First, let’s address the elephant in the room — open-earbuds won’t be for everyone. They’re for a very specific person, such as office workers, runners and gym-goers who need to hear the ambient sound around them at all times.

When I first started testing open buds, I was skeptical. I was so used to in-ear buds that I wasn’t sure why anyone would want to sacrifice ANC (and indeed audio quality) in their daily listening. However, once you realize that having situational awareness and superior comfort in the office and at the gym is a game changer, I’m telling you, there’s no going back.

This style of earbud is still in its infancy, with the first pair of truly open earbuds being released by Bose in 2021. So this means that the space is still constantly improving, with brands innovating their open-ear styles and finding ways to replicate the sound quality of in-ear buds. My personal favorite style is the clip, but you can also buy hook-style earbuds that are better suited for high-intensity activities like running.

Open-earbud sound

In short, since you don’t get a seal around the ear canal, which you get with regular earbuds, sound waves escape. Open-earbuds rely on directing sound towards your eardrum, but there’s a lot of sound leakage. This means you can lose some frequencies, and with the addition of ambient sound, it can be tricky to listen to your music in detail.

Low frequencies that contribute to bass performance are often lost as they need trapped air pressure to effectively drive the sound. This means you’ll lose the low-end impact, according to Shokz.

Recently, I’ve been using the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. Bose is known for awesome bass performance in its products from speakers to headphones — but what about open-earbuds? Well, I can tell you they do a great job. Despite the obvious hurdles, these buds deliver a bass performance I’d be pleased with from regular earbuds.

However, for their $299 price, I was disappointed by the lack of detail I got from the Bose buds. I had high expectations because of the premium price tag and the sleek look, but ultimately, I felt let down. The sound was almost unnatural, and the bass priority was making my music sound muffled in the mid and high frequencies.

So while I enjoy listening with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, they’re far from perfect. And if I’m paying $300, I need them to be perfect.

My perfect open earbuds

But fear not. My quest to find the best open-earbuds continued. And after months of testing, I think I found them. The buds to beat all other buds. The Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO.

Reaching for a lower-priced competitor after being let down by a premium flagship product felt like a bit of a Hail Mary. But after spending months wishing I could get some real balanced detail from a pair of open-earbuds, the Beyerdynamics have delivered.

They are everything I’ve been asking for from open-earbuds.

Firstly, these buds have the same clip design as the Bose, but are far more comfortable as they’re highly flexible and don’t move much during workouts. The Beyerdynamics also have a higher durability rating, with dust and splash protection, whereas the Bose are only protected from water splashes. The studio tuning of the Beyerdynamics lends itself well to crisp highs and a natural sound, whereas the Bose buds sound almost artificial and manufactured.

The Bose buds are tuned to please a large consumer base, but the detailed studio tuning of the Beyerdynamics allows you to immerse yourself in the music wherever you are.

Keeping it real

Although the sound tuning of the Beyerdynamics makes them my winner, there are some trade-offs. The Bose buds have a longer total battery life of 27 hours in comparison to the 20 hours of the Beyerdynamics, and if you care about special features like head-tracking spatial audio, the Bose will be your bag.

Also, when you look at the cases side by side, there’s not much difference, so either pair will do the job well for portability.

The takeaway here is that spending more doesn’t always get you the best sound. Sure, the Bose buds are some of the best you can buy, but for a natural, balanced sound that translates well across a wider variety of genres, I can’t recommend the Beyerdynamic Amiron ZEROs enough.

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Unfortunately, not quite. While the overall sound performance is great, a few dialogue issues (and no dialogue mode) prevented it from achieving full marks. Even so, I didn’t have to strain to understand 99% of dialogue — but those rare instances marred my experience. It’s pretty pricey for just a soundbar, and there’s not as much height as I would expect for $1,500.

It’s still a worthy contender, though, especially if you want a soundbar as part of a wider multi-speaker sound system. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Bluesound Pulse Cinema review.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: Specs

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: Price & availability

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema is a pretty pricey soundbar, at $1,499 from Amazon U.S. and £1,249 from Richer Sounds in the U.K.

For a 3.2.2-channel soundbar, this is quite expensive. I’ve tested the 23-driver, 7.1.4-channel JBL Bar 1300X MKII, which is only $300 pricier, at $1,699. I’ve also reviewed the Samsung QS90H ($899), which is fantastic if you want excellent bass without needing a separate subwoofer.

If money is no object, I’d recommend checking out the $2,999 Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which is the most immersive Dolby Atmos soundbar I’ve ever used. There’s also the fantastic KEF XIO, $1,699, which has incredible sound quality and 360° audio.

At the cheaper end of the spectrum, I’d recommend the $399 Samsung Q600F/H or the $699 Denon Home 550 for soundbars with clarity and depth.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: Design

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema looks like any other soundbar. It’s pretty plain, but in a purposeful way that means it won’t steal attention away from the rest of your living room. Of course, there’s a mesh exterior and an on-bar button control pad. This illuminates red, green, and blue.

It’s quite long, at 47 inches, so I’d recommend it only for 55-inch TVs and up. Any smaller would look strange. If you’ve a smaller TV, you might be better suited to the 27-inch Bose Smart Soundbar (2024), or the 26-inch Denon Home 550.

The soundbar was much lighter than I thought it would be: 14.8 pounds. Compared to the Yamaha True X Surround 90A’s 24-pound heft and the KEF XIO’s 23-pound bulk, this was noticeably easier to move around. You might not even need a friend to help you set it up.

Controls

There’s no remote, so all your controlling is done via the BlueOS app. I found setting this up relatively straightforward. I had to restart it a couple of times, but it worked without any headache from me. I didn’t even have to set up my Wi-Fi network: the app took the information from AirPlay, which was great. No scrabbling around trying to find that pesky piece of paper taped to the back of my router.

Ideally, there would be a remote, too. What if your phone breaks and then you’re stuck without a soundbar remote? While this likely won’t be an issue 99% of the time, there’s always that 1%.

As I connected the soundbar via HDMI eARC, I was able to control it via my TV and Blu-ray player remotes, so I didn’t have any issues here. Specific adjustments like treble and bass volume controls were easy to make in the app.

Features

I was disappointed to see no dialogue mode or dialogue enhancer. I personally wouldn’t buy a soundbar without this, purely because I like the reassurance of being able to enhance my dialogue if required.

The Pulse Cinema does have “night”, “movie”, and “music” modes. There’s also a “surround upmixer”, “virtualizer”, and “volume leveler”, alongside treble and bass EQ adjustment. The surround upmixer does what it says on the tin — creates a virtual surround sound environment. “Virtualizer” does pretty much the same thing. I didn’t notice “volume leveler” making much of a change, but it’s supposed to make all the soundbar output the same volume. This would be good if you listen to poorly mastered media or if you’re struggling to hear dialogue.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: App

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema uses the BlueOS app, which works almost identically to the Denon HEOS app. This is more of a multi-room smart speaker app than the soundbar-specific JBL One app. There’s no room calibration or individual channel adjustment, which is a shame for a $1,499 soundbar.

As you can see, the app has TuneIn and integrates music streaming services like TIDAL and Qobuz, making it ideal for building a general multi-speaker home setup. It’s easy to use and easy to set up, so I have no criticisms here. I just wish it had some more soundbar/home cinema-specific modes.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: Sound quality

I test every soundbar in the same room, with “Top Gun: Maverick” on 4K Blu-ray, various other Blu-rays, TV streaming, and music on Qobuz via AirPlay.

Movies

As always, I started with “Top Gun: Maverick”. The opening scene is a goldmine for soundbar testing: high-frequency in-scene sound effects like whirring engines and whooshing ropes, bass-heavy “Danger Zone”, the roaring of jet engines flying overhead.

I could feel the planes flying around me, but I couldn’t hear them tracking over me. This is a similar issue on Samsung soundbars, namely the QS90H and the Q600F/H. I want height and width! I tested the Yamaha True Sound 90A in the same room, and it offered much more height, which is why it’s the best Dolby Atmos soundbar I’ve ever used — but it is $3,000. I’d also recommend the JBL Bar 1300X MKII as one of the best surround sound experiences — it had plenty of height in the same test, and is only $300 more than the Bluesound.

Whooshing ropes were clear, and the grinding of Tom Cruise’s wrench was audible in the following scene. The string-heavy soundtrack radiated through the scene like sunlight streaming through cloud cover — but I didn’t get as much width or depth as I wanted.

I also noticed some roughness around dialogue, as if the soundbar was struggling to differentiate the bass in Tom Cruise’s voice from the bass in the OST. This was also an issue in “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)”, but I’ll discuss that in detail below.

However, during action scenes, the bass performance was good. In the first flying scene — Maverick attempting Mach 10 — I could feel the cabin rattling around, the rumbling of the engine right before the explosion. I did want a little more during the explosion, though.

In the first dogfighting scene, the radioed dialogue was clear, despite the lack of dialogue enhancement mode. The rumbling bass of the jet engines didn’t overpower dialogue. I never struggled to make out speech in this scene.

I also watched “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)”. Hiccup’s voice-over and the OST were both clear in the opening action scene, but the dragon sound effects were the true standouts here, especially in the grove scene halfway through the movie. When Toothless flew away, the sound swarmed from around me.

However, there were unpleasant crackling sounds when the characters were talking and moving. While this might be a “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)” mixing issue, I also experienced some crackling during Tom Cruise’s dialogue in “Top Gun: Maverick”. Amazon reviews mention “bass popping”, but I didn’t experience anything like this.

I also watched the original Disney “Alice in Wonderland”. This movie is encoded with Dolby Digital rather than true Atmos.

“Alice in Wonderland” sounded fantastic. The soundbar had no issues switching from music to dialogue to ‘action’ scenes (Alice falling down the rabbit hole). When Alice fell, my stomach actually dropped thanks to the sound effects. The flutes sounded particularly excellent, and I never struggled to hear dialogue — but this isn’t exactly a blockbuster action movie.

As a final blockbuster test, I watched “The Batman (2022)”. The eerie, tense, string-heavy OST didn’t overpower the dialogue or in-scene TV sounds whilst screeching in the background of the scene. The falling rain was exceptionally wide; I could hear it as if it were actually pouring in the testing room.

The iconic “Something in the Way” scene was my favorite scene of the movie. I could hear Pattinson’s brooding voiceover clearly, despite the music and motorcycle sound effects. I could also make out the newsreader speech and the rewinding sound effects over the music. This performance was really great — much better than “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)”.

TV

To test TV playback, I watched “Interview with the Vampire” on basic Netflix. I didn’t notice any crackling or dialogue hissing here. The saloon-inspired soundtrack danced across the soundstage, but never overpowered the dialogue. In-scene sound effects like crickets and crackling fires were clear and pronounced, but layered perfectly beneath dialogue.

I noticed some compression issues when the scenes switched between voiceover and retrospective scenes. “Interview with the Vampire” is that — an interview, taking place in modern day. The protagonist’s dialogue weaves from “present day” interview answers into the retrospective scenes of which he speaks. During each scene, I didn’t notice any processing issues, but during transitional scenes, some dialogue was compressed.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this experience. I never struggled to hear dialogue or make out high-frequency sound effects.

Music

To test music playback, I listened to a range of genres via Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. ‘Von dutch (A.G. Cook remix ft. Addison Rae)’ by Charli xcx is an electronic track with processed synths and rolling bass. Right at the end of the track, there’s a spoken section. This section sounded fantastic. I felt like the words were bouncing around the room.

After, I played ‘I Was Neon’, an indie track with rounded female vocals and slightly crispy guitars. The percussion was a little muted, but not overly so, and the licks of electric guitar after the chorus were particularly melodic. While I wanted a little more control and complexity to the bass performance, at the end of the day, this is a soundbar, not a speaker. This music performance is impressive.

Lastly, I switched to heavier rock with ‘My God Is The Sun’ by Queens of the Stone Age. As with the Julia Jacklin track, the overall performance was good for a soundbar. Homme’s vocals were clear and propulsive, and the percussion wasn’t tinny. However, I wanted more. More bass, more complexity, more passion. At the end of the day, though, this is a soundbar. And soundbars will never be as impressive as genuine music-focused speakers.

Overall, for music, this is one of the best soundbars I’ve ever used. It matches the Bose Smart Soundbar (2024) and exceeds the Samsung Q600H and QS90H.

Bluesound Pulse Cinema review: Verdict

The Bluesound Pulse Cinema is a great soundbar, with impressive width and perhaps the best music on a soundbar I’ve ever experienced. The app is easy to use and straightforward, with no connectivity or setup issues.

Even so, for it to achieve our coveted 4-star rating, it would need a few changes: no dialogue/bass rumbling issues (as experienced during “Top Gun: Maverick” and “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)”, and more premium soundbar-specific features — or a lower price. When you can spend $300 extra for the near-perfect JBL Bar 1300X MK2, or save $600 and get the all-in-one Samsung QS90H, why wouldn’t you just do that?

I think I would buy the JBL Bar 1300X MK2 over this model due to the more expansive sound and room calibration tools, but the Bluesound Pulse Cinema is still a great option if you want to build a multi-room smart sound system.

For $99, the Nothing Ear (3a) are a bit of a bargain. They offer striking design, plenty of features and decent sound quality (after some fettling in the EQ). If you’re only considering their core performance, these are some of the best wireless earbuds around for people on a budget.

However, I have one major concern around some new onboard recording features. In short, these earbuds will let you secretly record and store phone calls. So… spy buds. Is this a bug or a feature?

Want to know more? Keep reading my full Nothing Ear (3a) review to find out.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Specs

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Price & availability

The Nothing Ear (3a) cost just $99 / £99, undercutting the brand’s flagship Nothing Ear (3) ($149), as well as big-name rivals like the Apple AirPods 4 ANC ($179) and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 ($179). If you’re using either an iPhone or Galaxy phone, you’ll benefit more from the ecosystem integration of the latter two earbuds — the ability to swap seamlessly between an iPhone and iPad, for example. Otherwise, it’s difficult to recommend the big names over the Ear (3a), given the $80 difference.

At this price, the Ear (3a) are in direct competition with other budget-ish heroes like the EarFun Air Pro 4+ ($99) and CMF Buds 2 Plus ($79). The Air Pro 4+ are the toughest to beat, offering equally as powerful ANC and excellent sound. That said, the Air Pro 4+ look cheap and don’t offer the same number of features as the stacked Ear (3a).

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Design

Nothing is known for its striking design ethos. True to form, the Ear (3a) look phenomenal. Bold colors and Nothing’s trademark see-through design give pure cyberpunk vibes. I tested the hot pink variant, but there’s an equally striking yellow model, plus Nothing’s typical white or black colorways.

Build quality is excellent, with both case and buds feeling high quality. The case lid is magnetic and snaps closed reassuringly, while the buds click magnetically into place with similar confidence. The case is transparent, which looks scruffy pretty quickly, but I’ve yet to see a case that doesn’t reach that point eventually.

The flagship Nothing Ear (3) have a more premium case, with wireless charging and a microphone built into it. They also have a bone-conduction mic in the earbuds. But I wouldn’t say there’s enough there to justify an extra $50 on the Ear (3). They use the same 12mm drivers, while the Ear (3a) benefit from the new stem controls and the recording features I’ll cover later.

The Ear (3a) buds and case are each IP54 rated, just like the Apple AirPods 4, meaning they’ll stand up to rain if you’re caught in a shower, and you can use them for working out. The EarFun AirPro 4+ are IP55 rated, so a little tougher against water.

The CMF Buds 2 Plus have a slightly higher IP55 earbud rating, but only IPX2 for the case. That could be an issue if your clothes got wet with the case in your pocket. I’d rather have IP54 all-round.

Comfort

Mileage is always going to vary with earbud comfort, based on your individual ear holes. But I’ve found the Ear (3a) extremely comfortable. The tips are made from a softer, lighter silicone than my daily drivers, the EarFun Air Pro 4 ($79), and I noticed immediately how much nicer the Nothing tips felt. I wore the buds for two train journeys, plus daily life around the city, with no issues or soreness whatsoever.

Controls

I really like the Ear (3a) controls. You pinch either side of the drop stem, which I much prefer to the touch controls we often see on earbuds. The stem gives subtle haptic feedback to confirm you’ve actuated the controls, and they proved reliable and accurate when I used them while walking through central London.

You can reassign commands in the Nothing X app, with loads of combos to choose from. There are a few too many, to be honest. I simply memorized playback controls and the ANC toggle, which is all I really need.

Connectivity

The Ear (3a) use the latest Bluetooth 6.0, which is nice to see (and not a given) — even the Apple AirPods Max 2 launched in 2026 with the ageing version 5.3.

Bluetooth 6.0 offers higher data transfer rates and more modern codecs than older iterations, reduced power consumption, more stable connection, plus better pinpoint location detection (for ‘Find My’-type services). It’s always nice to see the latest tech in products, but especially budget ones like this.

Codec-wise, the Ear (3a) support the usual AAC and SBC, plus LDAC for hi-res streaming. There’s no LC3plus, an updated version of the LC3 low-energy codec, which is one of the key codec updates in Bluetooth 6.0 and improves latency. That’s not a huge deal, though.

The Ear (3a) feature multipoint connectivity, so I hooked up my phone and work laptop simultaneously and switched between the two. The Nothing X app shows you all connected devices with on/off toggles, so you can curate your connections easily.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Sound quality

The Nothing Ear (3a) stock tuning (i.e., how the equalizer is set up by default) needs work. It’s not awful. Treble and higher mids are clear, with lighter percussion sounding pretty crisp and vocals staying prominent. This is actually an improvement on the flagship Ear (3), whose treble we found overly bright and uncomfortable. Similar to the Ear (3) though, the (3a)’s low end is way over-amplified by default, at least for my liking — if you like bass and bass alone, it might be for you. Not me.

I found heavier and busier tracks difficult to listen to. Mid-range instrument separation effectively disappeared under overwhelming bass. Despite boasting impressive low extension (i.e. how low in the frequency range they can actually reproduce), the drivers can’t handle all the bass amplification EQ’d their way either. In deep electronic music like Burn Water’s Ikigai, larger warbles suffered distortion, as did the sweeping wave of sub bass in the final 20 seconds of SOHN’s Antigravity.

The low end simply needs controlling. Thankfully, you can retune the buds all you like in the Nothing X app. There are three different EQ modes. A simplistic version; some per-genre presets; plus a full and fantastic 8-band parametric EQ. After a lot of fettling in the parametric EQ, paring back bass in particular, the Ear (3a) sounded way more balanced.

Kick drums and basslines were no longer just boomy, fuzzy messes. Addison Rae’s Fame Is a Gun was no longer just one big kick drum, and I could hear the individual oscillations of the track’s wavy synths. Melvins’ Honey Bucket and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siva, whose distorted, sludgy guitar riffs were effectively buried by booming before, now sounded fantastic, with a hearty amount of crunch and separation in the mid-range.

Likewise, with space to breathe, vocals sounded fantastic. I could pick apart each of Blusher’s voices in the harmonies of Your Love Is My Drug, and could hear the soft, slowly fading reverb on Chris Stapleton's vocals in Death Row.

Sure, it took a little time with EQ to get the Ear (3a) sounding grown up, but for $99, that’s not a big sacrifice to make.

Soundstage

The Ear (3a)’s soundstage is pretty decent for a set of ANC earbuds (which are inherently intimate) — Antigravity’s bouncy spatial intro had a convincing amount of width, for instance. There’s a ‘Spatial’ mode in the app, intended to boost three-dimensionality, but it isn’t worth it. It forces the EQ back into ‘Balanced’ and then just makes everything echoey. It’s how I’d imagine music sounds inside a medieval dungeon.

Listen along to my testing playlist on Qobuz, our favorite music streaming service for audiophiles.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: ANC

The Nothing Ear (3a) have three-level ANC (low, medium, high), plus an adaptive mode that changes automatically, and a transparency mode for staying aware of your surroundings. You switch between these via the app or stem controls.

Adaptive did a good job at tailoring the ANC to the scenario I was in, and I could hear it switching up to the highest level when I entered the busy Paddington Station in London.

The ANC itself is okay, too. It’s not the best, with nearby conversations and hubbub making it through during a train journey. However, lower-frequency sounds like the train’s engine were mostly cut. I also wore the buds while walking around the city, and the ANC cut most traffic noise, too.

You’ll get better ANC performance on the EarFun Air Pro 4+, but the Ear (3a) still did the job I needed them to do: I was able to work on the train with no distractions.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: App

I love the Nothing X app. It’s absolutely packed full of features, and useful for virtually every aspect of operating the buds, from sound (where it’s absolutely necessary) through to call recording, controls, ANC and updates.

Given the app plays such a pivotal role in using the buds, I’m glad it’s so slick and polished. It hasn’t crashed on me once, and is extremely easy to navigate and use.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Call quality

To test call quality, I called my wife while on a walk. With three bars of reception, she said my voice sounded weak and distant, although she understood everything I said. I didn’t sound hi-res, but then again I didn’t need to. The Ear (3a) got the job done.

Nothing’s flagship Ear (3) have the usual earbuds mics, plus an additional microphone built into the case. Given this is one of the only differences between the two sets of buds, it’s not enough reason to recommend the pricier model.

The Ear (3a) have some novel call recording features, but I’ll discuss these in the Privacy concerns section below.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Battery life

Nothing claims the Ear (3a) will last up to 10 hours with ANC off, or 6 hours with ANC enabled. This aligns with my testing, with the buds dropping about 30% over a nearly-two-hour train journey. In total, you can expect 42 hours without ANC from the buds and charging case combined, or 25 with ANC.

This is on the low side, but not awful. The Apple AirPods 4 ANC, for example, manage 24 hours in total with ANC on, while the (Nothing-owned) CMF Buds Pro 2 last 26 hours. The CMF Buds 2 Plus offer 33 hours, while the EarFun Air Pro 4+ can go for 36 hours.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Privacy concerns

I wouldn’t normally need to write a section on privacy — and the fact that I have should raise alarm bells. The Ear (3a) have a range of recording features, which look fairly innocent on the surface. There’s an Audio Snapshot mode, which will store the last minute of media playback — i.e. your favorite excerpts from music or TV.

They can also record and store two hours of calls or voice notes, with a transcription service available via a subscription in the Nothing X app. Very handy for any students or journalists needing to record and transcribe online meetings. But I have serious privacy concerns with this feature.

During test calls, initiating ‘call recording’ delivered a prompt to both parties saying “this call will be recorded in 3, 2, 1.” Fine — good, even! Not so fast. After hitting mute on my side, the other party heard no prompt whatsoever. I ran the test with my colleague Nikita, then again with my wife. Same result for both. So, the Ear (3a) can record calls without the other person knowing or consenting. Here in the U.K., that isn’t illegal, but in many U.S. states it is. Regardless, it’s immoral unless under specific public interest needs.

I don’t like the idea of this feature becoming widespread in earbuds, either. Sure, there are already plenty of ways to record calls nefariously. But adding this kind of thing to tech as ubiquitous as earbuds feels like it’ll make non-consensual recording much easier and more commonplace.

I’ve reached out to Nothing for comment on this issue, but it hasn't got back to me yet.

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Verdict

The Nothing Ear (3a) surprised me. I thought nothing could tempt me away from my long-term daily drivers, the EarFun Air Pro 4. But it seems Nothing can!

I really, really wish they didn’t make it so easy to spy on people, but, putting aside the privacy stuff just for a minute and judging these on their merits as earbuds, the Ear (3a) offer impressive performance for their price. Consider the striking design, premium build quality and decent comfort, and these buds start looking like a proper bargain — in fact, I’m not sure why you’d buy the pricier Nothing 3 flagship.

OK, the sound needs some work by default, but the drivers are inherently very good, and it only takes a little time in the EQ to sort everything out. For under $100, that’s time I’m more than happy to spend.

I didn't even have to name the album and you're already thinking of it. Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" is nothing short of iconic. It's my favorite album of all time (I've even got a tattoo dedicated to it), so when the We Are Rewind x Pink Floyd WE-001 cassette player landed on my desk, I instantly fell in love.

And We Are Rewind's CEO, Romain Boudruche, echoes my sentiments. Speaking with him about the inspiration behind the collab, the popularity of cassettes (alongside vinyl) among Gen Z, and how cassettes are becoming "collector's items" will give anyone newfound appreciation for physical media.

'Today, you don't own what you pay for'

Physical media has seen a comeback in recent years, with vinyl purchases in 2025 surpassing $1.04 billion in the U.S. alone, according to a report by the Recording Industry Association of America. On the flipside, Sony announced that it would be ending physical disc production for PlayStation consoles in 2028. Why can't we own what we pay for now?

We Are Rewind is doing what it can to keep physical media alive. The French company was founded by two friends who wanted to bring back the cassette player — and that resonates with Gen Z. "Gen Z really want to hold things in their hands," Romain tells me. "You pay for your Netflix and Spotify subscriptions but you never hold anything in your hands. You don't own what you pay for. It's both a global saturation of digital things and that, for example, when you're listening to music, you're constantly distracted by notifications."

That's something I believe all of us can relate to.

"I listen to music on my phone and then I have a pop-up from Instagram, and I click on it, and then I realize I've been scrolling for hours, for nothing," Romain says.

And that's where We Are Rewind's WE-001 cassette player comes into play. "Holding a cassette player is a way to be very focused on what you're doing in that moment, and you're committed to it."

Alongside eliminating doomscrolling, cassette players invoke a feeling of nostalgia. I, personally, grew up in a time when I was burning my own CDs. The generation before mine was doing the same with mixtapes.

"I think there's something reassuring about projecting yourself in past times, even for people who didn't grow up in the 1970s or 80s," Romain says. "They are nostalgic for a period of time they didn't know but it's a way to go back, because they think of it as a less stressful time.

"Back in the day, you didn't worry about, 'What's the future going to be like?' I know there were a lot of scary things in the 80s too, but for those who didn't grow up in that period, it feels safe."

And Romain isn't wrong. In the age of social media where there's an overload of information, disinformation and fearmongering, it's hard not to worry about the future. Music, for me, has always been a safe space, and having a screen-free cassette player helps keep it intact.

'It's more of an art object'

The We Are Rewind WE-001 was first released in 2023 and since then, Romain has been working closely with his team to release the limited edition Pink Floyd collab, to pay homage to one of his favorite bands.

And the Pink Floyd version is a thing of beauty. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and it's sublime: from its aluminum body and tactile buttons, to its modern features like USB-C charging and Bluetooth 5.1 support, it's a nifty gadget.

For Romain, it's more than that. "It's more of a lifestyle, a fashionable device," he tells me with a big smile on his face, "and it's more of an art object, not just tech."

The WE-001 being made of aluminum plays a big role in it feeling like a "collector's item" and not just a toy, so how did the cassette player come about?

"It started with an article I read which said that cassettes were making a comeback thanks to 'The Guardians of the Galaxy,' " Romain laughs. "I saw that there are only plastic players, poor quality ones, in the market. We wanted to do something very close to the first Sony Walkman — one I held in my hands, and it was cold and heavy, and I wanted that, and we did it. The WE-001 gives the impression of something strong and something that's going to last long."

You're getting bang for your buck with the WE-001. The Pink Floyd version is priced at $199 / £159, and when explaining the price to me, Romain cites a quote from the 1993 blockbuster, "Jurassic Park."

"You know when the kid picks up the glasses and the guy says, 'Are they heavy? Then they're expensive.' Every time we can, we like to use premium aluminum materials in our products, like in the Freddie Headphones."

The Pink Floyd WE-001 is certainly a collector's item, and each box includes an official 50th anniversary remastered edition of "The Dark Side of the Moon" (exclusive, because there's nowhere else to get it). The first batch consisted of just 3,000 units — and they sold out within a week.

I was lucky number 834, as mentioned on a little card inside the cassette player box. We Are Rewind is currently working on a second batch, expected to be available around November. "Just in time for Christmas!" exclaims Romain.

'A 50/50 split between the older and younger audiences'

The We Are Rewind x Pink Floyd collaboration feels special. Creating a product that pays homage to one of the greatest rock bands of all time is no mean feat but We Are Rewind has done it, and there's a lot more Romain wants to do. When asked if there are any bucket list artists he wants to work with, or design products inspired by them, Romain was quick to answer.

"The 'White Album' by The Beatles, definitely! We would like to make an entire white boxset dedicated to it, hopefully for the anniversary in 2028. There's things we want to do with Gorillaz and Daft Punk, too, and David Bowie. But I don't think we can go higher than Pink Floyd and Dark Side. It's the best album of all time, and it looks fantastic. As soon as I opened the box, I was like, 'Okay, I'm in love.'"

He is, of course, not the only one. Given the limited edition's popularity and how quickly it sold out, I had to ask Romain about who was buying it. Gen Z? Gen X? Millennials? While he didn't have the data to hand, Romain believes that it's "a 50/50 split between the older and younger audiences."

"It's something that we didn't expect in the first place as we were going to target only people who were familiar with cassette players, so older generations," he adds, "and it's totally different now. We have people between 50 and 70 as well as very young people between 17 and 25 buying the player." Maybe you were one of them, dear reader, or you could be when the next batch drops.

While cassette sales are up by 17.5% in the U.S., and up by 53% from 2024 to 2025 in the U.K., Romain doesn't think they will become as popular as vinyl. "I wish it would but I don't think it will," he says.

"Physical and running issues with cassettes can be problematic and something people struggle with. It's definitely going to keep growing in popularity in the coming years, I'm convinced about that, but I don't think it will reach the peaks vinyl has."

Even if they don't become as popular as vinyl has, I don't believe that's a problem. As long as they're still around and available to buy, and a company like We Are Rewind is actively working towards making the format more accessible, perhaps that's all we need right now.

For Romain, even having just the option to buy cassettes is a boon. "When you are in love with an artist, you want to hold something from them, which is why I collect CDs, cassettes and records, and sometimes, it's nice to just display them and show your love for them."

And in an age of digital saturation where even one screen can feel overwhelming, We Are Rewind has nailed its WE-001 cassette player, striking the perfect balance between old and new. The Dark Side of the Moon edition is perhaps one of the the most special gadgets — or rather, pieces of art — I've owned.

I'm going to Breathe (In the Air), take my Time, maybe go On the Run, and enjoy this sonic masterpiece like it's The Great Gig in the Sky. On tape. As Pink Floyd intended.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been testing this cassette walkman, and I'm having a blast reliving my childhood
• Inside the underground cassette tape label reviving physical media (and defying algorithm culture)
• Digital fatigue is showing up in our music consumption — and Gen Z is ditching streaming for vinyl crackle

To help you sort through this year’s cavalcade of great gear, we’ve put together a list of 25 award-winning products that deserve a spot in your home theater or listening room. This list of products is sorted in alphabetical order to avoid any bias or claims of favoritism, so be sure to scroll all the way down to see the complete list of winners.

TVs

Samsung S95H OLED

The Samsung S95H OLED TV earned my 5/5 star recommendation because it sets a completely new benchmark for OLED performance. It delivers fantastic brightness that confidently challenges traditional LED sets without compromising the sophistication of black levels. Thanks to a Glare Free display, the TV looks spectacular in both dark home theaters and bright living rooms. It even features fantastic gaming capabilities with low input lag right out of the box. — Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor

Sony BRAVIA 9 II TRUE RGB TV

The Sony Bravia 9 II True RGB TV is an absolute masterclass in modern LED technology and is, undisputedly, the champion of the current RGB display revolution. I recommend it for its astounding luminance and virtually invisible blooming, getting as close to OLED I’ve ever seen in terms of black levels. Delivering nearly 4,000 nits peak HDR brightness on a glare-reducing screen, this TV is the ultimate premium choice for bright room viewing. — Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor

TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED TV

While the rest of the industry is zigging toward RGB technology, TCL is sticking to white light-driven Mini-LED and ratcheting everything up to 11. SQD stands for Super Quantum Dot, and the new QM8L uses it to deliver high levels of brightness and high levels of color without breaking the bank. I saw it at CES 2026 and knew it was going to be the mid-range LED to beat this year. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Streaming Stick

Roku Streaming Stick Plus

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus nails the basics: It’s 4K HDR streaming in a pint-sized package for under $50. Roku’s primary interface is one of the easiest to use (and has been for years) but still features pretty much every single streaming service you’d want to watch. Streaming sticks may not be the home theater staples they once were, but anyone interested in adding new functionality to an aging 4K HDR TV will appreciate Roku’s slim and affordable solution. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Projectors

Hisense XR10 4K Triple Laser Projector

The Hisense XR10 is an exceptional projector with a bright, crystal-clear image and contrast I’ve rarely seen from projectors. It’s brilliant as a home theater beamer, it rocks for games, and it’s easily adaptable to just about any space. The Hisense XR10 offers simply brilliant projection that’s a knockout in dark home theater environments and can still dazzle even with overhead lights on. — Mark Knapp, Tom’s Guide Contributor

JMGO N3 Ultimate

In the early part of my career I avoided portable projectors like the plague. I found their performance lackluster and, despite their claims about being user friendly, never quite worked the way I wanted them to. The JMGO N3 Ultimate delivers the convenience and performance that I craved all those years ago. I'm definitely getting one of these for myself. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Soundbars

Bluesound Pulse Cinema

If you've yet to try a BluOS product, I urge you to do so. There are plenty of multi-room audio solutions on the market, but Bluesound's is the best by far. Its latest soundbar not only uses that platform to great effect, but it delivers 3.2.2 Dolby Atmos sound via 16 drivers. It's a next-level soundbar from a company on the cutting-edge of sound performance. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Samsung HW-QS90H Soundbar

Want a soundbar that can seriously do it all? The Samsung QS90H is your one to watch. This all-in-one soundbar combines a powerful subwoofer with seven center channels and two surrounds — yes, in one bar. Dialogue is crystal-clear and smooth, and diegetic sounds are exceptionally detailed. It’s ideal for home setups that might not have space for a dedicated sub or rears. — Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer

Headphones

Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC

By adding noise cancellation to the already fantastic Maxwell 2 formula, the new Maxwell 2 is the all-rounder that Audeze’s gaming lineup has been crying out for. Its planar magnetic drivers deliver excellent fidelity, and while there are other headsets out there using similar drivers, none offer the immersion of ANC and a closed back design. — Pete Wolinski, Senior Reviews Editor

Belkin SoundForm Mini 2 Kids Wireless Headphones

As a relatively new dad, I take my daughter’s health seriously. As desperate as I am to have her right beside me listening to music on the latest speakers and soundbars, I want to preserve her hearing health — that’s where these cheap wireless headphones come in. With a set volume cap, there’s no way for her to crank up the music to a dangerously high level, which makes me feel better about the times we do listen to music together. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

JBL LIVE 780NC

Bolder doesn’t always mean better, but in the case of the JBL Live 780NC, it does. Available in a splash of striking colors, including the bright orange we tested, the Live 780NC combine style, finesse, and good vibes. Sound quality is just as vibrant as the design, and the battery life is good enough to keep you movin’ and groovin’ all week long. — Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer

Meze Audio STRADA

Audiophiles are quick to say that open-back headphones deliver a more natural, concert hall-style performance, but if you want lower bass response, you're not going to get it in open-backs. The closed-back Meze Audio STRADA delivers that clean, crisp low-end performance in spades. For high-end headphones, they're actually pretty affordable, too. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Earbuds

EarFun Clip 2

For gym-goers, runners and anyone who wants to remain aware while working out, few open-earbuds are better than the EarFun Clip 2. Their comfortable clip style is a winner in our books, and they’ve got AI-powered real-time translation to boot. Generally good for listening to music as well as taking calls, we were also impressed by the Clip 2’s 40-hour battery life. They’re some of the best cheap earbuds you can buy right now. — Nikita Achanta, Senior Writer Reviews

ShokzOpenDots 2

The Shokz OpenDots 2 offer an impressive combination of a great fit, excellent sound quality for open buds, and long battery life. They’re ideal for runs, strength sessions and other workouts, and great for general use as well, keeping you aware of your surroundings while delivering better sound than bone conduction headphones. If you’ve yet to try clip-on headphones, the OpenDots 2 will convince you of the advantages of the design. — Nick Harris-Fry, Senior Fitness Writer

Technics EAH-AZ100 Wireless Earbuds

In the pantheon of the best wireless earbuds makers, Technics holds a top spot. The Technics EAH-AZ80 that debuted in 2023 are some of my favorite earbuds of the last 10 years, and the new Technics EAH-AZ100 are even better. For discerning listeners looking for a pair of wireless earbuds, the Technics EAH-AZ100 deliver class-leading sound with head-tracked Dolby Atmos audio. For $249, I definitely recommend them. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Speakers

Creative Technology XF1

It's not often that I get excited about computer speakers. If I'm sitting at my desk, I'm usually testing out a new pair of awesome open-back headphones or I'm going to connect wirelessly to a nearby pair of bookshelf speakers. But the Creative XF1 has me intrigued, for sure. With a 10-band parametric equalizer and more than 120 genre- and game-specific presets, it's the Swiss Army knife of desktop speakers. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Edifier S880DB MKII

There’s a reason why the audio world made such a racket about the Edifier S880DB MKII upon release late last year. These $449 speakers look like a high-end brand and the sound matches up, too. With a rich, controlled low-end, expansive mids, and a dextrous, flexible treble, the S880DB MKII are some of the best midrange bookshelf speakers available right now. — Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer

Klipsch The Nines II Powered Speakers

Klipsch's The Nines II were my favorite speakers of CES 2026. I heard them in a small enclosed booth on the Las Vegas Convention Center and I instantly fell in love with them. Despite their medium-sized footprint, they're bombastic. They deliver powerful, detailed sound with a fairly wide soundstage. It also comes with Dirac Live Room Correction that measures the acoustic characteristics of your room and automatically tunes the sound to prevent issues. I'm here for it. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

SVS 3000 Micro R|Evolution Subwoofer

Squeezing flagship subwoofer performance into a smaller package is no easy task, and yet, somehow SVS succeeded with the new 3000 Micro R|Evolution Subwoofer. Packaged in a compact 11-inch enclosure, the 3000 Micro R|Evolution Subwoofer delivers 20Hz sub-bass response using dual opposing 9-inch active drivers and a 1,200W RMS amplifier. That’s a serious sub all for under $1,000. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

Bluetooth Speakers

JBL Go 5

Good becomes great as JBL has introduced small but meaningful upgrades, making the JBL Go 5 one of the best Bluetooth speakers of 2026. It's pocketable so you can take it anywhere with you. Even though it's small, we've been impressed by its wide soundstage and just how loud it can get. Its IP68 rating means it's highly waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof too. At just $54, it offers simply unbeatable value for money. — Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer

JBL Xtreme 5

What a speaker. The JBL Xtreme 5 is officially the most durable speaker in the world thanks to its drop-proof, IP68 rating. But hardiness isn’t the only area the Xtreme 5 excels — it’s also a bass beast. Improving on its predecessor’s loud-but-muffled bass performance, the Xtreme 5 brings control, power, and ferocity to the party. The ultimate party speaker of 2026. — Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer

Sonos Play

The Sonos Play is a highly versatile portable speaker that flawlessly bridges the gap between everyday home use and travel listening. I recommend it for those looking to blend wireless multi-room audio capabilities with everyday Bluetooth convenience. Offering crisp vocals, satisfying bass and an impressive 24-hour battery life, this lightweight speaker delivers incredibly balanced, room-filling sound. It’s the middle ground between the bulkier Move 2 and smaller Roam 2 that Sonos users didn’t know they were waiting for. — Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor

Home Hi-Fi

Denon AVR-X2900H

Denon knows what it’s doing when it comes to home cinema amplification. The company has been at it for decades, but blimey, this AV receiver is a bit of a belter. For a mid-range model, it’s exceptional. Movies sound convincingly cinematic, and music is rewardingly rhythmic. Thoughtful engineering, sensible connectivity and an excellent multiroom platform are the icing on the cake. — Steve May, Tom’s Guide Contributor

Fluance RT87 Reference High Fidelity Dual-Plinth Turntable

I love the way that the RT87 looks. The dual plinth design makes it look unlike any other sub-$1000 turntable and lends a commanding presence to the deck. The carbon tonearm is a nice visual touch, and the hefty acrylic platter really brings everything together. In terms of performance, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that sounds better within $300-$500 of the RT-87’s price. — Tammy Rogers, Buying Guide Editor

WiiM Amp Ultra

Home entertainment centers can only hold so many products. I wish there was space for an amplifier, a streaming music player, speakers, a turntable, a pre-amp and a CD transport on every shelf. Sadly, there's not. But thankfully Wiim is there to reduce the amount of gear we need with its excellent Amp Ultra that combines a streaming player with an amplifier that can deliver up to 100W per channel. For $549, I've yet to find something better. — Nick Pino, Managing Editor

More from Tom's Guide

• Best TV Brands 2026: We just graded them on price, performance and more — here’s how their report cards stack up
• These are the 5 best TVs we've tested for movies, sports and gaming you can buy right now
• Best headphones: Top picks tested by experts

In addition to that, the Lyrebird are mighty comfortable, making them perfect for all-day wear, and they’re built well, too. The only drawback is that these IEMs utilize a 4.4mm jack, so you’ll need either an adapter or a DAC/Amp.

To find out if these are the best wired headphones for you, read my full Sivga Lyrebird review.

Sivga Lyrebird review: Specs

Sivga Lyrebird review: Price & availability

If you want to stream hi-res audio, the Sivga Lyrebird are excellent in-ear monitors (IEMs) that don’t necessarily break the bank. They have a retail price of $149 at Amazon U.S. / £125 at Sivga Shop U.K.

This puts the Lyrebird in the same price range as the Sennheiser IE 200 ($149) and the Sony Inzone E9 ($149) — though the latter are gaming IEMs. If you’re on a tight budget, the Dunu Titan X ($39) are much cheaper than the Lyrebird, but their eartip replacement is finicky and they’re slightly heavier than the Lyrebird (more on that shortly).

Sivga Lyrebird review: Design

The Sivga Lyrebird are beautiful IEMs, and I was impressed with their design as soon as I unboxed them. Unlike the Sennheiser IE 200 and the Sony Inzone E9 — both of which are made of plastic — the Lyrebird are a sight for sore eyes. The Lyrebird’s earbuds feature wooden faceplates and CNC-machined aluminum housing (aviation-grade, according to Sivga) to give the IEMs a premium look.

In addition to looking great, the Lyrebird feel solid and well-built too. The Lyrebird’s braided cable features a tangle-free, flexible design, so you don’t need to worry about untangling every time you take them out of your pocket or their included case. They’re equipped with a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable, which means you can swap them with ease and increase the IEMs’ lifespan.

Weatherproofing

Wired earbuds and IEMs are rarely waterproof. Similar to the Dunu Titan X, the Sennheiser IE 200 and the Sony Inzone E9, the Lyrebird don’t have an official IP rating. I wouldn’t recommend wearing them in the rain or during workouts. You may want to consider a pair of the best wireless earbuds if you want waterproofing.

Comfort

Alongside their lovely design, the Lyrebird are exceptionally comfortable, and I’ve had no problem wearing them continuously for over five hours. Each earbud weighs 0.22oz and fits snugly in my ears. The Lyrebird are lighter than the Dunu Titan X (0.45oz each) but slightly heavier than the Sennheiser IE 200 (0.14oz each) — they hit the sweet spot, in my opinion.

Just like the Dunu Titan X and the Sennheiser IE 200, you wrap the cables emerging from the earbuds around your ears to ensure they don’t fall off — and they didn’t in my testing, even when I was headbanging. I used the default size of eartips that came fitted straight out of the box, and Sivga happily includes three extra pairs of hybrid silicone tips for a stable fit and balanced seal, plus three pairs of soft silicone tips for superior comfort.

I also appreciate how easy it is to replace the eartips on the Lyrebird. On the Dunu Titan X, it took me 30 minutes to get a pair of eartips onto the earpieces because the tips’ opening felt ridiculously tight and rigid. On the Lyrebird, it took me about 20 seconds to replace the eartips — quick and easy.

Controls

Similar to other IEMs I’ve tested, the Lyrebird don’t feature any in-line buttons to control playback, so you’ll need to whip out your phone or use your audio source to play and pause music.

Connectivity & drive

The Lyrebird are wired IEMs, so no wireless Bluetooth or 2.4GHz connectivity. That means they need to be powered (driven) by a power source.

They’re not difficult to drive, but the Lyrebird only have a 4.4mm balanced cable to connect to your audio source. The advantage of a 4.4mm jack is that it separates the audio into left and right channels to keep interference to a minimum.

The downside of a 4.4mm jack is that very few phones, laptops and tablets, if any, feature 4.4mm ports. Due to this, you’ll need to grab either a 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter, or a dedicated DAC/Amp — I recommend the latter as you won’t be sacrificing the balanced channels and will be able to enjoy your tunes fully. I used the FiiO K11 R2R ($175) to test the Lyrebird, and can’t recommend this DAC/Amp enough if you want to get the best out of your passive headphones or IEMs.

If you want to drive straight from your phone or laptop, the Dunu Titan X and the Sennheiser IE 200 are fitted with 3.5mm jacks.

Sivga Lyrebird review: Sound quality

Though they’re tiny, they’re mighty — and just like the Australian bird they’re named after, the Sivga Lyrebird truly sing. They’re fitted with quad-driver setups in each earpiece. Each earpiece utilizes a combination of 10mm dynamic, 9.2mm ceramic, balanced armature, and micro-planar drivers. Sounds like overkill, I know, but each driver has its purpose.

The dynamic drivers are there for reproducing deep, elastic bass; the balanced armatures deliver clear mids and details; the micro-planar drivers enable distortion-free treble; and the ceramic drivers act as super-tweeters to handle ultra-high frequencies. All of this is to say that the Lyrebird make music sound phenomenal. As I mentioned earlier, I tested the Lyrebird by plugging them into the FiiO K11, and listening to my mix of testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio.

The instrument separation and different atmospheric layers in Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’ jumped out as soon as I played the song. This is my favorite song of all time, and listening to it through the Lyrebird is the quintessential way. From the chiming clocks to the layered guitars and subtle keyboard textures, every element occupied its own distinct space while maintaining a cohesive melody. The track sounded and felt expansive and three-dimensional, while the vocals remained focused at the center.

Speaking of, ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac felt like an excellent showcase for the Lyrebird’s vocal presentation. The IEMs allowed each voice to remain distinct while blending seamlessly together. Lead vocals sounded expressive and packed plenty of detail, while the treble felt crisp and vibrant. Cymbals and acoustic guitar overtones had plenty of sparkle to them without coming across as fatiguing. I also appreciate that the sibilance remained smooth — “s” and “t” sounds weren’t harsh and didn’t sound like they were bleeding into one another.

Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’ highlighted the Lyrebird’s ability to balance precision and musicality. The bassline sounded tight and articulate with plenty of oomph to it, and it provided a solid rhythmic foundation without overshadowing the rest of the mix. Every note plucked and the slides on Mark Knopfler’s guitar came through with exceptional clarity. The track sounded the most energetic it ever has, and I love that the Lyrebird successfully maintain the classic’s dynamic, engaging, and groovy energy.

I’ve also been impressed by the Lyrebird’s ability to remain distortion-free even when listening to music at high volumes (you shouldn’t be listening to music at 100% volume though as it can potentially damage your ears). Charli XCX’s electronic track ‘Von Dutch’ never sounded distorted at full volume, as the pounding kickdrums hit with authority and the bass remained tight and never bloated.

Listen along to my review with the Sivga Lyrebird testing playlist:

Sivga Lyrebird review: Verdict

The Sivga Lyrebird are simply outstanding. That’s it. That’s all you need to know; my job here is done.

No but really: the Lyrebird make music sound extremely detailed and like you’re in the recording studio with your favorite artist. With excellent instrument separation, deep and punchy bass, vibrant treble, and refined mids, the Lyrebird don’t give you lots to complain about.

They’re also extremely comfortable for all-day wear, and not only are they built well, they’re pleasing to look at, too. All of these qualities make the Lyrebird easy to recommend, especially if you need a pair of IEMs that doesn’t break the bank. Because these IEMs utilize a 4.4mm jack, you’ll need to get a DAC or an adapter — but that’s about the only drawback I can think of.

But they’re not without their flaws. The bass performance lacks punch, and elements like drums and cymbals in the midrange are sometimes lost in the background, but this is to be expected when listening with open earbuds. Unfortunately, there’s no companion app for EQ customization to fix these qualms. The buds only have an IPX4 durability rating, which means they have no dust protection.

To learn more about the open-earbuds, read my full Panasonic RB-F10 review.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Specs

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Price & availability

The Panasonic RB-F10 open-earbuds are available to purchase from Amazon U.S. for $99 and from Amazon U.K. for £79. You can pick up the buds in Black or Beige, both of which look slick and understated.

These are hook-style open earbuds, like the Beyerdynamic Amiron 200, which are firm favorites of mine. The Beyerdynamics cost a little more than the Panasonic buds at $199, but the sound from the Beyerdynamics is truly unmatched in the world of open-earbuds. That said, the Panasonic buds fit excellently and are incredibly comfortable, just like the Beyerdynamics, for half the price.

In the same price range are the JLab Epic Open Sport buds for $114, which are secure even with intense movement. However, their hook-style fitment won’t be for everyone. So it’s worth checking out the EarFun Clip 2 for $99. As the name suggests, these clip to the outside of your ear. This style is better suited to glasses wearers too, which I appreciate.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Design

The Panasonic RB-F10 open-earbuds look great. I often find hook-style buds a little jarring, as they can look bulky on the outer ear, but I really liked the look of these buds.

The earbuds and case have a durability rating of IPX4, meaning they’re splashproof and can withstand splashes from any direction. However, they don’t feature any dust protection, meaning you can’t take them to the beach or work out anywhere dusty. This makes them a great option for running in some very light rain, but for anything more I would give these buds a miss and go for something with a higher durability rating like the EarFun Clip 2, which are IP55.

It’s great that these buds have wear detection too, so I’ve been able to pause my music just by taking them on and off without worrying about losing my place in my music or audiobook.

Comfort

The Panasonic RB-F10 earbuds are very comfortable to wear for extended periods. I wore them for a whole evening while running errands before going for a run and wasn’t bothered by them at all. Each earbud weighs 0.31 ounces, making them lighter than the Beyerdynamic Amiron 200, which weigh 0.4 ounces.

Controls

The Panasonic RB-F10 have touch-sensitive controls. These are very sensitive, as even brushing them when I tucked my hair behind my ear set them off. However, there is a slight delay of about a second between tapping and the action. This didn’t impact my listening but was annoying.

Connectivity

The Panasonic RB-F10 open-earbuds use Bluetooth 5.4 to connect to your streaming device. They have a 33-foot operating distance, so I was able to leave my phone in the house and head out to the backyard to get on with some yardwork without losing the connection.

You can connect the earbuds to two devices thanks to multipoint connectivity. This made it easy for me to switch between listening to music with my phone and listening to work calls on my computer.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Sound quality

The Panasonic RB-F10 earbuds have a very well-balanced sound for open-earbuds. They suffer in the bass department, but that’s to be expected because of the open design, which cannot deliver bass to the ear in the same way. However, I was disappointed by the lack of EQ customization. Of course, this isn’t essential, but it’s a feature available from most audio brands, including Beyerdynamic, Soundcore, and Sony — the list goes on. Having EQ customization from an app would have allowed me to improve some of the problem frequencies of the buds.

To evaluate bass performance, I listened to Sympathy is a Knife by Charli XCX, which is driven by deep synth. I’ll start by saying the Panasonic buds performed a lot better than other open-earbuds I’ve tested. There were no issues with distortion or crackling — but I wasn't exactly impressed either. The bass wasn’t powerful. It sounded fine, but lacked the power that I’ve come to expect from this track.

I then listened to Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance, a song with very prominent drums, to judge the mids performance. Again, I was a little underwhelmed. While it wasn’t awful, I felt the drums and cymbals became lost in the background and sounded weak. I also listened to Exile by Taylor Swift. Here, the piano sounded crisp and clear, so it’s clear these earbuds thrive with simpler songs.

Finally, I listened to Next To Me by Kingfishr. This is an airy folk track rooted in its vocal performance and acoustic guitar. The harmonies were prominent throughout, and the whole track sounded perfectly bright. This is where the earbuds thrived. The guitar in the background was prominent, and the harmonica was crisp when it came in.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Call quality

The Panasonic RB-F10 earbuds have become a permanent fixture on my desk for taking calls. To make sure I sounded crystal clear, I called my mom, which is my standardized test. Despite having a lot of traffic whizzing past right outside the window of my home office, she could only hear my voice. This showed just how impressive the two beamforming microphones are for environmental noise cancellation.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Battery life

The Panasonic RB-F10 open-earbuds have a total battery life of 25 hours with the charging case. This is more than enough to get me through a couple of days before needing a charge. But if you need more, buds like the EarFun Clip 2 can offer 40 hours of battery. Each of the Panasonic earbuds holds seven hours of battery life, which is enough for me when I’m sitting at my desk all day long or heading out for a run in the evening.

The charging case takes two and a half hours to fully charge via USB-C, but if you’re in a rush you can get an hour of listening with 15 minutes of charging, which I found particularly useful before heading out on a run.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Verdict

The Panasonic RB-F10 open-earbuds have become a staple on my desk for ambient awareness at work and are also great for workouts. The buds are lightweight and comfortable — I can wear them all day long, and the 25-hour battery life meant I wasn’t worried about running out of juice. The call quality sounds great, and the audio is well-balanced for open-earbuds — bright audio quality made them lovely to listen to my music with.

While I enjoyed the overall sound of the buds, it’s worth noting that the bass lacks punch and mid-range frequencies such as drums and cymbals were sometimes lost in the background. This could have been fixed with some EQ customization, but unfortunately there’s no compatible app to pair the earbuds with. However, this is to be expected with open-earbuds due to their design.

I’d recommend these buds to anyone who wants to try out open earbuds for working out or staying aware in the office.

With that in mind, the iClever Q950 might be the best kid headphones I’ve ever tested. They’re comfortable and sound amazing for kids’ cans. No, they won’t replace the best headphones for adults, but a kid won’t complain, and even most grown-ups will enjoy listening to this set. Read my full iClever Q950 review to find out why.

iClever Q950 review: Specs

iClever Q950 review: Price & availability

The iClever Q950 cost $69 at Amazon, but we’ve seen them a bit lower at $59 during sales events. Even at full price, these are pretty good value for money.

The Q950 competes with other iClever offerings like its colorful Auraa headphones ($39) and the Puro Sound Lab BT2200s ($99) or the extremely low-cost $20 JBL Junior 320s. I don’t think you’d go wrong with the other options, especially if you’re trying to save a buck, but personally, I’d recommend the Q950 as the middle ground. Plus, they sound better than the other offerings.

iClever Q950 review: Design

Compared to most kid headphones, the iClever Q950 look more sophisticated while also clearly being made for children.

Compared to the usual grays, blacks and whites that make up adult headphones, the Q950 are quite colorful but not quite as garish as they could be. Largely that has to do with the bright blue or purple hues. The holders have a pleasant metallic sheen.

Outside of colors, these are pretty durable headphones; I performed a couple of drop tests and twisted the headphones around a few times and never felt afraid that I was about to break them, though I’m sure an enterprising tot could destroy them.

They’re over-ear headphones with extendable ears that fold in, but can also turn out to lay flat if you want. They won’t disappear, but it gives you some flexibility, especially when trying to store them in a backpack. For extra protection, the Q950 does come with a bulky carry case that can hold charging wires and the 3.5mm wire. The case isn’t as bag-friendly, but you can stuff some Pokémon cards in there if you want.

Comfort

With comfort in mind, one of my personal bugaboos with over-ear headphones is the headband. If I notice the band during a listening session, it becomes grating. I never noticed it with the Q950, which is one of the highest compliments I can pay.

Despite my adult ears, the ear cups didn’t squish them, and they fully cover a kid's ears, meaning there isn’t sound leakage. I was able to wear the iClever headphones for a full workday without noticing them.

At 9.9 ounces (238 grams), these are some of the heaviest kid headphones I’ve tested. As an adult, I didn’t find the weight uncomfortable, but while 8 or 9 ounces isn’t much for grown-ups, it does add up for your kid.

My son tried the headphones, and he didn’t find them uncomfortable, but he has complimented lighter headphones like the JBL Junior 320 when we’ve had them before. In comparison, those headphones only weigh 4 ounces, less than half the weight of the Q950.

Connectivity

The iClever Q950 comes with both wired and Bluetooth connectivity. I’m a big proponent of 3.5mm wired connections when they’re available. These headphones come with a 3.5mm wire that sends the audio pretty cleanly. I can’t tell how they’ll hold up in the long run but for now it seems pretty sturdy.

Q950 features Bluetooth version 6.0; the most recent version which offers better connection stability and reduced power consumption. This is a huge get for headphones meant for kids. Not every headset has this version, including major releases from this year, like Apple’s AirPods Max 2, which still use version 5.3.

I was able to cleanly connect to an iPad mini and my Galaxy S26 Ultra with no noticeable dips or drops. That’s all you need, especially if you’re on a road trip and using movies on the tablet to distract.

iClever Q950 review: Sound quality

As mentioned up top, the Q950 headphones might be the best-sounding kids headphones that I’ve tested to date. Now with that praise, if you’re dropping down from a high-end set like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 or the Sony WH-1000XM6, then you’ll notice a huge difference.

But compared to other kid headphones, the Q950 have an open, warm sound. The trebles and mids are clean without losing depth, meaning you should hear what the music is meant to sound like. Conversations in podcasts have a warmth that I found pleasant.

The bass is surprisingly punchy. No, you won’t mistake these cans for a set of Bowers drivers. But as someone who grew up on a steady diet of Paul Oakenfold passed through terrible headphones and winMX, the Q950 are pretty decent.

It’s honestly surprising how good these sound. I doubt it’ll turn your kid into an audiophile straight away, but they’ll be able to appreciate what they’re hearing, especially as they start playing their own music.

iClever Q950 review: ANC

Unfortunately, there is one big flaw you should know. Most kid headphones now feature active noise cancelling, which is marketed as a way to keep your kids from turning the sound up when outside noises get too loud. The Q950 does feature an 80 dB volume cap, which is good. However, I found that the ANC actively made the sound worse, flattening it or making it feel too quiet. It’s a surprising flaw for such a prominent feature.

As an example, I was listening to a podcast and decided to try out ANC while my partner was in a meeting. Tapping the button suddenly felt like I’d been sucked into an aural void, and I thought I’d accidentally hit a half-mute button I didn’t know existed. Music felt similarly pillowed.

Normally when I use ANC, like on the JBL Tour One M3, it just deadens outside noise. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the feature fundamentally change the sound of what I was actively hearing. It’s not necessary to use ANC, but if you or your child is bothered by too much outside stimulation, this is a significant drawback to the Q950.

iClever Q950 review: What the kids are saying?

My son tried out the Q950 over a couple different sessions with an iPad mini, once on a road trip and once at home. He liked that the headphones were comfortable, though he initially thought they were the iClever Auraas, and at first glance they do look similar.

He didn’t have much to say about the sound, though he said he liked it. He doesn’t really care about ANC, but he did say he never had to turn up the audio even despite a nagging little sister.

iClever Q950 review: Verdict

The bar can be pretty low for kid headphones when it comes to audio quality and iClever Q950 clears that bar with flying colors. Honestly, you could buy a set for yourself, and I don’t know that you’d be disappointed.

The weight and ANC are potential problems, but if your child isn’t bothered by headphone weight and doesn’t use ANC, these are good headphones. Plus, at $69, they won’t break the bank, making them one of the best pairs of kid headphones you can buy.

You may be inclined to hand your kids a set of headphones you no longer use, or you’ve spotted some cheapo ones at your local drugstore. But those cans may be doing more harm than you know, as the lack of volume control can lead to permanent hearing loss.

Fortunately, there are options that can be safer for your kids. With more kids wearing headphones that seem to be glued to their heads, how can you protect their hearing now and in the future?

We spoke to a hearing expert and the makers of kid-friendly headphones to find out how volume-limiting headphones can assist parents in protecting their children’s hearing and tips for doing more beyond buying appropriate headphones.

“We only get one set of ears”

The world in general is a loud place with a multitude of sounds that over time can cause noise-induced hearing loss. Both OSHA and the World Health Organization recommend 85 decibels as a safe listening level for people in industrial settings. That rating is over an eight-hour “time-weighted average.”

Per the American Academy of Audiology, anything over that level can cause permanent hearing loss, and hearing protection is recommended: “regardless of how long the sound lasts.” At 80 dB, the sound is equivalent to an alarm clock, while sounds in the 90 to 110 dB range include concerts, power tools and earbuds (at full volume).

Kaitlyin Kennedy, an audiologist and member of the Academy, told Tom’s Guide that the recommendation for children is more conservative, at 75 dB and 80 dB for adults. She noted that headphone use in teens has gotten worse in general in the last few years.

A study by the University of Michigan in 2024 found more than half of kids age 5 -12 have their own personal audio devices and use them at least an hour a day.

“When hearing loss sets in, whether genetic or noise exposure, it grows over time,” Kennedy said. “It’s a snowball; one instance won’t [cause problems], multiple will.”

She added that while tech is improving, including with hearing aids, nothing is the same as natural hearing.

What headphone manufacturers offer

Fortunately, headphones can be capped so that the volume of audio coming through the drivers can’t exceed a set decibel level.

Most of the kids-friendly headphones Tom’s Guide has tested so far do feature volume caps around 85 dB. iClever limits volume at 80 dB for many of its headphones based on the EU EN50332-1 standard and WHO recommendations.

iClever also uses its “SafeSound” technology, which combines active noise canceling with maximum volume to ensure kids aren’t trying to turn the volume all the way up to hear music or media over outside noise.

Puro Sound Labs, based out of Southern California, purposely caps all of its headphones at 85dB. Founder Dave Russell set out to create safer headphones after his own daughter suffered noise-induced hearing loss that an audiologist blamed on constant headphone use.

“One in five teens are at risk of some level of noise-induced hearing loss due to headphones,” VP of sales Davis Camarigg told Tom’s Guide. He noted that even the company’s adult and older-teen-targeted headphones only go up to 95dB, though the company doesn’t just cap the volume or use ANC without also ensuring the audio still sounds good.

“If it's so loud they can't hear you speak, it's too loud”

Buying the correct headphones and limiting how loud the audio you listen to is an important aspect of protecting your and your children’s hearing. But there are other ways to protect yourself.

Kennedy provided several tips to help protect your ears.

She recommended that everyone reduce the amount of time they spend listening to audio, especially when using headphones. “Keep [settings] on 60% for no more than 60 minutes and then take a listening break,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said that by the time kids hit teenage years, their ears are much more adult, but damage can be done when they’re younger because the sounds are louder to developing ears.

Your phone can help

With many kids on smartphones, you can set limits or monitoring systems. For example, with headphones connected, you can go to the Control Center on your iPhone and see your headphones’ dB levels. Under Accessibility Shortcuts, you can also limit loud sounds in your headphones under Settings > Sound & Haptics > Headphone Safety, then Reduce Loud Sounds.

Android has a “Volume monitor” that will tell you how long you’ve spent listening to loud volumes in your headphones. You can find it under Digital Wellbeing. There’s also a media volume limit feature which lets you cap the volume between 85dB and 100dB.

In all, protecting your child's hearing takes some proactive approaches on your part, from acquiring safe equipment to actively setting up systems via your phone or the electronic devices you let your kid use.

Fortunately, it's quite doable, and there are plenty of options to help you make the right choice.

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I’m lucky that I get to test a fair bit of the pricey stuff for my job. But alas, I don’t really get to keep much of it, and I know most people can’t afford to drop thousands on their audio gear, either.

I decided to put together my real-world critical listening setup, a set of open back headphones and a DAC, on a real world budget of $500. Less than a set of mainstream ANC cans like the $549 Apple AirPods Max 2.

Reddit had a couple of obvious suggestions, of course, namely the Sennheiser HD 650 or, for sheer budget, the HIFIMAN Sundara. But I chose to ignore both of those (sorry Reddit). Here’s what I got instead, and why.

Hot Meze, anyone?

As I mentioned above, it would’ve been easy to go down the well-trodden route of the HIFIMAN Sundara or Sennheiser HD 650. They're the darlings of r/audiophile and r/headphones (and, to be fair, for good reason).

We use a set of Sundara for comparison testing at work. They sound great: spacious, with excellent bass response thanks to their planar drivers. They’re easy to drive and cheap too. But they’re cheap for a reason: the build quality is poor. Our pair sit on a shelf and suffer not the rigors of daily use, but there are many reports online of the headband breaking, and Amazon flags them as a “frequently returned product.”

So what about the Sennheiser HD 650? These are commonly recommended online for a reason: they sound fantastic, with a warm-ish neutral tune that’s ideal for detail listening. The thing is, I’m a motorcyclist and audio tester, so my ears don’t have an easy life. For personal headphones I prefer a warmer and slightly darker tune to avoid treble fatigue — easier-listening, so to speak.

The HD 650 can be very pricey, too. I’ve even seen them go above the $500 mark in the U.S. And finally, while not horrendously tricky to drive, the HD 650 aren’t exactly easy. While writing this, one of my colleagues had to borrow one of our powerful test DACs to drive his newly purchased pair of HD 650. Nice timing!

I was also considering the HD 550, but again I wanted that warmer, tad darker tune. Plus, to me, the HD 550 resemble a particular anatomical diagram from biology class…

Anyway, instead I looked towards Romania, and Meze Audio. Specifically, the Meze Audio 105 AER. At their $399 MSRP, these cans are fairly pricey, but attainable. As I write this, they’ve been selling at $299 for several weeks at Amazon. At that price, I think these are an absolute steal, and some of the best value for money in the audiophile world.

Genuine all-day comfort

The Meze 105 AER are utterly beautiful, with bags of Romanian Art Deco flair — pizzazz you definitely won’t get from the likes of Sennheiser. They’re vastly superior in build quality to the HIFIMAN Sundara (it’s actually crazy that at times the two pairs of headphones only sit as little as $120 apart). The 105 AER feel like much, much more expensive headphones. And with the gorgeous suspended headband and vegan velour pads, the 105 AER are comfortable for hours on end, too.

In fact, the headband deserves its own shout out. You don’t need to adjust the 105 AER, as the headband is perfectly sprung. And I mean “perfectly” quite literally: it adjusts to your head as you pull the headphones on, applying juuuust enough clamping pressure to override the spring and keep the cans sitting securely. It’s. Utterly. Glorious.

I don’t like to parrot brands’ marketing, but Meze claims that you’ll forget the 105 AER are on your head, and they’re genuinely correct there. Partly that’s to do with the headband and earcups, but it’s also thanks to the extremely liveble sound profile…

Warm, easy-listening sound

Most importantly, the 105 AER boast stunning sound. The tuning is fairly warm, but strikes a nice balance between easy- and critical-listening, which I love. It’s not too clinical.

Bass is prominent and silky smooth. The 105 AER aren’t as subby as the Sundara with their planar drivers, and yeah, sometimes I miss that: Sohn’s Antigravity, for example, concludes with an enormous roll of sub bass that should be felt tingling in the temples. But I’ve got a trick up my sleeve to help with that in the DAC section below.

The 105 AER mid-range is the star of the show in my opinion. There’s so much steely texture to the distorted guitars in Metallica’s Seek & Destroy and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siva. Vocals, meanwhile, also sound fantastic, with the 105 AER perfectly relaying the organic timbre of John Fogerty’s howling in CCR’s Fortunate Son — I could hear the rasps and crackles of his vocal cords as he roared in righteous indignation.

Admittedly, treble isn’t the brightest, so you’re missing out on the sheer top-end resolution you’d get from something like the Sennheisers — there’s not quite the same level of crispness and detail to cymbals in Fortunate Son, or the shimmering backing effects in Ikigai. That said, they’re not dark enough for things to sound stifled or distant. The roll off also makes the 105 AER supremely easy to listen to for extended periods. They don’t give me cymbal fatigue, something I often get when listening to Copeland’s drumming throughout The Police’s Outlandos D’Amour album.

The 105 AER are also effortlessly spacious, which in fairness can be said about the HIFIMAN and Sennheiser too, as they’re all open back. Sohn’s Antigravity begins with super spatial percussion springing inward and out on the horizontal plane — imaged impressively by the Mezes.

Listen along to my testing playlist on Qobuz, in our eyes the best music streaming service for audiophiles.

But how to drive them?

As well as a set of headphones, I was also after a new DAC. The Meze 105 AER are passive headphones, so they need to be powered. They aren’t difficult to drive, with an impedance of 42Ω and a sensitivity rating of 112 dB/mW — in other words, they get pretty loud without much power. You can run them from your smartphone or laptop and they won’t be too quiet.

But just because they can be driven from your phone or laptop, that doesn’t mean they’ll sound their best that way. Often, you’ll get better sound using a dedicated DAC/Amp, which can feed headphones more power.

On passive headphones with low impedance (electrical resistance) a stable, quality power source like a dedicated amp will help keep the sound in check and free from distortion — without one, power fluctuations mean drivers can struggle to start and stop as sharply as they otherwise might. There’s technically the added sweetener of more accurate digital to analog signal conversion, too.

With $200 to spare, there were options. The FiiO KA13 would be my choice on a lower budget. It offers FiiO’s typical transparency (so you’re hearing the tune of the headphones, not the profile of the DAC), plenty of power, a compact footprint and an equally small $79 price tag. But the KA13 lacks any hardware EQ or digital filters (unless using the god-awful FiiO app), which I like, as they let me play around with sound.

I also considered the $179 FiiO K11 R2R, which I’ve tested previously in the office. It’s also a transparent DAC, offers bags of power for trickier-to-drive upgrades in the future, and even has an upsampling mode, which can help give an airier sound. It’s a desktop DAC, though, so needs plugging in, which I find annoying.

In the end, I went for the $199 iFi hip dac 3, for one primary reason: subby stuff. While it lacks the K11’s advanced features, the hip dac 3 has an Xbass mode that gives up to +6dB amplification in the 20-30Hz region. Remember that temple-shaking sub bass I said I enjoy in certain songs? Xbass delivers it at the push of a button, only when you want or need it.

The hip dac 3 is also plenty powerful and compact enough to fit into my pocket — it’s shaped like a hip flask, hence the name. As a Brit, I like that buying it supports a British company, too (although, to be fair, the DAC itself is unsurprisingly still made in China).

Total spend: $498

I’m really happy with this setup. I don’t think the Meze 105 AER will please fans of that clinical, reference sound. These are decidedly warm with some treble roll-off backing off the volume of high frequencies. Personally, though, I think the balance is ideal for daily use.

The slightly darker tune isn’t to the complete detriment of top end detail or space, yet makes them a very liveable set of cans day in, day out, all day while working. You get the picture. And best of all, even with my powerful little iFi DAC included, my setup still comes in cheaper than a set of AirPods Max 2!

Let me know in the comments below - what's your favorite setup? Which cans do you wear every day? What's on your wishlist?

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When it comes to build and comfort, the H100 are truly a luxury product. They also pack some impressive features, boasting the last word in wear detection and a fantastic app. Sound quality is solid, although I had to do a little EQing to match my preference.

Aside from that, and some minor connectivity gripes, I really have very little to say against the H100. If you can afford them, I’m sure they’ll make you very happy. So, could these be the best headphones for millionaires? Find out in my full Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Specs

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Price & availability

There’s no getting around it, at $2,200 the H100s are eye-wateringly expensive in the States. Admittedly, the H100 are at an all-time high right now, likely thanks to tariffs, and have been hiked from $1,549 back in May 2025. We’ve since seen them drop back to around $1,750 during sales events — scant consolation, I know.

In the U.K. where I live, the H100s are still very pricey, but retail for a decidedly more palatable £1,450, although as I write this they’re on sale for £1,299. I would definitely advise waiting for a sale — or for one of B&O’s “Reloved” refurbished fire sales.

The only more expensive ANC headphones that I can think of are six-figure jewel-encrusted limited runs like the Loewe LEO x Jacob & Co. As far as consumer cans go, the closest and only real rivals to the H100 are the Loewe LEO ($1,680) and DALI IO-12 ($1,750). The IO-12 sound beautiful, but lack features like ANC modes or a companion app for custom EQ. There’s also the Focal Bathys MG ($1,299), which offer supreme magnesium build quality and gorgeous sound, although cost nearly a grand less.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Design

The H100 are built as you’d expect from $2,200 cans: exquisitely. The aluminum machining is nanometer-precise, with not a single imperfection to see. Then there are the earcups. Pillow-soft doesn’t cut it. These things are soft like a chinchilla wrapped in silk and marshmallow, sitting on a cloud. They’re not actually made from chinchilla, I ought to add. Unfortunately, they are actually made of lambskin leather, and for a vegan that’s just as bad. There are no vegan replacement options, either.

The thick, comfy headband is wrapped in good ol’ cow leather, and clicks off if you need to replace it. These cans are intended to last you a long time, so B&O has made it easy to swap out parts. I love that.

If I had one minor design complaint, it’s that, while they look utterly luxe, the H100 aren’t particularly striking. Not that it matters when they’re on your head, of course. And besides, if you’ve spent $2,200 on headphones, it’s probably best they don’t stand out.

The H100 come with an ultra-premium protective case that looks like a designer handbag. Not only does it look great and protect your cans, it’s a lot more flexible and forgiving than the solid and scratch-prone case of the younger B&O sibling, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95.

Comfort

As might be obvious from my prior gushing, the H100s are extremely comfortable to wear. You don’t get the sheer breeziness of a suspended headband design, as on a lot of open-back audiophile cans, but it’s not like the H100s are heavy enough to give your neck or noggin any real problems.

Weatherproofing

The H100 have an IP53 rating, so they’re dustproof enough for the beach and waterproof enough for the odd bit of sweat or a light rain shower. This suits them nicely to the role of daily driver — remember, most over-ear headphones have no waterproofing.

Controls

I love the H100 controls, which are very similar to those on the H95. There are two wheels for volume and ANC levels; a touchpad with taps and swipey-swipes for controlling playback; and a button for shifting between ANC modes. Once you know your way around, it’s highly intuitive. It’s also reliable — I’ve never missed an input and the controls prove surprisingly difficult to engage accidentally. Everything is also fully customizable in the B&O app, so you can make the controls your own.

The H100 also feature excellent wear detection. After a short (customizable) while off your head, though, they’ll also power off and back on automatically, saving battery. There’s also single earcup detection, so you can just raise an earcup to talk to someone if needed — very handy.

Connectivity

The H100 are a little behind the times in 2026 as I write this, sporting only Bluetooth 5.3, which offers less stability, inferior power consumption and narrower codec support than the latest version 6.0. But hey, the Apple AirPods Max 2 launched in 2026 with only 5.4, so it’s not just B&O at the back.

The H100 only support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. The B&O website says: “The selected codec solutions are more relevant for the Beoplay H100 design and performance profile than LDAC, which is only supported by specific devices.” Utter baloney. It’s not a binary issue: every LDAC device I’ve ever seen, tested or owned also supports SBC and AAC.

Personally, advanced codec support bothers me very little. I only use Bluetooth when out and about or working, and therefore not listening particularly critically. But I can see how the lack of hi-res codecs could be frustrating when paying $2,200.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Sound quality

I tested the H100 using Qobuz, in our eyes the best music streaming service for audiophiles. I streamed in hi-res or CD quality and over USB-C.

Putting the H100 on, the first thing I noticed was the warmth. Bass is thick and rich, but fast and well-controlled nevertheless — the surreal oscillating bassline of James Blake’s Limit To You Love was delivered with absolute precision. I was particularly impressed with the sub bass, too. I haven’t yet tested a set of closed backs with as much oomph in the subby section of SOHN’s Antigravity. It's almost high-end planar performance.

I found the default Optimal EQ a little too dark for my preference, especially with ANC on. Treble and upper mids sounded somewhat muted and hazy; vocals soft and distant. Thankfully, there’s a custom EQ in the B&O app so you can dial in the sound to your liking. It’s not the most comprehensive EQ, with adjustments made based on the sound characteristics you want, but it is user-friendly and quick. I tweaked the sound to be more energetic and the upper range cleaned up nicely.

EQ’d up, the resolution and speed of the drivers across the frequency range was on full display. Mids, especially guitars, had plenty of definition and texture in sludgy tracks like Melvins’ Honey Bucket and Siva by The Smashing Pumpkins. In bassy electronica like Dusky’s Stick By This and Burn Water’s Ikigai, the added airiness helped ethereal backing effects shine. Vocals were clean and pronounced, with natural timbre and strong separation to the harmonies in Blusher’s cover of Your Love Is My Drug.

Overall, I’m pleased with how the H100 sound. The default EQ tuning isn’t for me, as I felt it was a little too dark at the top end. But it’s fine, because if you want something else, the H100 let you get exactly what you’re after via EQ, and can handle pretty much anything.

Listen along to my testing playlist on Qobuz.

Soundstage

B&O claims the H100 are tuned with spatiality and Dolby Atmos media streaming in mind. Indeed, in the app’s Stereo Spatial mode, the springy opening percussion of Antigravity pinged inwards and outwards with an impressive amount of width for closed backs.

Using the Dolby Atmos mode, there was an equally wide soundstage on display in the two movies I watched, Dune and Dune: Part Two. In Paul’s hallucinations on Arrakis, hearing the shimmering foley effects sparkling all around my head was like being in a movie theater, especially when combined with that hammering bass.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: ANC

The H100’s ANC is extremely good. I live next to a very busy road. So, at rush hour, I opened and sat next to the window with the H100 on my head, using maximum ANC and my music volume at around 50%. I could barely hear a thing from outside. Trucks, motorcycles, cars — all blocked save the odd faint whoosh during quieter moments in songs. In the office, I couldn’t hear my colleagues talking around me, or their music being played.

Not bad at all from the H100, although I’d say my much cheaper Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are equally as proficient (they even managed to cut the noise of a screaming baby directly in front of me on a plane returning from, of all places, Denmark).

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Call quality

The H100 call quality is fairly run-of-the-mill. I called my wife over WiFi and she reported that I sounded a little quiet and distant — she had to take me off loudspeaker to hear. After that, though, she said the clarity of my voice was pretty good, and she could make out everything I was saying. It's like 3.6 Roentgen: not great, not terrible.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: App

The B&O app is excellent. It’s slick and polished, giving you full control over controls and the custom EQ. My only gripe is that the EQ is a little basic — as I mentioned earlier, it's a circle with various characteristics, rather than a proper parametric equalizer. But hey: it works, and it's quick.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Battery life

Bang & Olufsen claims the H100 will last 32 hours with ANC on, which is really strong. The Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 will all give you a respectable 30 hours, while the Apple AirPods Max 2 last just 20.

After using the headphones for around 7-8 hours over the course of two days in testing, the battery dropped to 74%, which correlates to the manufacturer-stated figure. I only had to charge the cans once during the week I tested them. Not bad at all.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 review: Verdict

Obviously, the elephant in the room here is price. The H100 are a flagship product from a high-end audio brand, so they were always going to be spenny. And it’s not like they don’t justify their position at the top of B&O’s range. Their sound quality and custom EQ are fantastic, the ANC is top-notch, they’re packed full of features to make your life easier, and they’re literally built to last a decade (or more).

I’m not going to tell you that they’re $1,300 better than the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 or B&O’s own H95, though. Because that simply isn’t true. You can get more value for money elsewhere. But you probably already knew that.

In the end, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 are a gloriously extravagant status symbol. In my eyes, they’re probably the best over-ear ANC headphones you can get, performance- and quality-wise. But if you want the best, you’re gonna have to pay through the nose for it.

But be aware that, since it’s so cheap, the sound lacks the width and height you’d usually get from more expensive soundbars. This model is also only available in the U.K. and E.U. markets, but if you’re in the U.S., you can pick up last year’s model, the Samsung Q600F, instead. We gave this soundbar 4.5 stars, and it’s our top choice mid-range option to spruce up your home sound system.

To find out more about the new soundbar, you can keep reading this full Samsung Q600H review.

Samsung Q600H review: Specs

Samsung Q600H review: Price & availability

The Samsung Q600H retails at full price for £549 on the Samsung website, but you can find it cheaper on Amazon U.K. for £349 or at Currys for £499. This soundbar is only available in the U.K. and E.U., which is a shame for those of you who are stateside, as this is a really great soundbar for the price.

If you’re in the U.S., the closest soundbar would be the Samsung Q600F. The F is the 2025 iteration of the Q600H and costs just $379 at Amazon U.S. If you’re in the U.K. and are happy to buy a model from the previous year, the Q600F will cost you £221 at Amazon U.K. We gave this soundbar 4.5 stars when we reviewed it last year, and it remains one of our top picks, so I’d recommend it if you’re trying to save money without sacrificing performance.

For a soundbar with more room-filling sound and better width and height distinction, check out the Samsung QS750F for $899/£699. This all-in-one soundbar performs well beyond its price tag and is suited for anyone who wants a more expansive sound or needs separate rear speakers.

And if you don’t want to spend too much money because this is your first venture into the world of soundbars, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 could be a great option. It’s very affordable at $349/£299 and gives you the option to add on a subwoofer, but lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, which I found very beneficial from the Q600H for AirPlay and Google Cast.

Samsung Q600H review: Design

The Samsung Q600H doesn’t exactly stand out from the crowd. It looks like every other soundbar I’ve seen. But that’s a good thing. I appreciated that when I was watching TV, it was barely noticeable when set up underneath. The Titan Black Colour looks great and isn’t distracting.

The unit weighs 29.1 pounds, and I found it easy to lift and set up by myself. It measures 46.5 x 18.4 x 10.7 inches, so it doesn’t take up too much room either. I set the subwoofer up off to the side of my TV stand, and it looked good, without drawing too much attention.

Controls

You can adjust the sound using the on-board buttons at the top of the soundbar, or you can use the included remote control. I get a little overwhelmed when I have multiple remote controls on the go. One for the TV, Blu-ray player and soundbar can all get a bit much. Luckily, the remote of the Q600H is very thin so doesn’t feel cumbersome — it feels more like a genuinely useful addition. I also controlled settings such as sound mode and EQ through the SmartThings app on my phone, which was straightforward, which I’ll get into in more detail later on.

Features

The Q600H soundbar has customisable sound modes, EQ adjustment for bass and treble, night mode, and voice enhancement. Most of this can be controlled via the SmartThings app, which I’ll discuss more below.

Samsung Q600H review: App

This was my first time using the SmartThings app, and I was blown away by how easy it was. In my job, I have used a whole host of smart home apps, but this has to be one of the most straightforward to navigate.

In the app, you can switch between different sound modes. I found Standard mode the best for balanced audio and natural sound when watching sitcoms. Surround mode gave me more expansive sound for action sound effects. AI Adaptive sound was the best for detail, prioritizing ambient sounds over the soundtrack. The soundbar also has Game Pro mode, but unfortunately no dedicated music mode.

You can control EQ settings in the app, as well as the level on the subwoofer. I enjoyed the level of customization I got with the soundbar, but you get more freedom by paying a premium price for something like the Samsung QS90H ($999/£899). The QS90H is an all-in-one system with a 7.1.2 channel configuration — a lot more powerful than the 3.1.2 of the Q600H.

Samsung Q600H review: Sound quality

I tested the Samsung Q600H soundbar with our standard watch of “Top Gun: Maverick”, as well as a few other films I know and love, TV streaming, and music streaming via AirPlay.

Movies

I watched “Top Gun: Maverick”, “La La Land”, and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” on 4K Blu-ray. The opening scene of “Top Gun: Maverick” allowed me to evaluate the width, height, high-frequency sound and bass. I enabled AI Adaptive Sound and increased the bass. I also increased the subwoofer to the max to get the full effect of the rumble of the plane engines. In this scene, the high-frequency sounds such as ropes swishing and clanging chains were very clear — I could hear everything distinctly, but not as crisp as when using the Samsung QS90H. The bass of the jet engines stirring to life was well-balanced without rumbling, and the song “Danger Zone” wasn’t overpowered by the planes.

Using AI Adaptive Sound prioritizes diegetic sounds (things like sound effects, foley, vocals etc), as I was able to hear high-frequency details such as the light ticking of a clock, and the dialogue remains incredibly clear. In the scene where we see the Darkstar hypersonic plane take off for its Mach 10 flight, I didn’t get the impact I was anticipating with the sonic boom. While the radio dialogue in the dogfight scene was clear over the OST, it’s also worth noting that there wasn’t a great deal of width or height, and while this soundbar has SpaceFit Sound Pro, I was unable to test it as I didn’t have a compatible Samsung TV to hand — despite testing in a room with 10 TVs.

In the movie’s beach scene, the track “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic playing over the scene demonstrated impeccable bass performance and great balance between dialogue and overture tracks.

Next, I watched “La La Land”, a film that I think has one of the best original soundtracks of all time (yes, they should have won that Oscar). After watching this, I would wholeheartedly recommend the soundbar for musical lovers, despite the lack of music mode. During “Another Day of Sun”, I could clearly hear the footsteps of the actors and dancers as they jumped across cars and slammed doors. Hearing these sounds so distinctly added a lot of detail to the scenes.

Throughout the movie, the dialogue was clear when the characters spoke at the same time as the OST. When the four roommates were getting ready, I could hear the echo in the bathroom set and, later, the clacking of their heels on the street.

Speaking of click-clacking, I was actually disappointed when listening to the “Lovely Night” dance scene. I could hardly hear Mia and Sebastian’s tap shoes, but other sounds such as the kicking up of dust were clear as day.

Finally, I watched “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. Sound effects from the movements of the Silver Surfer felt very expansive; however, other SFX sounds weren’t very clear. I switched to Surround mode, which heightened the SFX and resulted in a more immersive experience. For example, when Herbie “speaks”. However, conversation from the human characters wasn’t as clear. But in general, I enjoyed watching this movie with the soundbar and think it elevated my viewing experience.

TV

To test TV performance, I watched ‘Invincible’ on Prime Video. I watched using the AI Adaptive Sound setting in the SmartThings app, and increased the bass and treble, with the subwoofer set to the highest setting.

The first episode of the TV show had a whole lot of action sound effects of a battle, with a lot of dialogue included. Indistinct chatter in the background of scenes, such as when Mark is walking through the school halls, was audible without taking over the soundstage, suggesting that the soundbar handled the layers of sound well.

The subwoofer kicked in for sound effects such as punching and more gruesome sounds like blood splatters, which were emphasised well, without taking over from the dialogue or soundtrack. I could also hear effects like the splatter of blood and guts moving across the room in accordance with the on-screen movements (gross!).

Music

To test the music playback performance, I listened to a couple of different songs using AirPlay. There’s no dedicated music listening mode on the soundbar. Firstly, I listened to “High and Low” by Empire of the Sun. This soundbar demonstrated excellent bass performance during synth sounds; however, the treble sounded harsh. I turned down the treble in the SmartThings app, which helped to improve the vocals, but it still wasn’t great.

Next, I listened to “Famous Last Words” by My Chemical Romance. This didn’t sound as forceful as I’m used to, and the layers of the song sounded disjointed. There was nowhere near enough depth to do the song justice. The stripped-back bridge resulted in a better performance because there were fewer components to confuse the soundbar, but when it built up again, it struggled to keep up.

Finally, I listened to an acoustic track, “Cariad” by The Royston Club. The stripped-back vocals sound amazing and actually made me exclaim “Oh! That’s good!” in shock. But then when the drums kicked in, they overpowered the acoustic guitar. Bass performance is seemingly the priority with this soundbar.

Samsung Q600H review: Verdict

The Samsung Q600H is an ideal option for a cheap, entry-level soundbar for anyone who wants to enhance their at-home movie watching on a budget. I’ve found it incredibly easy to use with the included remote control or the SmartThings app, and the smart features make it feel highly customisable to fit your desired sound. I appreciated the great balance between dialogue, SFX, and OST sound, and the sleek, unobtrusive design is the cherry on top.

My only real qualm with the soundbar is the lack of width and height in the soundstage, but for less than £350, it’s something I’m willing to overlook. Unfortunately, this soundbar is only available to purchase in the U.K. or E.U., with no plan for a U.S. release. However, you can purchase last year's model, the Samsung Q600F, in the U.S.

Overall, the Samsung Q600H is a solid option to upgrade your home theatre, and one I’ll be making use of to watch the best new movie releases.

Still, it’s always a delight when the curtain pulls back. By day, Will Salmon is our Collections Editor. He's also a veteran music journalist, a long-time collector and the founder of Modern Aviation, an underground indie tape label releasing physical cassettes to a devoted subculture of music lovers.

Making album art a thing again

When I asked Will what originally sparked his jump from writing about music to launching a physical label, his answer didn't start with sound, it started with environment and visual design.

"For Modern Aviation, it was partly an aesthetic thing. A couple of my friends were putting out tapes and I got excited about the visual possibilities. I was living near an airport at the time and obsessed with the planes flying by every hour — the two things merged in my head."

Originally, Will said that the label was going to be called Aileron, which is a bit rubbish as a title. Then Modern Aviation popped up and away they went.

"My friend Sarah Matthews, who is a really talented artist, has done almost all our covers," Salmon said. "We came up with the idea of giving each tape a plane silhouette on the spine, rather than a catalogue number. I knew it was going to be predominantly electronic and maybe a bit folky, and that's how it all panned out."

That detail, swapping out utilitarian catalog numbers for tiny plane silhouettes, is precisely where physical media wins back ground from streaming.

On Spotify or Apple Music, cover art is reduced to a 50-pixel thumbnail tucked behind a glass screen. You don't hold it, turn it over, or collect its spines on a shelf. By treating the cassette as a canvas first, labels like Modern Aviation turn an album into something displayable.

The anti-Spotify

But beyond the visual appeal, there’s also the question of attention span. In a culture driven by endless algorithmic feeds, making a physical commitment to an album has become rare. I asked Will if he thinks people are turning to tapes to escape the paralysis of infinite choice.

It's also not an either/or situation. Most labels like Modern Aviation do everything through Bandcamp, where you generally get a digital download along with the tape.

"People sometimes find the choice of a streamer like Spotify overwhelming and enjoy the focus that comes with sitting down with a complete album," said Salmon.

"That's a big part of the vinyl resurgence, people choosing to engage with the ritual of picking out an album, putting it on, and listening in full. Tapes are a smaller version of that: they're more utilitarian, cheap to produce, and easy to carry around."

"Many of the people who buy our tapes are doing it because they want a tangible object for their money, something to collect," Salmon said.

Will points out something essential here: tape collecting isn't about rejecting modern tech. The physical tape feeds the collector's soul, while the digital download covers convenience. The cassette isn't competing with streaming, it's offering the tactile joy of vinyl without the expensive barrier to entry.

The craft and the cassette

Running an independent label in a digital ecosystem comes with its own set of production realities. Major record labels have clogged vinyl manufacturing plants worldwide, creating year-long delays for small artists. Cassettes, by contrast, remain quick to produce, intimate, and democratic.

Will explains: "Records generally take months to press and costs thousands... They're [cassettes] cheaper to make and sell than vinyl and there's a much faster turnaround – you can get an album pro-dubbed, with printed covers and cases made in a few weeks... They're a great way to get music, art, and ideas out there quickly."

This low-friction production model is what gives tape culture its community feel. It mirrors the lineage of zines, as noted by Will, and mixtape trading from decades past, a community existing entirely outside the algorithmic recommendation engine.

When you buy a tape on Bandcamp, you're usually buying directly from the person who dubbed the tape, stamped the shell, and packed the envelope. There’s an intimacy to that transaction that streaming platforms just can't duplicate.

It’s easy to dismiss the cassette revival as mere nostalgia, but it actually highlights a fundamental shift in how we value art. When music is infinitely accessible, it easily slips into background noise. Something to drown out the silence while tabbing between spreadsheets.

A cassette, by its very limitation, asks for your presence. You can't shuffle it, you can't skip past a weak track with a quick swipe, and eventually, the tape stops and forces you to flip it over. Sometimes that little bit of extra effort is what brings the music back into focus. Ultimately, it is a rejection of the mainstream algorithmic churn.

"I don't think any of this is a nostalgic fad," Salmon emphasized, "it's more that people are realising that they have more options available and that there's interesting stuff happening just off the beaten path."

What’s the one piece of music gear from your past you wish you’d never thrown away? (A favorite Walkman, a vintage deck, or an old tape rack?) Share your throwback tech in the comments!

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As per Samsung’s naming conventions, the QS90H is a part of 2026’s new soundbar lineup. Last year’s models had an “F” suffix. Unsure why Samsung skipped “G”, but if you see a soundbar with an “H” in the name, it’s new in 2026 (and old thereafter).

So what separates the Samsung QS90H from the rest of the new lineup? The QS90H can do it all. It’s one soundbar with a four-woofer built-in sub, surrounds, and thirteen speakers in the soundbar itself. This is an incredible performance for a one-bar device. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Samsung QS90H review.

Samsung QS90H review: Specs

Samsung QS90H review: Price & availability

The Samsung QS90H is $999 from Best Buy and £899 from Amazon U.K. Although an objectively huge amount of money, you get a soundbar, a subwoofer, and surrounds for that $999 — and you don’t have to make extra space in your living room.

I’ve also tested the fantastic-value Samsung QS750F ($899) and the gorgeous mid-range Samsung Q600F ($599). I’d recommend the Q600F if you’re not concerned with Wi-Fi music playback and the QS750F if you want separate sub and rears. However, these are 2025’s models now. I would be more than happy to use a 2025 models — the sound is still industry-leading as I write this in 2026 — but it’s just something to note if you’re the kind of person who always wants the newest tech.

I’ve also reviewed the fantastic JBL Bar 1300XMK2. I would recommend this wholeheartedly if you want the best home cinema setup without needing to fork out on AVRs, floor standers, and the like.

Samsung QS90H review: Design

The QS90H looks like any other soundbar. It won’t win any design awards, but it won’t steer attention away from your TV, either. It’s a pretty long 49 inches, so anything smaller than a 55” TV will look strange. I tested with the LG G6 OLED 55” and I’d say even that looked a bit weird.

The only frustrating design aspect is the HDMI port. Both the power port and HDMI port are angled, so you need a side-oriented cable. Of course, the soundbar comes with an angled power cable and HDMI, but if you want an aftermarket HDMI, you’ll need to find one that fits under the soundbar.

Controls

There are a few controls on the soundbar itself: volume up/down and power. There’s the classic Samsung remote with all the usual controls: input, Bluetooth, volume, woofer volume, sound mode, channel volume, and settings. I honestly did most of the controlling via the SmartThings virtual remote on my phone.

Features

I’ll go into app features in more detail below, but you’ve got all the expected features: sound modes, a few AI features, EQ adjustment, channel level adjustment, night mode, virtual mode, bass enhancement, and dialogue enhancement.

Samsung QS90H review: App

SmartThings is by far my favorite smart home app. It just makes sense. It’s easy to navigate, straightforward for newcomers, and has zero connectivity hiccups.

As you can see, there’s a huge array of smart features: “SpaceFit Sound Pro”, “Active Voice Amplifier Pro”, “Sound Elevation”, and “Auto Volume”. Last year, “SpaceFit Sound Pro” only worked with an AI-powered Samsung TV, but I was able to turn it on with my LG G6 OLED. However, SpaceFit Sound Pro isn’t a traditional room calibration tool that sends out sound waves and analyzes them with built-in microphones, à la Klipsch or JBL. Honestly, I didn’t notice a huge difference between SpaceFit on and off, which is a shame.

You can also adjust each channel individually.

You can control the woofer volume, “side”, “center”, “wide”, and “front top”. I got the best sound with “side” and “wide” up to the max. I got a touch more height with “front top” set to max, but I still didn’t reach the huge highs I did with the JBL Bar 1300XMK2.

Finally, there’s wireless Dolby Atmos — but this is locked behind recent AI-enabled Samsung TVs. You can also sync up your Roon, Spotify, Tidal, and Alexa.

Samsung QS90HS review: Sound quality

I test every soundbar with “Top Gun: Maverick” on 4K Blu-Ray, TV streaming, and music on Qobuz via AirPlay.

Movies

I watched “Top Gun: Maverick”, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”, and “Fight Club” on 4K Blu-ray.

The opening scene in “Top Gun: Maverick” is ideal for testing width, height, high-frequency sound, and bass simultaneously. I activated “Voice enhancement” and “Bass enhancement” in the SmartThings app, which brought all the high-frequency sounds to the center of the soundstage. Whooshing planes, whirring engines, flicking ropes, and tinkling metal diegetic sounds were focal and loud without pinching or overpowering the bass-heavy “Danger Zone”. I didn’t struggle to hear anything — this was a perfect performance.

Dialogue was clear, even in flight scenes with distortion from the radio. Engines were loud and clear, layered under the dialogue with zero overpowering. There was a touch of over-processing in some of Maverick’s radioed dialogue, but this was seriously negligible. It didn’t impact my viewing experience in the slightest.

There wasn’t as much height as I would like, which is a consistent issue with Samsung soundbars. The QS750F sounded expansive, but not massively high. If you want serious, room-filling height, you might want something like the JBL Bar 1300XMK2.

In the first dogfighting scene, the planes whooshed around the side of the soundscape, while the radioed dialogue and soundtrack were clear in the foreground. When the planes spiralled, I could feel it around me. However, I couldn’t hear the planes that were supposed ot be above me, which means the soundbar struggles with height. I think some more sophisticated room calibration might mitigate this in the future.

Next, I watched “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”. The soundtrack in this movie was super expansive. Each violin motif sounded like it was coming from around me. The twinkling sound effects were particularly powerful.

It’s unlikely your kids would notice this, but the treble crackled when the spaceship took off in the opening scene. I didn’t notice any treble issues during the rest of the movie, though, or elsewhere in testing.

Lastly, I watched “Fight Club”. The sped-up sound effects squelched through the soundbar with fantastic width. Dialogue was clear and audible and the soundtrack sounded textured and controlled. Again — this was a perfect experience. No notes.

TV

To test TV performance, I watched “Heated Rivalry” on NOWTV, a British streaming service. I watched using “AI Adaptive Sound” in the SmartThings app, and upped the width and side channel volume to the max.

The soundbar heightened surround sound: in a locker room celebration scene, I could hear the spraying champagne and excited chatter in the background clearly, even over the exuberant soundtrack. There’s an aquarium scene later in the episode and the underwater-style diegetic sound effects married perfectly with the ethereal ambient OST.

Music

To test music playback, I listened to a number of songs on Qobuz. “Beatback” by Fcukers is an electronic track with a powerful bassline and groovy synth modulations in the verses and a breathy female vocal. The bass sounded particularly excellent, clear, rich, and propulsive, but the percussion sounded a touch underwater. Even so, the vocals were textured and sonorous.

Next, I played a psych-rock track, “Apocalypse Dreams” by Tame Impala. I switched off “Voice enhancement”, which massively improved the sound quality. It’s a shame there’s no dedicated music mode, but I recommend turning off both “Active Voice Amplifier Pro” and “Voice enhancement” to get the best from your music. The bass, again, was powerful and rich, but the treble was a touch pinchy.

Lastly, I played a guitar-led bluesy track: “Pigeon” by Faye Webster. This song has smooth guitars, nostalgic keys, and a soft female vocal. The vocals sounded particularly beautiful; super complex and warm. There’s some really nice stereo imaging after the first chorus that sounds immersive and all-consuming. The softer percussion didn’t pinch — the guitars were smooth throughout. This song sounded the best out of all the tracks I listened to, likely due to the sparser, warmer, smoother soundscape.

Samsung QS90H review: Verdict

The Samsung QS90H is the best all-in-one soundbar I’ve tested, and I’d go so far as to say it’s the best all-in-one on the market right now. I knocked off half a star for the sound height issues, but this isn’t to say the soundbar is lackluster, because that’s completely untrue. This is a powerful, controlled, and adept soundbar with a monumental soundstage.

If you want the “best” home cinema experience possible, you should probably look to spend a little more on something like the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 or the Samsung Q990H. However, if you’re short on space or don’t want to spend more than $1,000, then you will not be disappointed by the QS90H.

I loved testing the Samsung QS90H and would have zero reservations about buying this soundbar for myself. If you want a multi-channel experience without needing rears and a sub, there’s very little else I’d recommend.

My son is two-and-a-half, so while it’s not as much of an essential as it was a year ago, I like to be able to keep an eye, or an ear, on the tiny Houdini, especially when he’s sleeping somewhere new. Luckily, I’d seen this simple hack to turn the best AirPods and your iPhone into a combined baby monitor. It’s one all parents should know about ahead of the summer vacation period.

How to use your AirPods as a baby monitor

Ok, so you won’t be able to see your baby using this hack, but you’ll be able to hear him or her. All you’ll need is your phone and your AirPods (or Beats) headphones. Once you pop your headphones in your ears, you’ll be able to use your AirPods Live Listen feature to leave your phone in the room with them and listen to your tot from somewhere else in the house.

Here’s how to do it:

• Wear one or both of your AirPods or Beats headphones. The list of headphones that work with this feature includes: AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, or Powerbeats Fit. You’ll also need an iPhone with iOS 26 or later installed.
• To turn on Live Listen, go to your iPhone’s Settings, then scroll to Accessibility.
• From here, go to Audio & Visual, Live Listen, then tap Start Live Listen.
• From your lock screen, swipe down to go to the Control Center.
• From here, click on the ear icon, and select Live Listen — this will only work if you have a headphone in.

You’ll then be able to hear your baby should they cry. I found that the Live Listen was surprisingly sensitive, and I was able to hear him waking up and moving around after his nap before he called out for me. A game changer for traveling, or if you’re as forgetful as I am!

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After a few weeks of testing, I’m happy to say these are a wonderful addition to my lounge setup. They’re not perfect, lacking the soundstage and subbiness of a proper surround system or soundbar. Their passive noise cancellation, meanwhile, isn’t the best, and they’re pricey in the U.S.

However, the sound quality is generally excellent, with a bright treble to bring out fine details, a clear mid-range for vocals, tidy bass, plus strong stereo imaging. There’s a wealth of connectivity and customization options, too.

Are these the best headphones for TV? Find out more in my full Sennheiser RS 275 review.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Specs

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Price & availability

Unfortunately, the Sennheiser RS 275 headphones ain’t cheap. In the U.S., they cost $299 from Amazon, while in the U.K. they’re a slightly more palatable £219 from Richer Sounds. That’s about the cost of a cheap soundbar, so if these will be your only audio output aside from a TV speaker (if you live in a dorm or something), I think that’s a reasonable price.

However, if you already have, want, or need a soundbar or speaker system, the RS 275 will be a secondary purchase. And that makes the $299 MSRP a little trickier to justify. I suppose the ‘cost:benefit’ analysis will depend on how much flak you’re getting for watching TV, and how often.

Thankfully, you’re not stuck for cheaper alternatives. The older Sennheiser RS 175 ($349) are regularly on sale for as little as $139. Then there’s the $159 Sennheiser RS 120-W, which are often reduced to the $100 mark.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Design

The RS 275 look like typical Sennheiser cans: jet black, understated but obviously high quality. The plastics feel premium; the headband is (mostly) nice and squishy; while the earcups are thick and padded, yet lightweight and breathable. I tested the RS 275 during a heatwave here in the U.K., with some extremely humid nights, and my ears never got sweaty. The headset is also super lightweight, so it never fatigued my neck.

My only issue, comfort-wise, is that the squishy headband padding doesn’t extend that far down the band itself. The last two inches have no padding. I didn’t have an issue, but I can see it being a problem for different head shapes.

Included is a headphone stand, which doubles as a platform and cable-tidy for the wireless transmitter. It helps keep my TV cabinet tidy, so I’m a big fan.

Controls

The RS 275 offer a few different control options. There are the on-ear controls for power and volume, plus sound mode and source controls on the transmitter. They’re all pretty self-explanatory and easy to get to grips with. Everything can also be controlled via the Sennheiser smartphone app, though, which I’ll cover below.

Connectivity

The RS 275 feature four connection methods to your TV: Bluetooth, optical, USB and HDMI. You’ll want at least USB or HDMI connected, as these power the transmitter. You can hook up via Bluetooth directly to your TV, but I’d advise using the transmitter as it enables higher quality codecs, including aptX, aptX Adaptive, PCM/LC3 and AC3 (Dolby Digital).

The transmitter uses Bluetooth version 5.4 and features Auracast, so you can hook up multiple Auracast-compatible Bluetooth devices and hear the same audio stream. That means you can watch movies with friends and family, yet still not wake the neighbors.

I mostly used the optical and USB connections. There won’t be a huge difference between any of the wired connections, really — by the time the signal reaches your ears via the transmitter using, say, the lossy AC3/Dolby Digital codec, it’s no longer high-res anyway regardless of how it came out of the TV or Blu-ray player. Note that optical is prone to timing issues, especially when scrubbing forward or back through a Blu-ray (the app has a feature to help with this).

The headphones also have two-device multipoint connectivity, so you can hook up to your phone and TV and switch quickly between the two to take a call.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Sound quality

As these are TV headphones, I primarily tested the Sennheiser RS 275 by watching “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Black Hawk Down (Extended Version)” on 4K Blu-ray. I also streamed “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition)” on Amazon Prime TV, and “I Will Find You” on Netflix.

Movies

The RS 275 won’t compete with a surround system or one of the best soundbars, but that’s not to say they don’t sound good. The sound is really clean, with expansive treble and tons of mid-range clarity that brought out details I’d never heard, even in my most familiar movies.

In “Black Hawk Down” I’ve never before heard Mo Alim’s voice so perfectly distorted and crackly as he shouts through a megaphone in the early massacre scene. It was like I was in the room with Atto in the interrogation scene — his cigar pack ripping and match striking, then the metallic door latch clanking as the general entered.

There’s so much clarity that, weirdly, you start hearing things you don’t want to hear — in the Atto scene above, the effects sounded hyperrealistic to a fault, giving away that they’re actually quite obviously foley.

Vocals sound great, too. Even in noisier scenes throughout “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “Black Hawk Down”, I was never struggling to hear what any characters said.

Bass was fairly nice and well-textured in musical elements, although the headphones lack sub-bass response, sapping impact from heavy sound effects like explosions and aircraft in “Top Gun Maverick” and “Black Hawk Down”. Still, these are headphones, so you can’t expect the power delivery down low that you’d get from a subwoofer.

Separation is really strong. In the “Top Gun Maverick” opening scene, I could hear the clanking of machinery amidst the sound of engines and the “Danger Zone” soundtrack. Stereo imaging is solid, too. In “Black Hawk Down”, I could hear voices on each side in the busy Mogadishu marketplace, and in a scene with two choppers, I could distinctly hear the lighter Little Bird blades in my left ear, with the slower Black Hawk thrum in my right.

Admittedly, the RS 275’s soundstage isn’t that wide — expected given these are closed-back headphones. On the other hand, the closed-back sound gave a level of intimacy that I really enjoyed in certain scenes. I felt like I was inside Maverick’s helmet as he spoke to his colleagues over radio: the sound of his voice muted by his own helmet, with his colleague’s walkie-talkied voice piping in over the radio.

TV

In “I Will Find You” on Netflix, vocals were unfailingly clear, even whispered tones, while that bright treble shone again for gentler effects like handcuffs clanking. Here, too, I relished that closed-back intimacy — when the main characters were talking through a prison phone, for example, it sounded like I was in the visitor’s booth with them.

Admittedly, without the sheer loudness of movie effects and scores, I began to have trouble with passive noise cancellation, or a lack thereof. I could hear the radio in my kitchen playing, as well as road noise from outside my house, breaking the immersion.

Audio modes

The RS 275 have three modes: 3D for surround sound; Speech for vocal priority; and Plus, which combines the first two. Honestly, I didn’t find much use for them. Speech and 3D mostly resulted in a tinny, compressed sound. Plus mode, meanwhile, just sounded like listening underwater. I can see Speech being useful in situations where vocal audio is just terribly mastered, but in everything I watched, the RS 275’s default tuning was good enough.

Mileage will probably vary depending on how an individual film or TV’s audio is mastered, but honestly, the default mode sounds good enough to just forget the gimmicks.

Music

Although they’re primarily intended as TV headphones, the RS 275 headset is actually a pair of HDR 275 headphones. That means they double up as music cans, and it’s nice to know you can pick them up for a few tunes between movies.

I tested with my usual playlist on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles, and was pretty impressed. It’s the same story as above: a clean mid-range and airy treble, highlighting vocals and percussion; warm, refined bass; plus decent stereo imaging.

Listen along to my audio testing playlist on Qobuz.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Call quality

The Sennheiser RS 275 can be used like a traditional set of headphones. This means they have a microphone for calls. Unfortunately, it’s not the best, and my voice sounded quiet and tinny. However, I can’t knock too many points off here, as these are primarily intended to be used for movies and TV, which you’d want to pause for a call anyway — so you can just use your phone’s built-in mic.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: App

The RS 275 pair up to the Sennheiser SmartControlPlus smartphone app, which connects over Bluetooth (regardless of how the headset is connected to your TV). The app is pretty slick, and gives you full control over using and updating the RS 275. It’s the only way to fully control the RS 275, so I have no choice but to recommend using it — but thankfully, it’s great.

I found the app particularly useful for switching between connectivity channels to get the best sound for whatever media I was watching, checking which codecs were in use on-the-fly, and tweaking audio delay for sound/video sync issues over optical connection.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Battery life

The RS 275 offer up to 50 hours of playback, according to Sennheiser. And I have no reason to doubt that. After watching two movies and most of a TV season, I still had 70% charge left, which was very impressive.

When you do need to charge them, using the USB-C port on the transmitter will recharge the headphones fully in just 2 hours, which is pretty quick. Realistically, if you stay on top of juicing them, you shouldn’t experience much downtime at all.

Sennheiser RS 275 review: Verdict

As I mentioned above, as a night owl and a movie lover, I am the RS 275’s target audience. As a tech reviewer by profession, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know TV headphones were a thing, and so never knew I needed them. But I’m not sure I can go back now.

The RS 275 aren’t perfect. They’re pricey, they lack the bass and width of a proper sound system, and their passive noise reduction isn’t the best. However, place them in context, and none of that really matters. They’re designed to circumvent loudspeaker systems, so you can’t blame them for lacking the attributes of a subwoofer or Atmos setup. And realistically, they’re intended for use at night when it’s quiet.

But used as intended, the RS 275 are excellent, with clean sound, strong separation, decent stereo imaging, great comfort, plus a wealth of control and connectivity options. These ones are staying on my TV cabinet for good.

The TWO GT pack tweaked AMT drivers and a warmer sound profile than the TWO, pitching them more towards leisurely home listening rather than pure, detail-oriented reference use.

With their striking yet comfortable aesthetic and unerringly premium German build quality, the TWO GT do much to justify their high price. Add on the utterly fantastic sound quality, and the TWO GT ought to be, at the very least, a serious shortlist candidate for any discerning listeners in search of new cans.

Could these be some of the best headphones for audiophiles? I think so. But read my full review to find out more.

HEDDphone TWO GT review: Specs

HEDDphone TWO GT review: Price & availability

The HEDDphone TWO GT cost $2,199 / £1,899 from HEDD. However, if you have your own cables already, you can save a bit of cash by buying the ‘UNPLUGGED’ variant without cables included, which cost £1,472 / $1,699.

While they objectively cost a lot of money, in the context of audiophile headphones, the TWO GT aren’t priced beyond the pale. In the audiophile landscape, $2,199 is just getting started. The Meze Audio Elite, for example, will set you back $4,000, while my other high-end cans, the Audeze LCD5-S, cost $4,500. I’m not saying those aren’t great headphones, but to a large extent there’s a law of diminishing returns at play here. The HEDDphone TWO GT sound utterly fantastic, so I don’t see why you’d really need to go further unless you want something specific that other cans offer.

HEDDphone TWO GT review: Design

What do you get if you cross a set of F1 pitwall headphones with a WWE-worthy stash of anabolic steroids? The TWO GT, obviously. These are absolute chonkers, and frankly, if I had to wear them anywhere outside the house, I’d probably feel a little self-conscious. Luckily, I don’t have to — like most audiophile open-back cans, these are intended for indoor (and, more specifically, home) use only.

They look great though: blacked out and replete with German neo-futurism. And besides, they wear their large size and hefty 1.2lb curb weight extremely well, proving effortlessly lightweight and comfortable atop the ol’ noggin.

That’s thanks to an unashamedly overengineered suspended headband. It’s a piece of padding suspended on a strip of synthetic fabric that weaves in and out of the main carbon-fiber headband. It distributes the weight extremely well, and also offers lots of adjustment. Sure, the end result isn’t any different from other suspended straps — a la Audeze LCD-X or Meze Poet. But it’s cool, different, and complements the general extra-ness of the overall aesthetic.

Included with the TWO GT are two sets of ear pads: one gloriously soft set of lamb’s leather; one vegan velour for the less carnivorous of disposition. I prefer the lamb’s leather pads, but both are incredibly thick and comfy anyway, so if HEDD had just given me the velour pads, I wouldn’t have complained. Also, while it’s nice to see a vegan option included, I find it kinda weird that they ship with both instead of letting you select one or the other at checkout — sure, a vegan won’t have to wear the lamb’s leather pads, but they’ll still have been forced to buy them, which isn’t much better.

Build-wise, these things earn their price. They feel premium. They feel special. They feel German. This is a double-decade set of cans at least, make no mistake. I love the loose-weave braided cables included (with the standard model), too, which feel super premium. Additionally, there’s a fabric hard case included, which features a cable storage compartment. This is much less bulky than the aluminum hard case that came with my Audeze LCD5-S, making the TWO GT easier to travel with.

Connectivity

The HEDDphone TWO GT are passive headphones, which won’t surprise any audiophiles. I’ll cover their amplification requirements below, but their unpowered nature means there are no mod-cons like wireless connectivity, battery life, ANC, etc.

They connect to your amplifier via a wired connection, and HEDD is generous with the included cablewear on the standard variant (the UNPLUGGED variant comes with no cables). There are two cables, one balanced 4.4mm, one unbalanced 6.35mm, with two adapters — a 4.4mm to XLR 4-pin adapter and a 6.35mm to 3.5mm — chucked in too.

Drive

As passive headphones, the TWO GT must be powered. You’ll want to use a DAC/amp to handle both the digital audio conversion and power. With an impedance of 41Ω and a sensitivity of 88dB / 1mW, they’re not too tricky to drive. HEDD suggests a minimum power of 200mW, but recommends around 1,000mW for peak performance. I powered the headphones using my FiiO K15 (up to 30,000mW), which was comfortable at 85% volume on the medium gain setting, and the iFi iDSD GR2 (up to 2,173mW), which I needed to run at about 80% volume without any added gain.

HEDDphone TWO GT review: Sound quality

Like other HEDD gear, the TWO GT use AMT transducers. These drivers employ a series of folded metal diaphragms to push and pull air, rather than the cones or wafer-thin layers of metal filaments used respectively by dynamic and planar magnetic drivers.

Historically, AMT drivers have been great for use as dedicated tweeters or mid-range speakers, but lacked bass response. To solve that, HEDD employs its “Variable Velocity Transformation” (VVT), which actively modulates the profile of the folds for response down as low as 10Hz. In short: bass good.

I tested the TWO GT using Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles. I streamed in lossless hi-res or CD quality via USB-C through the FiiO K15 and iFi DSD GR2 DAC/amps.

Bass

As you can see on the manufacturer’s frequency response curve, the TWO GT’s tuning is deliberately slightly warm, but it’s not aeons from the neutral tune of the HEDDphone TWO or HEDDphone D1. The TWO GT offer rich, enveloping bass, but nothing overwhelming. You could definitely still use these cans for reference or studio work.

As far as easy bass, the TWO GT relayed beautifully the thick, undulating double bass of Odetta’s Hit or Miss, as well as the powerful electronic bass warbling of Burn Water’s Ikigai.

When it comes to the trickier stuff, there’s less oomph in the sub region by default. However, the TWO GT can handle it if you dial in some extra low down power. I mostly used my FiiO K15 DAC/amp, as I like its clean, natural feel without EQ. But in songs where I wanted more sub bass — like the last 20 seconds of SOHN’s Antigravity — I switched to my iFi DSD GR2 and used the ‘XBass’ bass boost mode for a few dB extra at 20-30Hz. The TWO GT still weren’t as subby as my planar- and slam-plate-fitted Audeze LCD5-S, but did a respectable job, gently vibrating my temples (with no distortion whatsoever, I might add).

Mids

As I mentioned, while warm, the TWO GT are still well balanced across the curve, with a prominent, clean mid-range. There was a pleasantly-expressed, natural timbre to acoustic guitars, with a gorgeous woody resonance to 49 Winchester’s riff in Russell County Line. In Melvins’ dual-riffed sludge-fest, Honey Bucket, the lower mid-range packed bags of texture, with plenty of crunch to those distorted guitars, while strong separation let me pick out the individual riffs.

The upper mid-range also packs bags of resolution and natural timbre: vocals in Blusher’s Last Man Standing sounded full and lifelike, and I could pick apart the individual voices and whispered backing vocals throughout harmonies.

Treble

The treble is fairly bright. Personally, I felt myself wanting a tad more sharpness on certain tracks — typically it was busier, older recordings like Honey Bucket and The Who’s Eminence Front where I craved just a little more snap to cymbals and hi-hats. This is mainly down to personal preference and individual ear anatomy, though, and can simply be EQ’d or otherwise tweaked to taste. Using my iFi GR2, I applied a GTO digital filter with the Kenwood K2 HD upsampling mode, which worked a treat, adding that smidge of extra definition I was looking for up top.

Soundstage

As open backs, the TWO GT are plenty spacious. I could track the haunting, industrial percussion in Chris Stapleton’s Death Row fading backwards out of earshot. SOHN’s Antigravity, meanwhile, felt truly wide, the reverby opening percussion effects pinging inwards and outwards on a distinct horizontal plane.

Listen along to my testing playlist below, on Qobuz.

HEDDphone TWO GT review: Verdict

It’s really difficult to fault the HEDDphone TWO GT. Sound, comfort, build quality — it’s all there. The only major points I can really knock off are for the huge size and objectively high price, although with the caveat that, in the crazy arena of audiophile gear, they’re not priced beyond the pale. In terms of performance, you’re getting a hell of a lot here, and personally this is the sweet spot for me, in terms of audiophile sound versus cost.

Sure, if you want deeper bass, from both an extension and power standpoint, then I’d advise looking into warmer-tuned planars from the likes of Audeze or Meze, but that’s a sheer preference thing. And besides, the TWO GT can get respectably bassy if you play about a little with your DAC/amp. Wanna know the only really bad thing about reviewing the TWO GT? I’ll tell ya: It’s that I have to give them back.

With powerful, yet balanced bass, emotive and natural mids and clear treble, the sound quality is worth the $300 price tag. If you only listen to heavy genres like grunge you might be a little disappointed by the slight lack of detail in super muddy tracks, but for most people, I’m sure this isn’t a huge issue. I only noticed it in two of the many songs I listened to during testing. The clarity and control in every other genre more than made up for it.

So, ready to find out more about these premium earbuds? Of course you are.

Premium sound quality with a capital P

To test sound quality, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. Obviously, I listened to much more music than I’m going to discuss here, but I’ll choose three standout tracks from different genres.

First, I played “Violence” by Grimes using “Dynamic” EQ. This electronic track has a stuttering, string-like synth motif with pulsing bass layered under Grimes’ iconic floaty vocals. The bass sounded phenomenal: controlled yet powerful, all-encompassing yet balanced, indomitable yet complementary. Grimes’ vocals were brought to the focus of the track, and I could hear the texture in her voice, and the delicate synths weren’t overpowered. This track sounded utterly divine. I was immediately in awe.

I switched it up to “Celebrity Skin” by Hole. I switched to a custom U-shaped EQ, which highlighted the sub-bass and super high-end. This brought out the cymbals in the right ear and warmed up the crunchy guitars in the lower-mids. This didn’t sound quite as clear as the Grimes track, so I played “Moaning Lisa Smile” by Wolf Alice, another grungey female-led track (but much newer). I couldn’t clearly hear the sliding guitar during the chorus, so I upped the treble, but it still eluded me. I was a little disappointed by this — it’s there, but quiet.

Overall, though, the sound quality is sublime. This is what wireless earbuds should be about — clever, controlled sound that takes itself seriously and has a whale of a time while doing so.

Actually useful companion app

The Technics Audio Connect app boasts a litany of customization and control options. You can do literally everything you could think of. If I were to describe every function, we’d be here all day, and I know you’re all busy people — so let’s just discuss the standouts.

There’s an ear tip fit test that uses mics to analyze which ear tip suits your ears. I was told to use “Small”, but I found “Extra Small” fitted me best.

You can also activate Conversation Mode, which will activate transparency mode with one tap of the earbuds. The app can also decrease environmental calls if the person you’re speaking to is in a noisy environment, which is cool.

Of course, you’ve also got the usual suspects: EQ adjustment, ANC customization, and there’s the user manual, too.

As you can see, the Technics Audio Connect app looks sleek, is easily navigable, and has a ton of helpful features. I’d recommend downloading it and checking it out if you get these earbuds.

But a polarizing fit

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows over here in Technics land. The bubble had to burst eventually, right? And in this case, it’s my concha (figuratively) bursting from the sheer size of the earbuds. Technics claims the AZ100 are smaller and lighter than the AZ80, and I don’t disagree. They are, technically, smaller and lighter than the predecessor.

But they’re not smaller enough. I could only wear these earbuds for around an hour before needing a break. I have super small ears, which I acknowledge and take into account when I review earbuds, but it’s not just me this time. I gave them to my boyfriend, who has normal man-sized ears, and he said they were too big. This is with the XS ear tips, by the way.

I know high-quality drivers need space (like that random guy you met online), but there’s a limit. This was a similar issue with the Denon PerL Pro — the earbuds sound lovely, but I could only wear them for an hour at a time. Conversely, I can wear my AirPods Pro 2 for six hours (until the battery runs out; yes, six hours is pathetic) without my ears aching.

I think you’d be fine if you have large ears, but small-eared folk: heed my warning!

Would I recommend the Technics AZ100?

In short: Yes!

I’m a huge fan of the controlled yet balanced bass, the faithful treble, and the clear mids.

There are only two downsides for me: the overly large concha fit and the slight muddling in heavy genres. If you have medium-to-large-sized ears and you don’t really listen to grunge, these won’t be problems for you at all.

I recommend the AZ100 for anyone who wants premium-feeling earbuds without going for the usual big names of Apple, Bose, and Sony. If you value lovely sound and a premium vibe, then the AZ100 are definitely for you.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple’s premium AirPods Max 2 just crashed by $100 at Amazon
• I gave my kid the JBL Junior 320 headphones: they look cheap but sound surprisingly good
• I tested the Denon Home 600 — and it’s one of the most ambitious smart speakers yet

Unlike more expensive options such as the iClever Auraa ($65) or the more premium Puro Sounds Labs BT2200-Plus ($99), the JBL 320s are nearly featureless. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

With kid-friendly headphones, the important things to consider are comfort, durability, sound quality, and whether they have a volume cap to protect young ears. Beyond that, extra features are nice to have but not necessary.

With that in mind, I spent a couple of weeks testing out the $20 JBL Junior 320 wired headphones. Does a low price mean poor quality or does it live up to the reputation? I found out, plus a few thoughts from a real kid.

Hard plastic shell

If it weren’t for the JBL branding, I was surprised the Junior 320s even came in a box, much less with a cloth carrying bag that ripped almost immediately — I would have thrown it away anyway.

They come in two colors: blue or purple, with a hard plastic making up most of the build. The earbuds come pre-wrinkled, so they look like they’re already well-worn, which isn’t pleasant to look at. Honestly, it feels cheap.

This is a personal pet peeve, but I found the headband noticeable and irritating over long listening sessions. My son wasn’t bothered by it. This is likely because the headphones are designed for a kid's head.

The headphones do come with stickers that kids can use to personalize the plastic bits or cover walls somewhere they shouldn’t.

Long live wires

These headphones are wired with a 3.5mm jack, which is not removable. However, I gave the wire a few hard tugs like a kid might and found it pretty sturdy. I’m sure an enterprising child could rip the wire off, but I think it’s strong enough for most.

The wire features a simple controller that lets you pause or start audio and a microphone for chatting over FaceTime with a tablet or phone if you let your kids use those.

I’m a big fan of wired connections, especially as it means there’s no battery to charge, but I do realize these headphones won’t work for those with devices that no longer offer 3.5mm ports. Still, most kid-friendly tablets and music devices still have that port, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem that these don’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

Surprising sound

Some of my favorite headphones are made by JBL, like the company's flagship Tour One M3, which has a big, bassy sound. I put on the 320 headphones with my expectations on the floor.

And honestly, they managed to step over the bar pretty easily. Yes, they lack the depth of their more expensive sibling, but I was surprised at how clean the mids and trebles sounded while the bass had a bit of punch.

I listen to a lot of podcasts as well, and cheap headphones can make them sound flat. The 320s won’t elevate that experience, but if you’re using these with a tablet on a road trip, your kids won’t complain they can’t hear Bluey.

If you’re dropping down to the Junior 320 headphones from something more robust, you might not enjoy them. However, I found listening on these perfectly fine; it certainly didn’t make the experience unlistenable, which many cheap cans do.

No ANC, but that may not matter

Many kids' headphones now promote ANC as a way to protect kids’ ears because they’re not cranking the volume to hear their shows, games or music over outside noises. This is one area the 320s are lacking, but it also means the price isn’t as high, something I'll never complain about.

I’m personally not sure that ANC is important for kids' headphones, especially when you need to get a child’s attention.

That all said, the important thing is that, as an ear-friendly headphone, the volume is capped at 85dB, meaning over long listening sessions, even at high volume, you or your child’s ears are more protected compared to headphones that can go higher. The JBL Junior 320 headphones have that cap.

What the kids are saying

I asked my son to try out the JBL Junior 320 headphones over a couple of sessions with an iPad mini while he played Zoombinis. He seems to gravitate toward the headphones that let him plug in, so the 320s were perfect with the wired connection.

He also said he liked how light they were and deemed them comfortable enough. He’s not an audiophile yet, but he liked the sound.

He is younger, so heavier headsets might feel uncomfortable. I’ll note that JBL lists the 320s at 4 ounces (116 grams). iClever doesn’t list the weight of the Auraa headphones we tested, but a food scale put them at 232 grams or just over 8 ounces. Not too much heavier, but noticeably more mass than that JBL set.

Verdict

With everything in the world steadily getting more expensive, every penny counts. If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that will protect your little one's ears but also won’t break the bank, the JBL Junior 320 headphones do the job.

These headphones are pretty featureless, and the wired connection can be limiting. Plus, the soundscape won't blow anyone away, but I don't know that most kids will care.

At $20, the JBL Junior 320 headphones are ones you can take a flyer on for your kid. They’re durable, feature that important volume cap, and won’t hurt your wallet too much if they disappear in your kids' room never to be seen again.

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• I tested JBL’s newest flagship soundbar — and it’s proof you don’t need to spend $2k on a full home theater setup
• Apple's iOS 27 beta 3 update finally introduces a brilliantly clever and streamlined control interface for AirPods Adaptive mode, empowering users to instantly fine-tune ambient noise blending intensity with just a simple tap
• The Marshall Acton IV won me over with its charming retro design and incredible sound — and it’s earned a permanent spot on my coffee table

So why only a 3.5-star rating? Why not 5? Two reasons: one, the price. $799 is a lot to spend on a home speaker that doesn’t even have its own built-in smart assistant. Two, the companion app: HEOS works, but it has major issues. While not as speaker-breaking as Sonos’ headline-making app problems last year, HEOS just feels like it was designed to be frustrating. And when you’re spending $800 on a speaker, there’s simply no room for these rookie errors.

But if you want a seriously good home speaker that will have your guests going “Ooh” and “Aah”, then you’ll definitely want to learn more. To find out, keep reading this Denon Home 600 review.

Denon Home 600 review: Specs

Denon Home 600 review: Price & availability

There’s no way around it: the Denon Home 600 is very, very, very expensive. It’s a whopping $799 from Amazon U.S. and £599 from Amazon U.K. This is considerably pricier than any competition — the Bose Lifestyle Ultra ($299, although more comparable to Denon’s $399 Home 200 in size), the Apple HomePod 2 ($299), Google Audio Home Speaker ($119), and even its smaller sibling, the Denon Home 400 ($599). Even Sonos’s Era 300 is $499 — yes, $300 cheaper than the Denon Home 600.

There’s not really anything in the Home 600’s ballpark. It’s bigger, heavier, and more expensive than any other home speaker I’ve come across. This is a speaker. No, this is a Speaker. Capital letters required here.

Denon Home 600 review: Design

Just like the Denon Home 400, the Home 600 is beautiful. It’s huge, at almost 18 inches wide and 9 inches deep. Obviously, I don’t know the layout of your home, but this speaker didn’t fit anywhere in my apartment. The Home 400 looks beautiful on my mantlepiece, but the 600 was too deep to fit here. I had to put it on the coffee table. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend it for small homes.

If you’ve got the space, though, it’ll look gorgeous in your place. The speaker comes in charcoal or stone — obviously, I tested stone. The mesh cover is pleasing to the eye, and the buttons are tactile and accessible. I especially like the brushed metal casing and the tactile plastic on the front speaker; features like this just make it feel more elevated and elegant than Bose, Sonos, and Apple’s equivalents.

Another thing that makes the Home 600 feel elevated? The 5.1 speaker configuration. Yes, the Home 600 has five speakers and a built-in subwoofer, all with individual pre-amps. In real terms, this means the speakers aren’t fighting for power, and the speaker itself has an impressive 170W of audio power.

Connectivity

Apart from the gargantuan size, what sets the Denon Home 600 apart from other smart speakers is the range of connectivity options. Rather than just being a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth speaker — which it can do — it also has hi-res USB-C playback and a 3.5mm input.

As this is a home speaker, I listened via the HEOS app and Spotify Connect.

Smart home features

As with the Denon Home 400, the Home 600 isn’t actually a “smart speaker” in the traditional sense… in that it can’t actually function as a smart speaker. If you have a HomePod, you can add the Denon Home collection to your Apple Home, but the speakers don’t have a native smart assistant. Consequently, you cannot use them as you might expect — no “Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes” or “Hey Google, put a note in my calendar”. The speakers simply do not function like this.

As I don’t have a HomePod, the Denon Home 600 was effectively just a home speaker with AirPlay and Bluetooth (and USB-C playback). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great speaker, but this is a pretty major con if you’re looking specifically for a smart speaker. You’d be better off with the Google Nest, Bose, a Sonos, or Apple HomePod 2.

Denon Home 600 review: Sound quality

As with the Denon Home 400, the 600 sounds great. It has a range of connectivity options, as discussed above, which will impress audiophiles more than, say, the Bose Lifestyle Speaker. Due to its positioning as a smart/wireless speaker, I tested via Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles, built into HEOS.

Before listening, the HEOS app will prompt you to calibrate your sound based on the room. You don’t have to do anything other than tell the app how close the speaker is to a wall.

First, I played Call Me by Blondie. The ravenous guitars were powerful and rich through the Home 600, and the vocals were clear and expansive. Every layer of the track was nicely balanced, and I could even hear the synths skating across the guitars. Blondie sounded great here.

Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day is a little heavier, with louder guitars, more overwhelming bass, and more raucous percussion. The Home 600 did struggle a little separating the vocals here — Billy Joe Armstrong’s own guitar drowned him out, so I had to turn down the bass. This helped poor Billy Joe to be heard over the instrumental, but the vocals were still a little quiet.

I listened to a few more rock songs from a similar era — Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Muse — and it was just the Green Day track that suffered from suppressed vocals.

Last, I played Tambourine by The Dare, an electronic track with wobbly synth notes and processed vocals. This song sounded fantastic, with powerful, punchy bass and trickling synth notes clear in the top end of the track. It was super wide, clean, and overall just a fantastic performance.

The Denon Home 600 sounds fantastic. It has a wide, high soundscape with delicate handling of soft, high-frequency sounds. The low-end is controlled, but can be insistent and powerful with the bass upped to max. Although I wish the treble was a little less sharp in some genres — rock particularly — this didn’t upset me that much.

Oh, and when I grouped the Home 400 and 600? Magic. I just wish the speaker wasn’t held back by HEOS usability issues… which I’ll get into now.

Denon Home 600 review: App

If you’re familiar with Denon/Marantz products, you’ll likely also be familiar with HEOS. I’m in a love/hate relationship with HEOS. On the one hand, its new design is visually appealing.

On the other hand, it can be just ever-so-slightly frustrating. As I now have the Denon Home 400 and Denon Home 600, I can group my speakers to play the same music or ungroup them to play different songs. Well, kind of. You can group the speakers easily, but if you want to switch the master speaker, you can’t. You have to manually play the same playlist from the secondary speaker and manually turn off the master speaker, and then regroup. Yep, annoying.

However, if you want to stream through both speakers via Spotify, you have to do this from Spotify itself rather than HEOS. Confused? Yeah, me too. Here’s a screenshot so you can see what I mean.

HEOS is a quirky app. For example, you need to go into the ‘Rooms’ tab and activate your desired speaker before searching for music; otherwise, it will play using the last active speaker. You can’t click on the name at the bottom and select from your connected speakers. Again — confused? Me, too.

You also can’t use the built-in streaming services as normal in HEOS. For example, you can’t click on an artist name to view the artist page. You can either choose from Qobuz’s playlists or search for your own. If you want to peruse your own playlists, you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the Qobuz widget. On top of this, after a song finishes, HEOS doesn’t play the rest of the playlist. It autoplays from previously played tracks. You have to click ‘Play all’ or ‘Shuffle’. It’s just little things like this that make HEOS a touch non-user-friendly.

So while HEOS is quirky, it just depends on whether you have the will and patience to learn. At $800, though, a companion app shouldn’t be quirky. It should just work. But this unfortunately seems par for the course. Remember the Sonos app drama last year? What is it with audio brands releasing fantastic speakers with unfortunate app issues?

Denon Home 600 review: Verdict

The Denon Home 600 is an incredible speaker. Sorry, Speaker (if you remember the lame joke I made at the start of this review). It sounds gorgeous, with lively bass and subtle detail in the high-end. With two Denon Homes, the grouped room playback is awesome.

However, this speaker has a 3.5-star rating for a reason, and that reason is HEOS-shaped. I want to give this speaker 4 stars, because its sound and design deserve it. But HEOS is a relentless beast intent on making me want to pull my hair out. There are quality-of-life issues that require fixing before I can wholeheartedly recommend the Denon Home 600. The Home 400 was cheaper, so these issues were easier to overlook. But $800? Nah. It’s gotta be perfect if you’re asking for almost a grand.

If you can look past app issues, then you won’t be disappointed by the Home 600. It sounds beautiful, looks beautiful, and comes so close. Just ignore HEOS, play direct from your streaming app, and it could be a 4.5-star product.

I used to simply pay for my subscription and listen to my regular playlists. But since learning about the perks that come with a Premium account, Spotify has become my one-stop shop for most of my downtime.

So, if you want to squeeze the most out of your subscription too, you can keep reading to discover how to get the most bang for your buck with my favorite Spotify Premium perks.

Free audiobooks

As an avid reader, I recently discovered the bliss that is a good audiobook. I usually lean towards thrillers or biographies that can feel more like a podcast when listening, but they've changed the way I complete daily tasks. They can speed up mundane actions like cooking and cleaning by transporting your mind somewhere else entirely.

I would much rather have the physical book (as a kind of trophy), so I wouldn't spend my money on an audiobook. However, with my Premium Spotify subscription, I can get 15 hours of free audiobook listening.

Most audiobooks are longer than this, but you can simply keep listening the following month. I've found that 15 hours is more than enough for me, though.

It's also worth bearing in mind that your unused hours won't roll over to the next month, so you need to use your full 15 to get bang for your buck.

Peloton workouts

If you have a Peloton machine such as the bike or treadmill, an All-Access Membership will cost you $49 per month, but you can get workouts from Peloton included with your Spotify Premium subscription. Since discovering this, I have saved so much money by taking pilates and barre classes from the comfort of my home instead of heading to the gym for supplementary classes.

The subscription gives you access to thousands of ad-free on-demand classes, which include strength training, yoga, barre, pilates and running. While it's not likely to supplement your gym membership, depending on your activity level, it's perfect for when you're too busy to make it to a class.

Audio quality

By paying for a Spotify Premium subscription, you get access to improved audio quality settings. I honestly think it's a shame that you have to pay extra for this, but them's the rules.

In September 2025, Spotify Lossless became included with a Premium subscription, but to activate it, you need to head into your app settings and alter your streaming quality. This is because Spotify automatically caps the streaming quality to save your mobile data.

When listening at home, and if you have an unlimited data plan, you should take full advantage of the sound quality available to you and adjust the audio quality to the highest possible settings.

AI prompted playlists

I've talked about Spotify's generative AI playlists before, and after using them for months, they've quickly become one of my favorite Premium features.

Prompted playlists use generative AI to create personalized playlists based on prompts you give in the app and your listening data. By analyzing my listening habits, the app gives me playlists I love listening to every single time.

If I want to listen to music but I'm not entirely certain what I'm in the mood for, this is my favorite way to shake things up. And I've actually discovered some of my favorite artists and songs this way.

So, do you think you'll try out any of these features to get the most out of your subscription? Let me know in the comments below.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been testing Spotify’s generative AI to make my playlists — and it’s redefining my music taste
• I don’t want to sacrifice audio quality just because I’m working out, and the Beyerdynamic Amiron 200 open earbuds are the answer
• I ditched the AirPods to test the newest affordable open-earbuds for working out — and I can't recommend them highly enough

With a veritable feast of connectivity types — we’re talking Aux, RCA, TRS, XLR, and Bluetooth — and a litany of customization options in the Edifier ConneX app, these monitors will be great for any content creator, music producer, or even casual listener. Heavier music fans might be better with the much cheaper Edifier R1280T or the Edifier S880DB MKII, but acoustic, pop, and electronic fans need look no further.

So, are the Edifier MR5 worth their salt, or can you find better seasoning elsewhere? Short answer: worth it. But to find out the full story, keep reading this Edifier MR5 review.

Edifier MR5 review: Specs

Edifier MR5 review: Price & availability

The Edifier MR5 are $349 from Amazon U.S. and £279 from Amazon U.K. This makes them considerably more expensive than the Edifier R1280T ($149), my personal turntable speakers, and the Edifier M60 ($199). If you’re on a budget, I’d recommend getting one of those speakers instead — they’re cheaper, but still sound awesome. That’s not to say the MR5 aren’t worth it — they are — but every penny helps, right?

I’ve also tested the mid-range Cambridge L/R S ($549) and the premium-on-a-budget Edifier S880DB MKII ($449), both of which are your more punchy, louder speakers rather than the accurate studio-monitor-sound-profile of the MR5.

Edifier MR5 review: Design

The Edifier MR5 look like your standard Edifier speakers. They’re quite large, at 10 inches high, 6 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. I wouldn’t recommend them for small setups or for people who value a pretty speaker.

They don’t look as striking as the Edifier S880DB MKII, so I’d recommend those if you want an eye-catching speaker. Alternatively, I’d recommend the DALI Kupid ($600) (but you need an AVR), or the Kanto UKI ($269).

Controls

The MR5 have just one on-speaker control. You’ve got the volume dial on the front of the speaker and a headphone output. Of course, you can also control the speakers via Edifier’s ConneX app, which I’ll discuss in more detail below.

You’ve got a treble and bass (lovingly named “high” and “low”) on the back of the speaker, but I’d like to see these knobs on the front in future. It’s quite annoying to turn the speakers around just to increase bass.

Connectivity

If you need studio monitors that can do it all, the MR5 might just be it. On top of the standard RCA and aux connectivity ports, the MR5 also have Bluetooth, RCA, and even XLR. This is ideal for studio musicians or home producers who need the highest possible quality. If you’re using broadcast mics, then you’ll need an XLR connection for the best quality. Unfortunately, the MR5 don’t have USB-C listening.

I found connecting to Bluetooth and Aux easy. There’s really nothing else for me to say! These speakers work as advertised.

The array of connectivity types might be a little too much for casual home listeners — in that case, I’d recommend the aforementioned R1280T.

Edifier MR5 review: App

As with other Edifier products like the M60 and the S880DB MKII, the MR5 are compatible with the ConneX app. You have to connect via Bluetooth to be able to control the speakers, but the speakers should remember your settings for analog listening sessions. When I first unboxed the speakers, I had to update the firmware. This took 10 minutes, so bear in mind if you wanted to get listening straight away.

In terms of the app functions, there are actually some unique features. You can customize a 9-band EQ, choose between ‘Music’ or ‘Monitor’ EQs, and calibrate the room with the “Acoustic Space” configuration (decrease decibel level to compensate for wall placement). You can also configure desktop placement and cut-off frequencies from 20Hz to 100Hz. I didn’t notice a huge difference when I activated “Desktop control”, but “Acoustic Space” did make a difference to the bass. I kept it on 0dB.

As you can see, these functions are less gimmicky than those on the S880DB MKII, so I would actually recommend downloading this app and having a play around.

Edifier MR5 review: Sound quality

To test sound quality, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. I listened via Aux and Bluetooth. Of course, Aux provided the most “accurate” sound, but Bluetooth sounded good, too.

I played “Atomic” by Blondie via Bluetooth. The soundscape was incredibly wide. The opening guitars and synths sounded expansive and detailed, and the flitting keyboard notes darted around the guitar melody with verve. Debbie Harry’s voice sounded fantastic; clear, detailed, and sonorous. There was no pinching at the top of the treble or in the cymbals.

After, I played “The Nightlife” by Honey Dijon. This house track is built over a swallowed synth motif, which rolls across the soundscape in what sounds like a full circle. The stereo imaging on these speakers is fantastic. I could feel the synth moving from left to right, up, down, and back again without moving my head. The treble did sound a little too bright so I reduced the “high” knob, which helped.

Lastly, I played “Citizen Erased” by Muse. This episodic rock track has a duplicate guitar + bass riff, so is great for testing heavy instrument separation. The percussion sounded great, with a bright snare drum and twinkling cymbals. The sludgy guitars weren’t as separated as I’d like, but the synth alarm sounds flickered across the soundscape like fireflies. I’d get these speakers if you

Although everything sounded good, and I’d gladly use these speakers as my main speakers at home. I’d recommend these speakers more for electronic, pop, or acoustic fans than for messy guitar music.

Edifier MR5 review: Verdict

Although somewhat ugly, the Edifier MR5 are great midrange speakers with good spaciousness and clarity. On top of having fantastic sound, they also boast a veritable feast of connectivity options — XLR, RCA, TRS, Aux, and Bluetooth. Hello? Did someone say spoiled? We’re eating tonight, guys.

There’s also basic room calibration in the form of “Acoustic Space” and “Desktop Control”. Obviously, if you want true room calibration, you’ll want to check out the Dirac-powered Klipsch The Sevens II ($2,000), but this is great for $300.

Would I buy these speakers? If I had a large desk space, 100%. The sound is rich and clear, and although some heavier tracks weren’t as detailed as I’d like, for electronic, pop, and acoustic, these studio monitors are fantastic. The MR5 are another home run from Edifier. When will it end?

They’re not totally perfect, with a cheap-looking design that doesn’t fold, and only a thin fabric bag supplied for storage, which feels a little stingy at this price. Those issues are minor, though, and matter very little when the HD 550 are actually on your head.

Performance-wise, there’s virtually nothing to complain about, as long as you want a neutral, rather than warm sound profile. So, could these be the best headphones for you? Probably. Read my full Sennheiser HD 550 review to find out.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Specs

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Price & availability

The Sennheiser HD 550 cost $349 at Amazon, although we’ve seen them drop to $199 at Amazon during sales events, so it’s worth holding out for a deal. Even at their full MSRP, though, I think they’re extremely good value for money (as you’ll see later). In the U.K., they’re a veritable bargain, costing just £179 at Richer Sounds.

The HD 550 compete with the likes of the Philips Fidelio X3 ($349 MSRP, but can also be found for under $200), Grado SR325X ($349) and Meze Audio 105 AER ($399). Personally, I prefer the Meze cans, which feel a little more premium and special with Meze’s typically striking aesthetic, and have a warmer (slightly bassier) profile. If you want that neutral tuning, though, which I understand, it’s Sennheiser all the way.

Likewise, if you simply can’t stretch the balance to the $399 105 AER, the HD 550 are a fantastic budget alternative if you can pick them up for that sub-$200 sale price. I've no qualms recommending that course of action.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Design

My only major gripe about the HD 550 isn’t actually that major. I personally think they’re kinda ugly. I find the long oval earcup design rather dated, and, dare I say it, uncannily ‘anatomical’ in appearance — the way they drop down from the headband resembles a particular diagram from biology class.

Meanwhile, the plain finish reminds me of the ultra-cheap Sennheiser cans we used in music class. But, realistically, when they’re on your head, looks don’t matter. I guess I’m just spoiled by having the Meze 105 AER at home.

I’ve also been testing the retro (and U.S.-made) Grado SR325 recently, whose mid-20th-century styling is absolutely stunning in my opinion. The HD 550 comfort and sound quality are both in a different league, though, so my advice is still to go German if you’re torn between the two.

While they're not pretty, the HD 550 are built like all Sennheisers I've tested: extremely well. They're light, but this hasn't come at the sacrifice of sturdiness. There’s no rattling or shaking, as I’ve experienced with some “premium” headphones (looking at you, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2). The plastics might look a little tacky but they're of high quality, and the metal grate on the back of the earcups feels premium, too.

With Sennheiser, whether it’s the $40 CX 80U or $399 Momentum 5, it doesn’t make a difference — everything the brand makes is built to an exacting standard, and I love that.

The HD 550 don’t fold, which isn’t a huge issue as they’re intended for home use — because they’re open backs, you’ll damage the drivers by exposing them to the elements. There’s no proper case for them, though, just a soft pouch, so be careful when storing that nothing else crushes them. At $349, a thin pouch feels more than a little stingy to me. The Meze 105 AER, by contrast, come with a hard-shell case and cable pouch, although the Grado SR325 come with literally nothing but a cable, so I suppose it could be worse.

Comfort

Comfort-wise, I didn’t have high hopes for the HD 550 — that plasticky finish rekindled memories of the Sennheiser HD 400U and their super-thin headband. Thankfully, I was proven wrong, and the HD 550 are really comfortable to wear.

There are no frills — no suspended headband design, as on the 105 AER — just a spongey, padded leatherette headband and some soft synthetic velour earcup pads. Depending on the shape of your head, I can see the two metal brackets either side of the headband padding might dig in, although I didn’t have this issue. The velour ear pads are squishy, comfy and breathable, and I had no issues with them getting hot or sweaty after a few hours use, although admittedly I was in an air-conditioned room. A huge step up over the (frankly unacceptable) raw foam pads on the Grado SR80 ($175) and SR325.

Sennheiser makes a big deal about how light the HD 550 are, and about how much attention has been paid to clamp force — specifically, the reduction thereof. Guilty on both counts but, y’know, in a good way. After several hours I had no neck ache from weight, and no pressure on my temples from clamping.

Connectivity

There’s really very little to the HD 550, connectivity-wise. These headphones are designed for critical wired music listening at home, and for gaming, so there’s no wireless, no onboard controls, and nothing fancy. They plug in via a cable, with a 3.5mm jack and 6.3mm adapter included.

Drive

The HD 550 are easy headphones to drive, with a sensitivity of 106.7dB/V, which equates to 98.5dB/mW given their 150Ω impedance. In layman’s terms, that means with 1mW of power fed in, the HD 550 will output 98.5 decibels of sound, which is nice and loud.

1mW isn’t a lot of power, so you can run these cans from your laptop, or even your smartphone, and get loud enough sound. Ideally, though, you’ll want to use a DAC/Amp, which can deliver more power and better digital audio conversion, for a tighter overall sound than running straight from a phone or laptop.

Initially during testing, the only DAC/Amp I had at hand was the iFi GR2, which was monumentally overpowered. Even at volume level 1 (0 is mute, 100 is full), the sound was painfully loud. I just stepped down in power to the FiiO K11 R2R, which was perfect, and delivered slightly richer bass than running straight from my MacBook Pro.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Sound quality

The HD 550 use a 150Ω dynamic driver, which Sennheiser proudly claims is built by the manufacturer itself in Ireland (as opposed to being built by a third party in China, I guess). According to Sennheiser, these drivers deliver supreme fidelity across the frequency range, precise channel matching and a wide soundstage. And yeah, that’s about right.

The HD 550 boast Sennheiser’s famously neutral sound. Personally, I prefer the warmer tune of the Meze 105 AER. But there’s still a nice amount of bass on the HD 550. They have no problems with the easy stuff down to about 60Hz or so, in electronic songs like Burn Water’s bassy-as-hell Ikigai, for instance. The bass that’s there sounds textured and well-controlled, too, with no distortion, bleeding or muddying on heavy rock tracks like Melvins’ Honey Bucket.

However, there’s not much extension into tricker subby stuff, despite the response range bottoming out at a low 6Hz on paper. The closing 20 seconds of SOHN’s Antigravity is composed primarily of the deepest sub bass known to mankind, which the HD 550 weren’t able to replicate very well. In fairness, the only headphones I’ve used that even come close to relaying what that song is supposed to sound like (i.e. on a large hi-fi speaker system) are the SLAM-plate-fitted Audeze LDC5-S, which vibrate my skull during the song’s close… but cost $4,500. In short, it’s a tough track, and I’m not marking the HD 550 down here — they’re just not designed to be subby.

My favorite thing about the HD 550 is the spotlessly clean mid-range. Guitars in particular sound absolutely great, with so much presence, precision and dynamism audible in the riffs of Honey Bucket and of QOTSA’s Medication. They’re not just suited to guitary business either: the oscillating opening synths of Dadi Freyr’s electropop Hot Damn had bags of punch and texture. It was like being in da club.

Then there’s the treble, which is gloriously detailed. I was picking out the softest of ethereal backing vocals in Ikigai, and even the trailing reverb of Chris Stapleton’s vocals bouncing off the recording studio’s walls in Death Row. It’s not too bright, though, so I never found myself fatigued or suffering ear-ache from cymbals.

The soundstage is likewise fantastic. Imaging is solid for the money, and I could pinpoint the plethora of production elements in The Who’s Eminence Front. And as open backs, there’s plenty of width and openness to the sound, too, with Antigravity’s almost disorientingly spatial intro pinging inwards and outwards in distinct layers from/to my ears. Lovely.

Listen along to my audio testing playlist on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Verdict

If you’re after highly detailed sound on a modest budget, I can’t think of any better headphones to buy. Okay, they don’t look as premium as rivals at the same MSRP, and I feel a bit shortchanged by the pouch, but those are minor issues. Bass isn’t the punchiest, either, so if you’re after a slightly warmer profile I’d recommend the Meze 105 AER instead. But if it’s the neutral profile you like — which many do, it simply comes down to preference — then the HD 550 are it.

I’ll end on an anecdote: after I finished testing, I passed the HD 550 to my colleague, Erin, who took a listen and summed things up just about perfectly, saying “this is how music is supposed to be listened to.”

But if you want an all-in-one, JBL's finally got the answer for you: the JBL Bar 1300XMK2. I tested the original last year and loved it, so I was incredibly relieved when the upgraded version blew me away, too.

The Bar 1300XMK2 has a ton of features that make it one of the best all-in-one soundbars, but the painless calibration, fantastic width and height, and ease of use make it unbeatable. Here's why the JBL Bar 1300X MK2 is now my favorite soundbar for a true movie theater experience.

Home movie theater in 3, 2, 1...

The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has 23 drivers. Yep. 23 drivers. There are 19 drivers in the soundbar itself, one in each rear, and two 8-inch woofers in the sub. This is an incredible amount of speaker power. You're looking at an 11.1.4 channel configuration. In real terms, this means you've got upfiring sound, side-firing sound, and front-firing sound. And in real, real terms, this means you get truly immersive Dolby Atmos, powerful bass, and crystal-clear dialogue.

In my 4.5-star review, I wrote, "Every flying scene [in "Top Gun: Maverick"] was particularly outstanding." When Maverick flies in hypersonic, the bass "rumbled through the subwoofer with immense energy and depth." But it wasn't just the low-end: "Each siren blare and alarm was clear over the pounding bass. Equally, the Bar 1300XMK2 balanced high-frequency diegetic sounds like rustling papers and ticking clocks with similarly diegetic dialogue perfectly."

In short, this is a soundbar to end all soundbars. If I could take one soundbar home forever, it'd be the Bar 1300XMK2.

Power-per-penny math

Alright, let's do some soundbar math. Just a forewarning: this is just for fun. This is not supposed to be the pinnacle of what makes a good soundbar. Obviously, your personal experience and personal watching/listening style means more than power-per-price. My intention here is to shine a light on just how powerful the JBL is.

The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has a max output of 1570 watts. If we take the MSRP of $1,699 and divide it by the 1570W power, this works out to $1.08 per watt.

Another of my favorites, the Samsung QS750F, costs $899 with 345W, which works out to $2.60 per watt.

One of the most high-end soundbars I've tested is the Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which will set you back $3,499 for 630W of power. This works out to $55.53 per watt.

In essence, the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 is a darn powerful soundbar, subwoofer, and rears combo. When I was testing the soundbar, the walls and floorboards were shaking. One of my colleagues came upstairs and asked me what I was doing!

Would you try the JBL Bar 1300XMK2, or would you rather something smaller (and cheaper)? If I had $1,200 to spend on a home theater setup, it would 100% be the 1300XMK2.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple's iOS 27 beta 3 update finally introduces a brilliantly clever and streamlined control interface for AirPods Adaptive mode, empowering users to instantly fine-tune ambient noise blending intensity with just a simple tap
• The Marshall Acton IV won me over with its charming retro design and incredible sound — and it’s earned a permanent spot on my coffee table
• ‘Easy on the eyes and ridiculously stunning sound’ — I tested the Marshall Stanmore IV home speaker and it’s coming for Sonos’ crown

That's what happened this week when I reviewed the beautiful Marshall Stanmore IV. It's a mains-powered speaker and the latest addition to the fourth iteration of Homeline, Marshall's series of indoors home speakers. I awarded it 4.5-stars and the coveted Editor's Choice Award in my review. And you know what else received the same score?

The JBL Xtreme 5. Though I didn't review it — my colleague Erin did — I've listened to it and I agree with everything she said in her review. The Xtreme 5 costs the same as the Stanmore IV: $399 in the U.S. Of course, the Xtreme 5 is a rugged speaker that can be used outdoors, which is quite the opposite of the Stanmore IV. So, if you had to choose one, which is right for you? I know which is right for me, so let's get into it.

Outdoors or at-home listening?

The biggest question to ask yourself when deciding between the JBL Xtreme 5 and the Marshall Stanmore IV is this: "Am I taking it outdoors, or leaving it at home?" If the answer is outdoors, then the Xtreme 5 is the natural choice.

This speaker is extremely rugged, capable of surviving drops and falls. It's IP68-rated, making it waterproof and the most durable speaker on the market right now.

In terms of portability, the Xtreme 5 weighs 6.4lbs and features a carry strap, so you can lug it around on your shoulder. And just because it's designed for the outdoors doesn't mean you can't use it indoors either. Bluetooth 6.0 wireless and lossless USB-C wired playback make it the speaker that can do everything, really.

But I wouldn't be so quick to write off the Stanmore IV either. Sure, you can't really use it away from a plug but if it's pure power and rock 'n' roll sound you're after, this is the speaker to get. The main advantage of a mains-powered speaker is that it delivers consistently high volume, as the mains power drives the internal amplifiers at full capacity, delivering a great dynamic range. Battery-powered Bluetooth speakers, on the other hand, often try to conserve energy so they can't always play at consistently high volumes.

The Xtreme 5 can get loud, but the Stanmore IV can get very loud. I've soundtracked dinners on my balcony with the Stanmore IV. Even when it's been playing indoors, it's been loud enough to hear outside. Dynamic Loudness, which is Marshall-speak for fine-tuned frequencies that sound the same regardless of the volume, plays a key role here too, as you can listen at the highest volume without any noticeable distortion. Marshall's 'Made of Loud' motto makes a lot of sense now.

There is another...

To quote the great philosopher Yoda, "There is another." The Marshall Stanmore IV isn't the only new kid on the block, or addition to the Marshall Homeline IV, if you will. There's also the Marshall Acton IV, which is basically a smaller (and cheaper) version of the Stanmore IV. It looks near-identical and its internal hardware is almost the same too — except that it has a smaller, 4-inch woofer compared to the Stanmore IV's 5-inch woofer.

In a similar vein, the JBL Xtreme 5 isn't the only speaker that dropped in March 2026. I reviewed the JBL Go 5 when it came out and I absolutely loved it. It quickly became my go-to for taking outdoors, as I loved its pocketable form factor.

Just like the Xtreme 5, the Go 5 is also IP68-rated and drop-proof. If the Xtreme 5 is out of your budget, the Go 5 is a fantastic sub-$60 speaker. And this is a nice segue into why we're all here: the speaker I'd choose...

We have a winner

This is a personal take, but I'm not a fan of carrying around big speakers when I go on a picnic with my partner or friends. Thing is, I'm never going to be blasting my tunes outdoors — I don't like disturbing the local wildlife. All I want is a portable speaker that's loud enough to soundtrack a small gathering without disturbing anyone else.

The JBL Go 5 does just that — and truth be told, many other small speakers do, too, like the Tribit StormBox Mini+ (which, since reviewing, I still use today). If push came to shove and you asked me to choose between the JBL Xtreme 5 and the Marshall Stanmore IV, I'm going with the Stanmore IV. I love having a speaker that's plugged in all the time, and playing tunes on it when my partner and I are cooking, or she's making art and I'm playing a video game.

If I had to spend $399 on one speaker, the Stanmore IV would be an easy decision for me. It's got the retro looks, the loud and ridiculously stunning sound, and connectivity in spades, and it feels like the perfect home speaker. The Xtreme 5 is no doubt awesome in its own right, but it's just not for me. My ideal combination is a powerful home speaker and a tiny pocketable speaker — so I'm sticking with the Stanmore IV and the Go 5 for as long as I can.

More from Tom's Guide

• The JBL Go 5 is one of the best budget speakers I’ve tested, and it offers stellar sound for just $54
• ‘Easy on the eyes and ridiculously stunning sound’ — I tested the Marshall Stanmore IV home speaker and it’s coming for Sonos’ crown
• JBL Xtreme 5 review: The most rugged, bassiest, and gnarliest Xtreme yet

I'm Pete, Senior Reviews Editor here at Tom's Guide, and I head up our reviews coverage on site. My team of dedicated reviews writers alone have lab tested and reviewed hundreds of products already this year, with the wider Tom's Guide editorial team having testing dozens more. If you've not had your finger precisely on the pulse of the latest tech this year, well, I don't blame you — it's hard to keep tabs on everything. That's why we exist.

To help, I've gathered the Tom's Guide team's favorite products from 2026 so far. Obviously, I can't fit everything into a single article, so I asked our subject experts across the site to give me their top picks, too. I've also curated the top five highest scorers, which stand above the rest. Every product on here has been tested by us, hands-on, as part of a full, extensive review.

Read on to see the tech Tom's Guide loved in the first half of 2026.

Tom's Guide's Top 5

Every product on this list has scored at least four stars, earning our TG Recommended or Editor's Choice badges. But there are five products on this list that scored our full five stars after testing. These are the best of the best so far this year. To save you some time, here are the links to our reviews.

• DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review ★★★★★
• 007 First Light review ★★★★★
• KitchenAid Artisan Plus review ★★★★★
• Gozney Dome XL Gen 2 review ★★★★★
• Samsung S95H OLED review ★★★★★

Keep reading to see the rest of our top tested picks for 2026.

AI

Rokid Glasses

After 5,000 miles in the Rokids, we were seriously impressed
Score: ★★★★☆

The best smart glasses without a display are cool and all, but their features are usually rather limited to just asking questions about what you see. The Rokid Glasses proved to me that adding a screen turns that superpower into an ambient computing platform — offering features only when you need them and disappearing into the background in some stylish specs.

With that display, you get real-time conversation translation with text subtitles so you’re not having to try to listen to your smart glasses talk over the person in front of you. And the multi-modality unlocked by asking a question and just getting answers you can see makes them much more subtle. Not to say they’re perfect — the camera quality for snapping pictures suffers in low light and some features are very China-specific (like Alipay). But arm these with Google Gemini in setup, and they’re a genuinely helpful companion on your face for a decent price.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Rokid Glasses review

Cameras & drones

GoPro Mission 1 Pro

GoPro's return to form in the action camera game
Score: ★★★★½

After years essentially re-releasing the same Hero cameras with minor tweaks, GoPro has finally pushed itself. The Mission 1 Pro is pricey, but it’s the first GoPro I’ve been excited about in a while. It seriously impressed me with its powerful and versatile video credentials in testing, namely open gate 8K and a wealth of shooting features that make it ideal for its target market: professionals. Thanks to revised processor architecture and a shiny new battery, I managed to extract unparalleled battery life and thermals versus other action cameras in my standardized battery tests. GoPro is back!

Pete Wolinski, Senior Reviews & Cameras Editor
Read Pete’s full GoPro Mission 1 Pro review

DJI Osmo Pocket 4

The best all-around tool for content creation
Score: ★★★★★

I awarded the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 our full five stars in my review, and that’s because I literally couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Aside from the fact that it’s not available in America (yet?) due to tariffs and DJI’s ongoing feud with the U.S. government. The Osmo Pocket 4 improved on its predecessor in every single way that mattered: video, stabilization, storage, thermals, battery life, and more. If you’re after a single tool for professional-looking content creation, I really can’t think of anything better to recommend.

Pete Wolinski, Senior Reviews & Cameras Editor
Read Pete’s full DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review

DJI Avata 360

Although a little late to the 360 party, DJI absolutely smashed it
Score: ★★★★½

The DJI Avata 360 does exactly what you want a drone to do: make flying fun. It stakes its claim as the best 360° drone around (granted, there are only two at the time of writing, but still!) and its twin lenses capture every single angle in 8K at 60fps. 120MP hi-res stills, user-friendly editing software, and exceptional build quality make it the drone to buy today. It also undercuts its main competitor, the Antigravity A1, and with dual ways to fly (FPV and with a standard controller), the Avata 360 is versatile and oh-so-powerful. Every day I still think about it — and as someone who’s tested many, many quadcopters, that’s saying a lot.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full DJI Avata 360 review

Computing & gaming

MacBook Neo

Our favorite budget laptop, literally ever
Score: ★★★★½

Value for money in laptops has become a bit of a running joke this year (thanks, RAMageddon). But of all the companies building notebooks, I didn’t anticipate it would be Apple to deliver the goods and give you an honest-to-god well-priced system. Yes, there’s been a $100 increase recently, but even with that, the premium aluminum build quality, great display, tactile keyboard and zippy performance of that A18 Pro makes for a great system for the day-to-day essentials.

I must admit, to see Apple actually having fun with colors in its MacBooks is a refreshing change from the blacks and silvers of its more expensive lineage. All of this comes together into a laptop that has terrified the budget Windows laptop market, and the best ultra portable we’ve tested this year.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read our full MacBook Neo review

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026)

Dual OLED panels = chef's kiss
Score: ★★★★½

Yes, this is a dual-screen OLED beauty of a premium laptop; Asus has really paid attention to the design and ergonomics of a system like this. But the real superpower is what lies inside that shell. Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (codenamed Panther Lake) has been a truly generational moment for Team Blue in its Windows laptops, and it comes down to huge updates to both the performance and power efficiency.

Those new CPU cores and efficiency architecture they’re built onto gives this a gargantuan battery life that would make a MacBook blush, while the superpowered GPU (alongside XeSS 3) gives this some serious gaming laptop chops too. Usually, you had to be considerate of just what you wanted to do with your Windows laptop and decide on the strengths and compromises around that. With anything that sports an X9 chip like this, though, that’s no longer a compromise you have to make.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) review

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

A true next-gen gaming handheld
Score: ★★★★☆

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ delivers the performance jump I’ve been waiting years for. With Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme chip, games are pulling a 20 to 30+ FPS advantage over AMD Z2 Extreme handhelds. Battery life gets a big boost too. I could hit the same performance as the Z2 Extreme at half the power consumption. Combine that with its major redesign bringing more Xbox-like controls, better haptics, and its large 8-inch 16:10 display, and you’re getting, in my opinion, one of the best handheld gaming consoles of 2026.

Paul Antill, Video Producer
Read our full MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review

007 First Light

Forget GoldenEye: this is the best Bond game ever
Score: ★★★★★

Gamers are being treated to a licensed games renaissance right now. The days of cheap cash-ins launched to coincide with a new blockbuster movie are over. But even in this golden era for video games based on popular media franchises, 007 First Light surpasses expectations.

Forget GoldenEye, First Light is the best James Bond game ever. With its ludicrously cinematic gameplay, compelling narrative that focuses on a younger Bond (played by Patrick Gibson), and deep commitment to authenticity, 007 First Light is easily the best thing to come out of this long-running spy series in 20 years, movies included. There’s a reason it was only the second video game I’ve given the full five stars. Whether you’re a longtime Bond fan or a newcomer, 007 First Light is quite simply unmissable.

Rory Mellon, Senior Entertainment Editor
Read Rory's full 007 First Light review

Epomaker Glyph

Nikita's dream keyboard
Score: ★★★★½

I’ve tested close to 100 keyboards in my time as a reviews writer, and it isn’t often that I get to proclaim, “I’ve found my dream keyboard.” Ever since I tested the Epomaker Glyph, it hasn’t left my desk, and it’s my daily driver when I’m at the office. Typewriter-like aesthetics, a return lever that acts as an Enter or Backspace key, beautiful RGB lighting, a creamy sound profile, and a typing experience that’s nothing short of stunning — all of these characteristics come together to deliver what’s probably the best mechanical keyboard I’ve used for typing. I’m a speed demon when I’m bashing out 109 words per minute of this thing.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full Epomaker Glyph review

(A note from Nikita's editor, Pete: "I can confirm, the Glyph genuinely hasn't left her desk!")

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36

Pro performance for under $1,000
Score: ★★★★½

It’s no secret that MSI knows how to make a great gaming monitor, and its MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is one of the most beautiful displays I’ve ever tested. Blistering 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time for buttery smooth gameplay? Check. Ridiculously accurate colors and wide color coverage? Yep. AI sleep and wake features that are actually useful and not just a gimmick? Oh yeah. And all of this is packed into a sleek design with plenty of ports. Not much to complain about here, really.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review

Viture Beast AR glasses

Beast by name, beast by nature
Score: ★★★★½

I’ve traveled the world testing all of this year’s biggest AR glasses releases, and Viture Beast stands head and shoulders above the pack as the best I’ve used this year (so far). There’s three reasons why: picture quality, comfort and features. Viture’s color science and fidelity really shines in those micro-OLED displays with a massive 58-degree field of view. There’s a little edge fringing on the sides, but given the massive vision field, it’s unlikely you’ll notice it. And this is packed into a nice-feeling pair of glasses with a soft-touch coating that sits gently on your ears with optimal weight balance. Cap it all off with plenty of customization built in, plus the SpaceWalker app for multi-monitor home office setups, and the Beast are…well…pretty beastly for work and play.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Viture Beast review

Fitness

Fitbit Air

The best Whoop alternative, and subscription-free
Score: ★★★★☆

The Fitbit Air is my fitness tracker of the year so far. Discreet and distraction-free (no screen), this is a fitness tracker that's easy to use, lightweight, and oh-so-comfortable. Just $99 and subscription-free for core features, it offers a week of battery life and covers all the holistic metrics you'd expect from a modern device, like heart health, sleep quality, daily movement, and workouts. For most people, this is the best screen-free fitness tracker you can buy, and the new Google Health companion app makes viewing all your health data a dream.

Jane McGuire, Managing Editor, Fitness
Read our full Fitbit Air review

Salomon XT-6

Hike, shop or relax in comfort and style
Score: ★★★★½

The Salomon XT-6 shoes have become a staple in my closet. Whether I’m heading to the store or hitting up a challenging trail on the weekend, I know I’ll be supported. I wore these hiking sneakers on a city break, where I clocked over 93,000 steps and didn’t have a single complaint. Not only that, the multidirectional lugs kept me stable on even the trickiest terrain, as I hiked in mud, over rocks, and through water.

On top of their technical ability, the XT-6s are a fashion statement, worn all over New York by fashion-forward celebs; these shoes have earned a coveted spot in my daily rotation — although you’ll find me cleaning the mud off them after each adventure.

Ashley Thieme, Staff Writer
Read Ashley’s full Salomon XT-6 review

Homes

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Cordless