheiser is not short of competition. The key rivals are the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), JBL Tour Pro 3 and Technics EAH-AZ100. In direct comparison, though, the MTW5 is packed full of features that some of these lack, and they deliver a natural and clear sound instead of the bass-forward sound of many other buds.

Ultimately, though, Sennheiser’s value argument comes down to how it offers user-replaceable batteries. Assuming these batteries are under $50, you won’t be forced to throw away your $300 pair when the cells naturally degrade in about three to four years or so. That’ll help if you consider them as a long-term investment.

With that said, the landscape won’t stay the same. New buds with replaceable batteries will eventually launch, and many will surely be cheaper than this too. For flagship quality in sound, design, comfort, and battery life, though, I’d bet Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 5 will remain some of the best buds you can buy for years to come.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5?

Section	Notes	Score
Features	The app gives you loads of ways to customize the buds to suit you, and they have all the features you could want.	5/5
Sound quality	These are a fantastic-sounding pair of buds, prioritizing detail, clarity and smoothness on a wide soundstage.	5/5
Design	I’m a fan of the new look and fit, which is sleeker and shinier, but may still be a little bulky for small ears.	4.5/5
Value	They’re an investment, but offer a lot to compete with flagship rivals, and have replaceable batteries that other pairs lack.	5/5

Buy them if…

You want earbuds for the long run
Switching out batteries for fresh ones after years of use means you should be able to own these for far longer than others, so they’re ideal for anyone hoping to escape the upgrade cycle.

You like a balanced and natural sound
Sennheiser is known for its trademark natural sound, wide soundstage and relaxed listening experience – these impress on all counts.

You want a premium and comfortable design
The new subtly rounded bud design and slimmer charging case are much more premium than Sennheiser’s old buds and much of the competition.

Don’t buy them if…

You need the absolute best ANC around
This is a minor but notable shortcoming, so if you want top-tier noise-cancelling, you’ll still need to go with Apple, Bose or Sony, as these are still a step or two behind the class leaders.

You’re on a budget
I can argue that they’re good value and competitive with other flagship wireless earbuds, but this is still a lot to spend on buds, even if they’re some of the best around.

You don’t like shiny earbuds
There’s no getting around it; whichever color you pick, they’re eye-catching and shiny, and that’s an unavoidable aspect of the design.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: also consider

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
If superior noise-cancelling is your top requirement, these are some of the best options out there; it helps that they’re also comfortable, immersive, and offer dynamic and powerful audio that adapts to your unique ear anatomy. Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
The older model is still stacked with features even when compared to today’s rivals, so it’s worth considering if you can pick up the MTW4 at a discount – they’re great all-rounders with detailed and balanced sound, strong battery life and future-proof Bluetooth support including aptX Lossless, LE audio and Auracast. Read our full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review.

Technics EAH-AZ100
Our current top pick for wireless earbuds overall, the Technics flagship won’t disappoint with its secure and comfortable fit, nuanced and customizable sound and control, and excellent triple-device multipoint connectivity. Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review.

How I tested the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5

Tested for over two weeks
Paired with Android, iOS and macOS devices
Used during multiple activities

I tested the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 for over two weeks, pairing them with my iPhone 17 Pro, MacBook Air, Fairphone 6 Plus and Activo P1 music player, all of which allowed me to thoroughly test different codecs and multipoint connectivity.

I took them with me everywhere and I used the earbuds while on the London Underground, at coffee shops and while walking on city streets to test the active noise-cancelling capabilities, and I used them for long listening sessions while working to evaluate battery life. I tested calls and microphone recordings, and ran a controlled battery test to see how much they drained over the course of three hours. While testing, I listened to podcasts and music from a wide variety of genres, mostly streamed from Apple Music but also on Spotify and Deezer.

I've been testing gadgets since 2020, and I've reviewed countless headphones and earbuds, including several flagship earbuds including those from Bose, Apple, Technics, JBL and Sennheiser, and I previously tested out the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 and Momentum True Wireless 4.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: September 2026

JBL Live Flex 4 review: excellent open-fit earbuds that rival Apple’s AirPods

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +0000

JBL Live Flex 4 review

The JBL Live Flex 4 might be the perfect option for you if you want earbuds that put comfort first. Their lightweight, relaxed fit is perfect for listening on the go, meaning that, unlike some earbuds with a tight in-ear seal, they won't get tiresome or irritating after a while. And yet you can use them with ANC or transparency modes, giving you the option to shut the outside world out, or stay aware of your surroundings to impressive effect.

But perhaps the real draw of the JBL Live Flex 4 is their smart charging case. It has a touchscreen equipped, enabling you to adjust ANC, EQ, playback and more, all without having to whip out your source device. If your phone or music streamer is in your bag or if you don’t want to go to the hassle of opening up the JBL Headphones app, this is pretty convenient.

Is the smart case gimmicky? Maybe a bit, but I like a good gimmick from time to time. And it's super-responsive, with a massive quantity of features onboard. Other than those I mentioned above, the Flex 4 case lets you alter speech for calling, toggle spatial audio, switch audio source, and even use tools such as a timer and flashlight. As a result, these earbuds easily rival the very best wireless earbuds when it comes to features and usability.

The JBL Headphones app does offer a bit more functionality, though. For example, it gives you the ability to set a custom wallpaper for your earbuds case, and activate the higher-resolution codec, LDAC, which can provide better quality playback if your source device is compatible. Most Android phones support LDAC, though iPhone users won’t be able to make use of it.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve mentioned ANC a few times, and I have to say, it’s surprisingly effective here. You see, the JBL Live Buds 4 and JBL Live Beam 4 offer an in-ear seal, so I expected a lot from them in terms of noise-cancelling — but they ended up being fairly middling in this area for me. Compared to the competition, however, I found the Live Flex 4 to be pretty adept at muffling my surroundings.

Sure, the open architecture means that harsher sounds will seep in, but when on walks and working in the office, sounds like cars passing by and colleagues typing were subdued to decent effect. Again, the open design has its limitations, but the improved ‘True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0’ on the Flex 4 proved to be a hit on this model.

The six-microphone system of the Flex 4 also means that calls are clear — and although my voice wasn’t always the most defined against background noise, I found my speech to be perfectly comprehensible, especially when making a recording and listening back to my voice.

What’s more, these buds offer pretty solid battery life. You get seven hours from the Flex 4 with ANC on, up to 10 hours with ANC off, and a maximum of 48 hours with the case. That’s a lot better than the new AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging, which sits at a similar price-point (although Apple's offering is just slightly cheaper). The Flex 4 also support wireless charging, which is always nice to have.

But here comes the crucial question: do the JBL Live Flex 4 sound any good? Well, let me begin by saying that the Live Buds 4 and Live Beam 4 perform better than these — and this comes down solely to the more relaxed fit, which means that sound is less concentrated in your ear canals, and low frequencies especially are less impactful.

This is why I typically steer clear of open-fit earbuds like the non-pro variants of the AirPods, for example. But actually, the Flex 4 ended up performing admirably, despite the limitations of the design.

They conjure up a relatively wide, spacious soundstage and, despite being open-fit earbuds, have pretty impactful bass too. With the default Studio EQ, the Flex 4 offer decent balance across the frequency range, although I did find that they were a little lacking in the low-end, but that was nothing that a swift EQ tweak in the 32-250Hz range couldn’t fix.

When tuning into Take Five by Dave Brubeck, I was treated to an expansive listen. Drums in the treble range sounded beautifully weighted and expressive, keys and lead saxophone were separated neatly, and double bass came through with a rich, full-bodied quality. Making use of LDAC took the experience to the next level too, with some added intricacies in the mid-range and finer detailing in percussion.

With Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, guitar in the opening and vocals didn’t quite have the texture or resolution that more premium earbuds can supply, but still sounded clear and well-defined in the mix, even at the highest volumes.

And the earbuds performed well with just about every genre I threw at them. Even with the tech house track, Fascinator by Max Dean, pumping bass hit with phenomenal impact, and never seemed lethargic or overbearing. Vocal chops came through with clarity, and sub-bass — though not the most regimented or powerful I’ve heard — was prominent and didn’t muddy sounds elsewhere in the frequency range.

One thing I wasn’t so keen on, though, was the spatial audio mode. You have to switch LDAC off to access this (which is normal), but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as clean or precise as the standard tuning, so I decided to leave it off the vast majority of the time.

(Image credit: Future)

I also want to touch on the look and design of the JBL Live Flex 4. Again, the buds are very comfortable in use, and although they offer a relaxed fit, I never felt as if they would fall out of my ears or leak excessive amounts of sound. The buds are also IP54-rated, meaning they’re protected against dust ingress and splashes of water, so it was never an issue if I wanted to use them on a rainy day.

Are the Flex 4 the most premium looking earbuds around? Perhaps not. They have a bit of a plasticky look, and don’t feel particularly luxurious. But their curved design is fairly attractive, and the case itself is finished to a high standard. The Flex 4 are also available in a wide range of colors, with plenty of vibrant options to choose from for those seeking a stand-out aesthetic.

Let’s conclude, then, by discussing price. The JBL Live Flex 4 come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), which means they cost about the same as their predecessors, the JBL Live Flex 3. Are they worth it? Well, for me, the answer is yes. They provide very solid sound quality, a fun and feature-rich smart case, genuinely good ANC for open-fit earbuds, and decent battery life to boot.

As a result, I consider the JBL Live Flex 4 to be a great pair of wireless earbuds that are more than worthy of my recommendation. They’re not perfect, and the open design comes with its ups and downs, but for the cost you’re getting great all-rounders that feel like a great alternative to the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging — especially for Android users who want advanced features and higher-res Bluetooth streaming.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Live Flex 4 review: price & release date

£179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)
Revealed in May 2026

The JBL Live Flex 4 were revealed in May 2026, alongside their siblings, the JBL Live Beam 4 and JBL Live Buds 4. They arrived on the market about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Flex 3, was released.

JBL’s new open-fit earbuds come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), about the same as their predecessors cost when they launched (in the UK, that is). I’ve seen some limited availability in Australia, but there’s no news of a release date or pricing for the US just yet — we’ll update this review if and when further details emerge, though.

In terms of competition, the Live Flex 4 have one clear rival: the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging. This model comes in at $149 / £149 / AU$219. And while we've yet to finalise our full review there, AirPods are stylish, offer impressive sound, a range of perks for iPhone owners and surprisingly effective ANC — but, of course, they don’t have the Flex 4’s nifty smart charging case.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: specs

Drivers	12mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	7 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 48 hours (with charging case)
Weight	4.8g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency range	20Hz-40kHz
Waterproofing	IP54

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the JBL Live Flex 4?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Nifty smart case has no shortage of options, ANC good given limitations of open-fit earbuds.	4.5/5
Sound quality	Solid performance across the frequency range, with a spacious soundstage to match.	4/5
Design	Not the most premium-looking buds, but relaxed fit and customizable case are a hit.	4.5/5
Value	A fitting price for the sound and features on board.	4.5/5

Buy them if…

You prefer a more open-style earbud
What makes the Live Flex 4 stand out from their siblings is their open-style design. Their more relaxed, low-key fit is ideal for anyone who dislikes the sensation of earbuds that require a proper in-ear seal, which can become irritating for some listeners after a while.

You’re enticed by the smart charging case
If you’re intrigued by the Flex 4’s interactive, touchscreen-fitted charging case, then I’ve got good news: it works really well. Sure, it’s a bit gimmicky, and you can perform all of the functions it provides (and more) with the JBL Headphones app, but it’s a convenient option if you have your source device in a bag, or want ultra-quick access to settings.

Don’t buy them if…

Premium sound is a must for you
While the Flex 4 sound good for a pair of open-fit earbuds, their design architecture is inherently limiting as far as audio fidelity goes. Their siblings, the Live Beam 4 and Live Buds 4, provide a proper in-ear seal, allowing them to deliver a bit more low-end thump and detail.

You want amazing noise cancelling
While I actually think that the Live Flex 4 perform well in the ANC department — especially considering that they’re open-style earbuds — they’re still not going to give you that layer of the silence that proper in-ear models can give you. Of course, if you want the best of the best in the noise-crushing world, then it's worth checking out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: also consider

	JBL Live Flex 4	AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging	Huawei Freebuds Pro 5
Price	£179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)	$149 / £149 / AU$219	£179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)
Drivers	12mm dynamic	High-excursion dynamic	11mm dynamic woofer and micro-planar tweeter
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	7 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 48 hours (with charging case)	5 hours (buds, with ANC on); (buds, with ANC off); 22 hours (with charging case)	6 hours (buds, with ANC on); 9 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 38 hours (with charging case)
Weight	4.8g (per bud)	4.3g (per bud)	5.5g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency range	20Hz-40kHz	Not stated	10Hz-48kHz
Waterproofing	IP54	IP57	IP57 (buds); IP54 (case)

AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging
Could there be a clearer competitor for the Live Flex 4? The AirPoids 5 with Wireless Charging take up an open-fit design but pair it with noise-cancelling capabilities, and are also priced very similarly to their JBL rival, albeit a little cheaper. If you’ve got an Apple device, these are bound to be a strong option, with impressive sound quality, solid ANC, and gorgeous looks — though Android users may find them to be limited, features-wise, and they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to battery life. While our AirPods 5 reviews are still in progress, you can read our full AirPods 4 with ANC review (and look for discounts on the older model).

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5
OK, these are a little different, as they provide an actual seal — more like the JBL Live Beam 4. But if that’s all good with you, then the Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 are certainly worth checking out. We awarded them the elusive five-star rating, thanks to their impeccable noise cancelling, ultra-comfortable fit, and broad set of features — oh, and they sound pretty good as well. Read our full Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 review.

How I tested the JBL Live Flex 4

(Image credit: Future)

Spent two weeks testing
Used in the office and while out and about
Mainly streamed music over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the JBL Live Flex 4, testing them out at home, in an office environment, and while out on walks. This enabled me to get a strong grasp of their ANC capabilities, and understand what it’s like to live with them over a sustained period.

When listening to music, I typically streamed tracks over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports LDAC, enabling me to get the highest quality listen out of the Flex 4 that I could. As always, I sifted through the TechRadar reference playlist to begin with, but I also bumped a bunch of tracks from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve put all sorts of audio tech to the test, be that premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion or party speakers such as the Marshall Bromley 450. I’ve also reviewed a wide range of earbuds, including open-ear models like the Anker Soundcore AeroClip and the Edifier LolliClip.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: September 2026

Emo all grown up? Got yourself a bit of money? I've found your perfect designer Bose headphones, based on the 5-star QC Ultra (Gen 2)

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:04:11 +0000

Bose releases Thom Browne redesign of recent flagship headphones
Adds a cashmere band, tag and cup stripes
Very much designer label, costing twice as much as the original pair

If you still wish you could rock the emo aesthetic as readily as an adult as you did when you were young, I've got a new pair of headphones which will have you screaming "I'm not oooookaaaay" in no time.

Fashion house Thom Browne has teamed up with Bose, to release a special-edition run of the latter's QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). The new model is due to release on September 28, although you can pre-order them already.

Now, these cans aren't cheap; there is a designer fee to be paid. They cost $950 / £760 (about AU$1,500, although Bose's Australian website makes no mention of them). And that — depending on where you live — is more than double the price of the standard Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)'s $449 / £449 / AU$699 price, in any other finish.

So what do you get for the designer surcharge? Well, it is purely the design flourishes that set them apart from the standard flagship pair. Not only do you get those distinctive white stripes on the left cup, but the ear cushions and headband are made from cashmere. You also get a new Browne-designed protective case, and the color option is called Smoked Pearl. Let's also not forget the bragging rights of throwing down that much money on some headphones.

Similar cans, other than the design?

(Image credit: Future)

Other than the design flairs (which are "delightful, I must have them", according to my audio editor), the Thom Browne cans are pretty similar to the aforementioned Ultra set. These are not to be confused with the newer standard Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), to which I awarded a very respectable four stars to in my recent review.

So, you're getting wonderful five-star Bose-tuned sound, fantastic spatial audio and solid noise cancellation. In fact, the comfort of the QC range is something I flagged in my review as being outstanding, and I'm sure some added cashmere will only make them more snug.

I tested the delightfully Shrek-like finish of the non-Pro cans which you see above, although those obviously don't have the same fashionable bent (unless you live in a swamp) but they come in a range of other colors including pink, mauve and mint.

Ironically, one of my issues with the Bose QCs was that they felt a little pricey compared to the competition, and the more-than-double-cost versions definitely aren't going to solve that.

That is to say, these are a buy for 'money no object' music lovers who think nothing of splashing out on fancy designer headphones. Saying that, if you have a malleable budget, the regular Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) might still be the top buy if you don't care about the designer extras.

Not for my audio editor though. She is already saving up…

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform could herald the age of camera-equipped earbuds — but are we ready for that?

axel.metz@futurenet.com (Axel Metz) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:30:01 +0000

You may have heard the rumors: camera-equipped earbuds are the next frontier for audio technology brands (including, we think, Apple), and Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform could be the catalyst that brings them to fruition.

As Qualcomm’s “first premium audio platform purpose-built for personal AI,” the Sound Elite Gen 2 aims to transform headphones and earbuds into “intelligent companions that can understand, assist, and adapt throughout the day” — and the American silicon giant considers camera-equipped earbuds to be among those “companions.”

Qualcomm flew TechRadar out to Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii to hear more (no pun intended) about its vision for the AI-assisted future of audio, and the company was bullish about the positive effect AI will have on both sound quality and virtual assistance.

“This isn’t about putting a chatbot in your ear; it’s about creating devices that understand what’s happening around you,” Sarah McMurray, Staff Manager for Product Marketing at Qualcomm, explained in a briefing attended by TechRadar, noting that the Sound Elite Gen 2 will use AI to make earbuds more responsive to environmental changes.

Qualcomm could license its Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform to brands such as Bose and Bowers & Wilkins (Image credit: Qualcomm)

“At the core of the platform is an advanced AI-adaptive ANC system designed for consistent, real-world performance, not just ideal conditions,” added Grace Bramwell, Qualcomm PR. “The system continuously responds to changes in fit, movement, and environmental noise, maintaining reliable noise cancellation without the need for manual adjustment.

“Powered by flexible, programmable processing and up to 2x greater AI capability than the previous generation, Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 can intelligently steer ANC filters in real time, optimizing noise reduction across different acoustic conditions and device types. This enables stronger performance in challenging scenarios, including low-frequency noise, dynamic environments, and open-ear designs, while giving OEMs greater flexibility across a wide range of form factors.”

This isn’t about putting a chatbot in your ear; it’s about creating devices that understand what’s happening around you.
Sarah McMurray, Staff Manager for Product Marketing, Qualcomm

In other words, the Sound Elite Gen 2 could make your next earbuds or headphones better at automatically switching between ANC and transparency modes, and deliver improved audio quality in both states (“stronger performance with low-frequency noise,” for instance, might mean upcoming earbuds can more effectively drown out the mechanical hum of your fridge or the drone of a passing truck).

It’s worth noting that Qualcomm itself is not a consumer product manufacturer. It licenses its audio technologies to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) such as Bose and Bowers & Wilkins, so it will be up to those brands to take up and implement the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform in a way that fulfills the potential Qualcomm is describing here.

Welcome to the age of in-ear assistance

Might smart earbuds follow smart glasses? (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Of course, Qualcomm’s plans for the future of audio are bigger than improved ANC. AI-powered audible assistance is the hottest topic in town right now, and apparently, consumers are as keen on the thought of AI-powered assistance as Silicon Valley investors:

“Our research tells us that up to 70% of users want advanced AI capabilities in their wearable devices,” says Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of XR, Wearables, and Personal AI. “As AI becomes a core capability, users will increasingly expect more natural ways to interact with it.

“Those interactions won't always happen through a screen. They will happen through natural conversations, where users can simply speak to an AI assistant and receive help in real time. With Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, we're heralding intelligent audio wearables that enable experiences such as real-time translation, contextual assistance, personalized hearing, and multimodal interactions that combine audio, vision, and AI."

We want to be able to give the consumer the ability to choose how much information they want to share.
Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of XR, Wearables, and Personal AI

No current wearables effectively combine those three elements (except perhaps smart glasses, but have you ever tried listening to your favorite album on a pair of Meta Ray-Bans? Don’t. Ever). That’s why OEMs are developing camera-equipped earbuds — they’re truly hands-free and, crucially, more socially acceptable (visually speaking) than Austin Powers-style specs.

But if, as a society, we haven’t yet cracked the social code on smart glasses (and as our deep-dive on the so-called great privacy revolt reveals, we most definitely haven’t), are camera-equipped earbuds something we’re ready for? Qualcomm is cautiously optimistic.

“The privacy concern is not new,” Asghar explained to TechRadar in a roundtable at Snapdragon Summit. “We at Qualcomm and Snapdragon have been managing it for a long time in multiple different areas. And our concept is very clear: we want to be able to give the consumer the ability to choose how much information they want to share.

“For instance, we can obfuscate faces. We have the capability on our chipsets to detect a face very easily — not recognize a face, but detect a face. To do multi-modality, I don’t need to send a face for AI processing; I need to be able to send the context [of my environment]. For that, I can detect the face and cover it up. That technology is something we have integrated into our products and that we’re sharing with our partners.

As I've written in the past, these things aren't designed to take pictures. They are for analyzing your surroundings. https://t.co/r7IFNmsoE4 https://t.co/tjmS7w8tlJAugust 18, 2026

“Another thing we’ve been driving is on-device AI. As you do more processing on the device, you basically take away the concern of that image leaving the device [...] We are targeting this problem at every different level. Of course, we enable our customers and partners [to use these tools], and with the pressure and concern that’s coming through, we will of course work with them.

“I also want to say something,” Asghar added. “Today, you carry a device with multiple cameras on it: it’s called a phone. I was talking to a group of students in San Diego, and this [privacy] issue is not top of their mind. Different age groups are thinking about it in different ways. Younger people are so used to blogging and vlogging. I think some of the concern, in my opinion, is just because this is a new form factor. But we want to provide all the tools [to manufacturers] such that consumers feel comfortable.”

Again, it will be up to brands such as Bose and Bowers & Wilkins to implement the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform in an effective and ethical way, but it's clear that Qualcomm is aware of the increasingly negative public sentiment around camera-equipped wearables.

If, however, these OEMs can convince consumers that on-device processing really is as private as Qualcomm claims, perhaps the age of Minority Report-style glasses and earbuds will arrive sooner than we thought.

5 upgrades that I love on the Sonos Ace Ultra headphones that make them worth buying

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000

The Sonos Ace Ultra are here, and they’re beautiful. I’ve spent two weeks testing them, and to tell the truth, they really exceeded my expectations.

See, I liked the original Sonos Ace, but the Ultra bring so many meaningful upgrades to the fore, be that their expanded microphone system, fancy new drivers, or new smart features. And as you’ll see in my Sonos Ace Ultra review, I think these updates establish Sonos as a major player in the world of wireless headphones.

The standard Sonos Ace fell just short of greatness when they released due to their somewhat middling musicality, and with rivals like Sony and Bose releasing excellent iterations in the WH-1000X and QuietComfort Ultra series’ respectively, it felt like the multi-room giant couldn’t quite go toe-to-toe with the best of them.

But the Ultra have changed that, and I’m here to share my five favorite improvements that make Sonos’ new headphones an excellent option for anyone looking to buy a top-tier pair of wireless headphones — or make the step-up from the original Ace. And make sure to stick around for number five, which is the most game-changing upgrade of them all.

1. A more customizable listening experience

(Image credit: Future)

First of all, you have a lot more control over the listening experience with the Sonos Ace Ultra compared to what the original Ace allowed.

This is largely down to a far more fleshed-out equalizer, which lets users take a far more granular approach tuning-wise. That’s because the Sonos Ace Ultra feature an eight-band equalizer, letting you make adjustments to specific parts of the frequency range. Want to give those lower-mids a bit of a boost? Want to temper the upper-treble a bit? No problem — you can do that here.

Meanwhile, the Sonos Ace had very basic two-band EQ options that only let you increase the bass or treble. Sure, there’s the option to use a three-band equalizer on the Sonos Ace Ultra if you want a simpler way of making changes, but the more extensive controls on the audio specialist’s new headphones are welcome for someone like me, who wants to tailor sound to his specific tastes.

While we’re on this topic, it’s also worth flagging that the Sonos Ace Ultra have adaptive EQ. This automatically adjusts EQ to account for factors such as fit, glasses, hair, and other elements that could cause leakage. This works well and was something that the original Ace skipped.

2. Enhanced ANC

(Image credit: Future)

The Sonos Ace Ultra increase the number of microphones onboard to ten from the eight seen on the standard Sonos Ace. This results in a number of improvements, like enhanced calling, for instance. But the biggest difference is heard when it comes to active noise cancellation.

This expanded microphone system helps the Sonos Ace Ultra to deliver excellent ANC that competes with some of the best noise cancelling headphones on the market. When working in the office, sounds of typing were totally eliminated. When on walks, construction work and traffic passing by was subdued to incredible effect. And even when taking public transport, the rumble of engines and conversations surrounding me were silenced without hesitation.

It helps that the Ace Ultra also have a relatively secure (yet still comfortable) fit, providing a seal that keeps the world around you at bay. I’ve tried far more expensive cans that can’t hold a candle to the Sonos Ace Ultra in this regard, so if you want great ANC, look no further.

ANC is adjustable, so you can decide whether you want full-blast silencing or a light bit of blockage if you find that disorienting. Of course, you also get a transparency mode if you want to be more aware of your surroundings or to have a quick conversation.

3. More interplay with your Sonos system

(Image credit: Future)

The Sonos Ace Ultra offer even more interconnectivity with other Sonos products than the original headphones, in part thanks to the Ultra’s new Headphone Engine 2.

With the Ace Ultra, you unlock a new feature called Headphone Linking. This lets you seamlessly transfer audio from compatible speakers — like the Sonos Play — over Wi-Fi, directly to your headphones (or vice versa). Just a single press of a button, and you can easily transfer music or movie audio across; it's seamless and works like a dream.

Like the original Ace, you also get TV Audio Swap. This lets you connect the Ace Ultra to a compatible soundbar, like the Sonos Arc Ultra, and hear movie audio on your headphones instantly. Because the Ace Ultra support Dolby Atmos and head tracking, you get an incredibly immersive, rich listening experience here — and it's ideal if you want to enjoy private listening without disturbing anyone else in your household.

4. Better battery — and its fully replaceable

(Image credit: Future)

First of all, I should say that the battery life on the standard Sonos Ace is by no means bad. You get 30 hours of playback with ANC on, which is basically the standard for headphones in the premium price-bracket — in fact, some rivals like the AirPods Max 2 and the first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra fall short of this.

But the Sonos Ace Ultra provide a slight bump, with 35 hours of battery life with ANC switched on — still nothing game-changing, but certainly a welcome improvement. You also only need to charge them for three minutes to get three hours of playback, which makes them incredibly convenient when you’re on the go and need some additional battery life in a pinch.

Perhaps more interestingly, the Sonos Ace Ultra feature a user-replaceable battery. Yes, you’ll need to get some specialist kit for this, but it means that the Ultra can live on, even if the battery degrades after years of listening. That only makes your investment more worthwhile in the long run.

5. New drivers provide a huge performance upgrade

(Image credit: Future)

And now for the largest upgrade of them all: the one that truly puts the Sonos Ace Ultra head and shoulders above the first Sonos Ace. Of course, I’m talking about the significant sound quality step-up, which comes, in part, thanks to new 40mm custom drivers.

When it comes to music, the original Sonos Ace are OK. They provide relatively energetic audio, but they lack balance, often sound quite busy and disorganized, and lack the width and detail of some premium rivals. But the Sonos Ace Ultra take things up a notch. They deliver expansive, dynamic, and intricate audio, especially when using aptX codecs or wired listening.

The Sonos Ace Ultra also provide improved instrument separation, letting them handle more complex mixes with ease. Low-end sounds are more full-bodied and agile, never sounding lethargic or lacking rhythmically. Mids aren’t as overzealous as they were on the original Ace, taking a more natural, detail-oriented approach. And treble is expressive and articulate, giving higher-pitched percussion some seriously satisfying bite.

Like the standard Ace, the Ace Ultra sound impeccable for movies, delivering a three-dimensional listening experience with convincing height effects and engrossing expansiveness, and they’re probably the best wireless headphones you can buy for movies. But the Ultra’s improved musicality helps them attain greatness — even more impressive when you consider that they’ve launched at the same price as the original Ace did back in 2024.

Beats 360 are one of the most comfortable, best-sounding headphones I've ever worn

lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

A habitual Bluetooth earbuds wearer, I often forget about the sheer audio pleasure of a pair of over-the-ear headphones (or as my audiophile friends like to call them, "cans"), which is why my experience with the new Beats 360 wireless Bluetooth headphones was even more revelatory.

You see, the Beats 360 — announced today — reminded me why I usually eschew headphones in favor of, say, AirPods: over-the-ear audio is usually too uncomfortable for me to wear for any length of time. That, though, has not been the case with the new Beats 360, an elegantly engineered pair of headphones that push the technology to each earcup, thereby stripping down and lightening the head strap.

They also feature far more forgiving memory foam and cover material than I've found on other headphones. As a result, the cups form to the contours of my head without unnecessary pressure, and my ears aren't throbbing after hours of listening.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Comfort is important for headphones — and to be honest, earmuffs — but what will matter most is audio quality. Beats has done a lot of work to ensure high-quality sound. The audio company, which is owned by Apple, describes it as a high-fidelity acoustic architecture, built around a high-dynamic-range amplifier and a custom-designed dual magnetic transducer. There's even a custom venting system around the transducer to help reduce distortion.

Lance Ulanoff / Future

A host of good design and audio choices

As I noted above, a lot of this technology — even most of the wiring — sits in each of the headphone cups. That leaves the headband thinner, lighter, and more comfortable. Beats 360 let you turn each headphone 90 degrees to flatten the entire headphones for easier travel.

The band does not fold in half, but at least the Beats 360 headphones are light enough (294.5g) that throwing them into your backpack (as I did, with the included fabric case), or walking about with them around your neck won't be a problem.

The headphones even support swappable ear-cushions: if you sweat on one pair, you can wash them while popping on a different set. Mine arrived with a couple of pairs, including a plush set. Each took a simple quarter turn on the headphones' body to remove and replace.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Beat 360 are easy to set up and use. I had them unboxed and connected to my MacBook Air in no time, and the controls make sense. On the left ear cup is my power and pairing button, as well as one for a quick touch switch between transparency mode and effective active noise cancellation (ANC). There's also a USB-C charge port. On the right cup is the volume rocker and play/pause button.

The metal band has enough give to fit over a head considerably larger than mine. A comfortable memory foam cushion sits on top of my head, and the metal band extends to line the cups up perfectly over my ears.

Putting the super in Supergirl

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

Since I was traveling when I first tried out the Beats 360 headphones, I decided to treat myself to a movie on HBOMax, which had just added Supergirl. As an avid Superman fan and someone who truly enjoyed James Gunn's 2025 Superman movie, I was anxious to see this in-universe take on Supergirl.

I settled into my hotel room bed with the MacBook Air propped on my lap and the Beats 360 headphones over my ears. The movie is, unfortunately, a misfire. While not miscast, Milly Alcock is stuck in a repetitive and muddled quest story with uninspiring heroes and villains, and while aiming to show the main character's growth, it seemed unsure of whose story it's telling. (We officially awarded it three stars in our Supergirl review.)

Ah, but the sound. Through the Beats 360, and probably thanks in part to the adaptive EQ, which automatically adjusts the audio to work with my fit, it was thoroughly engrossing, punchy, and loud, but never screeching, with clear effects and sharp audio. The sound often felt like it was coming from all around me. I honestly think the Beats 360 headphones made Supergirl watchable.

The incredible sound of silence

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

At home, I started wearing them while working, listening to my favorite David Bowie playlists and then a string of Simon and Garfunkel hits on Apple Music.

On Simon and Garfunkel's The Boxer, I was shocked to hear what sounded like a kazoo but is, in fact, the rough sound of a bass harmonica. I swear, in all the decades I've listened to that song, I never detected that before, nor have I previously heard what sounds like someone gently tapping on their guitar but is actually an analog recording artifact that is so in sync with the tempo that it's easy to mistake it for fingers gently beating on wood. So many exquisite details jumped out at me; it was like listening to these iconic hits for the first time.

Overall, Beats 360 produced fantastic, head-filling audio in every scenario and were also quite good for my Google Meet video meetings, providing clear voice, and with the 3 voice-pickup mics (out of a total of 9 — 6 are for ANC) doing a good job of delivering my voice to my fellow attendees. Naturally, the headphones include access to Siri, accessible via voice or by long-pressing the power button. So I used them for hands-free audio control and to ask some general interest questions.

I did not get to push the headphones to their battery limit, but they're rated for 32 hours (with ANC on) and, since I've had them, I have yet to charge them up.

At $349 / AU$499 (UK price TBC), Beats 360 ends up in the more affordable range of top-tier headphones. Sure, they're pricier than a pair of AirPods, but, as I see it, you can't put a price on this combination of sound quality and comfort.

I've spent weeks with the Beats 360 — the design and sound both won me over

jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Beats has been making over-ear headphones since 2008, when the original Beats Studio launched, and the Studio line has remained central to the brand ever since. The Studio Pro aren't going anywhere, but the new Beats 360 are something different entirely.

Beats calls them "the next chapter" of its headphones story — and after spending the past few weeks with the 360, that confidence doesn't feel misplaced. These aren't just the Studio Pro with a new coat of paint; instead, they represent an entirely new direction for the brand.

"We wanted to create a new ID, a new look, and a new over-ear headphone for a different purpose," Oliver Schusser, Apple's VP of Music, Sports, and Beats, told me.

That idea is baked into practically every part of the 360. Beats set out to build much more streamlined headphones that are designed to move with you throughout the day, and feel at home everywhere from the gym to the office to an airplane.

And the first thing you notice is just how light they are.

Weighing in at 295.4 grams, they're super-cozy, and after about 20 to 30 minutes of breaking them in, you might forget they're on your head. Compared to the AirPods Max at about 386.2 grams or Sony's WH-1000XM6 at 254 grams, these fall somewhere in the middle, but they actually feel far more streamlined than the number suggests.

The profile itself is remarkably thin, too. The drivers sit slightly farther from the ear than you'd expect on headphones this size — they're custom-built for the 360 — but the overall design feels compact, and balanced on your head.

The controls are split between the two sides, too. The left earcup houses the power button and lets you cycle through listening modes, while the right handles volume and playback. There's also a USB-C port on the left for charging.

It's a simple setup, and after a few weeks, it becomes second nature.

(Image credit: Beats)

That lightness wasn't an accident — it was the whole brief. Schusser told me the 360 came out of watching how people actually live with their headphones.

"We wanted to create a new ID, a new look, and a new over-ear headphone for a different purpose. And that purpose is for people who live a very active lifestyle who are on the go," Schusser said. "We wanted to build the perfect headphone for an active lifestyle. And of course, we wanted it to have all the great ingredients of Beats. We wanted it to look cool, sound amazing, but also be really light, be really comfortable, be water and sweat resistant."

And that's where the rest of the design starts to make sense.

The earcups and headband are fully customizable — swappable across the four launch colors (Black, Cloud, Pink, and Sky) and two distinct cushion materials: Performance Knit, built for workouts and noticeably more breathable, and UltraPlush, the more classic Beats feel with a tighter seal, using the same engineered leather found on the Studio Pro and Solo 4.

The Performance Knit cushion makes a real difference when you're moving around, while UltraPlush gives you that more traditional over-ear headphone feel. You can also pull either cushion off entirely to wipe them down or toss them in the washer.

Then there's the IPX4 sweat and water resistance, a first for Beats over-ear headphones, and not super common in the wider market. It's a small detail that reinforces the whole idea behind the 360: these are headphones you can take to the gym, rather than ones you have to leave at home or risk damaging.

None of that customization happened by accident. Schusser said the swap mechanism was one of the more satisfying engineering wins on the whole project.

"Our engineers have come up with this really cool, simple way to sort of swap out the cushions, and it takes literally seconds, and it just makes the headphones so versatile and so flexible, and you can customize and personalize, and it's amazing," he told me.

He's right about the versatility, as swapping earcups takes seconds, and the difference between the two cushion materials is noticeable. It's a genuinely useful bit of modularity, not just something that looks good on a spec sheet, when you consider wearing these to a workout class, getting sweaty, and the swapping earcups as you head into the office.

A new sound for a new Beats

(Image credit: Beats)

On the sound side, Beats built a bespoke acoustic platform for the 360, with custom drivers using three-layer diaphragms and dual neodymium ring magnets in each earcup — a purpose-built audio setup rather than a carryover from the Studio.

Beats says that architecture, paired with its most advanced ANC to date, delivers up to 1.75x more total noise cancellation than the Studio Pro, alongside Adaptive EQ, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, and Dolby Atmos support.

Previous Beats headphones have delivered a hefty low end, but that signature has evolved, and comes into real focus with the 360. There's less bass-heavy weight than on the Studio, but the payoff is that at practically any listening volume distortion is nearly nonexistent, and separation stays excellent across genres.

Take Further On Up the Road by Bruce Springsteen — I listened to this while on a plane with Active Noise Cancellation engaged, at about 70% volume, and couldn't hear any engine noise. The track opens with a strong, crisp snare and bass drum before Springsteen's vocals come in over the guitar, with background vocals filling in behind. It's a great showcase for what the onboard audio can do.

For a modern pop test, Olivia Rodrigo's Expectations pairs low end and high end almost from the first bar, as synth and drums kick in before her vocal takes center stage. Spatially, the head-tracked playback is genuinely impressive here, both indoors and while walking around outside.

Transparency mode is strong, too. It's a little behind the AirPods Max in terms of how much outside sound it lets through, but what comes through the 360 sounds very natural. Voices don't have that overly processed or artificial quality you can sometimes get from transparency modes, and for 349.99 / £299.99 / AU$499.99 headphones, they punch above their weight.

Talking of weight, the 360 aren't the lightest headphones out there, but the ergonomics carry it — an even distribution between the earcups keeps the headband thin, and makes these feel far cozier than the spec sheet suggests.

The Beats chip is a bigger deal than it sounds

(Image credit: Beats)

Connectivity comes from a custom-designed Beats chip, which is built off Apple's own silicon work, and which is now in its fourth generation. As I've reported previously, that's a significant unlock for the Beats team, letting it appeal equally to Apple and Android users rather than picking a side.

Just like AirPods and past Beats products, the 360 pair quickly and sync across your Apple devices via iCloud, so you can go from listening on an iPhone or iPad to jumping into a meeting on a MacBook Pro almost instantly. On Android, you get Fast Pair support through Google's standard, and the Beats app for Android mirrors most of the same controls.

Each earcup functions as its own self-contained unit, housing its own audio, connectivity, and battery components. It's another example of Beats rethinking the architecture around this new purpose.

There are nine onboard microphones in total: eight dedicated to active noise cancellation and three for voice pickup, with two shared between the systems. They work alongside an onboard AI model to handle voice detection, voice-assistant requests, and the handoff between ANC, Transparency mode, and Adaptive Audio.

Battery life is rated at up to 32 hours with Adaptive EQ when ANC and Transparency mode are off, and still up to 32 hours with ANC and Personalized Spatial Audio switched on. That's a claim I've been testing throughout my time with the 360, including travel, and so far the battery life has held up well.

Beats has always leaned into limited-edition drops and collaborations, and the 360's whole design seems built for exactly that kind of expansion — and Schusser didn't hide the intent. "We're going to do a lot of drops," he said.

As mentioned, these headphones cost $349.99 in the US, £299.95 in the UK, and $499.95 in Australia, and rather than positioning the 360 as a replacement, Beats is keeping the Studio Pro around too, now at a reduced $299.99 / £249.95 / AU$479.95.

Beyond the four core colorways, Beats also sells standalone cushion kits in six Performance Knit colors — adding Navy and Volt — plus two UltraPlush options. These are priced at $49.99 / £49.95 / AU$49.95, but are available at an introductory price of $9.99 / £9.95 / AU$14.95 through October 31.

Asked where the color strategy could go next, Schusser pointed straight at sports: "This is actually a perfect product for [...] team colors."

It all makes the customization options more interesting than simply picking a color when you buy them. Right now, I have the Sky — light blue — 360 with a darker blue Performance Knit cushion and a black UltraPlush, and I swap the headband cushion to match whichever earcup I'm wearing that day. The 360 can change with you, whether that's a different material for a workout, a new color for a season, or eventually one of the team-color drops Schusser hinted at.

I've really enjoyed my first few weeks with the Beats 360 — traveling back from Apple's September event, testing them at home, then putting them through their paces on flights — and I'm impressed with the overall premium nature and this new direction for Beats.

(Image credit: Beats)

The Beats 360 pair full sweat and water resistance with a thin, lightweight build and customizable earcups that let you land on a look you're happy with — and one that can evolve, rather than feeling dated.

The sound is a modern take on the Beats signature — plenty of energy, but with clear separation and basically no distortion across the genres I've thrown at it — and paired with strong ANC, a natural-feeling Transparency mode, and a battery that's held up through testing, there's a lot packed into this new design.

There are a few misses. There's no on-ear detection, so you have to turn these on and off manually, and there's no support for wired playback.

Still, those omissions don't really change what Beats is trying to do here. The 360 aren't supposed to be another Studio Pro. This is Beats taking the over-ear headphone somewhere new — lighter, more customizable, more resistant to sweat and water, and built around an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

And after a few weeks with them, I can see the new ID Beats was talking about.

Sonos Ace Ultra review: more musical, more feature-rich, much improved headphones

harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Sonos Ace Ultra: two-minute review

Sonos is making a real statement of intent with its new wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace Ultra.

The multi-room master has made a whole host of improvements to this upgraded wireless over-ear model, which has arrived two years after the original Ace came to market. The Sonos Ace Ultra have enhanced custom 40mm drivers, a new headphone engine, better battery life, better noise-cancelling, and more detailed EQ to name a few things. So can they finally compete with flagship rivals from the likes of Sony and Bose to become some of the best noise-cancelling headphones we've tested? Here’s what I think after weeks of testing.

Let’s start by addressing the most important area of all: sound quality. We felt that the original Ace fell short of the best headphones around due to one main issue: their middling musicality. But the Ace Ultra have remedied that, and then some.

When listening to the Sonos Ace Ultra beside the original model, the differences were stark. Where the standard Sonos Ace sounded confined, overstretched, and unrefined, the Ace Ultra offered openness, intricate detailing, and a broader, more organized soundstage. What’s more, they provide better balance across the frequency range, with deep yet controlled bass, rich but less overzealous mids, and tight, articulate treble.

While I still consider some similarly priced competitors, like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 to supply slightly more premium, detailed sound (for music, that is), the Ace Ultra are really not far behind. Sonos listened to the critics, and proved that it's up to the task of going toe-to-toe with the titans of the headphone world.

We already loved the original Ace for movies, though, finding that they offered immersive Dolby Atmos audio with effective head-tracking to boot. And that’s much the same on the Ace Ultra. They whip up wonderful width, strong command over height effects, and never neglect the fundamentals like clear dialogue and cinematic, pounding bass.

But what’s new on the Ace Ultra? Although music got a seismic upgrade, other alterations feel a bit more incremental — but that’s by no means a bad thing. Two more microphones have been added to the Ultra, bringing the total to ten, and ANC is great here. Wherever I was, my soundings were subdued to great effect, almost creating a bubble of silence. ANC is adaptive this time around and adjusts nicely, and the transparency mode works a treat. Call quality is strong too, as you may expect.

Battery life has also seen a boost, and you’ll now get up to 35 hours with ANC on. Is this anything groundbreaking? No. But it’s slightly above the 30-hour standard for headphones in this price bracket, and I never felt that I had to charge these cans very regularly. The battery is also replaceable, and a rapid charging mode means you can get three hours of playback if you spend three minutes juicing them up.

EQ options have also been expanded beyond the basic two-band equalizer found on the standard Ace headphones. There’s an eight-band option now as well as adaptive EQ, meaning you can genuinely tailor sound to your specific tastes.

We also need to talk about the Wi-Fi capabilities of the Sonos Ace Ultra. No, we’re still not at the point where we can directly stream tunes over a local internet connection, but there are some nifty features at play. First of all, TV Audio Swap is back, enabling you to link the headphones to a compatible Sonos soundbar, and transfer sound seamlessly. This is highly responsive and effective, and while I didn’t find myself using this feature a ton, you can avoid the latency issues you’d get from connecting headphones to your TV over Bluetooth.

The Ace Ultra also add Headphone Linking, though, which means you can also transfer sound from compatible speakers, like the Sonos Play, for instance. This is equally reliable as TV Audio Swap, and is a great option if you’re listening to music at home but want to keep listening without distracting others.

It’s clear to see that the Sonos Ace Ultra don’t look very different from the previous model, but that’s no bad thing. They’re sleek, well-built, and offer a neat combination of comfort and over-ear security. They’re not fully foldable, and the included case could be better quality-wise, but these are fairly minor pain points in the grand scheme of things.

Considering that the Ace Ultra cost the same as the original Ace at the point of launch — and actually less in the UK — they feel like a much more worthwhile investment. They’re by no means cheap, but their enhancements are meaningful and substantial, making these a great pair of headphones whether you have a pre-existing Sonos system or not. As a result, these are a great pair of headphones for music and movie lovers alike that feel worth the outlay — and are easy to recommend if you want a great all-round pair of premium wireless headphones.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra review: price & release date

Priced at $449 / £399 / AU$699
First released September 2026

The Sonos Ace Ultra were released in September 2026, about two years after the original Sonos Ace headphones. The new model is priced at $449 / £399 / AU$699, which is the same as the standard Ace cost at launch in the US and Australia, though they’re actually cheaper in the UK than the original Ace were at the point of release.

Given their price, the Ace Ultra have some extremely hot competition. For example, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are similarly priced, and offer an incredible mix of balanced, dynamic, and impactful sound alongside some of the best noise-cancelling on the market and a giant suite of features. Other competitors include the noise-crushing Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2, the spacious sounding Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, and the ultra-detailed Sennheiser HDB 630.

Sonos Ace Ultra review: specs

Drivers	Next-gen 40mm custom
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	35 hours (ANC on)
Weight	0.7lbs / 322g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra review: features

Excellent ANC with adaptive mode and effective transparency option
Higher-res audio available as well as Dolby Atmos for spatial sound
TV Audio Swap and Headphone Linking works very well

The Sonos Ace Ultra boast an excellent suite of features and are a highly personalizable, smart set of headphones.

Let’s kick off with ANC, which has had quite the revamp. Now, you can toggle on an adaptive mode, which adjusts for things like fit, whether you’re wearing glasses, and if you make sudden head movements. But that’s not all.

Sonos has also boosted the number of mics for the Ultra, with ten to the original Ace’s eight. The mics can monitor your surroundings and cut out external noise in real time, and they do this to great effect. Yes, the Ace Ultra supply great ANC, and no matter my environment, I was treated to satisfying, distraction-free listening.

When out on walks, the sounds of cars passing by were totally nullified. When typing away in the office, the clacking of keyboards was fully subdued, and when travelling on public transport, engine sounds and surrounding chatter were put right to the sword. The Aware Mode is also very effective, and makes it incredibly easy to tune into your surroundings, with the new Voice Boost mode able to improve the clarity of voices around you if you toggle it on.

The upgraded microphone system also helps the Ace Ultra to handle phone calls with greater care than ever before. When taking calls when out and about, my speech was perfectly comprehensible, and never sounded obscured by background noise, even when walking in a busy part of my city.

Something else that’s received a boost is battery life. Sonos says that the Ace Ultra are capable of staying alive for 35 hours on a single charge, and my testing found this to be pretty accurate. This is a slight improvement on the original Ace, which could deliver 30 hours of use, which is essentially the standard for headphones in this price category. There’s also a rapid charging option, which gives the Ace Ultra three hours of playback from a three minute charge and a power saving mode if you want to extend the headphones’ life in a pinch.

One of the more welcome additions to the Ace Ultra is their expanded EQ options. Now, you can make use of an eight-band equalizer to customize the sound of the headphones to your specific taste. This is a big improvement on the basic two-band equalizer on the original Ace (for bass and treble levels), though there’s a more basic three-band option on the Ace Ultra if you prefer a less detail-oriented approach.

Let’s stick with sound, because there are a number of great features here that help you get the best out of both music and movies. First of all, you get all the hi-res goodness from the original Ace, with aptX codec support, as well as lossless audio via USB-C — and there’s a USB-C to 3.5mm cable bundled if you want to use them with a laptop, DJ controller, or other source device.

Dolby Atmos also returns on the Ace Ultra, enabling you to enjoy spatial audio on the go. Once again, this works an absolute treat — especially for movies, where head-tracking also helps to further immerse you in on-screen action. I tried using the TV Audio Swap feature, which enabled me to connect the headphones to the Sonos Beam Ultra, and Atmos movies sounded wonderful — more on that in the ‘sound quality’ section.

While the situations in which I’d use TV Audio Swap are admittedly niche, it's a very reliable feature. It harnesses Wi-Fi connectivity, so you don’t have to deal with the latency issues that connecting headphones to your TV over Bluetooth would bring. And you can easily switch between the soundbar, headphones, and other compatible Sonos speakers with a simple press of a button, which is highly convenient.

The Ace Ultra’s new Headphone Engine 2 also enables Headphone Linking, which allows them to directly connect to other components in your Sonos system — including compatible speakers such as the Sonos play — and move audio to and from your speakers and headphones. Like TV Audio Swap, this feels seamless and speedy to activate, and is great if you’re blasting music at home, but don’t want to disturb others if they want some peace and quiet.

On top of all of this, you get the usual good stuff: multi-point pairing, Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity, wear detection, and a relatively intuitive companion app. And when you add all of this together, I think it's fair to say that the Ace Ultra offer an incredibly fleshed-out, and well-refined feature set.

Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra review: sound quality

Big improvement over original Ace with better soundstaging, detailing, and control
Deep, immersive bass, clean mids, and tight, expressive treble
Fantastic Dolby Atmos performance

While we considered the original Sonos Ace to be a good pair of headphones, their somewhat middling musicality ended up holding them back from greatness. But luckily, Sonos has listened to the criticism, implemented next-gen 40mm custom drivers, and remedied a lot of the issues we had with the previous model. The result? A genuinely great-sounding pair of headphones.

I tried comparing the Sonos Ace Ultra against the original model directly, and when I say that the difference is striking, I truly mean it. In essence, the Ace Ultra provide a significantly broader soundstage with far better organization and balance, as well as deeper, more controlled bass, and more articulate, detailed treble. I also found them to offer superior handling of dynamics and enhanced instrument separation, meaning that, for me, Sonos is closer to rivals like Bose and Sony than ever before.

Sonos has been keen to talk up the Ace Ultra’s improved bass, so I started out by listening to a house track, Get It On by Jansons. The Ace Ultra delivered palpable, pumping bass, that was rhythmic and rapid, never sounding lethargic or boomy. This never concealed other sounds across the frequency range, either, with synths in the mid-range sounding well defined and tonally accurate, and high-pitched drums coming through with precision and vigor, helping the track to maintain its high energy.

Treble was especially tighter on the Ace Ultra compared to the original model, and the wider soundstage gave each individual element more room to breathe, and this became a theme across all of my listening tests.

For instance, with the funk track Joía Rara by Brylho, the upgrade the Ultra provided was considerable. On the original Sonos Ace, the soundstage felt confined, with guitars lacking definition in the mix, and as the track built, the horns, bass, vocals, and guitars sounded slightly convoluted, resulting in a messier presentation than I’d expected. But on the Ace Ultra, things were totally different. Guitars in the intro occupied a unique pocket, bass was well-balanced, and finer percussive details were perfectly audible. Vocals were also separated to greater effect, and while they weren’t the most textured or forward, they were more than clear enough.

Are the Sonos Ace Ultra the best-sounding headphones in their price bracket? Well, they’re not far behind the competition, though I do still think a couple of models edge just ahead. For example, I tested them side by side with the Sony WH-1000XM6, and I found that Sony’s cans supplied a slightly more dynamic low-end output and detailing in the mid-range. It was very close between these two, though. Of course, if you want the most expansive soundstage, headphones like the AirPods Max 2 will edge out the Ace Ultra, but they’re slightly more expensive.

Before we move onto design, we have to talk about the Ace Ultra’s handling of spatial audio. They support Dolby Atmos as well as head tracking, really helping you to immerse yourself in your favorite movies and TV shows, and the expansiveness that the headphones supply is seriously impressive.

When using TV Audio Swap with some 4K UHD Blu-ray discs, the Ace Ultra were able to conjure up an excellent sense of width, almost like some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars can. I started by watching Elio, and the Ace Ultra did an incredible job — voices were clear, and as characters moved across the screen, they were tracked with precision, and if I tilted my head, sound shifted dynamically as if I was speaking with characters directly. As Elio returned to earth, deep, pounding bass hit with immense power too, but didn’t sound muddy or overbearing.

With Godzilla Minus One, the sense of a plane flying overhead in the opening scene was captured far more effectively than expected. It was genuinely convincing, as if the sound was truly coming from above. Dialogue was clear again, and Godzilla’s almighty screech was both tonally accurate and controlled, rather than tinny. More generally, the movie’s action scenes had tremendous width, creating a genuinely immersive experience.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra review: design

Beautiful design, and very well made
Comfortable yet secure fit
Not fully foldable, but case included for added security

The Ace Ultra look an awful lot like the original Ace, but as someone who loved the way those headphones looked, that’s a big plus. The ear cups are relatively flat and understated, the rounded look is sleek and sexy, and the metallic details only add to the sense of premium. The button controls have shifted about slightly, but they’re incredibly easy to reach, and are all very responsive.

I tried the Soft White version which is stylish and modern, but the Ace Ultra are also available in Black, Agave, and Sand. All of these colorways are minimalistic and suit the luxurious vibe of the headphones to perfection.

In terms of fit, the Ace Ultra strike a really strong balance between comfort and security — they’re the goldilocks of headphones, if you will. There’s enough clamping power to prevent excess sound seeping in and keep them on your head during a workout or similar, but I never found this to be overbearing. Even when I was wearing a hat, the Ace Ultra felt really snug, with the plush ear cups and padded headband helping me to enjoy my music for many hours on end.

One subtle thing I like is how the inside of the right ear cup is green, making it easy to know which side is which when throwing the cans on. The right cup also features a slider, which can be used to easily adjust volume or trigger the Audio Swap feature. I usually prefer touch controls, but the tactile and reliable nature of these buttons might just have converted me.

Something that may frustrated a few users is that the Ace Ultra are not foldable. Yes, the ear cups rotate flat for when you want to stow the headphones in the case, but rivals like the Sony WH-1000XM6 offer a more compact, travel-friendly design. In addition, the case itself doesn’t quite offer the quality I was expecting, with a fuzzy exterior that’s a bit prone to picking up fibers. I also found that the zip jammed a bit easily. I much prefer the magnetic case of the XM6, which is more seamless to use and has a more quality look and feel.

Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Ace Ultra review: value

More fully featured and better sounding than the original Ace…
…but for the same price (at the point of launch)
A worthwhile choice for those with or without a pre-existing Sonos system

The Sonos Ace Ultra cured the single ailment that plagued the original model above else: their middling musicality. When I tested both headphones side by side, the difference was night and day. The original Ace were held back by a limited soundstage, underwhelming instrument separation, and a lack of balance across the frequency range. But the Ace Ultra sound so much more open, organized, and detailed, and truly compete with flagship rivals from Sony and Bose.

On top of that, you’re getting excellent Dolby Atmos performance, Headphone Linking and TV Audio Swap for linking up to other Sonos products, a beautiful design, and strong noise-cancelling capabilities. Considering that the Sonos Ace Ultra cost the same as the original model did at the point of launch — and less than the standard Ace initially cost in the UK — that’s pretty impressive.

At $449 / £399 / AU$699, they’re still quite the investment, of course. And I do think that some rivals, including the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 just edge above them in terms of sound quality. But those models can’t compete when it comes to movies — a big selling point of the Ace headphones. And the interactivity that these have with other Sonos products makes them a slam-dunk for owners of products like the Sonos Beam Ultra and Sonos Play.

Even if you don’t have a Sonos system, these headphones still justify their price with great all-round performance, a delicious design, higher-res audio codecs and wired lossless sound, as well as solid battery life. All in all, then, the Ace Ultra feel like a much more worthwhile investment than the original Ace, and manage to earn their price.

Value score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sonos Ace Ultra?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Enhanced ANC, call quality, and battery life, better EQ options, and neat smart features like Headphone Linking.	5/5
Sound quality	Much better musicality than the original Ace and fantastic Dolby Atmos for movies.	4.5/5
Design	Gorgeous looks, comfortable and secure fit, but the carry case could be better.	4.5/5
Value	Earn their price much more than the original Ace with great performance across the board.	4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want amazing headphones for movies
With Dolby Atmos compatibility and serious spatial audio skills, the Sonos Ace Ultra are arguably the best wireless headphones you can buy for movie-watching. You’ll experience expansive, three-dimensional sound with the Ace Ultra, and head-tracking will only further your immersion in any on-screen action.

You already own a Sonos system
If you own Sonos products like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or Sonos Play, then the Ace Ultra are a very sensible buy. TV Audio Swap and Headphone Linking enable you to seamlessly transfer sound across your system, giving you unrivalled control over your music-listening and movie-viewing experiences.

Don’t buy them if…

You want the best-sounding headphones in this price-bracket
While the Sonos Ace Ultra offer great musicality, they can still be beaten. The Sony WH-1000XM6 provide a bit more bite and detailing, while the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 provide even more nuanced soundstaging and instrument separation.

You want the best possible cans for travel
The Sonos Ace Ultra supply awesome ANC and do come with a carry case, but unlike some rivals, they’re not fully foldable. Rivals like the WH-1000XM6 are much more compact if you’re on the go and don’t have much space in your bag, for instance.

Sonos Ace Ultra review: also consider

	Sonos Ace Ultra	Sony WH-1000XM6	Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Price	$449 / £399 / AU$699	$449 / £399 / AU$699	$479 / £399 / AU$699
Drivers	Next-gen 40mm custom	30mm dynamic	40mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	35 hours (ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)
Weight	0.7lbs / 322g	0.6lbs / 254g	0.7lbs / 300g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz	10Hz-22kHz

Sony WH-1000XM6
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are true all-rounders, boasting some of the best ANC in the game, beautifully balanced audio, and a huge range of features. They’re fully foldable, offer exceptional call clarity, and support the LDAC codec for higher-res Bluetooth listening. At this price-point, they still feel like the best headphones that you can buy for the money. Read my full Sony WH-1000XM6 review.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
For me, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are probably the best-sounding headphones you can buy in this price-range, with an exceptionally spacious, nuanced soundstage, impeccable detailing right across the frequency range, but dynamic and exciting enough to keep you engaged for hours on end. They also look truly premium, supply USB-C audio passthrough, and have an excellent control app — though their ANC isn’t anything special. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review.

How I tested the Sonos Ace Ultra

(Image credit: Future)

Spent about two weeks testing
Compared to competitors and original Sonos Ace
Predominantly streamed music over Tidal; also watched Dolby Atmos movies

I spent about two weeks testing the Sonos Ace Ultra headphones, during which time I exhausted their various features, like TV audio swap, watched a handful of movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks, and listened to hours worth of music.

When listening to music, I predominantly streamed tunes over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports aptX codecs. To start with, I sifted through the TechRadar testing playlist, but I also listened to a wide variety of tracks from my personal library. On top of this, I compared the Sonos Ace Ultra to some of their major competitors, like the Sony WH-1000XM6, as well as the original Sonos Ace.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing gadgets here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve tested a wide range of audio gear, including other premium headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion, party speakers like the Marshall Bromley 750, Dolby Atmos soundbars like the JBL Bar 1300MK2, and more.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: September 2026

Researchers can make headphones leak audio through a wall, but the 30-meter claim has a few caveats

Rahimnoorali11@gmail.com (Rahim Amir) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:20:00 +0000

HKUST (Guangzhou) and HK PolyU researchers' InjectEave beams a radio carrier at devices so their own circuits leak analog audio
The leaked audio has already been decrypted by the device itself, making encryption offer no protection against such an approach
The 30m headline needed a pricey amplifier pushing output to 10 W, while standard ranges of 1 to 6m were measured by detecting a test tone

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have shown that everyday headphones, a desk phone, and a handful of smart-home gadgets can broadcast what they are doing simply by using a radio signal.

The technique, called InjectEave, was presented at USENIX Security 2026 in Baltimore, and multiple outlets have since covered the researcher's claim that the attack "can recover headphone audio from up to 30 meters away, including through walls".

The claim may be accurate, but it has limitations, including the need for specialized equipment that is often very noticeable in most settings.

An impressive technical show with plenty of limitations in tow

Conventional electromagnetic eavesdropping waits for a device to leak. That works poorly for audio, because speech sits below 20 kHz while a device's wiring radiates efficiently only at megahertz or gigahertz frequencies.

InjectEave chooses to close the gap by transmitting a carrier signal at the target. According to the paper, nonlinear components such as amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, switching MOSFETs, and power converters mix the secret signal onto that carrier, and the device's own traces and cables radiate the result back to a receiver.

Because the leak happens in the analog path, after audio has been decoded, the project page states that "InjectEave is immune to digital defenses such as encryption, masking, and randomization." Encryption in any form on a wireless headset is irrelevant, since the attack directly targets the signal driving the speaker, not the radio link.

The team demonstrating this used a USRP B210 software-defined radio, two antennas, a Siglent spectrum analyzer, and a laptop to set up their proof of concept, which could, as they noted, "eavesdrop on the majority of these devices from over 2m away and through walls, with a maximum distance of 30m for recovering intelligible headphone audio".

This isn't the first time the technique has been used, even as the researchers have built on it considerably; the idea originates from "The Thing," a Soviet bug given as a gift to the US ambassador in Moscow in 1945, which was passively powered remotely as a listening device.

InjectEve, however, does not involve planting anything; instead, it leverages existing work on interference-induced leakage and impedance-based backscatter, and distinguishes itself by recovering coarse digital data rather than continuous analog waveforms, allowing users to 'listen in' without added steps.

The same approach applies to wired headphones, which are also prone to leaking microphone audio; researchers concluded that their sound cards were the primary source of the leaks, which were being sent back over very short distances.

The threat is somewhat tempered by the fact that it can capture what users hear but, with wireless headphones, cannot hear what the user is saying. The attacker also has to transmit continuously and use a high-powered (10W) transmitter to reach the full 30-meter range, even though capturing and rendering speech is harder than the tones the test used to prove the approach worked.

The attacker also needs to know the target model and profile a matching unit first, although they managed to get a profile to transfer cleanly across three identical UGreen headsets, suggesting this might be easier than one would assume.

The researchers say they reported the findings to the affected manufacturers but, "as we have not yet received a response," withheld the table's frequencies and stripped injection control logic from their released code. One shouldn't be too hopeful, however, as no software update can fix an analog leak, and it is relatively limited in practical abuse cases.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: great headphones that are really quite expensive in a crowded market

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Two-minute review

Bose often seems to pay more attention to its Ultra-suffix devices, which absolutely make up some of the best noise-cancelling headphones we've tested. And that is perhaps why the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones — that is to say, those launched in the post-QC 35 II era — took three years to come to market, following the launch of the older QC Headphones in 2023.

These are basically the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 for people who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for their sound, and given how I only ever see the non-Ultra cans when I’m out and about in the UK (a fact my editor also confirms), I’d wager that this new release is the model people have been waiting for.

Meet the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), so named because they’re quiet, thanks to Bose’s sought-after Active Noise Cancellation, and comfortable (thanks to the use of soft protein leather for pads and bands).

Having used them for several weeks, I can say that the latter is definitely true: these are incredibly easy to use for hours on end, without your ears aching or the top of your head feeling sore. You can basically use them until the battery runs down, although that’s partly because the 24-hour battery life is rather poor in 2026.

I’m not convinced on the ANC sell though. Bose has a reputation for industry-leading noise cancellation, and the Headphones Gen 2 are supposed to match the Ultra Headphones Gen 2 in this department. However, after testing the cans on multiple flights, train rides and around several cities, I’m not fully sold on the claim. They’re great at removing background sound, but not flawless; other brands have caught up, and those similarly-priced competitors surpass them in a few ways.

That’s not to say ANC is an actual problem with the QC Headphones Gen 2, but there are several departments which will raise eyebrows. The cans feel quite cheap, rattling in the hand and offering some odd gaps in the body which shouldn’t be there. They’re also quite light in the feature department, more so than you’d expect for the price.

So why have I given the Bose a four-star review? Well, despite a seemingly-unchanged driver set-up from the older models, and an EQ which barely offers you any control over your music, these cans sound fantastic. They offer detailed and precise treble and energetic and punchy bass. Because of this, listening to tune after tune on them never gets old. The spatial audio is great too, adding an immersive slant to the already-great sound.

Despite quirks, I really enjoyed using the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2; you will too if you can find them for a price that makes sense. I’m not sure they justify the premium price tag right now, but if you find them discounted, they’re a must-buy.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Launched in August 2026
Sells for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99
Comes with carry case and two cables

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) were announced on August 6, 2026. That’s three years after the first-gen model came out, and a year after the Ultra Gen 2.

Despite not being the ‘Ultra’ member of the family, the ‘standard’ QuietComforts aren’t cheap. You can pick up the cans for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99, which is cheaper in the UK but more expensive in the US than the last-gen models (and the same cost in Australia). It is, of course, cheaper than the Ultra Gen 2 model, which launched for $449 / £449 / AU$699 and haven’t seen a massive price cut since.

So they’re premium headphones, if not ultra-premium ones. They undercut the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 and Sony WH-1000XM6 (though the newer WH-1000XM4C are cheaper in most regions).

You can pick the cans up in five color options: black, white, mauve, mint and green you see depicted. In the box you get a protective carry case, USB-C to USB-C wire and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Specs

Drivers	Not specified
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	24
Weight	241g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C
Frequency response	Not specified
Waterproofing	None

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

ANC great, but not best
Poor 24h battery life
App doesn't offer that much

At 24 hours, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) don’t have a very long battery life. I’ve tested other options this year which last for literally 100 extra hours; don’t buy these if you need something for a long-haul flight. That listening time is with ANC turned on; you’ll get a few hours more if you turn it off, but less if you use some of the other listening features.

You charge the cans via their USB-C port, which takes 3 hours according to Bose. A new feature for the Gen 2 model is that you can also enjoy wired audio from this port, which is a real get for people who like high-quality audio. It almost makes up for the lack of a 3.5mm jack!

I suppose we should discuss that ANC. As mentioned in the introduction, it was good but not great, and certainly not the best I’ve ever used in over-ear headphones. The difference was small but noticeable: on a flight, I could hear the hum of the engines more than in some other cans I’ve tested, and surrounding sounds would creep into my music more often than I’d like.

They’re not bad by any means, and they’re still some of the better ANC headphones I’ve tested. But they’re not the best, and that’s a surprise given the name and the price point.

The headphones offer a range of listening modes beyond ‘standard’ ANC (which it calls Quiet mode), but I was surprised by how much most of these also affected audio quality. I’d recommend only sticking to Quiet or Aware, which lets in some surrounding sound.

(Image credit: Future)

You can toggle between these modes in Bose’s app, which has a few other tools. You can set up multi-point connection, change what that shortcut button does, check the battery life, set up immersive audio and play with the equalizer.

If your ears perked up at the mention of EQ, don’t get too excited. The custom mode only offers 3-band control, and there are four presets which change these three bands for bass or treble reduction or boost. It’s a surprisingly lightweight amount of customization for premium headphones, and people who like to tweak their audio sound will be greatly disappointed.

To be honest, that’s my general takeaway from the Bose app: it offers only a fraction of the tools, features and customization that you’d get from cans costing a third of the price.

One stand-out is Immersive Audio though. In the past, I've found similar offerings from rival brands a tad gimmicky, but Bose’s works very well. You can choose between Still or Motion (depending if you’re still or in motion), and it’ll deliver an encompassing sound that spreads the sound of your music or movie around you. It’s not so overt as to be distracting, and makes music a little more immersive — though I much preferred Still mode, which had a more audible spread which changed as I moved my head.

Features score: 3/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Comfortable to wear for long periods
Smartly-placed and designed buttons
A few cheap-feeling elements

The second-gen Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) look pretty similar to the original pair, but with some refinements in the looks department. Hinges and the retractable arm are better hidden, and the headband’s padding looks better integrated. The cans make the older model look like a prototype.

Oddly, though, the headphones feel pretty cheap. The cups rattle, there’s a noticeable seam between the headband and pad, and parts of the headphones flop around unsupported when you hold the gadget by its headband. There are a few other similar traits which make the buds feel loose, most noticeably that there’s a worrying amount of flex in the band. After several weeks of testing, I’ve yet to have these traits manifest in any actual problem, but I’m constantly surprised by how the build quality flags behind half-priced rivals.

I do appreciate that they're based on a design many users have loved, for many years — and this is likely the key reason they've largely been kept as-is (or was). But still, in the intervening years competing design teams have worked hard on other, newer headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) feel a little flimsy and clunky in direct comparison today.

At least the QuietComfort are supremely comfortable to wear. The padding which rests across the top of your head, and the soft cups, both go a long way in ensuring you can listen for long periods of time without getting any aches or strains. It gives the impression of them being light, even though at 241g, they weigh about the same as many other pairs.

(Image credit: Future)

When you’re wearing the cans, the right cup has the volume and pause/play buttons; their prominence is different so you can easily tell what button your finger is on. The right edge has the shortcut button, and power slider; I love this latter, as it’s easy to flick to instantly turn the cans on, without needing to press and hold like you do on most rivals. Bose has really nailed the buttons here, which I admit is a small detail, but that is where the devil is according to the idiom.

There’s a decent amount of malleability here: you can rotate the cups a fair way left and right, and the band is quite extendable (though it’s fairly stiff, so you’ll have to give it a hearty tug). The cups don’t move much up and down, but they still fit my head well.

You can fold down the QCs to make them more portable, or put them in the travel case. My aforementioned issues with the ‘loose’ feel of the cans returns here; you can’t stack them on a flat surface without them falling over.

Design score: 4/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

V-shaped audio with energetic bass, treble
Spatial audio sounds great
Unspecified drivers inside

If you’ve read the design and features sections of this review, you’ll know I’ve had compliments and criticisms in each department. Not so for audio quality.

Bose hasn’t detailed the driver in the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), but the previous-gen model had a 40mm unit, and the brand hasn’t boasted any audio improvements beyond generations. It doesn’t need to; the previous models sounded fantastic and the new ones do too.

Out of the box, you’re getting V-shaped sound from the QuietComfort Headphones. Treble is crisp, sharp and detailed, letting you hear tremolo and tones that many other cans miss. Bass is hefty and punchy, but with a precision and control which avoids lower frequencies drowning out the rest of your song.

(Image credit: Future)

As is generally the case with headphones offering V-profile audio, the mids lack just a little bit. I’d often notice guitars playing harmonies, piano accompaniments or high alto/low tenor backing vocals that’d be missing the ‘oomph’ I’d like them to have. But you’re not buying the Bose for a neutral sound: this is for fun and energetic music.

The sound set-up of the QuietComforts is best shown in songs like Fitz and the Tantrum’s Man on the Moon, which has hard-hitting vocals and bass but loses its rhythm guitar and strings a little, or The Hoosiers' Automatic Glow, which sees its harmonic synth line dropped to the back of the mix, in favor of the energetic sung word, and rising hook.

To return to the Bose app, you can use the EQ to try and add some emphasis on mids, but I found this only a limited solution which didn’t have much of an effect on the music.

Sound quality: 5/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

Should be top-value earbuds
Unfortunately, longevity isn't guaranteed

If your headphone equation is simply “I’ll spend more money for better audio”, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 will be a good option. They sound great and they’re comfortable, so you can enjoy music for a long time (at a fairly high cost).

But to me, a few aspects of these headphones make the premium price seem a little too high. The loose-feeling build quality, lack of app features and poor battery life all point to the cost being higher than it should be. If you see the Bose discounted by about $100 / £100 / AU$200, then these will be good-value cans. Alternatively, the previous-gen models should be enjoying a decent price cut due to being a bit older.

As it stands, the Gen 2 are still good buys, but I’d personally save money and buy cheaper headphones. Which in particular? Well, thankfully there's a competition section below…

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The noise cancellation is great, but the lack of other tools and poor battery life let the Bose down.	3/5
Design	The QuietComfort is certainly comfortable, with some smart elements but a cheap-feeling design.	4/5
Sound quality	Most people will find these perfect for music.	5/5
Value	They're great, but you'd be right to expect a little more for the price.	3.5/5

Buy them if…

You find other headphones uncomfortable
Many people struggle with headphones because they don't want their head in a musical vice. Try the QCs, they're your best bet.

You want great noise cancellation
It may not be the best in the biz, but it's still very good: if you need solid ANC, you won't be disappointed.

You love immersive audio features
Always listen to your music with spatial enabled? You'll really like how Bose handles the function.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need something long-lasting
Many people will find the 24-hour battery life insufficient. Luckily, it's one of the shortest figures I've seen on earbuds; you can do better.

You like tweaking your audio profile
The QC Headphones' equalizer doesn't offer you much control over your music, nor any kind of listening test.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Also consider

Looking for alternative over-ears? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend.

	Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)	Soundcore Space 2	Sony WH-1000XM6
Drivers	Not specified	40mm	30mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (ANC on)	24 hours	50 hours	30 hours
Weight	241g	264g	254g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C	Unspecified Bluetooth, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm
Waterproofing	Not specified	Not specified	IPX4

Soundcore Space 2
This affordable pair of cans costs half the amount of the QC Headphones, and its comfort and ANC match Bose. The audio quality isn't quite on par, however, and nor is the spatial audio.
Read our full Soundcore Space 2 review

Sony WH-1000XM6
Bose's closest rival is from Sony; this set costs a little more and also offers fantastic noise cancellation, an incredible sound and useful button controls.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

How I tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

Tested for roughly four weeks
Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth, Android tablet for audio
Used on walks around neighborhood, at work, on flights and on trains

To write this full review, I used the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) for just over four weeks, which gave me time to fully put them through their paces.

For the majority of the testing time, the buds were paired with my Fairphone 6 Plus smartphone, though I plugged them into a Xiaomi tablet using the cable for some wired audio. Over the course of the review I tested them on multiple flights, countless train and bus journeys, while working at home and on various walks around my city.

I listened on Spotify, to my own digital library, for movies on Now TV and videos on YouTube, and various games.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have used countless pairs of over-ears.

First reviewed in September 2026

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Budget audiophile king Fiio launches new planar headphones with a fascinating driver upgrade

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:45:21 +0000

Fiio launches FT15 planar headphones with bigger, thinner diaphragm and a lighter weight
They're open-back successors to the five-star Fiio FT5
They cost $499 / £499 (about AU$999) — but that's not bad for planars

Breakout affordable audiophile brand Fiio has been riding high with its debut planar magnetic headphones, launched in 2024, called the FT5 — they scored the full five stars in our Fiio FT5 review. The brand clearly thought it was time to revisit the tech, because it's launched a follow-up. No, not the FT6; meet the Fiio FT15.

These new wired open-back headphones bring refinements across the board, including some new internals and a lighter build. Numbers are up (or down, depending on which direction counts as an improvement).

The price is up too. The new FT15 cost $499 / £499 (about AU$999), and for comparison the FT5 sold for $449 / £429 / AU$799. So it's not a huge price hike, but given that Fiio is reliable as a budget brand, it's notable.

The Fiio FT15 are on sale right away, joining the brand's growing 2026 roster including the KA15 DAC dongle and FG3 gaming headset. Here's why they're exciting to audiophiles who are, well, maybe not quite on a budget, but like to optimize their spending.

Thinner, Better, Faster, Lighter

(Image credit: FiiO)

Fiio decided that its new planar cans needed some spec increases, and so the driver now measures 101mm (compared to 90mm in the FT5), but most notable is that it's now 800nm thick, which Fiio says is 86.7% thinner than its previous planar driver.

That's pretty notable, because the whole thing about planar drivers is that you have a super-thin, super-responsive diaphragm suspended between two magnetic fields, capable of excellent dynamic response and therefore detail.

Fiio also says the driver has a "full-face diamond coating", which is presumably to add stiffness. A much larger, much thinner, super-stiff diaphragm is a very interesting prospect when it comes to both dynamic range and detail in the sound.

The overall design has seen some improvements too. The FT15 is 31g lighter than the FT5, at 425g, using a carbon fiber headband and natural wood earcups. There are also multiple pairs of earpads in the box, as well as a range of adaptors for 4.4mm, 6.35mm and XLR-4, so it can fit into a range of hi-fi set-ups.

That's doubly true with the FT15s' sensitivity (95dB/mW, and a 24 ohms impedance), and the brand says it was designed to work with a range of dongles, DAPs, amps and CD players — including smaller and lighter dongles without external power. Fiio also sells all this kind of tech. Coincidence? I think not.

We gave the FT5 a perfect review, and it's hard to imagine how this range of improvements could result in a lower one, even with a slight price increase — but is with anything audio-related, the proof will be in the testing. Stay tuned.

Bose just unveiled the successors to some of our favorite open earbuds — and there's even a cheaper option to make Shokz a little, er, shocked

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Bose unveils two new clip (or ear cuff style) earbuds
Bose Sport Open Earbuds are a more affordable, simple option
Ultra Open Earbuds 2nd Gen supersede our top picks, with some refinements

For a long time, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds took pride of place as the 'best premium open earbuds' in our round-up of the absolute best open earbuds. Even if the Shokz OpenDots 2 hadn't stolen that spot recently, it's likely a new competitor would have — this category is growing like you wouldn't believe.

And Bose is back too, with upgraded flagship open earbuds called, as you might have guessed, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), which bring some refinements over the first-gen clip-style buds. They're set to sell from October 1, for £299.95 (about $400, AU$600, but we're waiting on international pricing).

This offering doesn't come alone. Likely taking inspiration from rival Shokz and the OpenDots Air, Bose has unveiled a cheaper alternative and called it the Sport Open Earbuds. These buds cut some of the features, use a different design, and will start selling on October 15, for £179.95 (roughly $240, AU$360). That makes them Bose's first affordable open earbuds.

Naturally, we'll be grabbing these buds as soon as possible to see how well they work, so prepare for reviews in the near future. Perhaps Bose will claw its ranking spots back from Shokz sooner than expected...

Lay me down on a bed of Boses

(Image credit: Bose)

Let's start by looking at the sequel set: the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen). These mostly retain the angular look of the originals, but with a slightly revised look for a better hold, and a charging case that's easier to open and close (and has little feet so it can stay upright).

Under the hood, there have been a number of small refinements like a higher volume, extended battery life and improved bass response. They also feature Bose's TrueSpatial audio, improving on Bose Immersive Audio, to provide better spatial audio while you're exercising.

Like the previous Ultras, these are a premium product, and I see most people skipping them for the price tag alone. That's where the other buds come in.

The Bose Sport Open Earbuds ditch the angular look of the Ultras, for a more standard curvy clip-style design. That is to say, despite being new, I've been seeing these puppies for years.

Bose hasn't detailed the audio specs of these buds — it rarely does for its headphones, frustratingly for coverage — but reading between the lines, the Sport Open won't have quite the same bass response as the Ultras. I'm sure they won't sound bad, but you're not getting Ultra sound.

I'm pleased to see that the Sport Open have an IP54 rating, which makes them better-protected than the IPX4 Ultras, even if their battery life is slightly worse at 7 hours. However most features, specifically Bose ones, are likely missing here. There's no mention of TrueSpatial Audio, for example.

With the Bose Sport Open Earbuds, you'll likely miss some of the fancy tools of the Ultra. But just as in the Shokz rivals mentioned before, many users might not mind, if they're getting a more affordable product for it. I see the Sport Open being the more popular of the two here.

A note, before you get too excited for the new buds. While researching this article, I noticed that the original Bose Ultra are enjoying quite a solid discount in the US, perhaps to clear stock. You can get them for just $200 at Amazon, which is a $100 saving, effectively making them a better pair of 'budget' buds than the Sport Open. Just food for thought.

Dyson's OnTrac headphones are discounted to AU$299 — as an audio expert, these are the 3 over-ears I would recommend instead

Max Langridge — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 03:11:31 +0000

It’s been just over two years since Dyson introduced its second pair of headphones, the OnTrac, to the world. While they were a significant improvement — both in terms of sound and general design — over the Zone, I ultimately found in my Dyson OnTrac review that they still couldn’t quite challenge the class leaders — namely Sony and Bose.

A strong factor in that realisation was their exorbitant AU$799 price tag. Not only was that too much for the Dyson headphones (regardless of brand name), it also allowed other manufacturers to charge AU$700 or more for their premium cans — here’s looking at you, Sony, Bose and Sennheiser.

Now, two years later, the Dyson OnTrac has plummeted to a much more acceptable AU$299 during Dyson’s Spring Sale event. At this price, I think they’re worth a look. The noise cancellation is very good, and a 55-hour battery life gives them greater stamina than the closest competitors. I also can’t really fault the ability to customise them, since it’s a feature that’s still pretty unique. That being said, they’re incredibly heavy, so I found I could only wear them for short stints.

At this price, the Dyson OnTrac becomes a lot easier to recommend, although I’d still tread with caution. Their looks may make them stand out from the crowd, but where audio quality is concerned, they can be beaten. Although I don’t see them getting any cheaper, even during Black Friday 2026 sales in Australia later this year.View Deal

Check out the latest Dyson AU discount codes for more chances to save.

However, for your AU$300, or thereabouts, you’re not short of great alternatives. So, if you’ve got a burning desire to invest in a new set of mid-priced headphones, take a look at my top recommendations below.

Do note that Amazon recently announced dates for its Prime Big Deal Days sales event. If experience is anything to go by, there’s a good chance my three recommended pairs of headphones below could receive bigger discounts when Prime Big Deal Days kicks off, but they’re worth every cent even right now.

For just under AU$200 (for the white model), the Nothing Headphone (a) are a terrific buy. A vast improvement over the Headphone (1), this newer set delivers a detailed, expansive soundstage coupled with good noise cancellation. Plus, their 135-hour battery life eclipses the OnTrac by some margin. View Deal

QuietComfort SC: was $499.95 now $349.99
Nearly as good as the premium QuietComfort Ultra, the SC misses out on the Immersive Audio mode — though they do come with a soft case. They have dropped to well below AU$300 before, which could happen during the next Prime Day sales event. View Deal

If your budget can stretch, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will reward you with superior sound quality, incredible comfort and excellent ANC. They’re comfortable to wear for long periods and benefit from a smartphone app that opens up a huge world of customisation.View Deal

AirPods 5 should come with volume controls by default, not for an added fee

hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:12:46 +0000

On our podcast I’m known as the Apple hater, but over the past year I’ve let up a little — even defended the company.

I’ve said Apple could be the only company capable of releasing camera glasses without major backlash thanks to privacy-first approach, celebrated its approach to AI as possibly genius if the bubble does pop, and most recently said the iPhone Duo looks great and that the visible crease in some shots should be ignored — as if it’s like the Z Fold 8 Ultra you’ll never see it while you’re using it.

But in our most recent episode, I saw something that I couldn’t believe in the new AirPods 5 specs. I had to actually message our Audio Editor because I thought I must be wrong.

How are on-bud volume controls only now coming to AirPods? And how are they reserved for the pricier model?

Take back (volume) control

I brought this up in the podcast, but my Apple-wielding colleagues — Axel Metz and Matt Evans — argued the feature isn’t that useful anyway. Those with Pro-level AirPods that boast volume controls noted that they rarely use them

Folks, that’s beside the point.

Volume controls are one of the most basic earbuds functions. Take a minute to scroll through Amazon, and you can find dozens of wireless earbuds under $20 that offer volume controls. This shouldn’t be something reserved for the fifth generation of a premium earbuds brand like AirPods. It’s absurd!

Oh, and I think volume controls on the buds are useful, for what it’s worth. If I’ve set my phone up to watch a YouTube video and the volume spikes, I want to be able to quickly swipe down without reaching over; or I might want to change the volume of my workout tunes mid-session without pulling my phone out and risking getting distracted.

Sure, it’s not a game changer, but as I said already, it’s a basic feature we should expect. It would be like if your iPhone didn’t have an email app — there are ways around it, but why cut off the root of the problem?

Perhaps I shouldn't give Apple ideas (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

What really grinds my gears, however, is that volume controls still aren’t truly standard. If you get the base $129 / £119 / AU$219 AirPods, you’ll be out of luck — you need to pay extra for the $149 / £139 / AU$249 model with a wireless charging case.

This isn’t anywhere near as egregious as those ridiculously expensive Mac Pro wheels from early 2020 — back when we could worry about such trivialities in the ‘before times’ — but it feels like a remnant of Apple’s arrogance, and the quality that has put me off the company’s tech for all these years.

People can get the earbuds they want, and I’m sure the AirPods 5 will be just as solid as the previous generation. But when there are so many excellent audio options out there, my philosophy is to get a pair that respects you, offers genuine value for money, and won’t nickel-and-dime you for features that should have been added back in the first-generation model — not as an upcharge on the fifth-generation iteration.

iFi's newest hi-res headphone DAC squeezes into a tiny USB-C-to-earbuds cable — just add IEMs

tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:44:31 +0000

iFi launches Go cable with DAC/headphone amp in a USB-C earbuds cable
IEMs sold separately — it uses standard 0.78mm two-pin analogue connectors — but you can add some iFi ones into the kit for cheap
ESS Sabre DAC supports 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, with 70mW amplification at 32 ohms

If you didn't think ultra-portable hi-fi tech like the iFi Go Link 2 was small enough, then the British audio company's newest release in its lightweight Go series might be enough to placate you.

iFi has just unveiled its new Go Cable: a DAC and headphone jack which is literally built into an audio cable for in-ear monitors. It's available to pre-order for just $79 / £79 (about AU$160), ahead of a September 21 release.

The wire connects from a USB-C port in one end, through the DAC and headphone amp, to two 0.78mm 2-pin connectors for your favorite in-ear IEMs, though you'll have to provide those yourself. Basically, in combination, they're an active affordable audiophile alternative to the best wired earbuds with more customization.

Naturally, you might think that the iFi Go Cable could be designed for smartphones or laptops, but the brand also describes them as suitable for gaming, such as on the Switch 2. It supports microphone functionality too, so you can plug it into your controller or handheld to enjoy voice calls.

Making portable audio a little easier

(Image credit: iFi)

Specs-wise, the Go Cable seems quite similar to the aforementioned Go Link 2. It supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, and outputs power at 70mW at 32 ohms. Its selling point isn't in the specs; nor is it in the on-cable microphone, playback and volume controls, though they're a neat touch.

No. The benefit is that unlike the Go Link 2, it's an all-in-one solution. The best headphone DAC/amp combos for portable devices generally require an entire set of headphones or earbuds to be separately plugged in. You have to bring your source device, your DAC/amp device and your headphones.

By acting as those latter two gadgets all in one, the Go Cable makes on-the-go hi-fi audio a little easier to achieve. That's fewer things to remember on a trip, fewer items to pack into your bag while going through airport security.

Many of iFi's technologies are used in the Go Cable. THD Compensation reduces distortion, while the ESS Sabre DAC chip provides dynamic range enhancement to improve sound by up to 6dB.

As mentioned before, you'll need to provide your own IEMs to enjoy the Go Cable, so it's not for everyone. However the brand is also selling a starter kit, which throws in a pair of AIRO Astra buds, for only $20 / £20 (about AU$40) more.

That means you're getting them for about half the price they usually cost, and then you've got plenty of time to mull on whether to get something more premium in the future — and you can just swap them onto the same cable.

These cheap Skullcandy earbuds have a worrying Bluetooth flaw that could let anyone connect to your device

Rahimnoorali11@gmail.com (Rahim Amir) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:10:00 +0000

Researchers warn Skullcandy Dime 3 earbuds on older firmware accept Bluetooth pairing from unknown devices with no user interaction required
When leveraged, it can be used to interrupt the owner's connections, hijack playback, and even capture live microphone audio
The vulnerability has been patched in a newer firmware update available only on newer units, does not seem to be addressable for existing earbuds

Carnegie Mellon University's CERT Coordination Center has warned Skullcandy's Dime 3 wireless earbuds will accept a Bluetooth pairing request from a stranger's device without the owner doing anything.

The resulting bond is permanent, and the only sign the owner gets is a spoken "new device paired" notification delivered after it has already happened, with zero user interaction to confirm the request.

The advisory covering the Dime 3 was written by CERT/CC's Bob Kemerer and credits independent researcher Jacob Nowak, who had posted his findings to the Full Disclosure mailing list in early August after testing it on hardware he owned.

A fix deployed that covers virtually no existing users

What makes this worse is that, ironically, while Skullcandy was swift in addressing the issue affecting earbuds running firmware version 1.0.0.28 by rolling out a patched version 1.0.0.30, it seems to address the issue only in newly made units.

CERT notes that there seem to be no "consumer-accessible" methods to upgrade existing units to the newest firmware because it reportedly has no support via the companion app, as a Tom's Guide review indicates.

A product without an update path that is user-accessible essentially means that its software flaws, or in this case, security issues, are here to stay for users who have had the bad luck of buying an earlier unit.

The underlying vulnerability, CVE-2025-20701, is not new and is not of Skullcandy's making. It is one of three vulnerabilities that Dennis Heinze and Frieder Steinmetz of the German firm ERNW disclosed in June 2025 at the TROOPERS conference in Heidelberg, affecting Bluetooth systems-on-chip from Taiwan's Airoha.

The Dime 3's Bluetooth identifier names Airoha as its chipset vendor, and while Airoha shipped a fixed SDK to its customers in June 2025 and published its bulletin that August, owners of the earbuds are in a unique situation, to say the least.

The vulnerability's severity is disputed: MediaTek (which owns Airoha) assigned it a relatively low 6.7 rating, while CISA's vulnerability enrichment program later assigned it an 8.8 with a 'high' categorization.

A potential attacker is limited to what the earbuds can access, since the vulnerability is essentially limited to the earbuds, but one could still wreak havoc with that alone. It should allow for more than just disrupting a person's routine by 'hijacking' one's earbuds by essentially using their microphones on them to record conversations or, in an extreme theoretical case (requiring chaining with other exploits), impersonate the headset and pull contacts, call history, and even pass hands-free commands to a paired smartphone. The latter, however, would require a high technical skill set, being within a few meters of a victim, and a Bluetooth connection turned on on the paired smartphone.

For now, a vulnerability exists that Skullcandy should have been able to patch, exactly as Apple recently did for its Beats Studio Buds, but a lack of support for any third party apps on the budget earbuds is somewhat annoyingly resulting in an unpatchable vulnerability for existing users.