Best buys · 4 picks

The sound

Most people listen through whatever came free with the phone or the TV. These are the upgrades you notice every single day. The noise-cancelling headphones are on the desk shelf.

The earbuds

Apple AirPods Pro

For iPhone owners, the easy answer: strong noise cancelling, a transparency mode that sounds natural, and they move between your Apple devices on their own.

Buy it for: Commutes, flights, the gym, calls.
Skip it if: You use Android. Look at Sony or Samsung earbuds.

What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →

The portable speaker

JBL Flip

Loud for its size, waterproof enough to fall in the pool, and small enough for a cup holder. The speaker that goes to the beach, the garage and the shower.

Buy it for: Backyards, boats, job sites.
Skip it if: It will never leave the living room. A Wi-Fi speaker sounds better there.

What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →

The room speaker

Sonos Era 100

Fills a room properly, plays from almost any music app, and when you add a second one they play together or as a stereo pair. The start of whole-house sound, one room at a time.

Buy it for: Kitchens, bedrooms, the office.
Skip it if: You want to take it outside. It needs a wall socket.

What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →

The soundbar

Sonos Beam

Makes TV dialogue clear, which is the thing most flat TVs get wrong, and connects with a single HDMI cable. Small enough for a TV stand in an ordinary room.

Buy it for: Anyone reaching for subtitles or the remote every scene.
Skip it if: Your room is large and you want the floor to shake. Look at the Arc and a sub.

What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →