Audio
Earbuds, headphones and speakers. Guides, reviews, buying advice and comparisons appear together here.
Latest in Audio
Clear, current guidance will appear here once it has completed editorial review.
Is Audible Worth It in the UK? What You Pay and What You Keep
Audible is easy to use, but its two main plans work very differently. We explain the prices, the ownership catch and who will genuinely get good value from it.
Best Wireless Earbuds by Budget, 2026
Three genuinely good wireless earbuds at three price points, from a no-frills budget pick to a class-leading pair with the best noise cancellation money can currently buy — with an honest look at what actually improves as you spend more.
JBL Reflect Aero Review: Can £19.99 Sports Earbuds Really Deliver?
At £19.99, the Reflect Aero are unusually cheap sports earbuds with active noise cancellation, so fit, battery condition and realistic expectations matter enormously.
Bose QuietComfort SC Review: Comfort and Calm for Frequent Travellers
The QuietComfort SC are travel-focused Bose headphones for listeners who value relief from background noise more than fashionable design or marathon battery figures.
Beats Solo 4 Review: Fifty-Hour Battery Life Without Active Noise Cancellation
Beats Solo 4 trade active noise cancellation for a lighter on-ear design and exceptionally long claimed battery life.
Beats Studio Pro Review: Premium Beats With More Serious Listening Ambitions
The Studio Pro are Beats' more serious over-ear headphones, adding active noise cancellation and broader listening ambitions at a distinctly premium price.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: Exercise Earbuds That Refuse to Fall Out
Powerbeats Pro 2 are purpose-built exercise earbuds: the ear hooks and long case battery matter more here than making the smallest possible buds.
Apple AirPods 4 Review: The Easy Apple Choice Without Noise Cancellation
AirPods 4 are the uncomplicated Apple option for people who like an open fit and effortless device switching, but do not need noise cancellation.
JBL Tune 780NC Review: Marathon Battery Life at a Sensible Price
The Tune 780NC make endurance the headline, offering an enormous claimed battery life alongside noise cancellation at a modest £69.
JBL Tune Beam 2 Review: Noise-Cancelling Earbuds for £39.99
JBL's Tune Beam 2 squeeze noise cancellation and a long case battery into a £39.99 package, making value their strongest argument.
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Review: An Open Fit With More Control Over Outside Noise
This version of AirPods 4 is for someone who wants Apple's open, easy-wearing shape but still needs some control over commuting noise.
LG US80TR Review: A Complete Surround Package With Rear Speakers Included
The LG US80TR is a complete surround package rather than a lone soundbar, using included rear speakers and a subwoofer to fill a larger room.
Samsung HW-Q600F Review: more spacious film sound and Proper Bass Without Rear-Speaker Clutter
Samsung's HW-Q600F is a compact route into more spacious film sound with a proper subwoofer, but without the rear speakers of a full surround package.
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Review: Premium Dialogue Clarity From a Single Bar
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar focuses on clear dialogue, premium design and spacious single-bar sound for homes that do not want rear-speaker clutter.
Hisense HS3100 Review: A £95 Upgrade for Thin Television Sound
The HS3100 is a £95 television-audio upgrade with a wireless subwoofer, aimed at buyers who want more weight and clearer speech without chasing true surround.
LG US40T Review: A Simple Soundbar-and-Subwoofer Step Up
LG's US40T is a conventional 2.1-style upgrade: three speakers and a wireless subwoofer designed to add body to thin television sound.
LG SQM1 Review: The Tiny Soundbar With One Sensible Job
The tiny LG SQM1 has one modest job—to make everyday television easier to hear without dominating the room or the budget.
Hisense HS2100 Review: Low-Cost Bass Without a Complicated Setup
Hisense's HS2100 is a low-cost soundbar-and-subwoofer pairing for buyers who want stronger bass while keeping setup deliberately simple.
Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 HT-A7100 Review: Big Single-Bar Sound at a Premium Price
Sony's Theatre Bar 7 is a premium single-bar system that uses nine speakers and 405W of quoted power to create scale without bundled rears.
LG USC9S Review: An Expensive Soundbar Built for LG Television Owners
The USC9S is an expensive LG soundbar built to integrate neatly with a compatible television, making brand pairing part of its value calculation.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: The Best All-Round Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sony's WH-1000XM6 are the safest premium recommendation for people who want excellent noise cancellation, clear sound and useful smart features in one package, although cheaper rivals last longer between charges.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen Review: Comfort and Quiet Come First
Bose's second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones remain one of the best ways to reduce travel and office noise, with excellent long-session comfort, but their premium price and ordinary battery life limit the value.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review: The Easiest Premium Earbuds for iPhone Owners
AirPods Pro 3 combine effective noise cancellation, improved fit and exceptionally simple iPhone integration, but Android users lose too much of the experience and existing Pro 2 owners have little reason to rush.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 Review: The Compact Soundbar That Makes Television Easier to Hear
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 remains a strong compact soundbar because it makes dialogue clearer, fills a normal room convincingly and integrates easily with music services, although deep bass and true rear effects require expensive additions.
Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Review: Superb Battery Life and Sound for the Money
The Momentum 5 headphones sound natural, last an exceptionally long time between charges and even allow the battery to be replaced. Noise cancelling is good, but Sony and Bose still create more quiet.
Sennheiser Momentum 5 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Which ANC Headphones Should You Buy?
Sennheiser's Momentum 5 Wireless and Sony's WH-1000XM6 are two of 2026's best premium ANC headphones, built around genuinely different priorities — we compare battery life, noise cancellation and price.