Leak has been doing very nicely as its own tribute act lately, and the latest product to get the ‘walnut and aluminium’ mid-20th century modern retro treatment is a network streamer called TruStream.

But while it looks like a throwback, the TruStream is thoroughly modern on the inside. Wired and wireless connectivity, balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs, a top-end 32bit ESS Sabre DAC and a streaming platform provided by Silent Angel all contribute to a player that’s absolutely got it where it counts. Its control app could learn a thing or two from pretty much anyone else’s control app, mind you…

Given some good hi-res content to deal with, the Leak proves an expansive, detailed listen that controls both the layout of a soundstage and the description of rhythms really well. Its powers of insight and resolution make for an absorbing listen — although the sensation of outright fidelity is undermined just a little by the integrated DAC’s tendency to attack high frequency information a little too readily and by a relative lack of dynamic headroom. But given everything it does well in sonic terms, and given that it’s a visually unique offering in a “me too!” market, don’t be surprised if plenty of people are able to overlook these shortcomings…

Leak TruStream Review: Price and release date

• Launched in April 2026
• Costs $1,499 / £999 / AU$2,199

The Leak TruStream network music player is on sale now having hit shelves in April 2026 for most of us, and in the United Kingdom it costs £999. In Australia it goes for something like AU$2,199, while in the United States it will set you back $1,499 or thereabouts.

And while that's not crazy money in the world of hi-res audio and hi-fi, it's emphatically an investment — and Leak's still up against stiff competition from the likes of Cambridge, with the CXN100, priced at $1,099 / £899 / €1,049 (around AU$1,665).

There's also a November 2026-launch Yamaha dual hi-fi streamer launch to cast your eye over if you're looking for alternatives, starting with the cheaper Yamaha WXC-70, which at the time of writing is due to sell for £859 (about $1,170, AU$1,700), so it's the cheaper of the two models.

Then again, Nagra's Compact Streamer was launched just before the Leak, in March 2026 — and that will set you back a slightly more eye-watering £6,000 / AU$9,495 (around $8,000). So, there's plenty to think about within Leak's chosen territory.

Leak TruStream review: Features

• 32bit ESS Sabre DAC
• Digital outputs as well as balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs
• Silent Angel streaming platform

You’re not short of choice when it comes to network streamers at this sort of money, even if the rest of them don’t have a hint of the TruStream’s visual panache. Good looks will only carry a product a little way, though, so it’s just as well Leak has specified the TruStream to be fully competitive.

The TruStream uses Silent Angel technology for its streaming platform, and that’s an uncomplicatedly good thing. Low-noise digital transmission and stable networking are the foundations of Silent Angel’s reputation, and when you also consider the Leak’s wide compatibility with streaming technologies it looks like a very wise choice indeed. Apple AirPlay 2, ‘Connect’ for Qobuz, Spotify and TIDAL, and TuneIn internet radio are all available, and in addition the TruStream can deal with playback from network-attached devices via DLNA or from physically connected USB drives. By way of an encore, it’s also Roon Ready.

The Leak takes care of the critical digital-to-analogue business with a 32bit ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chipset. It’s able to deal with every worthwhile digital audio file type (as well as quite a few of the more esoteric alternatives) and can operate at resolutions of up to 32bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512. You can get the information to the DAC using Ethernet, dual-band wi-fi or one of the three USB inputs on the rear of the machine — there’s a USB-C for use with PCs and a couple of USB-A slots for direct connection of storage devices.

You’ve a few options when it comes to getting it out again, too. As well as balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analog outputs, the Leak also features digital coaxial and digital optical outputs - which is handy on the off-chance you have a more capable DAC somewhere in your system than the one fitted here. There’s also a 6.3mm headphone socket on the fascia, which is powered by a dedicated current-feedback headphone amplifier that’s able to drive even quite tricky loads presented by unhelpful headphones.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Leak TruStream review: Sound quality

• Detailed, organised sound delivered at considerable scale
• Could be more dynamic
• Treble response can be provoked

It’s not, strictly speaking, a game of two halves here — because the things the TruStream gets right outweigh the things it struggles with more than somewhat. Its shortcomings, though, do undermine its overall performance more than a touch - so I may as well start with them before I get into the good stuff.

The Leak is not an especially dynamic listen where the broad strokes of ‘quiet/loud’ and ‘gentle/intense’ are concerned. The two-and-a-half hours of Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Volume II feature more than a few fluctuations of this type, and while the TruStream is able to make the differences in volume and attack apparent, it doesn’t have the headroom to put proper distance between them. Some similarly priced rivals describe the distance between ‘quiet’ and ‘loud’ in miles, but the Leak measures them in meters.

The same recording reveals its tendency to hit the higher frequencies quite hard, too — or, at least, it does when it’s doing its own digital-to-analog converting. The onboard DAC has a lot going for it — as I will get to shortly — but it’s fairly edgy where treble sounds are concerned and in the wrong circumstances can become quite fierce. A listen to the way the Leak hits the plosives in the vocal during Dalliance by The Wedding Present lets you know what ‘the wrong circumstances’ are.

Elsewhere, though, the TruStream has plenty going for it. The scale of its presentation, for instance, is straightforwardly impressive. It generates a large and persuasive soundstage that manages to incorporate a sensation of ‘front to back’ as well as ‘left to right’. The areas between participants on the stage are described just as carefully as the activities of the participants themselves, and there’s more than enough breathing space available for even the most complex recordings to sound organised and coherent.

Aside from the latent treble issues, there’s a nice neutrality to the tonality and an evenness to the frequency response that’s on display here. At the bottom end the TruStream hits good and hard without being showy about it, and controls the attack of bass sounds with such confidence that rhythms are always expressed in a positive and naturalistic manner. It transitions into the midrange smoothly, and once there it’s perfectly capable of revealing the full range of attitude and character in a vocal performance.

In fact, detail levels are gratifyingly high at every stage — even the most minor occurrences in a recording are picked up on, and the Leak has real expertise when it comes to giving these details the proper weighting and context. It’s particularly adept when it comes to identifying the harmonic variations that come to fore when listening to unaccompanied voice or solo instrument, and those same circumstances also let it highlight its facility with transient information.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Leak TruStream review: Design

• 118 x 330 x 288mm (HxWxD)
• A single, quite distinctive, finish
• Goes without a display

Whoever it was that said “people who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like” was really onto something. Not everyone will want their network streamer to look like it was designed 70 years ago, of course — but the rest of us will get one look at the diminutive (118 x 330 x 288mm, HxWxD) walnut casework and immediately feel covetous.

The fact that the TruStream is very nicely constructed and impeccably finished, and the aluminium of its fascia contrasts nicely with the wooden panelling - both materials are as tactile as they are visually alluring.

I realise the whole md-century vibe might be compromised by a fascia display, but nevertheless it conceivably puts the TruStream at a disadvantage when you consider the price-comparable rivals that feature quite large, crisp, bright, colourful screens displaying album artwork and what-have-you.

Yes, that information is all available on the device you’re using to stream to the Leak — but ultimately I have to hope the money that has been saved by not implementing any display technology, and the absence of the inevitable electrical activity a display creates inside a streamer, results in a player that outperforms anything of similar price that has one.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Leak TruStream review: Usability and setup

• Remote control handset
• ‘Leak TruStream’ control app
• A few fascia controls

Setting up the Leak TruStream is, with one significant caveat, straightforward. It needs to be plugged into the mains, of course, and a physical connection made to the system into which it’s forming a part — all that’s required then is to get it onto your local network and you’re good to go.

But because of the way the ‘Leak TruStream’ control app (which is free for iOS and Android) is configured, this is not as simple as it really should be. It uses a mixture of fonts, all of them rather small and some of them with unnecessary serifs that look fussy and spoil legibility. The occasional use of black type on an orange background is unhelpful too — yes, it passes WCAG (web content accessibility guidelines) standards but is nevertheless difficult to read, especially as those guidelines tend to concern themselves with ‘normal’ and ‘large’ text. The colorblind or otherwise visually impaired will find these elements fatiguing if they can read them at all.

It’s only fair to mention at this point that the app is stable, wide-ranging and does all of the stuff you’d reasonably expect: browse internet stations, check for firmware updates, build playlists and so on, and there’s a degree of home-page customisation available too. But it’s hard to shake the suspicion that this started as a desktop application and has been transferred to mobile devices either on the cheap or in a hurry (or both).

The big remote control handset is a system control, and so the majority of its buttons are surplus to TruStream requirements. Still, it’s a sight more legible than the control app. And the very few fascia controls (power on/off, input selection and volume) feel nicely positive in their action.

The volume control allows the Leak to function as a preamplifier when connected directly to active speakers or a power amp, as long as you don’t mind ‘the system’ consisting of a network streamer — there are no inputs for external source devices, of course.

• Usability and setup score: 3 / 5

Leak TruStream review: Value

If you can put a price on a pleasing aesthetic, on the look and feel of premium materials, and on hard-to-come-by individuality, then the Leak TruStream seems a pretty compelling offering even before you consider the thorough nature of its specification or the sound it makes. And though the sound it produces is not entirely without issues, there’s so much to like about it in sonic terms that it seems likely that many listeners who are sold on the look will reach an accommodation with the slight shortcomings in the sound.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Leak TruStream?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Leak TruStream: Also consider

How I tested the Leak TruStream

I use the TruStream as a source, connected to an Eversolo DAC-Z10 first by its analogue outputs and then by its digital equivalent - which makes assessing the relative quality of the Leak’s DAC straightforward. I also connect it directly to a Cambridge Edge W power amp using its XLR outputs - which means it’s now a preamp as well as a network player. Alternating between wi-fi and Ethernet connections allows access to Qobuz and TIDAL Connect, as well as giving access to a Synology BeeStation Plus (full of very hi-res content) on the local network.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

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

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

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

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

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

Meet the mystery retro Walkman accessory

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wharfedale has been having a lovely old time with its range of ‘Heritage’ loudspeakers lately — revisiting, remixing and reworking some of its Greatest Hits. The new Denton 1S, though, is slightly different. It’s an update of a 1974 design that went all-out to present as modern and forward-thinking. And so this reinterpretation has a ‘modern retro’ vibe rather than the ‘antique’ feel of other Wharfedale ‘Heritage’ models.

The curvy cabinet with its recessed front baffle, the mildly dramatic coaxial driver arrangement (which sees the tweeter positioned in throat of the mid/bass driver) and the handily compact dimensions are all attractive — and the option of a fairly deep blue as a finish doesn’t do any harm in this respect either. The numbers, both in terms of frequency response and of sensitivity, are encouraging too.

And when they’re doing their thing, it’s immediately apparent that the Wharfedale Denton 1S are no mere pastiche — they are a profoundly competitive pair of loudspeakers on their own terms and yes, it's a good enough performance to make them some of the best stereo speakers on the market, right now.

The sound is, ultimately, slightly small-scale — but it’s organised, confident, entertaining, loaded with detail and has real unity and singularity to the way it’s presented. Yes, $999 / £649 spent elsewhere on a small pair of passive standmount speakers will buy you something different in sonic terms, certainly, but it’s very debatable indeed as to whether it can buy you anything better.

Wharfedale Denton 1S Review: Price and release date

• Launched May 31, 2026
• List price of $999 / £649 / AU$1,699

The Wharfedale Denton 1S speakers are available now, and in the United Kingdom a pair will set you back £649. In the United States this solution costs $999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$1,699 or thereabouts.

At this money, the just about cheaper Dali Sonik 1 might be their chief competition, at $900 / £449.99 / AU$849. And just to throw it out there, while many pricier options obviously exist, Cambridge Audio's Award-winning active L/R S can be yours for a little less, at $549 / £399 / AU$949. Something to consider, anyway.

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Features

• Coaxial tweeter / mid/bass driver
• ‘Brilliance’ switch
• Rear-facing bass reflex port

Passive loudspeakers have purity of purpose and are, unless someone’s being bloodyminded, relatively simple devices. Their list of features is seldom exhaustive. It’s a sign of just how straightforward passive loudspeakers tend to be that the Denton 1S stands apart simply because of a small rocker switch on the rear of each cabinet.

Unlike 1974’s original Denton 1, the Denton 1S features a truly coaxial driver arrangement. Here a 25mm soft-dome tweeter sits in the acoustic centre of a 165mm mid/bass driver made from polypropylene. Here, as with any coaxial driver, the idea is to offer superior time-alignment and driver integration.

With the forward-firing drivers bolstered by a rear-facing bass reflex port, Wharfedale is quoting a frequency response of 50Hz — 20kHz and sensitivity of 88dB — that second figure strongly suggests this speaker will be in no way tricky to drive. Of course, the orientation of the reflex port means that low frequency presence is likely to increase the closer to a rear surface the speaker is positioned — and that’s where the little rocker switches come in.

It’s described as a ‘brilliance’ control, and its two positions are labelled ‘norm’ and ‘max’. The idea is that setting the switch to ‘max’ will give a 1.5dB boost to the 2 - 4kHz area, which should allow the upper frequencies to hold their own against the emboldened low end in the event that the reflex port is delivering a little too much of a good thing. Of course, it will take the listener roughly no time at all to establish whether or not they think the ‘max’ setting is a good idea or not.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Sound quality

• Detailed, energetic and rhythmically coherent sound
• Great imaging and stereo focus
• Ultimately sound fractionally small-scale

Owners of loft apartments, aircraft hangars and the like, look away now. There’s a huge amount to enjoy about the way the Wharfedale Denton 1S perform, but when it comes to outright scale, the ability to fill an authentically large space with sound, there are better options around that cost a similar amount of money.

Everyone else, though, should read on.

No matter the source of music, no matter if it’s as straightforward as Looped by Kiasmos or as relatively complex as Re-make/Re-model by Roxy Music, the Denton 1S get an immediate handle on it. They’re a generously entertaining listen, vigorous in a nicely controlled manner, and carry enough detail along with them to make sure you’re as informed as you are stimulated.

That coaxial driver arrangement works a treat inasmuch as the imaging and stereo focus the speakers are capable of is completely convincing. There’s a unity and a togetherness about the way the Wharfedale present recordings that’s never less than enjoyable and periodically absorbing. In combination with their spirited and enthusiastic attitude, it makes for a genuine sense of performance — even if you’re listening to a recording that was never a performance in the first place. And while the soundstage isn’t the largest, it’s properly defined and rigorously organised.

The tonal balance is, fractionally, on the warmer side of neutral — but as long as the system that’s powering the speakers isn’t overtly toasty then it really shouldn’t be an issue. Frequency response, too, is just slightly titled. There’s a tiny suggestion of emphasis on the lowest frequencies, but again this is only likely to be a concern if the speakers are powered by a bass-centric set-up. Anyway, low-end control is confident and the Wharfedale express rhythms with real coherence as a result.

Midrange resolution is impressive too, and there’s real eloquence to the way the Denton 1S handle voices. Detail retrieval, which is impressive across the board, really comes to the fore here — the character and attitude imbued in a vocal performance, as well as information regarding timbre and technique, are made apparent. And at the top of the frequency range, the Wharfedale attack with determination — but there’s plenty of substance, as well as brilliance, to treble sounds, and never any suggestion of edginess or hardness.

The attention to detail extends as far as the dynamic of harmonic variation, and there’s a fair amount of capacity where the broader dynamics of volume or intensity are concerned. When the charge into the last chorus or the massed orchestral crescendo kicks in, the Denton 1S track it faithfully — and they do so without altering their sonic characteristics in the slightest.

And you don’t need a brute of an amplifier to enjoy all of these admirable attributes. The Wharfedale are in no way tricky to drive; even a modestly priced amplifier with unremarkable power numbers should have no problem getting the best from these speakers. And ‘the best’ is, on a pound-for-pound basis, at least on a par with the very best around.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Design

• 330 x 236 x 229mm (HxWxD)
• Magnetically attached grilles
• Choice of three finishes

The coaxial driver means the Denton 1S should be just as happy (and effective) positioned on its side as it is standing upright. And the fact that Wharfedale has provided an integrated fitting for a wall bracket suggests the company thinks the speaker will perform successfully if it’s wall-mounted too. Cabinet depth of 229mm (which obviously increases with the pair of speaker cable binding posts at the rear) doesn’t automatically shout ‘wall-mount!’ to me, though, I have to admit.

Mind you, no matter where you position the Wharfedale they look good. The cabinet features the same curves and the same recessed front baffle as the original Denton 1 — in white, especially, there’s more than a hint of that late-60s / early-70s futurism that started years previously with the likes of Dieter Rams and Stanley Kubrick. Unlike the original model, though, which was made from moulded polyurethane that looked and felt super-modern but was a bit of a disaster in acoustic terms, the Denton 1S is made from bonded and braced fibreboard. Less modern, more effective.

That recessed front baffle allows the magnetically attached grilles to almost sit within the cabinet, and they’re flush with the top, bottom and side panels when they’re in position. Both the grille and the front baffle features a quite assertive stylised ‘W’ logo that lets you know you’re in the presence of a ‘Heritage’ Wharfedale design.

The compulsory options of black and white are joined by a third finish — the deep-ish blue of my review sample. Each of the available finishes looks good, no two ways about it, but the dimensions and the shape of the Denton 1S could quite easily lend themselves to quite a few other colours. It works for Dali and Cambridge, and I see no reason why Wharfedale shouldn’t produce the Denton 1S in some livelier finishes than are currently on offer.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Usability and setup

• Attach some speaker cable running from an amplifier
• Position the speakers to your satisfaction
• Experiment with grille and ‘brilliance’ switch

Just as with ‘features’, there’s really not too much to get your head around here. You’ll decide to position your speakers on dedicated stands, or on wall-brackets, or on a shelf… no matter where you want them, though, they’ll need to be connected to an amplifier via a couple of lengths of speaker cable.

After they’re positioned and running, you have just a couple of chances to have some input into the way they sound. The sonic difference between ‘grille on’ and ‘grille off’ is, quite honestly, less significant than the visual difference — but you will most definitely have a preference as to whether you prefer your ‘brilliance’ switch at ‘norm’ or ‘max’.

• Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Value

It’s very hard indeed to argue against the notion that there’s great value for money on offer here. The Wharfedale Denton 1S are properly made, expertly finished, visually interesting (everything’s relative, after all), intriguing on a technological level and, most importantly of all, sound engaging and alert. Unless you crave absolutely as much sonic scale as this sort of money can buy, there’s an awful lot to enjoy and even admire here.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Wharfedale Denton 1S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Wharfedale Denton 1S : Also consider

How I tested the Wharfedale Denton 1S

With the Wharfedale Denton 1S on a pair of Blok Axis stands, I connect them to my reference system: Cambridge Edge W power amplifier, Eversolo DAC-Z10 pre-amplifier, Technics SL1300G turntable (with Goldring 1022 cartridge and preamplified by a Chord Huei), Arcam ST25 network streamer and Rega Apollo CD player — so I was able to listen to music from many storage formats and at a wide variety of resolutions. And then in an effort to up the ‘retro’ credentials just a little, I replaced the pre- and power amplifier with an A&R Cambridge A60 integrated amplifier from 1976.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

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

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

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

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

Winning over artists and fans

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

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

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

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

Shanling's EC Zero ASM is a multitalented portable player that can also cast tunes to wireless speakers or headphones via Bluetooth, rip CDs to USB storage in real time, act as a CD transport for your hi-fi, and double as a DAC for other digital devices.

Trettitre's Retro Ambient Audio System is the eye-catching result of a successful KickStarter campaign. It combines a turntable and cassette system alongside the CD player, all mounted on your wall in an artistic celebration of physical media.

For those with deep pockets, Rotel's Michi Q5 is an elite-level CD player and transport DAC with an eye-watering price tag to match. And even though it might never make it to market, I couldn't resist including Panasonic's portable TV-CD player prototype, which won over our Entertainment Editor with its unexpected, boombox-meets-gogglebox design.

Scroll down to take a look at all of those players and more, and hit the 'View details' button to learn more about each one. Want more CD goodness? Here are bunch of other cool disc-spinners to check out.

Disc-y business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Price and release date

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

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

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

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

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Specs

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Features score: 4 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Sound quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Sound quality: 3.5 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Value

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

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

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

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

• Value: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fairphone Fairbuds 2?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Also consider

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

How I tested the Fairphone Faurbuds 2

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

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

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

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

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

• First reviewed in October 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

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

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

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

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

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

Audio comes, audio goes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The price of open earbuds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phones & tablets

Phone of the Year

Phone Brand of the Year

Phones Innovation of the Year

Best Value Phone

Best Mid-Range Phone

Best Folding Phone

Best Flip Phone

Best Camera Phone

Best Gaming Phone

Best AI Phone

Best Phone Accessory

Best Tablet

Best eReader

Cameras & drones

Camera of the Year

Brand of the Year

Camera Innovation of the Year

Best Beginner Camera

Best Mid-range camera

Best Professional Camera

Best Compact and Instant Camera

Best Action and Vlogging Camera

Best Camera Lens

Best Camera Accessory

Best Drone

Computing

Laptop of the Year

Computing Brand of the Year

Best Computing Innovation

Best Value Laptop

Best AI Laptop

Best Gaming Laptop

Best PC Gaming Handheld

Best Gaming Keyboard

Best Gaming Mouse

Best Gaming Monitor

Gaming

Gaming Device of the Year

Gaming Brand of the Year

Gaming Innovation of the Year

Best Console Accessory

Best Gaming Service

Best Gaming Controller

Best Gaming Headset

Best Gaming Chair

TV & home theater

TV of the Year

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Home Entertainment Innovation of the Year

Best Gaming TV

Best TV for Sound

Best OLED TV

Best Mini-LED TV

Best Value TV

Best Projector

Best Soundbar

Best Wireless Home Theater Speakers

Streaming

Streaming Service of the Year

Best for Movies

Best for Documentaries

Best for TV Shows

Best Free Streaming Service

Audio

Headphones of the Year

Audio Brand of the Year

Audio Innovation of the Year

Best Wireless Headphones

Best Wireless Earbuds

Best Open Earbuds

Best Value Headphones

Best Value Earbuds

Best Value Open Earbuds

Best Wired Headphones

Best Wired Earbuds

Best Bluetooth Speaker

Best Wireless Speaker

Best Portable Audio Player

Best Turntable

Best DAC

Best Stereo Speakers

Health & Fitness tech

Health & Fitness Device of the year

Health & Fitness Brand of the Year

Health & Fitness Innovation of the Year

Best Smartwatch

Best Running Watch

Best Fitness Tracker

Best Smart Ring

Best Electric Toothbrush

Best Connected Fitness Tech

Home tech

Home Device of the Year

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Home Tech Innovation of the Year

Best Home Light Tech

Best Home Security Device

Best Robot Vacuum

Best Vacuum

Best Air Fryer

Best Coffee Machine

Best Value Coffee Machine

Best Fan

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

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

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

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

But do you get that (Musical) Fidelity?

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

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

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

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

Prior to the age of streaming, Apple users got a kick out of their music via iTunes and the revolutionary iPod, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. I had the 5th gen iPod Nano, and it was one of the catalysts that fuelled my love for music.

But above all, it was the simplicity of the user experience and fun design elements that people remember the most — and one user might've uncovered the future of Apple Music's design approach.

The Cover Flow comeback?

Cover Flow really gave Apple’s early playback interface its wings, displaying all of your saved music into a fun carousel for you to spin through — like a selection of LPs. It was so loved by music fanatics, Apple carried it from iPod and iTunes into iOS before sunsetting it in the mid-lates 2010s.

We’ve been mourning it ever since, but a Redditor's post has recently sparked a widespread cry-out for its return, sharing a video showing a Cover Flow-like design tool with the caption 'excited for new features' (see below). The user says it’s ‘referenced from code’, but they don’t say if they're running a new iOS developer beta.

The post shared to Reddit shows the user navigating the ‘Albums’ carousel on an artist page in the Apple Music app, which launches a Cover Flow-esque interface when they tap on an album. It’s unclear whether the user simply taps or long-presses on an album cover, but I predict it’s the latter.

Admittedly, what we see in the Reddit post isn’t a carbon copy of Cover Flow. It doesn’t have the continuing stack of albums existing beyond the central cover, and makes up a small fraction of the interface. There's also no guarantee you'll be able to switch your phone to landscape orientation to see a 3D rendering of your album's artwork in a rolodex-style selection (this was our Audio Ed Becky's favorite pre-iOS7 UI design feature). But despite this, the potential revival of this design approach has revealed one thing; users are yearning for nostalgia.

Though it’s not set in stone, the idea of Cover Flow making a comeback is something users are finding quite exciting, and you can see it in the replies on Reddit. ‘The listeners yearn for Cover Flow’, one account posted, while another user went the extra mile and created a design concept of what Cover Flow could look like in today’s Apple Music app.

It’s even got to the stage where some users have sought after ways to resurrect the swivelling feel of Cover Flow, mainly through third-party apps. MD Vinyl is a popular music player and widget app, which syncs to audio streaming platforms to display your music in album stack for vinyl form. Soor is another alternative whose name I’ve seen crop up, but comes with a one-time $6.99 / £6.99 purchase.

No matter how hard they try, these third-party alternatives could never replace what Cover Flow was. Nonetheless, they’re still used, and they not only reveal a craving for nostalgia and simplicity, but these types of design features on streaming platforms serve as a reminder that music is so much more than flat files at your fingertips.

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

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

Phones & tablets

Phone of the Year

Phone Brand of the Year

Phones Innovation of the Year

Best Value Phone

Best Mid-Range Phone

Best Folding Phone

Best Flip Phone

Best Camera Phone

Best Gaming Phone

Best AI Phone

Best Phone Accessory

Best Tablet

Best eReader

Cameras & drones

Camera of the Year

Camera Brand of the Year

Camera Innovation of the Year

Best Beginner Camera

Best Mid-range camera

Best Professional Camera

Best Compact and Instant Camera

Best Action and Vlogging Camera

Best Camera Lens

Best camera accessory

Best drone

Computing

Computing Brand of the Year

Best Computing Innovation

Best Value Laptop

Best AI Laptop

Best Gaming Laptop

Best PC Gaming Handheld

Best Gaming Keyboard

Best Gaming Monitor

Best Gaming Mouse

Gaming

Gaming Device of the Year

Gaming Brand of the Year

Gaming Innovation of the Year

Best Console Accessory

Best Gaming Service

Best Gaming Controller

Best Gaming Headset

Best Gaming Chair

TV & home theater

TV of the year

Home Entertainment Brand of the Year

Home Entertainment Innovation of the Year

Best Gaming TV

Best TV for Sound

Best OLED TV

Best mini-LED TV

Best Value TV

Best Projector

Best Soundbar

Best Wireless Home Theater Speakers

Streaming

Streaming Service of the Year

Best Streaming Service for Movies

Best Streaming Service for Documentaries

Best Streaming Service for TV Series

Best Free Streaming Service of the Year

Audio

Headphones of the Year

Audio Brand of the Year

Audio Innovation of the Year

Best Wireless Headphones

Best Wireless Earbuds

Best Open Earbuds

Best Value Headphones

Best Value Earbuds

Best Value Open Earbuds

Best Wired Headphones

Best Wired Earbuds

Best Bluetooth Speaker

Best Wireless Speaker

Best Portable Audio Player

Best Turntable

Best DAC

Best Stereo Speakers

Health & Fitness tech

Health and Fitness Device of the Year

Health & Fitness Brand of the Year

Health and Fitness Innovation of the Year

Best Smartwatch

Best Running Watch

Best Fitness Tracker

Best Smart Ring

Best Electric Toothbrush

Best Connected Fitness Tech

Home tech

Home Device of the Year

Home Tech Brand of the Year

Home Tech Innovation of the Year

Best Home Light Tech

Best Home Security Device

Best Robot Vacuum

Best Vacuum

Best Air Fryer

Best Coffee Machine

Best Value Coffee Machine

Best Fan

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

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

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

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

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

Don't get c-lippy with me

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

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

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

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

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

So when Sonos announced the Beam Ultra soundbar earlier this year, alongside a new feature that would allow its portable Play speakers to double as rear surrounds, my interest was well and truly piqued.

I've already made my feelings about the Play perfectly clear, having previously claimed it could be the only speaker you really need. Its ability to perform just as well around the home as it does on the move makes it an incredibly appealing proposition.

And now, thanks to the new Sonos27 operating system, that versatility extends to home theater. Rather than committing a pair of speakers to permanent surround duties, you can simply pick one up, take it into another room and use it independently, before returning it to its original position and having it automatically rejoin the system.

It's a simple idea, but one that has the potential to fundamentally change how people use their Sonos speakers. And having now put the Beam Ultra and a pair of Plays through their paces, I think it's one of the company's most compelling developments in years.

Play it for me, Sonos

A pair of Sonos Play speakers can be used as rear surrounds with several of the company's soundbars, including the Arc, Arc Ultra, Beam (Gen 2) and Beam Ultra. Given the larger size and greater output capabilities of the Arc models, I'd argue the relatively compact Plays might be a slight mismatch, but it's good to know you're not tied to one particular soundbar.

Pairing them with the smaller Beam makes more sense to me, and in my bedroom, the combination is discreet enough not to draw attention, yet powerful enough to deliver a genuinely expansive sound that's a huge improvement over my TV's built-in speakers.

Of course, the real appeal of this setup is that the Plays aren't permanently tied to surround duties. Pick one up, carry it into another room and it should automatically disconnect from the home theater system, becoming an independent speaker ready for music playback. Return it to its original position, and it should seamlessly slot back into place.

Making this possible is some clever technology working behind the scenes. An accelerometer inside each Play detects when it's been picked up and moved, while Sonos Positioning Technology uses near-ultrasonic signals, picked up by the soundbar's microphones, to determine whether the speakers are in the same room and where they're positioned. It can even work out which speaker should act as the left or right rear surround, without you having to assign them manually.

At least, that's the theory.

When I first put this to the test, things didn't quite go according to plan. I carried one of the Plays from my bedroom into the living room, only to find it was still reproducing audio from the home theater system. The connection also became intermittent, with the sound cutting in and out rather than the speaker switching to standalone mode.

I eventually resorted to tapping 'Stop Using Surrounds' in the Sonos app, which allowed me to use the Play independently. But when I returned it to the bedroom, it didn't automatically reconnect either, requiring another trip into the app to select 'Start Using Surrounds'.

Not wanting to be deterred, I tried again a short while later. This time, after moving the same Play into the living room and waiting a few seconds, I heard an audible tone confirming it had disconnected from the home theater setup. Both Plays, including the one still in the bedroom, then appeared as standalone speakers in my AirPlay settings.

Returning the speaker to its original position was just as straightforward. A breathing white light indicated it was determining its position relative to the soundbar, followed by the same audible tone confirming a successful connection. Just like that, it was back to performing rear-left surround duties, without me having to touch the app.

And that's when the appeal of Sonos' new approach really clicked. Instead of a pair of speakers permanently committed to home theater duties, I could now move them around my apartment as needed, without manually reconfiguring the system every time.

Small system, big sound

To give the system a proper workout and find out just how much the Play surrounds contributed, I had to turn to the Penguin car chase scene in The Batman.

I started with the Beam Ultra by itself and was, quite frankly, blown away by its performance. Considering the soundbar's compact dimensions, the sheer scale of the sound it produced was remarkable. The rumble of the Batmobile's engine had impressive weight, while the soundfield extended well beyond the physical confines of the bar. In fact, it effectively disappeared, with sound filling the room rather than appearing to come from a single speaker beneath the TV.

Perhaps more impressive was that I wasn't using a separate subwoofer. In my bedroom, at least, I didn't feel an immediate need for one, such was the weight and authority of the bass. Admittedly, a larger living room could tell a different story, and anyone craving particularly deep, room-shaking bass would likely benefit from adding a Sub Mini.

With the two Plays connected as surrounds, and both the surround and height audio settings left at their default level of 0, the performance became even more immersive. As Batman and Penguin sped along the highway, the sounds of passing lorries and cars extended behind my listening position, creating a more convincing sense of being in the middle of the action.

Curious to see how much further the system could go, I increased both the surround and height audio settings to +5. The presentation became even more enveloping, with rear-channel effects such as blaring car horns becoming easier to distinguish. And when Penguin's car went into a roll, the system did a convincing job of following the chaos unfolding on screen, making me feel as though I was right there in the passenger seat.

Arc you pleased to see me?

The Beam Ultra and Play combination had replaced an Arc and two Sonos Ones in my bedroom, so I was keen to see how the newer system compared with its predecessor. I reinstalled the older setup, starting with the Arc on its own.

There was an immediately noticeable increase in sheer grunt, which wasn't entirely surprising given the Arc's larger dimensions and greater number of drivers. But the difference wasn't quite as dramatic as I'd expected, particularly considering how much smaller the Beam Ultra is.

It was also a reminder of how much easier Sonos has made the process of adding portable surrounds. With the Plays, I could simply select 'Use Surrounds' and, within seconds, they would connect and automatically establish their left and right positions. The Ones required a more involved setup process, including manually assigning each speaker to its respective channel.

Returning to the same scene from The Batman, this time with the Ones connected, revealed a more substantial difference between the two systems.

The Arc-based setup produced a bigger, more authoritative sound, particularly with the surround TV level increased to +5. Car engines had greater low-frequency weight, while the movement of vehicles along the highway was easier to follow as sounds travelled around the room.

Where the Beam Ultra fought back was in its reproduction of higher frequencies and dialogue. Voices sounded clearer and more distinct than they did through the Arc, while effects such as screeching tyres had greater bite and definition.

And while I maintain that the Beam Ultra doesn't necessarily need a subwoofer in a smaller room, the comparison demonstrated that the Arc has an advantage when it comes to outright bass weight.

Ultimately, both systems delivered thoroughly enjoyable and convincing surround sound experiences. The Arc-based setup had the edge in scale and low-frequency authority, but the Beam Ultra and Plays proved that a relatively compact system can still deliver a seriously cinematic performance.

A home theater system with a difference

At $1,297 / £1,297/ AU$2,097 for the Beam Ultra and two Plays, this certainly isn't the cheapest way to bring surround sound into your home. In fact, Sonos' own Beam Ultra and Era 100 surround package costs considerably less ($1,082 / £1,042 / AU$1,652), and as my comparison with the Arc and Ones demonstrated, a conventional setup can deliver a more substantial sound.

But I'd argue that focusing purely on the price of admission, or even outright surround performance, misses the point of what Sonos has achieved here.

Because when I'm not watching a movie or catching up on my favorite TV shows, I don't necessarily need two speakers sitting behind me doing nothing. With this setup, I can pick them up and take them wherever I please, whether that's into another room for some background music or outside for a gathering with friends.

And because the Plays offer both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, they're just as comfortable being part of a multiroom Sonos system as they are accompanying me away from home.

In effect, I'm getting two systems in one: an immersive home theater setup when I want it, and a pair of genuinely portable wireless speakers when I don't.

For me, that's where the real value lies. Sonos hasn't just made its home theater systems more flexible; it's made the speakers themselves more useful. And having experienced how seamlessly the two roles can work together, it's a feature I'd find difficult to give up.

The world is not short of little DAC/headphone amps that want to bring a taste of authentic audio quality to your desktop experience — and here’s another one. The Topping DX1 II is a thorough update of a previous (and very competitive) in the Chinese brand's stable, and it makes a strong case for itself even before it’s started doing its thing.

The aluminum casework looks and feels good and the on-paper specification is difficult to lay a glove on. It includes — deep breath — a very hi-res ESS DAC, carefully considered digital and analog architecture, USB-C for both power and data, sufficient grunt to drive most headphones without difficulty, a fistful of input and output options (including balanced analog connectivity), and the facility for plenty of end-user input where sound is concerned. The standard of construction and finish is more than adequate. And a little remote control handset takes some of the pressure off an overworked physical control interface.

The difference the DX1 II can make to your audio experience when it sits between, say, your laptop and the headphones that are plugged into it is fairly profound. The Topping is by no means perfect — it doesn’t attack the top of the frequency range quite as willingly as it might, and it doesn’t have the heft to make big dynamic variations as apparent as they might be — but it’s a far more convincing and well-realized listen than your laptop alone has a hope of being. Soundstaging, rhythmic expression, detail levels and all-around musicality all enjoy a big uptick, and the way the DX1 II handles a tonal balance is one of the most uncomplicatedly enjoyable things about it.

The Topping DX1 II hasn’t closed the door on other desktop-friendly headphone amp/DAC units at similar money, but it’s certainly made sure it’s on the inside of the conversation for the best on the market.

Topping DX1 II review: Price & release date

• Announced on May 18, 2026 (with availability from late June/July 2026)
• Priced $119 / £119 (around AU$169)

The Topping DX1 II is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $119. It’s £119 in the United Kingdom, while in Australia it goes for around AU$169.

So, it's a little pricier than the oh-so-portable iFi Go Link Max and the bigger, hip-flask-esque iFi Uno, say, but an awful lot cheaper than the also-new iFi iDSD GR2.

What exactly are you getting for your money if you go for the Topping? Read on.

Topping DX1 II review: Features

• ESS ES9039Q2M DAC
• Balanced and unbalanced outputs
• UAC 1.0 and UAC 2.0

There’s something quite admirable about the way Topping has specified the DX1 II — I’ve used bigger and more expensive DAC/headphone amps that don’t come close to the level of this little device.

It’s built around a very capable ESS ES90392QM DAC chipset and features dual-DAC architecture with a dedicated digital-to-analog converter for each channel, plus fully independent processing. Digital files of up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 are supported.

A 16-core XMOS XU-316 assists with signal processing — just as with the dual-DAC arrangement and the fully balanced analog stage, the idea is to keep noise and distortion to an absolute minimum.

Digital audio information can be delivered using either the digital optical input or the USB-C slot on the rear of the Topping. The USB-C input also provides power to the device. Outputs consist of an unbalanced 3.5mm headphone socket, a couple of balanced 4.4mm alternatives (one for headphones, the other for connecting the DX1 II to a system, a powered speaker or what-have-you) and a line-level analog output on stereo RCAs.

There’s an optical output in case the digital signal needs to be preserved, and a switch to toggle between UAC 1.0 and UAC 2.0 — the first setting allows the Topping to be compatible with, say, the Nintendo Switch and the Sony PlayStation 5.

Topping has made provision for an awful lot of end-user input into the way the DX1 II performs. Connect it to a computer and you can access both the ‘Home Web’ platform (from where stuff like gain can be adjusted and no fewer than eight distinct digital filters are available) and ‘Topping Tune’. This uses a simple drag-n-drop interface to allow the user to easily create and adjust PEQ settings — frequency, gain and bandwidth control across 10 bands (with independent left and right channel adjustment) can be tweaked and settings saved. It’s available across each of the DX1 II’s outputs.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Topping DX1 II review: Sound quality

• Impressively detailed, easy-going sound
• Pleasant tonal balance
• Could easily sound more dynamic

It’s possible to make quite significant changes to the ultimate sound of the DX1 II, of course — those digital filters have a slight effect, but go crazy with the PEQ and you can achieve some pretty obvious alternations. What you can’t do, though, is defeat the things the Topping does well or fully correct its shortcomings.

With a 24bit/48kHz FLAC file of The Record by Boygenius playing in the Tidal desktop app and incoming via USB-C, it doesn’t take long at all to appreciate the facility the DX1 II has with detail retrieval. It’s alert to even the most minor, most subtle occurrences in the recording, keeps an eye on the low-level dynamics of harmonic over- and undertones, and deals with transients confidently too. It gives these details good weighting, so the emphasis is always on the music and not solely on how deeply into it the Topping can peer.

The tonal balance it strikes is naturalistic and pleasant, and its over-all character is, in the most positive way, easy-going and quite laid-back. It can do ‘urgency’ if it absolutely has to, of course, but its fundamental attitude is one that’s not in any way fatiguing. At no point is the Topping likely to grab you by the lapels — it’s altogether too grown-up and, again in a positive way, polite for that sort of behavior.

Some of this comes about because of its relative lack of dynamic impetus. The headline dynamics of ‘quiet’ and ‘LOUD!’ in a 16bit/44.1kHz file of Life Metal by Sunn O))) are somewhat flattened by the slight shortage of headroom the DX1 II exhibits. The distance between these two positions is not as pronounced as it is when described by a DAC/headphone amp that breathes a little more deeply. Some of it is due to the Topping’s slight-but-definite tendency to roll off the highest frequencies. There’s acceptable extension into the top end, but not quite the attack or even assertiveness that makes treble sounds properly bite and shine.

Elsewhere, though, the DX1 II is on firmer ground. It has a good understanding of rhythm and tempo, and controls its low-frequency activity to the point that there’s a proper sensation of fluency to the way rhythms are expressed. It can open up a soundstage to the point that even quite complex recordings get a little elbow-room, and the stage is also controlled well. And it’s worth noting that, unlike a couple of nominal rivals, the DX1 II doesn’t alter its behavior depending on the volume you’re listening at — even when playing very quietly or really quite loud, its sonic stance remains consistent.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Topping DX1 II review: Design

• 275g
• Aluminum chassis
• 32 x 100 x 100mm (HxWxD)

The DX1 II is usefully compact (just 32 x 100 x 100mm, HxWxD), so won’t hog space on your desktop or equipment rack. Built mostly from machined aluminum, it’s very well-made and finished — its edges are nicely rounded and it’s not remotely sharp at any of its corners.

At 275g, it’s unlikely to be towed around your desktop by heavy-cabled headphones, either. Only the fact that some of the socketry is quite close together on the rear panel (which is inevitable, really) precludes the use of chunkier, more premium cables and constitutes any kind of issue.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Topping DX1 II review: Usability & setup

• LED display
• Remote control handset
• Overworked fascia control dial

The majority of the fascia is occupied by a relatively large and gratifyingly legible LED display — volume level, selected input and what-have-you is all revealed. There’s also a relatively large turn/press dial that covers a lot of the device's functions. In all honesty, the dial is not especially intuitive when you want to do anything beyond change input or adjust volume — so it’s just as well Topping provides a little remote control handset that makes getting at your EQs, and all the rest of it, quite a lot more straightforward.

Set-up is the work of a moment, of course. You’ll need to connect the USB-C slot to a source of power — maybe this is also your source of music, if it isn’t then your source will need to be connected to the optical input. Then you need to connect the DX1 II to its output device — headphones, probably, or maybe the stereo RCA outputs to an amplifier or powered speaker. And then you’re in business.

• Usability & setup score: 4 / 5

Topping DX1 II review: Value

• Small but feels premium
• Good standard of build
• Out-and-out sound quality not up there (but you won't feel short-changed)

It may only be tiny, but Topping has managed to make the DX1 II feel and, to a lesser extent, look like it deserves to cost three figures. The standard of build is well up to snuff, too — and when you take the thoroughgoing nature of its specification into account, too, the sensation of value for money is hard to argue with.

The value proposition isn’t quite so cut-and-dried when it comes to out-and-out sound quality - but even here the DX1 II does more than enough right to prevent you feeling short-changed.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Topping DX1 II?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Topping DX1 II review: Also consider

It’s more affordable than the DX1 II — and it looks and feels it, too — but the iFi Uno is a high-achieving little device that offers a direct, confident and information-rich sound no matter the source of music it’s connected to.

How I tested the Topping DX1 II

I used the Topping DX1 II with an Apple MacBook Pro — connecting to the USB-C slot allowed for data transfer and power supply at the same time, and gave access to numerous music streaming services.

I connected a pair of Sennheiser IE900 wired in-ear headphones to the unbalanced 3.5mm output, and also to the balanced 4.4mm output (the Sennheiser have a selection of cables with different terminations).

I also connected a Sony PlayStation 5 via the optical input and sent the DX1 II output signal to the preamp in my reference system via its RCA outputs.

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

It’s taken Fyne Audio less than a decade to establish itself as a deeply credible manufacturer of passive loudspeakers at a wide range of prices. The Cubitt 5, though, represents its first pair of active speakers — and they've got some serious competition to overcome.

At first glance, though, the system seems to have every chance. Its compact, well-made cabinets are available in a wide range of finishes, and are home to an intriguing driver array that draws liberally from the company’s very successful (and much more expensive) line-up of passive loudspeakers. Power is more than adequate at 240 watts, and the range of inputs (Bluetooth with aptX HD capability, line- and MM phono-level analog, optical and HDMI ARC) is very competitive, too. The lack of on-system controls is an odd decision, as is the lack confirmation of selected input or volume, and the remote handset that’s your only control option is unlovely.

Get the system up and running and you’ll have to ignore the unwelcome low-volume hiss that comes from each speaker before any music is cued up — fortunately it’s not an issue once your tracks are playing. Instead you’re free to admire the Cubitt 5’s abilities with detail retrieval, soundstaging, low-frequency authority and articulate midrange communication. It’s absolutely as confident as is acceptable when it comes to handling the top of the frequency range, but even here it’s not overtly ill-balanced or unruly.

Add in significant dynamic headroom, an expansive overall presentation and a disinclination to alter its stance in any significant way no matter which of its input options is in use, and it’s apparent that where the fundamentals are concerned, the Cubitt 5 has plenty going for it. Maybe not quite for the best stereo speakers on the market, though.

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Price & release date

• Launched on June 30, 2026
• Priced $749 / £549 / AU$1,499

The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $749. In the United Kingdom it sells for £549, while in Australia you’ll have to part with AU$1,499.

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Features

• 127mm ‘IsoFlare’ mid/bass driver with 19mm concentric titanium dome tweeter
• 240 watts of Class D power
• Wired and wireless inputs

The idea of positioning a tweeter in the acoustic center of a mid or mid/bass driver is not a new one, but it’s a rarity nevertheless, and Fyne Audio has been busily democratizing its ‘IsoFlare’ variation on this particular theme for a while now. The Cubitt 5 is just the latest example.

In this instance there’s a 19mm titanium dome tweeter positioned in the center of a 127mm multi-fiber mid/bass driver — the idea, as ever, is to create a single point-source of sound at the same time as optimizing driver integration and sound dispersion. The mid/bass driver’s surround is the company’s ‘FyneFlute’ design, the unusual pattern of which helps minimize unwanted energy from the pistonic movement of the driver. Each of the four drivers gets 60 watts of Class D amplification to power it — an all-in total of 240 watts really should be adequate in a system such as this — and the output is bolstered by a front-firing bass reflex slot. It’s an arrangement Fyne Audio suggests will deliver a frequency response of 43Hz - 34kHz.

The primary speaker takes care of all wired and wireless connectivity. The wireless stuff consists of Bluetooth 5.0, with codec compatibility up to and including aptX HD. Physical connections, all on the rear panel, run to a moving magnet (or high-output moving coil) phono stage accessed via stereo RCA inputs, a line-level analog equivalent also using RCAs, a digital optical input and an HDMI ARC socket. All incoming digital information is dealt with by a DAC of 24bit/96kHz resolution.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Sound quality

• Expansive and controlled presentation
• Solid punch and decent dynamics
• Audible hiss when not playing

There’s a unique aspect to the way the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 performs — or, at least, it’s unique in my extensive experience of products of this type. Connect the speakers together using the supplied umbilical, plug the primary speaker into the mains, turn the power on, and there’s an obvious and consistent hiss from both speakers. Is it loud? No, but it can be heard down the length of my listening room. Is it audible when playing music? No, not at all. So is it an issue? I guess not, unless you intend to use the speakers on your desktop, but I can’t pretend it fills me with confidence.

Which is a great pity, because when it’s actually playing music the Cubitt 5 is one of the best sub-$750 wireless stereo speaker systems I’ve heard so far. In virtually every respect, it’s an enjoyable, balanced and well-sorted listen.

With a vinyl copy of Julian Cope’s Peggy Suicide incoming via the moving magnet phono stage, the Fyne Audio doesn’t take its eye off the ball for a moment. It’s good where detail retrieval is concerned, and manages to stay on top of the finest details without sacrificing any sense of unity or performance. It creates a fairly large soundstage — it’s certainly larger than the cabinets that are producing it — and it’s coherent, organized and easy to understand.

The tonal balance is persuasive, too, the Cubitt 5 hits the plosives at the top of the frequency range absolutely as hard as it dares, but somehow they never quite get too edgy or overly hard. The midrange is sweetly communicative, so there’s confidence and eloquence to the way the system handles a vocalist. And while the claims for extension down to 43Hz are, I think it’s fair to say, a false alarm, the Cubitt 5 nevertheless bigs deep, hits hard and controls its low-frequency activity well. Rhythmic expression is very decent as a result, and the way the system handles tempos is similarly unforced and naturalistic.

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available, so the Fyne Audio handles big shifts in volume or intensity calmly, and its overall attention to detail means that the more subtle dynamics of harmonic variation are given their due weighting, too. Frequency response is nice and even, too. The tendency to attack the highest frequencies can make it sound like the top end is being overstated on occasion, but otherwise the Cubitt 5 gives every area of the frequency range fair representation.

It’s winningly unconcerned about volume, too. Some systems can change their character when asked to play at bigger levels, but the Fyne Audio just gets louder. There’s no change in tonal balance or frequency response, and the stage maintains its shape, too. And the same is true when you change inputs — switch to a wireless stream of John Glacier’s Money Shows and the fundamental attitude and character of the system don’t alter in the slightest. It’s still balanced, insightful, punchy and just slightly treble-happy.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Design

• 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD)
• Available in five different finishes
• Supplied without grilles

It’s by no means an easy trick to pull off, but the Cubitt 5 manages to look discreet and interesting at the same time.

The ‘discreet’ part is mostly thanks to the 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD) dimensions, assisted by some nicely curved cabinet corners and a selection of no fewer than five very agreeable finishes. My sample is in ‘olive green’, but ‘arctic white’, ‘midnight black’, ‘pearl titanium’ and ‘pebble gray’ are also available. No matter which finish you decide suits you best, you’ll find it’s the final flourish in a process that includes a very high standard of construction. There are no visible seams, and the soft-touch paint is flawlessly applied.

‘Interesting’ is mostly derived from the driver array that’s already been discussed in the ‘features’ section of this review, as well as the forward-facing bass reflex slot that somehow makes each speaker’s appearance easy to anthropomorphize. The not-quite-circular brightwork surrounding the driver array doesn’t do any harm when it comes to making this most functional of products look interesting, either. It comes as no surprise to me that Fyne Audio doesn’t see the need to supply the Cubitt 5 with grilles.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Usability & setup

• Speakers must be wired together
• No app, no on-speaker controls, no input selection of volume indicator
• Nasty remote control handset

In terms of getting up and running, there’s really not a lot to get your head around here. Despite the fact this is an active system, only the primary speaker requires mains power — it transmits power, as well as data, along a supplied four-core umbilical cable that screws down onto the rear of each speaker. Once the speakers are connected together and the primary is powered up, it’s really only a question of positioning them to your satisfaction and then you’re in business.

Getting what you want from the system isn’t all that tricky, either, but neither is it all that satisfying an experience. This is not a Wi-Fi-enabled system, of course, so there’s no control app, which is hardly unheard-of in this part of the market. There are no controls on either speaker, either, which is rather less common. The primary speaker has an LED tell-tale that’s red when the system’s in standby and blue when it’s powered up. The blue light flashes when it’s following instructions from the remote handset that’s your only method of operation.

Given that the remote is all you’ve got, though, it’s a shame Fyne Audio specified what I imagine is the least expensive handset it could source. The look and feel is down-market, and the fact you’ve no indication of the source that’s been selected or the volume level that’s been specified only adds to the impression of cost- and corner-cutting.

• Usability & setup score: 3 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Value

Judged purely on the sound it makes, there’s no denying the Cubitt 5 offers very decent value for money indeed — once it’s making a sound, that is. The standard of build and finish only adds to the impression of money well spent.

But there’s more to it than this, of course — and as far as the experiential goes, the feel of operating the system, the sensation is undeniably low-rent. Which unfortunately undermines the impression of value the Fyne Audio system otherwise offers.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5?

Buy them if…