Best audio products at IFA 2022
Earbuds and headphones
Anker Soundcore Space Q45
We’re headlining the list with a great bang-for-your-buck pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 noise cancellation performs similarly to the old Sony WH-1000XM3, so it’s a viable companion for your next flight. You get other great features like Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the SBC, AAC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. Should the 50-hour battery life deplete, you can continue to listen with a standard 3.5mm audio cable. Not only does it support a variety of connectivity options, but you also get a great microphone system for work.
The Elite 5 stands out for its durability, feature set, and reasonable price.
The Jabra Elite 5 further expands the company’s portfolio and adds great features like hybrid noise cancellation powered by the Qualcomm QCC3050 chipset. The earbuds merit an IP55 rating, making them a great option for rock climbers and runners. Features go beyond brawn though, as the Elite 5 is smart and supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for hands-free help anywhere.
The Elite 5 is available now and costs $149 USD, making it competitive in the saturated field of wireless earbuds.
JBL Tour Pro 2
JBL’s Tour Pro 2 bucks the usual AirPods lookalike trend among wireless earbuds, and introduces a 1.45-inch touch screen on the case. The case alone is sure to be eye-catching and separates the Tour Pro 2 from more pedestrian products. From the smartwatch-like screen, you can quickly adjust noise cancelling, toggle Ambient sound mode, check the battery life, and more.
Bluetooth 5.3 connects these stemmed earbuds to your phone, so the Tour Pro 2 will support LE Audio. You get other impressive features like JBL’s spatial audio and a 10-hour standalone battery life (with an extra 30 hours from the case). The whole package will cost you €249 or £220, and currently, it isn’t launching in the US.
Soundbars and speakers
B&O Beosound Theatre
This speaker houses 12 speaker drivers, two of which are 6.5-inch woofers.
The Beosound Theatre is an all-in-one elegant soundbar that packs plenty of power. It houses 12 drivers and boats 800W of power, outputting up to 112dB(SPL)—this thing is loud. Movie junkies will appreciate that the Beosound Theatre supports a 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos listening experience.
Hard specs aside, a modular design is what really sets this Dolby Atmos soundbar apart from the rest. Listeners can turn the soundbar into a wall-mounted or floor-standing device, so it blends into their living spaces. The aluminum “wings” are expandable, meaning the soundbar can fit larger TVs as customers upgrade their current setups. The catch? The fabric cover version will cost you $6,890 USD, and the wooden cover option will cost $7,990 USD, starting on October 1. Remember though: this product is built to last a lifetime. You can pre-order your Beosound Theatre today.
JBL Bar 1000
The JBL Bar 1000 is another 7.1.4-channel system comprised of a soundbar and wireless subwoofer. On paper, this may not seem special, but the Bar 1000 has battery-powered detachable speakers that you can place behind you, forgoing the need to purchase separate satellite speakers. These removable speakers work in concert with four upward-firing speakers built into the Bar 1000 to create an immersive experience for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound content. Plus, you no longer have to strain your ears to hear dialog thanks to the soundbar’s PureVoice algorithm.
The Bar 1000 will be available this month from JBL and will cost €1,149.
Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus
It seems like everyone is trying to downsize lately, and Sennheiser accommodates this with the relatively compact but certainly mighty Sennheiser AMBEO Plus. This soundbar is a more compact, affordable version of the original AMBEO (now dubbed the AMBEO Soundbar Max). Sennheiser halves the height of the AMBEO Plus (7cm tall) and nearly halves the price too. With nine drivers, two of which are upward-firing, you can enjoy a convincing surround sound-like experience when watching Dolby Atmos or DTS:X content. Like its big brother, the AMBEO Plus doesn’t support pairing additional speakers for dedicated surround channels; Sennheiser’s virtualization technology is just that effective.
The X937U soundbar supports “Ok Google,” and works with streaming services like Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect.
We actually awarded a TCL Ray-Danz product back in 2019, and the new X937U model is a 7.1.4-channel setup, rather than 3.1. Ray-Danz technology means the soundbar uses calibrated, curved acoustic reflectors and angled drivers for a natural reproduction of 3D sound. The entire system includes the soundbar, two wireless satellite speakers, and a wireless subwoofer. TCL partnered with Google to ensure that the hot word, “OK Google,” works with the X937U. It also has Chromecast built-in and is compatible with Amazon Alexa. Bluetooth 5.3 enables the X937U to function as a standard Bluetooth speaker should your Wi-Fi ever disconnect.
You can learn more about the X937U here.
Philips FS1 speaker
The FS1 Bluetooth speaker can be used as a Dolby Atmos satellite speaker when paired with the FB1 and FW1 from Philips.
Last but not least, we have the Philips FS1 Bluetooth speaker, released alongside the company’s FB1 soundbar and FW1 subwoofer. When you pair the FB1, FW1, and FS1 together, you get a complete 7.2.4-channel surround sound system. The FS1 also works with Dolby Atmos when you use it as a satellite speaker for a compatible Ambilight TV.
Like some JBL speakers, the FS1 supports stereo pairing and playback. With three drivers inside (tweeter, driver, and woofer), the FS1 is a promising portable speaker that will sound great alone or alongside other Philips audio products. You can learn more about the FS1 here.
