Audio & Home

Headphones, speakers, TVs, and living-room kit.

updated
Sep 10, 2026
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September 20263 articles

Three conditions from Best Buy's price match wording, shown as a checklist. Brand matches. Colour matches. Model number does not match, because the item is sold at one retailer only. The result: no price match, no review history and no price history.
Audio & Home · Explainer

The Model Number Is the Whole Comparison

Retailers match only an identical model number. Outlets have reported for years that some November models exist in one shop and one season.

Averaged review scores against price: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen 9.7 at $299, Technics EAH-AZ100 9.7 at $299.99, Sony WF-C710N 9.7 at $129.99, AirPods Pro 3 9.3 at $249, Sony WF-1000XM6 8.7 at $329.99.
Audio & Home · Shortlist

The Best Wireless Earbuds, According to the Reviews

A $129.99 pair averages exactly what a $299 pair averages. What that says about star ratings is the useful part.

Averaged review scores on a ten-point scale: Sonos Arc Ultra 9.3 from three outlets, best overall; Sony HT-S2000 9.3 from three outlets, same average but unavailable at Sony US; Sonos Beam (Gen 2) 8.7 from three outlets, less than half the Arc Ultra’s price; Bose Smart Soundbar 7.6 from three outlets, compact and the contested one.
Audio & Home · Shortlist

The Best Soundbars, According to the Reviews

A flagship and a budget bar tie on score, and Sony’s store no longer offers the budget one. On music, the scores and verdicts disagree.

August 20269 articles

A portable Bluetooth speaker resting on a tree branch at sunset.
Audio & Home · Shortlist

The Best Portable Speakers, According to the Reviews

Fifteen scores from three outlets, all read in October. Three JBLs drew identical marks, and the Charge 6 now trails the cheaper Flip 7.

A hand holding a remote control in front of a television.
Audio & Home · Shortlist

The Best TVs of 2026, According to the Reviews

Four outlets, five sets: the newer LG and Hisense both average below the models they replace, and the size you buy can change the panel.

A wall-mounted flat-screen television in a minimalist living room.
Audio & Home · Guide

What Separates a $400 TV From a $1,200 One

Four specifications decide it, and only one is printed in a form you can compare. The rest are numbers each brand defines itself.

Someone wearing headphones beside a railway platform.
Audio & Home · Guide

How Loud Is Too Loud? Your Phone Already Knows

The WHO limit is 80dB for 40 hours a week. Apple built that exact number into iOS, and almost nobody has opened the screen that reports it.

Macro photograph of a single wireless earbud.
Audio & Home · Guide

One Earbud Quieter Than the Other? Check the Slider

Before cleaning anything or claiming a warranty, check one accessibility setting. Five seconds, and it beats hardware as the cause.

Paper shopping bags marked with Black Friday sale text.
Audio & Home · Deal

Headphones Are Black Friday's Biggest Spike

Bluetooth audio sold 1,850% above its October rate on Cyber Monday. That tells you about the selection — and about the pressure.

Wireless earbuds and their charging case on a blue background.
Audio & Home · Explainer

Bluetooth Codecs: LDAC's 990kbps Is Rarely 990kbps

The badge on the box names a ceiling, not what you are getting. Sony's own page says the rate drops to roughly SBC's on a bad link.

A pair of over-ear headphones resting on a desk under warm light.
Audio & Home · Explainer

Why Your Headphones Sound Worse the Second a Call Starts

Nothing is broken. Bluetooth swaps to a different profile the moment something wants your microphone — and only one can run at a time.

Averaged review scores: Sony WH-1000XM6 9.0 from three outlets across a two-point spread, Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless 9.0 from three across a two-point spread, AirPods Max 2 8.7 from three, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 8.0 from three with no disagreement.
Audio & Home · Shortlist

The Best Headphones of 2026, According to the Reviews

Four pairs worth buying, sorted by what you care about most — and why the two at the top both owe it to the same reviewer.