For most of What Hi-Fi?'s 50 years, speakers, headphones and other audio equipment have primarily been for music playback.
And while that's still very much our main focus, there's no denying that the rise of the podcast from the mid 2000s has changed the audio landscape. There's a good chance that a lot of the commuters on your morning train are listening to breakdowns on politics, entertainment and sport rather than the latest chart releases.
This does require slightly different strengths in your equipment, however, with vocal clarity, clear mid-range frequencies, and comfortable wear far more important than bass and other music-focused features.
So with International Podcast Day (yes, that's a thing) arriving on 30th September, we've rounded up a few of our favourite smart speakers and headphones that excel at the spoken word, but are also great for music too. They're all products we've tried and tested ourselves, and we'll only recommend them if they earned at least four stars in their reviews.
Let's take a look:
The Sonos Era 100 is our favourite smart speaker overall thanks to its impressive performance at a rather competitive price. There's a vast catalogue of streaming features on board and a spacious, open sound that will bring both your podcasts and your music to life.
If you listen to podcasts on the go, then the Sony WH-1000XM6 are our top choice. They're sensational all-rounders with great comfort levels, excellent ANC and exceptional levels of detail.
If you're on more of a budget, then the HomePod Mini is the smart speaker we'd recommend. It will slot in perfectly to an iOS-oriented ecosystem, and outperforms its size and price with a mature, bold, assertive sound. A no-brainer for Apple fans.
Apple fans will also love the AirPods Pro 3, the brand's best AirPods to date. There have been tweaks and improvements to the design, active noise-cancelling and, most importantly, sound quality, all of which should make listening to podcasts on the move a joy, especially if you have an iOS device.
The speaker range that started the smart home revolution, Amazon Echo, is now in its fifth iteration and better than ever. Alexa is synonymous with virtual assistants and stuffed with features, but we're more impressed with the sound quality, which has come a long way over the last decade.
For style as well as smarts, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) is well worth considering. It's a tad expensive and a little long in the tooth now, but it's also a rather remarkable all-rounder with a classy design, expansive sound and the bonus of Alexa.
If you're recording podcasts as well as listening to them, you may want to consider the Røde NTH-100. The company is a big deal in the world of pro audio, and this first attempt to engage with the consumer audio market is eloquent and revealing, whether you're after a critical or casual listen.
If you've got the budget, then the Apple HomePod 2 is a multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winner. It's the best option for Apple acolytes, with a natural, solid and energetic sound and impressive Siri functionality.
MORE:
Check out our list of the best music streaming services
17 of the best podcasts for music lovers
Tidal vs Spotify: which streaming service is best for you?
