The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen is a sensational-sounding speaker and, for a Bluetooth speaker, it supports smarts in the form of Alexa voice assistance.

It achieves Alexa control through a smartphone, so the Alexa app needs to be downloaded on the mobile device as the A1 2nd Gen does not natively support it. During our time with the speaker, we found summoning Alexa work rather well in a local park, proving to be responsive at handling queries. Alexa wasn’t as quick to chime in when our smartphone was performing another task, so we’d suggest you keep attempts at multi-tasking low if you want a fast response.

Compared to the Beoplay A1, battery life has also had a upgrade, with the Beosound A1 able to last for 18 hours, where the original model could only reach four hours. The B&O companion app offers some decent functionality with EQ presets and volume control, though there are fewer features than what you’d get with a Wi-Fi enabled speaker.

As a B&O product, the Beosound A1 looks the part with a stylish leather base and aluminium top surface that helps the speaker achieve an IP67 water resistance, which is the same as the Wonderboom 3. It is lighter than its predecessor at 558g, which helps to make it easier to carry around, and its leather strap has been tweaked to allow for more hanging options. The tweaks to the design make it a little more convenient to carry with you.

The audio performance is one that we found to be very impressive, the sound quality was impressively clear, with bass better emphasised that the Sonos Roam. Vocal clarity is excellent with voices granted plenty of space to exist, the tonal balance throughout the frequency range is great, and it’s a very dynamic and exciting. This is one of the best outdoor speakers we’ve come across.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: B&O Beosound A1 2nd Gen

The Sonos Roam is what we envisaged the Sonos Move would be. Both operate as a Sonos-like speaker in the home, but out of the two, the Roam is easily the more portable wireless speaker.

The Roam is the speaker out of the two we’d feel you’d be taking on longer journeys. It’s small, lightweight and takes on a shape that’s reminiscent of a Toblerone bar. With an IP67 rating, it can be submerged in water of 1m depth for 30 minutes, so if it happens to fall in a small body water (or perhaps a paddling pool), it should be able to survive unscathed.

We’ve found few wireless speakers combine Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as effortlessly as the Roam. In the home it can function like a smart speaker, connecting to the Wi-Fi and supporting the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice support. The Sonos S2 app features wide support for music streaming services, so you can log in and listen to your favourite songs from within the app. None of these features are available when streaming over Bluetooth, but an update brought Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature that optimises its audio delivery to allow it on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth playback

A battery life of 11 hours is not as progressive as we’ve seen around the £150 price point, less than the JBL Charge 5, Marshall Emberton II and Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. There is a battery saver option in the app to help preserve the battery if it’s found to be draining too fast.

In our opinion, the Roam remains a terrific listen years after its release. It produces a natural, detailed and clear performance, though we found it a bit light on bass, but that’s not surprising given its small size. If you want more thump where low frequencies are concerned, Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 2nd Gen provides it.  

For existing Sonos owners it makes plenty of sense as it extends the Sonos sound into the outdoors. For everyone else it’s one the cheapest ways into the world of Sonos.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sonos Roam

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 continues on from where the Wonderboom 2 left off, and while on the surface the changes made don’t appear a massive step up, in our opinion it produces a much better sound for the same price.

It produces a more effective and rounded bass performance, as well as striking a tone that’s clearer, detailed and better balanced than its energetic predecessor. While treble notes don’t register as crisply, there’s plenty of detail at the top end of the frequency range and there’s more room within the midrange for vocals to be projected above instruments and beats. In terms of loudness, the Wonderboom 2 hits a higher volume but it isn’t as nuanced as the threequel.

Other new features include Google Fast Pair for Android devices and a slight increase to 14 hours of battery life (better than the more expensive Sonos Roam). Some will feel that the continuation with micro-USB charging is not a forward-looking decision as many devices have moved to the quicker USB-C charging method. The rest of the features carry on from before with Outdoor Boost making the speaker sound more expansive and bringing clarity to the midrange and treble frequencies, while Double Up adds the functionality of using two Wonderboom 3 speakers in a stereo pair. You cannot use the Wonderboom from different generations as a stereo pair, however.

The design has been slightly tweaked, the two-tone colours take on a more contrasting appearance. Otherwise there’s the scratch-proof fabric material (guarding against feral domestic pets), and with a IP67 rating the speaker can repel dust and water, as well dunked under water for 30 minutes (though it’s likely to bob on surface).

The changes aren’t as big as many might have expected, but in our opinion this is a better-sounding speaker for the same unbeatably low price.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

We very much liked the original Stormbox Micro but felt it could be improved in a few areas. The Micro 2 seems to have taken on that feedback and it’s an improvement in pretty much every way.

The design has been tweaked with buttons coloured white to contrast against the black fabric covering and the speaker’s dimensions are bigger, holding more battery life (12 hours) and able to be used as a power bank to charge mobile devices. The useful tear-resistant strap remains, offering plenty of versatility in how the speaker can be used or transported whether it’s attached to the handlebar of a bike or connected to a rucksack.

Like many of the speakers on this list, the Stormbox Micro 2 hits an IP67 rating, insulating it against dust and water as well as being immersed within a body of water 1m deep for thirty minutes.

As we mentioned, battery life is up to 12 hours, which puts it among the likes of the Sonos Roam (11) and Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (14) except the Tribit is much cheaper than either. Also new is support for an app where the speaker’s sound can be adjusted.

In terms of its audio performance, the Micro 2 can hit higher volumes than the original, produces a bigger sound and projects audio further way from the speaker’s body. Add in to the mix better levels of clarity and detail, and music on this speaker sounds improved over the original, with bass better described, treble frequencies sharper and clearer and the midrange is more detailed and clearer.

While bass is better than before, speakers such as the Tronsmart T7 can produce more, but that speaker comes in a different form factor and isn’t as compact (or as versatile in its design) as the Tribit.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

Four years after the original launched, Sonos brought the sequel to the Move in the Move 2, featuring a number of design tweaks and a redesigned audio system, though this does come at a cost, with a higher price of £449 / $449.

Nothing has really changed in the size of the speaker, we feel this remains more an outdoor speaker for the garden or to take with you in a car. It still weighs 3kg, so this isn’t really a speaker to slip in your bag and head out of the house with. The buttons have been tweaked so they’re easier to understand and use. Black, white, and a fetching green finishes are the colours the speaker comes in.

An IP56 rating means this speaker is protected against dust, water, and mud, although it’s not rated against is submersion in water. You can feel confident in leaving this speaker outside, and not having to worry about it being ruined in the morning. The battery can be replaced too, good for the longevity of the product as well as being better for the environment.

With Sonos’ Auto Trueplay feature, the speaker is able to automatically optimise audio output based on where it is placed placement for the best sound quality when the microphone is enabled. The biggest boost is to battery life which is now 24 hours (13 hours better than the original). During an eight hour session, we found that battery life fell to 54%, which we feel is more than good enough for any occasion.

But outdoor use isn’t the only reason to get the Move 2, as with its Wi-Fi support (Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2), this speaker works like any other Sonos speaker when used indoors. There’s hands-free access Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, but there’s no Google Assistant on this model.

The audio quality is another area that’s gained improvements. The speaker now supports stereo playback, producing a wider presence than original’s mono speaker was capable of. Purchase two of these speakers, and you can get full-on stereo playback. We found there was more subtlety that this speaker was capable of, better at retrieving the detail in a song, and when it needs to, it can summon plenty of punch and weight to the midrange and low frequencies.

This is an improvement on the original model, the price increase is at least justified by the better audio quality, stereo sound and improved batter life. The old Move is still a fine effort, on sale for less than £400 / $400 if you find this new speaker a little steep in terms of pricing.

Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review: Sonos Move 2

The XG300 is part of Sony’s X-series of wireless party speakers, and if you are looking to party with a group of friends either inside or at the park (or beach), the XG300 is high on the list of speakers we’d say you should consider.

It is like mini-Boombox in its profile, taking on a svelte shape that gives it an hourglass look. The retractable handle is useful for carry considering this speaker weighs around 3kg, and with its IP67 rating it’s good against resisting liquids and particles such as sand and dust.

It has more physical connections than any other speaker on this list, with a USB-C for charging another device, and a stereo mini-jack (cable also included) for plugging in an external source (such as a portable music player). There’s also the Light feature – or Ambient Illumination as Sony calls it – that emits a halo of light at either end of the speaker that pulses in sync with the beat, although we found at its default setting it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

Other party features include support for Fiestable app, which offers control over DJ effects, light effects and Motion Control, where playback and volume can be controlled by moving a smartphone, although this is a feature that can be hit and miss. Battery life is 25 hours, the longest of any on this list; Google Fast Pair is provided for instant connection to an Android device and there’s LDAC Bluetooth for those that want to play tracks at a higher bitrate.

In terms of its sound, the SRS-XG300 delivers a warm, rich performance with an emphasis on bass. Those after a more neutral and balanced performance should consider the Sonos Move as an alternative, but if you like your bass assertively described, and music given plenty of drive and energy then the XG300 is a definite party starter (though B&O’s Beolit 20 can summon even stronger levels of bass if that’s your fancy).

Reviewer:Kob Monney
Full review: Sony SRS-XG300

When it comes to budget soundbars, there’s only one that’s been the top of our list for several years now. If you want the best cheap soundbar, look no further than the Wharfedale Vista 200S.

It’s been on the market since around 2019, and we’d imagine it’s inching close to its end of life, but for £199 it’s well worth the investment if you want a simple operator to boost your TV’s audio performance.

The design is one we found to be attractive in appearance, while the build quality is durable. The black finish and glossy top surface doesn’t scream a cheap soundbar despite the Vista 200S’s price, and with a width of 900mm it’s made to partner TVs up to 65-inches in size. That it boasts a slim form factor also means you won’t be living in fear of the soundbar blocking the picture.

In terms of features, we found there wasn’t much to see here aside from its active wireless subwoofer. If you want wireless connectivity, you’d be better off seeking the smaller but slightly more expensive Sonos Ray. There are three preset EQ settings for media playback in Movies, Music and News to optimise the soundbar’s sound for those types of content.

Our reviewer found the sound quality for the price was especially good, with the 200S putting in a great performance across the frequency range with a top-end that didn’t suffer from a lack of detail and some punchy bass thanks to the active subwoofer. We also observed that the Vista 200S could get loud without sounding harsh or compressed due to its 120W of built-in amplification. It dealt with dialogue well, even without a dedicated centre channel, and if you’re interested in playing music through this bar, then it delivers on a smooth and clear performance.

Alternatives around this price include the Sharp HT-SBW202 and the Yamaha SR-C30A, but even after a few years, we haven’t heard a rival that offers as much performance-per-pound at this price as the Wharfedale.

Reviewer: Steve Withers
Full Review: Wharfedale Vista 200S

Years ago, it was Yamaha that really kicked off the soundbar market. They’re not as big a name in the market today as they were back then, but of late they’ve been putting out impressive compact soundbars and the SR-C30A is another one we’ve come to enjoy.

The build quality is serviceable, the main soundbar unit is smaller than the similarly priced Denon DHT-S316 and will happily sit below a small TV in the opinion of our reviewer. At 1.3kg it’s not too heavy to move about and around the rear are keyhole fixings to mount it to a wall. Connections include HDMI ARC and digital optical out, and for wireless transmission there’s Bluetooth support.

Features aren’t much, but there is a control app that duplicates all the functions of the remote control and is simple to use. A choice of four EQ presets in Stereo, Standard, 3D movie and Game are provided to tweak the audio quality, along with Clear Voice and Bass extension options, there are several ways of shifting the sound to your tastes.

The SR-C30A is a 2.1 system with a wireless subwoofer and despite its compact size, we found this system sounded bigger, beefier and altogether more convincing than a number of mainstream TVs or gaming monitors. It’s easily an upgrade on budget TVs it’s connected to.

High frequencies are recreated in convincing fashion; the midrange is assertive and upfront with high levels of detail, allowing dialogue to be loaded with character and tone. The wireless subwoofer can handle the low end of the frequency spectrum with a performance that’s well-controlled, though we found the crossover between the subwoofer and the main bar wasn’t the smoothest transition as we had hoped.

Nevertheless, for less than £300 this is one of the best cheap soundbars we’ve tested. The Wharfedale Vista 200S is still our budget champion, but if that model is too big to fit into your space then the Yamaha is an excellent alternative.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Yamaha SR-C30A

Majority is a UK-based company that’s so far traded in affordable audio devices. The Snowdon II is a single-bar home cinema soundbar that’s best utilised if you’re considering wall-mounting your TV.

The reason we say that is because the design is on the large side for putting it beneath a TV, to the point where it covers up the TV’s IR receiver and blocks the remote signals. We didn’t find it to be the most elegant looking soundbar either, but arguably most shopping around this price won’t be as bothered about aesthetics as others. Around the back brackets for wall-mounting the soundbar and that seems to most optimal way of using it.

Annoyingly, the Snowdon doesn’t ship with any digital optical cable (but does come with an RCA and auxiliary cable). We would expect a digital cable to be packaged with the bar rather than rely on other means of connection since the optical input is the best available on this bar.

Features aren’t much in the grand scheme of things, but there are four EQ preset modes in Flat, Music, Movie and Dialog to optimise the performance for whatever you’re watching’ and the Music and Flat modes can be further tweaked in terms of their frequency range.

The sound quality from this 2.1 system is consistently clear, and at times punchy, delivery of audio. It features an integrated subwoofer but it is limited in terms of bass depth, so in more dynamic soundtracks where more weight and extension to low frequencies is required, it can sound flatter than the similarly priced Groov-e 160 Soundbar.

The Movie preset is the one we found that offered the biggest-sounding performance, as well as sounding more natural with dialogue as the Dialog mode can sound a little processed. Streaming music over a Bluetooth connection offers a similar performance to movies and TV, with good clarity and decent space for vocals to exist in the track. We also found it sound with gaming as well, producing a big, large and detailed performance that avoided sounding cluttered or shrill at higher volumes.

If you’re after a more cinematic experience, then the Wharfedale can provide more fireworks, but if it’s a soundbar that you can wall-mount (or at least sit below a wall-mounted TV), this is a convincing budget option.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Majority Snowdon II

The Roku Streambar is unique in that it is both a soundbar and video streamer all rolled into one. And as is often the case with Roku devices, the asking price is relatively low at an RRP of £129 / $130, though you can often find it for far less than that asking price.

The Streambar will be best suited to those who have a TV that’s poor for both and smarts. Its compact size and low key design ensures it won’t hog the limelight from your TV, the size of the Streambar is best suited to TVs smaller than 50-inches.

For its size, the Roku has a good grasp over dialogue clarity, though this at the expense of other effects within a soundtrack so it is not the most cinematic performance. Bass is punchily described and the soundstage the Streambar creates is bigger than expected thanks to its ability to fire audio out from its sides. There’s no immersive audio support like you’d find with the likes of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or Samsung HW-S61B, though these speakers tend to retail above £300 / $300.

We found it to be a pretty good video streamer too. It has all the major streaming apps in Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and the UK catch-up apps that come with Freeview Play. With 4K HDR content the steamer puts in a colourful performance, with upscaling that is decent enough that you could get away with watching 720p streams on a 4K TV.

There’s AirPlay and Apple HomeKit for streaming and home smarts respectively, though there’s no built-in voice assistant. The Roku interface mirrors that of other Roku devices, simple in appearance and easy to use, making the Streambar an accessible device for a wide range of people. The remote provided only controls the Streambar and not your TV, so you’ll need to keep your main remote nearby.

Efforts on this list such as the Wharfedale and Yamaha sound better than the Streambar, but they don’t boast the convenience this 2-in-1 device offers. This is a smart little option for those after a no-frills performance for both video and audio.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Roku Streambar

If you’re looking for a compact and affordable soundbar, the Sonos Ray is our top pick. Designed to make poor-quality TVs sound better, the Ray is smaller and has fewer features than other Sonos soundbars, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer powerful sound. 

The Sonos Ray has a thin and compact design with curved ends forming a lozenge shape and the option of a black or white finish. The Ray is only slightly smaller than the Sonos Beam at 71 x 559 x 95mm and, like the Polk Signa S4, pairs well with TVs that measure up to 55 inches. You can choose to sit the soundbar in front of your TV or mount it on a wall. 

The Sonos Ray doesn’t come with an HDMI port, sticking with just an optical S/PDIF input and providing a cable in the box. There are touch controls on top of the soundbar for controlling playback, skipping tracks, and adjusting the volume. 

The setup is quick and the Trueplay configuration allows you to tune the soundbar to your room. The Ray has an IR input, meaning you can tune it to use your TV’s remote to control the volume. 

There’s no Dolby Atmos support but Dolby Digital still sounds great, albeit not quite as clean and detailed as the higher-end codec. There’s also no microphone for reeling off voice commands. You can set up Skills and control the soundbar with your favourite voice assistant, but you’ll need a separate smart speaker to do so. 

Then there’s the app, which makes it easy to connect and disconnect from rooms with multiroom support, as well as play music from Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer or via AirPlay 2. 

Despite its small size, the Sonos Ray has a surprisingly wide soundscape, offering a clear improvement over the audio from the TV we had paired it with. There’s a Speech Enhancement setting to boost the frequencies of voices, along with a Night Sound feature for boosting quiet sounds and limiting loud sounds later in the evening. The bass is effective too, though not as room-shattering as the Sonos Arc’s bass response. 

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full Review: Sonos Ray

The Polk Signa S4 is our favourite cheap soundbar with Dolby Atmos on board, delivering deep bass and immersive audio at an affordable price. 

The Signa S4 features a similar design to Polk’s other soundbars with its simple rectangular shape and black fabric finish blending into its surroundings. The subwoofer is also matte black, sitting on larger feet. 

Like the Sonos Ray, the Polk Signa S4 is intended to be paired with medium-sized TVs up to 55 inches either standing or wall mounted, with the soundbar measuring 1046 x 60 x 95mm. The subwoofer measures 200 x 280 x 328mm. 

You can find basic controls on top of the soundbar, with more options on the small remote that comes in the box. 

The Signa S4 uses a 3.1.2-channel system to deliver Dolby Atmos, with additional support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD. The soundbar can also decode PCM, but there is no support for DTS formats. 

Connectivity is based around a single HDMI port that supports eARC, allowing lossless audio to be sent back from supporting TVs. There’s also an optical digital input for TVs that do not support eARC/ARC, a 35mm analogue auxiliary input, and wireless support with Bluetooth. 

Other key features include Polk’s VoiceAdjust to keep dialogue clear and precise, and three sound modes – Movies, Music, and Night. 

Sound-wide, the Signa S4 is a good all-round performer that produces a decent front soundstage with a solid foundation of bass. The delivery is smooth, with a clean treble and well-defined midrange, while the upward-firing speakers are effective at generating the front overhead channels and the well-integrated subwoofer adds plenty of low-frequency impact to create a genuine sense of scale. 

Reviewer: Steve Withers

Full Review: Polk Signa S4

The Razer Leviathan V2 is our top affordable gaming soundbar, delivering great audio whether you’re gaming or listening to music. 

The Leviathan V2 is one of the more toned-down devices we’ve tested from Razer. Both the soundbar and subwoofer sport a matte black finish, with the latter also free of any RGB lighting or other effects. The soundbar is small and slim, fitting snuggling under a monitor for a clean look, though you may need to place the subwoofer under your desk depending on the size of your furniture. 

The soundbar feels sturdy and comes with another set of feet for tilting it upwards, but the port selection is lacking. Razer has removed the 3.5mm input found on its predecessor, leaving USB-C and Bluetooth your only connectivity options. There’s also a simple selection of buttons, including power, volume, source, and Bluetooth on top of the soundbar. 

18-zone custom RGB lighting lets you customise the soundbar to fit the rest of your gaming setup, as well as match the cues in games and songs. There’s a range of audio presets in the Razer Synapse app, with custom settings for music and gaming, as well as a Bass Boost mode and THX Spatial Audio support to give the sound a more immersive feel. 

The audio quality is warm and balanced with an emphasis on bass which feels perfect for FPS games. The sound can easily fill a room, with THX Spatial Audio creating an immersive soundstage, despite not quite being as accurate as Dolby Atmos. Even slower games like Stardew Valley are enhanced with this soundbar, as details are given more clarity and attention. 

We found that the wired connection was stronger than Bluetooth, offering better clarity and depth than the wireless connection, though we still appreciated the inclusion of Bluetooth as an option. 

Reviewer: Gemma Ryles

Full Review: Razer Leviathan V2

The Sony WH-1000XM5 are Sony’s latest premium wireless over-ears, following up on the success of their popular predecessors. The biggest change from the previous model is how they look. They sport a modern modern look to, and ditch the ability to be collapsed, a change that’s meant to help the noise cancellation peformance, which we found reaped benefits with less noticeable wind noise detected than on the WH-1000XM4.

They’re comfortable to wear, with the redesigned earpads and heading creating a solid enough clamping force and seal; while at around 255g, they’re one of the lightest noise cancelling over-ears around.

The noise cancelling itself is excellent, the call quality is class-leading, while the battery life remains the same as before, it 30 hours with ANC on matches the likes of the B&W Px7 S2 and is better than either the Bose QuietComfort 45 and AirPods Max.

The Speak-to-Chat feature that brings convenience, pausing music when you’re talking. The Quick Attention mode allows you hear your surrounding environment, and there’s built-in voice assistance available from both Google and Alexa. The Adaptive Sound Control detects and logs locations in the Sony Headphones app, allowing you to build custom sound profiles based on the places you frequent. These headphones pack plenty of convienience for the everyday user.

When it comes to sound quality, there’s support for LDAC that’s useful for listening to higher quality tracks from streaming services. We found the midrange to be rich and detailed, the headphones feature a boost in the low and high frequencies over the XM4, with instruments sounding better defined and more focussed. This all contributes to a performance that’s more refined sound than their immediate predecessor.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-1000XM5

The Empyrean II are a remarkable pair of headphones for those who want to listen to music in the best quality possible.

Priced at £2749 / $2999, you’ll need a capable amplifier and higher quality sources to take advantage of what the Meze headphones offer but according to our reviewer, the Meze will happily deal with low quality sources as long as you’ve got a decent amplifier to give music a boost. If it’s an uncompromised performance that you want, the Meze Empyrean II deliver on that front.

The presentation is neutral one that boasts remarkable levels of detail retreival and resolution. Our reviewer found their tonal balance from the bottom to the top end of the frequency range to be impeccable. The low end is conveyed with depth, texture, and substance, while the midrange is full of information. They’re an engaging, energetic, and entertaining listen.

The headphones are on the large side, but they’re comfortable to wear even after several hours thanks to the suspension wings and headband that help balance weight across the head. Earpads are included, and swapping them out is easy enough thanks to Rinaro’s isomagnetic coupling technology. Meze offers five different cable types at different lengths, so overall you get a choice of ten different cables to suit your set-up when ordering the headphones.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Meze Empyrean II

If you’re a parent in need of a pair of over-ears suitable for children, we’d recommend giving the Planet Buddies Volume Limited Headphones a look. 

We’ve tested the wireless version of these headphones and found them be effective, and the wired models are just as cute in appearance for the younger ones, but the headline feature here is that they are volume limited to 85dB. This is the volume level WHO recommend to protect small ears from developing noise-induced hearing loss. 

The headphones come in a variety of adorable designs, from the vibrant Olive the Owls, to the eared Pippin the Pandas and the customisable Colour and Swaps. All are soft and adjustable and some fold up to slip into carry pouches as well. These headphones are quite light on features. The Olive the Owl and Colour and Swap pairs feature multi-function buttons on their cables, while the Pippin the Pandas actually have two ports so kids can listen to music and watch movies with friends. 

We did find the volume limit subdued some of the dynamism produced by these headphones, and there’s much in the way of detail but the bass still has a good amount of presence and it feels like a worthy trade off to protect your kids ears. For adults, consider the PuroPro Hybrid ANC headphones which also have volume limited technology inside.

Reviewer: Hannah Davies
Full Review: Planet Buddies Volume Limited Headphones

Since the pandemic, there’s been a rise in people using headphones for online meetings, but rather than using the a pair of headphones that might not offer the best call quality, why not get a pair designed specifically for the task?

That’s where the Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC enters the discussion. Available in a few different configurations, the version we tested is rather expensive but if you look around £259 is one of the cheaper prices on offer (and far less than the £466 quoted on some sites).

They’re not the smallest headphones for an over-ear, an aspect our reviewer had qualms with, but they’re comfortable to wear as using them across a full workday, the reviewer noted there was heat build-up that they noticed, nor any skin irritation. Build quality is sturdy and well-constructed, which you’d expect for the outlay.

The noise-cancellation is effective, not quite up to the level of the Sony WH-1000XM5, but strong enough to drown out the drone of an everyday office. Wireless call quality is excellent, with the ten ‘boomless’ mics working well to capture your voice and render it clearly. Use the USB connection and we noted an even better call quality performance.

Bluetooth multipoint is supported for connecting to two devices at once, while there’s certification with Microsoft Teams.

And if you were to use these headphones for music, then they put in a good performance. Bass is generally warm and energetic, working well wiht genres such as punk and dance that require plenty of bass. Clarity in the treble region allows for good levels of detail, and there’s a nice degree of stereo separation too. We don’t feel you’d be disappointed if you were to use these headphones for music while you work. For a cheaper option there’s the Logitech Zone Vibe Wireless, although these office headphones don’t boast noise-cancellation.

Reviewer: Sean Cameron
Full Review: Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC

The AirPods Max are Apple’s only over-ear headphones, and as a result they offer the best iOS integration of all the headphones on this list. 

The AirPods Max have a striking design with large metal cups, a mesh band and a dial that’s cribbed from the Apple Watch. Despite being far heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QC Ultra Headphones, the AirPods remain comfortable to wear with their weight distributed across the headband to the point where we could barely feel them at all. 

However, there’s no IP rating, so we wouldn’t recommend using them at the gym, but very few over-ear headphones have an IP rating anyway. The physical buttons and dial make it easy to move through tracks, adjust the volume and toggle between noise cancellation and transparency modes, while the ANC itself is some of the best around with the adaptive setting doing a fantastic job of altering the noise cancellation levels to fit your environment. 

The transparency mode is excellent too, and the addition of spatial audio makes Disney Plus and Apple TV+ content feel much grander and less flat than it does with a regular pair of over-ears. However, some features like spatial audio and seamless quick device switching are only supported on iOS devices. 

When it comes to audio performance the AirPods Max are excellent, though perhaps not as big of an improvement over the Bose and Sony headphones to justify the higher price. The custom 40mm driver, dual H1 chips and adaptive EQ work together to offer a balanced and versatile sound that impressed us across a wide range of songs and genres. There’s plenty of bass and higher frequencies never sound harsh or distorted, 

The 20-hour battery life should get you through a long flight but it isn’t class-leading and the storage case offers little protection. However, if you’re looking for a pair of Apple-centric over-ears, you won’t find better than the AirPods Max. 

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: AirPods Max

The Shure SRH840A are an affordable pair of home studio-grade reference headphones that are ideal if you value sound quality above all else. 

They are the follow up to the SRH840, built from a mix of aluminium, plastic, synthetic leather and a fabric weave, with a redesigned headband that tracks closer to the shape of the head than that of their predecessor. As such, we found these improvements to be positive, ensuring good comfort as the breathable headband and firm ear cup pads enabled our reviewer to wear them for up to six hours with no obvious fatigue. 

The headphones come with a long 3m cable, which limits their portability, making them well-suited for listening around the home but less ideal for using out and about. Given they are home studio-grade reference headphones, it wouldn’t make sense to use these outside of the home.

The sound of the SRH840A is similar to their predecessor with the same 5–25000Hz frequency response and low impedance for use with non-specialist hardware. They have the neutrality required of a pair of monitor headphones with some thickness in the upper bass and low mids to avoid sounding sterile. The bass is measured and punchy and the sound width is good, but we were less impressed by the sense of depth in the soundstage. A less expensive option to consider is Shure’s own SRH440A, which can be had for less than £100 / $100.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full Review: Shure SRH840A

Puro BT2200 Plus

Best over-ears for kids

Trusted Score

Pros

• Comfortable to wear
• Good quality sound
• Long battery life
• Better build quality than you’d expect

Cons

• Wired performance is a letdown
• Shaky wireless performance in busy signal areas
• Relatively expensive for kids headphones

We’ve tested a few headphones designed for adults from Puro, but the BT2200 Plus are the first model we’ve really tested of theirs for children. And it’s much better than they need to be.

Puro claims studio-grade quality and they’re not fair off. Clarity is good, detail levels are engaging, and the soundstage is described in wide enough terms, though we did find that some clarity and detail is lost when the volume is nudged up. They lack dynamism, which we’d expect for volume limited headphones, and bass is limp at default volumes (though it gets better when the volume is pushed up.

Battery life is long at 20 hours, and in our tests we felt you can get much longer. We do find the wireless connection to be a bit patchy in busy signal areas, the connection drops regularly even when we on the London Underground waiting for the tube.

The build quality is of surprisingly good quality for a children’s headphones. They’re not the cheap, plasticky quality that you get with less expensive options such as the Planet Buddies headphones. We found them comfortable to wear, and the clamping force is light enough that it shouldn’t cause an undue irritation for young ones. The headphones also come with a spare pair of earpads, so if you wanted to, you could switch and turn these headphones into an on-ear pair.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Puro BT2200 Plus

Winner of best headphone and best noise cancelling at our 2022 awards, the Sony WH-1000XM5 feature a tweaked design and subtle changes to the audio but they add up to one of the most impressive headphones at their price.

They have a more modern look than the WH-1000XM4 although the redesigned earcups can’t be folded in, following in the footsteps of Bose’s NC 700 HP and Apple’s AirPods Max. This change has been done to offer better noise cancelling performance, and in testing we found it did reduced wind noise for a quieter ANC experience.

We also sensed the WH-1000XM5’s noise cancelling tackled higher frequency sounds with more confidence than the XM4, although we did feel the XM4 model suppressed voices better. The new mode coped with other noises well, with everything from big crowds to commuting on transport reduced to a hush. With eight microphones to assist call quality and noise cancellation, the Ambient Mode offered a noticeable improvement over the older model with a clearer, natural sound.

There have also been incremental improvements to the already great audio performance. The mid-range sounds slightly richer and more detailed, with increased definition and clarity to instruments and voices. Music also takes place within a wider soundstage and bass has more texture and clarity then on older models. Taken together and it makes the WH-1000XM5 a great listen with any genre.

For features the Quick Attention mode filters through outside sound at a moment’s notice, and Speak To Chat (which pauses music when you’re speaking) are back. Battery life remains unchanged at 30 hours of runtime, and we managed to get around a week’s use from these headphones. If you’re after more longevity then both the Technics EAH-A800 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless offer 50 and 60 hours respectively.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-1000XM5

Bose and Sony are locked in a never-ending battle of one-upmanship when it comes to their noise-cancelling headphones, and we feel that in terms of ANC performance Bose has beaten Sony with its QuietComfort Earbuds II.

The sequel has been revamped from the original QuietComfort Earbuds, not as chunky (but still fairly big) and ditching the Stay Hear tips for a shape that fits into the ear better and helps remove some ambient noise before the ANC kicks in. They’re comfortable to wear over long periods of use, though it’s a slight disappointment that we can hear some minor wind noise with ANC activated, an issue we had hoped the new model had eradicated.

Despite that, this is the finest noise-cancellation we’ve tested in a true wireless so far, removing more sounds than its nearest challenger in the Sony WF-1000XM5. While not every sound was removed, the Bose weren’t far off from achieving that goal. When we stopped using them we were always surprised by how loud our surroundings were. Improvements include suppressing people’s voices, which it does even better than the original did.

The Aware mode is excellent too, producing a clear, detailed, and natural performance. Bose’s ActiveSense technology works similarly to the AirPods Pro 2‘s transparency mode in automatically reducing loud background noises. When we used it on the London Underground, we found it worked very well during a conversation with another person.

The audio performance is noticeably better on this model than it is on the original, with the top end of the frequency range brighter and bass is bigger and punchier. Vocals carry more weight too, and there’s a better sense of depth and width than we can recall with the original. The sequel is a better listen overall.

There aren’t many features but there is a three-band EQ to customise the sound profile of the buds within the app, and we found the wireless performance to be excellent, with barely a hint of a dropout noted. One disappointment is the call quality performance. Vocal clarity is good, but in noisy areas the earphones let in too much noise.

All in all this is an impressive performance that improves upon the original. It has been superseded by the QuiteComfort Ultra Earbuds which add Snapdragon Sound support and Bose’s Immersive Audio feature, though we don’t find the noise-cancelling to be as good on that model.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

While the WF-1000XM5 has stiff competition from the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, in terms of the overall performance, we’d give the Sony the edge.

The design is smaller and lighter, making for a more favourable and comfortable fit. With the introduction of an extra small ear-tip size, there’s more room to fit a wider range of ears.

Featuring the Dynamic Driver X, the bass performance isn’t as powerful or as fun as it was on the WF-1000XM4 but the bass carries more detail and clarity. The midrange has a better sense of fine detail, especially with voices, and the high frequencies are sharper, clearer and more detailed.

The noise-cancelling performance is another area where the XM5 improve on the WF-1000XM4, able to suppress voices and general noise better for a much quieter performance. We found the transparency mode is clear and detailed, although we find the WF-1000XM4 is slightly clearer. However, for the best noise-cancelling performance, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are the better choice.

Wireless performance is good in both AAC and LDAC playback modes, and theses earbuds are bundled with an array features from EQ customisation, voice assistant support, gesture controls, and more. These are as comprehensive a pair of true wireless as you’re likely to find on the feature front. They do pretty much everything you could think of.

Battery life matches the WF-1000XM4, with 8 hours per earbuds and 24 in total with the charging case. The one area we felt that could be improved was call quality. It’s decent but it allows background noise to peek through whenever we spoke but was silent when we weren’t speaking. We found that a strange quirk of these wireless earphones.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WF-1000XM5

The Empyrean II picks up where the original left off and for those that consider themselves audiophiles, they deliver a remarkable audio performance.

Let’s start with the design, which is on the large side and our reviewer felt they could make you feel a little daft when wearing them but these wired headphones aren’t ones that you’d wear outside. But these are distinctive in looks and comfortable to wear even after several hours thanks to the way they are designed. Earpads are included in the accessories, and switching between the earpads was a task we found easy enough thanks to Rinaro’s isomagnetic coupling technology.

Meze Audio offers five different cable types at different lengths, so overall you get a choice of ten different cables to suit your set-up when you’re ordering the headphones.

The claimed frequency response is 8Hz – 100kHz, which to be frank is unheard of (most of which the human ear won’t be able to hear anyway), but the sound the Empyrean II produces is stellar. They feature a neutral sound and boast remarkable levels of detail retreival and resolution, our reviewer finding that their tonal balance from the bottom to the top end of the frequency range to be impeccable. The low end is relayed in substantial and deep terms, the midrange is loaded with information, and showcase plenty of dynamic headroom.

Of course you’d need a decent amplifier and high quality sources to make these headphone sing, especially with its price of £2749 / $2999, but these are wired headphones that you’ll want to keep continue listening to over and over again.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Meze Empyrean II

The Røde NTH-100 are a fantastic choice if you’re in need of a pair of headphones for professional use. This is reflected in their detailed and balanced audio that makes them ideal as a pair of reference headphones for mixing, especially when dealing with lossless audio.

Our reviewer found the bass carried plenty of depth without the typical superficial excitement present with cheaper headphones. The mid-range unpacks every last detail of a track, alongside a smooth top-end that makes listening to these headphones a pleasure.

The NTH-100 lack the features of wireless headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds on this list. What you do get is a very long 2.4m cable (an optional 1.2m is available for extra cost) and a clever fitting system known as FitLock that allows you to lock in the headband position of the NTH-100 so it remains in the correct position for your head at all times.

In terms of their design, the NTH-100 adhere totally to the expectation of what over ear headphones look like in general. They build quality is very fine, the all-black finish and Alcantara-covered memory foam for earpads contact helps them to be especially comfortable. If performance-per-pound is what you’re in the market for, then the Røde are great whether it’s for casual or critical listening.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Røde NTH-100

When it comes to premium wireless headphones, there’s a growing body of headphones from the likes of Apple, Master & Dynamic, Mark Levinson, and Bowers & Wilkins, and at the top of that list we feel is the Focal Bathys.

Priced at £699 / $799, the Bathys come in either a black/silver finish or the dune colourway that we reviewed. They are a distinctive looking pair of headphones, sporting and elegant and tasteful look that lives up to the premium price, the flame logo in the middle of the earcups can light up for added style. The area we’re perhaps less convinced about the design are the buttons, which a little rudimentary and don’t offer the kind of feedback we’d like.

The audio performance is the main reason to purchase these headphones. The Bathys present a crisp, clean, and defined soundstage without sounding too sharp or too hard, producing a more natural sound than the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 delivers with its more musical and flowing sound. There’s excellent balance achieved in terms of tone, enough dynamic headroom to allow voices and instruments to flourish. Listen to it through a wired connection and it sounds even better.

The ANC isn’t as strong as the Px8, offering a lighter touch but still good enough to keep most external sounds at bay. Walking through the streets of London and we felt our listening experience wasn’t disrupted much, but on public transport and planes, there are better headphones that can deal with louder noises. The transparency mode is very good: clear, natural, and without producing much noise either.

Battery life is claimed to be around 30 hours, but in our tests we found that the headphones could longer, at least if you have an Android smartphone and an aptX Adaptive connection. The wireless performance is excellent with only the briefest stutter experience in a busy area, while call quality is among the best we’ve heard with excellent voice pick-up and background noises being kept to a minimum.

If you want high fidelity premium sound, then look no further than the Focal Bathys

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Focal Bathys

Anyone familiar with the Grado brand will be able to identify the SR325x as one of their headphones in a heartbeat. A pair of on-ears with an open-backed design, it’s an approach that’s been at the heart of Grado’s offering for decades, the open-backed design grants these headphones a bigger, more spacious soundstage.

It does make them a leaky-sounding pair of headphones, so if you’re using these on public transport, be prepared to to have people looking at you. The Grado SR325x offer terrific consistency in their balanced approach to music, emphasising a natural tone and fantastic clarity with instruments and vocals. We found the stereo image to be full of depth, the sharpness and definition, giving music a great sense of fidelity.

You will need high quality audio files to get the best from them but with their 38 ohm impedance, you’ll be able to connect these wired headphones to a range of devices without the need for further amplification to drive them.

We found the design to be of premium quality, the metal housing for each earcup offers a durable finish, and the brand’s ‘F’ type earcups are ones we felt were especially comfortable during use. As seems to be the case with on-ears, you may experience a degree of pinching depending on the size of your ear, in which case an over-ear such as the Monolith M1070 or Austrian Audio Hi-X65 may be preferable.

Nevertheless, these are an insightful, precise and detailed pair of on-ear headphones, an audiophile pair of cans without the price tag to go with it.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Grado SR325x

On-ear headphones have their pros and cons, but they still remain a popular choice among commuters, and the SoundMagic P23BT are one of the best we’ve reviewed in recent years.

The P23BT are an affordable (£49.99), support aptX-HD Bluetooth for higher quality sound and can last for around 50-60 hours.

The design has the same issues that plague any on-ear, in that they can pinch around the earlobes (especially if you have bigger ears) and it can leak sound in from the outside world. Get past that and the SoundMagic have a lightweight and foldable design that made it easier for us to stow away when not in use. Touch controls are cleverly integrated into the earcups. In use, they’re surprisingly responsive.

Features are few for a pair of headphones such as these, with aptX-HD Bluetooth the most notable in offering wearers the chance to stream music at a higher quality bit-rate. Our reviewer found the headphones capable of much more subtlety than expected, with a midrange full of detail, treble that’s bright and sharp and detailed bass. The Marshall Major IV are a great deal more bassy in their performance, but we find the P23BT more balanced overall.

Given the price these headphones are bargain, and for those not big on features and just need a simple pair of on-ears to listen to, we highly recommend the SoundMagic.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: SoundMagic P23BT

The WH-CH720N are Sony’s most affordable noise-cancelling headphones, putting in a strong performance for its sub-£100 / $100 price.

The CH720N are mostly constructed from recycled plastic, and the build quality is good with no noticeable creaks or groans. Using plastic keeps the headphones weight down to 192g, and the padding on the headband and earcups ensures they’re comfortable to wear. The lack the stylistic flourishes and premium feel of more expensive headphones, but they do a job for the asking price.

Features for a headphone of this price are extensive with active noise-cancellation and transparency mode included, along with Bluetooth multipoint to connect to two devices at once, app support (for more customisation) and voice assistance in both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Battery life is long, as we estimated these headphones could last as much as 40 hours with noise-cancelling on.

Noise-cancellation is solid at this price. It focuses on reducing low frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise, making the daily commutes and journeys more tolerable. Compared to the Soundcore Space One we feel they clear out more noise.

The sound quality puts an emphasis on smoothness and bass, with a punchy low-end, clear and detailed midrange and a treble performance that’s bright and clear enough to enjoy. They’re an improvement on the CH710N, and for those after a pair of affordable ANC headphones, the CH720N is our recommendation for the best choice.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-CH720N

The Tribit Starlet01 Kids are cute, comfortable and volume-limited, making them a great buy for any parent looking to protect their kids’ ears while they do homework, watch movies and play games. 

The headphones have a bright, single-colour design, making them look vibrant and age-appropriate without running the risk of appearing too childish in the same vein as the animal ear-toting Planet Buddies Volume Limited Headphones. 

The fit is comfortable too, with the headband being lightweight and adjustable, and the ear cups soft and padded. 

The headline feature here is the volume-limiting technology. This feature ensures the volume is kept to the WHO-recommended level of 85dB, with the option to switch over to 94dB in busier environments. This is a popular feature for kids’ headphones as it helps to prevent issues like noise-induced hearing loss. You can also find volume-limiting on certain adult headphones, such as the PuroPro Hybrid ANC headphones. 

The Starlet01 Kids are wired headphones, meaning there’s no Bluetooth support for wireless listening. One benefit to this is that you don’t need to worry about charging up the battery before a trip, though you may find you need to pick up an adapter to use the headphones with any device that doesn’t carry a 3.5mm jack (the iPhone 14, for example). 

For those in need of volume-limited wireless headphones, look toward the Planet Buddies Wireless Headphones or Tribit’s own Starlet02 kids headphones. 

Despite this, the Starlet01 outperform the Planet Buddies when it comes to audio quality, offering fantastic tonal balance and detail for such an affordable pair of kids’ headphones. 

There are some drawbacks to the Tribit Starlet01. Playback controls are limited and the volume limit switch is easily accessible to kids. However, the volume cannot go higher than 94dB and both the sound quality and fit are fantastic, making the Starlet01 our favourite pair of budget kids’ headphones. 

Reviewer: Hannah Davies
Full Review: Tribit Starlet01 Kids

Compared to the original Beam, the Beam Gen 2 has been updated to match the appearance of its bigger and more expensive sibling, the Arc. It comes with addition of an eARC HDMI port that allows it to play full-fat lossless Atmos soundtracks. That also means you’ll need an eARC compatible TV to get the best out of it. Otherwise, things remain the same with the Beam 2nd Gen, with it best suited for TVs up to and including 49-inches.

The current Beam supports Wi-Fi and the Sonos S2 app, which offers access to a multitude of streaming services such as Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz, as well as Sonos’ own Radio service. You can also call on voice assistance in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as well as initiate Trueplay (as long as you’ve got an iOS device), which optimises the Beam’s audio performance according to the environment it is in.

During testing we found it produced an excellent audio performance, offering a solid low end and a generally balanced sound across the frequency range. It also handled music impressively, with no noticeable distortion, handling more subtle elements with nuance. The addition of Dolby Atmos isn’t achieved through upfiring speakers but through virtual processing, and it offers a good performance with a decent sense of dimensionality when we watched Captain Marvel on Disney+. An alternative Atmos bar is the Polk Signa S4, which offers a good sense of height with its upfiring speakers, and while its cheaper it is not as compact.

There is a foot dangled in the direction of DTS but support for this audio format is not complete. The similarly compact and priced Polk Magnifi Mini AX and Denon Home Sound bar 550 do support DTS:X, and like the Sonos both can be paired with a subwoofer for added ‘oomph’. A slightly more expensive but still impressive alternative is the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini.

While the Beam 2 is not perfect, as a means of getting Atmos into the home, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a great way of doing so.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Sonos Beam Gen 2

The Samsung HW-S61B is an excellent compact soundbar, a more affordable rival to the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

Its a compact speaker cabale of producing a crisp, clear and punchy sound. It offers plenty of energy and outright attack that easily betters anything a TV can produce. Its built-in subwoofer provides impact to action scenes, and with Atmos content, the soundstage is bigger than the dimensions of the bar and TV, producing plenty of size and scale to go with Hollywood blockbusters.

It’s pretty solid performer with music content whether over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, though the former produces a clearer, more detailed performance. The lack of HDMI eARC is a disappointment as it means you won’t be getting the highest quality Dolby Atmos sound possible, and we’re not big fans of the design when it comes to placement of the LED screen. We can barely see it at the best of times given how small it is.

Features include Amazon Alexa voice control, though this would need another connected speaker to be able to use. AirPlay 2 is another means of playing audio to the system, while if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you can tap it on the surface of the soundbar and play music to it. If after you’ve bought the speaker, you’re looking to upgrade and add more, the S61B does support the SWA-9200S wireless rear speaker system. Anyone with Samsung Q-Symphony compatible TV can also take advantage of that feature, whereby the TV and soundbar speakers combine for a bigger sound.

There are other options in the market if you are looking for a soundbar and subwoofer combo, most notably the Polk MagniFi Mini AX, but its Atmos performance isn’t as convincing as the Samsung.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full review: Samsung HW-S61B

If you’re something with an older TV (say a Pioneer Kuro) or have a second, smaller TV that doesn’t have HDMI inputs, then the Sonos Ray is tailor made for you.

It only supports audio through an optical connection, so you won’t have to worry about the scourge of HDMI handshake issues. Audio through an optical connection keeps things simple enough, though you do miss out on advanced 3D audio like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. There’s only enough bandwidth for Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks.

It’s also not a smart soundbar either as it does not feature any built-in microphones for voice control from the likes of as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can still have those smart features, but you’ll need to connect the Ray to another smart speaker.

The design looks a little different from other Sonos soundbars with its lozenge-shaped look and curved ends. Our reviewer felt it was a less in-your-face design that makes the Ray better to blend in with its surroundings more. You can also fit it into an AV rack if you wanted to conceal it from view.

The sound is surprisingly wide for its size, with effective bass performance too. It offers a clear and obvious improvement on a TV with dialogue making audio tracks much easier to understand. With music we felt it sounded decent, perhaps not quite as good as it is with TV series and films, but passable enough. For its primary job of making audio clearer, the Sonos Ray does a brilliant job.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Sonos Ray

While a small soundbar is helpful in terms of reducing space, its size isn’t always great for producing a more cinematic sound, especially when it comes to bass. The Polk MagniFi Mini AX has you covered in that respect.

This an ultra-compact Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar from American brand Polk, and it differs from other options on this list in that it is not just an all-in-one effort but one that comes with sizeable subwoofer. This allows it produce and energetic and dynamic performance, and given the weight and power behind the subwoofer’s performance, it’s probably one that’s sure to alert the neighbours to what you’re watching.

In our opinion the Polk doesn’t full suffice as an immersive soundbar but performs better than the Creative Stage 360. It can do a decent impression of height effects but not with the greatest sense of definition, while its soundstage is front heavy, though you can add Polk’s SR2 surround speakers as real channels for a greater sense of space. Dialogue can be enhanced with Polk’s VoiceAdjust technology, although we found that while it did its job of boosting voices, it also had a tendency to raise surrounding noise as well.

Tonally we felt the soundbar sounded accurate and there’s good levels of detail and clarity to enjoy when the soundbar is put into its 3D mode, which also gives a bigger, wider soundstage to Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. With music it’s a solid performer, playing music with a crispness that we found avoided sibilance or harshness.

It has an array of connections that’s greater than LG’s Éclair soundbar, with Chromecast available along with Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and a USB connection that can play MP3 music. With Atmos and DTS:X support for the same price as the Sonos Sub Mini, this is a good value soundbar/subwoofer combination.

The Roku Streambar is a rare device in that is does two things for the price of one. You get a soundbar and video streamer all rolled into one for the relatively low price of £129 / $130. If you see them during a sale, you can get them for even less.

This is a smart little option for those after a no-frills performance for both video and audio. There’s no Dolby Atmos support so all you’ll get is a stereo performance. For its size it has a good grasp over dialogue, though it’s not as cinematic as some of the models on this list.

It does put in a decent performance in terms of bass, giving the low end some punch, and the soundstage is wider than you’d think for a soundbar of its size as it fires sound out towards its sides.

It’s not too shabby at performing its duties as a video streamer either. If your TV isn’t the smartest, it has all the major streaming apps covered in Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and the Freeview Play catch-up apps (in the UK). It supports 4K HDR content, putting in a colourful performance, and its upscaling is decent enough that you could get away with watching 720p streams on a 4K TV.

Like Roku’s TVs, it comes with a range of features that includes AirPlay 2 and Apple HomeKit, although there’s no built-in voice assistant if that’s what you’re looking for. The interface is simple and easy to use, making this an accessible device for people of all ages to use and understand.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Roku Streambar

If we’re talking about the best value turntable, the Rega Planar PL1 (2021) is at the top of the list. Pound-for-pound it offers great performance for its £275 price.

There’s little to say about the PL1’s design, which doesn’t mess around with the turntable formula that’s been laid down for decades. There is a choice of matte white or matte black options, a change from the Planar 1. While there’s little in terms of design flourishes, our reviewer found the build quality to be more than acceptable for the price.

More substantial refinements have been made to the RB110 tonearm, which is pre-fitted with a Rega Carbon cartridge and offers an integrated clip for securing the arm as well as automatic bias adjustment.

Inside is a powerful synchronous motor with a redesigned PCB and aluminium pulley, the first time it’s been placed in an entry-level Rega deck. The new EBLT drive belt has been moulded, cryogenically frozen, and then barrelled to be perfectly round. All of this Rega considers to be integral for accurate speed and stability for the best tracking and performance possible.

On the sound front, the PL1 offered up a big, wide soundstage with some excellent separation and plenty of room for every element of a song to breathe, making Rega’s entry-level record player an enjoyable and easy listen. The low end offers texture and detail with treble equally as convincing, while the mid-range is packed with detail and character. Our reviewer found there was a unity to the PL1’s performance that made it an engaging listen. In every meaningful respect, the Rega delivers the performance you’d want for an entry-level model.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Rega Planar PL1

We’ve tested plenty of Technics turntables over the years but the SL-1200GR2 is arguably the best model yet in its SL-1200 series that goes back to 1972.

Very little appears to have changed in terms of the design, but why would Technics want to change one of the most iconic looking turntables out there? It has strobe lighting to confirm that it’s spinning at the right speed, supports 33.3, 48, and 78RPM; and in general it’s very well bolted together. Our reviewer commented that the S-shaped tonearm is one of the nicest looking examples they could remember testing.

It doesn’t come with a phono stage built-in or a phono cartridge pre-installed, so these are areas to resolve before you jump into playing records on it.

The biggest changes we noted have happened inside the player, with a new Delta Sigma drive that controls the timing and synchronisation of the electricity hitting the motor. And along with the new revised power supply, the Technics aims to be quieter and less prone to vibration than before.

The performance is excellent, with the Technics imbuing records with lots of energy and scale. That’s down to the bass the SL-1200GR2 offers that’s impressive in terms of depth and impact, giving tracks a lively and energetic performance. And it’s not just tracks bounding with energy that the Technics can describe well, with slower tracks it can reveal all the smaller, more delicate moments, playing at the rhythm of the album itself rather than forcing energy onto the track.

The Technics succeeds by making changes where it needs to, and improving on its well-regarded forbearers to make the SL-1200GR2 one of the most capable all-rounder turntables Technics has come up with.

Reviewer: Ed Selley
Full Review: Technics SL-1200GR2

If your knowledge of vinyl and record players is more advanced, or you are looking to upgrade for a more affordable turntable, the Debut Pro from Pro-Ject is high on our list of turntables to consider.

In our reviewer’s words, the Debut Pro is “pound-for-pound” one of the best turntables in terms of performance. The low frequencies it exerts are controlled, well-formed and respectably deep, hitting with real purpose. The top end of the frequency range is area we found to be equally rewarding, with treble sounds biting but refraining from grating. And where midrange detail and information is concerned, the Pro-Ject is an eloquent performer.

In terms of features, the Debut Pro is equipped with the Pick It Pro cartridge, which is an adaptation of Ortofon’s well-regarded 2M Red cartridge. There is height adjustment available for the tonearm that no only helps to change the vertical tracking angle and azimuth settings, but also makes it easier to experiment with different cartridges should you want to. Record playing speeds include 33.3, 48 and 78rpm, though to play at the latter speed requires having to replace the flat drive belt with the round version Pro-Ject supplies with the player.

The design is as you’d expect if you’ve ever used a turntable. There are adjustable feet to help keep the record player flat on any surface it’s on, with an aluminium platter and belt-driven motor the other design elements of note. In essence, this is good build and finish quality.

Another less expensive option is the Rega Planar 2, a player that earned five stars from this site. It’s also an excellent record player for the money, though the cartridges it uses is the weak link in the overall package.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Pro-Ject Debut Pro

After launching the PS-HX500, a player that delivered on affordability and performance; the PS-LX310BT repeats the trick but adds Bluetooth connectivity to its feature-set.

We’ll admit that it’s not the most visually attractive, and though it is light, the construction is sturdy enough.

Convenience is the main selling point, from the set-up all the way to listening. It comes with a built-in phono stage and the set-up process only requires you add the platter and belt-drive. If you’re learning about vinyl, this would be a steady option to start with. Then there is the Bluetooth support, with a button to initiate pairing.

And once it’s up and running it’s a solid performer that favours smoothness. Our reviewer felt it extracted enough detail from vinyl tracks to make for an enjoyable listen. There’s decent heft to the bottom end, and acceptable drive and momentum to the presentation. While we felt the top end of the frequency is played safely, it’s an enjoyable listen.

As as expected, the Sony loses a bit of detail in Bluetooth mode compared to when it is hard-wired, but at this price it’s an excellent performer and an accessible turntable.

Audio Technica’s AT-LP60XBT offers similar features at a less expensive price, but we feel the Sony offers the better sound quality.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Sony PS-LX310BT

The Clearaudio Concept Active is a record player that aims to make playing records more convenient but still exude high-end style. The deck has been nicely finished and looks excellent, offering no compromises in build quality.

The integrated phono stage stacks up well against standalone alternatives, although our reviewer felt standalone options have more feel for rhythmic expression. As is the norm for Clearaudio, the feature set is good: the plinth is designed to reject resonance and the driver decoupled to protect against vibrations.

It’s at this point the Active model diverges from the standard Concept deck, the ‘active’ aspect allows for a more straightforward plug and play functionality. There are several rocker switches: one to turn a subsonic filter on and off to minimise low frequency background noise, another to change the gain control and a third to switch between passive, variable and active inputs for the RCA output.

Choosing passive bypasses the integrated phono stage, while variable enables control over volume with an amplifier. Active uses the on-board phono stage and playing with the volume using the deck’s roller control. Once the configuration/switches have been sorted, it’s simply a case of plugging in and playing music.

As a listening experience, we found the Clearaudio to be an informative and expansive listen with a wide soundstage. It’s a precise-sounding player but not in the sense that it lacks passion. A play of Pixies’ Bossanova had our reviewer raving about the accuracy, alongside the animated and engaging description of the track.

There’s plenty of ‘oomph’ to the low end, while the mid range is expressive and acts as a vital component of the wider frequency range, while the top end is refined, filled with plenty of substance and detail. What we weren’t as enamoured with was listening to music through the headphone output, which is not the most engaging performance.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Clearaudio Concept Active

The Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 follows on from the original, offering wired and wireless Bluetooth streaming for connecting to wireless speakers or headphones.

The Alva TT V2 is one of the few that offers (lossy) Hi-res Audio streaming at a 24-bit/48kHz in aptX HD. That offers more convenience (and higher quality playback) for those who find the world of vinyl a little disorientating.

Not much has changed on the design front with its chunky aluminium platter, and direct drive design. Where it has changed is in the new design for the tonearm, bringing counterweight adjustment and anti-skate features; the headshell is detachable coming pre-fitted with a Cambridge Audio moving coil cartridge. There are dedicated inputs for stereo RCA connections, along with support for 33.3 and 45rpm speeds.

Our reviewer found there was a remarkable consistency to the Alva TT V2’s delivery over wired and wireless connection. There’s weight and detail to its sound, and while the top end can sound understated, there’s still plenty of attack and bite. The low end has a good level of extension, and the mid range packs in lots of detail. We found there was a remarkable cohesion and unity to the overall sound of the Alva TT V2, too.

We did note that a hard wired connection provided better handling of lower frequencies but for those who prefer convenience, then Bluetooth playback is a simpler solution than hooking up various hi-fi separates. If the price is too high, a more affordable option to consider is the Sony PS-LX310BT or Cambridge’s own Alva ST player.

If you’re finding it hard to find, the Alva TT V2 can be found at Richer Sounds in the UK. Another option for those who have Sonos speakers is Victrola Stream Carbon, which is a wireless turntable built to work with Sonos speakers.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2

Our best affordable turntable goes to Monoprice’s Monolith Turntable. Monoprice has gained a reputation for high quality products at affordable prices in the United States, and they’re starting to make their way into the UK market, this record spinner is available for $249 / £249, the same price as the Sony LX310BT

According to our reviewer, despite the low price, the build quality is everything you could respectably hope for. Everything is put together well, the damped MDF construction feels both sturdy and substantial; with no visible seams or sharp corners. Colours come in gloss back and walnut veneer to match your surroundings.

The carbon fibre tone-arm is one we found to be very acceptable, with its straight design and pre-fitted Audio Technica AT-VM95E moving-magnet cartridge. You are expected to sort out the anti-skate and adjust the counterweight, with controls essentially a stop/start button below the tonearm and an automatic speed change (33.3/45rpm). Aside from having an auto-stop feature, the Monolith should be easy enough for most to operate.

There’s an integrated phono stage that can also be bypassed if you have a phono stage of your own. Connections flow from stereo RCA outputs and USB-B output (to make digital copies of your records), with Bluetooth wireless support also included for those who prefer some convenience.

You may expect a trade-off in terms of price and performance, but the Monoprice shoots above expectations. Our reviewer for that trade-off to be minor, finding the turntable to be a decently balanced, detailed and organised listen. Trade up from the integrated phono stage for a more expensive phono stage, and a sharper, more assertive performance can be had, but that serves to make clear that the Monoprice’s internals do a good job for the asking price.

The Bluetooth performance is consistent with the character of its wired sound, though it suffers a loss of detail and low frequency impact. In terms of tone, you can expect the same kind of performance.

Other alternatives to consider include Sony LX310BT, Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT and the Fluance RT-82, which puts in a very capable performance for its price.

Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Monoprice Monolith Turntable

The Sound Burger has been around for decades, but the initial launch didn’t go so well. For Audio Technica’s 60th anniversary, they decided to bring the turntable back with modern features such as Bluetooth and USB-C. Suffice to say, this launch went alot better.

It’s a portable turntable, which is rare in itself. It’s a clever design, though not perfect in some ways, with the transit screw one that’s likely to go missing if you lose track of it.

New features include a new battery which offers 12 hours of battery (though the battery itself charges rather slowly), a 3.5mm to RCA connection (for wired use), and a Bluetooth 5.2 connection (for wireless flinging your records to a wireless speaker). We did find that trying to get the turntable to pair with a pair of headphones was a hassle, but connecting to a speaker was easier. Disappointingly there’s no room for Bluetooth streaming higher than SBC.

There is no volume control, which means it has be done on the speaker (or headphone) you’ve connected to. Electronic speed control equals 33.3 and 45RPM, while the tonearm is a ATN3600L and with an AT-91 cartridge, which are easy enough to replace if they wear out or get damaged.

It performs well for a turntable of its size, with a enegertic sound that’s capable of showcasing plenty of speed and agility where it’s needed. Where it is weakest is with the low frequencies, but you can make up that shortfall by pairing it with a bass-heavy speaker (or headphone).

Reviewer: Ed Selley
Full Review: Audio-Technica Sound Burger

When products are too cheap to be true, you tend to think the worse of them but that shouldn’t be applied to the Majority Moto in our view. If you’re interested in vinyl but care spare the cash, this is a very affordable entry path into it.

The Majority Moto is smaller than most record players, which will help for those tight on space, and build quality is decent too, with a small dust cover included and the chassis featuring built-in speakers. It’s not quite as modern as we’d like it to be, the more expensive JBL BT Spinner is an example of how to make a turntable feel modern and fresh.

It comes attached with an Audio-Technica cartridge that’s a solid and reliable performer and easy to buy a replacement stylus for. While you can play sound from the built-in speakers, there’s Bluetooth streaming to beam audio to a Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphone of your choice. You can plug in a headphone through the wired connection and an RCA connection on the rear allows for an amplifier and powered speaker to be added to the Moto.

There’s even a built-in phono stage so won’t necessarily have to rely on a standalone piece of kit, and you can rip your vinyl files to your computer if you want a digital copy. So far, the Majority Moto ticks covers all the bases for an entry-level player.

Our reviewer found that there is a limit to the Moto’s playback performance. Its speed stability is not always the most consistent, and it can create some noise when it’s spinning too much. But, all that said, the Majority is capable of a fun, enjoyable sound, which gets better depending on the device you connect it with. It’s fairly limited on the bass front, so consider partnering it with a speaker or headphone with a bigger bass performance, and you’ll get a much more engaging performance.

Reviewer: Ed Selley
Full Review: Majority Moto

In the past SoundMagic have been specialists with affordable wired earphones, but they’ve been making inroads with wireless headphones, and at £49.99, the P23BT are another pair that offer excellent value.

These are on-ear design, which comes with a few inescapable issues. One we experienced is the headphones can pinch around the ear, resulting in a little bit of discomfort after prolonged use. Another is that noise from the outside world leaks through, but some may actually like awareness of what’s around them.

However, their compact, lightweight and foldable frame makes them, in our opinion, easy to wear and even easier to stow away when not in use. They integrate physical and touch controls, which work surprisingly well in terms of their responsiveness. They headphones also have a 3.5mm jack in case you want to connect to a wired source.

They are short of features but what is provided is very good, especially for the price. Battery life is claimed to be around 54-60 hours, which is long though not as extensive as the Marshall Major IV‘s 80+ hours. They also feature aptX-HD Bluetooth for playback of wireless Hi-res audio streams from the likes of Tidal and Qobuz. By comparison, the Sony WH-CH520 have Bluetooth multipoint, though they don’t support higher quality Bluetooth streaming.

It’s the sound quality that impressed us most when reviewing the P23BT. It’s well balanced, with a detailed midrange, a big soundstage, and a clear, bright high frequency playback, plus bass that offers a decent amount of depth. They sound clearer and more detailed than the WH-CH520, and more balanced the the Major IV, though if you like plenty of bass with your music, you might want to give the Marshall pair a closer look.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: SoundMagic P23BT

The WH-CH720N are part of Sony’s refresh of its affordable budget range of headphones, and we feel they offer a strong overall performance for the asking price.

Build quality is decent even though the headphones’ frame and earcups have been made from recycled plastic, with no noticeable creaks or groans when we bent the frame. The use of plastic also keeps the headphones lightweight at 192g. We didn’t experience periods of discomfort wearing the headphones, thanks to the use of padding on the headband and earcups.

Battery life can go as far as 40 hours from our tests with noise-cancelling on, less than the SoundMagic P23BT, but it does boast more convenient features. They include active noise-cancellation and transparency mode, as well as Bluetooth multipoint, app support (which provides more customisation) and voice assistants in the form of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

The noise-cancellation is solid for the price, focusing on culling low frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise so it’s less of a bother. We wouldn’t say that these headphones clear away every noise they come across, but they’ll make the daily commutes and journeys in cities feel less chaotic and disruptive.

The sound quality is similar to the WH-CH520 on-ears in that it takes on a smooth and bassy tone. Bass is punchy, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the upper frequencies and bright and clear enough to have some impact. The Final UX300 offer a more insightful performance (at least with its noise-cancelling off), but they aren’t as affordable, nor do they boast as many features for day-to-day use either.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-CH720N

The Nothing Ear (a) are a great-looking pair of true wireless earbuds, with the yellow colourway offering a vibrant option for those looking to stand out. 

These affordable earbuds have a transparent build, allowing you to peer inside the ear stems and creating a retro look that matches Nothing’s other devices. The case is also transparent and is more compact than the case that houses the higher-end Nothing Buds. The earbuds are rated IP54 for sweat and water resistance, though the case only carries an IPX2 rating so you’ll want to avoid dropping it in the pool. 

The gesture controls can be found on the earbud stem, allowing you to skip tracks and switch on active noise cancelling (ANC) with a series of pinches. You can customise these gestures in the Nothing X app, though we found the volume gesture controls quite unreliable. 

The Nothing Ear (a) also aren’t the comfiest true wireless earbuds around, with the design digging in far more than the AirPods Pro, though there are three ear tips included to customise the fit. 

The earbuds take advantage of a considerable amount of features for their price, including adaptive ANC, a transparency mode, in-ear detection for auto play/pause, and a low lag mode for gamers. Multi-point audio allows the buds to connect to two devices at a time, LDAC supports higher-quality streaming on Android devices. There’s also an EQ with four presents in the app, along with the usual SBC and AAC codec support. 

Nothing claims the Ear (a) should last 5.5 hours per charge with ANC switched on (or 9 hours with ANC off), with five total charges in the case. We found similar results in our own tests, though the earbuds offered a little under 5 hours of playtime with the ANC set to High. This is a pretty average result, but does place the Ear (a) behind other, slightly pricier earbuds, like the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100. 

There’s no wireless charging support on the Ear (a) with Nothing reserving this feature for the Nothing Ear. 

Moving on to audio quality, the Nothing Ear (a) deliver a thoroughly impressive sound, with crisp vocals and plenty of bass when required. The earbuds offer a pleasing neutrality in their sound that is comparable to that of the AirPods Pro. They might not offer quite as much clarity, but at less than half the price the Ear (a) boast an endearing, expansive sound that gives real depth to songs. 

There’s no spatial audio support but, at just $100/£100, there are few earbuds on the market that offer better quality sound at this price. 

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Nothing Ear (a)

We’ve seen more and more true wireless adopt noise-cancelling for less than £100, and the EarFun Air Pro 3 are one of the best examples we’ve tested in terms of performance and price.

They are stacked with an impressive number of features for their £89.99 RRP. There’s support for the Bluetooth 5.3 and aptX Adaptive, which aids the EarFun’s impressive wireless connection in busy signal areas. Call quality is solid with decent voice pick-up (though it could be better by being a bit louder), and battery life is good although not as long as EarFun claims in our tests (five hours compared to the claimed seven).

We were very impressed by the noise-cancellation, better than the award-winning Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, and one of the strongest we’ve tested below £100. The design helps with its snug fit, with the hybrid ANC thinning out people’s voices and dealing well with public transport and larger gatherings of people. It won’t clear out every noise, and we did find on the Underground it struggled with loud noises, but upping the volume helps in reducing the intensity of external sounds.

Like the Sony WH-CH720N the the EarFun Air Pro 3 have a bassy register that gives them a richer presentation. It’s not the sharpest, clearest or most detailed audio performance we’ve heard at this price.

Nonetheless, in terms of features and the value the Air Pro 3 offer, they’re an impressive pair of budget ANC wireless earbuds. There are similarly priced/cheaper options in the Urbanears Juno and Ugreen HiTune T3 but we feel the EarFun offer better noise-cancellation and better sound than either pair.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: EarFun Air Pro 3

If there’s one complain we’ve heard many times about true wireless, is that they don’t always fit in the ear. With the Jabra Elite 3, we don’t think you’ll have as much difficulty trying to fit them in or staying in the ear.

Jabra has developed a reputation of developing headphones that not only fit in the ear but are comfortable to wear as well, and that’s what the Elite 3 offer. They’re a lightweight, unobtrusive true wireless that offer a fantastic seal thanks to their shape. A range of ear-tips can help make the fit and seal better for your ear, and with an IP55 rating they’re resistant to water and dust. Physical buttons also mean a tacile, responsive feedback from your button pushes.

Through our testing, we found battery life to best Jabra’s own claims with over eight hours of battery possible on a single charge. With 28 hours in the charging case, there’s plenty of life in these earbuds.

Convenience is provided in Google Fast Pair (for Android users), Spotify Tap, and Alexa support for those who use the voice assistant. There is the HearThrough mode for those in need of more awareness of their surroundings, and we found thta this feature was reasonably effect in distinguishing between various sounds and hearing what was around us.

The sound quality is warm in tone but maintains a good balance across the frequency range, with treble that sparkles, bass that pounds (with the right track), and encouragig levels of clarity and detail. There’s also good levels of dynamism, providing energy to tracks where needed. There’s no support for noise-cancellation, but in terms of audio, we’d put these above the less dynamic EarFun Air Pro 3.

Reviewer: Hannah Davies
Full Review: Jabra Elite 3

The Sony WH-1000XM5 aren’t just our favourite pair of Sony headphones, they’re one of the best headphones you can buy right now. 

The headphones are an evolution of the WH-1000XM4. The headphone’s design no longer folds flat like previous generations, a design choice that mirrors the Bose NC 700 and Apple AirPods Max, the reason given is to improve noise cancelling performance by reducing the surface area that could cause wind noise.

Testing out the ANC, we did find that the XM5 were more adept at suppressing high frequency sounds than the XM4 although we didn’t find them be quite as good at dealing with voices. That said, the headphones perform an excellent job, plus with the clear and detailed Transparency Mode you can hear what’s around you in crystal clear clarity. 

Features like Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention mode make it possible to hold conversations while still wearing the headphones, and built-in voice assistance offers convenience for hands-free operation. The Adaptive Sound Control builds custom sound profiles based on the locations you frequent most, and there’s 3D sound support with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. 

The battery life is 30 hours, and we managed to get through a week before needing another charge. Battery life is better than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones but the same as the older model. Where the processor granted longer battery on the WF-1000XM4, through various reasons that couldn’t be done here. Perhaps we’ll have to wait until the WH-1000XM6 for longer battery.

Audio quality is the most important aspect here, with even more texture and depth heard in the bass frequencies, a richer and more detailed midrange, and a sharper, more expressive high frequency performance. Sony’s best-noise cancelling over-ears so far.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-1000XM5

While the audio performance of the WF-1000XM4 was fantastic, the WF-1000XM5 still managed to improve on them by taking a more measured approach.

Featuring the Dynamic Driver X, the bass performance isn’t as powerful or as fun as it is on the WF-1000XM4 but the bass carries more detail and clarity. The midrange has a better sense of finer detail, especially with voices, and the high frequencies are sharper, clearer and more detailed.

The noise-cancelling performance is another area where the XM5 improve on the WF-1000XM4, able to suppress voices and general noise better for a much quieter performance. The transparency mode is clear and detailed, although we find the WF-1000XM4 is slightly clearer.

Battery life matches the WF-1000XM4, with 8 hours per earbuds and 24 in total with the charging case. The design is smaller and lighter, making for a more favourable and comfortable fit. With the introduction of an extra small ear-tip size, there’s more room to fit a wider range of ears.

Wireless performance is good in both AAC and LDAC playback modes, and the WF-1000XM5 is bundled with an array features that make these earphones one of the smartest on wireless earbuds on the market, much like the rest of Sony’s premium headphones. Call quality is decent but it does leak in background noise whenever we spoke but silent when we weren’t. It’s a little strange.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WF-1000XM5

The WH-1000XM4 over-ears were replaced by the WH-1000XM5, but they’re still hanging about as a more affordable mid-range option. 

They look similar to the still available WH-1000XM3, but Sony tightened up the design and improved on the already great sound. From a design perspective, we found that small tweaks reaped big benefits. While they weight a gram lighter, they feel comfier with softer earpads and a headband structure redesigned to distribute weight better. The pressure they exert is minimal, which makes them perfect for both casual wear and long-distance travel. One advantage over the XM5 model is that these can be folded up and collapsed for travel.

The noise-cancelling was the strongest we’ve heard from a Sony headphone until the WH-1000XM5, but they still manage to hold their own against newer ANC headphones from other brands. We found they reduced outside sound effectively, hushing voices more effectively than the XM5, although it does do this with a slight noise-cancelling tone. 

Combined with its smart features that allow you to speak to other people without taking the headphones off, as well as Adaptive Sound Control that learns the places you frequent most often and tailors the ANC performance, these Sony headphones remain one of the smartest on the market. 

The sound improved immeasurably over the XM3: more refined, less noisy and as confident as ever. They’re more musical in their approach, adding an extra layer of refinement and detail for a more articulate performance. They extract more detail from mid-range, with instruments better defined, and the separation of elements within a track is clearer, the result is a performance with greater fidelity than the XM3. We also found the DSEE Extreme feature was impressive in how much noise it removed from older tracks.

The WH-1000XM4 still impresses and remains one of the finest noise-cancelling headphones on the market. While we do think the WH-1000XM5 are slightly better in terms of noise-cancelling and sound quality, if you’re after a more affordable Sony noise-canceller, we’d highly recommend this pair.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-1000XM4

The LinkBuds S are the Sony earphones that are more for the casual / lifestyle crowd who want a smart pair of wireless earbuds that are easy to use, but still provide excellent audio. The current price of the LinkBuds S puts them in the £120 / $120 range, much cheaper than the WF-1000XM5.

They are one of the lightest true wireless on the market at just 4.8g per bud. We found their compact design easy to get a good fit with. Made from recycled plastics, the LinkBuds S’ build quality is tough enough, though a drop on concrete did result in a small chip in our review sample. IPX4 protection against sweat and water is included, which makes these earphones a good choice if you need a pair for exercise or gym.

The portable case actually stores less battery life than the LinkBuds, but battery life per charge is slightly more at six hours. We found that with real-world use, the battery is more towards five hours with the high-quality LDAC codec. We also found the strength of its wireless connection to be mostly good aside from a few jitters in busy places.

The noise-cancellation isn’t as comprehensive as either WF-1000XM4 or XM5, but we found the fit and seal created by the LinkBuds S helped to minimise traffic noise and heavily reduce the impact of environmental sounds. The transparency mode picks up a little noise, but nothing that becomes a bother. There are smart features in Spotify Tap and Endel, the latter offers personalised soundscapes for relaxation and sleep though you have to pay for the full service.

We felt that the sound quality was very reminiscent of the WF-1000XM4. The midrange is rich in tone but well detailed, the soundstage described in wide and spacious terms. Bass carries more of an impact than it does on the original LinkBuds. The top end of the frequency spectrum isn’t as bright or as defined as we’d like, though.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony LinkBuds S

The WH-CH720N are Sony’s most affordable noise-cancelling headphones, putting in a performance we feel is strong for its sub-£100 / $100 price.

The headphones are mostly constructed from recycled plastic, and the quality with no noticeable creaks or groans when we bent the frame. The use of plastic keeps the headphones lightweight at 192g, and the CH720N felt comfortable to wear thanks to the padding on the headband and earcups.

When we tested the battery life we found it could go as far as 40 hours with noise-cancelling on. Features for a headphone of this price are surprisingly extensive, with features includes active noise-cancellation and transparency mode, as well as Bluetooth multipoint, app support (for more customisation) and voice assistant support in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Noise-cancellation is rarely stronger than more expensive headphones, but it’s solid at this price. It focuses on reducing low frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise, making the daily commutes and journeys more tolerable.

The sound quality is similar to the WH-CH520 on-ears with it’s smoothness with an emphasis on bass. The bass performance is punchy, the midrange described with clarity and detail, while treble is bright and clear enough to impact. They’re certainly not in the same league as the WH-1000XM4, but these headphones were never going to be. For those whose budget can’t stretch to a purchase of these headphones, the CH720N is our recommendation for the best affordable ANC headphones from Sony.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-CH720N

If you’re in the market for a wireless gaming headset, we suggest you look no further than Sony’s Inzone H7. InZone is a new range of peripherals from Sony, a range made up of three pairs of gaming headsets, with the H7 sitting in the middle. 

The design borrows cues from the WH-1000XM5, with a smooth and clean appearance that also borrows from the aesthetic of the PlayStation 5. At 325g, they’re lighter than the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max and we found them to be very comfortable to wear during our gaming sessions. 

The headphones offer some of the best passive noise isolation we’ve experienced on a gaming headset, blocking out music from a room over and loud neighbours with ease, though anyone after noise cancellation should look at the more expensive H9 model. 

The playback controls are thoughtfully placed on the headphone and compatibility is good as you’re able to connect to a PC or PS5 using Bluetooth or the bundled USB receiver. Unsurprisingly there’s no Xbox Wireless compatibility, nor is there a headphone jack to support wired connections. 

The InZone H7 offered refined and detailed audio with good tonal balance. The soundstage is wide, which makes it possible to pinpoint enemies based on their speech, though we did think the low end could be more tightly defined as it occasionally drowned out more subtle sounds in horror games. 

At $229 / £199, the H7 isn’t among cheaper gaming headsets but the design is comfortable, the sound is detailed and the battery life is great. 

Reviewer: Reese Bithrey
Full Review: Sony Inzone H7

The WH-CH520 are one of the cheapest pairs of Sony headphones we’ve reviewed in recent years. At just £50 / €70, they’re in the impulse buy column if you’re looking for a new pair of on-ear headphones.

We found they were comfortable to wear, though the on-ear design can pinch on the earlobes and passive noise isolation isn’t as good as the true wireless and over-ear pairs, so external sounds mesh with music. The build quality is predominantly plastic, but it does keep the weight down to just 147g, making them rather light to wear on our heads. There’s no carry case so you’ll either need to wear them around your neck or stuff them in a bag when you’re not using them.

Of all the headphones on this list, the WH-CH520 doesn’t have access to the same level of features through the Sony Headphones Connect app, but what it does offer is very good for its price and for on-ears in general. Battery is rated at 50 hours and in our testing we found that the battery can indeed go for a very long time. A nine-hour battery drain didn’t result in any loss of battery whatsoever, which is impressive.

There is Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format for immersive audio, and Bluetooth support equates to SBC and AAC codecs. The wireless connection with our phone was great during testing with no stutters or dropouts even in busy areas. Call quality is also very good in terms of clarity, though in busy areas it can become harder for the other person to hear what’s said.

In terms of their sound quality we found these headphones to be a smooth listen, but they don’t offer as finessed a performance as other similarly priced headphones, with a slight lack of definition and sharpness to instruments and voices not helped by a soundstage that sounds small. Bass is decent for an on-ear and there’s some nice brightness to high frequencies, while the midrange is handled in a smooth, clear manner. A solid, enjoyable pair of headphones.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Sony WH-CH520