Audio &amp; Headphones

Audio & Headphones

Soundcore Boom 2

Anker · Ages 13+ years

IPX7 waterproof rating and a design built to float, tested reliably by independent reviewers in submersion tests
Advertised 24-hour battery life, with independent testing measuring over 27 hours in real-world use
Large and heavy for something marketed as a portable speaker, more suited to a car trunk or yard than a backpack

Audio & Headphones

Beam (Gen 2)

Sonos · Ages 13+ years

Five Class-D amplifiers packed into a compact form factor deliver noticeably clearer dialogue and fuller sound than typical TV speakers
Dolby Atmos support via psychoacoustic virtualization adds a sense of height and space without needing separate overhead drivers
Atmos effects are virtualized, not delivered by dedicated up-firing drivers, so the height effect is convincing but not identical to true object-based hardware

Audio & Headphones

Woburn III

Marshall · Ages 13+ years

150W total output across a five-driver, three-way array delivers genuinely room-filling sound for a home speaker
Analog top controls with brass accents let you adjust bass, treble, and volume by hand without opening an app
No aptX or LDAC codec support, limiting Bluetooth audio quality on compatible source devices

Audio & Headphones

Move 2

Sonos · Ages 13+ years

True stereo sound with adaptive Trueplay room tuning, a genuine step up from most portable Bluetooth speakers
Battery life roughly doubled from the original Move, now rated up to 24 hours
At $449, it's significantly more expensive than most portable Bluetooth-only speakers

4.2Verified

Audio & Headphones

Wonderboom 3

Ultimate Ears · Ages 13+ years

IP67 rated and specifically designed to float, making it a genuinely worry-free pool or lake companion
360-degree sound design fills a room or backyard evenly rather than projecting in one direction
Still uses Micro-USB for charging instead of USB-C, a dated choice for a current-generation product

Audio & Headphones

Charge 5

JBL · Ages 13+ years

Rated 20 hours of battery life, among the longest in its size class
Built-in USB-A power bank function lets you charge a phone directly from the speaker's battery
Bluetooth 5.1 only, with no Wi-Fi or true multiroom streaming support beyond JBL PartyBoost pairing

Audio & Headphones

SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

Bose · Ages 13+ years

IP67 rated — fully dust proof and can survive submersion up to 1 meter, and it floats
Delivers noticeably fuller, punchier sound than its compact size suggests, a hallmark of Bose's tuning
Real-world battery life in independent testing has landed noticeably below Bose's claimed 12-hour rating, often closer to 7 to 10 hours depending on volume

Audio & Headphones

OpenRun Pro 2

Shokz · Ages 13+ years

Open-ear design keeps you aware of traffic, other people, and surroundings — a genuine safety benefit for outdoor running and cycling
Hybrid bone-and-air conduction driver noticeably improves bass response over Shokz's earlier bone-conduction-only models
Open-ear design means no real noise isolation — not the right choice for flights, offices, or blocking out a loud gym

4.0Verified

Audio & Headphones

Go Air Pop

JLab · Ages 13+ years

Priced around $25, making it one of the cheapest true wireless earbuds that's actually pleasant to use daily
Surprisingly good passive noise isolation for the price, thanks to a snug in-ear fit
No active noise cancellation and no companion app for EQ adjustment

Audio & Headphones

Ear (2024)

Nothing · Ages 13+ years

Distinctive transparent design stands out from the sea of black plastic earbud cases
Excellent sound for the roughly $149 price, backed by LDAC and LHDC 5.0 codec support
ANC is decent but noticeably behind true flagships like the AirPods Pro 2 or Sony WF-1000XM5

Audio & Headphones

Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Samsung · Ages 13+ years

Strong, well-tuned ANC with a genuinely open, comfortable stem-style design
IP57 water and dust resistance — one of the stronger ratings in the premium earbud category
Ear tips fit loosely for some ear shapes, which reviewers note can affect both comfort and ANC seal

4.1Verified

Audio & Headphones

Solo Buds

Beats · Ages 13+ years

At $79.99, it's the cheapest wireless earbud Apple/Beats makes, undercutting most name-brand competitors
Remarkably compact and light — the earbuds and case together weigh just 32 grams
No active noise cancellation at all — this is a basic listening earbud, not a travel or commuting ANC pick

Audio & Headphones

S66 Wireless Earbuds

XIAOWTEK · Ages 13+ years

Dual LED display shows case battery and each earbud's battery separately — genuinely unusual at this price, where most buds show no readout at all
IP7 waterproof rating exceeds the IPX4/IPX5 typical for budget earbuds, holding up to sweat, rain, and light splashes
XIAOWTEK is a newer marketplace-storefront brand, not an established audio company — build consistency and long-term support are less predictable than known brands

Audio & Headphones

Soundcore Space Q45

Anker · Ages 13+ years

Up to 50 hours of battery life with ANC on, and up to 65 hours with it off — genuinely exceptional for the price
Five adjustable ANC levels give real control over how much outside noise you let in
Materials and finish don't match the perceived quality of Sony or Bose's flagship headphones

4.2Verified

Audio & Headphones

Tour One M2 Wireless Headphones

JBL · Ages 13+ years

50-hour total battery life is among the best in the ANC headphone category, with 30 hours available even with ANC and Bluetooth both active
Quick charge adds up to 5 hours of playback from just 10 minutes on the charger
ANC doesn't reach the cancellation depth of Sony's XM5 or Bose's 700-series headphones

Audio & Headphones

WH-CH720N Wireless Headphones

Sony · Ages 13+ years

Massive battery life — up to 35 hours with ANC on, or 50 hours with it off, well beyond most headphones at this price
Genuinely usable active noise cancellation for a sub-$150 headphone, noticeably reducing traffic and ambient noise
Build feels plasticky compared to Sony's higher-end XM-series, with less premium materials throughout

Audio & Headphones

AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

Apple · Ages 13+ years

Noticeably improved noise cancellation over the first generation, verified across independent testing
Seamless automatic device switching across Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account
Noticeably worse cross-platform experience on Android — many convenience features are iOS-exclusive

Audio & Headphones

QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Bose · Ages 13+ years

Consistently rated among the most physically comfortable ANC headphones for multi-hour wear
Immersive Audio spatial sound mode adds a genuinely distinct listening option versus standard stereo
Premium price sits at the very top of the ANC headphone category

Audio & Headphones

Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

JBL · Ages 13+ years

IP67 waterproof and dust-resistant rating means genuine confidence at the pool, beach, or in the rain
Surprisingly strong bass output for the speaker's compact size, a consistent JBL strength across the Flip line
No aux input on this generation — Bluetooth only, which matters for older devices or reliability-critical use

Audio & Headphones

Sonos One (Gen 2)

Sonos · Ages 13+ years

Noticeably fuller, more balanced sound than Amazon Echo or Google Nest equivalents at a similar size
Multi-room grouping with other Sonos speakers is genuinely seamless via the Sonos app
Meaningfully more expensive than Amazon or Google's equivalent smart speakers with similar core features

Audio & Headphones

Studio Buds+

Beats · Ages 13+ years

Genuinely equal feature parity across iOS and Android, unlike Apple's AirPods which favor iPhone
Transparent case color option is a distinctive design choice that stands out from typical black or white earbuds
Noise cancellation, while good, falls short of Apple AirPods Pro or Sony's flagship earbuds in direct comparison

Audio & Headphones

Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones

Sennheiser · Ages 13+ years

Roughly 60-hour battery life with ANC on is dramatically longer than Sony's or Bose's flagship competitors
Warm, detailed sound signature that audio enthusiasts consistently rate among the best in wireless ANC headphones
Touch controls on the ear cup are less precise and intuitive than physical button alternatives

Audio & Headphones

Emberton II Portable Speaker

Marshall · Ages 13+ years

Distinctive Marshall amp-inspired sound signature stands out from typical bass-forward portable speakers
IP67 water and dust resistance rating matches category-leading competitors
Mono sound from a single unit — true stereo requires pairing two Embertons together

Audio & Headphones

Soundcore Life Q30

Anker · Ages 13+ years

Genuinely competent noise cancellation at a small fraction of Sony or Bose's flagship pricing
Roughly 40-hour battery life with ANC on outlasts most premium competitors, not just budget rivals
Noise cancellation, while impressively good for the price, doesn't match Sony or Bose's flagship-tier performance

Audio & Headphones

Echo Studio

Amazon · Ages 13+ years

Five-driver array with genuine spatial audio processing is a significant step up from a standard Echo Dot
Dolby Atmos support for compatible music streaming services adds real dimensional sound
Meaningfully more expensive than a standard Echo Dot, with sound quality as the main justification for the price jump

Audio & Headphones

Momentum True Wireless 4

Sennheiser · Ages 13+ years

Consistently rated among the best-sounding true wireless earbuds available, with a natural, detailed tuning that favors accuracy over hyped bass
Supports aptX Lossless and LE Audio in addition to standard codecs, appealing to listeners with capable source devices
Battery life is average for the price tier — roughly 7 to 7.5 hours per charge, not a standout versus $150 competitors offering similar runtime

Audio & Headphones

AirPods Max (USB-C)

Apple · Ages 13+ years

Excellent build quality with a genuinely premium metal-and-mesh design that still feels distinct years after launch
Strong, well-regarded active noise cancellation and a natural-sounding transparency mode
At 386g, it's one of the heaviest headphones in its class, which some owners find fatiguing on long sessions

Audio & Headphones

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Apple · Ages 13+ years

Cheapest way into ANC AirPods, undercutting AirPods Pro 2 by a meaningful margin
Open, tip-free design is comfortable for people who find in-ear silicone tips irritating or claustrophobic
Noise cancellation is real but noticeably weaker than AirPods Pro 2, Sony, or Bose because the open design can't fully seal out sound

Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless noise-cancelling headphones in black

Audio & Headphones

WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones

Sony · Ages 13+ years

Active noise cancellation remains at or near the top of the category, especially against low-frequency drone (planes, trains, AC units)
Around 30 hours of battery life with ANC on, with fast-charge topping up several hours of playback in minutes
No longer folds flat into a compact case the way the WH-1000XM4 did — the redesigned hinge trades pocketability for a cleaner look

Audio & Headphones

QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose · Ages 13+ years

Widely regarded as having some of the best measured active noise cancellation of any earbuds on the market, adjustable in strength via the app
Immersive Audio spatial sound mode genuinely widens the soundstage for music and movies, not just a gimmick toggle
Battery life is the weak point of the lineup — about 6 hours per charge with Immersive Audio off, dropping to roughly 4 hours with it on

4.7Verified

Audio & Headphones

WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds

Sony · Ages 13+ years

Some of the strongest active noise cancellation of any true wireless earbuds, even in loud environments like planes and trains
Smaller, lighter shell than the previous XM4 generation, which noticeably improves all-day comfort and fit stability
IPX4 splash resistance only — fine for sweat and light rain, not for swimming or heavy downpours