Every Friday, I’ll be highlighting a few new (or relatively new) tech products you should buy. From portable Bluetooth speakers to headphones and earbuds, TVs to content capture devices, phones, appliances, and more, these will all be devices that I have either already reviewed, are in the middle of reviewing and already enjoy, or plan to review in the near future.
Sonos Era 100 SL Portable Speaker
The Sonos Era 100 SL portable speaker, which I reviewed earlier this year, is identical in very way to the Sonos Era 100, except it doesn’t have a microphone. This might make you wonder what’s the point, but there are a lot of people who don’t want voice-activated devices in their home. If you fall into the category or know someone who does, it’s the better option. It’s also slightly cheaper. You get signature Sonos sound with the ability to pair it with other Sonos speakers in the home, as well as pair two for stereo sound. You can connect to sources via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. And it’s compact enough to move around from room to room.
Buy the Sonos Era 100 SL for $249.99.
JBL Soundgear CLIPS
We’re seeing more and more clip-style “huggie” wireless earbuds that look like earrings, and JBL has joined the space with these buds, which I reviewed early in the year. They fit securely, even during workouts, they have easy to use touch controls, and they’re fashionable with a cool charging case. There’s no noise cancellation, but for wearing while working out, working on your laptop, or even commuting if you don’t care about the external noise, you’ll love them.
Buy the JBL Soundgear CLIPs for $229.98.
Sennheiser RS 275 TV Headphone Bundle
I don’t just watch a lot of TV, I watch a lot of TV at night. So I was excited to test this TV headphone bundle, which includes the headphones and a Bluetooth transmitter. What to get over and above just connecting Bluetooth headphones directly to your TV is the option to choose from three different sound modes so you get the best possibly listening experience whether you’re watching a reality show or action movie. They sound fantastic, allowing me to crank up the audio without disturbing sleeping family members. Plus, with the transmitter, you can connect any pair of Auracast headphones and multiple people can listen at their preferred volume. So, if grandpa is losing his hearing and needs to listen to the game at full blast, but that hurts your baby’s ears, he can do it while you listen at the TV’s standard volume.
Buy the Sennheiser RS 275 TV Headphones for $349.95, on sale from $399.95.
Victrola Journey Glow Suitcase Record Player
If you know a Gen-Zer or Millennial who wants a simple record player, this one is a great option. It combines both turntable playback through its internal or connected speakers with Bluetooth. There’s even a headphone jack for private listening. Its adorable design makes it easy to bring over to a friend’s house, packed in its self-contained suitcase. I reviewed it late last year and love how easy it is to set up and use, along with the glowing colours on the front you can adjust to display different effects. It’s a perfect first turntable for someone from the younger generation getting into vinyl.
Buy the Victrola Journey Glow for $119.98, on sale from $139.26.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen Noise Cancelling Headphones
Ranking among my favourite noise cancelling headphones this year, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2s really impressed me with their incredible ANC performance. They’re comfortable to wear even during long flights (yes, I tested this!), have great battery life, and adjustable noise cancelling levels. They aren’t the best-sounding headphones you’ll find, but you almost don’t care because of how great ANC is. Plus, they still sound good. And with a USB-C lossless listening option, you can get a fantastic wired audio experience with connected high-res audio sources.