The Denon Home 600 has all the makings of one of the best smart speakers. Sound is the most important thing, right? You’ll be pleased to know that the Home 600 sounds fantastic. There’s enviable balance across the entire frequency range, rich bass, and energetic mids.

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.

The Edifier MR5 are some of the best budget-friendly studio monitors I’ve ever tested, and certainly some of the best speakers you can buy these days. Although they’re not quite as precise as pricier alternatives — think the Cambridge L/R S ($459) or Dali Kupid ($600), they’re excellent for well under $400.

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?

I've tested $3,000 soundbars. I've tested $67 soundbars. And I've tested pretty much every level in between. At some point, the price-vs-performance ratio must plateau, right? Yes, kind of. Once you're looking at more than around $2,000, I'd forget a soundbar and get either floor-standers, built-ins, or buy each piece individually. You'd probably get a better overall sound.

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

I test a lot of audio gear, including speakers. Not just Bluetooth speakers, of course: smart speakers, home speakers, you name it. Sometimes, when I test a speaker and notice that it costs the same as another speaker, my mind can't help but pit them against one another. I'm a tech reviewer, after all, that's my job! But what happens when one's a Bluetooth speaker and the other is a mains-powered home speaker?

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

We're now into July, which means we've done six full months of testing here at Tom's Guide in 2026. From coffee machines, through to vacuums, gaming handhelds, laptops and phones — not only is it our job to put tech through its paces, it's what our journalists, editors and contributors love to do.

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

A powerful cordless Dyson that's perfect for pet owners
Score: ★★★★☆

I’ve tested my fair share of Dyson vacuum cleaners in my time, but I must say that the V16 combines all of my favorite features in one cleaner. First, its upgraded ‘Fluffy Cones’ head is designed to be used on both carpets and hard flooring without the need to swap over attachments. This is a great time-saver, and lets me quickly zip around my home without pausing. Perhaps my favorite feature is the dust-detecting green light which reveals those hidden dustballs lurking underneath furniture and in corners. Plus, it’s lightweight and easy to store, which is why it’s now my go-to for daily maintenance, and why I awarded our Editor’s Choice badge.

Cynthia Lawrence, Homes Editor
Read Cynthia’s full Dyson V16 Piston Animal Cordless review

KitchenAid Artisan Plus

The latest version of KitchenAid's legendary mixer, and the best one yet
Score: ★★★★★

I got to test KitchenAid’s newest stand mixer, the Artisan Plus, and it’s even better than I imagined. I’d been happily using KitchenAid’s Artisan stand mixer as my go-to appliance for a good few years, and I really didn’t see how it could be improved, but it has. It may only seem like a few tweaks, but they have made a big difference. From the sliding speed control that just glides, to the in-bowl light, which illuminates the mix — and let's not forget the double-edge flex beater that cleans the bowl as it sweeps past— I loved it so much during testing that I gave it a 5-star rating.

Camilla Sharman, Staff Writer
Read Camilla’s full KitchenAid Artisan Plus review

Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2)

The undisputed king of pizza ovens
Score: ★★★★★

If you’re a dedicated — and I mean dedicated — at-home pizza maker, the Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) is the closest you’ll come to actually building a pizza oven from scratch. It can run on either gas, wood, or charcoal, has dual temperature probes, and is big enough to fit a 16-inch pie with room to spare. I loved its easy-to-ready displays, and the design of the oven is just gorgeous, too. Yes, it’s huge and it’s expensive (I’ve made equally good pizzas in much cheaper ovens), but this is the oven that’ll signal you’re the real pizzaiolo in your neighborhood.

Mike Prospero, U.S. Editor-in-chief
Read Mike’s full Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) review

Fellow Espresso Series 1

Beginners or pros, coffee snobs or otherwise — this one is for everyone
Score: ★★★★½

When Fellow designed the Espresso Series 1, it looked at the other espresso machines out there and thought, “I’m going to do something different.” And different the Espresso Series 1 is. When I tested this machine, I loved that it provided coffee-snob-approved features while still being usable for complete beginners. On top of having a litany of customization options on the machine itself, I loved having the app, which walked me through how to make every type of coffee ever invented. You may think this is too ambitious, but for me, the Espresso Series 1 hits all its marks and comes out victorious.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full Fellow Espresso Series 1 review

Phones

Apple iPhone 17

A surprisingly solid update over the previous generation
Score: ★★★★½

Apple launched more new phones than in any previous year, but the iPhone 17 remains my favorite for several reasons. One thing that makes it stand out is that it finally got a long-overdue upgrade to a 120Hz refresh rate, making its screen look even more fluid than before in testing. On top of that, I really love how it didn’t get a price hike and still managed to get double the starting storage.

John Velasco, Senior Phones Editor
Read John's full iPhone 17 review

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The phone that'll get better over time
Score: ★★★★½

When it comes to Android phones, nothing caught my eye more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung’s flagship received all the iterative updates it deserved, but one particular new feature stood out most: the Privacy Display. It works like magic, making the screen look dark when someone tries to peek at it from the side. You can even customize it to block out specific parts of the display — like when you’re messaging someone. This exclusive feature is what sets it apart from everything else.

John Velasco, Senior Phones Editor
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

Sleep

Saatva Zenhaven Mattress

What you should be sleeping on in 2026
Score: ★★★★½

The Saatva Zenhaven latex mattress blew our socks off during testing, thanks to its naturally cooling and supportive sleep feel for eco-conscious shoppers. Handcrafted in the US from (mostly) organic materials, the Zenhaven boasts a flippable design with a different tension on each side: Luxury Plush and Gentle Firm. We appreciated how one side boasted more cushioning for side sleepers, while the unyielding feel of the firmer side best-suited back and stomach sleepers. At $3,549 at full MSRP it’s a splurge, but cheaper during Saatva mattress sales. However, it’s worth noting that latex mattresses can last up to 20 years, so we think it’s worth the investment.

Nicola Appleton, Sleep Editor
Read our full Saatva Zenhaven Mattress review

Fitnexa SomniPods 3

If you struggle sleeping, these earbuds are for you
Score: ★★★★☆

The Fitnexa SomniPods 3 are compact sleep earbuds that helped me sleep better in even the most disruptive environments (like my neighbor's son playing basketball at unsociable hours). Fitted with built-in white noise, excellent active noise cancelation, plus sleep tracking features, they’re an easy recommendation for any troubled sleepers. But the real stand-out feature for me is the Fitnexa app. Here, your own AI coach waits for you, ready to provide personalized advice based on your sleep tracking data, activity logs and food diaries. The info isn’t quite on par with a qualified sleep professional but thanks to the wealth of data to draw from, it was pretty spot on in testing, helping take the SomniPods from sleep earbud to all-round sleep enhancer.

Ruth Jones, Senior Sleep Writer
Read Ruth's full Fitnexa SomniPods 3 review

Smart home & security

Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+

A fantastic way to improve security on a budget
Score: ★★★★☆

Blink has long been one of our favorite budget smart home brands, and its newest battery-powered video doorbell furthers its reputation as a value leader. The Battery Doorbell 2K+ delivered very good 2K video in our testing — not the tops, but for a sub-$100 device it was more than acceptable. And, while it runs on AA batteries, they’ll last up to two years on a charge. You can also use this video doorbell without a subscription (you’ll need to purchase a separate adapter), but Blink’s subscription price is relatively affordable.

Mike Prospero, U.S. Editor-in-chief
Read our full Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ review

TV & Audio

Samsung S95H OLED

Supreme picture quality, even in bright rooms
Score: ★★★★★

I’ve tested countless TVs, but the Samsung S95H is the first unit in several years that truly surpassed all my expectations. It completely shatters the familiar rules of OLED, obliterating ambient glare and delivering an unprecedented, jaw-dropping brightness in the self-emissive category. Even the floating metal bezel (a design choice I fully assumed I'd hate) adds a striking, premium presence I grew to love. Between its breathtaking performance and how seamlessly it transitions into a decor piece via Samsung Art Store support, this is a flagship that stands as a definitive standard-bearer.

Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor
Read Kate's full Samsung S95H OLED review

AirPods Max 2

Everything is dialed up to 11
Score: ★★★★½

It’s impossible to be a tech lover and not have strong opinions about Apple’s new AirPods Max 2. Some people love them, some people hate them, but I’m firmly in the first camp. The AirPods Max 2 are headphones that know what they’re about, and they’re not apologizing for it. With gorgeous anodized aluminum ear cups and an all-metal headband, they’re not the lightest cans in the world, but the sound more than makes up for it.

Every detail is clear, mids are melodic and vivacious, and the bass is balanced, rich, and warm. Of course, you’ve also got industry-leading smart tech features like Live Translation and integrated Siri, but Apple users looking for the best headphones need look no further than Apple’s own.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full Apple AirPods Max 2 review

Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO

Open earbuds that make no sacrifices
Score: ★★★★½

The Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO have completely changed the way I think about open-earbuds (and I’ve tested a lot). Up until testing the ZEROs, I’d accepted that if I wanted ambient awareness, comfort and stability while working out, I’d need to sacrifice sound quality — but they prove that’s not the case. They provided me with the detailed listening experience I love from Beyerdynamic’s other headphones, without compromising bass performance, delivering perfectly balanced sound. I wear them when I’m working, running, or hiking in the rain (thanks to IP54 durability). They’re the only open earbuds I’ve tested with no compromises.

Ashley Thieme, Staff Writer
Read Ashley’s full Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO review

JBL Xtreme 5

The party speaker for summer 2026
Score: ★★★★½

The JBL Xtreme 5 came, it saw, and it conquered. JBL really understood the assignment with the surprise follow-up to 2024’s Xtreme 4. Everything about the Xtreme 5 oozes confidence: the deft, controlled bass that’ll have your floorboards shaking and your bones quaking; the literally unbeatable IP68 rating that protects it against rain, sand, and drops; the gorpcore, utilitarian design; and of course the rugged 24-hour battery life. This is the party speaker of 2026. I’ve tested hundreds of audio products and Bluetooth speakers, but the Xtreme 5 is a special one.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full JBL Xtreme 5 review

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The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has a lot to live up to. Its predecessor completely blew me away with its movie-theater-accurate sound and unbeatable ease of use. So is the MK2 enough to be one of the best soundbars?

If you couldn’t tell from the 4.5-star rating, yes. Yes it is. This is the easiest (and, arguably, the most affordable) way to achieve cinematic Dolby Atmos at home. Dialogue is crystal-clear, even in bombastic action scenes, and high-frequency detail sounds aren’t swallowed by bass. The sound is just unbeatable at this price.

At $1,699, this isn’t a cheap product by any means. But if you know anything about home theater, you’ll know that this actually isn’t too expensive for an 11.1.4 channel configuration — with 25 individual drivers. Want to find out more? Keep reading this JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: Specs

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: Price & availability

The JBL Bar 13000XMK2 is $1,699 from Amazon U.S. In the U.K., you’re looking at an MSRP of £1,299, but it’s currently “Coming Soon” on JBL’s site. Strangely, though, you can grab it from Amazon U.K. for around £1,160.

Although this four-digit MSRP looks expensive, I promise you, it’s worth every penny and is actually cheaper than similarly spec’d soundbars. The power in this speaker is almost unparalleled. Of all the soundbars I’ve tested, only the $900 Samsung QS750F has a better performance-per-penny ratio.

I’ve also tested the KEF XIO and the Yamaha True X Surround 90A ($3,499), both incredible soundbars in their own right, but both will set you back considerably more than the JBL — without a sub and rears, too.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: Design

In a word, the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 is powerful. This soundbar was rattling my floorboards, vibrating my skeleton, shaking my walls. With a whopping 2470W of power, this is a killer sound system. Thankfully, the soundbar also knows where to put that power.

There are a whopping 23 drivers in this 11.1.4 channel setup. The subwoofer itself has two 8-inch drivers, on top of the 19 drivers in the soundbar itself. In real terms, this means the 1300XMK2 is a behemoth, with sound worthy of a movie theater.

In terms of looks, the 1300XMK2 is your average soundbar. It’s not particularly gorgeous or particularly revolting. The bar itself is 40 inches long, so I’d recommend using it only if you have a 65” TV and up, otherwise it might look strange.

The subwoofer is huge and a frankly massive 26 pounds, so, again, only get this if you have space.

Controls

You can control the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 via either the remote or your phone. The remote is long and lightweight, with pleasantly tactile buttons. It’s much bigger than Bose’s soundbar remote, but feels more plasticky than Samsung’s.

Unlike the KEF XIO, you can control the soundbar settings while watching TV. You can adjust subwoofer volume and surround volume directly from your phone. I found this responded instantly with zero stuttering.

The on-bar buttons are minimal: just volume up and down. I don’t miss the buttons on the bar — I only really ever use my phone and remote anyway.

Features

I’ll discuss the app features in detail just below, but the Bar 1300XMK2 has a huge range of features. There’s automatic room calibration, broadcast mode, EQ adjustment, night mode, PureVoice mode, and smart mode.

One feature is missing, though: 4K / 120Hz pass-through for gaming. The Bar 1300XMK2's pass-through HDMI port is limited to 60Hz, so if you wanted to run your console through the soundbar (if you’re short on HDMI ports), unfortunately, you won’t be able to play at a 120fps frame rate in 4K. Not great news for FPS or other fast-paced games.

In fairness, this feature isn't ubiquitous with soundbars, and it'll only be an issue if you have no HDMI 2.1 port free on your TV. But this was a complaint we had about the previous model, so it's disappointing to see no improvement here on the new one.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: App

I’ll go through all the main features one by one: room calibration is exactly as it sounds. The soundbar sends out sonic pulses to the rears, which helps position the sound waves for 360° audio. This was the first thing I did when I unboxed the soundbar and it made my movies sound super immersive.

As you can see, the JBL One app is well-designed and visually appealing, and I experienced no connectivity issues.

Next: broadcast mode. This enables you to keep the surround speakers connected to the soundbar even when you’re in different rooms. So, in theory, you could listen to a movie playing in the living room while you’re in the bathtub. Not sure why you’d want to, but you can.

You can also connect your phone to the surrounds and use them as individual speakers, and they have Auracast. In theory, you can link them up to JBL speakers like the Xtreme 5.

Of course, night mode and EQ adjustments are exactly what you might think — night mode reduces bass for fewer subwoofer-related sleep interruptions, and EQ allows you to completely customize the soundbar’s output.

Smart mode is interesting — it’s effectively a “standard” “Music” and “Movie” mode you can toggle to come on automatically or manually. Smart mode adjusts the sound mode based on the input. For example, if it detects a DVD player, it will activate movie mode, and if you play via a music streaming service, it will activate music.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: Sound quality

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

Movies

As always, I watched “Top Gun: Maverick”. The opening scene was bassy and powerful; the male vocals in “Danger Zone” led the soundscape, with the delicate metallic clinking and whooshing ropes present in the high-end.

Every flying scene was particularly outstanding. The first scene, with Maverick flying in hypersonic, rumbled through the subwoofer with immense energy and depth. 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.

Dolby Atmos performance was also phenomenal. In the first dogfighting scene, the planes raced overhead as if I were truly outside. The soundtrack was bombastic without overpowering the screeching jet engine sounds, and the radio dialogue was surprisingly clear. I wanted a touch more width in the rears, even when I increased the surrounds’ volume to max — but this is me being pedantic. The overall performance was astounding.

Next, I watched “The Wild Robot”, which has exemplary Dolby Atmos performance. During the swimming scenes, I could hear the main character goose splashing in the water as if the water was all around me.

After, I watched “No Time To Die”. The opening scene with the wind whistling over the snowy lake was fantastic; the crunching snow underfoot was delicately balanced over the tense, string-heavy OST. The shattering lake sounded piercing and, of course, the famous car chase scene sounded powerful and dramatic. I actually physically jumped when the grenade exploded. The subwoofer was putting in overtime; every bullet, engine rev, and collision made the entire room shake.

TV

To test the JBL Bar 1300XMK2, I watched several TV shows on Netflix, NOWTV (a U.K. streaming platform), and Disney+. NOWTV has full Dolby Atmos, so really brought the best out of the Bar 1300XMK2.

When I watched “Heated Rivalry”, the skating sound effects were clear over the synth-heavy electronic soundtrack. Softer diegetic sounds like clothes ruffling and clinking of cutlery in restaurant scenes were audible and separated from dialogue and soundtrack. This is one of the best surround-sound soundbars I’ve ever tested. dialogue felt like it was coming from around me, and scene texture effects were balanced and natural. No notes — this was a perfect experience.

I also watched “Euphoria”. The dialogue, soundtrack, and bullet sound effects were all clear. I never needed to rewind for missed dialogue even in loud scenes, nightclub scenes, or action scenes.

Music

This is kind of cheating, because it’s the theme song of “No Time To Die” (one of the movies I used to test the 1300XMK2), but it sounded utterly marvelous through this soundbar. Billie Eilish’s voice was melodic, textured, and I could hear her every breath, every layer of her vocal cords. The bass and percussion in the second verse were balanced and emotive.

On Qobuz, I played “Hexagons” by Muse, a track built over arpeggiated guitar notes and rolling synths. The vocals were clear and emotive, just like the previous track, and the percussion was clear. The bass wasn’t as well-rounded as you’d expect from some of the best speakers, but, of course, this is a soundbar.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review: Verdict

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about the JBL Bar 1300XMK2. Sure, the 4K pass-through is limited to 60Hz, but if you’re not a gamer, this might not be an issue. For me, and most other movie lovers, you’ll be oh so pleased with the Bar 13000XMK2.

I loved the previous version, and one of its two flaws has been fixed: audio doesn’t stutter after long pauses. While the second “flaw”, its lack of 4K pass-through at 120Hz, remains, I’m not overly concerned with this for movie lovers. Gamers might need to check out something like the Samsung Q990H ($1,1997).

If you value movie-theater-accurate sound, a wide soundstage, immersive Dolby Atmos, and great smart features (AirPlay, calibration), then the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 is the one for you. This is one of the easiest ways to get a full home theater experience at home.

Marshall’s done it once again. The Marshall Acton IV is the latest addition to the fourth iteration of Homeline, the brand’s lineup of home speakers. Now featuring RCA ports for connecting turntables as well as Auracast for pairing it with other Homeline speakers, the Acton IV is one of the best smart speakers around. Energetic but controlled bass combined with refined mids and clean treble results in a truly enjoyable listening experience.

The Acton IV sports Marshall’s retro and classy aesthetics and is a sight to behold. Amp-like controls, a user-friendly companion app, and room-filling sound make it a winner. But there’s still no voice assistant support and no Wi-Fi streaming — both of which are offered by the likes of Sonos and Denon.

Should you still buy it? Read my full Marshall Acton IV review to find out.

Marshall Acton IV review: Specs

Marshall Acton IV review: Price & availability

Launched in July 2026, the Marshall Acton IV succeeds the four-year-old Acton III. It joins the Marshall Stanmore IV ($399) to form the fourth iteration of the British brand’s Homeline series — its lineup of mains-powered home speakers. The Acton IV has a retail price of $299 / £259, the same as the Acton III at launch.

The Acton IV’s sub-$300 price puts it firmly in the mid-range category — and it’s a great Sonos alternative. It’s a lot cheaper than both the Sonos Era 300 ($449) and the Denon Home 350 ($749) but you also sacrifice voice assistant and Wi-Fi support by saving on the Acton IV. The Acton IV is a little pricier compared to the Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII ($219) and the Klipsch The One Plus ($274) but in my opinion, Marshall’s offering is worth the extra dough for its looks alone.

Marshall Acton IV review: Design

It’s hard to argue against the Marshall Acton IV’s styling. Similar to other Marshall speakers, the Acton IV sports a retro, stylish design that’s sure to draw eyeballs to it — in the best way possible. The speaker is available in Black or Cream primary colors, each with brass and gray accents.The gray mesh grille that covers the front, along with the brass Marshall logo, adds a vintage feel to the Acton IV.

Similar to many of Marshall’s other speakers, the Acton IV doesn’t sport any garish RGB lighting so it looks classy. The only lighting you get is the red LED indicators located on the top plate, which indicate the different active settings.

The Acton IV is designed to stay put in one place. It’s a mains-powered home speaker, after all. It measures roughly 10 x 5.9 x 5.6 inches and weighs 5.84lbs, so it isn’t exactly portable. It isn’t too heavy, though, as I’ve carried it to and from the office in my backpack. Compared to the Sonos Era 300 which sports a more rounded shape, the Acton IV is a rectangle, and it’s nearly the same size as the Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII, but smaller than the Klipsch The One Plus. It didn’t take up much space on my bookshelf or my coffee table.

Weatherproofing

The Acton IV is a home speaker designed for indoors, and as such, it doesn’t have an official IP waterproof rating. Also, because it needs to be plugged into mains, I wouldn’t recommend using it in the shower or even in your garden when it’s raining. If you want a weatherproof speaker, you may want to consider one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, like the IP68-rated JBL Xtreme 5 ($399) or the Tribit StormBox Mini+ ($39) if you’re on a tight budget. If you want a rugged speaker in Marshall’s style, the Marshall Middleton II ($329) is IP67-rated while the Marshall Kilburn III ($379) is IP54-rated.

Controls

Keeping in line with Marshall’s design philosophy, the Acton IV features amp-like physical controls located on the top plate. They’re all fairly straightforward to understand. You get a Source button to swap between AUX, RCA and Bluetooth inputs; three dials to adjust the volume, bass and treble; and a joystick to go to the next or previous song as well as play/pause playback.

I appreciate having onboard bass and treble controls, both of which can be adjusted on a scale of one to 10. These negate the need for the companion app (more on that shortly), as you don’t need to fire it up every time you want to adjust the equalizer. All the buttons and knobs give great tactile feedback when pressed or turned.

There’s a customizable M button, too, which is also found on the Marshall Bromley 750 party speaker ($1,299) and the Marshall Milton ANC headphones ($229). Via the app, you can customize it to change the EQ or activate Spotify Tap to instantly start playing music without toggling it on your phone.

Connectivity

I’ll start this off by saying that no, the Acton IV does not feature Wi-Fi connectivity or voice assistant support, like the Sonos Era 300 and the Denon Home 350 do. This isn’t rare in this price range, as the Klipsch The One Plus doesn’t feature Wi-Fi streaming either. You may want to consider either the Denon or the Sonos if you want superior wireless streaming with lossless hi-res playback.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what the Acton IV does have. The Acton IV utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 to connect to your smartphone, laptop or other Bluetooth-enabled device. There’s support for SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs, which gives it a leg-up over the Klipsch The One Plus and the Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII, both of which feature SBC and AAC support only. Compared to AAC and SBC, LC3 offers better efficiency and stability, while LDAC operates at a higher maximum bitrate, thereby minimizing detail loss. In lieu of Wi-Fi streaming, you can use LDAC for hi-res streaming instead.

Connecting via Bluetooth is extremely easy as, when you power on the Acton IV for the first time, it immediately puts itself into pairing mode. For connecting new devices, all you need to do is hold down the Source button.

Wired connectivity is in spades, too. Located next to the controls is a 3.5mm AUX port, and on the Acton IV’s underside, you’ll find RCA ports (which you won’t on the Acton III) for plugging in the best turntables, CD players, or even a TV. Thanks to the Source button, you can keep all your devices connected and swap between inputs as and when needed.

The Acton IV is Auracast-enabled, like its predecessor. But a new feature is that you can now connect the Acton IV to other Homeline speakers, like the Stanmore IV. I tested this as I had both speakers at hand, and it worked like a charm. I placed the Acton IV in my living room and the Stanmore IV in my bedroom, and I was able to play the same tunes through both. Setting this up took just under five minutes, too.

If you want to connect old Homeline speakers with it, like the Acton III and the Stanmore III, you’ll need to purchase the Marshall Heddon physical hub ($299) which uses Wi-Fi to transmit to other Marshall speakers via Auracast. If you buy two or more Homeline speakers together, Marshall happily throws in the Heddon for free.

Marshall Acton IV review: Sound quality

Though it be but little, it is fierce… or whatever it was that William Shakespeare said. The Marshall Acton IV is fitted with two 25W Class D amplifiers which power its dual 0.75-inch tweeters, as well as one 60W Class D amplifier to power its 4-inch woofer. The speaker covers a frequency response range of 37Hz to 38KHz. Marshall says that it has improved the tweeters and waveguides to create “a better, wider soundstage” — and that it does.

To test the Acton IV, I listened to my usual array of testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio. I kicked things off with Lana Del Rey’s ‘Taco Truck x VB’ with the bass and treble set to five each. The song’s first half landed with a warm, almost analog character that suits the Acton IV’s tuning. Lana’s vocals sat front and centre without sounding too clinical, and every breath felt textured and layered. When the song pivoted into the second section, the beat dropped with rounded, confident low-end impact, and the kick drum had plenty of oomph to it. The track’s dynamism was replicated beautifully and it sounded highly immersive.

To test the balance between treble and bass, I listened to ‘Elephant’ by 070 Shake. The treble remained smooth throughout, as the shimmering synth and ambient effects lit up the soundstage without becoming fatiguing. The bass sounded powerful but controlled, and even though the track doesn’t feature overwhelming sub-bass, the Acton IV gave each note satisfying weight. The song felt alive, and having listened to the entirety of Shake’s album ‘Petrichor’ on it, it felt like the speaker was built for her sound.

The Acton IV looks and feels like a rock and roll speaker, so I had to give ‘Fear of a Blank Planet’ by Porcupine Tree a couple of spins. The opening electric guitars entered with real substance, with the distorted riffs carrying a distinctive crunch. As the drums kicked in, the Acton IV made the dense recording with layered guitars, intricate drumming, and understated vocals sound extremely energetic.

Marshall has also made tweaks to what it calls Dynamic Loudness. It says that subtle adjustments have been made to the high and low frequencies and by doing so, music sounds free of distortion and remains consistent at all volume levels. Having tested the speaker by listening at the lowest and highest volume, I can confirm that this is almost true.

The aforementioned songs sounded just as detailed even at low volumes. I found volume between two and four ideal for listening to lo-fi tracks when concentrating on writing this review. But at the highest volume, the tracks sounded a little distorted and muddy, and not particularly enjoyable. Also, bear in mind that the Acton IV can get very loud. When I was listening to it on the highest volume, I was certain my neighbors were going to knock on my door and tell me to turn it down!

Listen along to my review with the Marshall Acton IV testing playlist:

Marshall Acton IV review: App

The Marshall Acton IV is accompanied by the Marshall Bluetooth app on iOS and Android. The app sports a clean interface with plenty of signposting, and it gives you plenty of control over the Acton IV’s settings. You can customize the five band equalizer or choose one of five EQ presets, assign a function to the ‘M’ button, adjust the brightness of the LED indicators, and update the Acton IV’s firmware.

In addition to all this, you also get access to Placement Compensation where you can tailor the sound based on whether the speaker is close to an edge or flush against a wall or corner. The speaker then corrects for any nearby reflective surfaces that may affect the sound. It’s worth spending a few minutes fiddling with Placement Compensation to get the best sound depending on the speaker’s placement.

Marshall Acton IV review: Verdict

The Marshall Acton IV is designed for music lovers needing a good-looking home speaker that can get very loud. Sporting a beautiful design, the Acton IV is sure to add a retro charm to your living space. But that’s not even its biggest selling point — it’s the room-filling detailed sound. The bass is powerful but controlled, while the treble is vibrant without ever becoming fatiguing.

In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, you get RCA input too for plugging in your record player. While there’s no Wi-Fi streaming, which both Denon and Sonos offer, the Acton IV is Auracast-enabled and can be connected with other Homeline speakers to create a multi-speaker setup. There’s no voice assistant, though, which may also have you considering alternatives.

But if you want a speaker that sounds stupendous and you don’t care about smart features, then the Acton IV should be your port of call. For its looks alone, it has earned a permanent spot on my coffee table.

If, like me, you love listening to music when you’re chilling, cooking or doing basically anything else indoors, you need one of the best smart speakers — and few are better than the Marshall Stanmore IV. The fourth iteration of Stanmore improves on its predecessor by introducing enhanced bass response, plus a wide soundstage to deliver an immersive listening experience.

The Stanmore IV is well-designed and extremely well-built, and it features Bluetooth, RCA and AUX inputs for most, if not all, devices you own. The bass is powerful while the treble is smooth and defined, and the speaker can get very loud without distortion. While it’s missing Wi-Fi streaming and voice assistant support — something its closest rival, Sonos, offers — this is the home speaker to get if you want full-bodied sound above all else.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Marshall Stanmore IV review.

Marshall Stanmore IV review: Specs

Marshall Stanmore IV review: Price & availability

The Marshall Stanmore IV was announced on 7 July 2026 along with the Marshall Acton IV, both of which form the brand’s lineup of home speakers, known as Homeline IV. It’s the fourth iteration of and the successor to the Marshall Stanmore III which came out four years ago. The Stanmore IV has a retail price of $399 / £349 — so it’s $20 pricier than the Stanmore III’s launch price.

The Stanmore IV is also pricier than the Acton IV ($299), but that’s the extra you pay for a bigger speaker and no distortion when playing music at the highest volume. Price- and features-wise, the Stanmore IV competes with the Sonos Era 300 ($449) and the Klipsch The Three Plus ($399). The Era 300 could be worth the extra spend if you want Wi-Fi streaming and voice assistant support, though, neither of which the Stanmore IV can manage.

Denon’s Home lineup is another rival, but with the Denon Home 350 ($749) and the Denon Home 600 ($799) costing nearly double, they may be out of your budget. The Stanmore IV is, then, an excellent speaker for those who don’t want to spend a fortune on full-bodied sound.

Marshall Stanmore IV review: Design

The Marshall Stanmore IV is a chonky boi, and as a mains-powered speaker, it’s meant to be kept plugged in and in one spot. Measuring 13.78 x 7.99 x 7.28 inches and weighing a whopping 8.81lbs, I highly doubt you’ll be lugging it around unless you’re moving houses. The Stanmore IV is a little bigger than the Klipsch The Three Plus and significantly bigger than the rounded Sonos Era 300. It fits nicely on my bookshelf and window sill.

There's no doubt that Marshall knows how to make a good-looking speaker. We’ve seen it with the Bromley 450 ($799), the Kilburn III ($379), and the Middleton II ($329), to name a few. The Stanmore IV is no different. It shares similar design philosophies to its stablemate, the Acton IV. It’s available in black or cream, with brass and gray accents to deliver one of the most stunning speakers I’ve had the pleasure of testing.

Adding to the speaker’s minimalist charm is its lack of any garish RGB lighting, and any form of illumination is limited to the red LED settings indicators on the top plate. Build quality is top-notch so you’re getting bang for your buck here. From the faux-leather vinyl finish to the quality of the knobs and buttons, Marshall has spared no expense to deliver what feels like a long-lasting speaker.

Weatherproofing

Just like the Acton IV, the Stanmore IV is a mains-powered home speaker designed for indoor use. It doesn’t have an official IP waterproof rating so I wouldn’t recommend using it in the bathroom or outside in the rain. You may want to consider one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers for outdoor use, such as the IP67-rated Marshall Middleton II, the IP68-rated JBL Xtreme 5 ($399), or the Tribit StormBox Mini+ ($39) if you’re on a really tight budget.

Controls

Controls on the Stanmore IV are identical to the Acton IV’s. The dials and buttons are located on the top plate. These include the Source button to swap between Bluetooth, AUX and RCA inputs; three dials for adjusting the bass, treble and volume on a scale of one to 10 each; a joystick for changing tracks and pausing playback; and a customizable ‘M’ button that, by default, plays Spotify, thereby negating the need to launch the app via your phone.

All the controls are easy to understand and don’t take long to get a hang of. Having onboard bass and treble dials is especially handy as you don’t need to fire up the companion app every time to adjust these. The ‘M’ button can also be customized to swap between EQ presets. The controls also give great tactile feedback when pressed — and the amp-like power button makes me feel like a rockstar every time I turn on the Stanmore IV.

Connectivity

Similar to the Acton IV, the Stanmore IV doesn’t feature Wi-Fi streaming or voice assistant support. These are home speakers and while they look very smart, they aren’t smart speakers, so you may want to consider the Sonos Era 300 if you want superior, lossless hi-res playback. The Klipsch The Three Plus doesn’t feature Wi-Fi connectivity either, so you’re limited to Bluetooth playback on both speakers.

The Stanmore IV utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs — the Klipsch The Three Plus supports only SBC and AAC. LC3 offers better stability and efficiency compared to SBC and AAC, and LDAC can be used for hi-res streaming in the absence of Wi-Fi… although Wi-Fi streaming is still more hi-res than Bluetooth LDAC because it doesn’t compress the music files. Again, you’ll need to spend the extra $50 on the Sonos Era 300 for that.

Alongside wireless connectivity, you also get a 3.5mm AUX port located next to the controls, and RCA ports for connecting your record player on the speaker’s underside. You can keep all your devices plugged in and simply use the Source button to swap between them as and when needed. The ports are now located on the speaker’s underside, as opposed to on the back of its predecessor. This means that you can now place the Stanmore IV (and the Acton IV) flush against walls without compromising on space or sound quality.

The Stanmore IV is Auracast-enabled and can now be connected to its Homeline IV sibling — its predecessor could pair with another Stanmore III only, so this is a new feature. I was testing both the Acton IV and the Stanmore IV at the same time so I connected them together which took mere seconds, and it worked like a charm.

If you already own Homeline III speakers, you can grab the Marshall Heddon hub for $299 to connect all your speakers together. The Heddon uses Wi-Fi to transmit to other Marshall speakers, making it worth the investment for multi-room setups. If you buy two or more Homeline speakers, Marshall will throw in the Heddon for free, too.

Marshall Stanmore IV review: Sound quality

The Marshall Stanmore IV is fitted with two 25W Class D amplifiers to power its dual 0.75-inch tweeters, and one 60W Class D amplifier for its 5-inch woofer, and it covers a frequency response range of 36Hz to 38KHz. I tested the speaker by listening to a few songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio — and I’ve been thoroughly impressed.

Though it’s a single-box speaker, the Stanmore IV boasts a very wide soundstage, and I immediately noticed this when listening to Tame Impala’s ‘Apocalypse Dreams.’ The swirling synths, shimmering guitars and reverb-soaked vocals extended beyond the cabinet, delivering an almost three-dimensional quality. The speaker’s instrument separation is commendable as it allowed every effect and melody to remain distinct but without losing cohesion.

I then listened to ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Dire Straits, and it was perhaps the best the song has ever sounded to me. The opening resonator guitar sounded beautifully textured with crisp, shimmering detail, and the treble never once turned harsh. The Stanmore IV’s warm, rich tuning complements the song perfectly, lending it an analog feel while preserving subtle nuances, such as Mark Knopfler’s breath work. As the arrangement swelled, the Stanmore IV handled the dynamics effortlessly, allowing the percussion instruments to occupy their own space without overpowering the acoustic guitar.

Bass on the Stanmore IV is deep and controlled, as was made apparent to me when listening to ‘Intro’ by The xx. The iconic bassline held real weight and filled the room without becoming bloated or overpowering. Each note plucked on the bass started and stopped cleanly which helped the song maintain its hypnotic rhythm. It made me feel like that scene of Jon Hamm dancing at the club in ‘Your Friends & Neighbors.’

The Stanmore IV can get very loud too — louder than you’ll realistically need when listening to music indoors. But what I appreciate about the Stanmore IV’s loudness is that even at the highest volume, music doesn’t sound distorted or muddy — an issue I had with the Acton IV. Marshall’s fine-tuned Dynamic Loudness comes into play here, where the brand has made subtle adjustments to the high and low frequencies, thereby ensuring that music sounds free of distortion regardless of the volume.

If you want a pure rock ‘n’ roll sound that’s consistent across the volume spectrum, few speakers are better than the Stanmore IV.

Listen along to my review with the Marshall Stanmore IV testing playlist:

Marshall Stanmore IV review: App

To customize the Marshall Stanmore IV, you’ll need to download the Marshall Bluetooth app on either iOS or Android. Sporting a clean interface with plenty of signposting, the Marshall Bluetooth app is easy to navigate and enables you to adjust nearly every Marshall device’s settings. You can use it to customize the Stanmore IV’s five-band equalizer, assign a custom function to the ‘M’ button, adjust the brightness of the LED indicators, and of course, update the firmware.

Marshall has also added a Placement Compensation function to the app. You can select whether the speaker is close to an edge or corner, or flush against a wall, and the Stanmore IV will then correct for any nearby reflective surfaces that may affect the sound quality. It’s quick to do and changes are instantaneous, so it’s worth taking a couple of minutes and playing around with it to get the best possible sound.

Marshall Stanmore IV review: Verdict

Home speakers are perfect for, well, at-home listening, and the Marshall Stanmore IV delivers beautiful, immersive sound quality that doesn’t give you much to complain about. It’s an easy speaker to recommend if your priorities are premium design and superb sound quality over smart features, like voice assistant support. The wide, room-filling soundstage, powerful yet controlled bass, and vibrant treble make the Stanmore IV a joy to listen to.

Adding to the Stanmore IV’s charm are its amp-like tactile controls and drool-worthy design. Unlike its smaller sibling, the Acton IV, the Stanmore IV maintains distortion-free sound even at high volumes, making it a great choice for soundtracking dinner parties. Throw in versatile wired inputs and Auracast for connecting other Homeline IV speakers and you’ve got yourself a winner.

If you aren’t fussed about the lack of Wi-Fi streaming and voice assistant support, and can’t swing the extra dough on Sonos or Denon, the Stanmore IV is an exceptional speaker. Sometimes, sounding brilliant is all a home speaker really needs to do.

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are some of the best speakers I’ve tested. At just 7 inches tall and 9 inches deep, these are relatively compact — but boy, do they sound larger than their measurements might suggest.

And just look at them. Aren’t they gorgeous? Not only do they look a treat, with the copper-colored tweeter and the smooth, almost tactile exterior, but they feel incredibly well-made too. Although quite pricey at $549/£399, here you’re investing in sound, functionality, and appearance.

Sound is by far the most important thing when it comes to speakers, so you’ll be pleased to know that the L/R S sound divine. For me, they were missing a smidge of vivaciousness, but I still had a ball listening to them, and I’m sure 99.999% of you would, too. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Cambridge Audio L/R S review.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Specs

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Price & availability

The Cambridge L/R S are premium home speakers with a premium price. A pair will set you back $549 from Amazon U.S. and £399 from Amazon U.K. Obviously, this is a much better deal in the U.K. — hi-fi just is inherently more expensive in the U.S., even without tariffs.

Cambridge Audio also makes the L/R M (£1,199), which work with Cambridge’s StreamMagic app and have built-in streaming capabilities. If you’ve got even more to spend, you could check out the L/R X (£1,799, releasing in July 2026), which are the L/R S on steroids. These are the aspirational older siblings of the L/R S, with dual woofers and proprietary tweeters.

If you want a similar performance for a little less, I’d recommend checking out the Edifier S880DB MKII ($449). Alternatively, you could look at the Edifier R1280T (my personal turntable speakers, $149), which don’t have Bluetooth but more than make up for it in affordability. Edifier does make a Bluetooth version — R1280DB ($199), who’d have thought — for all those wireless lovers.

For those short on space, I’d go for the Kanto UKI ($269) or the Edifier M60 ($199), both of which are compact speakers and sound great for their size.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Design

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are beautiful, beautiful speakers. They look uber modern, with no mesh grille covering and two visible drivers. The 21-mm aluminium tweeter is a gorgeous, rich copper color, and the 3-inch woofer meshes well with the speaker body. Whatever color you choose — white, black, navy, or wood — I bet it will look great in your home.

The speakers not only look great, but they feel well-made, too. The exterior is smooth, almost tactile, and the switches on the master speaker are high-quality. I have no issues with the design at all: everything is sleek and feels intentional.

Connectivity

As active speakers, you don’t need an amp or a phono if you’re using the speakers with a laptop or TV or phone. However, if you want to listen on your turntable, if it doesn’t have a phono pre-amp, you’ll need a separate one.

The L/R S have a huge array of connectivity types: Bluetooth aptX HD, RCA aux, optical, and USB-C playback. I mostly used USB-C and Bluetooth, both of which sounded excellent.

The speakers don’t come with a USB-C cable, an RCA cable, or an optical cable, so if you want to utilize these connectivity methods, you’ll have to supply them independently.

Controls

There are controls on the back of the master speaker and a high-quality remote. Rather than taking inspiration from Edifier’s slightly gimmicky circular touch remote, Cambridge Audio has (thankfully) gone back to basics with the L/R S’s remote. It’s a standard long remote with an equally standard layout. You’ve got play/pause, volume controls, EQ controls, and playback controls.

All very simple — but that’s what the L/R S are all about. They’re designed to let their quality speak for itself.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Audio quality

To test the Cambridge Audio L/R S, I listened to a range of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. I tested over both USB-C and Bluetooth.

I listened to “Getaway” by Fcukers, an electronic trip-hop-inspired track built over a cello riff, twinkling piano notes, and breathy female vocals. The tambourine shimmered gently at the back of the soundscape, allowing the string motifs to take centre stage without overpowering them. The bassline was controlled, tight, and balanced, and the space-gun sound effects tied everything together nicely. This song sounded great.

Next, I played “The Sickness in You and I” by Muse. This heavier rock track boasts crunchy nostalgic riffs and some fantastic stereo imaging. This song was an immersive marvel; when the percussion comes in on the left speaker with the guitars teeming across the soundscape, I wanted to replay it over and over. Despite being compact speakers, the stereo imaging of the L/R S is utterly excellent. If you listen to a lot of music mastered for stereo, these speakers will definitely get the best from your tunes.

Last, I played “Never Get Enough” by Lianne La Havas, a track with acoustic verses and intense choruses. The speakers handled the change in bass well; the clarity of the acoustic guitar and La Havas’s voice was a standout in the verse, while the insistent bass came through well in the chorus.

Although most genres sounded excellent, I did wish for something more. The treble is clear, and there’s a surprising amount of bass for such small speakers. However, the mids aren’t as energetic as I personally like in speakers. Tracks sound balanced and clean, but they’re missing some vivaciousness and propulsiveness in the lower midrange. Don’t get me wrong — they still sound good, and you should still seriously consider them if you want immersive speakers with fantastic spatial imaging. But they didn’t pull at my heartstrings like other speakers have done in the past.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Verdict

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are fantastic speakers. If you want a pair of home speakers that’ll make your music sound delectable, clear, and balanced, look no further. Even better if you value immersive spatial imaging above all else — these speakers will seriously impress you in that area.

The only thing holding the speakers back is a lack of oomph in the lower mids. For compact speakers, you can’t really expect perfection, though, and the L/R S still sound charming. If you need reliable, balanced speakers for your desk, turntable, TV, or anything in between, they’ll do you proud.

At $549/£399, they’re not exactly the cheapest speakers on the market, so I’d recommend only getting them if you’re serious about leveling up your home listening experience. But what a listening experience it would be.

The Sabre-R are a set of mid-range bookshelf speakers from family-owned British manufacturer Ruark Audio. In time-honored British fashion, Ruark started life in a leafy English suburb, with a middle-aged man (in this case, Brian O’Rourke) hand-making his own speakers in a shed.

Now owned by Brian’s son, Alan, the ethos at Ruark is (as it has been since the shed days) to make audio gear that the staff would want to use and own themselves. Products have to sound and look the part.

And that sums up the Sabre-R speakers perfectly. They combine excellent fidelity with Ruark’s typical understated elegance. There’s one major shortcoming, which is a lack of raw bass power in the very low range. But if you’re after a compact set of high-end speakers for your lounge, kitchen, turntable or whatever, these are worth serious consideration.

Find out more in my full Ruark Audio Sabre-R review.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Specs

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Price & availability

The Ruark Sabre-R desktop speakers are available in charcoal or walnut colors and cost $999 direct from Ruark, as well as from specialist hi-fi retailers across the country. Ruark is still working on distributing its products more widely in the U.S., although you can find some of its range (not these) at Nordstrom.

In the U.K., where the brand is better established, the Sabre-R are much easier to find. You can snag a pair at Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks, John Lewis, or from Ruark itself for £699.

This obviously makes the Sabre-R a considered purchase, rather than an impulse one. They’re pricey, but premium hi-fi gear always is. And besides, in the wider context of high-end audio gear, which can happily reach into five- and six-digit price tags, $999 is still a fairly tame price.

If you’re on a tight budget, though, check out the Edifier R1280T, which pack decent performance for under $200. For a little more, the $499 Edifier S880DB MKII offer ‘premium-brand-worthy’ sound; while the Kanto Ora Ren cost $699 and offer plentiful bass performance.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Design

The Sabre-R are, in my opinion, absolutely stunning. As you can imagine given my job, I bring home a lot of tech. While my house is generally cluttered with all kinds of gizmos and gadgets, very little passes the bar to get into our lounge. But the Sabre-R sailed straight through, with a gleeful “what are those?!” from my wife.

That’s down to the Sabre-R’s typical Ruark elegance. Clean lines, high-quality materials, dark wood finishes. It’s timeless. These are speakers you want in your home — an accessory to any grown-up’s decor. They’re available in either walnut or charcoal variants. I have the charcoal model, which I prefer — they look a little sleeker and more understated, yet you still get a dash of that premium-feeling wood finish on the lower cabinet frontage.

As bookshelf speakers, the Sabre-Rs are fairly compact, measuring 11.4 x 6.9 x 8.5 inches. However, you obviously need to factor in an amplifier (ideally the Ruark R610 music console, which the Sabre-Rs are intended to be paired with) and its power cables, plus speaker cables. The result of all that was everything looking a little messy on my actual bookshelf. Instead, I first stuck them on my lounge TV stand, before moving them to my kitchen/dining room sideboard — I tend to spend more time in the kitchen, and that’s where we tend to host people, so this was the ideal spot for maximum usage.

Connectivity

There isn’t much to say about the Sabre-R connectivity-wise. These are passive speakers so it’s fairly straightforward. You’ve got a set of binding posts on each speaker, with sockets for single-wire connection and removable bridges for bi-wire.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Sound quality

The Ruark Sabre-R’s sound quality is, for the most part, excellent. During testing, I streamed some music at CD quality via AirPlay using my Denon AVR-X4800H. However, I mostly streamed in hi-res via the Ruark R610 music console and Qobuz Connect.

The Sabre-R offer a typically warm, hi-fi profile, with deftly controlled bass — it’s everywhere you want it, nowhere you don’t. In electronica, where one wants lots of bass, it’s there: the dense, pulsating bassline of Burn Water’s Ikigai sounded gloriously thick, with plenty of power and no distortion. Yet the live-recorded basslines in folk, blues, rock etc, never felt overwhelming or boomy — Odetta’s Hit or Miss being a prime example.

The only issue I had in the low end was a lack of extension in the sub-bass region, as the Sabre-R's frequency response bottoms out at 45Hz. It’s not a problem for most songs, but makes a difference in those tracks where you’re supposed to feel something as well as hear it. Through the right speakers, for instance, the last 20 seconds of SOHN’s Antigravity are experienced more in the solar plexus than through the ear canals. I had to crank the Sabre-Rs up nearly to their max to get anywhere close, but that came with a shedload of distortion.

I’ve read that the Sabre-R’s very low end response improves over time as the drivers wear in. However, if you want that raw low down oomph straight outta the box, I’d be looking to the Cambridge Audio L/R X instead, which cover down to 35Hz and have a downfiring second woofer for plenty of addictive subbiness.

But anyway, back to the good stuff. Mids are energetic and textured on the Sabre-Rs, while treble is expansive and clean. The result is especially lively, immediate-sounding vocals, whatever the genre, whatever the timbre. Even in busier productions, like The Who’s Eminence Front, or with softer, breathier voices like Phoebe Bridgers’ in Kyoto, vocals were given the space and prominence they needed. Obviously, this is a boon for powerful voices too: John Fogerty’s righteous (and essentially shouted) indignance in CCR’s Fortunate Son; Phil Collins’ gleeful post-breakup gloating in I Don’t Wanna Know; Chris Stapleton’s reverbed, melancholic wails in Death Row. I’m not usually a vocals man, but I damn well became one with the Sabre-Rs.

Guitars sound fantastic, too, and there’s plenty of instrument separation, again thanks to that well-defined mid range. Melvins’ Honey Bucket and Metallica’s Seek & Destroy both use simultaneous distorted riffs, which I could tell apart from one another with ease. Detail never feels lost, either, thanks to that expansive treble. I could hear the softest percussion in Mk.Gee’s Dream Police, and the gentle, ethereal backing vocals in Burn Water's Ikigai.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Verdict

All in all, if you’re looking for a set of speakers that’ll do everything, from detailed high fidelity listening through to room-filling bass at parties, the Sabre-Rs probably ain’t it — they just lack that pure sub-bass power. Again, I’d spend a little more on the Cambridge L/R X, or drop similar money into the Kanto TUK + Sub 6V — both will get that raw, room-filling subbiness that vibrates up through your body.

The Sabre-Rs aren’t really supposed to be that, though. They’re a little more refined than that — a little more mature, if I may be so bold. If you don’t care about shaking windows and just want a set of speakers for relaxed detail listening, with that smooth hi-fi sound but no overpowering low end, well, these are for you. They’re perfect for kicking back in your lounge chair on a Sunday afternoon to some laidback vinyl playback, or soundtracking small gatherings with audio-appreciative friends. And man, they’re pretty.

At long last, Google has refreshed its smart speaker lineup with the new Google Home Speaker; first announced in the fall of 2025, it took nearly nine months for the device to come to market, and replaces the six-year-old Google Nest Audio as the top-shelf smart speaker in the company’s portfolio.

Things have changed a lot since Google last released a smart speaker. During that time, AI got real big, so now the assistant powering the Google Home speaker can do a lot more than just turn on your lights.

So how does the Google Home Speaker stack up against the best smart speakers? I’ve used it for a few days and compared it against its main rivals, the Apple HomePod mini and the Amazon Echo Dot Max, to find out.

Google Home Speaker review: Price and availability

The Google Home Speaker went on sale on June 24, 2026 for $99. You can get it in one of four colors: Jade (green), Berry (red), Porcelain (white) and Hazel (grayish black). However, the Jade and Berry colors are exclusive to the U.S.

The Google Home Speaker replaces the Google Nest Audio, and, for the moment, the Google Nest Mini, both of which are no longer for sale at Google’s online store.

Google Home Speaker review: Design

The Google Home Speaker looks a bit like someone took the Apple HomePod mini and smushed it a little

There are two touch-sensitive buttons on the top of the speaker to control the volume. You can’t see the buttons, as they’re hidden by the fabric, but if you tap the top of the speaker, two LEDs turn on to show you their location. You can’t tell which is volume up or volume down by sight; you’ll have to tap them to find out which is which. Tapping the top of the speaker will also play/pause your music.

Google had similar hidden touch-sensitive buttons on its previous smart speakers with an equally mixed reception; the Mini’s buttons had to be deactivated because of their finicky nature. I just find it annoying that you have to give the speaker an extra tap.

Similar to the Echo Dot Max, the Google Home Speaker has a circular ring of LEDs which changes color based on the circumstance; for example, it turns white when Gemini is listening, multiple colors when it’s thinking, and orange when the microphone is off.

Also on the base of the speaker is a physical switch to disable its microphones, which is a commendable feature. Less so is the nonremovable power cord; break it, and you’ll have to replace the whole device.

Google Home Speaker review: Sustainability

As with most companies’ claims, Google throws out some numbers which are ultimately a little vague. Google says the speaker and its adapter is “Made with at least 37% recycled materials based on product weight.” Whether that means the metal or plastic parts is unclear.

By comparison, Amazon says the Echo Dot Max is made from 23% recycled materials; the fabric parts are made from 98% post-consumer recycled fabric, while the plastic is made from 41% post consumer recycled plastic.

The Apple HomePod mini uses 99% recycled rare earth elements, and 35% or more recycled plastic in multiple components.

Google Home Speaker review: Audio performance

Where the Nest Audio had a 75mm woofer and a 19mm tweeter, the Google Home Speaker has a single 58mm driver. I didn’t have the older Nest to compare the two side-by-side, but the tl;dr is that the Google Home Speaker performs well for its size.

I played a variety of tracks on the Google Home Speaker, as well as the HomePod mini and Echo Dot Max, and though there were some subtle differences between them, they weren’t all that disparate.

I might give a slight edge to the Echo Dot Max; it’s the only device that has two speakers (an 0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer) which helped midtones stand out a bit more than the Google Home and the HomePod mini, which has a single 2-inch driver

Mids sounded a bit compressed, such as Billy Joel’s voice in “Movin’ Out.” Joel’s voice sounded better and warmer on the Echo Dot Max, and there was also better bass. However, the HomePod mini sounded the best of the three.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” sounded best on the Echo Dot Max, as it was able to better separate the mids and highs; the Google Home Speaker and HomePod mini mushed things a bit.

Not surprisingly, bass was just ok, I threw on some old-school Snoop Dog “Who am I (What’s My Name)?” and the groove was much better on the Echo Dot Max and the HomePod than Google’s speaker.

Google Home Speaker review: Google Gemini

The hardware may be new, but the bigger upgrade inside the Google Play Speaker is Gemini, which is far more capable and powerful than Google Assistant.

Gemini for Home works with all of Google’s smart speakers and displays, but only the newer ones — Nest Audio, Nest mini (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub (2nd Gen) — will support the full Gemini for Home experience, as well as Gemini Live, where you can have a more natural, free-flowing conversation.

To test out Gemini on the Google Home Speaker, I asked it a series of questions, which it answered correctly, and was much more engaging than the old Assistant. For example, when I asked “Hey Google, what’s a good recipe for chicken wings?”, Gemini responded with a wide range of options, as well as certain things that it thought were popular.

I then asked Gemini to save the recipe, and it told me it created a note, but not where it was saved. I was able to find it in my Google Keep folder.

I also tested Gemini on sports, and here, it was a bit slower on the uptake. I asked ““Hey Google, did France win today?” and received the response “No, France did not play today,” although they had just defeated Iraq in the World Cup.

I then followed up with “Are you sure France didn’t play today?” and Gemini quickly corrected itself, gave me a summary of the game, and told me that Les Bleus secured a spot in the round of 32.

Google Home Speaker review: Subscription costs

You get Gemini for Home for free with the Google Home Speaker, but to make the most out of Gemini (and the speaker), you’ll need to sign up for a Google Home Premium subscription. Otherwise, you won’t get conversational Gemini, among other things.

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Standard ($10/month or $100/year), you get the following:

• Gemini Live (Get expert help, brainstorm ideas, and learn new topics)
• Help me create (lets you describe to Gemini the smart home routine you want to create)
• Sound detection (Smoke/carbon monoxide alarm and Glass breaking)
• 30 days of video event history

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Advanced ($20/month, $200/year), you get those features as well as these:

• Search video history - Quickly search your camera history by just asking
• Daily summaries - Ask about what you missed when you were away
• 60 days of video history
• 10 days of 24/7 video history
• Descriptive notifications
• Event descriptions

If you’re more invested in Gemini, you can also get the Standard plan as part of a Google AI Pro subscription ($20/month), and the Advanced plan with Google AI Ultra ($99/month).

Google Home Speaker review: Home theater features

Similar to its rival smart speakers, the Google Home Speaker works well with the Google TV Streamer to create a home theater experience. You can pair either a single speaker or two to the streaming device; if you pair two, you can also set up spatial audio. Dolby Atmos is supported, and the Google TV Streamer can also convert HD audio into a proprietary spatial audio format.

Amazon takes things a step further with its Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio speakers, as you can create a full surround sound experience with up to five speakers.

Google Home Speaker review: Smart Home functionality

As a smart home device, the Google Home Speaker is less capable than its Apple and Amazon rivals. For example, the HomePod mini has temperature and humidity sensors; the Amazon Echo Dot Max can act as an eero mesh router extender and has ambient light and temperature sensors, as well as presence detection.

Those other sensors make the other smart speakers far more functional. For example, you can create an Apple Home or Alexa routine to turn on your air conditioner if the temperature as measured by a speaker rises above a certain level, or if it senses someone entering the room.

Google Home Speaker review: Bottom line

Smart speakers aren’t quite the commodity they once were; Like Amazon, Google has gone from releasing a new model every year to waiting more than half a decade between the Nest Audio and the Google Home Speaker.

And that’s fine. There’s only so much you can do, though both Amazon and Apple have done more with their smart speakers than Google in terms of embedding additional sensors to make their devices more integral to a smart home ecosystem.

As smart home assistants, both Alexa and Google are very capable, especially now that they’ve gained extra AI abilities. If you’ve already started using either smart assistant, it’s unlikely that you’re going to switch your smart home from Alexa to Google or vice versa.

At this point, a smart speaker is more or less a delivery mechanism for the smart assistant of your choice. If you already own a Google smart speaker and it’s working well, there’s no real reason to upgrade, unless you want to create a Google-centric home theater system.

Owning one of the best soundbars is the best way to upgrade your home cinema with very little headache, and there's zero competition. Although serious hi-fi nerds poo-poo soundbars, some people don't have the time, space, or patience to deal with AVRs, floorstanders, wall-mounted speakers, and the like. Sometimes a soundbar is all you want.

And boy, have I got the soundbar for you: the KEF XIO. The XIO is KEF's first foray into the home theater market, and it's a bullseye. Almost everything about this soundbar is excellent: the sound is seriously cinematic, it has powerful bass, and ridiculous Dolby Atmos. The main downside is the app, but if you're not the kind of person who uses soundbar apps, this will be a non-issue.

Here's why I recommend the KEF XIO for everyone willing to invest in their home sound — and how you can save £200/20% right now.

Sound as immersive as a movie theater

The KEF XIO is one of the most impressive soundbars I've ever tested, sonically. It has enviable width and height and makes movies come alive. I tested the soundbar with 4K UHD Blu-rays and standard 5.1 content on streaming services, and everything sounded excellent.

In my 4-star review, I wrote, "Dolby Atmos performance is utterly fantastic, especially in "Top Gun: Maverick". Every single flying scene had unbeatable height and width, and the planes seemed to fly over my head. I was incredibly impressed with this."

Certain movies were just made to be used with soundbars like this, and "Top Gun: Maverick" is one of them. If you grab this soundbar, you will not be disappointed if you use it with the right media.

I added, "Flying scenes sounded outrageously good; the bass rumbled in my chest when the jets took off". I could feel the planes moving around the room, could feel the engines in my chest, could hear the radio dialogue coming from behind me. I was seriously, seriously impressed with this soundbar.

The KEF XIO has a 5.1.2 channel configuration, which means it has five front- and up-firing speakers, one built-in subwoofer, and two side-firing speakers (that act as surrounds). This configuration is what gives that genuine Dolby Atmos performance — you want at least 3.1.2.

Another reason why the XIO sounds so good is its built-in, automatic calibration. KEF uses Intelligent Placement Technology built into the XIO. The soundbar uses microphones to map out your room (imagine a robot vacuum mapping out its territory) and then optimizes its sound based on things like placement height, wall size, and ceiling height.

Automatic calibration is a must-have if you want to get the very best out of your soundbar: the JBL Bar 1300X is also capable of this, as is Klipsch's Flexus line.

Save £200 if you're in the U.K.

For my fellow Brits, you can save £200 on the KEF XIO right now. It's not a discount, per se; more of a long-term reward. If you purchase before July 2nd, you get £200 cashback.

If you're in the U.S., you can save when you buy the XIO with a subwoofer and receiver — so a $3,399 purchase becomes $2,679. This isn't as good a deal as the U.K.'s — what if you don't want the subwoofer and receiver? — but I'll be on the lookout for Amazon deals.

KEF is also offering this discount for the following: Kube 8 MIE, Kube 10 MIE, Kube 12 MIE, KC62, but I haven't used these subwoofers, so I can't vouch for them. I can, however, vouch for the XIO — it is one of the most immersive, room-filling soundbars I've ever had the pleasure of testing.

Every sound effect was crystal-clear, every line of dialogue was pronounced and audible. As I've discussed above, the Dolby Atmos performance was seriously impressive and made me feel like I was at the movies.

If you can afford it, you won't be disappointed by the KEF XIO. It officially stole my heart.

We're tracking all the best Prime Day soundbar deals

Small, portable Bluetooth speakers can sound really good, but let's be honest: if you're soundtracking a large gathering or party, a small one isn't going to cut it. You need a proper party speaker for that, one that gets incredibly loud and makes your guests feel like they're at a concert. How about one that hits a staggering 121dB, then?

The Soundboks Mix is perhaps the loudest speaker I've tested yet. It's loud, but even at the highest volume, music doesn't sound too distorted, and the treble and mids remain surprisingly clear. Bass is nothing short of Earth-shaking, and the room-filling sound leaves you drooling. But...

Yeah, there's always a "but." It's part and parcel of testing and reviewing products, because few (if any) are perfect. The Mix is no different. Even though I love its sound profile, its drawbacks have left me feeling shortchanged — and when $799 is on the line, you want bang for your buck. There is one speaker out there that's great value for money, and sadly, it ain't the Mix.

Shake the ground

One of the Soundboks Mix's biggest selling points is that it's get ridiculously loud. At a whopping 121dB, the Mix sounds loud enough to vibrate a glass off a desk if you're indoors, or shake the ground when you're outdoors. Metaphorically speaking, of course — I didn't actually manage to drop a glass off a countertop.

All that's to say is that you can certainly be the life of the party with the Mix. Whether you're head-banging to bass-heavy rock or dancing to electronic dance music, the Mix has you covered. Two 72W Class D amplifiers powered by a 10-inch woofer and a 1.2-inch dome tweeter cover a frequency response range of 40Hz to 20KHz — typical for a speaker of its demeanour.

Regardless of the tune I listened to, I was impressed. Lana Del Rey's vocals in ‘First Light’ sat front and centre and sounded remarkably clear. The warmth, texture and emotional nuance were reproduced accurately, while subtle details in her delivery found themselves in the spotlight without sounding too clinical. The treble in rock tunes, like ‘Elma’ by Yin Yin and ‘Echoes’ by Pink Floyd, shone and sounded vibrant without cutting through the rest of the soundstage.

None of that would matter, however, if the Mix didn't do what a party speaker is designed to do: make you dance to electronic tracks, and it manages to do so. The bass in ‘Lights Burn Dimmer’ by Fred Again and Jaime T sounded controlled and tight with the EQ set to Indoor. It didn't overpower the rest of the soundstage. Switching the EQ preset to Bass+ made me feel the song in my bones. It was loud and made the ground beneath me shake. I could feel my teeth chattering.

Turning the volume all the way up to 10 (as you might do if you're hosting a party outdoors) revealed a weakness, though. The bass was still room-filling, but it sounded wobbly and uncontrolled, like the Mix was struggling to keep up with it, or was feeling overwhelmed by it. Truth be told, that's not great news for a party speaker — especially for one that costs just under $800... which, very nicely, brings me to my next point.

Nowhere to hide when the competition is so good

When I was testing the Soundboks Mix, I couldn't help but think to myself, "This speaker could be the best party speaker around... if it wasn't competing with the Marshall Bromley 450." The Bromley 450, Marshall's second-ever party speaker, is a top-notch product that doesn't skimp on features on sound quality. I've thoroughly tested that speaker too, and knowing what it offers for the same money has further highlighted the Mix's flaws to me.

One of the first things I noticed about the Mix was its lack of ports. All you get is a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm jack for wired playback. The Bromley 450 goes above and beyond here, with two XLR/6.35mm combo ports for microphones and acoustic/electric guitars, and RCA ports for keyboards and turntables. It essentially doubles (or triples) as an amplifier and a karaoke machine.

You've then got the Mix using an old version of Bluetooth: 4.2. That's not bad, per se, but it isn't good either for a speaker that came out in March 2026. Bluetooth 4.2 is an old version at this point. That means shorter range and no way to stream LE or hi-res audio, so you're stuck with the basic SBC codec.

The Bromley 450 has yet another ace up its sleeve: 360° True Stereophonic surround sound, which means that regardless of where you're standing in a room, you'll hear the same exceptional sound. This makes listening to your favorite tunes more immersive, something the Mix can't achieve.

Combine all of this with the wobbly bass and you've got yourself a clear winner. The Mix costs $799 / £599, and the Bromley 450 retails for $799 / £549, and for the same price, you get versatile connectivity options, better Bluetooth and LE audio, 360° sound, and even integrated stage lights that react to the music.

I know which speaker I'd personally buy. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested Soundboks’ portable party speaker — and it’s so close to be being great
• I just tested the ‘best party speaker of 2026’ — here's why you should buy the Marshall Bromley 450
• Forget Bose — there's no better party speaker on the planet than the brand-new Marshall Bromley 450

Sometimes, a small speaker isn’t loud enough to soundtrack an evening with friends or a big party. You need a party speaker for that, and the Soundboks Mix is a solid choice. Soundboks’ portable party speaker is built extremely well and is protected against the elements, thanks to its IP65 rating. The sound? Nearly exquisite. The Mix delivers powerful, Earth-shaking bass, vibrant treble, and precise, balanced mids.

But is it the best Bluetooth speaker for the money? It costs $799 and features some noteworthy flaws, such as wobbly bass at high volumes, Bluetooth 4.2 only, no 360° sound, and more. If those are compromises you’re willing to make, then the Mix could be perfect for you. Trust me, it sounds really, really good.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Soundboks Mix review.

Soundboks Mix review: Specs

Soundboks Mix review: Price & availability

Launched in March 2026, the Soundboks Mix is the Soundboks 4’s smaller sibling, and it effectively replaces the Soundboks Go as the brand’s most portable party speaker — it’s priced as such too. While the 4 costs $999, the Mix retails for $799 / £599 at Amazon. Given how loud it gets, the Mix is a great party speaker for anyone who doesn’t want to spend nearly a grand on the bigger model.

The Mix is Soundboks’ answer to the Marshall Bromley 450 ($799) and the JBL PartyBox 520 ($879). It’s got the specs and sound to go toe-to-toe with the Bromley 450, too, but is it worth buying instead of the Marshall? I've reviewed both, so let’s find out.

Soundboks Mix review: Design

The Soundboks Mix looks very similar to the Soundboks 4 — similar to how the Marshall Bromley 450 and Marshall Bromley 750 ($1,299) share design philosophies. You’re getting bang for your buck here as the Mix feels very well-built, featuring an ABS and polycarbonate cabinet, silicone ball corners to protect it from getting damaged, and a detachable steel grill. All in all, it feels sturdy and durable.

The Mix doesn’t sport any garish LED lighting that makes it look tacky, like on the JBL PartyBox 520 — although I do wish it had some integrated stage lights, like the Bromley 450 does. Branding is fairly minimal too, with the logo sitting in the top left corner. You can buy the speaker in black only, which is no bad thing; the Bromley 450 and PartyBox 520 come in single colors too.

As Soundboks’ most compact party speaker, the Mix doesn’t feel too heavy and doesn’t take up much space either. It measures 18.9 x 13.4 x 10.6 inches and weighs 21.38lbs, so it’s about 5lbs lighter than the Bromley 450. To move it around, you can use the built-in carry handle, which is fine, but because there’s only one located in one corner, the Mix feels a little unwieldy to move around. This problem could have been easily solved by installing a suitcase-style handle smack dab in the middle of its side, à la Bromley 450.

But hey, you can buy a strap to turn the Mix into a backpack… for $59. And it doesn’t come with a charger... which you can also buy separately for $59. The Mix feels to speakers what EA is to gaming: full of microtransactions.

Weatherproofing

If you want a rugged party speaker that you can use outdoors without worrying too much about it getting rained on, the Mix is a great choice. The speaker is IP65-rated which means it’s fully dust-tight and protected against rain and moisture. That’s slightly better than the Marshall Bromley 450 which is IP55-rated. When I was testing the Mix outdoors, it started drizzling and knowing that the speaker was IP65-rated reassured me.

Controls

There isn’t a lot going on in terms of controls on the Mix. All the physical buttons and volume dial are located on the speaker’s right edge, and these include the volume knob, TeamUp button for wirelessly linking up to five Soundboks speakers together, and the power button for, well, turning the speaker on and off. That’s about it. The buttons give good tactile feedback when pressed, and are fairly straightforward to understand.

Connectivity

The Mix utilizes Bluetooth 4.2 to connect wirelessly to your smartphone, laptop or other devices, and it features multipoint connectivity for simultaneously connecting up to two devices. Bluetooth 4.2 is disappointing, though, as it means there’s limited codec support, so you only get the standard SBC codec. No AAC and no LE audio, unfortunately.

This older version also limits the speaker’s maximum operating range to 40m only. Not great for a party speaker. What if you’re soundtracking a big gathering and you’re far away from the speaker, and the connection drops when you move out of range? That’s one way to kill the mood.

In comparison, the Marshall Bromley 450 utilizes the newer Bluetooth 5.3 with support for AAC and LC3, and sports many more connectivity options, such as RCA and two XLR/6.35mm combo jacks for plugging in instruments or microphones. One thing the Mix and Bromley 450 have in common, though, is 3.5mm wired playback. But if you want a versatile party speaker, I’d choose the Bromley 450 any day.

Like I alluded to earlier, there's a TeamUp button on the Mix for wirelessly connecting up to five Soundboks speakers. There's also a Bond button with arrows, located right under the TeamUp button. When it lights up in green, it means the speaker is connected to another speaker it has been linked to in the past. You can also become the "Host" when other speakers are connected to yours, and control them via the smartphone app (more on that shortly).

Soundboks Mix review: Sound quality

There’s no dearth of tech squeezed into the Soundboks Mix’s portable body. It packs two 72W Class D amplifiers powered by a 10-inch woofer and a 1.2-inch dome tweeter. It can go all the way up to 121dB — a little louder than the Marshall Bromley 450 (100dB). The Mix covers a frequency response range of 40Hz to 20KHz, which is typical for party speakers as it delivers crisp highs and deep bass, perfect for pop, rock, EDM, what-have-you. I listened to my usual mix of testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio.

To test the Mix’s midrange performance, I listened to ‘First Light’ by Lana Del Rey, and I was instantly impressed. Lana’s vocals sat front and centre with remarkable clarity, and the speaker captured and accurately reproduced the warmth, texture and emotional nuance that define the James Bond theme song. Subtle details in her delivery, such as her short, sharp breaths, shone without sounding too clinical or like they were piercing through the soundscape. I also appreciated the Mix preserving the tonal balance even at the highest volume — the track never once sounded distorted, and it still sounded engaging and cinematic.

There’s nothing the Mix can’t handle, and it manages to deliver vibrant treble without making it sound too overzealous. The psychedelic/electronic guitar notes landed with impressive clarity and shimmered in ‘Elma’ by Yin Yin, while the drums’ hi-hats added depth to the track without becoming harsh or fatiguing.

Similarly, in Pink Floyd’s ‘Echoes,’ I thoroughly enjoyed the delicate balance between cymbal work and the ambient or atmospheric sound effects. The Mix added a brilliant airiness to the track, making me feel like I was there with the band as they recorded the song at Pompeii.

But this is a party speaker, after all, so I had to test it by listening to an electronic track you can dance to. ‘Lights Burn Dimmer’ by Fred Again and Jaime T highlights the Mix’s greatest strength: bass. With the EQ set to Indoor, the bass sounds very controlled and tight, giving the track a great backbone without overpowering the rest of the soundstage. I then tried the Bass+ EQ preset which turns the bass all the way up to 10.

While the song still sounded powerful and the bass was room-filling, I couldn’t help but notice that the bassline sounded wobbly, like it was too much for the Mix to handle. This was indoors so I tried this preset outdoors, and the bass still sounded slightly muddy — an issue I never encountered when testing the Marshall Bromley 450.

It’s also important to note that the Mix doesn’t feature 360° surround sound, which means that you can only really appreciate music when standing directly in front of the speaker. If you want a more immersive listening experience, and want your party guests to be able to hear your tunes regardless of where they’re standing, I’d recommend the Bromley 450 which features True Stereophonic 360° sound.

Listen along to my review with the Soundboks Mix testing playlist:

Soundboks Mix review: App

The Soundboks Mix is accompanied by the brand’s app for all its speakers, and it’s available for free on iOS and Android. This is one area in which the Mix upstages the Marshall Bromley 450. The Bromley 450’s app is decent but not great, and the Mix offers a lot more in terms of customization.

Via the user-friendly app, you can make adjustments to the five-band custom equalizer, choose one of three EQ presets, control other Soundboks speakers you’ve paired with the Mix, control the volume, and, of course, update the firmware. I also like that the EQ presets have quirky descriptions. For instance, the Bass+ preset is described as, “More bass, just like you wanted. Yes, you.” I dig it.

Soundboks Mix review: Battery life

The Soundboks Mix offers superb battery life as it can last up to 40 hours between charges. Battery life will naturally depend on the volume and EQ presets, and happily, the app tells you how long the speaker will last when certain EQ presets are active. If you’re playing at full volume or have the Bass+ preset enabled, the battery life drops to eight hours. You can use any USB-C cable to charge the Mix.

Both the Marshall Bromley 750 and the Marshall Bromley 450 also pack 40-hour batteries. The Mix upstages the JBL PartyBox 520’s 15-hour and the Sony ULT Tower 9’s 25-hour batteries, too.

Similar to both the Bromleys, the Mix’s battery pack is removable and it can even be used to charge your smartphone, laptop and other devices. This is a handy feature to have especially if you’re out and about and not near a charging outlet.

Soundboks Mix review: Verdict

The Soundboks Mix isn’t without its compromises, but when it comes to sound quality, it still delivers a wonderful listening experience. Party speakers need to put out big sound, and the Mix can get incredibly loud without distortion. Earth-shaking bass is balanced well with detailed treble and mids, and though the bass can get a little wobbly at high volumes, it’s still enjoyable.

Designed to withstand the elements, the Mix is IP65-rated and is reinforced to stand the test of time. That said, for the same price of $799, the Marshall Bromley 450 offers better value for money. More ports for hooking up instruments, better connectivity thanks to Bluetooth 5.3, and 360° sound.

If all you want is full-bodied sound, the Mix is a great choice, but the extra versatility of similarly-priced rivals stops it achieving one of our very highest scores.

As a reviews writer here at Tom's Guide, I get my hands on a lot of the latest tech, including some of the best Bluetooth speakers. And funnily enough, some of my favorites have been some of the cheapest offerings.

Tribit is a budget audio brand, but its Bluetooth speakers always turn out to be some of my favorites. I recently tested the Tribit StormBox Micro 3, and it totally earns it's 4.5 star rating.

The speaker is only $64, and can often be found on sale for even less. Like right now, it's down to $49 at Amazon U.S.

Excellent audio performance

Of course, sound is the most important thing to consider when buying a new Bluetooth speaker, and the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 nails it. For such a small speaker, it creates a big sound.

And when the BassX setting is deployed, you have home-filling sound. I love using this feature in the house or just in the backyard while taking care of some chores. You can also switch up the EQ settings in the Tribit companion app, but the BassX button on the speaker makes switching up the sound incredibly easy, and it suits most music genres.

Top choice for durability

With a durability rating of IP68, this speaker can take on anything. With this rating, the speaker can actually withstand water submersion and is completely dust-tight.

You don't need to worry about dropping it, either, as it's been rated to survive falls from as much as four feet. I'm the world's worst butterfinger, so I did end up dropping the speaker a few times, and it was completely fine.

All-day battery

The 24-hour battery life is one of the best things about this speaker. It's double the battery life of some competitors, and it doesn't suffer too much at high volumes.

If using the BassX settings, the battery drains faster, but I was still able to get a good 18 hours, which is very impressive.

Not exactly "micro"

Though the StormBox Micro 3 is small, Tribit actually makes smaller speakers than this. The Tribit PocketGo, for example, is a lot smaller, and I find it far easier to carry around with me.

It's also surprisingly heavy, but that's down to the speaker being magnetic. This feature is incredibly convenient, and in some ways makes it worth the extra weight.

To find out more about the Bluetooth speaker and what it can do, you can read my full Tribit StromBox Micro 3 review.

More from Tom's Guide

• Tribit has done it again — the brand-new StormBox Micro 3 rivals JBL for under $70
• You can take a portable Bluetooth speaker with you camping, but here's why it's not the best idea to use it on your hike
• Ever wonder why ChatGPT is free? The answer is far more calculated than you might think

The KEF XIO is one of the best soundbars I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Review over, that’s me done for the day. I jest, I jest — but seriously, if you want the best single-product home cinema experience possible, you’ll want to know about the KEF XIO.

At 23 pounds, almost 50 inches long, and 6.5 inches deep, this is a pretty hefty soundbar. You’ll ideally want at least a 55-inch TV (if not bigger) and a large entertainment unit or TV stand to house it. But if you’ve got those things, a 4K Blu-ray player to take full advantage of the immense sound, and $2,500? Then, yes, you will not be disappointed by the KEF XIO.

I knocked off a star for some app connectivity issues, which I’ll go into later on, but if you’re all about getting the best home sound without fiddling around with playback modes, you’ll want to find out more in this KEF XIO review.

KEF XIO review: Specs

KEF XIO review: Price & availability

The KEF XIO is a whopping $2,499 from Amazon U.S. and £1,999 from Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks in the U.K..

This is a premium soundbar with premium sound to match. If $2,499 is a little out of your price range but you still want a “best of the best” home cinema setup, I’d recommend checking out the JBL Bar 1300X ($1,799), or the Samsung QS750F ($899).

I’ve also tested the Yamaha True X Surround 90A ($3,499), which is the best Dolby Atmos soundbar I’ve ever reviewed. However, it’s an eye-watering $1,000 more expensive than the KEF XIO, so I’d recommend the XIO over the True X Surround 90A.

KEF XIO review: Design

The KEF XIO is a long, heavy soundbar. You’ll need a 55” TV at minimum, or else it'll look at little odd having such a huge soundbar underneath. I tested it with a 55” Amazon Ember QLED, and it was almost too small. I’d recommend a 60-incher and up.

As you might expect for $2,499, the KEF XIO is fantastically well-made, with a minimalistic yet modern appearance. There’s a nice mesh panel that diffuses sibilant treble and looks stylish, and a control panel on the top of the soundbar. It’s available in black or gray — as you can see from the images, I tested gray — and I have no reservations about recommending it based on looks alone.

The KEF XIO has a subwoofer out (alongside a built-in sub), which you can theoretically connect to any compatible subwoofer. KEF offers the KW2 wireless adaptor, which can wirelessly connect any KEF subwoofer to the XIO and the Connect app. You can also get the KEF KC92 ($2,499) which connects to KEF’s smart system without a separate adaptor.

Controls

The remote is much bigger than Samsung, Bose, and Sony’s soundbar remotes. It’s also much more premium-looking than Bose’s remote. It’s not quite as innovative as Samsung’s new solar-powered remotes, but it still looks and feels great.

You can also use the KEF Connect app as a mobile remote (for certain inputs), which I’ll discuss in detail in the ‘App’ section below.

Features

As soon as I set up the XIO with the KEF Connect app — which was seamless and stress-free, phew — the soundbar automatically calibrated itself for my space. If you have particularly discerning ears, I’d recommend getting a soundbar with this calibration software built-in, like the JBL Bar 1300X, the KEF XIO, or the Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

After inputting room size and soundbar height information into the app, the soundbar adjusted itself using built-in microphones and a gyroscope. This is an essential feature if you’re after “perfect” sound quality.

The XIO offers a range of sound-related features, too. Of course, you’ve got the standard EQs: ‘Dialogue’, ‘Night’, ‘Movie’, and ‘Direct’. I pretty much only listened using ‘Movie’, as dialogue was already clear enough. As you’ll find out soon, the KEF XIO’s sound is astronomically good. I have nothing bad to say about the sound.

KEF XIO review: App

The KEF XIO uses KEF Connect, the app also used for KEF speakers like the LSX II ($1,499). The app is easy enough to use, and connecting to the soundbar itself was instantaneous. Some apps are better than others, though, and I feel Samsung’s SmartThings app has more options and is easier to navigate.

Even so, there’s a ton of customization options in KEF Connect — as long as you’re listening in certain playback modes. Weirdly, customization is not available in TV mode, only Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

This is due to HDMI CEC incompatibility, but I connected the XIO to HDMI eARC in two different TVs and had the same issue. I adjusted both TV settings, reset both TV CEC settings, but still, I was unable to control the soundbar via my phone while watching TV.

This is a major issue for such a premium soundbar — and the main thing holding it back from being a 5-star product.

KEF XIO review: Sound quality

I test every soundbar with “Top Gun: Maverick” on 4K UHD Blu-Ray (and then two extras), TV shows on Netflix, and music on Qobuz via AirPlay.

Movies

The KEF XIO is one of the best soundbars I’ve ever used for movies. I have nothing bad to say about the sound quality here.

During "Top Gun: Maverick", I listened with ‘Movie’ and ‘Dialogue’ EQ, but quickly switched back to ‘Movie’. The soundscape was incredibly wide during the first scene; I could feel the planes flying across the room, I could hear the high-frequency diegetic sound effects like whipping ropes and clinking metals without straining. The groovy bass of ‘Danger Zone’ pounded through the soundbar but let the softer sound effects shine.

Dialogue was clear, even without ‘Dialogue’ mode, even during the radio scenes. Flying scenes sounded outrageously good; the bass rumbled in my chest when the jets took off.

Dolby Atmos performance is utterly fantastic, especially in "Top Gun: Maverick". Every single flying scene had unbeatable height and width, and the planes seemed to fly over my head. I was incredibly impressed with this. For $2,499, you’d hope so — but I’m pleased to report that the soundbar is worth it.

I also watched “How to Train Your Dragon (2025)” and “The Running Man (2025)”. During “How to Train Your Dragon”, the soft footsteps across the mossy ground were audible over the choral OST. In one scene, I could hear diegetic murmured chatter from behind me, while the central characters’ conversation was front and center on the mix. The flying scenes were particularly impressive, with the brass-led soundtrack booming through the soundbar without overpowering the on-screen sounds.

In “The Running Man”, I could hear the static hum of the retro TVs and on-screen lights. High-frequency diegetic sound effects like typing, opening doors, and pinging bullets carried across the soundstage well.

Although this movie didn’t have the opportunity for super impressive Dolby Atmos — unlike "Top Gun: Maverick" — I was still immersed in the sound.

TV

To test standard mix, non-Atmos-mixed sound, I watched TV on Netflix and ITVX (a U.K. TV channel like BBC).

I watched “Yellowjackets” on ITVX, a horror/thriller show. The soundtrack has an eerie, string-heavy, bass-heavy production, and I never struggled to hear dialogue over the OST. All the string instruments were clear, with audible vibration in the notes, and a controlled yet propulsive bass response.

Even in basic 2.0 configuration (ITVX’s output), the show sounded fantastic.

I also watched “Yellowjackets” on Paramount+ on 5.1, and the difference was astounding. On Paramount+, the dialogue was richer and warmer, and the high-frequency sound effects were clearer.

While the KEF XIO performs well even with 2.0 channel output, it really shines with 5.1 and above (obviously).

Music

I would best describe music performance as ‘okay’. No soundbar really excels with music — it’s not what they’re designed to do — but the KEF XIO isn’t particularly bad or good.

‘Genesis’ by Grimes had great treble performance; the synth notes tinkled around the room like a glitch-pop fairy powered by Ableton and hallucinogens. Although I longed for a bit more oomph in the bass, I would have no qualms about listening to music like this while cleaning or cooking.

After, I switched genre to rock and played ‘Unravelling’ by Muse. Again, I wanted a touch more bass, but the vocals and synth arpeggios sounded divine. You won’t be filling any floors with music like this, but, again — it’s a soundbar.

For blockbuster movies, and even standard-defintion TV shows, the KEF XIO is a sure-fire winner. It sounds sublime.

KEF XIO review: Verdict

If you’re willing to overlook potential app connectivity issues — I personally never lean towards downloading ‘smart’ apps, so this is a non-issue for me — then you won’t be disappointed with the KEF XIO. This is a mighty, mighty soundbar. It’d be a great centerpiece of your home cinema setup.

The soundbar has enviable width and height, with unbeatable dialogue clarity and powerful bass that doesn’t overpower subtle high-frequency sound effects. The XIO is everything I want in a soundbar, and I have zero reservations about recommend it.

If you can afford it, the XIO is a formidable sonic beast that will mark its territory fearlessly. Can you get similar enough performance for less? Sure. Will those alternatives make you go “Ooh, that sounds so good”? Probably not. It’s gotta be the KEF XIO.

I’m a big fan of Tribit’s speakers, and the Tribit Strombox Micro 3 has joined the ranks as one of the best Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested. It has seriously excellent audio performance for a variety of genres, EQ customization, and simple controls. On top of that, it’s waterproof, dustproof, and dropproof. The 24-hour battery life is the cherry on top, and it can even be used as a portable charger for your phone in a pinch.

The only downside is that some of the EQ presets, such as ‘Rock’, compress the sound, and you lose the full effect of the wide soundstage.

Some people may not love the basic appearance, but I don’t mind it as I think it fits in any situation.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Specs

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Price & availability

The Tribit StormBox Micro 3 is available to purchase from Amazon for $64 / £62. It comes in three different colors, including black, blue and grayish white. This is the third iteration of Tribit’s StormBox and is only slightly more expensive than the Tribit StormBox Micro 2, which costs $59.

The StormBox Micro 3 is also more expensive than the Tribit PocketGo, which has become my most reliable portable speaker. The PocketGo costs $34 and has huge sound without a huge price tag.

While the StormBox Micro 2 is a cheap offering in the Bluetooth speaker world, there are even cheaper options: The cheapest Bluetooth speaker I’ve tested is the Tozo PE1, which costs $29, but it’s worth spending more for the better bass performance offered by the StormBox Micro 3.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Design

At 4.4 x 4.3 x 1.8 inches and 0.7 pounds, I think the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 is a little big to call itself ‘micro,’ but it’s still small enough to fit nicely into your backpack. It also has a flexible strap on the back so it can be attached to anything with a diameter of under 1.1 inches, such as handlebars on a bike.

It was a lot heavier than I expected, but because it has a magnet inside, it can be mounted to any magnetic surface, which is probably the best way to carry it around.

I tested the black color, which has white buttons and a mesh overlay in front of the speaker. It looks a lot like the previous StormBox Micro speaker, but with more rounded edges, which softens the rugged look.

The speaker has a durability rating of IP68, meaning it is completely waterproof and dustproof. It’s also been military drop-tested up to a height of four feet.

Controls

The controls on the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 are very simple, and since I’ve used Tribit speakers in the past, including the Tribit StormBox Lava ($129) and the Tribit PocketGo, the controls felt very natural to me.

On the side of the speaker, you'll find a power button, a Bluetooth connection button, a BassX EQ preset button, and a TWS (True Wireless Stereo) button for linking speakers.

On top, there are larger buttons for volume, play, and pause. I like that these buttons are big and easily accessible, as they're the ones you'll reach for most.

Connectivity

The Tribit StormBox Micro 3 uses Bluetooth 6.0. The speaker has a connection range of nearly 150 feet, so I was able to walk away from the speaker all the way into my garden without the connection breaking up.

The speaker also has TWS (True Wireless Stereo, not to be confused with True Wireless), which means you can connect multiple speakers together at the same time to create a stereo setup.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Sound quality

For such a small speaker, the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 creates a big sound. I think the speaker’s signature sound with the BassX setting already sounds great, but I got the best sound when using a custom EQ setting.

To test bass performance, I listened to Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy) by The 1975 using the BassX EQ. The punchy bass drives this song, and the speaker did a good job of keeping it controlled. It sounded clean while not overpowering the other components of the song, which still sounded sharp and balanced.

I then turned to the mid-performance of the speaker by listening to Ok Love You Bye by Olivia Dean. This track has a lot of layers that played perfectly with Tribit's signature EQ. The woodwind and brass instruments were very prominent throughout, and the vocals remained strong. I could hear how broad the soundstage is when listening to this song, and I was impressed by the performance.

Finally, I tested out the treble by listening to In Bloom by Neck Deep. This track is very bright with a complex percussion rhythm from the drums. For this track, I made a U-shaped Custom EQ. There were no issues with muddy sounds, and although there’s a lot going on, the instrument separation was excellent.

Overall, I was impressed with the way it played my favorite songs, but I wouldn’t recommend using the EQ presets, as some caused a lot of compression.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: App

The StormBox Micro 3 can be used with the Tribit app, which is available to download for free.

In the app, you’ll find six EQ presets you can choose from, or you can make your own custom EQ settings.

The EQ uses nine bands, so there’s a lot of scope to make changes to the sound to fit your personal preference.

You can also set a sleep timer for automatic shut-off of the speaker, which is pretty useful, as well as see the remaining battery on the speaker.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Battery life

Speaking of battery life, the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 has a rated battery life of 24 hours when used at half volume. This is plenty loud enough for casual listening, but if you’re using the speaker outdoors and need to listen a little louder, the battery will then drain faster.

Still, 24 hours is plenty of battery, and four more hours than you get with the Tribit PocketGo. This battery life is far superior to the JBL Go 5, which only has 10 hours.

Should you find yourself out of juice and in need of a quick boost, just 15 minutes of charging time with the included USB-C cable provides three hours of playback while a full charge takes around two hours.

Just like the Tribit StormBox Lava, the Micro 3 has reverse charging, which means you can use it as a portable charger in a pinch if you need to charge your phone.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3 review: Verdict

Tribit has managed to make me love a budget speaker yet again. It's waterproof, dustproof, and drop-proof, making it an ideal option for anyone who wants to use the speaker outdoors.

Its companion app can be used for EQ customization, and the simple controls make it a breeze to use even without your phone nearby. The 24 hours of battery life mean you can listen all day, and the speaker can even be used as a portable charger in a pinch. But most importantly, the audio performance really is excellent.

For something slightly lighter, you could consider the JBL Clip 5 for $79. This speaker also has a more sturdy clip at the top, rather than a flexible strap. The JBL Go 5 also gives beautiful sound for $54. The UltimateEars Miniroll costs $79 and also has a strap attachment at the back. This speaker is even lighter but is around the same size as the StormBox Micro 3.

For its price, however, the StormBox Micro 3 is tough to beat.

For me, hiking is a form of escapism. Getting out into nature is one of the easiest ways to switch off from the stressors of day-to-day life and reflect on what's happening, or block it out altogether.

But another way I like to unwind is by listening to music. It seems only natural to want to combine the two pastimes.

When I head to a campsite for the weekend, I usually like to bring one of the best Bluetooth speakers with me, like the Tribit PocketGo or the Tribit StormBox Micro 3. And while it can be tempting to take the speaker into the woods to soundtrack a hike, that's probably not the best idea. Here's why.

Sound travels farther than you think

Even though it's just you and your speaker walking the trail, the sound it's making travels a lot farther than you'd think. In an open area, there's not much around to stop the sound from traveling, and not to mention the echo that can be caused by the shape of the landscape.

Many people, including myself, like to sit and listen to the sounds of their surroundings when on their walk. When the sound carries, it can disturb other people on their trail appreciating these sounds — or, worse, disturb the sleeping habits of nocturnal animals.

To combat this, it's best to use some of the best over-ear headphones to keep the listening party private.

Better safe than sorry

This probably goes without saying, but when you're out walking, hiking, or running, you need to stay aware of your surroundings. Depending on the difficulty of the trail, it's important to stay aware of all of the sounds around you.

When you block out environmental sounds, you can miss out on important safety cues like wild animals, falling rocks, or even someone nearby who needs help. Even when listening at lower volumes, it can block out these ambient sounds.

I always think it's best to take in the sounds of nature too. As I mentioned, it helps me clear my mind and can be very good for lowering stress hormones.

A nice compromise here are open earbuds like the Sony LinkBuds Clip, Soundcore AeroClip or Bose Ultra Open. These earbuds let you listen to your music without disturbing nearby wildlife as well as let you keep an ear out for potential danger.

Impact on wildlife

Most importantly, if you care about wild animals' wellbeing, playing music out loud on trails can disrupt local wildlife. This can have a detrimental effect on the entire ecosystem and even lead to entire species being driven out of an area.

It impacts predators and prey in the wild alike, disrupting the food chain in the areas as well as breeding patterns.

The United States government's National Park Service states that sound plays an important role in ecosystems: "Activities such as finding desirable habitat and mates, avoiding predators, protecting young and establishing territories all depend on the acoustical environment."

Many speakers are marketed for use in the outdoors, and they do a good job at projecting sound when outside. If you're at the beach with friends or having a picnic they're great to have on-hand, but we should be mindful about where we use them.

Next time you're on the trail, keep the speaker back at camp and throw on a pair of headphones or open earbuds. Mother Nature will thank you for it.

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The High End audio show is on! I've been at High End Vienna for two days now, and I've seen my fair share of wildly expensive audio gear (it's called High End for a reason), including a $3.8 million speaker system.

Personally, I prefer the more attainable audio gear. With that in mind, I've rounded up a few of my favorite products from the show, from headphones to turntables. These were either launched at the show, or are fairly new and being shown off properly for the first time. Looking for the latest and greatest in audio? I've got you covered.

1. Noble Fokus Artemis

These are without doubt my favorite headphones from this year's show. I spent some time talking to Kai, Noble Audio's Director of Marketing, who ran me through these new cans.

Building on the success of Noble's Apollo over-ears, the Fokus Artemis are designed to appeal to the general user just as much as the public. "We really wanted something that was for the people," Kai said.

The drivers have been tweaked from the Apollo. In fact, there are three in each earcup: a planar magnetic driver, a dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver, to give a much wider spread of sound.

They're super comfortable, IP52-rated, feature a replaceable battery and can be tweaked with a 5-band parametric EQ via a companion app. The EQ data is also stored on the headphones, so you can theoretically delete the app and your custom EQ will still run.

The best part is that they can utilize an automatic EQ that can compensate for hearing loss. So, if you have a hearing imbalance, the EQ will automatically adjust per side to ensure the sound is balanced. Very cool.

The Fokus Artemis will cost $899 / £799 at Noble Audio and will start shipping in July.

2. Meze Arta

Another set of cans, albeit a lot more pricey: Meze Audio has launched the ARTA, which I got to try out at High End. These things are utterly exquisite — something that applies to all Meze gear, even my "budget" Meze 105 AER.

The ARTA are open-back, planar magnetic beasts that just exude luxury with their gorgeous art nouveau design. The sound profile is exceptionally clean, with as much detail as you could ask for. They're warm, though, and aren't lacking in bass when you want it.

There are a couple of issues, however. Firstly, there's the price. Top-tier Meze gear never comes cheap, and the ARTA are no exception. You'll need a cool $6,000 to get your hands on them. These cans have a very high resistance of 225-ohms, too, making them extremely tricky to drive — so add on the price of upgrading your DAC/amp.

Stay tuned to Meze's official channels for estimated shipping timelines.

3. Kanto OBI3

Alright, this one was known about before High End, but I got to see Kanto's new budget turntable, the OBI3, and even talk to the guy who designed it!

The cheap, entry-level turntable market has plenty of options, but when you dig a little deeper, you'll find that most are all the same, kinda crappy units, reskinned, rebadged and repackaged.

Kanto set out to make its own turntable for the budget market that was built by them, not someone else. It uses an Audio Technica 3600L cartridge and costs $199, meaning newcomers to vinyl can grab a turntable and a budget speaker, like Kanto's $349 YU, for around $550. Not bad.

4. Ruark R710

"The world is crying out for CD players," said Ruark's Design Manager, Jan Paoli, during the launch of the Ruark R710 media console at High End.

British high-end (but attainable) hi-fi manufacturer Ruark has been making radios and CD players for a long time, which is rather fortuitous given the (re)rising popularity of CDs right now.

The R710 is a music console, delivering 200W of power per channel and offering a wealth of connectivity options, including wireless stmreaing via Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Qobuz connect.

It offers hi-res streaming up to 32-bit/192kHz, features a phono stage for hooking up turntables, and is designed to be used with the new Ruark Talisman-R floor speakers — which I was treated to a demo of, and which sound utterly lovely, with a warm-but-detailed hi-fi sound.

The R710 will go on sale in September at £2,200, while the Talisman-R speakers will follow shortly afterwards in October, priced at £1,500. They'll be available in the U.S., although pricing has yet to be confirmed.

5. iFi GR2

"A Hip-Dac 3 on steroids." That's how iFi's engineers described the new iFi GR2, and it's spot on. I own an iFi Hip-Dac 3, and love it, but the GR2 is a whole different beast.

Delivering 1,513mW of power, or 2,173mW in its max power mode, the GR2 is intended to be a pocketable powerhouse for hard-to-drive headphones.

Admittedly, it probably won't power the Meze ARTA above, but otherwise there aren't many headphones it can't drive, according to the engineers.

The GR2 takes what I love about the Hip-Dac 3 — its portability and simplicity of use — beefs it up with a touch screen, and adds more power.

In addition to iFi's Xbass mode, the GR2 also has an Xspace mode, which increases the width and spaciousness of sound. It worked extremely well in the ultra-spatial "Antigravity" by Sohn.

The GR2 will cost $529, can be pre-ordered now, and is expected to start shipping in July 2026.

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It isn't often that I come across a product that makes me say, "Damn, I want to keep that on my desk forever."

That very thing happened last week, when I tested the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2, one of the best Bluetooth speakers around. I took one look at it and said, "Mine! Mine!" like the seagulls from Finding Nemo.

Up until that point, I was using the JBL Go 5 to blast my favorite tunes, but now, I'm not sure I want to go back to the JBL — for a few good reasons.

JBL is arguably one of the biggest names in the audio sphere and when it comes to pure, full-bodied sound, the Go 5 upstages the Retro Cube 2.

8BitDo, on the other hand, is known for making retro-looking gaming and computing peripherals, and isn't a big player in the audio world.

So why do I still want to stick with the Retro Cube 2? Allow me to tell you why.

A 10/10 NES-inspired design

When it comes to design, the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 is easily the winner. Sure, the JBL Go 5 looks sleek and attractive, and doesn't draw eyeballs, but does it have an NES-inspired design? D-pad-style controls? A charging dock that's good-looking and practical? No, but the Retro Cube 2 does.

The Retro Cube 2's design is inspired by the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and it comes in a combination of beige, red and black. It looks utterly fantastic, and it's the cutest, quirkiest speaker I've tested so far. If you have an 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, there's no better speaker to complement it.

Unlike any other speaker I've used, it comes with a charging dock so you can keep the speaker powered at all times. What's more, the charging dock has a slot for the Retro Cube 2's 2.4GHz dongle so that you don't lose it — neat!

But perhaps my favorite stylistic choice on the Retro Cube 2 is its D-pad-like buttons to control playback. They give great tactile feedback when pressed, and given how much fun they are to press, it's like having a fidget toy and speaker all-in-one.

The best part? When you power on the speaker, it sings, “8BitDooooo.” Does the Go 5 do that? No way.

The Go 5 naturally has a couple of aces up its sleeve — waterproofing and a rugged design, as well as better Bluetooth connectivity and support for advanced codecs. But given just how lovely the Retro Cube 2 looks, I'm OK living without them.

All-day listening? Yes, please

One of the key differences between the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 and the JBL Go 5 is the battery life — and truth be told, it isn't even close.

The Go 5 is rated for just 10 hours, while the Retro Cube 2 achieves thrice that. At 30 hours, the Retro Cube 2 lasts a long, long time, and as it comes with a charging dock, you can keep it powered on at all times.

Question is, would you want to listen to music through the Retro Cube 2 all day long? Yes and no. Given that JBL dominates the audio space, it's not surprising that it sounds better than the Retro Cube 2 — but that doesn't mean the Retro Cube 2 is all bad. Treble is crisp and shiny without overpowering the rest of the soundstage, while the midrange is refined and tuned to make songs sound spacious.

The only real complaint I have with the Retro Cube 2's sound profile is the bass, which sounds muted. It's true that small speakers struggle to reproduce powerful bass, but the Go 5 does just that. The bass packs plenty of low-end impact on the Go 5, which feels non-existent on the Retro Cube 2. And as someone whose favorite bit of a song is the bass, the Retro Cube 2 left me wanting more.

You can read my in-depth sound quality analysis in my full 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review.

The price is right

Given everything I've said so far, I think it's pretty clear that I adore the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2. It looks fantastic, it sounds almost great, and it can comfortably last an all-day listening session. In fact, because of how beautiful it looks, the Retro Cube 2 has earned a permanent spot on my desk. Unlike most products that I promptly box up when I'm done testing them, the Retro Cube 2 is here to stay.

And the price is just right. The Retro Cube 2 is available for just $49 / £39 at Amazon, making it an affordable and attractive speaker-cum-centerpiece package. As I write this, I'm listening to Lana Del Rey on the Retro Cube 2, and playing with those outstanding D-pad buttons.

Don't know about you, but I love my 🎶 8BitDooooo 🎶.

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The world of soundbars has gotten a whole lot better over the past few years. The likes of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 have made it easier to get Dolby Atmos and a reasonably vibrant sound without having to spend thousands of dollars. Sony's take on this is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6.

The Theatre Bar 6 is designed for those who want to cut out the fuss of improving their living room audio. Sure, it doesn't have fancy features like rear speakers, but it still comes with a wireless subwoofer for improved bass, and you can often find it for less than $600. That said, it's lacking some features that some of the best soundbars offer.

Is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 worth buying, or should you look elsewhere for Atmos? I tested the Bravia Theater 6 Bar to find out.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A compact Dolby Atmos soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer
• Who is it for? Folks who want to cut out the fuss of improving their living room audio.
• What does it cost? $699 / £449
• What do we like? Its sleek design and inclusion of a wireless subwoofer
• What don’t we like? The Bar 6 leaves a lot to be desired in the low end and it’s missing wireless features like AirPlay 2.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Price and availability

Sony offers the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 at $699 or £449, which puts it squarely in mid-range territory — comfortably above the budget options, but also far below the high-end alternatives, including some of the options in Sony's lineup.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Design

As a mid-range soundbar, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is pretty no-fuss in terms of design and setup. It’s a sleek black bar that measures 37.5 inches wide, 2.6 inches high, and 4.4 inches deep. That's bigger than some of the ultra-compact soundbar models out there, but also more compact than larger models like the Sonos Arc Ultra. It was able to fit between the legs of a 65-inch TV that I tested it with, but only just, and if your TV is smaller, or even if you have a model with narrower leg placement, you might need to move the soundbar in front of those legs instead of between them.

Sony actually includes a set of detachable feet that are designed to sit on the legs of some of its Bravia TVs, which is a nice touch for those in Sony's ecosystem.

On the top of the soundbar are small windows for the up-firing speakers, while the rest of the speakers' drivers fire out towards the front and sides. The front corners are rounded while the back corners are sharper, which is a nice design touch. On the back you'll find HDMI and optical ports, but that's it, apart from a power input. There’s only one HDMI port — so no HDMI passthrough.

The subwoofer offers a similar build quality and overall look to the soundbar, made from the same materials and in the same color. It is a little larger than the subwoofer that comes with some soundbars, but not overly so, measuring 8.31inches wide, 15.31 inches high, and 16.94 inches deep. You'll want to think about where you want to place it in your living room, though.

Last but not least is the remote, which is very simple. It's small and offers controls for power, input, volume, bass volume, night mode, and mute. If you connect your soundbar through HDMI eARC, you probably won't need to use the included remote all that much, as you'll be able to change volume using your TV's remote. But if you do prefer a separate remote for the soundbar, you'll get one, which is nice.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Setup

Setting everything up is incredibly easy. All you do is plug the power in and connect the HDMI port to your TV's HDMI eARC port. If you're using a compatible Sony Bravia TV, it'll detect and connect to it right away, but even if not, when connected through HDMI eARC, your TV should know to output audio to the soundbar.

Setting up the subwoofer is very easy too. All you have to do is plug it in and the soundbar should automatically connect to it without you actually having to do anything.

Once you've connected the soundbar to your TV, you'll want to connect it to the app, and this is very easy as well. You don't even actually have to create an account if you don't want to, though doing so will give you additional controls and features. After you download the Sony Bravia Connect app, you'll be walked through connecting the soundbar to the app through Bluetooth, which took me under one minute, as the app can automatically detect the soundbar and initiate a connection.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Connectivity and controls

One area where the Theatre Bar 6 doesn't quite match up to the competition is in connectivity. Of course, the main way to connect the soundbar is through HDMI eARC — which is how most soundbars connect to TVs these days.

Where it's lacking is in additional connectivity. There's no 3.5mm port for connecting something like a phone through a wired connection. Plus, if you want to connect your phone wirelessly, you're stuck with Bluetooth 5.3 and not a Wi-Fi-based standard like Apple's AirPlay 2 or Google Cast.

Wi-Fi-based connectivity is an area where budget soundbars often compromise, but there are plenty of options in this price range like the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which does have more advanced wireless connectivity for those who want to integrate their soundbar with a multi-room setup. In other words, if you're looking for a soundbar that will work with other speakers for whole-home audio, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 probably isn't the soundbar for you.

The app in general is pretty bare bones, and that means that you won't get a ton of customization options. You will get controls for things like standby modes and DSEE, but you won't get an EQ that you can use to more finely tune the audio. That's a little disappointing.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Performance

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 offers a 3.1.2 channel configuration, which includes three front-firing drivers coupled with two up-firing drivers and a wireless subwoofer for the low end. Those up-firing drivers allow it to support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which isn't necessarily a given in this price range, but also not uncommon.

I found the overall audio response to be quite good. The drivers and their placement made for an immersive sound overall, including for both music and movies. The soundstage was decently wide when listening to music, and while you can certainly get more immersion from systems with rear speakers, I found the height effect on offer by the Theatre Bar 6 to be better than expected for a mid-range soundbar. It helped make the sound effects in Avengers: Endgame more immersive than they otherwise would be, especially when it came to some of the higher-frequency effects during the final fight scene.

Now, to be clear, the height effect that you'll get on the Theatre Bar 6 isn't perfect — and it's not necessarily ultra-convincing when it comes to hearing specific elements in the mix, but you do at least get some immersion from the soundbar when watching movies in Dolby Atmos. In other words, while it definitely adds a sense of height to the mix, it doesn’t quite separate out those elements in a way that might allow you to pinpoint exactly what you’re hearing in those height channels – especially in dense mixes, like the aforementioned final scene in Avengers: Endgame.

The subwoofer definitely helps allow the system to produce deep frequencies compared to systems that don't come with a subwoofer, but I wouldn't say it's the most powerful subwoofer out there, despite its somewhat large size. It can get reasonably loud, but its frequency range is a little limited, meaning that it can sound a little muddy and overly boosted in the low mids and upper bass rather than extending deep into the bass spectrum. That’s especially true in already bass-heavy tracks, like Kendrick Lamar’s Loyalty, in which the bass somewhat overpowered other elements in the track.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Verdict

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is a well-built, decently compact soundbar with a solid audio response overall. It offers good spatial audio for the price, and it's nice that it comes with a subwoofer at all, when plenty of others at this price point don't. That said, the subwoofer leaves a lot to be desired in the low end, and the high frequencies aren't as crisp as I would have liked. On top of that, the soundbar is missing wireless features like AirPlay 2, limiting how much it can integrate with the rest of your speaker ecosystem.

Those things don't mean it's not worth consideration — it just depends what your priorities are. If you want a no-fuss soundbar and don't care much about getting something with Wi-Fi connectivity that can support, then the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is actually a pretty compelling option. But, if you want more in the way of features, and a slightly better-rounded audio response, then something like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is worth going for instead — especially as it allows you to add a subwoofer down the line anyway.

I’ve tested many of the best Bluetooth speakers in my time, but most of them look either the same or they sport bland or uninventive design. Not the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2. It’s the cutest, quirkiest speaker you can buy today, and not for a lot of money as it costs just $49. An NES-inspired design and D-pad-style buttons make the Retro Cube 2 a joy to look at and use.

In addition to its simply fantastic design, the Retro Cube 2 boasts long battery life with up to 30 hours of playback time. It comes with a practical wireless charging dock too. Sound quality is great, with treble that shines and strong dynamics. However, given the speaker’s size and limited frequency response, the bass is a little lacking. It isn’t waterproof either, and its underbaked companion app doesn’t do it any favors.

Should you still buy it? Read my full 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review to find out.

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Specs

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Price & availability

The 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 is the successor to the first-gen speaker, which first came out in 2019. The 2026 iteration is priced similarly, and is available for $49 / £39 at Amazon. It’s available in one color only, at the time of writing: N Edition, which is a combination of beige, red and black.

If it’s a budget Bluetooth speaker you’re after, the Retro Cube 2 is perfect for you. It’s cheaper than the JBL Go 5 ($54) and the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 ($64). It’s a little pricier than the Tribit StormBox Mini+ ($39) and the Tozo PE1 ($39) but it’s still in the same ballpark. So, why should you buy the Retro Cube 2 from a brand that isn’t as well-known for audio gear as it is for its retro-style peripherals? The design and long battery life, for starters, and we’ll get into the details next.

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Design

I’ve tested a lot of Bluetooth speakers in my time, but I’ve never seen one as cute as the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2. Sporting a design inspired by the NES, the Retro Cube 2 fits right in with the brand’s other retro-style products. If you own the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard like I do, or the 8BitDo 64 N64-styled gamepad, the Retro Cube 2 is the perfect accompaniment, thanks to its beige, red and black colors.

The Retro Cube 2 is, as the name suggests, a cube. Four red speaker grilles are located on each face, and the top of the cube hosts the D-pad physical buttons, which I’ll talk about shortly. With subtle branding, the Retro Cube 2 is minimalist and good-looking, and is sure to draw eyeballs (in a good way). There’s no flashy RGB lighting, which I like, and the only bits that light up are the setting indicators on the top.

It’s quite small too, measuring just 3.47 x 3.45 x 3.45 inches. The Retro Cube 2 weighs 15.87oz so it’s a little heavier than the JBL Go 5 (8.16oz), but lighter than the Tribit StormBox Mini+ (19.2oz). A wireless charging dock is included in the box so you can keep the speaker powered at all times. Both the speaker and the dock host grippy rubbers to keep them from being unintentionally knocked about.

Weatherproofing

8BitDo doesn’t specify an IP rating for the Retro Cube 2, so it isn’t waterproof or dustproof. Given that this speaker is designed for indoor use, this isn’t a massive drawback, but something to keep in mind before you choose to take it outdoors, or use it in the shower. For a rugged waterproof speaker, I’d recommend the JBL Go 5 (IP68) or the Tribit StormBox Mini+ (IPX7).

Controls

The playback controls are in the form of an NES D-pad, and are unlike any other buttons you may have seen on other speakers. The four physical buttons enable you to adjust the volume, play/pause playback, and initiate Bluetooth pairing. All buttons give great tactile feedback when pressed.

To add to the speaker’s quirkiness, when you press the power button to, well, power on the speaker, the speaker sings, “8BitDooooo.” 10/10, no notes.

Connectivity

The Retro Cube 2 utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the standard SBC codec. There’s no AAC or LC3, like on the JBL Go 5. You do get multipoint connectivity, though, so you can connect two devices simultaneously. I did this with my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and my MacBook Air M2 and it worked seamlessly.

In addition to Bluetooth, the Retro Cube 2 comes with a 2.4GHz dongle for virtually lag-free audio in games and music. The dongle can be stored in a slot located on the charging dock’s underside, which is a neat feature as it keeps it from getting lost. There’s wired playback too, via the USB-C port located around the back.

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Sound quality

If you want a speaker to soundtrack your workday, gaming session, or an intimate dinner party, the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 is up to the challenge. It has a power output of 10W (5W x 2) and covers a frequency response range of 125Hz to 15KHz. Given that it goes down to just 125Hz, the sub-bass and bass in general are a little lacking, but I’ll talk about that later. Good things first.

To test the Retro Cube 2, I listened to my usual selection of testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res, over Bluetooth. I kicked things off with ‘One Inch Punch’ by Yin Yin. This track highlighted the Retro Cube 2’s treble clarity, as the song’s bright surf-guitar riffs, crisp hi-hats and intricate percussion came through with plenty of energy and definition. The track sounded lively and the guitar notes cut cleanly through the mix, while percussion retained its texture without becoming harsh.

The Retro Cube 2 features a surprisingly capable midrange too. Lana Del Rey’s vocals in ‘Taco Truck x VB’ sat front and centre, sounding clear, intimate and well-defined which allowed the emotional nuances in her performance to come through effortlessly. The guitars blended smoothly without becoming congested, and the Retro Cube 2 lent the midrange elements a natural warmth that flattered the song’s laid-back, hazy production style.

But the only disappointing bit about the Retro Cube 2 is its limited bass capabilities — something commonplace in small speakers. I played ‘No Chances’ by Twenty One Pilots to test the speaker’s bass extension. While the track’s ominous low-end pulse and deep synth bass were present, they lacked the weight and physical impact that lend the song much of its tension — something you won’t experience when listening to it through the JBL Go 5. The song’s cinematic foundation, then, felt noticeably reduced, and while the kickdrums had definition, they didn’t hit with the chest-thumping force the song demands.

Overall, the Retro Cube 2 performs well but doesn’t provide a sound as full as the JBL Go 5, so if you want powerful bass, you may want to consider the JBL instead. But if cute looks matter more to you, then the Retro Cube 2 is a no-brainer.

Listen along to my review with the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 testing playlist:

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: App

The 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 doesn’t have a mobile companion app, so you can’t customize the speaker on the fly. Well, you can’t customize the speaker full stop. While the Retro Cube 2 is compatible with the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 macOS and Windows app, the only thing you can do is update the speaker’s firmware.

This means that there’s no custom EQ or way to remap the buttons. If you want customizable EQ, I’d recommend spending a little extra on the JBL Go 5, or getting the cheaper Tribit StormBox Mini+.

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Battery life

One of the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2’s biggest selling points is its long battery life, which is class-leading. 8BitDo says that the speaker can last up to 30 hours, and can go from zero to 100% in three hours. In my testing, the Retro Cube 2 ran out of battery around the 29th hour mark when it was playing at 50% volume.

The Retro Cube 2 outclasses most other speakers in its weight class. The JBL Go 5 offers a maximum playtime of 10 hours, while the Tribit StormBox Mini+ can last up to 12 hours. The Tozo PE1 has a rated battery life of 32 hours at low volume, and we found that it drained really quickly at high volumes. Given that, the Retro Cube 2 is your best option in the battery life department.

Unlike any other tiny Bluetooth speaker I’ve tested, the Retro Cube 2 comes with a wireless charging dock to keep it powered at all times.

8BitDo Retro Cube 2 review: Verdict

Few Bluetooth speakers are as attractive as the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2. This cute little thing sports an NES-inspired design that’s sure to impress retro gamers. Its D-pad-style buttons not only give good tactile feedback when pressed, but they add to the Retro Cube 2’s charm too. Throw in 30 hours of battery life and a wireless charging dock with dongle storage and you’ve got yourself a winner.

But how does it sound? The Retro Cube 2 boasts great sound dynamics with the ability to make the treble sparkle. However, the bass is a little lacking, given that the speaker doesn’t have a wide frequency response range. It doesn’t have a custom EQ either, and it isn’t waterproof.

Should those drawbacks stop you from getting the Retro Cube 2? Depends on what you’re after. If you want a full-bodied sound, the JBL Go 5 is clearly the superior option. But if you want a $49 speaker that makes for a great addition to your setup, or as a coffee table centerpiece, the Retro Cube 2 is sure to please you. Its retro aesthetics have won me over, and it's become a permanent fixture on my desk. I’m vibing to the “8BitDoooo” startup sound.

In October 2025, Google teased its next Google Home speaker, but declined to provide any release or pricing details. However, thanks to new listings on Best Buy we may have both.

The original Google Home speaker released in 2020, which we described as great if you're in the Google system, but it lacked key features compared to competitors. The new version makes an aesthetic leap that appears more similar to the Apple HomePod Mini and the Echo Dot.

We found a Best Buy listing for the Google Home speaker that reveals a price of $99. It also appears to come in four colors: berry, hazel, jade and porcelain.

The new speaker is "engineered for Gemini," which includes Gemini Live. This version would be able to control your smart home, set up automations and play media. Apparently, it will also be able to detect sounds like alarms going off and breaking glass — responding by sending alerts to your phone.

Earlier today, the Canadian version of Best Buy listed a release date of June 25, 2026. It appears that was a mistake since that information has been scrubbed from the listing as of this writing. Both listings now say "coming Spring 2026."

How it compares to the HomePod mini and Echo Dot

Apple is expected to launch new Gemini/Siri-powered versions of its HomePod devices later this year at which point this comparison will have to change.

Right now, the HomePod mini costs $99. By comparison, the newest model of the Echo Dot costs $49. Though unlike the HomePod and Google's speaker, it comes in a variety of versions including kids and sports-themed ones that have slightly higher prices but still not $100. The larger Echo Dot Max is $99 and works great with Alexa+ but isn't really that much of an upgrade over the Dot.

We took an in-depth look at the Echo versus the HomePod mini and the current Google Nest Audio in October last year. Check out for more concrete details.

Simply, the Echo combined with Alexa Plus works great with Amazon devices like the Ring Doorbell. The audio is a downfall but good enough.

The HomePod mini, meanwhile, has easy setup isn't as compatible with smart devices. The juice is in the sound, which is excellent. The issue is that Apple doesn't have as robust a smart home ecosystem like Google and Amazon, though that is something Apple reportedly wants to change.

Once Google does release its new Home speaker, we'll give it a full test to see how it stacks up. Hopefully, we'll actually have it in our hands at the end of June.

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LG Sound Suite — a new blend of LG audio hardware and Dolby FlexConnect software — blew me away at CES when I saw it in early January. The technology, though still in its infancy, is going to change the way we think about surround sound as it allows you to place speakers anywhere in your room and get calibrated spatial audio sound tuned to wherever you want to sit.

Part and parcel of the technology is the LG Sound Suite H7 Soundbar. Technically, it’s possible to run the Sound Suite software through an LG C5, G5 OLED or one of LG’s new 2026 TVs, but this soundbar enables any TV with an eARC port to partake in FlexConnect’s … well, flexibility.

As the brains behind the brawn of LG’s new platform, the H7 has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, this best soundbar competitor itself isn’t quite as versatile as the technology driving it. Here’s why.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A Dolby Atmos soundbar that can connect wirelessly to up to four FlexConnect speakers and a subwoofer
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for an alternative to Sonos or Samsung’s all-in-one audio boxes
• What does it cost? $999 / £899
• What do we like? The FlexConnect integration enables you to set up surround speakers anywhere in your room
• What don’t we like? The aforementioned surround speakers don’t come in the box and will set you back an additional $249 apiece

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Price and release date

The LG Sound Suite H7 is one of those rare products that gets announced at CES in early January and then becomes available to buy shortly after the show ends; it went on sale in mid-January 2026 at a launch price of $999 at Best Buy and Amazon.

Of course, if you only buy the soundbar, you’re not really getting Sound Suite’s full functionality — you’ll at least need a few of the Sound Suite M5 or M7 Speakers to go with it. Those will set you back an additional $249 or $399, respectively. Finally, if you want to add a subwoofer to the mix, you’re looking at an additional $599 for the Sound Suite W7 sub.

If you went all-in on a full Sound Suite system, you’re looking at around $3,200 — much more than it would cost for a comparable Dolby Atmos system if you build it piecemeal.

This is similar, in some ways, to how a Sonos system works. You’d start by buying the Sonos Arc Ultra for close to $1,000, then you’d tack on a Sonos Sub Mini ($399), a pair of Sonos Era 300 ($379 apiece) or both. You’ll get a more robust sound that way, but you can see where LG got its Sound Suite pricing model from.

Your other option for a similar setup would be the Samsung HW-Q990F, an 11.1.4 system-in-a-box that includes a subwoofer and two satellite speakers for $1,800. This is the cheaper option, but will offer less flexibility in speaker placement than LG’s new Sound Suite system.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Design and controls

LG designed the Sound Suite H7 as a 9.1.6-channel soundbar; it’s impressive that LG managed to cram 12 speakers and eight passive radiators into the soundbar’s 47.2 x 2.5 x 5.6 inch chassis. There’s not enough room between those speakers to truly feel like distinct channels — an issue I’ll cover more when we talk about its performance — but it certainly packs a punch.

Spin it around to the backside and you’ll see the port…er, ports, technically because there are two of them. Only two of them. There’s the HDMI-In port that you’ll connect via a cable to the TV and a USB 3.0 port that can be used to host local media.

There are no other ports here. No optical audio (likely omitted because Dolby Atmos requires an eARC connection) or HDMI passthrough ports. The latter is unfortunate, as it means you’re going to lose a port on your TV without any form of recompense and it’s something we see often on rival soundbars.

For better and worse, every connection besides the TV is wireless. The satellite speakers and subwoofer connect cable-free, and music playback comes courtesy of AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. There's even Bluetooth for more old-school wireless connections. Unfortunately, wireless connectivity on board the H7 isn't always the most stable, which creates issues.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Features

The reason you’d buy an LG Sound Suite speaker instead of, say, something from Sonos or Samsung, is for its Dolby FlexConnect features. The ability to place speakers anywhere in the room and have them play perfectly attuned spatial audio never fails to impress me.

Of course, even better than simply having a room that’s set up for spatial audio is having a central “sweet spot” where you get the best sound possible. LG has enabled this through a technology it’s calling Sound Follow, and it’s like having a calibrator on-call 24/7. Sitting in the sweet spot had audible advantages to sitting on the periphery of the system, and became a spot everyone in the house would race towards when we sat down to watch a movie.

When it comes to wireless playback, the H7 supports Bluetooth connectivity alongside Apple AirPlay2 and Google Cast. If you want to get really fancy, there’s also Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect supported right out of the box as well.

Of course, LG’s ThinQ app is the bridge between you and the soundbar. This is the place you’ll go to get the speakers connected to your Wi-Fi network and, eventually, paired together. There’s not a lot of functionality in the app, but it’s here you’ll find the all-important Sound Follow feature. If you ever need to change the Wi-Fi settings, you’ll come back to the app to do that, but otherwise I didn’t find myself using it all that often.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Sound quality

As a standalone soundbar, I wasn’t wildly impressed with the H7 — it’s loud but not well-rounded. But pairing it up with the M7 speakers was a totally different experience.

My biggest issue with multi-channel performance — and this applied whether I was watching a movie or listening to music — is that the speakers would sometimes drop the connection. Each speaker requires its own internet connection, and that can lead to just one of them dropping out. They’d usually re-connect within a few seconds, but it wasn’t the best user experience.

Movies

To see how it fared with movies, I loaded up the Dolby Atmos-enabled “Inside Out 2” on Disney Plus. This film is not only a visual treat — and absolutely heartwarming — but it’s got a great audio track that’s perfect for speaker testing.

I noticed right away that, on its own, the H7 couldn’t convey convincing Dolby Atmos. That’s not uncommon on unibody soundbars, but it was slightly more painful given the price. Dialogue was mixed, with some scenes having extremely easy to hear conversations, while other scenes required me to turn up the volume to hear what was being said.

Without a subwoofer, I didn’t get a lot of low-end extension, but again, this isn’t uncommon for a unibody soundbar. Still, musical swells in the movie’s main theme and certain action sequences (pretty much anytime there was hockey involved) all sounded great.

Music

As with movie soundtracks, bass frequencies can get lost while listening to standard two-channel albums — but thankfully, the soundstage is fairly wide thanks to those 12 speakers and eight passive radiators. Placing instruments in their exact locations was a struggle, but live albums like David Gilmour’s “Live at Pompeii” felt truly immersive. This is the first time I’ve heard a live album on a soundbar system and walked away impressed.

Studio albums like The Format’s new “Boycott Heaven” also leaned into the soundbar’s strengths — Nate Ruess’ impressive vocal range sounded excellent across the board.

Overall, the H7’s performance is a lot like Ruess’ former band — exciting and dynamic, but just missing that special something that we’ve seen in the Sonos Arc Ultra.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Verdict

The LG Sound Suite H7 is the start of something big. I’m still genuinely amazed by Dolby Atmos FlexConnect and LG’s implementation of the technology, despite the connectivity issues I faced. This is the first time I’ve ever wanted to use a soundbar for a live album instead of my stereo speakers. That’s a massive achievement.

Problematically, however, the soundbar is a bit rich. At a lower price or in a total package that includes all the speakers and a subwoofer for under $1,800, the H7 and its Sound Suite stablemates would be an easier recommendation. But the fact that you can get a whole surround system in the form of the Samsung HW-Q990F for a fraction of the cost makes it a lukewarm deal in a hotbed of competition.

Once it drops down in price, I’ll be more forgiving of its shortcomings and I’m very much looking forward to seeing FlexConnect blossom in the next few years.

I test audio gear for a living, and that means I get my hands on some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market. But in the hours I spend testing these speakers, there are only a few that I keep going back to.

And these top choice speakers are the proof you need that you don't need to spend big bucks to get awesome sound because they're all on sale. In fact, the priciest one is just $111.

All of these speakers have impressive battery life, durability protection for the outdoors, and most importantly, impressive sound. So without further ado, these are the speakers I'll be reaching for all summer long.

• Tribit PocketGo: was $29 now $19 at Amazon
• Marshall Willen II: was $129 now $89 at Amazon
• Tribit Stormbox Lava: was $139 now $111 at Amazon

Tribit PocketGo

The Tribit PocketGo is a speaker I use almost daily, and it comes absolutely everywhere with me. In fact, it's coming on vacation with me next week so I can listen to my favorite tracks by the pool. And I don't even have to worry about it getting wet because it has an impressive durability rating of IP68.

This sub-$30 speaker is nothing short of impressive. It sounds like it should be triple its size when it measures just 4.3 x 3.2 x 1.7 inches. But the 20 hours of battery life are what really win me over. Even at the highest volumes, the battery lasts me days at a time, although this will depend on your own listening habits.

Marshall Willen II

This is the speaker I get out when I want to show off a little. The Marshall Willen II is the sleek answer to the world of portable Bluetooth speakers, and it's not hard to see why. Just look at it.

It's compact, measuring 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.7 inches, and is as light as a feather, weighing just 0.79 lbs. It's has 17 hours of battery to soundtrack your whole day outdoors without needing to worry about a charger, and the durability rating of IP67 means that the speaker can withstand rain or shine.

Tribit Stormbox Lava

Another choice from Tribit, but it's for good reason — the Tribit Stormbox Lava provides incredible ground-shaking bass. This is the speaker that I used almost every single day in my backyard last summer, and it was the perfect addition to every barbecue, bonfire and sunbathing session.

The 24 hours of battery keep me company all day long, and just like the PocketGo, it's waterproof and dustproof, so there's no need to worry about any spontaneous rain. You can also use stereo pairing with this speaker, but you'll need to purchase two of them.

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Marshall might be making waves with its audio products like the Marshall Milton ANC, but it’s not the only instrument maker-turned-electronics manufacturer in town — the Fender brand also has a new suite of Bluetooth speakers that allows you to take your music (and guitars) anywhere and everywhere you want to go.

The most affordable entry in the two-piece ensemble is the ELIE 6, a $299 portable Bluetooth speaker that was developed by the Fender Audio team. It features a quarter-inch XLR port for music instruments, which I’ve been using with my Ibanez bass.

Is $300 a bit too much to spend on a portable Bluetooth speaker when you can get louder, more competent models like the LG Xboom Grab and Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for half the price? Yeah, probably. But having a portable speaker that doubles as an amp is certainly handy for vagabonding musicians looking to take their music on the road.

It's a decent little Bluetooth speaker

Although it doubles as an amp, the ELIE 6 is a Bluetooth speaker first and foremost — and it does a competent job in this role. It doesn’t bring the wall-shaking party the same way the JBL Xtreme 4 does, nor does it have the Sony Ult Field 5’s lightshow, but the sound profile is refined and relatively bassy.

In terms of size, it's not all that big. It's only 7.7 x 4.8 x 4.1 inches, so it's easy to throw in a bag.

To put it through its paces, I used my usual speaker testing playlist that includes songs from Paramore, Eminem, Jimi Hendrix and John Williams.

By and large, the highs and mids are clear and precise at a moderate volume level and only begin to distort as you push it to 11... I mean full volume. (Sadly there's no actual 11...)

It's bass levels that are very underserved in this speaker, though it's not for a lack of trying. There's a woofer at the bottom of the speaker that does its best to produce low-end frequencies, but the small form factor prevents it from reaching any form of meaty sub-bass.

If you want to double your output, you can sync up a second ELIE 6 speaker in either stereo, or round up a whole group of speakers if you want to turn your garage into a Guitar Center.

Personally, the ELIE 6 isn't going to replace my critical listening open-back headphones anytime in the near future, but for small gatherings, it's perfect.

A portable amp you'll want to bring everywhere

Whatever you feel about the speaker's sound quality, it's not the whole reason to buy an ELIE 6. You're choosing it over the competition because it doubles as a portable amplifier.

Now, I’ve never been a road musician, but I’ve carried my fair share of amps for friends and my older brother. Compared to schlepping a traditional 40-pound amplifier around, however, moving the 4-pound ELIE 6 around is a breeze.

Connecting my Ibanez bass was as simple as plugging in the jack, and volume is controlled by the knob on the right of the controls.

I was able to play a few renditions of my favorite Red Hot Chili Pepper songs, and the sound quality was good. Again, there was no floor-shaking rumble to it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the amp likely serves guitarists better than bassists.

Overall, the ELIE 6 is the perfect size and volume level take outside to a park and play for some friends.

Is the Fender ELIE 6 worth $300?

There is a very specific kind of person out there that's going to love this speaker.

It's not the person who wants crystalline-clear sound quality. It's not the person who wants all-day battery life. (Fender says the ELIE 6 is good for about 18 hours of playback, which felt right given my two days of testing.) But it's very appealing for someone who just wants one speaker that doubles as a Bluetooth device and an amp.

If that's you, rock on. Fender Audio's got you covered.

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Here at Tom's Guide, we're committed to helping you upgrade your life for less by finding gadgets that can make everything a little easier without breaking the bank. And that includes making sure you have the best Bluetooth speaker on hand for summer parties and personal listening.

If you haven't already, now's the time to get your hands on an audio upgrade for the summer, and I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be from one of the most expensive brands like Sonos or Bose. You can find decent audio performance for well under $100; you just have to know where to look.

One of my top recommendations for this summer is the Edifier ES20, which is currently on sale at Amazon for $69. It's small but mighty, and is a perfect option for outdoor gatherings. Here are my favorite things about the speaker.

Premium and weatherproof design

The Edifier ES20 is one good-looking speaker. It comes in ivory or black, and both versions of the speaker look premium with champagne accents and a metal grille on the front, which is reminiscent of the Marshall Willen II.

It's a very small speaker, measuring just 3.7 x 3.6 x 2.0 inches, but don't let that put you off because its sound is larger than life. The size makes it easily portable, so it can go absolutely anywhere.

Beyond the good looks, there is functionality too. The speaker has an IP67 rating, meaning it's fully protected against dust and can even be submerged underwater. So there's no fear if it happens to fall into the pool by mistake!

It gets very loud

As I was saying, don't let that small size deter you. This speaker can get incredibly loud — I was seriously shocked. When using the speaker indoors, I could hear it clearly from the other side of my house. And the sound carries well outside, too.

It rivals some bigger boombox-style speakers I've tested in the past, such as the Tribit Stormbox Lava. At the lowest volumes, the Edifier starts to struggle with a little static in the bass, but that's to be expected.

And you can go louder

Speaking of loud, the Edifier ES20 has stereo pairing capabilities. That means if you have more than one of the speakers (and at that price, why wouldn't you?), then you can pair them to create a surround sound setup.

This can create a more immersive sound for casual listening too, with a wider sound stage to support instrument separation and avoid static.

This is a speaker I'm going to be reaching for all summer long, but how about you? If you like the sound of this small but mighty speaker, you can read my full Edifier ES20 review to find out more.

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Bose has shown us time and time again that it can build some truly great soundbars — both the Bose Smart and Bose Smart Ultra soundbars being good examples. But in 2026, the brand wants to take things to another level with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.

Although I’ve only had a few days with it, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar feels like it’s a true Sonos Arc Ultra competitor. It sounds great both with and without the additional Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer, and I was hard-pressed to hear anything wrong with it.

Is it time for the Arc Ultra to finally give up its crown as the best soundbar?

TL;DR

• What is it? A new Spatial Audio soundbar from Bose
• How much will it cost? $1,099 for the black or white model
• What does it work with? Any streaming service that supports Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth

Price and availability

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar was announced on May 5 2026, and became available to pre-order at Bose.com shortly afterwards.

At $1,099, it’s the most expensive soundbar in Bose’s range, but it’s similar in specs and power to the $999 Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar and is exactly the same price as its closest competitor, the Sonos Arc Ultra.

If you want something a bit more manageable in price, the 3.0-channel Bose TV Soundbar starts at $279, while the 5.0-channel Bose Smart Soundbar can be had for $549.

Design

Bose being Bose, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar only comes in two color options: black and white… Excuse me, Arctic White.

The top of the soundbar is divided into two layers. There’s a fabric layer that wraps all the way around the front and sides of the soundbar and a glossy section that sits on top and acts almost as a mirror to the TV.

Spin it around to the back and you'll see a strange array of ports. You've got the essential HDMI-in port that you'll want to connect to the eARC HDMI port on your TV, but also connections for Ethernet, Bass and Data, as well as a USB-C port for service.

I'm not sure I totally understand why some of these ports are here and I would trade any one of the aforementioned extras for an HDMI passthrough that could link up to a Blu-ray player or game console.

On the top right of the soundbar are the touch-sensitive controls laid out in a large circular indentation. You'll mostly use your phone to control playback, but these are handy to use in a pinch.

Audio

According to Bose, the speaker features six full-range drivers (two up-firing and four front-facing) alongside an additional center tweeter and two proprietary Bose PhaseGuide drivers inside the main bar. On the back are two QuietPort acoustic openings that enable what Bose calls "CleanBass" technology.

The specs are all very impressive on paper. But how does the speaker actually sound? I haven’t put the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar through my entire testing regimen yet, but I’m fairly pleased with what I’ve heard from it so far.

To kick things off, I started with songs from Qobuz, my streaming service of choice. First up: “The Mountain” by Gorillaz. Its blend of sitars and flutes fluttered wonderfully out of the soundbar, never too shrill for my ears and perfectly balanced. The soundstage wasn’t the largest, especially if I toggled off the subwoofer, but the clarity was great.

To test the bass response, I threw on “Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce. If you need an impromptu dance party in your living room, I highly recommend giving this a listen. The bass response wasn’t the greatest with just the soundbar, but there was enough oomph there to get me bobbing along with the beat.

Testing some classical music, “Star Wars: A New Hope Main Title” was up next — and I knew this one was going to be difficult for the soundbar.

Unfortunately, to make classical music to sound like you’re listening to it at the philharmonic, you need a wide soundstage. It’s here the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar fell a little flat. There was nothing wrong with the sound profile itself, mind you, it just felt cramped. Admittedly, this is an issue with nearly all soundbars, but I was hoping Bose’s CustomTune technology would widen things a bit.

Last but not least was “INDUSTRY BABY” by Lil Nas X, a perennial banger that should have the windows and walls shaking with its deep sub-bass. Without the subwoofer enabled, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar got pretty darn low, but it wasn’t until I flipped back on the subwoofer that I really got the walls to shake.

To see how dialogue sounded, I threw on a Premiere League game. With the SpeechClarity setting at Medium, the announcers were crystal clear and the cheers of the audience were audible, but not overwhelming. This is an area that I'll really dive into with more movies and shows when I write the final review early next week.

Setup and smart features

Setup for the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is done via the Bose app. The whole process can be done in just a few minutes and requires little technical knowledge to pull off. It also worked the first time, which is something I can’t say about every soundbar I’ve tested recently (cough, LG Sound Suite H7, cough).

Inside the app are a number of very simple tuning options. There’s a three-band EQ (treble, mids, bass) and adjustments for height and surround. You’ll want to adjust the height of the sound to match the distance to your TV. If the soundbar sits five feet below the TV, crank this setting up to +5. Need the sound lower? Go in the other direction to -5.

If you pick up the subwoofer to go with it, you’ll be able to toggle it on and off via the app as well as increase its output if you feel the bass is a little lacking. I had mine set to a +2 for the majority of my hands-on time, but I occasionally cranked it up higher to see if I could rattle windows. (I was able to and my wife was none-too-pleased about it.)

You’ll also come into the app to re-configure your setup if you shell out for a pair of Bose Lifestyle Ultra speakers or need to change the source of your playback from HDMI to Bluetooth or AirPlay.

Outlook

I'll need to spend some more time with it before I can say definitively whether this overtakes the Sonos Arc Ultra, but I think it's going to be exceptionally close.

Features like Bose's custom tuning and SpeechClarity are genuinely helpful, and I think music sounds fantastic for a soundbar. There are some minor issues like the small soundstage and lack of an HDMI passthrough port that are troubling, however.

Although it's a bit pricey, the Lifestyle Ultra is a darn good entry in Bose's storied soundbar lineup, and it's one I'm excited to fully test over the next week or two.

What took so long? It’s pretty remarkable that, for all its other products, it has taken Bose this long to come out with an in-home smart speaker. But the Bose Lifestyle Ultra is finally here, and it looks like the company has not only taken lessons from its own rich history of designing audio products, but also from what’s worked — and what hasn’t — from its competitors.

Apart from delivering excellent audio, this is the first smart speaker not made by Amazon that supports Alexa+; it supports AirPlay, Google Cast, and Spotify Connect, and you can even plug it directly into a turntable.

But, having used it for a week, I have a few reservations. So how does the Bose Lifestyle Ultra stack up against the best smart speakers? You’ll have to read the rest of my review to find out.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: Price and availability

The Bose LifeStyle Ultra Speaker went on sale May 5 2026 at Bose.com, and is more widely available at other retailers. The speaker comes in three colors: the black and white models cost $299, while a limited-edition Driftwood Sand model costs $349.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: Design

Stylistically, the Bose speaker falls between the all-plastic Sonos Era 100 and the completely cloth-covered Apple HomePod 2. The body of Bose’s speaker is made primarily of plastic, but the front and sides are wrapped in an acoustic cloth, which softens the overall look.

The top of the device has a speaker grille towards the front, and a circular indentation towards the rear with volume controls. In between are additional touch-sensitive controls for Bluetooth and muting the speaker’s microphone. With all the little icons, it feels a bit busy, but that’s just me.

I saw all three color options in person, and the limited-edition Driftwood Sand model definitely stands out, especially with its white oak base. If you have wood decor, it might be worth springing the cash.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: Audio quality

As you might expect from a Bose product, the sound quality from the Lifestyle Ultra speaker is superb. To test its performance, I streamed a number of tracks through Spotify.

One thing I noticed in my hands-on — and confirmed in my home — is that the Bose speaker has much brighter mids and highs compared to the Sonos Era 100. As a result, female vocals were especially more pronounced and defined. I could really hear the personality of Carole King singing “I feel the Earth Move,” Dua Lipa in “Dance the Night,” and Kristen Chenoweth belting out “Popular.”

In fact, the mids were forward sometimes to the point of them sounding a bit too harsh. It was especially evident when I cranked “Tom Sawyer,” Geddy Lee’s falsetto cracked a little bit on the higher lines.

Lower tones also came through loud and clear; on that same track, the bass line and drums were so crisp that I could hear every bang and thump cleanly. The thumping bass line on the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” also rang through like the silversmith running through Massachusetts warning of the British.

When played on the Sonos Era 100, those same vocals weren’t as present — things felt a bit rounder and pulled back — but the soundstage also was a bit wider, if not as tall as the Bose.

Ultimately, choosing between the Bose and the Sonos really comes down to a matter of preference. Both offer superior audio quality, and it’s hard to pick a winner based on sound alone.

The upward-firing speaker also added a bit more height to music, which, in the absence of Dolby Atmos support, is a nice little extra. Still, both the HomePod 2 and Amazon Echo Studio support spatial audio, so Atmos’ absence is felt.

Unlike some of the other smart speakers I’ve tested — most notably the Sonos Era 100, HomePod 2, and even the Amazon Echo Studio — the Bose Lifestyle Ultra speaker does not support Bose’s room-tuning feature, CustomTune.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: App and home theater capabilities

Maybe Bose learned from Sonos’ lesson, because its app is pretty minimalistic — but in a good way. You really only need it to set up the speaker, connect it to Wi-Fi, Alexa+, and tweak EQ settings. It has a 3-band EQ (treble, mid, and bass) plus a fourth for height. Overall, it has one of the clearest guides to walk you through the setup process that I’ve ever seen.

After that, there’s little reason why you’d need to use the app, as Bose has designed it to work within the music app of your choice. It’s compatible with Google Cast, Apple Airplay, and Spotify Connect; when I opened Spotify, the Bose speaker was listed there as a music source.

If all else fails, you can also simply connect to the speaker via Bluetooth, or just plug in a 3.5mm cord in the back. At a time when physical audio connections seem to be disappearing, it’s nice to see Bose keeping this legacy connector around.

You can also pair two Bose Lifestyle Ultra speakers for stereo sound, group them in different rooms of your house, or add them as part of a home theater surround system. One bummer is that, while the Lifestyle Ultra Speakers can be paired with a Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar, they’re not backwards-compatible with other Bose equipment. So, if you already have a Bose soundbar, you won’t be able to use these as surrounds.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: Smart home features

The Lifestyle Ultra is the first third-party smart speaker that’s compatible with Alexa+, Amazon’s AI-improved voice assistant. However, unlike the HomePod and Echo Studio, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra lacks presence, temperature, or any other sensor of that ilk which would allow you to create automated routines

Bose Lifestyle Ultra review: Bottom line

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra is a very capable and well-designed smart speaker. Its audio quality is superb, it’s easy to set up, it works seamlessly with all the major music streaming services and it’s the first third-party smart speaker that can access Alexa+.

All that being said, it’s sandwiched between some well-established competition. At $299, it’s the same price as the Amazon Echo Studio and Apple HomePod 2, but those models both support spatial audio and have extra sensors to take fuller advantage of their smart home capabilities.

Bose’s other chief competitor in this market, the Sonos Era 100, has now been out for three years, costs $80 less, and offers similar audio quality. (Sonos also sells the Alexa-free Sonos Era 100 SL for $189, so I suspect that not as many use voice controls as the company originally thought.)

In addition, all three rivals offer some sort of room-tuning capability, while the Bose does not.

On the basis of its performance as a speaker to play music from your turntable or streaming service of choice, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra will not disappoint. However, it falls a little short when it comes to the little extras you get with its rivals.

It's taken a minute, but Bose is finally coming out with a smart speaker that will rival the likes of the Sonos Era 100 and Apple HomePod 2. Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to the Bose LifeStyle Ultra Speaker, a new device that will not only let you stream music from Spotify, Apple Music and more, but also connect to your home theater system — including your record player.

But how does Bose's new product compare to the best smart speakers? I checked out the Bose LifeStyle Ultra Speaker; here's my early impression of a device that could be the next addition to your entertainment system.

TL;DR

• What is it? A new smart speaker from Bose
• How much will it cost? $299 for the black or white model
• What does it work with? Any streaming service that supports Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth

Price and availability

The Bose LifeStyle Ultra Speaker goes on sale today (May 5) at Bose.com — we can only imagine that it will be available at other retailers shortly after. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker will come in three colors: the black and white models will cost $299, while a limited-edition Sandstone model will cost $349.

At launch, Bose's speaker will cost $80 more than the Sonos Era 100 and Amazon Echo Studio, but is the same price as the Apple HomePod 2.

Also going on sale today is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099) as well as the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899). Unfortunately, the soundbar is only available in black or white, so you can't get one to match your Sandstone-colored Speaker.

Design

Bose's smart speaker is roughly the same size as its main competition, but has some nice design flourishes to set it apart. As viewed from the top, it has an oval shape, with a fabric wrapping around the front and sides, to give it a softer look. The majority of the rest of the speaker is made of plastic, but the base of the Sandstone model is made of white oak, which looks most visually distinctive.

On the top are the speaker's touch-sensitive controls; there's a large circular indentation for volume controls, which you can adjust either by tapping or spinning your finger around.

Also on the top, you'll see a grille for an upward-firing speaker, which Bose says will help give your music more vertical depth.

Around back is the power plug, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack; the bottom of the speaker has a screw mount should you wish to place it on a pedestal.

Audio

Inside the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker are three drivers; a forward-facing woofer and tweeter, and one more tweeter that's directed upwards. There's also a rather large resonance chamber that exits out the rear of the speaker, to add additional passive bass to your music.

During my hands-on session with the speaker, the music I heard ("Man I Need by Olivia Dean, "Bad as I Used to Be" by Chris Stapleton, "Peaceful Place" by Leon Bridges," and "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan) was definitely impressive for its size. Bass was powerful without being overwhelming, and vocals came through crisply.

I will say that the highs sounded a bit too bright for my tastes, but I'll have to listen to it more before I can render an official verdict.

The upward-firing speaker definitely added height to the tracks I listened to, but this is a speaker you'll want to have placed fairly close to a wall, so that the music has something to bounce off. However, keep in mind that unlike the HomePod 2, it does not support Dolby Atmos.

Home theater capabilities

Like most other smart speakers, you can pair two of Bose's together for stereo, and you can also create a multi-room setup.

Similar to the Sonos Era 100, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker can be used as rear-channel satellites with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, should you want to create a more fully immersive home theater setup. However, the Ultra Speakers struggle to interface directly with a TV, unless you were to run RCA cables from your TV to each speaker.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker has a 3.5mm jack, which lets you connect it directly to a turntable — a nice touch for those who want to listen to records with as little fuss as possible. (With the Sonos, you need to purchase a USB-C adapter, and the HomePod and Echo Studio lack this capability entirely.)

Smart functions

Bose takes a very light approach when it comes to the app that controls the speaker. While you need the app to set it up, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, and adjust things such as treble and bass, you won't use the app to when using your music streaming service of choice.

Rather, you'll go through that company's app — be it Apple Music, Spotify, or whatever — and select the Bose speaker there. The speaker supports Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, so you should be well-covered.

In the U.S., the Bose speaker will also support Alexa+, and in fact will be the first third-party speaker to support Amazon's upgraded smart assistant. (The Sonos Era 100 supports the older Alexa, but not the newer version.)

Outlook

Bose finally has a smart speaker that rivals those of its biggest competitors: The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker certainly ticks all the necessary boxes with strong audio capabilities, as well as support for the major streaming protocols — and it has an audio jack in the back.

At $299, it's priced to compete with the established names out there, so we can't wait to get one in to test out and see how it fares in our home.

I've tested tons of the best Bluetooth speakers, but none hold as special a place in my heart as the JBL Xtreme series. I loved the Xtreme 4 back when it was released in 2024, and I love the Xtreme 5 in 2026. Though pricey, these are the two boombox-meets-portable party speakers I'd invest in for myself.

But the Xtreme 5 comes with one major upgrade I've never personally seen on a speaker before — not one I've tested myself, anyway. The Xtreme 5 has an IP68 rating, meaning it has the highest-possible durability rating. Yes, this speaker is not only 99.9% waterproof, dustproof, it's now drop-proof, too.

I hope this upgrade comes to every major speaker in the future, because I don't want to live without it now.

Xtreme 5 is surviving the apocalypse

An IP68 rating is pretty cutting-edge. It means the Xtreme 5 has the highest possible waterproof and dustproof rating. The "6" means the speaker is as protected as physically possible from dust ingress, while "8" means the speaker will survive sitting at the bottom of a pool.

Here's the caveat: while there is "technically" an IPX9 rating, this is an industrial-grade rating not really seen on consumer tech because it means the product can withstand high-pressure jets of near-boiling water. This just isn't a scenario most people will experience during backyard parties, so speaker brands don't really bother with IPX9.

IP68 is, generally, the best you can get.

But JBL went one step further — the Xtreme 5 is also "drop-proof". To test this out, I dropped it onto gravel from a height of 5-and-a-half feet, and it bounced. My music didn't stop playing. Honestly, I was a bit scared to drop it from a higher height — I was wary of dropping it out of my first-floor window to avoid hitting a passerby — but surviving a five-and-a-half foot drop is more than I can say for my iPhone screen. RIP.

This advanced level of durability is what makes it perfect for pool parties, beach parties, backyard parties, full moon parties, and anything else you could think of.

And, now that JBL has done it (JBL Xtreme 5, JBL Charge 6, JBL Flip 7), and Tribit has done it (Tribit StormBox Micro 3), hopefully, we'll start seeing an IP68 rating more and more.

But it's not just about durability

Of course, one thing is even more important than durability: sound quality. As a speaker, the JBL Xtreme 5 literally has one job — sound incredible.

And, boy, does it sound incredible. I adore this punchy, bassy, ferocious speaker. It's wide, expansive, and room/park-filling. When I use this speaker, I spend half my time worrying I'm going to get a noise complaint from my neighbors, but the other half of the time, I'm having way too much fun to care.

In my 4.5-star review of the Xtreme 5, which you can read if you want more information, I wrote, "When the beat dropped, my entire desk started shaking. The bass squelched and oozed out of the speaker, a bouncing quagmire after sucking down a few amps."

While you won't get the clarity you'd expect for bookshelf speakers or the best smart speakers (like the Denon Home 400, which I recently tested and love), but if you want a portable, meaty, and fearless speaker, I completely recommend the Xtreme 5.

That being said, if JBL can do it, why can't everyone else do it? Bose, Marshall, Sonos, I'm waiting!

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Upon its release in 2024, the JBL Xtreme 4 instantly positioned itself as one of the best Bluetooth speakers ever made. Well, now the JBL Xtreme 5 is here, so it got me thinking: Can JBL top near-perfection?

I'm not going to answer that right away — magicians don't reveal their secrets at the start of the show, do they? — but I am going to give you some hints. The Xtreme 5 comes with a smattering of changes, both big (literally) and small. Surprisingly, the Xtreme 5 has grown a few inches in both length and girth, gained a few pounds, and acquired a semi-drunken light show, kind of like me at Christmas.

But those extra pounds aren't for nothing. The Xtreme 5 is, pardon the pun, xtremely loud. And bassy. And ferocious. When I was testing the speaker in my apartment and in the local park, I worried I'd get a few noise complaints. I didn't, but if that's the kind of speaker you're after, you'll want to keep reading to figure out if you should buy the JBL Xtreme 5 or JBL Xtreme 4.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Specs compared

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Price

The JBL Xtreme 4 launched in 2024 with an MSRP of $379. You can buy it on Amazon right now, still for that launch price of $379. Comparatively, the JBL Xtreme 5 launched at $399, available on Amazon.

I was disappointed to see this 5% price increase over the previous model. The Go 5 launched on the same day as the Xtreme 5 with a $5 increase, which works out to 10%. I suppose we should be glad the Xtreme 5 didn't get this 10% increase, but $20 is noticeable.

As the Xtreme 4 is now the older model, we should start seeing great discounts. I'm not sure when said discounts will kick in, but keep your eyes peeled as we approach major sales events like Black Friday.

Winner: JBL Xtreme 4.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Design

As you can see from the 'Specs compared' section above, the Xtreme 5 is considerably larger than the Xtreme 4. I'm not entirely sure why JBL did this, as the brand already has the Boombox 3, which is 19 inches long and weighs 14.7 pounds. As the Xtreme 5 is 13.6 inches long and 6.4 pounds, it's still a lot smaller than the Boombox, but it's also a lot bigger than the previous model.

The whole "point" of the Xtreme line is boombox performance without boombox size. Yes, it's not quite boombox size, but every little helps, right? When I unboxed the Xtreme 5, the first thing I thought was, "Oh darn, that's bigger." If you already thought the Xtreme 4 was too big, then I don't think the 5 will be for you either. For seriously portable speakers, you might want to check out the Flip 7 or Charge 6, just 1.8 and 2.7 pounds, respectively.

This extra weight has its advantages: The Xtreme 5 is louder, bassier, and more durable than its predecessor. You're looking at an IP68 rating, the highest durability rating a speaker can get. Essentially, this means it can be buried in sand, thrown in the ocean, dropped from a great height, and will still keep the party going. You won't find a more rugged speaker.

Speaking of ruggedness, both the Xtreme 4 and 5 have the durable carry strap for traversing across beaches, parks, deserts, mountains, and wherever you might want to take this speaker.

Controls are just as straightforward on either speaker: you've got some nice tactile buttons on the speaker body for play, pause, volume, and AuraCast.

Last but not least, there are two built-in LED strips. Yes, the Xtreme 5 keeps the party going in sound and also vibes. You can adjust the light color and style in the JBL Portable app. This light show isn't as extravagant as, say, the Tribit StormBox Blast 2, but it's still fun.

Even though the 4 is considerably lighter and more portable than the 5, I'm going to give the 5 the win. It's literally the most durable speaker you can buy, and it has lights.

Winner: JBL Xtreme 5.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Features

As the Xtreme 4 and 5 are both party speakers, you'll be pleased to know they both come locked and loaded with AuraCast. If you ever find yourself at a party with multiple AuraCast speakers, you'll be able to sync them up using JBL's 'PartyTogether'. I found this very straightforward to set up in the JBL Portable app: the speakers just knew what they were doing and sorted themselves out.

The Xtreme 5 also comes with Bluetooth 6.0, which provides a decent range for outdoor usage. I was able to get out of my apartment and a little down the street before the speaker disconnected.

The Xtreme 5 has 'PartyBoost', which is effectively a battery longevity mode. The Xtreme 4 doesn't have this. With PartyBoost, the sound quality decreases slightly, but you can squeeze an extra four hours of playtime. You win some, you lose some, right?

As the 5 has PartyBoost, I'm giving this win to the newer model.

Winner: JBL Xtreme 5.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Sound quality

Both the Xtreme 5 and Xtreme 4 are characterized by loud, propulsive bass. If you want to soundtrack your house parties, pool parties, beach parties, or anything in between, I think you'd get on just fine with either speaker. However, the Xtreme 5 just ekes out the win, and let me tell you why.

Because of its size, the Xtreme 5 has a more expansive, wider sound that reaches every corner of your house. When I played 'REAL MOVE TOUCH' by Confidence Man, the bass pummeled through the Xtreme 5 like an uncontrollable conflagration intent on setting the dancefloor alight.

This isn't to say the Xtreme 4 performed badly — not in the slightest — but, as the 5 has those extra two inches over the 4, you've naturally got more width.

Similarly, when I played 'All I Am' by Ninajirachi, the Xtreme 5 made the song feel bigger and bolder. The bass pounded through my desk without overpowering the female vocals.

In contrast, the Xtreme 4 had a little less bass and more roughness in the treble. Please don't think the Xtreme 4 sounds bad, because it sounds frankly divine, but the Xtreme 5 is just so darn near perfection.

I also played 'Artificial Angels' by Grimes, which is another party-ready electronic track. The glitchy, crawling bassline and frenetic synths stole the show on the Xtreme 5, compounded by the mesmerizing LED light show.

I really can't fault the Xtreme 5 — it's the best party speaker I've ever tested.

Winner: JBL Xtreme 5.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Battery

This is an objective win: the Xtreme 5 is going to scoop this round. As the Xtreme 4 has 24 hours of battery life and the Xtreme 5 boasts 28 (with PartyBoost), I can't really do anything but name the 5 the champion here.

Winner: JBL Xtreme 5.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Verdict

I love the JBL Xtreme 5. It's one of my favorite speakers of all time, and it's definitely the "best" party/outdoor Bluetooth speaker you can get right now.

However, if you've already got an Xtreme 4 and you're considering upgrading, I think you should stick with your 4. Sure, the improvements are nice — lights, better sound, and more durability — but are they worth $400 when you already have a $380 speaker? Although the Xtreme 5 won every round, as you can see from the ratings scorecard, the results were closer than I'd predicted.

But if you don't have a party speaker and you're considering it, then you should 100% get the Xtreme 5. It's the best new speaker on the market.

JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4: Ratings scorecard

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JBL knows how to make a good speaker. From chunky speakers, like the JBL Xtreme 5, to small ones that can be clipped onto a bike handle, like the JBL Clip 5, there's no dearth of options in JBL's lineup.

In April 2026, JBL revealed the successor to its two-year-old JBL Go 4 pocket speaker, the JBL Go 5, and I've tested it for a week to come to the conclusion that it's the best budget Bluetooth speaker you can buy today.

But how does it compare to its predecessor? After all, the Go 4 is a formidable speaker that you can still buy today — often for less than $40 when it's on sale. I put the Go 5 and the Go 4 through their paces in this face-off to find out which is best value for money. I don't think the winner will surprise you that much.

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Specs

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Price & availability

The JBL Go 4, at the time of writing, is two years old as it first came out in early 2024. At launch, it had a retail price of $49 / £39, but as the speaker is a little old now, you can find down to $39 / £29 during sales events, like Black Friday. In April 2026, JBL revealed the JBL Go 5 with a launch price of $54 / £39 — a $5 price hike over its predecessor, which is practically unnoticeable.

In terms of sheer value for money, the Go 5 is the winner. It's newer and it improves on the fourth-gen model's shortcomings while introducing a couple new upgrades, as you'll soon see throughout this face-off.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Design

If you weren't already familiar with the design differences between the JBL Go 5 and the JBL Go 4, and you were to put both speakers side-by-side, you probably wouldn't be able to tell which is which. The Go 5 bears striking resemblance to its predecessor as it continues to sport a boxy, rectangular design with mesh covers over the front and rear faces.

One of the key visual differences is that the Go 5 now features two strips of LED lighting which run along the base and the top plate, with four lighting effects. Rubber strips are located on both speakers. The Go 5 is a little heavier at 8.16oz, versus the Go 4 which weighs 6.7oz, but the difference is hardly noticeable. You can still carry both with ease, even in your jacket's pocket.

Controls are fairly similar too, so you can change the volume, enable Auracast, and swap between Bluetooth sources easily. Build quality of both speakers is sublime. In my opinion, the Go 5 is the winner as it's still pocketable and the LED lighting strips are a nice, classy touch.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Features & connectivity

The JBL Go 4 utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC and AAC codecs, while the JBL Go 5 utilizes Bluetooth 6.0 with added support for LC3 for improved sound quality at lower bitrates. Both speakers are Auracast-enabled which means you can link multiple speakers together for bigger sound — or if you want to play the same song in different parts of a room.

In my testing, I found Auracast pairing to be a little finnicky on the Go 4, as it took a few tries to do so and I ended up using the companion app to make the process easier. On the Go 5, though, I found the process to be more straightforward as it took me hardly any time to pair multiple speakers together. The Go 5 has another ace up its sleeve too, in the form of AirTouch stereo pairing. If you have another Go 5, you can touch two Go 5s together to instantly create left and right stereo channels.

Both speakers are durable too. The Go 4 is IP67-rated while the Go 5 is IP68-rated, making the latter the better choice if you want to submerge it in 1.5m of water for 30 minutes. It's also drop-proof, and having dropped it from a height of approximately 2m onto a wooden floor, I can confirm that the Go 5 remained unscathed.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Sound quality

The biggest difference between the JBL Go 5 and the JBL Go 4 is the sound quality. Both speakers are highly competent, and they can get very loud, but the Go 5 is simply better because it delivers better sub-bass and general bass response. This was instantly clear in my testing.

To start, I listened to ‘Elma’ by Yin Yin, an atmospheric psychedelic rock and funk track. The Go 5 boasted impressive separation between the shimmering guitar and synth waves. There was plenty of low-end impact to each string plucked on the bass guitar too. Listening to the track on the Go 4 right after revealed a lack of warmth to the groovy bass, and it sounded hollow rather than full-bodied. I also noticed that I couldn't really hear the kickdrum through the Go 4, which made the track feel soulless, but this wasn't the case through the Go 5. The sub-bass sounded thick, warm and very enjoyable, and it gave a good backbone to the track.

Lana Del Rey's ‘First Light’ sounded fairly similar through both the speakers. "T" and "s" sounds remained crisp without becoming hissy, and the vocals shone through the track and didn't get drowned out by the orchestration. The treble sounded crisp, clean and vibrant without cutting through the rest of the track, lending the song a lovely energy.

An area where the Go 5 upstages the Go 4 is dynamic management, as in ‘Who Will You Follow' by Evanescence, I noticed the distorted, low-tuned guitars sounded a little muddy through the Go 4. This wasn't an issue on the Go 5, as the newer speaker handled the song with aplomb. There was a great balance between Amy Lee's high-pitched vocals and the gothic metal guitar riffs.

Based on sound quality alone, the Go 5 is a no-brainer. For such a tiny speaker, it can get very loud without music sounding distorted or too tinny at high volumes, and it quashes the Go 4 in every aspect.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Battery life

Both the JBL Go 4 and the JBL Go 5 are tiny speakers, so you shouldn't expect extensive battery lives from either. JBL has added a bigger battery pack to the Go 5, so you get 8 hours of playback time or 10 hours with Playtime Boost enabled via the app — a three-hour improvement over the Go 4.

In my testing, I was prompted to charge the Go 5 after 9 hours of listening to music at 50% volume, and to charge the Go 4 after 7 hours of doing the same.

The Go 5's playback time will also depend on whether the LED lighting is turned on or off, but both speakers should last you comfortably if you're hosting a barbecue or a poolside party with friends. Playtime Boost is a handy feature too, but note that it sacrifices some of the bass to last longer.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Verdict

As you've seen throughout this face-off, and based on the ratings scorecard below, there's a clear winner, and it isn't even close. The JBL Go 5 wins in every category, from value for money and design to sound quality and battery life. While the Go 4 is good and can be a great speaker when picked up during sales events, the Go 5 is simply better.

If it's outstanding sound quality you're after, the Go 5 should be your port of call. It doesn't compromise on sound, boasting excellent sub-bass, meaty bass and vibrant treble. The Go 4 struggles when it comes to reproducing warm sub-bass, which can make songs feel hollow.

At the end of the day, both the Go 4 and the Go 5 are superb budget Bluetooth speakers, but the Go 5 is crowned the winner in this face-off because JBL has improved it in basically every way possible. Personally, it's my new favorite budget speaker that I'll be using for a long, long time.

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Ratings scorecard

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The Denon Home 400 is one of the best home speakers I’ve ever tested, but I’m not sure it quite jumps the “best smart speakers” hurdle. Let me explain. The Home 400 sounds divine, with enviable instrument separation, rich, room-filling bass, and clarity across the frequency range. Vocals, keys, strings, and percussion all sound full-bodied and immersive. When I was playing music through this speaker, I never wanted to turn it off.

Streaming directly from the HEOS app was super straightforward. I instantly synced up my Spotify and Qobuz account, and could even play my favorite radio station directly from my phone. However… if you want to use the Denon Home 400 as a smart speaker — as in, give it commands like “start a timer” — you can’t. There’s no built-in, first-party smart assistant. If you have a HomePod on the same network, you can use Siri, but there’s no Google or Alexa integration (yet).

Is this an issue for you, or do you prioritize sound quality anyway? If sound quality is more important, I’d recommend the Denon Home 400 over a Sonos Era 300. To find out the full story, keep reading this Denon Home 400 review.

Denon Home 400 review: Specs

Denon Home 400 review: Price & availability

The Denon Home 400 is $549 from Amazon U.S. and £449 from Amazon U.K. This is a pretty high price, but I suppose if you want premium performance, you have to pay for it.

The Denon Home 200 is $399, and the Home 600 is $799, so if you want the complete setup, you’re looking at $1,797. This is just as much as getting the JBL Bar 1300X MKII soundbar + rears + subwoofer setup.

Let’s compare to Sonos, the indubitable competitor here. You can get a Sonos Era 100/100 SL for $199, which is $200 cheaper than the Denon Home 200. The Sonos Era 300 is $479, which is $120 cheaper than the Home 400 and $320 cheaper than the Home 600.

If you think this price discrepancy might be due to the Denon gear having more speakers, you’d be wrong. The Era 300 has four tweeters and two woofers compared to the Denon Home 400’s two tweeters, two woofers, and two up-firing speakers… for an identical six speakers each.

Alright, so there’s one major reason why the price is so different: target audience. Denon is aiming for the casual-slash-audiophile market here, whereas Sonos tends to lean towards the “casual” end of that spectrum. I’ll discuss this more in the ‘Design’ section below.

Denon Home 400 review: Design

Like most smart speakers, the Denon Home 400 has a clean, inconspicuous design. If you want a subtle speaker, this is definitely the style for you.

If you want a conversation piece-style speaker, you might want to go for something a bit more ornamental, like the Samsung Music Frame ($600) or the IKEA SOLSKYDD ($99) — but then, of course, you’re sacrificing sound quality. These thinner, more eye-catching speakers lack the high-fidelity speaker array present on the Home 400.

Personally, I like how the Denon Home 400 looks. I do wish it came in more colors — of course, it’s fantastic that it comes in charcoal and stone, but I’d also like to see some pastel shades like pale blue, pale green, pale yellow, pale brown, pale pink, so on and so forth. This is going to sound really obnoxious, but my living room has a theme of “sunrise”. All my decorations in my living room are warm hues, like pinks, yellows, warm browns, ochres, so I wish the Home 400 matched this warm aesthetic.

I tested the stone colorway, which looked pleasant against my cream wallpaper, but I would like it to be more of a statement piece. I know that’s kind of the opposite of what Denon was going for here, but a girl can dream.

The speaker has a metal panel at the bottom, which I scuffed the moment my clumsy self unboxed the darn speaker, but it buffed out with a microfiber cloth.

On the side, you’ll find the row of buttons: these are for quick-select presets, playing, pausing, skipping tracks, and adjusting the volume. The rear of the speaker houses the USB-C input and the connection buttons.

I found the Home 400 straightforward to control and pleasant to look at. However, the Denon Home 400 is not waterproof at all. Sonos’s speakers — like the Era 100 and Era 300 — are also not waterproof, but they are “humidity proof”. This means they’re suitable for environments like bathrooms and covered porches. If you’re planning on using the Denon Home line in bathrooms or porches, you might want to play it safe with Sonos.

Connectivity

The Denon Home line is capable of things well beyond Sonos: the Home 400 can play 24-bit/192kHz and DSD files via the HEOS app (or USB), and a 3.5mm jack, consequently angling the Denon line more at audiophiles — explaining that price difference a bit more.

I found setting up with HEOS super straightforward: everything linked together instantly. Then, I could control the Home 400 straight from the Spotify app, or play music via Spotify/Qobuz/BBC Sounds in the HEOS app.

Smart home features

I’m gonna rip the Band-Aid off: you can’t use the Denon Home 400 (or 200, or 600) as part of your smart home system without a HomePod. You can only use Siri, so no Google or Alexa. Even if you have Siri, you need that additional device if you want to sync up the Denon speakers. Denon's representative has confirmed this to me — no Google, no Alexa; it's not set in stone if these assistants will come to the Home series in the future.

Yep, this is majorly frustrating, but I don’t think it’s Denon’s fault. This reeks of corporate red tape, but I’m sorry to say that I have to classify this as a con because it’s marketed as a smart speaker. I couldn’t test the smart home features as I don’t have a HomePod.

Even so, Sonos speakers can be used as smart speakers without additional purchases — you just have to say “Hey Sonos” rather than “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google”. I think if Denon wants to really crack that “smart speaker” market, there needs to be some kind of “Hey Denon” introduced into the mix, or better integration with existing third-party systems. The Home series could be positioned more as a Wi-Fi streaming speaker rather than a “smart” speaker.

It is great, though, that the Home 400 comes with a physical mic on/off button. If you don’t want the mic “listening” to you, simply turn it off at the rear of the speaker. I kept my mic off.

Denon Home 400 review: Sound quality

As the Home 400 features two tweeters, two woofers, and two up-firing speakers, its sound can seriously fill a room. All the drivers have individual amps so the speakers themselves aren't competing for power. I live in an old Georgian townhouse with 10-foot ceilings, and even my apartment felt like it was alive with music.

I played a huge variety of music through the Home 400 during my testing period, but I’ll discuss three standout genres here. I streamed via Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles, Spotify, and listened to BBC 6Music directly from the HEOS app.

First, I played ‘Fabienk’ by Angine de Poitrine. This track is built over a frantic guitar scurrying up and down the frets like an anxious mouse trying to collect enough cheese to last it through winter. The Home 400 handled the frenetic guitar, equally as frenetic bass, and crashing percussion incredibly well. I adjusted the ‘width’ and ‘height’ settings to +5 each, which highlighted the delicate detail. I felt like I could feel the guitar strings vibrating.

I wanted to test the Home 400’s handling of classical instruments, so I played ‘Exogenesis Symphony Pt. 1 (Overture)’ by Muse. The double bass didn’t overpower the delicate strings, and the softer percussion taps resounded across the soundscape. Even when the guitar came in, the violins were still audible.

Last, I played the electronic track ‘Play Me’ by Fcukers. The bass was fantastic, with clarity even in the sub-bass. The breathy female vocal floated delicately over the instrumentation, and the track filled my entire living room, even with ‘Pure’ enabled. When I enabled ‘Auto’ and turned the bass to max, the DnB-tinged bassline pounded through my entire apartment. If I get a complaint from my neighbors, I’ll know why — but I’m not mad about it.

I have zero complaints about the sound quality on the Home 400. This is one of the best-sounding speakers I’ve heard — smart or not. There’s unbeatable clarity across the entire frequency range, instrument separation in every genre I listened to, width and height powerful enough to fill an entire room, and, most of all, it’s just fun to listen to.

Denon Home 400 review: App

As with everything under Denon’s belt, the Home 400 is controlled via HEOS. I have had falling outs with HEOS in the past, but not this time around. Setting the Home 400 up was a breeze: I simply opened the app, selected ‘Add new device’, followed the instructions on the screen, and I was done.

After the Home 400 was set up (and I breathed a sigh of relief), I linked my Qobuz and Spotify with HEOS. Again, this was instant and super easy. Praise be!

Here are some screenshots so you can see.

You can turn off button controls, set up speaker placement (so the app will adjust bass response based on the speaker’s proximity to walls), turn on or off power saver mode, and customize name options (yes, mine’s called bathroom even though it’s in the living room).

Of course, there are more features, but I’m not going to list them all. You can do everything with the HEOS app… except one. Strangely, volume adjustment doesn’t work when playing via Qobuz, but it does work while playing via Spotify. Not sure if this is a HEOS issue or a Qobuz issue, but it’s not that annoying — I adjusted it manually in the app.

Denon Home 400 review: Verdict

I really, really like the Denon Home 400. It sounds incredible, is both accessible for speaker newbies and clever enough for audio aficionados, and looks nice and inconspicuous. The sound is genuinely room-filling, and the range of customization options means most types of music lovers should be catered to.

Yes, it’s frustrating that you need separate smart home products if you want to integrate the Home 400 into your Apple Home. Personally, I’m not overly bothered about the presence of a “smart” assistant — I’d rather the speaker sound good than set timers — but if you’re really concerned about smart tech, you might be better off with first-party speakers like the Google Nest Audio or the HomePod.

For me, though, I prioritize sound over smart home integration, so the Denon Home 400 is a win for me. Its range of high-fidelity playback modes and sonic customization make it a sure-fire win.

The JBL Xtreme 5 is one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy. There you go. I’m clocking out now; you don’t need me anymore. I jest, but seriously, the JBL Xtreme 5 is a sonic machine. If you care about bass-heavy sound that doesn’t skimp on clarity across the mids and highs, it’s all about the Xtreme 5.

Although it’s considerably larger and heavier than its predecessor (not to mention $20 pricier), the Xtreme 5 is perfect for taking to every party on your calendar. It’s got a carry strap that alleviates as much weight as possible, an improved 28-hour battery life, and is daring enough to fill any room with its bassy sound.

If you’re a student, partygoer, or simply living room raver, let me do you a favor and put you onto the Xtreme 5. Want to find out more? Of course you do. Keep reading for the full story in this JBL Xtreme 5 review.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Specs

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Price & availability

The JBL Xtreme 5 is a wince-inducing $399 from Amazon U.S. and £299 from Amazon U.K.. In the States, this is a price increase of $20 over the previous model, which was already expensive at $379.

In the U.K., you’re getting a better deal — and you’re actually getting a discount from the Xtreme 4. Although on JBL’s website the 5 is listed at £329, it’s £299 on Amazon (sold by Amazon, not a third party), so I’d recommend buying on Amazon.

Even for a boombox speaker such as this, $399 is really, really pricey. I have the Tribit StormBox Blast 2, $299, which is just as loud as the Xtreme 5. Although it doesn’t have as much clarity in the mids and treble as the Xtreme 5, it’s a fantastic, cheaper option. Even cheaper is the JBL Flip 7 ($129). Another more affordable option is the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus, which is $249 and packs a major bass-shaped punch.

If money is no object, may I interest you in the Marshall Bromley 450? This $799 speaker is literally the size of an amp (which it can also double up as), has rave lighting, and can be a karaoke machine.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Design

Like its predecessor, the JBL Xtreme 5 is a gorpcore delight. This rugged speaker looks like it will survive the apocalypse. In 3026, it’ll just be a few Nokia bricks and the JBL Xtreme 5 left.

However, unlike its predecessor, the Xtreme 5 is weirdly massive. It’s 2 inches longer, 0.3 inches deeper, and 1 inch taller than the Xtreme 4. The Xtreme 5 is also two pounds heavier than the Xtreme 4. I’m a weakling, so I’m perhaps not the best point of comparison. But if you, too, have arms built like string beans, you will probably be better off sticking with a lighter speaker like the Marshall Middleton II $329) or opting for JBL’s uber-portable Flip 7 ($149).

I’m not really sure why JBL did this, because the iconic brand already has a line of bulky speakers — the JBL Boombox 4, $549 — and there should be more of a distinction between each model.

You even get a nice LED light show now! The Xtreme 4 didn’t have any lights, but I’m seeing it more and more these days, even on cheaper brands like Soundcore and Tribit. You can change the lights using the JBL Portable app — I chose pink, obviously.

Last but not least: IP68. This is an upgrade over the Xtreme 4, which had an IP67 rating. IP68 basically means this is the most durable speaker physically possible. It’s completely dustproof, you can bury it in sand, and it’ll live to tell the tale, and it’s fully waterproof.

Oh, and before I forget — the Xtreme 5 is literally dropproof now, certified and everything. Remember what I said about it surviving the apocalypse?

Connectivity

As you might expect from a $399 speaker, the Xtreme 5 comes pre-loaded with a litany of features. Of course, you’ve got AuraCast — the technology that allows you to sync up your speakers with as many devices as you physically can get in one room — an IP68 rating, a huge array of EQ presets (including a completely custom option), the aforementioned light show, Playtime Boost, and now USB-C lossless audio.

Playtime Boost is effectively a battery extender. It reduces the quality of music playing (even if the JBL Portable app claims it “boost[s] up sound”, which it most certainly does not) to extend your battery life — but more on that later.

Another fun feature is AuraCast. I was able to connect the Xtreme 4 with the Xtreme 5 instantly, with no connectivity issues.

The Xtreme 5 boasts Bluetooth 6.0, which is refreshing to see. Bluetooth 6.0 basically means the Xtreme 5’s range and reliability are both as high as possible. I was able to get out of my apartment and down the street before the speaker disconnected.

Controls

The Xtreme 5 looks a treat, with a bulletproof-looking fabric grill and high-quality metal-meets-plastic carabiners. I particularly like the radiators on either side, and found myself mesmerized by their bouncing.

You can control the Xtreme 5 by tactile buttons on the top: these include play/pause, volume up, volume down, and Auracast.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Sound quality

Alright, now let’s get into the good stuff. The Xtreme 5 sounds just as good as the Xtreme 4, with powerful, earth-tremoring bass and clarity in vocals and mids, even in bass-heavy tracks. It sounds notably better than the Tribit StormBox Blast 2, EarFun UBoom X, and the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus.

As for EQs, you can select from: ‘JBL Signature’, ‘Chill’, ‘Energetic’, ‘Vocal’, and ‘Custom’. ‘Custom’ lets you create an EQ from a 7-band frequency range. I found ‘JBL Signature’ sounded the best.

As this is a party speaker, I had to start with some party bangers. ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ by Kylie Minogue sounded thrilling through the Xtreme 5; the plucky synth instrumental and keyboard motifs weren’t lost in the bass-heavy speaker. Clarity across the bass, vocals, and synth riffs was high.

After, I kept the energy high but switched genre. ‘Flight fm’ by Joy Orbison is a UKG/jungle-inspired electronic track not afraid of starting a fight. As it’s almost entirely bass, I worried the Xtreme 5 might struggle discerning between the layers, but oh boy, was I wrong. When the beat dropped, my entire desk started shaking. The bass squelched and oozed out of the speaker, a bouncing quagmire after sucking down a few amps.

Last, I knew I had to test a lower-energy track (even though the Xtreme 5 is a party speaker first and foremost). I played ‘Kick the Curb’ by NewDad, which is a slow, shoegazey track with atmospheric acoustic guitars and breathy vocals. This sounded fantastic, despite the lack of frenetic, club-ready bass, with extreme clarity in the top of the frequency range — I could hear every rattle of the lazy tambourine, every layer of the airy vocals.

Overall, the Xtreme 5 sounds fantastic… but I knew it would. It’s just as fun and addictive as the Xtreme 4.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: App

As with other speakers on JBL’s roster, the Xtreme 5 uses the JBL Portable app. This app is as you’d expect. User-friendly, easily navigable, not glitchy.

Here are a few screenshots so you can see for yourself.

I found changing my EQ and light settings to be incredibly easy, and I never struggled to figure out where each feature was hiding.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Battery life

While the Xtreme 5 ‘technically’ has a 24-hour battery life, you get an extra 4hours with ‘Playtime Boost’, making the overall max battery life 28 hours. This is four hours longer than the Xtreme 4 and eight hours longer than the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus, but two hours less than EarFun’s UBoom X.

This is much better than the Flip 7’s 16 hours, but not as impressive than the Boombox 4’s 34 hours. Oh, and the Boombox 4 lets you replace the battery, essentially futureproofing the speaker for years and years. If you’re serious about using your speaker to death, I’d invest more in the Boombox 4.

JBL Xtreme 5 review: Verdict

I said this about the Xtreme 4, but the Xtreme 5 may be my favorite portable(ish) speaker to date. The sound quality is fantastic, with extreme height and width and bass that’ll make your bones shake.

While yes, it’s expensive, it’s a price I’d be willing to pay for a speaker of this caliber. For house parties, pool parties, beach parties, street parties, I’m not sure you’d get much better at this price. Sure, you could spend a bit extra for the Boombox 4 or the Marshall Bromley 450, but for $400, it’s the Xtreme 5.

So if you want rich, room-filling sound and don’t mind that the Xtreme 5 is a bit bigger than its predecessor, I wholeheartedly recommend this music monster.

As temperatures soar, many of us are looking forward to spending time with our friends and family outdoors, perhaps at a barbecue, or by a friend's pool.

And I don't know about you, but anytime I hang out with my friends or my partner's, we love having some jazzy tunes playing in the background. No gathering, during the summer or otherwise, is complete without one of the best Bluetooth speakers.

Don't have one yet? Don't fret, because I've found the finest speaker to soundtrack your summer without breaking the bank: the new JBL Go 5.

The Go 5, in my opinion, is the ultimate summer speaker. It's extremely portable and pocketable so you can take it anywhere, and it gets very loud — perfect for large gatherings. The build quality and design are sublime, and the sound quality is nothing short of outstanding.

I've spent a couple of weeks listening to my favorite tunes on the Go 5, and I'm here to convince you to get one for yourself if you love music.

Take anywhere-able

One of the key reasons why the JBL Go 5 is the perfect summer speaker is its size — the Go 5 measures 3.98 x 3.05 x 1.7 inches and weighs just 8.16 oz.

The small size and light weight make it highly portable, so whether you're taking it to a friend's house or to a beach party, you should have no problem carrying it in your backpack or pocket. It's also got a strap for clipping to a carabiner, in case you want to travel with it that way.

Even though it's compact and light, the Go 5 doesn't compromise on build quality. It's well-built, and I didn't notice any hollow-sounding parts when I tapped the speaker with my fingernails.

It looks fantastic too, sporting a minimalist design with two low-key LED lighting strips which light up to correspond with the speaker's color: If you buy the blue model, the lights will be blue, and if you buy the red model, they'll be red, and so on.

Controls on the Go 5 are extremely straightforward too, and you don't need to be tech-savvy to use the speaker — so don't worry about people at your party struggling to figure out how to adjust the volume or swap between Bluetooth sources.

Oh, and did I mention that the Go 5 is IP68-rated, so it can be submerged in 1.5m-deep water for up to 30 minutes, and it's highly dustproof and drop-proof? Yep, it's the ideal speaker for the outdoors.

Surprisingly powerful bass for such a tiny speaker

Size isn't everything, and you shouldn't underestimate just how loud the JBL Go 5 can get. For its size, it can get loud enough to soundtrack a large gathering of people and you can pair multiple Auracast-enabled speakers to it, or grab another Go 5 and pair them together instantly by simply bumping them together. It's that easy.

As for the sound quality, the Go 5 boasts powerful bass response and sub-bass too, something its predecessor, the Go 4, struggled with.

In songs like 'Elma' by Yin Yin and 'Loser' by Tame Impala, I appreciated the clean bass, and the fact that I could hear every string plucked on the bass guitar. The bass had plenty of low-end impact in both tracks, and the kickdrum was clean and warm too.

Of course, I couldn't feel the sub-bass in my chest as the speaker goes down to only 100Hz, it still provided a good backbone to both songs, and ensured that the tracks didn't sound hollow.

Alongside the bass, the treble is crisp and vibrant. 'First Light' by Lana Del Rey and 'Time' by Pink Floyd sounded beautiful through the Go 5.

The sibilance was clean, and "t" and "s" sounds didn't bleed into one another. Along the same lines, plosives didn't pop too much to detract from Lana's vocals. In my favorite song by Pink Floyd, the hi-hats and cymbal hits didn't sound too shrill and they didn't pierce through the rest of the soundstage.

Unlike the StormBox MIni+, the Go 5 doesn't sound too tinny or distorted when it's being played at high volumes. I say "too tinny" because small speakers are limited by their hardware, and you should expect some level of tinniness at 100% volume.

Having said that, it isn't unpleasant at all. The Go 5 gets a 10/10 from me in the sound department.

So good and cheap that I'm buying two

The JBL Go 5 has quickly become my favorite budget Bluetooth speaker. It earned a 4.5-star rating and the coveted Editor's Choice award from me in my JBL Go 5 review thanks to its stellar sound quality, beautiful design, sturdy and durable build.

And it isn't a hefty investment either. The Go 5 retails for $54 / £39 at Amazon, so even though it's $5 more expensive than its predecessor, it's well-worth the extra spend. For the price, I'd be happily buying two so that I can pair them together and create left and right stereo channels.

Not sure how to take your music with you outside in 2026? The Go 5 is, without a doubt, the perfect speaker to soundtrack your summer.

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As someone who loves music, I don’t think any party (or shower karaoke session) is complete without a speaker. The JBL Go 5 is one of the best budget Bluetooth speakers you can buy today, period. It improves on its predecessor by offering more refined sub-bass, and the overall sound quality is dynamic thanks to the wide soundstage.

The Go 5 retains most of the Go 4’s design while adding LED lighting strips. It’s highly waterproof, dustproof and even drop-proof, so it’s perfect for the outdoors. Small and compact, the Go 5 is pocketable so it’s great for your travels. Auracast-enabled, it can be paired with other JBL speakers, and creating stereo channels with another Go 5 is easy as pie too.

Should you buy it? Yes! Why? Read my full JBL Go 5 review to find out.

JBL Go 5 review: Specs

JBL Go 5 review: Price & availability

Launched in April 2026 alongside the JBL Xtreme 5, the JBL Go 5 succeeds the two-year-old JBL Go 4. Priced at $54 / £39 at Amazon, it’s $5 more expensive than its predecessor, which isn’t a huge jump (and is justified by the Go 5’s improved sound). It’s available in a range of colors, including Black, Blue, Pink, Squad (camo) and White.

The Go 5 is a budget Bluetooth speaker, and it finds itself competing with the likes of the Tribit StormBox Mini+ ($39), the Tozo PE1 ($39) and the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 ($59). There’s no dearth of speakers in the sub-$50 range, so why should you buy the Go 5 and not, say, the StormBox Mini+, the PE1 or the Go 4 ($49)? The Go 5 is more rugged thanks to its IP68 durability rating and it boasts loud volume and better bass performance.

JBL Go 5 review: Design

• Compact and pocketable
• Bluetooth 6.0 with SBC, AAC and LC3
• IP68 waterproofing and dust resistance

If you put the JBL Go 5 next to the Go 4, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The Go 5 bears striking resemblance to its predecessor as it continues to sport a boxy, rectangular design with mesh covers over the front and rear faces. The rear face, however, doesn’t feature two grip rubber strips anymore. Instead, they extend down from the top and bottom, lending the speaker a more premium look.

The base and top of the Go 5 are also fairly similar to the Go 4’s. There’s textured rubber feet at the bottom to make the Go 5 stand upright. In terms of size, the Go 5 remains pocketable and portable, measuring 3.98 x 3.05 x 1.7 inches and weighing 8.16oz. It’s a little heavier than the Go 4 which weighs 6.7oz but the difference is hardly noticeable. I’ve had no trouble carrying the speaker in my backpack, a tote bag, and even in my jacket’s pocket. The Go 5 is smaller and more portable than the Tribit StormBox Mini+, the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 and the Tozo PE1 too.

JBL has added two strips of LED lighting which run along the base and the top plate. There are four effects to choose from, within the companion app (more on that shortly): Bounce, Loop, Freeze, and Switch. You can’t change the color as the default is blue on the Blue model (red on the Red, pink on the Pink, and so on). I don’t mind that as it makes the speaker look classy. If you want customizable RGB lighting, I’d recommend the Tribit StormBox Mini+ instead.

Weatherproofing

If you want to use the Go 5 to soundtrack a pool party, a karaoke session in the shower, or a bonfire in the Sahara, you can confidently do so as the speaker is IP68-rated. This means that the speaker can be submerged in 1.5m of water for 30 minutes, and it’s dust-proof too, so it won’t get damaged by dirt and dust. Oh, and it’s drop-proof. Although JBL doesn’t specify how much of a tumble the Go 5 can sustain, I dropped it from a height of approximately 2m onto a wooden floor and it was unscathed.

Controls

The playback controls (play and volume) are located on the top plate. Other buttons — power, Bluetooth and Auracast — can be found along the Go 5’s left edge. Straightforward enough that you shouldn’t have any issues getting to grips with them.

Connectivity

The Go 5 utilizes Bluetooth 6.0 as opposed to its rivals utilizing older versions. Alongside support for SBC and AAC codecs which you can also find on the Go 4, the Go 5 supports LC3 for improved sound quality at lower bitrates.

Just like its predecessor, the Go 5 is Auracast-enabled which means you can link multiple speakers together for bigger sound — or if you want to play the same song in different parts of a room. Auracast pairing is simple as all you need to do is press the triangle on two (or more) Auracast-enabled speakers and et voilà. While we found the process on the Go 4 a little finicky, I had no problem pairing the Go 5 with my friend’s JBL Clip 5 ($79).

The Go 5 also features AirTouch stereo pairing if you have another Go 5 at hand, as I did. All you need to do is touch the two speakers together and left and right stereo channels are instantly created. It worked flawlessly in my testing, and considering the Go 5 doesn’t cost a lot, you might as well buy two for a more immersive experience.

JBL Go 5 review: Sound quality

• Better sub-bass than the Go 4
• Crisp treble and refined mids
• Can get very loud!

One of our complaints with the JBL Go 4 was that the sub-bass was practically non-existent, but thankfully, the JBL Go 5 doesn’t suffer from that problem. The sound quality is refined and fine-tuned and straight out of the box, it doesn’t give you much to complain about. The Go 5 can get very loud too, especially for the size, and it doesn’t sound tinny at high volumes either, unlike the Tozo PE1.

To test the Go 5, I listened to my range of testing songs on Qobuz, in our opinion the best music streaming service for hi-res audio. I kicked things off by listening to ‘Elma’ by Yin Yin, an atmospheric psychedelic rock and funk track. The Go 5 handled the track beautifully, with the shimmering guitar and synth waves boasting impressive separation. Each string plucked on the bass guitar had plenty of low-end impact. While I couldn’t feel the sub-bass in my chest due to the Go 5’s frequency response going only as low as 100Hz, it still sounded thick, warm and enjoyable.

I then listened to ‘First Light’ by Lana Del Rey and the song felt remarkably intimate, with Lana’s vocals shining and not getting drowned out by the David Arnold-produced orchestration. “T” and “s” sounds remained crisp without becoming hissy. The Go 5 also did an excellent job at reproducing the high-frequency tension of the string section with plenty of agility, and the song sounded energetic throughout.

‘Who Will You Follow' by Evanescence proved to be a good test for the Go 5’s dynamic management, as in this gothic alternative metal, Amy Lee’s vocals compete with a dense wall of sound. The Go 5 handled the distorted, low-tuned guitars with surprising grit, and the track never sounded muddy — something small speakers, like the Tribit StormBox Micro 2, can get overwhelmed by. Amy’s high-pitched vocals never pierced through the soundstage either, and they didn’t sound too shrill or unpleasant.

If you want a compact speaker that doesn’t compromise on sound quality due to its size, the Go 5 should be your port of call. It sounds better than the Tribit StormBox Mini+, a speaker I use nearly every day, and doesn’t feature poor bass reproduction like the Tribit StormBox Micro 2.

Listen along to my review with the JBL Go 5 testing playlist:

JBL Go 5 review: App

• JBL Portable app on iOS and Android
• User-friendly
• Straightforward EQ customization

To customize the JBL Go 5, you’ll need to download the JBL Portable app for free on your iOS or Android smartphone. Intuitive to use thanks to its clean interface, the JBL Portable app lets you update the Go 5’s firmware, customize stereo channels and group speakers together, customize the equalizer, and choose an EQ preset. That’s about it and it’s all you really need for a portable, budget speaker.

JBL Go 5 review: Battery life

• 10 hours of battery life
• Rivals offer longer

According to JBL, the Go 5 offers up to 8 hours of playback time and 10 hours with Playtime Boost enabled via the app. This is a three-hour improvement over the Go 4. To test the battery life, I played the Go 5 at approximately 50% volume, and after nine hours, I was prompted to charge it. If you’re planning on soundtracking a barbecue or party, the Go 5 should last you comfortably.

It’s important to note, though, that the Go 5’s rivals offer longer battery lives — but not by much. The Tribit StormBox Mini+ lasted 13 hours in my testing; the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 nets you about 12 hours of usage; and the Tozo PE1 lasts around 15 hours at moderate volumes.

JBL Go 5 review: Verdict

I’ve tested my fair share of Bluetooth speakers: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The JBL Go 5 falls into a secret fourth category: the excellent. Compact and pocketable, the Go 5 can be taken anywhere, and its robust IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating means you can use it by the pool or in the desert.

The Go 5 boasts a wide soundstage too, and while its predecessor struggled with sub-bass, the Go 5 thankfully doesn’t. The bass is meaty, especially for the size, and the treble is crisp and refined. Pairing the Go 5 with other Auracast-enabled speakers is a walk in the park, which is great for large gatherings where you want everyone to listen to the same tunes.

While the battery life isn’t the best, I don’t believe that should put you off from buying the Go 5. That’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make for the dynamic sound quality.

JBL is a brand with a long tenure in the audio space. The company doesn't make the most expensive headphones and speakers, but it does offer a solid blend of value and sound quality. These solid speakers often find themselves featured on best Bluetooth speaker lists for the powerful bass relative to the cost.

Seemingly out of nowhere, JBL's Bluetooth speakers are going viral on TikTok. And users aren't gushing about the audio quality of the company's models — it's the customizable nature of JBL's speakers that has the internet all excited.

Instead of just offering vibrant colors, JBL lets you create a custom design on four of its Bluetooth speaker models (and one pair of headphones).

Viral JBL Bluetooth speaker

You can see all kinds of videos on TikTok of people showing off their customized JBL speakers. As you might expect, people are getting creative with the various models, and a hot dog-themed speaker is gaining a lot of views and engagement on TikTok.

One person even designed a bunch of speakers and shared a slideshow on TikTok, asking viewers to help them choose the best option. And it is a tough choice, because they all look great.

We actually looked at the now-viral speaker a few months ago for a YouTube video showcasing gifts under $100 (we chose the JBL Clip 5, which is currently on sale for $69).

You can also customize the Grip for $129, the Flip 7 for $144 and the Charge 5 for $169. And if you're looking to make a pair of Bluetooth headphones your own, the JBL Tune 520BT is $49.

As mentioned, the Clip 5 is only $69, so you don't need to break the bank to get in on the viral speaker fun. And who knows, maybe your design will be the next one to grab millions of views on TikTok, Instagram or another vertical video platform.

I think I'm going to grab the Charge 5 with a photo of my dogs, this way when I hear loud music blaring from a speaker, I can think of them barking at absolutely nothing for no reason as soon as I join an important meeting.

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As the sun begins to show itself for the first time this year, I can't help but get excited about hanging out in the park with friends and listening to our favorite songs. I always make sure I have one of the best Bluetooth speakers on hand.

I've tested a whole host of speakers, from larger boom boxes to tiny keychain speakers you can hang on your bag, and I have my favorites. Whether it's the most balanced soundstage or the loudest sound possible, I have recommendations for anything you could possibly need.

I've gathered 12 of our highest-rated portable Bluetooth speakers that I love listening to, so you can get the best sound possible as you soak up the sun's rays as the days get longer and warmer.

Most TV setups aren't complete without one of the best soundbars. As someone who watches a lot of TV and plays video games on it too, I'm well aware that a TV's built-in speakers can never sound as good as a dedicated soundbar. I don't know about you, but when I'm curled up on my couch, I want to feel like I'm at the movies instead — and the Marshall Heston 60 makes me feel just like that.

The Heston 60 is one of Marshall's two soundbars — the other being the Heston 120 — and it's a compact, mid-range option for those short on space.

As compact soundbars go, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the undisputed king, so why would you buy the Marshall? It looks good, sounds good, it's got Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support to boot. Here's why you're going to love it.

A sight for sore eyes

I've tested my fair share of audio gear — headphones, earbuds, speakers, soundbars, you name it. But I've never drooled over a brand's product as much as I have over Marshall's. The British manufacturer's design philosophy is one of sophistication and class, and the Heston 60 is no different.

Available in either black or cream with gold accents, the soundbar looks and feels premium — from its tactile buttons to the soft mesh grille covering.

As I mentioned earlier, the Heston 60 is ideal for small spaces as it measures 28.74 x 4.88 x 2.68 inches and weighs 6.08lbs. It's easy to move it around if needed, and it fits well with sub-55-inch TVs. It's wall-mountable and the Marshall logo is magnetic, so you can stick it wherever you like on the soundbar depending on your setup. I've never seen this feature on a soundbar before and now I wish all of them had it.

It should be noted that the Heston 60 isn't as petite as the Sonos Beam Gen 2, but by soundbar standards, it's still the ideal space-saving solution. The Heston 60, like the Beam Gen 2, is built extremely well too, and looks like it could stand the test of time. That's the least you'd expect from a soundbar that costs $699 / £499, of course.

10/10 performance across the board

It's not just a pretty face. The Marshall Heston 60, like many other Marshall products, sounds extremely good, and you shouldn't be fooled by its size. The Heston 60 is well-endowed, featuring two 25W and five 5W Class D amplifiers which help it produce a maximum power output of 56W.

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support mean you're engulfed by immersive, spacious soundscapes where sounds are placed precisely above or around you. You feel like you're at the cinema, to be honest.

On paper, the Heston 60 sounds near-perfect, but is it any good in real world usage? Absolutely. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is the benchmark film for soundbar testing here at Tom's Guide, so that's the first movie I watched. The metal clinking of the fighter jets and the ropes whooshing as the planes took off in the opening sequence was loud and clear, and I could feel the bass response in my chest.

The balance between the various frequencies sounded sublime, and dialogue separation was excellent too, especially in 'F1: The Movie' where each commentator's, driver's and pitlane engineer's voice was discernible and clear.

There are four sound modes for users to enjoy, and though the bass is reduced in Voice mode, the low rumbling of the cars was enough to provide a good backbone to the film.

It's worth noting that I watched these two movies on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but the Heston 60 performs formidably even in non-4K UHD movies and TV shows. Clear sibilance and plosives made it a treat to watch 'Agatha All Along,' and the Salem Seven's shrieks and bone-crunching noises worked harmoniously with the bass to deliver a spine-chilling soundscape. You can, of course, check out my in-depth sound analysis in my full Marshall Heston 60 review.

But is it worth the price?

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 retails for $499 / £449 but you can often find it down to $349 / £349 during sales events, like Black Friday. This isn't surprising, of course, given that the soundbar came out all the way back in 2021.

The Marshall Heston 60, in comparison, was released towards the tail-end of 2025, so it hasn't received any major discounts yet. You can grab it for $699 / £499.

I know that sounds like a lot of money, and it's $200 more than what the Beam Gen 2 costs. While you miss out on voice assistant support, you gain DTS:X support instead, which is arguably a better feature to have. Both soundbars are also compatible with their respective subwoofers — the Sub Gen 3 ($799) for the Sonos and the Heston Sub 200 ($599). This brings the price of each package to $1,298. If I had to choose one, it would have to be the Heston 60.

In my opinion, the Heston 60 delivers more consistent Dolby Atmos performance but the Beam Gen 2 boasts slightly improved dynamics. You don't get as many connectivity options on the Beam Gen 2 either — there's no 3.5mm aux in, USB-C or Bluetooth which you'll find on the Heston 60. You can stream music over Wi-Fi, yes, but I like the additional option of streaming over Bluetooth or using the USB-C and 3.5mm jack for wired playback.

It's pricy, but it's well worth it.

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• Marshall’s compact soundbar isn’t just a pretty face — I tested it and it feels like a genuine threat to the Sonos ecosystem
• Sonos Beam Gen 2 review
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Size isn’t everything, and one should never underestimate how powerful a compact soundbar can really be. Just look at the Marshall Heston 60. Marshall’s second-ever soundbar is a joy to not only look at, but to listen to as well. Featuring Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, it creates spacious, immersive soundscapes. And even without the optional subwoofer, bass response is nothing short of outstanding.

With plenty of wired and wireless connectivity options available and a user-friendly companion app to boot, the Heston 60 is a masterclass in compact soundbars. It takes the fight to Sonos and Bose and emerges victorious. While there’s no physical remote included and it’s a little on the pricey side in the U.S., it’s worth the premium.

To find out if this is the best soundbar for you, read my full Marshall Heston 60 review.

Marshall Heston 60 review: Specs

Marshall Heston 60 review: Price & availability

The Marshall Heston 60 is one of the British brand’s two soundbars, and the little sibling of the Marshall Heston 120 ($999). It retails for $699 at Amazon U.S. / £499 at Argos U.K., meaning it’s a mid-range soundbar. It comes in either Black or Cream, and you also have the option to buy the optional Heston Sub 200 for $599 / £429 if you want more ground-shaking bass.

As a Dolby Atmos soundbar with DTS:X support, the Heston 60 finds itself competing with the likes of the Sony HT-S2000 ($499), but the Sony is nowhere near as compact. The Heston 60’s most notable opponents, then, are the Sonos Beam Gen 2 ($449) and the Bose Smart Soundbar ($499). All three are competent soundbars, but the Heston 60, in my opinion, offers more bang for your buck than the Bose, and is on-par with the Sonos. It’s a bit on the pricey side in the U.S. but if you want a classy compact soundbar, it’s worth the spend.

Marshall Heston 60 review: Design & features

• Wall-mountable and ideal for small and large TVs
• Plenty of connectivity options
• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support for immersive sound

Marshall knows how to make a good-looking product. We’ve seen it with the Middleton II, the Monitor III, and the Bromley 750, and now with the Heston 60. It maintains a low-profile, classy design with gold accents and amp-like tactile controls. The Heston 60 measures 28.74 x 4.88 x 2.68 inches, so it’s great for small living spaces. It also weighs 6.08lbs so it’s light enough to move around as needed.

All the buttons are well-laid out and signposted, so you should have no issues getting to grips with them. They give tactile feedback when pressed. Alongside its good looks, the soundbar is built extremely well and feels premium.

My favorite design feature is the magnetic Marshall logo, which you can attach to any part of the soundbar, so you can optimize the look for wall-mounted use if you want.

Connectivity & setting up

There’s no dearth of connectivity options on the Heston 60. Around the back, you’ll find an HDMI eARC alongside 3.5mm aux in, RCA mono (sub out) and USB-C ports. Setting the soundbar up couldn’t be easier, as all you need to do is plug it into your TV and start watching your favorite movies and TV shows.

For wireless fans, you also get Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6, enabling you to play music over AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. This gives the Heston 60 a leg-up over the Sony HT-S2000 which doesn’t support music streaming using Wi-Fi.

It’s important to note that, like the Sonos Beam Gen 2, the Heston 60 doesn’t come with a physical remote — both lose here to the HT-S2000. Instead, you download the Marshall app on your smartphone to customize and control the soundbar, just like you would via a remote.

The app is extremely user-friendly and sports a clean interface. Pairing it with the soundbar takes seconds, and once you’re set up, you can customize the equalizer, swap between sources, calibrate it according to the room it’s in, and more. If you already use Marshall gear, chances are you'll be using the app already. This'll doubtless be an issue for some, but ask yourself: do you really need another remote to lose in your couch’s crevices?

Features

The Heston 60 packs Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, for immersive, spacious soundscapes. The latter places sounds precisely around or above you, making you feel like you’re at the movies. DTS:X compatibility is missing from the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which makes the Heston 60 a more attractive option for cinephiles.

The Heston 60 is well-endowed, too, as this 5.1 soundbar is powered by two 25W and five 5W Class D amplifiers which help it produce a maximum power output of 56W — 14W more than the bigger Sony HT-S2000. The soundbar covers a frequency response range of 45Hz to 20KHz but if you want some extension below the 45Hz mark, I’d recommend grabbing the aforementioned Heston Sub 200. But even without the sub, the Heston 60 boasts powerful bass response.

One thing missing from the Heston 60 is voice assistant support, which means you can’t just ask it to do something with your words alone. This is something that I haven’t seen on the Sony HT-S2000 either, but is present on the Bose Smart Soundbar and the Sonos Beam 2nd Gen. Not a dealbreaker for me, personally, but something to consider before you buy.

Marshall Heston 60 review: Performance

• Crisp and clear dialogues
• Consistent Dolby Atmos performance
• Powerful bass even without subwoofer

To test the Marshall Heston 60, I watched a variety of movies and TV shows, and listened to music. In all three areas, it performed formidably, exceeding my expectations of what a compact soundbar is capable of.

Movies

I kicked things off by watching ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. In the opening scene, the bass sounded peerless through the Heston 60. For a compact soundbar, the bass felt room-filling. Kenny Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone,’ which soundtracks the opening scene of fighter jets taking off, sounded just as it would through a pair of high-end headphones, and it wasn’t too loud that it overwhelmed the bassiness of the metal clinking and ropes whooshing.

I then watched the final mission sequence and the Dolby Atmos performed beautifully here. The sound of missiles leaving the jets was highly detailed, and the human grunts through the pilot’s oxygen mask sounded just as clear — and I could feel the anxiety of the ground engineers. I felt like the jets were flying right overhead, which made for an immersive experience. The balance between high-frequency sounds and the low-end impact was thoroughly enjoyable. The bass felt expansive and bigger than you’d expect of a soundbar this size.

The Heston 60 features four different modes: Music, Movie, Night and Voice. The above testing was conducted with the Movie mode enabled, and I then swapped to Voice mode to see how well dialogues were enhanced in ‘F1: The Movie.’ I was genuinely impressed with the separation of voices, when the commentators were chatting with each other and drivers were communicating with engineers in the pit lane. Even though the bass was reduced in this mode, the low rumbling of the cars provided a good backbone. The sound of tires burning on the tarmac and raindrops falling on the track was also discernible.

It’s important to note that unlike the Sony HT-S2000 with its S-Force Pro Front Surround, the Heston 60 doesn’t create a virtual wraparound effect, so it doesn’t feel like sounds are bouncing off the walls. While it isn’t as immersive, it’s still excellent, and isn’t a dealbreaker, especially for a soundbar this dinky.

TV

Not everyone has access to Blu-rays, so it’s important to evaluate the Heston 60’s performance with non-4K UHD TV. I watched a few episodes of ‘Agatha All Along’ on Disney+ . Vocal clarity was exceptional through the soundbar, with clear sibilance and plosives, and even when there were multiple characters speaking at the same time, I could hear each voice clearly. Voices didn’t bleed into one another either.

I also found the balance between spoken dialogue and the backing soundtrack and ambient sounds to be outstanding. The bass engulfed the area around the TV and the couch I was sitting on, and gave the show a great backbone. Spine-chilling scenes, like when the Salem Seven are descending upon Agatha’s house in episode two, felt terrifying, as their shrieks worked harmoniously with the bass to deliver a horror-esque soundscape. I appreciated the fact that the high-pitched screams in the treble didn’t pierce either.

Music

I listened to music over Wi-Fi and on Qobuz, with the Heston 60 set to Music mode. ‘Echoes’ by Pink Floyd sounded probably the best it ever has to me. The build-up to the first verse, with the multiple instruments, sounded atmospheric with every guitar string pluck loud but not too loud that it sounded unpleasant. The layered vocals, again, shone through the Heston 60, and the low-mids felt thick and textured.

‘Drag Path’ by Twenty One Pilots sounded just as exquisite, with the eerie background sounds traveling from the left to the right and vice versa. The Heston 60 created a sort of dome that did justice to the song’s claustrophobic yet grand vibe. Percussion and hi-hats felt vibrant but not overzealous, similar to what the clean treble sounds like through the Marshall Monitor III over-ear headphones.

Marshall Heston 60 review: Verdict

The Marshall Heston 60 is a triumph. If you want a compact soundbar that doesn’t take up much space but produces loud and powerful sound, this is the one to get. With tactile controls and gold accents, it’s a sight for sore eyes. Looks aren’t everything, of course, and the Heston 60 boasts outstanding movie and TV show performance too.

Dolby Atmos performance is consistent across the board, making you feel like you’re at the cinema. Dialogues sound loud and clear while the treble and bass sound well-balanced. Although the Heston 60 doesn’t come with a physical remote, the user-friendly companion app lets you change its settings and functions straight from your phone — and if you own other recent Marshall gear, you'll be acquainted with this app already.

Is it worth dropping nearly $700 on the Heston 60 if you’re in the States? If it’s top-notch build and a stunning design you’re after, there’s no two ways about it: this is the soundbar for you.

I’ve been waiting for the Sonos Era 100 SL for a long time, I just hadn’t realized I’d been waiting for it. See, I use a pair of old Sonos Play:1 speakers as the left and right surrounds in a home theater setup in my back room. They’ve been overdue for an upgrade for years, but Sonos never made a speaker that fit the bill in terms of price-to-performance ratio — until now.

The Sonos Era 100 SL is the company’s most cost-effective speaker with an MSRP of $189/£169 — a tidy saving on the £199/$219 Sonos Era 100. In a year where everything simply seems to be going up in price, more affordable releases like this and Apple’s recent MacBook Neo are refreshing.

To keep the cost down, Sonos has trimmed the fat in a couple of ways. First, there’s no mic on the speaker and therefore no voice control. You can’t ask Sonos Voice Control or a third party like Alexa+ to set timers or answer questions for you. That suits me just fine — I need these speakers to round out a passive sound system, not to be an active participant in my smart home. However, if you pair the Sonos Era 100 SL with a voice-enabled soundbar you can still benefit from voice control that way. Getting rid of a feature I would never use anyway to save me more money is a win-win in my book.

Because of the lack of microphone, there’s no Trueplay technology for Android phones. Instead, it’ll only work with an iOS device. If you’re using one of the best Android phones, this could be a deal-breaker —or at least a reason to pay more for the regular Era 100. But since I have access to an iOS device, this also isn’t a problem for me. Another tick in the plus column for the Era 100 SL.

If you lift the lid, the Era 100 SL has the same sonic architecture as the regular Era 100. When we reviewed that speaker in 2023, we gave it 4.5 stars, saying Sonos “Elevates the sound performance for its new entry-level home speaker with twin tweeters for stereo sound from a single cabinet, and a larger woofer for richer-sounding bass.”

Our reviewer said it was a noticeable step up from the Sonos One, and I can confirm it's absolutely streets ahead of my tired old Play:1 speakers. Bass at lower volumes is noticeably improved which works exceptionally well when you want to use it as part of a larger setup where the soundbar is doing the heavy lifting.

So Sonos is giving me better sound at a lower price by cutting features I either don’t use or aren’t affected by. Sign me up!

Setup is a dream

In the past, I’ve been critical of Sonos’ app and the general frustrations encountered in its software. The company has promised that those are a thing of the past and this is my first time setting up a new speaker on my system since the crisis of the new Sonos app back in 2024. The process couldn’t have been smoother and achieves almost Apple-levels of simplicity.

Once the speakers were plugged in, all I had to do was add them in the Sonos app and, once they were updated and linked to the Wi-Fi network, I was automatically asked if I wanted to group them in with my existing soundbar and mini sub.

It took all of about five minutes to add both speakers through the app, and there wasn’t a single hiccup during the entire process. Technology can all too easily become a rabbit hole of settings and configurations, but adding a pair of Era 100 SL to my setup was handled entirely in the app in a matter of minutes.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to tweak and fiddle with a setup but would prefer to get on with watching your content with surround sound, I definitely recommend this.

Bottom line

Sonos is pitching the Era 100 SL as the entry to a Sonos home theater and I agree with that wholeheartedly. For example, the speaker doesn’t support Dolby Atmos spatial audio for music but does support Dolby Atmos and surround channels in a home theater setup. So, if you’re in the same boat as me and looking to build out a (or upgrade an elderly) Sonos system, you should stop reading right now and buy this speaker.

On the other hand, if you’re on the hunt for your first Sonos speaker primarily for music playback, it’s probably not the one to go for — even if it is affordable. For ultimate versatility, I would suggest looking at the brand new Sonos Play which gives you the benefit of both a home-based and portable Bluetooth speaker.

The Era 100 SL is a real return to form for Sonos, offering a really solid core performance whilst keeping the cost down by cutting away the window dressing. It would have been even nicer if the company had cut the cost even further through the double pack you can buy for $378, but perhaps that was one step too far.

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The Sonos Move is, hands-down, my favorite speaker Sonos has ever made. It has a big sound, big battery and Bluetooth support. My only complaint is that, at over 6.5 pounds, it’s slightly just not portable enough for most situations where you’d actually want to use a wireless speaker. Enter the $299 Sonos Play.

Sonos Play takes the same idea as the Move and scales it down into a sub-3-pound package that’s genuinely convenient to carry, complete with a utility loop and 24 hours of battery life. You still get Wi-Fi for streaming, voice assistants, multi-room listening and all the other core Sonos system features at home. It’s even line-in ready for my record player. But Bluetooth, and waterproofing means this speaker can join me on outings, too.

From someone who’s part of the company’s long-term user base, Sonos has far from escaped its series of software controversies unscathed. But Sonos Play is the kind of product that brings the focus back to what the brand does well — connected smart speakers that fill your space with great sound. And that’s the takeaway you can read more about in my full Sonos Play review below.

Sonos Play cheat sheet

• What is Sonos Play? A portable Sonos speaker that offers Wi-Fi multi-room audio as well as Bluetooth, designed for both home use and on-the-go listening.
• How much does Sonos Play cost? It costs $299.
• Can you use two Sonos Plays together? Yes, pair two for stereo sound over Wi-Fi, or group multiple speakers (including up to three additional Play or Move 2 units) over Bluetooth.
• Can you use Sonos Play with a record player? Yes, as long as you have the $20 Sonos Line-In Adapter. And yes, it has to be the Sonos one to work properly.
• Sonos Play vs. Sonos Move 2? The $399 Sonos Move 2 is larger and more powerful, but less portable. The $299 Play is lighter and easier to carry while still delivering strong stereo sound, plus it has more sophisticated Bluetooth pairing than the Move.
• Sonos Play vs. Sonos Roam? The $179 Sonos Roam is a smaller Wi-Fi/Bluetooth speaker and weighs under 1 pound, but without a charging base or line-in, it’s less appealing for in-home sound system use.
• What is Sonos Play battery life? Up to 24 hours, plus it doubles as a power bank to charge your phone.

The ups

Practical, portable design

While I’ve always sung the praises of the Sonos Move, I’ve never felt the same way about the Sonos Roam. It’s a perfectly fine Bluetooth speaker, but at its price, it’s hard to ignore how many comparable options are out there for less. It doesn’t quite justify itself in the same way something like the Play does.

The Play feels unmistakably like a Sonos speaker, with intuitive controls and a large enough audio presence to complement any Sonos system. But much like the Move, it lives on a wireless charging base at home, then seamlessly transitions into a travel speaker designed for everyday carry. It even has a removable utility loop that makes it easy to grab and go. It’s also IP67-rated, so dust and water aren’t a problem.

To sum it up, the Move is too big of a home speaker to be truly portable, while the Roam is too much of a portable speaker to be practical at home. The Play strikes the perfect balance between them within Sonos’s battery-powered options.

Balanced, room-filling sound

For a speaker this size, the sound is impressively well-rounded. Vocals, whether I was listening to podcasts or stripped-down tracks, come through crisp and clear, thanks to that dedicated midwoofer.

At the same time, bass-heavy tracks (think Kendrick Lamar’s ‘m.A.A.d city’ or electronic playlists) still hit with enough depth to feel satisfying without overpowering everything else. The dual passive radiators do a lot of work here, while the Automatic Trueplay feature adapts playback in real-time to suit your listening space.

Like most Sonos speakers, though, I wouldn’t push it to max volume in most circumstances. It holds up well, but it’s clearly tuned for balance over brute force. The key to getting a bigger sound from Sonos Play is your pairing options.

Flexible pairing

There are lots of different ways you can play music with Play. First, you can listen to it solo over Wi-Fi, either casting (I use AirPlay) or using the Sonos app with your synced streaming services. With the compatible Sonos line-in adapter, the Play can also hook up to a record player and cast to your other speakers.

If you have other Sonos speakers, you can also assign it for multi-device and multi-room playback, too. Better yet, you can stereo pair two Plays over Wi-Fi for a more immersive setup at home.

Over Bluetooth, you can connect one Play to your phone, then sync up to three additional speakers, including the Sonos Move 2, just by holding the pairing button. That’s a newer feature the Move doesn’t have.

24-hour battery life

Sonos rates the Play for up to 24 hours of battery life. I left it off the charging base for about 3 days, and my hours of active listening landed just around that estimate. Comparing the other battery-powered Sonos speakers, the Move 2 lasts 24 hours as well and the Roam lasts up to 10 hours. Both the Play and Move 2 have replaceable batteries, which I think is a meaningful factor for speakers you’d want to last in your home for a long time.

What’s more, the Play doubles as a USB-C power bank. Being able to top off my phone while I was out made this speaker feel even more multi-purpose.

The downs

Pricey depending on what you’re looking for

I’ll be honest, I struggled to find much fault with the Sonos Play. For what it offers (Wi-Fi streaming, multi-room audio, voice control, strong battery life and portability) it actually delivers a lot of value.

That said, you don’t need to spend $299 for a Bluetooth speaker of this size and with solid sound. For example, the UE Everboom can usually be found for $199 and it’s pretty similar in dimensions. I also like the JBL Charge 6, which tends to go on sale for about $170. I’d recommend these if you’re not looking for any “smart” features via Wi-Fi.

Verdict

The Sonos Play takes everything that makes the Sonos ecosystem great and packages it in a design that provides comprehensive versatility between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Unlike past attempts, the Play doesn’t feel like you’re compromising in either direction.

That balance is what makes it stand out against both the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam. One leans too far into being a home speaker, the other too far into being ultra-portable. The Play sits right in the middle, offering enough power for your living room and enough practicality for a park day, weekend trip or if you're like me, concert in the shower.

$299 is a lot if all you want is a Bluetooth speaker. But if you’re even slightly invested in the Sonos ecosystem, or want a speaker that can grow into one, this is easily one of the most well-rounded options the company has debuted in years.

A few weeks ago, I found myself in the attic sorting through boxes of gadgets I forgot I even had, and I stumbled across my first record player. It's a suitcase-style record player (which I know, I know, is very bad for long-term vinyl care), but it only cost me $40 when I bought it. I remember thinking this was a total steal, so I was able to pick up a bunch of records at the same time.

Does it sound as good to me today as it did back then? Absolutely not. But can I make it better? Absolutely yes. I’ve been testing the Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers, and they have seriously blown me away.

Turns out, they're the perfect partner to my old gear and, with a few tweaks, I had that $40 record player sounding like a system that cost hundreds more.

Computer speakers to the rescue

Part of the problem with suitcase-style record players that were popular in the 2010s is the awful quality of the built-in speakers. So, fixing the issue from the needle on the record to the speaker creates a major upgrade.

When you’re on a budget and don’t want to invest in a hi-fi setup right away, computer speakers are a great gateway into improving home audio. After testing the Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers, I knew they would be perfect for this job. They’re priced at $349, so while they’re not the cheapest you can get, they’re certainly budget compared to other big dogs in the market. Not to mention, the sound you get from them is totally epic.

These particular speakers have an amazing array of connectivity options, making them ideal for everything from gaming to watching movies to streaming music.

It’s all about connection

The connectivity options with these speakers can seem overwhelming, but when it comes to playing music from a record player, there’s really only one option: RCA cables.

Using RCA cables means that any interference is minimized as they are low-latency. They can also handle weaker signals, which is a common issue with turntables. Luckily, the Onkyos also have the option of using the RCA connection with phono or line to accommodate a wider range of devices.

Using this type of wired connection also eliminates any buzz you would experience if just using a 3.5mm jack, for example.

What happened?

Was I able to get stellar audio with mid-range computer speakers and a dirt-cheap, outdated turntable? Absolutely, I was.

I was seriously blown away by the results. While I recognize that exclusively using a suitcase-style player for my records is going to do more harm than good in the long run, this is an awesome solution for vinyl newbies.

All tinniness was reduced, and vocal performances were impeccable. I tested the setup with two of my favorite records at the moment, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams and The Clearing by Wolf Alice. The distorted tracks on Hayley Williams’ album were incredibly impactful, and the more acoustic tones from Wolf Alice completely warmed my home. Both albums held up extremely well.

To find out more about my experience with the speakers, how they perform over different connectivity, and their inner workings, you can read this full Onkyo GX-30ARC review.

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The Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers are a fantastic option for improving your home audio, and they’re some of the best speakers you can get for the money. Their amazing sound quality and competitive price make them feel like an absolute steal.

They look great, have versatile connectivity options, and are super easy to set up. While minor, the lack of EQ customization and hi-res Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and aptX might put off wireless listeners. Even so, the GX-30ARC are bookshelf speakers at their core, so are intended to be used wired.

To find out if these are the home audio upgrades you need in your life, keep reading this full Onkyo GX-30ARC review.

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Cheat sheet

• What are they? Minimalistic bookshelf speakers with great connectivity options
• Who are they for? Anyone looking to make home audio upgrades
• What does it cost? $249 / £339
• What do we like? They provide amazing sound at a competitive price and are extremely easy to set up
• What don’t we like? No EQ alteration and only SBC

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Specs

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Price & availability

The Onkyo GX-30ARC are bookshelf speakers with a middle-of-the-road price point, offering amazing sound without breaking the bank. They’re available at Amazon U.S. for $249, and at AV.com in the U.K. for £339.

These Creator Series monitors have some pretty fierce competition, as you can get some budget bookshelf speakers with decent audio for under $10. Take the Majority D40X, for example — they cost just $99 but still offer great sound quality and style.

Moving higher up the market, well-known budget brands like Edifier start to creep in with offerings like the Edifier M60, which are compact speakers priced at $199. Or the $149 Edifier R1280T speakers, which don’t have Bluetooth but are the cheapest way to get premium sound.

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Design & controls

The Onkyo GX-30ARC are some of the best-looking speakers I’ve had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. With the mesh speaker grill attached, they have a minimalistic style that complements any home interior, whether that’s next to your television, turntable, or computer.

With the speaker grill detached, the driver and tweeter are exposed, giving a more modern finish to the speaker. But the covers still protect the speaker from dust and debris, and also offer some acoustic modulation and soften the treble, although in this case it’s slight. How you set the speakers up is personal preference.

The speakers measure 8.7 x 5.8 x 6.7 inches, which sets them at around the same size as the Majority D40X (8.8 x 5.4 x 7 inches). But with the Onkyos, you have the option to perch them on a wooden-finish plastic stand, which increases the height and depth slightly to give dimensions of 10.6 x 8.3 x 5.8 inches. Since the stand is made from plastic, it feels a little light and flimsy, which is a let down — but the effect still looks great.

You also get a speaker stand with the Edifier M60 speakers, and I wish more audio brands would include stands with bookshelf speakers. Mounting speakers at an angle like this can help to direct the music in the room for better sound. If the sound waves from the speaker are reflecting off the surface below, the sound will become dull.

Two indicator lights on the front indicate the source and the sound mode, which are visible through the grill. My only issue with the design is that the power cord is pretty short, so you’re going to want to set it up as close to a plug socket as possible.

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Features & connectivity

The front of the Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers is extremely minimal. You’ll find all the connectivity ports and controls on the rear of the primary speaker. Here we have the power button, inputs for all the different connectivity options, including HDMI, USB-C and Aux, and the power settings. There’s a lot more connectivity scope here than what is offered by the Kanto Ora4 ($399) speakers, which are smaller and less well-equipped, but better sized and shaped for placing on a desk.

You can use the GX30ARCs as desk speakers, and they’re very good for that. But they’re a lot larger, and all of the connectivity options mean they can be used with your television or turntable. The speakers come with a remote, which is easy to use and feels well-made.

The speakers use Bluetooth 5.3 and only offer the SBC audio codec. This left me a little bewildered at first since speakers like the Edifier S80DB MKII ($499) support hi-res 24-bit streaming with LDAC. But the Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers still sound brilliant. While I would have liked to see a higher resolution codec in these speakers that look and feel so premium, their performance means it’s not the end of the world. Besides, you can use them wired for the best results anyway.

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Audio quality

I was totally impressed by the sound of the Onkyo GX-30ARC. I tested by streaming my music over Qobuz in high resolution, over Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, and via RCA when plugged into my turntable.

Firstly, I listened to Play It Out by Wolf Alice, which has powerful vocals. The speakers did a great job of bringing harmonies to the forefront of the track, without allowing the vocals to overpower the guitar-led instrumental. Every layer of the frequency range was well-rounded without overpowering the delicate sounds at the high end.

To test out the bass performance, I listened to Midnight Sun by Zara Larson. This song is full of high-energy beats and impressive vocal riffs, so I was impressed to hear the speakers keeping up with the runs so easily. The bass carried well across the song and felt extremely powerful, but at the same time, the other instruments and vocals remained well-balanced.

Since you can use these speakers with your television if you want to (although you’d certainly be better off with one of the best cheap soundbars), I wanted to test them out with one of my favorite movie soundtracks. I listened to Planetarium by Justin Hurwitz from the movie La La Land, an orchestral track. I was able to hear every nuance with the speakers, and their wide soundstage gave the song all the room it needed to grow.

While there’s no personalized EQ customization with this speaker, there is a button on the controls to make the sound flat or more dynamic. This is great, as the dynamic option certainly enhances bass performance, but if you’re not in the mood for shaking floors, you can go for the flat setting. While there’s no indicator when switching between these (which would be useful), you can hear a stark difference in the settings.

I also plugged the speakers into my turntable and listened to Hayley Williams’ Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. This was very easy to set up with an RAC cable, and sounded crisp — it carried the tracks with heavy distortion really well. No faults here.

Onkyo GX-30ARC review: Verdict

The Onkyo GX-30ARC bookshelf speakers offer amazing sound quality at a competitive price. The minimalistic and sleek design means they fit into any household, and the versatile connectivity options make them perfect for anyone, whether you want to use them to listen to your records spinning or hook them up to the television.

They’re super easy to set up, but the speakers only support SBC audio, so hi-res fans will be feeling left out over wireless. That said, the sound is still stellar and you can hook the speakers up wired for high-res playback anyway. There’s very limited EQ customization, which feels like an oversight, and the stands feel cheap, but then again, they do look good.

These speakers are a great option for anyone who wants to upgrade their home audio but doesn’t want to splash major cash. And with sound this great on such a budget, they’re the perfect addition to any setup.

The best Bluetooth speakers designed for parties can either elevate your group listening session or make you want to leave. You, of course, don't want the latter to happen, especially if you're the one hosting the party! Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there, and I myself have tested a few party speakers — and I have two clear favorites.

In August 2025, British giant Marshall revealed the Bromley 750, its first-ever party speaker. I reviewed it and absolutely loved it. And then came its smaller (and cheaper) sibling, the Bromley 450, launched in March 2026, which I also tested and loved. Both speakers earned 4.5-star ratings from me as well as the coveted Editor's Choice award.

Testing the Bromley 450 got me thinking: "Is this better value for money than the Bromley 750?" And I even thought to myself, "Is there a clear winner here, even though they're both very similar to each other?" So naturally, I put them both through a five-round face-off to see which is better — and the winner surprised me. Read on to find out which party speaker is best for you.

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Specs

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Price

The Marshall Bromley 450 is the smaller and cheaper sibling to the Marshall Bromley 750, so naturally, there's a bit of a price difference between the two. The Bromley 450 is available for $799 / £549 while the Bromley 750 retails for $1,299 / £899. As neither speaker has been out for too long, we're yet to see them go on sale.

In terms of sheer value for money, the Bromley 450 is the winner. As you'll see throughout the face-off, the Bromley 450 borrows a bunch of features from its stablemate, so if you want best-in-class sound without breaking the bank, you know which way to go.

Winner: Marshall Bromley 450

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Design

Both the Marshall Bromley 450 and the Marshall Bromley 750 share design philosophies, so they look fairly identical. In fact, you wouldn't be able to tell one apart from the other if you didn't already know which was which beforehand. They both feature Marshall's classic premium build quality and tasteful design with well-defined front grilles, integrated LED lamps for reactive lighting, and sleek branding in brass accents.

Controls are similar too. On both speakers, the buttons and dials look like they could belong on a guitar amp. Everything is well-signposted, and each control offers good tactile feedback when pressed or turned. While controls remain fairly similar, the Bromley 750 has an additional Sound Character dial which lets you adjust audio on a scale of Dynamic to Loud, depending on your listening style.

The biggest difference between the two speakers is the size and weight. The Bromley 450 is much smaller, measuring 19.37 x 14.17 x 10.27 inches compared to the Bromley 750 measuring 25.7 x 16.3 x 14 inches. It's also lighter at 26.89 pounds, while the Bromley 750 is nearly double the weight at 52.7 pounds. But both speakers are easy to transport: the Bromley 450 features a built-in handle on its side while the Bromley 750 features large wheels and a suitcase-like pull-out handle.

Neither is better nor worse than the other, so we'll call this round a tie.

Winner: Tie

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Features & connectivity

There's no dearth of features and connectivity options on both the Marshall Bromley 450 and the Marshall Bromley 750. Both feature integrated LED lamps that can react and dance to the tunes you're playing to create an immersive light show. Both also feature Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs and multipoint connectivity for up two devices. The presence of Auracast means you can pair numerous (even endless) speakers to both — including Marshall's Bluetooth speakers, not just party ones.

The Bromley 450 and the Bromley 750 double/triple as karaoke machines and amps for instruments, as they both feature RCA and two XLR/6.35mm combo jacks each. You also get 3.5mm aux and USB-C ports for wired playback. See? A plethora of connectivity options!

While both speakers are excellent, they share a drawback too, and that's the companion app. You can't use the app to adjust the equalizer, the delay/reverb effects for karaoke and instrument use, the Sound Character (on the Bromley 750), or the lighting effects. While you can do so via physical controls, you can't via the app, which is disappointing.

Both speakers are protected against dust and water, as the Bromley 450 is IP55-rated and the Bromley 750 is IP54-rated. The former is ever-so-slightly better than the latter, and takes the win in this round by a very narrow margin.

Winner: Marshall Bromley 450

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Sound quality

The Marshall Bromley 450 and the Marshall Bromley 750 sound near-identical, and unless you've got a keen ear for hi-res audio or are being nit-picky, you really wouldn't notice the difference. Both speakers are well-endowed, although the Bromley 750 has more going on in terms of hardware (check out my full Bromley 450 and Bromley 750 reviews to find out).

Bass on both speakers is meaty and punchy, although the Bromley 750 has more refined lower ranges as its frequency response goes down to 20Hz (versus 42Hz on the Bromley 450). On the Bromley 450, I had to increase the bass up a notch or two via the onboard dial to really appreciate the sub-bass in tracks like 'Tomorrow is Another Day' by M-High, which I didn't need to do at all on the Bromley 750.

Treble is crisp and vibrant on both speakers too. Sibilance and plosives never sound shrill or harsh or like they're bleeding into one another, as I found when listening to tracks like 'White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter' by Lana Del Rey and 'From Finner' by Of Monsters and Men. I found that transitions between low and high pitches were clean on both speakers too, with the higher frequencies never sounding piercing or like they were cutting through the instrumentals.

Auracast works extremely well on both the Bromley 450 and the Bromley 750. When two speakers are synchronized and playing on opposite ends of a room, the sound is concentrated in the middle and you feel truly immersed in the music. Both speakers are phenomenal for hosting large gatherings or parties, as they get very, very loud while remaining detailed throughout the frequency range.

The Bromley 750 takes the crown in this round based purely on straight-out-of-the-box sound and its internal hardware. Thanks to the additional Sound Character dial, you get more control over the dynamics, making it the better choice of the two if you want extensive adjustment.

Winner: Marshall Bromley 750

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Battery

Neither the Marshall Bromley 450 nor the Marshall Bromley 750 will disappoint you when it comes to battery life. Both speakers are rated for up to 40 hours of playback between charges, which is excellent (and both upstage rivals from JBL and Soundboks). They share the same removable LiFePO4 battery pack, which can be used as power banks to charge your other devices (via a USB-C port).

In my testing, the Bromley 450's battery dipped by only 15% after six hours of listening to it at full volume. Similarly, the Bromley 750's battery dropped by 20% while listening at full volume and playing with the Sound Character over a period of seven continuous hours. This round is, once again, a tie between the two.

Winner: Tie

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Verdict

Based on our ratings scorecard below, the Marshall Bromley 450 wins, but by a very narrow margin. The Bromley 450, in my opinion, offers better value for money over the Marshall Bromley 750. For just under $800, you get a powerful party speaker that delivers punchy bass and crisp treble, features plenty of connectivity options and controls, and slightly better waterproofing and dust protection. It's also more portable than its bigger sibling, and retains the same 40-hour battery life.

As you can see in the ratings scorecard, the Bromley 750 earns a full 25/25 points from me in the sound quality round. While the Bromley 450 is fantastic, it needs a bit of fiddling with the bass and treble dials to achieve your perfect sound (if you're being nit-picky, that is). The Bromley 750, on the other hand, doesn't require any adjustment at all, and sounds outstanding straight out of the box. The Sound Character dial gives you more control over, well, the sound too, making it more versatile.

At the end of the day, both of Marshall's party speakers are formidable and extremely competent, and neither gives you much to complain about. If I had to choose just one of the two, though, I'd go for the Bromley 450 — for its smaller size, portability and battery life.

Marshall Bromley 450 vs Marshall Bromley 750: Ratings scorecard

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested Marshall’s first party speaker, and it’s perfect for musicians, karaoke enthusiasts and everyone in between
• I’ve been testing the Marshall Bromley 450, and it might be the ‘best party speaker of 2026’
• Forget the Bose S1 Pro+ — the brand-new Marshall Bromley 450 just redefined party speakers

One thing I love about my job is that there's never a shortage of audio gear to test: When I'm listening on my own, I use the Marshall Monitor III over-ear headphones. When I'm chilling with my partner or we're hanging out with friends, I turn to one of the best Bluetooth speakers. And if we're having a party? It's gotta be a party speaker — and there are few (if any) better than the Marshall Bromley 450.

The Bromley 450 is the British audio giant's second-ever party speaker, and it joined its bigger sibling, the Bromley 750, in March 2026. I was one of the first reviewers to test the Bromley 450, and I immediately fell in love with it. It looks good, it sounds better, and its battery lasts oh-so-long. I've found it difficult to fault, really, and testing the Bromley 450 got me thinking, "Does it sound better than other party speakers in the same price range?"

Luckily, in our testing lab, we had a Bose S1 Pro+, so I listened to it for a while and immediately knew that I preferred the Bromley 450 (sorry, Bose). There's plenty to love about the Bromley 450: from its exquisite design to the drool-worthy light show and delectable sound quality. Few brands come close to the prestige Marshall's speakers and headphones ooze, and it's no different in the case of the Bromley 450. Here's why it's my top pick for the party speaker of 2026.

I can't stop staring at it

When John Keats wrote "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," he was clearly talking about the Marshall Bromley 450, because I would very much like to place it in my apartment, turn on the LED lamps, and stare at it for as long as I can. It's one of the best-looking speakers I've had the pleasure of testing. No, scratch that. It's one of the best-looking anything I've ever used.

I'm no stranger to speakers. I've tested many during my time as a tech journalist. I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and the Bromley 450 very clearly belongs in the first category. It really is a thing of beauty. Its matte black finish feels exquisite to touch and pleasing to the eye, while its brass and gold accents add a premium panache to the impressive package.

Adding to the Bromley 450's appeal are its integrated LED lamps, located behind the front grille. They light up in white and yellow, and depending on the lighting mode you choose, they can dance and react to the music you're playing too, to create an immersive light and sound show. Beautiful.

I could wax poetic about the Bromley 450 all day long if I could but I wouldn't want to bore you, of course. Marshall's trademark tactile controls are present on the Bromley 450 in spades, as you can control basically every sound and light setting via the onboard buttons and dials. Thank goodness for that because the companion app is... underwhelming, at best.

No dearth of features

The Marshall Bromley 450 has everything you could need in a proper party speaker. Want to play music from your phone? Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs. Want to connect two smart devices at the same time? Multipoint connectivity. Want to plug your phone in for hi-res wired playback? 3.5mm aux or USB-C is at your disposal.

Or imagine you're hosting a party and someone says, "Hey, I brought my guitar to the party and want to serenade everyone with Oasis' Wonderwall, can I do that?" You've got the Bromley 450, so you can reply with, "My Bromley 450's got two XLR/6.35mm combo ports for guitars and RCA ports for keyboards and turntables so technically you can, but I don't want you to bore everyone with Wonderwall, so let's refrain from that." Sorry, Oasis fans, it is what it is, but at least you can plug your guitar into the Bromley 450 as it doubles/triples as an amp and a karaoke machine!

In addition to the connectivity options, the Bromley 450 is also protected against dust, dirt and water as it's IP55-rated, so it's perfect for outdoor parties. If you've got another Bromley 450 or 750, or even another Auracast-enabled Marshall speaker, you can sync them up any number of them to play at the same time, making the Bromley 450 even better for big parties.

But does it sound good?

Via its onboard controls, you can adjust the Marshall Bromley 450's bass, treble, add reverb and delay effects if you're using the karaoke feature or instruments, and adjust the lighting.

"Sounds great, but does the speaker sound good?" I hear you ask, and I'm here to tell you, dear reader, that it sounds excellent. The sound quality really doesn't give you much to complain about, and I had to be really nit-picky to find any faults with it. And the faults I found? You'll need to play around with the bass and treble dials to get the perfect sound — but apart from that, that's about it.

The Bromley 450 is a powerful, well-endowed speaker, and you can learn all about its internal hardware in my full review. All I'm going to tell you in this article is that it sounds phenomenal. I thought the treble, especially, sounded brilliant. Crisp, vibrant, never overzealous or shrill. Sibilance and plosives gave me nothing to moan about as the sounds didn't bleed into one another, especially in tracks like 'White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter' by Lana Del Rey, where she ad-libs different 's' and 'tss' sounds.

This is a party speaker, though, and chances are you'll be using it to listen to dance music or bass-heavy electronic tracks, and it's the ideal speaker for high tempo music. The bass is warm with plenty of low-end impact and detail in the mid range, and it never sounds booming in tracks like 'Tomorrow is Another Day' by M-High, and you can hear each individual string pluck in songs like 'Money' by Pink Floyd. I have no notes.

Unlimited powaaaaah

The cherry on top of this beautiful cake is the Marshall Bromley 450's battery life. Marshall says that the speaker can last for up to 40 hours between charges. This will naturally depend on usage conditions, such as the LED lighting and volume. While I couldn't drain the entire battery during my testing period, I noticed that the battery had dropped by only 15% after six hours of listening to the speaker at full volume and with reactive lighting turned on.

What's even better is that you can remove the Bromley 450's battery pack (securely slotted in the back and protected by a hard plastic cover) and use it as a power bank for your other devices. It's got a USB-C port on it so you can plug in your headphones, phone or laptop. I think that's very cool, and it's something I loved about the Bromley 750 too.

I absolutely adore the Bromley 450. It's pretty, its sound quality is stunning, and it lasts a long, long time. What more could you possibly need?

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• I’ve been testing the Marshall Bromley 450, and it might be the ‘best party speaker of 2026’
• I tested the Marshall Bromley 450 and the Marshall Bromley 750 party speakers — and the winner surprised me
• As a guitarist and an audiophile, this is the all-in-one speaker I’ve been waiting for

Seven months since the launch of its first-ever party speaker, Marshall is back with a smaller, more affordable option for the budget-conscious. The Marshall Bromley 450 is a hoot. Sporting the British giant’s trademark premium build and brass accents, the Bromley 450 is good-looking to the point that I want to keep it in my apartment as eye candy.

Aiding the Bromley 450’s position as one of the — if not the — best party speakers of 2026 is its wide soundstage and refined sound quality. The treble is crisp and bright; vocals are clear and detailed; and the bass is meaty and powerful, and it makes you want to headbang. With up to 40 hours of battery life, integrated reactive LED lighting, and its ability to double (or triple) as a karaoke machine and amp for your instruments, there’s so much to love about the Bromley 450.

So, is this the best Bluetooth speaker for you? Read my full Marshall Bromley 450 review to find out.

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Specs

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Marshall’s second-ever party speaker, and the Bromley 750’s smaller (and cheaper) sibling
• Who is it for? Musicians, mobile DJs, and social gatherings or parties
• How much does it cost? $799 / £549, so it’s a fair bit cheaper than the Bromley 750
• What do we like? The powerful bass, crisp treble, long battery life, premium design and build, and connectivity options
• What don’t we like? The lackluster app

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Price & availability

Launched on March 17 2026, the Marshall Bromley 450 is Marshall’s second-ever party speaker, and it’s the smaller and cheaper sibling to the Bromley 750 ($1,299) which came out only in September 2025. The Bromley 450 is much cheaper than the Bromley 750 as it retails for $799 / £549, so it’s for anyone who wants a party speaker like the Bromley 750 but doesn’t want to burn a hole in their pocket.

The Bromley 450 is priced similarly to the JBL PartyBox 520 ($879), the Sony ULT Tower 9 ($899) and the Soundboks 4 ($999). In my opinion, the Bromley 450 trumps its competition with its battery life, integrated and classy LED lighting, and best-in-class sound quality.

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Design & controls

• So good-looking and well-built
• Convenient handle for transportation
• Guitar amp-like tactile controls

Marshall knows how to make a good-looking product. I’ve been using the Marshall Monitor III ($349) headphones for over a year now, and I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and testing the British brand’s other products too. Every single time, I’m blown away by the design and the build quality, and this holds true in the case of the Marshall Bromley 450 too.

Put the Bromley 450 next to its big brother, the Bromley 750, and you’ll notice that they look nearly identical. Similar to the latter, the Bromley 450 comes in matte Black with Brass accents, and the well-defined front grille houses the integrated LED lights. The side and rear drivers and passive radiators are covered with grilles as well. I love the branding on the front as it makes the speaker look premium and classy.

But unlike the Bromley 750, the Bromley 450 isn’t as large. It measures 19.37 x 14.17 x 10.27 inches and weighs 26.89lbs, making it more portable than its stablemate. Also a departure from the Bromley 750, the Bromley 450 doesn’t feature large wheels or a suitcase-style handle that emerges from the top for easy transport. To be fair, you don’t really need wheels on the Bromley 450. A built-in handle is located on the speaker’s left side and it features a textured grip so that you can, well, grip your fingers around it. I had no trouble carrying the speaker up and down stairs and between different rooms.

Adding to the Bromley 450’s aesthetic appeal are its controls. All the buttons and dials are signposted and easy to understand. The main controls are located above the front grille and they wouldn’t look out of place on a guitar amp. Each button gives good tactile feedback when pressed, and each dial has just enough friction to ensure you don’t move it by mistake.

These buttons and dials give you plenty of control over the Bromley 450’s settings. You can adjust the volume, bass, treble, add reverb/delay if you’ve got a mic or instrument plugged in, swap between input sources, and use the M button to toggle a strobe lighting effect. The Bromley 450 doesn’t feature a Sound Character dial as found on the Bromley 750, though, but I didn’t miss it much.

Overall, the Bromley 450 is designed extremely well and hasn’t given me much to complain about. The design and controls are perfect, no notes.

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Features

• IP55 waterproof and dustproof
• Immersive and reactive LED lights
• Auracast works well

The Marshall Bromley 450 knows how to put on a show, thanks to its integrated LED lamps. The LED lighting feels immersive and tasteful, and I much prefer it over the garish RGB lighting used by the JBL PartyBox 520.

Similar to the Bromley 750, you can choose one of three lighting modes: one ambient as well as two dynamic modes where the LED lamps react to the music playing and dance around. Reactive lighting is a delight, and it worked well to synchronize with the bass in nearly every track I played — whether that was an instrumental track or a heavy rock one.

If you want to use this speaker outside, you can do so without worrying about it getting damaged as the Bromley 450 is IP55-rated (5 for solids and 5 for liquids, on a scale of 1-8 each). It’s ever-so-slightly better than the Bromley 750’s IP54-rating — essentially, the Bromley 450 has slightly better water resistance and the same protection against dust and dirt as the 750. It’s much more durable than the JBL PartyBox 520 which is only IPX4-rated, which isn’t protected against dust at all. The Soundboks 4 has the best rating at IP65-rated, which means it has the same water protection as the Bromley 450 and better dust protection.

The Bromley 450 features Auracast (called Broadcast on Marshall devices) if you want to pair it with other speakers, and this must be done through the app. What’s great about this is that you can connect any number of Auracast-enabled speakers to the Bromley 450 — whether that’s two Bromley 450s, another Bromley 750, a Kilburn III ($379) or another brand’s speaker (JBL, for instance), as proven by my testing. Sound quality is fantastic when using two Bromley 450s together, and I’ll discuss it in detail below.

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Connectivity & app

• Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LC3
• Ports for wired playback, mics and instruments
• App is still underwhelming

There’s no dearth of connectivity options and modes on the Marshall Bromley 450. In terms of wireless connectivity, it utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for AAC, SBC and LC3 codecs. It also features multipoint connectivity so you can connect up to two devices simultaneously as I did with my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and MacBook Air M2.

As for wired connectivity, you get 3.5mm aux and USB-C ports, as well as two XLR/6.35mm combo ports for microphones and acoustic/electric guitars, and RCA ports for keyboards and turntables. This makes the Bromley 450 perfect for mobile DJs and musicians too, as it essentially doubles as an amp and a karaoke machine. Combine that with the reverb and delay effects and you’ve got a winner.

My biggest criticism of the Bromley 450, however, is related to its app, because aside from the lackluster companion app, the speaker is great hardware-wise. The speaker uses the same companion app as Marshall’s headphones and the Bromley 750 and just like with the Bromley 750, you don’t really get much control over the Bromley 450.

See, you can’t adjust the equalizer, the delay/reverb effects, or much of the lighting. While these controls are available onboard in the form of physical buttons and dials, what if you’re the host and on the other side of the large room it’s in? It’s a missed opportunity and it’s something I wish Marshall had fixed this time around. Third time’s the charm?

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Sound quality

• Supremely powerful bass and crisp treble
• Broadcast works extremely well
• Gets very, very loud

If you want a loud speaker to soundtrack large gatherings or for a jam session in the skatepark, I can’t recommend the Marshall Bromley 450. Don’t underestimate how loud it can get just because it’s smaller than the Marshall Bromley 750. Just like its stablemate, the Bromley 450 is well-endowed, featuring a 500W Class D amplification powered by two 90W woofers, two 55W full-range drivers, and four 50W tweeters. In terms of drivers, it is fitted with two 6.5-inch 40W woofers, four 2-inch 6W full-range drivers, and two 8-inch passive radiators.

All of this is to say that the Bromley 450 gets very loud and delivers best-in-class sound on par with the Bromley 750. To test the speaker, I listened to my favorite tracks on Qobuz which is the best music streaming service for hi-res audio. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy listening to music through the Bromley 450, I also appreciated the fact that songs sounded just as detailed when the speaker was playing at full volume and I was standing far away from it outdoors (at the opposite end of our office’s parking lot).

I started off by listening to ‘My Dark Disquiet’ by Poets of the Fall to test the bass, first and foremost, and how well the Bromley 450 creates an atmospheric soundscape — and it excels at both. Through the Bromley 450, the bassline sounded powerful with plenty of low-end impact, and it never sounded muddy or lost in the background. The throbbing bassline created a perfect backbone for the song, while the kick drum delivered some punchy flavor and worked in conjunction with the bass. Marko Saaresto’s vocals sounded as beautiful as ever.

Towards the end of the track when his voice sounds like it’s being played through a megaphone before the guitar’s staccato riffs and the drums kick in, the transition sounded seamless through the Bromley 450, and I never heard any unpleasant distortion. Keeping in line with the fact that this song features in the video game Control, it certainly made me feel like Jesse Faden navigating the Oldest House!

I then put the Bromley 450 through a vocal stress test by listening to ‘From Finner’ by Of Monsters and Men. The dual lead vocalists, Nanna and Ragnar, have distinct voices: the former has an airy high pitch while the latter focuses more on the warmer lower range. Through the Bromley 450, both of them sounded harmonious, and the speaker highlighted the dual-input vocal architecture as the star of the show.

When the “heys” and “la-la-las” kicked in during the chorus, it felt like the Bromley 450 had expanded them, showcasing the speaker’s wide soundstage, and it created a sense of the song being sung on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Vocals were packed with detail too, as I could hear the wobble in Nanna’s voice every now and then. Very atmospheric, and nothing short of stunning.

The Broadcast feature on the Bromley 450 works extremely well too. To test the Bromley 450’s stereo sound, I paired it with another Bromley 450 that my colleague was testing. I talked about the ease of doing so in the section above, so I’ll talk about the sound quality now.

Immediately, I noticed that the sub-bass and mid-bass sounded incredible and when I stood between the two units, I felt immersed by the tunes and felt like the bass was running through me. Vocals fared just as well if not better, with the sibilance and plosives sounded very clean and detailed in ‘White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter’ by Lana Del Rey, and her words didn’t bleed into one another either. It felt like I was at a live concert.

But of course, this is a party speaker, so I had to put on a party track. I listened to ‘Tomorrow is Another Day’ by M-High. The bass felt mighty but so did the treble. The snare hits and hi-hats in the track never sounded shrill, and there was a distinct sound to each without bleeding into one another. This created a swing that felt mechanically perfect yet bouncy, and the synth stabs around the 3-minute mark sounded chirpy but light enough that they didn’t pierce through the rest of the instruments.

Listen along to my review with the Marshall Bromley 450 testing playlist:

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Battery life

• 40 hours of battery life
• Same battery life as Bromley 750
• Battery pack doubles as power bank

To top it all off, the Marshall Bromley 450 boasts outstanding battery life. It utilizes the same battery pack you’ll find in the Marshall Bromley 750, and on a single charge, both speakers can last for up to 40 hours (depending on usage conditions). I really appreciate Marshall fitting both its party speakers with the same battery despite the price difference.

The Bromley 450’s 40-hour battery life upstages the JBL PartyBox 520’s 15-hour and the Sony ULT Tower 9’s 25-hour batteries. The Soundboks 40 is rated for 40 hours on paper but our testing showed that this drops significantly, to just six hours, at high volumes. Having used the Bromley 450 for a six-hour listening session at varying volumes and the LED lighting turned on, the battery life dropped by just 15%.

As is the nature of the LiFePO4 battery pack that the Bromley 450 and the Bromley 750 use, it’s replaceable and can be removed by opening up the hard plastic latch on the back. It also doubles as a power bank so you can use it to charge your phone, tablet, laptop, or as I did, my Marshall Monitor III, thanks to the USB-C port.

Marshall Bromley 450 review: Verdict

As party speakers go, the Marshall Bromley 450 is the best you can buy. I’d even argue that it’s better than its bigger sibling, the Bromley 750, simply because it doesn’t carry an eye-watering price tag. While the app could be better, that’s really the only issue I have with the Bromley 450 because aside from that, it’s almost perfect.

The Bromley 450 looks stunning with its matte black finish and brass accents on its buttons and dials, and the integrated LED lighting is mesmerizing. Thanks to the many connectivity options, it’s the only speaker you’ll need if you’re a mobile DJ, karaoke enthusiast, musician or even just an audiophile. Sound quality is top-notch with meaty bass and vibrant treble to boot.

If you don’t mind the underwhelming app, I can’t recommend the Bromley 450 enough. It’s great-looking, it sounds even better, and its LED lamps will leave you mesmerized if the sound hasn’t done so already.

Sonos has announced two new speakers today, its first new products of 2026, following a whisper-quiet 2025 and a tumultuous 2024. The two products — Sonos Era 100 SL and Sonos Play — look set to shore up the company's product line by offering affordability and portability.

The Sonos Era 100 SL handles the former. It's essentially a cheaper version of the Sonos Era 100, stripping out the mic and paring down the features to serve as a new entry point to the ecosystem. Sonos is pricing this speaker at USD $189 / GBP £169 / EUR €199 / AUD $289 with pre-orders going live today and general availability on March 31.

Far more interesting, however, is the latter. The all-new Sonos Play is something of a middle-ground between the Sonos Move 2 and the Sonos Roam 2. It's loaded with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth depending on whether you want to use it at home or out and about. There's 24 hours of battery life but Sonos also includes a wireless charging base so the Sonos Play can sit happily at home until you need to go mobile.

There's an IP67 waterproof rating, a removable fabric loop for portability and even a built-in power bank so you can use it to charge your phone. You can interact with the Sonos Play through the Sonos app or use voice control.

Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2 are both supported and you can, of course, link it to any other Sonos products you also own.

The Sonos Play hits the price point between the $499 Move 2 and the $179 Roam 2 at USD $299 / GBP £299 / EUR €349 / AUD $499. Like the Era 100 SL, it's also available to pre-order from today and will go on general availability March 31.

“We believe a great sound experience shouldn’t reset every time you add something new. It should get better," said Tom Conrad, Chief Executive Officer of Sonos.

"Sonos Play and Era 100 SL are a clear expression of what Sonos does best — creating products that feel simple on the surface, but are deeply powerful because of the system behind them.”

Both the Move 2 and Roam 2 are some of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy, so it makes sense for Sonos to do more in this category, offering a Goldilocks choice for buyers. Meanwhile, the brand has often been painted as a premium choice so bringing a new Era in at $60 is a welcome addition to the lineup in a time when everything is getting more expensive.

Providing Sonos can keep customers happy on the software side, these two new devices could be the first steps along the road to redemption for the audio company. We'll be testing both these speakers in the upcoming weeks to make sure you check back for our full review of each.

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Soon, the Sonos family of portable speakers will gain a new member — the top-secret Sonos Play. Rumors have been circulating about the new device for months, but the product finally leaked on a Best Buy page over this past weekend.

The posting was spotted by The Verge and was quickly taken down. Before it came down, however, the outlet recorded some of its key features — including a 24-hour battery life, IP67 water resistance, AUX input, wireless charging base and support for AirPlay 2.

The listing cited a release date of March 31, though that could just be a placeholder until the speaker gets formally announced by Sonos sometime this month.

Meet Sonos’ new slightly more affordable Bluetooth speaker

Based on its purported price of $399 CAD (around $290), the Sonos Play will sit in between the cheaper Sonos Roam 2 ($179) and the more expensive Sonos Move 2 ($499).

Its specs also seem to support its middle-of-the-road placement. At 24 hours of battery life, it would offer twice as much juice as the Roam 2 but, based on the photos, it wouldn't be as heavy duty as the 6.6 pound Move 2. The Move 2 and Roam 2 are two of the best Bluetooth speakers, so you can understand why there's so much interest in the forthcoming Sonos Play.

There’s a good chance that Sonos will launch the new Play portable speaker with a refreshed version of its app. According to Bloomberg, a new version of the beleaguered app is in development and already available internally. The timing appears to match up with this speaker’s end-of-month launch date.

We’ll of course reach out to Sonos for comment on its potential upcoming product launches, but we expect to hear more closer to the end of March rather than at the beginning.

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