If you’re after a pair of wireless headphones for around £150 / $150 / AU$200, your choices are roughly as follows.

You’ve got the excellent Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT if you don’t need noise cancelling, or you could go for the four-star Philips TAH8000E if you want ANC powers and don’t mind taking a bit of a hit on the sound side. Apart from that, it’s pretty slim pickings in what appears to be a strange market hinterland between budget-friendly cans and their premium, plus-£300/$300 counterparts. Or, you could spend a good deal less and buy a pair of our budget favourites, the Sony WH-CH720N for around £75 / $100 / $AU259.

At £130 / $130 / AU$220, the Soundcore Space 2 seem to fill this gap nicely, at least on paper. With the Hi-X25BT failing to provide ANC and the TAH8000E’s sound not quite reaching five-star heights, the path is open for the Space 2 to stick their flag in this potentially vacant soil. Let’s find out how they perform.

Build & comfort

Both to look at and wear, the Soundcore Space 2 are a well-made, sensibly designed pair of wireless headphones.

They play things reasonably safe on the design front, opting for simple circular earcups, an amply padded leather headband and some functional plastic on-cup buttons, but it would be hard to accuse the Space 2 of feeling cheap. They don’t have the boundary-pushing aesthetics of the more costly Nothing Headphone (1), for example, but this is still a neat, simple yet fairly classy pair of over-ears at a nice price.

They’re rather comfy, too. At a very reasonable 264g, the Space 2 don’t weigh a huge amount, meaning they’re rarely burdensome to wear over extended listening periods. The padding on the earcups and headband is a little on the soft side – some may prefer more firmness – but we don’t feel starved of comfort during our tests.

That headband is easily adjustable via a fairly smooth mechanism which grants roughly an extra inch of wiggle room, while the earcups will rotate from side to side and, even better, fold away fully to make carrying them in a bag easier.

In terms of general usability, it’s a standard, simple showing from the Space 2, and we don’t necessarily mean that as a criticism. The budget cans opt for the same general configuration as many wireless headphones of this type – including the Sony WH-CH720N – with noise cancelling and power buttons found at the bottom of the left earcup, and volume and Bluetooth controls on the right.

They’re not exactly luxurious, and actually finding the buttons when they’re hidden at the bottom edge of your headphones’ exterior requires some acclimatisation – but again, there’s little to really complain about here.

Features

The Soundcore Space 2 go big on battery life, offering around 50 hours with active noise cancelling switched on, and up to 70 hours if you turn ANC off and don’t listen at ear-splitting volumes. We used ours throughout a busy two-day press trip and barely made a dent in their battery. Better yet, a hurried five-minute charge will grant around four hours of standard playtime in a pinch.

For context, the Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT offer around 30 hours from a single charge, while even the Sony WH-CH720N’s 50 hours (ANC off) and 35 hours (ANC on) can’t keep up with the Soundcore.

Bluetooth codec support includes the standard SBC and AAC codecs, while those with compatible sources get the bonus of the higher-quality LDAC codec too. There’s also a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening, but no direct support for USB-C audio.

Spatial audio is provided, in a sense at least. Soundcore’s spin on the tech is dubbed ‘3D Sound’, and, as the name suggests, it’s designed to make stereo audio sound more three-dimensional by expanding the soundstage. There are hints of the tech working well here, and while it’s not going to challenge Dolby Atmos, we do get a sense of instruments being set further away from our ears a little more noticeably when using the mode.

If you do want to have a go with ‘3D Sound’, the best way to find it is via the Soundcore app. It’s a neat app bursting with features – even its own AI chatbot called “Anka” – and there is plenty to discover. You get an eight-band equaliser, ANC mode toggling and even some on-cup button customisation living alongside quite a few ambient sound options.

While you’re on the app, it’s worth taking advantage of Soundcore’s ‘HearID’ hearing test, which assesses your listening abilities and preferences and then purports to construct your own personalised sound curve. How much of this actually pays off is debatable, but it’s nice to have the option at this level, and we do find ourselves conducting much of our testing with our personalised hearing profile switched on.

ANC & call quality

It’s time to find out how the Soundcore Space 2 handle noise cancelling, and what better way to test out their ANC capabilities than with a quick flight over to Germany? No, we didn’t book the flight just to test out a pair of wireless headphones – we’re committed to our jobs, but we’re not that committed.

Both the flight and the busy airport give us the perfect opportunity to discover what the Space 2 can do, with noise cancelling available in its standard active form as well as a Transparent Mode for letting the world in.

Considering the price you’re paying, both settings are competently realised. The general hubbub of a busy airport terminal is softened nicely, even if peakier higher frequencies can tend to pierce through, while the rumbling and swooshing of an airplane in flight are diminished ably as we take to the skies with the Space 2 clamped over our ears. At this price, we’ve very little to take issue with.

It’s tricky to take voice calls on a plane, so that’s a test for when we’re back on terra firma. The Space 2 harness a 3-mic array and AI-powered algorithms in a bid to give calls sufficient intelligibility, and while speech comes through clearly enough, voices can sound a touch robotic and mechanical when compared with the more natural-sounding Sony WH-CH720N.

Still, the Space 2 are capable of blocking out exterior noises really rather well – perhaps even more so than the WH-CH720N – so that the swirls and whooshes of wind on a particularly tempestuous day barely register. All in all, a box ably ticked on the voice calls front.

Sound

Given the Space 2’s solid performance across other areas of our testing, we’re disappointed that the same levels of talent haven’t translated over to how the headphones actually handle music. In short, there’s very little about the Soundcore cans which we find engaging or exciting, and even less which has us wishing to return for repeat listening sessions.

They are, all told, rather bland performers. True, there’s something to be said for a pair of undemanding, composed headphones if you want to avoid that weary sense of fatigue that can often occur with more over-eager alternatives, but the Space 2 go too far the other way. Where is the excitement when we play Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal? Where is the drama of Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting?

We pick out Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine, and while we discern a decent amount of clarity and cohesion, as we listen we find there’s a real lack of emotional involvement, which mars our enjoyment. Withers’ voice is fairly robust yet lacking in any emotional heft, and the strings introduced at around the 30-second mark don’t have the free, swooning effect we might have hoped for.

Part of those strings’ uninvolving presentation owes to the headphones’ flattened dynamics. Muse’s Panic Station is next, and though the Space 2 are able to bring some cohesion and restraint to proceedings, we don’t discern much contrast between each deep bass pluck or the alternating percussive thumps of that key bass-snare drum pattern. Again, a compressed, flat sound prevents things from taking full flight.

Digging out the cheaper, Award-winning Sony WH-CH720N confirms our reservations. Okay, the Sonys sound a little flavoured at times, and their bass can be a little over-eager, but they’re far more entertaining and insightful across the various songs we play. Panic Station immediately pulses with more verve than the Soundcore cans manage, whereas those varying instrumental textures on Goose’s funky So Ready are more fleshed out and have the authenticity and personality we’ve been craving. The Sonys made music sound musical – the Soundcore, conversely, made it sound dispiritingly mechanical.

The similarly-priced Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT also provide an impressive benchmark which the Space 2 cannot match. They’re not as punchy or vicarious as the WH-CH720N, nor do they offer as much bass weight, but these are evidently far clearer, more delicate and more detailed headphones. Switching back to the Soundcore Space 2 simply makes the latter sound lacking in proper detail and bite.

It’s moving over to these five-star rivals that further makes us realise what has been missing from the Space 2s’ presentation. Balanced and reasonably clear they may be, but Soundcore’s over-ears don’t have that je ne sais quoi – be it the expressiveness of the WH-CH720N or the delicacy of the Hi-X25BT – to set our hearts aflutter.

There’s something to admire about how organised and unfussy the Soundcore cans sound, even as the music becomes more demanding and complex, but rarely do they make us feel in any way involved with or excited by the various songs we feed them.

Verdict

While we had hoped that the Soundcore Space 2 might have filled a gap in the mid-priced wireless market, we’re instead struggling to see how they fit into the current landscape.

Yes, a healthy arsenal of features does give them a potential competitive edge, especially with regard to their impressive battery span and comfortable fit. But when they’re sonically outmatched by finer – and cheaper – alternatives, they don’t quite seem like a viable option in comparison with the class leaders.

Review published: 22nd May 2026

SCORES

• Sound 2
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WH-CH720N

Also consider the Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT

Best wireless headphones reviewed and rated by our in-house experts

Portland-based brand Campfire Audio has announced its latest wired earbuds, the Chimera, and like the hybrid creature of Greek mythology, they certainly have quite a lot going on.

Campfire's flagship in-ear monitors bring together four distinct driver technologies – dynamic, balanced armature, electrostatic and bone conduction – resulting in what the US brand describes as "a listening experience that is both vividly detailed and physically immersive".

Those four driver technologies equate to nine total drivers, with a 10mm glass dynamic driver handling the lower frequencies and a dual-diaphragm balanced armature taking care of the midrange.

Twin high-frequency balanced armatures seek to provide "clarity and articulation", while four electrostatic super-tweeters handle the highest highs with "air and precision". The Chimera even incorporates a bone-conduction driver, allowing for lower frequencies to land with "weight and impact".

Aiming to get the best out of this handsome array of drive units are an embedded pressure valve to regulate airflow behind the dynamic driver, as well as a final-stage tuning damper integrated into each nozzle.

The exterior shell of the Chimera is machined from magnesium and finished with a PVD coating. The faceplate features a carbon fibre-brass construction, wherein layers of brass are folded into carbon fibre and CNC-machined to form a patterned surface that is subtly distinct from unit to unit.

The new wired IEMs also include an ALO Audio Valence-6 cable, featuring four copper conductors alongside twin copper and silver-plated conductors, as well as three types of ear tips – traction silicone, standard silicone and marshmallow foam – in sizes small, medium and large.

According to Ken Ball, Campfire Audio's founder: “Chimera is the most advanced in-ear monitor we’ve developed so far. It reflects a new horizon in the performance of Campfire products and expands on what is possible from compact, portable audio systems. It brings together a range of technologies and engineering techniques to create an experience that truly deepens the listener’s connection to music.”

The Campfire Audio Chimera will be available around June 2026, at a suggested price of £6999 / $7500.

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The Sony WF-1000XM6 finally launched this February to great fanfare and rave reviews – but no early discounts.

However, the deal hunters among us knew this meant only one thing: an imminent price drop for the WF-1000XM5.

And we have been rewarded – firstly with a discount in the Amazon Spring Sale, and an even better saving available now. You can currently get the Sony WF-1000XM5 for £160 at Amazon.

That's very nearly £100 off the price we tested them at, and the lowest price we've seen so far. It's also a good £90 cheaper than their XM6 successors!

The Sony WF-1000XM5 might not be the newest Sony earbuds on the block, but they're no slouch in the audio department – or any department for that matter.

A listen to the beefy bassline of Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way by The Streets showcases a balance of quantity and quality, as well as several other sonic strengths.

"There’s an openness which we haven’t really heard from wireless earbuds at this level before, and the definition and texture that shines through is quite exceptional," our Sony WF-1000XM5 review reads.

On the features side, there's hi-res audio support and Sony 360 Reality Audio spatial audio, as well as dynamic head tracking, LDAC support and Bluetooth Multipoint.

Sony’s DSEE Extreme processing tries to fill in the detail gaps in low-quality files, while Adaptive Sound Control automatically alters the amount of ambient sound you hear based on where you are and what you're doing.

Speaking of ambient sound, noise cancelling is superb. It's not quite the powerful vacuum-like effect of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), but a more subtle, less intrusive approach that some might prefer.

Battery life is a solid eight hours with ANC activated, with another 16 hours available from the case. This lags behind the 28 hours total of the Technics EAH-AZ100, but is still in the top end of premium noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.

The aforementioned Sony WF-1000XM6 do make several improvements, specifically in the sound, noise-cancelling and call quality categories. But with a firm £249 price tag, the cheaper XM5 buds make for an enticing proposition.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 boast five stars, multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards and a clear, musical sound that's still extremely competitive.

Don't miss the chance to get flagship performance for a heavily discounted price of £169 at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

I spoke to Sony’s audio experts about how they tune the WF-1000XM5 earbuds' stunning sound

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs WF-1000XM6: which wireless earbuds are better?

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 now come in a Nike special edition. The Powerbeats Pro 2 – Nike Special Edition come in the fitness brand's radioactive 'Volt' colourway, with the Nike swoosh on one earbud and the beats 'b' logo on the other.

They also come in a black, Volt-speckled charging case with Nike's "Just Do It" motto printed inside the lid.

In terms of sound quality and features, they're identical to the standard Powerbeats Pro 2.

For the uninitiated, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have the same Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode as the AirPods Pro 2, built-in heart rate monitoring that syncs with the Apple Fitness app and Nike Run Club, and up to 45 hours of battery life.

They're rated IPX4 water resistant, and have ear hooks to help them stay put during sports.

To celebrate the launch, Beats and Nike have produced a humorous ad featuring basketball legend and Beats ambassador LeBron James. It goes on a bit too long.

Beats is keen to stress this isn't just a new colour, but a "collision of two brands that define performance, culture, and sports." But it is a new colour.

We haven't reviewed the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the original Powerbeats Pro only scored three stars. Here's hoping the sequel fares better.

Nike has lent its name to headphones before (like 2009's Nike Aero Sport), but not for some time. It has also collaborated with Apple (Beats' owner) on a special edition Apple Watch.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 – Nike Special Edition go on sale on 20th March for the same £250 / $250 / AU$399 as the standard pair.

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It can’t be easy making a pair of wireless headphones in today’s market. Your main priority should be to get the audio sounding as good as it can possibly be, and that’s a tricky beast when customers are becoming increasingly aware of just how good a set of decent buds or over-ears can sound.

It’s even trickier when you’ve got a near-endless raft of competitors looking either to make a name for themselves or further cement their burgeoning reputations. Apple, Bose, Sony, Dali, B&W, Sennheiser, JBL – it’s hardly a one-horse race these days.

Overcome that particular hurdle and the job is barely even half done. Considerations regarding design and comfort must come high on the agenda, and then it’s time to think about supplying your latest contenders with the bulging feature-sets customers now so greedily expect. Noise cancelling, on-head wear sensors, custom equalisers, ‘find my’ facilities, spatial audio; the list goes on.

That last one remains relatively divisive, but I know plenty of people who are keen exponents of pure spatial tech. In short, it creates a wider, more immersive soundscape by making sounds seem as though they are anywhere within a three-dimensional space. (I also know many others who avoid it like the plague). I know not everyone is a fan, but I'm rather fond on Bose's patented 'Immersive Audio' spin on the technology – it's not perfect, but for some tracks, it works a treat.

What I have never found is a person who, when listening to music, actively and openly proclaims their love of spatial audio’s quirky cousin: spatial audio with head tracking. So am I missing something, or is head tracking one item that could be culled from an ever-growing menu of headphone features?

What is head tracking?

For those not familiar with the concept, head tracking is essentially a type of spatial audio which sticks your sound source to a single point in the soundscape rather than having it follow you around naturally as your head moves.

The idea is that by anchoring the sound to a single location – move your head right and it moves to your left ear, move it to the left and it moves it to your right – you’ll receive the experience of standing in front of a stage or speaker at a live performance. That's the core concept.

Except, you never do. Aside from all of the other ingredients missing from this apparent simulation of a live gig – overpriced refreshments, heaving crowds, low standards of personal hygiene – it’s almost impossible to convince yourself that head tracking is actually having the desired effect of making the audio sound as though it's emanating from anywhere other than inside your cans.

The problem is, listening to music with earbuds or headphones is such a specific sonic experience that it’s almost impossible to convince yourself of head tracking's desired effect.

Standard spatial audio can be effective in pulling the soundstage further away from your head to mimic the openness of a fully fledged surround system, especially if it works well and you’ve got a really decent pair of high-end cans such as the Apple AirPods Max. But I have yet to find any form of head tracking which has created the intended illusion of a source of live fixed audio.

That’s partly because the sound is so localised in your own head, and partly because head tracking with headphones essentially uses a sort of binary system whereby the audio has to switch from one earcup to the other.

That flitting from left to right isn’t something you naturally experience in the real world; but with headphones, that slight delay as the sound shifts from one side to the other – something we experienced with the otherwise commendable Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) – shatters the illusion.

I’m not the only one to have picked up on this particular problem. To quote our ever-perceptive contributor Joe Svetlik: “When I'm pottering around my kitchen, hearing the audio adjust every time I move my head just reminds me I'm wearing headphones, which is the antithesis of an immersive experience. I want to get lost in the music, not have the left headphone cut out because I put my phone in my right pocket.”

Too right, Joe.

Android, on its spatial audio explainer page, freely admits that while head tracking “helps the user understand the nature of the spatialized sound stage being simulated around their head”, the experience “is effective only when the latency is low”. If a delay is present, as it often is, the illusion very quickly shatters.

Also, I don’t know about you, but my head tends to stay on a pretty set axis whenever I’m firing out my favourite tunes. Yes, occasionally I will turn one way or the other to look out of a window or notice that the dog is currently chewing her way through another pair of trainers that need rescuing. For the most part, though, I spend most of my time staring dead ahead.

If I do have to move my skull from side to side, I have never once felt that the immersion was shattered by having the sound move with me as I do so. It’s music from headphones – it goes where you go. Isn't that sort of the point?

Move over, music

Let’s not be all doom and gloom. Head tracking might have its place in your headphones' arsenal of weapons; just possibly not when it comes to music. If the technology isn't quite capable of effectively replicating the experience of having music emanating from a fixed source, it may make more sense when it comes to enjoying your favourite movies and TV series.

Here's our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, to explain why:

“I share Harry’s fairly negative view of headphones head tracking for music; but I’m actually a big fan of it for movies. When my family hits the hay, I often switch from my ‘real’ Dolby Atmos system to listening via my AirPods Max, which are connected to an Apple TV 4K.

“The way the Spatial Audio head-tracking anchors the audio to the on-screen movie makes for a really natural aural experience that’s much closer to the listening-out-loud experience than you usually get from headphones. I genuinely think this is a great way to enjoy Dolby Atmos movies if you don’t have the space or budget for a home cinema speaker system.”

That makes a lot more sense. If you're not able always to enjoy your movies ‘out loud’, a technology which can replicate the feeling of having audio emanating from the screen, all while keeping it from spilling out all over the place when you’re trying not to wake up the wife and kids, feels far more appropriate.

Provided you have a pair of headphones that are good enough in the first place, of course…

The right tech in the wrong place?

Head tracking, it seems, has its place – just not when it comes to listening to your favourite music.

I can still see an argument for the virtues of pure spatial audio, yet it's hard to think of an instance when adding head tracking into the mix elevates, say, Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York set to the heights of the original recording. I don't think the tech is going to get to the point where I'm convinced I'm sitting in the same room as Kurt Cobain and his tatty green cardigan.

For movies, however, I'm far more sold. As many of my colleagues have pointed out, it feels far more appropriate for immersing you in your cinematic experience, especially when circumstances demand that you are restricted to head-bound listening.

Perhaps the lesson here is that there’s a time and a place for every emergent audio technology: you sometimes just have to figure out what works best for you.

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If you're considering buying a pair of the best audiophile headphones, then we recommend considering the five-star Grado RS1x. Their design might not be everyone's cup of tea, but few, if any, would doubt their sound quality.

In our review we described them as "distinctly open, entertainingly lean and agile, and unfalteringly detailed. Grado has carved out a solid sonic signature over the years and stayed unwaveringly loyal to it".

As a result, the RS1x are up there with the most compelling pairs around at this price, let alone at a discounted price of £695 at Peter Tyson. Snap them up while they're so affordable.

If you’re looking for home headphones to plug into your hi-fi system or desktop DAC and are fortunate enough to have this kind of budget to spend on them, I would wholeheartedly recommend that this be the pair you treat your ears to.

A 14 per cent discount may not seem all that generous in the face of 'half-price this and have-this-for-free that' in our deal-persistent world, but premium Grado headphones such as these are rarely discounted by much.

The caveat to owning Grado headphones is that their retro look will not appeal to everyone; those trademark antenna-resembling adjustment sliders won’t suit all, nor will their foam earpads.

But the RS1x are arguably the nicest-looking pair we’ve seen from the Brooklyn-based brand, owing to their mix of maple sleeve, hemp core and cocobolo wood – which doesn’t just look lovely but is essential to their wa​​rm tonal character.

Speaking of which, it’s their sound quality that really stands out. True to Grado’s signature sound, the RS1x are, to borrow our words from back in 2022, distinctly open, entertainingly lean and agile, and unfalteringly detailed.

There are far more premium-priced Grados, but the RS1x’s balance of performance and comfort (their frame is lightweight and the earcups sit on, rather than fully enclose, your ears) makes them a good go-to everyday pick to plug into, say, a laptop-connected Chord Hugo 2 DAC.

This would be a good time to mention that you'll need a good, quiet space in which to listen to these Grados, considering their open-back design, which inherently leaks a notable amount of sound both in and out.

So bear the open-back vs closed-back headphone discussion in mind when considering these, or any pair of audiophile headphones.

If they fit the bill on paper, you won’t regret making the Grado RS1x yours for the very reasonable discounted sum of £695 at Peter Tyson.

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And the best wireless earbuds if you'd prefer an in-ear alternative

If you're looking for a pair of the best wireless earbuds, then we'd always recommend going for buds that we rated five stars. But what if you'd like a high-performing set of buds without the premium price tag?

Well, then we'd point you in the direction of a pair of four-star earbuds that are on offer. Right now, that would be the JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds, which are discounted down to just £169 at Amazon.

The buds deliver solid, precise sound and a slew of high-end features that make them a guaranteed win for most people. Sounds like it's time for a personal treat or maybe a gift for a loved one?

Though we gave them a four-star rating when we originally reviewed them in November 2024, feeling they weren't quite as impressive as their then-rivals, the five-star Sony WF-1000XM5, with this discount they're well worth considering.

The flagship JBL Tour Pro 3 uses a hybrid dual-driver system in each earbud, with improved drive units promising greater clarity and depth alongside more powerful bass reproduction and vivid vocal detail.

For going the extra sonic mile, the Tour Pro 3 offers support for the hi-res LDAC codec with compatible source devices. Read more about it in our JBL Tour Pro 3 review.

Central to the new JBLs' identity is that distinctive smart case, first seen in the Tour Pro 2 earbuds and making its return for the third-gen model.

Not only does the case feature a 30 per cent larger screen and more customisation and useful control options than ever before, but it also acts as a wireless audio transmitter from USB or analogue sources such as in-flight entertainment systems –similar to B&W's Pi8 and Pi6 earbuds.

The Tour Pro 3 grant standard active noise cancelling (ANC) as well as JBL's customisable True Adaptive Noise Cancellation technology, which measures and monitors environmental changes and then adapts your ANC experience accordingly.

Battery-wise, the swanky new earbuds offer an impressive 44 potential hours of playtime (11 hours from the buds plus 33 hours from the case), although naturally that drops when ANC is switched on.

The features don't stop there. JBL's take on spatial audio with head tracking is onboard; voice-tracking algorithms promise exceptional clarity when making hands-free calls, while Auracast capabilities let you share your audio with other Auracast-compatible devices (such as the JBL Xtreme 4).

The JBL app offers full EQ customisation, ANC-mode toggling, an ear-tip fit test, and a handy 'find my earbuds' function, plus a whole raft of customisation options for your smart charging case. Want a picture of your precious pup as your case's wallpaper? This is the place to do it.

If you've been waiting for these earbuds to drop in price or are simply looking to invest in some of the best wireless buds around, then now is the time to act.

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These are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now

With any deal event, whether it’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday, our review team doesn’t just have a duty to point you towards the best tech deals, but also to steer you away from savings that look pretty tempting on paper, but deep down, we just know there’s a better alternative elsewhere.

It might be the same price, or, if you’re lucky, even cheaper. Or, it might also be a tiny bit more expensive but we’d still recommend spending a tiny bit extra to get the added performance benefits that the product brings.

This is what I’ve done below. There are still plenty of tech deals ongoing for Cyber Monday but I’ve highlighted a handful which we think are worth avoiding because we have tested something that gives you more than just a low price to admire.

Stick with these alternative recommendations, and you won’t go wrong…

Don't buy… Amazon Echo Dot Max

On paper, the Echo Dot Max looks like a good upgrade on the 5th Gen Dot – bigger, twin driver units, and a new verison of Alexa. However, in our Echo Dot Max review, we felt that the Bluetooth speaker missed its mark completely, especially when it comes to sound quality. And this is why we think you should skip this model and go for the cheaper, smaller and older Echo Dot.

Buy this instead… Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)

Don't buy… Samsung QE65S95F

In our Samsung S95F review, we described it as “the best Samsung OLED” money can buy. Now, that's high praise in itself, but we can go one better than that with a TV that boasts even better picture quality for an even better price. Movie fans need look no further than the all-conquering Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch, which just edges out the Samsung on our wish list.

Buy this instead… Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch

Don't buy… Technics SC-CX700

We love the convenience of all-in-one hi-fi systems like the Technics. They squeeze streaming smarts, a range of useful inputs and amplification into a pair of speakers. All you need to do is add power. However, in our Technics SC-CX700 review, we were left feeling slightly disappointed by the user experience and the lack of refinement in the sound quality department. Which is why we recommend the KEF alternative below.

Buy this instead… KEF LS50 Wireless II

Don't buy… Sony ULT Field 3

You'd think Sony would be able to mix it with the very best with its Bluetooth speakers, but we didn't think that was the case here. In our Sony ULT Field 3 review, we were left a little disappointed, concluding, "There’s nothing particularly offensive about how the Sony ULT Field 3 sounds, but by the same token, there’s nothing really memorable about it." For sound quality, it's easily trumped by this quality JBL alternative.

Buy this instead… JBL Charge 6

Don't buy… Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

For the past few years, we think Bose has been neck-and-neck with Sony when it comes to the performance of its flagship noise-cancelling headphones. But following our time spent testing its latest model, it would appear there's now some daylight between the two. Our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review was generally positive, but this Sony alternative is clearly more musical-sounding and just provides a better overall experience. And they're cheaper.

Buy this instead… Sony WH-1000XM6

It wouldn't be Black Friday week without a discount on one of the event's best-selling products: AirPods.

The Apple earbuds have taken the world by storm since their launch in 2016, becoming a cultural icon and launching several different spin-offs.

One of those spin-offs is the AirPods 4 with ANC, which – you guessed it – comes with Active Noise Cancellation built in. They're available now for £149 at AO.com.

AO members can get the trendy earbuds for £129, which is the lowest price we've seen in the UK this Black Friday – but is only worth it if you've already paid the £39.99 AO Five Star Membership fee.

Not fussed about ANC? The regular AirPods 4 are also currently on sale for £99 at Amazon.

Discounts on Apple accessories are rare and often reserved for big sales events, so a £30 discount is well worth considering.

The AirPods 4 with ANC are the current 'standard' AirPods on the market right now, and comfortably take the mid-range crown in our best AirPods guide.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when it was announced that the next set of AirPods would feature ANC but still maintain an open (no tips) design, but once again, Apple has seemingly done the impossible. Utilising low-level frequencies to cancel out external noise, the AirPods 4 offer surprisingly effective sound blocking.

"Slip the AirPods 4 on, toggle on noise-cancelling and you’ll hear those low-level sounds immediately melt away," our AirPods 4 with ANC review reads. "The rumble of engines on the road, the grinding hum of trains, the exhaust fan in the kitchen – it all disappears. It’s quite impressive."

This being an Apple product, however, there are of course plenty more features packed in. Spatial audio, dynamic head tracking, Bluetooth 5.3 support and an IP54 dust and waterproof rating all come as part of the package.

We also found the sound to be more detailed, powerful and entertaining than the previous AirPods 3, sounding more similar to the premium AirPods Pro 2.

Battery life is advertised as 30 hours, though we were disappointed to learn that this dropped to 20 hours with ANC turned on.

If you have an iOS device, AirPods offer a seamless, user-friendly experience and this model is no different. Offering a little bit of everything and now active noise cancellation too, the AirPods 4 with ANC for £149 at AO.com should be considered before stock runs out.

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We're tracking the best Black Friday deals as they go live

The best Black Friday headphone deals for all budgets

The best wireless earbuds you can buy

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

If you've been waiting for a discount on some new Apple 'buds, you'll know that it's a pretty rare occurrence. But, if there's one time it's most likely to happen, it's Black Friday.

And, as if by magic, there's one heck of a deal that you seriously don't want to miss out on during the annual sales event.

For just $100 at Amazon, the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC have been slashed by a mega $79. That's the lowest price we've ever seen them, but you'll have to be quick!

The Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are a no-brainer for Apple fans, especially if you don't like the traditional in-ear tips of the AirPods Pro 2.

The AirPods 4 don't burrow into your ear in the same way, yet Apple has managed to give these 'open' design buds surprisingly capable active noise canceling, which is a relief considering you pay extra for the privilege.

In fact, our expert testers said: "In the AirPods 4, you don’t get the benefit of this seal, but what Apple has done is target low-level frequencies specifically to cancel out. We’re talking engine rumbles, the sound of aircon and exhaust fans, the low noise of traffic and general deep, low-level hums."

So, aside from effective ANC, what else do the AirPods 4 have to offer? Well, they come equipped with personalised spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, as well as clear voice call capabilities and hands-free gesture controls.

Plus, like the flagship Pro 2 model, the AirPods 4 with ANC sport Bluetooth 5.3 and have an IP54 dust and waterproof rating, both of which are updates over the AirPods 3.

And despite feeling a little disappointed that, while Apple claim a 30-hour battery life, we found it to sits more around 20 hours if you use ANC, it's still a beefy amount of time to enjoy your tunes.

Sonically, we said in our full review: "It doesn’t take us long to recognize that the AirPods 4 with ANC have a similar sonic presentation to the flagship Pro 2 model. There’s clarity and detail, agility and balance, along with a focus on voices that make them immediately appealing to listen to."

And Black Friday offers the perfect opportunity to test our these earbuds for yourself at the seriously impressive price of $100 on Amazon.

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Read our full Apple AirPods 4 with ANC review

Black Friday 2025 hi-fi and home cinema deals live: our experts' picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, TVs, soundbars and more

How to avoid bad hi-fi and home cinema deals this Black Friday – top tips and tricks from our review team

Black Friday quick links

• AirPods Pro 2: $80 off
• Amazon: up to $20 off Fire TV Sticks
• Best Buy: save $1000 on Samsung soundbar
• Bose: save up to $100 on headphones, speakers
• Crutchfield: big savings on hi-fi separates
• Fire TV Stick 4K: save 33% on streamer
• Klipsch: save up to $300 on speakers and subs
• NAD amplifier: save $900 at Crutchfield
• Roku Streaming Stick 4K: was $50 now $39
• Samsung: save up to $2000 on QLED TVs
• Sonos: big money off speaker bundles
• Target: up to 35% off headphones
• Walmart: up to 65% off TVs
• World Wide Stereo: up to 60% off AV

It's Black Friday, and you know what that means? Deals aplenty. And one such price drop we're seriously keen to recommend is a pair of Bose over-ears, which we consider to be some of the best headphones on the market right now.

For just £299 at Amazon, the five-star Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the complete package, offering exceptional sound quality that matches the noise-cancelling. And at just over £150 off, it's a Black Friday miracle.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the best noise-cancelling cans money can buy.

A step-up in sound and performance, the new-era Ultra not only sport next-level noise-cancelling that rivals the Sony WH-1000XM6's abilities but also deliver highly competitive sound that is as informative as it is entertaining.

The headline feature? Bose's Immersive Audio technology, which is basically the brand's own take on spatial audio (a 3D audio effect Apple debuted in its AirPods Max).

And our expert testers said in their full review: "Whether you take spatial audio or leave it, you’ll be wanting to know how the Bose stack up against the very best sonically, and we have to say, we’re impressed."

Build-wise, with a lightweight, foldable design they're a great set of cans for portable use, taking up less space and easily transported in your bag if you're in a hurry.

And while the battery life is up to 24 hours with Immersive Audio on, or 18 with it off, it is isn't quite as impressive as some rivals, like the Sony XM5's 30 hours. Regardless, it's still a solid offering.

Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones certainly make a noise where it counts and that's in sound quality and noise-cancelling capabilities. Until the Ultras, we hadn't heard a pair of Bose over-ears as entertaining and refined for quite some time.

And while they're up against big competition in the premium over-ears category, the price has been a bit of a sticking point for the QC Ultras, with the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e both available for a lower price.

But, this price drop sees Bose's five-star offering become a little more affordable without having to sacrifice on quality. So, for Black Friday, why not treat yourself to these impressive headphones for just £299 at Amazon, before it's too late?

MORE:

Black Friday 2025 hi-fi deals live: our audio experts picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, vinyl and more

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5: which are better?

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

When Apple launched the AirPods Pro 3, it made some bold claims. Not only is sound quality boosted, but the noise cancellation is supposedly twice as good as it was on their predecessors. You can see how they compare to the previous-gen model in our dedicated AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2 comparison article.

As you'll see from our five-star AirPods Pro 3 review, Apple's latest offering are an excellent set of wireless earbuds. But no product exists in a vacuum. And as buyers ourselves, we want to know how Apple's latest compares to the best wireless earbuds around.

This is where we see how those bold claims really hold up.

Taking on the AirPods Pro 3 are the Sony WF-1000XM5, which we've long recommended as the best option for most people. They are two-time What Hi-Fi? Award winners, and a true benchmark for sound quality and features.

So if Apple really wants to claim that its new AirPods Pro offer "the world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones," it will have to go through Sony first. Let's see how they get on.

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: price

Apple's AirPods Pro 3 arrived at £219 / $249 / AU$429 in September 2025, representing a welcome £30 price drop for UK buyers compared to their predecessors. Outside of the UK, they have the same launch price as the Pro 2 in the USA and a AU$30 price bump in Australia.

The Sony WF-1000XM5, originally priced at £259 / $299 / AU$419 when launched two years ago, have dropped significantly since and can now be found regularly at £219 or even lower if a store's got a good deal running. At the time of writing, you can pick them up for as low as £179 in the UK, for example.

With the XM6 rumoured to be coming soon, expect the XM5's price to drop further.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: design and comfort

Apple has refined the familiar AirPods Pro design for the third generation, analysing over 10,000 3D ear scans to optimise the fit.

Each earbud is slightly smaller than its predecessor, with Apple claiming the geometry is specifically shaped to better match ear contours. The package includes five eartip sizes, including a new XXS option, and with updated eartip material.

The earbuds themselves are lightweight and comfortable to wear, although our reviews team was divided when it came to the fit. Those of us who found the AirPods Pro 2 provided a secure fit in our ears found the Pro 3's new shape protruded a bit far, while those who didn't get on with the Pro 2 found the Pro 3 a snug fit. The only real solution is to try them for yourself before buying.

The new eartips are a bit more forgiving than the Pro 2's – we achieved a good fit from both the M and L sizes, for example, with no noticeable loss in sound quality or their noise cancellation properties.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 take a dramatically different approach, shrinking approximately 25 per cent compared to their predecessors while becoming 20 per cent lighter.

The result is a sleek, glossy design with smooth lines and subtle curves that look distinctly premium, although they are heavier than the AirPods.

The Sony earbuds feature a mostly glossy plastic exterior with a textured matte finish on the touch control surfaces, though this smooth design can make extraction from the charging case somewhat tricky.

In our testing, the Sony WF-1000XM5 proved comfortable, though the fit isn't quite as secure as some rivals due to the heavier body. The polyurethane tips create a good seal when positioned correctly, but lack the 'grippiness' that would prevent them moving. Some on the review team also found the material of the eartips to be quite hard and fatiguing on the ears over long listening sessions.

Sony's IPX4 rating provides sweat resistance, while Apple has upgraded to IP57 for enhanced dust, water and sweat protection. The touch controls on both earbuds work responsively, although we find the swiping action on the AirPods Pro 3's stems more intuitive than tapping multiple times on the Sony bud to adjust volume.

We have to call this round a draw, as fit is such a personal thing. Both are well made and should be comfortable, but we wish the Sony's eartips were a bit softer and Apple's redesign suited all ear shapes.

**Winner: Draw**

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: noise cancelling

Apple has made bold claims about the AirPods Pro 3's noise cancelling, promising "the world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones".

The company claims up to twice as effective ANC compared to the AirPods Pro 2, achieved through ultra-low noise microphones, advanced computational audio, and new foam-infused eartips for greater passive isolation.

On a flight to France, the Pro 3 successfully muted mid- and low-frequency noise. "The deep rumble of the airplane’s engine noise was damped down further than when listened to through the Pro 2, while the general chatter from people and announcements from the pilot were quieter through the new earbuds on full ANC mode," we wrote in our AirPods Pro 3 review.

In the Sony camp, the WF-1000XM5 proved their noise-cancelling credentials in our testing, with Sony claiming approximately 20 per cent noise reduction improvement over the Sony WF-1000XM4.

The implementation uses three microphones per earbud (versus two on the previous model), including dual feedback mics for better low-frequency cancellation. The integrated processor V2 and HD Noise Cancelling processor QN2e also work together effectively.

In our Sony WF-1000XM5 review, we noted that the buds "remove an extra layer of midrange noise in comparison [with the XM4] which makes for an extremely pleasant listen with minimal background noise to contend with." The effect is also more subtle and less intrusive than some more effective noise-cancelling buds, like those made by Bose.

And in comparison? The Sonys are good, but the AirPods are better. Pitting the side by side, we found the AirPods to be superior to the Sonys at quieting mid and low frequencies. The Sonys let in a bit more background noise than the AirPods Pro 3, especially higher-frequency voices and instruments.

**Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3**

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: features and battery life

The Sony WF-1000XM5 deliver eight hours of battery life with Bluetooth and ANC activated, plus another 16 hours from the wireless charging case.

Adaptive Sound Control also automatically adjusts ambient sound filtering based on location and activity, and the enhanced touch controls now allow simultaneous operation of playback, sound modes, and volume.

DSEE Extreme processing attempts to enhance lower-quality music files, while Multipoint Bluetooth allows simultaneous connection to two devices.

Sony's established ecosystem includes the Sound Connect app with six sound presets and seven-band EQ, 360 Reality Audio support with dynamic head tracking, and the useful Speak-to-Chat feature.

As for Apple, it has significantly expanded the AirPods Pro 3's feature set. Battery life increases to eight hours with ANC enabled and 24 in total with the charge case – matching the Sonys and improving on the AirPods Pro 2's six hours.

It offers seamless connection with iOS devices, and features Spatial Audio with dynamic head-tracking, Conversation Mode and a clever Adaptive ANC mode. There are also ample hearing health and hearing aid features on the AirPods Pro 3.

The new Live Translation provides real-time speech translation, lowering speaker volume while boosting translation. Heart rate tracking also uses special sensors pulsing 256 times per second, with 50 workout types supported through iPhone integration.

The degree to which this matters will depend on your use case, but if you're after a pair of buds for exercise, this is a rather big bonus.

In terms of Bluetooth streaming, Apple continues to support the standard AAC and SBC codecs, while Sony goes on further by supporting the LDAC codec, which lets you stream music in higher quality from compatible phones.

On paper, Apple’s extra health and hearing aid features put some distance between it and the two-year-old Sony set, though it's worth remembering that most of the best AirPods features are iOS-only (and not everyone will need these features). They are neck-and-neck when it comes to user-friendly features, such as wear detection, and we had no issues with connectivity or daily use.

**Winner: Draw**

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: sound quality

This is where the Sony WF-1000XM5 have truly excelled, earning praise for their exceptional clarity and detail retrieval.

Our Sony WF-1000XM5 review highlighted a significant character change from previous Sony models – less rich and full in the bass department, but with remarkable clarity and precision that sets new standards for wireless earbuds.

The 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X, larger than the predecessor's 6.4mm unit, uses dual materials for different frequency ranges and helps reduce mechanical noise.

Testing revealed the Sony earbuds' ability to maintain timing and organisation even with complex tracks like Radiohead's 15 Step, keeping percussion well-defined where lesser earbuds would create a jumbled mess.

The midrange investigation is thorough, exposing every element of recordings with authentic harmonics and proper texture. There's an openness and definition that we found quite exceptional.

Meanwhile, Apple promises significant sound improvements for the AirPods Pro 3 through a new multiport acoustic architecture that controls airflow, resulting in improved sound throughout.

Apple’s next-generation Adaptive EQ also aims to transform bass response while widening the soundstage and providing vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies.

We found they are "clearer and more detailed... more spacious-sounding and more dynamic" than their five-star predecessors, we noted in our AirPods Pro 3 review.

The neutral sonic profile works well across a range of genres: "There is bite and attack to the crunchy, brash highs of Fontaines D.C.’s Starburster, while the basslines in Forgot About Dre are taut, agile and tuneful, and punch with quite a good deal of depth and power in Billie Eilish’s Blue."

Sonically, they're excellent, albeit not quite as superb as their Sony rivals. They have a sweet, fluid balance and plenty of spaciousness, which makes them easy to listen to. But the Sonys are simply more revealing in the finer textures of instruments and voices, offering more depth to piano notes and a more taut bass. The Sony deliver excellent timing and musicality despite their more analytical approach.

You won't feel shortchanged with either performance, but for our money, the Sonys sound better.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: verdict

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have proven themselves to be exceptional wireless earbuds, earning our five-star rating, and two previous What Hi-Fi? Awards, for their outstanding clarity, detail and analytical prowess.

They represent a significant evolution in Sony's approach, prioritising precision over warmth while maintaining excellent timing and musicality.

Apple's AirPods Pro 3 arrive with impressive specs and plenty of improvements over their already accomplished predecessors. The seamless iOS experience, innovative health features, and improved ANC quality will certainly impress would-be buyers.

While the AirPods Pro 3 are excellent in their own right – with a five-star review, no less – and offer enjoyable, improved sound quality, the older Sonys remain the better buy overall. That's thanks to their lower price, greater versatility with Android and iOS, and superior sound quality.

** Overall winner: Sony WF-1000XM5 **

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Read our Sony WF-1000XM5 review

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Looking for top-tier wireless buds during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days? You can secure the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for the lowest price we have seen – and all you need to do is be subscribed to Prime.

For just £189 at Amazon, these five-star buds could be yours in Black, Lunar Blue or White for this incredible price (if you're quick!)

• Browse all the Amazon Prime Day deals

Once holding a top spot in our best wireless earbuds, and toppled only by their successor, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), and still holding strong as one of our favourite sports and workout earbuds. These are some seriously lovely buds.

Plus, the OGs are a lot cheaper than the 2nd Gen – £100 less in fact. So, if you're working on a budget but still want buds that nail comfort, noise-cancelling and sound quality, these are it.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds would have set you back £300 once upon a time. That pricepoint has been handed over to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) along with its spot atop our best wireless earbuds list.

But, just because they are now considered 'old', it doesn't mean they're not still spectacular buds. After all, we gave them five stars and a What Hi-Fi? Award when they first came out.

With this drop to just £189 at Amazon for Prime Day, their new price tag is seriously competitive among their biggest rivals, the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro 2.

But let's stop the comparisons and focus on what the OG QuiteComfort Ultra's are great at. We'll start with their most impressive feature – noise-cancelling.

The technology is powered by Bose's CustomTune calibration tech: the noise around you is surveyed by a tone that will then adjust your sound to suit your surroundings.

Then, there's Aware mode that takes things one step further, balancing out the noise of your music and your environment when you need to hear a bit of both. Plus, a few other customisable presets are built-in, too.

While we found the addition of Immersive Audio (Bose's spatial audio tech) a little hit and miss during testing, it's a welcome addition to be able to choose between Still and Motion, depending on how you're moving.

When it comes to sound, our expert testers say in their full review: "If you were expecting the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds to sound identical to the model they replace you might be surprised.

“Yes, Bose has kept the same tonal characteristics which is great in terms of consistency. There’s a familiar richness and fullness to the sound, but the new buds have a bit more of a skip in their step."

Feature-wise, they are a huge step up from their predecessors, improving call quality by suppressing background noise and prioritising the mic on each bud depending on which is experiencing the least noise.

Let's not forget they are also seriously comfy with super-soft Bose tips that don't burrow in your ears, but still manage to maintain a great seal.

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Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

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And check out Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: the best deals on headphones, TVs, speakers, home cinema and more

Bose's flagship ANC wireless headphones are getting an upgrade.

The new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the follow-ups to Bose's five-star first-generation QC Ultra Headphones, which gave us class-leading ANC and hugely entertaining sound.

The brand is hoping to deliver "a suite of meaningful enhancements" across the board, especially as these new flagships have strong competition to deal with from the current crop of five-star rivals from Sony WH-1000XM6, Dali IO-8 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

The new Bose flagship ANC headphones promise upgrades to audio and noise cancelling thanks to refinements to their digital signal processing. Bose has also made subtle adjustments to overall audio performance, claiming to deliver deeper bass, more natural highs and greater clarity at high volumes.

The drivers are the same as before, but that needn't be a disaster – the latest QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) didn't upgrade their drivers either, but that didn't stop some canny tuning refinements from earning five stars when we reviewed them recently.

Noise-cancelling is naturally a priority for Bose. The new QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have been engineered for "world-class noise cancellation", with an updated algorithm aiming for a more natural experience when adjusting to sudden spikes of noise in the Aware Mode.

Again, that's something Bose focused on for its second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds, and the results were, to quote from our review, "deeply impressive".

For the first time, the noise-cancelling can also be turned completely off.

New to the second-gen headphones is wired USB-C listening for lossless audio up to 16-bit/48kHz, a feature which also enables low-latency audio for gamers.

Bose's own take on spatial audio, Immersive Audio, also gains a new Cinema Mode. The new mode promises to "deliver a movie-like experience" by widening the soundstage and placing it in front of the listener, making dialogue clearer and balancing background effects for a more immersive, cinematic listen.

Battery life figures have also been improved. The second-gen headphones boast up to 30 hours of playback with ANC switched on (45 with ANC switched off), beating the 24 hours offered by the outgoing model.

Additional features include support for the higher-quality aptX Adaptive Bluetooth 5.4 codec, Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously, as well as Google Fast Pair for Android users.

Even the design has been updated. The QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) feature metal adornments for a sleeker, more modern aesthetic, while soft ear cushions promise a "lightweight fit and secure seal" for longer listening sessions. Like their predecessors, they fold completely flat, which is always useful for portable use and long-haul journeys.

The new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are available in Black, White Smoke, Driftwood Sand or Midnight Violet finishes, and are priced at £449 / $449.

That's pretty much the same price their predecessors landed at, but more expensive than the current Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450) and B&W Px7 S3 (£399 / $449) for UK customers. Pre-orders start today and global release is set for 10th September.

We're expecting our review sample any day now, and can't wait to put it through the full review process.

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US audio manufacturer Campfire Audio has revealed its latest pair of in-ear monitors, the Grand Luna. Campfire is a big fan of an outlandish in-ear design – just look at their outlandish Alien Brain IEMs as proof – and the Grand Luna's angular, distinctive aesthetic is once again sure to grab the eye.

Will they grab the ear, though? The new IEMs combine a set of 14mm planar magnetic driver with twin balanced armatures, aiming for a listening experience that is "effortlessly smooth, richly detailed, and deeply immersive".

Externally, each earphone unit is housed in a red transparent shell. The Grand Luna feature a stainless-steel lid hand-finished at Campfire’s workshop, while the earpieces themselves feature a Campfire Audio logo and a textured stainless-steel finish.

The Grand Luna come with three interchangeable terminations included in the box: 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced, and a USB-C DAC module powered by a Cirrus Logic Master HiFi CS43131 chip.

According to Ken Ball, Campfire Audio's Lead Acoustic Designer: “Grand Luna is the perfect balance of new and intriguing tuning, design, and materials, while having a performance that is incredibly accessible and versatile. It can be a one-size-fits-all solution for any level of listener or audiophile, while still providing something fresh and explorative".

The Campfire Grand Luna IEMs are available now, priced at £1399 / $1399.

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If you're looking for wireless earbuds that blend comfort, style and performance, then the Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 are a good option to put on your shortlist.

Now at £189 at Sevenoaks, they're down from £219. In our Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 review, we described them as "handsome buds with powerful sound to match".

It's fair to say that we've seen them cheaper, £169 to be exact, but at today's deal price, they're still good value for money.

Best Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 wireless earbuds deal

Here's a compliment to the Pi6: they remind us of the five-star Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, at least from the outside. When placed side by side, it’s pretty tricky to tell the Pi6 apart from their flagship cousins thanks to their similar dimensions and classy, premium-feeling construction.

There's no shortage of features, either. General noise-cancelling capabilities are solid, and while there's no spatial audio implementation, the Pi6 can handle 24-bit/96kHz files thanks to their aptX Adaptive support.

Call quality is strong, and 24 hours of total battery life (with two hours of playtime offered from a 15-minute charge) is enough to keep up with the Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5.

We’d like to see a bit more ANC customisation, as there’s no way of altering the strength of the noise cancelling via the accompanying Music app. There are also only two – a standard mode and a more transparent pass-through setting – offered here.

The Pi6’s 12mm drivers are scaled-down versions of the units found in the five-star Px7 S2e over-ears, lending the buds a powerful, robust character that excels with certain genres.

Rock, hip-hop and big orchestral numbers fare especially well thanks to the buds' potent sound, but there's enough detail and bass snap to keep all comers happy.

To quote from our review: "A powerful, full-bodied pair of earbuds, they bring ample muscle to your tunes, which, especially when paired with the right songs and genres, delivers a thrilling listen."

They might not quite have the clarity of the Technics EAH-AZ100 or the outright musicality of the Sony WF-1000XM5, but the B&Ws are "still thrillingly enthusiastic and front-footed".

At £189 at Sevenoaks, this is a good price for a capable pair of wireless earbuds.

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Sony's best true wireless earbuds (and by extension, some of the best wireless earbuds around) have had another sizeable discount – they're now just £170 at Amazon. Thank you, Prime Day!

The multi-Award winners launched at £259, so this is a huge saving of £89.

That price is only on the black model. The silver and pink variants are slightly pricier, at a still-very-reasonable £179.

Sony WF-1000XM5 Prime Day deal

If you don't know the XM5, where have you been for the last couple of years? They have consistently been some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy since they launched in 2023, with great comfort, sound and noise cancellation.

Noticeably smaller than their predecessors, they're less prone to catching the wind during blustery conditions, which helps makes calls clearer. This is aided by the noise reduction engine with AI machine learning.

They also have more microphones than their predecessors, helping to cancel more background noise so you can focus on the music.

And they're packed with features, like Sony's DSEE Extreme processing for upscaling lower-quality audio files, and support for the LDAC and Sony 360 Reality Audio formats. Bluetooth Multipoint lets you switch seamlessly between paired devices, too.

But it's the sound quality that really rounds them off. The bass is weighty but controlled, they produce plenty of detail and there's a sense of openness we haven't heard from a pair of wireless earbuds before.

As we concluded in our Sony WF-1000XM5 review: "if you’re looking for the clearest and most detailed sonic performance on the market right now, then the WF-1000XM5 produce it, and by quite some distance."

At just £170 at Amazon, it would be rude not to.

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This year, Sony has already released its five-star Sony WF-C710N wireless earbuds and equally successful WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones, and it looks as though the brand could be going for the threepeat in 2025.

According to a filing spotted by thewalkmanblog, we could well be edging closer to the arrival of the Sony WF-1000XM6, the highly anticipated sequel to the Award-winning WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds and one of the year's most anticipated audio launches.

The import filing for what we can only presume is the XM6 has appeared under the name 'YY2985'.

Don't let that codename perturb you: the sequel to the Sony WF-C700N used the moniker 'YY2986' before they officially arrived as the WF-C710N.

Details are scant at this stage. All we have is the description of goods, which describes the new earbuds as "headphones without a frame" and reveals that the new model was imported into Vietnam for testing in a black finish.

It's not much to go on, but it does indicate that Sony is moving forward in its development process for its latest set of flagship buds.

When will the XM6 arrive? A 2025 release is certainly on the cards, considering that Sony is already at the testing stage of development and, looking at the company's release schedule, it tends to refresh its flagship line every two to three years.

The WF-1000XM5 dropped in August 2023, whereas their predecessors, the WF-1000XM4, landed in August 2020. Does another mid-summer unveiling beckon?

We'll give you further details as and when they emerge, but if you're keen to wait for the upcoming Sony buds, check out our Sony WF-1000XM6 predictions page for insights into what to expect from this sixth-gen model.

Until then, we're just keeping our fingers crossed for what could be one of the biggest launches of the year.

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Noble Audio’s new wireless earbuds – the FoKus Amadeus – will be hard to miss when they land on 18th June.

Their lustrous red finish immediately stands out from the usual black and white offerings, and there’s a story behind them – the company drew inspiration from the legendary composer Mozart’s signature tailcoat. How many earbuds can say that?

The new Amadeus earbuds have a launch price of £299, placing them firmly in premium territory, and outpricing the likes of the excellent five-star Sony WF-1000XM5.

Sony’s buds – which are our current overall best pick in our list of the best wireless earbuds – are priced at £199 these days, while the also-superb and more premium Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 can be snapped up for £299.

But enough about the competition. At the heart of the Amadeus lies a newly developed 8.3mm custom dynamic driver featuring a triple-layer diaphragm design.

Noble has tuned the driver to deliver what the company describes as full-bodied bass response, open midrange presentation, and extended treble that reportedly maintains detail without clinical harshness.

Following the implementation in the higher-end Rex5 model, the Amadeus also features Audiodo Personal Sound technology. This calibration system analyses individual hearing characteristics in each ear to create a personalised sound profile that's stored directly on the earbuds themselves.

The end result? Noble is promising a more enjoyable listening experience overall, though we can’t comment on that until we try them ourselves.

The earbuds are also powered by Qualcomm's QCC3091 chipset, and feature Bluetooth 5.4. High-resolution audio codecs include LDAC, aptX Adaptive alongside standard AAC and SBC. Multipoint pairing and TrueWireless Mirroring are also thrown into the mix.

Battery performance delivers up to 12 hours of playback per charge with active noise cancellation disabled, reducing to eight hours with ANC turned on. The charging case also provides an additional 2.5 full charges, extending total usage time to 42 hours.

Both USB-C wired and Qi wireless charging are supported, with a 10-minute quick charge providing approximately two hours of playback time.

For voice calls, the Amadeus employs dual microphones with clear voice capture noise cancelling technology to enhance call clarity in challenging acoustic environments.

If all of that’s enough to entice you, the Noble FoKus Amadeus can be pre-ordered today ahead of their 18th June release date for £299 / $320 / €349 (Australian pricing and release date to be confirmed).

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Memorial Day weekend may be over, but there are still big savings to be made. Especially when it comes to great sounding wireless earbuds.

For just $199 at Walmart, you can secure an epic $50 saving on arguably the best AirPods on the market.

We think the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the best wireless earbuds that the tech giant has made to date. And now, they are sporting the lowest price we have seen.

You don't see discounts like these on Apple products very often and we imagine it won't stick around for much longer. So, act fast!

The AirPods Pro 2 are five-star wireless earbuds. And we haven't been able to say that about a pair of Apple buds before. This flagship pair are smooth and intuitive with new updated features that prove they are worthy of your money.

The Pro 2 impress in pretty much every area of wireless performance, especially when pitted against their direct competition, the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC.

We're talking a longer total battery life of around 30 hours with the charging case and six hours on a single charge, as well as seamless use with iOS devices, superb voice-call quality and fantastic sound.

And the active noise-cancelling in the Pro 2 also seriously impresses us. In our full review, we say: “Background noise disappears to a mere murmur, whether that’s office chatter or the roar of train engines on our daily commute.

“It’s a comfortable, airy effect, too, and does a great job of letting you enjoy your music without much distraction from the world around you.”

Sonically, we praised the AirPods Pro 2 for sounding “really, really good” and we continue to stand by that statement when comparing it with the rest of Apple's earbud line-up. The audio quality in these buds adds weight, great detail and even greater dynamic subtlety.

It's a huge leap in performance for Apple, with a relatively affordable price tag. And that price just got even better – just $199 at Walmart. Seriously, grab it while you can.

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Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: what are the differences?

When the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e arrived a few years back, we thought they were an excellent pair of wireless headphones. Boasting a premium quality of build alongside excellent sound and lots of features, it was hard to pick too many holes in their credentials.

Good as the Px7 S2e are, B&W wanted to go one better with the sequel. Promoting them as their most "advanced and capable headphones ever", the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 have arrived burdened by seriously high expectations.

Thankfully, they're another excellent pair of over-ear wireless headphones, but how do they stack up against the older model and, more importantly, should you stick with the Px7 S2e or upgrade to the newer cans?

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: price

As you'll know if you're a frequent hi-fi or headphones buyer, the older a product gets, the lower its price tends to drop. Considering they arrived around two years ago, the PX7 S2e have fallen to roughly £249 / $350 / AU$460 as the five-star over-ears begin the slow process of being phased out.

The newer Px7 S3 won't see prices slashed anytime soon, so their debut figure of £399 / AU$699 is the one you're going to have to pay if you want a pair. Note also that the Px7 S3 aren't yet available in the United States and don't even have a US price tag thanks to ongoing political and economic uncertainties. We'll update you as soon as we have those prices, of course.

A convincing win for the excellent-value Px7 S2e, then.

**Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e**

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: build and design

Oh, these really are lovely headphones.

We haven't changed our minds about just how nice the older B&W headphones are. The earcups' two-tone finish with a metallic oval and a textured surround just works so nicely, while gold accents and the cylindrical ‘Bowers & Wilkins’ logo text combine to make a very visually desirable product. Whatever finish you pick – and there are a few more with the Px7 S2e than the Px7 S3 at the time of writing – you won't be disappointed by how they look.

It's the same story with the third-generation cans, which follow roughly the same configuration as their predecessors. There are differences, however, including a decreased weight from 307g to 300g and a flatter, slimmer profile whereby the earcups don't protrude as far from the body of the overall design. That makes the Px7 S3, and their smaller case, more portable and easier to wear for long periods.

We've found both pairs to justify their premium price tags. The Px7 S2e felt like a well-made pair of headphones, a legacy that continues to the Px7 S3. From the fabric used on the headband to the quality of the metal arms, both sets feel like they've been built to last.

Both sets of headphones use old-fashioned button controls, and that's something with which we have no issue. The layout of the buttons makes sense and, once you get used to where everything is, you won't have too much trouble locating your desired functionalities.

The small fly in the ointment? Neither folds away, with the earcups instead swivelling from inwards to outwards, but not collapsing up and into the headband like, say, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. It's not a huge deal, but worth noting all the same.

Two lovely sets of headphones, but their slimmer, lighter and more comfortable design gives the win to the Px7 S3.

**Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3**

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: features

Scan down each respective spec sheet and you won't find too many gaps. Battery life is a commendable 30 hours for both both pairs, though we're a bit miffed that the Px7 S3 couldn't build on that and add a few more hours to the total. Still, their ability to offer seven hours of playback from a mere 15-minute charge is mightily impressive and super convenient.

Codec compatibility is solid for both. There's support for the higher-quality Bluetooth codecs, with both offering aptX Adaptive as well as both USB-C and 3.5mm cable connections provided in both boxes. The S3 take things a little further, offering all flavours of aptX so you're covered if you have a compatible device; aptx Adaptive, HD, Classic and Lossless are all available, plus 24-bit/96kHz quality when listening via USB-C.

The accompanying Bowers & Wilkins Music App is where you'll control your headphones, with the newer cans working from the updated version of the platform. It's a place we like to be, allowing owners to adjust their phone settings, change the sensitivity of the wearer detection feature for automatic pausing, select noise-cancelling modes or access the customisable five-band equaliser. You even get many streaming service libraries, including the likes of Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal and TuneIn, all in one place.

The Px7 S3, naturally, will have some features not available with the older cans. Auracast will be available soon, meaning the Px7 S3 can receive audio transmissions from compatible broadcast sources when the time comes. This will be available alongside LE Audio support and the LC3 higher-quality codec as a future over-the-air update, says B&W.

**Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3**

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: noise cancelling and call quality

The Px7 S2e’s noise-cancelling capabilities are solid, and it's a similar story for the third generation of the brand’s premium over-ears. Thanks to their repositioned eight-mic array, the Px7 S3 have a natural-sounding ability to block out unwanted sounds and intrusions in much the same way as their predecessors.

Neither set matches the cocoon-like feeling of impermeability you get with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, nor are they quite as comprehensive at reducing mid and upper frequency noises compared with Sony WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max rivals, but the subtler ANC is decent enough from both sets when it comes to reducing the rumble of engines. The Px7 S3 are a little better than the previous model, as we would have hoped, and we certainly discern more of a difference when switching between full-fat ANC or the more permeable pass-through mode.

Voice calls are competently handled by each contender. Repositioned microphones and B&W’s ‘ADI Pure Voice’ voice processing technology tease “outstanding voice clarity” for the Px7 S3, and while the Px7 S2e weren't bad with voice calls, we feel that the newer model is better at muffling background noises such as passing cars or the whooshes of wind and air.

**Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3**

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: sound quality

Make no mistake, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are an exceptional pair of headphones at this price. Their sound is excellent, and it only took the brilliance of the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5 to prevent us from considering them to be the absolute leaders in their given field. Some of our test team actually prefer the older B&W cans to the Sony, so it's a very close run thing.

Why are the Px7 S2e so good? They remain tremendously detailed for wireless headphones at this level, able to bring out finer details and communicate dynamic shifts to an extent that few rivals can match. The B&W cans have the transparency to dig out the emotional depth to vocals, making sung performances sound authentic and sincere rather than rote and non-committal.

They're great at the lower-end, too, all while retaining a lovely feeling of space and scale. To quote from our review: "How the headphones render lower frequencies remains a highlight, with bass depth and punch in head-bopping supply. Bowers has not only aired out the soundstage slightly for added openness and coherency but also smoothed the presentation somewhat. It’s sweeter and easier to listen, and none of their predecessors’ clarity and tonal balance has been relinquished either."

So, there's no need to get the newer Px7 S3 then, right?

Wrong. The Px7 S3 are the step above, elevating an excellent pair of headphones to exceptional new levels. Compare them with any price-comparable rival and the Px7 S3 will hold their own and, more often than not, trump the competition. They offer class-leading levels of insight, instrumental detail and sonic punch. Even against the more expensive Dali IO-8, we found them to be more capable of pulling out textures with greater talent and a more perceptible feeling of weight and body.

To borrow from our recent review: "These are wireless headphones that dig deep into your music, eschewing a broad or general sonic overview and instead pulling out instrumental timbres with the relentless curiosity and enthusiasm of a bloodhound on the scent of a new lead." High praise.

We loved the bass reproduction of the outgoing B&W, but here the bar has been raised. The newer model offers a lower-end reproduction that drops to new depths, yet the B&W are cultured enough to keep things from sounding blobby or unwieldy. Powerful bass reproduction blended with true finesse isn't easy, but it's a trick the Px7 S3 pull off like it's no big thing.

Across the board, if sound quality is your key priority, the Px7 S3 have to be somewhere at the top of your shortlist. In a straight shootout against the Px7 S2e, they're the clear winners to our ears.

**Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3**

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: verdict

Regardless of which pair they're put up against, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are some of the best wireless over-ear headphones you can buy at their premium price point. If sound and style matter to you (and you're rather keen on a healthy feature set, too), we'd have no problem recommending them, even at full price.

What's the case for the Px7 S2e, then? In short, it's a question of price and value. The older cans arrived at £379 / $399 / AU$599, yet now that they're often more than £100 / $100 / AU$150 off, the sound-per-pound value they represent is seriously attractive.

Like so many things in life, this one might simply come down to a question of money.

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If you're in the market for wireless earbuds with premium features at a mid-range price, there’s a deal on the Technics EAH-AZ40M2 that is worth your attention. These stylish buds have dropped to £99 at Amazon (for the black and silver colour options) – a solid £30 saving from their usual £129 RRP.

This isn't quite as low as their all-time low price of £88.99 (seen last July), but it's still a substantial discount on feature-packed earbuds from a respected audio brand.

The EAH-AZ40M2 represent the most affordable option in Technics' current wireless earbud lineup, sitting below the EAH-AZ60M2 and the flagship EAH-AZ80. And, crucially, at under £100, they offer impressive value with several premium features that have trickled down from their pricier siblings.

They earned a respectable four stars in our review, in which we praise their open, spacious sound, alongside their well-made and comfortable design. We are particularly impressed by the inclusion of three-way Bluetooth multipoint connectivity – a feature not always found at this price point – which allows seamless connection to multiple devices simultaneously.

Another standout feature is the support for the high-quality LDAC Bluetooth codec, which enables higher-resolution audio transmission than many competitors offer. Indeed, it's something that even its new Sony WF-C710N rivals can’t match.

Battery life is respectable too, with seven hours of playback from the buds alone, and up to 24 hours total with the charging case (reduced to 5.5 hours and 18 hours total with ANC enabled).

The EAH-AZ40M2 come in three attractive finishes – Silver, Black, or Rose Gold – with a chic design that could certainly pass for a more expensive offering. Again, note that only the silver and black versions are currently on offer at Amazon.

As for the touch-sensitive controls, they are fully customisable via Technics' companion app, offering impressive flexibility for earbuds at this price point.

Where the Technics don't quite match class leaders such as the Sony WF-C710N, is in their handling of musical dynamics and timing. While they excel at creating a broad, clean soundstage with excellent detail and organisation – particularly beneficial for subtle, spacious compositions – they lack a bit of the punch and emotional engagement that their rivals can deliver with more energetic music.

The bass performance was also noted as being slightly limp compared with competitors, suggesting that there could be a little more power, focus and robustness to complement the refined mid and upper ranges.

Having said that, if you appreciate Technics' signature clean, spacious sound presentation and value features such as LDAC codec support and three-device multipoint connectivity, these earbuds still represent excellent value at their current £99 price point.

For those who want more dynamic punch and emotional engagement, the Sony WF-C710N remain strong alternatives at around the same price – but the Technics EAH-AZ40M2 still serves up a compelling package for the right listener.

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Best wireless earbuds 2025: quality in-ears for every budget

Read our Sony WF-C710N review

Listen up Samsung Galaxy phone and tab users, because we have a cracking deal for you. For a limited time only you can snag the impressive Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro wireless earbuds for only £140 at Amazon. That's £80 cheaper than their original RRP and £30 less than we've ever seen them before. The deal is for the white versions, with the silver alternative staying at full price.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the best wireless earbuds that Samsung have ever produced. They deliver a lively sound alongside a slew of top-class features. Watch out Apple, Sony, and Bose. The deal isn't exclusive to existing Samsung device owners but you'll certainly get the most out of them if you're already in its ecosystem.

Best Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deal

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have been a marked improvement for Samsung, demonstrating that the Korean brand can make a truly enjoyable pair of wireless earbuds. Previous efforts have always been somewhat lacking on the audio side compared with rivals, yet the company's latest pair of flagship buds demonstrate a spark of something special that is very much worth kindling. As we enthused in our review: "Samsung isn’t quite there yet, but this is the closest evidence we’ve seen that it could one day chase down the major players in this space".

Superficially, the still-new buds look strikingly similar to a pair of AirPods Pro 2, especially as they're daubed in an all-white, Apple-esque finish. If you can look past that, Samsung’s latest buds are easy to get along with, with comfortable removable ear tips that, when combined with the units' lightweight stem design, make for a decent fit.

They're certainly not short on features. Customisable noise cancelling is solid, and while the more premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds remain the kings of ANC, the performance here is excellent for the price. Spatial audio support works well, while battery life figures clock in at a solid total of around 30 hours. If you're a Samsung Galaxy smartphone user, you can even access the brand's proprietary SSC UHQ hi-res codec which allows for transmission of up to 24-bit/96kHz music files over Bluetooth. This works with the latest Galaxy devices such as the five-star Galaxy Z Fold 6.

With hi-res music files, these buds perform at their very best. Detail levels are impressively strong, bringing out the subtleties and nuances of tracks and delivering clarity, poise and cohesion. Even without an up-to-date Samsung device, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro perform well, conveying songs with a sparky sense of attack and energy. They're great in the midrange, making electric guitars sound scratchy, layered and packed with detail – we would like a little more solidity and weight in the bass, but it's tough to have a downer on these immensely likeable performers, especially at this knockdown price.

For general users, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have a lot to recommend them, while for Samsung devotees they're a truly attractive proposition. Wherever your loyalties lie, it's worth checking out this stellar Samsung deal at Amazon.

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These are the best wireless earbuds you can buy

Here's something you don't see every day: all three current AirPods models are on the end of generous discounts. At Amazon, the standard AirPods 4 are $100 (down from $129), the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation are $149 (down from $179), and the flagship AirPods Pro 2 are $170 (down from $250).

That's the best price we've seen for the cheapest AirPods pair, although in December the ANC version was $10 less than it is now while the Pro 2 plummeted to $154 last Black Friday. Still, today's deals certainly aren't bad considering we are outside of the year's big sales events.

If you've been looking to upgrade your AirPods, now is a great time to snap up an AirPods deal. But if you're on the fence as to which pair is best value – and best for you – let us help...

So which pair should you buy? Your budget may well have narrowed your choice down to just one anyway, and if that is the case, the standard AirPods 4 are great buys, offering the latest AirPods 4 design, improved sound and call quality over the AirPods 3, and current AirPods features such as spatial audio and Audio Sharing.

But if noise cancelling and/or sound quality is important to you and you can spend a bigger chunk of cash, your decision will be between the two higher-priced models. We have a full AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2 comparison, but in short we believe the flagship Pro 2 are the better buys – especially now that there is only $21 between the two pairs.

The AirPods Pro 2 are five-star performers, while our expert in-house reviews team gave the newer AirPods 4 with ANC a four-star rating. More specifically, the Pro 2 perform better in the sound or noise-cancelling departments and have a better in-bud battery life of six hours compared to four (with ANC activated).

If you prefer the AirPods' traditional 'open' design to an eartip one, however, the AirPods 4 with ANC will still serve you very well indeed, while giving you the opportunity to elsewhere spend (or save) that $21!

MORE: Check out our guide to the best wireless earbuds for every budget

Brooklyn-based audio manufacturer Grado has announced the release of its latest pair of open-back headphones, the Signature S950. Following on from the release of the new flagship Grado Signature HP100 SE last year, the S950 are the second set of cans released in the nascent Signature line.

The Signature S950's earcup housings are made using Brazilian walnut which not only makes for a more lightweight construction (just 395g) but offers what Grado describes as a "relaxed musical presentation". Grado has used wood extensively across a number of its most recognisable headphones, including the GS1000X Statement, the five-star Grado RS1x and the RS2E Reference cans, so the incorporation of Brazilian walnut for the S950's ear cups is a return to familiar territory.

The Signature S950 use an incarnation of Grado's 52mm S driver originally designed for the Signature HP100 SE cans. When developing this new 52mm iteration, Grado strove to create a driver unit that would deliver "exceptional high-frequency detail, a smooth midrange, and powerful bass", all while keeping distortion levels at a minimum for a pinpoint accurate sound.

Each new driver deploys a paper composite cone paired with a high-flux magnetic circuit, as well as a copper-plated aluminium voice coil. When combined, Grado claims that the magnetic circuit and voice coil enhance the new headphones' dynamic reproduction while providing a "refined sense of space, soundstage, detail and imaging".

The Signature S950's updated headband includes 50 per cent more padding than earlier Grado models for extra comfort and features a stainless-steel band and adjustable height rods for customising your fit accordingly.

The new cans are equipped with a six-foot cable ending in a 6.3mm connector, while they connect to the headphones using 4-pin balanced mini XLR plugs. Grado is offering varying lengths of detachable cable options in the future, with 4-pin balanced XLR and 4.4mm balanced terminations available, granting users greater choice depending on their personal preference and the source being used.

The Grado Signature S950 will be available in March, priced at £2495 / $2195.

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After a good deal of speculation, the Beats Powerbeats 2 have officially landed. The first-gen Powerbeats Pro arrived in 2019, meaning there has been a gap of over five years between generations of the sporting buds – that's more than enough time for Beats to have improved upon the disappointing sonic performance of its original set of premium workout companions.

To make those sonic gains, the second-generatioin Powerbeats employ a bespoke acoustic architecture which strives for a "powerful, balanced sound profile" to put some pep in your proverbial step. Dual-layer drivers seek to minimise distortion and are aligned to each earbud’s nozzle for "optimal sound delivery", while a new venting design has been deployed to improve bass reproduction.

The new buds mimic the over-ear hook design of their predecessors, but this time Beats promises a lighter (by 20 per cent), more secure fit thanks to the Powerbeats Pro 2's updated ear hook which has been redesigned using a lightweight nickel-titanium alloy for "exceptional shape memory and flexibility". To get the perfect fit, the Apple-owned brand claims to have conducted more than 1500 hours of rigorous testing with nearly 1000 athletes to obtain the ideal blend of comfort and security.

Adding to their sporting credentials is an IPX4 waterproof rating for protection against sweat and liquid splashes, as well as on-ear touch controls, five ear-tip sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) and hands-free voice call capabilities when you're out on the move. Each bud packs a voice accelerometer and the same three microphones as found in the five-star AirPods Pro 2, leading to "exceptional voice targeting and noise suppression" from the new Beats.

Unlike their ancestors from way back in 2019, the Powerbeats Pro 2 feature active noise cancelling, with Beats claiming that the new running buds offer "the best adaptive noise cancelling" the brand has ever developed. In addition, transparency mode is also on the menu for hearing the world around you as you run.

Aside from noise cancelling, the new Powerbeats' big headline feature is heart-rate monitoring for your workouts, with the new buds using biometric sensing to provide in-depth for improved fitness tracking in real time. There is also support for customisable spatial audio with dynamic head tracking thanks to the inclusion of Apple's H2 chip, the same unit that powers the AirPods Pro 2.

Your workouts won't be cut short, either. The Powerbeats 2 offer up to 45 hours of playback with the charging case, with each earbud granting up to 10 hours of playtime before needing a refill. That case, meanwhile, has been designed to be 33 per cent smaller than the original and, handily, is compatible with wireless charging.

Coming in four finishes – black, quicksand grey, purple or orange – the Powerbeats Pro are available now, priced at £250 / $250.

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If you’ve perused What Hi-Fi?’s home cinema section, you’ll know we’re fairly big fans of Dolby Atmos – when it's done right.

To catch the uninitiated up, this is a form of surround sound that includes additional height channels to create a more three-dimensional sonic presentation. Dolby itself describes Atmos as offering a “dome of sound” experience, and that’s a pretty accurate summary of what it's like when it’s delivered properly.

What do you mean by "properly", you ask? Jump over to our best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema surround sound system guide and you’ll get a detailed breakdown of the best uses of the technology.

The short version is that Atmos is at its best when the director uses the 360 sphere available to them to do things such as replicate the sound of jet planes screaming overhead during a dogfight, or the terrifying footsteps of a monster creeping in the dark above its intended victim.

Trust me, once you experience it, you’ll be rushing to our best surround-sound systems and best Dolby Atmos soundbars guides to get a speaker set-up capable of replicating the experience in your home.

And while we mainly talk about Atmos for films at What Hi-Fi?, myself and the AV team can also confirm it’s great for sports, which is why we were delighted to hear Comcast will be broadcasting the Super Bowl with the tech for the first time this year.

This means that when Super Bowl LIX kicks off and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans at 11.30pm GMT / 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT / 10.30am AEDT on Monday, Xfinity TV customers will be able to hear it in Atmos.

Cards on the table, I’m not a huge NFL fan. So much so that my only connection to it is the fact that our staff writer Lewis Empson (a Swifty), is excited one of his favourite pop stars will be there. But others, including our Deputy Editor, Andy Madden, are cautiously excited. Why cautiously? Because, like movies, Atmos sports can be very hit-and-miss in their Atmos implementation.

There are three big reasons for this.

The first stems from the fact that, like films, having an Atmos signal doesn’t guarantee the audio will be good.

Done badly, Atmos can even distract rather than aid the experience. This has been the case in certain sports, including F1. The sport’s fundamentally quite flat, soncially speaking, with all the action happening on a level track. The streams we've seen with Atmos also didn’t include much in the way of crowd noise from the stadium, so even though it was an Atmos signal, the experience didn’t feel much more immersive than standard surround sound.

The best experiences are when the added height channels are used to make you feel as though you’re in the stadium, or on the pitch hearing what the players on screen are saying. The best examples of this tend to come from Premier League matches on Sky Sports, TNT and Amazon Prime Video, where the added sound of the crowd cheering, or jeering, adds to the immersion and helps the match take on a character you simply don’t get with regular sound.

This brings me to our second complication – the venue. Recording live events is an art, which is why bands pay such attention to where they play and how live records are made. The acoustics of an arena are all different, and capturing sound in them needs to be tailored for the best results. This remains true with sports.

The recording and broadcast need to be optimised for the stadium and, even when it is, some venues have better acoustics than others – which is why Atmos performance varies massively, even when watching the Premier League on the same streaming platform, on a match-to-match basis.

Then, third and finally, there’s your home speaker set-up. Having reviewed more Atmos soundbars and packages than I care to remember, trust me when I say they’re not all created equal.

Dolby Atmos soundbars in particular are a minefield. I’ve reviewed plenty that have the eARC connection required to recognise an Atmos signal and up-firing drivers designed to replicate the dome of sound experience by reflecting audio off the ceiling, and many offer very little by way of a sense of height.

That’s why myself and the What Hi-Fi? team spend so much time testing Dolby Atmos soundbars to ensure they deliver Atmos properly, rather than just recognising the signal.

To get a truly great Atmos experience with the Super Bowl, all of these factors will have to be dealt with. Which is why, while I’m excited to see more sports fixtures stream with the audio, I’ll wait until I actually hear it before singing its praises.

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It’s time to dust off my crystal ball and speculate on which new headphone models I think could appear this year. Since Covid, traditional launch cycles for some brands and products seem to have gone out of the window, but I believe that in 2025 there’s a good chance we will see at least a handful of huge launches in the wireless headphones world.

And they will need to be big given the number of quality five-star pairs out there now. Most of the big hitters, including Apple, Bose and Sony, currently all have pairs we have given five stars to, so the launch of any successor will not only be huge news but also hugely exciting. As someone who has experienced pretty much everything that these brands have to offer, I can't wait to get my hands on the next big thing, especially when it comes to new flagships.

Of course, you can never be sure if traditional naming conventions are going to continue or a manufacturer might throw a spanner in the works and tweak more than just a digit here and or letter there. For my list, I've assumed brands will pick up from where they've left off.

Only one pair below has been heavily rumoured to appear on the Internet, while the others are all my own speculation based on previous launch dates and taking into account other new headphones I've seen launch over the past couple of years.

Is there a particular pair you would like to see hit the market in 2025? Is there a sequel you’ve been waiting for, or maybe just a tweak of an existing model to add a feature or change a design element? Let me know in the comments below…

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Apple didn’t exactly set the headphones world alight with its 2024 update to its flagship over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max. I’m hoping for bigger things from the AirPods Pro 3 wireless earbuds if they arrive in 2025. Apple’s current flagship buds, the AirPods Pro 2 impressed us enough to give them a five-star review when they appeared on the scene in September 2022. They are undoubtedly Apple’s best buds to date, but there’s always room for improvement.

Although, to Apple’s credit, the tech giant has continued to add new features to the AirPods Pro 2 since they launched, including Adaptive Audio, Personalised Volume and Conversation Awareness, so they have evolved quite nicely.

If the AirPods Pro 3 do materialise in 2025, I’ll be looking for even better sound quality, boosted ANC (which I have a hunch Apple will enlist the help of AI to help tweak), tweaked battery life (which currently sits at six hours) and a more stable connection in crowded environments. As I’ve been testing more and more wireless earbuds this year, the drop in connection stands out when I’m out using them and walking around crowded train/tube stations.

The latest AirPods Pro 3 rumours point to a possible launch early in the year, but historically Apple’s AirPods have launched later. Needless to say, I’ll be keeping a close eye on this one.

• Read our AirPods Pro 2 review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2

If you’re looking for launches that could potentially happen towards the end of 2025, then a second-generation pair of QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds might not be out of the picture. After all, September will mark the second anniversary of the originals and Bose has been known to refresh some of its pairs every couple of years.

Another reason why I think next year might see the launch of new flagship Bose wireless earbuds is because of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) that launched last September. Their unveiling ushered in not only a new look but also new features that aren’t available on the QC Ultra Earbuds. Bose also introduced a brand-new companion app that isn’t compatible with the current flagship. To me, it would seem strange to leave the Ultras in limbo longer than they need to be, and bringing them in line with the new app and adding extra features as soon as realistically possible would make sense.

So what could we expect to see from any new flagship Bose buds? I’d expect a boost in battery life of sorts – the Ultras offer six hours per charge, which is okay but feels a little low by some modern standards – and improvements in call quality and even potentially an ANC tweak, even though Bose seems to have the formula for noise-cancelling earbuds well and truly sorted at the moment.

• Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Bowers & Wilkins PX9

The luxury headphone market has grown significantly in recent years. With options approaching the £1000 / $1000 mark, it’s going to be interesting to see who is next to market with a pair that attempts to take headphone design and sound to the next level.

One brand I can see potentially making a move is Bowers & Wilkins. Its Px8 wireless headphones launched back in September 2022, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the audio giant was well along the path with a successor that maybe sits even higher up the price scale. The Px8 launched at £599 / $699 / AU$1150 and wowed us with their classy looks and luxurious build elements such as the use of nappa leather on the headband, earpads and earcups, and beautifully finished aluminium arms. And they backed this up with outstanding sound quality. We were also blown away by their “outstanding clarity” and “fast and punchy sonic presentation”.

We’ve already seen Bowers & Wilkins have great success with its latest pair of flagship wireless earbuds, the Pi8, which we thought justified their hefty price tag and a five-star rating. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the company tries to mirror this with its over-ears and go one better than the Px8.

• Read our Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review

Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless

One brand that quietly and efficiently goes about its business in the wireless headphones market is Sennheiser. Its Momentum range has proved to be a consistent and much-loved line over the years and has spawned several pairs that we’ve rated five stars.

The Momentum 4 Wireless arrived in August 2022, so if we’re looking at a two to three-year cycle, 2025 could be the perfect time for a new pair to come to market. It’s interesting to note that the company’s Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds only came out in January 2024, so I’m wondering whether Sennheiser would want a fifth-generation over-ear on sale at the same time as the 4th Gen earbuds, or would it prefer to wait a little longer to bring the product cycles closer together?

To its credit, the current Momentum 4 Wireless model is still extremely competitive, especially given recent price discounts. Its claimed 60-hour battery life when Bluetooth and ANC are enabled is quite remarkable, while their neutral, musical sound keeps you entertained. They also boast many useful features and good noise-cancelling too. Sony seems to have had the edge in recent years but I think Sennheiser could really push them close with a new model if it gets the formula right.

• Read our Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review

Sonos Ace 2

Sonos’s much-rumoured move into the headphones space became a reality in 2024 with the arrival of the Sonos Ace. Going off the impact they had in the soundbar and wireless speaker markets, we hoped they would be a bona fide rival to the established competition from the likes of Bose and Sony.

But, when we tested them, we were surprised to find them a bit of a mixed bag. We really liked the build quality and streamlined design which looked pretty fresh given what else is in the market. They were nice to use with solid controls and we found them comfortable to wear for long periods. However, in our opinion, Sonos really missed the mark with sound quality, which surprised us. They just don’t sound exciting or dynamic to listen to. There’s a real lack of clarity and expression compared to the class leaders.

Now, I’m not expecting Sonos to go back to the drawing board and launch a brand-new model, but could Sonos tweak the Ace’s sound profile via a firmware update? Manufacturers are constantly making small updates to their headphones during their shelf life, so I think there could be a chance, but only a slim one. I suppose the next big question is, could Sonos launch a pair of premium wireless earbuds so they have both in-ear and over-ear headphones categories covered?

• Read our Sonos Ace review

Sony WH-1000XM6

This would be huge news and the launch I've been waiting for. It’s coming to that time of the headphones cycle when we are due another pair of flagship wireless over-ears from Sony. Its current WH-1000XM5 model is over two years old now, but I think they are still the benchmark for wireless headphones at their level. It will be interesting to see whether Sony consolidates or decides to try and push the envelope if it chooses to launch a new model.

After all, the XM5 were quite a big departure from the build and styling of the WH-1000XM4, so I’d be surprised if they ripped everything up and started again for their successor. To its credit, Sony has been able to consistently up the audio quality from generation to generation, so if it can do this with a new model that would be half the battle. What else would I like to see? I still think Sony could learn a thing or two from a couple of other brands.

Bose still just has the edge when it comes to noise-cancelling (thanks to the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones) and Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless over-ears deliver some big numbers when it comes to battery life. You could also argue that the build quality of the WH-1000XM5 took a bit of a backwards step compared to XM4, so I’m fascinated and excited to see what might appear.

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We love it when a manufacturer proves that you can get great sound and comfort from a pair of headphones without having to dig too deep into your back pocket – and that’s exactly what Sony did when it launched the WH-CH720N over-ear headphones.

Even at full price, we found them to be so talented that we bestowed a What Hi-Fi? Award upon them for the best wireless headphones in the budget category. But right now, JB Hi-Fi has slashed an insane AU$136 off their price, bringing them down to an Australian all time low of just AU$123. We really can’t think of any other pairs of headphones that can match this for price and performance.

As we said in our Sony WH-CH720N review, “No shrinking violets, they imbue their musical cargo with heft and conviction, operating on the front foot in delivering an immediate, assertive sound with an emphasis on forceful, burly bass.” On the subject of that bass, we did find it could become a little overzealous at times, but Sony’s companion app lets you adjust the EQ to your heart’s content.

We did also find, as should be expected given the huge price disparity, that more premium pairs such as Sony’s own WH-1000XM5, are more effective at blocking out external noise with more powerful ANC technology, but we ultimately found that, for the money, “these affordable Sonys do an effective job of dampening, if not silencing completely, the rumble and swoosh of each passing car as it whizzes its way past on a busy nearby road.”

We could go on and on about how well we think they perform, but we think you should judge for yourself. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend much to find out, and perhaps the even better news is that JB Hi-Fi has discounted all three colours to the same price (we’re particular fans of the blue colour option). We’re not sure how long this deal will last, so we suggest jumping on it quickly, the CH720N will make a terrific Christmas gift.

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We have noticed that a number of Black Friday deals are still around, with the entry-level Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) among them. Despite being released only a couple of months ago, you can now get them for $129 at Amazon. That's an incredible $50 discount and the perfect timing ahead of Christmas.

UK customers are not excluded from this deal with these excellent earbuds still on sale for £129.95 at John Lewis. The earbuds are available in Black, Chilled Lilac, or White Smoke colours.

Best Bose QuietComfort Earbuds wireless earbuds deal 

The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) are Bose's latest pair of entry-level active noise-cancelling wireless buds, replacing the old QuietComfort Earbuds that we tested a few years back. Like their forebears, these noise-cancelling newbies earned five stars from our review team, managing to bring Bose's expertise in ANC to an affordable, comfortable pair of wireless in-ears. For filling a mid-range gap in the market, they are the real deal.

They are immensely comfortable and secure buds, mainly because of the stability bands that help wedge the earbuds in place. By mixing and matching the provided tips and stability bands, you are sure to find a combination that meets your needs.

Bose claims 8.5 hours of battery life per charge for the buds, with the charging case offering another two and a half charges – decent numbers that see the QC Earbuds outperform many pricier alternatives. The buds support Bluetooth 5.3, SBC and AAC codecs, but there is no aptX support as found with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Ultra Open Earbuds. This being Bose, the big draw is noise-cancelling, where once again we are reminded why the US brand is a class leader in this field; the performance is superb across the varying customisable modes.

As for sound, the brilliant buds are a triumph. As we state in our review: "If it's drive and musicality you’re after, then the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) deliver in spades. They are powerful and punchy performers that build an entertaining sound on the foundations of robust low frequencies, an expressive midrange and controlled highs." In this price bracket, you will struggle to do better.

If you want Bose brilliance but aren't willing to stretch to the costlier QC Ultra Earbuds, these more entry-level beauties are the next best thing. Get them while you can.

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Looking for a cracking Black Friday OLED TV deal? Care about it delivering “as the director intended” picture quality? If the answer is yes to both those questions, I’d thoroughly recommend checking out the latest deal doing the rounds on the 55-inch Panasonic Z95A.

The 55-inch Panasonic Z95A is currently selling for £1999 at Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, a huge £1000 discount on its regular cost and the best price we’ve ever seen it retail for.

The Z95A is Japanese home cinema heavyweight Panasonic’s latest flagship OLED TV. We’re recommending it for two key reasons. First because it’s a fantastic TV with cutting edge specifications.

This is headlined by micro lens array (MLA) tech. This is a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning technology that radically raises OLED TVs peak and operating brightness levels that originally debuted last year on the LG G3.

That leads on to our second reason for recommending the Z95A: it’s one of the best MLA sets we’ve ever tested, to the point our editor (me) has it on his personal wishlist this Black Friday.

As we noted in our full review, the Panasonic Z95A expertly merges the brightness-boosting benefits of MLA with the Japanese giant’s ongoing focus on authenticity and delivering an “as the director intended” picture.

As our testers reported in our full Panasonic Z95A review:

“The Panasonic Z95A is a fantastic TV and a great showcase of how brightness-boosting MLA technology can be used to enhance picture quality. Thanks to Panasonic’s continued focus on delivering an authentic, controlled and balanced picture, the set uses the added brightness in a way that truly improves rather than distracts from what’s happening on screen.”

We don’t give praise like that often, so if you value authenticity the way we do, we’d strongly recommend considering Sevenoaks's latest Panasonic Z95A Black Friday deal.

On the off chance it doesn’t tick all your boxes, but you still want to grab a new OLED this Black Friday, don’t panic. There are plenty of other fantastic deals doing the rounds. Check out our curated picks of the top savings to be had in our main best Black Friday OLED TV deals guide.

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Hollywood isn't too fond of AI – see the recent writers' strike – but in this case it could make an exception. BenQ's new AI Cinema Mode uses artificial intelligence to optimise the picture depending on the viewing conditions and the type of content being shown. So it should help Hollywood movies look their best.

AI Cinema Mode features on the new BenQ W2720i home cinema projector. It can adapt the image to ambient light to give more accurate colours and details, enhance the picture to best suit what's on screen, and optimise the brightness dynamically.

It also promises to make the projector a doddle to set up, meaning you can enjoy an as-the-director-intended experience without having the foggiest about colour calibration. BenQ has an entire team tasked with calibrating colour, which means the 2720i meets commercial digital cinema standards like DCI-P3, giving you a cinema-style experience right in your lounge.

Each unit comes with its own factory calibration report, proving its D65 colour temperature and colour accuracy, which should make for vibrant, true-to-life colours as the director intended.

It supports the HDR10+ format of HDR, which should be improved by the Global Contrast Enhancer, Local Contrast Enhancer and Dynamic Black technologies onboard. The 'Global' tech enhances the contrast across the whole image, while 'Local' zeroes in on specific parts within a frame. Dynamic Black, meanwhile, optimises the contrast dynamically, adapting the light output to match the content on-screen. Which again, should make it true to the director's original vision.

The eco-friendly LED should run quietly and give you up to 30,000 hours of movie time, so no need to replace the bulb (not unless you're watching a lot of films). It can produce a 120-inch screen from a distance of just 2.7m, so pretty close, though not as close as ultra short throw (UST) projectors. It should be simple to accommodate into most rooms too, with features like 1.3x zoom, Auto Screen Fit, 8-point Corner Fit, and Vertical Lens Shift making it versatile.

Want to stream? Not a problem. Android TV is at hand courtesy of a streaming stick that comes bundled with the device. That will give you access to all the big hitters like Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video. And with three HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which doubles as an eARC), and SPDIF, you can connect a soundbar or surround sound set-up.

The W2720i is available now for £1999 (about $2600 / AU$3900). Find out more here.

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October is upon us, which not only means the imminent arrival of Amazon’s Big Deal Days sale event, but also a fresh entry into our Pick of the Month column.

With testing for the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 in full swing and our first raft of winners set to be announced on 9th October, it was a particularly busy month for our team of testers. It also means this is one of the longest Pick of the Month columns to date, with a staggering eight products earning perfect marks from our reviewers.

Every one was tested by our team in one of our dedicated viewing or listening rooms, where it was put through its paces in a series of comparative tests, directly against its closest rivals, so you know they’re good if they made the list!

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2

The Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 is an updated version of the five-star Debut Carbon Evo. It's a bit pricier than its outgoing predecessor, but the £599 / $699 / AU$1299 deck comes with a few key upgrades. These include a new heavy aluminium platter, as well as a new precision-milled aluminium block with a low-friction bearings mount for its tonearm. As a cherry on top, it also comes with a new Pick-It MM Evo cartridge.

Putting it through its paces paired with a variety of reference equipment, including Epos ES14N speakers and a PMC Cor amplifier with a Vertere Phono-1 MkII L phono preamp, the results were excellent. Across every track, be it bopping pop or thrashing 70s rock, the turntable delivered a lively, detailed and fluid sound. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:

“Pro-Ject has taken a friendly, capable deck and furnished it with significant upgrades to make it a more sleek and engaging performer. There are those who will prefer Rega’s more mature and precise presentation at this level, but the Evo 2 is a capable and likeable alternative whose lively, fluid delivery and lovely way with voices might just win you over.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 review

Rega Planar 2/Nd3

The Planar 2/Nd3 is the latest package from Rega that pairs its mid-range turntable with its new moving magnet cartridge.

The upgraded cartridge raises the turntable’s price up to £599 / $795 / AU$1299, a slight premium on the £499 / $775 / AU$999 you’ll have to pay to get the Planar 2 with the company’s standard factory-fitted Carbon MM cartridge. But based on our testing, it’s well worth considering the upgrade.

Paired with our reference system of the PMC Cor amplifier and Epos ES14N speakers, with a Vertere Phono-1 MkII L phono stage, the cartridge yielded solid sonic improvements. Whether it was Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 or Slipknot’s Wait And Bleed, the package delivered an authoritative and engaging sound that was wonderfully dynamic, rhythmically precise and agile. Hence our conclusion:

“An assured, subtle and rhythmically exciting deck with high build quality and fuss-free set-up – the Planar 2/Nd3 package is a strong performer at this level.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Rega Planar 2/Nd3 review

Sony WF-C510

The WF-C510 are the latest affordable wireless earbuds from audio heavyweight Sony. While many people’s attention may firmly be on the AirPods 4 with ANC, you’d be foolish to ignore the Sony WF-C510, based on our testing.

Putting them up against their five-star, Award-winning predecessors the Sony WFC500, we found they’re an incredibly accomplished set of earbuds considering their low £55 / $60 / AU$110 price tag.

For the money you’ll be treated to a stellar value pair of earbuds that deliver a wonderfully comfortable fit and solid, musical sound that you won’t get on anything else at this price. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:

“At this level, it’s hard to pile on too much expectation, but Sony’s previous track record has us doing just that. And the WF-C510 don’t disappoint. They might look and feel cheaper than what has gone before them but we can’t really argue with the comfort, sense of fun and musicality that they convey. They’re brilliant buds with a bargain price tag.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Sony WF-C510 review

LG C4 (OLED42C4)

The OLED42C4 is the smallest option in LG’s middle-child C-series of OLED TVs. For the money you get the same core formula that made the larger 48-inch LG C4 and 65-inch LG C4 great, but in a smaller package. These include flawless gaming specs with four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, with eARC, that will let you take full advantage of a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S's graphical grunt.

But, most importantly it also delivers an excellent movie watching experience. While we found the smallest model doesn’t offer quite as warm colours as its siblings, it’s still capable of delivering a wonderfully punchy but authentic picture. That’s why you’ll currently see the 42-inch LG C4 front and centre in both our best gaming TV and best OLED TV buying guides. As we said in our 42-inch LG C4 review:

“The 42-inch LG C4 is the best small OLED TV money can buy right now. Though its audio isn't the best, it delivers a wonderfully punchy, immersive viewing experience despite its small form factor, with noticeably higher peak brightness than its older rivals.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth LG C4 (OLED42C4) review

Qobuz

When we first tested it we initially weren’t sold on hi-res service Qobuz. But after a wealth of improvements since we last fully reviewed it, we can confirm it has evolved into the best music streaming service for audiophiles.

The biggest and most appealing of those improvements are its stellar hi-res streaming powers, which now include a much wider range of tracks and artists. Add to this its clever pricing changes, which now put it roughly in line with direct rival Tidal, and it quickly became an easy recommendation among our experts during our joint testing sessions. Hence our updated conclusion:

“It’s clear Qobuz has really worked hard in recent years to bring its pricing, catalogue and user experience in line with the competition, while also keeping its niche for the audiophile user. Yes, other services offer high-res music, but Qobuz feels like it lives and breathes it.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Qobuz review

Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined

The Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined are a squat pair of floorstanding speakers that have been 45 years in the making. Having finally gotten them into our listening rooms our team of reviewers can thankfully confirm they are worth the wait. The speakers may have a wonderfully eye-catching, retro design, but under the hood they’re a modern marvel full of clever engineering.

Every one of the four drivers has been bespoke-crafted with painstaking attention to detail that takes inspiration from and improves on the designs of the original Trapeze speakers. The end result is a wonderfully unfussy pair of floorstanding speakers that delivered stellar results paired with our reference system. This includes a Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart MC and Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier.

Whether it was Mahler’s 8th Symphony or Massive Attack’s Angel, the Trapeze Reimagined delivered a performance full of clarity, excellent dynamics and impressive bass power, agility and grip.

This makes them an easy recommendation and led our testers to conclude:

“There is always a danger with retro-inspired speakers that the sound quality takes a back seat to the nostalgia value. That isn’t the case here. The Trapeze Ri may resemble their famed ancestors, but in every other respect are thoroughly modern speakers that, at their considerable best, deliver a wonderfully spellbinding sound.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined review

Sony Bravia 8 (K65XR80)

The Sony Bravia 8 is the only new OLED TV from Sony this year. If that wasn’t enough pressure to put on the unit, it’s also the direct successor to the Sony A80L – a Product of the Year winner at last year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards.

Putting it through its paces directly against its predecessor in our viewing rooms last month, we can now confirm it is a stellar OLED TV that delivers a wealth of small but important improvements on last year’s model.

Highlights include a slightly higher maximum brightness, which makes bright scenes a smidgen more detailed and immersive than the outgoing, and still excellent, A80L, plus refinements to its colours. The latter adds a layer of warmth that makes skin tones in particular look more authentic and true to life.

Add to this its best in class motion handling and good, by TV standards, audio (though you’ll still want a soundbar for truly immersive viewing), and it easily earned a five-star rating. As we said in our review:

“The Bravia 8 is a refinement rather than a big step forward for Sony’s OLED TV offering – but it's still a great TV.”

Score: 5/5

Read our in-depth Sony Bravia 8 review

Dali Rubikore 2

The Rubikore 2 are our first taste of hi-fi house Dali’s new Kore-era speakers. This means they come with a number of engineering features we’ve not had in our listening rooms before.

Highlights include a brand-new hybrid tweeter design and a a 16.5cm mid/bass driver complete with Dali’s custom paper and wood-fibre ‘Clarity Cone’ and patented SMC (Soft Magnetic Compound) magnet material technology.

Pairing the standmount speakers with our reference hardware, while we found you will want to match them with a smoother-sounding amplifier, in our case the Arcam A15 and Naim Nait XS 3, they are capable of fantastic audio.

Once matched well, the Rubikore 2 delivered great audio full of class-leading levels of insight and rhythmic precision. Hence our conclusion:

“As entertaining as they are informative, the formidable Rubikore 2 deliver a good time, and then some.”

Score 5/5

Read our in-depth Dali Rubikore 2 review

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LG's 42-inch C-series OLED TVs are practically our go-to recommendation for gamers, with each yearly update thrashing the admittedly scarce competition. While Philips, Sony, and Panasonic all have 42-inch OLED TVs in their respective ranges, none of those brands can hold a candle to LG's spectacular gaming specifications, and the C3 proved to be no exception when we reviewed it last year. 

 The only issue is that, at launch, these TVs tend to be fairly pricey; however, good things come to those who wait, as evidenced by this absolutely killer deal on the LG OLED42C3. We reviewed it at £1499, however Curry's has it down to just £700 – that's better than half price, or £799 off the asking price to be exact. 

This is the lowest price we've ever seen this TV drop to, with the previous record being £749 according to our logs. While there is a 42-inch C4 on the market now (expect a review of that TV soon), it appears to be a very similar TV to the C3 on paper, and it's much more expensive at £1199 – so, we'd recommend saving your cash and pairing it with a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X (depending on your console allegiance) for an epic gaming setup.  

While it may not be the latest model on the market, the 42-inch C3 still holds first place on our best 43-inch, 42-inch and 40-inch TVs list. We awarded it five stars and two What Hi-Fi? Awards and that was at its launch price, but now that it has dropped to well under half price, it is an absolute no-brainer for gamers or those working with limited space for their TV setup. 

Connectivity options are one of the C3’s biggest strengths, this model of TV features four HDMI 2.1 sockets rated to the full bandwidth of 48Gbps. One socket supports eARC/ARC while all four sockets can handle 4K/120Hz, VRR, and ALLM signals output by the PS5 and Xbox Series X. There are many models of TV that can handle these gaming features, however, most only do so via two sockets, rather than all four available.

The LG C3 features 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision capabilities, to name a few, making it a great choice for anyone looking to enjoy their favourite movies or games at a high quality.

The C3, like other LG TVs available, offers Dolby Vision gaming right up to 4K/120Hz. There’s also an HGiG mode that makes it easier to achieve a better HDR tone mapping experience in modern games.

This model also has a new and improved processor over the former C2 – the Alpha 9 Gen 6. Some of the key improvements made from the older chip include AI Upscaling Pro, which is designed to reduce noise in upscaled sub-4K content without sacrificing any intentional film grain.

It also adds OLED Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro, which independently optimises the HDR delivery of 20,000 individual zones in each image (up from 5000 zones).

As a final set of perks, the new chipset adds Object Enhancer, which sharpens elements in the foreground for extra image depth, and HDR Expression Enhancer, which applies specific tone mapping to those foreground elements for extra three-dimensionality.

MORE:

Read our LG C3 (OLED42C3) review

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The Umbrella Academy started as a comic book before it was adapted for the screen by Netflix. That isn't all that special in itself, but creating a hit from mining comics is becoming a rare feat nowadays. That's why this fascinating and mind-bending series entering its fourth and final series is a big deal.

This show tells the story of a dysfunctional family in a very original way. The characters are born with powers and were adopted by a wealthy philanthropist at birth to be raised as a superhero team. What ensues is hilarious, moving, exciting and very often downright weird, with the series predominantly carried on back-and-forths between the siblings and their many enemies. 

It's not an understatement to say that some of these characters will be truly missed when the show comes to an end after five years. With that in mind, it's a great time to come to the show for the first time. The last two seasons racked up a series-best 91 per cent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Apocalyptic excellence

Each series pits our team of unlikely and imbalanced heroes against an apocalyptic potential end for us all. And when all that stands in the way of planetary annihilation is a bunch of misfits that struggle to get along, queue a nail-biting and often unpredictable adventure of a show.

From super strong giants and teleporters to mind controllers and time travellers – The Umbrella Academy isn't short of fantastical imagination. Keep in mind that the creation comes from Dark Horse comics – a more mature arm of the already darker-than-Marvel DC comics – so it's not surprising that it's close to the bone in a very edgy and effective way.

Actors to look out for include Robert Sheehan (Misfits), who puts in a career-defining performance as Klaus, a loveable misfit who can see the dead and battles his own drug-based demons. Also, movie actress Elliot Page (Juno, Inception) leads the way as Vanya/Viktor who has potentially planet-destroying powers and goes through a personal journey of identity as the series progresses.

Is this the end?

The show started in 2019 and is already entering its fourth and final series, going to show just how popular it has been. Indeed, a massive 45 million households watched season one during its first week of release, and since then it has received six Emmy nominations.

It's also a measure of how much The Umbrella Academy will be missed by its many fans. Will there be a spin-off series or some sort of reboot to keep it going? It's hard to imagine that the studio will leave this where it stands – but with sci-fi and Netflix, it's hard to say.

A movie adaptation was originally floated some years back, so perhaps there's a chance that this could follow the final series.

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It’s fair to assume that human beings started singing long before the first musical instrument was invented, but there are plenty of brilliant songs that, for one reason or another, eschew vocals completely. 

While instrumentals were popular until the 1970s, pop music’s increasing reliance on vocal hooks means only one singer-free song has topped the UK charts since Mr Oizo’s Flat Beat in 1999 – the truly dreadful Animals by Martin Garrix back in 2013.  

That’s reflected in our list below, which, while taking in a variety of genres, isn’t exactly packed with contemporary household names, but is full of tracks that’ll give your hi-fi system something to chew on while it’s waiting vainly for the vocals to kick in.  

We’ve taken the executive decision not to include anything classical, or anything written specifically for a soundtrack (we’ve got other test track lists for that), and have only allowed vocal samples as long as they don’t sound like singing or talking. Instrumental versions of songs that normally have vocals are not allowed either.  

Think we’ve missed any obvious classics? Let us know in the comments, on our forums, or via our social media channels...

Booker T. and the MG's – Green Onions

Green Onions (or Spring Onions as it would’ve been known if Booker T. and the MG's had formed in Maidstone rather than Memphis) was originally conceived as a B-side, but after a local DJ played it on the radio the reaction was so strong that Stax Records quickly re-released it as a single. 

It’s not hard to see why the tune was so popular, with a wriggly Hammond organ riff, Steve Cropper’s electrifying Telecaster licks, a classic 12-bar blues bassline, and a drumbeat so solid you could build a house on it. 

In fact, Green Onions is one of only two instrumentals on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs ever written, sitting 74 places higher than Miles Davis’s So What in 418th. 

Buy Booker T. and the MG's Green Onions on Amazon

Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand In Mine

Post-rock is a genre that’s happy to let the instruments do the talking, and there’s more emotion packed into the eight minutes of Your Hand In Mine than some bands manage in a whole album’s worth of lyrics.

In truth, we could have picked almost any song from 2003’s The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, such is the ease with which the album flows from one to the next. Critics will argue it’s actually because they all sound alike, but where other post-rock bands leaned heavily into the noisier side of the quiet/loud dynamic that often defined the genre, Explosions in the Sky’s most arresting moments are at the other end of the spectrum.

That’s not to say Your Hand In Mine won’t test your system’s power, but the shimmering guitars will test your heartstrings, too. 

Buy Explosions in the Sky's The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place on Amazon

Flying Lotus – 1983

Until it ended in 2018, Low End Theory, a club night that ran at The Airliner in Los Angeles, was arguably the experimental hip-hop equivalent of CBGBs in New York. It played host to everyone from Thom Yorke to Prince, and helped launch the career of Flying Lotus, whose debut album, 1983, included this track of the same name. 

The influence of legendary producer J Dilla (whose own best tracks contain just too many vocal samples to be considered for this list) is apparent in the ever-so-slightly off-time beat that makes your brain sit up and take notice, as well as the bass that shape-shifts like it’s trying to escape from underneath the song.

Buy Flying Lotus' 1983 on Amazon

Mogwai – My Father My King

Mogwai aren’t exactly short of songs that’ll test the dynamics of a hi-fi – try Like Herod for an exercise in volume management – but from the single string of a guitar that begins My Father My King, to the waves of controlled noise and feedback at its extended crescendo, this will give your system plenty to get its teeth into. 

Based on melodies taken from an ancient Jewish hymn called Avinu Malkeinu, the track builds over 20 minutes, with the Glasgow five-piece gradually adding layers of guitar, viola and cello before stripping everything back down to that simple guitar again in preparation for the sonic assault at the end.  

My Father My King was recorded with the late Steve Albini, an engineer known for his ability to capture a band as they sound live, and that’s exactly what you get here in all its speaker-terrorising glory. 

Buy Mogwai's My Father My King on Amazon

Aphex Twin - Avril 14th

If all you know of Aphex Twin is the nightmare fuel of the Come to Daddy or Windowlicker videos, it might surprise you to learn that the famously reclusive artist is capable of composing something as delicate as Avril 14th – but he certainly didn’t play it.

Avril 14th was recorded on a Yamaha Disklavier, a piano that can be played using MIDI data rather than human fingers, making this gentle, two-minute instrumental sound like music for the uncanny valley. If you listen hard enough, and your system can pick it out, you can just about make out the sound of the mechanism at work, like there’s a pair of robotic hands manipulating the keys. 

Nestled among some fairly sinister ambience, mechanical folk and melon-twisting techno, Avril 14th is the standout track on an album that contains a few uncharacteristically fragile and not-quite-completely-organic moments.

Buy Aphex Twin's Avril 14th on Amazon

Van Halen – Eruption

There’s something quite ironic about Van Halen’s most famous song, Jump, being based around a keyboard, but there’s no mistaking which instrument is at the heart of Eruption. 

While it starts with the clatter of Alex Van Halen’s drums, Eruption is essentially a standalone guitar solo, but what else could it be? If this 102 seconds of string-melting musical witchcraft was sandwiched between verses and a chorus it would completely overshadow the rest of the song. 

To a lot of people, Eruption will sound like the epitome of self-indulgent fretboard onanism, but it’s important to put it in context. Released in 1978, Eddie Van Halen’s double-tapping technique on Eruption pretty much defined how rock music would sound over the following decade, so there’s nothing better to test how your system handles a bit of shredding. 

What’s perhaps even more amazing about this track is that Eddie always insisted that he could’ve played it better. 

Buy Van Halen's Eruption on Amazon

Tortoise – TNT

The problem with a genre label like ‘post-rock’ is that it encapsulates so many different sounds. At one end of the spectrum you have a band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, whose post-apocalyptic symphonies bear very little resemblance to the light, jazzy tones of Tortoise’s TNT at the other. 

But don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of sonic wallpaper you’d hear in the lobby of an expensive hotel. It’s a track that is constructed a bit like a Lego model, with loose drums, swells of synth, and a repeated guitar riff bouncing off each other until the bass comes in and gives everything a single destination to aim for. 

Rather than the end of the world, TNT sounds like the hopeful start of a new one.

Buy Tortoise's TNT on Amazon

Pete Rock – A Little Soul

Many people will have heard Pete Rock’s work before they knew his name. He’s the man behind the boards on Nas’ The World Is Yours, and a producer who is widely credited with popularising the jazzier side of hip-hop, particularly on the albums he released with CL Smooth. 

2003’s PeteStrumentals was his first fully instrumental release, and while a lot of hip-hop sounds unfinished without somebody rapping over the top, it’s a testament to the producer’s talents that A Little Soul works as a piece of music in its own right.

It’s unmistakably the work of Pete Rock as well, built around his trademark jazzy horns sampled from a 1970 track by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, and the hook from a Brazilian singer called Emílio Santiago.

Buy Pete Rock's A Little Soul on Amazon

Led Zeppelin – Moby Dick

When Led Zeppelin played Moby Dick live it would often stretch to way beyond the four minutes and 20 seconds that were recorded for the penultimate track on 1969’s Led Zeppelin II. There’s a 15-minute version on YouTube taken from a show at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, but with some chemical assistance John Bonham would eventually stretch his drum solo out to over half an hour. 

If you’re thinking you’d need something similar to get through that, thankfully the studio version is more restrained. Bookended by short blasts of accompaniment from Jimmy Page’s guitar and John Paul Jones’ bass, Bonzo’s solo, which at one point sees him setting aside his sticks and playing with his hands, is the ideal way to see how your system copes with a drum kit.

Buy Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick on Amazon

Elliott Smith – Kiwi Maddog 20/20

When people talk about the genius of the late Elliott Smith they often focus on his lyrics – and it’s easy to see why. The singer, who died of an apparently self-inflicted stab wound to the heart aged just 33, had an incredible talent for writing simple, unpretentious lyrics that still have the power to be completely devastating, but he was also a brilliant musician.  

The majority of his debut solo album, 1994’s Roman Candle, is just Elliott’s voice and his acoustic guitar. In fact, it was recorded on a four-track recorder in a basement and was only ever intended to be a demo, but the label liked it so much they convinced him to release it as an album.  

But the final track, Kiwi Maddog 20/20, has a less lo-fi feel to it. It’s the only track on the album with no vocals – although rumours of a version with words exist online – but the more hopeful vibe and less understated guitar playing hint at the more complex arrangements he would showcase on later albums. 

Buy Elliott Smith’s Kiwi Maddog 20/20 on Amazon

Earth – Seven Angels

While most American rock bands, particularly in the Pacific Northwest where Earth formed, spent 1993 trying to piggyback on the success of Nirvana, Dylan Carlson (a former roommate of Kurt Cobain) had something significantly sludgier and less radio-friendly in mind. 

Seven Angels and the album Earth 2 that it appears on are considered landmarks in the development of drone metal. While bands they influenced, such as Sunn O))), play at a pace that’s comparable to a tectonic plate, Seven Angels is comparatively upbeat, but it bears all the hallmarks of the genre.

What’s important with a track like Seven Angels is that you can really appreciate the rugged texture of the chugging, Sabbath-esque riff and the incessant bass drone that underpins all 15 minutes, so how much dread it instils in you will probably depend on the quality of your kit.

Buy Earth's Earth 2 on Amazon

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Bose's formerly Award-winning QuietComfort Earbuds II have plummeted to the lowest price yet thanks to Prime Day. Even now, they're some of the best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds we've ever tested, and while they've been ousted by the newer, more expensive QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the positive is that some big discounts appearing for the more established QC II buds. £170 at Amazon? That's a serious deal right there.

Best Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Prime Day deal

Combining engaging, dynamic sound with a comfortable build and some of the best noise cancelling we've ever heard at this price, the Bose QC Earbuds II took on the might of the magnificent Sony WF-1000XM4 and, by many metrics, came out on top. We awarded them a What Hi-Fi? Award in 2022, so such a hefty discount on a pair of awesome in-ears really isn't to be sniffed at considering such pedigree.

Available in a choice of four finishes – black, soapstone, grey and blue – the premium wireless earbuds come fitted with superb active noise-cancelling tech as well as an IPX4 water resistance rating and 30+ hours of playback when using the charging case.

Oh, and that sound! While the newer Sony WF-1000XM5 may offer a cleaner, more analytical presentation, the QC Earbuds II are exceptional at revealing the timbres and textures of the tracks they convey. As we stated in our review: "You feel you can almost touch the instruments, such is the Bose’s ability to bring textures and subtle nuances to life. There’s impressive speed and agility on display too, which... makes for a dramatic and captivating performance." They may be a little older, but that doesn't mean the Bose buds have lost a step.

With this massive £110 drop in price, the combined might of the QC II's engaging musical performance, world-class ANC and broad feature set, this is one deal you don't want to miss. The new Sony WF-1000XM5 and incoming QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have a lot to recommend them, but in terms of pure value and enjoyment, this Bose deal at Amazon is very hard to top. 

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"Are you looking for a neat, good-sounding but affordable hi-fi system? If so, Elac’s Debut ConneX DCB41 might just be perfect for you." That is how our expert in-house reviews team enthusiastically opened our Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 review. Considering they cost £529 back then, you can imagine our delight now that their price has fallen by 35 per cent off.

The Debut ConneX DCB41 are just £341.65 at Amazon, beating the £399 discounted price we saw them drop to on Amazon, Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson in February.

Current What Hi-Fi? Award winners, these Elacs are some of the best desktop speakers we've tested, combining best-in-class sound quality with Bluetooth for easy wireless streaming and a phono stage for accommodating a turntable. They can easily double up as a soundbar alternative for your TV setup thanks to an HDMI ARC socket, too.

Elac’s excellent Debut ConneX DCB41 powered speakers are a fuss-free setup, in which one speaker in the pair contains all the electronics, amplification and connections, and the other sports a more conventional passive design. The speakers are then linked together with a cable.

You don't get any fancy network streaming smarts included here as there is no wi-fi (see the Triangle AIO Twin and KEFSX II LT systems for wi-fi streaming setups), but you can stream tunes wirelessly from your phone or laptop thanks to Bluetooth. Optical and USB inputs offer alternative wired connections to an external music source, while you can connect your TV courtesy of the ConneX's HDMI ARC input. You can also plug in a turntable directly thanks to the built-in switchable phono stage. 

It's all very well-made, well-thought-out and, of course, very convenient, removing the need for external amplification and boxes along the way.

The added convenience of having nearly all you could want in one place doesn't seem to have impaired the sound of the DCB41. During our review, we found the speakers to be clear, balanced and insightful performers, with pleasing levels of detail and proper levels of musical organisation and cohesion, which prevented unwanted muddying or sonic blurring during listening sessions. You don't win Awards for sounding mediocre, after all. 

These fantastic Elac powered speakers are wonderful value at their full price, but this excellent £341.65 deal at Amazon price truly makes them bona fide bargains.

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These are the best all-in-one systems you can buy

I have had the pleasure this week of being involved in the testing of the Marantz Cinema 30, and it has made my current home system seem a little underwhelming. You will have to wait until our Home Cinema Week at the start of July to read our exclusive Marantz Cinema 30 review, but it has reminded me just how good a ‘proper’ Dolby Atmos system can be – and how enjoyable it is, if you’re the right sort of person, to own an AV receiver.

Regular readers of this column might remember that at the start of last year my family and I moved from London-ish to Cambridgeshire, and that the living room of our 'new' house is lounge first, home cinema second. We moved into the 'old' house right after it was built, and before the carpets were laid I was able to get in there and run speaker cables across the living room floor, up the walls and through the ceiling. That meant I was able to set up an 11.1.4 system, ceiling speakers and all, without the usual cable spaghetti – and that very much helped with the spousal approval.

With this house, things are a bit different. It was built in the 80s and it was well decorated and looked after by the previous owners, so I don’t really need to mess around with the living room. What’s more, there’s a large garage and we don’t feel the need to store our car in it. I have been given permission, therefore, to turn said garage into a more serious home cinema – so long as I don’t also do the same to the lounge.

That was an easy deal to make, as I’m sure you can imagine; but there’s just one problem – I have neither the time or skills to tackle the garage-to-cinema conversion myself, nor the money to pay someone else to do it for me. That means that, roughly 18 months since we moved into the new house, the amount of progress made on the garage cinema project is precisely none.

Before you break out the tiny violins, you should know that the new living room system is still much more substantial than that of most homes. We’re currently using a lovely 65-inch Panasonic OLED TV and, after stints with the Sonos Arc and then a pair of HomePod 2s, have settled on the Sony HT-A9 system for sound.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Sony HT-A9 system consists of four wireless speakers that you can place pretty casually around the room, but that will create a very impressive bubble of Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X and 360 Reality Audio) sound. Somewhat surprisingly, it was deemed by my long-suffering wife to be far more aesthetically agreeable than a soundbar, despite the increased number of boxes, and it offers an even more impressive Atmos experience, particularly when bolstered by an optional subwoofer.

That said, testing the Marantz Cinema 30 has reminded me that the better-than-a-soundbar Sony HT-A9 can’t really hold a candle to an AVR + speakers setup. Of course, that shouldn’t really come as a surprise: we’re talking about a huge box with multiple, high-quality amplifiers feeding hi-fi quality speakers via high-end speaker cables; versus a system designed to replicate all of those things as best it can with fewer speakers and no cables, at a fraction of the cost. Still, the sheer fidelity, detail, dynamics and drive of what I’ve been listening to this week has made me very sad for the AV receiver and speaker package that have sat neglected for 18 months in my one-day-to-be-glorious-but-currently-full-of-crap garage.

It’s not just the sound of the Marantz AVR and our reference speakers that has made me feel this way, either, but the joy I feel when operating an AV receiver. I fully appreciate that for most people an AVR is entirely incomprehensible and that solutions such as the HT-A9 and its soundbar rivals are designed to offer an undaunting alternative; but once you have learned the intricacies of AVR operation it becomes genuinely enjoyable. For what it’s worth, the Marantz Cinema 30 actually makes all of this stuff much more approachable than any AVR I’ve previously experienced, too – but more on that in the full review.

Ultimately, what I’m trying to say is that as good as modern soundbars and wireless speakers are – and they are very good – they are also inevitably compromised by their quest for convenience. There’s nothing at all wrong with that and I implore you to go down that route if you are currently making do with your TV’s own speakers (believe me, even the good examples are awful in an ultimate sense), but if you have the opportunity to go with an AVR and speaker package setup, you should grab it with both hands and never let go.

Meanwhile, for me, there is only one solution: to pull my finger out and get started on converting my garage to a home cinema. More on that in the (hopefully) near future.

MORE:

Check out our reviews of the Sonos Arc, HomePod 2 and Sony HT-A9

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Bose's popular QuietComfort 45 headphones are on sale at Amazon for just AU$279, the lowest price we've seen them drop to in Australia. If you're in the market for a new pair of wireless noise-cancelling over-ears, now's the time to checkout.

We awarded them four stars in our Bose QC45 review, complementing their effective ANC, punchy sound quality, and comfortable build. They were decent value when they launched at AU$499.95 in 2021, so now that they are almost half price, they are nothing short of a bargain.

Bose QuietComfort 45 Amazon deal

The QC45 are veteran members of Bose's long-standing QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones range, which has made a name for itself over the years for its class-leading active noise cancellation technology combined with competitive sound and street-smart design. The QC45 happily continue that legacy, though you should note that the three-year-old pair has recently given way to their successors, namely the QuietComfort Headphones. We haven't gone twelve rounds with the newcomers yet, though they appear to be an evolution of, rather than a revolution over, the QC45 – and cost AU$365 at Amazon (also thanks to a hefty discount).

Still, while a few years old, the Bose QC45 offer up-to-date functionality, including Bluetooth 5.1, multi-point pairing and a 24-hour battery life. As with previous Bose headphones, the QuietComfort 45 are built with travel in mind; their double-hinge design means they can be folded up for easy storage in the included carry case.

Bose's brilliant noise-cancelling is once again the main draw here, though. It works superbly in the case of the QC45 and holds its own against several of its closest Sony and Sennheiser rivals. The only downside is there’s no scope to tweak the levels of noise cancellation and no ‘aware’ (otherwise known as 'transparency' or 'ambient') mode – something the new QuietComforts do offer. You can also get better sound quality from rival Sony pairs such as the WH-1000XM4 and newer XM5, but you pay for it.

Still, there's plenty to love about the Bose QuietComfort 45, especially at this price. If you want a set of premium, travel-friendly wireless headphones that can block out the world better than most, they're a terrific buy.

MORE: Our expert pick of the best wireless headphones

When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones, Bose is up there with the best. The brand's latest flagship over-ear pair, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, earned a five-star review from us a few months ago, and now they're at their lowest price yet.  

We have seen the price of these headphones drop under £400 on previous occasions, such as during November's Cyber Monday deals. However, this is the first time it has fallen lower than that, now sitting just below the £380 mark. 

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones sound rich and refined. There's balance to both high and low-frequency ranges and there's an enjoyable dynamism as tracks build in intensity. 

They also feature Immersive Audio tech, Bose’s take on spatial audio, and are designed to make music sound more three-dimensional. This feature might not be to your liking and didn't hugely convince us, but it does work better with certain tracks than others.

The headphones include a handy capacitive touch strip for controlling volume and shortcuts. On a full charge, you get 24 hours of battery life, or 18 hours if you have Immersive Audio engaged.

Bose is known for its impressive active noise-cancelling tech, and the QuietComfort Ultra headphones don’t disappoint, even edging out Sony’s WH-1000X5. The ANC did exactly what we expected, heavily reducing background noise and the sound of the London Underground during daily commutes, for example. 

Interested? Head to Amazon to get your hands on the flagship Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for a new lowest-ever price of £379.

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It’s all in Sound+Image #354 for November-December 2023. The magazine is available in newsagents now, and digitally through multiple platforms, including Readly, where you can peruse Sound+Image and thousands more Aussie and international magazines with a 1-month free trial, then AU$9.99p/m.

Samsung has officially unveiled its latest trio of Galaxy S smartphones during its Unpacked 2024 event in San Jose. The Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra are set to release at the end of this month, and this year it's all about AI.

Samsung has coined the term 'Galaxy AI' which pertains to a lengthy set of new AI-powered features and tools on these new devices, with other upgrades regarding internal specs, screen brightness and camera performance also coming with this new generation of Galaxy devices. 

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Taking a closer look at the three devices, we'll start with the flagship S24 Ultra. This sits at the top of the new range, featuring the largest screen and most cameras out of all the new handsets. With a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD+ display, the S24 Ultra is looking to continue its tenure as the most mainstream, big-screen Android smartphone on the market. Featuring a dynamic refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz and an upgraded brightness that now peaks at 2600 nits, the S24 Ultra looks to be a modest but meaningful upgrade over the Galaxy S23 Ultra it's replacing. 

So what's new with this phone? First of all, Samsung is ditching the curved screen (something it pioneered with the Note Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge nearly 10 years ago) in favour of a flat display, something we're certainly happy to see. It's also got thinner bezels for a more immersive, all-screen experience; considering the S23 Ultra has fairly slender bezels, this is quite impressive. 

The S24 Ultra also uses the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, which should provide top-notch day-to-day performance, as well handling the new AI features and Ray Tracing support for mobile gaming. Speaking of gaming, the S24 Ultra gets enhanced cooling via an upgraded vapour chamber, which should ensure better gaming performance and less risk of overheating for more graphically demanding titles. 

While the camera layout is mostly the same this year, Samsung has swapped one of the 10MP telephoto lenses for a 50MP zoom lens, capable of reaching five times optical zoom, which it claims will result in sharper zoomed-in shots. Nightography, otherwise known as low light photography, gets a boost too, thanks to the 1.6 times bigger pixels that should allow for more light into the sensor. 

Finally, Samsung looks to have taken a leaf from Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max book, as the S24 Ultra features a titanium frame. Paired with Corning's Gorilla Armour glass on the front and rear of the device, this phone is set to be four times as resistant to bumps and scratches as the S23 Ultra. 

The Galaxy S24 Ultra will come in four colours, with additional finishes coming exclusively to Samsung's web store. These colours are Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Yellow and Titanium Violet. It will also feature 12GB of RAM across the board, with three storage options available. You'll need to pay more for upgraded storage, but the good news is that (at least in the UK) the S24 Ultra will launch at the same price as the S23 Ultra did in 2023. Storage and pricing are as follows:

• 256GB: £1249 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 512GB: £1349 / $TBC / AU$TBC
• 1TB: £1549 / $TBC / AU$TBC

Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus

Moving onto the S24 and S24 Plus, these devices also bear a strong resemblance to the models they are replacing. 

Both phones feature Dynamic AMOLED displays with variable refresh rates, however, the S24's 6.2-inch display is Full HD+, whereas the S24 Plus' 6.7-inch display is Quad HD+. These phones also differ in internal specifications, with the S24 featuring 8GB of RAM, whereas the S24 Plus receives 12GB. Storage options and pricing are as follows:

The good news here is that both of these models are cheaper than their predecessors in the UK; £100 cheaper for the S24 and £50 cheaper for the S24 Plus. Both phones also feature the same camera arrangements, with a 50MP main lens, 12MP ultra-wide camera and 10MP telephoto lens, as well as a 12MP front-facing shooter, which appears to be the same arrangement as last year's S23 and S23 Plus.

Frustratingly, Samsung has opted to use its own Exynos chipset on the non-Ultra models. While they should be roughly equal in power, and they do support the same features, we often find the Exynos chips don't perform as well in gaming, or age quite as well, as the Snapdragon chips. We are hopeful Samsung may have ironed this out with its latest release but we can't confirm that until we've had more time with the handsets.

The Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra will come in the same finishes as the S24 Ultra (Grey/Black/Violet/Yellow), although they will feature strengthened aluminium frames instead of the titanium found on the Ultra. 

Galaxy AI

The main draw of these new devices is Galaxy AI, a set of new tools shared across the whole S24 lineup. AI is slowly creeping into the world of TVs (just look at LG's newest models for proof), but it's been used in phones for a while with things like Google's Magic Eraser camera feature.

• Live Translate: translates two-way phone conversations in real-time using AI, with 13 supported languages at launch (more expected to be included in future updates).
• Chat Assist: can translate text conversations much like Live Translate, as well as amend messages with the ability to re-write them based on different tone presets. Some examples include professional, casual and social, with language and format changing with each preset. 
• Transcript Assist: allows for smart transcription of voice recordings with the option to identify different speakers, as well as format write-ups and summarise longer voice notes to important bullet points. This also works for written notes as Galaxy AI will intelligently format and summarise them as requested. 
• Circle to Search with Google; holding down the home button will allow you to draw a ring around a subject on the screen. This can be a person, an item, a building or even an animal. From there, Galaxy AI will conduct a Google search to bring up relevant information, directions and shopping suggestions based on what you have searched for. 
• Photo editing: Galaxy AI can create generative fill backgrounds to fill blank space when straightening an image, or empty space when moving a subject within an image. You can also add instant slow-motion playback to videos with additional frames created by AI for smoother slow-motion playback. Finally, you can view a full HDR image from within the camera viewfinder for a more accurate representation of how your image will turn out.

Samsung says its mission is to "democratise AI" by creating an accessible and user-friendly set of tools that anyone with a Galaxy S24 device can take advantage of, and while we're still apprehensive about AI, we can't deny that these features do look quite appealing. 

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra start today (17th January), with devices shipping on the 31st of January. If you pre-order through Samsung's web store you can receive double the storage at no extra cost.

MORE:

Read our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra hands-on review

As well as our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review

Check out our picks for the best smartphones

If you believe hooking up speakers to your TV will enhance a movie experience, help immerse you in sports or let you better enjoy concerts via the screen, you're probably right. The speakers built into flatscreen TVs are more often than not small and lack sonic substance, offering a poor audio experience compared to decent external speakers.

Whether you already have, or indeed plan to buy, a wireless speaker, a pair of speakers, or a soundbar, it's possible to connect them to your TV for an enhanced audio experience. And there is likely more than one way to do so.

This guide lays out all the options for connecting a wide range of speakers to your TV depending on their connection ports and features, so you can find the ideal setup for your perfect TV sound system.

What speakers work with a TV?

First things first, you'll need to assess if your speakers can work with your TV through wired or wireless means. In most cases, you will be able to plug them in directly via some sort of cable, though some can be connected wirelessly. 

Since most modern TVs offer Bluetooth, you should be able to simply connect any Bluetooth speaker wirelessly by pairing the two together in the TV settings much as you would any other device. That said, for the best audio performance – and optimal syncing – it's usually still best to go the wired route.

You might be connecting a soundbar, a pair of stereo speakers, a surround system, or even an amplifier that then distributes the sound to speakers connected to it. In all of these scenarios, there are several methods in which to achieve this courtesy of the many connections found on equipment these days.

Feeling lost at sea with a lot of ports to pick from? Let's go through them and find which option is best for you...

Connect via HDMI cable

One of the most straightforward ways to connect a soundbar and some speaker setups to your TV is via HDMI, and it's the method we'd recommend if your TV and soundbar/speaker have HDMI ARC ports. Do you have an AV receiver as the middleman between your TV and speaker package? HDMI is the way to go here too.

This connection is fully digital and can carry not only stereo soundtracks but also surround sound, right up to the latest and greatest Dolby Atmos or DTS:X formats.

If your TV is less than 13 years old, it will likely have an HDMI ARC or, better yet, an eARC HDMI port. Your soundbar likely will too, though this is only more recently becoming a popular port for wireless speakers/speaker systems – and only on mid-to-high-end models like the KEF LSX II and Sonus Faber Omnia. Don't expect it to feature on your everyday Bluetooth speakers; use optical instead (see the section below).

Anyway, if it does have an ARC-enabled HDMI connection, simply connect it to the TV's ARC via an HDMI cable, and voila – the TV sound will be passed to your speaker.

HDMI ARC should work automatically, but if it doesn’t and you're finding that your TV is still outputting sound through its built-in speakers, grab the TV remote and tweak a few of your TV settings, including turning off your TV’s built-in speakers and enabling your telly to send audio out to an external speaker or amp. Naturally, you'll need your soundbar/speaker powered on, too!

Both the ARC and eARC allow for a TV to output audio, but the latter can pass-through high-quality Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio or DTS:X audio soundtracks in their truest, full-fat quality – ARC will, on the other hand, simply strip out the signal's core 5.1 data stream.

Connect via optical cable

Another very straightforward solution to output audio from your TV is to use its optical out, which features on most TVs and audio devices made in the past decade. This uses the medium of light to transmit data through a cable’s optical fibres (which can be made from plastic, glass or silica) and can transmit uncompressed stereo as well as compressed Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. (Unlike HDMI ARC, there's no support for lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks found on most Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays.)

Most soundbars, speakers and speaker systems feature an optical port, so if HDMI isn't an option, this is likely your next-best one. This way, you can have your TV set to always output via optical, so as you switch between HDMI input devices like a gaming console or Blu-ray player, the connected speaker will always be used as default.

This can be a good option if you have something like a PS5 connected to that HDMI eARC port, where full intelligent connectivity is available – like your TV turning on when your PS5 starts up – which can sometimes have issues if connected via a soundbar, for example. Optical cable connectivity helps give you the best of everything.

• Coaxial vs optical vs HDMI: which is the best audio connection to use?

Connect via RCA cable

If your TV and/or, more likely, your choice of speaker does not have an HDMI connection, they may well have RCA connectors. It's an older but likely more familiar connection type, so is often found on older equipment – modern TVs and audio gear often prefer optical connectors.

RCAs are identified as red and white connectors that send left and right audio channels independently of one another. While this won't get you surround sound, which is what you'll want if you have a Dolby Atmos soundbar or multiple speakers, it will transmit stereo sound to a pair of stereo speakers or a system just fine.

Connect via 3.5mm cable

Many TVs have a 3.5mm output designed primarily to accommodate wired headphones. But it can also connect to any speaker system with a 3.5mm (aux) input. You'll just need a 3.5mm audio cable long enough to run between them.

You can, by the way, get 3.5mm-to-RCA cables, so if your speaker has RCA but your TV doesn't, but there is a 3.5mm port – or vice versa – this could be a viable option.

Don't expect the best sonic results, as this is one of the cruder methods for connecting TVs and speakers on this page, but if you want to use an older speaker to give your television a bit more audio punch, this is undoubtedly a simple solution.

Set your TV output

Whichever method of connectivity you connect your speaker of choice with, you'll need to be sure that your TV knows about it. By default, the TV will output audio via its built-in speakers, so if you connect your speakers and that default doesn't change automatically, you'll need to change it manually.

Head to your TV's settings menu and in the section labelled 'audio' or 'sound', you will find an 'output'. Select the desired connection method – optical or Bluetooth, say – or the specific speaker/speaker system if its name is recognised.

Again, if you're using Bluetooth, you'll need to pair the TV with the Bluetooth speaker together just as you would a phone or tablet. Again, you'll find this in your TV's sound/audio settings.

MORE:

These are the best surround sound systems

And the best stereo speakers

How to combine stereo and surround sound in one AV system

They have been a long time coming, but we finally have a new flagship pair of noise-cancelling wireless headphones from Bose. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a fantastic pair of premium over-ear headphones that take the fight to five-star rivals such as the Sony WH-1000XM5.

Bose has a reputation for making some of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the planet and the Ultra Headphones continue this tradition with punchy entertaining sound quality and noise cancelling straight from the top drawer.

If you have taken the plunge and are the proud owner of the new Bose, you might be on the hunt for a few tips and tricks on making the most of all the settings now at your disposal. You can find a list of key ones below, all of which can be accessed through the Bose Music companion app, which we highly recommend you download to your smartphone.

Bluetooth

• Main menu > Source

If you want to take advantage of multipoint Bluetooth and have two devices connected to the Bose simultaneously, you will need to head the the Source menu in the app and make sure the switch is flipped. You can also enable or disable previously connected devices too, which adds a little layer of customisation we haven’t seen in many pairs of wireless headphones before.

Aware with ActiveSense

• Main menu > Modes > Aware

Listening in Aware mode allows for greater transparency so you can hear external sounds better, and during testing we found it works extremely well. If you tick the slider for Bose’s ActiveSense processing too, this will allow the built-in noise-cancelling to intervene if there’s a huge, sudden jump in external noise. Think of it as a tiny safety net for your ears.

Immersive Audio

• Main menu > Immersive Audio

Immersive Audio is Bose’s take on spatial audio; it works with any stereo music to try to add a layer of extra spatialisation to the sound. While we’re not 100 per cent sold on the tech, we would still suggest it’s worth having a play with to hear the effects for yourself. It should work out of the box, and there is an option to recalibrate the headphones should the mode sound completely out of sorts.

Remember My Mode

• Main menu > Modes > Settings > Remember My Mode 

If you want the headphones to remember the same sound settings you were using before they were powered down, we suggest you enable the Remember My Mode setting. This comes in handy if you want to finish and start your day in one particular mode and don't want the headphones reverting to their default setting.

Shortcut

• Settings > Product Control > Shortcut

The raised strip on the bottom of the earcups isn’t just a smart, touch-sensitive volume control, it also acts as your shortcut button. It can be assigned to do several things, from giving you a voice prompt about the battery level to accessing your voice assistant, all of which can be turned off or on through the Bose Music app.

Power

• Settings > Power

The Bose already have 24 hours of battery life which should mean plenty of time between charges. However, why take the risk of getting caught short? In the app’s power settings you can change the time for the headphones’ Auto-off feature so they will power down in under five minutes if you inadvertently leave them lying around.

Equalizer

• Main menu > EQ

We don’t think there’s anything wrong with the sound of the Bose straight out of the box, but we realise some users might like a little more bass added to proceedings or a touch of extra sparkle to the treble. You can do this via the equalizer setting in the app, although you are restricted to being able to adjust the bass, midrange and treble and selecting from bass and treble boosting/reducing presets.

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Bose’s spatial audio tech is a nice idea for headphones but it’s too hit-and-miss

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Our pick of the best noise-cancelling headphones

As we wave goodbye to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we can't help taking one last glance at the best TV deal we've seen all year. Lucky for you, if you didn't take advantage of this deal and are sorely regretting it, there's still time to get an incredible deal on the LG G2.

Now at just £1199 at Richer Sounds for the 55-inch version, the LG G2 is a phenomenal TV at this price. We awarded it five stars last year at its original price of £3299, so with £1200 slashed off the price, it becomes an instant recommendation from us. 

Moving up to the 65-inch G2, that's down to £1499, with a whopping £1700 deducted from the price. If you can, we'd recommend spending that additional £300 and going for the bigger screen size, as it's a notable upgrade, although the 55-inch model will still certainly serve you well. 

One thing to note is that you'll need to sign up for Richer Sounds' VIP club to access this discount. The good news is that this is a quick, easy and, most importantly, free process that's well worth doing to get this sale. 

In our review, we noted that the G2 possesses a noticeable and welcome brightness boost over other models. We said that “overall brightness of light, full-screen HDR content is increased over LG’s own C2, making such pictures look more realistic and ‘HDR’”. We also stated that this extra brightness also gives a boost to colour volume and vibrancy over previous models of LG TVs.

This extra brightness, however, does not hinder the deep black levels for which OLED TVs are known. As we said in our review, “they’re every bit as inky as they’ve ever been”. All of these strengths mean the G2 presents TV shows and movies fantastically. 

Games aren’t forgotten, either. Next-gen game features are also on board, with the G2 supporting 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM, HGiG and a Dolby Vision game mode. The G2 has four HDMI ports (all supporting 4K/120Hz) with one port designated for handling eARC connections with external audio devices such as soundbars and AV receivers. 

Of course, the newer G3 is an even better TV that boasts brightness-boosting MLA tech, but the lowest price for the 65-inch version of that is currently £2148 at Sevenoaks.

MORE:

Read our full LG G2 review

Best OLED TV 2023: the latest and greatest models, rated and ranked

Our pick of the best TV deals

Halloween is nearly here and that marks the perfect opportunity to royally scare the pants off yourself by indulging in one of the sea of horror movies currently flooding Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and the ilk.

But if you want the most terrifying experience possible, and have the hardware to do it, we urge you to ensure you consider the importance of audio in horror.

Whether it was the rumbling sound of Leather Face’s chainsaw creeping closer in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the bumps in the night happening around the house in The Amityville Horror, sound has been a constant tool in any good horror director’s arsenal for decades. 

And that’s why movies in the horror genre lend themselves so well to Dolby Atmos – a surround sound technology that lets compatible hardware deliver a 360-degree, “dome of sound" experience – and are often a staple part of our Atmos system and soundbar testing. 

Here to help you find and enjoy the best we have personally experienced we have created this handy guide detailing the best horror movies to test your Dolby Atmos system.

Editor’s note: Due to the focus of this article the below entries may contain minor spoilers detailing parts of the movies’ plots.

 IT 

IT is an iconic horror story by genre legend Stephen King that has been adapted into movies twice. Both follow the story of children in a small town attempting to fend off a clown-shaped monster, known as Pennywise.

The original IT with Tim Curry was a masterpiece that scared almost any child born in the 1980s. But the updated 2017 version in Atmos makes it look and sound like a children's birthday party and is definitely responsible for a fresh Coulrophobia pandemic.

Mixed in Atmos, IT is full of terrifying scenes where the added dome of sound effects is masterfully used to inspire a fresh level of terror. The best example of this is in a key scene we use while testing Dolby Atmos systems and soundbars to this day. 

Specifically, it’s the infamous garage scene where Pennywise morphs out of a projector screen. Putting aside how terrifying the imagery is, the scene is a great example of how Atmos can level up the terror level of any horror movie, with Pennywise's horrific dialogue tracking with his and the children's movements around the garage. 

Hearing Pennywise get closer as he emerges from the screen before rushing forward gives the movie an added layer of menace and is sure to make even the most seasoned horror buff jump out of their seat. 

A Quiet Place 

The original A Quiet Place is a masterpiece horror movie that came out in 2018 and remains one of the best Atmos mixes we have had the pleasure of experiencing.

This is because the premise lends itself oh-so-well to the "dome of sound" experience, with it telling the story of a family trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by mysterious creatures that hunt their prey through sound.

There are loads of great moments that do a great job using Atmos, but our favourite, and most horrifying, is the birth scene. In it, Emily Blunt’s character attempts to give birth in total silence as monsters encircle the basement they are in. 

The entire tense scene offers wonderful directional nuance in Atmos, with the sound of the monsters scuttling and thumping above her, before moving down the stairs. The sense of direction makes you physically feel the tension as they edge, closer and closer to Blunt, offering a layer of fear that's simply not there without Atmos.

Watch A Quiet Place in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy A Quiet Place on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Midsommar 

Starring Florence Pugh and directed by Ari Aster Midsommar was originally released in 2019, with 5.1 surround sound. But it was later picked up and had an Atmos mix, which is available now on Apple TV and Blu-ray. 

The movie is the incredibly creepy tale of a group of Americans taking a trip with a friend to take part in the midsommar festival in a Swedish village. 

The movie does a fantastic job using sound to drive tension. A sweeping soundtrack and the use of ambient noise from the wind and people taking part in the pagan festivities in the background constantly leaves you on edge.

The Atmos mix ramps all of this up to 11 and makes some of the movie's already terrifying scenes even more horrific. 

Whether it was hearing Pugh’s character’s sister appearing behind her, or the dome of sound experience you get from the chanting cult members during the hard-to-un-see Copulation Ritual, Midsommar is a great example of what Atmos can do.

Annihilation 

Starring Natalie Portman, Annihilation was one of Netflix's best original movies when it launched in 2018; to this day it’s a fantastic example of how to use Dolby Atmos properly.

The movie focuses on a group of cellular biologists as they investigate “the shimmer”. This is an area of Earth that has seen strange phenomena and mutated plants and animals appear in the aftermath of a meteor strike.

The movie uses sound to put viewers on edge from the outset, with creepy chirps and rustling constantly firing at you from every direction, making you never fully at ease during its two-hour run time.

One of the best scenes to truly ramp up the fright level occurs when a monstrous “scream bear” appears. The creature is a grotesquely deformed bear that’s got the lovely ability to reproduce its victims’ dying screams. 

The scene finds the team tied up in a remote cabin with a scream bear. Watching the bear stalk around them, with the sound matching its position, as it creeps behind them. The added sense of direction from the audio puts the hairs on the back of our reviewers' necks every time we play it in our test rooms and is one of the most terrifying in the entire film.

The Conjuring 2 

You may question why we have the second film in the Conjuring-verse in this list over the original or one of the new Anabelle or Nun movies. But the reason is simple: though it may not be the scariest visually, its use of Atmos is a cut above the rest.

The movie tells the story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, as they battle to help a London family plagued by ghosts.

Though the audio is great throughout the movie, there are a couple of standout scenes that really are masterclasses in how to use Atmos in horror. Early on, one sees one of the children in the haunted house get a glass of water. The film then uses sound to ramp up the scare levels, with one of his toy fire engine’s sirens blasting off in the distant background, masking a later jump scare when one of the ghost’s voices suddenly booms directly in front of you.

The use of direction extends into a later scene when The Crooked Man ghost’s voice can be heard moving around the room as his spirit rages against the Warren’s presence in “his house”.

Though the movie itself is a little hammy for most of our testers’ liking, its use of audio is unquestionably good and a reason we still use it in some of our system and soundbar testing.

Nope 

Pretty much any Jordan Peale movie is a masterpiece in many of the What Hi-Fi? reviews team’s mind, but Nope is the best you’ll find if you want to experience horror in Atmos.

Telling the story of a farm beset by strange goings on in the sky, the movie does a fantastic job of using sound to maintain a constant sense that something is wrong. 

But the most notable we regularly use when testing Atmos systems happens early on in the film. Unlike many of the scenes listed on this list, it’s a quiet moment in the movie, showing one of the characters riding out into the desert and then dismounting.

In it you will hear sounds in the distance echo around you, before a growing strange sound starts to emanate above you before the movie delivers one of its many jump scares with dramatic effect and impact.

It’s this use of direction throughout the movie that makes it one of the most immersive you will find – and a great way to put any Atmos system through its paces.

Stream Nope in Dolby Atmos from Apple TV

Buy Nope on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we have tried and tested

Check out our picks of the best surround sound systems

Looking for a top-end TV? These are the best OLED TVs we have reviewed

I haven't been more excited about a Bose headphone release in years. The just-announced QuietComfort Ultra are the wireless noise-cancelling over-ears I've been hoping for since Apple's AirPods Max arrived and consequently spurred on this new generation of premium premium models – those above your Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700s and your Sony WH-1000XM5s. That they replace the former and crawl back to the company's iconic QuietComfort naming, which the 700 surprisingly shunned in favour of their irritating full name, is further good news.

But I'd be lying if I said that excitement wasn't tinged with a little anxiety – the kind you feel when you're about to sit down for a movie you've been excited to see for ages, just in case it doesn't meet your expectations. Because Bose will have to have come a pretty long way in advancing the sound quality of its recent models for the Ultra to make their mark in this hugely competitive industry.

You might be sitting there thinking “well duh, every pair of headphones should evolve performance over the outgoing model”. And most of the time, they do. Look at the Sennheiser Momentum and Sony WH-1000 ranges – as far back as I can remember, generations of those models have notably advanced audio performance, keeping them at the forefront of the premium wireless headphones field. I know, as I’ve been fortunate to listen to (and, most of the time, live with) generation to generation over the years. But Bose’s hasn’t. At least, not for a while.

The quantum leap necessary

The 2017-released Bose QC35 II brought notable sonic changes over the previous QC35, but since then the company has focused more on advancing features, making design tweaks and ensuring its noise cancellation remains the best on the market – all things it has been very successful in. Audio, however, seems to have taken a backseat. 

Bose admitted that the sound quality of its Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 was comparable to its QC35 II (which upon hearing both pairs, I and others in the What Hi-Fi? reviews team agreed with), and even the succeeding QC45 kept the same drivers. I'm not saying sound quality has stood completely still in the move for these generations, but it’s hardly come on leaps and bounds in the past six years either. And that’s why the last few Bose over-ears have received four, as opposed to five, star reviews; they simply haven’t kept up with the sonic progression their Sony and Sennheiser peers have demonstrated. It’s been disappointing and, quite frankly, rather puzzling.

After all, Bose is more than capable of producing class-leading headphone audio – it’s done it many times in the past, and it is doing so presently with its flagship wireless earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II. The Ultra not only have to move on the performance of the 700 and QC45 considerably to catch up to class-leading Sony XM5 quality, but they have to go beyond that level to justify their extra expense – £449/$429 compared to £380/$399. Indeed Bose is looking to knock the AirPods Max off their lofty perch too, and to fall much short of that would be a damn pity.

A spatial audio priority?

They will need to make sonic gains over the 700 and QC45 that are significantly bigger than is typical for a single generational jump. And I hope a focus on spatial audio – or 'Immersive Audio', as Bose is calling it – hasn't distracted Bose from that. Because if my experience of the fledgling immersive audio tech so far has told me anything, it's that its enjoyment is pretty hit-and-miss depending on the content. That said, I can't wait to see what Bose has done in this space.

What Hi-Fi?'s deputy editor (and headphones guru) Andy Madden was gifted some hands-on time with the Ultra during a Bose press event this week, and reports in his hands-on QuietComfort Ultra review that "a large chunk of Bose’s demo was, understandably, its new Immersive Audio tech". He seems impressed (and he isn't easily!) by the greater sense of immersion it produces – "open and spacious, but also full of detail". First impressions of the general sound quality were also pretty favourable, though I know as well as anyone that it's difficult to form a lasting opinion from a brief demo session in a less-than-ideal environment, often without benchmark pairs for comparison. 

Only proper testing time by our expert reviews team will reveal how they stack up sonically against the competition, but for now I'll remain quietly confident. Everything else – the sleek, foldable design, 24-hour battery life, support for the higher-quality aptX Adaptive, and, of course, the intriguing Immersive Audio – looks promising at least.

Hopefully, then, the QuietComfort Ultra seize the opportunity to allow Bose to take back the wireless over-ear market, not least as it arguably already leads the class in the aesthetic and noise-cancelling sides of things. If they do right by the Bose QC line's legacy here, I'm here for them.

MORE:

Best noise-cancelling headphones 2023

Read our hands-on Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Check out the other new Bose headphones: Bose's new QuietComfort Ultra range of wireless headphones goes big on spatial audio – and includes Sony XM5 rivals

Something struck me the other day, as I sat at my desk navigating my laptop mouse awkwardly around several pairs of over-ear headphones that I can’t bring myself to stow away, despite only one being able to plug into my DAC and sit on my head at any given time: all but one pair (a wireless pair) were open-backs.

Just briefly for the uninitiated, the headphones to which I am colloquially referring are those with ‘open-back’ designs. That is, over-ears that a) don’t have enclosures behind their drivers, and b) do have perforated or otherwise unsealed earcups that leak (some) sound both in and out. Essentially, sound from those ‘free’ drivers is fired both towards and away from your ears – as opposed to just towards them as is the case in your more commonplace ‘closed-back’ design, where sound is predominantly enclosed between your ears and the earcups. Consequently, open-backs are wired and intended for home use… unless you're the illogical albeit brilliant Grado GW100x.

When I think about it, it’s no coincidence that open-backs make up 100 per cent of my home headphones stash; I have heard, tested and lived with more pairs of both types than I would care to hazard a guess at over the years, and downright prefer them to their closed-back companions. And at any budget too, from entry-level Koss and Grado pairs to high-end Grados, Focals and Beyerdynamics. While closed-backs certainly have their advantages – which I will go into shortly and which is ultimately why the majority of headphone manufacturers produce more models of that type – open-backs are my personal preference. And if you haven’t put a pair into action before, they could – you never know – be yours too. Here’s why.

Less fatiguing, more comfortable

I’m someone who listens to music casually for a good portion of the daily 9 to 5, and ‘properly’ for typically one or two albums at a time. As I’m sure many of you will agree, listening to music through headphones can be tiring – it’s a direct, intimate assault on your ears no matter the volume you are listening at – just as watching something on a screen two inches from your face would be even with the brightness turned down. But, in my experience, open-back designs aren’t nearly as fatiguing; this makes sense when you consider they allow air pressure to flow outwards as well as into (and building up around) your ears. Physically, they are less direct. While I often need a break after an hour or so with closed-backs, I can comfortably go several hours straight with open designs.

Speaking of comfort, open-back headphones tend to chalk up a point here too. It isn’t a hard and fast rule, but they do generally tend to be lighter than closed-back models, due to the absence of a driver enclosure. And less weight equals less pressure on the crown of your head.

Again, the greater airflow in open-back designs means they are typically more breathable and less likely to be an oven for your ears over longer listening sessions – though admittedly a headphones’ earpad material and clamp force are going to play a big part here too. If headphones have leather earpads, for example, warm lugs are inevitable.

Clearer, more expressive sound

The best open-backs are typically clearer and more dynamically expressive than the best closed-backs; physics can explain why. Where, with open-back designs, most of the driver’s rearward sound is allowed to escape out of the enclosure, with closed-backs it is trapped inside and can detrimentally affect sound quality in three ways. First, the sound bouncing around can excite resonances in the enclosure, causing unwanted noise (or distortion); second, it can find its way back to the drive unit diaphragm and add to its output; and third, that trapped air can cause inertia against the driver and restrict the movement of its diaphragm during big excursions, negatively affecting dynamics.

That inherent spaciousness or ‘airiness’ tends to deliver a wider sonic canvas with better instrument separation that sounds less ‘in your head’ too – more comparable to that you get from loudspeakers.

Closed-backs reply with generally greater punch and solidity, especially in the lower (and lower-mid) frequencies – that sealed air resonating does them one favour at least! I’m not necessarily someone who enjoys ample bass – probably due to my fondness for indie, folk and ambient electronic music. To some degree, that's probably also why I generally prefer standmount speakers to floorstanders – though I’d be lying if I said I haven’t craved greater low-end punch from open-backs before.

But they aren’t for everyone

This flag-flying for open-back headphones should be caveated by the fact that they may be great for me but they won’t be for everyone. I have the luxury of quiet when listening – no commutes, no kids, barely any disruption at all save for the lawn-mower visit every Tuesday. My music-listening world is very open-back friendly. While it isn’t the case for me, I have heard some people say that they actually like being able to hear a little bit of their surroundings, so they don’t feel completely off their home’s audio grid. 

But if you value alone time with your music library and your listening environment is in any way noisy, I’m afraid open-backs will not work for you. Remember, they bleed sound in as much as they bleed sound out. Closed-backs inherently offer an isolated and more intimate experience.

If your preferred music genre is hip-hop or EDM, for example, you may well side with a punchier, more muscular, bass-heavy sound. And if you’re after only one pair of headphones to cover home and on-the-go listening (I for one couldn’t live without a pair of wireless noise-cancelling over-ears that are naturally closed-back), again you will require the practicality of closed-backs.

If you, like me, can accommodate open-back headphones in your music-listening world and prioritise clarity and transparency above all other sonic traits, I promise you will be utterly won over.

MORE: 

How to choose the right pair of headphones

Closed-back vs open-back headphones: which one is best for you?

Best headphones 2023 – for every price and preference

If you are in the market for a premium pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds, your search should probably start with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (although the excellent AirPods Pro 2 might have something to say about that).

Having spent a lot of time testing and living with Bose’s brilliant headphones, we know they are a cut above the competition as regards sound quality and noise-cancelling. They are also great to use. But did you know there are a few audio settings that can make your user experience even more satisfying?

They are contained with the Bose Music companion app and they're easy to miss. So, we have tested them and highlight them below with a brief explanation of their benefit and directions. You should be able to find them without any fuss.

• The ultimate music tracks to test your hi-fi system

1. Eartip fit test

• Settings > Eartip fit test

The nice thing about the Bose is that you can mix and match the different sizes of eartips with stability bands so you get the best seal and most comfortable fit possible. To make sure there is no leakage of sound, Bose provides you with an ‘eartip fit test’. A test tone is played through the earbuds – it takes a split second to do and the headphones indicate whether or not you have got a satisfactory seal.

2. Modes

• Main menu > Modes > Create Mode

You can have up to four different Modes active at any one time, including the standard Quiet and Aware. Want to keep ANC to a minimum while you’re running? Or maybe you want enough noise-cancelling to cut out the rumble of your commute but still hear announcements? This is where you can customise to your heart’s content.

3. Remember My Mode

• Settings > Modes > Remember My Mode

Listening on one of your preset audio modes, or in the ‘Aware mode’, when you turn them back on they automatically default to the quiet mode where the active noise-cancelling is in full effect. If you tend to start and end your day in anything other than quiet mode, then it’s worth switching this on.

4. Battery Level on Startup

• Settings > Voice Prompts > Battery Level on Startup

This feature does what it says on the tin. A voice prompt tells you the percentage left in the earbuds so you know if it’s time to put some more juice in the charging case. You can see the percentages in each earbud in the Bose Music app, but this saves you the job of booting up the app every time you use them.

5. Auto Transparency

• Settings > In-Ear Detection > Auto Transparency

It sometimes feels weird when you remove one earbud to hear an announcement but the one still in your ear is in full-on noise-cancelling mode. Enable Auto Transparency and that bud will drop to the lowest ANC level possible so you can hear more of what’s happening around you. In the same menu you will also find 'Auto Play/Pause', which automatically pauses playback when you remove an earbud and resumes when you put it back. This can definitely come in handy.

6. ActiveSense

• Main menu > Modes > Aware > ActiveSense

When you are listening in Aware mode you are getting complete transparency so you can hear external sounds better. ActiveSense automatically allows noise-cancelling to jump in if the noise around you gets too loud. We have found it can be a bit hit or miss, but we would definitely suggest you experiment to see whether you prefer it on or off.

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II finally have the upgrade I’ve been dreaming of

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: which noise-cancelling earbuds are better?

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds deals