Tom Bedford

Tom Bedford

Contributor

Tom Bedford joined TechRadar in early 2019 as a staff writer, and left the team as deputy phones editor in late 2022 to work for entertainment site What To Watch. He continues to contribute on a freelance basis for several sections including phones, audio and fitness, as well as many other websites.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

He grew up in Bristol, UK, and has also lived in Norwich, UK, Salt Lake City, UT, and currently resides in London, UK.

Articles by: Tom Bedford

The Audiolab 6000CDT on a wooden shelf next to some headphones.
Getting back into CDs? Not all players are made equal: a dedicated transport will preserve your collection, as long as you're happy making space for more shiny discs

By Tom Bedford Published

Audiolab has unveiled a CD transport, designed to read discs properly (and with care) while relying on other separates for the remainder of the process.

Samsung seems to have even more earbuds on the way, but these hark back to the forgotten, sports-specific Gear range

By Tom Bedford Published

The rumored Samsung Galaxy T1 looks set to be a pair of exercise earbuds — the kind of thing Samsung used to make frequently.

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1ZM3 on a table next to some headphones, glasses and a drink.
Sony launches two new elite Walkman devices, then teases a retro-inspired third Walkman-adjacent release (which I'm far more excited about)

By Tom Bedford Published

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1ZM3 and NW-WM1AM3 both offer premium audio experiences, and yet an upcoming third product is stealing everyone's attention.

Three wind-up radios on a pink background.
3 cheap, reliable hand-crank radios still available that aren't just for preppers: hear emergency broadcasts if the power grid fails

By Tom Bedford Published

The government wants you to 'Be Ready' with a radio, and these wind-up options won't make you dependent on batteries or mains power.

The CoolGeek P1 Cassette Player on a wooden block, with headphones attached.
Bored of cutesy, retro-looking cassette players? This high-tech industrial model is a worthy alternative

By Tom Bedford Published

The Coolgeek P1 Cassette Player offers a modern twist on the retro cassette player, and its Kickstarter campaign has just launched.

Slices of the posters to Aliens, Avatar 2 and T2, with a TechRadar quiz logo emblazoned above.
Love Avatar, Terminator and Aliens? Test your James Cameron movie knowledge with this fun quiz

By Tom Bedford Published

How well do you know James Cameron, his storied career, and the franchises he's worked on? We'll find out with this 30-question quiz.

The Fairphone FairBuds 2 buds and case on a table.
One key trait means these eco-friendly AirPods rivals give me more peace of mind than any other earbuds on the market

By Tom Bedford Published

The Fairphone FairBuds 2's green credentials make up for the relatively slender feature set and serviceable sound quality.

The iFi Up Travel Max connected to an in-flight monitor.
This tiny cheap iFi gadget gives your old iPod Bluetooth support, sends the in-flight movie to your wireless headphones and lets you use your over-ears in the car

By Tom Bedford Published

The iFi UP Travel Max has loads of uses: in flight, connecting your phone to your car, repurposing your old iPod...

The Huawei FreeBuds Neo buds and case on a ledge, in front of a city.
Find AirPods Pro too chunky? I tested the perfect earbuds for you, and I don't think I can ever go back to big buds

By Tom Bedford Published

The Huawei FreeBuds Neo are lovely tiny earbuds — but they also sound energetic and aren't too expensive.

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

By Tom Bedford Published

Samsung has revealed when the Galaxy Buds On will go on sale, plus the US price, and they're surprisingly expensive Buds.

The Musical Fidelity B1xcd on a shelf.
CD players are back, and this new Musical Fidelity buy has an 'incredibly attractive price': the same as an Oppo A7 Pro Max smartphone

By Tom Bedford Published

The Musical Fidelity B1xcd is a CD player which capitalizes on the physical media resurgence, and it costs less than alternative models on the market.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds On on the left, and the OnePlus Buds Clip on the right.
Samsung has new clip-on buds, OnePlus has new clip-on buds — when do we say 'that's enough new open earbuds'?

By Tom Bedford Published

Two more ear cuff-style open earbuds have launched, from Samsung and OnePlus — neither of which are available in the west yet — but it's busy market segment.

The Breaking Bad banner image with a TechRadar quiz logo.
Do you know the Gilliverse? This ultimate Breaking Bad quiz will find out

By Tom Bedford Published

Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, El Camino, more; we'll find out how much you know about the Gilliverse.

The Écoute TH2 in Nickel on a gray background.
Remember the headphones with a built-in valve amp? There's a new version with improved active noise cancellation and better protection from interference

By Tom Bedford Published

The Écoute TH2 are valve amp-toting headphones which build on their predecessors.

The Skullcandy Method 540 earbud, showing the back.
Skullcandy headphones are set to get a whole lot better thanks to Bose, especially the cheaper buds

By Tom Bedford Published

Bose has bought Skullcandy, all but guaranteeing new Skull buds will have more of those top-end Bose features.

JLab JBuds Mini ANC attached to a set of keys, with the case open and one earbud outside the case
4 cheap headphones and earbuds we've tested to avoid 'headphone dodger' fines — they're all cheaper than the £100 you'll pay if you're caught

By Tom Bedford Published

UK legislation now means people who play audio aloud on their phone could face £100 fines on buses.

Trettitre's Retro Ambient Audio System on a wall, with a woman pressing the smartphone.
This wall-mounted turntable, CD-player and cassette system is ideal for retro music lovers in tiny homes — you just need a spot for a Bluetooth speaker

By Tom Bedford Published

The Trettitre Retro Ambient Audio System is a wall-mounted record, CD and cassette player, which offers everything except a speaker (although you can buy one from the company to match).

A banner for Lost with TechRadar's Quiz logo put over the top.
Can you escape the island? This 30-question Lost quiz will test everything you know about the hit mystery show

By Tom Bedford Published

This 30-question Lost quiz will challenge your knowledge about the show, and the media franchise surrounding it.

Two TDM Neos on a table.
I spent two weeks with those wacky headphone-loudspeaker hybrids, but they're the easiest 'pass' recommendation in a long time

By Tom Bedford Published

The TDM Neo is a hybrid headphone-speaker gadget, but sadly it doesn't work very well in either form.

The Cambridge Audio Spira on a shelf.
I spy the perfect turntable to get you into vinyl: Cambridge Audio's new minimalist deck is designed to be easy to use for first-time owners

By Tom Bedford Published

The Cambridge Audio Spira is a new colorful turntable designed for simplicity, perfect as a gateway product for fledgling vinyl collectors

The banner for Netflix's One Piece series, with the TechRadar quiz logo in the top-right.
Can you sail the Grand Line? Take this ultimate One Piece quiz for fans of the manga, anime and hit Netflix show

By Tom Bedford Published

A big fan of One Piece? This 30-question quiz will work out just how well you know the franchise.

The AKG N9 on a wooden floor.
Samsung may finally be putting all of its Harman, AKG, JBL and B&W juice in a blender for its first headphones in 10 years

By Tom Bedford Published

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Studio will finally give the brand something to do with all of its audio aquisitions.

Two Magico A3 2027 speakers either side of a cabinet.
Magico's new speakers look like they were designed by NASA and cost more than a holiday cottage... and I want them

By Tom Bedford Published

The Magico A3 2027 isn't an upgrade, but a complete overhaul — and it costs nearly £30,000 (or equivalent, where you live).

Sonos logo on the Sonos Beam Ultra
A new Sonos app update fixes one tiny but frustrating problem, and fans are loving it

By Tom Bedford Published

A new Sonos app upgrade is going down well: it brings several minor fixes, including a persistent playlist.

The TDM Neo at CES 2026, in its compressed speaker state
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? 9 months after being revealed, that twisty pair of headphones which turns into a speaker just finally became available to buy

By Tom Bedford Published

We first saw the TDM Neo at CES in January, and now you're finally able to buy the novel twisty speaker-headphone combo.

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