Speakers Reviews
Find well-researched speaker reviews written by experts.
Costar Mateband Champion LE01 review: Wireless neckband with unreal battery-life
28 Mar 2023
SpeakersSony Walkman NW-A306 review: A modern-day avatar of the legend
If the word Walkman doesn't mean anything to you, it either means you are born on this side of the millennium or lived under a rock on the other side or simply over 75 years old. For the rest, the word was synonymous with a portable music player in the '80s and '90s. Toward the end of the last century, it shifted from being a cassette player to a portable CD player or a Diskman as it was commonly known. Then came the Apple iPod and other 'MP3 players' and things started to change drastically.
27 Feb 2023
SpeakersAudio-Technica ATH-M20xBT headphone review: Studio sound but lacks new-age features
Studio monitors or simply headphones that offer close to neutral sound signature is a niche category in India. And it's understandable because most people like thumping bass in their sound. Nothing wrong with that either, but studio monitors are exactly the opposite in a way. They don't strive to be bass-deficient, but produce sound the way it is recorded without boosting any specific frequencies; hence the name.
20 Feb 2023
SpeakersOnePlus Buds Pro 2 review: Quality earbuds under Rs. 12,000
The OPPO Enco X2 has been sitting comfortably at the top of the midrange mountain since its release. It has hardly been challenged by anything that came before or after it in the Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 12,000 range or even a little higher. Finally, a challenger has emerged, and it seems to be equipped with similar tools on paper as the Enco X2. Be it the driver configuration or codec support at launch or active noise cancellation (ANC), things seem evenly matched.
31 Jan 2023
SpeakersCostar Mateband N300 review: Affordable Bluetooth earphones with good sound
We have been reviewing a lot of upper midrange and high-end earphones lately. It is equally important to gauge what's going on at the other end of the spectrum as the majority of the users do not want to spend that kind of money on earphones. And honestly, you do find hidden gems under Rs. 1,000 if you look hard enough. So when Singapore-based Costar approached us for reviewing their budget wireless neckband, we thought of giving it a try.
24 Jan 2023
SpeakersSennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones review: Watch out, Sony WH-1000XM5
The Momentum series of TWS earbuds from Sennheiser are considered among the best in the segment. And naturally, I was excited to try out their Momentum 4 Wireless headphones. I know, it's a completely different category but the company has been delivering some stellar audio products across different form factors. In India, when one talks about the best headphones around Rs. 30,000, the Sony WH-1000X series is the first that comes to mind.
02 Jan 2023
SpeakersGoogle Pixel Buds Pro review: Smart speakers in your ears
Continuing with our exploration of Google-branded products, we now have the flagship true wireless (TWS) earbuds from the company. The Google Pixel Buds Pro aims to take on the likes of Sony WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro which are the best under Rs. 20,000 in India currently. On paper, it doesn't seem equipped with all the tools it would need to dislodge the two from the top.
08 Dec 2022
SpeakersSony WF-LS900N earphones review: Good sound, great features, but overpriced
A couple of months back we reviewed a highly unusual pair of true wireless (TWS) earbuds from Sony called the Linkbuds. Yes, those 8-shaped buds! We now have a successor for the device, but it sports a lot more traditional in-ear design. Gone are the ring drivers that stayed outside the ear canals and the extended touch zones that would let you tap your earlobe to register a touch input.
22 Nov 2022
SpeakersSony WH-1000XM5 headphones review: Arguably the best under Rs. 30,000
The WH-1000X series of headphones from Sony have been incredibly popular over the years. I have had the good fortune of experiencing the Sony WH-1000XM4 for a considerable amount of time. It's been over two years since I reviewed it, and its successor has now arrived. Unlike smartphones, the XM4 is still available in India, and more importantly, still relevant courtesy of its excellent sound quality and category-defining active noise cancellation (ANC).
10 Nov 2022
SpeakersRealme Buds Air 3S review: Impressive feature set, bass-heavy sound
Realme already has far too many TWS earphones in the Indian market. They probably have half a dozen options under Rs. 3,000 itself. And I am not even talking about the ones from their sub-brand, Dizo. To be honest, half that number would have been good enough to have a stranglehold on the segment, and the other half just makes up the numbers anyway.
1 Nov 2022
SpeakersOPPO Enco Buds2 review: Nice balancing act with impressive results
There are times when it feels like it's a lot easier to come up with a flagship product than one on a much tighter budget. Don't get me wrong, both have their own individual challenges. While you can pack the flagship with everything you got, it's a fine balancing act with the entry-level product deciding what features to include and what to leave out in the given budget. Needless to say, the competition is often much stiffer at a lower price point.
2 Oct 2022
SpeakersJBL Endurance Race TWS review: A durable workout companion
JBL has a variety of true wireless (TWS) earphones in India that cater to different needs and budgets. The Endurance Race TWS buds are specifically meant for people with an active lifestyle who wouldn't want to use bad weather as an excuse to skip their daily run or workout. Such users demand products that can endure the elements and serve as a durable workout companion.
1 Oct 2022
SpeakersSony LinkBuds WF-L900 earbuds review: It's a 'hole' new world
Not too long ago, we reviewed Sony's SRS-NB10 wireless neckband speaker, a first of its kind. The broad idea there was to stay connected with your work, entertainment and the world around you. The company has now brought a similar concept to TWS earbuds. Right from the design to engineering, the Sony LinkBuds WF-L900 strive to stand out from the crowd and deliver a different experience to the user.
30 Aug 2022
SpeakersOPPO Enco X2 review: Worthy successor to the Enco X
It has been well over a year and a half since OPPO launched its Enco X TWS earbuds in India. It was a category defining product that raised the performance bar in the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment. While a couple of rival products managed to compete hard, neither could truly surpass it till date. Understandably, when the company announced its successor recently, there was a wave of excitement. What would OPPO's new flagship bring to the table this time?
19 Aug 2022
SpeakersSony WI-C100 review: Wireless neckband that gets the basics right
Sony needs no introduction. It is synonymous with premium electronics products in India and generally operates in the upper mid-range to high-end segment. The budget wireless earphones category in India has been booming with bulk of the sales numbers coming from products priced under Rs. 2,000. If you divide the segment further, brands like Boat and Realme have a stranglehold in the sub-Rs. 1,500 range, while the likes of OnePlus have been doing well in the upper half.
24 Jul 2022
SpeakersLG Tone Free FP9 review: Impressive sound, truly unique features
We have reviewed a wide variety of wireless audio products from their inception. From wireless headphones, we moved to smaller, lighter neckbands and then to true wireless (TWS) earbuds. We have witnessed the sound quality of TWS buds improve drastically year after year, and the same is true for their battery life. Then came configurable touch controls and active noise cancellation (ANC) on those tiny buds, and the evolution continued.
11 Jul 2022
SpeakersRealme Buds Q2s review: Cool looks, decent sound, hard sell
Realme has spoilt us by offering features like active noise cancellation (ANC) within a budget of Rs. 2,500. Their true wireless (TWS) earphones like the Buds Q2 and Buds Air 2 have changed the game in the segment by not just offering high-end features but also very good sound quality. They have raised the bar and our expectations so high that a standard pair of TWS buds seems inadequate unless priced much lower.
05 Jul 2022
SpeakersPTron Tangent Urban wireless neckband review: Solid battery, bass-heavy sound
A few years ago, I reviewed the PTron Zap wireless neckband from a brand I hadn't heard about till then. It turned out to be quite an impressive product for its asking price close to Rs. 1,500 with lively sound quality, punchy bass and nearly 24 hours of battery backup, which was a big deal back then. Cut to the present, and the company has launched a new wireless neckband that's probably the most inexpensive among those I have got my hands on.
26 Jun 2022
SpeakersPhilips TAT2206BK TWS earphones review: Good vocal clarity, low bass
Brands like Realme and Boat have been extremely popular in the budget wireless earphones segment over the past couple of years. Then you have brands like OnePlus, Soundcore and OPPO occasionally challenging their dominance with the odd product here and there. Interestingly, we also came across a recently launched pair of TWS earphones from Philips selling under Rs. 2,500.
30 May 2022
SpeakersOnePlus Nord Buds review: Basic TWS earbuds with customizable sound
When OnePlus launched the first Nord phone, it seemed like the company wanted to have a player in the more affordable segment of smartphones. In less than two years since, we have almost half a dozen Nord devices in India, and now the company is looking to include an audio device too under the Nord umbrella. When it was announced, we believed the company was looking to bring in a feature packed device at a more attractive price point. But that doesn't seem to be the case.
23 May 2022
SpeakersRealme Buds Air 3 review: Good sound and best-in-segment ANC
OnePlus Buds Z seemed like a pair of true wireless (TWS) earphones that would be hard to beat around Rs. 3,000 at launch. But Realme had other ideas soon after. They launched their Buds Air 2, and packed it with features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and a fairly balanced sound output at a similar price point. Add to that multiple sound profiles and customisable controls through the Realme Link app, and the title changed hands quite easily.
09 May 2022
SpeakersPhilips TAA4216BK wireless sports headphones review: A sturdy fitness companion
True wireless (TWS) earbuds have been attempting to sweep the audio wearables market over the past year or so. But you still have users who prefer good old on-the-ear headphones, and some don't mind putting those on even when working out or during a jog. If you are one of them, Philips has just the product that you may want to look at closely.
07 Mar 2022
SpeakersOnePlus Buds Z2 review: A strong contender under Rs. 5,000
The OnePlus Buds Z has been an easy recommendation under Rs. 3,000 since its launch purely on the basis of sound quality. But the competition, especially from brands like Realme, has looked to pack their offering with features like active noise cancellation (ANC) at a similar price point. OnePlus did launch its flagship product, the Buds Pro, with a lot of modern features not too long ago but it operates in a very different price bracket.
01 Mar 2022
SpeakersSony SRS-NB10 wireless neckband speaker review: Start of something new?
What is a wireless neckband speaker, you ask? I pretty much had the same question on my mind when the product was mentioned on a call for the first time, and then a few more. Is it a wireless neckband or a wireless speaker? Can it replace regular earphones or headphones? How well does it sound? Hope it's not some kind of a boombox that I need to wear around my neck!
24 Feb 2022
SpeakersOPPO Enco M32 review: One step forward, two steps back
Back in 2020, OPPO launched the Enco M31 wireless neckband that shook the audio community in a good way. Deviating from the typical bass boosted formula, the company opted for a more balanced sound profile. Never did a wireless earphone priced close to Rs. 2,000 sound that good and detailed; that probably holds true even now. While its sound output pleased the purists, the bass aficionados weren't ignored either.
04 Feb 2022
SpeakersSoundcore Life Note E earbuds review: Impressive for the price
Soundcore by Anker is a relatively lesser known brand in India for audio products. But from our prior experience with some of their earphones, I can assure you that their products have the potential to hang with the best under Rs. 10,000. The brand has a fairly broad portfolio across various price brackets, and the Life Note E that I have for review here is their latest entry-level offering.
31 Jan 2022
SpeakersBoat Rockerz 330 Pro Wireless Neckband review: Should you buy?
Last year we reviewed the Boat Rockerz 330 wireless neckband and quite liked the overall package. Among other things, it offered close to 30 hours of battery backup.
25 Jan 2022
SpeakersSony WF-1000XM4 earphones Review: Great sound, ANC at a premium
We have covered a lot of budget and mid-range true wireless (TWS) earphones in the past, and now it is time to focus on the premium segment. In India, it is generally a four horse race between Sony, Apple, Bose and Sennheiser at the top of the food chain. In 2020, Sony impressed one and all with the launch of their WF-1000XM3 TWS buds, and set a new benchmark for active noise cancellation (ANC). We expect its successor to be no less in that department.
20 Jan 2022
SpeakersSony HT-S40R Soundbar Review: A unique soundbar with surround sound
Not too long ago, 5.1 channel surround speaker systems were quite popular. But one common complaint about them used to be the cables running across the room, especially those connecting the rear speakers to the main unit. I know a lot of people who simply disconnected the rear speakers to minimize the cable clutter. Over a period of time, people started moving to soundbars for convenience.
14 Jan 2022
SpeakersRealme Buds Wireless 2 Review: Feature-rich and affordable Wireless neckband
Most of the wireless earphones released by Realme of late have been impressive, and offer good value for money across various price brackets. We have already reviewed the junior of the two models in their Buds Wireless 2 series with the Neo suffix and were pleased with what it brought to the table.
04 Dec 2021
SpeakersMicromax Airfunk 1 Pro Review: Could have been much better
Our exploration of the budget true wireless (TWS) earphones segment continues, and it brings us to the Micromax Airfunk 1 Pro that, among other things, boasts of a feature that's rare in the sub-Rs. 2,500 segment -- Qualcomm aptX codec support. Of course, just being compliant with those codecs doesn't magically make them sound great.
09 Nov 2021
SpeakersRealme Buds Wireless 2 Neo Review: Feature-rich budget Bluetooth earphones
Realme has been a consistent performer in the budget personal audio category, offering good products for an attractive price. They recently launched two new models in their Buds Wireless 2 series that are meant to succeed their older Buds Wireless neckband. While the Realme Buds Wireless 2 flaunts some premium features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and support for Sony's LDAC codecs, the one with the Neo suffix that we have for review today, is a scaled down version of the same.
04 Nov 2021
SpeakersBoult Audio Airbass ENCore Review: Better for calls than music
Before brands like Realme, Soundcore and OPPO spread their wings to the sub- Rs. 2,000 segment of wireless earphones and upped the ante, brands like Boat and Boult Audio were viable options in the category. Boult recently launched their new Airbass ENCore true wireless (TWS) earbuds that claim to focus on supreme call quality among other things. The buds are meant to have a superior environmental noise cancellation algorithm, and hence the highlighted ENC in the model name.
19 Oct 2021
SpeakersRealme Buds Q2 Review: Good sound, ANC under Rs. 2,500
Just recently we reviewed the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro that boasts of some features unheard of under Rs. 3,000. And, now Realme's new Buds Q2 hopes to do something similar in the sub-Rs. 2,500 category of TWS earbuds. While Xiaomi opted for a more radical approach like a dual driver setup and aptX Adaptive support, Realme has chosen to tread a feature-rich but known path. It would be fair to say that it is a path they have paved themselves.
18 Oct 2021
SpeakersPlayGo BH22 Wireless Headphones Review: Solid battery backup, average sound
We have reviewed quite a few true wireless (TWS) earbuds and wireless neckbands, of late.
06 Oct 2021
SpeakersRedmi Earbuds 3 Pro Review: Specifications don't translate into performance
One look at the spec-sheet and I was keen on getting my hands on the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro. After all, how often do you get dual-driver true wireless (TWS) earphones, and that too with aptX Adaptive compliance under Rs. 3,000? Those are the features you generally find in wireless earphones upwards of Rs. 6,000, and not necessarily all of them. On top of that, a promise of close to 30 hours of battery backup and this pair of TWS earbuds from Xiaomi seems to tick all the right boxes.
18 Sep 2021
SpeakersBoat Rockerz 330 Wireless Neckband Review: Yay or Nay?
The local brand Boat has been growing in popularity in the budget audio category over the past few years.
30 Aug 2021
SpeakersOnePlus Buds Pro Review: Best TWS earbuds under Rs. 10,000?
Most OnePlus audio products released in India till date have been impressive, right from the first Bullets Wireless neckband. Though not the cheapest, they offer excellent value for money.
26 Aug 2021
SpeakersDizo GoPods D TWS Earbuds Review: Should you buy them?
Dizo is Realme's new sub-brand they recently unveiled to cater to budget-conscious buyers. Not that Realme has done badly in the budget audio segment so far, with their Buds Wireless series neckbands and Buds Air 2 true wireless (TWS) earbuds offering impressive features and excellent value for money in the respective categories.
24 Aug 2021
SpeakersMi Portable Bluetooth Speaker (16W) Review: To buy or not?
It's the monsoon season in India, and one feature you hope to have in most of your gadgets at this time of the year is moisture resistance.