Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro: Two-minute review

Anker's Soundcore sub-brand may not have a reputation for releasing the best earbuds that everyone raves about, but they tend to be solid pieces of kit. We gave the Soundcore Liberty 5 (yes, take care, because that's not these — and there's also a Pro Max to swerve in favor of these) a 3.5-star score, and that tends to be par for the course. Until now, that is.

With the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, there's been a change: it really feels like the brand is coming into its own, and it knows what buyers really want.

These are incredibly feature-stuffed headphones, with an app that'll boggle your mind given how many tools it offers. And they're all useful too: the ANC is very good, the listening test is handy and the array of array of little extras is impressive.

Particularly special is the quiet calling feature, so people you're speaking to on the phone can't hear what's going on around you. I hear many brands boast about their buds’ quiet call quality, with algorithms and microphones designed to wipe background sound from your voice in calls. Most of the time it’s bluff and bluster, but the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are the real deal.

I know this because, part-way through the review process, my mother called me while I was in a busy coffee shop. I apologized for the pop music being blasted over the speakers – I could barely hear myself think for Outkast’s Hey Ya! – and she asked me what music I was talking about. She’d have had no idea I was in a noisy space, had it not been for my telling her. If two thumbs up from my mom isn’t a glowing endorsement of tech, I don’t know what is.

I'd be remiss not to mention the Soundcore's fit too. The buds are nice and lightweight, with a ridge to help them lock in your ear. I never had any fit problems with them, and they stayed in place during runs and workouts.

What about the sound? The buds offer warm, bass-heavy music that'll please people who like thumping heavy rhythms. The audio quality won't endear the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro to audiophiles (do wireless earbuds at this level ever excite audiophiles?) but nevertheless it isn't at all bad. Sound quality may not be the highlight of these buds, but I still enjoyed listening to them during my testing.

My main gripes with the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro bypass the earpieces and their talents and really only concern the case. It has a small touchscreen strip, but it doesn't do enough to justify its existence (nor is it responsive enough for that). And the case is bigger than it should be as a result; I would've loved to see it lose the strip and shrink a little.

At least it's not the Liberty 5 Pro Max, with a giant case and big touchscreen. I tested that too, and you can read more about it later, but it's decidedly more of a professional-targeted device. Most buyers looking for some great earbuds would do better with these Pro-only earbuds: they're cheaper and you're only missing a few features — ones I think you may not use anyway.

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Price and release date

• Released on May 21, 2026
• They sell for $169.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300)
• Sitting between Liberty 5, and Liberty 5 Pro Max

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro were announced alongside a slew of other Anker products at the brand’s annual Anker Day, on May 21, 2026.

You can pick them up for $169.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300), so unlike many of the brand’s other pairs of earbuds, they’ve crept over the line: these aren’t budget buds, rather solidly mid-range ones. For a little context, the non-Pro model launched for $129 / £99 / AU$169, but went on sale a year prior, so have seen some discounts.

They launched alongside the Liberty 5 Pro Max, which sell for a fair bit more: $229.99 / £199.99 (roughly AU$400). We’ll get into these a little later; it’s best to treat them as a ‘Pro’ model to the Liberty 5 Pro (despite that being a little confusing), with a few extra tools for professionals, but no major advantage.

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Specs

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Features

• Impressive noise cancellation and clear calling
• Middling battery life, at 6.5 hours
• Absolutely loads of features via app

In the introduction to this review, I already waxed lyrical about the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro's quiet call tools. Suffice to say, it's just as impressive as it was when you read about it a few minutes ago: a real stand-out feature of the buds.

Quiet calls is one of the many benefits brought from the use of Anker’s Thus chip, with the brand’s decision to home-brew its own internals, and thus get to design its software and hardware in tandem, paying dividends.

Another example is noise cancellation, as the Liberty 5 Pro has some of the best I’ve used in a set of earbuds at its price point. It is able to eradicate the low, rumbling background hum of life, and drastically reduce louder sounds too — it even took a big chunk out of my coffee shop’s streaming of Hey Ya!.

In theory, battery life is another department that should benefit from Thus, and Anker puts the listening time per bud, with ANC on, at 6.5 hours. From my own testing, that’s an optimistic figure — my own listening time was a little south of that mark. The same is true with the overall case battery life, which Anker states as 28 hours. Don’t get me wrong: the battery life here is fine, but it’s nothing to write home about either.

If that sounds like a nice little haul of features already, just wait until you download the Soundcore app. If my editor didn’t think this section was too long already, just wait until we list what else you get with the buds.

This has all the basics: the ability to change between noise cancelling modes, customizable touch controls, Dolby Atmos, EQ presets, multi-point connection, fit tests, find-my earbuds, and an eight-band custom equalizer.

But you get a whole lot more: there's a listening test for custom EQ, a load of ambient soundscapes and listening modes, and even a built-in chat-bot called Anka which can give you suggestions for settings to change. There's a lot going on.

If anything, the app's a little confusingly laid out. If you select your earbuds, where most apps would put all the settings, you can only see a few. To find more, you need to press a little Settings cog which is easy to miss. And for many more options, you have to back out all the way to the main menu.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Design

• Kidney bean-shaped bud with tip and fin
• Reliable in-ear fit
• Touchscreen-toting case is a little bulky

Anker has opted for a kidney bean-shaped look for the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds; they bring to mind Samsung’s bean buds, but with a tip that you can use to put them in your ear. You can pick them up in blue, pink, white or black, and the buds and case come in the same hue.

Each earbud weighs 7g, is made of a solid-feeling plastic, and the other design feature of note is a little wing at the top to keep them locked in your ear. To be clear, the fit is much better than those older Samsung buds. That little wing works magically, and I took them to the gym and on countless runs without any inkling of them falling out.

The buds are IP55 protected, which means they’re protected from dust and low-pressure water jets (like rain or sweat) but aren’t suitable for swimming. You get touch controls on each bud, but you need to tap multiple times to achieve anything, and I found them unreliable for multi-tap commands.

Now onto the case; the 0.96-inch display on the front isn’t as much as selling point here as the Pro Max’s larger one is, but it’s not as much of a gimmick as to put off people who aren’t interested.

It sort of makes the case look like a very small '90s alarm clock. You can use its screen to quickly check the charge of the buds and enabled certain features; I found it pretty unresponsive and gave up using it for music control quite quickly, but perhaps a more patient user could persevere. I can see the quick access to EQ presets being pretty handy for certain people.

Due to its touchscreen, the Liberty 5 Pro's case is a little larger than most rivals', even if at 70g it's not unduly heavy. I found it a little on the large side to slip into my pocket; not perfect for people who like a tiny case. The sliding mechanism to reveal the buds felt quick and easy, but I'm curious about how long it'd lasting in the long term. Even over several weeks of using the buds, the sliding plane started to feel a little wobbly.

• Design score: 4/5

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Sound quality

• Using 45mm drivers
• Music is muffled, and tinny
• EQ doesn't help

Anker has put 9.2mm drivers in the Liberty 5 Pro Max, which I'm inclined to believe are the same pieces of kit that it used in the non-Pro buds. As with those other models, these aren't audiophile earbuds — the sound is way too warm for that — and instead they give the people what they want.

That's to say, they're bass-heavy and energetic buds, focused more on snappy lower frequencies and tender higher ones than an objectively natural, integrated hi-fi sound. Given how commonly this kind of sound profile is used in affordable and mid-range buds, I'm inclined to say it's popular, and Soundcore's done a great job hitting that target.

If you like lower-end clout in your sound, you'll be happy here. Any genre I tried, from rock to pop to dance, fared well. It was even solid for listening to genres that don't revel in excess bass, like classical, acoustic and jazz.

Bass injection is clearly the name of the game here, but for the most part, trebles and mids are just as forceful, offering an enjoyable amount of detail. Shane Smith & the Saints' Coast has a lovely delicate timbre in the acoustic guitar which you often miss, and some lovely harmonies in Last Sunrise In The Wasteland by At The End Of Times, Nothing came to the fore.

I'm not going to claim that these buds are perfect. At lower volumes, the Liberty 5 Pro lose trebles and mids at a disproportionate rate.

But the real 'problem' will likely come from the sound being divisive. The Liberty 5 Pro's bassy sound might not please everyone. It's right on the border of 'too much', sometimes offering a lovely thumping sound, but occasionally stepping over the line.

In songs like Gabriel Kelley's You Kill Me, bass guitar can overstep its role as an accompanying instrument, and step to the fore in a way that throws the song out of whack. At other times, it can just override some of the more sensitive instruments. More so than in most earbuds I test, you're going to have to get familiar with the EQ presets, and use them depending on which genre you prefer to listen to.

If that wasn't a problem for audiophiles, perhaps the relative lack of Bluetooth codec support is. You're getting Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification, but seemingly no bone thrown for LDAC, aptX or anything similar.

• Sound quality: 4/5

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: how about the Pro Max?

• Pro Max cost a little more
• Sound quality and battery life are identical
• Pro Max has larger case, one or two extra tools

Beyond being an absolute mouthful to say (or, in this case, write), the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max are very similar earbuds to the Pro. So much so, that instead of writing an entire separate review on them, I decided to give them a section of the Pro review. And why not the other way around? That's because the Pros are, in my opinion, the best buds for most people.

The Pro Max earbuds are exactly the same as the Pro's, in terms of design, sound quality, battery life and feature set (mainly). The Max comes in thanks to two additional features: you can use the case to record audio and provide quick transcripts, and for instant voice translation.

They're solid features, all right, but with more limited appeal. I can see them being handy for business users, but not so much for the average buyer.

Your other upgrade here is in the carry case: its display now takes up the entire top of the buds, and it offers loads more features. You can add a custom wallpaper, and use it for various tools, settings and modes, including (but not limited to) the aforementioned extra features.

Again, useful additions, but at the cost of an even larger carry case. It wasn't comfortable to keep in my pocket, that's for sure.

I'm not disputing that the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max are better earbuds. But for most people, I don't think they're enough to justify the extra cost. Only consider these if you'll really use

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Value

• Too expensive to be consumer cans
• Value for money if you need transmitter

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are reasonably priced, but you get what you pay for. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a good discount would tip these into the ‘amazing’ value for money camp.

The noise cancellation, sound quality and feature set are all really good for the price… but there are loads of other rivals at around the same price point that all offer suites that are good for the price. I've tested a few earbuds for even less, that impress me just as much.

At least the Anker Liberty Pro are better value money than the Pro Max. You’re paying more money, and getting a very similar product. For business users maybe, but I can’t see myself recommending them to most people, when the Pro is right there.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro review: Also consider

Want to see what other earbuds your money can get you? Here are some alternatives for roughly the same price.

How I tested the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro

• Tested for three weeks
• Paired with Android phone for variety of tasks
• Also used alongside Pro Max

I used the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro for three weeks before writing this review. I tested them alongside the Pro Max model.

During the testing process, the earbuds were connected to my Android smartphone. I used them for streaming Spotify Lossless music as well as Tidal and Apple Music, playing various games, streaming videos, conducting voice calls and going on video chats.

That listening went on at home, while at the gym, during runs, and on walks around my neighborhood. For certain areas, like ANC and sound quality, I have reference tests I conduct which lets me compare various earbuds.

I've reviewed earbuds and headphones for TechRadar for many years, including previous Anker products like the Space 2 over-ears earlier this year.

• First reviewed in June 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Shokz OpenDots 2: One Minute Review

Shokz, the company specializing in bone conduction and open-ear buds, returns to the clip-on form factor with the Shokz OpenDots 2. It’s worth noting that the OpenDots 2 are one of two pairs released at the same time: they arrive alongside the cheaper Shokz OpenDots Air, which are missing a few features like wireless charging, waterproofing and bone conduction mics.

The clip-on earbud form factor offers both pros and cons. On the one hand, the shape is light and comfortable to wear day-to-day, and doesn’t interfere with glasses in the same way an over-ear hook might. They look almost jewellery-like, with my testing pair sporting a metal-and-pearl off-white sheen, sitting like a helix piercing over my ears.

On the other hand, they’re much less stable than over-ear hooks, with some brands being very wobbly or prone to dislodging. While the OpenDots 2, like most clip-on headphones with big drivers at the back, do suffer from being easily dislodged by the accidental brush of a hand or a hood (you’ll want to take extra care during commutes if you’re crammed into someone’s armpit on the train), they tend to stay in when left alone.

You might think that without a seal around your ear canal the OpenDots 2 might come up short on sound, and compared to market leaders like Apple’s AirPods that’s largely true. However, for open-ear headphones, the sound quality is excellent, with powerful bass despite the lack of a seal, and very little leakage. A dedicated Private equalizer mode also reportedly works to reduce leakage, although during my tests, even on Standard my office colleagues couldn’t hear any sound leakage at all, even when I had the volume turned up to Spinal-Tap-11 levels. Other EQ modes in the Shokz app include Vocal and Bass, and a Smart EQ option also exists, with users taken through six ‘A or B’ comparisons to find their optimal EQ mode.

Battery life is strong, with Shokz citing “up to 40 hours” from a full charge of the case. Wireless charging takes 3.5 hours, and a full wired USB-C charge takes two hours.

The launch of the OpenDots 2 sees Shokz attempting to push its way into a crowded category. One Shokz representative told me the company was hoping to eventually ‘replace AirPods’, and while I can’t see that happening anytime soon, the OpenDots 2 are probably the strongest clip-on earbuds I’ve ever tried; certainly in terms of sound quality, they’re up there with the Bose Ultra Opens while surpassing them in the fit stakes. They’re high-quality, durable, attractive-looking, and stable when left alone — just be careful when pulling your hood down.

Shokz OpenDots 2: Specifications

Shokz OpenDots 2: Price and availability

• $199.95 in the US
• £179.99 in the UK
• AU$339 in Australia

The Shokz OpenDots 2 cost $199.95 in the US, £179.99 in the UK, and AU$339 in Australia. That’s not cheap, and comparable to the cost of AirPods 4 with ANC ($179 / £179 / AU$299) — and the OpenDots 2 aren’t as versatile, considering that they’re effectively always in ‘transparency mode’ due to their design. If most people are going to drop this sort of money on a pair of wireless earbuds, it’s likely to be on a set that can both block out noise entirely and allow it to filter through when needed.

That being said, they’re not badly pitched (sorry) in value, being cheaper than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which cost $299 / £299 / AU$449.95, at launch, and of similar quality. If you’re looking for cheaper options, the Shokz OpenDots Air are available at $129.95 / £129.99 / A$219, or you could opt for the Huawei Freeclip series.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Shokz OpenDots 2: Design

• Clamshell case
• Comfortable fit
• Some instability if knocked

The Shokz OpenDots 2 are designed in a similar way to most clip-on earbuds now: there’s a battery cylinder at the back featuring sensors with a tactile button, a driver designed to hover over the ear, and a band connecting the two, and gripping the device to the ear’s helix. In the case of the OpenDots 2, the speaker is in fact a sphere with two 11.8mm drivers facing inwards towards each other, creating a ball of sound, and a hole from which the sound is projected towards the eardrum.

From an aesthetics standpoint, the OpenDots 2 look very similar to the Bose Ultra Opens, right down to the mix of plastics and metallics on the buds and the clamshell case. That’s not a bad thing; they look very premium, and are extremely comfortable to wear. As a glasses wearer, I experienced none of the chafing or earache over-ear hooks give me, even when wearing the OpenDots 2 for long periods or during sweaty workouts. As mentioned, they can be knocked loose easily, and there’s no getting around this, as it’s simply a design issue with almost all clip-ons. Pulling a hood back immediately risks pulling out your expensive earbuds and sending them clattering to the floor.

The controls are intuitive — you can pause, play, adjust volume or cycle through tracks by pinching the barrels or tapping the bridges of the earbuds. The OpenDots 2 pack IP55 waterproofing, meaning they can withstand sweat, rain and dust but are unlikely to survive prolonged submersion or high-pressure washing. The case isn't waterproof either, so don’t leave them in your pocket and put them in the washing machine!

• Design score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots 2: Features

• Four EQ modes
• Multipoint connectivity
• Custom EQs to tailor sound to your liking

Despite being focused on open-ear products, Shokz is clearly working on sound and pitching the OpenDots 2 at everyday audiophiles rather than athletes. With four equalizer modes — Standard, Bass, Vocal and Private — plus a Custom EQ option, you’re able to tweak the sound to suit your needs and preferences.

After going through the custom EQ setup, which asks you six times to choose between two different versions of the same track, I noticed only a very minor difference to Standard, with slightly more powerful bass and clearer mids. This probably speaks to the quality of Shokz’ already excellent sound mixing, particularly on an open-ear bud.

Multipoint connectivity allows for two devices to connect via Bluetooth simultaneously, and I’ve been switching seamlessly between my phone and laptop with no issues. The option to use wireless charging is nice too. AI-powered call noise reduction with dual bone-conduction and ‘air conduction’ microphones makes calls sound nice and clear.

The OpenDots 2 are not packed with features such as live translation and heart rate sensing like Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, but they’re certainly not bad for the price.

• Features score: 4/5

Shokz OpenDots 2: Performance

• Great sound
• Stable fit, apart from on contact
• Good battery life

The sound delivered by the Shokz OpenDots 2 is excellent, considering that these are open-ear headphones: they’re meaty and bassy, with minimal leakage even at higher volumes. In the office, I wore them comfortably all day while using my laptop, transitioning to my phone when I left the office, and only removing them to show curious colleagues, or pausing via a tap to have a conversation. Most outside sounds were blocked in a way that they aren’t with bone conduction headphones, as you have a driver sitting right over the top of your ear canal pumping vibrations down to your eardrum, whereas with the likes of the OpenRun Pro 2 your canal is left truly open.

However, while on a 10K run I kept my headphones on a low-to-middle volume, and I was still able to hear the bells of passing bikes and the occasional twitter of birds, so the open-ear design still does its job admirably. On my very sweaty run, the buds didn’t feel like they were pendulously wobbling, and I was able to pound the pavement and even shake my head without being afraid that they would dislodge. Only a nudge of my hand would cause them to come loose.

I find the OpenDots' listed battery stats to be largely accurate: I’ve been using these headphones for the better part of a week as I write this review, and only now is the case at 10% battery, with the buds themselves still on a full charge, and good for a further 10 hours.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots 2: Scorecard

Shokz OpenDots 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Shokz OpenDots 2 for a week in different scenarios. I used them on my commute, in work, on a 10K run, in the gym, and even while sleeping, making use of the custom EQ functionality, asking colleagues if they could hear the audio I was listening to at various volumes, and testing their multipoint connectivity features.

First reviewed: June 2026

Khadas Tea Pro review: two minute review

The Khadas Tea Pro headphone amplifier is a slim and lightweight external DAC/amp that works across most devices — iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux — and is particularly good for smartphones with MagSafe or magnetic cases.

The Tea Pro connects via USB-C and delivers both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm stereo outputs, with support for up to 768kHz PCM and DSD512 audio. It also has Bluetooth 5.4 input with aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and LDAC as well as the obligatory SBC and AAC. The integrated battery promises up to 8 hours of CD quality listening over USB-C and 11 hours using AAC on Bluetooth.

Although there's Bluetooth on board at up to 96kHz PCM, for best results you want to use this device as a wired DAC/amp. The Bluetooth performance isn't bad by any means, but the Tea Pro delivers higher resolution audio via USB-C.

FiiO TT13 review: price and release date

• Released August 2025
• Priced $199 / £199 (about AU$375)

The Khadas Tea Pro was launched in August 2025 with a recommended price tag of $199 / £199 (about AU$375) and is available with a choice of two cables: USB-C to USB-C, or Lightning to USB-C for older iPhones and iPads. Although it's twice the price of the original and well-received Tea it's a very significant upgrade with significantly higher sound quality, better Bluetooth, an integrated display and more headphone options.

Khadas Tea Pro review: features

• MagSafe attachment
• Bluetooth or USB-C
• Excellent hi-res support

Although it's compatible with almost anything with a USB port, the Tea Pro is clearly intended for MagSafe iPhones (iPhone 12 onwards) or phones in magnetic cases. That enables it to clip securely to the back of your phone, and it's a strong connection both directly and through a compatible phone case.

There are two headphone jacks here: a 4.4mm balanced output delivering up to 180mW at 16.5 Ω, and a 3.5mm jack putting out up to 100mW at 16.5 Ω. There's also a built-in microphone for voice calling. If you have headphones with their own mic connected to the 3.5mm jack, the headphone mic will take precedence over the Tea Pro's mic.

The ESS ES9039Q2M DAC supports sample rates of up to 768kHz PCM and DSD512, with a signal to noise ratio of up to 122dB. A Qualcomm QCC5181 takes care of the wireless features, with support for SBC / AAC / aptX / aptX Adaptive / aptX HD / LDAC over Bluetooth 5.4.

There are seven EQ presets for different musical genres, and you can also set your own EQ via the 10-band custom EQ. That delivers adjustable gain from -12dB to +12dB.

The internal battery is 2,100mAh and promises up to 11 hours of listening depending on the audio format you're using: 11 hours with AAC over Bluetooth and 8 hours of CD audio over USB-C. The Tea Pro can also recharge from your phone when its battery is low if you enable Device Charging in its settings menu.

Features score: 5 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: sound quality

• Good on Bluetooth, better on USB
• Wide soundstage and good clarity
• EQ presets best ignored

The Tea Pro delivers a neutral sound, and with high gain on it delivered an impressively propulsive performance on my open-back BeyerDynamics; I'd have liked to drive them a little louder but there's more than enough power for sensible listening levels. Bass is generally clear and well defined and highs are airy without being harsh, and things only started to get uncomfortable when both iPhone and Tea Pro were at their highest volume levels on very bright or bassy tracks.

As fun as the Tea Pro is over Bluetooth, it's better still with a USB-C connection. It's louder, more defined and more spacious, with the likes of Robyn's Dopamine delivering more punch than over wireless. There's a nice wide soundstage, with tracks like U2's remastered Zoo Station sounding suitably widescreen and Talk Talk's New Grass delivering impressive airiness.

The Tea Pro is very good for a portable DAC/amp, although I did notice a difference on tracks such as Little Simz and Obongjayar's Point and Kill that showed up the relative lack of headroom compared to a desktop device: on my desktop DAC/amp the serpentine bass is noticeably clearer and more distinct, the whole track feeling much more airy, whereas on the Tea Pro the low end was less defined and the track a little boxy. I found that the on-board EQ presets made that more apparent, dulling the sound. I much preferred leaving the EQ off altogether on my better headphones, although I did need to cut the highs for IEM listening to reduce the harshness they're prone to.

Sound quality: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: design

• Very Apple-like appearance
• Tiny screen in a big bit of glass
• A little fiddly when magnetically mounted

The Tea Pro is a good-looking thing. It looks decidedly Apple-esque, with a very slim 7.85mm machined aluminium casing, curved edges and two large black glass sections: the status display area, which looks big but contains a fairly small 0.95-inch AMOLED screen, and a smaller lozenge displaying the Tea logo. That lower lozenge is functional as well as decorative, as it ensures your phone won't wobble when you put it on a desktop or other flat surface.

Buttons are kept to a minimum. On the left there's a power button and a menu/confirm button, and on the right there are volume up and down controls. The slim size of the Tea Pro makes them a little fiddly to access when the device is attached to your phone, but not impossibly so. That's not an issue if you're connecting with the supplied 10cm USB-C cable.

Inevitably adding a magnetic item to your phone adds weight, but the Tea Pro isn't too bad: at 96g it's lighter than Apple's own similarly sized MagSafe power bank.

Design score: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: ease of use and setup

• Simple pairing/connection
• Simple menu system
• Tiny text in display

Pairing over Bluetooth is effortless and the menu system is simple: it gives you access to filters, EQ, high and low gain options, device settings, headphone options and so on. The text is exceptionally small, however, so it's handy that you can also access settings via the companion iOS/Android app.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: value

• Nice sound and premium appearance
• Pricey for a portable DAC
• Some rivals are more powerful and a lot less expensive

It's clear that some of the price tag here is for that aluminum body and extensive use of glass: rival headphone DAC/amps cost a lot less but look and feel a lot less special. If you're happy to pay a premium for solid build and stylish looks then this is a good choice with excellent iPhone attachment and good compatibility with other devices too.

Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Khadas Tea Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Khadas Tea Pro review: Also consider

The cassette-themed FiiO KA15 is cute, fun, sounds good and comes in at half the price of the Tea Pro, delivering both 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs with a desktop mode that puts out much higher power than the Tea Pro can deliver. The iFi Go Link 2 is cheaper still and particularly good if all you want to do is add wired headphones to a USB-C device such as a phone or tablet.

How I tested the Khadas Tea Pro

• Wired open and closed back headphones and IEMs
• Lossy streaming, lossless FLAC and Logic Pro projects

I spent a week listening to the Tea Pro via my usual headphones: BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro open-back and DT770 closed-back headphones at home and work, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs outdoors and on public transport. I listened to lossy and lossless streaming and uncompressed FLACs on my iPhone 16 Pro.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

LG B6 OLED TV: Two minute review

The LG B6 is the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s 2026 TV lineup. While it provides a brightness boost over its predecessor, the LG B5, which I rated as one of 2025’s best TVs, the LG B6 doesn’t deliver the full and clear upgrade I was hoping for.

The LG B6 has a full suite of features and still delivers great performance, but as long as the LG B5 remains in stock and is less expensive, the new model is held back from being an unqualified pick by a few issues.

The biggest change over the B5 is the B6’s higher brightness. Bright scenes have more impact, highlights are mostly punchier and colors benefit, looking that little more vibrant. Contrast is powerful and appears stronger thanks to the brightness increase, while textures are crisp, as you’d expect from the best OLED TVs.

However, the LG B6 had more of a green tint than its predecessor when compared side-by-side. This meant that despite its improvements, the B6’s picture wasn’t the full step-up over the B5 that I was looking for — it giveth on one hand, and taketh on the other. Viewed in isolation, the B6 is still a great looking TV, though — the thing about slightly color tints is that your eye gets used to them quickly and then you can just focus on the image.

Much like previous years, the B6’s 2.0 channel speaker system is solid for day to day viewing with clear speech and it is accurate with some solid detail for movies. Bass however is limited and the soundstage is narrow. If you’re after the cinematic experience and want the sound to match the picture, I’d add one of the best soundbars.

The B6 is easily one of 2026’s best gaming TVs. It has a full array of features on all four HDMI ports — 4K 120Hz, full variable refresh rate options, HGiG, auto low latency mode, Dolby Vision Gaming — and has four HDMI 2.1 ports. An 8.9ms measured input lag means performance is smooth with razor-sharp response time, and the picture looks superb while gaming. If you’re looking for a gaming OLED, this is an excellent choice.

The webOS 26 smart TV software doesn’t reinvent the wheel compared to webOS 25, but it didn’t need to. What webOS 26 does is make navigation easier with a new menu layout, more Quick Cards and more customization. While the banner ad on the home screen is annoying, it’s the only wrinkle in webOS 26, which I rate as one of the best smart TV platforms on offer.

But as I alluded to above, while I think the B6 is a great TV overall, the B5 is definitely the better option while it’s available. The 65-inch B6 I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295 (with a cheaper B6E option available for £1,799 in the UK).

While this is a decent price and similar to the B5’s launch prices, the B6 doesn’t change enough to recommend it over the B5 if you're buying around its launch time. If it's a great-value entry-level OLED you want, I'd spend less on the LG B5.

If you have the budget right now, I’d definitely opt for the LG C6 (65-inch model priced at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995) as my preferred choice. It's the best upgrade to LG’s OLED lineup in 2026, and provides even better brightness and picture than the B6, but with impeccable colors.

LG B6 review: Prices & release date

• Release date: May 2026
• 48-inch: $TBA / £1,299 / AU$1,995
• 55-inch: $TBA / £1,599 / AU$2,495
• 65-inch: $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295
• 77-inch: $,2799 / £TBA / AU$TBA
• 83-inch: $4,499 / £TBA / AU$TBA

The LG B6 is the entry level OLED in LG’s 2026 OLED TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range LG C6 and flagship LG G6 and LG W6 (also known as the Wallpaper). The 65-inch model I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295 officially, which is the same launch prices as last year’s LG B5.

It’s worth noting that in some regions there are two LG B6 models: the B65 and the B6E. I asked LG what the differences between the two are, and it said the B6E does not have the following features: Precision Picture Master Pro, Precision Sound Master Pro, and it does not have the marble effect design on the back.

Other than this they should be the same, making the B6E by far the better deal, because I don't particular rate these features, LG's suggestion is that they have the same panel and Dolby Vision support otherwise. A 65-inch LG B6E model costs £1,999 in the UK, a full £400 cheaper.

LG B5 review: Specs

LG B6 review: Benchmark results

LG B6 review: Features

• Alpha 8 AI Gen 3 processor is a good mid-range processor
• 4K 120Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync across all four HDMI 2.1 ports
• Higher brightness than the LG B5

The B6 uses a W-OLED panel, much like its predecessor. However, there has been a brightness boost (I’ll get into that below in the Picture Quality section) that would suggest it’s using the new OLED SE panel: a cheaper, brighter WOLED panel that we saw in action in the Panasonic Z86C, which is that company's new entry-level OLED for 2026.

The B6 comes with the Alpha 8 AI Gen 3 processor, which introduces a couple of new picture and sound tools such as the Precision Picture Master Pro and Precision Sound Pro, which both aim to upscale picture and audio respectively. It’s worth noting the B6E, a cheaper B6 model available in some regions including the UK, does not support these features.

The B6 supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos for enhanced audio, but it does not support HDR10+ or DTS, the same as 2025. LG says it currently has no plans to support Dolby Vision 2. The B6 also supports Chromecast and AirPlay 2.

For audio, the B6 has a built-in 2.0 channel, 20W speaker system: the same as the B5 from last year. This year, much like the LG G6 and C6, the number of sound presets has been reduced to four, including AI Sound Pro, and Clear Voice for dialogue enhancement.

The B6 uses webOS 26, which introduces some refined AI features, such as AI concierge which now uses AI companions such as Gemini for lifestyle uses such as planning trips. The menu layout has also been re-ordered in order to prioritize major settings such as Energy Saving and Network.

For gaming, the B6 carries over the same features from the B5: 4K 120Hz, full VRR support including both FreeSync and G-Sync, auto low latency mode and Dolby Vision Gaming, all featured on four HDMI 2.1 ports. Game Optimizer returns with additional settings for gaming, including the Prevent Input Delay option.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Picture quality

• Brighter than its predecessor
• Crisp detail and strong contrast
• Green tint visible in some scenes

Starting with measurements, the biggest difference between the B6 and last year’s B5 is the boost in HDR peak brightness. The B6 measured 835 nits in Filmmaker Mode, 895 nits in Cinema mode and 740 nits in Standard mode. These are big jumps over the B5’s 668 nits in Cinema mode and 637 nits in Standard mode.

For fullscreen HDR brightness, the jump hasn’t been quite as significant, with the B6 measuring 154 nits in Cinema Home, compared to 131 nits of the B5 in the same mode. In fact, there was even a drop in Standard mode, with the B6 measuring 150 nits compared to the B5’s 172 nits.

Moving to real-world testing, I found myself switching between Filmmaker Mode and Cinema Home depending on the content. Both picture modes looked good, but Filmmaker Mode suited darker, more contrast-y scenes, while Cinema Home looked great with colors and animation.

The B6 did a good job with SDR content. Watching an HD stream of Fight Club on Disney Plus, it upscaled textures to give them a crisper look and added some brightness that delivered stronger perceived contrast compared to some cheaper TVs I’d done this test on.

With lower-resolution content, such as YouTube videos, the B6 did a decent job upscaling textures and boosting colors to give them a better look, but ultimately the image didn’t hit 4K levels. There is a Precision HDR Master Pro setting in the main B6 model (not the B6E) which did sharpen textures when activated, but it was too artificial for my liking.

Watching a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia, the white sands of the desert did indeed look brighter on the B6 compared to the B5 when I compared the two side by side, showing the brightness boost was real.

In Dark City, as John is in the automat, the highlights from the overhead lights and the yellow walls also looked brighter on the B6.

However, during my B6 and B5 comparison, the scene from Dark City was the first to tip me off on a potential issue with the B6: green tint. The yellow walls of the automat seemed to have a green hue on them on both the B6 and B5, but it was more noticeable on the new model.

The B6 demonstrated strong contrast with deep dark tones in high contrast scenes. It also had a higher perceived contrast over the B5 thanks to the brightness boost. In The Batman, as Batman wanders the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house, the balance between the light tones from the lamps on the wall and the dark tones of the dark-panel wood walls was excellent.

Unfortunately, The Batman also exemplified the green tint issue on the B6 compared to the B5. In the subway scene, the rear walls looked more green on the B6, looking like the gray I expected on the B5. Maybe I got unlucky with my review unit, but it was definitely worth noting as green tint has been a criticism of LG’s OLED TVs before.

The B6 delivers bold, rich colors that benefitted from the new brightness boost. A Dolby Vision stream of Elemental on Disney Plus really showcased them, with the blues of Wade and his family, and the oranges and reds of Ember dazzling on screen. As Ember mends a vase, the purples and oranges of the new vase glistened, showing strong highlights.

In the ‘Wizard and I’ scene, as Elphaba stands under a tree with pink flowers, said flowers popped on screen, but still had great color depth.

The B6 delivered a measured HDR color gamut coverage of 97.4% of the DCI-P3 and 72.5% of the BT.2020 color spaces. While these aren’t bad results (we have a 95% threshold for DCI-P3, and are generally happy with a score above this), these numbers were oddly lower than the B5’s. The B5 had measured results of 99.5% and 74.85% in the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces respectively.

Viewed in isolation, the B6’s colors and contrast were actually very good but it just seemed a shame that I knew how good the B5 looked in comparison in some scenes. With the added brightness, I was hoping for a bigger picture upgrade.

Outside of this, the B6 showcased excellent textures, striking a nice balance between crisp and natural. Throughout my testing, people’s skin looked realistic while finer details such as hair appeared refined.

Much like the G6 and the C6, the B6 benefitted from using the TruMotion feature. For movies, Cinematic Movement was more than enough, reducing judder in a panning shot of a cliffside cemetery in No Time To Die. With sports, the Natural motion setting worked better, doing more smoothing and judder reduction which worked better.

The B6’s screen is however prone to mirror-like reflections, especially with darker scenes. Even some brighter, more colorful scenes struggled under our testing lab’s overhead lights in Filmmaker Mode. It would be nice to see some more effective anti-reflection measures brought to the B6, as I know it's possible from my review of the LG G6.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

LG B6 review: Sound quality

• 2.0 channel, 20W speakers
• Decent sound overall but definitely benefits from a soundbar
• Fewer sound modes than last year

The B6 comes with a 2.0 channel, 20W speaker system and supports Dolby Atmos (but not DTS). LG has reduced the number of sound presets from previous years, dropping the number from eight to four.

These four presets are Standard, AI Sound Pro, Clear Voice Pro and Sound Wizard. As my go-to Cinema preset had been removed, I opted for my backup: AI Sound Pro.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the B6 showcased accurate image mapping, accurately following the direction of swerving traffic and the bullet sprays from the Penguin’s gun.

The same was true playing Battlefield V, as the B6’s speakers did a good job picking out subtle effects such as the crunching leaves underfoot in a forest mission.

Speech was clear enough throughout my testing as well, with most dialogue easily audible over the rest of the soundtrack.

Due to its limited 2.0 channel speaker system however, the sound doesn’t match the picture in quality. Bass felt very contained and while there was some rumble as the Batmobile ignited its engine, it felt thin in places.

The soundstage also felt narrow, never truly extending beyond the confines of the screen. Atmos effects, such as the rain in The Batman, felt limited too. I’d recommend a soundbar if you want sound impact to match the quality of the visuals.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

LG B5 review: Design

• Mostly premium build
• Feet are plastic this year instead of metal
• UK Magic Remote could do with an update

The 65-inch B6 I tested had a mostly premium build and design. It has a trim frame and near bezel-less screen allowing the picture to be the focal point. While it’s a small touch, the marble effect on the rear panel made it feel a little more premium, although it’s again worth noting this is only on the main B6 model and not the cheaper B6E.

One thing I was disappointed to find was that the B6 unit I was testing had plastic feet, compared to the B5’s metal feet. While the plastic feet were more than sturdy enough, it did detract from the B6’s overall premium design.

LG’s Magic Remote hasn’t had many updates in recent years in the UK other than the re-arranging and addition and removal of certain buttons, with the AI button taking center stage this year, and it could do with a refresh.

The US has the sleeker AI Smart Remote, but again when brands like Sony, Philips and Hisense offer more heavy duty, metal remotes, LG’s offering could be a bit more premium.

• Design score: 4 / 5

LG B6 review: Smart TV & menus

• Uses LG's webOS 26 smart TV platform
• Streamlined menus and more Quick Cards for easy navigation to key options
• Ads are annoying, but equivalent to other platforms

The B6 uses LG’s own webOS 26 as its smart TV platform. While webOS 25 was about the introduction of AI features — such as AI Concierge, for content recommendation and information, and AI Search, for advanced content searching — webOS 26 looks at refining menus for easier navigation while adding some new features.

Quick Cards, a place where relevant apps are organized by categories such as Sports, Game and Office, are back and some new ones have been added including Learning.

The Quick Menu, where picture and sound modes can be altered super-quickly without getting deep into menus, continues to be one of the webOS’ standout features.

webOS 26 is also very easy to navigate, with an intuitive menu layout that’s been re-organized for this year to make access to settings such as Energy Saving and Network easier, and these small changes have made navigation even smoother.

Unfortunately, the home page still features a large banner ad space at the very top of the screen which does push down the apps a bit. This is fairly common among modern smart TV platforms however and this is my only real complaint with webOS 26. It’s still one of the best OS on the market.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Gaming

• 4K 120Hz and full variable refresh rate support
• 8.9ms input lag at 60Hz, 4.9ms at 120Hz
• Excellent features and performance

The B6 comes with a full suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz, variable refresh rate including both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, auto low latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming, with all features supported across four HDMI 2.1 ports.

The B6 had a measured input lag time of 8.9ms at 4K 60Hz (in Boost mode), which is a superb result and up there with the very best gaming TVs. It registered a 4.9ms input lag at 1080p 120Hz.

Gaming performance on the B6 is excellent. Playing a mission in Battlefield V, the B6 handled the chaotic gunfights which involved a lot of quick movement and targeting with ease, with inputs feeling very smooth. As I flew around the desert in a plane, the sudden changes in flight path felt effortless and intuitive.

Battlefield V also looked great on the B6, delivering some nice brightness during the desert mission, with the sun on the horizon showing the B6’s strong HDR highlights. Textures were crisp with some nice detail in the weapons and environments as well.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG B6 review: Value

• Great features and good performance
• Not the clear upgrade I wanted
• B5 is the better option while available, C6 is better when prices are close

The B6 is an interesting TV when it comes to value. The 65-inch model I tested costs $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$3,295, while the 65-inch LG C6 step-up TV currently costs $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, meaning the B6 has a good price gap in US and Australia, but it’s close in the UK — too close, frankly.

There's a good reason to choose the B6 instead of the C6 in the UK and Aus when you're saving that much, but in the UK I'd absolutely choose the C6 given the close prices. That's complicated by the existence of the cheaper B6E, which a 65-inch costs £1,799: excellent value for a brand new OLED that size.

That being said, the B6 isn’t the full upgrade I wanted over the B5, unlike the C6 which is a superb upgrade over its predecessor, the C5. While the B6 delivers higher brightness and still excellent picture quality, it has some picture inconsistencies (particularly the green tint) so you're trading improvements in one area to steps back in another.

As a result, while the B5 is still available, I’d recommend it over the B6. A 65-inch B5 currently costs $999 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, which is a steal for that TV. Stock does seem to be dwindling in some regions already however, and when it disappears, the B6 is worthy of taking its place once it drops in price to the same kind of level.

Ultimately if you want a real upgrade, the C6 is the top dog but if it’s not in your budget, the B6 is still a very good TV.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the LG B6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

LG B6 review: Also Consider

How I tested the LG B6 OLED TV

• Tested in different lighting conditions over a couple of weeks
• Tested using both HDR and SDR sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

The first steps for my testing was to do some casual viewing to establish which picture modes were the best for the LG B6. I found that both Filmmaker Mode and Cinema Home worked for movies, depending on the type of movie, whereas Standard worked best for sports.

Once this was done, I started my critical viewing using some reference scenes I use for testing, including HDR (4K Blu-ray and streaming) and SDR (DVD, YouTube, broadcast TV) sources. I also used Prime Video and HBO Max to test sports on the B6.

I used these scenes to analyze the B6's picture, focusing on color, accuracy, contrast, detail, motion, upscaling and more. I also used other scenes to test the B6's built-in speakers.

For 4K Blu-ray, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player and for gaming I used and Xbox Series X.

Moving on to objective testing I used specizlied equipment to take measurements of the B6. This included a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, with a focus on 10% and 100% windows, for peak and fullscreen brightness, respectively. I also tested the B6's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3.

I also tested the B5's coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the B5's input lag in milliseconds.

I also recorded the B6's HDR EOTF results with 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits targets. I also used a Jeti Spectral 15a to take the B6's Spectral Power Distribution.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

• First reviewed: May, 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Two minute review

The Samsung HW-Q990H continues the high standard set by its predecessors, which are reliably among the best soundbars on the market, delivering a full, multi-box Dolby Atmos experience for one of the most competitive prices around. While it doesn’t offer that many changes from its predecessor, it’s still a fantastic system.

An 11.1.4 channel soundbar system, the Q990H is packed with superb sound-enhancing features such as SpaceFit Sound Pro and Q-Symphony, which add more layers to its already excellent sound. Sound Elevation (where sound is raised to the height of the TV itself) is one of two new features introduced, and while I didn’t use it for much of my testing, it could be useful depending on your circumstances.

It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X enhanced audio formats, and there’s even support for 4K 120Hz and VRR passthrough in the soundbar’s two HDMI 2.1 In ports — perfect for those who don’t own one of the best gaming TVs.

The Q990H’s performance is phenomenal. It delivers an immersive, powerful sound with bass that’s both meaty and controlled, aided by the returning small-sized, dual-driver subwoofer introduced in last year's Q990F. Sound mapping is accurate, with details placed precisely to the correct channels and connected with the action on screen. Speech is consistently clear, and Dolby Atmos effects are re-created faithfully with real clarity. While it doesn’t innovate much on last year’s Samsung HW-Q990F, it’s still a superb soundbar.

Design-wise, the Q990H benefits from the compact subwoofer, which is easy to position while still delivering excellent sound. While the soundbar itself feels sturdy and has a nice color to it, the actual grated design doesn’t feel as premium as 2024’s Samsung Q990D, and the alphanumeric display isn’t always the easiest to read, but is a welcome feature. It would be nice to see Samsung mix up the design of the flagship model in future.

The Q990H is incredibly easy to set up and use. Actual installation took a few minutes, and I used the SmartThings app to control EQ and other features, never running into any issues. There is a supplied remote for those who don’t want to use the app, but I suggest you give the app a try.

The Q990H is a premium soundbar system, and while it delivers the performance to back up its asking price of $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999, there aren’t a great many changes over its predecessor the Q990F. The latter is available for $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,599 at the time of writing, so it's the better option in my view. Once it disappears though, the Q990H is a more than worthy successor.

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Price and release date

• Release date: May 2026
• Price: $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999

The Samsung HW-Q990H is the flagship model in Samsung’s 2026 soundbar lineup. It sits above the Samsung HW-900H, HW-Q800H and the HW-QS90H, the latter of which is a follow-up to the Samsung QS700F from 2025.

The HW-Q990H’s launch prices are pretty consistent with its predecessor, the HW-Q990F, from last year. The Q990H is launching for £100 cheaper in the UK and AU$100 cheaper in Australia, however.

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Specs

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Features

• 11.1.4 channel soundbar system
• Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support
• HDMI 2.1 input ports rated for 4K 120Hz gaming

The Q990H doesn’t bring many new features to the table compared to last year’s Q990F, but that’s not a bad thing, as that soundbar's features were pretty impressive. The Q990H is an 11.1.4 channel soundbar system comprising four units: a main soundbar, a subwoofer (the same compact unit introduced with the Q990F), and two rear speakers. It has the same 23-speaker layout as the Q990F.

In terms of audio support, the Q990H supports Dolby Atmos and DTS: X sound formats, and there’s support for Eclipsa Audio, Samsung and Google’s joint foray into the 3D sound world. Wireless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are also supported.

Connections are the same as last year, with an HDMI eARC port for connection to your chosen display, as well as two HDMI In ports. Both are HDMI 2.1 and rated for 4K 120Hz gaming, and both support HDR10+ HDR. There's also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming.

The Q990H introduces two new sound features. Sound Elevation is designed to direct the sound towards the screen itself in order to create a more natural listening experience, while Auto Volume aims to reduce sudden spikes in volume when changing channels or content.

Returning sound-enhancing features include SpaceFit Sound Pro, which optimizes the sound profile to suit the environment you’re in; Adaptive Sound, which analyzes the content being played and adjusts it in real time; and Active Voice Amplifier Pro, which analyzes voices within a scene and optimizes them. The Q990H also supports Q-Symphony, which enables a compatible connected Samsung TV’s speakers to be employed to enhance the audio further.

There are a number of night-mode listening features as well, such as Private Audio, which directs the sound to the rear speakers, and Moderate Bass, which mutes the subwoofer and directs the bass to come from the soundbar itself.

The Q900H can be controlled by the SmartThings app, where adjustments to the EQ and sound levels for each channel can be made. You can also choose from the soundbar’s four listening modes here: Standard, Surround, AI and Game. The aforementioned sound enhancements can also be controlled via the app.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Performance

• Detailed expansive sound
• Powerful, controlled bass
• Great Atmos reproduction

Of the Q990H’s four sound presets (Standard, Surround, Game and AI) I chose Surround, as I felt it gave the most consistently immersive sound. I also used the SpaceFit Sound Pro setting to calibrate the soundbar to our testing lab, and this created a more immersive sound profile.

The Q990H’s sound placement and mapping are superb. Watching the Death Star attack run from Star Wars: A New Hope, the whir of the X-Wing’s engines came from the rear speakers, laser fire came from all around, and the flight paths of the various TIE fighters and X-Wings was accurately placed, making me feel like I was in the cockpit.

Watching The Batman, as Penguin fired a spray of bullets towards Catwoman, the sound travelled from the front to the rear channels, following the direction of the action on screen. In the chase sequence itself, the swerving of tires and blaring car horns travelled across the soundbar, again mapped perfectly.

The compact subwoofer first introduced in last year’s Q990F returns here, and I was reminded of how good it was. Despite its smaller stature, the Q990H’s subwoofer packs a mighty punch. As the Batmobile’s engine fires up in The Batman, the subwoofer delivered an almighty rumble that filled the room, accurately delivering the roar and the crunching gear changes during the driving sequences. Crucially however, the bass never got ahead of itself, as the subwoofer demonstrated excellent control, with the same gear changes delivered with great detail.

Speaking of detail, the Q990H delivers it in spades. During the Darkstar test flight in Top Gun: Maverick, subtle sound effects, such as the wind passing through the jet’s outer panels and the tightening of Maverick’s gloves are all well balanced with the bass of the jet engine and the loud beeps of the various displays.

The Q990H benefits from four height channels, meaning Atmos effects are reproduced accurately. As Maverick flies over Admiral Kane in Top Gun: Maverick, the sound of the Darkstar’s flight path went over my head, delivering an expansive sound. The same was true as TIE Fighters flew overhead in Star Wars, with height channels precisely following their iconic howling sound.

Throughout my testing, the Q990H’s front channels delivered crystal-clear speech, even in complicated scenes such as the Batmobile chase, accurately delivering the Penguin’s frantic shouts over the loud explosions and impacts.

As I tested the Q990H with the Samsung S95F, one of 2025’s best OLED TVs, I tried out the Q-Symphony setting. This added extra volume and more power to the front channels by using the S95F’s speakers, giving everything extra punch. If you don’t own a Samsung TV, fear not — this Q990H still sounds fantastic without Q-Symphony.

I tried out the new Sound Elevation feature, and while it did move the height of the sound effectively, it wasn’t necessary for my viewing. This could be a useful feature for those who wall-mount the soundbar, but I’d recommend giving it a try to see if it fits your environment.

The Q990H is also a solid soundbar for music. Listening to a Dolby Atmos version of Bad Bunny’s BAILE INoLVIDABLE, the Q990H delivered tightly controlled low-end from the track’s heavy bass synths and drums later in the song. The piano sounded detailed, and Bunny’s varied vocals were delivered accurately. High notes had plenty of brightness without sounding overbearing, and the horn section sounded punchy and detailed.

Switching to a heavier track, Dir En Grey’s Un Deux, the Q990H did a great job delivering the pounding guitars, crunching drums and Kyo’s soaring vocals, capturing the wide production of the track with its big soundstage. While other soundbars, such as the Sonos Arc Ultra, are better for music overall, the Q990H is still great.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Design

• Return of the brilliant compact subwoofer
• Sturdy build quality
• Design becoming familiar

The Q990H is almost identical in appearance to last year’s Q990F, which in turn felt like a cheapened design of the 2024 Samsung HW-Q990D. While the Q990H does have a sturdy, weighty build that feels premium, my criticisms of last year’s design remain.

The highlight is once again the compact subwoofer design. The dual-driver unit is weighty, but has a much more visually appealing cubed design. Due to its more compact size, it’s much easier to conceal than most subwoofers. The main soundbar measures 1232 x 70.8 x 138mm (48.5 x 2.8 x 5.4 inches), which was the exact width of the 55-inch Samsung S95F OLED TV I tested the soundbar with. It’s quite a deep soundbar however, so you may need to consider this when placing it.

The actual look and materials of the Q990H are the main issue. While the metallic grille that’s been used for years remains, the cheaper-looking grated design introduced in the Q990F is still here, and it doesn’t look as appealing as older models. The same is true of the rear speakers, which don’t feel or look as premium.

The alphanumeric display included can still be a challenge to a read, but it’s still welcome. While the Q990H’s overall design is fine, Samsung could stand to learn from other multi-box units, such as the JBL 1300Mk2.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Setup and usability

• Easy, hassle-free setup
• SmartThings app for control as well as remote
• Wireless connection between soundbar and other units

As I’ve found with the last few iterations of Samsung’s flagship soundbar, the Q990H was a breeze to set up. I simply connected the main soundbar to the TV via HDMI eARC, and then paired the subwoofer and rear speakers by holding down a button. At one point during my testing I had to disconnect and re-connect the same units due to a brief Wi-Fi issue, and this again took a matter of minutes.

The Q990H can be controlled by the supplied remote or the SmartThings app. I opted for the latter, and it allowed me to easily make adjustments to the EQ and sound levels as I saw fit, with said changes happening almost instantaneously. It’s worth trying out the app, but the Q990H also sounds great out of the box.

One quick note: Samsung advertises its new Samsung Sound app as the new control, though at the time of writing it doesn’t offer the full compatibility or support all the features of SmartThings, so you’re best sticking with the latter for now.

• Setup & usability score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Value

• Great flagship performance and features
• Still a premium price
• Only minor upgrades over predecessor

The Q990H is undoubtedly at the premium end of the soundbar market. Priced at $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999, it’s pricier than a lot of all-in-one options such as the Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120, as well as more budget surround sound models from the likes of JBL, Hisense and Ultimea.

Major rivals such as the JBL 1300MK2 are also available for less, with the 1300MK2 priced at $1,699 / £999 in the US and UK (it’s pricier in Australia at $AU2,299). That said, the 1300MK2 did launch several months ago, so its prices have had time to drop.

Still, the Q990H is a flagship soundbar that delivers phenomenal audio quality and comes with a ton of useful features, most prominently its HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming. Compared to said multi-box rivals, it’s also pretty fairly priced.

There is the small matter, however, of the Q990H’s predecessor, the Q990F, still being available. While the Q990H offers a couple of upgrades, the Q990F is still a fantastic soundbar in its own right, and at $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,599 it’s the better option right now. Once it disappears, though, the Q990H will make a worthy successor — and we’ll have hopefully seen some discounts by then.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung HW-Q990H?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung HW-Q990H

• Tested with the Samsung S95F OLED TV
• Tested using different sources
• Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround and stereo sound tested

I tested the Samsung HW-Q990H with the Samsung S95F OLED TV, which allowed me to test out the Q-Symphony feature, which employs the Samsung S95F's speakers in conjunction with the soundbar.

To test the Q990H soundbar, I used reference Dolby Atmos scenes that I also use to test TV speakers, namely The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick on 4K Blu-ray, and Star Wars: A New Hope for 4K streaming.

I used the Samsung SmartThings app to test out its sound features, including SpaceFit Sound Pro and Sound Elevation, as well as testing out its different sound presets.

I also tested the Samsung HW-Q990H's music capabilities using Dolby Atmos tracks such as Bad Bunny's BAILLE INoLVIDABLE, as well as stereo tracks such as Dir En Grey's Un Deux.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

Sony 1000X The Collexion: Two-minute review

The Sony 1000X The Collexion headphones arrive 10 years since Sony released the first set of headphones in its 1000X series, and to mark the occasion the Japanese tech giant has delivered its most expensive pair of wireless headphones ever. These are an ultra-premium pair of over-ears that are aimed squarely to be a rival to Apple’s AirPods Max 2.

And the Sony 1000X the Collexion really do feel like Sony’s attempt at going for the AirPods Max's popularity without the restrictive nature of that model’s iOS-centric feature-set. Everything from the sound signature through to the flatter design feels like a challenge to Apple, and, on a number of fronts, I’d argue that Sony has risen to said challenge.

Let’s start where it matters most and discuss sound quality. The Collexion (as I will call them) have an incredibly expansive, spacious soundstage, which provides plenty of room for individual instruments to express themselves.

Vocals and instruments are expertly separated, and there’s a fantastic degree of balance across the frequency range, resulting in nuanced, articulate sound. Combine that with using LDAC or lossless wired audio, and you’re in for a very detail-oriented listen.

The broad, roomy sound will certainly appeal to fans of the AirPods Max and their successor, although on a personal level, I did prefer the tighter and punchier sound signature of the Sony WH-1000XM6.

In terms of features, The Collexion riff heavily on what the XM6 had to offer, with impeccable touch controls, a 10-band custom equalizer, and third-party integrations like Spotify Tap and YouTube Music Quick Access. But there are some notable differences.

Here, users can access DSEE Ultimate for upscaling lower-quality files to 96kHz and 32-bit. This is enabled by a new V3 chip, which also powers some 360 Upmix audio modes for Music, Cinema, and Gaming, although these are unfortunately pretty poor, meaning I barely ever touched them. This is a shame, especially as the headphones have a dedicated button for such modes.

Noise cancelling is very good on The Collexion, and a 12-microphone system provides a solid barrier against traffic noise, surrounding chatter, and the like. Sony has been clear that the XM6 are more ANC-focused, and this came across in my testing, with a few more sounds seeping in with The Collexion — but what’s here still competes well against models like the AirPods Max 2 and bests the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2.

Something that has taken a substantial step down, however, is battery life. You’re only getting 24 hours now (with ANC on), which is a fair bit less than most of the competition. 30 hours is essentially a standard for premium wireless headphones now (in no small part thanks to it being Sony's usual benchmark), although The Collexion can still outlast the AirPods Max 2, which only manage about 20 hours of playtime.

I think these headphones largely nail their more luxurious design, though. They have a gorgeous faux-leather headband and earcups which both look and feel amazing, while titanium details also offer a nice contrast to that material, and make The Collexion stand out clearly over the more unified look of other models in the 1000X line, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5.

Generally, the headphones also feel very sturdy, and although they have a fair bit of weight to them, they’re less hefty than the AirPods Max 2. The Collexion are also exceedingly comfortable, and I felt happy using them for hours on end without ever feeling the need to adjust them.

All in all, then, the Sony 1000X The Collexion are a great pair of headphones that, on the whole, justify their asking price. Factors like their luxurious build, spacious sound, and solid feature-set mean they fare well against competitors in this price range.

There are some downsides, such as lower battery life and ANC power compared to the Sony WH-1000XM6, as well as the underwhelming 360 Upmix modes, but all in all, these headphones are worth considering for any who loves the feel of Sony headphones but wishes for a more revealing sound profile.

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Price and availability

• List price of $649 / £550 / AU$999.95
• Released in May 2026

The Collexion were officially unveiled in May 2026, about 10 years after Sony released the first set of headphones in its 1000X series. They’re the most premium wireless headphones on Sony’s roster, and have a list price of $649 / £550 / AU$999.95, meaning they’re $200 / £200 / AU$300 more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM6.

This puts them close to the AirPods Max 2 — though Apple has them undercut by a good $100 in the US, and £50 in the UK (they cost the same in Australia). Other notable competitors include the Dali IO-8 for £499 in the UK and AU$899 in Australia, though these cost a hefty $899 in the US. There's also the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 for $799 / £629 / AU$1,299.

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: specs

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Features

• ANC and battery life can’t match the XM6
• Best-in-class touch controls
• DSEE Ultimate for upscaling, plus LDAC and wired lossless available

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Sony 1000X The Collexion have a very similar featureset to the Sony WH-100XM6 — although there are some things that are exclusive to this pricier model, and some things they don’t do quite so well.

Let’s start with the new stuff. One brilliant addition is DSEE Ultimate. This technology is enabled by a new Integrated Processor V3 chip, and has never featured in a pair of Sony headphones until now (only in its music players).

DSEE Ultimate uses AI tech to upscale the sample rate of a lower-quality audio file (including stuff that's being compressed down for Bluetooth transmission) to 96kHz / 24-bit resolution. When using this on Spotify, a lot of the tracks I listen to regularly sounded a touch more detailed, and I highly recommend keeping this setting on.

On top of this, The Collexion bring high-resolution to the table via both wireless and wired means. First of all, these headphones feature LDAC for higher-res Bluetooth listening. This tech is still inherently lossy, but if you want to take a step up, you can connect the headphones to your listening device via a 3.5mm connection for wired lossless audio.

Something else enabled by the V3 chip is The Collexion’s 360 Upmix spatial audio modes. Although there’s no Dolby Atmos support, there are Music, Cinema, and Game modes, all of which take a standard audio signal and convert it into a more expansive format.

Unfortunately, I found that these upmixed modes produced poor audio quality, so even though the feature is enticing in theory, I barely made use of it — more on that later.

Still, there are plenty of great features on board, such as The Collexion’s top-tier touch controls. These are the same as on the XM6 — you can swipe to skip tracks and adjust volume, cover the right earcup to enable transparency mode on the fly, and double tap to play or pause your music.

The touch controls are incredibly responsive, and the decision to use a double tap to pause means I never accidentally triggered a command.

Call quality is also strong once again, with four feedback mics on the inside of the headphones. There’s also a 10-band equalizer and presets for personalized audio, multi-point connectivity, voice assistant compatibility, and third-party software integrations like Spotify Tap and YouTube Music Quick Access.

A lot of these settings are available in Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is relatively easy to use, but some settings are buried deep in numerous sub-menus, which can be a irritating at times.

Anyway, let’s talk about the most important feature of all: active noise cancellation. Again, you get the choice to use full ANC, a transparent ambient sound mode, or no noise cancelling at all. There’s also adaptive sound control, which switches settings depending on your environment and behaviour.

Just how good is the ANC here, though? Well, Sony was clear with us that The Collexion are less centered around ANC than the WH-1000XM6 — despite also containing the QN3 processor and 12-microphone system, just like those headphones.

And although noise cancelling is still very good on The Collexion headphones, with surrounding chatter and traffic noise kept quiet even at medium listening volumes, I could certainly tell the difference compared to the XM6. While listening to music, some higher-pitched sounds, like typing and taps running, as well as louder sounds like doors closing, could still be heard.

If you want best-in-class ANC, I’d stick with the XM6 — or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 — but otherwise, you’ll likely be satisfied with the noise cancelling available here.

One other feature that’s received a downgrade from the XM6 is battery life. You only get 24 hours here, which Sony says is a result of The Collexion’s flatter design in the earcups compared to the XM6, which offer 30 hours of playtime.

But let’s be honest: 24 hours just isn’t very good. It’s enough to last you through a long flight, and will likely get you through a few days at the office, but avid listeners will still have to charge their cans fairly regularly.

Ultimately, the standard in this bracket is 30 hours, although Sony still outdoes Apple here, with the AirPods Max 2 only able to manage 20 hours.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Sound quality

• Expansive, open sound is striking
• Sensational attention to detail using LDAC and wired lossless
• 360 Upmix modes are best avoided

If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that offer the sort of expansiveness that Apple’s AirPods Max 2 can, with all mod-cons available to you, but you don’t want the restrictions those impose on non-Apple devices, then I’d argue that The Collexion are the closest thing available.

These headphones conjure up an incredibly wide, spacious soundstage — using them, it feels as if you’re listening to music inside a large virtual room. They use a new 30mm driver, which has been redeveloped with soft edges and a harder center for enhanced detail and balance.

Listening to Voyager by Daft Punk, the airy synths sounded pleasantly forward, while the percussion occupied its own individual pocket, with plenty of room to express itself. Bass then entered the fray with tremendous impact, and came through with an almost three-dimensional quality. Spacey synths also carried a tremendous sense of space, while guitar licks danced away in the backdrop.

The headphones performed very well, no matter what genre I threw at them. With a deep house track like Planet 34 by Jesse Maas, the bass came through with admirable depth and agility, meaning the low-end sounded full and energetic rather than lethargic and ‘boomy’. Higher-pitched percussion in the treble range also maintained tight control, but never sounded blunt or underpowered.

Generally, there’s a pleasant balance right across the frequency range, and instrument separation is incredibly refined. Pair that with the headphones’ great attention to detail, and you’re in for a pleasantly nuanced listening experience.

I should be clear, however, that these headphones are at their best with some form of higher-res mode of listening. For instance, when I listened to Felini by Venerus and Marco Castello, I found that using LDAC over standard Bluetooth made a noticeable difference.

Vocals came through more naturally and articulately, while soft acoustic guitars sounded a little more expressive — the tune just had a more open, nuanced sound to it overall. This was also the case when using a wired connection, so if you want to experience The Collexion at their most intricate, make sure to use one of these options.

But how do The Collexion compare to the Sony WH-1000XM6? Well, The Collexion go for a more expansive and spacious sound, while the XM6 offer a tighter, punchier interpretation.

In Sadao Watanabe’s jazz-funk fusion record, Down East, I could detect a huge difference in the way that the headphones handled the smooth, funky bass. On the XM6, it was by no means overwhelming, but certainly impactful and slightly forward. There was still a solid amount of low-end weight on The Collexion, but the bass had a more spacious quality.

The Collexion’s more dispersed sound and almost distant low-end meant the track lost a bit of its bite, and I actually preferred the more direct approach of the XM6. There’s no doubt that The Collexion are capable of offering more space for individual instrumental elements to work their magic than the XM6, but some may actually prefer the tighter approach of the latter.

Ultimately, which you prefer is largely down to personal preference — I already preferred the sound signature of the WH-1000XM6 over the airy, broad approach of the AirPods Max 2, for instance, but I’m confident that both sound fantastic in unique ways.

One thing that did disappoint me, however, was the quality of the 360 Upmix modes. When using the Music mode, tracks sounded glaringly worse — vocals lost clarity, drums had a tinny edge, and keys in the mid-range lost their tonal accuracy. The Cinema mode was a bit better, but I still found speech to be less clear and defined, making for a weaker overall viewing experience.

This is a shame, given that the 360 Upmix modes are pitched as a major feature, and even have a dedicated button. But at the time of writing, they’re just not good enough.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Design

• Stunning faux-leather casing with titanium details
• Super-comfortable fit with plush earcups
• Slightly odd-looking case

Sony’s The Collexion headphones look strikingly different from models like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and XM5, combining a beautiful faux-leather exterior with metal details.

The look of the outer casing is top-class, and is a clear indicator that these headphones are a premium product. Even when I used touch controls, the textured feel of the faux-leather was incredibly satisfying — and these small touches go a long way when you’re spending north of $500 / £500 on headphones.

Dual-textured metal links the earcups to the headband, and the metal is used for the various buttons and ports, and I can see people being divided on how enticing this looks.

Where the XM6 went for an ultra-fluid, homogenous design, The Collexion go for more of a contrasting look, and overall, I’m a fan. When we attended the product launch, Sony told us it was aiming to create a “timeless design,” and although I’d argue that headphones like the Marshall Monitor III ANC — which have a gorgeous retro look — do this slightly better, I still like The Collexion’s aesthetic.

Although the Sony WH-1000XM6 are my go-to headphones, there’s always been one thing I’ve disliked about their design: the bulky-looking earcups. The Collexion have done away with this, in favor of flatter and slimmer earcups — similar to those of the Sonos Ace. They look fantastic, and although Sony told us that the more compact form was a large reason for the reduced battery life, I’m a big fan of this choice style-wise.

Despite their flatter earcups, the Collexion are actually quite a bit heavier than the XM6. Sony’s new cans come in at 0.7lbs / 320g, compared to the 0.6lbs / 254g of their cheaper cousin. This is likely a result of the more premium materials being used, but I never felt that the headphones were too hefty in-use, and they’re still considerably lighter than the 0.9lbs / 386g AirPods Max 2.

In fact, I’d argue that these headphones are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever used. Their plush earcups, cushioned headband, and low-pressure feel is sensational, and makes for incredibly comfortable listening sessions, no matter how long.

There’s a wider headband on this model than on the XM6, which means these headphones won’t clamp too hard if you place them around your neck.

There are a few physical buttons on board, for altering noise cancelling levels and turning the power on or off, and for when (or rather if) you want to sift through the 360-degree audio modes. The rest is down to the touch controls, which are best-in-class.

Although I’ve been full of praise up to this point, The Collexion do have a few potential drawbacks worth pointing to, design-wise.

The first is that they're not foldable. This is a shame, as I love the XM6’s foldability, especially if I’ve forgotten the case and want to place them in a small bag or larger-sized pocket.

Another thing I'm not super-keen on is the case. Like the XM6, the Collexion have a magnet-lock case, which is incredibly practical and good to see. However, the look of the case is… not the best. It almost looks like a mini handbag, and not an especially attractive one. You can see it just below.

This is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but personally I preferred the more simple look of the XM6’s case.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Value

• Very high asking price
• Justified in most areas, but less so in others
• Overall they still compete well against the likes of the AirPods Max 2

So, do the Sony 1000X The Collexion earn their high asking price? Well overall, I’d say they do — but the picture isn’t entirely black and white (unlike their color options).

At $649 / £550 (about AU$900), these are Sony’s priciest wireless headphones, coming it at around $200 / £200 more than the WH-1000XM6. That value is realized in many respects, with more spacious and detailed sound, better upscaling, and a considerably more premium build.

However, these headphones lag behind the XM6 when it comes to ANC and battery life. They still compete well in terms of noise cancelling, sound quality, and design against similarly priced rivals like the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 and the Apple AirPods Max 2, but if you want a true pair of all-rounders with top bang-for-buck, then the XM6 would still be my top recommendation.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: Also consider

Sony 1000X The Collexion review: How I tested

• I tested them for just under two weeks
• I predominantly tested them using Tidal
• Tested in real-world conditions

I spent more than a week testing the Sony 1000X The Collexion headphones, during which time I tested them in as many real-world situations as I could, to test the active noise cancellation.

Although I dipped into apps like Spotify, I predominantly used Tidal to test their performance, due to its support of higher-resolution files. I began my testing by sifting through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres, but I also listened to hours' worth of tunes from my personal library.

I’ve spent years testing all sorts of audio gear here at TechRadar, ranging from party speakers to audiophile-friendly wired and wireless headphones. I also reviewed the Sony WH-1000XM6 and compared them to rivals from Bose, Apple, Bowers & Wilkins and more — I've been using the XM6 headphones for more than a year now, so I had a deep understanding of how The Collexion differed from their counterpart.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: May 2026

LG C6 OLED TV: Two-minute review

The LG C6 has a tough act to follow, because the LG C5 was one of the best TVs I tested in 2025. So I'm happy to report that not only does the LG C6 do everything the C5 can do, but its Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 image processor — the same one you’ll find in the flagship LG G6 TV — delivers a significant brightness boost and more refined picture quality overall, making the C6 a solid upgrade over its predecessor.

The 65-inch LG C6 I tested is priced at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995 at launch, which is the same launch price as the C5 in the US and Australia, but is cheaper in the UK, despite the upgrades.

It’s worth noting that the larger 77-inch and 83-inch models now fall under a new designation as the LG C6H, and use the upgraded Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel found in the flagship LG G6 and LG W6 models. As a result, they’ll likely perform somewhat differently to the model I tested, and we’re not including them as part of this review — we plan to review the C6H separately.

The C6’s picture quality is fantastic. Colors are punchy, vibrant and natural all at the same time, looking more accurate than the picture on last year’s C5 in my side-by-side testing. Its contrast is superb, with deep blacks, punchy highlights and refined shadow detail.

Textures are crisp, motion is smooth and natural, and it upscales non-4K HDR sources well. It does suffer from reflections in bright rooms, and I did notice some banding in gray areas, but this isn’t enough to detract from its overall quality, which is up there with that of the best OLED TVs.

Its built-in sound is solid overall. The AI Sound Pro mode delivers refined bass, great accuracy and clear dialogue. Dolby Atmos effects aren’t as pronounced as I’d like, and the soundstage can feel narrow at times, so while its sound is decent, I’d still connect one of the best soundbars to the LG C6 for a more cinematic experience.

The C6 is a phenomenal gaming TV. It delivers a full list of gaming features, including 4K 165Hz in the C-series for the first time, and its razor-sharp performance will make gamers very happy. Pair this with its awesome picture quality, and the C6 sets the bar as a best-in-class gaming display.

LG’s webOS continues to be one of the top smart TV platforms around, and while there are no big upgrades this year other than more generative AI options, the settings menus have been streamline to make navigation easier, and thanks to its new processor, performance is smoother than ever.

Ads at the top of the home page and on the screensaver are still an issue, but it’s nothing you won’t find on other smart TVs. Ultimately, webOS 26 is still great.

The C6 is a nice step up over the LG C5, and is very good value for what it delivers. However, the C5 is significantly cheaper, and still available at the start of 2026, so if you don’t want to wait for C6 prices to drop, the C5 is a much cheaper option right now.

For UK users looking for a 65-inch TV, I would also recommend the Philips OLED910 — it’s effectively a flagship OLED at a mid-range price. As the C6’s prices drop later in the year, though, it’ll become better value.

LG C6 review: Prices & release date

• Released in May 2026
• 42-inch: $1,399 / £1,299 / AU$1,995
• 48-inch: $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,395
• 55-inch: $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,995
• 65-inch: $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995

The LG C6 is available in 42-65-inch models, with the 77-inch and 83-inch models now listed as a new model called the LG C6H, which uses the upgraded Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel, as seen in the LG G6. I haven’t included the C6H’s pricing here, as we plan to review it later.

The 65-inch C6 I tested is launching at $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, which is the same price the C5 launched at in the US and Australia in 2025, but is cheaper than the C5’s launch price in the UK.

LG C6 review: Specs

LG C6 review: Benchmark results

LG C6 review: Features

• Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor is flagship-class with better color handling
• Gaming features are as good as it gets right now
• Dolby Vision and Atmos, but not HDR10+, DTS or Dolby Vision 2

The LG C6 is the mid-range OLED in LG’s 2026 TV lineup, sitting above the entry-level LG B6, and below the flagship LG G6 and the revived super-thin LG Wallpaper TV, known as the W6.

As mentioned, there are two LG C6 models this year: the standard C6 and the C6H. The former is available in sizes 42-65-inch, and uses what LG Display officially calls a "Tandem WOLED" panel, while the latter is available in 77-inch and 83-inch sizes only, and uses the "Primary RGB Tandem 2.0" OLED panel that’s also used in the flagship LG G6.

The C6 does, however, come equipped with a new processor across all its sizes: the Alpha 11 AI Gen 3, which is the same processor that's used in the step-up G6 and W6 OLEDs. This supports an upgraded Brightness Booster, more refined upscaling, and picture enhancements such as 13-bit image processing (12-bit color plus one bit of brightness). It also supports 11.1.2-channel audio upmixing with its AI Sound Pro mode.

Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are supported, but once again there’s no support for HDR10+ or DTS, and LG has no plans to support Dolby Vision 2 on this TV in the future.

For sound, the C6 comes with LG's usual 2.2-channel speaker system included. In terms of sound profiles, LG has trimmed back the options from eight to four, opting for AI sound modes over traditional sound modes such as Cinema or Sports.

The C6 is fully equipped for gaming, with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz (a step up from the 4K 144Hz supported in the C5), full variable refresh rate compatibility including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, Dolby Vision Gaming, and auto low latency mode.

It comes with LG’s Game Optimizer dashboard, where gaming settings can be instantly accessed and adjusted for optimum performance.

The C6 uses webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, the latest version of LG’s own smart TV software. While there aren’t as many new, headline-grabbing features this time around, AI features such as AI Search and AI Concierge have been refined, menus have been streamlined, with the removal of some picture and sound modes, and some new Quick Card categories have been added.

The C6 also supports all major streaming apps including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and Prime Video.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Picture quality

• More accurate colors and refined contrast
• Excellent detail and boosted brightness
• Reflective screen can be an issue in bright conditions

Starting with brightness measurements, the C6 hit 1,438 nits peak HDR brightness (measured on a 10% white window pattern) in Filmmaker Mode. This is a sizable boost over last year’s C5, which clocked in at 1,180 nits in the same test. Standard mode receives a smaller boost, hitting 1,291 nits peak HDR in a 10% window, compared to the C5’s 1,191 nits.

Fullscreen HDR brightness has also received a healthy boost, with the C6 hitting 245 nits in Filmmaker Mode, up 25% from the C5, which registered 195 nits in the same test. In Standard mode, the C6 measured 232 nits compared to the C5’s 200 nits, so again a smaller change, but still positive.

In practice, this not only adds more brightness to SDR sources, but creates stronger contrast between dark and light tones in high-contrast scenes. Whites in particular, such as scenes of snow or white clouds, and any scenes with high peak brightness with the sun as a central feature, get a solid boost to make its picture more impactful over last year’s C5.

The C6 also does a good job with lower-resolution and SDR sources. An HD stream of Fight Club on Disney+ benefitted from upscaled textures and refined contrast, with darker scenes in particular looking great.

A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man doesn’t quite look like it’s had the full 4K treatment, but textures are very neatly cleaned up, and there’s an injection of brightness to make it much more appealing overall.

I tried out Precision Master HDR Pro, a setting aimed to upscale SDR to HDR quality. While it did add more brightness and sharpened up textures, I found it to be too aggressive, as it created harsh edges around people and objects in The Amazing Spider-Man so I preferred to leave it turned off.

Color reproduction is superb on the LG C6, especially with Dolby Vision sources. In Elemental, streamed on Disney+, the oranges, pinks and purples of the vase as Ember fixes it are vibrant and punchy, with the C6’s new extra brightness adding even more shine to the picture.

In Wicked, as Elphaba stands under a tree in the Wizard & I scene, the pink flowers really pop on screen, but also appear more natural when compared to viewing the same scene on last year’s C5. The green of Elphaba’s skin also looks natural (allowing for the fact that it's green), with colors looking less saturated than on the C5, and for the better here.

It’s no wonder the C6’s colors pop, because it measured 99.7% and 75.8% coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces respectively. These are excellent results for a WOLED screen, and the C6 basically matches flagship OLEDs in DCI-P3, which is the most important space for HDR viewing.

It also registered a color accuracy score of Delta-E 1.2, which is fantastic for out-of-the-box settings, and means it’s essentially impossible to tell it apart from ‘perfect’ colors. All these measurements were taken in Filmmaker Mode.

Contrast is excellent on the C6. Watching The Batman, as Batman walks down a hallway, the balance between the dark tones of the wood-paneled walls and the light tones from the lamps are well separated, with each having their own nuances, creating strong contrast.

The same is true in Dark City — as John speaks to the desk clerk, black tones are rich, and contrast nicely with the bright and punchy desk lamp.

The C6 also displays superb shadow detail. Throughout The Batman, objects in dark backgrounds are still visible, such as the back wall of the subway platform or the portraits in Mitchell’s office. Comparing it to the C5, shadowed areas look more accurate, and true to how you’d expect the eye to see them.

Watching dark scenes in a pitch-black room, I did notice that black tones were raised in places. But by changing a few settings, dark areas on screen improved to the point where I was happy with them, without any in-depth calibration needed if you want to follow suit.

I dropped the ‘Near Black Detail’ option to -1 (it's 0 by default), dropped ‘Adjust Contrast’ from 100 to 95, and finally dropped ‘Black Level’ by 1, from the default 50 to 49. This didn’t dim the picture much at all, but improved black levels and contrast overall.

While watching a dimly-lit scene from The Green Knight, I did notice some vertical banding in a gray area of the scene. This was the first and only time I noted it in my test — I tested similarly difficult scenes in other movies — so it’s not enough to affect my score, but it’s something to note, as vertical banding has been a criticism of LG’s OLEDs in the past.

I compared the LG C6 to the LG C5, and the C6 demonstrates a more accurate color temperature, which is clearest when watching black-and-white movies. In Sunset Boulevard, the C6 delivers deep blacks, bright whites and a range of accurate gray tones.

Playing the same scenes on the C5, there's a green tint that affects the accuracy of the picture, and the C6 doesn’t have this issue. The green tint on the C5 isn’t noticeable in scenes full of color (and the TV scored excellent in color accuracy tests), but the starkness of monochrome really highlights it.

The C6 also delivered refined detail across content, with crisp textures that looked 3D-like but also natural and true-to-life. A close-up shot of Batman shows every bit of his stubble and other facial marks with real accuracy.

The C6 has excellent motion handling. I found Standard mode with the Natural motion setting to be perfect for sports (I tested soccer and baseball) and I used the Cinematic Movement motion setting for movies, which has been my go-to for LG for the last couple of years.

Without any processing on, there can be some judder in slow-moving movie shots, but Cinematic Motion worked well for delivering a panning shot of a cliffside cemetery from No Time To Die with natural-looking motion and much-reduced judder.

It’s not all plain sailing for the C6. I found that its reflection handling was merely average, noting some strong mirror-like reflections when watching darker scenes in brightly lit rooms.

While this was expected, I was impressed by the step-up LG G6’s anti-glare coating when I tested it, so I know that LG’s glossy OLEDs can crush reflections when given the tools; it's a shame the C6 didn’t receive the same treatment.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

LG C6 review: Sound quality

• 2.2-channel speaker system
• Good overall sound quality
• Some sound modes removed

The C6 has a built-in, 2.2-channel speaker array that supports Dolby Atmos, but like last year, there’s no support for DTS. LG has removed some of the traditional sound modes, such as Cinema and Sports, in favor of AI sound modes such as the returning AI Sound Pro and the new Precision Sound Master Pro.

Using the AI Sound Pro mode in my go-to Dolby Atmos scene — the Batmobile chase from The Batman — the C6 delivered great accuracy and detail, with a strong link between the action on screen and the sound. Mapping was very good, as the screech of swerving car tyres and blaring horns passing by off-screen sounded authentic.

The AI Sound Pro profile focuses more on the mid-range this year, which I personally prefer. The changes also meant the bass felt more solid than it did on the LG C5, and while it doesn’t beat the likes of Sony and Panasonic TVs, it was still meaty in places.

Trying out the Precision Sound Master Pro setting, the soundstage did feel wider, and there was more overall volume, but it was personally too bright for my tastes.

I always used the Cinema sound setting for my testing in previous models, so I’m disappointed that this is no longer an option, but AI Sound Pro is a solid alternative.

Still, despite the C6’s solid sound, I’d hook up a soundbar if you want the sound quality to match the picture, as Dolby Atmos effects can get lost and the soundstage can at times feel narrow.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

LG C6 review: Design

• Premium design with bezel-less screen looks great
• Metal stand and trim feel high-quality
• UK remote still feels cheap

The C6’s design carries over from last year’s C5. It feels premium but more lightweight than the hefty G6. Its silver metal trim and base makes the TV feel premium. The screen has a near bezel-less design with no real border, giving the picture the full real estate.

The rear panel has a marbled design that adds a nice touch, and the ports of the TV are easily accessible on the rear-side panel, with all four HDMI ports in plain view.

LG’s Magic Remote in the UK does, however, continue to feel cheap compared to other OLED remotes. While it has a useful pointer, its overall build still feels plasticky and light, a far cry from the black, metal rechargeable remote that Philips supplies with its OLEDs. Fingers crossed this changes next year.

• Design score: 4 / 5

LG C6 review: Smart TV & menus

• AI features are becoming smarter
• Streamlined settings menus is very welcome
• Snappy navigation is also an improvement

The LG C6 uses webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, and it’s again one of the best on the market. Quick Cards are a useful tool where relevant apps can be organized by category, such as Music and Game, and new options have been introduced, such as Office and Learning.

The Quick Menu continues to be one of the most useful tools for adjusting popular settings such as picture mode with no fuss — just hit a button and it pops up at the side of the screen, with instant access to common settings, without totally interrupting what you’re watching.

LG has streamlined some settings menus, moving options such as Network and Energy Saving higher up in their category for easier access. Couple this with the new faster Alpha 11 processor and navigation feels easier overall, with better visibility and nice, snappy performance.

AI features such as AI Concierge are more refined, with better recommendations, and new features such as Generative AI can be used to plan activities or create images.

webOS 26 does still have large banner ads at the top of the screen that take up just over a third of the home page, and I did note that whenever the C6 went into screensaver mode it wouldn’t take long before sponsored ads appeared.

Still, these are the only negatives I had with what has consistently been a brilliant smart TV platform, and ads are becoming increasingly common on all platforms.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Gaming

• 4K 165Hz and full VRR support on all four HDMI ports
• 9.2ms 60Hz / 4.2ms 120Hz input lag time is as good as usual
• Superb performance and picture in gaming modes

The C6 maintains the LG C-series OLED’s reputation for best-in-class gaming performance and features. It supports 4K at 165Hz, variable refresh rate (HDMI spec, FreeSync, and G-Sync), auto low-latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming across all four HDMI 2.1 ports.

Activating its Boost mode in the Game Optimizer menu yields a measured 9.2ms (4K 60Hz) and 4.6ms (1080p 120Hz) input delay, a phenomenal result that gamers will be delighted with.

Playing Battlefield V, performance not only felt incredibly smooth as I targeted enemies while running, but looked excellent as well. The desert mission I played was bright and vibrant, and environments were incredibly detailed, with intricate textures in rocks and buildings.

Not much more needs to be said: the C6 is a gaming powerhouse.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG C6 review: Value

• Cheaper launch prices than the LG C5 in the UK
• Excellent picture and features for the price
• But the C5 is a lot cheaper in 2026, and may offer better bang-for-buck

The LG C6 is great value for the performance and features it delivers. It carries across all the elements that made the C5 one of last year’s best TVs, but offers higher brightness, more refined contrast and color, and has an upgraded processor for faster performance.

The 65-inch model I tested costs $2,699 / £2,599 / AU$3,995, which means it’s launching for the same price in the US and Australia as the C5, which is impressive enough, but it’s actually £100 cheaper than the C5’s launch price in the UK, even with all the upgrades.

If you’re looking to buy at the time of writing, however — May 2026 — the C5 remains the best option, with the same 65-inch costing $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,599 on average.

If you’re based in the UK and looking for a 65-inch, I’d also strongly recommend the Philips OLED910, which costs £2,199 at 65-inch (£500 cheaper than the C6) and boasts flagship-level brightness and colors, plus a superb built-in Bowers & Wilkins sound system. In smaller 42-55-inch sizes, though, the C5 is still the best option.

The C6 is still a premium TV in the grand scheme of the TV market, but those launch prices are likely to drop quickly. If you want to buy right now, the C5 is still your best value option overall, but as C6 prices drop it will become even better value.

As far as new 2026-released TVs go, I don’t expect many to match it on the combination of features and image quality for the price.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the LG C6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

How I tested the LG C6 OLED TV

• Tested over two weeks using HDR and SDR sources
• Tested in variable lighting conditions
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

My first steps in testing the LG C6 involved establishing its most accurate picture modes through casual viewing. I landed on Filmmaker Mode for most movies, as well as Cinema Home, and finally Standard for sports and broadcast TV.

I then moved on to critical viewing, using both HDR (4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming) as well as SDR (DVD, Blu-ray and broadcast TV) sources to test the C6's picture. I used these sources to analyze upscaling (of SDR), color, brightness, contrast, textures, detail and motion.

I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player when playing discs including 4K Blu-ray. I also used an Xbox Series X to test the TV's gaming features and performance.

Aside from subjective testing, I also took measurements on the C6 using a Klein K-10A colorimeter (profiled with a Jeti Spectral 15VA Spectroradiometer) and a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator, and used Portrait Displays' Calman color-calibration software to record measurements.

To measure the C6's brightness, I used both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, taking readings in both Filmmaker Mode and Standard picture modes.

I also tested the C6's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3. Anything below this is considered indistinguishable to the human eye.

I measured the coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces, hoping for a result of over 95% for the former.

I also tested the C6's HDR EOTF in 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits. This test shows the C6's accuracy at both light and dark levels. I also measured the C6's Spectral Power Distribution, which demonstrates its color performance, using the Jeti spectroradiometer.

Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the C6's input lag in milliseconds.

Read our in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Anker Soundcore Space 2: Two-minute review

Everyone I’ve spoken to who’s used them has spoken glowingly about Soundcore’s over-ear headphones, and the latest cans from the Anker sub-brand hark very closely to their predecessors. So, are the Anker Soundcore Space 2 contenders for the best budget headphone market?

Well, not much has changed compared to the Soundcore Space One – pedants may be wringing their hands at the jump from integer to lexical name, and I concur – and these headphones will look and feel very familiar to owners of the Space One Pro too. Meet the new boss, very similar to the old boss.

That’s no shame, though, because it means the previous cans’ strongest point is back in force. The active noise cancellation (ANC) here is absolutely fantastic — I don’t think I’ve used a pair of headphones at this price point that comes close. It’s zealous in wiping out any noise, near or far, around you.

Though barely changed from previous generations, the distinct look and comfortable fit of the Space 2 help them stand out from other alike headphones. These might be the first pair of cans I’ve tested that my girlfriend actually recognized with any kind of familiarity.

What has changed, though, is the price: there’s been a significant step up in cost from the Space One. I know, I know, it’s 2026 and every review talks about price hikes. But it’s big enough to lift the Soundcore out of the aforementioned best-in-class competition, and higher expectations aren’t matched by a greatly improved package.

Take, for example, the sound. Treble is fantastic and sparkly, but there’s a distinct drop-off when you get towards the mids, and bass is indistinct and unbalanced. They’re far from the worst over-ears I’ve tested, even at this price, with the high quality going some way to retaining the excitement at listening to music. But audiophiles won’t be impressed.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Price and release date

• Released in April 2026
• Debuted for $130 / £130 (about AU$250)
• Price hike over predecessors

After being unveiled at MWC 2026 in early March, the Anker Soundcore Space 2 were put on sale nearly two months later on April 21.

You can pick up these headphones for the retail price of $130 / £130 / about AU$250. That price pushes them into mid-range waters, meaning that, unlike their predecessors, they’re not quite budget cans any more.

For some context, the Soundcore Space One cost $99 / £99 / about AU$200, while the Space One Pro went for $199 / £149 (about AU$300). So the new headphones offer a fairly significant price increase.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Specs

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Features

• Fantastic ANC
• 50-hour battery life with ANC off
• Decent range of features including listening test

I’m not sure if the ‘Space’ in the Anker Soundcore Space 2 name refers to the silent vacuum of the cosmos, but it certainly could do, because the noise cancellation on these things is incredible for the price. I was constantly surprised by how adept the Space 2 were at cutting away noisy background sounds: the overground train running behind my house was impossible to hear, even when I was on it, and busy roads became quiet country lanes.

The quoted battery life is 50 hours with ANC on, or 70 hours with it turned off. Neither of those are lengths to write home about — hundred-hour-plus headphones come out pretty frequently now, usually at this price point — but they’re still solid listening times.

The Space 2 offer a selection of extra tools via the Soundcore app. There’s toggle-able wear detection, multipoint pairing, the ability to change what the noise cancellation and play/pause buttons on the ear cups do, and volume limits to stop you harming your hearing. Of the bunch, that latter stands out as one you don’t often see, so props to Anker for including it.

A listening test called HearID combines a hearing check, to pick out which tones you can hear, with a preference barrage to cater for your chosen type of music. I’ve not seen this latter factor considered before, and it solves a big problem with these listening tests — even if repeating the same song six times to check out different sound mixes is a gruelling experience.

There’s enough to recommend downloading the Soundcore app, even if I didn’t use it too much outside of testing.

I’ve previously heard complaints about the wear detection on Soundcore’s headphones. Here it reliably paused a song if I removed the cans, but wasn’t too hot on resuming it when I put the Space 2 back on my head.

• Features score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Design

• Funky blue color and distinctive look
• Light, comfortable to wear
• No IP rating

I test plenty of cheap and mid-range headphones that are personality-less black semicircles, so have to give praise to Soundcore. The Space 2 look unique among peers with a funky color, curvy edges, abundance of soft padding and tapered connectors between the headband and cups. Sure, they look basically the same as their predecessors, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

They’re nice and light, at 264g, and felt supremely comfortable to wear. That’s partly the weight but also the aforementioned padding overload on your ears and head. They fit securely, not wobbling when I was walking or turning my head quickly.

On the right cup there’s a play/pause button and volume rocker, while the left one has a noise cancelling toggle, power button, USB-C port and 3.5mm audio jack. That latter’s a nice addition you don’t always see at this price point.

You can fold the Space 2 down to make them more portable, with a cloth bag coming in the box, but I couldn’t find any information about an IP rating. So you may want to be careful when wearing them in the rain.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Sound quality

• Uses 40mm driver
• Bright treble, bass and mids suffer
• Supports hi-res standards, LDAC and SBC

The Soundcore Space 2 have a 40mm driver, the same size as in the vast majority of over-ear headphones, enhanced with a double diaphragm for clearer audio. I’ll admit, this end goal has been achieved; you can appreciate the lilt of a vocalist’s voice, the squeal of a guitar solo or the timbre and tremolo of a violin.

You’ll notice that these examples are all ones which sit right in the treble and high-mid space, and that’s because this is where the Space 2 shine. They're energetic, bright and fun; I was initially won over by the cans’ sharp, clear higher-pitched sounds, but the more I listened, the more I realized something was missing.

That something missing is… well, anything lower. Distorted guitar riffs, punchy bass licks and acoustic instruments all lack sparkle, prominence and clarity – it really feels like there’s a hole in some songs where a kick should be. The acoustic guitar of Niko Moon’s King of the Island felt far too far back in the medley, and the hook of My Number by Foals or Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich sounded akin to a moving company removing furniture from your upstairs neighbors.

The audio graph suddenly resurges towards the bass and sub-bass side of things, giving some oomph to songs, but it’s often ill-defined or muddy, and sometimes overblown. In Tame Impala’s The Less I Know the Better it sounds insecure, popping up now and then without distinction, while in Troye Sivan’s Rush it’s not well-defined enough to stop it overpowering everything else.

Many music fans forget that there’s more than treble and sub-bass, and the sparkling former might distract many listeners from the Space 2’s shortcomings. I was in that camp for a while, and I still have a good time when I listen to the cans. But if you want a nuanced or natural sound, you’ll find this V-shaped audio pretty severe.

Back to some technicals: the high-quality sound the Space 2 provide is helped by support for LDAC and SBC, as well as Hi-Res Audio and its Wireless counterpart.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Value

• Decent value for money
• Matches price hike

The price hike of the Soundcore Space 2 is a shame, because at the Space One’s MSRP, they’d be fantastic value.

They’d be best-in-class budget cans if they came out below $100 / £100 / AU$200, but for a little more, there’s a lot more competition, and much higher expectations. They’re still good, but not instant-must-buy value for money like they would be.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Space 2?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Anker Soundcore Space 2

• Tested for 3 weeks
• Tested at home, on walks and on public transport

I used the Soundcore Space 2 for roughly three weeks ahead of their release date, in which time they were paired with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. I listened on a range of music and video streaming services, as well as in calls and playing games.

Testing was done in a pretty wide range of environments including on public transport, on walks around various neighborhoods, and at home.

I’ve been testing audio products for TechRadar for years, including some past Anker devices like the Aerofit Pro 2.

• First reviewed in April 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Dali Sonik 1: Two-minute review

Dali’s new Sonik series of speakers is the Danish brand’s re-introduction to the global hi-fi market — and these, the Dali Sonik 1, are a set of versatile, broad-appeal passive bookshelf speakers aimed squarely at the entry-level audio enthusiast. They enter a saturated market at this size and price, rubbing shoulders with about every major speaker brand you can name; still, they stand apart and more than hold their own.

Clever driver and cone designs, refined from Dali speakers past, provide a surprising quality of sound, from clear and distortion-free articulation to smooth, natural-sounding mids and highs. Everything shines through these, but vocals benefit perhaps the most.

Transient performance is nothing short of delicious, and the low end is surprisingly supple for the size of the units (helped along by some very enthusiastic bass reflex ports). There’s a chance that the Sonik 1 are a little over-eager with respect to high end, but it’s marginal — and minimal against the robustness and throat on display in denser mixes.

Being a curmudgeonly sort, I tried my best not to love these speakers at first listen. I failed. It’s love. From the clear attention to detail shown in their design and build to the stunningly versatile sound performance, the Dali Sonik 1 are an overperforming pair of almost-budget bookshelfs. And definitely among the best stereo speakers on the market.

Dali Sonik 1 review: Price & release date

• Released February, 2026
• Priced $900 / £449.99 / AU$849

Do you ever feel like the Scandinavians just do it better? From my distant and semi-ignorant perch in deepest West Yorkshire, in the UK, I can’t help but feel like it’s true. Whether its education, taxation, or straight-up happiness, the concept of Nordic exceptionalism is very real indeed – and we’ve got even more proof right here in the land of domestic hi-fi audio, thanks to the landmark Danish audiophile loudspeaker industry frontrunner, Dali. Which stands for, er, Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries.

Dali has been designing speakers from the ground up since the early 80s, and has established a well-earned reputation in that time. Its speakers touch every point of the hi-fi market, from budget-friendly fare to audiophilic bucket-list bookshelfs and beyond. Its roster of speakers is broad, deep and a little intimidating to reckon with — which is, in part, why it came out with this in February 2026: the Sonik series of passive speakers.

The Sonik series is Dali’s full and formal self-introduction to a global audience, taking everything it’s learned in its 40-ish years of loudspeaker development and cramming the best into a budget-spanning set of new flagships. There are seven different sets in the Sonik series, a comprehensive spread encompassing standmount, floorstanding and home cinema-friendly models. Whatever it is you want or need, chances are you’ll find it here.

Of these, the Dali Sonik 1 are proudly the smallest and cheapest of the bunch: a set of bookshelf standmounts that are dinkier than they look, and also much more powerful than that deceptive dinkiness would suggest. At $900 / £449.99 / AU$849, these aren’t the cheapest bookshelf speakers money can buy (especially in the US!), but they’re more or less in direct competition with entry-level bookshelf fare from practically every other hi-fi brand going; from Klipsch’s RP-600Ms to KEF’s Q1 Metas to Bowers and Wilkins’ 607 S3s to umpteen other austere offerings.

It’s a tough crowd, but one that Dali’s been quietly besting in a few key areas for a long time. In this competitive loudspeaker arena, will Nordic exceptionalism prove itself again?

Dali Sonik 1 review: Specs

Dali Sonik 1 review: Features

• Small-format bookshelf speakers with two-way crossover
• Patented cone design for smoother mids
• Remarkably low distortion, via proprietary driver composition

The Dali Sonik 1 are a pair of passive bookshelf speakers, with a two-way crossover involving a 29mm soft-dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch woofer, and a ported bass reflex chassis. They’re single-wire connectable, as opposed to bi-wirable; unless you have grand and arcane plans of driving tweeters and woofers separately, I don’t consider this in any way a shortcoming — and if you actually do have such plans, you are surely looking in the wrong price range.

Being passive, the Sonik 1’s features are almost entirely found in their clever composition, which hides some smart proprietary bits and pieces behind those optional magnetic cloth grilles. For instance, the whole Sonik series, Sonik 1 included, benefits from Dali’s trademarked Clarity Cone technology (taken from the Kore range that came before), wherein the speaker cones are made using a proprietary paper/wood-fiber blend, said to improve mid-range smoothness among other things.

There’s another trademarked feature, too, in the “SMC” (Soft Magnetic Composite)-assisted magnet systems that constitute the driver. Dali’s patented composite sits in the voice coil, significantly reducing distortion in the process. Collectively, these in-house divinations deign to create a fulsome, highly natural-sounding set of standmounts.

The Sonik 1 are the smallest of the Sonik series, and quite slender even for their size. It’s a small surprise settling them in to their respective homes and having some room to spare — but still, there’s a sense that they’re certain to punch above their weight class as soon as you take them out of the box.

Speaking of which, there’s not much here in the way of box candy (no speaker cables, either). That said, they do ship with two sets of stick-on rubber feet: small, squashy black ones for standing them on your shelf of choice, and some thick, translucent ones for sticking on the back if you intend to wall-mount them. I’m not one for wall-mounting them just yet, but I was nonetheless touched that Dali elected to send clear stand-offs so as not to cause unsightly shadows if you do hang them.

That particularly small-beers inclusion is, for me, a perfect crystallization of Dali’s approach with the Sonik 1, and a reflection of its journey to this point. Small things, offered without ceremony, that add up to a thoughtful and gratifying whole.

• Features score: 5/5

Dali Sonik 1 review: Sound quality

• Smooth, dulcet vocal reproduction
• Deep, reflex-assisted bass
• Transparent treble and tactile transients

Dali talks a big talk about the natural sound of the Sonik series. As someone that also works on the other side of the mixing desk from time to time, it’s hard to describe what makes something sound ‘natural’ as anything other than a neutral approach to representing exactly what was recorded. Hi-fi devices are not typically designed to do this, either; they’re designed to flatter. They accentuate the bits that gratify us, giving us more to grab onto than a flat-response set of monitors would dare to. And yet...

To reach for a sense beyond natural, the Sonik 1 do some marvelous things, from delicate treatment of higher highs to a round, robust treatment of reedier sounds. It’s the voices, really, that shine, with no undue thanks to those Clarity Cone woofers; my household’s vinyl copy of Mitski’s Nothing Is Happening To Me has been on heavy rotation, and rendered in disturbingly effective heartbreaky three-dimensionality each and every time, since I installed the Sonik 1 pair.

Cats is a long, soft-silk ribbon, pulled deftly through my left ear and out the right. If I Leave’s brief crescendo of deep-gritted guitars and chest-voice urgency is a weighty presence in the room. B-side opener and second single, I’ll Change For You, is an honest-to-god tearjerker with thanks to an exceptionally tangible rendering of that stunning lead line – Mitski’s voice honestly feeling as if it floats forward through the mix, drifting airily on its own delusive train of thought. Brain-scratchingly good stuff.

Spinning the 10th anniversary repress of Adult Jazz’s Gist Is, I got a real feel for the Sonik 1’s handling of space. The richness of that midrange lends itself to roomy sounds, in which Gist Is, a patchwork of heres and theres, readily revels. Sparse, clever instrumental arrangements are articulated with fullness — illustrating some tactile transient responsiveness just as much as a natural, earnestly flattering representation of timbre.

The cheeky-swung drums on opener Hum are a bright, effervescent presence; cymbal crashes and open hats fizz in Am Gone. Slow-burner Spook is a highlight, rendering powerful dynamic shifts and slow-developing ambiences with a sense of unbothered expertise. Palm-muted guitars spike through like football cleats through turf, and legato lead lines skate sharply across the crescendo as if on six feet of ice.

Dali commits to harnessing low end wherever and however it can, leading to some extremely impressive bass performance from speakers that have neither the stature nor the right. There’s a little weight missing, and the bass reflex port is doing a lot of heavy lifting to replace it (aided, no doubt, by the sub-optimal listening position in which the Sonik 1 lived for most of my testing), but even without that telltale pumpy bluster, there’s a lot to love about the structure of the heft they possess.

If I were to find anything to complain about with the Dali Sonik 1, it would end up being a slight high-end over-presence. The treatment of trebly sources is delicate, considered and even fastidious, but sometimes, to the point of clear preference over other elements of a mix. This is emphasized further by that slight lack in the low end, countered by an eager bass reflex.

But here’s the thing: I feel like I’m reaching. Putting on one of the more chaotic records in my vinyl collection — My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless — I’m greeted with unexpected clarity and cohesion. Everything’s resolved as it was, is and should be, from brain-swallowing yet still-punchy lows to screeching uber-compressed wall-of-guitar highs. It’s a high-performing pair, through and through.

• Sound quality score: 5/5

Dali Sonik 1 review: Design

• High attention to detail
• Clever attachable grille
• Cool, understated looks

Dali’s full-spectrum approach to design and manufacture means the same care and attention is given to the development of each product in their roster, as gamely demonstrated by the quality on display with the Sonik 1.

There’s attention to detail wherever you look, be it the chunky brass terminals at the rear or the tastefully radiused face-plates at the front. Really, these are tasteful-looking through and through. The pair under review are the natural oak variant version, but you can also pick these up in white, black ash or walnut. With mine, a cream front face is gamely disrupted by bold black driver surrounds, accentuating the presence of that cool burgundy woofer cone.

The included cloth grilles are a mottled off-white, and attachable (as is becoming increasingly common) with magnets; this leaves a smooth face on the speakers, and makes for a posh-feeling set overall. With the grilles on, the Dali Sonik 1 become coolly understated; they fade amenably into the figurative milieu of your living room, and shine all the more prominently on their acoustical merits.

• Design score: 5/5

Dali Sonik 1 review: Value

• A familiar price for entry-level audiophile fare
• Incredible performance for budget
• Impossible not to like

Generally speaking, and whichever way you slice it, $900 / £449.99 / AU$849 is a lot of money to ask someone to pay for something. But it’s the de facto floor price (excepting that tariff-y US-import price) for something good in the audiophile hi-fi space. When big numbers get bandied around for confoundingly clever loudspeakers further up the chain, it’s easy to lose sight of the real ask here for the average consumer.

Every brand that puts out an entry-level artefact of posh loudspeaker design at this price, then, has to be able to justify it. And most of the heavy hitters do, pulling down top-flight innovations to an affordable price and walking the walk on sound quality (Bowers and Wilkins’ 607 S3 being a chief competitor and major example). And just as most of the heavy hitters do, so too does Dali.

The Sonik 1 are as smart a pair of bookshelf speakers as you could ask for. They’re deeply versatile, deep-sounding despite their stature, and delightful to listen to. The frequency response reflects a hyper-natural richness, without overrepresenting anything too nakedly. They fill small and medium spaces capably, handle loud signals with minimal distortion, and deliver gratifying performance from wherever you sit or stand.

These speakers are an excellent example of what investing in hi-fi can actually mean for someone. The articulation and fidelity on display is demonstrably far, far better than cheaper fare you come across. The Sonik 1 may be the entry-level pair in a large family of new broad-appeal loudspeakers, but they’re as refined as you could ever want in a mid-range listening setup. They look the part, yes, but they feel the part, too.

To be blunt, I went into this review with a harshly critical eye. It was softened instantly, by a self-assured set of speakers that elevated my home hi-fi without ceremony. Dali is doing some incredible work reinstating the importance of attention to detail, of pride in a product, via a seamlessly well put together set of speakers that actually exceed their expectations.

• Value score: 5/5

Dali Sonik 1 review: scorecard

Should you buy the Dali Sonik 1?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Dali Sonik 1 review: Also consider

How I tested the Dali Sonik 1

• Tested for 6 week(s)
• Used as main living-room listening speakers
• Predominantly tested using vinyl records, played on Vestax turntables; also with CDs and hi-res streaming from Qobuz

The Dali Sonik 1 bookshelf speakers found their home at the epicenter of my living-room listening station, where they were hooked up to my Cambridge Audio A2 integrated amplifier, and received audio from a variety of sources — most commonly, vinyl records played through Vestax PDX-D3 turntables (outfitted with Audio-Technica AT-VM95E cartridges) and a Vestax preamp and mixer.

I listened to CDs using a FiiO DM13 CD player, and I threw some hi-res streaming from Qobuz in there for good measure, too, via a 3.5mm jack from my laptop to the Vestax mixer.

First reviewed: April 2026

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

Shokz OpenFit Pro: Two-minute review

Shokz knows its way around a pair of open earbuds. At the time of writing, the brand has three entries in our best open earbuds with good reason — it is one of the few companies out there dedicated to the fitness headphone/bone conduction market.

With the OpenFit Pro, though, Shokz seems to be courting new customers. Whereas the OpenRun Pro 2, clip-on OpenDots One and our market leader the OpenFit 2+ were targeted at a sports-specific market where audio accompaniment of any kind saves us from the monotony of a freezing early-morning January run or a rain-lashed cycle commute, the OpenFit Pro are different.

Sure, they're still tailor-made for runners, cyclists and general sporty types — including tennis, in my case — but the OpenFit Pro are pushing the barriers of what open earbuds can be for dyed-in-the-wool audiophiles. Want Dolby Atmos with head-tracking tehcnology? They've got it. Want customizable EQ profiles, in addition to the five provided by the Shokz app? They've got them. Want support accessories for an even more secure fit? Yep, them too.

Even want active noise cancellation? OK, they've not quite got that — these are still open earbuds, after all — but they do have what Shokz calls 'noise reduction', courtesy of a synchronized dual-diaphragm driver and triple-mic system with the Shokz ear-adaptive algorithm. This is incredibly rare in open earbuds and the results are mightily impressive. Sure, they can't block out everything in the way a pair of in-ears with active noise cancellation can, but in 'noise reduction mode' they do a damn good job if you need to keep regular life at bay and concentrate.

With Bass Boost selected from one of the five EQ presets, they deliver a punchy, nuanced sound that is impressively clear and detailed. The Dolby Atmos with head tracking is a welcome addition, especially in an office environment when turning your head from side to side to speak to colleagues, and delivers responsive sound to the ear that is closest to the source device.

Design-wise, the carry case is small enough to fit into your pocket, battery life is superb-to-relentless and the comfort akin to wearing air. On more than one occasion, I'd forgotten I was wearing them. While exercising, I never felt like they would slip, let alone fall out, especially after I fitted the rubber o-ring for extra stability.

The Shokz OpenFit Pro, then, are audiophile-friendly open earbuds that fully warrant their place in the best we've tested. They may be a little on the expensive side compared to the competition, but when you consider the aural additions these feature that almost no other open ears possess, they're worth it.

Open earbuds used to be the sole preserve of runners or cyclists who wanted to listen to background music without getting mown down by traffic. Not any more.

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Specifications

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Price and availability

• Released January 2026
• Priced at $249.95 / £219 / AU$399

The Shokz OpenFit Pro launched at CES in January 2026 and went on sale immediately. You can pick up the OpenFit Pro for $249.95 / £219 / AU$399 RRP, though there are some discounts available already via some retailers.

That makes them a fairly hefty chunk more expensive than our class-leading Shokz OpenFit 2+ ($179.95 / £169 / AU$350), but still (just about) cheaper than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at launch. So the big questions are what bang do you get for your extra buck(s), and are they worth the expense?

In order: lots, and yes.

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Features

• 12-hour battery life, 50 hours with case
• Noise reduction, not cancellation, is excellent
• Bluetooth 6.1; IP55 for water- and dust-resistance

The biggest criticism usually laid at any open earbuds' door is their lack of versatility. Sure, they're great if you want to listen to something while working out — that's why a sporty type, like me, is doing this review while TechRadar's brilliant audio editor Becky Scarrott, who did the initial experiential, is indisposed with a frozen shoulder — but you would want something much punchier and full-blooded for everyday listening. They're a second pair, nothing more.

The Shokz OpenFit Pro want to be more, and we'll come on to that, but first let's deal with their fitness side. I hate anything jammed into my earhole, so their open-ear design is perfect for me, and allowing external ambient sounds through is essential for the running and cycling I mostly did while wearing them during a month-long stint working at the recent 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

While cycling, your ears are your mirrors and the balance between listening to Only God Knows by Young Fathers and hearing traffic behind me was about perfect. When running, especially the 3.5km between hotel and office at the Winter Olympics, I could at all times hear the maniacal Milanese drivers who would otherwise have mown me down without a second's thought had I been too zoned in on Fontaines D.C.'s Romance LP.

Connection, that includes multi-point pairing, was never a problem thanks to the Shokz' uber-stable Bluetooth 6.1 technology and nor was getting extra sweaty with their IP55 rating good for water and dust resistance.

In my (windowless) office in Milan, I also used the OpenFit Pro to transcribe athlete flash quotes and take reliably crystal-clear calls from reporters despite the high-pressure, higher-noise newsroom environment surrounding me. The same was true when calling my fiancée — your aforementioned Techradar audio editor, no less — from a packed pizzeria and an evening watching figure skating from opposite ends of the arena (it's a long story).

The battery life is more than above average and borders on the relentless. Shokz promise 12 hours of listening from a single charge, plus another 50 hours from the slimline and lightweight case, which I found to be about bang on. On a couple of occasions I ran into the office with only the earbuds, used them regularly to listen to and transcribe interviews on a 10-hour shift and ran back to the hotel. They lasted all day and even got me back into the office the following morning (this time with the charging case in my back pocket).

In a bit of rush? No problem, 10 minutes of fast charging will give you four hours' listening. Wireless charging is also an option, albeit at a slower pace. Sure these figures come down a bit when you turn on 'noise reduction' mode — six hours from a charge, another 24 from the case — but we're still talking about listening periods firmly in the 'every day' territory.

Time to talk about why you'd want to. That 'noise reduction' mode really is excellent for a pair of open earbuds. It's basically impossible for the Shokz to have ANC but the noise reduction technology, helped by the brand's SuperBoost technology, ear adaptive algorithm and synchronized dual-diaphragm driver, does a great job of blocking out more of the world.

The companion Shokz app is also a boon. It's home to five EQ presets, plus two options to create your own sound profiles, and is also the destination to turn on 'noise reduction' (touch control toggles are also available), Dolby Atmos and head tracking technology. You can also customize those multi-point connections and use the very useful 'Find My Earbuds' function.

The overall impression is very positive. Sure, closed earbuds have a bigger feature set in general — but the fact that all this exists in a set of open earbuds, is pretty impressive indeed.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Sound quality

• Noise reduction excellent for open-ear design
• Dolby Atmos and head-tracking technology
• Treble can overwhelm

The difference in price between the Shokz OpenFit Pro and the vast majority of their competitors can be explained in how they sound, or at least, how they try to sound. Remember, at a price touching $250, Shokz are going after an audiophile market here.

For the most part, they succeed. The detail at the low end — especially with EQ preset Bass Boost turned on in the Shokz app — is impressively dynamic, and weighty enough to almost make you forget that these are open earbuds. Wet Leg's Chaise Longue loses none of its lustrous early bass power thanks to that synchronized dual-diaphragm driver, while Age of Consent by New Order enhances the propulsive force of Peter Hook's four-string.

If treble is your bag, you're also in luck, but you've really got to love it. Treble Boost brings forward guitars and vocals — only accentuated further if you switch on the Vocal setting in the app – which sound at their best for semi-spoken word songs like Go! by Public Service Broadcasting but for my money it's to the detriment of the overall sound profile.

Bass gets lost and the treble overwhelms to the point it sounds a little tinny, rendering a song as good as The Concept by Teenage Fanclub almost unlistenable — so much Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley rhythm guitar and almost no Gerard Love woozy bass.

You can also create your own EQ in the app, which, though a little fiddly, does do a good job in establishing a Goldilocks setting just for you. In the end, though, I listened almost exclusively in Bass Boost mode and felt all the happier for having done so.

The OpenFit Pro's aforementioned noise reduction mode does as good a job as can be expected from a set of open earbuds. Helped by a triple-mic system (up from two in the OpenFit 2), Shokz's ear-adaptive algorithm can predict external noise and delivers a solid reduction in what you hear. In the app, you can also select how much noise reduction you actually want with a toggle, although I didn't notice much difference. You will, though, have to crank up the volume to a Spinal Tap 11 if you want to block out the world around you — in doing so, I had a notification on my phone telling me I had "exceeded the recommended limit for audio exposure" over the previous seven days. This has never happened to me before.

I tended to use noise reduction only when in an office environment and needed to focus — I'm not the biggest fan of ANC in general and found the noise reduction here too manufactured to the point of slight nausea — but it's easy to turn on and off with either the buds themselves or using the Shokz app. On my flight home, it also made an appreciable difference to both aircraft and wailing baby noise, albeit nothing compared with my Cambridge Audio Melomania P100s, which combine an over-ear seal with ANC.

Elsewhere, the combination of Dolby Atmos and head-tracked spatial audio is a winner. It upscales TV on the Radio's Wolf Like Me without sounding too muddy, while listening again to Tidal's Dolby Atmos version of Wet Leg's Chaise Longue was a transformative experience. With both Dolby Atmos and head-tracking switched on, the bass-heavy intro is punchier, with extra clarity, and you feel 'in the mix' much more throughout.

When a breathy 'what?' halfway through the first verse appeared from apparently behind my right ear, I genuinely turned around, certain a prank was being played on me by a sleep-deprived Olympics colleague. Only when the same happened moments later in my left ear, having turned my head, was I finally assuaged that it was vocalist Rhian Teasdale with some Dolby Atmos help. You might think it's a gimmick, but it genuinely felt like she was in the room.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Design

• Super-comfortable and endlessly tactile
• Portable charging case
• Sound leakage at upper volume a problem

The best thing to be said about the OpenFit Pro's design is that on numerous occasions after pausing a track to deal with a work enquiry, I simply forgot I was wearing them. They really are that comfortable, especially over long periods. They sit snugly around your ear, too, with a handy demonstration from the Shokz app of how to fit them if you're a luddite like me.

Weighing 12.3g, each bud may be a little heavier than our current open-ear market leaders the OpenFit 2+ (9.4g) but, typical of the Shokz oeuvre, the OpenFit Pro's general silicone stylings are supremely tactile. The driver housing is made from an 'aerospace-grade aluminium PMI dome cap' which adds security and a well-positioned nub that sits perfectly to direct sound straight into the ear. It's the same with the charging case, which feels premium and is small enough to fit in your pocket — whether jeans or even running shorts, as I found.

Thanks to the OpenFit Pro, for the first time in my 30 years' playing competitive tennis (yes, my name really is Andy Murray), I listened to music during match training. How your opponent hits the ball is your biggest clue to their shot — its pace, its spin and even its trajectory — and despite listening to Queens of the Stone Age banger The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret, while warming up I could still hear and track the ball in the way I always have. I wouldn't wear the Shokz for anything more than a 15-minute warm up — my addled brain can only cope with doing so many things at once — but they brought a new way of interacting with a sport I love.

Unlike running and cycling's repetitive movements, tennis' reactive twisting and turning really gave the OpenFit Pro a stability workout to stay on my ears. And they managed it. In tougher rallies, I found my right earbud feeling slightly unstable, but attaching the supplied ultra-soft silicone o-rings to the inside of earpiece sorted that in a heartbeat. I always wear a baseball cap when playing tennis, as well as a helmet while cycling, and neither interfered with the Shokz sitting snugly around my ears.

I regularly put on and took off jumpers, T-shirts and sportswear without having to take out the buds. As if to prove a point, I just put on a hoodie while writing this sentence. The fit really is excellent. The buds, that is. The hoodie has probably seen better days.

Whether in white or the review sample black I tested, the OpenFit Pro look sleek, smart and unobtrusive — numerous colleagues in Milan were surprised when asking me a question and I'd respond by either taking off the Shokz or using the buds' touch controls to pause.

Those touch controls are great, by the way. Each bud has an easily accessible nub, which does everything. One quick press on either bud for pause, and answer and end call; double click for skip track; triple click for previous track; a quick press followed by a continuous hold does volume up (right) and down (left); and press and hold to toggle noise reduction. These are all customizable in the Shokz app, too. Listening to Fontaines D.C.'s Starburster over and over with that triple click saw me through a couple of 3.5km PBs.

Only in one design area does the OpenFit Pro suffer, and it's one familiar to any regular open earbuds wearer. Despite the clever noise reduction mode, to really block out the world around you'll need to crank the volume, making sound leakage a problem. At 50% volume in a silent room it's barely audible, but start to push things further to drown out external stimuli and it's immediately obvious.

On the morning commute this shouldn't be a problem if you don't want your neighbor to know you're getting your groove on to Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club, but while my fiancée was watching TV, she could hear my dirty secret from across the room when I tried to drown out her weekend Homes Under the Hammer catchup. Nor does the 'Private' EQ setting particularly help – there's only a negligible improvement for your companion and the bass suffers significantly for you. I wouldn't bother.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: Value

In the general scheme of things, the Shokz OpenFit Pro aren't that expensive, it's just that for nearly $250 they come in at the north end of the open earbud market, albeit not quite as pricy as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. With noise reduction, Dolby Atmos and head-tracking technology, though, Shokz seem to be targeting these as the only buds you need in your listening arsenal.

So, are they worth it? In audio terms, absolutely. You quite simply won't find a better-sounding set of open earbuds with this feature set, and as sturdy a battery life. I wouldn't necessarily throw out your regular over-ears or ANC in-ears just yet, though. There are times when you need to zone in and hear nothing of the outside world.

That being said, as a pair of sports-specific open earbuds, I don't think you'll find better.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenFit Pro review: scorecard

Shokz OpenFit Pro: Should I buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Also consider

How I tested

I tested the Shokz OpenFit Pro for well over a month, which is longer than our regular testing period at TechRadar.

The buds were paired to an iPhone for the entirety of the testing, using Tidal's high-res and Dolby Atmos audio outputs. I used them at home at work and also on runs, while cycling and even playing tennis, at which I've competed at a high level for 30 years.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: April 2026

LG G6 OLED TV: Two minute review

The LG G6 OLED TV is the successor to the excellent LG G5 elite OLED, and it's a worthy follow-up. It uses a new-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel with a new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor to help it deliver better picture quality and performance. Feature packed and able to handle anything thrown at it, the G6 sets the standard for OLED in 2026, in more ways than one.

Picture quality on the G6 is excellent. It delivers punchy, vibrant colors that appear more natural and accurate than its predecessor, while also delivering powerful contrast with rich blacks and refined brightness.

The real game changer is its reflection handling, which does a fantastic job of limiting mirror-like reflections while maintaining better black levels than the Samsung S95F, which we rated as the best OLED TV for bright-room viewing… until now.

Detail is exceptional, with crisp textures, while motion handling is smooth and natural. The G6 is a truly impressive TV to look at.

The G6’s built-in sound has had some big changes, with a drop in the number of sound modes available for the 4.2-channel speaker system. I preferred using the AI Sound Pro mode, which has had its sound profile altered compared to the G5’s version of this mode.

It’s more direct, punchier and more accurate now. But ultimately, while the G6’s sound is solid, I’d still add one of the best soundbars for the full cinematic experience.

LG’s OLEDs are always among the best gaming TVs on the market and the G6 is no different. With four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a full suite of features — 4K 165Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync variable refresh rate certification, HGiG HDR, Dolby Vision gaming — plus a new ultra-low measured input lag of 8.9ms, the G6 is a fantastic gaming set.

LG's webOS continues to be one of the better smart TV platforms available, and webOS 26, the latest iteration, is another great instalment. There's a rich suite of picture settings, the navigation and layout is intuitive, and actually useful AI tools for content recommendations and user quality-of-life. It’s not perfect, with bulky ad space on the home screen, but there’s little else to complain about here.

At $3,399 / £2,999 / AU$4,999 for the 65-inch model I tested, the G6 is a premium-priced TV. Its US launch pricing is consistent with the G5’s launch pricing last year in the US, and is a little cheaper in the UK — and I don’t expect it will stay at these prices for long, because TVs always start dropping soon after launch. It delivers good overall value thanks to the performance you’re getting for the price, but it remains at the top end of the TV market.

If your priority is having the deep cinematic dark tones that OLED is known for, but viewable in as many lighting conditions as possible, the LG G6 is elite.

LG G6 review: Prices & release date

• Release date: March 2026 (US/Aus) / May 2026 (UK)
• 48-inch price: $N/A / £TBC / AU$N/A
• 55-inch price: $2,499.99 / £2,199 / AU$3,999
• 65-inch price: $3,399.99 / £2,999 / AU$4,999
• 77-inch price: $4,499.99 / £3,999 / AU$7,499
• 83-inch price: $6,499.99 / £TBC / AU$9,999
• 97-inch price : $24,999.99 / £TBC / AU$29,999

The LG G6 is one of LG’s flagship OLED TVs for 2026, alongside the ‘Wallpaper’ LG W6. It sits above the mid-range LG C6 (and new LG C6H, which is the version of the C6 at larger sizes) and entry-level LG B6. It is widely available in 55, 65, 77 and 83-inch sizes.

There is also a smaller 48-inch model in the UK, and a larger 97-inch model in the US and Australia (though you should expect different performance results from these panels — especially the 97-inch model, which uses a much older OLED panel rather than the Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 panel in the other sizes).

Prices have remained consistent with the G6’s predecessor, the G5, in the US and Australia, but in a surprising turn of events, the G6's launch prices in the UK are cheaper than the G5's were in three key models: 55, 65 and 77-inches, with all three coming in £200-500 cheaper than their predecessors.

LG G6 review: Specs

LG G6 review: Benchmark results

LG G6 review: Features

• Primary Tandem RGB OLED 2.0 panel and Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI Processor
• 4K 165Hz for PC gaming with full VRR support
• New LG webOS adds more AI features and tweaks some settings

The LG G6 is equipped with the Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel, the second generation of the redesigned OLED panel first introduced in the G6’s predecessor, the G5. It delivers higher brightness, and LG has added better reflection handling on top of that.

The G6 also features the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI Processor, which features Brightness Booster Ultimate, a ton of AI features including AI Search and AI Chatbot, and faster processing speeds.

New features also include 12-bit color processing and 13-bit output (the final 1-bit is a brightness boost), Dual AI Super Resolution, Dynamic Tone Mapping Ultra and enhanced AI Sound features including Object Enhancement.

The G6 supports Dolby Vision HDR, but as usual does not support HDR10+. It also supports Dolby Atmos sound, but again there is no DTS support. It also supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2. LG says there are currently no plans for Dolby Vision 2 support.

Gaming is well supported on the G6, with 4K 165Hz, full variable refresh rate options including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG HDR, auto low latency mode, and Dolby Vision Gaming all supported across four HDMI 2.1 ports. Game Optimizer mode features as usual with plenty of settings available to tailor the gaming experience.

For audio, the biggest change is the reduction of available sound modes — from eight to four — with more of a focus on AI sound modes. The TV comes with the same 4.2 channel speaker system as last year’s G5 and again supports the AI Sound Wizard first debuted in last year’s Alpha 11 Gen 2 processor.

As before, there's no support for DTS decoding in the TV, so it's best if your source device or soundbar can handle this.

As for the latest iteration of LG’s own smart TV platform, webOS 26, there have been alterations to the AI features from last year, such as a more refined AI Concierge which can use Generative AI as well as a new layout for major settings in menus that prioritize users more.

The Quick Menu can also be customized to add more personal features such as Game Optimizer. Quick Cards return, and more have been added such as Home Office and Music.

• Features score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Picture quality

• Rich and especially natural color reproduction
• Excellent contrast and shadow detail, even by OLED's standards
• Surprisingly effective reflection handling that's a big step up

Beginning with some brightness measurements, the LG G6 hit 2,471 nits HDR peak brightness in Filmmaker Mode and 2,454 nits in Standard mode. While the Filmmaker Mode number is roughly a 200-nit increase from the G5, the Standard mode figure is a massive 604 nits increase (the G5 measured 1,850 nits), which is far higher than the 20% increase LG had promised.

Fullscreen HDR brightness has received the most meaningful boost, with the G6 hitting a measured 455 nits in Filmmaker Mode compared to the G5’s 331 nits. In Standard mode, it measured in at 373 nits, again a nice jump from the G5’s 297 nits in the same mode, meaning pictures should appear far brighter overall.

Color reproduction is arguably the G6’s greatest strength, though. Although colors don’t appear as 'bright' on the G6 compared to its predecessor, the LG G5, LG told me this was "by design" and I think the tweak has paid off: colors are simply stunning on the G6 while looking totally natural.

Watching the market scene from The Sound of Music, where orange, yellow and fruits sit front and center on screen, all these colors looked rich, refined and still packed plenty of punch, while also appearing true-to-life. Other scenes which feature green hills and blue skies, such as the ‘Do Re Mi’ scene, also demonstrate the G6’s excellent color accuracy.

Switching to an animated movie, The Wild Robot, the G6 again delivers gorgeous hues. A scene where Roz is surrounded by multi-colored butterflies shows excellent color balance between neutral and bolder colors, but crucially still delivers the richness you’d want from an animated movie.

Measuring the G6’s HDR color gamut coverage, it hit 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color space and 82.7% of the BT.2020 color space. These are both superb results and help explain why the G6’s color reproduction stands out — it's capable of showing pretty much everything that HDR video has to offer. It also registered a 1.4 delta-E SDR color accuracy in Filmmaker Mode: another brilliant result, meaning its colors are indistinguishable from 'perfect' to the human eye out of the box.

The G6’s contrast is another high point. Watching various high-contrast scenes from The Batman, such as the investigation in Mayor Mitchell’s house and the subway fight scene, the G6 delivers powerful contrast with deep, rich dark tones of the dark wood surroundings balancing with punchy highlights from light sources.

This is also true in Alien: Romulus, where shots of space show ‘perfect’ blacks mixed with refined highlights of stars and suns. Next to the G5, these shots are not only more balanced but more controlled, demonstrating minimal clipping in the lights.

Shadow detail is also excellent on the G6. In The Batman’s many dark scenes, details such as Batman’s armor, the panelling of a column on the subway platform, and even the portraits on the walls of Mitchell’s house are all visible without the need for raised brightness.

One area where the G6 really impressed was its reflection handling. Playing dark movies such as The Batman, Nosferatu and Alien: Romulus with overhead lights in our testing lab turned on, I was surprised by how much of the picture was visible and even how few mirror-like reflections there were. Not even the ‘torture test’ of The Batman was muddied on the G6.

It’s the black retention that also impresses, as I found when testing the G6 next to the Samsung S95F, with its anti-glare matte screen. While the S95F can cut out mirror-like reflections totally, its black tones can end up looking gray compared to the G6 in some lighting conditions, while the G6 manages to balance both reflections and black accuracy.

The G6’s motion handling is fantastic. Testing various sports including basketball, tennis and football, pictures are smooth and responsive throughout with no signs of motion artefacts such as ghosting. Either the Cinematic Movement or Natural motion settings, located in the TruMotion menu, worked well during my testing, though I did find motion settings necessary as some mild judder would occur with these settings turned off.

Motion handling for movies was also great. I personally found that my preferred setting was the Cinematic Movement setting, which did a good job reproducing a panning scene of a rocky hillside from No Time To Die with only minimal judder (which is expected). Throughout the succeeding chase scene, fast motion camera shots appeared smooth.

A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man shows just how impressive the G6’s upscaling is. The picture on the 65-inch model was bright, clean and had crisp textures compared to some cheaper TVs I’d seen. I already knew how impressive LG’s OLEDs were at upscaling based on the G5’s performance in this area in last year’s four-way OLED showdown I did, but the G6 took it a step further, adding even more detail.

• Picture quality score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Sound quality

• 4.2 channel speaker array with four sound more options
• Great accuracy, good detail and solid power
• Soundstage isn't that wide compared to a soundbar

Testing the G5 last year I found myself drawn to the AI Sound Pro mode as well as the Cinema setting. With the removal of the latter in the G6 this year, I settled on AI Sound Pro as my favorite after testing the G6’s built-in 4.2 channel speaker system. AI Sound Pro upmixes sound to an 11.1.2-channel configuration with the aid of the Alpha 11 Gen 3 Processor. Dolby Atmos is supported, but there’s no DTS support of any kind.

LG has altered the AI Sound Pro profile for the G6 and it results in a more direct, bassier sound than last year’s G5. The sound profile itself also focuses on more mid-range tones, which I found more appealing than last year’s brighter G5.

Using the Batmobile scene from The Batman, the G6’s speakers deliver punchy bass, capturing the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine during ignition accurately. Mapping between sound and the action on screen is precise, with the swerving tyres and car horns of passing cars sounding authentic. This is also true during The Mask. As The Mask himself tornadoes around, the G6 does a good job with the directionality of the sound.

While the G6 also delivers a respectable soundstage, with sound sometimes extending beyond the screen, it all still feels quite contained. The speakers don’t have the punch of a soundbar or of TVs with larger speaker systems such as the Sony Bravia 8 II or Panasonic Z95B. The G6 is good for general movie and TV viewing, but its sound doesn’t match the sheer brilliance of its picture.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

LG G6 review: Design

• Wall-mount and stand options for some sizes
• Premium, sturdy build on the whole TV set
• Remote still feels cheap in comparison

The LG G6 carries a lot of the same design over from the G5. It still has a metal frame that looks premium and feels reassuringly sturdy, along with a heavy, gray and metal pedestal stand that can be placed at two heights to make room for a soundbar. There’s a cable-tidy option at the back of the TV as well.

The G6 also comes with a slim-fit wall-mount in the box in some sizes (depending on region) for those that want to wall-mount their TV. The G6’s screen itself has a near-bezelless design, meaning the picture takes up basically all of the front — something that's not so true with Samsung's new 2026 flagship OLED TV.

LG’s Magic Remote returns here, and while the US remote benefits from a somewhat slimmer build with a more streamlined button layout, the UK is stuck with the old-style magic remote with a wheel.

The latter still feels light and cheap: not something you want for a TV at this price. LG could take some lessons from brands such as Philips and Hisense, whose remotes feel far more premium.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

LG G6 review: Smart TV & menus

• Uses LG's webOS 26 smart TV platform
• Expanded Quick Cards and customizable Quick Menu are useful
• More and enhanced AI features are actually welcome

The G6 comes with webOS 26 as its smart TV platform, which is the latest iteration of LG’s own smart TV. Some of the returning highlights features include the Quick Menu, which is a handy tool for easily changing picture and sound presets, and the Quick Cards feature, where apps can be organized into a relevant category 'card' on the home screen. For 2026, these cards have been expanded to include even more options.

The system also has an excellent array of accessibility options, which are also in their own quick card.

The AI Concierge, which previously helped you find tailored content recommendations based on searches and watch history, can now use Generative AI for other tasks, such as making travel plans.

Other AI tools introduced last year, such as Voice ID (which can activate a person’s profile with their customized settings simply by recognizing a voice), AI Search (for AI-assisted content search) and AI Chatbot (for troubleshooting) all return. There’s also an AI Art feature, where artworks can be generated, though you'll have a limited number of credits.

As for menus, webOS 26 is easy to navigate, clearly laid out and has enough options to customize picture and sound settings without being overwhelming. One downside is that the webOS 26 homepage has over a third of its top space taken up by banner ads, which can be an eyesore, but it's far from alone in this. It still remains one of the best smart TV platforms on the market.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Gaming

• 4K 165Hz, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync all supported
• Ultra-low 8.9ms input lag time measured using a Leo Bodnar 4K meter
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports with full support for all gaming features

Following in the footsteps of LG’s previous OLEDs, the G6 is a phenomenal gaming TV. It comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports that have all the features gamers will be looking for: 4K 165Hz, VRR with both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync supported, HGiG, Dolby Vision Gaming and auto low latency mode.

It also features the Game Optimizer menu where settings can be tweaked, including an 'Input delay' option. Activating Boost mode (for lower input lag), the G6 registered an 8.9ms measured input lag, beating the years of 9.2ms in its predecessors.

Playing Battlefield V, gaming performance on the G6 is razor-sharp and responsive. Whether it was a fast-paced mission driving a tank around war-torn Berlin or running from enemies in France, movement felt smooth and targeting was snappy and easy. There was never any stutter or delay during the most chaotic moments.

Gaming also looks gorgeous on the G6, with the rich contrast, bold colors and crisp detail it delivered for movies translated over to gaming. Once again, the G6 has set the bar for a gaming TV in 2026.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

LG G6 review: Value

• Good overall value compared to other flagship OLED TVs
• Consistent pricing with predecessor in the US, and cheaper in the UK
• Still very much a premium TV

The LG G6 is a premium-priced OLED TV, with the 65-inch version I tested costing $3,399 / £2,999 / AU$4,999 at launch. It delivers the premium experience OLED fans will want, with excellent picture quality and superb gaming performance, but it is undoubtedly a top-end TV.

While it also is an improvement over the G5 in terms of picture quality, the G5 is better value at the time of writing, as it nears the end of its first year of life. You can pick up a 65-inch G5 for $2,199 / £2,249 / AU$3,199, so if you’re desperate for a new G-series, the G5 is your best bet in terms of value for money. If you can wait, the G6 is the better TV to go for once prices drop.

Still, the G6 is a fantastic TV, really showing what flagship OLED can do. If you have the budget, the G6 is worth the investment.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the LG G6 OLED TV?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if…

LG G6 review: Also consider...

How I tested the LG G6 OLED TV

• I tested the LG G6 over three weeks, watching streaming, 4K Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, and DVD
• Tested in various lighting conditions in our TV testing labs
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software

I first tested the LG G6 OLED TV with some casual viewing to establish its best picture modes, settling on Filmmaker Mode for SDR, HDR and Dolby Vision sources.

I then conducted real-world viewing tests using both SDR (DVD and broadcast TV) and HDR (4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming) where I analyzed the G6's picture quality. I focused on color, contrast, shadow detail, motion and upscaling (for lower resolution sources such as DVD).

I also tested the G6's built-in sound by using reference scenes to test its sound performance, such as The Batman and The Mask, on top of other viewing.

Once these subjective tests were completed, I did some objective testing by taking measurements suing specialized equipment. I used the Klein K-10A colorimeter (after meter profiling with the Jeti 15VA spectroradiometer), Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator and recorded results using Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software.

I measured the G6's brightness in both Filmmaker Mode (its most accurate mode) and Standard picture modes, in both SDR and HDR. I used white window test patterns ranging 1-100%, focusing on 10% (peak brightness) and 100% (fullscreen brightness).

I also measured its HDR color gamut coverage, using both BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces, hoping for a result of over 95%. I also measured its SDR color and grayscale accuracy by taking the average of the Delta-E results (the margin for error between the test pattern signal and what's shown on screen), hoping for results below 3 (anything below can't be distinguished by the human eye).

I then measured the G6's EOTF in 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits brightness, which shows the accuracy at which the G6 displays in both dark and light areas.

I also measured the G6's Spectral Power Distribution using the Jeti spectroradiometer, which shows the G6's color performance.

Finally, I measured the G6's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester, measuring this is milliseconds (ms).

• First reviewed: April 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

H20 Audio Ript Ultra: Two-minute review

Our list of the best workout headphones is largely populated by earbuds, and there are scant over-ear options that are designed specifically for exercise. Enter the H20 Audio Ript Ultra, which are very very exercise-oriented.

These over-ear headphones come from a dedicated exercise audio brand, which also gave us the likes of the Tri Run bone conduction headphones and Sonar 2 Pro swim buds, and it generally focuses on simplicity and affordability.

Check one for the Ript Ultra, but cross the other. These are headphones that fix a few big pain points for gym-goers or runners, but at a high cost that non-exercise cans can easily undercut.

The selling point here is that the Ript Ultra are totally sweatproof: their silicone ear cushions are enclosed so no liquid can get to the drivers, and they can also be removed to be cleaned easily. Not to be sniffed at, that.

I also liked how tight and reliable a fit the H20 Audio cans provided: on runs and at the gym, they stuck reliably and resolutely in place, without slipping or falling as other headphones, even workout-specific cans, have. They rarely became uncomfortable, though my ears did get quite hot under the thick cups, so they might not be suitable for long summer runs (which is probably precisely what you'd want them for. Sorry).

As exercise cans go though, these do a great job at fixing the problems that make the best headphones poor tools for the task. But they also miss off several key perks that their 'standard' brethren too.

The audio quality is nothing to write home about sadly, and the noise cancellation is good but not great. The cans feel a little bit cheap in the hand, due to their using the same kind of hardy plastic regularly seen in budget tech, and there's no companion app for your phone to let you fine-tune the sound or enjoy extra features.

None of these is categorically a deal-breaker, especially in headphones designed for use when you're on the go in workout gear. But ultimately the rather high price of these headphones can, and should, have you asking for a little more.

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Price and release date

• Released in mid-2025
• Debuted for $249 / £244 / AU$410
• Cheaper now

The H20 Audio Ript Ultra are priced akin to some pretty premium non-workout headphones. Debuting for $249 / £244 / AU$410, they ain't cheap.

Since their mid-2025 release, they've dropped in price a little bit. In the US they've dipped towards the $200 mark at times, and in the UK they're reliably below the £200 bar. But even with price cuts, they're still pricey against direct rivals — see for instance the workout-specific Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active, with bass slider, which also launched in summer 2025, but at a cheaper $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99. Oh, and they too are now also seeing discounts here and there.

The default models of Ript Ultra are black or gray, but two other models are available if you hunt around. There's a pink Betty x RIPT model, with a skull-and-butterfly logo on the cup (I couldn't work out who, or what, Betty was), and an orange Zwift x RIPT model themed around the cycling app. These versions seem to only differ in design colorways, not feature set.

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Specs

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Features

• 50 hours of battery life
• Slight ANC complements the PNC
• No extra features from app (because there is no app)

The quoted battery life of the H20 Audio Ript Ultra is 50 hours (presumably with ANC off, lower with it on). With cans often pushing the 100-hour mark these days, that's far from best-in-class, but I'd imagine it's still more than enough juice for most users. You'd have to forget to charge for quite a few marathons to run dry.

It's a little tricky to know how much battery you actually have, though, as the headphone voice simply says "battery: high" or similar. Luckily my Android phone can tell me the charge of paired accessories, so I could see the Ript's percentage, but others might need to rely on this vague reportage.

Because of the thick silicone cups, the Ript Ultra has pretty solid PNC, or passive noise cancellation, which can strip out loud background sounds without taking up any of your battery charge. There's ANC too; turning this on made a small impact on noise, and it's probably worth leaving off if battery is a concern.

There's no smartphone app to give you extra controls over the Ript Ultra: what you see is what you get. No equalizer, no 'find my' function, no listening tests. None of these are mandatory on headphones, but when you're paying a high price, you'd hope for a little more than 'zilch'.

• Features score: 3/5

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Design

• Solid clamping force — secure, not uncomfortable
• Sweatproof & cleanable, removable ear pads
• They do get hot during workouts

The entirety of H20 Audio's sales pitch rests on its design, and I must say: job well done. Immediately, I noticed a workout cans pet peeve of mine was fixed: these things clamp on your head tight, and in all my hours of running and gym-going with them, they never fell off.

The main draw is their sweatproof design. While there's no IP rating, they're meant to be totally immune to perspiration: the silicone ear cups won't disintegrate like leather ones will, and can be removed to be cleaned easily. I found all these sales points to be totally accurate.

Silicone isn't the most comfortable material to wear, though, as it gets very warm. Frequently on runs, my ears would heat up and the area would get quite sweaty. The pads are also a bit thicker, and heavier, than alternatives I've used, but looking at the grand picture, these are also some of the most reliable workout headphones I've used because of the ear pads.

In the box, you do also get some other ear pads: they seem like leather to me, and they're softer. I wanted to test the default, more sweatproof option, so I didn't use these much, but it's a nice move that H20 is giving you regular alternatives.

On the left cup, there's an ANC button and USB-C port, and the right one has a power button, volume up and down buttons plus, perhaps surprisingly, a 3.5mm jack. That's right, you can plug these puppies in if you want better audio quality.

The Ript Ultra fold down, and come in a carry case for extra protection. According to my kitchen scale, they weigh 304g, but I'd say they fall in the general category of 'slightly heavier than normal over-ears'. The plastic they're made from feels a little cheap, and creaks a little in the hand, which initially made me worry that they were real cheapies. I was wrong those; having tested them for days now, I'm quite sure this plastic was actually used deliberately as it's more durable than other solutions.

• Design score: 4.5/5

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Sound quality

• Custom 45mm driver
• Decidedly flat, occasionally muddy audio
• Lacking the crisp bass injection I'd have liked for workouts

Since H20 Audio packed the Ript Ultra with a custom 45mm driver, I was expecting a pretty unique sonic experience. But it was unique in the way a weekend at Glastonbury is: muddy.

The headphones have a pretty flat audio output, not offering scooping (or overdriven) bass as many many exercise fans would like, or treble to offer something a little different. Audio lines sound a little indistinct, smushed together, and music has... whatever the opposite of an expansive soundstage is. A congested presentation? Yes, a little.

The overall sound profile is generally warm, with lower-frequency sounds given prominence, but not clarity. Bass blends and bleeds into the rest of the mix: in Kasabian's Underdog, I couldn't tell what was bass and what was kick-drum.

If the planets align, you can get some lovely shaking bass with the headphones; Niko Moon's Paradise To Me offered a really lovely sub-bass. But the few exceptions made the rule even clearer. In the chorus of Sam Fender's Hypersonic Missiles, you'd think every instrument was recorded from the exact same microphone, for how even they sound.

Now, the great caveat: do people care about clarity and detailed audio in exercise headphones? I have no doubt that many will ignore this section. But some gym-goers or runners will want that extra bit of bass to help them knuckle down, or the sparkling treble to underpin that fantastic chorus that gets you to the finish line. I don't think muddy audio like this will inspire people to greatness or shave any time off your 10k PB.

The headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.2 — not 5.4, as H20's website lists — and there's no support for additional high-resolution codecs. What you hear is what you get. And if that's OK with you given the sweatproofing, fine. But it's not better than fine.

• Sound quality: 3/5

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Value

• Mid-range price for headphones
• Other options get you more for your money

I've referred to the H20 Audio Ript Ultra as being a pricey pair of headphones; they certainly are, but it's worth noting that workout cans tend to be a little pricier than their standard counterparts. That's what you're getting for longevity.

Despite that note, though, the Ript Ultra do feel a little expensive for what you're getting. The lack of tie-in app, middling audio and ANC are all a little hard to swallow when you're paying a premium.

So what price would you put on protected headphones? If price is no concern, then these are fine for you, but there are alternatives that offer you more for your money. I've seen some reports online that this model is prone to breaking — although do note, that was not my experience — but it's always worth thinking about how you'll use them before spending the cash.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the H20 Audio Ript Ultra?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

H20 Audio Ript Ultra review: Also consider

How I tested the H20 Audio Ript Ultra

• Tested for a month
• Tested at gym, on runs of various lengths, on walks and on public transport

I used the H20 Audio Ript Ultra for the best part of a month in order to write this review. They mostly saw use during my exercise (gym or runs around my borough), several times per week, but on occasion I used them in other settings like public transport and trips to the shops.

For the testing process, the headphones were paired to my smartphone, listening to music on Spotify Lossless, Tidal or installed media, as well as watching videos on YouTube and Prime Video, as well as making calls.

I've tested a plethora of exercise headphones for TechRadar in the past, as well as other audio products and fitness tech. These include some products cited in the competition section.

• First reviewed in April 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro: Two-minute review

The Sivga Robin SV021 Pro are some primo-looking over-ears, designed to compete quite handily in a febrile market of Middleweight Listener Headphones That Tend To Feature Some Kind Of Wood In Their Construction. True to their mission, everything about the SV021 Pro is, at the very least, good — if not great — albeit with some caveats.

I went from absolutely loving them to pretty assuredly ‘meh’-ing them, and back again, multiple times during the course of my review. Even now, I don’t quite know what to make of them. They look the part, but sometimes feel a bit flimsy; they’re extremely comfortable, but might not fit smaller heads as well as mine; they sound great with respect to mids and highs, but the bass is off-kilter to the point that a quite-good soundstage is often choked. Every action, an opposite reaction (if not equal, per se).

Through all that, and on average, they quietly and not-so-surprisingly get decently strong grades – all the way to getting a good spot at the local polytechnic, and a dependable job with a reputable multinational firm. A win by technicality. A VAR victory.

What does this mean? That I’ve probably been a bit mean about them; that they’re pretty good, both in general and for the price. I think? But among the best wired headphones on the market? I'm not sure.

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Price and release date

• Released February 2026
• $179 / £179 / approx. AUS $339

Sivga is a Chinese hi-fi brand, one which has been carving a space for itself in the wearable audio world since 2016. It sits pretty within a (relatively) new coterie of of industry-disrupting Chinese audio brands, leveraging experience and regional manufacturing capabilities to undercut a lot of the big names.

Indeed, Sivga has clearly taken aim at a handful of key operators in the headphones space, at least with its latest tranche of wood-plated objet d’audio. They seem pointed to the general space otherwise occupied by such listener-chic over-ears as the Meze Audio 99 Classics — and designed to undercut them quite handily.

The Sivga Robin SV021 Pro, are a successor set of closed-back over-ear headphones, improving on the OG SV021s with an smooth redesign and some quietly upgraded innards. They retail at $179 / £179 / AU$339 (approx.), making them some of the cheaper wood-flecked headphones available on the market, save for some tight competition from compatriot hi-fi disruptors like FiiO.

That’s a hotly contested price range for headphones more generally, but not so much for this new breed of bougie-aesthetic, headphones-as-statement home-listening accoutrements — headphones designed to be thought of differently.

So, do the Sivga Robin SV021 Pro compete?

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Specs

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Features

• Fetching wood-backed ear cups
• 45-ohm impedance
• 50mm aluminum-diaphragm dynamic driver

The Sivga Robin SV021 Pro are a pair of passive, closed-back over-ear headphones and, hence, there’s not much to say on the features front. They do one thing, and one thing only: receive sound from your amplified sound source of choice.

How it does that, though, may be of note. The Robins are equipped with 50mm dynamic drivers, utilizing an aluminum composite diaphragm that gives them a sort-of trademark upper-register solidity. These are powerful performers with respect to high mids and treble, as we’re about to discover.

The frequency range remains the same as the OG SV021, at a relatively unremarkable 20Hz - 20kHz. That said, the new driver design yields a slightly higher impedance of 45 ohms. By asking for a just a little bit more juice, the Pros give a little more richness in return.

Each ear cup is separately addressed by a 3.5mm TS connector; the SV021 Pro ship with a braided dual 3.5mm TS to 3.5mm TRS cable, terminated with some very suave-looking matte-aluminum connectors. They look the part, and they certainly don’t get in the way sonically.

The bigger USP here, really, is the visual design, more on which shortly. For now, though, the SV021 Pro come in two distinct colorways — beechwood and zebrawood. The former features bright wood earcups with silvery hardware and Wes-Anderson-chic tan fabrics, while the latter pairs a streaky walnut-esque wood finished with smoky metals and executive-chic black fabrics.

Both come with the requisite cable, a 3.5mm - 6.35mm adapter, and a nice hemp pouch to keep them in. That being said, I don’t think the bag would do much to protect them from the rigors of public transport, nor do I think these headphones are particularly travel-friendly in general.

Ultimately, there’s not much to complain about. Audiophiles might be upset at the lack of potential for balanced outputs, and I might be upset at the somewhat-hamstrung frequency range on offer, but everything else points to an above-average performer at a below-average price point, as far as passive headphones go.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Sound quality

• Tight, clear treatment of mids and highs
• Immersive soundstage
• Irrepressible and unfocused low-end representation

The SV021 Pros are, put simply, a mixed bag. There’s a great deal of good here, from a decently spacious soundstage to a general, non-fatiguing brightness in their representation, which lends even more to that soundstage.

In fact, it’s the Sivga SV021 Pro’s handling of high-end that sets it apart. Something like Pile’s Blood, a minimalist guitar-and-ambience ode to agnosticism, sounds as excitingly tactile, brittle and frail as it should. There’s an airy sheen here, thanks to which voices sound absolutely phenomenal.

Mitski’s latest album Nothing’s About To Happen To Me was on heavy rotation in my final few days' reviewing these headphones, both at its Hi-Res 24-bit/96kHz best on Qobuz and at its analog best on vinyl. It was an absolute joy to scrutinize through the SV021 Pro, if only for giving a little more space to Mitski’s satin-silk vocal timbre. I’ll Change For You is every bit the tear-jerking ballad it was written to be, vocal front, center and soaring. Where’s My Phone? simply has 'the juice'.

There’s a delightful tightness to transients, tissy hi-hats and high-tuned snares alike. Reedy instruments benefit from both that air and tactility, as do soft-played pianos — all of which speaks to a slightly more even-handed frequency response than the sharp V-shaped profile of the OG SV021s. There is still some prominent V-ing going on here, though, as demonstrated by the double-edged sword that is the SV021 Pros’ handling of bass.

It’s refreshing to hear a set of headphones with a supple low midrange; it lends gravitas to crooners like Mitski, and gives a lot of welcome energy to the rockier stuff. Despite the brighter sound profile, listening to Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf, revealed no ‘lack’ in heft. In fact, the transient response gives a little more grit to the brighter guitars of No One Knows, and some gratifying growl to the bass.

Unfortunately, the low end is as much a problem as a presence. I’d go as far as to say that the SV021 Pro overcompensate. When injecting them with any amount of audio-volume welly, the bass builds into a bulging mess of directionless energy.

Something as delicate as Mitski’s Dead Women, a soft-sold Trojan horse of rich and unsettling bassy weight, is run a little roughshod by the Robins; subby energy quickly becomes overwhelming, choking the dynamics and ultimately feeling to cramp the soundstage with pillows. Feed the Robins a little too much in the way of sub, and you may even catch some distortion.

That said, they are capable of handling more curated instances of bass fairly well. Mitski’s I’ll Change For You has a thick-thumping kick and a woolly electric bass, which benefit greatly from that upward EQ tilt towards the lower reaches.

All told, I don’t think I’ve had a more confusing experience evaluating a set of headphones. There’s a lot to love, and to love a great deal, about the SV021 Pros’ upper register definition and even-handedness; about their transient reproduction; about how all this comes together without creating a fatiguing listening experience. And yet, there’s a big bassy elephant in the room, that loves to stand right in your peripheries making things feel awkward and a bit small, actually.

For their sins, the SV021 Pro are quite an enjoyable listen. Whether it’s the kind of balanced, sensitive listen their wood-backed home-listener aesthetic is selling, I’m not quite as sold.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Design

• Exceedingly comfortable to wear
• Easy-to-like aesthetics
• A bit rattly at times

As far as aesthetics go, the SV021 Pro are absolutely a winner. My review headphones were the beechwood variant, bearing bright earcups and tan fabrics in the way of a tight velour and a soft pleather – all mounted in matte aluminum hardware. The fabrics suit my tastes to the ground, and the wider look of the headphones is great (if a little school-cafeteria-furniture-y, in certain lights).

They are a little lighter in weight than they look, which I initially interpreted to be a not-so-good thing, but which actually turned out to be a Very Good Thing Indeed. Particularly so for the fact that they’re so dang comfortable to wear.

The earcup cushions are pillowy as anything, and that soft velour fabric around your head is supremely soft. The pleather that furnishes the inside and outside of each cup is surprisingly soft, too. The only reason for which I ever felt even slight discomfort wearing them was for their closed-back nature – after a while in any set of closed-backs, you can expect your ears to get a little claustro.

There’s a ratchet system attaching each earcup to the headband, by which height is set. The system is reassuringly secure, if a little bit rattly when not on your bonce. I am the recipient of a surprisingly small head, and the very lowest setting for each ear cup is about perfect for me; others with smaller heads may encounter some difficulties.

Another minor complaint comes from the placement of the output terminals on each earcup — at the bottom, facing straight down — which isn’t great in practice. There’s a great deal of sound transferred to the cups through the cord, so you’re practically guaranteed to hear the consequences of those braided cables rubbing on your shoulders whether you stand or sit.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Value

• Good price for their niche
• Great value, comfort-wise
• Hard to recommend for active listeners

I wasn’t sure where I’d fall on the Sivga Robin SV021 Pro, and, writing this up now, I’m still not. Ultimately, they’re decent. Initially, they didn’t blow me away, but with time I found real magic in certain areas. Yet, for each parcel of magic, I found a bit of a nuisance counterargument. Broadly, they certainly don’t fall short of what they’re promising.

They strike me as a less-expensive alternative to something like the Meze Audio 99 Classics; a budget-conscious option for more-than-serviceable over-ear hi-fi, that doesn’t also do away with any sense of rarefied visual design by virtue of price. A distinguished pair of listener headphones for the entry level.

In this sense, the SV021 Pro succeed. For the money, you get a highly dependable set of headphones that look the part, are remarkably easy to wear for long stretches, and don’t give you much reason to complain while you’re wearing them — provided you don’t push them too hard. If you like the look of them and like the look of that price point, you’re probably going to like them a lot.

But. If you’re the kind of person that generally desires a little ‘more’ from passive headphones like these, in any sense of the term, you might be left wanting. Their EQ balance and low-end handling leaves a little to be desired, and, smart as the design is, there are a few missed opportunities from a quality-of-life standpoint. In particular, the transmission of vibrations through the cable, and the solidity of the ear cups as they attach to the headband.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by other iterations of this ‘hygge’ headphone style, and maybe I’ve been a bit of a curmudgeon in the process of reviewing these, ultimately, extremely serviceable over-ears. Their comfort and quality, overall, already go some way to justifying that asking price. Everything else, for me, is just a bit of a juggle.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: Also consider

Sivga Robin SV021 Pro review: How I tested

• Tested for 4 weeks
• Used at home, through a Volt 4 audio interface and Vestax mixer/amp
• Predominantly tested using Qobuz and vinyl records

Much of my testing took place in my attic studio, where I listened primarily to lossless audio using the streaming service Qobuz, as well as audio from my digital library. This was through a Universal Audio Volt 4 audio interface, and also through the headphone output from a pair of Edifier MR5 monitor speakers.

I also spent a little time listening to vinyl records, played on a Vestax PDX-D3 turntable through the headphone output of a Vestax PCV-275 mixer.

• First reviewed: April 2026
• Read more about how we test

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: two minute review

The ATH-ADX7000 are Audio-Technica's flagship open-back headphones, with a lightweight design that's strong but just 270g. They deliver exceptional low-end power and a wide, precise sound stage, with a confidence and clarity no matter what kind of music you throw at them. They're astonishingly expensive, but if you can afford a pair you'll be very pleased with your purchase. Some of the best wired headphones around then? Oh, emphatically.

The key features here include Audio-Technica's new HXDT driver design, which is a large 58mm diaphragm with concentric alignment of the baffle plate, magnet and voice coil. The voice coil is located in the middle of the housing for what Audio-Technica says is "the purest motion and sound possible".

These are very high impedance headphones — 490 ohms — and that means you'll need an appropriately powerful amp to drive them. But get that right and they'll reward you no end.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: price and release date

• $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999
• Launched October 2025

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones were announced in October 2025 and went on sale that same month with a price tag of $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999.

That pricing means these are very much in audiophile territory; this is a flagship set of serious headphones made for people who want the very best of everything and can afford to pay for it.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: specs

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: features

• New 58mm HDXT driver with aligned circular components
• 490 ohm high impedance voice coil
• 1/4-inch stereo and 4-pin XLRM cables, both 3m

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones feature HDXT drivers, which are precision-molded to deliver a perfectly round diaphragm. The main driver is 58mm with aligned circular driver components (the baffle plate, magnet, voice coil and diaphragm) for what Audio-Technica says is a more accurate, dynamic and detailed sonic performance. It's teamed with a 490-ohm high-impedance voice coil that promises fast transients and defined low end.

The ATX-ADX7000s come with two detachable nylon-wound 3m (9.8') cables, one balanced with a 4-pin XLRM connector (but not a 4.4mm balanced connector; the expectation is that you'll be using a desktop or hi-fi amp here) and one with an unbalanced 6.3mm (1/4") gold-plated stereo plug. Both cables connect to the headphones with gold-tipped A2DC connectors.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: sound quality

• Exceptional clarity and precision
• Superbly punchy bass without losing detail
• Excellent in all kinds of genres

With a frequency response of 5Hz to 50kHz, the ATH-ADX7000 have a very impressive low end and airy highs, delivering a neutral overall sound with a little bit of warmth. Irrespective of genre or format I didn't need to reach for an EQ on any of my vinyl, CDs or files; even fairly cluttered, complex sounds like Mojo from Mike Patton's Peeping Tom project, which drops massive squelching sub-bass in the chorus with distorted guitars on top and which has defeated many headphones, didn't stress the Audio-Technicas at all.

These are very high-impedance headphones and on the Mac my SSL2 interface struggled to drive them; while it happily drives most demanding headphones it wasn't strong enough for these, and it felt like I was getting six out of ten when I needed eight or nine. Swapping it for my iFi Zen 2 DAC improved things dramatically, not just because of the extra power but because the ATH-ADX7000s could really breathe. What was already entertaining became an absolute hoot.

I laughed out loud when the bass dropped in SOPHIE's Reasons Why, and Beastie Boys' Root Down moved so much air it felt like I'd strapped big speakers to my head. Little Simz' Point and Kill was beautifully detailed, its snaking bassline, intertwining vocals and bursts of brass perfectly positioned. Radiohead's Reckoner had incredible presence, the Audio-Technicas giving the layered vocals great separation as guitars chimed in the left channel and the ride cymbal splashed in the right. Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks was the best I've ever heard it, every part of John Paul Jones' bass distinct from John Bonham's thunderous drums and Jimmy Page's slide guitar.

Bass was something of a recurring theme in my testing because the ATH-ADX7000 headphones deliver it so well, whether it's the thumb-slaps and slides in The Blue Nile's Tinseltown in the Rain; the arpeggiated synth in Robyn's Dopamine; the dubstep thump in BLACKPINK's Go; Adam Clayton's grinding bass in U2's Vertigo; or Tony Levin's percussive, metronomic bass pulse and melodic walks in the live version of Peter Gabriel's Digging in the Dirt. Listening to and feeling Horace Pace's glorious Precision bass in The Specials' Ghost Town was close to a religious experience.

• Sound quality score: 5/5

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: design

• Exceptionally lightweight honeycomb grille
• Choice of velvet and alcantara ear cups
• Lightweight but strong magnesium frame
• Functional rather than flashy

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones are very visibly open-back thanks to a handmade honeycomb-punched aluminum grille that looks as if it's barely there when you're looking straight at it — although it is very strong and does also block unwanted side ventilation.

The large ear pads come with a choice of velvet and Alcantara cushions that promise to subtly alter the sound — velvet for "well-balanced" audio and Alcantara for more warmth — and the headphones use a lightweight magnesium frame with a wide, open headband. I found the headphones to be exceptionally comfortable even during long listening sessions. And unlike on-ear designs they stayed put when I was at my desk working in front of a big display.

Each pair of ATH-ADX7000 is laser-etched with its serial number and comes in a hard aluminium carrying case.

• Design score: 5/5

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: value

• Undeniably expensive
• Exceptionally good bass
• Wonderfully comfortable

These are the best over-ear headphones I've ever tested, delivering the incredible clarity and realism of open-back headphones with the kind of low-end punch you'd normally need closed-backs for. Their light weight, wide headband and comfortable ear cups make them a real pleasure to wear for long listening sessions, and the sound they produce means that every listening session will become a long one.

Unfortunately they're also very expensive: $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999 is twice what you'd pay for a Grado Signature pair, about three times the price of the equivalent Sennheisers and about seven times more than I've ever been able to spend on a pair of headphones. That price tag means they're simply out of reach for many of us.

For many musical products the difference between budget and mid-range models is much more dramatic than the difference between high end and super high end – so for example a $1,000 guitar will be much better than a $250 one, but as you move up the price range the differences start to become much more subtle. I think that's the case here. If you can easily afford these headphones you'll love them, but many headphones costing half as much are hardly horrific.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the ATH-ADX7000?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: also consider

The Sennheiser HD 800's revoiced, more bassy successor the HD 800 S is among the very best wired headphones, and retails for roughly one-third of the price of the Audio-Technicas. And while the fit wasn't right for me, when I reviewed the Grado Signature S750 open-backs I really loved their sound quality and clarity. Our current favorite among the best high-end headphones, the Meze Audio 105 Silva, are even cheaper while delivering a superb sonic experience.

How I tested the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones

• Tested for two weeks
• Used with stereo amp, audio interface and headphone DAC/amp
• Vinyl, CD, streaming, and hi-res audio files

I tested the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 for two weeks across a range of sources and genres: vinyl records via an Audio-Technica turntable and an Onkyo A-910 stereo amplifier; CDs with the same amp and a Marantz CD6007 CD player; and streaming, lossless and hi-res audio on a Mac mini via an SSL2 audio interface and an iFi Zen 2 DAC.

I've detailed some of the music I used in the main review but I tested across a range of artists and genres including acoustic and hyperpop, electronica and EDM, classic rock, alternative rock and chart pop.

• First reviewed: April 2026
• Read more about how we test

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4: Two-minute review

When I sat down and first started listening to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4, sitting at my desk at home, I was mildly pleased with their audio performance. But when I started using them out and about in the world, not in my cosy chair, these quickly became some of my least favorite headphones to test in recent months. Some of the best earbuds around for the cash-savvy buyer? Sadly, no.

That’s a surprise; I gave the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro an almost-perfect review score, and expected these affordable alternatives to fare just as well. But I have been loathe to use them during the testing period, for one simple reason.

These earbuds just wouldn’t stay in my ears. When I was sitting still at home, they’d more or less work fine – although they’d often slip from their default position so the drivers were further from my ears than they should be. If this was the entirety of my testing, I’d give them a perfectly fine review, but life’s not just about sitting still.

When I went on walks with the buds, they’d slip constantly, and I’d have to readjust them several times each minute to push them back in. I like to walk, and went on multiple hour-long rambles during the testing time. Imagine how long I had my hands in my ears, fidgeting and fixing slippage.

They also fared incredibly poorly on public transport (too shaky), when I was in bed (too angled) and even sometimes when I’d rotated my swivelling office chair. I didn't dare take them to the gym or on a run.

Even if the things weren’t flung from my ears multiple times per song, they have a truly awful battery life; with ANC and other features turned on, I’d get about three hours per charge. And that's before I even mention the meagre ANC performance – because of the poor fit, the active noise cancellation algorithm here has absolutely zero chance of stopping you hearing the sounds around you.

There are some elements of the Galaxy Buds 4 that you might like: they offer really high-quality music, and do look classy. And if you’re lucky enough to have ears like vices, you might not have the same fit issues I did – but I’ve never had issues quite like this in other similar buds, and know Samsung’s earbuds have a reputation for poor fit, so I really don’t think it’s a me problem.

A quick Google search shows that users had the same issue with the Buds 3. It's easy to find reports of them slipping out of the ears, so it's clear that this is a recurring issue which the company hasn't fixed. I try to avoid reading coverage of products I'm testing, but I've already seen reports of Buds 4 users having the same issue.

If you’ve got the money and a Samsung phone, the easier fix is to splash out a little more on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, with their ear-tips offering a more secure fit (though not a perfect one). But honestly, there are countless great wireless earbuds for this much or less, that won’t jump from your ear at every opportunity.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Price and release date

• Announced in February 2026, released March
• Sells for $179 / £159 / AU$299
• No price change from past models

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 were announced at Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, and have been available to buy from March 11, just like the Pro model and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

The retail price of the buds is $179 / £159 / AU$299, which is a mid-range price for earbuds like these, though they seem affordable when compared to the $249 / £219 / AU$399 Buds 4 Pro. There’s been no price hike over the Galaxy Buds 3, which is always good to see.

I know what you’re wondering: ‘how does that compare to Apple?’. The AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179 / £179 / AU$299, a very similar price point: the same in the US and Australia, but pricier in the UK. But if you don’t need ANC, the standard AirPods 4 cost $129 / £129 / AU$219, so they’re cheaper.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Features

• Buds last about 3 hours per charge
• ANC has limited effectiveness
• Range of handy features

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 technically do have noise cancellation, but due to their open-fit design (think Apple EarPods), they don’t plug up your ear to stop outside noise leaking in. So practically, they reduce very little noise. I could notice some noise cancellation when turning the feature off and on, but only a marginal amount.

Sometimes when I had the buds in but wasn't listening to music, I could hear them try to compensate for loud noises by pumping out what sounded like white noise. Not only did it fail to stop the background noise, it added a little extra layer of annoyance. Don’t buy these if you need good ANC.

Don’t buy them if you need a long-lasting battery either; their play time is abysmal. With ANC turned off you’re only looking at 6 hours of listening; Samsung’s official figure puts ANC-on listening at five hours but in my own testing, with features like SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) turned on, I was barely scraping three.

You can get about five recharges from the case, which isn’t amazing, but didn’t affect me too much during my testing weeks. Just remember to plug them in regularly.

But now we can move onto the other features, and there’s a lot more to like there. The buds support Bluetooth 6.1, with support for codecs like SSC, AAC, SBC and LC3 (no LDAC). I had a few Bluetooth dropouts during my time with the buds, but not so many that it couldn’t have been environmental.

The buds offer a range of tools like call sharpening profiles, spatial audio with head tracking, a nine-band equalizer with presets, volume normalization, adaptive sound to cater for how you wear your earbuds (i.e., at what stage of falling out they’re at) and so on. You can even use the buds to tap into nearby audio broadcasts.

The only major omission is multipoint connection, but that’s not even a feature I’d consider mandatory in earbuds. There’s also no listening test, like in the Pro, but I didn’t find it wholly useful in those buds so again, no (further) marks docked.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Design

• Swanky 'Blade' look
• Charging case is small and light
• Buds aren't designed for sticking in ear

I’ve got to say, I really like the Samsung Galaxy Bud 4’s charging case. It’s a lightweight, see-through square box, that the buds easily slot into. It weighs just 45.1g and measures 51 x 51 x 28.3mm, and really disappeared into my pocket.

The buds themselves look pretty good too, with their refined ‘Blade’ designed from the Buds 3 stripping out the lights and much of the fuss. The polished silver metal band on the white buds I tested looks great, but there’s also a black model you can pick up.

Unfortunately, that’s basically all I can praise about the Buds 4’s design, because for the three weeks I tested the buds, their build was the bane of my existence.

I’ve already spent much of the introduction to this article moaning about the Galaxy Buds 4’s fit, but in case you skipped that: these things just don’t stay still in your ears. If they’re not outright falling out, they’re moving around so that the drivers are pointing any which way, making music sound worse.

This'll no doubt be worst for people with big ears, but a few design decisions ensure that they won't be a good fit for anyone. The lack of a tip means you can’t just wedge the Buds 4 in your ears and hope for the best, and the material of the body is so smooth and friction-free that it fails to keep them anchored in ears.

It feels like the weighting of the buds is wrong too, so their own heft causes them to list and then fall from the ears. They’re not heavy, at just 4.6g, but the amount of ear-pirouettes they managed suggests the center of gravity is off in some way.

On the Buds 4’s stem, there’s a touch control: swipe up or down for volume, or pinch to play and pause your music. I quickly discovered that swiping was just another way for me to fling the buds out of my ears, but pinching is great: a light click lets you know that your demand was registered.

• Design score: 2.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Sound quality

• Single driver per bud
• High-quality streamed music
• Detailed sound

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 have a single driver per ear; it’s one of the big downgrades from the Pro, with the bass-focused woofer absent. It’s a shame, because extra bass oomph is needed: it might go some way in mitigating how quickly you lose it when the earbuds start to slip…

Generally speaking, and when you’re sitting still with the Buds 4 angled perfectly, they sound about as good as you’d expect for the price. They’re bright and detailed; the acoustic guitars in Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel sparkle and the keys in the piano introduction to Tiny Dancer by Elton John had just as much personality as the rocket man’s own voice did.

The lack of a dedicated woofer hurts, when comparing these to the Buds 4 Pro. Bass isn’t as scooping and defined as I’d like, instead sounding muddy indistinct. If you listen to Phosphorscent’s C’est La Vie No.2 by Phosphorescent or The Rocketeer by Foxy Shazam, the bass just melts into the band and loses its edge.

Detail and quality really is the name of the game here, as for all their strengths and weaknesses, you’re hearing it all… at least, if you’re using a Samsung phone, which allows for the SSC-UHQ codec. This allows for 24-bit/96kHz transmission, and makes an audible difference over listening on other devices.

So the Galaxy Buds 4 aren’t the best earbuds I’ve tested, even at the price, but they’re decent. But remember everything I said about the fit? Yeah – between the slow slipping and leaking background sound, I very rarely got the best from the buds. When I used them while walking, or on public transport, the bass vanished pretty quickly and often the mids were drowned out by noise, leaving only some hi-hats and vocals to enjoy.

The buds have a fairly high max volume, but I noticed something odd: the bass would audibly drop from the mix as I got near the top. Every time I pressed ‘volume up’ from five steps off max, every instrument would get louder, except for the bass which would step back. It meant two or three presses of my volume keys would result in a drastically different sound mix, and it was much tinnier-sounding at the top than I’d expect.

• Sound quality: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Value

• Mid-range price for buds
• Other options get you more for your money

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 aren’t cheap, and honestly, you’re within your rights to expect a little more from your earbuds.

A single driver? A sub-movie-length battery life? A design that doesn’t seem well thought out? If these were budget buds I’d understand, but $179 / £159 / AU$299 is far from cheap in the varied world of wireless earbuds.

There are other similar-priced options out there which offer you a lot more for your money, or give a similar package to the Buds 4 but at a fraction of the cost.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4

• Tested for a month
• Tested at home, on walks and on public transport

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 immediately after the Pro model, so they were a natural comparison. I used them paired to a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phone for the duration of the testing process, and listened to audio on Spotify, internal storage, various streaming services and games.

The test process for the buds was around three weeks, though I used them occasionally for a week prior when I received them at the same time as the Pro.

I've been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar for about 8 years now, including plenty of earbuds and Samsung gadgets (including the Buds 3 Pro too).

• First reviewed in March 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Sennheiser CX 80U: review

Recently, one of my esteemed colleagues shared a brand new term with me: “friction-maxxing”. The term – coined by columnist Kathryn Jezer-Morton – concerns the practice of rejecting modern digital conveniences, and building tolerance for discomfort while resisting the temptations of technological ease. I assure you, all of this is relevant to my verdict on the retro-feel Sennheiser CX-80U wired earbuds — just stay with me a little longer.

So, all of this friction-maxxing talk got me thinking about tech and its role in our lives. Previously, we’d head to a Blockbuster or a local library to hunt down a movie we want to see, whereas we now bear witness to an unending wall of films on Netflix. Once we would have gone to a record store or entertainment outlet, and purchased a new vinyl pressing or CD, but now we just stream tunes via Spotify. And we used to queue up outside video game stores eagerly awaiting a new release, while now, you can pre-order a title from a digital store instantaneously.

We’ve taken so many inconveniences away, but has it come at the expense of the human experiences that stick with us forever? Maybe. But all is not lost. We can still bring some friction back into our lives. For instance, Sennheiser is here, and it’s plugging the wires back into your earbuds, and transporting you away from the ultra-convenient Bluetooth earbuds that dominate today’s market. Yes, I present to you, the Sennheiser CX 80U – a budget-friendly pair of USB-C in-ear headphones, aiming to compete with the best wired earbuds in their price bracket.

The Sennheiser CX 80U are a USB-C adaption of 2021’s Sennheiser CX 80S – essentially the same buds, but ones that use a 3.5mm connector. Like the CX 80S, Sennheiser’s new earbuds use 9.7mm dynamic drivers, with a frequency range of 17Hz-20kHz. The result? Clear full range sound, with powerful bass, clean mids, and vibrant treble. Given that they’re on sale for less than $40 / £35, I was really impressed with the sonic capabilities of these buds and, after two weeks of testing, I’d argue that they’re among the best I’ve tried in the budget category.

When I tuned into Timeless by Shinchiro Yokota, I was treated to full-sounding, impactful bass and exciting yet controlled percussion in the treble range. Piano and vocal chops came through with plenty of clarity in the mids too, and as the track built, the individual layers never got muddied or convoluted.

I was especially pleased with the sense of space that treble sounds have. Highs often sound as if they’re operating in a well-defined pocket, giving them plenty of room to express themselves. For me, this created a great sense of immersion in my tunes, something that many budget rivals fail to offer. Even at peak volumes, the CX 80U’s treble never sounded harsh or tinny, and solid dynamics were maintained at all times.

As a regular user of the Sennheiser IE 200, I like the way that Sennheiser approaches the low-end on its more budget-friendly products. It never feels like bass is bloated or over-emphasized for an attention grabbing, but unbalanced sound. Instead, products like the IE 200 favor an agile, clear interpretation of low-end sounds – a punchy sound, rather than an untamed one. And it’s a very similar story on the CX 80U.

These wired buds offer responsive, clean bass that grabs your attention without spoiling the party for sounds in the mid and treble ranges. For instance, when I tuned into Fascinator by Max Dean, although the sub-bass was a little subdued, mid-bass sounds were rapid and full-sounding, never sounding lethargic or ‘boomy’.

It would be rude not to give the mids a bit of airtime too, so let’s discuss them for a bit. Now, I’ll be upfront, I don’t think you’re getting the most nuanced or detail-oriented mids around with these earbuds. However, they certainly sound clear, and well balanced and very robust for buds in this price-range.

For instance, when I listened to Ventura Highway by America, acoustic guitars in the intro came through with beautiful tonal accuracy, and sounded surprisingly expressive too. But as vocals entered the mix, I couldn’t help but realize that they didn’t sound perfectly separated from those guitars, and lacked the definition in the mix supplied by pricier rivals. This really is a nitpick, though. These budget-friendly buds sound absolutely fantastic, and I’d never expect them to compete with $100 / £100 models.

I’ve spoken about sound pretty extensively now, so let’s talk about something else that will affect your enjoyment of these buds – their comfort. Now, I have to say that I found the CX 80U to feel very pleasant in-ear. I happily engaged in multi-hour listening sessions, and never experienced discomfort or irritation. For reference, I used the medium-sized eartips, although small and large alternatives are included in the box, helping you to find your perfect fit.

And getting that ideal seal will be pretty important if you want to enjoy the CX 80U at their best. With the right fit, I didn’t only unlock high-level comfort, but surprisingly strong passive noise isolation. When people were chattering away in my office, I genuinely couldn’t hear a word they were saying at around 70% listening volume. On top of that, typing sounds and doors closing barely broke through at all.

That’s pretty amazing when you consider that the CX 80U don’t use fancy foam eartips or any particularly advanced technologies to keep noise out. Sure, they won’t stop you from hearing surrounding traffic or the rumble of a jet engine if you’re taking a flight, but they’ll still dampen surrounding clamors nicely, and that in itself is a major plus.

Sennheiser’s in-ears are well designed in just about every other way too. For instance, I love their classy look, which is marked by rounded buds, attractive silver details, and slim wires. There’s an in-line controller here too, which isn’t too close to the face or too far down, and is attached to the right bud, so you know which side is which.

But unfortunately, the controller seems to house just about every issue I have with the Sennheiser CX 80U – even though my critiques are few and far between. First of all, I was puzzled by the lack of volume controls. There’s a single button that can be used to pause or play tracks or take calls, but that’s all. That meant that whenever I wanted to change volume, I had to pull my phone out – not ideal when you’re on the go.

My second point of criticism – which is admittedly pretty minor – concerns the controller’s built-in mic. I tried recording a voice note, and realized that there was noticeable background static in the recording throughout. My voice was decently clear, in fairness, and the mic isn’t bad overall, but it won’t provide the best call quality around.

But that’s about where my complaints end. Sure, it would be nice if the CX 80U had an IPX4 rating for some protection against raindrops, for instance, but it’s pretty common for buds in this price range to leave waterproofing out.

Otherwise, I have nothing but good things to say about the Sennheiser CX 80U. They sound spectacular for their sub-$40 / £35 price-tag, they’ve got a classy look, and their adoption of USB-C makes them a great fit for modern smartphones and laptops. If you want to bring some friction back into your life with a budget-friendly pair of wired buds, the CX 80U would be my top recommendation.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: price and release date

• $39.95 / £34.99 (about AU$57)
• Launched in January 2026

The Sennheiser CX 80U were announced in January 2026, alongside the Sennheiser HD 400U USB-C wired headphones. They have a list price of $39.95 / £34.99 (about AU$57), planting them firmly in the budget category. They’re available in a single black and silver colorway.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: specs

Should I buy the Sennheiser CX 80U?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sennheiser CX 80U review: also consider

How I tested the Sennheiser CX 80U

• Tested for two weeks
• Used in the office and while out and about
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the Sennheiser CX 80U, and took them with me just about everywhere I went. I tested them at home, at the office, and even on walks, to really grasp their noise isolation capabilities.

Although I used them for streaming the odd bit of video, I predominantly used the CX 80U for music listening. When playing tunes, I predominantly used Tidal, and had them connected up to the Nothing Phone (4a). To begin with, I made sure to run through our TechRadar testing playlist, which features tunes from a wide array of genres. However, I also made sure to tap into some tracks from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent two years reviewing gadgets here at TechRadar, and audio gear is a key focus of mine. I’ve reviewed a lot of wired earbuds like the Master & Dynamic ME05 and the JBL Tune 310C, but I’ve also tested IEMs, like the Sennheiser IE 200 and IE 600. On top of that, I’ve gone hands on with some of the best noise cancelling headphones, like the Sony WH-1000XM6, Dolby Atmos soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q800F, and Bluetooth speakers like the Marshall Kilburn III.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: March 2026

Soundpeats Cove Pro: Two-minute review

If you’re here because you’re interested in buying the best cheap headphones, let’s skip to the chase: these are now going to be the go-to pair I recommend for the foreseeable future. They’re not perfect, which is why there’s still over 1,000 words to this Soundpeats Cove Pro review, but for the money they're outstanding.

Soundpeats is constantly impressing me with its great-value audio offerings, like the indelible in-ear Soundpeats H3, or the reliable open Soundpeats Clip1, and so I’m not overly surprised that I’m giving out another glowing review to something from the company. It’s less versed in over-ears than other kinds of headphone, though, so there was always the chance of something going wrong.

The Cove Pro are fantastic headphones for people who just need any old pair of cans that’ll do the job, so you’ve got a way of listening to music when at home or on the go – they nail all of quality-of-life features you’ll want.

For example, the battery life is fantastic: 95 hours, or nearly four days straight. These aren’t going to give up the ghost during a long-haul flight, that’s for sure.

They’re also some of the most comfortable on-ears I’ve used recently, as the padding in the cups and headband is soft, and they’re not too heavy or pinchy over the crown of your noggin. What I'm saying is, you can leave them on your head for long periods of time without getting aches.

Audiophiles (or people who aren't sure of the title but are picky about their sound) might not be as impressed. The ANC is quite light-touch; the Cove Pro reduce sound more than ‘cancel’ it, and the audio isn’t as good as some other budget options I’ve tested. It’s a bit too warm and veers towards muddy, with a lower-end that isn’t as well-defined as on some alternatives. I wasn’t blown away, but bass-heads might still be happy.

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Price and release date

• Released in January 2025
• Sells for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$140)
• Cheap, but not cheap cheap in today's market

Soundpeats announced the Cove Pro in January 2026, following the rush of headphones that followed CES at the beginning of the year.

You can buy the Cove Pro for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$140), so they're fairly affordable cans – best suited for people who want decent headphones that'll last a long time, but don't need the highest quality or audio or premium features.

They’re not the very cheapest headphones that are worth considering – I recently tested the OneOdio Focus A1 Pro which sell for $34.99 / £43.99 (about AU$85), and there are a few other super-budget options worth buying like the Sony WH-CH520. But they’re still certainly a budget option compared to the big names on the block.

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Specs

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Features

• 95-hour battery life
• The ANC is very light-touch
• Nice perks like Bluetooth 6.0, listening test and LDAC

Possibly the most eye-catching spec of the Soundpeats Cove Pro is the battery life: up to 95 hours of ANC-off listening. Very few headphones crack the 100-hour barrier, and anything close like this deserves props.

The endurance drops quite a bit if you turn ANC on: down to 58 hours. That's quite a sacrifice to remove some sound, though in the grand scheme of things ~60 hours is still decent.

The ANC isn't very powerful here; it'll strip out the worst of background noises rather than remove them in any meaningful way. There's also an ambient mode, but I couldn't hear a difference between this and Normal (ANC off).

The Soundpeats app is the Cove Pro’s all-but-mandatory smartphone app. It's worth downloading, even though it forces you to create an account, because it offers a few features unusual in lower-cost headphones.

The app offers an equalizer (presets or 10-band custom mode), find my headphones function, spatial audio, bass booster and even a custom listening test which builds you a bespoke EQ mix. It’s clearly in a very early state – the pictures and text refers to earbuds, and one menu was in Mandarin, but it did a decent job of tweaking my audio and wasn’t too hard to use.

Unlike many budget music-blowers, the SoundPeats supports a few higher-res Bluetooth codecs, including LDAC, SBC and AAC. It connects via Bluetooth 6.0, and in my testing it didn't stop out at all – there was one brief stutter, and that was it.

• Features score: 4/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Design

• Light and comfortable to wear
• Useful on-cup controls, but no 3.5mm
• Bog-standard looks

When I pulled the Soundpeats Cove Pro from the box, I thought they were dead ringers for my old Sony WH-1000XM3s. Sure, there isn't a huge scope for variety in the world of headphone aesthetics, especially the budget market, but the design language is there.

These cans weigh 250g, with an IPX4 rating indicating that they’re splash-roof. The right cup has an ANC button, power button and volume rocker on it, and they're flush enough that I sometimes thought I'd missed pressing them until I got used to the feel of it. The exception is the power button, which has a little indent so you can easily differentiate it by feel.

The one thing I’d like to see is a 3.5mm port. As it stands, you can’t use an AUX cord to connect these to your music player.

I found the Cove Pro surprisingly comfortable; you can't always rely on the budget headphones for a good fit, but these felt great. The soft cups settle gently on the ears, and a large pad on the band keeps them nestled on your cranium. I could listen for long periods without any kind of strain or ache.

The headphones also feel surprisingly premium in terms of build quality. The plastic material feels a little more durable than the squeaky cheap stuff some rivals are made out of, and other traits of budget cans like rattly joins and a hollow-feeling body were all absent.

You can fold the Cove Pro in on itself to make it more portable, and they swivel and extend a fair amount to suit different sized heads.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Sound quality

• 40mm driver
• Messy low-end handling
• EQ can fix some issues

Like most budget headphones – actually, most cans at any budget – the Cove Pro have 40mm drivers. Soundpeats' website goes into detail on titanium-coated diaphragms, patterned dome drivers and magnets, all giving the impression of a thoughtful approach to audio – it’s all for naught, though, as they don’t sound any better than your average budget cans

Music is warm, sometimes too much – as I write this I’m listening to Old Ties and Companions by Watchhouse, and the timbre that should be created by the various acoustic instruments feels lacking because of the sound profile. Bass can sometimes blow out other parts of a song, especially with rock music, which can often see the bass guitar override guitars.

It’ll appeal to bass-heads for sure, and people who go to gigs so often that they don’t realize you’re not always supposed to hear and feel the bass above everything else. But I found it a bit too much – and using the Bass Reduction EQ preset sometimes wasn’t even enough.

Get through the bass, and you’ll find fairly detailed audio, though the lack of support for wired listening means these aren’t budget audiophile cans by any means. There’s a pronounced soundstage though, something you can’t always say about options at this price point, giving a little bit of extra sparkle to songs like T-Shirt Weather by Circa Waves and Such Great Heights by the Postal Service, which have bassless introductions so you can enjoy the atmosphere.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Value

• At best, exceeds expectations for price
• At worst, matches expectations for price

The Soundpeats Cove Pro aren't quite the cheapest headphones on the market – or that have wowed TechRadar’s team recently – but they're not far off. And they offer top value for money.

The build quality here is better than I've come to see expect from budget cans, even if the looks won't win any awards for originality. And the feature set is better than many same-price rivals, with tools that you'd normally find in cans twice as pricey.

In its weaker departments, the Cove Pro still deliver at the level you'd expect for this price; they sound no worse than the average budget headset, and deliver enough ANC to trump rivals which don't offer the feature.

• Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Soundpeats Cove Pro?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Soundpeats Cove Pro

• Tested for a month
• Tested at home, on walks, on public transport and the gym

I used the Soundpeats Cove Pro for just over a month to write this review, immediately following a few of their big rivals.

I used the cans paired alongside my Android phone, listening on a variety of services. This included in a range of indoor and outdoor settings including, most challengingly, on a train ride home after a high-end audio show.

For TechRadar, I've already tested a wide range of budget headphones, including over-ear alternatives and other picks from Soundpeats.

• First reviewed in March 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

KEF Coda W: Two-minute review

KEF, it seems, has identified a customer for whom its existing lineup of wireless stereo speaker systems is not absolutely perfect. This customer can live without network streaming, but would like to be able to listen to a turntable. They don’t need their system to work on a desktop, but they would like it to be available in a fairly wide choice of finishes. And so here’s the Coda W.

As well as the network streaming/phono stage trade-off and the ‘regular’ size of the cabinets compared to the dinky dimensions of some predecessors, the Coda W has cutting-edge Bluetooth connectivity (the aptX Lossless codec is supported), an HDMI eARC input and properly hi-res functionality via its digital optical and USB-C inputs. Four discreet modules of Class D amplification power the 12th generation of the company’s Uni-Q driver array – 30 watts goes to each 25mm aluminium dome tweeter, 70 watts to each 130mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver. And if that all sounds a bit tentative, there’s a pre-out for a subwoofer too.

In practice, it works either ‘pretty well’ or ‘very well indeed’, albeit maybe not quite well enough to sit among the best stereo speakers on the market. The phono stage is probably the least effective of the input options, which is a pity, when you consider it’s one of the real differentiators between this system and the slightly more expensive KEF LSX II LT, its most obvious stablemate. If, however, you switch to one of the digital inputs (either wired or wireless) and the Coda W has plenty going for it. There’s detail and drive, plenty of well-behaved low-frequency presence, a really even-handed attitude towards tonality and frequency response, and a level of energy and engagement that’s a match for the best that any even remotely price-comparable rival can muster.

Turn the volume down to the sort of level that conversation can easily be heard over, though, and quite a lot of this attitude is replaced by a more pedestrian, less energetic character that sucks some of the animation out of recordings. Mind you, if you want to listen at low levels in order to engage in conversation, it could be argued that this isn’t all that much of an issue.

KEF Coda W review: Price & release date

• $999 / £799 / AU$1449
• Released in October 2025

The KEF Coda W wireless active stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $999. The asking price in the United Kingdom is £799, while in Australia it goes for AU$1449.

There are a few very credible alternatives around, of course, not least from KEF itself in the shape of its slightly smaller, slightly pricier, slightly differently specified LSX II LT wireless stereo speaker system. So does the Coda W have what it takes to, um, undermine its sibling and cannibalize its sales?

KEF Coda W review: Features

• 200 watts of Class D power
• Wireless and wired connection options
• 12th-gen Uni-Q driver array

In most respects, the Coda W is specified as extensively as seems reasonable, given the asking price. Then you consider the way its (admittedly more expensive) LSX II LT sibling is specified, and you realize you’re engaged in a game of ‘swings and roundabouts’.

Still, the gain outweighs the pain here more than a little. The Coda W is an active stereo speaker with 200 watts of Class D power available – naturally enough it’s divided half-and-half between the two speakers. Slightly unusually for an active – rather than a powered – system, is that only one speaker requires mains power. This ‘primary’ speaker connects to its ‘secondary’ partner via a supplied length of USB-C-terminated cable which transfers power as well as digital audio information.

The secondary speaker has just a USB-C input on its rear panel – it’s positioned beneath a bass reflex port that vents from higher up. The primary speaker, by way of contrast, is all action. It has a USB-C output for connection to its partner and a matching bass reflex port, of course, but in addition, the rear panel features (in no particular order): a connection for mains power and an ‘on/off’ switch, an HDMI eARC socket, a digital optical input, a USB-C slot for data transfer, a line-level stereo RCA input, a moving magnet phono input (also on stereo RCAs) with a ground post, and a pre-out for a subwoofer. There are also buttons to initiate Bluetooth pairing (the KEF uses Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless codec compatibility) and to reset the whole shebang. There’s a switch to turn the ground lift circuit on or off, too.

What’s missing? Well, there’s no Ethernet socket, and no Wi-Fi connectivity either. So network streaming is unavailable, which puts the Coda W at a disadvantage compared to the LSX II LT, although it hits back with its integrated phono stage. No network capability means no Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect etc, so if you’re using Bluetooth to enjoy some wireless tunes, it means your smartphone (or what-have-you) will be fully occupied.

The input resolution of the USB-C is 24bit/192kHz, while the digital optical is 24bit/96kHz and the HDMI eARC operates at 16bit/44.1kHz – analog signals are digitized on entry to 24bit/96kHz. All these wired sources are (re)sampled to 24bit/96kHz before being decoded to the analog domain the driver arrays can understand.

Unlike the LSX II LT, which features a compact version of the 11th generation of KEF’s instantly recognizable Uni-Q driver arrangement, the Coda W is packing the 12th version. There’s a 25mm aluminum dome tweeter behind an elaborate waveguide and positioned in the throat of a 130mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver. Each tweeter is in receipt of 30 watts of power, while each mid/bass driver gets 70 watts. This arrangement, reckons KEF, is good for a frequency response of 41Hz - 20kHz.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

KEF Coda W review: Sound quality

• Energetic and confident sound with detail to spare
• Loses some animation at low volume levels
• Phono stage is nothing special

At its best, the KEF Coda W sounds very, very good indeed. Unlike some of its most obvious rivals, though, getting away from ‘its best’ is not especially difficult to do.

With a genuinely hi-res (24bit/96kHz) FLAC file of Prince’s U Got the Look incoming via the USB-C socket, there’s plenty to enjoy about the way the system performs. It maintains a strictly neutral tonality, adding no discernible heat to any part of the frequency range and not cooling any part of it down either. The top end attacks with crisp determination, but despite what you might have read about metal tweeters, there’s no suggestion of hardness or glassiness to the treble sounds the Coda W delivers.

The transition into the midrange is smooth to the point of inaudibility, and once there the amount of detail the KEF is able to extract and contextualize allows both the voices in the recording to come across with all their attitude (horny, mostly) and character intact. Beneath here, the lowest frequencies hit hard but control their attack well, so the four-square rhythm is expressed confidently. As with the rest of the frequency range, detail levels down here are high, with plenty of subtlety and variation to go along with the straightforward punch available.

The frequency response is even-handed, with no area underplayed or overrepresented, and the soundstage the KEF creates is big and plausible. Like all the best Prince songs, U Got the Look sounds like an expensive demo, with great big spaces and silences playing their part. The Coda W has no problem laying the stage out coherently, and it gives just as much emphasis to the absences as it does the actual occurrences. Dynamic headroom is significant, and the lower-key dynamics of harmonic variation are also paid close attention. The KEF sounds keen to entertain, and it preserves all the energy the recording wants to communicate.

All of this is true, to a lesser or greater extent, when listening to the same song wirelessly via a FiiO digital audio player running the Tidal app or to a CD-borne copy of the song delivered into the system’s digital audio input. The Coda W remains a lively, informative and quite vibrant listen that seems to revel in the vivid and upfront nature of the recording.

It’s possible to move away from this best-case scenario, though, either by turning the volume down to a modest ‘background’ sort of level or by listening to a vinyl copy of the song through the integrated moving magnet phono stage.

The differences are probably less pronounced when playing the record, so I may as well start here. The phono stage fitted to the Coda W just isn’t anything special – for all of the cliches regarding the vinyl format and its facility with rhythm and tempo-management, the song sounds just fractionally lumpy and leaden-footed when heard this way. It’s from the 80s, sure, when every rhythm was mechanical and regimented, but there was always more swing to Price than the Coda W is willing to reveal via its phono stage. The knock-on effect is a minor dialling down of the energy in the recording, and a mild loss of engagement as a result.

Turning down the volume results in a slightly more fundamental shift in emphasis. I know it’s quite easy to argue that ‘background’ levels would tend to imply that not all that much attention is being paid to the music, and certainly no critical listening is likely to be happening, but there are more than enough systems around that don’t change their sonic character at lower volumes to understand that the changes that the Coda W goes through aren’t inevitable or, to a lesser extent, excusable.

Turning the wick down means a lot of the system’s previously vivid and energetic attitude towards music goes astray, replaced by a slightly matter-of-fact and unengaged alternative that’s not especially welcome. Particularly not when you know what the system is capable of if only it were playing a little louder.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

KEF Coda W review: Design

• 285 x 168 x 268mm (HxWxD)
• Choice of five finishes
• Optional SQ1 stand

The Coda W may cost less than the LSX II LT, but there’s more of them. At 285 x 168 x 268mm they’re bigger than their siblings in every direction – if you were hoping to position these on a desktop, think again. Unless you have a mahoosive desk, anyway.

A pair of speaker stands is the way to go. Any decent product will do, of course, but KEF will happily sell you a pair of its SQ1 stands that have been developed with the Coda W (and a few other KEF models) in mind.

The standard of build and finish is well up to standard. The Coda W may lack the exciting curves of their LS and LSX stablemates, but they look and feel good. And the choice of five finishes – my review sample's dark titanium, midnight blue, moss green, nickel gray and a vintage burgundy version that’s only available from very select outlets – means there really ought to be something to suit your mood and/or decor here.

• Design score: 5

KEF Coda W review: Usability & setup

• Truncated version of the KEF Connect control app
• Physical controls on the primary speaker
• Small remote control handset

KEF supplies a little remote control handset to operate the Coda W. It deals with ‘power on/off’, ‘volume up/down/mute’, allows you to cycle through the inputs and, if you’re streaming via Bluetooth, to access ‘play/pause’ and ‘skip forwards/backwards’.

The controls, with the exception of the Bluetooth stuff, are duplicated as touch-controls on the top of the primary speaker - although you can only scroll through your inputs in one direction, which is a (very) mild irritation.

There’s also a very brief version of the KEF Connect app available too. It connects via Bluetooth, offers input selection and volume control, allows you to check for updates, and also features a balance control and rudimentary EQ adjustment in the shape of ‘treble cut/boost’ and ‘bass cut/boost’ controls. It’s also where you can let the Coda W know if it has a subwoofer attached.

• Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

KEF Coda W review: Value

• Very high standard of build and finish
• Enjoyable sound quality...
• But it's variable depending on the output used

It’s difficult in the extreme to suggest the KEF Coda W is anything other than very decent value for money. It has some real highlights where specification is concerned, is built and finished to a very high standard, and is capable of uncomplicatedly enjoyable sound quality too.

The fact that it lacks some features available in a very similarly priced product from the same manufacturer is, ultimately, less concerning than the fact that its sound is quite variable depending on the input you’re using.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy KEF Coda W?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

KEF Coda W review: Also consider

How I tested the KEF Coda W

I positioned the speakers on a pair of Custom Design speaker stands, connected them together using the supplied USB-C cable and plugged the primary speaker into the mains.

Then I connected a Technics SL1300G fitted with a Goldring 1042 cartridge to the phono input (and also to the line-level input, having positioned a Cambridge Alva Duo phono stage between the two), and plugged a Rega Apollo CD player into the digital optical input.

I used an Apple iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player as Bluetooth sources, and connected an Apple MacBook Pro (running Colibri software) to the USB-C input. After this, I put the speakers either side of my Philips 48OLED806 TV and connected them via HDMI. Lots of sources, meaning lots of content – and for quite a length of time.

• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
• First reviewed: March 2026

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is well and truly here. And the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is among the first systems to make use of this technology. This sound system – composed of an LG H7 9.1.6-channel soundbar, two 2.1.1-channel LG M7 wireless speakers, and the LG W7 sub, all available separately too – is a powerful, dynamic, and expansive-sounding system. But is it capable of outdoing the home theater big boys — particularly Samsung?

Well, let’s start by tackling the Immersive Suite 7 Pro’s unique feature: its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities. This enables you to enjoy optimized sound and Atmos effects even with your speakers in non-optimal positions for traditional surround setups – the speakers map their position in the room, and adjust their output so you'll still get as close to 3D sound as they can provide. So, if your living room isn’t suited to having rear speakers to the left and right behind you, this could be a real solution.

And FlexConnect works really well in practice on the Sound Suite, helping it to stand out among the very best soundbars. I tried placing the two M7 speakers – which can work wired or wirelessly – across various spots in our TV testing space, and I was treated to clear, impactful, and balanced sound with each configuration. All you have to do is recalibrate the speakers each time you change their position, which is quick and easy to do in the LG ThinQ app.

More generally, the calibration tool provides accurate, streamlined sound, no matter where you’re seated. I had to retry this a couple of times during testing for the most accurate reading, but this wasn’t too troublesome. I did experience a couple of errors later on in my testing, but was almost certainly due to a network issue in our weird corporate network in our test rooms, so setup is likely to be straightforward if you’ve got stable home connectivity.

I want to talk about the Suite 7 Pro’s sound more generally now, because it really impressed me. Surround sound is phenomenal, and I often felt like I was truly enveloped in the movies or music I was playing. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of 2024’s Nosferatu, I truly felt like I was at the center of the action — the movie's eerie score came through with immense power and control, high-pitched screeches pierced through the center channel and never sounded tinny or distorted, while bass was rippling yet regimented.

In addition, I was struck by the accuracy and expansiveness of the Suite 7 Pro’s Dolby Atmos performance when switching over to The Mask on 4K Blu-ray. At one point, the titular character flung through a glass door like a tornado with a truly palpable smash, and the system mapped his wild movements across the screen with tremendous precision.

Something that a lot of Dolby Atmos soundbars struggle to nail is height effects, but that’s not the case for the Suite 7 Pro. I threw on Top Gun Maverick, and during the scene where Tom Cruise flies his jet over Ed Harris, the verticality of the move was captured with commendable fidelity. The continued upward movement was traced well too, making for a highly immersive viewing experience.

One audio feature that some people may miss is support for DTS audio, meaning there’s no decoding of DTS HD or DTS:X onboard here – but that was to be expected after LG dropped DTS from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player supports decoding DTS, that should be fine.

But let's take it back to the fundamentals, where the Suite 7 Pro performs admirably. Dialogue is clear and direct, bass is intent-filled but doesn’t overwhelm other sounds in the frequency range, and treble is both clear and expressive.

I didn’t think music sounded perfect on this system, though, with vocals in the mid-range sometimes getting slightly obscured in the mix. Still, tunes generally sounded strong with clean bass and the Suite 7 Pro made great use of its various channels, especially with Atmos tracks. There’s AI-powered upmix mode if you want to convert a stereo audio signal into an expansive multi-channel format.

In fact, there are quite a few sound modes available, including an AI Sound setup, bass, and voice settings. Personally, I enjoyed the standard sound mode the best— it felt like the most balanced and revealing of the available options to me. But the options don’t stop there. You can adjust channel levels to suit your preferences, adjust the lighting on the rear speakers, and even activate Sound Follow mode, which centers audio on you, rather than a position in the room.

Combine all of that with Wi-Fi connectivity — which opens up hi-res 24-bit/96kHz audio and supports for the likes of Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect — and you’re looking at a feature-rich system. You’ve also got Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity at your disposal.

One thing that didn’t quite bowl me over was the Suite 7 Pro’s look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a nice-looking system overall and I appreciated its display, but the H7 bar itself does look a bit basic, lacking the sleek, modern look of a Sonos model or the eye-catching luxury of a bar like the Marshall Heston 120.

I did quite like the curved W7 sub, though, which can stand upright or lay flat. It's not the smallest, but that’s to be expected for a model that reaches down to 25.9Hz and packs a maximum power output of 220W. The mighty M7 wireless speakers are pretty appealing too, and their customizable downward lighting really won me over. On top of that, the included remote feels as if it's built to a very high standard, and it's highly responsive.

What I was a little disappointed by, however, was the lack of HDMI passthrough. See, when you use a soundbar system like this, you already have to sacrifice your TV's eARC port for enhanced sound. And given that many modern TVs only have two HDMI 2.1 ports, this means you can be pretty limited there – if you’ve got a couple modern consoles, say, then that may prove to be inconvenient. That’s something where the Samsung HW-Q990F outdoes the Suite 7 Pro, given that the former supports 4K 120Hz passthrough.

It would be remiss of me not to mention price, too. The H7 soundbar is priced at $999 / £899, with the W7 sub costing $599 / £599, and the M7 speakers coming in at $399 / £399 a piece. That means you’ll be fronting almost $2,400 / £2,300 for the Suite 7 Pro.

Sure, this is an almighty system, rammed with 21 speaker units, a swathe of height channels, game-changing FlexConnect technology, and excellent all-round audio. And given that we’ve tested models like the Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which comes in at $3,499 / £2,199 — a model with fewer channels and no FlexConnect — I don’t think the price is totally unwarranted.

But when you can grab a sensational system like the aforementioned Samsung Q990F for almost $1,000 / £1,000 cheaper, the Suite 7 Pro’s price could prove to be a difficult pill for some to swallow.

With that said, the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is certainly something special. It uses Dolby Atmos FlexConnect tech to great effect, its audio performance is very admirable indeed, and the speaker configuration opens up exceptionally immersive movie watching.

Yes, the lack of HDMI passthrough is a shame, and it comes at a very premium price, but if you’re looking for a system that’s designed to suit your specific needs, then this is about as good as it gets.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: price and release date

• Sound Suite H7 soundbar priced at $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Sound Suite W7 sub costs $599 / £599 (about AU$840)
• Sound Suite M7 speakers are $399 / £399 (about AU$560) each
• Whole system will set you back approximately $2,400 / £2,300 (about AU$3,400)

The LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is pretty pricey, coming in at about $2,400 / £2,300 (around AU$3,400) in total. The individual components of this system got a price drop ahead of release, making it pretty competitive over the likes of Sonos, which also offers different parts of its system individually.

You can connect up to four of the M7 or the cheaper LG M5 speakers up to the Suite H7 soundbar, or connect speakers directly to your TV if you have a compatible model, like the LG G5 or LG C5.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: specs

Should I buy the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: also consider

How I tested the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro

• Tested across the course of a week
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I spent a week testing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro, using it alongside the LG G5 OLED TV via HDMI eARC. I tested the system using various configurations, and tried the system with the wireless speakers across many parts of our TV testing space at Future Labs.

During my testing time, I viewed and listened to a wide variety of content. I began by throwing on some movies via Netflix Premium, as well as higher-quality 4K UHD Blu-rays, which I played using the Panasonic DP-UB820. I also connected my phone up to the Suite 7 Pro and listened to some tracks via Tidal Connect, using both Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.

Of course, I made sure to exhaust the Suite 7 Pro’s various features as well. I listened using all of the different sound modes, messed around with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, and tried out the Sound Follow feature.

More generally, I've tested a load of soundbars here at TechRadar, and have tried out everything from ultra-cheap models like the Sony HT-SF150 through to luxurious alternatives like the JBL Bar 1300MK2. My experience testing rival models means that I know exactly what it takes for a soundbar system to stand out, in what is a highly competitive market.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: March 2026

FiiO KA15: Two-minute review

Is this little teal DAC one of the best headphone DACs around? You bet it is. The FiiO KA15 is the successor to the popular FiiO KA13, and it adds a small color display with a fun audio cassette-style animation during playback. It has high power output in desktop mode that enables it to drive even fairly demanding headphones, and it has both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm headphone outputs. The 3.5mm can also be used as an audio output.

One of the big pluses here is wide compatibility with smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop PCs and handheld games consoles. For some devices such as iPhones you'll need to borrow a computer to configure the 10-band equalizer as FiiO's iPhone app doesn't connect to the KA15, but this is a relatively minor snafu.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed listening to all kinds of music with the KA15. It has a wide soundstage and delivers plenty of detail; it's warm without overly coloring the sound and there are tons of options to sink your teeth (read: ears) into, including switchable amplification modes and digital filtering.

FiiO KA15 review: Price and release date

• Released September 2024
• Priced $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$189.99

The FiiO KA15 was released in September 2024 with a retail price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$189.99. It sits just below the flagship KA17 in FiiO's portable DAC line-up.

This is an exceptionally competitive part of the market: it's where iFi has its also five-star GO Link Max DAC, for example. But the combination of low cost and high power output makes the FiiO KA15 very attractive. (As does the fact that it looks like a tiny cassette Walkman. And I stand by that.)

FiiO KA15 review: Features

• DSD256 and 768kHz/32-bit PCM support
• Dual Cirrus CS43198 DACs and SGM8262 op-amps
• Unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs

The KA15 features dual Cirrus CS43198 DACS and dual SG Micro SGM8262 op-amps. It supports decoding of PCM audio up to 768kHz/32bit and DSD256 and has both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs designed for headphones with impedances of up to 150 ohms and 300 ohms respectively.

You can toggle key settings such as EQ presets and amp modes via the display and physical buttons, but EQ is best left to the Android app or web control panel where you can also set a 10-band parametric EQ. I've written more about that in the "ease of use and setup" section.

The USB-C audio is switchable between UAC 1.0 and 2.0 for the widest possible compatibility, enabling the KA15 to work not just with smartphones, tablets and laptops but also handheld games consoles and older hardware.

The KA15 runs in two modes: normal and desktop mode. Desktop mode enables it to deliver considerably more power but, as the KA15 takes all of its power from the device it’s connected to, that mode is best suited to mains-powered devices such as desktop PCs and laptops that aren’t running on battery.

In normal mode the KA15 can deliver 50mW per channel into 32 ohms on the 3.5mm output and 170mW on the balanced output. In desktop mode both increase to 180mW per channel and 560mW respectively.

There are a lot of control options to choose from, including: ten EQ presets (three of which are for FiiO IEMs); Class H / Class A/B switching; channel balance; display brightness; display themes; display rotation; and five filters. The filters are non-OS (non-oversampling), Fast-LL (low latency), Fast-PC (phase compensated), Slow-LL, and Slow-PC. The fast filters are recommended for dynamic music and gaming and the slow ones for more complex listening.

Features score: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Sound quality

• Excellent warmth, detail and clarity, especially in desktop mode
• Customizable amplification and filtering
• You may need a computer to customize the EQ

If you're currently listening to your computer's headphone output or have a simple headphone dongle on your phone or tablet, the FiiO KA15 is a significant audio upgrade – especially if you use it on a computer and have it set to desktop mode, which massively increases the output power.

The FiiO KA15 has a neutral sound signature with clean, punchy but not overly exaggerated bass, and you can adjust both the amplification mode and the audio filter settings to suit your preferences. I liked it best in Class A/B mode with filtering set to Slow-PC and the EQ off, which I felt was warmer and slightly more spacious than Class H, fast filtering and any of the preset EQs. However, the lack of an iPhone app or on-board EQ customization was an irritant on IEMs, where many vocals were too sibilant as I turned the volume level up.

Despite listening across multiple genres and decades of music I didn't feel the need to change the EQ or filters with my closed- or open-back over-ears: whether it was U2's 30th anniversary remaster of Achtung Baby, Stevie Wonder's Superstition, Little Simz' Point and Kill, Talk Talk's New Grass or Robyn's Dopamine I had tremendous fun listening loud, hearing previously buried elements in every mix and only encountering distortion around the low end at unsafe listening levels.

The FiiO delivered excellent clarity and detail across genres. The aforementioned Little Simz track was a great example, a thrilling mix of snaking bassline and beautifully close voices; when the backing vocals came in in the second verse my goosebumps got goosebumps.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Design

• Brushed aluminum with small color LCD
• 152 x 25 x 11mm (HxWxD)
• 21g and in case I didn't mention, it looks like a tiny cassette Walkman

The KA15 is slightly smaller than its more powerful sibling, the KA17, and it is a little bit smaller than a standard 9V rectangular battery. Its dimensions are 152mm x 25mm x 11mm and it weighs a titchy 21g, and it comes in a choice of two brushed aluminium finishes: black and a silver/turquoise mix.

Both versions have a large black lozenge on the front with a small 0.96-inch rectangular color LCD display embedded in the centre, and both feature a delightful animation that makes the display mimic a cassette tape complete with moving reels. You can change its colours in the KA15's theme menu. It comes with an extremely short USB-C to USB-C cable designed for use with a phone, and there's an optional MagSafe clip that can snap it to the back of one.

The KA15 looks and feels well-made, and its design is very minimal. There are three tactile buttons on top for navigating the screen and a toggle switch for desktop mode that feels solid. The USB port is on the bottom and the 3.5mm single-ended and balanced 4.4mm outputs are on top. The single-ended output is also switchable to S/PDIF.

Design score: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 Review: Usability and setup

• Plug it in and you're good to go
• Interface can be a little fiddly
• No iPhone app

The stripped-back design does mean the KA15 is a little fiddly to configure: there are just three buttons taking care of everything. If you hold the KA15 upright, the topmost button is volume up, the middle button is volume down and the lower button is play/pause. Tap that button twice to turn the display on and off, and long-press it to go into the KA15's settings. In that mode the volume buttons move you left and right through menu items and the lower button cycles through each section and confirms your selections.

There is one big problem with the KA15 if you're using it with an iPhone or iPad: you can't customize its 10-band equalizer from the on-board menus, and FiiO's companion iOS app doesn't work with the KA15. That means for iPhone/iPad users you'll need to plug your device into a Mac or PC and use the FiiO Control webpage in a browser such as Opera (Safari on Mac doesn't support the necessary hardware control). This web page enables you to create personal EQs and if you wish, to share your creations with others and vice-versa. It also enables you to download any firmware updates in a process that took me less than one minute.

If you're using a Mac and intend to listen to Hi-Res Audio you'll need to enable higher quality USB output via the Audio MIDI Setup app in your Applications > Utilities folder or your KA15 will be limited to 48kHz audio.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Value

• It's cheap and it'll make you cheerful
• A significant audio upgrade for smartphones and computers

If like me you have big audio ambitions and a very small budget, the KA15 is excellent value for money. It's a significant upgrade in sound quality for smartphones and computers, and while it's not as powerful as a desktop headphone amp it has more than enough oomph for a wide range of headphones and IEMs so it's fairly future-proof.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the FiiO KA15?

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FiiO KA15 review: Also consider

If you don't need a screen or high power output, the iFi GO Link Max is even more compact than the KA15, and it's cheaper too. It puts out up to 241mW of power and features dual Sabre DACs.

FiiO makes plenty of other DACs, and if you need something with a higher spec than the KA15 the next step up is the FiiO KA17. That's roughly 30% more expensive and boasts dual ESS ES9069 DACs, maximum output of 650mW per channel and support for DSD512.

Want something just as small and almost as retro-cute, but wireless? Look to the matchbox-sized iFi Go Blu Air.

How I tested the FiiO KA15

• Hi-Res FLAC and multitrack Logic Pro projects
• Lossless and lossy streaming
• Beyerdynamic and Philips over-ears, Soundmagic IEMS

I tested the iFi KA15 over two weeks with a variety of headphones and IEMs including BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro and Philips Fidelio X2HR open-back headphones, DT770 closed-back headphones, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs.

I tested the DAC with music from multiple audio sources including hi-res FLAC files via the Vox music player on Mac; lossy and lossless streaming on desktop, iPhones and iPad; and my own multitrack Logic Pro X music projects.

• First reviewed: February 2026
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