2024 has been a rough year for Sonos. The company’s would-be triumphant entry into the crowded headphones market was overshadowed by a disastrous app redesign.
Oftentimes, the best gaming headset doesn’t need to be a “gaming headset” at all. Although these devices can be viewed as niche within the headphone market, they’re ultimately still headphones. And though we’ve found more and more gaming headsets that impress in terms of audio quality, those tend to cost more than a comparable set of wired headphones (which, yes, still exist). If you need to chat with friends, it’s always possible to buy an external microphone and get superior sound there as well.
You don’t need a set of AirPods to get wireless audio from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, but Apple’s earbuds and headphones offer a lot of convenient integrations with its other products that you won’t find anywhere else. After helping popularize true wireless earbuds with its original AirPods, the company has expanded its lineup to include noise-canceling models and a set of over-ear headphones. Here’s what you need to know about AirPods in general, along with the best overall, budget and over-ear picks from Apple’s current slate of products.
Portable Bluetooth speakers are always a good option to pick up for a special someone (or yourself) when early Black Friday tech deals start to pop up.
Sennheiser has launched a new all-in-one microphone system that can transform according to your needs. The new Profile Wireless set comes with two clip-on microphones, which are pre-paired with a charging bar.
If you’ve ever tried listening to your favorite playlist only to have it drowned out by chatty commuters, airplane engines or other distracting noises, you might want to consider some headphones with active noise cancelation (ANC). Whether you’re working in a bustling coffee shop, catching a flight, or just trying to focus at home, a good pair of headphones with ANC will block out those distracting outside sounds so you can fully immerse yourself in your music, podcasts, or that new audiobook you’ve been dying to finish.
I only hopped on the headphone trend earlier this year after being a forever earbud devotee, and they're truly life changing. They're so expensive, though, so a sale — especially a big one — can make all the difference.
Google’s NotebookLM software just got some cool new features that primarily impact audio overviews. For the uninitiated, the platform’s Audio Overview tool uses AI to whip up an audio summary of a piece of content. It started with written content, but has since expanded to YouTube videos.
Sony makes some of the best headphones around at the higher end but it has a broad range of options available at other price points as well. Our pick for the best wireless headphones is the company's WH-1000XM5, which will typically run you $400. If you can't swing that, the mid-range ULT Wear headphones are a decent option, especially since they're on sale.