Articles by Tom Bedford, Contributor

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro on a shelf, next to some glasses.

These new Anker earbuds are hands-down the best for calling I've ever used, and the sound and fit are excellent — just make sure you buy the right pair

By Tom Bedford Published 9 June 26

Recommended

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro tick all my boxes, with a few stand-out features that even earned my mom's approval, too.

Sonos products and WiiM products grouped together, to try to work out whether it's time to switch

Someone made a smart Sonos touchscreen music controller for just $20 / £16 — and it makes me miss the days when Sonos made its own iPod-like dedicated controller

By Tom Bedford Published 8 June 26

Miss the days when Sonos Controllers were a thing? A Redditor has made his own, with just $20 / £16 and some technical know-how.

Two images of speakers, one Bowers & Wilkins, one Kanto (taken at High End Vienna) side by side in a split-screen image

Two of the most outrageous High End Vienna speakers we've ever seen just launched, and they sit at very opposite ends of the scale

By Tom Bedford Published 5 June 26

Bowers and Wilkins' new Diamond speakers, and the Kanto Tuk Grand, show two very different kinds of High End Vienna release — and I love them both

The Audeze MM-520 on a black background.

A slam-dunk at High End Vienna: Audeze unveils pro mixing headphones with huge 90mm drivers (and yes, proprietary SLAM tech too)

By Tom Bedford Published 4 June 26

The Audeze MM-520 bring some tweaks over their predecessor, plus a little SLAM for good measure.

The iFi iDSD GR 2 on a coffee shop table.

iFi's new portable headphone DAC looks even more like a hip flask, and it'll serve a swift a dram of hi-res audio — but take a shot before you see the price

By Tom Bedford Published 4 June 26

The iFi iDSD GR 2 brings some upgrades on the company's xDSD Gryphon, including an improved power output.

An iPad Pro, Xiaomi Pad 8 and OnePlus Pad Go 2 all next to each other.

I'm a tablet expert, and iPads are still miles better than Android slates for multitasking — but Apple will lose the advantage if it doesn't fix the rest of iPadOS soon

By Tom Bedford Published 3 June 26

Apple's iPadOS software continues to make multitasking a breeze compared to Android tablets, but there's room for improvement on all sides.

'Sounds more like a supercar': Meze unveils Arta, elite audiophile headphones with sonic blades, replaceable parts — and the price-tag of a small car

By Tom Bedford Published 3 June 26

The Meze Audio Arta cost a fortune, but they set some new records and could sound absolutely incredible.

Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones resting on case

Irked by AirPods Max 2's 6-year-old design? Apple's cheaper Beats arm has just the thing, as new over-ears are spotted at the FIFA World Cup training camp

By Tom Bedford Published 1 June 26

New Apple Beats headphones have been spotted in a World Cup training camp, and they'll please all those AirPods Max 2 haters…

The GameSir G7 Pro 8k on a black desk, surrounded by models.

I've spent 25 hours with this 8K-polling games controller: it's been great for Arc Raiders, not so great for my PC

By Tom Bedford Published 31 May 26

The GameSir G7 Pro 8K increases the polling on a top-rated controller, and while the price increase is minimal, the controller's still not for everyone.

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The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion on a window sill, before some bushes.

I've been using the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion for a month, and I don’t think the iPhone 17e or Samsung Galaxy A57 can touch it for value

By Tom Bedford Published 31 May 26

Recommended

The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion defies its budget price by offering a premium design, a good-looking display, and a huge battery.

'More drivers than a Formula 1 grid': A&K makes Christmas come early for audiophiles with its new premium audio player packing built-in quad vacuum tubes, plus new 'Tribrid' 9-driver IEMs to pair with it

By Tom Bedford Published 29 May 26

Astell & Kern has unveiled a new DAP, called the SP4000T, and new in-ear monitors called the Clarus, and they're not messing around when it comes to audiophile appeal

The Acoustune ATX001 on a grab background.

This new super-slim adapter adds aptX Lossless and LDAC Bluetooth to iPhones — upgrade your wireless music for cheaper than you might expect (and it doesn't stop you from charging at the same time, mercifully)

By Tom Bedford Published 29 May 26

The Acoustune ATX001 plugs into your iPhone, iPad or any other device via USB-C, and upgrades your music with certain audio codecs.

The Cleer Arc 5 buds on a shelf, either side of its case.

More and more earbuds come with touchscreen cases, but after testing a bunch of them, I'm still not convinced it's the future — do you really get the best value this way?

By Tom Bedford Published 27 May 26

With more and more earbuds coming with touchscreen cases, I've got to ask: "why?".

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless headphones on a white surface with a pink background

Sennheiser finally launches the successor to its ultra-popular 5-star Momentum wireless headphones, and adds in great new features including Dolby Atmos — Sony and Bose have some hot competition here

By Tom Bedford Published 26 May 26

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless took four years to arrive, and they've entered the scene just in time to show up Sony's 1000X The Collexion.

A Sony Xperia, Nubia RedMagic and Nothing phone in three different segments.

I've turned my old Android phones into 5G routers, power banks, and more — here's how you can do the same

By Tom Bedford Published 24 May 26

If you're thinking about buying a new Android phone, you don't have to throw away your old one — here are seven ways you can give an older mobile new life.

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The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max, with their lids open and buds shown.

I’ve tested both of Anker's new feature-packed Soundcore earbuds, which offer everything from personalized sound to Dolby Atmos to AI translation — one is clearly better, but I’d actually recommend buying the other one

By Tom Bedford Published 23 May 26

Anker's Soundcore brand has released two new earbuds; I've tested both, and have the lowdown on how they're different.

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max on a bronze table.

Anker's new feature-packed earbuds come in two flavors, both with screens on the case — but don't be distracted by the outside, because the exciting news is under the hood and on your phone

By Tom Bedford Published 22 May 26

Anker Day 2026 brings two new pairs of earbuds, as well as a smartphone tie-in app and news of new components.

Look ma, no cables: this all-in-one Wi-Fi streamer, speaker and soundbar from a five-star audio company is hefty, but it might be all the modern hi-fi you need

By Tom Bedford Published 22 May 26

Dali has unveiled the Vega, an all-in-one piece of hi-fi gear that combines speaker, amp, streamer and soundbar — and it can be stuck on your wall or laid on a surface

High-end hi-fi company YBA has made what it claims is the world's first "transportable" CD player for SACDs — it's got the audiophiles in the office very excited, but it's not exactly a handheld model to slip in your jacket pocket

By Tom Bedford Published 21 May 26

YBA has made what it claims is the world's first "transportable" CD player for Super Audio CDs, but it's not exactly a handheld model.

The AirPods Pro 2 earbuds next to their case

You've heard of Touch ID and Face ID, but is Ear ID next? Researchers have detailed a new tech would let you use AirPods or similar buds to prove who you are and unlock your gadgets — and it's actually your heartrate that they detect

By Tom Bedford Published 21 May 26

Researchers in China have discovered a way to verify identity via heartbeat, all using earbuds. And it's a tech that's not limited to heart rate buds like the AirPods.

A man wearing the Vollebak Sonic Jacket.

‘You don’t listen to this jacket. You feel it’: someone made a sci-fi jacket that includes 180 built-in speakers, and for way weirder reasons than you’d expect

By Tom Bedford Published 20 May 26

Vollebak's new Sonic Jacket is a marvel of engineering, and you could actually buy one — theoretically…

The Sonos Move 2 has a new Bluetooth speaker competitor that comes in a cool and practical Scandi design — and it's way cheaper, though it lacks two key features

By Tom Bedford Published 18 May 26

The Jamo HYG range of Bluetooth speakers offer you another Sonos Move alternative, and some smaller and cheaper models.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra on the left, and Galaxy S26 Ultra on the right.

Thinking of upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra? Here's why you should consider an older model instead

By Tom Bedford Published 18 May 26

If you've been thinking of buying the top-end Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you might find another, older device that ticks your box just as much (or even more).