The mystery surrounding Beats' next pair of over-ear headphones is disappearing one teaser at a time.

The latest clue comes from long-time Beats ambassador LeBron James, who shared a series of Instagram Stories showing himself at a golf driving range wearing what appear to be the unreleased headphones.

More importantly, the clips seem to demonstrate one of the rumoured new features borrowed from the Apple AirPods Max 2: magnetic, swappable ear cushions.

Accompanied only by a string of emojis – a golfer, golf flag, padlock and headphones – James removes the ear cushions, replaces them with another set and carries on hitting balls.

The padlock emoji appears to be a playful nod to the fact that the product is still under wraps.

At this point, it's becoming increasingly difficult to believe these sightings are accidental.

Over the past few months, the headphones have appeared on the heads of several high-profile athletes and celebrities, including Lamine Yamal and Kobbie Mainoo.

The first time we learned about the potential swappability of the ear cushions was in a social media post from South Korean football player Lee Kang-in, who teased the upcoming cans just a couple of weeks ago.

Following a familiar playbook

James is by far the biggest name to tease the mystery over-ears and has played a key role in Beats' launches in the past, across both guerrilla and standard marketing channels.

A couple of years ago, he helped tease the return of the Beats Pill speaker before its official unveiling, and he's also fronted campaigns including Beats' first collaboration with Nike.

Using one of the company's most recognisable ambassadors – who has 154 million followers on Instagram alone – to showcase an unreleased product on their social media channels fits neatly into the company's established marketing strategy.

The biggest takeaway from James' latest appearance is that he appears to be highlighting their modular design.

Previous leaks have pointed towards removable magnetic ear cushions, and this is the clearest public demonstration of that feature so far.

Beats has yet to officially acknowledge the headphones or announce a launch date, but the steady stream of carefully choreographed sightings suggests the reveal can't be too far away.

If anything, LeBron's latest tease feels less like another leak and more like the next chapter in a marketing campaign that's already well underway.

The fact that the DX3000CL are the most affordable model – as well as the first closed-back model – in Final Audio’s ‘DX’ range is not the same as saying they represent any sort of bargain.

Final Audio's DX6000 flagship costs approaching four times the price – at nearly £1900 / $2000, after all – so everything is relative. However, the DX3000CL could conceivably represent great value for money if you're looking for a wired closed-back over-ears.

Price & Availability

The Final Audio DX3000CL have been on sale since late 2025. In the United Kingdom they sell for £549. You’re looking at $599 in the United States. And it's around the AU$1099 mark in Australia.

This is affordable by the standards of Final Audio’s ‘DX’ range, sure – but this is still a fairly pricey pair of headphones, one that faces plenty of competition from plenty of equally credible brands among the best wired headphones.

Features & What's New?

Some cable and some drivers – that’s generally it for ‘features’ where passive hard-wired headphones are concerned. And Final Audio is not the sort of company that will pile on the fripperies just for the sake of it. What you get here are the essentials.

Which means a 2m length of oxygen-free copper cable in a flexible polymer sheath, with a 4.4mm balanced termination at the business end and a chunky unbalanced 6.3mm adapter too. The other end of the cable divides into two 3.5mm terminations, as each earcup needs to be wired.

The cable sends analogue information to a pair of 40mm free-edge dynamic drivers, designed and engineered in house by Final Audio in Japan, and which feature a paper/carbon composite diaphragm.

The company is claiming a frequency response of 10Hz - 40kHz, and given that sensitivity is quoted at 96dB and impedance at 37Ω, the DX3000CL shouldn’t be any kind of hardship to drive.

Sound Performance

Being a specialist is not automatically a bad thing – it means that people know where to come when they need something specific done to a very high standard.

But when you’re spending this sort of money on a pair of headphones, you’re entitled to expect a level of across-the-board competence that the Final Audio DX3000CL don’t seem capable of mustering.

To be fair, the things the DX3000CL are good at outweigh the things they’re not quite so good at to quite a degree – and at their best, the Final Audio are among the very best around. Certainly when you consider ‘detail retrieval’ and ‘insight’ as disciplines, off the top of my head I can’t think of a more effective way at this price point.

In the simplest terms, the Final Audio know everything about the recording you’re listening to. There isn’t an aspect of it that’s too minor, too deep in the mix or too transient to escape their notice – and once they’ve identified a particular detail, they have absolutely no problem in putting it into context with just the right amount of weighting.

They’re analytical in the least pejorative sense, because they don’t make teasing out the most fleeting details in your favourite recordings the whole point. They simply want to give you as complete a picture as possible.

The fact these headphones are capable of mustering a large, well-defined and very spacious soundstage helps no end when it comes to revealing all these fine details, too.

The DX3000CL give the participants in even the most complex recordings all the space they need to express themselves – but they also ensure a performance is knitted together convincingly at the same time.

There’s a togetherness and a singularity about the way these headphones present music that might seem at odds with the sheer scale of their staging – but only until you hear them in action.

They are very well judged where tonality is concerned, too, with just the tiniest hint of heat at the bottom of the frequency range making them less than utterly neutral.

Frequency response is similarly judicious: low frequencies hit with determination, and are controlled to the point that rhythm expression is very assured, but they’re never overstated.

The same is true of the midrange, and the brightly substantial top-end of the frequency range too. The amount of weight each area receives is entirely appropriate in every circumstance.

What’s lacking in the way the Final Audio present music is a convincing sense of drive or dynamic impetus. Some recordings simmer along at a consistent level of volume and intensity, and in these circumstances the DX3000CL are perfectly happy.

But those recordings that indulge in big shifts where volume or intensity are concerned – or, even more problematically, both – will expose a lack of willingness on the part of the Final Audio to properly dig in and attack these fluctuations with anything approaching conviction. It makes for an overly 'polite' listen – and that’s not always what’s required.

Design & Usability

Unusually, the DX3000CL earcups move up and down on a slender length of shaped steel in order to adjust the fit of the headphones – it’s more common in over-ear headphones to find the earcups are fixed and the headband has some adjustment.

But that’s it as far as esoteric design choices go – in every other respect, the Final Audio adhere closely to the long-established ‘over-ear headphones’ template.

The earcups are made from a resin that’s reinforced with glass-fibre, and a couple of pronounced circular grooves in the material constitute a design flourish.

The earpads are of synthetic leather, and they’re padded with quite a lot of medium-density memory foam – so be prepared for these headphones to make your head quite a lot wider than many alternative designs insist on.

There’s more synthetic leather on the outside of memory foam for the inside of the headband, too – although thankfully a slightly more manageable amount.

The total weight (with cable) is 410g – which looks like more than it feels like, thanks to a judicious hanger arrangement and some carefully judged clamping force.

It’s worth mentioning that Final Audio uses no adhesives in the DX3000CL's construction – instead, a combination of precision screws and ‘O’-rings are used, and the result is exemplary build quality. Plus, of course, the headphones are much easier to disassemble and repair or renew, and are more sustainable as a result.

Final Audio DX3000CL review: Verdict

If the DX3000CL could attack a recording with as much conviction as they extract all of the information from it, they’d be a shoo-in for that fifth star and be real wired contenders. As it is, they have a remarkably specific skillset that is bound to delight as many listeners as it frustrates.

Also Consider

The best wired over-ear headphones we’ve heard at this sort of money aren’t, strictly speaking, alternatives for the Final Audio DX3000CL at all.

The FiiO FT5 are a tremendous pair of headphones, and at the money are about the most affordable taste of planar magnetic driver technology around – but they’re open-backed, and so nothing like as realistic a proposition for listening to when in company.

The same is true of the Sennheiser HD 660 S2 – outstanding sound quality from a company that is as credible as they come, but from an open-backed design that leaks sound quite readily.

So unless you’re prepared to spend quite a lot more than DX3000CL money, or to spend less and compromise on sound quality, the Final Audio have a little part of the market all to themselves.

I've been testing the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro – aptly, given the product's name – for four months now. I've tested using the Galaxy S26 Ultra and a bunch of the year's other best Android phones – including Oppo Find X9 Ultra and more.

During my time reviewing these earbuds, I've jostled between a batch of other review units – Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen included – and have also seen various software updates further finesse the Samsung's already solid offering.

Compared to previous generations, the Buds 4 Pro up the comfort and noise-cancelling ante. But in a field that's already full of big-hitters, do Samsung's flagship earbuds stand out? If you've got a flagship Galaxy phone to match then the ecosystem tie-in may well be reason enough.

Price & Availability

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launched in tandem with the Galaxy S26 phone series earlier this year. The initial on-sale price was £219 / £249 / AU$399 – which represented a like-for-like price position per their predecessors.

Since the launch date, however, the price has dipped a bit – as you can see in the live shopping widget above. However, the earlier Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are far cheaper still, if price is your main purchase incentive.

Buds Pro 3 vs 4: What's New?

Paying the extra may well be worth it, however, as the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro bring some tasty extras over the previous model.

Design is the most considerable shift, with the 'Blade lights' of the older model – yes, there were actual lights on the stems – banished from the Buds 4 Pro.

The new model's stems are now finished with a brushed metal, providing a different aesthetic that helps stand them apart from looking like "yet another AirPods replica".

Sound has also been revised, with the 10mm woofer of the previous model upped to an 11mm version. The separate 5.5mm tweeter has also been retuned in balance with that upgrade.

In addition to the promise of better sound, Samsung has also revised the active noise-cancelling (ANC) for greater aspirations, too, with less "hiss" and greater reduction of ambient sounds.

The latest Bluetooth standard and better wide-band call quality are also added to the Buds 4 Pro.

Comfort & Setup

For years I've been an advocate of the best over-ear headphones, but recent years have shown me that in-ear 'buds have come a long way – this Samsung pair very much included.

That's because the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have been created following "10,000 simulations with global ear data points", Samsung tells me, to create a 'master' average that's more likely to be comfortable for more people.

It's worked a treat for my ears, as even after all these months of on-and-off wearing, from the very first time I put the 'buds into my ears through until now, I've felt largely satisfied with the comfort.

There's no real stress or sensation of pressure, although this can build to some degree after longer periods of wear. I find the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 feel nicer, even if their far larger design might seem at odds with such a statement.

How the 'buds will actually look in your ears is another matter, of course, and this will come down to personal preference. White is the review model I possess, when I'd pick the Black finish all day long – or there's also a Pink Gold, if that's more to your tastes.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here: as setting up the Buds 4 Pro is the first thing that you'll have to perform after taking the earbuds out of their box and, indeed, the included charging case.

Pairing via Bluetooth is easy: simply place the earbuds into that case, with the lid open, then perform a typical Bluetooth pairing function. That's the most basic connection established, but for fuller functionality you'll need Samsung's Galaxy Wearable app to handle everything.

The app is an important aspect of setting up the finer details, as the Buds 4 Pro can do a lot more than just deliver audio straight to your ears. They can read notifications from specific apps, for example – a feature that I found nothing but infuriating in disrupting my music flow (and which took ages to locate and fully disable – a 'do not disturb' override would be lovely).

Other features include a 'fit test' for how well the 'buds sit into your ears; pinch and voice control settings; a fully adjustable graphic equaliser (EQ) with preset options available; 'Adaptive' automated adjustment between noise-cancelling and ambient modes; plus various tutorials.

Sound & ANC

Samsung's hardware upgrades have worked some audio magic, as the Buds 4 Pro sound spectacular right off the bat. Make some EQ tweaks and they'll only sound better, in my view – avoiding distortion and delivering more personalised audio.

While the abundance of bass is the obvious takeaway from these earbuds, the rest of the frequency range is well handled, too, with higher frequencies nicely separated thanks to that dual-driver design. It's a very clean, wide and enveloping listen – which is just what you want from a pair of earbuds.

This sound profile can take on the best of them, plus those with a Samsung Galaxy phone can benefit from even better audio thanks to SSC (UHQ) codec support – that's Samsung Seamless Codec (Ultra High Quality – designed for connection stability with up to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio sources. There's also Seamless Earbud Connection to flit between Galaxy ecosystem devices with ease.

If you don't have another Galaxy device, however, then no need to fret – the audio quality remains top-notch, as I've experienced on my various test devices, from Google to Oppo and Honor to OnePlus. From a sound perspective, therefore, there's little to criticise about Samsung's top-end earbuds.

The active noise-cancelling (ANC) has also shown generational improvements, seeing it do a great job at keeping ambient sounds further at bay. You can adjust the degree of ANC through five levels within the app.

You can also permit some 'ambient sound', i.e. the amount of surrounding sounds that can pass through, again on a five-level slider control. This doesn't have to be done manually, though, as Adaptive mode can take control based on your scenario.

Adaptive can be set to maximise ambient sound when there's voice or sirens detected, or during calls, for example. Call quality is very good, by the way, with microphone improvements making a big difference in clarity – whether or not you have Adaptive switched on.

Personally, I'm all about ANC being on and set to its maximum. Even at this setting, however, the Buds 4 Pro can't blot out some 'clickier' high-frequency sounds – which will continue to pass through. So Samsung's ANC solution isn't the best on market for my money – close as it gets.

It's still very good in most scenarios, though. Whether you're surrounded by road traffic or noisy air-conditioning fans, or on an aeroplane where the background "hiss" is abundant – all of which are effectively muted through this ANC system. It just needs a few tweaks to be 100% effective.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Verdict

If you're looking for comfortable earbuds for your Samsung Galaxy phone that offer big bass, a broad soundstage, and decent active noise-cancelling, then the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are an all-round success.

Even if you've got another type of Android phone, while you'll lose the Samsung-specific audio codec and some baked-in operating system controls, these earbuds deliver features to take on the best of the competition.

Indeed, it's only really the ANC allowing some ambient sounds to cut through that hold these 'buds back from near perfection. Battery life is also beaten by Apple's key competitor, at a maximum of 6 hours per charge – but the case will deliver three further full charges.

All in all, though, Samsung's flagship earbuds deliver a raft of improvements in a better-looking and better-sounding design than it's ever managed before. I'm still wearing them months on from acquiring a pair – and will continue to do so.

Also Consider

If you want the best-of-best in ANC, however, then Bose's QC Ultra Earbuds are a winner – and the 2nd Gen is preferable, should the price be on point.

Otherwise, Apple's AirPods Pro 3 do make a strong case for themselves – albeit more for iPhone users. Indeed, Samsung's efforts are the equivalent tie-in for a Galaxy ecosystem.

Teenage Engineering is the company that convinced musicians they needed brightly coloured pocket synths. It was also behind a futuristic field recorder and a computer case that looked like it belonged in a design museum. But the new APC-2 might be its boldest move yet.

At first glance it looks more like industrial machinery than consumer tech. That's because it basically is. The APC-2 is a professional record-cutting system designed to create playable vinyl records directly from audio, in real time. Ideal if you've already invested in one of the best record players.

Rather than pressing records in a factory, the machine physically cuts grooves into discs as the audio is being recorded. Teenage Engineering describes it as a professional audio disc recording system.

This is a world away from the company's earlier PO-80 Record Factory, which was more like an enthusiast's toy for creating novelty records at home.

The APC-2 is aimed at studios, labels and specialist audio producers, with only a limited number reportedly built so far. Pricing hasn't been shared publicly, which is usually a sign that this isn't something destined for a spare bedroom setup.

The APC-2 feels like Teenage Engineering has stepped its game up seriously. The machine incorporates precision cutting, heating, vacuum and motor systems to achieve the accuracy needed for high-quality vinyl production.

It has reportedly been developed alongside Austrian analogue media specialists Supersense, meaning this should be more than just another design-led experiment.

Of course, being Teenage Engineering, it still looks impossibly cool. The towering black machine has the same minimalist aesthetic that has made the brand so stand-out, only scaled up to workshop size. At roughly 140kg this is one Teenage Engineering product you'll need to find a pretty permanent home for.

Whether the APC-2 becomes a genuine industry tool or simply another wonderfully eccentric chapter in Teenage Engineering's history remains to be seen. Either way, it's refreshing to see a company known for playful gadgets producing something with genuinely serious audio ambitions.

Apple's unannounced Beats headphones have surfaced once again, this time on England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, suggesting the long-rumoured over-ear cans could be nearing an official reveal.

The latest sighting comes via a comparatively small Instagram post from Manchester United fan account united.core, showing Mainoo wearing a pair of previously unseen Beats headphones alongside teammate Marcus Rashford.

Curiously, I was unable to trace the image back to an original source.

A reverse-image search using TinEye returned no matches, indicating the photograph has yet to appear elsewhere online.

That could mean this is one of the earliest public appearances of the mystery headphones to date.

The design matches earlier leaks but appears in a new colourway, featuring white earcups paired with dark blue ear cushions.

It's the third public appearance of the mystery headphones in recent weeks.

Previous sightings included Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal and South Korean star Lee Kang-in, with each athlete wearing a different colour combination.

That growing collection of finishes hints that Beats could be planning an unusually broad colour lineup at launch.

More than just another leak?

The repeated football connections are particularly notable, with every major sighting so far involving players competing at or associated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This suggests Beats may be using elite athletes as part of a coordinated teaser campaign, which is not uncommon for the brand.

There's also a possibility that the contrasting colours point to some form of customisation.

While there's no evidence that ear cushions or other components are interchangeable, the different combinations seen so far have sparked speculation that Beats could be experimenting with a more modular design.

For now, though, Apple and Beats remain tight-lipped about what could become the company's first major over-ear headphone release since the Beats Studio Pro launched in 2023.

The 'open-ear' market is going from strength to strength this year, with many additional brands having entered the 'not-in-your-ears' earbuds market – with Sennheiser also adding to your choices with the all-new Accentum Clip.

That's hot on the heels of Shokz's latest, the OpenDots 2, and follows the likes of Bose, which released its Ultra Open Earbuds more than two years ago. Other big names in this space include Huawei.

There are different types of open-ear 'buds with different intents and target users, of course, to which Sennheiser is no stranger – having launched the Accentum Open last year. The focus of this product was to always permit ambient sound to enter your ears for awareness.

The new Clip, however, is as its name describes: a clip-on design that suits a wider range of use-cases, given the assurance of it remaining in place. So whether you want it for the office, or when out running, there's greater versatility.

Sennheiser has long been in the audio business, with over 80 years of expertise. That's one of its big upsells with the Accentum Clip, which promise to deliver audio quality first and foremost – something that many open-ears are criticised for, in offering 'thin' sound.

The Accentum Clip use 12mm drivers to deliver their sound, which can easily be from multiple sources thanks to Bluetooth 6.0 multipoint connectivity. There's LDAC streaming offered for higher-fidelity audio sources, too.

Design-wise the Clip 'buds are super-lightweight for comfort, offering an IP54 rating to ensure resistance to water splashes – a feature that'll be a must-have for sports users.

The battery life is quoted at 9 hours per charge, with a further three charges in the case bringing that up to 36 hours in total. A 10-minute charge delivers 2 hours of playback, should you come up short.

Sennheiser's Accentum Clip go on sale from 23rd July – so you've got almost a month to wait at the time of writing – with pre-orders at uk.sennheiser-hearing.com available now. There are Black, Cream and Ice Blue variants, priced at £149 / AU$289.95 each.

It's always a bit of a task to sift through everything that Apple announces at WWDC, and this year was no different. It was a big year for the tech giant, with huge changes unveiled for Siri and showcases of all its new operating systems to get through in around an hour and a half of keynote time.

Still, Apple managed to run through it all, and that was partly by skipping through some surprisingly impactful announcements really quickly. My pick of the bunch? A tweak to how AirPods and AirPods Pro work that could mean way more control for people when they listen to music.

We're now almost a decade into the AirPods era, and for much of that time, some audio experts have been clamouring for one thing – EQ customisation on the earbuds. Apple has long taken the simplest possible approach by shipping its earbuds with a fixed tuning setup and ensuring that everyone, therefore, gets the exact same experience.

However, plenty of much more affordable earbuds let you tweak their sound signature to get something a little more personalised, and since the release of the AirPods Pro 3, these demands have been louder than ever. I love the Pro 3, but some people feel that its sound is a little less natural than the Pro 2's, despite clear improvements in other areas like ANC and battery life.

Perhaps because of that reaction from some of its audience, Apple's finally bringing a very limited form of EQ customisation to its AirPods in iOS 27, which is a game-changer in many regards. It showed off the feature in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it part of the WWDC presentation, but that confirmed a few things for us.

Firstly, this is just a three-band EQ system that lets you adjust the strength of lows, mids and highs, without any more granular control than that. Secondly, Apple isn't labelling these segments with frequency ranges, and it also doesn't give a scale of how much you're boosting or limiting frequencies, so you'll be mostly going off a graph and your ears.

That makes this a pretty rudimentary version of the system that others use for their earbuds, but in this case, something is a million miles better than nothing. I've been wanting any control over my AirPods for years (since I used the Pro 2 for their entire lifespan), so I'll definitely be jumping on it the moment iOS 27 drops later this year. I'm not a beta kind of guy, though, so I will have to wait until the official release to get my ears on it.

I'm adamant that the AirPods 3 are the best earbuds going for the majority of iPhone users, even without EQ, but you can always improve things. It's great to see Apple leaning more into customisation, and the only big question left is which AirPods models will support the feature. The more the better, of course, so let's hope it's all of those still on sale, and a couple of generations back, too.

Google's hardware division has been making speakers for years – almost a full decade, in fact, with the brand's first Home speaker arriving back in 2016. Today marks an almost full-circle moment, with the reveal of the all-new Google Home Speaker.

In between, I probably don't have to tell you, things got more than a bit confusing. In addition to small (Mini) and large (Max) alternatives, we eventually got the screen-toting Hub. Then branding changed to Nest – sure, why not!? – which, late last year, Google officially left to its camera products. A sensible move, I'm sure you'll agree.

I can't help but blurt it out, though. This all-new Google Home Speaker immediately looks all sorts of familiar, doesn't it? It embodies some of 2017's Google Home Mini energy, sure, but let's not pretend there's not a hint of Amazon Echo Dot and Apple HomePod Mini about it.

AI has found its form

It's as if the de facto form for 'this is an AI speaker'. It's got to have 360-degree sound so you can hear it (and it you). It needs a snazzy light bar to visually bring conversations to life. And, of course, it's got to have all those default artificial intelligence features.

I don't say this as a bad thing, mind. The Google Home Speaker actually makes a lot of sense if you're a Gemini user – because it's an easy-to-approach voice-controlled hub you can put pretty much anywhere. Just as a HomePod Mini makes sense for Siri users and an Echo Dot for Alexa users.

There's always a staple to any successful product line. A vacuum cleaner doesn't deviate too far from its functional form – often it's what's within that sets it apart from one or other competitor. Which is what Google is banking on with the Home Speaker – this is a full-time invitation for Gemini to live in your home.

Gemini is front and centre

So just what can the Google Home Speaker do? In addition to delivering "amazing audio in any direction," a Google spokesperson told me in a pre-briefing about the product, but it's designed as a "fundamental transition to voice assistance – it's a celebration of Gemini's new abilities."

That's where Gemini for Home comes in, which is the latest and most advanced version of Google's artificial intelligence (AI) system, called Gemini. This has advanced natural language understanding, improved context, with the goal of freer-flowing conversational queries.

I had expected a new 'Gemini Home' speaker to appear in 2025, so the Google Home Speaker seems a little later to arrive than expected. But there's clearly been a lot going on behind the scenes, as the product won't launch in the US first, instead arriving to 20 countries and supporting 10 languages from the off.

In addition to queries, those with a Google Home Premium subscription (already as part of Google AI Pro or Ultra package, if you have it) can take advantage of a fuller Google ecosystem – including tie-ins with Nest camera products.

Nest briefings

A new feature called Home Briefs will permit you to ask Gemini what's happened at home in your absence, calling upon your Nest products to provide a spoken summary. If anything triggers the need for action, you can ask to add an action to your to-do list, for example.

You can pair up to six in a group, even connect to Google TV streamer for enhanced TV audio, showing the Home Speaker's versatility – and the want for multiple products to be in all aspects of your home, always ready to respond to your beck and call.

The Google Home Speaker is available for pre-order now, with an on-sale date of 25 June. It's available in Hazel or Porcelain finishes, reflecting the look of Google's Pixel phone classics, I feel, each priced at £99 / $99.

Sennheiser made some of my favourite headphones ever when it brought out the Momentum 4 Wireless. It updated what I'd personally found to be an off-putting design in the originals, yet retained its excellent yet neutral sound signature – with the addition of adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC). I've used those over-ears every time I've travelled for a couple of years (save for when testing the best headphones for work).

That position had recently been taken over by the Sony WH-1000XM6, though, so I was hugely interested when Sennheiser announced the Momentum 5 this summer. With the brand's long-term health a topic of some debate, I've found it fascinating to use the Momentum 5 for a few weeks to see how it stacks up to the ever-increasing competition.

Price and Availabilty

The Momentum 5 Wireless was unveiled in May and is available to order now, so you can pick it up from a range of retailers around the world. It comes in at £329 / $399 – which means that it's quite cannily priced from Sennheiser's point of view.

While it shares a lot of its features with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM6, and the same can be said of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2, it comes in as a decent chunk cheaper than those competitors. That could give it quite an advantage among smart buyers, although the proof is obviously in the performance.

Design and Features

There are people out there who'll still tell you that the updated design Sennheiser brought in between the Momentum 3 and Momentum 4 was a total shame, and left the Momentum line looking generic and boring. I get where they're coming from (there's much less exposed metal now), but don't agree at all – I really like the refined and subtle look of the newer design.

That's lucky, since it's barely changed between 4 and 5, which suggests that Sennheiser was pleased with its work, too. In the years that have passed, all that's really changed is some minor finishing detail. This time you can buy the headphones in black (as tested here), white or "denim" blue, with the last of those being the most eye-catching (albeit not really to my taste).

The earcups here are pretty massive, yet they're nicely cushioned for comfort. The Momentum 5 comes in at 290g, so it isn't the lightest set of cans out there – but I find they sit on the head nicely and comfortably. That's something about Sennheiser's design that's always been on point for me.

The build is almost entirely plastic, though, so if you're looking for some headphones that scream "premium" from every stitch and bolt, this isn't the answer for you. Then again, nor is the more expensive WH-1000XM6 from Sony, for some context (the WH-1000XX The Collexion push that envelope further, though).

Normally, I'd talk about on-earcup controls, since most headphones have an array of buttons and dials, but Sennheiser takes a different road. In design terms, it keeps things admirably simple – even if not everyone will like it.

On the right earcup, there's a power and pairing button, some LEDs to give you charge and status indicators, and a USB-C port for charging. That's it – everything else is controlled through swipes and taps on that same earcup's outer surface, while the other side is completely bare.

The Momentum 5 does come with a nice slim hardshell case, impressively smaller than the equivalent for the Momentum 4, and therefore great for travel. The headphones fold flat in it, rather than into any smaller arrangement.

From a feature point of view, the battery life situation has stayed relatively stable, but at a very impressive level. You'll get around 57 hours with ANC turned on, which means the headphones can more than make it through a week of use in normal situations. One huge but less obvious upgrade is that said battery can be easily replaced, with just a Philips-head screwdriver needed to access it.

There's also fairly comprehensive codec support (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Lossless, and aptX Adaptive), which means that LDAC is also covered, making these a great choice regardless of how you listen wirelessly. The headphones ship with Bluetooth 5.4, but a future firmware update will bring this up to 6.0, apparently.

I think the Momentum 5 is a really solid iteration on what's come before it – even if the only visible or obvious changes are some more external grilles for ANC microphones. They're still among my favourite headphones to wear from a subtlety standpoint, as much as I value crazier choices like the Nothing Headphone (1).

Sound and Performance

We don't just look at headphones and wear them without any connection, though – how the Momentum 5 actually sounds is just as important.

That does require starting with some ergonomics, though, because Sennheiser's touch controls are a factor in the headphones' performance. In short, they work ably, but I'd still much prefer some more buttons in addition. Swiping and tapping are responsive enough, once you learn what does what, but the lack of volume buttons in particular feels churlish.

Sennheiser's SmartControlPlus app is a smooth enough way to get some extra control over these features (including turning them off entirely if desired). It also lets you choose when (if ever) the headphones will turn themselves off after a period of idling, and gives you a decent amount of EQ control, too.

That last point is relevant because the Momentum 5 makes a slightly bigger change to the sound signature of the Momentum line than I'd expected, principally in the form of a boost to the low-end bass register. It's certainly beefed up, and that might cut differently for different people.

I really liked the neutrality of the Momentum 4, so the new sound tuning is a little less to my tastes straight out of the box – albeit a quick EQ tweak basically reverses it entirely (praise be the EQ controls coming to AirPods soon for similar reasons). Still, even before any tweaks, the overall sound quality is excellent.

I used the Momentum 5 to run the gamut of genres, from a little bit of Vivaldi (get me) to test the highs, to some Queens of the Stone Age to get a sense of that boosted bass – and it was a really zesty yet precise listen the whole time. Plus, there's one audio area where the upgrade is far clearer and more unequivocal – ANC.

The Momentum 4 had good ANC for its day, but that day is now years ago, and rivals have made some big steps in the intervening time, so it's reassuring to report that the Momentum 5 takes a welcome leap forward. That's not to say that this adaptive noise-cancelling is completely different from what came before, but it definitely blocks more ambient noise and does so with less of an audible static feedback, in my experience.

I used the Momentum 5 on a long trip to and from Edinburgh from my home in London as my first proper stress test of their quality, and they kept me really nicely bubbled whether I was connected to my phone or my Switch 2. This combination of really solid sound quality and much-improved ANC is a winner, in my book.

Verdict

The Momentum 5 feels like a really solid return to the top table from Sennheiser, not least because it continues to offer a sensible option to those looking for very similar features to a top-end pair of headphones, but for a little less. Sure, the asking price is hardly tiny, but it's still a chunk cheaper than much of the established competition.

Given time and sales, that advantage should be maintained, and I think that leaves the Momentum 5 positioned really nicely as a great option for those looking to spend a little more cannily. You'll still get excellent sound, and a design and fit that I personally find comfortable in the extreme – making these over-ears a pretty stellar way for Sennheiser to at least partially silence the doubters of its longer-term health.

Also consider

The obvious upgrade if you are willing to spend that extra cash, of course, is the WH-1000XM6. The Sony's ANC is just a little superior and the headphones' more compact folding options might float your boat too. I think they're in a similar bracket comfort-wise, though, so the gap is pretty small.

Another option is Sennheiser's own HDB 630, which is much more geared for home listening. You lose ANC and battery life, but gain in sound quality quite noticeably, especially when using the included dongle for your connections. If you're intending to do your listening at home, they might be a great choice.

It was almost exactly a year ago that I obtained Ruark's R610 music streamer and a pair of Sabre-R speakers – which I liked so much that I wall-mounted them in my office, so I could always have quality music throughout my working days.

A year on and it became time for a spoil-myself upgrade: by adding a Ruark RS1 subwoofer into the mix to extend the low-range frequency output yet further. And it's such a massive upgrade that I would thoroughly recommend you do the same – whatever system you may possess.

The world of hi-fi is undergoing all manner of changes at the moment. Having recently visited High End Vienna, I came away from that audio show having observed 2026's biggest new trend – powered wireless speakers.

Well, that's one perspective. Other brands are pursuing all-in-one units instead, such as the exquisite Dali Vega (which I also saw in detail at High End). Ruark, meanwhile, revealed its upgrade over my R610, in its CD-toting and more powerful R710 system.

I'm yet to be convinced by the supposed CD resurgence, much as I enjoyed playing with the latest in Ruark's arsenal. So I instead elected to pick from the brand's current range and bagged the RS1 subwoofer. Any sub purchase would have worked – as it only requires a single RCA cable connection.

A design you won't want to hide

However, I really like this particular Ruark aesthetic. My R610 unit has a walnut finish – others may well prefer its satin 'Charcoal' alternative finish – and the RS1 subwoofer can also be purchased in this finish to match. It's covered in a "slate grey fabric grille" which covers the majority of this box – which has a silvery kind of finish.

You can buy subwoofers of all shapes and sizes, of course, but I like the fact that the RS1 looks good enough to be on display at all times, yet it's small enough to not be too obtrusive. It measures 25cm wide and deep, and is marginally taller, at 27cm, thanks to its silver feet – which ensure the sub sits above ground level.

That 'risen' feature is important for this sub, as it's got a 170mm downward-firing bass driver, paired with a front-facing 170mm passive radiator. The extra height allows the downward driver to deliver without any disruptive contact or muffling.

Pushing extra power

I've always found the Ruark R610 powerful enough for my space, with the 75W per channel going to those Sabre-R speakers being ample. While the newer R710 is more powerful, with 200W per channel, I've found adding a subwoofer has also added another dimension of power.

That's in a literal sense – as the RS1 is 100W – but also in scope of frequency range. The Sabre-R speakers are no slouches when it comes to low-end, as they're able to output to 50Hz. That's fairly low for a bookshelf-like speaker, but the RS1 takes that floor down to 25Hz. Yes, there are lower-frequency subs, but most tracks are produced with a clean sweep of anything sub-25Hz anyway (certainly 20Hz).

You don't hear such frequencies so much as you feel them – and it's that added 'movement', if you like, that's really given this hi-fi setup such a notable upgrade. It adds more weight and heft, without overdoing things. The sub has its own levels adjustment, so you can perfect output to your liking.

There's also a frequency crossover dial, from 50Hz to 180Hz, so you're able to match the sub to any speakers. Simply look up your speakers' lowest-end output and set your sub's crossover to match, avoiding any potentially clashy, 'muddy' sounding mix. I do think the Ruark dial should be more clearly marked per frequency, mind.

Love the low-end

Since installing my subwoofer over the weekend, the immediate benefit to audio was clear. So many tracks have more lower-end output than you might realise, adding a richness to so many tracks. I'm particularly into underground music, as I have been for years, where the focus on bass is inevitable – and a subwoofer unlocks that door.

It's why I should have made this upgrade ages ago. I'm no stranger to subwoofers, of course, as I test many of the best soundbars and surround sound systems as part of my job – and my second downstairs hi-fi setup also has its own dedicated (and larger) subwoofer connected. I've just been slow to bring such a needed upgrade throughout my home.

I can only thoroughly recommend it though. As part of a system, a subwoofer is a reasonably modest upgrade in terms of cost. Sure, they can get super-pricey – but the Ruark RS1 is a smaller-scale solution with a relative price attached. Check out the latest and lowest deals in the shopping widget below. It's a purchase you'll instantly love, just as I already do.

If Beats wanted people talking about its next pair of headphones, mission accomplished.

The Apple-owned audio brand appears to be continuing its unusual pre-launch campaign for a new set of over-ear headphones, with another football star now spotted wearing the unreleased cans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This time, it was South Korea international Lee Kang-in, who was photographed wearing the mystery headphones following his country's victory over Czechia.

While the sighting alone wouldn't be particularly noteworthy, eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed that Lee's headphones feature neon yellow ear cushions and a matching headband paired with white earcups, creating a striking two-tone look.

That detail has fuelled speculation that Beats could be introducing interchangeable components, allowing people to customise the appearance of their headphones.

Drip-fed by design

It's the latest chapter in what increasingly looks like a carefully orchestrated teaser campaign.

The headphones first appeared at the end of May when Spanish football superstar Lamine Yamal was spotted wearing a bright pink version during Spain's World Cup preparations.

A few days later, Yamal shared images showing a second colourway, suggesting Beats was intentionally drawing attention to the unreleased product.

Although Beats hasn't officially acknowledged the headphones, several clues point towards a launch drawing closer.

The model has already surfaced in US Federal Communications Commission filings, while multiple athletes from different national teams have now been photographed wearing the product in public.

As for what these headphones actually are, that's still up for debate: the design doesn't closely resemble either the current Beats Solo 4 or Beats Studio Pro.

The flatter earcups, slimmer support arms, and more premium-looking construction have prompted comparisons with the Apple AirPods Max 2, particularly now that interchangeable-looking components are in the mix.

There's also speculation that Beats could bring some of Apple's more advanced audio technology to the new model.

Recent Beats products, including the Powerbeats Pro 2, have incorporated Apple's silicon, raising hopes that these headphones could offer deeper integration with Apple's ecosystem than the Studio Pro currently provides.

If history is any guide, Beats may not keep us waiting much longer. Two years ago, basketball superstar LeBron James was seen carrying the unreleased Beats Pill speaker in April, and the product officially launched on 25 June.

That puts roughly two months between the first high-profile sighting and the official reveal.

Applying a similar timeline here would place a potential announcement of the new headphones sometime in July.

With the World Cup providing the perfect global stage for athlete endorsements and product placement, it wouldn't be surprising to see Beats continue its drip-feed campaign throughout the tournament before unveiling the headphones shortly after the final whistle.

[via 9to5Mac]

In a world with a zillion home speaker options already available, what's the trick to standing out? If you're Bose, then it's down to a couple of factors – with its new Lifestyle Ultra Speaker bringing not only style, but a distinctive additional channel.

The LS Ultra Speaker (as it's known for short) has a built-in upfiring output as part of its arsenal, offering additional height to its soundstage. That's something you won't find in a Sonos Era 100, for example, providing a key point of distinction.

This is a wired-only speaker for the home, however, with Wi-Fi, various casting options, and Bluetooth providing myriad ways to get your music on board. However, it's not a multi-functional moveable device such as the Sonos Play, despite carrying the same asking price.

Does all that equate to enough for the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker to set itself apart from the competition as the ultimate small-scale home speaker? As a solo option it's a compelling choice among its peers, with some caveats, as I'll address in this review.

Price & Availability

You can buy the Bose LS Ultra Speaker right now, with the recommended price set at £299 / $299 / AU$549. That's for either the Black or White Smoke finishes.

There's also a special edition version, called Driftwood Sand, priced at £349 / $349. Which, as the name hints at, adds a real wood base and a marbled sand-colour finish.

If you wind back to when the Sonos Era 100 was launched – more than three years ago at the time of writing – then its original price was £249 / $249 / AU$399. It's since dropped, plus a cheaper 'SL' version has been launched. Nonetheless, Bose is positioned with that core competitor in mind.

The Sonos Play, meanwhile, is like-for-like priced, keeping competition as tough as ever. Brand allegiance – however applicable – may therefore play a big part in your purchase incentive here.

Design & Setup

On the assumption you buy a single, standalone LS Ultra Speaker – I'll cover stereo pairing issues and home theatre successes separately in a section down page – then setting it up is an absolute doddle.

Simply plug in, load up the refreshed Bose app, and you'll get a step-by-step walkthrough. It'll educate you about the on-body controls and how they function, before leaving you to make personalised sound adjustments should you wish.

The on-body controls are a real highlight of this design. Up top – and akin to a smaller version of what you'll find on Bose's LS Ultra Soundbar – is a control 'wheel', which you can spin your finger around to adjust volume, akin to an old iPod control. It doesn't have any moving parts, it's just a nicely recessed, touch-sensitive design.

As an object, I really like this Bose speaker's style. It's well finished, brings a 'floating' material shield to its frontage to add visual interest, while that exposed, round upfiring speaker is clearly visible on the top panel.

There are no flashy displays to distract, with only two LED dots illuminating as required: a (multi-coloured) one to the front, above the protruding Bose logo, to reflect status; another up top to signify whether the microphone is muted – so Alexa can't listen and react. It's pared back nicely.

Sound Quality

For a speaker of such diminutive size – the LS Ultra measures only 12cm wide (although it's not a cylinder, with a 16.7cm depth) – this Bose has a fair stab at audio bigger than its chassis would suggest.

It sits just 18.5cm from a surface – think of that like an adult's palm with fingers casually extended – which is near-identical to the Sonos Era 100. I've been testing the two side-by-side to gain additional context in how the Bose sounds by comparison.

What's very apparent from the off is how the Bose's additional height channel succeeds in projecting sound upwards and outwards, creating this much taller soundstage. This composition really does give the Bose an edge that's a joy – wherever it's set up for you to listen.

Bass delivery is tight and well-shaped, too, which is to its credit. It's not nearly as bass-driven as the Sonos by comparison, but that product has a 'looser' sense to its low-end – as if it's less controlled and more warbly. Which you prefer will be a case of preference, though, noting there's simply less low-end from the Bose.

The Sonos is also inherently louder overall. The Bose isn't quiet, per se, but doesn't deliver quite the same wallop as the Era, as I've found in my A-B testing. Driving the Bose beyond 80% volume and it loses cohesion, too, lacking balanced dynamics when stretched and eventually pushing into distortion.

Keep the Bose within a sensible remit, however, and the overall sound is nicely judged, with attention to detail and decent separation that functions well across multiple genres.

And if you want to make adjustments then there's plenty of tweaking that can be done in the app – from simple bass/mid/treble levels, to a height adjustment, all proving effective.

Stereo Pair – A word of caution

When I first tried out Bose's LS Ultra Speaker, I was impressed by the promise of stereo pairing – which I heard for myself and thought sounded far better than a solo product – and even the brand-agnostic take, meaning you could add multiple non-Bose products into your setup and Cast to them.

Problem is: I can't get any of it to work. The Bose app tells me I have a stereo pair with two LS Ultra Speaker units, but it will only play from one speaker at a time. Casting from various audio sources – Spotify, Soundcloud – fails on repeat. I've hard reset the two products five times, but to no avail. My Wi-Fi connection is excellent – showing a consistent 300Mbps down, 100Mbps up at the site of testing – so that's not to blame.

I'm not the only one suffering issues either. A quick Reddit search shows up plenty of frustrated users who can't get their pairings to function correctly. Some speak of sync/timing issues (which I've not experienced at all). It seems, therefore, there are bugs afoot at the time of writing – and I'd strongly recommend not buying two LS Ultra Speaker units for stereo pairing at this time.

On the flip side of that, I've used my two units in tandem with the excellent LS Ultra Soundbar and LS Ultra Subwoofer, creating a 7.1.4 surround sound system that's worked faultlessly for weeks. That experience, for me, has been a million miles from the stereo pairing frustrations – so I'd wholeheartedly recommend buying for a home theatre setup.

However, I think Bose could address the LS Ultra Speaker's multi-functional use aspect better. When two units are part of a home theatre setup, as shown in the Bose app, you can't simply switch off the rears (well, you can, it's a simple toggle in the app) and then use one elsewhere in your home.

It ought to be more flexible and rapid to adjust from single speaker to stereo to home theatre rears in a flash – even if that feature wasn't used frequently. I, for one, would use a single unit in my office, for example, then move it back into my home theatre setup for one of those special Dolby Atmos movie nights.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review: Verdict

Taken from the perspective as a standalone product – as stereo pairing two units has issues in my experience – Bose's Lifestyle Ultra Speaker delivers good looks with well-judged sound.

Its upfiring channel upsell works very well, too, providing a taller and wider soundstage than many a small-scale speaker can muster. Taut bass and a balanced overall mix please, while the app provides an excellent personalisation contorls.

That upfiring output pays dividends if you're going all-out in buying a pair with the LS Ultra Soundbar and LS Ultra Subwoofer – as that home theatre package truly excels. Buy in this format, however, and you're 'locked in' – as the Speaker units effectively become dedicated rears that are too much faff to disconnect and use standalone.

It's impossible to ignore the competition, too. The similarly sized Sonos Era 100 is now far cheaper, delivering a bassier (albeit less controlled) and louder output. The Sonos Play, meanwhile, is priced the same – but doesn't have to be hard-wired to a socket at all times, bringing the versatility that many want.

All in all, then, Bose's Lifestyle Ultra Speaker gets many key components right. It looks stylish. It's got that distinctive upfiring output. The sound is nicely rounded – and easily enhanced further via the app. There's a lot that gives it an edge – but it needs a slightly broader one to really appeal to the masses.

Also Consider

There's been a big rise in powered wireless speakers of late, so don't rule out the Kanto Ren or Ruark MR1 Mk3 products of this world – which are inherently designed to be used in stereo from the off, thus justifying their asking prices.

Otherwise, in the visually like-for-like stakes, there's no denying that Sonos' now older Era 100 will save you some cash yet deliver bigger sound – just minus the upfiring addition that Bose brings to the party.

If you're looking for one of the best soundbars to upgrade your TV's audio, then it's no secret that you're not short on choice – which can make choosing one all the more complex.

Bose's 2026 flagship, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, leans firmly into sophisticated design – as its very name suggests – so if you're looking for a style option, then its combination of glass top, material cladding, and physical controls makes for a strong pick.

But this soundbar is just as qualified in the audio department, delivering Dolby Atmos decoding straight out of the box – with two upfiring speakers in its 5.0.2 channel arrangement to treat such audio properly – for a sensationally wide-and-tall soundstage.

With competition from Sonos to Samsung and beyond, however, this Bose soundbar has its work cut out in the price wars. I've been living with one at home – paired with Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speaker pair for full 7.1.4 surround – and here's why I can thoroughly recommend it.

Price & Availability

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is on sale right now, priced at £999 / $1099 / AU$1799. It's the upgrade to 2023's Smart Ultra Soundbar, which has since decreased in price.

Around this price point there's a lot else to consider, of course, as even the Sonos Arc Ultra is £/$999 – but has seen recent price drops make it even lower, per the shopping widget embedded below.

To really flesh out the Bose pick, however, you can add the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer (£899 / $999 / AU$1299) with a Lifestyle Ultra Speaker pair used as rears (£299 / $299 / AU$549 each). Discount bundles also exist, again per the shopping widget below.

Features & What's New?

The move from Smart Ultra Soundbar to Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar wasn't just a nip-and-tuck process. The new flagship represents the "biggest acoustic overhaul in a decade," Bose spokespeople told me at the product's reveal back in April.

The new soundbar features a nine-element array, two of which are Bose's PhaseGuide technology – utilised to control sound directionality, essentially allowing output anywhere within a room without the need for speakers to distinctly point there. This is very good news for immersive audio and Dolby Atmos, of course.

Bass is handled using Bose's QuietPort system, which funnels sound through elongated tubes to magnify the low-end output without a distinct woofer being present. You can add a separate wireless subwoofer, of course, to up the low-end output even further.

Straight out of the box the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is a 5.0.2 system, the '2' representing the two upfiring speakers at the ends of the soundbar. These aren't visually highlighted as open ports, per the previous product release, instead are 'invisible' beneath the fabric finish that covers the majority of the 'bar – save for the stylised glass top-plate.

Within this glass plate there's a distinctive new sunken control 'wheel' – which I mused was reminiscent of a classic iPod control – while touch-sensitive Bluetooth, mic mute and 'action' buttons sit to the side. Volume up/down and play/pause buttons are within that wheel, but you can use Bose's updated app to handle everything (as there's no physical remote included – and you can't buy an official one).

Design & Setup

As said up top: the Bose is really pushing the style factor with great success, delivering one of the nicest-looking soundbars I've had in front of my TV for some time. And I test a lot of soundbars in tandem with the best TVs.

The soundbar is 110cm long, so in excess of a metre, meaning it's best matched with larger TVs – nothing under 55-inches, I'd suggest, as those will measure approximately the same length. This 'bar the same length as the Sonos Arc Ultra, therefore, meaning it's in direct competition with that product.

It's also head-on equipped with similar specification, as around the back you'll find an HDMI eARC socket, but no further HDMI passthrough. Much as I will criticise that, it's not uncommon – and you'd need to spend more on, say, a Samsung HW-Q990F to gain such an extra (plus a sub and extra surround speakers in the box).

Not that once you're plugged in – with the included HDMI cable ported to your TV to automatically take over sound controls – you'll be paying attention to what's around the back. As the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is all about how it looks.

I like how Bose has managed to balance elegance and functionality in a discreet way – there's nothing riotous about the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar's design, per se, but little touches such as that top-plate really elevate it above and beyond much of what else is out there.

There's a slight blip in this design, however, as the glass is of course reflective – so you'll see what's on screen mirrored in the surface below, without being able to do much about it. Bose ought to figure out a way to adjust refraction within the material to minimise this; especially as many of the best OLED TVs are now baking in anti-reflective panels.

Aside from the super-simple physical setup process, the Bose is best handled from the Bose app (iOS/Android free download), which has been updated and simplified to make for a really easy end-to-end process. It's within these screens where you can make adjustments and personalisations, too, which only further this soundbar's delivery.

Sound Quality

But it's not all just about looks. Bose has done a brilliant job is getting this metre-or-so-long system to output well beyond its proportions. Its sound width is room-filling – to the point that TVs of 75- or 85-inches or more would be capably catered for by it.

And that's just the soundbar alone. As I noted on my very first listen, any additional products excluded, there's a decent amount of bass drive here from the 'bar alone. That'll be great for those wanting to enhance low-end without paying for a subwoofer – or irking their neighbours, perhaps.

I don't feel like the bass is quite as major as you'll get from Sonos' Arc Ultra, mind, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you want to go full system, then the Bose's Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer does a grand job in delivering bold, shaped bass – but it does cost a packet more to buy, unavoidably (much like Sonos' equivalent, in that regard).

Width isn't the only benefit of this Bose's design, though, as the upfiring speakers do a very good job of projecting sound upwards. At its most basic this generates height, which is totally essential in matching believable sound in relation to what's going on on the screen – which Bose totally nails.

No, you're never going to get an 'umbrella' of hemispherical sound from a standalone soundbar like you will with a full surround system. But even when handling object-based audio decoding from a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar brings great exaggeration to sound motion – with sounds seemingly flying to the edge of a room and right up to the ceiling.

The clarity of that sound is wonderful, too, with great balance that a number of other soundbars can't present in quite such a cohesive way. This feels like the full, considered package – from highs to mid to low – with carefully judged separation and ample channels to define the best movie soundtracks' multi-positional output.

Expandability

As I've already alluded to, you can take the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar from a 5.0.2 system to a 5.1.2 system with the addition of a Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. From there it can be a 7.1.4 setup when adding a pair of Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker units – adding rear channels, with built-in upward-firing height output.

I've tested this full package and, while it can't go all-out with four speaker separates like the LG Sound Suite, for example, most people aren't going to need that. As a full package, the Bose is a dream for movies and even music – and that you can step by step upgrade, just as you can with Sonos' equivalent, adds accessibility.

Unlike Sonos' recent app debacle, however, Bose's app update is a gem. It brings so much control to the base soundbar alone, but with everything added there's a full suite of tools added to adjust equalisation (EQ) with simple treble/mid/bass +/- sliders. The subwoofer level can be adjusted individually, or switched off. You can also turn off the rear speakers when not desired.

But the biggest point of interest in the app is the 'Adjustments' section, where you can increase of decrease output from centre, adjust the height mix, and the surround level – enhancing its separation. So many companies – such as Sony in its 360 Audio options for The Collexion headphones, for example – get this so very wrong. But Bose has it spot on.

Indeed, I can't name a company that delivers better spatial upmixes than Bose. It does so in its headphones – such as the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) – and while it's not porting exactly the same movement-based delivery here, the subtlety in adding rear speakers when listening to music is a wonder for percussion, as one example. It never sounds fake or metallic or off-kilter. That's a rare yet wonderful thing.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review: Verdict

With the very same recommended price as the Sonos Arc Ultra, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar might seem easy to dismiss – but as a stylish alternative with arguably better app integration, Bose's soundbar is a 5-star slammer.

As a standalone soundbar, the sheer sonic width and height impresses, as does the degree of bass – without the need to add any extras. It's great for movies, just as it's great for music – with ample yet simple adjustability options present within the app.

If you chose to upgrade later, however, then the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and a pair of Lifestyle Ultra Speaker units totally transforms this 'bar into a successful surround option – albeit at quite the cost – for an impressive cinematic experience.

Bose has really gone nose-to-nose with Sonos in its flagship soundbar fight this year. And while the Arc Ultra might give more bass oomph as a standalone solution, not everyone's going to want that – marking the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar out as a sound and stylish alternative.

Also Consider

Time is as much a benefit as it is curse, however, as the Arc Ultra is currently so well discounted that it's a more obvious purchase – for the cost-savings alone. It also sounds brilliant, is ideal for anyone in the Sonos ecosystem already, and doesn't have a reflective top-plate design.

If surround sound is your ultimate goal, then it's also worth considering Samsung's previous-gen flagship, the HW-Q990F (as the newer 'H' version is negligibly different – and much pricier right now). This includes a sub and rear speakers in the box, plus the 'bar has an HDMI passthrough port (4K/120Hz) too.

All of this too pricey for your needs, or your TV too small for it to be necessary? Then Sonos' Beam 2 is always a sensible suggestion – especially when it's on offer. It's got much more sonic bite than the company's Ray product, too.

In the world of high-end speakers, Wharfdale is a name with a lot of heritage and history. Now, the brand has given its best range of speakers – the Elysian series – an update.

The new range is dubbed the Elysian R series, and is described as an evolution more than a revolution, taking the popular format and making slight tweaks to improve on the form. The range consists of five speakers, including stand mount options, floor standing options and a centre channel unit.

So, what improvements are there over the original? Well, lots of smaller improvement can be found under the hood. The brand talks about refinements in crossover execution, improved cabinet behaviour and better driver performance.

The latter comes courtesy of enhanced AMT high-frequency drivers, which are said to offer greater resolution and transient accuracy. There's also refined glass fibre matrix bass and midrange drivers, which offer improvements to the clarity and control on offer.

Beyond the technical improvements, the design has also been reworked. For the original series, the black, white and walnut finishes were all topped with a gloss piano lacquer.

For the new R series, the finishes lose the gloss in favour of the more fashionable matte designs of the modern day. Users will have a choice of matte black or matte grey, while the walnut sections keep their gloss but are paired with refined, matte black trims and detailing.

All of the finishes are hand-polished, adding a level of class to proceedings. It's worthwhile, too, as the end product looks simply fantastic.

Priced from £3,499 (approx. €4,050 / US$4,690 / AU$6,670) per pair for the Elysian 1R and Elysian CR models, and topping out at £6,999 (approx. €8,100 / US$9,400 / AU$13,350) for the Elysian 4R models, these certainly aren't cheap. However, in the grand scheme of high-end hi-fi speakers, they're also not dreadfully priced, either.

In life, there is very little as cool as an electric guitar. Whether it's Slash wandering into the desert before the solo in November Rain, Hendrix setting fire to his Strat at the Astoria or the myriad of other legends who have used the instrument to earn legendary status, it has become a staple of modern life.

Now, Audio-Technica has partnered with Fujigen Guitars to create a limited edition pair of headphones inspired by the instrument. They feature wooden panels on the outside of the earcups, complete with an iconic three-tone sunburst lacquer on the outside.

Those are based on the ATH-WP900 series headphones, which actually already offer wooden cups provided by Fujigen. The regular model makes use of flame maple, though, where this limited edition is crafted from solid ash.

It's also got the much more pronounced three-tone burst, where the standard model is more of a two-tone fade. It's a subtle difference, but one which will matter to audiophiles and music lovers with exacting standards.

Inside, you'll find 53mm drivers, which should offer a decent low-end representation, complete with enough detail at the top to make things pop. The model uses the brand's A2DC detachable connectors, offering 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm standard options for different use cases.

There's also a handwritten serial number card in the box, as well as a Fujigen cleaning cloth which is specifically designed for lacquered finishes.

If you're not familiar with the Fujigen name, fear not – you almost certainly know the work, with the brand producing Japanese-made guitars for Fender, Gibson, Ibanez and more over the years. Prior to moving to T3 to write about the best tech, I worked in a popular guitar store, and the Fujigen stuff was always up there with the very best.

The ATH-WP900SE will be available from today, priced at £599 / €699 (approx. US$800 / AU$1,145).

Technics has collaborated with luxury furniture designer, Fritz Hansen, on a new duo of products. The range includes a lamp and a turntable, both finished in a gorgeous red hue.

The collaboration is designed to showcase how both light and sound can shape and alter the character of a space, where light defines the mood, sound evokes emotion and a minimalist design language connects the two. It's a neat idea, and sees a natural partnership form between the two entities.

The Kaiser Idell lamp was originally designed in 1936, and is the product of Bauhaus designer, Christian Dell. It features a crescent-shaped connecting rod, which links the base and the flat, domed lamp portion, both finished in a deep burgundy hue.

Its counterpart is a Technics SL-40CBT, which employs the brand's direct-drive system. That enjoys a loyal following among audiophiles thanks to its design, which helps to minimise speed deviations compared to a belt-drive system.

That's also finished in the same delightful, deep red hue, which looks really classy. You'll find a joint Technics and Fritz Hansen badge on the bottom right hand corner, with the Fritz Hansen logo on the platter as well.

On the left-hand side, you'll find a small control panel complete with power, Bluetooth, start/stop and speed buttons. The latter has options for both 33 and 45 rpm, meaning you can quickly switch it up for playing singles when needed.

Both are limited, with just 200 of the lamps and 300 of the turntables being made. Notably, the lamps will go on sale across Asia and Europe, while the turntables will also be distributed in the USA.

There's no word on pricing, but we'd expect both units to cost a hair more than their 'standard' counterparts, owing to the limited edition nature and colour. Even so – and, in fact, even if you're not familiar with Fritz Hansen – this is a great addition to any stylish space.

Last week I was at High End Vienna – a hi-fi show that used to be held in Munich and has a tradition of showing off super-crazy-expensive kit.

But 2026 just felt different. Yes, there was still some mad kit priced at seven figures on display, but a lot of the long-standing brands were also there with products people will actually buy.

Including, as I'll get to, new powered wireless speakers from Yamaha, called the NX-70A. A surprise yet indeed important launch from the Japanese hi-fi stalwart.

Don't call it the 'death of hi-fi'

It's clearly a time of change in the world of hi-fi. Yes, we've had the vinyl resurgence. Sure enough, the apparent CD resurgence is coming too – as shown to me by Ruark, in its R710 integrated player.

But that's not all that's changing. Form factors are shifting, as customers pivot away from full separates setups. Dali was another to prove this point, with its Vega all-in-one product – and very nice it is, too.

Yes, amplifiers still sell – and are actually on the up. So it would be inaccurate to say that "hi-fi is dying" – when the increase in record player sales and so forth continues to drive sales. Indeed, last year amps made up 42% of total revenue across the hi-fi sector.

A new option

But that doesn't mean customers aren't looking for something simpler and more unified; a product able to exist more discreetly in any number of spaces. And that's why I think powered wireless speakers are the big new trend for 2026 and beyond.

It actually started before this year, mind. At the end of 2025, Cambridge Audio burst into the market with its all-new L/R range (lead picture of this article). And very good they've turned out to be thus far, too, with the small 'S' model a 5-star winner.

Not that Cambridge was first. If anything, the Brit brand was a little late to the party. We've already had some stellar products from Technics (CX700 – pictured above) and KEF (LSX II LT) in this space, while Kanto has also made waves – particularly with its Ren speakers.

While smaller models have also impressed – aforementioned Ruark's MR1 Mk3, for example, or Kanto's UKI – it's in the larger-scale space where this market is going to grow, luring would-be hi-fi separates buyers to something altogether new.

Shifting away from spatial

Part of the reason this active speaker format is getting so popular? I think it's the shift away from excessive sound processing – spatial upmixes of stereo content, for example – that people wanting a true stereo listening experience will enjoy so much.

And there's nothing better than a pair of loudspeakers to deliver that perfectly, with precision left and right output. Being able to get that without needing a separate amplifier and bunch of cables is only going to add to the appeal for many.

Which is where Yamaha's new NX-70A speakers come in. I was able to experience this new system at High End Vienna, too, and love the design aesthetic with bronzed detailing. But it's the sound that's really going to upsell these speakers.

Everything is rolled into one: the 13cm woofer and 3cm tweeter per speaker combine to 160W per side, and whether you're going to use wired inputs (HDMI, LAN, USB-A, 3.5mm AUX) or wireless (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi – including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay, Google Cast), you'll get rich audio across a 50Hz-35kHz range.

A pair of NX-70A isn't cheap, though, at £2587 (equivalent to circa $3500 / AU$5000). But then you needn't worry about any additional components – other than perhaps some stands; maybe adding a subwoofer later – and this more simplistic setup quickly makes sense.

In addition to the recent arrival of the Cambridge Audio L/R X – the largest in its range – there will be more to come in this space. Jamo alluded to the same thinking at High End Vienna, for one, and I'm sure there'll be more. Powered wireless speakers are the next hi-fi trend for 2026 and beyond.

A few of weeks back Dali revealed its latest product, the Vega, which I got a chance to explore and listen to while attending the High End Vienna audio show last week.

The most obvious point of interest about the Vega is that, well, it's not a loudspeaker – which is what the Danish loudspeaker company is, obviously, very well known for making.

Rather it's an all-in-one system that joins a growing market – albeit with one unique trick. The Vega can be positioned in one of three positions – tabletop, or wall-mounted in either horizontal or vertical positions – with the speaker auto-adjusting for its select orientation.

Fully loaded

Now, I don't expect more than 10% of potential buyers are going to wall-mount this all-in-one system at all, except perhaps for those who intend to use the HDMI ARC port to wire it up to a TV for enhanced audio.

Note, however, that as this is a stereo system, so don't call it a soundbar. Indeed, the lack of eARC tells you that the Vega cannot decode three-dimensional formats, such as Dolby Atmos.

I did watch a scene from Lord of the Rings, however, and it adds considerable width and dynamism. But music is really its forte, in my view, which it treats with the upmost respect.

Looks like a dream

For me, however, it's not the unique trick that really sells the Vega. Sure, it's hugely impressive and the team put umpteen hours into that development. But, having touched and tried this system, it's the tactility and the expansive sound that are the key reasons to buy.

This growing category is hardly short of competition. Just last year I reviewed the Cambridge Audio Evo One, which is a relatively similar tabletop object. Just with a large display on the front that the Dali foregoes for a much smaller OLED to display menus and settings only.

Much as I love the Cambridge, it does have upper limits to its viable volume. Yes, you could crank it, but that enclosure can rattle. The Dali, on the other hand, just has this more measured, firm sound that delivers itself in such a clean form.

Sounds like a dream too

I heard the Dali in a genuinely huge room – it wasn't treated nor optimised, either, it was simply a hotel's conference space. That this product could could conceivably fill such a room so convincingly was a surprise; that it could do it so so elegantly, only added to my level of impressed.

That's all delivered from four 25mm tweeters, four 4.5-inch mid-range drivers, and two passive bass radiators, with the Class D amplification delivering 50W per channel, for 400W total output across a 32 to 22,700Hz frequency range.

HD Audio is catered for, to 24-bit/192kHz file types, as you'd expect from a Dali product, if you feed it with the correct source. There's also all the support for the latest streaming systems, with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect supported from day one, plus Bluetooth and AirPlay 2.

Tactile build

Sound is one factor, of course, but the Dali's level of detail in finish is another significant reason to buy. The Vega is finished with custom-woven fabrics, features a real wood veneer (so each one is unique), and an anodised aluminium volume/control wheel.

The wheel's adjustment mechanism – from its subtle ball-bearing 'clicks' to the beautifully judged weight it possesses – is a work of art in itself. It's also touch-sensitive, so you can press-and-hold the centre to bring up the menu system.

That system displays on a frankly tiny OLED display, though, and I'm surprised Dali didn't opt for some more real-estate here. I get the idea was to subtly integrate, but more space equals larger font and greater ease of reading.

I do also think the on-device menu system might take a little getting used to, too. The whole array of buttons next to the wheel – which are effectively radio station or source pre-sets – can be tapped or double-tapped, while the menu's depth might not be immediately intuitive.

Brilliant basics

Much as I love using the control wheel, the bundled remote control will bypass any uncertainty I have with it. This makes selecting sources and activating the 'wide' mode – a processing effect to widen the soundstage, without quite calling spatial upmixing – really easy. It doesn't look as exciting as the rest of the product, but I think people will find it easy to use.

Now, the Vega isn't in any way cheap, at £2599 / $4500 / AU$4499 (yes, the US price is really that high due to tariffs). But as an investment for someone who might be seeking a hi-fi adjacent stereo system without all the separates and cables, I think it poses long-term value.

The Vega looks distinct, feels special, and sounds like a dream. That you can wall-mount it in two directions is undoubtedly impressive. But the reason I want one above all else is for that beautiful tactility and sumptuous sound quality. This is the future of hi-fi – and Dali already knows it.

Razer has introduced a new, high-end microphone in its Seiren series and this one sits at the very top.

The Razer Seiren V3 Pro is a professional, studio-grade mic but with consumer friendly simplicity. It supports 32-bit float recording with a wider dynamic range, but can also be connected via USB-C for plug-and-play.

The microphone, which features Razer Chroma RGB lighting as part of its zinc unibody construction, also support XLR connectivity, so can be hooked up to a pro audio rig. And there's a removable pop filter included, as well as a shock absorber to keep it stable during recording.

A physical gain dial can be found on the mic itself, as well as a mute button and headphone out port.

In terms of the audio hardware, it features a 30mm dynamic capsule with a cardoid polar pattern, and covers a frequency range of 50Hz to 16kHz. And a built-in audio DSP processes sound on the device itself, which includes AI noise removal, a compressor, limiter, and an expander.

You can further tweak the output through the Razer Synapse software on Windows, but it's not dependent on it.

"With the Seiren V3 Pro, we wanted to give creators a single mic that grows with them," said Razer's global head of its lifestyle division, Addie Tan.

"Simple plug-and-play on USB-C for streamers just starting out, and studio-grade features on XLR when their craft demands more. From the 32-bit float capture to the onboard DSP, every detail is built so that the audio just sounds right, effortlessly."

T3 will be testing the Seiren V3 Pro in the coming days and weeks, to find out how it sounds in real-world situations. We'll bring you more on that soon.

The Razer Seiren V3 Pro is available now for £249.99 / $249.99 / €289.99.

Marshall's in the middle of quite a big summer from what is objectively one of the more boutique-sized audio brands out there. It's already released the Milton ANC, a really interesting new thrust in the world of headphones, and now it's also refreshing one of its most popular speakers.

The Stockwell III is a welcome upgrade on its predecessor in a few key ways, but it looks very similar, which is no bad thing. Like the Stockwell II, it's a sort of portrait-orientation Bluetooth-only speaker, standing on a relatively narrow base with a carrying handle for convenience.

Atop the speaker, there are control knobs that give it a really tactile feeling, something that has been Marshall's speciality for quite some time. Its main face is one big grille with that famous logo, too. The new version has some beefier internals, though, including a battery life of 40 hours, doubled from last time out.

The Stockwell III also now features 360-degree sound, which should make it easier to position wherever you are, since there's no longer a clear sweet spot to be found for the best audio. Its durability should be reliable, too, since it's IP55-rated for dust and water resistance.

The Stockwell II launched all the way back in 2019, which makes this an impressively long gap between speaker generations, and that also means that even a small upgrade like moving to USB-C for charging is quite consequential. That USB-C port can also charge your gadgets when needed.

Crucially, this speaker also demonstrates how Marshall is getting its ducks in a row ahead of the EU's incoming rules about user repairs. It promises real repairability, including user-replaceable batteries, which makes it part of the vanguard of new devices bringing that feature to the market.

The speaker won't be available until 18 August, though, so it's a couple of months off at this stage. When it does launch, it'll cost £199.99 in the UK, €229 in the EU, and $249.99 in the US. That makes it a little more expensive than the Stockwell II at launch, but given the pretty much 7 years between the two, that's no real scandal.

We'll be reviewing the Stockwell III closer to its launch, so keep your eyes on T3 for more information about this fairly gorgeous-looking speaker launch.

Clearaudio has gone big at High End Vienna 2026 with the headline act as the Innovation Revolver Special Edition, created to mark the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ Revolver album.

This pairs Clearaudio’s high-end analogue engineering with a monochrome design inspired by Klaus Voormann’s iconic cover artwork, and comes bundled with a special half-speed mastered vinyl pressing of the record. That could all equate to one of the best record players, for many.

At the other end of the spectrum, Clearaudio is launching the Rammstein Artist Series turntable. Built in collaboration with the band, it features industrial styling, integrated red or white LED lighting and a limited run of 1,000 units worldwide. It’s designed as a statement piece as much as a listening device.

There’s also a surprising gaming angle. The GT Compass turntable is aimed at vinyl collectors who also want their setup to fit into a gaming environment. This offers a pixel-inspired design, LED lighting and support for gaming soundtracks pressed on vinyl.

Clearaudio says the new range reflects how vinyl’s audience has broadened, from audiophiles to collectors and lifestyle buyers, and even into gaming culture.

Clearaudio is also introducing some more conventional hi-fi upgrades. The Elevation Series introduces modular turntables with interchangeable outer frames, to change finishes over time without replacing the core deck. It’s offered as a long-term upgradeable system rather than a one-off purchase.

A new Compact Phono stage brings simplified setup with front-panel MM/MC switching, lower power consumption and improved headroom, while the Ultra Linear Power Supply focuses on cleaner, more stable power delivery for turntable systems.

There’s also a new N2 cartridge, built using a carbon-fibre reinforced housing designed to reduce resonance and improve playback stability.

Across the range, pricing spans from around £250 for the N2 cartridge up to £10,500 for the Beatles-inspired Innovation Revolver Special Edition, showing just how wide Clearaudio is going with this launch.

So, from purist audiophiles to gamers and collectors, there should be something for everyone from Clearaudio this year.

I've been reviewing the best ANC headphones for many years now – and it's rare that a pair of in-ears stands out enough for me to jump up and pay attention. I'm usually too much of an over-ears guy, ultimately.

But then Bose's 2nd Gen version of its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are no standard 'buds by any means. These offer the pinnacle of active noise-cancelling (ANC) in an in-ear format – which I've found very comfortable to wear for long periods, too.

However, that "2nd Gen" badge might not mean quite as much as you'd hope, for these earbuds aren't dramatically different from the original QC Ultra Earbuds model, as I'll get into below.

However, a March 2026 firmware update further enhanced the ANC controls. And, having used the QC Ultra Earbuds 2 for a week for this review, my initial state of 'nothing but impressed' has only been further reinforced. Here's why Bose still reigns supreme.

Price & Availability

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 launched in the summer of 2025, with some markets only receiving them towards the later part of that year. With a key 2026 firmware update having rolled out in March, these are still Bose's most flagship earbuds – and just as relevant now as at launch.

Price-wise, things have also improved over time. The £299 / $299 / AU$450 launch price has dropped, with some pretty strong discounts at the time of writing – as you can see in the shopping widget above. That closes the gap somewhat between the original model and this 2nd Gen release.

What's New?

• New colour options: Deep Plum, Desert Gold, Midnight Violet
• Adds wireless charging to case
• New 'Cinema Mode' preset
• Adjusted ANC profile

To look at there's no difference between the QC Earbuds Ultra 2 and the original version – unless you purchased one of the more standout new colourways, as listed above, which join the staple of Black and White Smoke.

The same design is matched with the same weight as previous. No surprise, as the battery capacity within these 'buds and the included charging case also sees no change. There is, however, wireless charging for the latter, which for the original product was an add-on accessory option only.

Aside from improved earwax guards, it's otherwise largely software-based changes, with a new Cinema Mode preset added, and an adjusted ANC profile and Aware Mode improvements now part of the package.

While I found that in the equivalent over-ear Headphones Ultra 2 this made for a weaker ANC experience overall, in the Earbuds Ultra 2 it's actually an improvement. The new adjustable Noise Control slider can be manually set as you please in custom settings, giving you full control if you wish.

Design & Usability

As the idiom goes: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Bose had really hit the nail on the head with the original QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, so the 2nd Gen model treads the very same path – with at least equal success.

While initially I thought the 'buds looked rather large, this scale doesn't affect the comfort or fit. I've found even long periods of wear over many hours very comfortable indeed, while a trio of eartips included in the box ensures you can find the correct seal for your ears.

Each protruding silicone eartip is soft and comfortable, complemented by a stability band edging that's made of the same material. That means when these buds are in your ear, they're well and truly there to stay.

Even with motion I've found these earbuds to stay in firmly, contrary to what the visual appearance may suggest. They can be easily controlled via touch directly from the ear-mounted position, too, with the app educating you on those actions.

The app is a key part of the usability, as this is the gateway to accessing the Modes, adjusting Noise Cancellation (ANC), equalisation (EQ), Immersive Audio processing, and selecting your Source, while also being able to see the battery charge level of each earbud and the charging case.

By default you're presented with Quiet, Aware, Immersion and Cinema. Those cater for: full ANC; auto-adjusted passthrough using Bose's ActiveSense tech; spatial enhanced output; and three-dimensional audio when paired with a TV viewing experience.

But as you can create custom extras, this general overview can be manipulated as you please. Personally, I don't use the Aware option, as I'm not a big fan of passthrough in ANC modes.

That said, the 2nd Gen product has gone at lengths to ensure its ActiveSense is more subtly responsive than in the original product, rather than making any abrupt changes based on ambient noise spikes.

Sound Quality & ANC

The real treat with the QC Ultra Earbuds 2 is the overall sound quality. That's important, too, as many competitors continue to up their game – including the likes of Technics' AZ100.

Just as said of the original Ultra Earbuds, the 2nd Gen model continues to deliver "astounding audio" with great fidelity. Bass is abundant, which is a Bose signature trademark, hitting those low notes to such dizzying degree that you might not expect it from a pair of in-ears.

Bose is also a dab hand when it comes to processing, too, which isn't something that many audio-makers have got quite as correct. Here it's Bose's Immersive Audio tech that I really enjoy, subtly enhancing the soundstage to feel more three-dimensional – even 'moving' as you physically move your head throughout the space (a setting that you can turn off as you please).

That excellent audio signature is one part of the Bose puzzle, but it's the ANC that really ramps these 'buds up a notch. The brand has been very, very good at delivering cancellation that's so considerable that ambient sounds you'd be sure you'd hear when wearing them can all but disappear.

I've used these earbuds on trains and planes, at my desk or when walking at lunchtimes, and regardless of the scenario they just consistently deliver. Some may prefer the ActiveSense tech takeover in Aware mode, which has been nicely smoothed out – and I can see the worth in that for, say, those park walks.

The final part to mention is, but of course, battery life. It's rated at 6 hours per charge, but that dips to 4 hours when you've got Immersion active. Which, given how much I enjoy using that feature, is how I use these headphones. I'd like longer innings, really, but it's still a fair showing overall.

The case will deliver a further three full charges, which will help you along, and the case can then be recharged too – although its 2-hour top-up time from dead to full seems a bit slow, given its approximate 700mAh capacity (around one sixth of your mobile phone's battery).

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review: Verdict

While the 2nd Gen version of Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds don't add a huge amount over the original model, that doesn't detract from what are the best active noise-cancelling (ANC) earbuds on the market.

The marginal improvements – namely wireless charging and software tweaks to the ANC's operation – only further the user experience for the better. If you're an avid wireless charging fan, then the former feature makes a strong case to spend a little extra over the still-on-sale original.

With stellar sound, an abundance of bass, ANC that almost defies belief in its ability to blot out ambient sound, and improved customisation options within the app, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 are untouchable. Don't let the large size fool you either, as these are as comfortable as they are great-sounding.

Also Consider

If you don't care for wireless charging and can find a good deal on the original QC Ultra Earbuds, then you'll get a similar audio and ANC experience – with those savings perhaps an even better case for you.

Otherwise, it's Sony's WF-1000XM6 that arguably deliver an even more refined audio experience, along with very good ANC. They might cost you a little more at the moment, though, giving Bose the edge.

If having super-strong ANC isn't the absolute in your wants, however, then Technics' AZ100 are our go-to pick for audio quality to take on the best of them. Design-wise they might appeal to those who baulk at the Bose's larger scale, too.

If you'd told me even 10 years ago that CDs were due to make a comeback, I don't think I would have believed you. But that's the current intersection we've arrived at, as the Compact Disc revival for music-lovers gathers momentum.

Ruark, the British audio brand, has been making systems for decades. It's already ingrained in my life, as the R610 hi-fi console lives in my home office – and I loved it so much that I've even wall-mounted the Sabre-R bookshelf speakers. Now I just need a subwoofer to really step it up.

This week, while wandering the halls at the High End Vienna show, I was introduced to Ruark's next-step model in this series: the R710. It's bigger, more powerful, and will drive the brand's also-new Talisman-R speakers – which mark a return to floorstanders after an extended hiatus.

It's also a product with an integrated CD player. That's due to demand, Ruark tells me, with many R610 owners opting to buy a separate CD player – typically the Ruark R-CD100 – and customers have been calling for the Compact Disc's return.

I even requested a disc, just so I could enjoy the sensation of inserting one into the drive – which is semi-hidden among the R710's wooden slats, ensuring it's subtle to the point of near invisibility. There's a physical eject button to the side of the front display, if you're wondering.

There's a lot to be said for CD quality – which is a lossless 16-bit and 44.1kHz output – which many streaming service subscriptions can't match. Plus, with physical media you've the assurance that your library won't change when, say, one album gets removed from your subscription.

The R710's front display is far larger in this new design, too, helping to put into visuals the CD artwork – or from other sources, as you can just as easily stream, tune into DAB, or connect via Bluetooth – to make a real statement.

There's even an HDMI port, should you want to source from a TV – but this is no Blu-ray player, it's built with a proper CD laser reader, meaning you can playback CD-DA audio from CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs. Note: it's not able to play SACD types, just classic discs.

Ruark is no stranger to the concept of visual statements either. Its retro-chic design has more than a nod to 70s aesthetic, while ensuring there's an up-to-date nature to its products' look and feel. I'm a big fan of the real walnut finish, which is something of a trademark for the brand.

Those Talisman-R speakers sound a treat, too, and they're a smaller scale than many typically taller floor-standers – but do keep in mind that they'll cost you £1499 for a pair (other regional pricing is TBC).

As for the player itself? That wraps in two 200W of output, which is much larger than the 75W of the smaller R610 unit. There's the familiar RotoDial system up top, even a forthcoming connection for Bluetooth headphone output directly from the device.

The R710 will cost £2199 when it goes on sale this October (again, regional pricing is TBC) – although you can already pre-order it from many reputable dealers, including Sevenoaks Sound & Vision. If you've already got a stack of CDs waiting to be re-loved then it could be your perfect new purchase.

Back in April it was announced that legendary speaker-maker, Jamo, was set to return to market – with the High End Vienna show slated as its stage to reveal all-new product lines.

While I had been anticipating a powered wireless speaker series from the Danish maker – which the company confirms is "in the works" – instead we've been treated to an array of different products.

My favourite of the lot, however, is the Concert Element 50, which is a bookshelf speaker among Jamo's mid-tier passive speakers (so, yes, you'll need a separate amp to power these).

I got to check out the range at High End Vienna – an audio show where an abundance of kit was on display – behind closed doors with Jamo's new owners for a detailed listening session.

Concert Element – Bookshelf and Floorstanding

See those coloured circles on the wall in the above image gallery? The Concert Element 50 speakers have swappable grilles, so you can pick and choose, even mix'n'match, to create a more bespoke bookshelf speaker.

Jamo has been super bold in its latest speaker line, with the Element 50 embodying these oversized circular emblems, striking a distinctive silhouette that's like little else I've seen in this segment.

There's a reason for it, though, as the circular driver module extends beyond the cabinet – which, at 27cm deep, is less than many current bookshelf speakers – making the driver become central to the design.

You can pair any Element product with a separate subwoofer for even bigger bass, using the Concert Element SW10, priced at £629 / $699. A pair of Concert Element 50 will cost you £999 / $1099; Concert Element 70 floorstanders will set you back £1719 / $1899; while the biggest Concert Element 90 will require £2239 / $2499.

Concert Legacy – top of the range

HYG – Bluetooth speakers

But Jamo has revitalised its range to encompass so much more than passive bookshelf and floorstanding speakers. Namley, it has gone all-in on Bluetooth speakers too.

Named the 'HYG' range, this evokes "hygge", the Danish word meaning (roughly) "a contented mood". The lifestyle is all about everyday pleasures and simplicity – which is exactly what these Bluetooth speakers are about.

There's the HYG Reflect, which is like an alarm clock; the Hyg Flow, which almost looks like a micro-size briefcase; and the Hyg Flex, which is the largest and loudest of this new trio.

All Hyg products will be available from this July. The clock-style device, the Reflect, will be priced at £129 / $149; the carry-handled Hyg Flow at £109 / $129; while the biggie of the bunch, the Flow, will be £239 / $279.

So Jamo clearly has a full vision in mind, from Bluetooth to powered wireless speakers (at a future date), to passive bookshelf and much more serious floorstanding speakers. There'll be something for everyone here.

High-end audio has a certain tendency to command some eye-watering prices and that's true of the new turntable cartridge from Audio-Technica. It'll set you back £9,999 / €11,000.

Okay, so It's not quite as much as a Kia Picanto (in 2026), but it is a lot of money – especially if you think the definition of high-end audio is a set of AirPods Pro.

Back in the world of the audiophile, the new Audio-Technica AT-MCD1 is a veritable bargain compared to the £22,000 Clearaudio Jubilee MC cartridge.

The aim of this new Audio-Technica cartridge is to deliver the best quality from your vinyl, thanks to the onepiece 0.22mm square diamond cantilever and Shibata stylus.

They allow, says Audio-Technica, the AT-MCD1 to transmit the groove's energy with minimal losses, so you're getting everything you can out of your records. That leads to "precisely focused" vocals and "dense and controlled" low frequencies.

The Shibata stylus has a R2.7 x r0.08 mil curve radius to better fit the groove and get even more subtle detail out and transform that into more detailed music. It's a synthetic diamond, with Audio-Technica saying it has exceptional uniformity and high reliability – in some cases exceeding natural diamond.

There's a titanium housing continuing the high-end delivery while keeping the mass down and reducing vibration thanks to its rigidity, while gold pins and ultra-pure copper coils ensure the electrical signals arrive at your amplifier with minimal loss.

As you might expect from a high-end cartridge, it comes engraved with a serial number, presented in a solid cherry wood case.

Audio-Technica say that this is "one of the finest phono cartridges ever produced", surpassing the 60th anniversary AT-MC2022 limited edition cartridge. Talking about availability, you can't just order this from Amazon, instead you're invited to enquire directly with the brand.

However, if you would rather get a Kia Picanto, you can organise a test drive online.

We Are Rewind has truly captured the spirit of the 80s with its WE-001 Walkman-style cassette players and the GB-001 Blaster. Now it's adding a new product to the range, and it perfect matches both.

The brand has announced its first standalone pair of headphones and they continue the retro vibe. The We Are Rewind Freddie headphones (EQ-002) are similar in style to the the EQ-001 pair you can get bundled with a cassette player, but now feature Bluetooth 6 connectivity.

Styled around the classic Walkman headphones of the early 80s, the EQ-001 on-ears include interchangeable ear cushions in three colours – orange, yellow and black. They are wireless, but you also get a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable in the box if you want to be like Cliff Richard and be "wired for sound".

There's a 36mm dynamic driver in each ear cup, while charging is performed over USB-C.

The 200mAh battery gives you approximately 14 hours of playback, and you can charge from flat to full in around three hours.

There's a built-in microphone, and on device controls can access music and incoming calls.

The headphones weigh just 66g and are made of stainless steel, plastic and foam.

While they are perfectly matched to one of We Are Rewind's cassette players, you can also use the Freddie pair with any other Bluetooth device – including an iPhone or Android phone.

Being able to skateboard and look cool is entirely optional.

The We Are Rewind Freedie EQ-002 headphones are available now priced at £43 / $59 / €49 a pair. I think they'll go particularly well a new Anbernic RG Rotate retro games console, which doesn't come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, but does support Bluetooth.

I might give that a go myself.

British audio brand iFi has announced its latest DAC for mobile devices, the iFi Go Link 2 Max. This compact device is designed to provide better audio than your smartphone can from its own hardware.

By improving the processing hardware, more depth and detail can be restored to music, avoiding the compression that's common on digital tracks, with access to Hi-Res Audio formats.

The iFi Go Link 2 Max connects to the USB-C port on your phone (or tablet or laptop), providing a connection for your wired headphones, with a 3.5mm and 4.4mm port.

It comes in to replace the iFi Go Link Max, with iFi saying that the new model is stronger, smaller and sharper. The new device weighs 11.5g and it measures 143 x 15 x 9.4mm, so can easily be slipped into a pocket alongside your phone.

The device offers lower distortion, has selectable digital filters and updates via the iFi Nexus app. iFi says that it reduces distortion by 50% compared to the original model and reduces channel crosstalk thanks to the S-Balanced Single Ended Output.

Just adding the DAC isn't the end of the story, however, because you'll need to plug in a pair of good quality wired headphones to get the best out of it. While some Bluetooth headphones offer a cable, it's worth checking that the headphones you're using can benefit from the advancements that it brings.

That doesn't mean spending a huge amount – there are plenty of good quality wired headphones available at reasonable prices from the likes of Grado and Beyerdynamic.

The onboard ESS Sabre DAC supports up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 audio. That will unlock Hi-Res Audio tracks from services like Tidal or Apple Music who offer higher quality tiers, but for other music sources you'd also be optimising the processing of that music for better performance.

The previous version of this dinky DAC was highly regarded and there's no reason to think that this latest model won't boost the experience.

It costs £85 / $85 / €85 and will be available immediately from iFi and other retailers.

Majority Audio has come a long way for a compact British company that's just over a decade old, having recently followed up its digital radios, soundbars and music systems with some very reasonably priced, portable Bluetooth speakers that rival bigger brands.

Indeed, its audio product range is significant today, and it's just about to expand further.

During the Vienna High End show in Austria this week, it has announced a selection of streaming devices that can turn your existing hi-fi into a fully connected audio system.

And, as with its other products, none of them cost the Earth.

The Link Mini, for example, starts the new range at just £59.95. It is a small, puck-like device that adds AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect streaming to any speaker or amp via its analogue and optical outputs.

It comes with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE and Auracast wireless support, so can also feed a Bluetooth speaker or system.

A step-up model, the Majority Link View, adds its own screen to the mix. Priced at £89.95, it has similar features to the Link Mini but with a 2.1-inch touchscreen that displays playback information, source selection and cover art.

Stepping up the new Majority range further

If you're after more than streaming, the Link Pro also includes DAB/DAB+ radio and internet radio support. And it supports HDMI ARC for connection to compatible sources. You also get a 4-inch colour display for good measure.

It's priced at £229.95.

And finally, rounding off the new lineup is the Majority Audio Link Pro Amp. This is an all-in-one streaming amplifier designed to match with your passive speakers.

It features 300W output through a Texas Instruments Class-D amplifier, and combines streaming, DAB radio and amplification in the single device.

HDMI ARC, optical and analogue audio connections are available, as well as USB playback from a connected source. It's priced at £299.95.

There's no word yet on when these will be available in the UK or elsewhere, nor US or European pricing, but we'll update you when we know more.

Bowers & Wilkins has unveiled a new generation of its flagship speaker series. Released five years after the D4's, the 800 Series Diamond D5 are the result of 60 years of engineering and promise the very best quality thanks to improved materials and engineering.

The 800 Series has been the showcase of the Bowers range since its creation in the 1970s and was cemented in history when the 801 speaker was adopted as the reference monitors for Abbey Road Studios.

Today, the 800 Series still represents the very best the brand has to offer, with the speakers being handmade in its factory in Worthing, West Sussex.

The Diamond Series is so called because of the diamond-dome tweeter on the top of the speaker housing, with its signature comet-like aluminium form.

The new D5 models continue the Bowers & Wilkins philosophy of 'Nothing added. Nothing taken away' with its sound. It's a pure experience that allows you to hear every detail of the sound – perhaps why it's still used in Abbey Road Studios.

As with previous 800 series models, it comes in a range of sizes. There's the iconic 801 D5, the full floorstanding speaker engineered for recording studio performance. It features two 10-inch Aerofoil bass cones, one 6-inch Continuum cone mid-range and a 1-inch diamond dome tweeter. The casing comes in four colours with matching leather trim and is priced £43,000 / $65,000 / €50,000 per pair.

The 802 D5 are also floor-standing speakers engineered for reference-grade audio, with two 8-inch bass drivers, a 6-inch Continuum cone mid-range and the 1-inch diamond tweeter on top. Priced £32,500 / $45,000 / €37,000.

With a smaller footprint, the 803 D5 are the most compact to still feature the turbine head configuration for the 5-inch mid-range Continuum cone and 1-inch diamond tweeter, and also feature two 7-inch Aerofoil bass cones. Priced £25,500 / $35,000 / €30,000.

The 805 D5 can be stand-mounted for the best performance, or on a side unit. Suitable for smaller spaces, these use a single 6.5-inch Continuum bass/mid-range cone and a 1-inch diamond dome tweeter on top. These are priced at £10,000 / $15,000 / €12,000.

Other models include the floorstanding 804 D5 and the HTM81 D5 and the HTM82 centre channel speakers to be paired with the 801/802 or the 803/804 models respectively for home cinema setups. Find more information on the new D5 range on the Bowers & Wilkins website.

As part of Shokz's product catalogue diversification, the company has just revealed the OpenDots 2 air-conduction 'buds – adding much-requested improved ingress protection (now IP57).

But there's another product that's launched in tandem – helping the brand go more mainstream in its offerings – called the OpenDots Air.

This all-new air-conduction offering, while altogether similar to the OpenDots 2, goes a little lighter on some features – and, as a result, the price you'll pay is lower.

I've used the Shokz OpenDots 2 for a couple of weeks and have been exploring the OpenDots Air in person, too. So which should you buy and why?

Price

The Shokz OpenDots 2 is the more expensive product, priced at £179 in the UK and $199.95 in the USA. Australian pricing is TBC at this time.

That's a like-for-like price compared to the original OpenDots product, but the new feature set is broader and more advanced – which I'll get to – so the value remains competitive.

The Shokz OpenDots Air, meanwhile, retail for £129 in the UK and $129.95 in the USA. Again, Australian pricing is TBC for the time being.

Design & Fit

Above are the two earbuds wrapped around my finger. They're different in appearance – but only marginally – with the OpenDots 2's more recessed JointArc band fitting more securely.

The OpenDots 2 has a nicer finish, too, with more of the soft silicone used at a larger number of touch-points. The OpenDots Air, by comparison, has a more plasticky feel in majority places – excluding the JointArc structure.

The weight is negligible between the two, with the OpenDots 2 at 6.4g per 'bud, while the OpenDots Air are 6.3g per 'bud – something you can't humanly detect.

Colourways are Pearl White, Grey and Black (pictured) for the OpenDots 2, while the OpenDots Air offer Daybreak Purple or Black (pictured) finishes.

Weather-sealing

The OpenDots 2 also upgrade the original OpenDots with an IP57 rating. That means they're dust-resistant (the '5' part) and water-resistant to a depth of 1-metre for 30-minutes (the '7' part of the equation).

The OpenDots Air offer some protection, but it's not quite as good, at IP55. That's the same dust-resistance, but it can't officially withstand submersion – the secondary '5' meaning it can sustain low-pressure water jets.

The OpenDots 2's case is also IP54 protected – so "splash resistant" – whereas the Air's case offers no official ingress protection whatsoever.

Battery Life

The OpenDots 2 also offer slightly better battery life. The quoted time is 10 hours per charge, with up to 40 hours total from the case.

The OpenDots Air, meanwhile, quote 9 hours per charge, with up to 40 hours total from its case.

The OpenDots 2 also offer wireless charging via the case, whereas the Air does not. The former also charges faster – with 5-minutes said to deliver 2-hours of playback (it's 10-minutes for the same from the Air).

Sound Quality & Calls

While both products have dual air-conduction microphones for calls, it's only the OpenDots 2 that adds an additional bone-conduction microphone – making call clarity improved, even in more difficult conditions (and better for those with hearing impairment, too, of course).

In terms of sound quality, the OpenDots 2 offer the better solution of the two – although I've worn both and the differences aren't so gigantic to make this the biggest reason to buy one or other. It's the other parts of the feature set that'll define your decision.

However, the OpenDots 2 Shokz's Bassphere 2.0 technology for deeper bass, and have a Dolby Audio setting within the app (not that I care for the latter – I think personal EQ is the way to go). The OpenDots Air, meanwhile, have the first-gen Bassphere and lack the Dolby addition.

Conclusion

While you might assume the biggest difference is sound quality, I'd say that's the mildest difference between these two headphones.

The reason to pick the OpenDots 2 is simple: there's better water-resistance, making it the obvious choice for runners and, well, anyone wanting them for active adventures.

The OpenDots Air are obviously appealing for their far lower asking price, however, which is around 28% lower for UK customers and 35% less for US-based buyers.

Also don't forget the OpenDots 2 offer the better finish and longer battery life, too, further adding to the list of reasons to buy them.

But, ultimately, if money is your key factor – and you want something that's cheaper than Huawei or another maker – then Shokz is covering all bases with these two open-ear products.

When you think of the best earbuds, your mind may venture to those you see en masse in public – whether that be AirPods or one of many other brands – but there are also specialist market players that have fought for their place too.

One such brand is Shokz, well known for its bone-conduction earbuds and, more recently, air-conduction solutions – which hold great success with many in the running community, as one example demographic.

But as the whole 'open-ear' market explodes – with Bose joining the party last year – Shokz is doubling down, releasing its OpenDots 2, and, in a rare presentation with questions to a small group of journalists last month at Shokz's HQ, Ken Chen, one of the co-founders of the company, told his story – from the struggles to success.

Chen, who trained as a mechanical engineer, is now a successful businessman – but that's not always been the reality. He's a humble character and a surprisingly open and honest presenter – delving into the company's development from AfterShokz LLC to today's Shokz, while contemplating what the future holds.

From producer to innovator

“Inspiration is easy, innovation is really hard," began Chen, who co-founded then-AfterShokz back in 2011. But the work had begun well before that date, of course.

“At the beginning, we were a two-way radio earpiece manufacturer. We were a factory. We produced a lot for international brands.”

Applying his expertise – and that of his colleagues – to products for other companies wasn't where Chen's mind was though. There was ambition, spurred by inspiration.

“If it is something new that really makes a difference in our society, then that is innovation.

“When I first tried bone-conduction, I was thinking ‘wow, there are so many things that we [AfterShokz] can do with that.’”

That was the catalyst; the spark. With his established engineering background, he could see practical options to create a consumer brand – and not just produce for other companies.

Trials and trepidations

“But there was lots and lots of hard work down the road. We tried a lot of new stuff because we were engineers triggered by education [of bone-conduction's existence] – but none of them were successful with our customers.

“Certainly, if we wanted to become a consumer brand, it seemed an impossible challenge. Whatever you create is not popular – at the beginning, at least.

“We thought that we could do more with the technology – and we had passion. So we founded AfterShokz LLC in Syracuse, New York. At the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 [or CES for short], we had a little booth – the smallest possible – and we were showcasing our headphones.

"But nobody understood what we were doing. Nobody knew anything about bone-conduction technology. Nobody paid any attention to what we were trying to say.

“But you know, not everything was bad. If that were true then we wouldn't have made any further investment. So we saw the silver lining in our failures ... and we needed to seek out sales and marketing. Engineers don't know anything about that."

Upward trajectory

“After the launch of AfterShokz, we participated again at CES in 2012 – and this time we made a little bit of a bigger investment. We had twice the size of the smallest unit – the booth was modest, as it was just $500 – and it was shipped [to Las Vegas, Nevada] in twenty-three boxes.

“Our PR was sick because the work was overwhelming; she made a lot of effort and noise at that CES. But it worked. The Wall Street Journal gave us one of the ‘top gadgets of CES’ [that year].

"Then the booth was so crazy. Groups of people arrived – they brought their friends and their colleagues, and the word spread about bone-conduction.

“So we were really encouraged. We rocked CES. So we went on to make more investment.

“After that show, we spent the entire year building Bluez – the world’s first Bluetooth bone-conduction headphones.

"Bluez was so complicated for our company at that time. But we were doing something new, so the media reported about us."

Got the Bluez

“However, Bluez was a difficult product – and it was not a great product. But we still had to go to market with the goods.

"The expectation [in retail] was [to sell] one piece per store per week. Higher than that and you get a bigger space.

“So when the first report came back it was eighteen sales – that from one thousand stores. Eighteen in total. That's was horrible.

“Between 2012 and 2015, business development became a kind of guerrilla war. We were in Best Buy, then out. In Apple Stores globally, then out again. We entered Fnac and MediaMarkt – and were later rejected. We moved from one distributor to another, from one sports store to another. We simply couldn’t find stability.

“However, people didn’t reject the idea of open-ear audio, they rejected our execution of product at that time.”

A long Trekz

"So instead of giving up, we went back to the fundamentals – we focused on our technology and our product.

"We realised that we needed to improve the underlying technology first. The bone-conduction solution needed to be louder, we needed to reduce sound leakage, to reduce vibration.

"So we worked on that. We invented these layers to reduce the leakage. We invented and re-invented the premium pitch to make the sound more balanced. And we also mastered the titanium frame and flexible fit.

“Eventually, we created this product, Trekz. Trekz actually changed the business type and changed people's opinion about bone-conduction technology.

“For the first time, consumers felt like ‘this actually works!’. That moment changed our business.”

On a viral run

“In the old days, some of my friends would give good suggestions and kind words of encouragement. When Trekz came out, they just asked for Trekz samples.

"And it's very interesting that when you create these good things, they naturally become viral. Good things should be viral. That's how you grow a brand – it's that chain reaction.

“We were really proud of what we did with Trekz. But we were still struggling on the business side. If we couldn't sell it, we thought: 'how about we let them try?'

“So, half a year before Trekz was released, we were working on these demonstrations so that people could try [out Trekz in person in store – first in South Korea].

“If you are innovative, it's also your responsibility to educate the market about your innovation.

“But we have to beg these stores to give us space. We said: ‘If you give us space, we will train your staff even better, and give them Trekz [to understand the product].

“Brookstone was eventually one of the early adopter stores in North America. At the peak, one third of their revenue came from Trekz. We were selling tremendous volumes of product.

“Finally, our bone-conduction headphones had great value to their owners.”

Long-distance marathon

"We found spaces in the running stores in the UK. We succeeded among runners and became more successful.

“As we went grassroots, we touched early adopters – and they turned around and championed us. They recommend us to their family and friends – and the word of mouth effect is huge.

“We became a meaningful statistical number in an industry report. And that's when the MediaMarkt, the JB Hi-Fi and so forth took us in.

"But it's all the grassroots and underlying work where the value was created.

“The early days were a struggle, but the determination and the work ethic was always to tackle the problem.

“For quite some time, I would not allow us to release new product unless they showed significant improvement on the technology.”

To the future

Shokz has released plenty of innovative products since those mid-to-late 2010s, too, from the OpenRun Pro and beyond – with air-conduction products released later.

Queried about Shokz's future, Chen was ponderous: "Bone-conduction is, of course, a fantastic technology. But the market is relatively limited. As we continue to go more mainstream, open-ear audio allows us to serve a much border audience."

The latest release, in the form of OpenDots 2, reinforces that. This product release is more about refinement; about mainstream desires – adding IP57 ingress and water protection to add sports and mass appeal.

Chen is clearly confident in the technology: "I always feel very proud. When we produce a product, it would have to be good enough for us first."

And what about beyond the next 5 years? "As we grow, inevitably we have to cater to a broader consumer base. But we still emphasise technological development.

"Our mission has not changed: we still want to build the most wearable headphones ever. That means staying focused on the fundamentals, being true to ourselves and to keep creating value.

"But, of course, the future is always going to be challenging – and we're not kidding ourselves about that".

If you've been pondering buying a pair of the best earbuds, but hate that 'pressurised' feeling of something in your ear canal, or dislike the inevitable heightened lack of awareness, then Shokz is here to solve your issues.

The long-established brand's latest open-ear flagship, the OpenDots 2, are air-conduction headphones designed to deliver earbud-like sound quality – but without blocking your ear canals, thus ensuring you maintain awareness of your surroundings.

It's this design fundamental that's made the brand a mainstay for runners – initially with its bone-conduction headphones, which function in an altogether different way – but after wearing the OpenDots 2 for the past two weeks for this review, I think there's much wider cross-over appeal here beyond just sports and exercise enthusiasts.

Other brands have clearly noticed increased interest, too, with more lifestyle-oriented brands such as Bose recently entering the space, or Huawei establishing a more budget take to attract interest. While both of those deliver value in their own right, neither is anywhere nearly as comfortable as Shokz's latest – which is what makes the OpenDots 2 the 5-star option.

Price & Availability

The Shokz OpenDots 2 are on sale right now, priced at £179 in the UK and $199.95 in the USA (I'm currently awaiting Australian pricing – the 4 June on-sale date may slip in that region).

That's the same price equivalent at the original OpenDots product, so there's no year-on-year increase of concern – although the originals are now reduced in price (as you can see in the shopping widget above).

What's New?

So why buy the newer OpenDots 2 over the original product? I think it's worth spending that bit extra for the increased protection alone – it's now IP57 (up from IP54), that '7' meaning full submersion in a metre of water for half an hour is no bother.

Note, of course, that the OpenDots 2 aren't designed for swimming (there's the OpenSwim Pro for that). Simply that they'll be able to take all manner of sweat-dunking use from you, safe in the knowledge that they'll be protected and ready to roll for your next workout or general listening session.

Furthermore, the OpenDots 2 adds a bone-conduction microphone for use with calls, adding greater clarity – a feature that was lacking on the original product. This isn't for music playback, mind, so don't confuse these open-ears' core functionality.

The other key upgrade comes in sound quality, with the latest 'Bassphere 2.0 technology' designed to deliver even deeper low-end with minimal distortion. As these are open-ears, the low-end floor isn't as far down the frequency range as many earbuds – but Shokz has taken on feedback and recognised the importance of bass.

Design & Fit

The fundamental design point of the Shokz OpenDots 2 is that the open-ear nature means there's no actual earbud to wedge into your ear canal. Instead, the air-conduction output sits suspended in front of your ear.

To make this feasible, the earbud has to 'clip' onto your ear. Which is where things get really interesting. Having worn the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds extensively, the Shokz knock those out of the park in terms of comfort – by and large thanks to a patented silicone (Ultra-Soft Silicone™ 2.0) that's incredibly soft.

It's not only this factor, however, it's the beautifully judged pressure – or more the complete lack thereof – that Shokz has elected to use in the OpenDots 2. The (also patented) JointArc is made of a flexible nickel titanium plate, so it's super-light yet flexible – as a result, given the absence of any 'pinch' sensation, I largely forgot I was wearing these open-ears in little time.

People's ears do differ vastly, of course, so your mileage may vary – but Shokz has measured a wide demographic of users to generate a best-case for the majority in this product. How you wear them is another clear area Shokz is keen to highlight, with the associated app keenly telling you all the wrong ways not to put them onto your ears.

The app also educates you on the touch controls available. Pinching the battery 'barrel' that sits behind your ear can raise/lower the volume, while a tap will play/pause. There's also wear detection for auto-off when removing the open-ears from your lobes. The pinch control works very well, the tap control can be hit-and-miss given the flexible nature of one's ears.

Sporting Use

A massive appeal of the OpenDots 2 is that they don't block out ambient sound around you, so using them when running, cycling, or any other multitude of outdoor exercise makes them a good bet if you don't want to lose sense of your surroundings.

Impressively, despite the light touch of the fit, these open-ears stay in place when you're bouncing around on foot, too. They can marginally move, which can affect the sound profile, but will then settle into a natural position and not move unduly.

While Shokz does make other products specifically aimed at runners, the OpenDots 2 are perfectly suited to the task too. And that IP57 rating is particularly important for environmental factors, such as rain, sweat, mud – you name it.

However, while the open-ear nature is a key benefit of this product, it also presents an unavoidable natural ceiling. I've used the OpenDots 2 when cycling and the high speed of travel means an inevitable wind factor – which creates such a rush of sound of its own accord that hearing music from these open-ears becomes limited.

That said, I personally can't stand the 'passthrough' nature of active noise-cancelling earbuds, as it sounds too fake and processed. Besides, I wouldn't wear in-ear earbuds when cycling for safety reasons. That the OpenDots 2 present any kind of option is a step above – and could be ideal for spoken word podcasts and suchlike.

Sound Quality

Just to spell it out clearly: if you're looking for a pair of earbuds that isolate you from the world and offer active noise-cancelling (ANC) then you're very much in the wrong place – and the OpenDots 2 will not be for you.

However, if you're seeking an open-ear experience, where your external surroundings are always audible, then the OpenDots 2 are precisely what you seek. And while you might assume this 'open' nature means sound leakage and poor sound delivery, Shokz proves itself very capable of solid sound indeed.

Now, I'm not pretending that the quality of audio will rival the best earbuds. But in the context of this open-ear market, the OpenDots 2 are as good as it gets – it's only the OpenFit Pro able to offer more sound isolation (plus a higher price, larger and more obtrusive fit, and cold-feel metal that's less comfortable in my experience).

The low-end floor of the OpenDots 2 is 100Hz, so nowhere near the sub levels that you'll find in some other product types. But the Bassphere 2.0 tech does give an emphasis of bass with real throng – more than I'd expected, especially when surrounding ambient sound is minimal.

There are a variety of equalisation (EQ) settings within the app, including the option to personalise, or you can bypass for Dolby Audio at the flick of a switch (which bypasses your EQ selection). Personally I don't care for the Dolby option, I think it over-exerts the mid-section to give an overly 'metallic' presentation.

As said previously, the position of the OpenDots 2 in your ears is integral to how it'll sound, so subtle shifts can change the soundstage considerably. When this happens, the high-end might sound a bit too 'sparkly', for example, such is the nature of this product design.

Overall, I think the OpenDots 2 present a solid sound delivery that's actually exceeded my expectations. There are notable trade-offs with any open-ear design, but the ability to offset some of these with capable volume levels and an emphasis on bass impresses.

Battery life, meanwhile, is much the same as the original product – at 10 hours per charge. That's no surprise, given the space limitations and lightweight nature of this design (each bud is a mere 6.4g).

However, the provided case can charge a further three times, so you can net 40 hours in total. And the case is even Qi wireless charging compatible for easy top-ups. Using the USB-C is quicker, mind, noting that only the charging cable is included (not the wall plug).

Shokz OpenDots 2 review: Verdict

The Shokz OpenDots 2 certainly aren't going to be for everyone. But for the specific user base that these open-ears are aimed at, they're a total knockout.

Active people and runners in particular will no doubt appreciate the design's open nature, allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings at all times, plus the IP57 rating for assurance of wear and tear.

But the sheer degree of comfort in this fit means earbud-despisers may also prefer this option for everyday use, too. The overall sound quality also exceeded my expectations.

No, it's not going to rival an active noise-cancelling earbud. But that's not the point. In the context of this product category, the Shokz deliver solid sound – including a surprising amount of bass – that doesn't feel like a universal compromise.

As someone who dislikes the passthrough option of active noise-cancelling, the OpenDots 2 are a versatile alternative. So whether you're looking for less conventional active earbuds for running, or an earbud-adjacent option to wear all day, every day, Shokz's latest is a 5-star sensation.

Also Consider

If you want nothing in your ear canals at all, then the OpenRun Pro 2 bone-conduction headphones steer clear for even better audio. The fit is with a headband design for rigid placement – making these less versatile than the OpenDots 2.

It's worth mentioning the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, too, as their more 'lifestyle' design might be initially appealing – but the higher price and less comfortable fit are marks against this option.

Huawei's FreeClips 2 are a near-priced option too. However, their material finish isn't as comfortable, though, so you may instead want to consider Shokz's also-new OpenDots Air – which offer much of the OpenDots 2 with reductions in the build, battery life and IP rating.

Focal and Naim Audio merged in 2011, and in 2014 the first of a very successful line of Naim ‘Mu-so’ wireless speakers came to market.

Focal, though, reckons it’s the more credible brand when it comes to home cinema equipment – and so this latest ‘Mu-so’ speaker carries the French company’s logo.

Can a ‘Focal powered by Naim’ speaker repeat the successes of those plain Naim models? On evidence of the Hekla, the answer is (just like its build) a very robust 'yes'...

Price & Availability

The Focal Mu-so Hekla launched in South Korea and China at the end of November 2025, and it’s been available in the rest of the world since late March 2026.

In the United Kingdom it costs £2999, American customers will need to spend $3599, and those in Australia will have to fork out AU$6499.

Features & What's New?

There’s not a huge amount of connectivity – but what there is seems entirely appropriate and fit for purpose.

Where physical sockets are concerned, you get an HDMI eARC and a digital optical input that can handle file resolutions of up to 24bit/96kHz. There’s also stereo RCA ‘Aux’ output for use with, say, a powered subwoofer (just in case the claimed frequency response of 30Hz - 20kHz strikes you as rather tentative at the bottom end), and an Ethernet socket.

Wireless is covered by dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC and AAC codec compatibility. The Mu-so Hekla keeps its Wi-Fi antennae in the heatsinks at the rear of the cabinet (which is tidy), and it’s compatible with a very wide range of services and functions.

Wi-Fi means access to the ‘Connect’ versions of Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal, it allows the Focal to be UPnP-compatible, it means that Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Amazon Music HD and plenty more are all available, and it allows for internet radio reception provided by Naim’s own servers.

The device is compatible with every meaningful digital audio file type – it’s good for resolutions of up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD128 for two-channel content, and 24bit/192kHz for multichannel and spatial audio stuff.

Once the audio information is on board, it’s returned to you by a complement of 15 speaker drivers, each with its own block of Naim-developed Class D amplification and configured to be able to deliver 7.1.2 channels of spatial audio.

Front-and-centre there are three 130 x 60mm bass drivers, while towards each end of the front panel there’s a 60mm midrange driver and a 25mm tweeter. On each side there are two 70 x 40mm full-range drivers, and there are a couple of these drivers behind each of the areas of perforated metal on the top panel.

Those three big bass drivers are given 60 watts of power each, while the other 12 drivers are granted 40 watts each. A total of 660 watts should really be more than adequate.

Performance

Before I get to the nuts and bolts of the way the Mu-so Hekla performs it’s worth noting that although there are differences in the way the five different spatial audio options sound, they are subtle in the extreme. You’ll alight on the setting that you prefer, but if all the other numerous EQ options are left alone, I think you’ll be hard-pushed to identify an obvious favourite.

That’s because no matter which of the options you’ve selected, and no matter if you’re listening to content that’s been mixed for spatial audio or that was originally two-channel stuff, the Focal doesn’t really alter its stance or its character. It mixes precision with energy and analysis with entertainment in a most enjoyable fashion.

Its frequency response, for instance, is extensive and generally nicely even. At the very bottom of its extension – and the Focal can most certainly dig deep into bass frequencies – there’s a slight-but-definite bloom, almost as if the engineers couldn’t help but want to show off how much low-end presence they’ve been able to deliver.

Despite this mild overconfidence, though, bass sounds are nicely shaped and controlled, so as well as detail, variation and straight-ahead punch, there’s good rhythmic expression available when the speaker is dealing with music.

At the opposite end of the frequency range, the Mu-so Hekla summons remarkable bite and shine for a speaker featuring only two dedicated tweeters in a complement of 15 drivers. There’s a similar level of detail and variation in treble sounds, and a fair amount of substance to balance out the top-end brilliance. Even when pushing on, volume-wise, the Focal stops well short of glassiness or edginess at the top end, too – it simply gets louder.

In between, the midrange is absolutely alive with information – the amount of detail, both broad and fine, the Mu-so Hekla seems capable of identifying, revealing and contextualising in a voice is really impressive. It’s one thing to be able to communicate the tone and timbre of a speaking or a singing voice, it’s quite another to tease out the minutiae of character and attitude – but the Focal manages to do so in the most unforced and naturalistic way.

‘Naturalistic’ is a good enough way to describe the tonal characteristics of the Mu-so Hekla, too – there’s an even-handed and confident sensation to tonality here. Which, when you consider the numerous shapes, sizes and compositions of the driver array, is not bad going.

That tonality is unaffected by volume, or big dynamic variations in volume or intensity – and the Focal has an awful lot of headroom available for when the movie soundtrack gets explosive or the symphony orchestra steams into a crescendo.

But it’s with soundstaging and the impression of spatial audio that the Mu-so Hekla gives the most compelling account of itself. The sound it creates comfortably escapes the confines of its considerable cabinet, and in all directions – there’s appreciable width to the soundstage, and more than a suggestion of the sonic height that’s so essential to the whole idea of ‘spatial’ audio.

Despite its expansive nature, though, the soundstage here is approaching ‘immersive’ – voices, instruments, sound effects and what-have-you all relate to each other despite the sometimes significant distances between them. Some spatial audio soundbars (yes, I know this isn’t a soundbar, Focal) can sometimes sound remote, like a collection of individual occurrences rather than a unified performance, but the Hekla always remains coherent even if it’s attempting to steer a sound from, say, bottom left front to top right rear.

Design & Usability

I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too, but you’re wrong just as I was wrong – although its 118 x 1000 x 295mm (HxWxD) dimensions are of very soundbar-like proportions, don’t go suggesting the Mu-so Hekla is a soundbar.

I made this mistake quite early on in my acquaintance with the product, and Focal wasted no time at all in putting me right. The Mu-so Hekla, it turns out, is an all-in-one immersive home cinema system.

It’s a beefy (15.5kg) and good-looking all-in-one immersive home cinema system, too. The standard of build and finish is flawless, and the black aluminium cabinet, with its shot-blasted and anodised aluminium heatsinks, somehow manages to be understated and dramatic all at the same time. In fact, more than anything its design is reminiscent of 2019’s Naim Mu-so (2nd Gen), right down to the big, smooth-scrolling control dial on the top surface.

It’s a very pleasant user interface indeed, that oversized dial – but if you want to explore everything the Mu-so Hekla is capable of then the Focal & Naim control app is what you need.

The app is where you get access to input selection (including all your very many internet radio options), playback control, check for updates, select up to five ‘favourite’ shortcuts to preferred radio stations, playlists or what-have-you, set up the Hekla as part of a Focal/Naim multiroom system (using as many as 32 partnering streamers), run the ‘ADAPT’ room correction routine, adjust the intensity of the light surrounding the control dial, and plenty more besides. It’s a wide-ranging, logical, stable and eminently usable control app, one from which quite a few nominal rivals could learn a thing or two.

But perhaps most significantly, it’s the app that gives you access to the minutiae of the Mu-so Hekla’s spatial audio performance. There are five spatial settings to choose from: Dolby Music, Dolby Movie and Dolby Night are joined by two alternatives, developed by Focal, called Sphere Movie and Sphere Music. The company reckons its Sphere settings are good for rooms with some acoustic treatment, while the Dolby settings are better for larger rooms with less (or no) treatment.

No matter which of those five you decide suits you best, you can adjust performance using a three-band EQ and ‘+/- 10’ sliders called, helpfully, ‘voice enhance’, ‘low frequency effects’, ‘surround’ and 'height’. In addition, the app allows you to trim the level of each of the 10 channels that make up its 7.1.2 configuration.

The one thing the app can’t do is let you fully override the spatial audio aspect of its performance. No matter if you’re listening to two-channel content or a less-than state-of-the-art five-channel surround soundtrack, the Mu-so Hekla will bring both its room-correction routine and its spatial audio algorithms to bear. The idea being to deliver a sound that’s optimised to your space and uses all 15 of those drivers – whether that’s your preference or not.

Focal Mu-so Hekla review: Verdict

A big price tag, a bigger cabinet, and sound that’s bigger still – everything about the Focal Mu-so Hekla is oversized. But in the best of ways.

If you’re after the most convincing impression of spatial audio a one-box speaker can deliver, then you’re going to have to deal with those big numbers.

Also Consider

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Premiere is not coy about calling itself a soundbar – and it’s every bit as individualistically designed and every bit as expensive as you’d expect from the company. It’s also capable of full-scale spatial audio at the same time as acting as shorthand for how wealthy and discerning you are.

If Beats wanted people talking about its next pair of headphones, mission accomplished.

The Apple-owned audio brand appears to have kicked off the marketing campaign for a new set of over-ear headphones by putting them in the hands of a high-profile athlete and letting the internet do the rest.

This time, the athlete in question is football superstar Lamine Yamal, who shared a carousel of images on social media ahead of Spain's latest training camp.

While the post itself wasn't about headphones, eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed a pair of bright pink Beats over-ears appearing prominently throughout the photos.

The headphones are either hanging from Yamal's bag or draped around his neck, making them impossible to miss.

The appearance comes just days after a mystery pair of Bluetooth over-ear headphones surfaced in filings with the US Federal Communications Commission under model number A3577.

At the time, it wasn't clear if the device belonged to Apple or Beats, but Yamal's Instagram post appears to answer that question.

A familiar Beats playbook

This isn't the first time Beats has used athletes and celebrities to tease upcoming products before launch.

The brand has built much of its marketing identity around high-profile ambassadors, often allowing unreleased products to appear in public long before an official announcement arrives.

Yamal is certainly getting the word out. The post featuring the upcoming cans currently has 2.7 million likes and nearly 11,000 comments.

In several shots, the headphones are positioned front and centre, hanging from a designer bag, giving photographers and social media users a clear view of the distinctive pink finish.

The headphones themselves look markedly different from the current Beats Studio Pro, which launched in 2023.

The new model appears to feature flatter earcups and a redesigned headband with slimmer support arms that bear more than a passing resemblance to the Apple AirPods Max 2.

Several observers have also noted that the overall shape does not resemble any current Beats product.

More than a new colourway

The current Beats Studio Pro arrived with custom Beats silicon rather than Apple's H-series chip, a decision that improved Android compatibility but left the headphones without some of the ecosystem features found on AirPods.

Since then, Beats has used Apple's chips in newer products, including the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 and the Beats Powerbeats Fit, which led to speculation that these mystery headphones could follow the same path.

For now, Beats isn't saying anything publicly, but if history is any guide, seeing a mystery product hanging from the shoulder of a Beats ambassador is rarely an accident.

[via Macrumors]

The ENSA P1 is a concept design portable music player from designer Vladimir Dubrovin. This uses physical discs to take your music offline and into a real experiential opportunity.

Much like portable CD or MD players of the past, the ENSA P1 uses cartridges that hold your music. These are specifically C-NAND memory, meaning you can load one up with an entire album to swap out as needed.

To be clear, the music is stored digitally like an MP3 player, yet the storage is removable, like mini disc. That should make listening to an album a far more deliberate and focused experience than you might get streaming online.

The device itself looks fantastic with a hand-size form in silver and grey which holds the disc in its middle. This design follows form, showing that the music is there taking centre stage and physically being present and requiring focus as you enjoy.

There is a screen along the top for useful information like playback duration, play and pause, skip and the song, artist and album as well as volume. This all appears to be touchscreen so that you can interact directly to control what you're listening to.

In the top right there is also a dedicated circular screen. This appears to be used as a way to display the waveform of the music you're listening to. This should further enhance that physical representation, for the music being experienced both through the audio as well as this moving image.

The designer plans to have that C-NAND system as a storage medium. This could be used for you to write discs, and print labels using your own stored music at the quality you choose. It would also create an opportunity to make and sell music in this physical format directly by artists and labels.

Here's hoping this gets spotted for the great idea it is and we can see it become a reality soon.

If you're frustrated that your iPhone won't play high-quality music over Bluetooth, then there's a simple solution in the form of the Acoustune ATX001. It's a USB-C accessory that can boost the Bluetooth performance of your Apple device.

Apple's problem – despite offering lossless tracks through Apple Music – is that the iPhone is limited in its support for higher quality streaming formats. It turns to AAC for its Bluetooth music and lacks support for formats and standards, such as aptX Lossless and LDAC.

These allow for higher quality streaming over a Bluetooth connections (as long as your headphones or speakers support it), which can mean that you get closer to the quality of the original track.

While many Android phones have offered Qualcomm's aptX and/or LDAC support for years, iPhone users who want more from their audio can plug the Acoustune ATX001 into their device's USB-C port and enjoy the upgrade, according to TechRadar.

The Acoustune ATX001 contains Qualcomm's QCC5181 audio chipset which can bypass and boost the audio processing powers that your phone will offer. That will allow the use of more advanced audio codecs, as long as the headphones you're using are compatible.

It's worth noting that the AirPods Max don't support aptX or LDAC either, so you're better off using something like the Sony WH-1000X series, which have long offered LDAC for a superior listening experience.

While Acoustune ATX001 will use the USB-C on your iPhone, it contains an additional USB-C of its own, so you can plug it in for charging – or indeed use it to connect to wired headphones for a better experience, with support for 24-bit/96kHz audio, a boost over the 24-bit/48kHz native support the iPhone offers.

If you are considering using wired headphones, that's not your only option as there are a number of compact DACs that could be used as an alternative, such as the iFi Go Link Max.

If you're a typical iPhone user using a pair of AirPods on your daily commute, then the upgrade probably isn't worth the bother. But, if you've invested in a good quality pair of earbuds like the Technics AZ100 and want to make use of the higher quality that they support, then the Acoustune ATX001 could be the solution.

You'll have to use the device's app to control the quality, but beyond that, it should all be plain sailing.

The Acoustune ATX001 is listed for £57 / $75 and when I tested a UK address it came up with free delivery, so it sounds like good value too.

Sometimes in this job things come out of the blue that I simply don't expect. Case in point: after setting a 4am alarm to catch a flight to Sony HQ for a TV line-up preview, I never expected the brand's new and unexpected TV surround sound system to wake me up quite as spritely as it did. Forget the coffee, for this audio injection is one home cinema delight.

It's called the Sony Bravia Theatre Trio in its most 'basic' form which, as the name suggests, is a trio of speakers – a small soundbar and front left/right speaker duo in concert. It expands beyond this, though, with up to two subwoofers and a pair of rear speakers (also with upfiring channels) for a 7.2.4 channel system total.

However, by using Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping (SSM), the product can add 24 'phantom' speakers into this mix too, for a Dolby Atmos mix that's unlike anything I've ever heard from such a surround setup – and I suspect it'll be enough to make LG and Samsung weep.

Not short of competition

Not that the competition are in any way short on quality: Samsung's HW-Q990H, for example, is a great all-in-one-box solution that's easily the best soundbar for Samsung TVs; LG, meanwhile, has a very persuasive (albeit mightily expensive) option in its Sound Suite – which also includes discrete front left/right speaker separates much like the Sony.

But while LG has gone down the route of being among the first to adopt Dolby Atmos FlexConnect – an explainer about that positional technology is here – the Sony instead uses the brand's Bravia Connect phone app (for iOS or Android) with a USB-C microphone to calibrate for your room's specific setup.

You needn't have a Sony TV to run the Theatre Trio, but a bit like LG's modular system, you will need a brand tie-in if you elect to skip the soundbar option and only want, say, a subwoofer and/or rear speakers to function in concert with the TV's speakers – this will be possible for Sony's latest Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II models.

Note, however, that the Theatre Trio via eARC bypasses the TV's speakers (and there's no workaround to that; Sony doesn't offer a Q-Symphony or Wow Orchestra equivalent). There's a second HDMI for passthrough, seeing Sony also qualify beyond what you'll find from Sonos soundbars, such as the Arc Ultra.

But the competition don't have this

But back to the Theatre Trio in its full surround sound setup for a moment – which, in my test experience included a pair of also-new Theatre Sub 9 subwoofers and two Theatre Rear 9 speakers (smaller Sub 8 and Rear 8 options also exist for lower-wattage output, to your needs or preference).

It's quite difficult to describe in words what a stellar job Sony's engineers have achieved with this system. Think of it as a true surround system – 7.2.4 channels, as described above – but with psychoacoustic intelligence thanks to those additional 24 phantom outputs that genuinely give this setup pro-grade-cinema-like Dolby Atmos accuracy.

With a scene from Sinners on 4K Blu-ray shown on Sony's new 98-inch Bravia 7 II True RGB TV, the way in which Atmos sound objects swirled effortlessly around, including overhead, was quite remarkable. And while I was in a fairly ideal cinema-like room (no surprise, given I was at the company's UK headquarters), the calibration means offsetting for your own personal setup will also be possible.

Having just shifted out of LG's Sound Suite for review, which certainly impressed, the sheer cohesiveness of Sony's new surround system – and, note, achieved with fewer speakers overall (subwoofer pair excluded, but of course) – is mind-bogglingly qualified.

Boss of bass

Granted, the subwoofer pair of my demo almost certainly won't be required for pretty much anyone, especially as the Sub 9 outputs 600W apiece, but a single unit will give you all the bass you need – and then some. A smaller Sub 8 will suffice for most, I'm sure (not that I got a demo to hear this model).

But who doesn't love a big dollop of bass? That's exactly what a scene from Ready Player One was cued up to demonstrate – and it didn't disappoint. That's not to the detriment of the rest of the frequency range or sound mix, though, with a classic scene from No Time To Die showing off the delicate sharpness of the high-end this system can generate, revealed as Mr Bond's Aston Martin scraped across concrete walls.

I'm also not suggesting those with a small TV contemplate a Theatre Trio, as this setup is squarely aimed at large sets where conventional soundbars may otherwise struggle to deliver a soundstage with ample width. This one also shows off with a confident dome of surround sound, to sweeten the deal.

And while I may shout this Sony setup above and beyond its LG and Samusng rivals, in addition to the scale point above, it's not going to be perfect for everyone for other reasons. Sony doesn't use a paired TV's speakers, for example, whereas Samsung's Q-Symphony does, which with a big panel can add better dialogue pinpointing in relation to the screen – which would be one of my criticisms against the Sony setup.

There's also the small (or big) point on pricing. The Theatre Trio will set you back £2000 (wider regional pricing I don't have yet), with the Sub 9 priced at £900 and the Rear 9 speakers also at £900 – making for a £3800 total!

Indeed, this Sony setup might therefore make Samsung's Q990H seem like a relative bargain by comparison. But the extra cash could be worth it for true cinema heads, as this latest Bravia surround system is a true Dolby Atmos revelation.

If you're at all interested in hi-fi audio equipment, you'll probably know that separates – buying your turntable, speakers and other bits and bobs separately and connecting them together – is usually the way to go.

While there certainly are all-in-one solutions out there, they're usually not the best in terms of sonic quality of performance. Still, one brand is looking to change that.

Andover Audio is a company which has previously made a luxurious all-in-one solution – and now it's back with a second version. The Andover One MKII builds on the premise of the original, but with tasteful updates to improve on the formula.

In terms of design, there's not too much to differentiate the two. The model sports a timeless look, complete with wooden panelling and black accents on the top and around the sides.

One noteworthy change comes to the very core of the unit's operation. Designed as a plug and play unit, the MKII model comes with a pre-aligned Audio-Technica VM95E cartridge.

The playback is also improved with the addition of an automatic stop function, which will save your stylus head from unnecessary wear. Plus, a new optical digital output can hook up to a streamer, making this a powerful solution even when the records aren't spinning.

Inside, six drivers push audio out of the unit. That includes a quartet of 3.5-inch woofers and a pair of Air Motion Transformer tweeters, all arranged to offer a 270-degree soundscape.

With 200 watts of power behind them – as well as the brand's signature vibration-minimising design – this should be more than enough for most users looking for quality audio without the faff of putting together a separates rig.

Priced at US$2,699 (approx. £2,000 / €2,320 / AU$3,770), this unit certainly isn't cheap. But for those seeking a simple solution for superb sonic performance, it might be the best one yet.

Apple may have upgraded its AirPods Max headphones of late – and Sony its WH-1000 series with the WH-1000XX – but there's one pair of wireless ANC over-ears that sit proudly at the top of my list for pure audio performance.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones are the crème de la crème of closed-back, Bluetooth 'phones for me, with audiophile-standard sound and beautiful design. They rightly scored the full five stars in our review last autumn and I take my Warm Stone coloured pair everywhere.

However, a 2026 update is making me think again.

Bowers & Wilkins has recently added another couple of colours to the lineup – Midnight Blue and Pearl Blue – and it's the latter has wowed me once more.

Having now seen and tested the Px8 S2 in Pearl Blue, I think I've been swayed by the new colour. The audio performance is identical and continues to be class-leading, but with a softer, more subtle aesthetic.

What wins it for me is the lighter, silver-like die-cast aluminium elements – the Warm Sand version has a darker metallic shade. This offsets the pastel blue superbly and makes them look quite unlike any other premium headphones on the market today.

AirPods Max 2 do have some interesting colour options, but these look classier.

And that's not all.

Even better-looking than the Pearl Blue PX8 S2 are the new Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 variants in Vintage Maroon. Also scoring five stars in our review last year, the Px7 S3 are almost as perfect in performance as their flagship siblings.

They swap the soft Nappa leather earcups for vegan leather alternatives, and the 40mm drivers are bio cellulose rather than carbon, but the build quality continues to be of a very high standard.

And that is exemplified by the new maroon finish. They remind me of old school Fred Perry twin-tipped shirts of the 80s and 90s – especially when matched with the gold B&W logo. Burgundy and gold have always looked stylish together, and these ooze mod swagger.

Needless to say, I've mainly been listening to The Who, Kinks and The Jam on them.

Both pairs are available now with the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 in Pearl Blue (and Midnight Blue) available for £629 / €729 / $799, while the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 in Vintage Maroon will set you back £399 / €429 / $479.

They each offer 30 hours of battery life and USB-C charging, plus aptX Lossless Bluetooth support. And they are available from Bowers & Wilkins directly or via multiple other retailers.

It's been an interesting few weeks. Despite obtaining Sony's all-new and most luxurious ever headphones, the 1000X 'The Collexion' (see my full review here), I've had to be very discreet about my possession of these over-ear cans.

That's because I've been using these new headphones wherever possible, with the caveat that they've been under embargo and therefore not for public display. Nonetheless, with other creators and celebrities donning them in the wild, I've been able to test them in a variety of environments too.

Which I've felt has been an important real-world-testing factor for these headphones. After all, The Collexion – the 'X' not being a typo, but a numeral-esque representation of Sony's decade-long endeavour in this space – is positioned above the brand's WH-1000XM6, in a semi-adjacent space to Apple's AirPods Max 2 or Bowers & Wilkins' PX8 S2.

What's interesting, however, is that Sony isn't positioning The Collexion as an XM6 alternative, per se. These are a grade above, offering a brand new 30mm driver, new processor, different active noise-cancelling (ANC) that's designed less for those on the go – and more with the focus being self-indulgent "me time" at home.

It's been a rollercoaster journey with these headphones, therefore, in trying to absorb precisely what they're all about but, crucially, who they're actually aimed at. Has Sony hit a home run in unsettling Apple and Bowers, or is the 1000X The Collexion dubiously aligned with its best intentions?

Pricing

First thing's first: the price. There's no messing around here, as The Collexion, available in either Black or Platinum finishes, will cost you £550 (US and Australia pricing is unavailable to me at the time of writing).

For context, Apple's AirPods Max are £499 / $529 / AU$999, while Bowers & Wilkins' PX8 S2 will set you back £629 / $799 / AU$1,299. The Japanese tech giant has therefore opted to sit somewhere in the middle – which is a message of confidence.

A potential 'hiccup', if I can call it that, is that the brand's WH-1000XM6 headphones cost £399 / $449 / AU$699. As both products have "1000X" firmly in their names, it makes them somewhat more comparable – I'm sure that's how many consumers will see it anyway. Which makes me wonder who's going to see that near-40% jump as the best purchase decision.

Sound Quality

Well, herein lies the argument for that extra spend. The 1000X The Collexion aren't just WH-1000XM6 in disguise, jazzed up to look prettier. They have an all-new driver and have been produced with entirely different consideration.

To cut to the chase: I really enjoy the sound these new headphones produce. Some purists might find them a little too bassy, but the 30mm drivers deployed here have new carbon materials to make for a tauter and therefore tighter bass response.

I'm pleased that's the case in general, as Sony's seeming disarray when making its Ult Wear (read: insanely loose, over-bassy headphones) really made me query what the heck the brand was up to. The Collexion, however, corrects that misstep and puts the brand back on a more sensible path.

There are caveats to the sound, as I'll get to, but much of that is processing-related. In terms of raw audio, including playing nice with Hi-Res Audio sources, The Collexion do a fine job of being very fine headphones indeed. So that's the biggest job succeeded.

Pleasingly, there's a detailed graphic equaliser option within the app. You can select from pre-sets or adjust a 10-band EQ (to +/-6dB per band) to create your ideal sound. Two 'Custom' options can be saved, too, should you have a specific EQ rigour that you'd prefer to apply to specific genres or sources. I love using this.

Upmixing & Adaptive Control

I did say there are caveats, though. Sony seems really proud of its work in using the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 – which was an introduction in the XM6 headphones – in tandem with an all-new Integrated Processor V3 is added for "360 upmixes".

"What are 360 upmixes?", I hear you cry. You might suspect head-motion spatial audio, much like Bose has with the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. But it's not that. Instead, this feature – available as part of the Sound Connect app (available for iOS and Android) – offers "listening modes" to ape various environments.

There's 'Background Music', 'Game', 'Cinema' and 'Music'. There's also the fact that each and every one is terrible in its attempt at adding movie-soundtrack-esque filtering that's just not needed for a product like this.

Let the music be as it's mixed, not some replica "played out the back of your local cafe" in style. This is the feature I dislike the most about these headphones, because I just can't make sense of it. Even the 'Music' setting will add edginess and crunch that I can't see anyone really appreciating.

Active Noise-Cancelling

Fortunately you needn't care about the listening mode, as it's off by default – and you should just leave it that way. Do so and you've then got the choice of active noise-cancelling (ANC) being on or off, or set to Ambient (many would call this 'passthrough' for hearing people speak).

I must say, Sony has gone pretty light on those options, and I've been a firm user of 'on' at all times. Good job, then, that the 1000X The Collexion are well-equipped for delivering ANC, with 12 microphones – eight on the exterior, four within the earcups for feedback – utilising the same base system as the WH-1000XM6's setup.

However, the XM6 and The Collexion are not the same in their ANC delivery. How you feel about this will either make it more of a 'like' or more of a 'dislike' take – whereas I'm sitting on the fence somewhat. That's because the XM6 have 'stronger' ANC; The Collexion, meanwhile, has a more generous passthrough for higher-end frequencies in general.

Now, that creates a more natural and less 'stuck in a vacuum' experience for listening – ideal when at home. It's more delicate, more Bowers & Wilkins-esque in style.

But when out and about – as I have discreetly been testing on trains and planes – these newer headphones can't deliver the Bose or even Sony's step-down XM6 degree of total cancellation.

The Collexion delivers good ANC, for sure, but it's intentionally different – and that's a key factor you'll need to weigh up in your purchase decision.

Adaptive Control

It's not entirely smooth sailing, however, with another software-induced system presenting further issues. There's a 'Scene' option within the app, whereby the headphones will adjust depending on your actions.

I get and like the idea of it – changing the profile for your gym session, when you're walking or commuting, and so forth – but it's much too abrupt in its adjustment and can't really appreciate that I never want Ambient to be on for my uses.

This also highlights the 1000X The Collexion's lack of minutiae adjustment levels. There's no ANC 'grades', no subtle levels of adjustment. To me it feels too crude an adjustment when chopping between its assumed activity changes. It's feels like an AI feature that lacks the human touch.

Comfort

Those minor foibles voiced, however, and I can't shy away from the fact that these headphones are supremely comfortable to wear. Sony has really dialled in on the design front and delivered an exquisitely light product, created with great materials.

That, to some degree, helps explain the price. Because you can feel the quality in the wearing of these headphones. They don't pinch. They don't get too warm (I've slept in them on a plane already, so would know). They don't feel like a weight upon one's head. It's all very nicely judged.

There are distinguished steps in the design which are very intentional, too. There are no visible screws. The single-piece coverings have no visible seams. The sand-blasted Sony logo that sits apart from the metal part of the headband. There's no paint to be seen here, it's all just raw and treated materials. I totally respect that – Sony has levelled up.

Battery

The last part is both a positive and negative, too. The Collexion has been wise in splitting its battery into two cells, meaning a more balanced weight on the head. But neither of these two cells is especially large in capacity.

I wouldn't say the 1000X The Collexion is lowly in output time per charge, as such, more that other brands are well beyond this level. I've been seeing, roughly speaking, 2.5-to-3 hours per 20% depletion. And circa 14 hours of delivery on one charge is no bad show.

It's just that Sony's claim of "max 24 hours" (with ANC on; it's 16 for calls) seems far away from my reality in weeks of use. And other brands are in the dozens of hours per charge. Some are knocking on triple digits.

Yes, the Collexion is a distance off that. But I'd not want more battery capacity meaning more weight and therefore a less balanced product design, so it's swings and roundabouts. Ultimately, I can understand Sony's decision here.

In Conclusion

Overall, then, I have really loved using Sony’s 1000X The Collexion headphones – and will continue to do so. The fundamentals are absolutely on point: product design, usability, materials, comfort, sound quality.

Despite this, however, I am still left wondering precisely who these headphones are for. With active noise-cancelling (ANC) that's less strong than the brand's XM6 over-ears, the fact the '1000X' name has stuck might be confusing to prospective buyers.

I also can't quite get over the name in and of itself, which sounds like the marketing department asked AI "what the cool kids might say". I get the "X" inclusion for its representation, but I just don't see that marketing as an attractive point for buyers of headphones at this level.

The fact is that this market is also very competitive. Apple heads are going to continue loving their AirPods Max. I would personally pay the bit extra for Bowers & Wilkins' PX8 S2 for the real leather and even higher-end design. And if I didn't have that sort of money then, well, Sony's WH-1000XM6 are among the best travel headphone picks you could ever choose.

So, after more than a fortnight of use, I'm as enamoured by Sony's 1000X The Collexion as I am confused by some of the aspects. These are exceptional headphones, which will be 5-star winners for some, but clearly won't be for everyone – and I think a batch of the app's 'upmix' and 'scene' software features need a drastic rethink too.

The situation surrounding Sennheiser at the moment is certainly peculiar. At the end of March, the brand's parent company – Sonova – discontinued its operations and placed it up for sale.

Many feared for the future of one of the audio industries' most significant names. But now – to add even more confusion to the situation – the brand is back with a new model announced.

That's right – today, we've seen the launch of the Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones. That's the natural successor to the Momentum 4, which earned a five-star review when we tested them back in 2022.

Those employ the same 42mm transducer which the previous generation utilised, and has been tuned for full-bodied sound and dynamic bass in the vein of the HD 600 series headphones. However, this model is pushed forward with Hi-Res Audio, Snapdragon Sound and aptX Lossless, all enabling the user to listen to higher quality content.

There are also a Smart Control Plus companion app, which opens up an 8-band EQ, sound personalisation options and presets, to ensure you've always got the perfect sound for your mood.

Elsewhere, you'll find Spatial Audio, complete with head-tracking capabilities and Dolby Atmos with head tracking where that's supported. That's handy, and should offer another kind of user exactly what is needed for top notch listening.

The model comes with a 700 mAh battery, which is designed to be user replaceable. That should be good for up to 57 hours of playback with the ANC engaged.

Despite all of that, the case itself is around 20% smaller than before, which should make it easy to wear. Plus – while the cans ship with Bluetooth 5.4 compatibility, an upgrade to Bluetooth 6.0 will be possible with a future firmware update.

Those looking to snag a pair will pay £329.90 / €399.90 / US$399.99 / AU$749. However, I can see a lot of trepidation around the launch while things play out. That's a totally fair response, so hopefully things can be sorted out sooner rather than later.

Anker has announced new earbuds under its popular Soundcore brand, that are loaded with AI skills, promising to offer an elevated listening and calling experience – with a host of features packed in.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro series is comprised of the Pro and Pro Max, with both offering the exact same earbuds, but different cases.

While both models have a display on the case, the Pro Max is larger at 1.78-inches, and allows for AI notetaking. The case can record meeting notes for you, using AI to transcribe and identify the speakers, producing a summary and action items – without having to put your phone out on the boardroom table.

While the recording functions of the Liberty 5 Pro Max might make these £199.99 / $229.99 earbuds appeal, the regular Pro buds offer exactly the same sound quality and are cheaper at £149.99 / $169.99, available now from Amazon.

Both benefit from Anker's new THUS chip, which powers a range of AI enhanced audio functions, which is where a Guinness World Record comes in. According to Anker, the Liberty 5 Pro set a world record for call clarity.

That's thanks to the THUS chip doing its work, using data from 10 sensors – including bone conduction – to ensure optimal performance. This separates the speaker's voice from environmental noise to make sure that calls come across clearly.

There's also new active noise cancellation, which Anker says is "2x deeper" than the previous Liberty 4 Pro. It's adaptive, constantly monitoring the environment to make sure that noise is eliminated.

The Liberty 5 Pro series will also create a personalised EQ for listeners, while the AI can replace data lost through Bluetooth compression to restore audio quality. Anker says this will bring back 65% of the quality that's lost, which sounds great, but it's not really clear how that might be measured.

There's support for Sony's LDAC codec for enhanced sound quality and they support multipoint connections.

The IP55 protection means they can withstand a splash of rain, while the battery life comes in a 6.5 hours with ANC, extended to 28 hours with the charging case.

That makes for a fully-loaded set of earbuds, with skills that others can only dream of – however, it's likely to be the display on the case that draws people in.

When it comes to the best headphones, Sony has long been at the top of its game. Indeed, it's been a decade since the brand launched its first 1000X headphones – and that's precisely why 'The ColleXion', on test here, has a numeral central in its name.

However, the 1000X The Collexion isn't just the brand's WH-1000XM6 noise-cancelling champs with a facelift. Far from it. These headphones are all-new, designed from the ground up, with a focus on luxury – and a keen eye on key competitors, from Apple's AirPods Max 2 to Bowers & Wilkins' Px8 S2.

An elevated price point positions these over-ears in a new market space for the Japanese tech giant, though, while the design and feature set is adjacent to what's become typical of 1000X products over the years. The WH-1000XX – as the product is officially coded on Sony's site – is as new as the audience Sony seeks.

I've been using these headphones for three weeks for this review – here are my initial thoughts, highlighting 3 things I like and 3 I don't – putting them through their paces at home, in the office, on long-haul flights, and during train commutes.

So what's the conclusion? Has Sony broken the mould with the WH-1000X The Collexion, delivering unrivalled performance that succeeds in standing apart from the XM6? Or does this new luxury venture bring as many questions as those it answers?

Price & Availability

After its 19 May 2026 reveal, The Collexion is now on sale, priced at £549 in the UK, $649 in the USA and A$999 in Australia. You can choose from Black or Platinum.

That's confident pricing, especially when you consider the AirPods Max 2 is priced at £499 / $529 / AU$999, and the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 sit at £629 / $799 / AU$1,299.

While Sony won't want comparisons between The Collexion and WH-1000XM6, the naming convention alone makes that hard to ignore. As does the price difference, given the latter's £399 / $449 / AU$699 launch price.

What's New? Design details

It might be easier to ask 'what isn't new?', such is the nature of the WH-1000XX. Despite being part of the 1000X family, The Collexion has a unique design, using distinctive materials and processes to achieve its aesthetic.

The outer frame is all metal, with the Sony logo sandblasted to create a subtle contrast. There's no paint used anywhere. There are no screws or seams visible. Even the faux leather used was tweaked in development over a two-year period before achieving its production status.

The earcups are larger than you'll find on the 1000XM6, meaning there's more room inside for your ears. Despite this, however, the profile of the WH-1000XX is actually less prominent – sitting at 40.1mm on a flat surface, versus 45.4mm – to optimise portability.

That said, The Collexion isn't a folding pair of headphones. The headband's arms are fixed – with silky-smooth and silent sliding adjustment for sizing – so won't collapse, as you'll find with the XM6.

The 1000XX's included carry case – which is a material-clad hard shell – is a work of art in and of itself, though, and I love how it opens and closes with a single latch to the base. So often headphones fail to consider their transport vessel, but Sony's not taken its eye off the prize here.

On the left earcup, The Collexion feature a 3.5mm slot, should you wish to forego the Bluetooth 6.0 norm and wire up for listening (and there's a cable included in the case). There's also an ANC mode adjustment button to toggle between on/off/Ambient, and an on/off/pairing button.

The right earcup houses an open USB-C port for charging – which can't be used for audio, bizarrely – but foregoes any physical buttons. That's to its benefit, though, as there are touch-based controls, which I found to work very well.

Slide a finger up the exterior and the volume will rise, just as sliding one down will perform the reverse function. Press for voice interaction with Google Gemini, if you wish, while auto-pause/play when removing the headphones proves effective – no buttons required.

Sound Quality & ANC

Again, The Collexion isn't the XM6 with a luxe facelift. These new headphones feature an all-new driver, which is 30mm in diameter and features more carbon fibre in its structure. That makes it even more solid to its centre, which is better high-frequency response, while a soft edging allows for extended bass control.

A key component of the 1000XX's sound signature is the active noise-cancellation (ANC), which is binary in its selection of 'on' or 'Ambient' – the latter used for passthrough so you can hear conversational sounds around you with ease. You can also turn it off entirely, should you wish.

Personally, I'm staunchly of the 'always-on' take when it comes to ANC – it affects the sound signature to such a significant degree in giving bass that 'locked in' sensation and greater clarity and width, without distractions from around you. The 1000XX just sound more complete with it activated.

Interestingly, despite the WH-1000XX using the same base ANC model as in the XM6, the result is not the same. Sony has taken the approach that these new headphones are ideal for at-home listening, where ANC needn't be as firm in its delivery.

As such, some higher-frequency sounds pass through to some degree, meaning those looking fundamentally for the best noise-cancelling will find more from the XM6. It's an intentional difference and another consideration for your typical use cases.

I'm still impressed by the ANC overall, though, which has done a decent job in blocking out the majority of sounds in an office space, and dumbing down the roars of London Tube travel or that mid-to-upper 'hiss' frequency on a long-haul flight. It's more comparable to Bowers & Wilkins' 'softer' approach, if you like, which is no bad thing at all – if that's what you seek.

Software

The sound profile is adjustable in myriad ways, too, with Sony's Sound Connect app a great portal for dialling into the product's various settings. My particular favourite is the 10-band graphic equaliser (EQ), which allows you to create personalised Custom saves in addition to the variety of pre-set options. Morphing the 1000XX's sound to your ideal preference is therefore a breeze.

That said, there are areas where I find Sony's software goes off-piste. The addition of a new Integrated Processor V3 – complementing the Sony HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 – is said to bring the brains for delivering '360 upmixes', a newly expanded feature within the app.

It's here, however, that I can't fathom Sony's thinking. The '360 Upmix' options of Music, Cinema, Game and Background music all 'squeeze' the sound profile, making for a more metallic, grainy and poorly AI-separated mix with a sense of spatial enhancement. It's a strong 'no' from me – and throughout a variety of genre selections I haven't found it to be of benefit.

Furthermore, the Adaptive Sound Control feature, while a concept that I like in principle, I just don't think works in reality. This auto-switches the ANC to Ambient, depending on what you're doing – with static, walking/running and riding in transport catered for. It's too abrupt in its delivery, I find, marking another software feature that's always off for my use.

Battery Life

One point I didn't make in the design section is that Sony has split the battery of the WH-1000XX into two cells, each 375mAh, for a balanced feel when wearing. I really can't complain on the fit, comfort or weight (320g) of these headphones – which I've worn for many hours at a time to the point I've half forgotten they're even on.

However, the battery life's output, which is quoted at up to 24 hours per charge, doesn't live up to that in my use – and the WH-1000XM6 actually lasts longer, which many prospective buyers may find perplexing.

Just how much use am I talking about? I've been seeing roughly 2.5-to-3 hours per 20% depletion. So it's circa 15 hours of delivery on one charge with ANC activated – which is long enough for even the longest of long-haul flights. Turn the volume down and you'll see more, I'm sure.

The question is how much this will matter to your use. Some other brands can deliver dozens of hours per charge, with some headphone products even pushing into triple digits. For me, however, I wouldn't want more battery capacity to result in more weight and therefore a less balanced product design and diminished comfort.

Sony The Collexion review: Verdict

Sony's all-new luxury headphones are a bold statement that largely pays off. The Collexion is delightfully crafted and delivers an enjoyable sound signature that competes with the key competition – even at this price point.

I think the naming convention is ill-considered, though, irrelevant of the decade celebrations, marking out the 1000XX as too comparable to the lower-priced 1000XM6 – the latter offering better battery life and 'stronger' ANC delivery.

All of which leaves me wondering precisely who these new headphones are for. Especially with some of the software features – 360 Upmix and Adaptive Sound, plus no USB-C audio – seeming averse to luxury and audiophile aspirations.

Nonetheless, after these three weeks of use, I can't call out Sony's 1000X The Collexion in terms of comfort or sound quality. These are exceptional headphones that I'll be using for a long time coming, which will be 5-star winners for some – just not everyone.

Also Consider

If you're going to spend this much cash, then just a bit extra will net you the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 with real leather and, for me, a more intricate and higher-end design.

But if it's active noise-cancelling excellence that you most seek, then saving a bit of cash and jumping on Sony's WH-1000XM6 will net you the best travel headphones instead. Bose's QC Ultra Headphones are a similar alternative.

Other considerations? Apple's AirPods Max 2 look mighty similar in style terms – and those wanting the ecosystem advantages with iPhone and Mac integration may find this of greater appeal.

It might seem odd to read about digital detoxing on a website mostly concerned with tech, but the trend has really caught my attention. I'm into it all – film cameras, record players, analogue watches – anything which can get me away from a screen.

Recently, I've been testing the Gadhouse Miko – an affordable cassette player in an old-school plastic case. Unlike my We Are Rewind player, which is made of metal with relatively sharp edges, this one felt perfect for taking on my travels.

So, I did. For the last few weeks, I've taken this with me everywhere – on planes, trains and automobiles – in a bid to remove dependence on streaming services.

Despite a couple of pitfalls, the result has been liberating.

Instead of doom-scrolling through algorithmic offerings on streaming apps or trying desperately to remember the name of an album I liked, I simply pop a cassette in and press play. There's no need need to search, and that takes away a rather unnecessary mental strain, much like having a wardrobe filled only with seven identical white t-shirts.

Of course, it's not perfect. My collection of cassettes is rather limited, and as such, I don't always have the option I'd really like. It also means you have to carry more around with you – so far, I've limited myself to three tapes wherever I go, slipping neatly into the inner pockets of my trusty Bennett Winch Backpack – but anything longer would obviously require a different solution.

Then, of course, there's the cost. Rather than paying a flat monthly fee to stream pretty much everything ever recorded, you'll have to pay per album, which can quickly stack up if you've got eclectic tastes!

But despite all of that, I still wouldn't trade it for the world. In the past fortnight, I've had a series of moments where I've sat in my seat and travelled with nothing but a slightly noisy tape for company, and found myself completely relaxed.

I can't say with 100% certainty that it's all down to my newfound, analogue travel companion, but I'm confident it's a big part of it. For now at least, I'm hooked.

The wonderful world of luxury audio is an amazing place. Vast swathes of manufacturers big and small produce top notch equipment, designed to go together to make the listening experience as impressive as possible.

But there's no denying all of that can be cumbersome. You'll need to pair up speakers, turntables, amplifiers, alongside other peripherals to suit your needs and your environment.

If it all sounds a little too much like a headache, there's good news. Today, Danish audio heavyweight, DALI, has unveiled a new all-in-one system called the Vega.

That's designed to meet the needs of those who want something which looks good in the home, but also packs in the brand's unmistakable sonic quality. It's also anything but a stab in the dark – DALI conducted five years of research, which pointed to a growing consumer need for a single box system.

Here, you'll find just that, with the unit featuring no less than ten in-house drivers, including 25mm soft dome tweeters and back-to-back bass midrange drivers. That's powered by 400 watts of amplification, delivered across eight 50 watt channels.

You'll also find the brand's patent pending Adaptive Stereo Enhancement technology under the hood, which is designed to offer a more expansive sonic experience from a single speaker.

Of course, none of that matters if it only ever sounds good in studio conditions. Fortunately, that's not the case here either, with technology called Adaptive Orientation Adjustment under the hood.

That automatically adjusts the output whether the device is mounted in a portrait or landscape orientation, and can detect whether it's in free space or mounted on a wall. That's achieved through a combination of stereo mapping and real-time spatial accuracy, though there are also user-configurable placement settings.

Finished with a choice of natural or dark oak, and paired with anodised aluminium and earthy, woven fabrics, these units look fantastic. There should be something to complement all but the most modern of spaces here.

Priced at £2,599 / €2,999 / US$4,500 / AU$4,499, this certainly isn't a budget-friendly unit. But when you factor in everything it replaces, this still looks like pretty decent value. Add in the potential time savings involved with not having to set everything up and this might just pay for itself.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 arrived last year with a handful of meaningful upgrades, including improved sound, longer battery life and built-in heart rate tracking. Apple has also redesigned the earbuds, although the changes won’t work for everyone.

After my initial tests, I wasn't 100% happy with the buds' design, and, if I'm 100% honest, I still prefer the AirPods Pro 2 to their successors for long-term wear. However, it's undeniable that the new model is better in almost every conceivable way, from sound to ANC and beyond.

I've been testing the AirPods Pro 3 on and off since its launch, and even though I can't say I'm just as impressed with them as I was with their predecessors, I can certainly see their appeal. Sure, you might often find me sporting my purple Apple AirPods Max 2, but when I need something more subtle, the AirPods Pro 3 will do.

As you've probably already guessed, the AirPods Pro 3 might not be the best of the best noise-cancelling headphones, but I'm confident many people will find what they are looking for in them. Should you upgrade? Let's find out.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Price and availability

The AirPods Pro 3 were launched in September 2025 and are available to purchase now directly from Apple UK, Apple US, and Apple AU, with prices starting at £219/ $249/ €249/ A$429.

They are cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 were when they launched in the UK. The AirPods Pro 2 originally sold for £249, and the USB-C version knocked that down to £229. In other regions, the price remained the same, at $249/€249/A$429.

Design and build quality

At first glance, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 don’t look radically different from their predecessor, but Apple has made several subtle tweaks to the shape and fit.

Apple says the AirPods Pro 3 redesign was intended to improve fit, comfort and stability through changes such as a deeper nozzle angle, new foam-infused ear tips and revised acoustic architecture.

According to the company’s official launch materials, the new shape was specifically created to improve fit, stability and passive noise isolation. Apple claims the redesign was informed by “over 10,000 ear scans” and “more than 100,000 hours of user research.”

The brand also explained that the internal architecture was “completely re-engineered” to make each earbud smaller internally, while changing the external geometry and ear tip alignment to increase stability during activities like running and HIIT workouts.

In practice, and unlike the AirPods Pro 2, which sat neatly and almost flush inside my ears, the new model protrudes more noticeably and feels bulkier.

As a result, I struggled to achieve the same secure fit as before, especially during movement, with the earbuds feeling less “locked in” than the previous generation.

Swapping to the largest ear tips improves passive isolation and helps the ANC perform better, but introduces discomfort during longer listening sessions.

Build quality, however, remains predictably excellent. The earbuds still feel premium, lightweight and durable, with the same polished Apple finish and pocketable charging case people expect from the brand.

Features

Thanks to the new H3 chip, for the first time on a pair of AirPods, the AirPods Pro 3 lets you record workout heart rate data directly from the earbuds without needing to wear an Apple Watch, immediately making the buds feel more connected to Apple’s wider health and fitness ecosystem.

In practice, the feature worked surprisingly well during runs and gym sessions. I wouldn’t replace a dedicated chest strap or sports watch with it, but for casual fitness tracking and general workout data, it felt accurate enough to be genuinely useful.

Apple also introduced a new Live Translation feature, which is... fine, I guess, but nothing revolutionary. Not yet, anyway! If you think you can pop the buds in and chat with a Spanish-speaking friend on a busy street, you will be bitterly disappointed.

The AirPods Pro 3 hasn't ushered in the Babel Fish moment, but it certainly shows in which direction the technology is headed. Once companies like Apple can reduce response time (e.g., real-time translation) and isolate the voice of the person speaking to you, things will be different.

Apart from this, the ecosystem integration remains as seamless as ever. Pairing is instant, device switching is effortless, and all the small Apple conveniences people expect are present and working flawlessly. If you already use Apple hardware daily, the AirPods Pro 3 slot into that ecosystem almost invisibly.

Audio performance

Apple makes some huge claims about the audio performance of the Apple AirPods Pro 3, saying the earbuds deliver “the world’s best in-ear Active Noise Cancellation” and up to twice the noise reduction of the previous generation thanks to the new acoustic architecture, updated microphones and computational audio enhancements.

In some areas, I can absolutely see where those claims are coming from. Sound quality is excellent here, with the AirPods Pro 3 producing a clean, balanced and detailed sound signature that works brilliantly across different genres.

Apple says the redesigned internal airflow system and next-generation Adaptive EQ improve bass response and instrument separation, and, in practice, the earbuds do sound more spacious and refined overall.

Apple’s Adaptive Audio system dynamically blends ANC and transparency depending on your surroundings, and the effect feels remarkably natural in day-to-day use. External sounds come through with almost eerie realism at times, to the point where I repeatedly forgot I was even wearing earbuds.

Where things became more complicated for me was active noise cancellation. Despite Apple’s confidence about the upgraded ANC performance, I actually found the AirPods Pro 2 more effective in real-world environments.

The new earbuds never formed quite the same seal in my ears, which meant external noise crept in more noticeably during commuting and in busy indoor settings.

I suspect part of that comes down to the redesigned fit rather than the ANC system itself. Apple says the updated shape and new foam-infused ear tips improve passive isolation and stability, but, in my case, the opposite happened. The largest ear tips improved isolation somewhat, but also became uncomfortable during longer listening sessions.

So while the underlying audio tech here is clearly impressive, and the sound quality itself is arguably the best Apple has delivered in a pair of earbuds so far, the overall listening experience felt slightly compromised by the new fit.

Battery life and charging

Apple claims the Apple AirPods Pro 3 offer up to eight hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled, alongside up to 36 hours in total when using the charging case, a noticeable improvement over the previous generation and one of the more meaningful everyday upgrades introduced by the new H3 chip.

During testing, the battery performance largely lived up to those claims. I found myself charging the earbuds less frequently than the AirPods Pro 2, especially during long workdays and extended listening sessions.

The efficiency improvements aren’t dramatic enough to completely change how you use the earbuds, but they do make the overall experience feel less interrupted.

The case supports USB-C charging alongside wireless charging options, and it integrates seamlessly into Apple’s broader accessory ecosystem. Fast charging is still impressively convenient too, with short top-ups delivering enough battery life for several hours of playback.

Verdict

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are a slightly frustrating product because, in many ways, they’re objectively better than their predecessor.

The new H3 chip delivers excellent sound quality, battery life is noticeably stronger, and features such as heart rate tracking help the earbuds feel more tightly integrated into Apple’s growing health ecosystem. Transparency Mode also remains astonishingly good and continues to set the benchmark for the category.

At the same time, the redesigned fit simply didn’t work as well for me as the AirPods Pro 2. The earbuds never felt quite as secure or comfortable, and that had a direct impact on ANC performance in real-world use. Apple clearly had good intentions with the redesign, but, in my experience, the changes created as many compromises as improvements.

If you’re upgrading from older AirPods, these are excellent earbuds. If you already own the AirPods Pro 2, especially the USB-C version, the decision feels much less straightforward.

Also consider

The Sony WF-1000XM6 are probably the closest non-Apple equivalent to the AirPods Pro 3. They combine excellent audio quality with class-leading noise cancellation, strong battery life and broad Android/iOS compatibility. Unlike Apple’s earbuds, though, you don’t need to be fully invested in one ecosystem to unlock their best features.

If you want premium ANC and a more universally comfortable fit without paying AirPods Pro 3 money, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are a strong option. They don’t lock you into an ecosystem, work brilliantly across iOS and Android, and deliver a warmer, more immersive sound signature than Apple’s earbuds.

Purveyors of exceptional luxury audio products, Bang & Olufsen, have announced a new collaborative effort with the Japanese design house, Fragment Design. The new partnership reimagines some of the most iconic products in the brand's catalogue through Fragment's signature, monochrome lens.

That includes the Beosound A1, the Beoplay H100, the Beosound Shape and the Beosystem 9000c, with the latter launching as a Japanese exclusive. All of them are designed with a deep, polished black hue, which lends a classy look to proceedings.

The finish is achieved with processes which the brand has never made use of before. A specialised anodisation happens first, before hand-polishing to the final liquid-like sheen.

That sits atop the brand's signature milled aluminium panelling, which should ensure a premium fit and finish all around. It's really well done, pulling on the signatures of both collaborating brands and intertwining them without losing either personality.

Speaking about the launch, Founder of Fragment Design, Hiroshi Fujiwara, said, "This collaboration has been a long-time dream of mine. Since building my home around Bang & Olufsen’s integrated home sound system in the 1990s, the brand has been my first choice for audio. This collaboration feels like a meaningful continuation for our journey together."

Each of the pieces in the collection is also adorned with Fragment's double lighting bolt logo, ensuring both brand's enjoy some visibility. Even if you're not a die-hard fan of both brands, there's a lot to love about the design here, which should make itself right at home in any modern living space.

Pricing for the different models and regions can be found in the table below:

For those looking to pick one of these up, your first opportunity comes in-store at a dedicated pop-up in the Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. That runs from the 20th to the 26th of May, before rolling out further across Japan ahead of global release on the 3rd of June.

Can you believe it? It was 10 years ago that Sony launched the 1000X – and in the decade since, the brand has gone from strength to strength in delivering some of the best noise-cancelling over-ears available, most recently with the WH-1000XM6.

Now, however, Sony is taking this 10th birthday as an opportunity to widen the 1000X range, diversifying its output and target audience with the new, luxury 1000X 'The Collexion' model (and no, that's not a typo – the 'X' numeral is very much part of the name).

If, at first glance, you're getting an air of Apple AirPods Max 2 about the latest Sony's aesthetic, then you won't be the only one. Long-rumoured and repeatedly leaked ahead of this official reveal, The Collexion more realistically aims to fill a space between Apple's top-tier cans and the Bowers & Wilkins' Px8 S2.

At a pre-briefing for the headphones ahead of the official reveal, I was told that The Collexion represents "a collection of all of our [Sony's] knowledge and experience to create something really special," adding that it's "not the 'M7', as this [The Collexion] is a different focus entirely."

'Luxury' is the word that Sony really wants to resonate about these headphones. They're lightweight and made of quality materials. The outer frame is hand-polished, then sandblasted to provide the Sony logo a matte relief. Faux leather covers the earpads, cup housings and much of the headband – with no visible seams or screws.

The design isn't just an evolution of the 1000XM6 either: The Collexion features larger earcups, with a bespoke 30mm driver within each, made of a carbon-layered composite for the dome section of the diaphragm. This enhances the rigidity, said to deliver "natural yet delicate" high-frequency expression.

Despite these advances, the whole profile of the headphones is slimmer compared to the XM6. There's more room for your ears in the earcups, greater breathability, yet a more delicate profile. The design doesn't fold, though, so that's something to keep in mind.

The Collexion also builds upon Sony's active noise-cancelling (ANC) expertise by utilising the same base system as found in the XM6 – the Sony HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 – but adds a new integrated third-gen processor that enables 360-degree upmixes to audio.

The ANC is intentionally less 'strong' than you'll find on the XM6 – despite using 12 microphones total (eight externally, four internally) – with simple on/off or passthrough options available, but also optional auto-adjustment based on your actions in the Adaptive Sound Control settings.

In terms of quality, there's support for LDAC (Hi-Res Audio Wireless), while DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) will upsample compressed audio to 96kHz/24-bit. So whatever the source, you can expect the utmost Sony 1000X quality.

With all this in mind, however, how much will the Sony 1000X The Collexion cost? With a £550 asking price (other regions are TBC) for the launch date later this month, you can pick a pair up in Black or Platinum (white, really). That puts Sony's latest close to Apple's top-tier cans – and will further shake up this increasingly growing luxury headphones market segment.

Marshall just unveiled its newest pair of headphones, and it's taken what's either a surprising approach or a very logical one, depending on how much you know about its market share. While the brand is a pretty iconic one in audio circles, it's not the biggest name in the headphones world, and its fancier headphones, the Monitor III ANC, aren't the biggest sellers in its lineup.

That honour goes to the Major, its latest version being the Major V, which sells in droves thanks to a way more approachable price point and punky stylings that make it perfect for younger folks. So, Marshall's chosen to build on the Major by upgrading it in some important ways and creating the Milton ANC, its newest launch.

These headphones are, crucially, still on-ear – meaning they sit on your ear rather than encapsulating it like a bigger earcup would. Compared to the Major, though, they have softer and deeper cushioning to theoretically make them more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

They also, as the name suggests, bring ANC to the table, a big upgrade. In a first for Marshall, the "A" stands for adaptive, rather than just active noise-cancelling, meaning the amount of cancelling will vary according to the ambient noise around you at any given time.

The Milton ANC have a slightly sturdier design overall, too, with the folding arms that attach the earcups to the headband being made out of more solid metal rather than a frame.

They actually have slightly less battery life than the Major V, likely because of the inclusion of ANC: you'll get around 50 hours with it activated, but 80 hours if you turn it off. The headphones also bring LDAC and hi-res certification when you're listening using the USB-C to 3.5mm cable.

That cable's needed because the headphones only have a single port, and it's a USB-C one for combined charging or audio. Beyond that, the only controls are a customisable black Marshall button and then the stunningly superb brassy control knob that has graced so many of Marshall's headphones so far.

The all-important question, of course, is what the Milton ANC costs. It comes in at £179.99 in the UK, $229.99 in the US and €199 in the EU, which makes for a pretty interesting price – premium enough to be a little more off-putting to some, but also one of the few higher-end on-ear options out there right now.

The headphones should be available to order directly from Marshall today, and they'll hit other retailers a bit later, on 27 May.

Marshall isn't all that secretive about which of its headphone range does the biggest numbers – it's happy to admit that the Major is its biggest seller by far. These dinky on-ear headphones have been fairly iconic for years now, instantly recognisable in a way that few smaller brands can match, but they also have some drawbacks.

Even the most recent Major V couldn't reinvent the wheel, so they're still on-ears with a simple set of features that keep the price down while still sounding punchy. Now, though, Marshall's making a play – it's adding a step-up option above the Major V.

The new Milton ANC looks pretty similar, but offers some important upgrades – with adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) being key. I've had a pair for a few weeks for review purposes, and it's been interesting running the rule over them.

Price and Availability

The Milton ANC is on sale now, and should be available in a whole host of regions and through a bunch of retailers. They're priced at £179.99 in the UK and $229.99 in the US, which makes them around £50 or $80 more than the cost of the Major V at its launch.

As I'll get to, you do get some pretty major upgrades for that money, but the pricing confirms that Marshall wanted a mid-range option for its headphones offering. It already has the Monitor III ANC up at the £300 mark for a more premium option, so this does fill a gap.

I'm still pretty confident that Marshall will bring out a more mid-range on-ear headphone at some point, but for now the Milton ANC is what we get.

Design and Features

If you hadn't seen the Major V in a while, you'd be forgiven for taking a glance at the Milton ANC and thinking it was the Major VI – its silhouette is extremely similar, with some small changes that you can't unsee once they're pointed out to you.

For one thing, the Milton's earcups are slightly bigger and more rounded, and they have far plusher cushioning. For another, its headband is more solidly constructed, too, with its folding mechanism made of solid metal rather than prongs. This all makes the Milton feel much more substantial, based on my testing.

The cushioning on the headband itself is also plusher, and all of this serves one main aim – making the Milton ANC more comfortable to wear for longer periods than the Major V. The older headphones look great, and plenty of people swear by them, but I'm in the camp that finds the on-ear experience sub-par, since it inevitably leads to a cramped feeling on your ear.

True to expectations, the Milton ANC is way more comfortable. The amount of clamping force has clearly been tuned down slightly in the first place, so the headphones don't feel as tight on your head. That cushioning, meanwhile, makes the biggest difference, since it feels a lot softer and nicer on the ears.

That said, though, after a couple of hours at a time with the Milton ANC on my head, I tended to be ready for them to come off, and my ears always felt relieved when I did so. That's basically my way of saying that if you haven't previously felt great with on-ear headphones, there's nothing here that will radically change your mind or your experience.

Still, the rest of the design touches on the Milton ANC are great, if not that new. For one thing, the headphones fold up nice and small, to make it easy to stow them in the included carrying bag. You also get Marshall's best-in-class brassy control knob, for one, which acts as a power button, volume control and track-skipping button all in one. I'm confident that rival headphone-makers must be jealous of what remains one of the best pieces of intuitive design on the market.

That's added to by a flush Marshall button on the other earcup, which can be customised as a shortcut key. Finally, there's a USB-C port for charging and audio using the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable. There's no 3.5mm port on the headphones this time, but given the included cable that's no great loss.

The other big features to note are under the hood. For one thing, the Milton ANC offers 50 hours of battery life with ANC on, and around 80 hours with it off. That's actually a little worse either way than the 100-hour battery of the Major V, and the Milton ANC also ditches wireless charging. Marshall told me that it found very few people actually used the feature, which isn't much of a surprise to me.

Of course, ANC can't be skipped over. This is adaptive noise-cancelling, not just active – that means it automatically adjusts to the noise levels around you, and it's something of a big deal for Marshall since all of its previous ANC offerings have been simply active. This means the Milton ANC has visible microphones on its exterior and interior, and I'll discuss its performance further down. You can toggle between ANC and a transparency mode using the Marshall button by default.

One note on the build quality side is that Marshall continues to swerve IP ratings, preferring to leave things a little more ambiguous. It claims the Milton ANC should hold up well in regular use, but doesn't have any specific stats for water resistance, for example. This means that while you should be safe enough using it in drizzle, you don't have any firm guarantees about its level of proofing.

Sound and Performance

So, if the comfort and design of the Milton ANC feels relatively obvious (more comfortable and able than the Major, but less than the Monitor), how does it actually sound? Well, I've been really enjoying its poppy sound signature over a few weeks of testing.

Marshall loves to use the word "loud" in its marketing and branding, and I can see why – the trademark Marshall sound comes from its ear-rending amp towers and therefore does have a powerful edge that lends itself really well to rock music. Pairing the Milton ANC with Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Dead produces obviously stirring results, as does some older material from Guns N'Roses.

The sound here is punchy, for sure, but it also has to be – the lack of isolation that you get when using on-ear headphones is striking when you're used to earbuds or over-ears, so you should be prepared for plenty of leakage in both directions.

Of course, that will most likely prompt you to turn on the Milton's ANC, and it is indeed pretty transformative. I've never used on-ears with ANC before, something that I previously would have called a little contradictory, but I've been surprised and impressed with how it performs in the Milton.

Piping in sound to counteract the noise around you, you'll get clearer audio and more of a sense of quiet around you with ANC on, but it can't hold a candle to the best ANC headphones out there, or even "fine" ANC on over-ears. It's also interesting to appraise the "adaptive" part of things.

I found that Marshall's first crack at adaptive noise-cancelling performed solidly most of the time, but over many hours of use, I did notice moments where it seemed to deactivate briefly before popping back on – only ever for a few seconds, but enough times that I noted it. This suggests the system isn't 100% fine-tuned to perfection yet, although firmware updates will doubtless tweak it over time.

Battery life lived up to Marshall's billing in my experience, and pairing was also entirely painless over Bluetooth. Controlling the headphones in the Marshall Bluetooth app was also easy, with a few different tweaks to be made and some equalisation (EQ) options for those who want them.

Marshall Milton ANC review: Verdict

The Milton ANC will be a perfect upgrade for a dedicated slice of Marshall lovers who've stuck with their Major headphones for years. If you want the Major experience but with better sound and comfort, it's a no-brainer of a new option, and it'll be fascinating to see how common a sight it becomes on trendy young things' heads.

For those of us who can't quite settle for on-ears, almost entirely because of their comfort compromises and sound leakage, though, it's not a piece of hardware to force a radical conversion. I've been impressed with the Milton ANC, but that doesn't mean I want on-ears with ANC, nor that I think they'll catch on as a major new product category.

Also Consider

The obvious other option for those looking to pick up the Milton ANC is to just stick with the Major V, which can now be found for substantially less money and offers a very similar style of headphone. It doesn't sound as great or feel as soft, but if you want something affordable with a unique design, it's a great pick.

Alternatively, if you want very decent ANC, excellent comfort levels and a more bubbling sound experience, consider the recently-launched Soundcore Space 2 from Anker. It's great value and ticks more everyday boxes than the Milton ANC, in my opinion.