Sony’s new ULT range of speakers stretches from the relatively manageable $450 ULT Tower 5 to the frankly ridiculous $1,200 ULT Tower Max. Sitting between them is the ULT Tower 7, with excellent sound, an ample selection of inputs, a combined 420 watts of output, and a 30-hour battery. Be warned, though, while it’s smaller
Part of LG’s xboom collaboration with producer, Black Eyed Peas star, and tech obsessive will.i.am, the Stage 501 is a mighty 25.8-pound party starter. Its 2.2-channel setup combines twin 5.25-inch woofers with two 2.5-inch full-range drivers. Together they’re capable of 160 watts on battery or 220 watts plugged in. In simpler terms: It easily filled
Sonos has a new app. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The smart speaker company, long a darling of the audio industry, undid much of the goodwill it earned with its multiroom speakers through a bevy of software updates that broke its app in 2024. Almost all app users hated it, citing the
Noise canceling is also top-tier. The buds have the standard noise cancellation, transparency, adaptive, and off modes, and you can fine-tune ANC strength (from one to five) using the case or Soundcore app. The only earbuds that noticeably canceled more noise were the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Sony WF-1000XM6. Video: Harry Rabinowitz
Shokz has long been the leader in bone conduction headphones, despite a minor misstep with the first-generation OpenSwim, which lacked Bluetooth streaming. OpenSwim Pro solves this, making it a great option for much more than just swimming. Whether you stream via Bluetooth or use the built-in 32GB music player, OpenSwim Pro delivers impressive open-ear audio.
