Shokz OpenFit earbuds review: Private listening without the isolation
A good fit for all-day wear
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EarFun Wave Pro review: Subpar execution
It can be tough to get great noise canceling headphones for less than $100, and the EarFun Wave Pro is proof
Noise canceling headphones and earbuds are the new everyday wear for most folks. In-ear, on-ear, or over-ear, brands like Bose, Sony, and the endless hoards of third-party developers are doing whatever they can to perfect technologies like ANC and transparency listening while improving comfort, battery life, and price.
Baseus Eli Sport 1 Open-Ear earbuds review: Budget never sounded so good
Listen to your favorite tunes and keep your head on a swivel for under $100
As a long-term resident of New York City, a pair of great wireless earbuds are almost a necessity. They help keep out some of the more jarring sounds of the busy city. They aren’t, however, the most helpful when it comes to staying aware of your surroundings. And depending on the shape of the bud, they can feel uncomfortable after some time. Baseus, a Chinese company that makes everything from mobile chargers to vacuums, offers a solution with the Baseus Eli Sport 1 Open-Ear TWS earbuds, its first-ever open-ear buds.
1More Aero True Wireless ANC earbuds review: Bass on a budget
1More’s noise-canceling earbuds are all that and more
Why does shopping for a decent set of earbuds often feel like such an arduous task? There are enough options out there to compile dozens of contenders across a price range spanning hundreds of dollars, hailing choices from unknown brands and audio giants alike.
Speck Gemtones Pro review: Quality earbuds that won't break the bank
There's no ANC, but these $80 earbuds offer decent audio and a comfortable fit
Wireless earbuds are my constant companion; I always carry them with me, and I’m likely to have at least one lodged in my ear at any given time. Whether listening to Green Day’s new album “Saviors,” digging into a sci-fi audiobook, or catching up on the latest tech news via YouTube, I find that true wireless earbuds stave off boredom, no matter how humdrum the task I undertake. The Speck Gemtones Pro offer an affordable and attractive option to get true wireless earbuds of your own, but are they as good in your ears as they are on paper?
Sonos Era 100 review: Room-filling sound meets thoughtful improvements
If this speaker proves anything, it's that the new 'era' of Sonos is going to be a good one
Sonos is no stranger to the world of wireless audio. In fact, the company essentially invented the Wi-Fi-connected craze, with competitors like Bose, Apple, and Bluesound releasing standalone smart speakers that our phones, tablets, and laptops can easily connect to. But when it comes to top-shelf performance from a small device, the Sonos One (and the subsequent One SL) were hard to beat. Nowadays, though, there’s a new entry-level Sonos product in town.
Enter the Sonos Era 100, an excellent smart speaker that adds a little extra height and bulk to the Sonos One blueprint. We had the opportunity to test out the Era 100 for a few weeks, and while we did run into a couple of hitches, our test drive ended up being an incredible experience overall. The Sonos Era 100 is a great smart speaker.
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar review: Immersive sound at a premium price
Bose took a swing at ultra-customized spatial sound (and hit it out of the park)
There are plenty of options out there for equipping your living room, movie room, or bedroom with a full-fledged sound system. Still, if you're looking for something simpler, there are also soundbars capable of putting in the work normally done by a subwoofer and satellite speakers – or at least most of it, anyway. Soundbars are becoming evermore powerful, with expanded features to support smart homes and more immersive TV watching.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Premium and practically future-proof
Sennheiser's flagship earbuds get even better, but they're still pricy
Sennheiser’s done it again. The German company has launched a showstopping pair of truly wireless earbuds –– the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. The earbuds bring a lot of what fans loved about the previous models and adds a few more bells and whistles. The earbuds retain its stylish, durable design, excellent Sennheiser audio quality coupled with powerful adjustable noise cancelling technology and Auracast, a new future-forward, audio sharing feature –– all for the budget-breaking price of $299.
Naenka Runner Diver 2 review: Reliable bone conduction audio for athletes
An athlete's companion against the elements
We might still cringe at the thought of taking electronics in the water, but more and more gadgets these days are perfectly capable of withstanding a dip in the pool. There are underwater cameras and water-resistant phone cases; even the phones come with some waterproofing now. Another category that avid swimmers shouldn't overlook is waterproof headphones and earbuds, which let you keep the tunes tuning even while practicing your backstroke.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: Niche appeal
These 'open' buds are great, but not for every situation
Earbuds have gotten really, really good over the past few years. But as the true wireless form factor has matured, it feels like the best earbuds have converged toward a couple of increasingly familiar designs: small in-ear buds, with or without stems that stick out. And to relatively casual ears like mine, just about every pair of earbuds sold by any company you've ever heard of sounds at least pretty good. Taken together, that all means it can be kind of hard to find things to say in an earbud review that I haven't said before.
Beats Flex review: Basic isn't a bad thing
Not exactly feature-rich, but the Beats Flex do enough for the money
I’ve never felt comfortable with true wireless earbuds. Even if I find ones I like, I’m always worried they will fall out if I am slightly more active than Jabba the Hutt. Thankfully, I come from a generation used to not only wearing wired headphones but also needing to carry around a Sony Walkman cassette player clipped to our hips — a little extra cordage doesn’t bother me. With the Beats Flex, we’re offered the best of both worlds: the flexibility of Bluetooth earbuds with the security of a wired headset.
The new OnePlus Buds 3 sit between the company's super affordable Nord-branded earbuds and its higher-end Pro buds, like last year's OnePlus Buds Pro 2. With good-not-great audio quality, average battery life, and middling ANC, the Buds 3 aren't terribly remarkable — but for $100, they don't really have to be. OnePlus's latest earbuds are a good, affordable option with more features than you'll get on many cheaper sets, including multipoint connectivity and Fast Pair. If you're looking for new earbuds in this price range, the OnePlus Buds 3 are a solid pick.
You'd be forgiven for not realizing that Bose released two new pairs of headphones last fall. While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are flashy with their fancy on-head tracking and spatial-type Immersive Audio, the 2023 version of the classic Bose QuietComfort look identical to the QC 45 that preceded them in 2021, sound basically identical, and don't have many new features. It doesn't get Bose's Immersive Audio version of spatial sound, customized sound profiles, wind-blocking, or even on-ear detection.
JBL Authentics 300 portable speaker review: Large sound in a large package
A big way to blast your favorite tunes wherever you go
The JBL Authentics 300 is a hard-to-justify but easy-to-recommend portable speaker. As paradoxical as that sounds, it has some issues that can easily dissuade, namely its weight and price. But, the performance, design, and feature set overcome those shortcomings as long as you can afford it. The JBL Authentics 300 is good enough to receive mention among the best portable Bluetooth speakers. That's especially true if you need something powerful enough for a party. It also does a great job with its Alexa support – good enough to possibly replace your Echo or Echo Dot.
Beats Powerbeats Pro review: Stuck in my head
These earbuds have no problem staying put, but may be a little iOS-centric for most Android fans
The Beats Powerbeats Pro aren’t unique, exactly, but there aren’t a lot of earbuds that can hold on for dear life no matter what. Only a few of the best workout earbuds can. Of course, if you’re just going for a jog, you don’t need those hooks. But, for more extreme sports or activities, they’re more ideal as you’re not going to risk losing an earbud.
EarFun Free Pro 3 review: Compact and cost-competitive
Make no mistake, these compact earbuds pack a punch
EarFun's track record of putting out competitive wireless earbuds that deliver a lot for a low price keeps right on rolling with the EarFun Free Pro 3. These $80 earbuds come in an ultra-compact case but pack in major battery life, ample audio, and bonuses like ANC, transparency mode, capable codecs, and wireless charging. There's a lot more on offer here than you'd normally expect to get for the price, and that's before factoring in that EarFun isn't shy about lowering its already low prices with almost ceaseless deals.
JBL Bar 1000 review: Surround sound all around us
With Atmos surround sound and a lot of power, the Bar 1000 brings home theater immersion in soundbar form
There are a lot of soundbars to choose from, and many of them are pretty good. But most of them don't come with the ability to turn into a 7.1.4 system as the JBL Bar 1000 can. Part of its charm is the ability to add both surround sound and Dolby Atmos, aka spatial audio, to the mix at a price that, while high, is appropriate.
Samsung touts the FE product line as its way to give its customers most of the features they want without breaking the bank. While this has mostly coalesced as a series of competent not-quite-flagship phones that drop some unnecessary bells and whistles to drive the price down, the Galaxy Buds FE might be an even clearer example of how that business model can walk the line between making hits and cannibalizing sales from your slightly more expensive products. After all, it’s hard to imagine anyone shelling out the extra $50 for the Buds 2 when the Buds FE are nearly indistinguishable from them.
Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro review: Not fit for the big leagues
Clear sound, clear transparency, and clear discomfort
Most earbuds block out external sounds, but Anker's Soundcore AeroFit Pro earbuds are designed to let you maintain awareness of your surroundings while still providing impactful audio. They do this with an open design that leaves your ear canal unplugged, using drivers to channel sound into your canal instead.
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones review: Studio sound meets consumer features
Support for audio via AUX, USB-C, or almost any Bluetooth codec
Shure is one of the true veterans in the audio industry, known for its legendary recording equipment. In recent years, those talents have spread toward building top-tier headphones. The second-generation Aonic 50 are the latest addition to the lineup, a refresh of the original that improves battery life and sound quality while adding ANC and more connectivity options than almost any headphones on the market.
Anker Soundcore Motion 100 speaker review: The affordable portable to beat
Dual drivers, decent battery, and compact design combine to make an excellent, low-cost speaker
Anker is no stranger to the portable Bluetooth speaker market, and the Soundcore Motion 100 is just one of a slew of recent additions to the brand. However, this compact speaker manages to squeeze in the value, providing a lot for its $60 price tag.