T3 Awards 2022: all the Audio award winners announced

We are pleased to announce the audio category winners of the T3 Awards 2022, comprising the Best Portable Speaker, Best Soundbar, Best Wireless Speaker and best DAC.

So whether you're looking to buy the ultimate soundbar to enhance your TV listening experience, grab a portable speaker to add some entertainment while out and about, or amplify your high-end headphones, there are hotly contested categories here across the board.

This year's Audio T3 Awards 2022 categories have been graced with a bevvy of incredible products and brands, delivering the very best that audio has to offer in ways that'll often leave you slack-jawed. So let's get down to the business end and reveal the all-important winners in this category.

Best Portable Speaker: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

There have been a lot of portable speakers released over the years, many of which have impressed. But there's being impressed and then there's being blown away – which is exactly what we're looking for when it comes to the T3 Awards 2022's Best Portable Speaker winner. 

Of the broad shortlist, the one that we keep returning to is Bang & Olufsen's Beosound A1 (2nd Gen). For a small speaker it's so impressively accomplished in delivering sound far bigger than its small circular frame would suggest, including a decent dollop of bass. 

That's all delivered in a classic Bang & Olufsen finish, with superb materials and exquisite colour choices all available here, delivered in a manner that's so casual it's as if Bang & Olufsen does this in its sleep. 

This is one truly amazing portable Bluetooth speaker that will last you for many years to come – and that's why it's hands down this year's T3 Awards winner in this category.  

Best portable speaker shortlist

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen, Sonos Roam, JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5, Bang & Olufsen Explore

Best Soundbar: Samsung HW-Q990B

Soundbars are primarily designed to boost your TV's audio. But there are many stages to how accomplished and how vast that sound can be improved and projected around a room. 

Plenty of the big brands have some mighty soundbar offerings available, but when we think of the true best-of-best, it's Samsung that rises to the top for delivering the most capable of the lost. 

What makes the Samsung HW-Q990B the T3 Award winner? It's simple really: not only does it excel with sound quality, it does with sound delivery too, capable of projecting surround sound (including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X) around a room thanks to its massive 11.1.4 channels. 

Sure, you'll need to have a lot of cash, a lot of space, and an understanding that there are separate sub and rear speaker boxes included in this package, but when you get everything setup perfectly you'll be so enveloped in sound that you'll feel like you're part of the action in any TV show or movie. 

The Q990B is a truly special soundbar package, made all the better if you pair it with a Samsung Q Symphony telly, which can also integrate the panel's speakers into the mix for even greater precision. It's an incredible audio accomplishment. 

Best soundbar shortlist

Samsung HW-Q990B, Devialet Dione, Sonos Beam 2, Sony HT-A7000, LG S95QY

Best Wireless Speaker: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

We've been treated to some fantastic speakers over the years and it's the return of a classic that bags the Best Wireless Speaker gong. We are talking, of course, about the latest Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin. 

It’s taken its sweet time to return to market, but the Zeppelin is finally back… and it’s better than ever. So long as you can find the space for a speaker of significant proportions, there’s very little downside to owning this Bowers & Wilkins.

Few speakers can deliver such an iconic design and such epic sound. Sure, don't expect the same separated sound as you'll get from a pair of stereo speakers, but that's not the point of this modern marvel. It's free of physical inputs, going hyper modern and truly wireless in its approach.

We embrace that stance, which is why the Zeppelin earns the T3 Awards' Best Wireless Speaker. It's a classic reborn.

Best wireless speaker shortlist

Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen, Audio Pro A15, Bang & Olufsen Level, JBL L75ms, LG Xboom 360 RP4, Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, Sonus Faber Omnia

Best DAC: Chord Mojo 2

A great digital-to-audio converter (DAC) is a bridge from the traditional to the new, enabling you to pipe your digital music into analogue hi-fi components. So something to value here is flexibility – the more connectivity options and file support a DAC has, the more useful and future-proofed it is.

This year's T3 Award winner, the Chord Mojo 2 picks up exactly where the original Mojo left off: as the best pound-for-pound upgrade to your desktop sound that you can buy. It's a best-in-class product that's a true diamond in audio terms. 

If you’re interested in turning your computer (or your tablet, or smartphone) into a source of genuinely impressive-sounding music when paired with great headphones, well, don’t look any further. This DAC is perfect for pairing with hi-res/lossless tiers from streaming services, or for making the most of your own hi-res collection.

Best DAC shortlist

iFi xDSD Gryphon, HELM Audio BOLT DAC, Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M, Chord Mojo 2, Earmen Sparrow