Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones have long been hard to beat, offering the ultimate over-ear noise cancelling performance against some incredibly stiff competition. And they’ve also occupied a rare position in the audio sphere — mainstream enough to dominate airport lounges and commuter trains, yet serious enough to tempt audiophiles who would normally avoid wireless cans altogether.

With the all-new, long-rumoured 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones, Sony wants to make sure those most discerning of listeners are fully catered for.

While it’d be easy to think of THE COLLEXION as a ‘WH-1000XM6 Pro’ upgrade to last year’s world beating over-ears, that’d be slightly missing the point. This is not simply another yearly upgrade focused on cancelling more engine rumble or squeezing in another AI feature (even if it’s also attempting to do both). Instead, THE COLLEXION feels like Sony asking what happens when its most-loved headphone line is given the spared-no-expense treatment — something designed to be worn and admired as much as getting down to the nitty-gritty of making your tunes sound great.

Want some luxury to accompany your playlists? Here’s five reasons why the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION might be the headphones for you.

Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION: In short…

• Luxury stainless steel and matte faux leather design feels genuinely premium
• Comfort-focused fit reduces pressure during long listening sessions
• Refined audio tuning prioritises clarity and immersive sound quality
• AI upscaling and spatial modes personalise music, movies and gaming
• Advanced microphones improve calls, adaptive noise cancelling and daily usability
• Available from May 2026 in Platinum (white) and Black shades
• Priced at £550

1. The Design Feels As Premium As The Price Tag

Sony says the design philosophy behind its 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones (right, from here on in, to save our fingers, we’re just going to call ‘em the ‘COLLEXION’) is “Resonate” — the idea that you should hear, feel and experience premium sound and texture at the same time. Marketing language aside, there is a noticeable shift in approach here.

Every visible surface uses just two materials: hand-polished stainless steel and a newly developed faux leather finish. That faux leather alone reportedly took two years to develop, and it shows in the details. Rather than the glossy synthetic textures that can make premium headphones feel oddly plastic, Sony has opted for a matte finish that looks restrained and feels high-end to the touch — important, as you’ll be swiping and tapping the cups regularly to control playback.

The result is cleaner and more architectural than previous over-ear models. In black, the headphones look understated and expensive. In ‘Platinum’ white, they feel closer to luxury fashion tech than your usual over-ears. But they’re not flashy, either — these aren’t the diamond-encrusted nonsense that often tempts the higher-end of the tech market. It’s classic Sony minimalism.

That extends to the accompanying carry case too, which manages to do something even Apple’s equally-luxurious AirPods Pro Max couldn’t — being stylish and functional. Like the Apple competition, Sony’s case opts for a carry handle style. But, with the headphone cups rotating flat rather than folding inwards, the case wraps around the headband to create that carry handle. Fastening closed with a magnetic snap, the entirety of the headphone is enclosed and protected. Apple, take note.

Sony has also made the earcups slimmer than the WH-1000XM6, reducing the depth to 40.1mm from 45.4mm. That sounds minor on paper, but visually it creates a more refined silhouette on the head, giving the illusion of a softer, slightly curvier can.

2. Comfort Has Been Given Real Attention

Premium headphones live or die by comfort. Nobody cares how advanced the internals are if they’re clamping to your noggin’ like a vice.

The COLLEXION however is supremely comfortable. Designed with long listening sessions in mind, using a wider headband, and with softer earpads to reduce side pressure, you can wear them for hours without any fatigue. The internal earcup space is also notably generous, meaning the pads sit around the ear rather than pressing directly onto it. As a glasses wearer, that clamping force was just right in all the right places too — tight enough to keep them from slipping, but not so squeezed as to push my specs’ arms into my skull.

Even the internal battery layout has been reconsidered. Sony split the battery into two separate components to improve weight distribution and maximise acoustic space inside the cups. Again, it is the sort of engineering decision that users may never consciously notice, but they will feel the benefits over several hours of wear.

There is no official IP rating here, which may disappoint gym users or anyone regularly caught in the customary surprise UK downpour. But these are clearly intended as luxury listening headphones first, and all-day comfort seems to have been prioritised above ruggedness.

3. The Sound Is The Real Star

Sony’s flagship headphones have always balanced sound quality against noise cancelling. With COLLEXION, the balance appears to tilt slightly more toward the audio side. The aim here is to get closer to an artist’s intention in the studio, trimming back some of the bass-heavy moments of the WH-1000XM6, and promoting clarity over sheer noise-cancelling grunt.

The redeveloped driver unit uses a unidirectional carbon layered core composite material in the diaphragm dome section (intended to deliver natural tones from the most delicate high-frequency moments), alongside Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 and an entirely new integrated V3 processor.

That V3 processor delivers some of the COLLEXION’s smartest audio tricks. Support for Hi-Res Wireless audio and LDAC is onboard, but the headline addition may actually be DSEE Ultimate. Available in Sony headphones for the first time in this form, the AI-powered upscaling system attempts to restore detail lost in compressed music files.

Sony claims it can effectively upscale 44kHz audio to 96kHz and increase 16-bit audio to 24-bit equivalents, very useful when using streaming services over a mobile connection. Whether listeners hear every technical improvement will vary, but the intention is clear: these are headphones built for people who genuinely care about music quality, not simply background listening.

Equally interesting is how much Sony has borrowed from its dedicated Walkman audio division. COLLEXION includes technologies such as a low-phase-noise crystal oscillator, advanced solder containing gold and optimised circuitry components — details normally associated with specialist hi-fi gear rather than wireless travel headphones.

The proof, as ever, is in the listening, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time with the COLLEXION headphones. Note: from our experience, you’re going to get the most from the headphones with a Hi-Res playback source, as you’d expect. But the COLLEXION is pretty agnostic when it comes to genre.

With the glacial ‘Computer Love’ of electro pioneers Kraftwerk, the COLLEXION shows off its precision and clarity — tight bass tones, snappy drum clicks and crystal clear high-end synths.

For something a little more earthy, Love’s ‘You Set The Scene’ from the masterful Forever Changes album is a great work out for the COLLEXION’s claimed wide soundstage and instrumental separation. The headphones do a great job, bringing a warmth and immediacy to the presentation, and ably pulling out the individual orchestral qualities of strings, horns and guitars as the three all battle in the song’s final third.

At the other end of the spectrum, Nine Inch Nail’s brutal ‘March Of The Pigs’ hits like a hammer blow. Guitars have bite and power, while the complex industrial underpinnings of the song feel thick and full, without Trent Reznor’s raspy vocal being lost.

There’s a feeling that the most demanding of audiophiles will be looking for a little more dynamism in the mid-range, but that’s nitpicking, and when paired with the rest of the feature set offered here, the COLLEXION is a great package.

4. The Features Feel More Personal And Flexible

Wireless headphones increasingly succeed or fail based on how adaptable they are to everyday life, but Sony’s had a handle on that right from the start with its 1000X series. Each successive model has brought new smarts to the table — and the COLLEXION might be the smartest of them all.

The V3 processor introduces several new upmix modes, including dedicated 360-degree settings for music, movies and gaming. These modes attempt to create a more immersive spatial presentation depending on what you are listening to.

I usually avoid additional processing modes on audio devices — they tend to move the music too far away from the original intention of a mix. But I had a lot of fun with Sony’s music upmix mode. It gives an almost ‘live’ quality to a recording, widening the soundstage and putting you closer to the centre of a performance. It’s lively and an interesting way to get a new perspective on tracks you’re well versed in, if not necessarily the most faithful reproduction. The gaming mode was enjoyable and explosive too, adding a level of immersive bombast to proceedings — but I was disappointed by relatively high latency when gaming over Bluetooth, meaning some audio cues felt just a beat behind the action.

There is also a surprisingly intriguing “background music” mode (returning from the WH-1000XM6) designed to make songs feel as though they are playing slightly away from you, like music drifting through a café rather than directly into your ears. It sounds gimmicky initially, but it could prove genuinely useful for people who dislike the intense isolation that noise-cancelling headphones can create.

A customisable physical button on the headset lets users quickly switch between modes without diving into menus or apps, which is exactly the kind of practical touch premium products should include.

Sony also includes a 10-band EQ for users who want more detailed control over tuning. Casual listeners can leave everything alone, while enthusiasts can fine-tune the presentation to suit different genres.

It all adds up to a product that feels less rigidly one-size-fits-all than many rivals, and makes the accompanying Sound Connect app less of an optional add-on and more an essential tweak station.

5. They Still Deliver Serious Everyday Practicality

Even with the more luxurious positioning, Sony has not abandoned the practical strengths that made its over-ear line successful in the first place.

COLLEXION uses 12 onboard microphones for adaptive noise-cancelling optimisation, allowing the headphones to constantly adjust to changing environments. Sony is not pushing noise cancelling as aggressively as before — the messaging here is more about sound refinement — but the capability is still substantial. Aggressive pre-release secrecy around the headphones mean I’ve not been able to test them against the rigours of public transport yet, but I was able to mimic the hum of a flight quite effectively, thanks to the whirring of my gaming PC’s fan in my hotbox of a flat. While not quite a match for the total isolation of the WH-1000XM6 cans, the noise cancelling here is still better than the majority of Sony’s competitors.

Sony also has the advantage of its smart adaptive noise cancelling features. Let the Sound Connect app access your location, and the headphones will adapt their noise-blocking features according to the situation. Walking down the road, you can set them to let in a little more exterior sound so as to better hear an oncoming Uber Eats bike, and then seamlessly switch to zen-like full noise cancellation once you reach the office.

Call quality has also received serious attention. Six beamforming microphones help isolate the speaker’s voice while reducing wind interference, and Bluetooth LE Audio support enables Super Wide Band speech transmission for clearer calls. The audio mode selecting button can also be configured to act as a physical mic mute switch, something that feels particularly relevant in the hybrid-working era where headphones double as office equipment as often as entertainment devices.

I’d say, however, that the decision to leave a USB-C cable out of the package feels a little bit stingy, though. Yes, e-waste needs to be taken into consideration. But grab these at an airport shop before boarding your flight, and you’re going to have a long, noisy journey ahead of you unless you come prepared with a charging cable. Battery life shouldn’t be much of a concern though — 24 hours with ANC switched on will see you around the world, even if it’s a few hours short of the battery life managed by the WH-1000XM6. And there is a 3.5mm jack cable in the box.

Final Verdict

Sony’s 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones admirably merge luxury looks, audiophile ambition and daily practicality into one sumptuous package. It’s a complex balancing act, but COLLEXION feels like Sony recognising that premium headphones are no longer just tech accessories, but fashion objects, productivity tools and personal audio systems all at once.

That versatility comes with a hefty price tag, but for listeners who want one pair of headphones capable of handling all three roles with a little more elegance than usual, they’ll be confidently covered.

The toss up between the older WH-1000XM6 and the COLLEXION model will be a difficult one to make — if cream-of-the-crop noise cancelling is your primary concern, the former will probably still win out. But for a taste of the high life, 1000X THE COLLEXION is among the best headphones Sony’s ever made.

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JBL is prepped for a party. It has just announced a whole new range of absolutely massive wireless speakers and an absolutely tiny microphone that uses AI to revolutionise your karaoke game.

No, the JBL EasyClip Mic Mini is not going to auto-tune your vocals on the fly, which is basically the equivalent of shamelessly using your phone to cheat at a pub quiz. But it can remove the central vocal channel of songs you feed it — yep, using good old artificial intelligence.

Any track can become a backing track, and this all happens on-the-fly like magic. We got to hear it working in action and the results were frankly mind-blowingly good. It was pretty much as if the JBL EasyClip Mic Mini had access to the producer’s multi-track version of the song and just deleted the central vocal.

It's tech we've encountered before in JBL's cracking BandBox Solo guitar speaker.

Will it work for death metal as well as cleanly produced pop? We have our doubts, and even the JBL bod we talked to noted it’s not going to work the same for backing vocals too — it’s just not how this tech works. But, damn, it can’t half do a good job when the track suits the tech.

You control the voice zapping using the button on the JBL EasyClip Mic Mini’s front, and can also simply turn down the lead vocal line instead of getting rid of it entirely. This can be useful for those somewhat overconfident folks who choose to karaoke a song they only really know the chorus of.

Here’s how it works. The JBL EasyClip Mic Mini’s main microphone part is just a little rounded capsule of a thing, but it also slots into a grip handle.

This is because, if you haven't noticed, content creators these days hold up mics like they're a brooch they just found on the floor, not like a rock singer holding a trusty Shure SM58. And this mic is for content creators as well as karaoke fans, letting them adopt the correct viral mannerisms or... y'know, clip the thing to their clothing.

The other half of the JBL EasyClip Mic Mini is a USB dongle, and this is actually the brains of the operation. You plug it into a compatible JBL speaker, and not only does it turn that unit into a karaoke machine, it’s this USB dongle that apparently does the AI vocal removal. We’re told there’s just a slight delay of a couple of seconds, to let the software smarts do their thing.

JBL’s EasyClip Mic Mini costs £129.99 and is available to order now.

But what can you plug it into? We’ve had a go with some of these too.

Among the contenders are JBL’s new PartyBox models. These are not for everyone, but are apparently the market leaders in the massive-LED-laden-party-speaker category. You basically get the accessibility of a Bluetooth speaker, combined with the size and power of a PA or busker speaker. Oh, and a whole loads of LED light show pizzazz on top.

This range is long-standing, but the new models are called the JBL PartyBox 130 and 330.

JBL’s more affordable PartyBox 130 only costs as much as a higher-end wireless speaker at £349.99, but is seriously powerful. It has a 5.25-inch woofer and two 25mm tweeters, and a chunky fold-out handle to help you shift around its sold 11-plus kilo frame.

Not serious enough? The PartyBox 330 upgrades the driver to a 6.5-inch whopper, while JBL says the two tweeters are the same units it puts into some of its pro-grade speakers. It’s not just rubbish drivers for the beer-chugging idiot crowd here.

This larger, 16-plus-kilo contender is also designed a bit like a piece of holiday luggage, with a telescopic handle and built-in wheels. No doing your back in just to move it around a bit.

I got to hear the PartyBox 330, and then a quartet from this family playing together, using one of the family’s more up-to-date features, Bluetooth Auracast. This lets a bunch of headphones or speakers stream from the one source — a party mode that doesn’t require a bespoke, proprietary system.

First impressions suggest the JBL PartyBox duo are fantastic for projection and punch, which is going to be a massive benefit if you want to play music outdoors as well as inside. Loud looks matched with loud audio, these speakers also have highly customisable LED light rings that snake around the main drivers.

But if you mostly want to listen in a more casual way, I’d strongly suggesting considering something like the JBL Xtreme 5 instead, which also works with the JBL’s EasyClip Mic Mini. This speaker also looks pretty loud, but it’s also a surprisingly sweet-sounding and insightful wireless option that is fantastic for casual listening and social gatherings, or picnics. It’s going to be far more suitable for bedroom listening than a PartyBox.

I should know, because there’s one in my bedroom right now.

These aren’t the only new JBL bits of kit out either. JBL has also announced these goodies:

JBL Live 780NC and 680NC: Two pairs of premium wireless headphones with active noise cancellation. They come in a range of colours, including iPhone-matching orange. What’s the difference? The Live 780NC are over-ear headphones, the 680NC are on-ear.

JBL Live 4 TWS: True wireless earphones with a charging case that has its own little screen. This shows you the battery level of both the earbuds and the case itself. They, of course, have active noise cancellation too.

Technology has gone a bit too far, don’t you think? The Gen Z backlash is real, continuing the millennial’s vinyl revival with a rejection of social media and embrace of good old cabled headphones. We’re here for it, but maybe it’s time for the classic Hi-Fi to make a reappearance too.

OK, so most Gen Z may not have the space for a massive Hi-Fi system with gigantic floorstander speakers. And if you live in a flat, cranking them is probably risking a noise order or eviction.

We had a chance to see what the Hi-Fi of decades past was actually like to live with as part of JBL’s 80th birthday celebrations, though, and test drive some absolute classics from the past. Are old Hi-Fis really that much better than a Sonos or a Bluetooth speaker? Of course they are, but it’s not quite as simple as all that.

Let’s start by digging into a design from all the way back in the 1950s...

JBL Paragon D44000 - A piece of history

This is the JBL Paragon D44000, first produced in 1957. It originally cost $1830, equivalent to more than $21,500, or £16,000-plus today.

It’s much more than just a speaker system. It is a piece of furniture, and a proper centrepiece. The Paragon is almost nine feet wide, weighs 390kg and is a bit of a masterpiece from a visual perspective alone.

You can only really see two of the six speaker drivers here, but their extreme angling tells you a lot about the intention here. They’re pointed towards a single, central, ideal listener position. And even though it’s coming up to its 70th birthday, you still get a pretty awesome experience when you sit in that spot.

Sweet and detailed vocals have the kind of imaging today’s modern, basically mono, wireless speaker couldn’t hope to achieve. But there is a problem.

Despite having a pair of absolutely massive 15-inch drivers inside the enclosure, the JBL Paragon D44000 doesn’t really have anything approaching deep bass. A modern 15-inch woofer could shake the plaster off your walls, but these old designs? They have such slight movement when vibrating to produce sound, true deep bass just isn’t possible.

But, hey, let’s not be too harsh when this was apparently the “first stereo loudspeaker for the home,” JBL claims.

JBL L100 - The 1970s classic

Stepping ahead a couple of decades, the JBL L100 came out in 1970 and are an undeniable design classic if you ask us. We would love a pair of these, while their iconic orange foam speaker grilles feel like they inspired the orange Apple uses today in its iPhones.

These speakers had “West coast sound” tuning that helped make them comfortably JBL’s best-selling speaker of the era. And even though the pair we heard were legit decades old — not one of the re-releases JBL has made in the last few years, including one in January 2026 — they sound great.

They’re sweet and engaging, not boomy or brash. And by now JBL had firmly solved the whole “no bass” issue it had back in the 1950s.

The one problem is most will find they sound best with the grilles removed. But to our eyes they look far better with that orange foam face in place.

You can pick up the remade version of them, the JBL L100 Mk2, for around £3999 online.

JBL 250Ti - Because more is more in the 1980s

These eye-catching slanted JBL floor standers were introduced in 1985, but they were setup to represent the 90s era. The Titanic VHS and Friends boxset present tell you everything you need to know.

In person these speakers do take on some of the more provocative character their visual design brings. Compared to the L100, you can hear the 250Ti have significantly more of the low-bass punch you might otherwise buy a subwoofer to get.

The sound is chunkier, larger. It’s the kind of room-filling stuff larger wireless speakers try to achieve these days, but with a bunch of massive speaker drivers rather than audio tricks.

Another decade of development has let JBL fill in even more of the lower audio frequency range. They occasionally pop up on eBay too. But, you've been warned, these beasts weigh 68kg each.

One odd part is we reckon some folks will see the JBL 250TI as the most obviously “dated” design of these three, even though it’s easily the newest. But given baggy trousers are back in fashion, maybe weird slanted floorstanders are next.

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If you remember the boomboxes of old, the newly-announced Bumpboxx BB-777 will look and feel very familiar — it’s a dead-ringer for the block-party centrepieces of a RUN-D.M.C music video.

But beyond the spot-on nostalgic aesthetics, it’s looking like a very capable music player, too. Its 3-way 6-driver array pumps out a massive 270 watts of power, enough to get any party bouncing.

And, vinyl aside, it’s ready to take pretty much any format you through at it — there’s FM/AM radio (complete with telescopic antenna), Bluetooth, a CD drive (that can playback your old CD-R and CD-RW discs too, USB-input and dual tape decks — ready for a whole new generation of mix-tapes. Throw in a pair of mic-inputs and you’ve got everything you need to relive your 8 Mile fantasies.

It may be portable, with swappable batteries that charge over USB-C and last up to 15 hours — but just don’t go expecting to carry it very far. The BB-777 weighs a whopping 12kg. You’ll have some guns to go along with those beats if you’re lugging it around all day.

Bumpboxx isn’t the only company looking to capitalise on the physical media / nostalgia revival. We Are Rewind is selling the minimalist answer to Bumpboxx’s maximalism with its GB-001 boombox, while Philips has a whole range of colourful new speakers, the Moving Sound line, tapping into the primary-coloured delights of late 80s / early 90s Malibu style.

As for the Bumpboxx BB-777, it’s up for pre-order via crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, where it’s already surpassed its funding goal by a substantial margin. Early birds can pick up the BB-777 for $649 (about £485) — 38% cheaper than its eventual $1,049 price tag. A bunch of bundle offers are available too, including options with back-up batteries, blank cassettes, and travel bags.

Want an incentive to jump in early? Anyone that pre-orders in the first 48 hours of the campaign will be entered into a prize draw to walk away with the coveted “#1” and “#777” speakers from the production run, with each ‘Founder’s Edition’ purchase numbered.

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Over ear or in ear? It’s the age-old question in the world of personal audio and your preference really depends on a number of factors but one of the biggest is comfort. From my experience — and I’ve spent some, gulp, 15 years reviewing headphones — over ears offer comfort while in ears offer ease of use. The caveat: audio quality usually diminishes the smaller the earphones get.

With the Samsung Galaxy Ear Buds 4 Pros, this changes as these are perhaps the most comfortable in-ear ’phones we have ever tested. They are like little fluffy clouds resting on our lobes. Put them on and you can almost forget you are wearing the things, if it wasn’t for the seriously good music quality that comes from them.

I’ve been using Buds 4 Pros for the best part of a week now, and here’s what you need to know…

SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS 4 PRO: IN SHORT

• Support 24-bit audio up to 96KHz
• Enhanced Active Noise Canceling
• Adaptive EQ
• Premium Metal Design
• AI assistant compatible
• £219

1. The fit is comfortable

Little fluffy clouds. That’s the description we gave the Buds 4 in our intro — and for good reason, these ear buds are a superb fit in the ears, offering a lovely balance of being lightweight but snug.

Staying in the ears is key here, and it’s what the Buds 4 Pros do admirably. It’s worth noting that they are a canal tip design — if you want ones that sit on your ear, then go for the cheaper Buds 4 as they are more of an open type design that have been made to sit on your ear.

One reason for the fit being decent might be because Samsung has been doing a lot of homework, looking at ears of all types and figuring out a design that works whether you wear your ear bud shafts down or across. According to Sammy, it “took over 100 million different ear data points from people from all around the world, and ran over 10,000 different simulations to build these buds from the ground up”.

As with pretty much every ear bud, these come with a selection of rubber tips to choose from.

2. The look is premium

At £219, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are the most premium in-ear headphones that Samsung has produced and their looks showcase this. They are a moulded plastic design, with a brushed metal blade. On the side, there is a tiny oval grille and a small rectangle situated on the top. A black circle can be found on the inside frame of the buds. The design is slick but certainly not flashy.

This is complemented by a simple clamshell case with a clear lid. While the case says Samsung, this is the only bit of branding found on the ear buds which I really like. Not that it’s bad being a fan boy, but I would rather someone asks who made my ear buds, rather than showcasing their branding to the world. As for the aforementioned case. I do think more of a design flourish could have been made here — it definitely errs towards functional rather than fancy. It does allow wired or wireless charging, though, which is a bonus.

Those metal blades, though, they don’t just look decent but house some decent functionality. They are slightly wider than previous efforts and include a recessed area for all touch and swipe controls. Here I can use a finger to swipe up and down to change the volume, and pinch the blades together to control things — whether it’s skipping tracks or conjuring up an AI assistant.

3. Sound quality is, well, quality

The audio quality of the Buds 4 Pro really is superb. First, the ANC works a charm for the most part. It may not be the most instant ‘shut out the world and leave me with my own thoughts’ noise cancelling I have heard, but it reduces background noise significantly even when you aren’t listening to anything. This ANC is constantly adjusting to the environment around you, too. So if you are in a gym then it will fight against the inevitably tinny music they will be playing in the background. On a train, the constant track rattling noise is reduced.

Once you add music, though, the world does disappear and leaves you with whatever you are listening to.

For me, this was a lot of lossless stuff, thanks to these ear buds offering up to 24 bit quality. To test the bass, Fred Again and Jamie T’s ode to South London, Light Burn Dimmer was a joy to listen to. There was a real warmth in the beats, a sharpness to the synths and even though the voice was layered with distortion it still cut through with the right amount of clarity.

So Much Country ‘Till We Get There by Westside Cowboy was ghostly and beautiful through the Buds 4 Pro. The drone of the cello and the brittle vocals were crisp, the uplifting guitar notes and drum stomp surrounding me nicely.

On older soul track Wild Flower, by The New Birth, the rousing vocals and strings sounded like they were recorded yesterday, not some 50 years ago.

There is a good reason that bass sounds are more prevalent in these new Buds. Samsung has made the space for the woofer some 20% bigger, so sounds are richer and deeper as a result.

4. Battery life is impressive (when you count the case)

I got around 6 hours’ continuous play out of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pros which is less than what Apple offers with its Pro range of in-ears. This was with ANC on at all times but it is less than what the Buds 3 Pros offered. Granted, there is more powerful audio tech inside these ear buds and the redesigned (and smaller) chassis size will have something to do with this battery reduction too.

The good news is that the case holds an extra 20 hours’ battery life and given you will be slipping these things in and out of the case all day, it’s doubtful you would ever get to 0 capacity — even though they are comfy enough to have on all day.

5. The price is punchy but there is an alternative

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will be £219 out of the gates and they come in white, black and an online exclusive rose gold colour. This is on a par with the AirPods Pro 3 which are the same price.

If this is a little steep then there is an alternative: the Galaxy Buds 4 (no Pro) will also be available for £159 coming in white and black. These don’t have the ANC capabilities of the Pro version and sit on the ears, rather than in the ear canal.

If you are unsure whether they are for you, then there is a pre order offer. From the 25th of February to the 30th of April, buy them and if you aren’t 100% happy, you can return them to Samsung within 100 days for a full refund regardless of which retailer they bought them from — just send in your proof of purchase.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Early Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are what Samsung fans have been waiting for — a true alternative to what Apple has with the AirPods. And one that comes alive when you use with a Samsung phone, thanks to quick pairing and settings options at a glance through a Galaxy handset.

Sound wise, they are fantastic with ANC that aids rather than hinders, a true belter of a bass response and high ends that reach to the sky. Battery life could be better but with the blade controls as intuitive as they are and features such as live translation just a press away, these ear buds have really impressed me so far.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are available for pre-order now for £219.

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Sony has announced the LinkBuds Clip, and if you haven’t upgraded your earphones in a few years, this may be a type of pair you’ve never used before.

The Sony LinkBuds Clip are open earphones, designed to let you hear your music and the outside world at the same time, without relying on an Ambient mode that pipes sound through the speaker drivers.

At first glance they may look a bit odd, like a pair of 8-bit video game cherries. But that’s just because of how they fit on your ear. They wrap around the side of your ear cartilage, with one of those cherry blobs sitting over your ear canal, the other around the back of your ear.

It’s actually a super-comfortable way to wear earphones, as there’s nothing invasive digging into your ear canal itself, and these earpieces typically only weigh a few grammes a piece.

Three mode solution

Earphones like the Sony LinkBuds Clip are a bit of a nightmare for the bods that have to tune the things, though, as they can never be sure how much ambient noice the pair will have to contend with.

Sony's solution? Three separate modes. The Standard mode is what you’ll likely use while just listening to music around town. Voice Boost gives the mid-range a bit more pep, in order to make voice-led content like podcasts, audio book and talk radio stations stand out more in noisier spaces.

Then finally there’s the one you might want to use at the office, the Sound Leakage Reduction mode. This tweaks the sound to minimise how much you might annoy anyone nearby. An open design naturally means more sound leakage than a classic pair of IEMs.

You don’t get active noise cancellation with a set of Sony LinkBuds Clip, but they do use some clever techniques to make voice calls made with them clearer on the other end. That includes a bone conduction sensor, which analyses vibrations to help the pair separate the sound of your voice from outside noise.

On the practical front, the Sony LinkBuds Clip are rated for IPx4 water resistance, enough to handle a bit of rain. And they last for a good long while by earbud standards.

You get nine hours per charge of the earbuds, while the charging case can supply an additional 28 hours — a smidge over three charges.

The Linkbuds Clip also have plenty of Sony’s usual techy gubbins, accessible through the Sony Connect phone app, including DSEE audio upscaling and support for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio.

But the more important stuff? The Sony LinkBuds Clip cost £180 and will be available this month in four colours: black, lavender, green and the Dulux-tastic portmanteau Greige.

Audio Pro has officially completed its new W-generation speaker range with the launch of two new Drumfire models: the full-fat Drumfire II W and the more compact Drumfire D-2 W.

Following the rollout of its refreshed W-generation speakers last September, the Swedish audio brand is now bringing its most rock ’n’ roll-leaning line into the fold. First introduced back in 2018, the Drumfire range has long been about big sound and bold styling, and these new W-generation updates aim to push both even further.

At the top of the pile sits the Drumfire II W, a full-size powered stereo speaker designed for those who like their music loud, physical and unapologetic. Audio Pro promises a sound that’s not just powerful, but detailed too, equally capable of filling a room at high volume or bringing warmth and clarity at lower listening levels. Multiroom support comes as standard, alongside Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.

As with the rest of the W-generation range, the Drumfire II W pairs updated firmware with Audio Pro’s revamped app, delivering tighter Wi-Fi synchronisation and access to a wide range of streaming services. Updates are handled automatically over the air, meaning the speaker quietly improves over time without any manual tinkering.

Visually, it sticks closely to the Drumfire formula: faux leather wrap, hand-stitched detailing and solid aluminium accents, striking a balance between classic rock amp aesthetics and modern living-room sensibilities. It’s available in black, grey or soft white, and includes six physical preset buttons for instant access to playlists or radio stations — no phone required.

The Drumfire D-2 W, meanwhile, is effectively the top speaker unit from the full Drumfire II W system, sold here as a standalone option. On its own, it still delivers what Audio Pro describes as true hi-fi sound, with controlled bass and crisp highs, alongside the same streaming and multiroom features as its larger sibling.

When paired with the dedicated Drumfire subwoofer as part of a full Drumfire II W setup, the system automatically adjusts its crossover, allowing the sub to handle the deepest bass duties and freeing the speaker to play louder and cleaner.

Both speakers are available now in the UK, Europe and the US. The Drumfire D-2 W is priced at £350, while the Drumfire II W comes in at £600, firmly premium territory, but very much in line with Audio Pro’s ambitions.

• Sounds on 45: How the jukebox is making a modern-day comeback

There are a lot of ways to sound great in 2025; talk about soft masculinity, play new music from Chapell Roan, or use the many cracking speakers or soundbars that you’ve probably seen splashed across your targeted Instagram ads, Amazon, and Currys. But amongst all the choices, it can be hard to know what is the right and best one to go for. Luckily for anyone who gets bewildered scrolling through the Richer Sounds homepage, two powerhouses in the HiFi industry have collaborated, giving us one of the best all-in-one sound systems in a long time.

Naim and Focal unveiled their second-ever collaboration product since merging in 2011: The Mu-so Hekla. Whilst it’s been positioned as a soundbar, the Mu-so Hekla is designed for both the home cinema fanatic and the hifi lover, making sound not just something you hear but something you can actually feel. And we got a sneak preview at it at an exclusive press preview.

Naim and Focal are two class-leading HiFi brands with an extensive range of seriously high-quality audio products and expertise between them, so you can imagine what happens when the two collaborate. Naim has been behind some of the best speakers of recent years, including the Naim Mu-so and Mu-so 2. Hekla is the latest iteration in this range, but firmly under the sophisticated Focal banner, with an elevated wireless stereo core, better integration options as part of a system, and wholly immersive sound. The reason behind this subtle shift, according to Focal, is that the latter dominates the audio-visual world with its focus on home-cinema (like Dolby Atmos), whereas Naim is known for its hi-fi prowess.

Here's the three key takeaways from our time with this sonic tour de force.

1. Power under the hood

The Hekla delivers Dolby Atmos sound through 15 individually amplified drivers, meaning you get some seriously immersive surround sound, with each layer of sound perfectly blended and balanced. It has 660 watts of class D amplification, which means that in practice, the sound is rich and, critically, room filling. Well, that’s depending on how big the room is - if you’re in a huge, open-plan mansion, then it might be a tiny bit thinner.

It uses Focal’s technology and expertise with subwoofers and integrated Dolby Atmos to deliver the punchy bass and impact across films, music, and gaming.

2. Explosive sound

You’d expect any tech product named after an Icelandic volcano to deliver some pretty explosive audio, and Hekla truly does. Its Dolby Atmos compatibility means film audio is delivered at a cinema-worthy level, taking you deeper into the whole experience - all the technological perks of going to the multiplex with all the comfort that your own sofa brings, although neither a gangly teenage usher nor a Tango Ice Blast is included. Another place it shines is with video game play; want to not just hear but feel the explosions, shots, and action from your onscreen play? Connecting the Hekla soundbar will make you feel like you’re not just playing the game, but in it.

We tested the soundbar on a wide range of musical genres, partly in the name of product testing, and mostly in the name of everyone on the team getting their turn to play their favourite tracks. Whether softly lilting jazz or rocking metal, it never failed to deliver an impressive performance.

3. Simple to use

For anyone who is used to multiple wires, tech manuals thicker than a Russian novel, and generally the feeling that you need a master's in engineering to set up and control anything more sophisticated than a Bluetooth speaker, you’ll be glad to know that the Hekla is super easy to use. We’re talking one level up from a Tamagotchi / could ask your mum to load up a song. You can use the app to control the sound, and connect it to your smartwatch and any voice assistants for hands-free DJ-ing. You can also stream music wirelessly via AirPlay, Google Cast, and Bluetooth, so it’s compatible with almost every device, no matter whether it’s Apple, Android, or other.

The verdict

From what we saw - and most importantly, heard - the Mu-so Hekla is a powerful product whose main selling point is its versatility. Whilst it has been designed to please home-cinema audiences, it’s very life-style friendly, meaning that if you wanted to use it solely for music whilst entertaining friends and family (think: Christmas), it has all the best technology behind it to deliver high quality sound. And that's without any of the technical expertise needed to power something super complicated, or multiple wires, inputs, or elements. It’s an all-in-one best-of-both-worlds slick product that’s seriously going to be music to your ears.

The only cons are its size; as you can imagine, anything powering this many drivers is going to take up a fair bit of space, even if it's as compact as the Hekla. The whole design is tidy and sleek, but it’s fairly long and deep in size, meaning you’ll need a fair bit of space, ideally in front of your TV. However, thanks to its adaptive room calibration, you should be able to place it anywhere in your chosen room and get the same sonic experience.

Availability

The Mu-so Hekla is launched in South Korea and China first on 6th November, rolling out across the UK market in Q1 2026, retailing at £3,000.

• Technics' latest turntable goes gold to celebrate fifty years of the SL-1200G

The Fiio Snowsky TINY is the latest pint-sized powerhouse from the Chi-Fi brand that continues to punch well above its weight, offering a huge upgrade in a pint-sized package that’ll make your wired headphones sound like they’re worth triple the price

Fiio has built a rep for delivering high-end audio without the high-end price tag, and its latest dongle DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) is no exception. Designed for music lovers, gamers, and anyone tired of tinny onboard audio, the TINY lives up to its name in size but not in performance.

There are two versions: TINY A, which comes with a classic 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C passthrough so you can charge your device and vibe at the same time; and TINY B, aimed at the purists, with a balanced 4.4mm output for higher-end headphones and IEMs. Both support up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 formats, which, in layman's terms, means they’re ready for any hi-res audio file you can throw at them.

One of the quirkier little touches is a multi-colour RGB LED that shows you the quality of the audio being piped through, so you can brag about your lossless stream in real time. You also get a built-in DSP engine and 10-band parametric EQ, letting you tweak the sound exactly how you like it. Save your profiles to the cloud, share them with your fellow EQ obsessives, or just flex your golden ears.

The Snowsky TINY is CNC-milled from solid metal, with a rugged yet refined finish that looks more premium than most smartphones. The compact T-shaped design reduces cable stress and sits snugly against your phone or laptop, perfect for tossing into your bag without worrying about snapping anything off. It’s sleek, solid, and it looks absolutely lovely.

According to Fiio, you can connect this handy little device to Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux devices, and even the Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 are in the mix thanks to USB Audio Class 1.0 and 2.0 support. Throw it in your pocket and it’ll work wherever you need great sound.

What truly makes it stand out, though, is the price, costing just £15.92 on AliExpress. You're getting audiophile-grade output for the same price as a Deliveroo.

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Love your new record collection, but can’t give up the convenience of wire-free listening sessions? A new turntable from Philips looks to offer the best of both worlds, letting you listen to your vinyl and stream them to wireless headphones and speakers, too.

The cherry on top? It also plays CDs, letting you indulge in the delights of physical media your gramps is always harking on about.

The Philips Fidelio FT1 makes use of a belt-drive design with two speed playback, squeezing in a front-mounted CD player with a pop-out tray loader into its body.

• How to buy and sell vinyl records for a profit - 6 top tips

The combo unit makes use of a die-cast aluminium platter, and keeps things stable with a heavy-duty slip mat to tackle unwanted vibrations. A replaceable Audio Technica MM cartridge sits on the end of an aluminium tonearm, with the deck featuring an auto-stop function to keep from popping once your vinyl side reaches its end.

The CD mechanism sits separate from the vinyl belt drive internally to keep one from interfering with the other, keeping your records and CDs scratch free.

While the deck can be controlled with an accompanying app, there’s also a bunch of playback buttons onboard to cycle through sources and tweak volume, with a display across the front edge giving a read out of what you’re working with.

If you’re hooking up wired speakers, the Philips Fidelio FT1 has a built-in phono stage, with RCA stereo outputs to use with your amp or active speakers, while there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for personal listening sessions as well.

But of course you’ve got Bluetooth here too, in it’s 5.4 variety, so you can send you vinyl and CD playback to any wireless headphones of speakers around the house. Purists might balk ash compression this brings to the otherwise analogue presentation, but LC3 codec support should keep the detail lost to a minimum, and the convenience of Auracast multi-speaker chaining will be much appreciated.

A perfect pairing

If you’re looking for fresh speakers to pair with the Fidelio FT1, Philips is also introducing new FA3 wireless active speakers. The bookshelf-friendly set offers two 50W speakers, using 5-inch glass fibre mid and bass drivers, and a 1-inch titanium tweeter. Both have bi-amplification.

As with the deck, Bluetooth 5.4, LC3 and Auracast are in the FA3 speakers, but you’ve also got HDMI ARC connections for hooking up to a TV, USB-C, optical and RCA aux inputs. They’ll be as comfortable on an office desk as in your listening corner then.

Full UK pricing is yet to be revealed, but Euro pricing puts the vinyl deck at €299 (about £260), and the FA3 speakers at €399 (about £350) per pair. They’re also expected to be sold as a bundle. Keep an eye out for these in stores in the first quarter of 2026.

• Philips turns back time with new retro-inspired audio range: boomboxes, headphones and some totally gnarly 80s designs

Whether you’re hankering for the music hall sepia toned days of the gramophone, or the day-glo vibes of the 80s ghetto blaster, a new line of retro-inspired audio gear from Philips will send you (radio) ga-ga.

Celebrating 100 years in the audio business, the Philips Retro Range revives and modernises designs and classic products from across Philips history, dipping into the different trends, styles and passions of music lovers across the decades — all the while keeping the modern conveniences expected of the streaming generation.

There’s a lot to look at, from old-school headphones to colourful boomboxes and mid-century styled turntable decks. We’ve been checking out the new design-led range at a worldwide launch event in the company’s hometown of Eindhoven — here’s a sneak peek at the new products ready to rock in the coming weeks and months.

The Tina — compact all-in-one turntable with heritage styling

Compact, all-in-one turntables are an easy way to get into the vinyl revival, but they tend to be a bit hit and miss when it comes to quality. The Philips Tina wants to plug that gap with a design that not only harks back to the glory days of the record player, but fills it with current tech.

Combining turntable, DAB+/FM tuner, USB audio and Bluetooth 5.4 (with Auracast multi-device daisy-chain connectivity), this integrated system pumps out 120W power (making it the world’s most powerful all-in-one) in a 2.1 configuration.

Two 1-inch tweeters, and two 2.5-inch mid-range drivers sit alongside a 4.5-inch subwoofer to give some rarely-seen oomph in this form factor, while a two-speed precision belt-drive, solid aluminium diecast platter, extruded aluminium straight arm and a replaceable Audio Technica MM cartridge give it credibility for the vinyl diehards. SBC and LC3 codecs on the digital side will make your MP3s and streamed audio sing, too.

The key draw here though is the look — with a dark oak-like casing and a chunky speaker grill that sits below the vinyl platter, it harks back to the legacy radio and hi-fi designs that Philips made its name with.

• Price: £399.99

The Stevie — Tina’s soulful little bro

If The Tina is simply the best, The Stevie is the master blaster for those looking to get a foot in the door at the entry level with turntables. More reserved in its design and nodding to the black plastic casings of 1990s hi-fi, it’s an affordable one-stop device for the next generation of vinyl lovers.

It’s a three-speed, belt driven turntable with a replaceable Audio Technica MM cartridge, with the system offering a more modest 12W power output. Like the Tina, it’s also well equipped for wireless playback, making use of Bluetooth 5.4 and the SBC and LC3 codecs.

• Price: £129.99

The Janet — Portable radio with atomic-age curves

Philips was one of the early consumer radio pioneers, and The Janet takes its cues from the golden age of radio, the 1950s with its atomic-era optimism, reflected in this new FM & DAB radio’s curved exterior. Measuring just 180mm x 100mm x 60mm, The Janet squeezes in a 2.4-inch colour display, a range of FM and DAB presets, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, alarm clock functionality and a replaceable battery that’s good for 15 hours of playback per 3.5 hour charge.

• Price: £69.99

The Freddie and The Ringo — Throwback open-backs, and light band on-ears

Classic Philips designs return in the portable over-ear headphone range element of the Century line-up, too. The Freddie is the stadium filling rhapsody here, packing 50mm neodymium drivers, spacious over-ear sound and wired connectivity. The Ringo is the wireless option, and will be familiar to anyone who was best friends with a personal cassette player, marrying the 80s era metal headband with 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and 26-hours playback per charge.

• Prices: The Freddie (£99.99) / The Ringo (£29.99)

The Moving Sound range - The Roller, The Tube, and more TBC

The most fun elements of the line up might be the stuff we’ve got to wait longest for — Philips is reviving its Moving Sound range, bringing modernised versions of its classic, colourful 1980s range back.

Boldly coloured with yellow chassis, black speaker grilles and primary coloured buttons, they’re speakers and personal audio gear that look like a bag of liquorice all sorts. Two main products will lead the range — the roller-skate inspired, curvy-shaped The Roller, and a larger, beefier The Tube device which will be block-party ready with its audio output.

Both boast 24-hour playback and bang-up-to-date Bluetooth 5.5 connectivity with Auracast multi-device linking, so it’s size and output the differentiating factors here. The larger The Tube measures 510mm x 200mm x 165mm and pumps 140W of power through its two 5-inch woofers, two 1.5-inch tweeters, and two side firing passive bass radiators. The Roller measures 380mm × 200mm × 120mm, and offers 60W output. Both are designed to be used on the go, each with carry handles and The Tube with a shoulder strap, while an IP67 rating keeps them safe in harsh weather.

Though aping the look of portable cassette decks of the 80s, these will be digital-only playback devices, built for streaming and Bluetooth playback — but will feature a screen animated to hark back to the mechanics of cassette playback. Thankfully without the chewed up tapes and pencil rewinders.

A line-up of over-ear headphones and in-ear true wireless buds complete the range — the MS1 and MS5 — while a karaoke box is also being considered.

The kicker? We’ll have to wait until a vague “Q2 2026” release date for these items, and both their final designs and tech specs are still to be finalised. But if legwarmers and Now That’s What I Call Music compilations tickle your nostalgia gland, you’ll get as much a kick out of these new speakers as the ‘yoof’ they’re aimed at. We’ll keep you posted as their releases come into focus.

• Price and release date: TBC

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If you turn 18 in the UK, it's nearly always a rite of passage to head to the pub — the very same pub you've already been going to for years — and having your 'first' official beer as an adult.

Record Store Day is celebrating its 18th birthday in a similar way, announcing that it has a new official beer partner.

Cheltenham based DEYA Brewery are on board and it's been revealed that they will be creating a special RSD beer for this year's Record Store Day, which takes place 12 April.

"We’re really excited to partner with Record Store Day," notes Nicci Peet, Social Media & Marketing Manager for DEYA.

"Music has been an important part of DEYA and our Taprooms so this felt like a natural fit. We’re passionate about independent venues and the art of vinyl and love the work Record Store Day does to support record shops and the industry. We’re here to help facilitate good vibes."

Shortlist is a big fan of DEYA. Its Steady Rolling Man pale ale has been in out best beers list for a number of years, so we can't wait to see what they brew up for the 18th anniversary of Record Store Day.

And if beer isn't your thing, then Bowers & Wilkins has also revealed that it is continuing to sponsor the event which sees over 270 independent record shops open early, packed with RSD exclusives.

If you want a flavour of what to expect from this year's event, in 2024 we saw limited-edition releases from Gorillaz, Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.

• How to buy and sell vinyl records for a profit: 6 top tips

Sonos has had its troubles of late, thanks to a lacklustre app redesign that’s annoyed its user base and possibly put off others joining the smart speaker club.

This prompted a statement from CEO Patrick Spence that said: "We sincerely appreciate your patience and continued support. We are working hard to earn back your trust and are more committed than ever to delivering a consistently great Sonos experience for everyone."

While we wait for the app to catch-up, that commitment has been qualified somewhat by Sonos releasing a product that isn’t just fantastic, but possibly the best thing it has ever built.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is a premium soundbar packing Dolby Atmos, 14 specially made drivers and something called Sound Motion — which manages to create a bigger bass-filled sound from a much smaller footprint.

Add to this Dolby Atmos support, a set-up that didn’t have us scratching our heads and the ability to control the soundbar through your own remote (as well as seamless audio switching to the Sonos Ace headphones) and reviewing this thing was far from a chore.

Here are 5 things to know about the Sonos Arc Ultra...

1. Setup is simple

If you are familiar with Sonos then you will know that setting up any of its products is done through the app. And, yes, that's the app that's gotten a bit of bad press of late. The good news though is that, in our tests, it was simple to setup the Sonos Arc through it — plug the thing in and the app automatically finds the product. Just follow the instructions from there.

You can attach your home cinema setup through the following ways: HDMI (if your TV has HDMI ARC or eARC) or Optical (via an adapter). There's also an Ethernet port on board and Bluetooth, which is handy for those who want to use this as a standalone speaker and don't want to go through the Sonos interface.

I tested the Arc with the new Sonos Sub 4, so I had to go through the settings to connect up the Sub and two surrounds (some old Sonos:1's) to the setup. Again, all of this was fairly simple to do which meant we entered a wall of sound within minutes.

2. The Sonos Arc Ultra is spec-tacular

It's been some four years since the original Arc was released, so this is a sequel that has taken some years to come out. It's been well worth the wait, though.

While not much has changed on the Arc Ultra looks wise (more on this below), its innards have been gutted and re-engineered. There are 15 Class-D digital amplifiers inside, seven tweeters and six mid-woofers. Its four-motor, dual-membrane woofer takes advantage of Sonos' new Sound Motion tech. In short this allows Sonos to make a much bigger sound from a much smaller footprint. The result are jaw-dropping.

Sonos has also added some design flourishes to its all-grille chassis, including the neat volume slider that can be seen on newer products such as the Sonos Era range. There's also a similar looking control for play/pause and fast-forward/rewind in the middle.

And because it's pretty much all grille, sound emanates from this thing at all angles, so there's no putting this baby in the corner — it needs space to showcase its wares.

3. Design is premium

At first glance, the Arc Ultra looks much like the first Arc (it's a touch slimmer which will help with wall mounting) but there are some subtle changes. These include the back of the Sonos where all the controls now sit — this is instead of them being on the grille on the original Arc. This makes sense both from a looks and usability point of view.

Size wise, it's still massive, though, measuring 75mm (H), 1178mm (W), 110.6mm (D). This is definitely a soundbar for bigger TVs. We tested with a 48-inch LG OLED and this would be the smallest TV we'd use it on, otherwise it's going to look like a mismatch.

At 5.9kg, it has a bit of weight, too. Not as much as the Sub 4, mind — that thing almost put us in traction when we lifted it. In the box, there's a wall mount bracket. Because we have to give the Arc Ultra back to Sonos (sob!) we didn't try this, but it did nestle nicely on a beam under my TV.

4. It's built beautifully for surround sound

In total you can get a 9.1.4-speaker configuration with the Sonos Arc Ultra, which takes care of all your Dolby Atmos needs. There's also myriad other decoding standards on board and, handily, in the app you will be able to see just what audio is being decoded, through the Now Playing screen. Geeky, yes, but, it's the sort of thing you want when you are paying this sort of money.

There's also Trueplay on board, which measures the acoustics of the room then fine-tunes the EQ for optimum listening. This used to be a faff, making you wave an iPad around your room — it's now much easier through the app with a quick set-up option. If you want to do the old-school version then you'll need an iOS device — I didn't feel there was much difference between the resulting sound from the two. Whichever Trueplay you choose to use, it is well worth doing.

When it comes to playing with the EQ, you can do this in the app and you can also access Night mode and Loudness. Both work well and are pretty self explanatory, increasing and decreasing the sound without any noticeable clarity deterioration.

There's also the new-ish functionality of swapping the audio that's coming out of the soundbar to a pair of Sonos Ace headphones. I had these to hand and it's a fantastic feature, especially for those who are wanting to do a bit of late-night movie watching without waking up anyone else in the house.

5. The sound is incredible

To test, I tried a number of movies, games and music and the results were *chef's kiss*. Pixar's Inside Out 2 with its Atmos soundtrack soared. The panic attack scene was just as devastating as when I watched it in the cinema, with sounds swirling all around the room.

Dune II was equally impressive, the roar of a sandworm reverberating around my living room masterfully, while the room also rumbled when Paul Atreides used the Voice.

The guttural grunt of the Batmobile in The Batman was fear inducing, while the sound of the Bat's boots while walking through the first crime scene will stay with me for a long time

It's great with music, too. The Cure's Songs Of A Lost World sounded incredibly atmospheric thanks to its Atmos mix, Robert Smith's voice managing to be both fragile and full.

It’s clear that Sonos’ fancy new Sound Motion drive is putting in the hard work, delivering a soundstage that feels far bigger than the living room I was in.

I felt this most while playing Black Ops 6. I ducked at the bullets flying around the room, stood to attention when orders were barked and felt completely immersed in the action.

Sonos Arc Ultra: Final Verdict

Brimming with Atmos-based atmosphere, the Sonos Arc Ultra is a hefty upgrade and Sonos' best-ever speaker. The soundbar has really come of age over the last few years and Sonos' latest effort feels like the pinnacle of this.

Yes, it's expensive (especially when you start bolting on other Sonos speakers to create the setup), yes it's massive. And, yes, it's a tad annoying that you are really relying on eArc HDMI to control your whole system but these really are minor niggles, given the sonic brilliance of this speaker.

• Buy the Sonos Arc Ultra now for £999 from Sonos

Rudeboys, mods and ravers looking to spruce up their listening space can add a touch of classic British design to their rooms from today, thanks to a new collaboration between Fred Perry and Ruark Audio.

The Ruark Audio x Fred Perry MR1 speakers take the award winning MR1 design — top-notch compact bookshelf speakers the Shortlist team uses every day — and brings the iconic Fred Perry polo branding to the cabinets. The champagne laurel wreath sits front and center over the speaker grilles, now made up of the same polyester piqué material as the popular polo shirt. The backplate two now has a complementary black and champagne finish, with gold trim across ports and hardware detailing.

Otherwise, the MR1s remain unchanged from the second-gen MR1 Mk2 design Ruark has had so much success with in recent years — no bad thing given how wonderful they sound.

With Bluetooth, Optical and Aux In input support (with optional Subwoofer out support too), the cabinets each house a 20mm tweeter and 75mm mid and bass driver, with bass ports under each unit delivering a rich, welcoming sound. With hi-res audio support up to 24-bit/192kHz, the standard MR1 speakers are our favourite bookshelf options at this size and price point, as at home next to your turntable as delivering the tunes from your home office computer.

“Our collaboration with Fred Perry exemplifies what Ruark stands for: combining impeccable sound quality with timeless design. Both brands share a deep connection to music, and this partnership is a celebration of our mutual heritage and shared values.” said Alan O’Rourke, Founder and Managing Director of Ruark Audio.

You’ll be able to pick the speakers up online and at all good Hi-Fi retailers from today for £375. No discount if you turn up in your Harrington and DMs, sadly.

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Grado has been a go-to maker of open-backed headphones for years now — the headphone design style that lets air pass through the ear cups from the rear of each speaker driver for a more natural and wider soundstage. If you’ve got deep enough pockets, the new Grado Signature HP1000 SE headphones add a touch of luxury to the mix, too.

Taking their cues from the classic Signature HP1 release from the early 90s (considered by some a milestone early release in luxury audiophile headphones), the HP1000 SE fuses newly engineered drivers with a carefully hand built construction out of Grado’s HQ in cooler-than-cool Brooklyn.

The HP100SE pumps your tunes through a new 52mm driver that features a “new paper composite cone [...], powerful high flux magnetic circuit using rare earth alloys, and a new voice coil made from lightweight copper-plated aluminium.” Grado says this produces “a voicing that is musically and harmonically correct,” with little bass distortion, smooth midrange and clear high frequencies, “excellent” dynamics and a “highly refined sense of space, soundstage and image.”

They look the part too, with a retro aesthetic that’ll please old-school audio nerds. Each housing is individually machined from specially-treated aluminium, with a space-grey exterior. Detachable cables, terminating in a 6.3mm plug, connect to each can with a 4pin mini XLR plug, covered in a red / black topper that mimics Hi-Fi speaker cabling.

Detachable cables give the HP1000SE some long-term sustainability, considering cables are usually the first element to give up the ghost on headphones. But there’s another practical quality-of-life consideration here too — high-end headphones have demanding users hooking them up to varied bits of kit, and allow for different cable types to be swapped in and out.

Rounding out the design is a revised headband assembly. Packing in 50% more padding than previous Grado models, it uses a stainless steel band and adjustable height rods for a spot-on fit, with a mechanism that allows the cans to rotate 105-degrees.

Launching in November and available from the Grado website, expect to part with £2,795 / $2,495 to get the Signature HP1000SE headphones over your ears.

• Looking for something different? Check out more of our headphones coverage

Apple’s AirPods weren’t the first wireless earbuds to hit the market, but in typical Apple fashion, they turned that market on its head when they arrived. And the new AirPods 4 release(s) bring some big upgrades to the lineup.

Apple’s 2024 AirPods revamp took the unusual step of launching two new pairs under the same AirPods 4 banner. They’re almost identical in all of the ways that matter, but there are some notable differences. And the overall package? Well, that’s quite the upgrade for those still rocking the OG AirPods or second-gen model.

And depending on who you are, one of the new AirPods 4 offerings might just have enough to tempt AirPods Pro owners, too. With prices starting from £129, here’s everything you need to know about AirPods 4.

1. There’s more than just one version

AirPods 4 come in two versions, one with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) for £179 and the other without it for £129. For those who just want a pair of wireless earbuds, the cheaper option is hard to beat. But ANC is great for commuting and working in loud places, while Transparency mode makes it easier to hear the world around you when you need to. But, there are other changes worth noting as well…

2. You’ll need the ANC AirPods 4 if you often lose your earbuds

Alongside ANC, the more costly AirPods 4 also sport a big case upgrade in the form of a built-in speaker. That means that you’ll get an audible alert when you plug your AirPods 4 into a USB-C cable or wireless charger, sure. But more important? You can have the charging case make a sound when you lose it all thanks to the magic of Find My. That alone could be worth the price of admission — just think of it as getting ANC for free!

3. It’s all about the H2

The upgraded AirPods 4 have a number of changes under the hood that make for an improved audio experience, not least the H2 chip. That allows for the addition of a few features over the previous AirPods 3, not least the ability to say “Siri” to summon the digital assistant. The chip also means automatic device pairing and switching remains a feature of these latest AirPods, too.

4. Never pause your music again (Personalized Volume)

The AirPods 4 support a new Personalized Volume feature that can detect the noise around you and automatically adjust the volume of the audio accordingly. No fiddling with the volume slider because you’re passing construction. Have the ANC version? You can have that automatically kick in, too.

5. Chat away, worry-free

Having to pause and then restart your music just because you need to thank the barista for your coffee can be more annoying than you might realize, but it doesn’t have to be that way. AirPods 4 can automatically lower the volume of your audio when it detects that you’re speaking so that you can then have a conversation as normal. Your earbuds will ratchet the volume back up afterward as well.

6. Get outta my ears, AirPods

The AirPods Pro are pretty great, but not everyone likes the feeling of having earbuds in their ear canal. It’s an issue that has long put people off these kinds of personal audio devices, but AirPods 4 don’t create that same muffled sound and claustrophobic feeling, and that’s a huge benefit — and they still support ANC regardless.

7. Apple Watch charger support

Taking fewer chargers with you is always a good thing, and the ANC flavour of AirPods 4 will not only charge wirelessly using any Qi charger, but you can even charge using the Apple Watch charger as well. How cool is that?

8. Getting dusty with it

While previous AirPods were sweat and water-resistant, the new AirPods 4 up the ante to include an IP54 rating. That means that they’re designed to withstand dust as well. A huge feature? No. One that’s worth having just in case? Absolutely.

9. An Apple fan’s audio dream

A feature that AirPods fans have been enjoying for years, the seamless device switching offered by AirPods 4 shouldn’t be underestimated. Moving from an iPhone to a Mac to an Apple Watch and then sitting down to watch a movie on an Apple TV, all while wearing a single pair of earbuds? It’s the closest thing to real magic you’re ever likely to come across. They sound great as well. With a new acoustic architecture and low-distortion driver, these AirPods 4 sound better than ever.

10. An upgraded, built-in fidget toy

AirPods owners have always known the joy that is fiddling with a charging case, opening and closing the lid as if it’s the world’s coolest box of mints. The new AirPods 4 have a reshaped, smaller charging case that is every bit as fun to play with as its predecessor. Bonus tip? You can tell which AirPods 4 have ANC support thanks to the speaker holes on the bottom of their charging case.

When we said that AirPods were iconic, we weren’t joking. But what makes AirPods 4 so impressive is the way they offer improved audio compared to their predecessors without stepping on the toes of AirPods Pro. They still aren’t cheap, sure. But they’re better than ever and with ANC support, they’re a viable option for those who want the best features without having to pay the highest prices.

• The five biggest moments from Apple's September 2024 iPhone 16 event

You’ve carved out a corner of your home as your listening corner — comfy armchair, whisky trolley, vinyls framed on the wall. So, when you’re settling down for a skin-scratching review of your favourite albums, the last thing you want to be staring at is a primary-coloured Bluetooth speaker.

Veteran audio brand Ruark is matching super sonics with slick style for its new releases. It just announced its new R610 console system, and the return of its classic Sabre speakers in a new design it's calling the Sabre-R.

Looking first at the R610, it’s the first console system from the brand, and can play back basically anything you throw at it. Streaming support is covered by AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect integration, it’ll play nicely with UPnP network media servers, and won’t baulk at hi-res files (32-bit/384kHz). DAB/FM and internet radio are built in, and you can throw tunes at it over Bluetooth aptX HD.

If you want to use physical media playback, there’s a moving magnet phono stage for use with a turntable, and a USB port for a sold-separately CD Drive that Ruark will introduce later this year. Optical and HDMI eARC outputs let it act as the driver for a home cinema setup, too.

The R610 of course looks great too. A five-inch full colour touchscreen can be used to control the device alongside a remote and Ruark’s signature ‘RotoDial’ on the top, with black or walnut finishes available, each finished with a gorgeous slatted wood grille frontispiece. Internally, there’s two Class D amplifiers for 75W per channel, Burr Brown DACs and a switch mode power supply.

Over to the Sabre-R, it’s a revival of the original 1985 Sabre speakers from Ruark, with some modern twists thrown in. Matching the black-or-walnut exterior of the R610, the Sabre-R has a two-way design making use of a 26mm silk dome tweeter and 15cm cone mid/bass driver. Though Ruark would love them paired with the R610, they’re compatible with any most amplifiers outputting 25-100W, with a sensitivity of 86dB/W/m.

The hope is that the stereo music system, preferably built combining the R610 and Sabre-R, will once again be the focal point of a living space, rather than its often-current designation as resigned to a corner as part of a smart speaker device.

Both products are available now. You’ll get the Ruark R610 for £1,200, and the Sabre-R speakers are £699 a pair. Both are sold separately.

• Want something to listen to on the new system? Check out our Shortlist of the coolest albums of all time

It’s mastered the stage, and now Marshall, once best known for its towering amplifier stacks, is taking another stab at serenading headphone buyers with its new Marshall Monitor III A.N.C over-ears. And it's a headliner-worthy performance from the cans.

ShortList should know as we were among a select few that have had a backstage pass with these headphones over the last week or so.

With an immediately distinctive design, incredible battery life and wonderful sound, the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C is a confident showing from the veteran brand — even if its spatial audio features need a little more tuning.

Available from September 24th and priced at £299, here’s everything you need to know...

1. A robust and rocking design

If you’ve ever been to a rock gig in the last 70 years, you’ve probably seen (and heard!) the iconic Marshall speaker stacks — black leatherette, cursive logo and plenty of gold trim. The Marshall Monitor III A.N.C, like Marshall’s previous personal audio devices, takes its cues from this design heritage.

Dome-shaped cans and headband each have that leatherette finish, with gold highlights provided by a Marshall logo over each ear and right-hand side control knob. It’s a different form factor and product, naturally, but it’s a dead-ringer for the amp design that’s made Marshall’s gear so instantly recognizable over the decades.

It’s comfortable, too. Soft padding over the spacious ear cups makes for a roomy fit, while the clamping force from the band is secure without feeling restrictive. At 250g, they don’t feel too heavy, while a dual-battery system (splitting the total battery capacity across a chamber in each cup) keeps that weight nicely balanced.

The band is particularly clever — it (along with the hinges of the cups) twist and flex with ease, helping prevent any unfortunate band snapping. It also lets the headphones fold up into a very compact shape, meaning that the included hard-shell carry case can be conveniently small.

The case itself is a lovely design too — almost egg shaped, with the same leatherette finish as the Monitor III A.N.C headphones, but with a red velvet lining like the inside of a guitar case.

2. Great audio

For those about to rock, the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C headphones offer a wonderful listening experience — and you’ll have a good time across a range of other genres, too. Punchy and well-balanced (if perhaps slightly warmer on the bass end of the scale), they’re a great listen no matter what your musical taste.

Kicking off on Marshall’s home turf with Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Nightrain, it effortlessly weaves the bluesy, duelling guitar lines across the stage, with the snap of Steven Adler’s snare punctuating the mix with real drive.

If pop’s more your bag, the Marshalls sparkle here, too. Dua Lipa’s Physical, with its brooding bass line and shimmering synth lines is given room to breathe, highlighting the raspy vocals and keeping bass and beat tight.

Delicate tracks like Phoebe Bridgers’ Moon Song prove real tear-jerkers in the Monitor III A.N.C, too. Distant hi-hats and waves of guitars dance around the songwriter’s trembling vocal, given real presence at the front of the mix to great effect.

The accompanying Marshall app also has an effective E.Q feature, letting you swap between the standard Marshall mix and one other preset or custom equaliser setting. It shows the real dynamism of the 32mm drivers, letting you adjust the output in great detail.

Marshall also includes an Adaptive Loudness option as part of the E.Q, which it says is able to tweak the frequency levels based on playback volume and your surroundings, but I didn’t find any situation where the difference between on and off was pronounced. It doesn’t affect the great baseline sound performance here though.

3. Crazy battery life with noise cancellation

Want to listen to your favorite tunes eight days a week, to paraphrase The Beatles? You might actually be able to manage that with the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Marshall quotes an incredible 70 hours of battery life for the headphones — and that’s with active noise cancellation set to on. Switch it off and that extends to an even crazier 100 hours. Compare that to 20 hours of noise cancellation with the AirPods Max or 30 hours from the Sony WH-1000XM5, and that’s even more impressive.

With a future-proofed Bluetooth LE standard supported by the Monitor III A.N.C, certain devices could potentially eke even more battery from more efficient standard. Charging is delivered over USB-C – you get a cable in the box (plus a handy USB-C-to-3.5mm cable for wired listening sessions).

The quoted battery life proved broadly true from our listening sessions, and what proved equally relieving was that the ANC was pretty darn good, too. Passive noise isolation is strong out of the box with the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C, but dial the noise cancelling up and you’ll effectively silence any external office noise, and drown out all but the screechiest train and tube journeys.

4. Customizable spatial sound and transparency modes

Soundstage is Marshall’s take on spatial audio, giving tracks a sense of space regardless of whether or not they’ve been mixed in a specific format. It’s an optional, toggled feature of the Monitor III A.N.C sound (available via the app), and you can tweak its prominence in the mix, as well as the size of the room it’s looking to emulate, from intimate to arena.

It’s harmless, and can add a sense of scale to the literal soundstage with some tracks, but can feel quite subtle, and not as convincing as a true spatial mix inevitably. But it’s fun to play with, and certainly isn’t destructive when it comes to the original intention of the artists.

There’s also a transparency mode that can be toggled on and off alongside the spatial and A.N.C modes. This pipes the outside world into your listening experience, giving you a better sense of your surroundings without having to remove the headphones.

It works fine, but I’d actually have liked it to have been a little more aggressive in pulling in the outside world — I missed a train station announcement, for instance, that I’d expect rival pairs to pick up. Hopefully this is something that can be dialled up by a firmware update.

5. Physical controls all the way

Music to the ears of anyone that’s struggled with touch-sensitive swipes and taps on headphones, the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C’s onboard controls are all operated with tangible, physical buttons. The aforementioned gold-look control knob, neatly textured, sits on the lower back of the right ear cup and controls volume, fast forward, rewind, play, pause and call control.

Two other round buttons sit on the bottom parts of the cup cradles — interestingly, they’re placed at the back of the headphone, which makes them surprisingly easier to find and push with the clamping force of your thumb. The left button switches between noise cancelling modes, while the right button is Marshall’s customisable ‘M’ button. This can be set to cycle equaliser modes, Soundstage settings, fire up your mobile device’s voice assistant, or trigger Spotify Tap — a one-touch launcher for your last-played Spotify playlist or album.

The three buttons combine with an intuitive app to make controlling the Marshall cans very easy — though we’d like a little more defined, guided action on the control knob to ensure we’re pushing it in the right direction for the desired response.

Marshall Monitor III A.N.C: Final Verdict

Popping the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C over your mulleted head is as much a statement of intent as heading to the office in your favourite band t-shirt. It’s wearing your rock credentials on your noggin — but not at the expense of your tech and audio-savvy credentials. They lean on the pricey side, but justify the cost with a well-rounded sound, a solid feature set and great design. The Marshall Monitor III A.N.C will be the perfect bandmate for anyone on the hunt for noise-cancelling headphones.

• Rock out to our picks of the best rock albums of all time...

Giant-killing tech brand Nothing is at it again with its new launch: a fun pair of earphones it has dubbed the Nothing Ear (open) range.

The 'open' (in parenthesis) is a description of the open nature of these earphones, where you can put them on and still hear the world around you.

For those who are fans of noise cancelling, these aren't for you. But if you find ANC to be a little hard on your hearing then having an open set of earphones may well be the way forward.

ShortList has been lucky enough to try these on for the past week - here's what we think...

1. Nothing's see-through style is for all to see

Nothing has been championing its see-through style from day one, and it's no different on the Nothing Ear (open) range. the shaft of the earphones looks just like the current Nothing Ear range, but this time there is a an extra piece of material that curls around the ear.

This not only makes them comfortable to wear but the fact that they just rest on the ear means that there is very little fatigue when wearing them.

It is worth noting that even thought there is extra material, these earphones are superlight (weighing just 8.1 grams per earbud) and the hinge helps with stability. If you are a glasses wearer you may struggle a little with the back of these cans, but I felt they had a nice comfort factor and have a decent grip for running and the like.

2. You will be hyper aware of your surroundings

If you have yet to wear a pair of OWS (open wearable stereo) earphones, then the sensation is a little strange at first. It takes a while for your ears to adjust to what I initially felt was sound leakage - not from the songs I was listening to, but from my surrounds. I could hear birds chirping in chorus to Taylor Swift, trains speeding by to The Prodigy, office gossip while listening to, er, Gossip.

Once your ears adjust, though, what you are listening to becomes the focus and the rest of the noise blends into the background, so you don't feel out of touch with what is going on around you. There is a reason for this...

3. Nothing has packed in some decent audio tech

To make sure that music is at the forefront of these earphones, Nothing has added a bunch of features, including a Sound Seal System and directional speakers to minimise sound leakage - so even though you can hear what's going on around you - thanks to Nothing's Open Sound Technology - your Katy Perry obsession will stay secret to you and to you only.

Couple this with a titanium coating that keeps low frequencies as bass-y as you want and the high frequencies high and what you have is a decent whack of audio delivered to your ears.

4. Battery life is immense

Battery life is decent with 8 hours of playback quoted on a single charge, and up to 30 hours with the charging case. These are definitely ear buds for all-day use and then some.

Even when I had to charge the things, there is a 10-minute quick charge option that offers up 2 hours of listening time. The charging case that comes with these is sleek, too, if a little on the wide side.

5. AI is on board, if you are that way inclined

Despite other tech companies shouting harder about this, Nothing was one of the first to embrace ChatGPT in its tech. These earphones take advantage of AI. What that means in real money is that, through the Nothing X app, you can get real-time information piped to your ears. It's voice controlled, so you can ask ChatGPT what you want on the go and you should get the answers you need.

Nothing Ear (open) early verdict

While I have always been team noise cancelling, using the Nothing Ear (open) earphones for a week now has made me think that going out in the open with open earbuds is the future - and given Nothing's sleek industrial design, the future looks pretty cool right now.

Pre-orders for Ear (open) are now open on nothing.techin the US, Canada, UK, and Europe. Ear (open) will be available for purchase globally starting 1 October for $149 / £129 / €149.

• These are the coolest albums of all time...

Sonos has finally done it. After years of hearing from its users that it should get into personal audio department - and months of leaks teasing that it was actually going to do it - it has revealed the Sonos Ace headphones, and they are stunning, in both looks and sound.

ShortList has been using the Sonos Ace headphones for a number of weeks now, at home, on a plane, and during our normal commute. They haven't left our ears - and for good reason.

Given the headphone space is one of the most crowded around, though, with the likes of Bose, Sony and Apple dominating the market, if you are going to launch in this area then sound is all good and well but you also need a juicy USP or two to turn heads.

Sonos has this thanks to its ecosystem, with the new Sonos Ace headphones marrying well with your existing Sonos setup (kind of), while still ticking all the audio boxes when used on the go.

Here are 5 things to know about Sonos Ace…

1. Sonos Ace offer premium design

Sonos has gone for a number of high-class materials using stainless steel for the slide-adjustable headband. This headband technology is unique to Sonos, in that all of the hinge is hidden within the ear cup, so those with long hair won’t have to worry about any snagging. It’s a really nice, smooth movement too when you do adjust them.

Sonos is using vegan leather for the ear cup cover (Memory Foam is underneath) and a harder version of this for the headband - this offers up a huge amount of comfort when worn. They are light, too, at 312g. These are headphones that have been designed for use for long hours.

Having tried the Sonos Ace headphones out on trains and planes, these are one of the most comfortable headphones for travel. They never gave us ear fatigue and are lovely and light so don't feel heavy on the head.

Looks wise, the Sonos Ace have been designed so they won’t go against fashion trends, proving that this isn’t a device Sonos will want you to be replacing regularly (although we bet it would be happy if you did).

The colour choices on offer reflect this. There’s two on offer: black which is a little shinier and soft white, which is a different shade of white to what Sonos offers on its speakers.

Whatever the colour, the design stays the same with a laser etched Sonos logo on the earcup that holds all the controls.

When it comes to the plastic used in the headphones it’s 70% recycled materials. The cup covers also come off so replacement parts can be used if they become worn.

2. Sonos says no to touch controls

One of the more interesting design flourishes on the Sonos Ace is the lack of touch controls. Sonos doesn’t believe that touch, in its current guise, is right for adjusting controls on a headphone but has opted for physical controls on the side of the device instead.

When asked about this, Sonos noted that when you've got a blind interaction, there's a bit of a difficulty in terms of understanding what you're pressing. Its solution was to have something that was more interactive and the slider was born.

This slider deals with volume control and a separate active-noise cancellation control button that sits beneath, where you can choose ANC modes as well as switching to Aware mode so you know what is going on with your surroundings.

You can, of course, also control the headphones through the Sonos app but we kept finding that the app took a long time to find the headphones.

When the app worked, the controls are decent, but we were more than happy to use the physical controls on the heaphones to get to our options.

3. Performance is punchy

Sound wise they are premium, too. There are 8 mics in total and 40mm drivers on board which offer rich sound with depth. The soundstage is ultrawide and the ANC is incredibly powerful.

In our initial tests we listened to M83’s Radar, Far, Gone; St Vincent’s Flea; HYAENA by Travis Scott; and Besides April by BADBADNOTGOOD. Each song sounded superb, offering real clarity and the addition of lossless audio is welcomed.

The soundstage on offer through the Sonos Ace is wide and the head tracking feature is fantastic. I listened to Arooj Aftab's Night Reign in three different places to test the headphones: on a plane, train and in a silent room. The results were rich, with some beautiful clarity to Aftab's vocals and the folk sound was incredible.

The headphones have been fine-tuned with the help of a number of musicians, according to Sonos, and this has given them a balanced sound that won't impress the bassheads, but I was happy.

As for the ANC, it was fantastic on a plane, knocking out the ambient buzz associated with flying. I could still hear the announcements faintly but not clear enough to know what was being said. There are no variations of ANC here, it's just on and off but I liked the silence the noise cancelling offered.

4. Battery life is incredibly long

Battery life on the Sonos Ace is fantastic. Sonos is quoting some 30 hours’ battery life per charge and while the likes of ANC and TV Swap (more on this below) did drain this more, the battery life was still fantastic and up there with the best I have tried.

Quick Charge is also on board, which gives you some three hours’ playback in a three--minute charge. With stats like that, battery worries should be a fear of the past with these things.

5. The Sonos Ace are built for home cinema

Now comes the real USP the Sonos Ace headphones have: they work within a Sonos setup… kind of. It's worth noting that right now, the Sonos Ace headphones don't interact with all Sonos speakers and can't be used as part of a Sonos setup - so you can't listen to music on an Era 100, say, and switch seamlessly to the Ace headphones.

This is a shame, but Sonos wanted to make the headphones more like a standalone pair of headphones and felt this would confuse things.

The way they do interact with other Sonos products, though, is through the Sonos Arc soundbar and a feature called TV swap.

This feature does exactly what you think it does: swaps the sound from the Sonos Arc soundbar to the headphones, so you can listen to a movie on your TV at home through the headphones but still get the home cinema benefits.

Essentially, the Sonos Ace will switch from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi and work with the Arc to offer a fantastic and seamless personal home cinema experience, where the sound of the movie you are watching is beamed to your headphones.

For now that functionality is to the Sonos Arc (but an update for the Sonos Beam is in the works).

We can't wait for it to comes to more soundbars as more Sonos users need to try out this feature. It was superb and seamless; a tap in the app and the TV sound switches from soundbar to headphones and back again.

Another thing that will be coming to the headphones at a later date is something called TrueCinema which gives your headphones the soundstage of being in the room you are in, using Dolby Atmos to recreate a 7.1.4 setup in the headphones.

Sonos reckons the tech doesn’t offer a perfect rendition of the room you are in but a ‘better’ version of the room.

Head tracking is also on board, so no matter where you are looking, the sound will accommodate.

Sonos Ace: Final Verdict

We have all waited a long time for a pair of Sonos headphones but the wait has been worth it. The Sonos Ace headphones sound superb, look fantastic and have an impressive battery life.

While they don't interact with the whole Sonos range, the TV Swap feature is a powerful USP to have and gives Sonos users a really compelling reason to choose these headphones over their rivals.

I do hope Sonos does add deeper integration into its setup with updates - TrueCinema is yet to come and so is Beam compatibility - but the Ace do work fantastically well as standalone headphones and are a real rival to the likes of the Apple AirPod Max's of the world.

The Sonos Ace cost £449 and launch globally 5 June. Alongside the headphones, you get a carry case, USB-C cable and 3.5mm to USB-C cable.

• Got some headphones on right now? Then listen to our list of the best hip-hop songs...

Whether it’s ambient noise or the sound of falling rain, more and more people seem to be relying on a soundtrack to send them off to sleep. But sometimes whirring minds need a little something extra to cling onto before they can let you sleep.

Just like a lullaby or a bedtime story, the right podcast for sleep is often interesting enough to distract us from our thoughts, but gentle enough to send us to the land of nod.

At the very least, the narrator’s dulcet tones will lull you into a state of relaxation, and you may just learn something mildly interesting along the way. Not too stimulating, not too boring, here are 10 of the best podcasts to listen to when you need an extra helping hand to get to sleep.

10 best podcasts to fall asleep to

• Here are the best comedy podcasts to listen to...

Sonos has announced the second generation of its portable speaker family, the Sonos Roam 2.

What’s new? It’s not the usual stuff you might expect. The sound is largely the same, as is the core design, but Sonos has fixed the single most annoying part of the original Roam.

Back with the Sonos Roam V1, you had to fully setup the speaker through Wi-Fi to use it, integrating it into the Sonos ecosystem, even though it was also a Bluetooth speaker.

That’s all changed. Fresh out of the box, you can treat the Sonos Roam 2 like any old Bluetooth speaker. Just pair it up and you're away.

There’s also a new button on the side. In the first generation, we got a power button hidden away on one rounded corner. The Sonos Roam 2 keeps that power button, and adds a discrete Bluetooth button.

Is this the stuff of a portable speaker nerd’s daydreams? No, but it does make the Sonos Roam 2 far more intuitive, and less frustrating, particularly if you intend to use this speaker to its fullest by flicking between its roles as a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth unit.

If you want to read about something more exciting, check out the Sonos Ace, the company's first headphones.

When in Roam

All the good stuff we loved about the original Sonos Roam is present and correct. We get serious sonic punch in a small box, Sonos’s neat Trueplay to let the sound output match the room, 10-hour battery life and IP67 water resistance.

Hoping for new colours too? You’re out of luck. At launch the Sonos Roam 2 comes in the same "Olive, Sunset and Wave” finishes, as well as white and black.

That’s green, orange and blue, for those not yet fluent in marketing-speak.

Sonos hasn’t changed the price either, which is good to hear given the state of inflation over the last few years. A Sonos Roam 2 will set you back £179/$179, and is available to order now.

• The best Sonos speakers for your home setup

Speaker superstar Sonos has revealed that it is completely re-jigging its app, making it far simpler to connect up the audio you want to listen to with the speakers you want to listen to it on.

ShortList was lucky enough to get a personal tour of the app and all that it can do and they are changes will please many a Sonos user.

Sonos app changes revealed

The first big change is that tabs are no more. This means that there's no ned to tap between tabs, everything is available on the home screen both content and controls. You will also find recently played, myriad content libraries and recommendations on the home screen.

The app is customisable, too. If you, like many, you only use a handful of apps to listen to your audio then you can pin these to a row at the top of the screen. You can also move, edit, or rearrange all the other services to your liking.

Search has been supercharged. You can now look for an artist, song, podcast, or audiobook across all your preferred streaming apps at once. This is done through the always-available search bar on the Home screen.

Finally, you don't have to jump through hoops to control your system. This is all done from a swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen. Do this and you can control your entire system and have a visual overview of what’s playing on each of your products. It's here you can quickly group speakers and sort the volume.

The new app feels and looks intuitive. Sonos was keen to point out that this is an overhaul in every sense of the word and not just a new lick of paint. This app will be made available as an update of the current Sonos S2 app.

For those who use a computer to control their Sonos, it's worth noting that these changes are also coming to a web app and this will replace the existing Sonos desktop controller.

It will be available alongside the redesigned mobile app on May 7, 2024.

Nothing fans have a choice to make right now: whether to go for the brand-new Nothing Ear earphones or the brand-new Nothing Ear (a) buds. Both of which have been revealed this week and both offer improvements to Nothing's current audio crop.

The Ear (a) are the (joint) sixth release from Nothing, following on from: the Phone (1), Phone (2) and Phone (2a) and the Ear (1) and Ear (2) headphones.

We have been using these ones for a little while now and have been enjoying their bright yellow colorway and some of the most impressive noise cancelling on a device at this price point. And that's the big differentiator here. When Nothing brings its 'a' game, it means that it is offering a more affordable model, with the Nothing Ear (a) buds retailing at: £99 / $99 / €99, compared to the new Nothing Ear's price of: £129 / $149 / €149.

Want to know more about the Nothing Ear (a) buds? Of course you do. Here are 5 things we learned using the new sweet little Nothings...

1. Yellow is far from mellow

The Nothing Ear (a) range is the Nothing’s first audio product in a color, outside of black and white. The choice of yellow is a clever one. Not only does it make the earphones standout - both in the ear and in the range - but it's still fitting to Nothing's simple 'transparency' ethos, given it's a no-nonsense primary color.

Does this mean we will see other Nothing buds in red and blue? We will see, but for now the yellow color is vibrant and fun, and exclusive to the 'a' range.

2. Pairing is easy

If you already have the Nothing app, then flip the earphones case, press the button on the front and it will start flashing. The buds should showed up on Pixel 8 Pro in seconds and were even the right color in the graphic that appeared.

While you can pair just through Bluetooth, it works much better if you do it through the Nothing X app. Here you can also control a number of things on the buds - including Noise Control, Bass Enhance, the Equalizer and you can also re-jig the shaft controls to your liking.

3. Nothing is bringing its (a) game

There is a significant cost reduction with the Nothing Ear (a), when compared to the new Nothing Ear range - some 25% difference in price. The good news is that it certainly doesn't sound like a quarter of the functionality of the full-fat earphones has been dropped from the (a) range. In fact, it's hard to see where the cost cuts have actually happened.

In fact, battery life is better on the (a) range - 42.5 hrs without ANC and with case charging, compared to 40.5 hrs without ANC and case charging.

The loudness is the same at 45db and both make use of Nothing's Smart ANC algorithm.

The biggest changes we could find were with the case. The case is not wireless charging, compared to other Ear buds and it isn't waterproof either. The buds have the same IP54 water resistance, though.

4. Performance is punchy

Taking a leaf from Coachella we played Grimes' first album at the wrong tempo... only joking! We did listen to a double header of How It Feels and Sonder from Barry Can't Swim through the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds and were really impressed with the sizeable bass notes and a nice warm sound in the upper register.

There was a fantastic pastoral glow to Four Tet's Three through the earbuds, too.

While the thunder of the Victoria Line wasn't quite as drowned out as I would have liked, the noise cancelling did do its job to a point. I did end up just keeping it on full whack, though, such are the joys of commuting through London. If you are in a less noisy area, then the variable option should work well.

While I was more than happy with the standard tuning of the buds, the equalizer option is a nice touch and where you can ramp up the bass, treble and voice of a track. Balance was, well, balanced enough for my ears.

Comparing these to other Nothing buds I have and there is a definite improvement with the overall sound - it's punchier and perfect for the rock stadium tones of Gaslight Anthem's History Books album.

Couple this with the option of High Res Audio listening and these are marked highly when it comes to the sound quality.

5. Battery is brilliant but missing something

As previously mentioned, the battery life on the Ear (a) is better than that of its more expensive counterpart. In total, we clocked around 6 hours in-ear, before having to put them back in the case to charge - and around 9 without the ANC. At this price point that is damn good.

While we would have loved wireless charging, plugging the case in certainly wasn't a problem - in fact, you only need 10 minutes' charge to deliver around 10 hours of non noise cancelling listening, which is perfect for the absent minded of you out there.

Nothing Ear (a): Final Verdict

Nothing has done it again with the Nothing Ear (a) range, creating a desirable pair of earphones that not only look great but sound really impressive for their price. Dipping into the 'under £100' mark is key for the younger demographic it is going for and the new yellow colorway makes them really stand out.

While you don't get wireless charging, you do get fast wired charging and all the cool factors you have come to expect from the brand.

You can pre-order the Nothing Ear (a) earphones now which shipping expected 22 April.

Sometimes you get a piece of tech in for review that just feels like it has been a part of your life forever. I don’t know whether it’s the ease of use of the Ruark Audio R410, how it seamlessly integrates with my apps and music, or because it’s been designed with design in mind so it fits nicely with my house’s decor.

Its classy, retro-fused wooden slats make this one gorgeous music system that would look just as superb under a TV - it can double as a soundbar - or nestled next to your turntable.

I have been using the Ruark Audio R410 for a number of weeks now - here are five things you need to know.

1 Design is stylish, Scandi-stylish

The Ruark Audio R410 has a look that will delight both retro and Scandi fans, with its slatted wood fascia and refined design.

There are two versions of the R410 to choose from. My review unit was blessed with the fused walnut veneer cabinet and grille, while there’s also a ‘soft grey with walnut grille’ that looks a little more modern.

Personally, I love the retro look of the R410 - it’s not that the unit looks old, but it is certainly holding a dram up and celebrating great audio units of the past.

The R410 has been handcrafted and it shows, with sustainable wood used to make both the grille and the cabinet, so it more than ticks the eco boxes, too.

The unit measures 560 (W) x 290 (D) x 150mm (H), and fits nicely on a shelf. Given you can use it as a soundbar, this measurement should also be fine for TV units. To put it into context, I placed it next to my PS5 and it was around the same height (the PS5 is on its side).

To top the design off, there is a physical rotary dial on the top of the device and a 4-inch non-touchscreen screen on the front.

2 Connectivity is plentiful

To get you connected to your music, there’s aptX Bluetooth, DAB and FM on board (add the aerial on to the back for these to work). There’s also a USB slot, optical input, an HDMI ARC input (for when you want it as a soundbar) RCA and phono. Oh, and an ethernet connection, too. Phew!

Given the look of the device, we were half expecting a CD player but this isn’t on board - you can add one through the USB-C port, though.

Add to this Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, AirPlay and Chromecast support (all built-in) and what you have is a feature-rich music player that should seamlessly fit in whichever way you listen to your music.

3 Setup is simple, plus bonus remote!

I set up the Ruark Audio R410 in mere minutes. Once I plugged the thing in and added my Wi-Fi password (this took a little while as you have to use the rotary dial, but it felt like I was breaking into a vault which was cool), then the device was recognised and I could play music straight away via Spotify Connect. From here, listening to Spotify was a breeze and flicking between my music and the likes of BBC6 Music was simple.

There are a number of menus to wade through via the screen on the front of the R410 but, realistically, I was only using a few and navigating to these was simple enough.

If you are near the device, then you can do this with the rotary dial on the top of the unit but you also get a Bluetooth remote which is a lovely thing to use. It looks like the attached dial but has a rounded base, which fits well in the hand. You do have to sync the remote with the unit but this doesn’t take long.

The remote is a really fun thing to use, but the further away you are from the R410, the harder the small screen is to read.

4 Audio is incredible

Given audio is literally the Ruark Audio R410’s middle name, it’s good that the sounds this thing creates are incredible.

Ruark has always been known for impeccable sound and it has managed to create something special with its 4 x 30W speakers inside the unit, tuning them wonderfully to the cabinet.

Bending Hectic by The Smile tested the speaker and it passed with flying colours. The build up of the track sounded sensational and I had no fear in cranking the volume up, with the R410 able to handle this without any vibration or distortion.

I calmed things down with Sault’s Glory and it sounded beautiful, almost live, thanks to the aural textures the R410 delivered. Also the synths of Say Goodby by the Future Islands were warm and welcoming.

Connecting it up to my TV, there was a vibrancy in the explosive sounds of Fast X, while audio was clear and crisp - it even made sense of Vin Diesel’s mumble.

5 It’s the start of something special

The Ruark Audio R410 is superb as a standalone all-in-one device, but the connectivity does mean that this could well be the centre of your audio entertainment.

The phono is there to connect up a turntable, the addition of HDMI is more than welcomed, turning this machine, surprisingly, into a stylish soundbar.

The lack of CD player may irk some purists, but that USB slot means you can add this, too. And if you are sticking purely to streaming then HiRes audio compatibility is a welcomed addition. There’s a veritable mix’n’match going on here, meaning this is one of the most versatile speaker systems Ruark has made.

Ruark Audio R410 review: Final Verdict

This is one of the best-looking, best-sounding systems ShortList has reviewed. From the Scandi exterior to the audio-precisioned interior, there is so much to like.

Couple this with a simple setup and a remote you can’t help but love playing with and it’s clear that this is a system that has been made with love, and you’ll love having it in your home.

The Ruark Audio R410 is available now, from £1,299 / $1,699. Head to Ruark's official site for more details.

Open earbuds aren’t for everyone. They are a specific earbud category for those who don’t want the immersion of noise cancelling and want to be aware of their surroundings.

They’re designed to let the ambient background sound in, while still also offering up your music of choice in crystal clear clarity. For that reason, they are usually the go-to for runners.

There are currently two ways to create the ‘open’ nature of these earbuds. Go down the bone conducting route (how this works still feels like actual magic to us) or create a system where an earbud rests close to the ear but doesn’t block the canal.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds use this system, but Bose has created an earbud like nothing I have worn or heard before.

I’ve been using the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in the open for a few weeks now - here are 5 things you need to know…

1 Design is superb - more earcuff than earbud

Bose has created a superb new design for its Ultra Open Earbuds. It’s taken inspiration from the jewellery world, creating an earcuff that is two parts of obviously sophisticated audio tech (the bud and the driver) that’s connected by a bendy band.

Putting them on does take some getting used to - there is a how-to wear instruction guide in the accompanying app - but once they are on they are ridiculously comfy. So much that I forgot I was wearing anything after a while.

Interestingly, Bose has decided not to make its brand visible on the earbuds, tucking its logo into the bit that sits at the back of the ear.

The pair I tested was the White Smoke version, which has a metallic strip on the side of the earbuds and a metallic physical button on the top of both the barrel-shaped part of the earbuds. That metallic strip is crying out for personalisation and I am sure this is a big part of Bose's plans for the buds going forward.

The case they come in is unassuming - but does have Bose branding on the front - and pill shaped. I found that there is a slight rattle when the earbuds are inside, due to the malleable shape of them but they are secure thanks to a very satisfying magnet snapping them into place.

2 Setup is simple - I was listening to music in seconds

Anyone who has bought Bose before will be familiar with the accompanying app and how easy setup is. I was using a Google Pixel 8 Pro to test the Ultra Open Earbuds and thanks to Google Fast Pair, the phone instantly recognised the buds and there was no faffing around.

As mentioned, it does take a little longer affixing the earbuds to your ears but you do get used to unfurling them and hooking them around.

There isn’t a perfect fit as such, either - you can move them up and down the shape of your ear till they feel both snug and comfortable.

3 Sound is superb - even when getting a sweat on

I will talk a little bit about how having 'open' earbuds does take a while to get used to below, but first sound quality. In short: it's excellent.

Helado Negro's album PHASOR sounded superb throughout, with the ear buds engaging well with both the high and low end. While the background sounds were there, when music is piped through that is definitely the focal point of the sound.

Wall Of Eyes by The Smile sounded crisp, with none of the detail of the jazz drumming lost in my listen. The epic Bending Hectic lost none of its power and the immersion was akin to listening to it through noice cancelling headphones.

One of the big reasons for this is Bose's fantastic Immersive Audio features. This can be toggled between Still and Motion (and turned off). While I wouldn't recommend it while listening to audio books, it's superb for bringing a deeper resonance to the music listened to.

Auto volume is also a saviour, adjusting the volume accordingly to how noisy or not noisy the place you are in is. These modes can be flicked on and off thanks to the physical controls on the top of the earbuds. I did find myself delving into the app more often than not, though.

The kicker for me, though, was running with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. They are some of the most comfortable running earphones I have tried - apart from the occasional slight wobbling feeling - and their open nature meant that I was fully aware of everything around me while A Tribe Called Quest was egging me on to beat my PB.

4 Open ear takes a while to get used to

If, like me, you usually listen to music with noise-cancelling on, it does take a while to get used to the ‘open’ nature of the Ultra Open Earbuds. You can hear everything!

While that’s precisely the point, when living in a city or encountering a noisy environment, managing the ambience of background noise with what you are listening to can sometimes feel like a sensory overload.

Thankfully the BoseOpen Audio technology that’s inside these is really impressive. You can crank up the volume to drown out the noise if needed, while always knowing that if someone needs to chat to you, or if you are crossing a road and the like then you aren’t isolating yourself from this.

The clarity of the music you can hear is really impressive, too, and while there is a little bit of sound leak it’s very minimal and nowhere near as annoying as the tinny sound you hear from cut-price cans.

In fact, Bose’s ‘open’ sound works so well that I ordered a coffee for the first time without taking my earphones out. I have seen plenty of people do this before but it always felt a bit rude. Because I was completely aware of my surroundings, though, I felt I could - and did! - have a coherent conversation without taking the buds out.

5 They are designed for all-day wear

Given the 'open' nature of these earbuds they have been designed for all-day wear and have a battery life to back this up. While the battery does drain listening in immersive mode, you should get around 7.5 hours out of the things.

They can last up to 48 hours, though, thanks to the charge in the case. And when I did feel like they were running low, it only took a 10 minute charge to get a couple of hours' play out of them. It's really impressive how long these earbuds last - and that quick charge tech means that low-battery fear is a thing of the past.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Final Verdict

Smart stylish and as fashion-focused as Bose has ever been, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are an absolute revelation in sound and form.

Granted, 'open' earbuds aren't for all but if you want to be aware of everything around you, while still piping pitch-perfect tunes into your ear then these are for you.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are available now for $299/£299 - head to Bose for more information.

There's no shortage of noise-cancelling earphones to try and grab your attention right now, so if you want to stand out from a rather crowded crowd, then you need to do something a little different.

Enter the Devialet Gemini II. These are Devialet's premium earphones that aim to deliver both on sound and build quality.

These are, after all, noise-cancelling earphones from the makers of the spectacular Devialet Phantom, a speaker that looks straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey and is one of the most powerful around.

I've been using the Devialet Gemini II for a few weeks now - here are 5 things to know...

1. Design is desirable, discrete

Devialet is an audio company that prides itself on design and the second generation of Gemini looks smarter - and smaller - compared to the first.

The ear buds themselves are now smaller than the previous iteration (there's been a 40% reduction in size), and curvier too, which means they rest in the ear that little bit better.

Those expecting Devialet's normal visual flourishes will be disappointed here. Granted, they look stylish but these are not ear buds that have been designed to stand out. They are, instead, both desirable and discrete.

There are some nice flourishes - the new case fits better in the pocket and we prefer the flip top to the previous slider version.

Also, I like the Devialet logo on each side of the ear buds which stands out nicely, whether you opt for a white or black colour.

The lozenge shape is sleek, too, and those who want a little bit of opulence can opt for the Opéra de Paris special edition, which comes complete with 24-carat moon gold plating on both the ear buds and the case.

2. Setup is simple

It took seconds to set up the Devialet Gemini II, thanks to Google Fast Pair. Bluetooth 5.2 is on board so you can have these setup on multiple devices, while switching between devices is easy.

You can download the Devialet app for more sound control. It is in here where you can change the amount of ANC you want. It is also here where you can switch around the touch buttons to your liking.

When it came to the touch controls, they were hit and miss for us. When they worked, they did so brilliantly - there is only a certain part of the ear bud that's touch, though, and that meant we did do more fumbling than normal to get them to work.

There are also audio presets in the app, with six to choose from depending on your listening preferences. You can also play around with the EQ yourself as well.

3. The tech inside is impressive

Devialet has packed an impressive amount of tech into these diddy ear buds. As mentioned, there's Adaptive Noise Cancellation (up to 40dB), Active Wind Reduction - which can really be noticed when you are making voice calls - and a 10mm titanium coated driver to power the music.

They aren't waterproof, but you do get an IPX4 moisture-resistance rating and the earphones are compatible with SBC, AAC, and aptX codecs.

4. Performance is punchy

I was expecting great things from the Devialet Gemini IIs, given the company's sound heritage, and they delivered. Sound was as punchy as it comes, backed by some of the best ANC I have user in a pair of in-ears.

The warm synths of Trust Your Feet by James Holden were delivered through a delicious wall of sound, thanks to the Gemini II, and when the bass kicks in it felt like a thump to the chest.

Irreversible Entanglements' Sunshine was a jazz-tinge masterclass in sound. The shivering percussion sounded immense while the sad sax sauntered throughout the track. Again, when the bass hit, it was with a thump.

My Girls My Girls by The Kills was propulsive, with Alison Mosshart's fantastic voice soaring above the drums and guitar - given this song has sounded a little muddied on rival headphones, I was impressed.

There's a massive soundstage with the Gemini IIs which is surprising, given their size. I did feel they were tuned more to the bass end, but if this isn't how you like to hear your music then you can go into the settings in the app and rectify this. It was just the right sound for this reviewer, though.

The three variations on ANC worked well for me - I am a stickler on having ANC on full whack, though, and I mostly kept it on this setting as it really did drown out most of the unwanted sounds for me, whether I was on my commute or just walking around.

5. Battery could be better

Devialet has added wireless charging to these earbuds, which is a nice touch, but I was hoping for more than the 5 hours' playback on a single charge. I get that ANC is a battery sapper but there are plenty of earphones out there that last for longer.

Saying that, you do get some 22 hours' charge in the case and that's how most people will use these earbuds - keeping them charged up in the case, then charging the case where and when needed.

Devialet Gemini II: Final Verdict

Devialet has made some important improvements with its Devialet Gemini II ear buds. Reducing the size of the things, improving the case and tweaking the audio have made these into a very compelling pair of ear buds.

The noise cancelling on board is fantastic and these more than compete with the crowd when it comes to audio quality.

While the price is premium, there is a lot to admire about what Devialet has delivered here.

The Devialet Gemini II are available now, from £349.

• Need something to listen to? Then head to our best rock albums list.

Incredible... I was trying to come up with the best word to describe the new Dali IO-12 wireless headphones and the only word I could come up with was: incredible. Such is the brilliance of these cans that I have been using for the last few weeks.

Having a pair of headphones like these remind me how lucky I am, as a reviewer, that I get to listen to my favourite music in the best way possible. And that's what you get when you use the Dali IO-12. They shout luxury in their looks, but it's in the sound where they really come alive.

Intrigued? Well, I have been using the Dali IO-12 for a few weeks now and here are 5 things to know...

1. Design is decadent, deliciously so

Just look at them! The Dali IO-12 headphones are some of the best-looking headphones I have had the pleasure to use. They are stunning, with their circular ear cups that rest upon a beautiful base of rectangular leather (yes, real leather which may put some off).

The leather cups are massive, engulfing the whole of the ear and while it does mean that they stick out they framed my face nicely.

It's pretty obvious, but the leather used is so comfy - there was no ear fatigue whatsoever when using these things.

The design detail isn't just on the headphones, but the case they come with, too. I can confidently say that I would happily modify the headphone case to create a manbag - it's that good looking. It's almost a shame that I put the thing in my rucksack as it needs to be seen out and about.

It is worth noting that these are headphones that don't fold. The ear cups do flip nicely to be flat (and that's how you get them in the case) but these aren't compact as such. It wasn't something that bothered me - it's in keeping that these headphones remain big and proud like the sound they produce.

When it comes to using the things, there are physical buttons on the right-hand ear cup (much to the annoyance of this leftie) and a 3.5mm input on once side and a USB-C input on the other side.

2. Connectivity is simple, plentiful

Connectivity is simple (and plentiful) with the Dali IO-12. First up, it took seconds to connect to my Google Pixel 8 Pro, via Bluetooth 5.2, which was a huge relief as this doesn't always happen when reviewing headphones. When you want to go tethered, then you do so through the USB-C slot or the 3.5mm jack.

Interestingly, and it's a bolshy move, there is no accompanying app. What you hear is what you get and while this is something that we would normally be dropping points for, Dali doesn't mess around when it comes to its audio tuning and it does offer two sound modes within the headphones: Hi-Fi and Bass.

3. These are packing some serious audio tech

Dali is not really known for its headphones but it has got an incredible legacy in the hi-fi world, with its high-end speakers. And it's decided to add some of the tech that makes those systems so amazing into these headphones.

The key thing here is: magnets. Which will make any Breaking Bad fan happy. The headphones have inside them Dali's homemade Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) technology. This reduces distortion and given it's tech that's usually found in speakers systems costing around the £70k mark, it's jaw dropping that it's been adapted for these 'phones.

Add to this 50mm drivers (a full 10mm bigger than most of their rivals) and this also adds to distortion reduction. Frequency is between 10Hz - 48kHz which is a massive soundstage as well, which brings us on to audio quality.

4. You won't want to stop listening to music through these

The Dali IO-12 offer up a stunning soundstage, which bathed our favourite albums in a new light. I have listened to Love's Forever Changes more times than I can remember but hearing it through these headphones, was like listening to it anew.

Arthur Lee's psychedelic melodies soared, the arrangements were full of a beautiful unease, the guitar as crisp as when it was first recorded.

Bringing things to near modern day I Love You Jennifer by Jockstrap was its glitchy best through these headphones, pricking my ears with off-beat drums and bass, then flooding my head with some warning synths. I added to this by switching to the Bass sound mode which works really well - bass was booming, which proved this mode was far from a gimmick.

The fun and frivolity of BC Camplight's The Last Rotation Of Earth sounded glorious - Brian's cutting lyrics coming to the forefront, melding fantastically with the piano melody. Listening to this song really proved how wide the sound stage on the Dali's is. This isn't to say that the quieter songs don't feel intimate, it's just that there's a nice breadth at play here.

The headphones offer some fantastic ANC as well. Because of the size of the ear cups, there's already a decent amount of sound reduction but using the noise-cancelling as well and it really makes a difference. There are three modes of ANC, too, which is a nice touch as you won't need as much in the home as you do, say, on your commute.

5. Battery is beefy, as is the price

You get 35 hours' battery life in the Dali IO-12 which isn't just fine, it's fantastic. There's no real speedy charging on board but that's no real issue. Obviously, if you want to extend the life, then do wired with either the USB-C slot or the 35mm one.

Price-wise, these are luxury and the price echoes this at £999 / $1,499. Pricey? Absolutely. Worth it? Absolutely.

Dali IO-12 Final Verdict

I don't want to take the Dali IO-12s off because life feels less richer without them on. That's how much I admire the Dali IO-12s.

They are sumptuous headphones befitting of their luxury looks and packed with audio smarts found in products worth tens of thousands more.

If you want headphones that make a statement when you wear them and, most importantly, offer best-in-class sound, then don't dilly dally, just Dali.

The Dali-IO12 headphones are available to buy now.

Need something to listen to? Then head to our best rock albums of all time list.

KEF is a stunning stalwart of the Hi-Fi world, offering a broad range of speakers for those who want to hear music as it is meant to be heard: loud and in crystal clear clarity.

Its recent team-up with Lotus proves it's a brand that understands luxury and style in equal measure, so I jumped at the chance at trying its noise-cancelling headphone range, which have been designed in collaboration - like many a KEF product - with brilliant designer Ross Lovegrove.

Enter the KEF Mu7, a pair of headphones packed with KEF's audio know how and designed to not only look great, but are ultra comfortable to wear as well.

I've been using the KEF Mu7 headphones daily for over a month now - here are 5 things you need to know...

1. Sleek, distinctive design

Straight from the unboxing, it's clear that there's been a lot of dedication to detail. The carry case looks smart and perfectly formed for the headphones. There's a compartment for the cables that has a lovely magnetic cover to keep everything in.

The headphones themselves are nestled neatly in the middle and look fantastic. The brushed aluminium of the egg-shaped ear cups is sleek and ridiculously smooth to the touch.

The bottom half headband is made of the same material and the ear cups are on hinges which means they aren't too tight on the ears, working nicely with the contours of my head. The top half of the heaband and the inner part of the cups are coated in a soft faux leather.

2. KEF brings the comfort factor

Make no mistake: these are extremely comfortable headphones that I have worn for hours with little-to-no ear fatigue whatsoever.

The faux leather encases the ears nicely and having it on the top of the band as well means that the comfort levels are superb.

The hold well on the head as well, thanks to the angled ear cups - having them on a hinge makes a real difference and meant they weren't moving up and down when I was walking on my commute.

3. Setup is simple, but software-free

The KEF Mu7 use Bluetooth 5.1 to connect to your devices and it's very fast and easy to get up and running. Interestingly, KEF has decided to not offer an accompanying app to tweak levels and enhance the audio.

Given most other headphones companies love to bundle in an app, it's a strange choice but I didn't really miss this functionality that much.

They do offer high-res, though, so if the tunes you are listening to are mastered in SBC, AAC, aptX or aptX HD codecs, the you can get up to 24 bit audio (more so if you use the accompanying cable and a DAC).

There are also touch controls - no voice, though - on the right ear cup. These worked really well in my trials, but did take a little getting used to. Also, it's a little thing but I am left handed and them being just on the right felt a little unnatural to me, as I caught myself reaching over with my left hand to use them.

4. Sound quality is superb and balanced

Given there is no accompanying app to boost or reduce bass and the like, it's great that KEF has tuned these headphones to be fairly neutral. The raga bass in Nitin Sawhney's Darling Boy danced around but didn't overpower the track. There was real warmth in the sitar, too.

The haunting piano of The Beatles' Now And Then enveloped me, while the crunching guitars of Bombay Bicycle Club's I Want To Be Your Only Pet were at the forefront throughout.

Vocals were crisp and clear in all my listens. Romy sounded like she was sitting in the same room as me when I listened to Mid Air, with Stuart Price's production sounding as it should - impeccable.

KEF really has nailed the details in the KEF Mu7's audio, with the sound clarity up there with the best headphones we have tried.

ANC-wise, it's decent but not Bose level. Not many headphone brands can reach that level so we weren't surprised.

That's not to say that there's not plenty of noise suppression going on - there really is and I like that you can choose between Smart ANC and just pure ANC but we could still hear some of the outside world.

Also, there's a tiny bit of pressure when you switch the ANC on, like you are on a plane or underwater. This does disappear but it was certainly noticeable.

5. Battery life is brilliant, charging is fast

KEF has done well with the battery life on the Mu7s. You get up to 40 hours' listening out of them on a full charge, which is plenty and up there with the best in its category.

There is usually a caveat that you have to turn ANC off to get that sort of battery life but this is EVEN with Bluetooth and ANC on. It's impressive stuff.

Charging is speedy, too. If you only have 15 minutes then it's all good as that sort of charge will mean around eight hours of playback which is a live saver for someone like me, who never remembers to charge things before big journeys.

It's worth noting that you can also use these as wired headphones which means you can hook these headphones up to a DAC, and there is another option on how to use them when the battery is depleted.

KEF Mu7: Final Verdict

I love the sleek design of the KEF Mu7. Everything from the case they come in to how they looks screams premium.

Couple this with a balanced, high-end audio experience and impressive - but not quite class beating - ANC and what you have is a real noise-canceling headphone contender that deserves to turn heads away from the likes of Sony and Apple.

The KEF Mu7 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones are available to buy for £349. The review unit we tried was the Charcoal Grey colour but Silver Grey is also available.

• These are the best rock albums of all time...

Hip-hop has been shaping culture for over half a century, and yet it’s still evolving, still surprising, still pushing boundaries. From the streets of New York to the global stage, the genre has produced albums that aren’t just collections of songs; they’re statements, experiments, and moments of pure artistry. Some make you nod your head, some make you think, and some do both at once.

This list isn’t about what’s trending this week or who’s streaming the most; it’s about albums that have endured, that have influenced a generation, and that continue to define what hip-hop can be.

We’ve dug deep into the classics, the game-changers, and the quiet masterpieces that didn’t always get their due. From the lyricists and storytellers to the producers and sonic innovators, these are the albums that demand attention, respect, and repeated listens.

While hip-hop today is everywhere, from stadiums to TikTok feeds, the albums here remind us why the genre became a cultural force in the first place. Bold, inventive, personal, and unapologetically itself. Welcome to 50 of the best hip-hop albums ever, ranked.

50. Lupe Fiasco: Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor (2006)

Lupe’s debut is a sharp, socially conscious gem that still feels vital years later. Food & Liquor blends intricate wordplay with incisive commentary on politics, culture, and the everyday grind, proving that rap can be both cerebral and deeply relatable.

The production nods to classic hip-hop while giving space for Lupe’s storytelling to shine, complex, witty, and unflinching. From introspective tracks to hard-hitting bangers, the album establishes Lupe as a voice unafraid to challenge listeners, making Food & Liquor a debut that still resonates in the canon of thoughtful, essential hip-hop.

49. Tyler, The Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost (2021)

Tyler’s sixth studio album is a masterclass in duality—luxury and longing, braggadocio and vulnerability. Across Call Me If You Get Lost, he guides listeners through a globe-trotting sonic journey, where lush instrumentation meets sharp, witty lyricism.

From jazzy horns to booming trap beats, the production is eclectic yet cohesive, perfectly reflecting Tyler’s persona: unpredictable, polished, and a little mischievous. He flexes both his storytelling chops and emotional range, making this album feel like a personal letter from one of rap’s most inventive voices. It’s audacious, intimate, and unmistakably Tyler.

48. EPMD: Strictly Business

Not everyone in hip-hop gets it right on their debut album - case in point: Gza - but EPMD managed to do the business with Strictly Business, melding funk with rawness that gives the tracks a laid back feel.

There are threads of the G Funk era within this debut, as well as managing to do wonders with some well-known samples - the loop of I Shot The Sheriff on the title track is just sublime. Yes, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith were in it for the money (it's in their name after all), but with grooves this good, we are happy to part with our cash.

47. Travis Scott: Astroworld (2018)

Astroworld is Travis Scott’s audacious, sky-high ride through trap, psychedelia, and pure spectacle. It’s an album that feels like a theme park in sound: dizzying, immersive, and at times, slightly disorienting, but always thrilling. Scott’s signature autotuned vocals glide over booming beats, swirling synths, and cinematic production, creating tracks that hit both the chest and the imagination.

Guest appearances abound, yet the project never feels cluttered, anchored instead by Scott’s ability to turn mood and atmosphere into narrative. More than just a collection of songs, Astroworld is a fully realised audio experience that helped define rap’s late-2010s landscape.

46. Eminem: The Eminem Show (2002)

Eminem’s fourth studio album is a furious, fearless dive into the life of a superstar under scrutiny. Balancing blistering wordplay with candid reflection, it’s an album that’s as much about the chaos outside the mic as the skill behind it.

Darkly humorous one moment, deeply introspective the next, The Eminem Show captures Marshall Mathers at his peak: unfiltered, unapologetic, and unmissable. From confessional storytelling to bar-heavy punchlines, it set a blueprint for rap albums that want to marry personal narrative with larger cultural commentary, cementing Eminem as a defining voice of early-2000s hip-hop.

45. Ice Cube: Death Certificate (1991)

Given the strong personalities at play in N.W.A. it wasn’t surprising that Ice Cube’s departure from the group was acrimonious. He poured his vitriol into his solo releases. This reached an apogee on his second album, Death Certificate.

An unapologetic treatise on the state of things at the start of the fin de siècle, it was both coruscating and visionary, and not without controversy. The furore surrounding its release might have lessened in the intervening years. Its power most certainly hasn’t.

44. J. Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)

Cole’s third album is a deeply personal, introspective masterclass, a coming-of-age story set to beats that are both warm and spacious. It’s the kind of record where every line feels autobiographical, yet relatable, capturing the highs, lows, and quiet reflections of life in Fayetteville. There’s no gimmick here, just raw storytelling, clever wordplay, and the patience to let the music breathe. With 2014 Forest Hills Drive, J. Cole proved he didn’t need features to carry him; the album stands as a testament to his skill as both a rapper and a narrator, and it remains a touchstone for anyone chasing honesty in hip-hop.

43. Lil Wayne: Tha Carter II (2005)

Wayne was already a force to be reckoned with by Tha Carter II, but this album cemented his reputation as a lyrical magician. Clever, audacious, and often delightfully off-kilter, the record sees him experimenting with wordplay, flows, and storytelling like few before him had dared.

It’s part braggadocio, part wit, and entirely Lil Wayne, swinging between raw energy and calculated finesse. With each track, he effortlessly balances streetwise swagger and inventive bars, giving fans a blueprint of what modern rap could be. Tha Carter II doesn’t just hold up; it reminds you why Wayne became one of the most influential voices in hip-hop.

42. Ol' Dirty Bastard: Return To The 36 Chambers (1995)

Given Gza was the band leader, Rza the maestro, it was a surprise that the second solo album (after Method Man) to come from the Wu-tang family was by Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Seen by some as the joker of the pack, this rap classic soon put to bed the idea he wasn’t to be taken seriously.

Tracks such as Shimmy Shimmy Ya, Brooklyn Zoo, Cuttin' Headz show off a lyrical dexterity that few can match, his raps as golden as the grille they are spat out from. It’s a shame that the rest of his cut-short career didn’t quite match the pockmarked (im)perfection of his solo opus.

41. Jay-Z & Kanye, Watch the Throne (2011)

When two of hip-hop’s biggest egos collide, you’d expect fireworks—and Watch the Throne delivers exactly that. The album is a glossy, ambitious, and often indulgent masterclass in modern rap luxury, packed with grandiose beats, intricate wordplay, and moments of genuine vulnerability.

From arena-ready anthems to introspective reflections, Jay and Ye play off each other perfectly, each track a mix of bravado, swagger, and sonic experimentation. It’s larger-than-life, unapologetically opulent, and remains a benchmark for collaborative albums in hip-hop, proving that two icons together can be more than the sum of their parts and nothing like it will ever happen again.

40. Pete Rock & CL Smooth: Mecca and the Soul Brothers (1992)

Pete Rock & CL Smooth made a huge statement of intent with their first album. At 80 minutes, it's a whopper but there's no flab on Mecca and the Soul Brothers, it's hit after hit.

They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) is the standout, as it's one of the best hip-hop tracks ever written, but the whole album is filled with treats. Pete Rock - a cousin of Heavy D - is a crate digger and using his father's record collection for reference, the samples here set the bar for how to re-use music for a new beat. There's snippets of soul, funk and even Talking Heads, creating beats that match CL Smooth's thoughtful lyrics.

39. Playboi Carti, Whole Lotta Red (2020)

Carti’s second studio album was divisive on release, but that only added to its mythos. Whole Lotta Red is chaotic, frenetic, and unapologetically maximalist, a world where punk energy collides with trap futurism.

From start to finish, it’s a record that thrives on unpredictability, with distorted ad-libs, jagged beats, and Carti’s idiosyncratic flow creating an atmosphere that feels equal parts anarchic and addictive. It’s not a comfortable listen, and that’s precisely the point, this is an album built to shock, excite, and, ultimately, influence a generation of rappers who’ve tried to harness its reckless energy.

38. Future: DS2 (2015)

DS2 is where Future fully embraced the trap-rap blueprint that would define modern hip-hop. With hard-hitting beats from Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, and Southside, the album balances icy melodies with raw street narratives.

The album showcases Future’s signature melodic flow and auto-tuned croon, blending vulnerability with bravado. It’s a record that’s as much about the atmosphere as the lyrics, immersing listeners in the highs and lows of Future’s world. Nearly a decade on, DS2 remains a trap classic—gritty, hypnotic, and endlessly influential.

37. Slick Rick: The Great Adventures Of (1998)

Debut albums don’t come much more critically acclaimed than The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick. The rapper essentially made an album about being a superstar rapper, the first to brag about the riches and ego that comes from this.

It’s one of the most influential albums because of the narratives it weaves, with Slick Rick taking on many a persona, all while delivered with a British sensibility. Given the amount of rappers that have pilfered from Slick Rick’s style and rhymes, it’s clear he is a watermark for rap and this album a key reason for this.

36. Gang Starr: Moment Of Truth (1998)

We could have chosen any number of Gang Starr albums, but there is something about their 1998 hit which is so compelling. It was released when hip-hop was going through some serious changes. The genre had seeped into the chart, and with more commercial eyes on the prize, the essence of what made hip-hop hip-hop had started to dilute. Enter Guru and DJ Premier, a perfect pairing of emcee and DJ, beats creator and lyricist.

Throughout the 20 tracks, it's clear that they had lost none of their immediacy. This is despite the fact that there are four years and endless separate collaborations between records. Moment of Truth offers a new sound for the duo, but one that never-ever sells out - all while having guests as disparate as Inspectah Deck and Jodeci on board.

35. Jay-Z: The Blueprint (2001)

The Blueprint cemented Jay-Z’s place as hip-hop royalty, arriving at a moment when East Coast rap needed a reinvigorating voice. Built around soulful, sample-driven production from Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Bink, the album blends streetwise storytelling with lyrical swagger.

Renegade and Izzo (H.O.V.A.) showcase Jay’s effortless flow and sharp wit, while the emotional depth on songs like “Song Cry” adds a surprising vulnerability. Nearly two decades on, The Blueprint remains a blueprint in more than name, classic, influential, and endlessly replayable.

34. Outkast: Stankonia (2000)

At a time when hip-hop was categorised as East or West Coast, it was Aquemini which finally put the South onto the map. While that album is a masterclass itself, Stankonia was the one which made Outkast a household name, with its more uptempo beats and sound that conjured up the three Ps: Public Enemy, PM Dawn and Pharcyde. The album was a Grammy winner as was the track Ms. Jackson, an apology of sorts to Erykah Badu who he had broken up with some time before.

34. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

Kanye West’s fifth album is a towering statement of ambition, ego, and artistry, blending maximalist production with deeply personal lyrics. From the operatic grandeur of “Power” to the haunting vulnerability of “Runaway,” it’s an album that oscillates between the triumphant and the tormented, the intimate and the bombastic.

Frequently cited as a career-defining masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy reshaped hip-hop’s sonic boundaries, proving that rap could be cinematic, complex, and unapologetically audacious all at once.

33. The Pharcyde: Labcabincalifornia (1995)

Thankfully, it wasn’t all braggadocio in hip hop in the mid-Nineties. Los Angeles four-piece The Pharcyde followed their mesmeric debut, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, with another lesson in irreverent sonic adventure.

The jazzy, soporific vibes of Runnin’ recalled kindred spirits A Tribe Called Quest, while the inventive Drop (with an equally original video from Spike Jonze) displayed a steely experimental edge. The group would fall apart after this release with Fatlip leaving, but this was some parting gift.

32. A Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory (1991)

Scenario, Buggin' Out, Show Business... the tracklist for Low End Theory plays out like A Tribe Called Quest greatest hits, with the album jamming in so many bangers that it's sometimes hard to keep up.

This, their second album, is when jazz and rap truly fused together, connecting the dots of two of the greatest music genres. The laid-back beats, mixed with the thoughtful wordplay is as slick today as when it was released back in 1991.

31. Common: Be (2005)

Throughout the nineties and early noughties, Common ploughed a very unique and idiosyncratic furrow – that of the thoughtful and conscientious rapper. He hit commercial paydirt on his sixth album, Be.

Utilising the production work of Kanye West and underground icon J Dilla, Common created a completely unified piece of work on Be. This was the sound of hip hop reflecting upon itself – hence the jazzy backbone and soulful tenor of Common’s voice. The result was magnificent

30. Cypress HIll: Cypress Hill (1991)

Alongside De La Soul and Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill were one of the first hip hop acts to crossover to a predominantly white rock crowd. Given their music was designed to reflect (and even enhance) the slacker habit of smoking weed, this perhaps wasn’t surprising.

But Cypress Hill’s debut album is no curious novelty – the music is withdrawn, almost as if it’s not there, while B Real’s imaginative rhymes were at once unclear and sardonic. It was a combination that would sell more on 1993’s Black Sunday, but this was the apex of Cypress Hill’s multi-racial creativity.

29. Run DMC: Run DMC

Yes, The Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five had taken hip hop into the mainstream, but Jam Master Jay, D.M.C. and Rev Run were the first group to properly legitimise it with the release of bona fide classic albums.

Their self-titled longplayer was a confrontational fusillade of minimal electro, crunching beats and mesmeric rhymes, as exemplified by It’s Like That, Sucker M.C.s, Rock Box and Hard Times.

28. Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele (2000)

After proving to the world that he was one of the best lyricists and rappers around, thanks to his marvelous verses on 36 Chambers, Only Built For Cuban Lynx and his debut Iron Man, Ghostface Killah’s sophomore effort is an absolute wonder.

Ghostface weaves grit and candour, stupidity and absurdity into his tracks with ease - offering up gold-gilded hip-hop album that still resonates today. Just listed to Malcolm to hear this.

27. Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy (2018)

Cardi B’s debut album arrived like a storm, turning her unstoppable personality into a full-bodied musical statement. Invasion of Privacy blends brash confidence with clever wordplay, effortlessly moving from hard-hitting bangers like “Bodak Yellow” to smoother, sultry tracks such as “Be Careful.”

It’s bold, brash, and unapologetically authentic, a record that not only dominated charts but also cemented Cardi as a cultural force, proving that female rap could be both commercially explosive and critically respected.

26. Run The Jewels: Run The Jewels 2 (2014)

El-P and Killer Mike’s second outing as Run The Jewels is a masterclass in razor-sharp lyricism and adrenaline-fuelled production. Every track hits like a blast of pure energy, from the ferocious opener “Blockbuster Night Part 1” to the politically charged “Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k).”

It’s aggressive, unflinching, and smart, mixing social commentary with wit and bravado in equal measure. Run The Jewels 2 doesn’t just hit hard, it hits deep, proving that hip-hop can be both incendiary and intellectually electric, and setting the blueprint for everything that followed from the duo.

25. Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique (1989)

Licensed To Ill might have introduced the world to the Beastie Boys, but following its release the trio were routinely dismissed as brattish frat rappers. Paul’s Boutique, released nearly three years, showed otherwise, demonstrating that Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA really did have the skills to pay the bills.

Criminally ignored upon release – probably because it wasn’t Licensed To Ill Part 2 - it is now recognised for what it is: a multi-layered hip hop masterpiece.

24. Outkast: Speakerboxx / The Love Below (2003)

OutKast’s Speakerboxx/The Love Below is one of the most audacious moments in hip hop’s rich history. A double album – in essence two solo albums by Andre 3000 and Big Boi – it takes in everything from G-funk to pop, Southern soul to blues, electronica to rock.

In this sense, it’s everything the artform of hip hop started out as – a cultural sponge imbibing the best that music has to offer. In Hey Ya! They had the kind of worldwide hit that every musician would die for.

23. De La Soul: 3 Feet High & Rising (1989)

Despite what the likes of Public Enemy, N.W.A and 2 Live Crew might have suggested otherwise, not everyone involved in hip hop in the late Eighties was angry. De La Soul, alongside the likes of The Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest (along with others known as the Native Tongues Posse), were the polar opposite – they were Afrocentric urban hippies pushing a sunshine-soaked vision of hip hop named the Daisy Age.

Their debut album was a joyous mixture of soft rock samples, hilarious skits and psychedelic rhymes. It’s positive attitude chimed perfectly with the loved-up acid house era in which it was produced.

22. Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (2017)

Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. is the album that cemented his status as the most electrifying voice in modern hip-hop. Blending ferocious lyricism with cinematic production, Kendrick confronts themes of identity, morality, and fame, moving effortlessly between introspection and bravado.

Tracks like “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.” became instant cultural touchstones, while the quieter moments, including “FEEL.” and “PRIDE.”, showcase his ability to turn vulnerability into poetry. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, DAMN. proves that hip-hop can be both commercially massive and intellectually ambitious.

21. Fugees: The Score (1996)

Fugees were inescapable in 1996. The trio – Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill – had made some waves on the underground with their first album, Blunted On Reality, but with The Score, everything changed.

Hip hop gone pop, without conceding to the mainstream, The Score catapulted Fugees and their conscious songs to stardom. Some complained there were too many covers (Killing Me Softly and No Woman, No Cry among them), but when they sounded this fresh and vital, that was just purist posturing.

20. Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)

A concept album that takes Wu-Tang alumni Raekwon and Ghostface Killah into Mafiosa territory. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is a stunning, cinematic album that is up there with Wu-Tang's best work.

Although it’s strictly Raekwon’s debut, Ghostface is everywhere on this and all the better for it - just listen to Criminology to hear the lyrical swordplay at work.

19. Mos Def: Black On Both Sides (1999)

Thanks to his work with De La Soul and his Black Star collaborative album with Talib Kweli, anticipation on the underground hip hop scene was high ahead of Mos Def’s debut solo set.

After the release of Black on Both Sides, however, it wasn’t just the underground that appreciated the charismatic character born Dante Smith (and who now goes by the name of Yasiin Boy). A politically aware album, but one that piles on the infectious beats and effervescent rhymes, Black on Both Sides was confirmation that Mos Def was one of the most talented stars pushing hip hop forward ahead of the new millennium.

18. Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1998)

If, as Chuck D has repeatedly stated, rap is the black CNN, Public Enemy’s second album was their revolutionary state of the nation address.

The stark, eerie music bordered on the nihilist, while its doubtful anyone has used hip hop to shine an unwelcoming light on America’s manifold ills in the manner of Chuck D before or since. Don’t believe the hype? One listen to these rebels without a pause will cause you to reconsider.

17. 50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (2003)

Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ arrived in a blaze of glory in early 2003. Thankfully, amid the hype, there was a classic album to back up all the verbals.

In Da Club was the worldwide smash that’s still infectious today, but this was just one high (literally) among a cavalcade of hip hop anthems. What Up Gangsta sets the scene – placing Fiddy in the lineage of Biggie/Nas/Jigga – while Many Men (Wish Death) and High All The Time ensure the taut pace is never broken.

16. Jay-Z: Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Today, Jay-Z is one of the biggest active hip hop stars. In 1996 he was just another aspiring rapper who, to use his parlance, had led a hard knock life on the streets of New York.

This hustle was the backbone of his awesome debut set. Featuring the likes of Can’t Knock The Hustle, Brooklyn’s Finest and Dead Presidents II, it was a stunning combination of frontline reportage and frankly ice cool rhymes. A star had been born.

15. Eric B & Rakim: Paid In Full (1987)

The first golden age of hip hop was kick-started by the art form’s standout DJ/MC pairing, Eric B and Rakim. A master class in breaks, beats and rhymes, Paid In Full laid down the gauntlet to thousands of wannabe crate-digging producers and rappers.

Standout tracks include the title track (soon to be remixed into sonic nirvana by Coldcut), Eric B Is President, and I Know You Got Soul.

14. Snoop Doggy Dogg: Doggystyle (1993)

There must have been something in the air in November 1993. Two weeks after ATCQ and the Killer Bees released their era-defining sets, a cocky tyro mentored by Dr. Dre released his debut set.

Then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle was another landmark record. Coated in G-funk finery, Doggystyle opened up a portal into a horizontal West Coast world of weed, sunshine and unforgettable grooves.

13. Mobb Deep: The Infamous (1995)

The Infamous is hip-hop by candlelight. It’s packed with stripped-bare beats, stark piano, the screeches of the city in the background. Samples are used but muffled as if the album had to be made in hiding. It’s gangster rap but run through Queensbridge slang, the closest an album has got to the feeling The Wire gave us when we first watched it.

Havoc and Prodigy are two of the greatest rappers, with the likes of Q-Tip and Raekwon coming along for the ride. We dare you to hear first the snare, then the bass of Shook Ones, Pt.II without getting shivers. Stunning stuff.

12. A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders (1993)

Of all the acts beloved of the rap fraternity that coalesce around the head-nodding sound of ‘backpack hip hop’, A Tribe Called Quest are the most cherished. In truth, we could have chosen two other ATCQ albums in this spot – 1991’s The Low End Theory is another stone cold classic – but Midnight Marauders elevated Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and co to legendary status. Their jazz-rap fusions were nothing new, but this was them working at the top of their game.

11. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

After the Fugees disbanded in 1997, few could have predicted what was to follow. Granted, it was obvious in Lauryn Hill that the trio had a sparkling talent, but even the most ardent admirers must have been shocked by her first solo album.

Mixing classic soul with a reinvigorated R’n’B and leaning on her hip hop roots, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was another crossover success.

10. N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton (1988)

If Public Enemy was hip hop’s militant conscience, NWA were the hoodlum wing.

Their debut album was a brazen example of six individuals who didn’t give a f**k. From the brutal opening triptych of songs (Straight Outta Compton, F**k Tha Police and Gangsta) to the groovy Express Yourself, this was indeed a riotous display of street knowledge.

9. Kanye West: The College Dropout

Today, Kanye West is known for his bizarre celebrity lifestyle and controversial statements as much as his music, which means we really need to celebrate the man for the music here. This is such a shame, as a decade or so ago, West was a serious underground hip hop icon.

Having breathed new fire into Jay-Z with his production work on The Blueprint, West’s true calling was rapping himself. If there were doubts, he could match his Roc-a-Fella employer; those were quickly dispelled with the release of The College Dropout. A vivacious album dripping in hooks and cheeky raps, it set in motion the merry-go-round that West still expertly deals in to this day.

8. 2Pac: All Eyez On Me (1996)

Hip hop double albums aren’t generally worth the entrance fee. All Eyez On Me changed all that. After a spell inside, 2Pac was focused and angry ahead of his magnum opus. This attitude was channelled into 27 tracks of sparkling virtuosity.

The thug life with which he had previously flirted with is wholeheartedly embraced, and the result is an epic record of G-funk and gangsta rap that managed to take on the mainstream. And win.

7. Dr Dre: The Chronic (1992)

Not to be outdone by his former protégé Ice Cube, Dr. Dre didn’t take long to release another landmark album by an N.W.A. alumni. Not only was The Chronic acclaimed immediately, it ushered in a new sound within hip hop – G-funk.

Instantly recognisable due to the use of synthesisers and an all-encompassing bass, it made a solo star of Dre, and introduced his latest rap ward to the world: Snoop Doggy Dogg.

6. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

The notion of a credible white rapper was a joke for eons – not helped by Vanilla Ice. All that changed with Eminem. A confrontational, provocative and sardonic wordsmith – and another protégé of Dr. Dre – he released three classic albums on the spin in the late-Nineties and early-Noughties.

It was the middle release – The Marshall Mathers LP – that captured the witty, irreverent and rebellious spirit best.

5. Madvillain: Madvillainy (2004)

Underground hip hop was in rude health at the turn of the millennium. The likes of Cannibal Ox, Quasimoto, Aesop Rock and co were producing inventive music that was raw, wry and futuristic.

The collaboration between MF Doom (RIP) and Madlib was certainly in the same vein. A hypnotic take on hip hop it melded the duo’s distinctive talents – Doom’s cerebral raps and Madlib’s unconventional beat – into something both charming and mystical.

4. Notorious BIG: Ready To Die (1994)

It’s a shame that today The Notorious B.I.G. is known as much for his role in the unfortunate East Coast/West Coast rap wars of the mid-Nineties.

He was one of the greatest rappers of all time. A vital release in New York’s move towards hardcore gangsta rap, Biggie’s storytelling skills are to the fore on tracks like Juicy, Gimme The Loot and Things Done Changed. The mind boggles as to what Biggie could have achieved if he wasn’t senselessly lost in 1997.

3. Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang (1993)

Released on the same day as Midnight Marauders, the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album was arguably the most important hip hop album of the Nineties. It not only introduced the world to a collection of colourful characters, but redefined the sonic language of hip hop.

RZA’s production was sparse, pieced together with esoteric samples and dialogue from kung fu movies, while the raps from Method Man, Ol Dirty Bastard, GZA, Chef Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, et al were incendiary.

2. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)

Kendrick Lamar is up there with the greatest rappers of all time. The speed he can spout his lyrics is unparalleled, as is the clarity with which you hear them. There’s a rhythm in his rhyming that has been missing in hip hop’s latter years.

Here, his third album, he perfects perfection. The likes of King Kunta are crowd pleasers, a raging funk masterclass named after the main character in Roots. He’s angry and he has every right to be. Then there’s the poetic For Free? that sounds like nothing else.

There’s chaos throughout, punctuated by moments of beauty and Thundercat’s ever-present bass. But you never know what you are going to get with each track which is fine by us.

1. Nas: Illmatic (1994)

Despite being home to groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, New York appeared distinctly second best to the sounds emanating from California in 1994.

All that changed with the release of Nasir Jones’s debut album, the iconic Illmatic.

With production duties served by DJ Premier and Large Professor, Nas’s rhymes reflected upon ghetto life in the Big Apple. Raw, powerful and unforgettable, Illmatic opened the doors for a new generation of MCs to burst through.

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The true-wireless ear bud market is a tricky one to win in. Given the sheer amount of earphones on offer, casual users will naturally seek out the most popular brands, or look for value from their buds.

In short: to stand out, you need to offer something special. Enter the Denon PerL Pro. These super-smart buds are new in the market but they are using technology that may be familiar to some. They are the result of Denon's buyout of Australian brand Nura's audio IP.

Nura was renowned for its proprietary personalisation software being the best in the business and that's just what Denon has inherited. Having been a fan of Nura - and Denon for that matter - in the past, I couldn't wait to try the Denon PerL Pro ear buds out.

I've been using them for a few weeks now - here are 5 things you need to know...

1. These PerL buds are a TruePro

Those familiar with the Nura TruePro buds will be right at home with the Denon PerL Pro earphones. They look very similar, with Nura's branding reskinned with Denon.

This makes a lot of sense from Denon's point of view. The TruePros were never a mass-market proposition. Instead they were offered through Kickstarter. Denon has taken these already superb buds and made them its own.

I am a big fan of the look of the PerL Pros. The circular design makes them standout, but they also fit really well in the ear offering a lovely seal that helps with the ANC before you even switch the things on.

They are slightly bigger than your average true-wireless earphone, but sit snuggly next to the ear so they don't stick out.

2. Setup is simple but sophisticated

One of the big reasons to buy a pair of the Denon PerL Pro is its setup process. The algorithm used to personalise the audio you hear for your own ears is the best I've tested.

It does take a few minutes to get a personalised sound profile. This is done through the accompanying Denon app and it plays a number of strange tones into your ears - it's essentially a hearing test. These then 'map' out your sound profile, dramatically changing the music to fit how you hear.

When I switched the personalisation on and off, the difference was substantial.

3. Sound is personal - and that's a very good thing

Once the PerL Pros have adapted to your hearing, audio quality is superb. DJ Shadow's Friend Or Foe offered up a deeper resonance than I heard through rival earphones. The bass notes hit hard, while the synth textures bubbled nicely throughout the track.

Bass, again, was a high point (or should that be low point?) in the track Habla Con Elle by Sofia Kourtesis, which punctuated the warmth of the song really well.

It wasn't just with dance and electronic music where the 'buds came alive, though. Like Never Before by Bridget St John was sumptuous. The sad folk of the song was laid bare, with each pluck of the guitar string sounding like it was in my living room.

When outside, the Denon PerL Pro buds found a way to block the ambient sound well. I kept the ANC on full, rather than using the adaptive ANC which I found didn't quite do the trick for me. When going in and out of shops, it felt like it was playing catch-up - so I much preferred just having the full-fat ANC working on these buds.

4. The quality is impressive, most impressive

When I talk about the quality of the Denon PerL Pros, I am talking both about the audio and the build quality.

The good news when it comes to sound, they are superb. This is backed by the fact that the Denon PerL Pros offers AptX compatibility, so you can listen to lossless audio through the things. Spatial Audio is also on board which is now all the rage, since Apple got into the game.

This feature works really well through the PerL Pros but we recommend switching it off when you are listening to podcasts, as it just sounds, well, odd.

For those who don't want to drown out all sound, Social Mode works well as a go-between, offering fantastic audio but it doesn't shut the outside world out.

The circular build of the ear buds also makes using the touch controls a joy. These can also be personalised in the app, but they are responsive and there is a big enough area on the side of the buds to make sure that your finger doesn't fumble when you are trying to use touch to control your music.

5. Battery is big and there's wireless on board

As for battery life. when you add in the juice that the case holds, you can get up to 32 hours out of these things, which is on a par with the best out there. I was using the ANC a lot, though, and this does drain the battery faster but I never had charging anxiety with these things.

The good news is that wireless charging is on board - it takes around two hours to charge until full. By placing the ear buds into the case, they will automatically charge from the battery life of the case, too. Again, it will take around two hours. USB charging of the case is the fastest, with it taking around an hour.

There are three indicators on the case to let you know what the charge is like for the left and right bud and the case itself - this is a really handy at-a-glance look. When the LED is red, then the charge is under 30%.

Denon PerL Pro Final Verdict

The Denon PerL Pro are some of the best-sounding ear buds around. But that's not all, the sound they offer is personal to the user. Each person will have a different audio experience when listening to the PerL Pro and that's what makes them so sophisticated.

Often, true-wireless ear buds don't get the balance of software and hardware quite right. In the Denon PerL Pro range, though, it's a match made in heaven.

The Denon PerL Pro ear buds are out now, from £299.

• Fancy some music to listen to through your headphones? Then head to our best rock songs guide.

Close your eyes and picture a portable speaker. I am not a mind reader, but I reckon you are conjuring up a dinky little thing that’s made of rubber and emblazoned with colours brighter than Mr Motivator’s leotard. Oh, and it's probably languishing in a drawer somewhere gathering dust.

The Sonos Move 2 is not that speaker and all the better for it. Yes, it’s portable but it’s built chunkier than most (aren’t we all?), which means that you have to have a little bit of muscle to carry the thing.

But it also means the sound that you get from the Sonos Move 2 isn’t that tinny ‘back of the bus’ nonsense. It’s far, far better.

I’ve been using the Sonos Move 2 for a few weeks now and here are five things to know…

1. Size matters

The Sonos Move 2 isn’t a portable speaker you bung in a bag and take to the beach - it measures 24.1 x 16 x 12.7cm and weighs a meaty but manageable 3kg. There's a nice lip on the back of the thing so you can lift it.

It’s built to be as good as a regular Sonos speakers in the home, but with an added rechargeable battery so you can take it into rooms that haven’t yet been blessed with that Sonos sound.

Or the garden if you are lucky enough to have one of those things - and you don’t have to worry about your Wi-Fi stretching so far, as there’s Bluetooth built in. It’s also IP56 rated so a little dust, dirt and water shouldn’t harm the thing.

Design wise, it’s shifted away from the original Move but only slightly, given the signature look of the new Sonos devices, complete with touch volume slider on the top. There is a fancy new colour - if you don’t just want the normal black and white, there’s an olive green, too.

2. The battery is big (and clever)

The battery on the Sonos Move 2 will last for 24 hours which is more than double the original Move. This is fantastic, considering you won’t be listening to the thing all day, every day - unless you’re that person who is hosting an afters, showing off the nuances in Fred Again’s latest opus and arguing why his privileged upbringing doesn’t dull the sparkle in his beats.

The Sonos Move 2 comes with a slick base charger that can also be used to charge up the original Move. This is a nice touch and means that if you are superseding the original for this one, you may keep the original around for double the portable fun.

Another neat touch is that you can also charge the Sonos Move 2 through its USB-C slot. That slot also becomes… a charger!

Obviously it will run down the battery but I liked how I could keep my phone juiced up, while listening to the nuances in Fred Again’s latest opus and arguing why his privileged upbringing doesn’t dull the sparkle in his beats.

3. Setup is simple and very Sonos

If you already have a Sonos setup in your home, then the Sonos Move 2 will automatically show up on your app - I almost wanted it to say ‘we’ve been expecting you, Mr Move’ when the new device was found. Instead, a lovely picture of the new speaker comes up.

I had to update the Move 2 before I, er, moved it but it didn’t take too long and Sonos showcased some fun things I could do with the speaker while this was taking place.

If you don’t actually have a Sonos set-up, then installation is still easy and all done through the app. I expect this isn’t the first Sonos rodeo, though, for the majority of those purchasing the Move 2.

4. Sound is stunning and in stereo

One of the biggest changes to the Sonos Move is, like any sequel it's obviously more bombastic, is that the sound coming from the speaker is now stereo. This is thanks to two tweeters and a sub, each with an individual amplifier. You can also pair two two Move 2s together to make a stereo pair. Or should that be, pair 2 Move 2s 2gether 2 make a stereo pair?

The new DJ Shadow album sounded magnificent on the Sonos Move 2. The bubbling bass in the New Jack Swing-like You Played Me was so good I listened to the track twice. And epic closer She’s Evolving was luscious through the Sonos Move 2's powerful speaker set.

Going heavier into the beats, Installation by Panagaea was stunning and made us want to turn our kitchen into a disco. The acoustic guitar of Will Anybody Ever Love Me? By Sufjan Stevens brought us back to earth with tears in our eyes, the track’s warmth spilling through the speaker beautifully.

Compared to the original Move, the sound is clearer and more concise. There’s real clarity in the detail and I could really feel that its automatic Trueplay calibration feature worked well in the background, shifting the sounds to adapt to smaller rooms and the great outdoors.

That said, I think that the same songs sounded better through my Era 300. Not by a huge amount and this speaker did beat it on bass.

5. Connect, phwoar!

There are numerous ways you can connect the Sonos Move 2 to your setup. Wi-Fi is the most obvious and will give you benefits such as voice assistance - Alexa or Sonos' own, there's no longer Google Assistant on board - and pairing with the rest of your speakers for that seamless Sonos sound experience.

There’s also Bluetooth, which works a treat. A word of warning, though: you will need to connect the Move 2 to your Wi-Fi before you go galavanting around with it, using Bluetooth. It’s a touch annoying but easy enough to do.

There’s also a line-in but you have to buy a separate adaptor for that, which turns the USB-C slot into a place where you can plug your turntable and other analog delights in.

As for the music services you can listen to, there are loads via the app, including Sonos’ own radio stations, Spotify, Tidal and the like.

Sonos Move 2: Final Verdict

The Sonos Move 2 is a fantastic addition to the Sonos world, significantly upgrading the sound and the battery life of the original Move.

Its design flourishes are a little more subtle than the sound improvements, but the Move 2 is much more in line with the new Sonos range and I really like the new colour addition, Olive green.

While this isn’t the most portable of portable speakers, for those who want a Sonos they can move from room to room, and take it out to the garden once in a while, this is an essential buy.

The Sonos Move 2 is available now for £449 / $449.

• And now for some music: these are the best rock albums of all time, ranked.

The popularity of podcasts doesn't seem to be waning. Which means more and more people are deciding to branch out and create their own shows to entertain the masses and push their personal brands – including many celebrities.

There are so many celebrities these days, so many podcasts and so many people who have become celebrities due to their podcasts that the idea of creating a guide filled with the best celebrity podcasts is a little hard to define. But we've decided to pick the podcasts that were started after the host in question was already considered to be a celebrity.

• The best true crime podcasts, revealed

There's something appealing about the best celebrity podcasts. The high-profile standing of the host makes for some pretty interesting (and at times obscure) conversations and other celebs tend to open up even more to those who know the ins and outs of their industry.

So if you'd love to find out more about what it's like to work behind-the-scenes, how to make great art or just find out more about the day-to-day lives of famous people, the best celebrity podcasts will keep you entertained.

The real question is, which ones do you rate highly enough to click subscribe on? Upvote your favourites below.

Best celebrity podcasts

Additional writing: Becca Caddy

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.

The common thinking is if someone is really into something, it makes present-buying much easier. However, in reality it can mean you get saddled with, say, duck-themed gifts for a decade. And, in the case of audiophiles and major music lovers, it can just make the present pitfalls all the deeper.

Trying to buy an audio fan a pair of headphones? You'd better make peace with the idea there's a good 75% chance you'll see disappointment on their face when they rip off that wrapping paper. Well, unless you take our advice and stick to some of our top audiophile presents below.

• Best rock albums guide
• Best rock songs guide

In this guide, we've selected 21 of the most thoughtful and fit for purpose gifts that we think will impress even the most fussy audiophiles.

We've made sure to include a range of prices and a range of ideas to suit different styles and preferences. However, if you're a music lover and we've missed something you'd like for your birthday this year, then let us know what it is in the comments below.

Best gifts for music lovers

• Best hip-hop albums guide

Additional words: Andrew Williams

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

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If you have been looking for a pair of True Wireless ear buds over the last few years, chances are a pair of Jabras have been on your shortlist.

The audio specialist has been consistent in refining its ANC output and while there was little to differentiate their buds from a design point of view, their innards consistently got smarter and Active versions meant that it was also going after the fitness crowd.

The Jabra Elite 10 is Jabra doing things differently. Out goes the old, uniformed design and in comes a whole different beast; a semi open-back design which puts comfort at the forefront.

Apparently Jabra took 62,000 ear scans to create a design that keeps the seal but doesn’t annoy your ears after long listening sessions. Given how many hours a day many of us stay plugged in for, this is a clever USP.

It hasn't forgotten its noise-cancelling roots, either, with the Elite 10’s boasting best-in-class ANC as well as some Dolby Atmos smarts.

We’ve been using the Jabra Elite 10s for a number of weeks now - here are 5 things to know…

1. Designed for (an easy) life

The Jabra Elite 10 have had a complete design overhaul, with Jabra opting for a semi open-back design. What this essentially means is that the earbud doesn’t go right in the ear, but rests just on top.

The idea here is that you won’t get that all-too familiar ear fatigue when wearing them, an ache you may have encountered when wearing buds for long hours.

Despite not digging into your ears quite as much as some of their rivals, they don’t feel like they are going to fall out of your ear at any time. On the flipside, they don’t feel jammed into place, either.

This also means that they don’t stick out anywhere near the way other ear buds do. To add to the comfort, there’s a soft rubber coating around the ear buds.

I have been testing the cream-coloured version and they look utterly premium, although the colour of the buds is a little darker than the case and I did wonder if I had accidentally done something when wearing them to change the colour (so you don’t have to).

The new design is sleek, too, pear drop shaped with a shiny Jabra logo on each side. This shiny exterior marks where the physical button is on the Elite 10 buds, when clicked can control play/pause, ANC on/off and the like (all of this can be personalised in the accompanying Jabra+ app).

2. Elite in name, elite in features

The Jabra Elite 10 has a robust feature set that has been upgraded in nearly all areas from previous Elite models (although we do get these buds are meant to be on their own in terms of line-up).

On board are ‘ear detection’ sensors that pause what you are listening to when you take them out of your ears. I liked this feature and it wasn’t too sensitive - I have had it before when a small nudge of the ear buds would pause things but these have to be right out of your ear.

While you will want to use the ANC for the majority of the time, HearThru transparency mode works well at allowing you to listen to music but also hear the outside world, which is good for office use and if you are using these when cycling and the like.

Multipoint pairing is on board, as is hands-free Google Assistant functionality (if you are using them on an Android device) and Dolby's Spatial Sound, which brings us on to…

3. Sound quality is impressive but you’ll want to personalise

Unlike many ear bud brands, Jabra started off offering businesses headset technologies. Because of this there is no better ear bud out there for voice calls - yep, remember those? If you are still one of the few that uses their phones as an, er, phone then the Elite 10’s make use of six microphones and wind noise reduction tech improvements to deliver great calls.

When it comes to music, the real draw here is the Dolby Spatial Audio support. This can be heard on songs and albums that have been mixed in Dolby Atmos - you can find these on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal.

When it works it’s a real treat and works perfectly with Dolby’s head tracking tech, too, really adding another dimension to the music and makes everything sound that little more natural. A word of warning, though: you will want to toggle this feature off when listening to podcasts as it seems to add a robotic sound.

Music-wise, though, it's a joy. Bicep Isles on Apple Music sounded fantastic through the ear buds, the subtle mix really brought a bigger feel to the album. I also felt like I was front row at a Fred Again gig when listening to Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022), with the bass going deeper than I expected. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was also steeped in gravitas, with the spatial mix as impressive as Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical prowess. As a regular Spotify user I can’t wait till this feature finally comes to that platform.

I did find the audio preset from Jabra a little flat and, at first, had to turn my phone up to near full volume to get to a sound level I wanted. A quick dip into the Jabra+ app, though, and going for a little more bass heavy soon rectified this and made everything that little bit louder too.

There are a number of presets to choose from in the app and this is also where you can turn on the head tracking and Spotify Tap (which makes it quicker to get into that app from the ear buds).

4. Noise cancelling is solid doesn’t block everything

I tried the noise cancelling in a number of places to see how well it performed and while in the garden it blocked out all ambient noise, it didn’t cut through the racket of a Tube train.

What impressed me the most, though, was just how well the ear buds utilise ANC. Given the new, comfier design I assumed that there would be a fair amount of noise leakage but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The flip of ANC is HearThru and this is a really handy feature, and one I found myself using more and more. There’s a real clarity when you use it, which is great if you are in the office and don’t want to be shut off completely from the outside world. It's also handy when crossing the road and the like.

5. Battery life is decent, quick charge is a life saver

The Jabra Elite 10 battery life really depends on what features you are using. ANC always will be a battery sapper so if you are always using this then expect around 6 hours’ continuous use.

Turn it off and you can get another two hours or so out of the ear buds. The case, though, is packed with juice and combined with this you are looking at about 36 hours of charge which is decent.

Our favourite feature, though, was the quick charge option. If you are running late and need to charge for a journey, five minutes will give you an hour’s use.

Jabra Elite 10: Final Verdict

I have used a number of Jabra ear buds over the years and the Elite 10s are top of this list. The new design is exactly what’s been missing from Jabra’s range so far and offers a comfort level that is missing in most in-ear buds.

The ANC could do with a little more heft but the audio quality overall is fantastic and linking up with Dolby to offer spatial audio is a clever decision, given that’s the way sound mixing is going.

Jabra has made a name for itself in the true wireless market for some years now, releasing quality earbuds that give many a viable AirPod alternative. But its latest drop is its most exciting yet, with two new pairs of earphones that are packed with audio smarts.

First up is the Jabra Elite 8 Active. These earbuds are the toughest around, according to Jabra, having been put through the most arduous testing to make sure they are up to the military standard for ruggedized electronics.

What does this mean? Well, the Elite 8s have gone through the following: 11 full cycles of testing, where they endured two hours in 40°C temperatures with 93% humidity; a 15-minute splash test in salt water; and survived a 15-minute 40°C heat drying test. All of this whilst staying secure in the ear. Impressive.

Alongside this, they are iP68 rated which means they are water and dust proof - the 6 in the IP rating means they are dust proof, while the 8 reveals that they protected against being continuously immersed in water for a longer period.

To demo this, when we met up with Jabra one of its execs dunked his pair into the glass of water that was next to him, which is a nice flex.

Apart from being hard as nails, they also offer Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which automatically optimises the ANC performance to the environment you’re in.

Wind Neutralising HearThrough tech is also on board, which does what it says on the tin, plus Dolby Audio and battery life for up to 8 hours (32 hours with the case).

Jabra Elite 10: comfort kings

If you fancy a pair of earbuds that are more about sound and comfort, then the Jabra Elite 10 are for you. We've already been testing these ones - they've been our main buds for a little while now - and they are some of the most comfortable earbuds we have ever worn.

The reason: the new design means that they sit on the ear, thanks to the new semi-open design that Jabra is calling ComfortFit. This means that there isn't anywhere near the pressure you get when wearing other in-ear True Wireless earbuds so are perfect for all-day use.

While we were a little worried that this design would impede on the noise cancellation, the Jabra Advanced Active Noise Cancellation works a treat, even in busy surrounds, and is 2x more powerful than the ANC in previous earbuds.

Couple this with Dolby Atmos compatibility and Dolby Head Tracking, which gives you a more natural feeling with your music when you move your head, and what you have is a stunning pair of buds.

Oh, and the Jabra Elite 10 come with a 6-hour battery (27 hours with case).

The Jabra Elite 8 Active are available from £199.99 and come in caramel, navy, black and dark grey.

The Jabra Elite 10 are available in September, from £229.99, and come in cream, cocoa, titanium black, gloss black and matte black.

• These are the best Spotify Playlists you should be listening to.

Glastonbury Festival has arrived and if you haven't got a ticket but do have an electric guitar in your house that you can dust off then these great guitar gadgets are for you. And the great news is: all of these devices can be stored away in a cupboard.

That's because there's been a quiet revolution when it comes to sound equipment, which you will have noticed if you’ve been at a gig lately.

• These are the best Glastonbury headliners of all time

Hulking amps and Marshall stacks – once a regular concert sight - may have been conspicuous by their absence with the guitar player perhaps wearing in-ear monitors.

The venerable vacuum tube amp has been a mainstay of rock music for the best part of 70 years, beloved by guitarists for their unique warmth, responsiveness, harmonic distortion and general musicality.

They’re also back-breakingly heavy, temperamental, and need to be cranked to ear-splitting volumes to often sound their best. Their time on the world’s biggest stages may be about to come to an end, however, thanks to massive improvements in digital mimicry.

Where early examples in the 90s were derided for their brittle, inauthentic tones, cutting edge algorithms and hardware from a new wave of digital guitar processors appear to have changed the game, providing scarily accurate representations of classic amps and pedals right down to the subtlest of nuances.

Perfect for recording as well as live work, the latest compact floor units offer a huge selection of sought-after vintage and boutique amps and effects, while also bringing the added convenience of being able to go direct to sound desks and monitoring systems without the need of onstage speakers.

Things have gotten so good that vintage tube amp purists like Blur’s Graham Coxon, John Mayer and U2’s The Edge have all made the move to go digital when playing live.

But the fun isn’t restricted to just stadium-filling stars, with the latest processors affordable enough to allow bedroom and club circuit guitarists access to a world of previously unobtainable tones.

We’ve picked out some of the best guitar gadgets to help you perfect your sound. After much testing, we consider the 10 best guitar modellers and multi-effects units out there right now below. If you’ve managed to rock out on any of our best guitar gear selections, upvote the ones you like, and downvote the ones you don't think hit the spot.

Any if you think we've missed off any digital guitar devices that deserves to make the list, submit it to our team at the bottom.

Great guitar gadgets to get that Glastonbury headliner sound

• These are the best rock songs of all time
• The best rock albums, revealed

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.

When I was first given a demo of the Sonos Era 300, I couldn't believe what I was experiencing. This is a speaker that Sonos has created that's unlike any of its other speakers in its quickly-expanding range.

Where the likes of the Sonos Five - a speaker with a similar footprint (physically not sonically) - is all about offering up big, punchy sounds, the Era 300 looks to add another dimension to that soundscape, thanks to its spatial audio capabilities.

This means that it's a whole different beast to other Sonos speakers. This one needs to be set free - its design means that sound doesn't just come from the front, but from all around.

It's a bold statement and one that's right on the cutting-edge of audio right now, but does it work? I have been using this speaker in a home environment for a number of weeks now: here are 5 things to know...

1. Sonos 300 is designed differently for a reason

'Cinched hourglass'. That's what Sonos calls the look of its Sonos Era 300 design in its press release. This description is usually reserved for the fashion world but it is a decent description of a speaker that does indeed have a tucked in waste, with the angles created the optimum position for the speakers to blast out spatial audio.

The speaker comes in both black and white and has a slightly smaller footprint of the Sonos Five, at Height: 6.30 in (160 mm), Width: 10.24 in (260 mm), Depth: 7.28 in (185 mm) and is far lighter at 9.85 lb (4.47 kg), compared to 14 lb (6.36 kg)

As you can see from the images, the actual speaker grill isn't just the front of the device, but wrapped around the sides at the rear of the speaker as well.

This is what makes this speaker not suitable to be boxed into a bookshelf and does give the speaker a rather unusual look. I like it and got used to it - it's certainly something of a design statement.

The design also means that this is a Sonos speaker that can only be used horizontally. You can't stand it vertically like you can the Play Five, for instance.

2. There are a lot of speaker tech stuffed into the Era 300

There are six drivers in the Era 300 in total. Four tweeters (one facing forward, two in the rear sides and one that's up-firing), two woofers (stereo, situated on the left and right which account for the bass). It's a unique setup for what is a rather unique speaker.

All of this is contained in a solid, sturdy chassis. Anyone who is a fan of the brand will be right at home with the aesthetics of the speaker. It's got an oval face, with no physical buttons in sight (there is one on the rear to pair the device with Bluetooth) - Sonos has added a nice touch-sensitive, indented volume slider. This means that you no longer have to look at the device when manually turning its volume up or down. There's also capacitive touch buttons to manually play, pause and skip tracks. You can also turn the voice functionality on and off from here.

There are two long rubber ridges that the speaker sits on, to protect whichever surface it perches and no doubt help reduce vibration. There's also an insert underneath where you can add the speaker to a Sonos stand and have a pair of them acting as Dolby Atmos surrounds (add in a Beam, Arc and Sub and you are laughing), which we didn't test but were given a demo of and are still dreaming about that sound.

3. Set up is simple, Sonos style

Anyone that has a Sonos setup will be right at home here. Setup is done entirely within the app and, for me, was seamless. Once the Era 300 was plugged in, I turned on the app and a big picture of the speaker appears, asking if you want to connect. An automatic firmware update delayed using the speaker for a few minutes but that was no bother.

The next option is TruePlay, this is where Sonos will tune your speaker for you, depending on where it is in your room. If you opt to do this on iOS, then there is more precision with this feature, where you walk around your room with your device waving it slowly so the space is mapped (now called TruePlay Advanced).

Android users don't miss out anymore, though, as something called Trueplay Quick Tune is on hand, which uses the speaker's mic to map the room out and reconfigure the sound as needed.

Once done, you then choose your voice assistant (no Google this time), with Alexa taking you to the Alexa app and then back again.

Once this is done, you are all ready to listen to what you want on the speaker. While we spent the majority of the time using the app, the addition of Bluetooth does mean you can now play music that way - which is great for those who have their own Spotify and are visiting your house and want to play something.

It is also within the app that spatial audio can happen...

4. The sound is sublime and LOUD

Sonos has prided itself on its audio and the Era 300 continues this trend, offering some of the best sounds we have heard from a Sonos speaker. We will note the spatial audio capabilities below, but even without listening to these specially arranged tracks, the audio is crisp and expansive with a particular impressive depth in the bass and clarity in the higher end.

Give A Little Time by Belle And Sebastian sounded grand through the speaker, the bass line - and hand claps - standing out more than when I have listened to it with headphones on, as well as the high-note guitar riff echoing nicely throughout.

Kill Dem by Jamie XX soared, it's cut-and-paste vocals and big bass suited the Era 300 well, as did a the Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival version of The Smoke from The Smile. Thom Yorke's high-pitched vocals and the wandering bass line just sounded fantastic.

Live music really does shine through the Era 300.

5. Spatial audio is special but still limited

There's a reason why Sonos has added a 'get three months' Apple Music free' with the Era 300, the service is one of a handful that are offering spatial audio - alongside Amazon Music - which is something the Era 300 supports.

The shape of the speaker makes it primed for Dolby Atmos and the like, and the results are just as expansive as you would expect. Music-wise, spatial audio doesn't work through Bluetooth, so this is a Wi-Fi only option.

When it works, it makes you feel like you are on stage with the band you are listening to. Through the Era 300, Drive by REM has never sounded so intimate and up close.

I got a similar feeling with Bob Marley & The Wailers' Could You Be Loved, which had a live session feel to it.

Spatial Audio is still new and I have no doubt more of it will be become available through the Era 300. When you listen to a track in this way, it really does raise the quality of the music far beyond what's normal and the Era 300 is one of the few devices to take this experience beyond headphones.

Sonos Era 300: Final Verdict

The first time I say the Era 300 I wasn't 100% on the look of the speaker but I now get why it's been built the way it has. This is a speaker built for the future of music, allowing spatial audio to envelop a room, while playing good ol' stereo tracks loud and clear.

It's a superb speaker on its own and one that works well in a bigger AV setup as well (if you are feeling particularly flush).

While some may be put off by the fact that this is a speaker that needs its own space - a bookshelf just won't do it justice, give this an area to breathe and you are gifted with stunning sound and a perfect gateway into streaming music.

• These are the best rock albums of all time

The word 'mindfulness' might have been everywhere over the past few years. But the practice of becoming more aware of the present moment and avoiding overthinking can be hugely beneficial for anyone struggling with stress, anxiety and low moods.

That's why we've created this guide to the best mindfulness podcasts so you can bring a bit of calm to your day.

With so many podcasts, apps and countless pieces of advice to be found all over the internet, it’s about time someone collated a short and sweet list to make your mindfulness journey easier.

Here you’ll find 10 of the best mindfulness podcasts from across the world, including Tara Brach's podcast (who has the most soothing voice we've ever heard), the official podcast from meditation app Headspace and many more.

Some of these best mindfulness podcast picks are meditative, while others are a mixture of interviews, casual chats and experts speaking from their own experiences.

There’s also one in there for younger listeners because it’s never too early to get the little ones away from the screen and living in the moment.

Best mindfulness podcasts

• Like chatty podcasts? Read our guide to the best interview podcasts around right now.
• The best celebrity podcasts are filled with behind-the-scenes gossip and juicy details.

Additional words: Becca Caddy

There’s a sure sign this latest resurrection of the vinyl format is reaching maturity. And it’s not that you can buy vinyl LPs in your local supermarket. No, nothing speaks more eloquently about the robustness of the current vinyl renaissance than the proliferation of the box set - as this best vinyl box set list shows.

Vinyl was tailor-made for the box set. You get all the music you love (plus, sometimes, quite a lot of related music you may not have ever heard before) on a format that sounds better than any other.

You get all the extras the music geeks crave - photos, posters, essays and what-have-you - and all in gratifyingly large format. You get a big, impressive-looking box that tells anyone who cares to look that you’re deadly serious about your vinyl habit.

But, of course, it’s just as important to be judicious in your choice of box set as you would be in any other transaction. There are no shortage of box sets out there that are nothing more than a reissued LP in an oversized sleeve.

That’s not the case with this shortlist. Here are 20 box sets crammed with thrilling music and absorbing extras - and each will bring no end of glamour and serious-mindedness to your record collection.

Don't forger to vote your best picks and if we have missed something, let us know below.

Best vinyl box sets

• These are the best vinyl records you must own.

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.

Additional writing: Simon Lucas

French audio architect Devialet has been making premium speakers for a number of years now. To own its original Devialet Phantom range was a sign not just of impeccable audio tastes but of prestige. For those that did spend thousands on the speakers, they were awarded with a stylish setup that was packed with power.

Since then that range has seen a reduction in both size and price, thanks to the arrival of the Phantom II, making it far more attainable - and now Devialet has gone further down this route with its portable powerhouse, the Devialet Mania.

ShortList has been lucky enough to have been testing this speaker for a good while now: here are 5 things you need to know...

1. There's been a size, not style, reduction

The Devialet Mania Portable is a masterclass of design. It hints at the Phantom range with its spherical chassis, but it's certainly its own thing. I like the way that Devialet has always opted for a futuristic look with its speaker range and the Mania is no different: we half expected the speaker to glow red like HAL in 2001.

It didn't but the spherical look is no accident - and don't be fooled that because it's a similar size to an Echo that you will get a similar sound, you definitely don't.

It offers 360-degree sound that will fill most rooms, thanks to four 25w drivers and two 38w woofers: this makes some 95dB of sound. You know what else makes 95dB of sound? A decent power mower. Thankfully the sound out of the Mania is far more pleasurable than hearing your neighbours attack their lawn.

Oh, and those slits aren't just about design, they expose the woofers - which means when the bass bops, you can see it in action.

2. It's portable, to a point

We called the Devialet Mania a portable powerhouse in the intro to this review and it is just that. The design of the handle is a clever one. The rubber tread wraps around the sides of the Devialet Mania, culminating in a protruding handle at the top.

This tread is also where the volume buttons and pairing controls for the speaker are situated. It's a really neat design flourish and the handle feels more than strong enough to pick the speaker up. You won't want to do it that often, though, as it is a weighty bit of kit. It weighs 2.3kg which means every time you pick it up you are reminded that the Mania is premium and packed with speaker smarts.

Also, while we happily used this one outdoors, it's IPX4 resistant, which means a splash or two of water is fine but this certainly isn't a rugged speaker and that lovely woven material that covers most of the chassis may well be prone to scuffs, if you don't handle it the right way.

3. Sound is big and powerful

Just from picking up the Devialet Mania I could tell that this wasn't going to be a shrinking violet in the sound department. It's a heavy device that's a heavy hitter when it comes to audio. From using previous Devialet devices, it's clear its sound engineers love bass and that can heard with the Mania.

The Devialet Mania heeded Shy FX's Warning well, its propulsive bass and beat bouncing around the speaker (literally as the exposed woofer means you can see it moving to the music). The same effect happened with Fred Again's Jungle, which offers a real thud in the bass that the Mania relayed with ease.

It works well with tracks with little bass, too. The strings in Geronimo by Young Fathers soared, the clicks of the song filling the room we were in. The glitchy hip-hop beat of Jockstrap's Greatest Hits was clean but abrasive, while the high notes of Hideous by Oliver Sim were well balanced throughout.

Having the Mania in the centre of the room worked best in my tests - as you can walk around and get the full force of the 360-degree sound. Up against a wall doesn't impede the sound much at all - the speaker uses Active Stereo Calibration (ASC) to adapt to where you put it - but it's clear that this has been a speaker that, despite its size, been made to sound big when in big spaces.

I ventured outside, dodging the Great British weather, to try the Mania in a place where sound would drift but, again, it handled it well. Usually I would have to turn a speaker up to pretty much full volume to hear it outdoors, but we never needed to turn the Mania up to full blast - there was always plenty of volume to go, if we needed it (we really didn't).

4. Battery life is good, could be better

Being that this is a portable speaker, it comes with its own rechargeable battery. In this case, you will get around 10 hours out of the thing before you have to charge it up again.

This is decent but nowhere near the best battery on the market. I have used speakers that double this battery life, such as the JBL Charge 5. I haven't had a portable speaker with this amount of power, though, as well as one that's as loud as the Devialet Mania so at least you know where that battery life is going. You can also see how much juice is left, by pressing the battery charge button on the side.

Charging can be done via USB-C and takes around three hours to get from nay to yay. You can listen to the speaker while it's charging, though, and if you fancy spending an extra £70 you can get a fancy charging mat for the Mania to go on.

5. You can speak to the speaker, thanks to Alexa

It's no surprise that Devialet has gone for Alexa integration with the Mania - given it's the most-used voice assistant around. It's nice to have this facility on board and it's easy to set up, you just use the Devialet app and follow the instructions.

Other connectivity is done via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. There's Airplay 2 on board so you can stream to multiple Devialet devices.

It's worth noting that you can't pair two Devialet Manias together as it's already a stereo system (according to Devialet) and there's no AptX / HD on board which is a little strange - Devialet did add this to its Gemini true-wireless earphones but hasn't here.

There's also no Aux, or any other ports for adding your devices.

Devialet Mania Portable: Final Verdict

The Devialet Mania portable speaker is brilliant to look at, with a sound that's punchy and powerful (if a little bass heavy). Its premium build comes at a price but for this RRP you get a whole lot of quality.

There are too many portable speakers on the market that for cheap and cheerful - this is not one of those. What you have is a Devialet device that may be smaller but there's little compromise despite the size.

• These are the best rock albums of all time

The rumors are true: Sonos has updated its range of home audio speakers in the biggest refresh of the line-up in years.

Meet the Sonos Era 300 and Era 100, a pair of wireless speakers just as at home filling your kitchen with music as they are becoming part of a surround sound movie setup.

For the most part the Sonos Era 100 and 300 will feel just like other Sonos speakers in use. They provide largely headache-free multi-room sound. And, as in more recent Sonos generations, they are also basically full-on smart speakers.

Here are five of the top things to know about Sonos’s new Era multi-room smart speakers.

1. The Era 300 has Dolby Atmos-ready audio

Sonos’s Era 300 houses a small army of speaker drivers. There’s a woofer for bass, side drivers for an expansive sound field and, freshest of the lot, a pair of upward-firing speakers.

These give — you guessed it — real height to the sound. And they allow for proper reproduction of Dolby Atmos home cinema audio when you connect your Sonos Era 300 up to a Sonos Arc or Beam Gen 2 soundbar.

The smaller Era 100 doesn’t have these dedicated height channels, but can still be used as rear speakers in a home cinema array. It does have more drivers than the Sonos One, though, with two angled tweeters instead of just the one, plus a larger woofer.

2. The basics: dimensions

It’s time to get the tape measure out. The Sonos Era 100 is just a wee bit larger than the Sonos One, and is the kind of speaker you can fit on a reasonably trim shelf.

It measures 182x120x130.5mm, so you’ll ideally have 13cm of “depth” for whenever you want to plonk your Era 100. At 2.02kg it’s slightly heavier than the Sonos One too.

The Sonos Era 300 is significantly larger, at 160x260x185mm. Here the bit to look out for is the width — make sure your intended spot has at least 26cm of horizontal space. We’d recommend more too, as the Era has side-firing driver units.

Still, the Era 300 is far smaller than the Sonos Five, which is a whopping 36.4cm across. Sonos’s naming system holds up here.

3. You get Bluetooth, and line-in

Sonos speakers are great, but often pretty restrictive. The Sonos One is the most common buy among people we know, and it doesn’t have an aux input or Bluetooth.

The Era series offers both. You can use Bluetooth when you don’t want to be tied to the Sonos software, letting you hook up sources that just won’t work in the classic Sonos fashion.

Sonos doesn’t stop there either. Both Era units have a line-in, letting you plug in totally non-wireless sources like record players and ancient cassette decks.

4. This is a smart speaker

The Era series can communicate with digital assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There are microphones on-board to listen out for commands. And they have a switch that physically cuts off the microphones, so you can be sure you’re not being listened to by one of the tech giants while you relax at home after work.

Sonos also uses the microphones for something else: Trueplay. This listens to how the speaker’s own drivers sound in the room. The mics can pick up how the audio is affected by the shape of the room and what’s inside it by analysing the reflected sound. Trueplay then alters the EQ to suit.

5. They are out soon...

The new Era family of Sonos speakers will be available from March 28. You might think of the Era 100 as a replacement for the Sonos One, the Era 300 as an alternative to the Sonos Five. However, it doesn’t actually replace the Five, and costs a bit less at £449/$449.

Sonos’s Era 100 costs £249/$249, making it a little pricier than the Sonos One, which typically sells at £199. Has Sonos just set a new standard for mainstream home audio? Quite possibly, yes.

It's essential that you have a few of the best comedy podcasts at your fingertips for whenever you need a pick-me-up. We know that listening to funny stories and hearing laughter – no matter how low you might feel – can have a positive impact on your mood.

Life is hard and serious so much of the time it's nice to be able to switch off and escape into comedy sketches, funny stories and other forms of merriment.

UPDATE:Our best comedy podcast list has hit 18, with lots of great comedy shows to choose from. Whether you are into funny interviews, rude readings or just some good ol' stand-up - these are for you.

We have some top suggestions for you below. Want long, rambling funny stories? We have those. Want simple comedy and quickfire jokes? They're here too. There are even podcasts about the craft of stand-up comedy. And hilarious interviews with some of the funniest people in the world.

If you think we've left one of the best comedy podcasts out, then let us know in the box below. And upvote your favourites.

• Still after something funny? These are the funniest books of all time
• And if you want peace and quiet, then give the best true-wireless earbuds a listen

Best comedy podcasts

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.

When compiling this best true wireless earphones guide, we suddenly thought: what seemed like witchcraft not all that long ago is now just another consumer durable.

A few years ago, your choice of truly wireless in-ear headphones was extremely limited but, let’s face it, we were all just grateful such a thing really existed.

Getting music from your phone to your in-ear headphones without a single wire involved? Oh yes please

Now we’re bombarded with choice and thus can afford to be choosy. Choosy about sound quality, about features, about price… and, of course, about the brand we favour. There’s so much choice, it can start to feel a little confusing. Which is where this test comes in.

We’ve spent months listening to the following true wireless earphones and they are the best-sounding, best-specified and best-value true wireless in-ear headphones around right now.

All of the following had been tested by the audio experts at ShortList and where we can we have linked out to our own in-depth reviews so you can do a little more digging if you really want to. You can read how we tested below our best true wireless earphone list.

Best True Wireless earphones

Best true wireless earphones: how we selected

To make sure we were testing the best true wireless earphones correctly, we reviewed the most popular, most high-profile, most realistically priced, and most downright desirable true wireless in-ears on the market, establishing the most popular price points and expected features.

And, of course, to separate the merely wireless from the true wireless. Some in-ear headphones are ‘wireless’ inasmuch as they don’t need a physical connection from your music player to the earphones themselves. But the earbuds tend to be wired to each other, usually via a cable that runs around the back of the wearer’s neck. That’s a test for another day - here we’re concerned solely with true wireless headphones, a left and a right earbud connected to nothing but the inside of your ear.

Features-wise, there’s more to consider than you might at first imagine. For a product so specific in its function, a true wireless headphone can be absolutely loaded with features. Touch-sensitive controls on the earbuds themselves, for instance: there’s not much point in having true wireless headphones if you have to fish out your smartphone every time you want to change tracks or adjust the volume.

Voice-control is a consideration, too. And don’t underestimate the importance of battery life, both of the earbuds themselves and the carry-case in which they charge.

Price also plays a big part, naturally enough. While it’s possible to pay as little as £50 for a pair of true wireless in-ear headphones these days, the compromises (both in terms of audio quality and connectivity - little is more frustrating than wireless headphones that keep losing their connection to your smartphone) are, we think, too great. No, the real action starts once you get into three figures - that’s where big brands with big reputations lurk, as well as the more intrepid specialists.

Ultimately, though, it always comes back to sound quality. Yes, wirelessness is a big convenience - but we can’t imagine persevering with a pair of true wireless in-ears if the sound they make doesn’t satisfy.

No matter the scenario in which you wear your true wireless earbuds — during a commute, during a workout, during the working day — we’ve explained what’s what to help you select the true wireless in-ears that are perfect for you.

Best true wireless earphones: how we tested

As we said, it always comes back to sound quality - and that’s a pretty subjective thing. If you like it punishingly bassy, or flat and undynamic, well… it’s not for us to tell you that you’re wrong. Not overtly, anyway. But in any case, it’s sound - frequency response, tonality, bass control, soundstaging, separation and so on - we give most significant weighting to.

Specification is important too. We took Bluetooth codecs into account (they can impact on battery life almost as much as on sound quality), and we considered the quality of the control app. We also considered the simplicity and effectiveness of the touch-controls.

Battery life - actual battery life, rather than that claimed by the manufacturer - is a vital consideration too. And not only the battery in the headphones themselves. Each and every pair of headphones in this list comes with a charging case that stores some additional power.

We’ve also gone to lengths to test the robustness of the wireless connection - because although some true wireless headphones are quick to pair with your phone and then sound good with music, they can lose their link with your player quite easily if it’s in a bag or a pocket. Which, we’re sure you’ll agree, rather defeats the whole ‘wireless’ point.

Call quality is a consideration, too. Ideally you’d like to be able to answer (or reject) calls without taking your phone from your pocket or bag - but what are these headphones like in terms of telephony? Can you hear your caller? Can they hear you?

Aesthetic considerations, rather like sound quality, are a subjective area. And, to be frank, it’s an area we’re much happier to leave to your own discretion. We feel on far safer ground dismissing one pair of headphones against another on the basis of sound than we do on the basis of their appearance.

• The best rock albums of all time, ranked.

Sony has always been one of the best brands on the planet for audio tech. Its ranges of earbuds and over-ear headphones impress with excellent sound, comfort and, in most devices, best-in-class noise cancellation.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones are stunning and have a huge 26% off right now - the cheapest we have ever seen them.

However, many of Sony’s best headphones are high-end devices and come with the premium price tag to match. That’s why we’re glad to have spotted several Cyber Monday deals on Sony products, like the 36% saving on the Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds that are currently only £159 from £250.

But if you prefer the look and feel of over-ear headphones, then you won’t miss out on deals either. The Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones are also discounted this Cyber Monday and are now available for £290.68, with the original price being £380. That’s a 24% discount and a huge £91 saving.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones offer exceptional noise cancellation so are perfect for working, commuting and travel. There’s also high-quality audio on offer here, as well as a huge 30 hours of battery life. If you’re been looking to upgrade your headphones, don’t miss this deal.

• The best Cyber Monday deals we have found... so far.

Sonos is known for its high-end, multi-room audio tech. But the Sonos Roam SL packs all of the power and exceptional performance that the brand is famous for into a compact, portable design for music on-the-move.

And the good news is that there is a decent 26% off of the price right now.

The Sonos Roam SL allows you to stream music over Wi-Fi with the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2. It’s the same speaker setup as the more expensive Sonos Roam but without a voice assistant. As this is the one Sonos speaker you will want to take outside, we’d say it’s one you’d be happier to control via a phone, rather than your voice.

If going outside with it is your thing, then it boasts 10 hours of battery life and it’s lightweight, waterproof and durable, using Bluetooth to listen to music wherever you are.

The Sonos Roam really does tick all of the boxes if you’re on the hunt for a portable speaker with lots of power. But Sonos devices aren’t cheap. That’s why we’re happy to find that the Sonos Roam SL has been reduced in time for Black Friday.

This Black Friday deal reduces the Sonos Roam SL by £40 - over 25% off. That means it’s £159.99 down from £119.99.

The original Sonos Roam also has a discount, but it’s at 13% so not quite as good a deal as the SL but if you want voice control, then it's a brilliant speaker - you can read more in our Sonos Roam review.

• These are the best Black Friday deals you need to know about.

When was the last time you heard a truly revealing interview? One where you actually learned something about the interviewee? If it was recently, the chances are it was on a podcast. Which is precisely why we've created a list of the best interview podcasts around.

With more and more constraints, TV and radio - with their tight schedules and strict formats - no longer allow journalists to get more than a shallow insight into their subject.

Podcasting changed all that. The more informal atmosphere and relaxed time constraints lead to some truly invaluable advice and insights from the world’s most interesting people.

Some of these podcasts you may well have heard of, whilst others you’ll wish you had sooner. Here’s our pick of the best deep-dive interview podcasts out there. Our links are to Apple Podcasts but obviously other podcast platforms are available.

Best interview podcasts

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.

• These are the best true crime podcasts you need to listen to.

French luxe audio giant Devialet has revealed it first-ever portable speaker, the super-stylish Devialet Mania.

With looks that echo that of its premium - and full size - Devialet Phantom speaker range, this is one Bluetooth speaker which more than stands out.

It's not just the aesthetics that are familiar as the Mania also has similar, albeit condensed, audio smarts inside.

Inside are four full-range drivers and two subwoofers - so expect bass you can feel in your bones - which offer up 360-degree sound and Devialet notes that no matter the size of the room, or if you are heading outside, the sound will "morph and adapt" to the space it is in. This has been given the fancy name of ASC, Active Stereo Calibration.

Devialet certainly hasn't rushed trying to shrink its tech into a smaller speaker. It notes that it has taken some four years to figure out how to get its signature sound into a smaller package.

Connection-wise, you can listen to music via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and there's Alexa on board. It is also both Spotify Connect and Airplay 2 compatible.

When it comes to battery life, there's 10 hours on board and the speaker will charge in three hours. Not the best on the market, then, but more than enough for an outside soiree.

The Devialet Mania is also a hardy speaker, with IPx4 certification, so it can certainly take on a splash or two.

Style-wise, the Devialet has a teardrop look, with the handle offering up six buttons where you can control the speaker. Size-wise it's 170mm tall and weighs 2.3kg.

You can get the Devialet Mania in black and grey, as well as a 24-karat gold-plated edition which has been made with partner Opera Garnier.

Price-wise, the Devialet Mania in grey or black will cost £690/$790 and the Devialet Mania Opéra de Paris version will cost £890/$990. Head to Devialet for more information.

• These are the best rock songs of all time, which sound great whichever speaker you use.

Sonos has been on a mission of late to make sure that smaller spaces don’t miss out on big sounds and its latest release, the Sonos Sub Mini, is testament to this.

Its mini adventure started with its soundbars. The Sonos Beam was a brilliant smaller-sized soundbar, compared to the Arc, with big ambitions. It was suited to TVs from 32 inches and above and the only trick it was missing was Dolby Atmos compatibility. The second generation thankfully remedied this.

For those who wanted a cheaper alternative, the newer Sonos Ray proved an ideal fit - a soundbar that pared back the smarts and focused on making your movie nights sound better.

Now, Sonos have taken this a step further and added another component to its small-sized AV setup, The Sonos Sub Mini.

UPDATE: We've updated our Sonos Sub Mini review as the subwoofer is out now to buy from Sonos. Previously it was only available for pre-order.

As the name suggests, this isn’t Sonos’ first rodeo in the sub sector. It’s nearly a decade since Sonos unleashed its original Sonos Sub on to the world, a device that was praised at the time for its big bass and wireless capabilities. A second gen version was released in 2016 and refreshed once more in 2020.

And now on to the latest addition, the Sonos Sub Mini: is it a Sonos device that will appeal to the masses? Here are five things to know…

1. Its design is familiar, beautifully so

The original Sonos Sub is a square slab, with its powerful speaker system found in the middle of the device. It is a bulky, thing (15 inches in height and width) and is meant for a powerful home cinema setup - the fact you can pair two subs together for deeper bass proves this.

The Sonos Sub Mini is certainly not a replica of the full-fat Sub. It's been given a round design so that it 'blend' into the home furnishings of your room that little bit more. This isn't a slab to stare at, but a piece of audio equipment that wants to be heard and not always seen.

Given the Mini title, we were actually expecting something a little smaller but its dimensions are still sizeable. It measures 9.1 in (230 mm) in diameter and 12 in (305 mm) in height. Think the size of an office pedal bin and you are close.

The rounded design does make it far more aesthetically appealing than the original, though, and certainly doesn't scream "AV GEEK!" at you.

As you can see from the images, the white version of the Sub Mini (it also comes in black), fitted into our dining room setup well and within a few hours of it being in that room it was already part of the furniture.

We are fans of the new design - it has a lot in keeping with the design of Sonos smaller solo speakers, such as the Sonos One.

Weight wise, it is far lighter than the original Sub which was a portly 16kg. The Sonos Sub Mini is a far more svelte 6.35kg.

2. Setup is simple and quick

Connecting the Sonos Sub Mini to your existing Sonos system is effortless and all done through the Sonos app. NFC is used to link the device up and there's no having to mess around with adding in your Wi-Fi password, as you have already given Sonos those details.

When it is ready - there will be an update which takes a few minutes - then you are asked which Sonos device you would like to set your Sub Mini up with. If you don’t do this, then it stays as not assigned in the Sonos app.

From unboxing to trying the Sub Mini out, it took under 10 minutes which we were impressed with.

If you want to hard-wire the sub for a better internet connection, then you can also do this with an Ethernet cable. This will restrict a little where you put the Sub Mini, though. Not that it matters...

3. Where you place the Sub doesn’t matter (too much)

This is a sub that's designed for a more compact setup, but everyone's rooms are a little different so where you place the Sub Mini may be different from where we placed in (in front of the TV, two metres from our arm chair).

It's great then, that you can fine tune Sub Mini’s sound with Trueplay. This audio tech has been around for a while now (since the launch of the redesigned Play:5) and it detects and adapts the speaker’s sound for reflections off of walls and furniture. The idea is that this will give you the best listening experience for your room and setup.

It really does work, we waved our iPhone around the room after setup and it meant that the bass was better served than what it sounded straight out of the box.

4. Sound is powerful, rattling the bones not the box

To try the Sonos Sub Mini out (sorry neighbours), we first loaded up Disney Plus and put on Andor. The deep rumblings of the space battles really got the Sub Mini working, with the sound more expansive than when we tried it without the Sub Mini working.

There is EQ customisation in the app, if you fancy your bass to be a little more booming but we were happy with the sound as it was.

The Sub Mini can get as low as 25Hz and this was certainly tried when we swapped Andor for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

There is a deep bass used throughout Michael Giacchino's score and we really perked up with the foreboding rumble.

The great thing about the Sonos Sub Mini is that it really does keep the bass within its confines - we heard no annoying rattling from the device, thanks for the sealed cabinet, just precise booms coming from the dual 6-inch woofers.

5. And it’s not just for movies

We found assigning the Sonos Sub Mini to other speakers really easy in the app, so while we initially tried out the Sonos Sub Mini with the Sonos Beam, we also hooked it up to our Play:5 and tried the sub with our music collection.

Up first was, obviously, Fleetwood Mac's The Chain. The bass in this one was crisp and reverberated nicely around the room. Massive Attack's Angel gave it a real test and the Sonos Sub Mini passed admirably. We couldn't let the sub go without giving Passing Me By by The Pharcyde a whirl.

Again, the sub handling the lower frequencies while the Play:5 focused more on the mid-range and high frequencies meant the sound was richer for it.

Sonos Sub Mini: Final Verdict

The Sonos Sub Mini is perfect for those whose TV room isn't huge. And because of this, Sonos is recommending that the Sub Mini is used in conjunction with one of the following Sonos devices: the Sonos Beam, Ray, One, One SL and Play:1.

It's still a sizeable device, though, and at £429 / $429 the price is premium enough for you to think: do I really need a sub in my Sonos setup? When it came to our tests, however, the results were a resounding: YES!

The Sonos Sub Mini is available now from Sonos.

These are the best Sonos speakers: find the right one for your setup now.

Sonos is the undisputed master of modern home audio. But how do you choose from the best Sonos speakers on the market?

The American brand pioneered the kind of seamless, stylish, multi-room speaker system that has gradually replaced the traditional hi-fi setup for many people.

UPDATE: We have updated our best Sonos speakers guide with the fantastic Sonos Sub Mini. We have been lucky enough to have it in our Sonos setup for a while now and it's added a brilliant bass layer to our music and movie watching.

The brand has quietly-but-assuredly releasing a steady stream of brilliant speakers that meet a range of needs.

When you buy a Sonos product you know it’s going to tick a number of important boxes: it’ll sound great, look great, be a doddle to set up, and work with any other Sonos gear you might already own.

The company has been in the business for 20 years now, and it can be tricky to keep up with all of its speaker products.

Here, then, are 11 Sonos speakers we love, comprising the core range and some additional Sonos-platform products that deserve to be treated as part of the group.

• We tested these Sonos speakers out by viewing the best Netflix shows and listening to our pick of the best rock albums.

Best Sonos speakers

SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?

Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.