• Two new Sony digital audio players have gone on sale
• Both are expensive, with a range of features
• People are more excited for a teased Walkman headphone launch

Despite beginning as a range of cassette and CD players over four decade ago, Sony's Walkman line is still going strong, though nowadays they've ditched the physical media in favor of digital hi-res music. Two new Walkman devices make that point exceedingly clear.

These are the NW-WM1AM3 and NW-WM1ZM3, which were announced in mid-October ahead of a November on-sale date (in most regions, at least, but in the US they're due in January). Checking Sony's website, the AM3 is due to sell from November 27, or Black Friday, while the ZM3 is already sold out. Clearly the Walkman's return is proving popular.

That sold-out model is the priciest of the two, selling for $5,899 / £4,299 / AU$6,499. The real appeal of the NW-WM1ZM3 is in the build, using materials such as oxygen-free copper for top conduction, gold-plated screws and wiring done by a brand called Kimber Kable which focuses on the cabling in audio products. Otherwise, it sounds pretty similar to the $2999 / £2,099 / AU$3,999 NW-WM1AM3.

Both are digital audio players with 5.5-inch screens, 35-hour listening, Wi-Fi or onboard music listening, use the Sony DSD Remastering Engine to upscale PCM audio, and have dual headphone jacks. They have 256GB on-board storage, as well as the ability to expand that with an SD card.

So they both sound like premium digital audio players for people who value high-quality music. Yet they've been totally overshadowed by another Walkman product which isn't even out yet.

Meet the mystery retro Walkman accessory

On social media, Sony has begun teasing a brand-new Walkman device, due to be unveiled on November 5 (tomorrow, at the time of writing):

People are pretty confident about what this is, largely because you can see the outline, and the color scheme harks back to them. It's looking like these will be a new pair of Walkman headphones, like the classic MDR-3 which came alongside the first-generation TPS-L2 Sony Walkman in 1979.

Wired audio's making a comeback, as is retro audio tech, and clearly Sony's leaning on the nostalgia angle here. Presumably, it's set to unveil some new on-ear headphones, but we'll find out more tomorrow.

The real question to me is whether Sony's about to re-vamp the MDR-3, or if it's about to re-vamp the MDR-3 and release some other Walkman products. We're constantly seeing new cassette players and CD players, because of the aforementioned retro audio tech boom, and it wouldn't be surprising if Sony were to release such options too.

After all, Walkman remains the most recognized name in portable audio playing, so if any brand wanted to capitalize on this new trend, Sony would be the one best placed to do so.

We'll see what Sony unveils tomorrow, but whatever it is, it's already overshadowed the WM1AM3 and WM1ZM3.

• Spotify's AI remixing tool is tipped to arrive early in 2027
• Premium users may have to pay $4–$5 extra for it
• Reaction from potential users has been lukewarm

Back in August, Spotify announced plans to introduce new AI-powered features to let users create custom covers and remixes of their songs, and a new rumor suggests the feature may arrive in February — at the cost of a $4–$5 surcharge on top of existing Premium subscriptions.

That's according to the Financial Times (via Android Authority), which reports that "people familiar" with the plans reckon a launch could be scheduled to coincide with the Grammys — the music awards show is on Sunday, February 7 — or could happen on some other date within the first quarter of 2027.

Spotify is apparently still trying to get artists and labels to embrace the technology, which would (for example) let you turn a dance track in your library into a country ballad, or have one of your favorite artists cover a song recorded by a different singer or band.

It's worth bearing in mind that these details are still to be confirmed, as, per the FT, the timing and pricing have not been finalized, though we know from what Spotify has already said that it's keen to push this new feature out.

Winning over artists and fans

The plan seems to be to reward artists who let Spotify use their music for AI purposes, and one analyst quoted by the FT estimates that 7–8% of US Premium subscribers (of whom there are thought to be around 75 million) would pay the extra few dollars for the feature.

"Winning over major contemporary stars has proved more challenging than securing participation from some established older artists," says the FT — with Olivia Rodrigo mentioned as one of the artists who have previously taken a public anti-AI stance.

If the Reddit boards are any indication of feeling, there's not much of an appetite for these new AI tools among users either. One thread responding to the FT report is filled with negative comments and recommendations for alternative music streaming services.

"Who wants this?" is indicative of the comments, while the words "gross" and "horrible" are also thrown around. Spotify doesn't, of course, have to convince all of its users to adopt the AI add-on to make it profitable; but as this report suggests, getting artists on board might be the bigger issue.

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.

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.

• iFi unveils the UP Travel Max
• It's a Bluetooth adaptor for audio systems that rely on 3.5mm jacks
• Can be used on flights, in cars, and on your ancient iPods

I'm always struck by how odd it is that airlines seem comfortable to let modern tech trends fly straight by.

Only last year, I was given a pair of antique cheap wired earbuds for an in-flight entertainment system, and there's no way of using your own premium Bluetooth headphones instead — that is, unless you own one of a very select set of headphones or earbuds. Models such as the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S offer a case retransmission function to ping audio to your preferred listening gear wirelessly, from connected analog or digital sources.

But what if you don't want to buy new headphones for better flights? The other option is to buy a Bluetooth adaptor like iFi's new option. It is called the UP Travel Max, and it's up for preorder now for $129 / £129 (roughly AU$260, but iFi's Aussie website doesn't list a price), before going on sale at the end of November.

This device, like the Twelve South AirFly View which arrived only a day prior, is designed to be plugged into a 3.5mm jack. You then pair it to your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds (or speaker, if you're a maverick), letting you connect your wireless option into the wired medium.

The iFi has a 10-hour battery life, supports LDAC and aptX Lossless playback and has a built-in DAC, borrowed from other iFi devices. That's why it's a little pricier than more basic options: you don't just get the function, you want clean audio too.

Audio comes, audio goes

The iFi UP Travel Max is a little different from some other Bluetooth adapter dongles, because it receives or transmits, depending on which mode you put it in.

Plug it into a flight console, and it can transmit from the screen to your headphones. But connect it to your personal vehicle's stereo, and it can receive from your smartphone, to use the big speakers while you're on the go. A button on the device lets you flick between the two.

Using transmit mode, you can also connect wireless headphones to older gadgets, like your classic iPod (which just celebrated its 25th birthday) to avoid using whatever wired headphones you have lying about to enjoy your old-school tunes.

I'm sure there are plenty of other niche use cases that could benefit from the iFi UP Travel Max too; my PC doesn't have a Bluetooth module so I'd be able to use it to pair wireless headphones, for example. The world is your oyster... or you could just use it on flights, to avoid those awful, highly breakable standard-issue buds.

• 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

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.

• Musical Fidelity launches the B1xcd compact disc player
• Offers audiophile-level audio and some handy features
• It's not cheap, but it costs less than certain alternatives

Physical media is officially back; just look to the fact that we're covering new turntables, cassette players and CD players every week. And sometimes there are options that marry all three, then allow you to put it all vertically on your wall. OK, most of the new propositions are affordable and often portable, but high-end SACD-spinning kit is coming back too.

Just look to the new Musical Fidelity B1xcd as further proof; it's been unveiled ahead of a release "from October 2026" (so any time now, then). It's a standing CD player designed to be used as part of a hi-fi set-up in your home, not carried around for music on the go.

Musical Fidelity is pitching this as an affordable option with "an incredibly attractive price". You might raise your eyebrows to learn that its MSRP is €599 (about $670, £500, AU$1,000), but that's actually affordable compared to many similar picks on the market right now. And for reference elsewhere, the recently-launched Oppo A7 Pro Max smartphone carries the same asking fee, and that is very much billed as a budget handset. Kind of puts things into perspective, no?

Last year we tested a Rotel Michi option which costs ten times the Musical Fidelity B1xcd's price, and last week we covered a new SACD player which goes for a hundred times the cost, so you can see how this might still be considered affordable in the CD-spinning space. Saying that, FiiO launched an option in September which is much cheaper and can also rip your discs.

But do you get that (Musical) Fidelity?

So what do you get for your money? The Musical Fidelity B1xcd is a large-body device with a metal chassis, LCD screen for track information, and aluminum control icons. The unit weighs 5.8kg, so it's not light.

The machine has a built-in ESS DAC designed for audio CDs, with Red Book CDs supported by the device. Red Book is the original CD format specification, created in 1980, so clearly the B1xcd is designed for the old-school discs you find in thrift stores. It also remains the go-to standard for audio discs.

The player has both analogue and digital outputs, so you can connect it to the rest of your hi-fi set-up; there's an RCA, coax and optical output.

Many of the new CD players we've seen so far are portable CD players like this Shanling option. But if you'd rather something to use at home, then the Musical Fidelity release is an interesting, and comparatively affordable, option.

• 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

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).

• 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

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.

If you're a fan of the first-gen iPod, or if you're too young to have experienced Apple's OG music player and want to know what the fuss was all about, you're going to love what Apple's hidden on its Apple Music website: a fully working iPod.

The iPod lives on Apple Music's "page not found" page, and you can control it with your mouse, trackpad or touchscreen to recapture the magic of the music player that changed everything.

The library is absolutely massive so I haven't been able to test every tune, but every random selection played the appropriate song (albeit for just over a minute rather than the full track).

It's a great way to market Apple Music, but it's also a great reminder of how brilliant Apple's original portable player was.

The iPod changed everything

It's 25 years since the original iPod launched, and everything is different. We rarely rip, mix and burn, and the 1,000 song limit seems impossibly small compared to Apple Music's instant access to 100 million songs. But playing with the virtual iPod has made me smile, because it's reminding me of how excited I was by Apple's game-changing device and its successors.

I think it's really hard to overstate how much Apple changed the way we listen to music. I wrote about it earlier this year, saying I wish we'd stuck with iPods: "what Apple did was what Apple does so well. It learned from other people's mistakes and then marketed its own products perfectly. 1,000 songs in your pocket."

I've owned pretty much every iPod: 3G, 4G, Nano, Shuffle, Mini, Video, Classic… and I miss their style and simplicity. I've seen people make Walkman emulators for the iPhone Duo; I think that screen would be perfect for an iPod, so I'd love to Apple to make a secret option in the Music app to browse your library with this virtual iPod.

And standalone music players are on the rise in popularity — Apple might not bring the iPod back, but there are several new devices that feel inspired by the old Nano and Shuffle designs, and more recently one that looks like a cross between the Classic and a Zune. My colleague Matt Bolton, meanwhile, is convinced that it's time for Apple to bring the Shuffle back in a wireless form.

• 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

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.

• Spotify is rolling out a new verification process for Premium Family members
• Users must now scan the account manager's QR code to confirm they're part of the same household
• Spotify will boot you back to the free tier and give you a 12-month Premium Family ban if you fail to verify

Update 10/21: A Spotify spokesperson has provided us with the following comment on Premium Family plan sharing:

'Household plans are for people who live at the same address as the primary account holder, as set out in our terms and conditions. We continue to look at ways to make sure our plans are used as intended.'

Original story follows.

The Netflix password-sharing crackdown is rubbing off on one of the best music streaming services — now Spotify is taking its own approach to putting a stop to Premium Family plan sharing.

Spotify is enforcing this via a new QR code verification system, which has started rolling out to a number of users if they’re not at the same address as the account manager. The QR code appears on the account holder’s device, requiring those under the plan to scan it in order to verify that you’re living in the same household. This code updates every few seconds, making it harder for users to use screenshots to bypass the process.

The platform goes into the verification process in detail on its support page, clarifying that it doesn’t use location tracking but instead checks your address to verify it’s the same one as the account manager’s. Additionally, Spotify states that ‘both the manager and member need to be in the same place to complete the scan’.

If you receive a verification prompt, you’ll have a 7-day window to complete the scan, but failure to comply comes with consequences. Spotify will boot you back to ad-listening on the free tier as well as banning you from joining another Premium Family or Duo plan for 12 months. It really does feel like a prison sentence.

As you can imagine, users are beyond frustrated with Spotify’s latest move, and despite not being on the Premium Family plan myself, even I can’t fathom the ridiculousness of it all.

We don’t know if this is region-specific, but a number of users on Reddit have received verification prompts despite there being no formal announcement from the company. ‘Self sabotage by Spotify. If I have to do this more than once for my kids that live at home I'm shutting it down,’ an angry Redditor posted.

One of the many users' frustrations is with, of course, money. By limiting Premium Family as a solely household plan, Spotify will drive a huge number of users out of the grouped plan and leave them with no option but to sign up to Premium Individual.

This plan is priced at $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$15.99 a month, while Premium Family is $21.99 / £21.99 / AU$25.99 a month and includes up to six individual accounts — which is roughly $3.665 / £3.665 / AU$4.331 per individual account. The more users Spotify can force into Premium Individual accounts, the more subscription revenue it can generate, but it’s so much more than money.

For me, the most ridiculous part is Spotify’s narrow definition of what a ‘family’ is, as a large majority of Premium Family users are members who have moved out of their parents’ home but are still on the same plan — for example, students who move away from home to study. So, in Spotify’s eyes, these types of families are essentially considered lesser than a family whose members still live under the same roof.

Equally, Spotify’s Premium Family plan has been helpful for adults to guide their not-so-tech literate elderly parents through navigating digital streaming, as another Redditor highlights. Someone takes control of the account, sets up a profile for their parents, shows them the ropes, and lets them listen away. Not only does the verification remove this, it also gets rid of the novelty of families comparing their music tastes and reminiscing about their old favourites together.

It has to be said that until now, Spotify has been on its best behavior and even rolled out helpful tools to exclude your kids’ music from your recommendations, which has been welcomed by Premium Family members — but the new verification process just feels like one step forward, three steps back. In that case, Spotify should rebrand Premium Family to 'Premium Household' to avoid confusion.

• 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

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)

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

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!

• Bluesound is adding fully integrated Apple Music support, on top of existing AirPlay support
• This is rare in streaming systems — Sonos has basically had a monopoly
• Available now via free software update

If you want to play Apple Music natively, in high resolution, on multi-room audio equipment the choice has largely been Sonos, Sonos or Sonos. That's now changed, and direct integration with the Apple Music service is coming to the Bluesound platform and BluOS software as a free upgrade.

That's a big deal because in addition to Bluesound's own products, the BluOS operating system also powers devices from big audio brands including NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, DALI, Cyrus, and Monitor Audio.

It's a significant upgrade, because like Spotify and TIDAL, Apple Music is now fully integrated into the BluOS platform rather than supported indirectly via AirPlay 2. That means the audio is streaming directly to your player rather than via your phone, tablet or computer, so there's no compression, as there is over AirPlay or Bluetooth.

When is the Apple Music upgrade coming to BluOS?

The update is available from today, 20 October 2026, and you can get it by updating the BluOS software on your device. You'll then be able to use the BluOS Controller app to select your streaming, whether that's to a single device or a multi-room setup.

In the case of multi-room setups you'll be able to share Apple Music to specific rooms and audio zones, or have the same music playing everywhere.

Although the update itself is free, Apple Music is of course a subscription-based service, though you don't have to pay extra for higher quality or ad-free streaming.

It's a major win for Bluesound as the key Sonos alternative. There's obviously a lot of crossover between the the slickness the Sonos system has been known for and what people expect from Apple products.

When Sonos had its major software issues in 2024, Bluesound and WiiM emerged as the two multi-room systems hoping to benefit most from it, but WiiM has a strange relationship with Apple. None of its products support Apple Music natively, and many of its products don't even support AirPlay.

So this is a big win for Bluesound with Apple fans, especially since it's always been considered the more audiophile-led alternative to Sonos — now Apple Music can be a source for that.

• Audiophile.fm now has an app for Android and iOS 26 or later, in addition to its web version
• It's a free streaming radio service, and all music is CD quality or hi-res
• No subscription needed, no account, and no in-app ads

If you're looking for an audio alternative to ad-stuffed and/or expensive subscription music services, Audiophile.fm could be just what you're looking for. It's a free and ad-free player for internet radio stations that stream in CD quality or higher, and it just launched an app for iOS and Android, having already been available in your web browser.

While Macs aren't officially supported, you can grab the iPhone version from the Mac App Store. I've done that on my Mac, and can confirm it runs perfectly on macOS 27.

The app was created by Bojan Vidanovic, who explained on r/BudgetAudiophile that "I wanted an easier way to find and listen to lossless radio stations. It brings together handpicked stations streaming in FLAC, from CD-quality to Hi-Res options across jazz, classical, rock, electronic, and more."

The response has been really positive, and having tried it, I'd say that's because it's a really nice app.

Free hi-res audio streaming. What's the catch?

The catch is: there is no catch, as far as I can see. The app and website connects you to internet radio stations, who presumably have all the necessary permissions and licenses in place to ensure the artists they play get paid. The app itself is ad-free, but some of the stations play ads to pay the bills, naturally.

The joy here is serendipity: there's no algorithm serving you up endless variations of the songs you already like, so you can end up with truly random listening: for example I've just gone from Daft Punk to French jazz to Underworld deep cuts to the new Beck album to Culture Club to, er, Alien Ant Farm.

And the sound quality is consistently excellent because all of the stations are broadcasting in FLAC at CD quality or better. I've listened to a whole bunch on my favorite headphones and the only one that sounded horrible was playing Alien Ant Farm.

This is very much a work in progress — things like equalization, Google Cast and AirPlay are on the to-do list — but it's a very impressive starting point and Bojan is actively seeking feedback on Reddit. The plan is apparently to keep the core app free and monetize it with additional paid features at some point in the future.

Obviously, this is no replacement for the likes of Spotify, if you're an audiophile who gets frustrated with the discovery options of the big music services, this could give you a great alternative: a wide mix of music, all in quality to show off what the best wired headphones combined with a nice headphone DAC can do.

• Successful Kickstarter Trettitre Retro Ambient Audio System is now shipping
• Combines several retro physical media sources in a fun configuration
• Sits on your wall (components can be moved), with multiple extra novelties

You can rely on Kickstarter to surface some of the stranger audio products out there, and it's true to form today. A successful campaign from a company called Trettitre has brought us one such device, and it's shipping now.

This is called the Retro Ambient Audio System, a title that's both uncatchy but accurate. It made over $2 million on a goal of $3,000, in just 15 days of funding (this was back in March and April), but you can still make late pledges of $399 (or a conversion for the equivalent in your country; it's about £300 or AU$600) to receive the full bundle.

According to Trettitre, the full MSRP of the device is $899. Since you can order the bundle for $500 less post-campaign, though, it's not clear if it'll ever actually sell for this price.

So what is the RAAS? Well, as you can see in the images, it's an all-in-one physical media machine. It's a combined record player, CD player and cassette player, which is designed to let you listen to any kind of physical media at home.

You can buy the components separately if you like, but the fun is in the setup with the magnetic wall-rack. Trettitre's marketing videos show users removing the record player from the wall, carrying it via a handle, plugging in some IEMs and listening to vinyl on their kitchen table, because this turntable has an onboard battery that charges when you put it back on its wall-mount.

There's one thing missing though: a speaker. You can buy this separately, with Trettitre selling loads of extras including multiple speakers, but know it's not included in the box.

Lights, colors, buttons

Perhaps the first novelty of the Trettitre RAAS is that it's all wall-mounted. Following in the footsteps of Ultrasonic Audio's gorgeous wall-mounted speakers and Fuse Audio's vertical turntable, the company is embracing vertical audio, which is popular among fashionistas (and people with smaller apartments) but decried by audiophiles.

The gadgets all have built-in batteries too, so you can remove them from the wall and use them on the go. The battery capacity is unclear (although six hours for the turntable is listed, or three if you're using it solely as a light source), but you should get a few hours of listening before you need to clip them back onto the wall.

Another notch in the toolbelt? The record player, called the TTT-LP3, has a built-in lighting panel which you can change the color of, like a giant RGB record player. The purpose, I glean, is to make the whole system feel like a part of your home decor. It's not the first time we've seen light-up decks, of course — FiiO's done it, Audio-Technica's gone all glowy with a vinyl spinner and Brian Eno's neon version was so popular, it's had a second iteration.

The LP3 has an Audio-Technica AT-3600LA cartridge, and plays at 33.3 or 45rpm. The next device is the TTT-DP3, the CD player which supports CD, CD-R or CD-RW, and seems to have a neat sliding release system which lets you glide the cover off. Finally, there's the TTT-CP3, a cassette player with some nice chunky light-up buttons and a clean, modernist look.

The RAAS is funky to look at, and offers lots of flexibility for physical media users, but might not be best suited for die-hard audiophiles. While each gadget has a 3.5mm jack. it's clear that they're designed to be used by Bluetooth speakers (unless you're going to have a long 3.5mm wire trailing up to that wall rack).

It's also suspiciously cheap for such a complex system; the best turntables alone cost more than the cost, without other gadgets and a wall mount system. Admittedly you'll need to buy a speaker separately, and Trettitre is pushing its add-ons, but it still raises eyebrows. So it might be worth waiting until the units have shipped, to see what users say, before you get too excited.

• "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'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).

• YouTube Music says it will start labeling AI-generated music tracks
• On Deezer, you’ll be able to exclude AI music from your feed entirely
• Both platforms say there is a clear user demand for transparency

AI-generated music is a controversial topic in the world of streaming platforms, with the likes of Apple Music saying that over a third of its uploads are “100% AI.” Now, both YouTube Music and Deezer are taking steps to make it easier to spot artificially created tunes — and purge them from your listening feeds altogether.

The Google-owned YouTube Music has just announced that both the YouTube Music and YouTube apps will actively flag tracks that have been “created primarily using generative AI,” the company said in a press release. These labels will be attached to the app’s player page and will include a pop-up window with more information on how AI might have been used.

Music streaming service Deezer has gone a step further and has told users it will introduce a new toggle before the end of 2026 that will let them “avoid AI-generated music completely.” Deezer says that this will “improve the user experience” and put “full focus on discovering human creators.”

Speaking of the move, Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier argued that “The explosion of AI-generated content continues to impact the whole music ecosystem, and we believe in shaping a future based on transparency and choice, with respect for artists, song writers and music fans. We remain committed to minimizing any negative effects, while empowering our users to control their music experience to the greatest extent.”

Mass AI detection

Deezer’s Lanternier explained that the company had experienced “clear user demand for the ability to filter out AI-generated music,” while YouTube similarly stated that “our listeners have told us they want transparency when they’re hearing an AI-generated track.”

That’s unsurprising given the polarizing nature of AI. Whether the topic is AI chatbots, artificially-generated visual art or music that has been created by a bot, people have strong opinions, with a large contingent evidently wanting to exclude this material altogether.

Deezer claims to have detected and removed over 42 million AI-generated tracks from its recommendation system and to have tagged more than 14 million albums as being machine-made. It describes the issue as a “colossal, even critical, challenge” for the industry, with human artists revenues being impacted by AI music and up to 85% of AI streams being fraudulent.

Deezer’s AI detector tool has just been named one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2026, with it being used to help the platform spot the 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks that are submitted to it every day. Yet Deezer has also admitted that its detection tool has its flaws and could be weak to audio manipulation and as-yet-unknown creation models, something it also admitted to us during an in-depth interview earlier this year.

Anyone strongly against AI music will take more solace from Deezer’s announcement than from YouTube’s, with the latter merely labeling AI tracks rather than actively removing them from the user experience. Whether YouTube Music will eventually introduce a feature like Deezer’s in the future remains to be seen.

• Cambridge Audio unveils new Spira turntable
• Mid-range price tag; on sale immediately
• Range of connection options, but nothing too complex

If you've never used a record player before, they can seem quite complicated, which is why many of the best turntables are entry-level options targeted at relative novices — we all have to start somewhere, and that is good. Cambridge has just entered that esteemed line-up with its new Spira.

Banish the thought of something complicated and expensive (or '90s Cadbury chocolate bars, if you're of a certain vintage), such as Cambridge's own Audio Alva TT V2, fantastic though it is. This is an option designed to be easy to set up and use, though one you can build a hi-fi system around if you get hooked on vinyl, as Cambridge surely expects.

To that end, it's relatively affordable, at $499 / £329 (about AU$640). That's not quite as cheap as some of our entry-level favorites, like the Sony PS-LX310BT, but in the grand scheme of turntables it's very much at the lower end of things.

The Cambridge Spira is on sale right now, in five colors: black, white, green, orange or blue, which are the brand's go-to colors (its speakers take those hues — see the fantastic Cambridge L/R S), so you can match the Spira to other pieces of kit if you pick more up.

The Cambridge whi-Spiras of a good friend

One of the perks of the Cambridge Audio Spira is that it can connect to basically anything, perfect to slot into an existing set-up, whether you own expensive floor-standers or a single Bluetooth speaker.

That means it has a a built-in phono preamp, or connects via Bluetooth (CA doesn't mention any other connection options in its press release).

The Spira has a pre-fitted Audio-Technica cartridge on its aluminum tonearm, and apparently it's easy to replace if you decide to make an upgrade. The platter is steel and there's a wooden plinth to house the motor, designed to remove unwanted resonance.

Just looking at the pictures, you can see they're pretty simple, without extra dials or levers that could overwhelm a novice. There is an rpm speed dial, but that's basically it.

The minimalism might put off die-hard record player users, who know exactly what they want and have thousands to drop on the right kit. But for most people, this'll be a perfect jack-of-all-trades device that slots into whatever audio set-up you own.

• Apple's HomePod mini 2 freshens the smart speaker with new colors and a few new tricks
• The top LED glow can now mirror the colors of album artwork
• The smart speaker will get Siri AI in a future software update

Techtober is marching on in a pretty big way, and this week it's Apple leading the pack. Alongside its first-ever smart display, the HomeView, Apple is also upgrading the speaker that serves as the entry point to its smart-home lineup.

The HomePod mini 2 is a refresh of the smart speaker that’s been a workhorse in Apple's lineup since it launched in 2020. For this second generation, Apple isn’t changing much: there are new colors, a better processor under the hood, and a new trick with the glowing LED on the top, though Siri AI is coming… but only via a future software update.

It also comes with a notable price hike. In the US, the first-gen HomePod mini jumped from $99 to $129 in June, and now the HomePod mini 2 costs $149.99 — so that's a 50% upgrade over the price the original cost just five months ago. It’s up for preorder now, and will begin shipping on October 30. It's priced at £149 in the UK, and AU$229 in Australia.

Looks-wise, the HomePod mini 2 is still about the size and shape of an tennis ball, but with a flat top and bottom. Alongside White, Blue, and Midnight, new arrivals Green and Pink aim to offer a fresh pop of color. Fans of Yellow and Orange, which were options for the first HomePod mini, will likely be missing those — myself included.

Still, I’m a fan of the fresh Pink here. I saw it demoed in a stereo pair alongside the pink iMac, and there’s definitely some Cupertino synergy here. Beyond the fresh paint jobs, the HomePod mini 2 will still ship with a color-matched cord and USB-C power plug.

Under the hood, Apple has made the jump from an S5 chip to the S10 chip, which premiered inside the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and third-generation SE.

The new chip will be faster for processing, and will also improve connectivity, allowing for improved latency when the HomePod mini 2 is used as a dedicated speaker for a Mac — a new capability for this model. It can also be grouped with other HomePods as a surround sound setup for the new Apple TV 4K.

The S10 chip will also power a forthcoming free update to bring Siri AI to the speaker. When it does arrive, you can opt into the new, more personalized Siri through the Home app on your iPhone. The update will apply to your account, and if you’re in a shared household, other users will be able to make the jump too.

As with the Apple HomeView, you’ll need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and the new Siri, and that has recently connected to your Wi-Fi network. Once enabled, you can ask for more personal information from Siri, whether that’s finding a song your friend texted you, pulling information from your calendar, or handling any number of other tasks. There will be a bit of a wait for these Siri features, though, with no confirmed date.

The other big change is a fun one. The HomePod mini 2’s top is still a circular touch surface with LEDs underneath, but it's been updated. No, it’s not a full Liquid Retina display as on the HomeView, but the LEDs are more precise, and can now color-match the album art of whatever you’re listening to.

Think of the colorful glow in the iPhone’s Dynamic Island when a Now Playing widget is active. Whether you’re listening to Apple Music or Spotify, that color-matching effect can now translate to the top of the HomePod mini 2.

It’s a neat update, though the lights don’t get all that bright. In a demo, they matched the blues, whites, and violets of Olivia Rodrigo’s latest album while it was playing.

Potentially more interesting is that it works with soundscapes, too. I currently have two original HomePod minis on my nightstands, and use rain sounds to fall asleep, so the idea that the new model can visually reflect the pitter-patter of raindrops is intriguing. In a dark room, that gentle glow could be a soothing touch.

Aside from that, the HomePod mini 2 still offers the same rich, vibrant, and surprisingly loud playback experience for audio, podcasts, and other content. It’s again powered by a full-range driver, and dual passive radiators.

It sounded pretty great in the demos, and I’m especially pleased that two of these can be combined with a pair of second-generation HomePods for a full surround sound experience with the Apple TV 4K. You can of course also pair this HomePod with any other AirPlay speakers or the HomeView, too.

Apple is taking preorders for the HomePod mini 2 now, with shipping from October 30. That’s right before Halloween, and while Orange isn’t in the lineup anymore for a pumpkin look, you'll be able to ask Siri to serve up some spooky tunes.

• CMF by Nothing has the compact Speaker S and larger Speaker M
• Both tote Bluetooth 6.0, dual device connection, and multiple audio modes
• You can detach the speakers' panels and 3D print your own replacements

There are two new audio devices in town, and they come from Nothing’s sub-brand CMF — but they’ve attracted substantial attention in such little time for one particular reason.

Hot on the heels of the recent Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, the new Speaker S and Speaker M mark CMF’s portable speaker debut, mainly because of their quirky milk carton-inspired design which, as you can see, gives it quite an edge over the best Bluetooth speakers on the visual front. The smaller Speaker S is going for $59 / £49 / AU$119 and the larger Speaker M is $109 / $99 / AU$199, with both being available in white, dark grey, orange, and turquoise.

While both are affordable entry-level options, they’re built for different purposes. The Speaker S is more compact, designed for easy transportability and listening on the go, packing a ‘custom-tuned’ 45mm driver and two passive radiators. If filling a room with your favorite tunes for a party or gathering is the bigger priority, that’s where the Speaker M comes in handy, which packs a 60Hz–20kHz frequency range.

As far as their respective features go, that’s pretty much it, and despite the size difference there’s a lot of common ground between the two models sitting beneath its carton-like surface. For starters, both speakers give you 18 hours of playback at 50% volume with Ultra Bass on, an audio feature that adds a little impact to music that needs ‘extra weight’. Fast-charging for 10 minutes will also give you an hour’s worth of playback.

Both support Bluetooth 6.0, allowing a connection range of over 100 metres between the speaker and your connected device. If you find yourself flicking between two different devices to control your audio playback, both models support dual-connection, meaning you can move between devices without having to keep pairing them to your speaker each time. I can see this coming in handy if there are two passionate maestros at the same gathering who will stop at nothing to assume total control over the party’s soundtrack — sharing is caring.

Speaking of sharing, CMF’s new speakers offer an extensive range of playback options. Firstly, Stereo Mode turns two Speaker S or Speaker M devices into individual left and right output channels for a stereo pair. Party Mode is even more flexible however, giving you the freedom to pair both models together to beef up the sound, including, apparently, compatible models from other brands.

CMF is also taking its first speakers to another level by adding a unique customization element to the aesthetic. The front panels of both the Speaker S and Speaker M are removable, and can be swapped with another one of a different shade. CMF is also encouraging 3D printer owners to go ham on the creativity front, providing a guide for you to print your own custom panels and volume knobs so you can build your speaker around your home’s interior. It’s so extra, but I love the creative freedom.