The Spotify AI slop debacle has dragged on for longer than it should have, and despite the company rolling out measures to counter the spread of AI-generated music, some users are still wielding their pitchforks and torches over the controversy.

I came across a recent Reddit post in the r/truespotify forum that brought attention to the artist page of Selah Stone — an obviously AI-generated artist. But it wasn’t the artist the poster had an issue with; instead they decided to shade Spotify, claiming that the platform has been “creating fake bios and pictures to hide AI artists and further confuse users”.

Now, I’m all for pressuring the best music streaming services to tighten their AI-detection measures, but what the user addressed is completely out of Spotify’s hands, and I’m not the only one who thinks these conspiracy theories are becoming exhausting.

Though AI slop is becoming more apparent to some users (I haven’t run into it myself), Spotify is not the one uploading AI-generated music, nor is it creating the artist profiles that come with it. Every song and album uploaded to Spotify is an action taken by the artist and their team, or in the case of an AI artist, the person who sits behind that façade.

Comment from r/truespotify

The thing to remember is that Spotify doesn’t take direct music uploads. When a (human) artist shares music to Spotify (or any music streaming platform for that matter), it’s all processed through their label or distributor. Additionally, since Spotify rolled out its new ‘Verified by Spotify’ labels for artist profiles, another layer of reassurance that the artist you’re listening to is not AI has been added.

The same applies to AI artists, and even the music they generate can’t go through Spotify directly. Similarly, they’ll also need to use a distributor, with some common ones including DistroKid and Ditto Music — but the blame doesn’t end there.

Another AI conspiracy doing the rounds is that Spotify is making more profit by allowing users to rack up stream numbers of AI-generated music. This isn’t the case, because of how Spotify’s royalty and pay-out system works.

All subscriber fees are put into a pool, and from there the artists with the highest streaming numbers receive a larger portion of those pay-outs. While it’s not the fairest way of paying artists (even if you don’t stream Taylor Swift, your money is going to her and not necessarily the artists you actually listen to), and it puts indie artists at a disadvantage, AI-generated artists are not making heaps of money, although they do take up spots where human artists should be, something which I agree needs fixing.

In addition, Spotify paid out 70% of its annual revenue in 2025 to artists and rights-holders, so the majority of the money it makes from subscriptions is going right back into the industry, with what’s left over being invested back into the company.

Comment from r/truespotify

I don’t think such complaints are the real reasons why users are bothered. Instead, I believe it’s Spotify’s transparency issues that are the cause a lot of users' frustration. But because the platform hasn’t been the most transparent regarding AI music, the annoyance among users has reached boiling point, leading them to come up with ridiculous conspiracies — and now they’ll point the finger anywhere to find new reasons to blame Spotify for the increasing presence of AI slop.

Like many users in the Reddit replies, I also agree that Spotify needs to do a lot more to flag AI-generated music. I think that while the platform has tried to do some good with its online reporting resources, and new Verified by Spotify badges for artists, other services got there first.

However, the finger-pointing has to stop at some point — and those pushing conspiracy theories either need to provide clear evidence to support their claims, or shut up.

• Multiple Sony devices will lose access to streaming services and Google Cast
• AV receivers, Blu-ray players, soundbars, wireless speakers and more
• Effective November 17, 2026

Something we've learnt the hard way over the years is that pretty much any product with an online component will lose it eventually. Server shutdowns have affected everything from multiplayer games to the ill-fated PlaysForSure music platform, and now it's coming to Sony products.

Like Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to maintain as much functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core features as a result.

The changes aren't immediate — they won't come into place until November 7th, 2026 — but they apply to a lot of models including AV receivers, Blu-ray disc players, speakers and soundbars. The full list of affected devices is available on Sony's website, but we've included it at the end of this article too.

What Bose did, and what Sony isn't doing

Earlier this year Bose discontinued online support for its SoundTouch speakers first introduced in 2013. However, the speakers themselves remained fully functional and while Bose's own SoundTouch streaming was switched off, AirPlay and Spotify Connect would continue to work.

Sony's changes are more severe. From November, the following services will be unavailable on affected devices:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Google Cast
• Netflix
• Pandora
• Slacker Radio
• Spotify
• Vudu

As Sony explains, from November "access to supported network services will no longer be available on affected models [and] any downloaded network services may no longer be accessible on affected models… we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding."

While most of the affected models are elderly, there's a lot of them: nine soundbars, 16 AVRs, 17 Blu-Ray players, multiple Blu-Ray home theater systems and five sets of wireless speakers. That means the service shutdown is likely to affect quite a lot of people.

Which Sony products are affected by the 2026 shutdown?

Audio and Micro Component Systems

• CMT-MX700NI
• HAP-S1
• HAP-Z1ES
• MAP-S1
• NAC-SV10

AV Receivers

• STR-DA1800
• STR-DA2800ES
• STR-DA3700ES
• STR-DA5700ES
• STR-DA5800ES
• STR-DN1020
• STR-DN1030
• STR-DN1040
• STR-DN1050
• STR-DN1060
• STR-DN1070
• STR-DN1080
• STR-DN840
• STR-DN850
• STR-DN860
• STR-ZA810ES

Blu-ray Disc Players

• BDP-BX18
• BDP-BX37
• BDP-BX38
• BDP-BX57
• BDP-N460
• BDP-S185
• BDP-S270
• BDP-S280
• BDP-S370
• BDP-S380
• BDP-S390
• BDP-S470
• BDP-S480
• BDP-S570
• BDP-S580
• BDP-S770
• BDP-S780

Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Systems

• BDV-E280
• BDV-E370
• BDV-E470
• BDV-E570
• BDV-E580
• BDV-E770W
• BDV-E780W
• BDV-E870
• BDV-E880
• BDV-F7
• BDV-HZ970
• BDV-IZ1000W
• BDV-L600
• BDV-T28
• BDV-T57
• BDV-T58

Media Players

• FMP-X10
• SMP-N100
• SMP-N200

Soundbars

• HT-CT790
• HT-CT800
• HT-NT3
• HT-NT5
• HT-RT5
• HT-ST5000
• HT-ST9
• HT-XT2
• HT-XT3

Wireless speakers

• SA-NS310
• SA-NS410
• SA-NS500
• SA-NS510
• SRS-X7

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• Technics x Fritz Hansen: every content creator's dream collab
• From Technics: its premium-class SL-40CBT turntable in oxblood red
• From Fritz Hansen: its iconic Kaizer idell 6631-T lamp, also in oxblood red

Fritz Hansen, the Danish furniture company, and Technics, the Japanese audio specialist, have teamed up to unveil a brand new... nothing, strictly speaking (and when we get down to brass tacks).

And yet the new partnership is every content creator's dream, because it has seen them both re-release old products, but in a juicy oxblood red. It's perfect for the influencer staple 'I just bought a 60ft Parisian apartment with no plan; now what?!' series. Arrange next to a well-thumbed hardback book with macrame bookmark, a French press with ceramic blue-glaze espresso cup and an old armchair bought on a lazy Sunday at the Marche aux Puces — you're away.

Anyway. Since we're a tech site, let's start with the audio option. The Technics SL-40CBT direct-drive turntable was released towards the end of 2025 and we noted its refreshingly different 'terracotta' color option as one of the biggest highlights of the deck.

Well, that's terra-gotta go, because Technics' new model is a burgundy or oxblood red version — a colorway that's definitely having a moment — of that same turntable. It offers the same specs as the original build (no word on pricing just yet), but in the new hue and with Fritz Hansen branding on the felt mat. Oh, and it's limited edition! Only 300 models are going on sale.

Coming from Fritz Hansen is, you guessed it, another older device recolored to oxblood-slash-burgundy. It's the Kaiser idell lamp which is, I'm told, an iconic 1930s table lamp. I'm no lamp journalist, but Fritz Hansen's lights straddle the $1,000 price point, so I don't doubt its credentials.

Only 200 of these red lights are going on sale (well spotted, the lamp is even more limited edition than the deck), and only in Europe or Asia — unlike the turntable, which will be on sale in the US. Both products will see the light of day in October, with pricing yet to be announced — but I imagine they won't be affordable to the majority of flea market shoppers, Parisian or otherwise…

But... why?

Companies re-releasing older successful models in new colors is nothing new. What's confounding to me about Technics and Fritz Harmon's collaboration is just how much spin has been invested, to make these devices sound truly exciting.

"Music is an art of time. Time flows without form, quietly imprinting itself on our emotions through sound" says a noted representative of Technics. "Sound and light both change how a space feels without touching its structure" reads another quote.

If you've been re-reading those press release quotes to try and understand what they mean (and wondering whether I've introduced a typo to ruin their meaning), you're not alone. But I've carefully re-read it several times and consulted with experts (other people on TechRadar's team) and we've come to the conclusion that at least we know it wasn't written by AI.

"Two objects with distinct origins that, together, form a setting that is considered and deeply human" puts me in mind of The Bard's "Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene". But I think really, it's two companies with very good legacy products, tying themselves in knots, trying to wax lyrical on the interplay of light and sound (because they are light and sound companies).

Or maybe there's a lot more going on, and I'm just too confused (or dim) to understand what they're trying to say. Look, the burgundy turntable actually looks really nice. Yes, I wish I could enjoy it without requiring a PhD in philosophy to understand the announcement, but in the end, it would look great in my listening room…

• Apple Music's iOS 27 upgrades include new artist pages and performance upgrades
• The platform has yet to roll out highly-requested functions such as continuity tools and social features
• The longer Apple Music goes without them, the better chance Spotify has at snatching its users

Tim Cook took what may be his final bow as Apple CEO at the company’s WWDC 2026 event, and there’s lots for iPhone users to look forward to with iOS 27, including upgrades to Apple Music.

In addition to the announcement of Apple’s next-gen Siri upgrade, Siri AI, the company is rolling out a handful of upgrades to its music streaming platform. It hasn’t been long since Apple last updated the Apple Music UI, but its Liquid Glass look divided subscribers.

One of the most notable new changes to the UI is a new look for artist pages, which now places the ‘Play’ and information buttons in the center of the page under new name displays. The ‘Essentials’ carousel, which spotlights an artist’s popular albums, has also been changed and is now in a list form that doesn’t look as punchy, which is a bit of a design downgrade if you ask me.

Apple Music redesigned artist pages from r/AppleMusic

It’s not just Apple Music’s UI that’s had a bit of a nip and tuck; the platform is also getting some performance enhancements in iOS 27, starting with the Automix tool, which uses AI to beat-match songs and create seamless DJ-like transitions.

According to Apple, the company has improved its algorithms to make room for better transitions. That's quite a vague way to put it, but I assume this means it will perform more efficiently when creating transitions between songs of different genres — a pain point I experienced during my time testing it out. Additionally, Apple says it has upgraded start times for quicker playback, and the 'Now Playing' page will now load much faster.

Apple Music is allergic to continuity tools and social features

I’ll always welcome new design approaches and performance upgrades — I’ve been running into delayed playback times far too often recently. But once again, Apple has chosen to overlook the meaningful features users actually want.

Many Apple Music subscribers like to criticize rival platforms such as Spotify, but if they can agree on one thing, it’s that Spotify Connect destroys Apple Music on the continuity front. To this day, Apple Music users are still waiting for a similar feature, and it’s one of the tools, if not the tool, that will really bring Apple Music into line with its competitors. The fact that Apple has never even discussed such a feature only adds to the frustration.

The platform also faces scrutiny for the inconsistency of its features across devices, creating a far-from-seamless user experience. For example, Apple Music’s new live concert information and playlists and albums tabs are still missing from the Mac version.

Something I was patiently waiting for during WWDC was Apple’s official announcement of Playlist Playground, an AI-integrated playlist-making tool similar to Spotify’s Prompted Playlists. To my dismay, though, nothing was mentioned, even though we were expecting a wider roll out to be confirmed after Playlist Playground came arrived in beta in February.

Just like continuity tools, this feature would give Apple the perfect opportunity to not only match a popular Spotify feature, but give its users another reason to stick around. Apple Music has already won on the audio streaming quality and editorial fronts, but Apple now it needs to start paying close attention to how it can build social features that complement its ecosystem.

It’s been four months since Playlist Playground first appeared, but there’s still been no word from Apple on when it will finally open its doors to the public. We might see a reveal at Apple's iPhone launch event, which will likely be in September, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

• Apple's WWDC on June 8 contained several big announcements
• …including CarPlay updates for video streaming while the car is 'parked'
• You can now browse favorite videos from iPhone, on your CarPlay display
• It raises concerns, when a key reason for collision is failure to look properly (at the road around you)

Apple's just wrapped a busy WWDC event. At the conference on June 8, the Cupertino giant announced an AI-overhauled Siri, a long-awaited AirPods equalizer, AI-powered Apple Photos editing, and more — see our roundup of 17 things we learned at WWDC '26 for more.

But another piece of news was delivered to developers, so it kind of went under the radar. Apple has announced an update to CarPlay coming with iOS 27, which will likely be coming to iPhone users from September (though you can download the developer beta now). As well as upgrades to navigation and "voice-based conversation apps", the update will introduce video apps.

That's right: soon, you'll theoretically be able to watch Netflix TV shows on supported car screens (which is, of course, how the creators intended you to see them), or swipe through YouTube (or even TikTok) while you're waiting at the airport — or potentially even at a traffic light. What a joy. What a world we live in.

In an Apple Developer video explaining the changes, the brand's Car Experience Engineer, Chris Whitney, stated that people will only be able to use the feature "when they aren't driving" but later gave use cases wherein a vehicle could potentially be idling, rather than parked.

We've reached out to Apple for clarity on this, but the ability to beam videos to your car's display when your vehicle is turned on (albeit in park and unable to roll, for instance), makes me very cautious. Consider that "ineffective observation" of the roads around us while driving is regularly listed by solicitors as one of the top reasons for road collision incidents in the UK, where I reside, and I hope you can see my concern.

Roads could get more dangerous

Apple forbidding the playing of videos when a vehicle is actually moving is obviously intended to stop people focusing on the big game while they're barreling down a highway. But it's not enough.

As far as I can tell initially, there'd be nothing to stop you popping on some YouTube Shorts while you're waiting for the lights to turn red (other than the fact that few people watch YouTube Shorts) or queuing at a drive-thru. What I'm saying is, it may still be easy to watch videos with CarPlay when you, as a driver, are a threat to other people.

Distracted driving is a massive threat to road users; according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2024, over 3,200 people were killed and 315,000 injured from distracted driving. The agency repeatedly cites mobile phone use as major source of said distractions. I accept that tapping on your CarPlay screen is a step up from fiddling with your phone, but it's not a big step up — not in terms of how safely you're driving.

Crucially, road danger exists whether or not you're in motion on said road. Anyone who's had a professional driving lesson knows that you're taught to be aware of your surroundings when you're behind the wheel. I remember being drilled on all the angles to check before pulling out onto the road; you need to give it time and attention. And you need to keep both hands on the wheel.

In conclusion, you need to give the road your time and attention, not the screen in your car. You may be obsessed with the documentary about a Lego shop stealing $200,000 in Star Wars sets, but if you're streaming it in your vehicle when you should be watching the road, you're a risk.

And, if Apple does let you stream videos when you're on the road (waiting in traffic, idling at the airport, etc), you could miss an important change in light or situation, become flustered, and then be a huge risk to others as you rush to get going without checking your mirrors for bikes.

As you can tell from those stats I cited earlier, distracted driving isn't new, and I'm not claiming that Apple has introduced it. But it is encouraging it, with features like CarPlay video playback, which feels irresponsible. CarPlay should reduce distractions and safety concerns, not introduce them.

So, as someone who's frequently on, or near, the concrete, please don't use it! Roads are dangerous enough as it is, and if people are streaming videos in their car display instead of checking their angles, it'll only get worse.

• AirPods are getting a universal custom EQ at last
• You'll be able to see the results live as a song plays
• It's set to come in iOS 27, as part of the AirPods' Settings screen

Apple just announced that one of the longest-requested features from AirPods users is finally coming as part of iOS 27: a custom EQ. Announced during the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple hasn't revealed full details of the feature, but we did get a first glimpse.

There will be a screen that looks like the image at the top of this page, and if you tap 'Custom' then a blue line is overlaid on the frequency graph. You appear to be able to move the blue line to increase or decrease the frequency bands.

There's a live waveform that plays, so it appears that you'll be able to see the result on the sound signature live, as well as hearing it, obviously.

In the past, it's been possible to make some changes to AirPods' sound using accessibility tools, but this really isn't designed for making subtle changes to your music profile, it's designed for the hard of hearing to boost frequencies they struggle with.

There's also been an EQ in Apple Music, but that doesn't help if you use another app for music, and doesn't preserve the EQ when you switch devices or other apps in general.

There are interesting differences in the sound of different AirPods models. The original AirPods Max are much more neutral than the AirPods Pro 3, for example, and I can easily see that some people might choose to give the over-ears a little extra poppy punch at times — or might want to just take a slight edge off the earbuds.

However! The obvious thing that's missing in the images we've seen so far is a clear option to save presets, so the scenario I've described above might not be that easy. This might be in the final version, of course, or there might be a way to create this using Shortcuts.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple keeps this pretty basic. The screen doesn't really encourage you to make changes: the description in the setting says, "AirPods are designed and engineered by Apple to faithfully represent music, TV shows and movies, and calls. If you prefer a different sound profile, you can customize how AirPods represent any audio played."

Still, given that the original AirPods model launched in December 2016, I'm just glad we're getting finally getting it as an option at all.

• Spotify is eyeing up live concert streaming
• It's part of the company's strategy to shift more into video content
• YouTube is still leading on the livestream front, and I think it'll be tough competition

Spotify is doing all it can to move beyond being just an audio platform — now it wants to offer live concert videos for subscribers, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.

According to Bloomberg , the audio streaming giant has plans in the works to become “a hub for live music”, and has reached out to concert promoters to secure licensing rights to broadcast live videos of music festivals right from the Spotify app.

Spotify has recently been experimenting with concert videos, adding a slew of pre-recorded music videos from Dua Lipa’s show in Mexico City, accompanying a live album released by the artist. Additionally, Primavera Sound festival took place in Barcelona over the weekend, which has gained substantial popularity and following online over the recent years — so it makes sense as to why Spotify would want to capitalize on this.

The move into live concert broadcasting reflects Spotify’s evolving plans to become a pipeline between artists and their most dedicated fans. A few weeks ago Spotify unveiled its new in-app tool Reserved, a concert ticket-reserving tool that aims to give legitimate fans top priority for securing tickets to their favorite musician’s live shows. On the other hand, the move into live concert streaming plays into Spotify’s wider video monetization strategy.

Spotify first started out as an audio-only service, but over its 20-year lifespan it’s rolled out many visual components from short-form content feeds to music videos, and even video podcasts. Not only have these helped increase subscriber engagement levels, it’s also established a more profitable means of ad revenue that Spotify doesn’t quite get through its audio content and this is reflected in the company’s recent quarterly earnings, as Bloomberg highlights.

In the first quarter of the year Spotify’s total advertising revenue saw a drop — The Next Web reports that it fell 5% year on year to €385 million (roughly $443 million) — therefore adding more video content means higher advertising rates and a better chance at boosting this profit.

That said, some see Spotify’s venture into live concert broadcasting as just another means of reducing artist’s streaming revenue — but that’s not the first concern that crossed my mind.

YouTube, always and forever

Spotify’s video offerings aren’t my favorite ways to engage with music. Compared to Apple Music, I find Spotify’s music videos interface to be unorganized and almost forced upon you while listening to audio (I never use the ‘Switch to video’ button).

I’ve said it before and I shall say it again, YouTube is still the holy grail of visual music content, even if Spotify is still doing all it can to compete. You have to give it to Spotify though, it’s drive is undeniably admirable, but competing with YouTube is like attempting to shade the sun.

In addition to its slew of pre-recorded live music channels (I watch a lot of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts as well as artist music videos) YouTube plays a huge part in bringing fans closer to the biggest music events across the world. This is most notably the case for the Coachella music festival in California, which I’ve been streaming via YouTube since I was 17.

Spotify has a lot to think about, and for its live concert broadcasts to stand out it needs to match, or totally defy what YouTube has. As well as this, there’s also the question regarding where in the app these broadcasts will be situated — the app is already bulky as it is, so an entirely new live stream interface would be a bit of a squeeze.

With that being said, I can see the minor user benefits. Depending on which artists sign on to this agreement, it could give music fans a higher quality, more robust way of consuming live concert content as opposed to relying on watching videos posted to TikTok or Instagram reels.

Right now, my feed is inundated with content from Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour which kicked off over the weekend, and it’s making me regret not going for tickets. I have no issues with watching clipped videos on social media, but thinking about it now, having an accessible live stream of the show from start to finish would make good background viewing/ listening. But let’s be real, Netflix works an awful lot faster to sign deals with artists for live concert movies, and that’s essentially the same thing.

• Redditor creates own smart home controller, tied into Sonos systems
• Cost just $20 / £16 (or around AU$30), for a small display
• It's like the Sonos Controller, but in 2026

Back in Ye Olden Days (the noughties), Sonos used to sell dedicated music controllers and they look wonderfully retro now. These fell by the wayside when smartphones got good enough to do the exact same thing. But given the current penchant for nostalgia tech, cassette players and digital detoxing, these music controllers are seemingly making a comeback.

No, Sonos isn't re-releasing its beloved CR100. And while a new Google Nest Hub is on its way, it's apparently going to focus more on AI chatbots than music controls. So to manage your Sonos, we have to turn to Redditors.

Over on the r/sonos subreddit, a user appropriately called hometechgeek has shared a small, simple smart display they created. Using software shared in the post (and screens bought for cheap online), they have fashioned a home assistant controller which you can use to change lighting, check sensors and, yes, control your music.

Cover art and smart room control using a £16 touch screen from r/sonos

Screens show a play/pause button, volume controls and track skips, and a default screen shows the song you're playing — perfect, in other words, to manage your Sonos devices from one controller. Some commenters have compared it to the Windows Phone's old software, and more widely to Windows' noughties and 2010s boxy look, and honestly they're not wrong.

Can you make it at home?

Making a controller like this doesn't sound expensive. The 4-inch screen hometechgeek used cost £16 (about $20 / AU$30), bought cheap from AliExpress, and they list plenty of other models that'd work. The internet is, as it turns out, rife with little screens you can buy and use for your own ends.

The software is free too, and it sounds like plenty of people on the r/sonos subreddit have already got their hands stuck in by trying it out, reporting any bugs they've found and suggesting tweaks.

If you're a technophile you'll likely find it really easy to make at home, then. However, as some commenters point out, not everyone will find it feasible. You'll need a little technical know-how to set up the screen, and to use Github for the code.

Obtaining that technical knowledge shouldn't be too hard, with a few YouTube tutorials sure to get the job done, but it might not be worth it for everyone. This kind of kit will be useful to people with a smart home full of gadgets, but if you've just got a single speaker or soundbar, it likely won't be worth your time.

There's a reason the smartphone killed the Sonos controller: a dedicated screen to control your music just isn't necessary for most of us (because it's already at our disposal with zero effort, in our phone).

• High End Vienna brings even more speakers
• Kanto Tuk Grand brings premium, stand-mounted boxes in 'burled' wood
• Bowers & Wilkins goes for the formidable sci-fi look

I am convinced that there are two types of speaker, and all the pomp and ceremony of High End Vienna hasn't convinced me otherwise. Two new high-profile, high-price announcements prove I'm right, too.

Type number 1: the box. Lots of speakers are essentially well-braced, driver-filled boxes that you put on your shelves or place on stands. There's nothing wrong with that; it's a simple look, and today it's Kanto Audio that's waving the cute, ever-so-slightly kooky cuboid flag with its new Grand Tuk.

This new $999.99 / £799.99 (about AU$1,600) speaker pair is due to go on sale at some point this summer. Don't worry, we'll spend more time with Kanto Audio in a moment, but we've someone else to meet.

On the other side of the scale is type number 2: the 70s sci-fi creature. We see all sorts of formidable towers of power-style speakers, which occasionally look inspired by the costume department of Doctor Who in the best way — and representing that team today is Bowers & Wilkins.

The brand's new 800 Series Diamond D5 range of speakers has quite a few different products, headlined by the 801 D5 which we weren't provided release or price information for. Some look like legally-distinct Daleks, others aerodynamic car spoilers, and they'll all go on sale in September.

Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond D5

Let's start with the big range, so I can share a picture of a Dalek to prove my point. The Diamond D5 series consists of the flagship which, as already pointed out, doesn't have a price or release date, though that doesn't specifically mean it won't release; we're just waiting on details. Instead you can buy a similar model, the 802 D5, which comes at "a more affordable price point": $45,000 / £32,500 (about AU$66,000) for a pair.

Naturally, it's a floor-stander, as are the 803 D5 (MSRP $35,000 / £25,500, which converts to roughly AU$52,000) and 804 D5 (MSRP $25,000 / £16,500, converting to around AU$37,000).

Also showing up to the party, just without a leg to stand on, is the 805 D5, $15,000 / £10,000 (roughly AU$10,000): a stand-mounted pair of speakers.

Rounding out the range are two three-way center channels for home theaters: the $15,000 / £10,000 (same conversion as before) HTM81 D5, and the $12,000 / £8,000 (about AU$16,000) HDM82 D5. These are both designed to be used alongside the main products: the HTM81 works with the 801 and 802, while the cheaper model goes with the 'cheaper' speakers.

So why are these things so expensive? Well, the big selling point is the use of Bowers & Wilkin's Diamond Dome tweeter, which is that little microphone-looking flourish at the top. It's designed to provide reference-quality sound in the higher ends.

They've all clearly been meticulously designed too — that's why they look so unusual — and come with impressive (though varied) extra speakers. These are hands down professional-grade high-end audiophile pieces of kit, but there's something for the rest of us at High End too...

Kanto Tuk Grand

Let's move on to everyone's favorite Star Wars character: Kanto Tuk Grand. This new bookshelf speaker offering goes for a cool $999.99 / £799.99 (about AU$1,600) per pair and after the Bowers & Wilkins, that looks cheap.

As I've mentioned before, it's our more traditional example within this article, but there's a reason audio companies return to this tried-and-true build. Kanto has, the company tells us, spent time refining this cabinet design, both to improve the sound and to "belong with" the space you put it in.

Specs-wise (because there's only one product, we can actually talk about its specs without creating a massive list), you've got a 28mm x 35mm Air Motion Transformer tweeter, and a 6-inch aluminum cone. It hits a frequency response range of 40Hz-22kHz, and a power output of 160W.

There's a nice range of connection options here: you can plug them in via 2x RCA cables or optical, as well as USB-C, and those latter two will bow allow 24 bit/96kHz playback. You can also pair via Bluetooth 5.4, with the Tuk Grand supporting atpX Adaptive, AAC and SBC.

Design-wise, it's relatively basic compared to the Diamond boys, but simplicity is underrated (a lower price point is not underrated, though I still wouldn't call the Kanto 'cheap').

The Kanto Tuk Grand was unveiled alongside three second-gen speakers from Kanto Audio, due out between summer and fall, but make no mistake: the Grand is the flagship product here.

• Ruark unveils R710 Music Console and Talisman-R floorstanding speakers
• The R710 is Ruark's 'most powerful' console yet, with CD player and phono stage
• It costs £2,199 (about $3,000, AU$4,000); Talisman-R is £1,499 (around $2,000, AU$2,800)

Let me be clear: UK audio specialist Ruark is a master of compact hi-fi products — just see the five-star MR1 Mk3 petite powered desktop speakers for starters.

Although the duo of products that Ruark has just unveiled at High End Vienna may look heritage, they're chock full of thoroughly modern tech (and also some slightly older tech too) under their delightful exteriors. And yes, they absolutely can be purchased together to make a beautifully simple, space-conscious hi-fi system.

Those slim floorstanding speakers put me in mind of the electrostatic designs Quad made in collaboration with the BBC in the 1960s, but Ruark tells me they actually hark back to one of the company's own original flagship designs, first launched in 1990.

Both new products, says the company, have been designed "make high-end hi-fi accessible" and as a further celebration of Ruark's 40th year in trading (following two stunning 'radiogram' options at the start of the year), it's a gorgeous offering indeed.

Ruark R710 Music Console and Talisman-R floorstanders: key specs and pricing

The R710 is an update to the firm's Ruark R610 console (and Sabre-R bookshelf speakers) that I adored when I saw them in the flesh, back in 2024.

Alongside its built-in CD player, phono stage (so your vinyl-spinner can be added as a source) and onboard dual 200W Class-D amplifiers, high-resolution music file support and streaming is here, at up to 24-bit 384kHz, thanks to R710's quad-core CPU, with Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Internet Radio and apt-X HD Bluetooth all baked in.

For local music libraries, R710 also supports playback from both networked media servers and attached USB storage devices — and if you want to hear your film soundtracks through it, R710 adds an HDMI ARC/eARC connection for TV connectivity too. And while you get a gorgeous rotary Bluetooth remote with your purchase, to make playback control easier (it's not too dissimilar to something the aspirational amplification brand Moon might offer), a huge selling point for me is that large front-mounted color display for album artwork and text.

And those Talisman-R speakers? You're looking at a two-way, bass-reflex passive wired system, comprising a 27mm Ruark silk-dome tweeter and 6.5-inch long throw woofer with a lovely long, slim profile and sloped front baffle — although take note, they still weigh a reassuringly hefty 17.6kg each.

Ultimately, Ruark wants you to consider the R710 and Talisman-R speakers as a beautiful system — and I get it. Both products are available in Fused Walnut or Satin Charcoal lacquer, and the R710 is priced at £2,199 (so around $2,000 or AU$4,000, as rough guesstimates) with Talisman-R at £1,499 (which is $2,000 or AU$2,800, or thereabouts).

• Yamaha new wireless speakers feature HDMI eARC and CEC connectivity
• Room calibration and wide streaming support is also onboard
• Priced £2,587 (about $3,475 / AU$4,870)

Yamaha has unveiled a set of high-end wireless hi-fi speakers that look like they'll be a serious rival to the five-star KEF LS50 Wireless II. The new NX-70 speakers bring features and materials from Yamaha's flagship products and musical instruments, and they are designed to work with all kinds of audio — including from your TV.

They're good looking too, with solid aluminum tops, copper accents and gently rounded cabinets. That isn't just cosmetic: the shape minimizes internal standing waves and the 5mm thick aluminum plate suppresses resonance.

The speakers connect to each other wirelessly and you can stream to them via Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Cast, AirPlay 2 and from other sources via Yamaha's own MusicCast app. The speakers are Roon compatible and they include an HDMI eARC/ARC port with CEC control for your television.

Yamaha NX-70A wireless speakers: key features and pricing

The NX-70A speakers feature a 5 and 1/4-inch Harmonious Diaphragm Cone woofer and a 1 and 1/4-inch Harmonious Diaphragm Dome tweeter putting out up to 100W and 60W respectively.

The wonderfully named Harmonious Diaphragm system blends Zylon polymer, which is also used in Yamaha's flagship speakers, with spruce wood; that's the wood Yamaha uses in its grand piano soundboards. According to Yamaha the result is "a consistent tone over the entire frequency spectrum" that delivers instruments and vocals "naturally and with remarkable musicality."

The NX-70As also feature Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer, which is Yamaha's own room calibration system. It uses an included microphone to measure the sound of your room or other space and then adjusts the sonic characteristics accordingly so you don't have to worry about perfect speaker placement.

The Yamaha NX-70A speakers will be available from July 2026 with a recommended retail price of £2,587 (about $3,475 / AU$4,870).

• Audeze has unveiled MM-520 headphones at High End Munich
• These are professional studio cans with 90mm drivers
• They cost a relatively reasonable $1,699 (about £1,250, AU$2500)

We're in the midst of the massive audio convention High End Vienna, so every day brings a glut of top-end speakers or professional headphones with the price tag of a small car. So Audeze's new cans look almost affordable in comparison (spoiler alert: they're still really quite expensive).

The brand has unveiled the Audeze MM-520, professional studios as part of its Manny Marroquin-branded series (he's a hugely successful mixing engineer — you knew that) which succeed the MM-500s. They're open-back wired cans designed for professionals.

I did say these look affordable, but that's only in comparison; these new headphones cost $1,699 (about £1,250, AU$2500) so they're not finding a space in our best cheap headphones list any time soon — but they might well join the ranks of our best wired headphones, if we can get our hands on a set for a thorough review. By the sounds of it, they're on sale right now, from the brand's website or hi-fi retailers.

So, what's the unique sell here? Well, it's SLAM.

SLAM 'em down

One of the biggest selling points of the MM-520s is their use of Audeze's proprietary SLAM technology. Nothing to do with basketball dunking, or tequila-soda shots; this stands for Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modular. Yes, that's a run of four adjectives, with no subject. Pedants, I'm sorry, and I'll keep to calling it SLAM.

SLAM is technology which is focused on the low-end: it improves how bass sounds, and creates a wider-spaced sound stage at this frequency range. It's all about "optimizing air pressure" using the open design, to improve bass without affecting the neutral sound so much.

Other improvements to the MM-520 come to the design: the memory foam earpads have seen a change, and Audeze says they're more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Like their predecessors, they use 90mm planar magnetic drivers, with a super-thin diaphragm and phase management to avoid distortion. They offer a frequency response of 5Hz-50kHz, with an impedance of 18 ohms, and 102dB sensitivity.

Audeze lists the MM series in its Professional category, so they're clearly designed for engineers or designers (if the price didn't give that away).

• iFi unveils the iDSD GR2 at High End Vienna
• New portable DAC, following on from xDSD Gryphon
• Improvements in some departments, including amplification

We're seeing swathes of aspirational new hi-fi kit at High End Vienna 2026, and one such item comes from iFi with the follow-up to its five-star xDSD Gryphon portable DAC. No, that's not a hip flask, but a newer portable DAC.

Meet the iFi iDSD GR2, a name possibly the result of someone having a tot and trying to type something else (struggling to spell 'Gryphon' in full, maybe?). It's a new piece offering that's set to sell for £529 (about $710, AU$1,060) — exact release date TBC. So it's not cheap, but it does undercut the Gryphon by a couple of pennies.

We listed the iFi xDSD Gryphon in our best portable DACs round-up, but as the "best premium portable DAC" (italics my own). So you'll have to forgive the price: this isn't for the faint of heart or light of funds.

Appearance-wise, this is pretty similar to the Gryphon, with a big OLED screen and undulating body. But under the hood, it's seen some upgrades.

iFi's Gryphon will snatch you up in its talons (sonically speaking)

The iDSD GR 2 offers some of the same connection options as its predecessor, including Bluetooth, USB-C, S/PDIF and line, but with new tools.

For example, its power output is up 50%, up to 1.5W at 32 ohms, and the DAC is improved to PCM1795 for more balanced audio. There's also K2HD tech built in, designed for rich harmonics (and beloved of iFi's audio engineers for some time now, just see the flagship iFi iDSD Phantom, built on iFi's ongoing love affair with K2 and K2HD technology — and priced at an eye-watering $4,499 [before tax] / £4,499 / around AU$8,997).

Some iFi fan-fave modes are back too, such as XSpace and XBass+, which respectively boost the breadth of the soundstage and low-end frequencies, so you get some versatility in your sound. There's also a "hybrid power mode" to extent the device's battery life. Extend it by how much — from how much? I can't tell you, as iFi didn't specify the stamina ahead of time.

The touchscreen is back, and in our largely glowing review of the original Gryphon, we did knock the DAC/amp for how unintuitive it was last time. Images make it seem like it's improved, however, and you're getting color now at least, so hopefully iFi has fixed that gripe.

Another upgrade for those wireless audiophiles out there concerns Bluetooth; the GR2 supports Bluetooth 5.4, which allows for aptX Lossless and LDAC. There's also a phone app called the iFi Nexis for controlling your unit.

When the iFi iDSD GR2 officially hits shelves — whenever that is, this is purely the official unveiling — we'll bring you a full review, to see how it stacks up against its premium bretheren. We do like how it looks though. We like it a lot.

• Clearaudio's going huge at High End Vienna, with seven new releases
• As well as the Rammstein, there's a Beatles turntable, plus one for gamers
• …and let's not forget the new power supply, phono stage, and cartridge
• Only 1,000 Rammstein decks will exist, for $2,600 / £1,990 (around AU$3,639)

Want to know a secret? In 2000, as a 20-year-old dancer, I joined the cast of Das Phantom der Oper — or as you probably know it, The Phantom of the Opera — in Hamburg as the soloist ballet dancer (yes, there's ballet in the musical even if nobody remembers it).

And this is how I discovered Rammstein — and why now, Mein Herz brennt for this delightful new deck. It has just been unveiled by Clearaudio, and it is about to be shown off at the huge hi-fi and audiophile show, High End Vienna.

Want one? It's due to become available in October (priced and only $2,600 / £1,990, which is around AU$3,639 where sold) and only 1,000 of them are being made, so I'd register your interest as quickly as possible, Ausländer…

Ich will kein Engel sein — I just want this turntable

Fun fact: "Angel of Music" translates to "Engel der Muse" in German (a key song in Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork), and listening to Till Lindemann et al's Engel is honestly how I learned to sing the language and understand it.

Rammstein fans will know this, but the sub-head above means "I don't want to be an angel". Quite.

Anyway, Clearaudio is a highly respected name in turntable production (just see the five-star Clearaudio Concept, for starters), and the firm is very keen for us to know that this is no standard turntable with a Rammstein-style glow-up. It was, says Clearaudio, "developed from the outset as a fully independent model, combining the engineering foundation of the proven Concept turntable with a design language created specifically in collaboration with Rammstein".

The chassis features "a massive block construction with an extremely rigid MDF core" and metallic lacquer finish, and the integrated dimmable LED lighting — available in red or white — is what I really love about it (or Was Ich Liebe, if you will).

The tonearm is Clearaudio’s known T1, but it has been paired here with a specially branded MM cartridge. Each deck also ships in a "premium wooden crate handcrafted in the Bavarian Forest, designed to serve afterwards as storage for vinyl, merchandise, or collectibles".

And in case I didn't stress this enough, the edition is strictly limited to 1,000 units worldwide, and expected to be available from October 2026.

And now, the Innovation Revolver Special Edition — a Beatles tribute turntable

I know what you're thinking: it's rare for the Beatles to get second billing to Rammstein. True, but this is my news coverage, and I get to make the rules.

Clearaudio's simply outdone itself for High End Vienna. I may not even get to the new turntable built for gamers, the off-grid power supply, the new "phono stage reimagined", carbon-fibre cartridge or redesign-able Elevation 45 and Elevation 55 decks, although I highly recommend you go and see them in Vienna, if you're able.

The Beatles' 1966 masterpiece Revolver needs no further fanfare or humming of Eleanor Rigby from me, but here is a fresh Clearaudio turntable and, importantly, an optional (but highly pleasing) unique monochrome stand to really celebrate it.

The deck's new plinth sandwiches aluminium with a "precision-engineered composite stone" chosen specifically for its resonance control and playback stability, and this is also featured in the optional matching monochrome stand.

Clearaudio tells me that the turntable is fully configured and ready to play, including the Clearaudio Tracer tonearm in Black Carbon, Concept MC Signature cartridge, Professional Power 24V power supply, and Innovation Clamp.

As you'd hope, completing the package is a heavyweight special edition pressing of Revolver, half-speed mastered on 180g vinyl with the newly mixed stereo album and restored artwork by Klaus Voormann.

This very special edition will be available from late Summer 2026, with a suggested retail price of $17,900 / £10,500 (around AU$19,744) for the turntable, but you'll need another $11,050 / £7,500 (about AU$14,100) for that matching stand.

Want to buy it? Good for you. Just make sure you won't have to hide from the Taxman later on — although I suppose Tomorrow Never Knows…

• Meze Audio unveils new elite Arta headphones at High End Vienna
• Due to sell for $6,000 / £6,000 (about AU$12,000)
• Bespoke driver and design for top-tier audio quality

The thought of mezze makes most of us hungry, but if you drop a 'z' and cap-up the 'M', you get an audio brand we're constantly dishing out glowing reviews to — just see the glowing 4.5-star ratings we've recently handed out to the company's Strada, 99 Classics 2nd Gen, Alba, 105 Silva and Poet in the last 12 months alone!

The brand is no stranger to expensive pieces of audio kit, but its new headphones are really pushing it, even in the elite realm.

As part of High End Vienna, Meze Audio has unveiled the Arta, a new pair of reference headphones with the competitive cost of $6,000 / £6,000 (about AU$12,000), a price at which you could find a very reliable second-hand car.

OK so they ain't cheap, that's for sure. We also don't know when they're going to be available to buy, though High End Vienna on June 4 will mark their first public appearance.

For clarity, the Meze Audio 105 Silva, listed above, sells for just a twelfth of the price of these flagship new headphones, so this is an important moment for the headphone specialist. But if price is no object and you have the ears to back it up, this work of art (work of Arta?) might just justify itself.

The best part'a the Meze Arta? The driver

There are a few unique selling points that make the Meze Arta something special.

One is the driver, made by Rinaro. It's called the MZ5 HΩ, and Meze Audio claims it's the highest-impedance planar magnetic headphone driver ever created, thus far. That impedance is 225Ω, which I thought was a typo in my press release initially.

According to the brand, it creates a "warm-neutral sound signature", with a natural-sounding presentation and soundstage. The frequency range is an impressive 3Hz - 115kHz, far exceeding the human ear's 20Hz - 20kHz capabilities (but no, we don't recommend placing them over your cat's ears, so they might enjoy frequencies you can't).

The Arta uses an open design with the use of acoustic blades on the cups, designed to minimize soundwave reflections inside the device. The rest of the model uses a combination of carbon fiber, leather and other metals, to create a premium look and feel. It weighs 495g, so it's a little heavy against direct competition in the wireless mass-produced space — but remember, this is elite territory.

In Meze's unveiling of the Arta, the company's acoustic engineer Alex Grigoras said the headphones "came into existence from asking the same question over and over: what is there still between the listener and the music? … We've arrived at something that doesn't quite sound like headphones anymore, but simply music occupying real space".

We have quotes and stats, but Meze Audio hasn't revealed everything about these headphones just yet. There's no word on connectivity, for example, and I'd love to find out how they feel during wear. Luckily, TechRadar will have reporters at the ground in Vienna, to find that out. Watch this space!

Beats headphone deals are far more commonplace these days. The previously premium cups have taken some serious price cuts over the years, which means cheap Beats headphones are often lining the shelves if you're browsing at the right time. We often see these headphones taking heavier discounts during holiday sales but if you're browsing outside of an event, there are still likely to be some solid offers on the table.

For you Beats deals hunters, that means some fantastic cheap Beats Headphones sales on the older models, although the new ones are often for sale as well. Thankfully, there are Beats Headphones prices for everyone as well, as prices range from just $69/£69 to $249/£249.

We're helping you find all the latest Beats headphone deals right here, with our price comparison software running through all the biggest offers on the web every half hour. Whether you're after one of the more luxurious models or a budget pick, you'll find all the lowest prices right here.

Beats headphones are something of an institution when it comes to consumer audio tech and are absolutely up there with the very best brands when it comes to popularity. Acquired by Apple back in the heady days of 2014, the Beats brand has gone from strength to strength and now encompasses a wide range of over-ear headphones and in-ear earphones, including some of the best wireless headphones.

Where to buy Beats headphones

US

• Amazon: old and new models from $79.95
• Best Buy: save up to $200
• Target: deals starting at $49.99
• Walmart: discounts on a variety of models

UK

• Amazon: record-low prices starting at £59
• Argos: earbuds and headphones from £79.99
• Currys: older models available at £69.99
• John Lewis: deals from £69

You can see more offers in our best headphone deals guide and see today's best AirPods sales.

It's an excellent time to find AirPods deals, thanks to the new release of the AirPods Pro 3. This means you can find fantastic AirPods sales on all models, including the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods 4, the luxurious over-ear AirPods Max, and, if we're lucky, AirPods Pro 3 deals.

The AirPods Pro 3 were just unveiled at this year's September Apple Event and have a starting price of $249 / £219, which was the same starting price as the Pro 2. Apple's newest earbuds claim to have the world's best active noise cancellation technology, along with new features such as live translation and the ability to track heart rate, workouts, and calories burned.

Below, you'll find all the best AirPods deals, categorized by Apple's standard AirPods, which include the AirPods 3, the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 2, the all-new AirPods Pro 3, and Apple's only over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max.

Our price comparison tool automatically brings you the best savings from all your favorite retailers. You can shop the latest prices when they hit the shelves to ensure you get the best AirPods deals.

The best AirPods deals

How much are AirPods?

The official AirPods' price is $159 in the US and £159 in the UK and $249 in Australia. So you shouldn't pay any more. Although, we have seen some stores cheekily push the price up when stock thins out. If you're looking for the version with the wireless charging case, then prices shoot up to around $199 in the US and £199 in the UK.

Expect the usual outlets to charge closer to the MSRP and, better yet, potentially dip below it around the key shopping seasons. Fingers crossed we don't have to wait long for some proper Apple AirPod sales though!

As an alternative, there are lots of wireless earphone and headphone deals in our Beats headphone deals page and other brands are covered in our wireless headphone deals page.

Should I wait for a cheaper AirPods deal?

You might be waiting a while for seriously big discounts. Last year around Black Friday, we were seeing $20 discounts selling out in minutes, and it was one of the most popular deals we highlighted in our extensive roundups of the hottest offers. We saw similar discounts in the UK too - much better than last year's $7 discount but still no flash sales around right now.

Things have actually been better overall this year though with much better deals available in various regions. We're regularly seeing discounts of $15/£20 outside of peak seasonal discounts, so you should be able to beat the recommended asking price to be honest.

• Apple fan in general? Then take a look at the latest iPad deals and the best Apple AirTag prices and sales.

• KLH Model Four is the US brand's gorgeous new floorstanding speaker
• Model Four takes the smaller Model Three's woofer and mid driver/tweeter of the bigger Model Five
• At just $999 / £899 each, they're less expensive than I'd expected (although you're going to want to buy two)

Just look at those beautiful speakers! The angled up built-in stands; the three-way design; the glorious front baffle and wooden cabinetry. I haven't felt this way about speakers since I gazed upon the Leak Sandwich 100 — but those are standmount boxes, and they carry a similar price point (depending on where you live) to the much bigger beast you came here to read about: the KLH Model Four.

Finally, a set of heritage-look speakers but without the super-elite asking fees we've come to expect from such a design. I could also list the reimagined Audiovector Trapeze as one of the last times I felt so moved by a pair of hi-fi speakers. And like that charming family affair, I really want this legacy hi-fi brand's newest series to be a return to form inside as well as out.

I have a somewhat troubled relationship with KLH Audio — one of my first reviews as a full-time writer for our sister publication, What Hi-Fi?, involved helping to give the standmount 2019 KLH Albany a lowly three stars out of five. But that was then.

At that time (and despite being huge in the early 1960s, selling up to 30,000 loudspeakers per year) the company name had fallen away, until the former president of Klipsch bought it, back in 2017. Since April 2025, however, Victrola CEO Scott Hagen acquired the company.

Let's just say that the firm has moved on since I first had the pleasure. And wow, do these speakers show that…

Impeccable specs for that asking fee — and I need to hear them

There is a reason that the quoted price — $999 or £899 (so around AU$1,398) — seems so very reasonable: it's for one speaker. Let's be honest, you're going to want two, so it'll cost you $1,998, according to the company (so no, no discount if buying more than one). But get past that fact and there's an awful lot to like.

KLH's reintroduced Model Five (2021) is the founding member of the Model Series, after which came the Model Three, a bookshelf solution. Then came Model Seven, the three-way flagship built around what KLH claims is the "industry's first acoustically suspended 13-inch woofer in an exceptionally narrow, wall-friendly cabinet."

Why say all of this? Because the Model Four aims to marry the strengths of those, in that it's built around the eight-inch woofer introduced in Model Three, it's a three-way speaker and it shares the same midrange driver, tweeter and crossover architecture as the acclaimed Model Five. Its cabinet also uses the wide baffle and shallow depth proportions of Model Seven, a profile "purpose-built for placement closer to walls".

Essentially, KLH wants you to know it's a speaker (or pair of speakers) built for people who want floorstanders but don't have the luxury of placing their towers of power as far away from the walls of their home as possible and still being able to walk around the room. The promise here is "tight, accurate bass with as little as a few inches of rear clearance". Woof!

Model Four boasts a 13-inch-wide front baffle and shallow 8.25-inch cabinet depth. The six-degree slanted riser (which comes with your purchase of each speaker) means that the total depth comes to just under 11 inches — the shallowest in the Model Collection.

What of the drivers? Of course: each speaker comprises an eight-inch pulp-paper cone woofer with "reverse roll rubber suspension", a four-inch pulp-paper cone midrange and one-inch aluminum dome tweeter. A three-position Acoustic Balance Control switch — a KLH original introduced in the 1960s — also enables listeners to fine-tune the speaker's mid and high-frequency character, to suit your room's unique acoustics (and hopefully of course, your ears).

KLH's Model Four will be available in the US and select international markets beginning September 2026, and again, the retail price is $999 each ($1,999 per pair), while pricing in the UK will be £899 each — or twice that for a set of stereo speakers.

They'll also be on show at High End Vienna (yes, Vienna, although you're quite right — it used to be called High End Munich) and oh how I wish I was attending this year. Don't worry though, I've got other members of the team on it…

• Spotify could be rolling out a tool that allows you to change your username
• It could also roll out profile bios
• They're minor but exciting new tools, however, I need Spotify to make improvements to Messages and Listening Stats first

Spotify’s integration with third-party social media platforms allows you to seamlessly share what you’re listening to with your friends, but I’m still bitterly disappointed with its limited profile customization functions — but the music platform could finally be expanding on this.

At the start of the year, Android Authority spotted strings of code in the Spotify app pointing to a tool that lets you edit or change your Spotify username. Fast forward to now, and the outlet has come across more evidence that this feature could be in the pipeline.

In its most recent teardown, Android Authority found more text strings referring to “edit profile social handle” as well as one that states “you can only change your username twice within 14 days”. If you’ve been using Spotify for a while and have been forced to stick with a default username, or you created an embarrassing one at the time you signed up, it could solve a huge pain point, and I’m already excited for the possibility of its arrival.

But it doesn’t end there, because profile bios could also be coming to the Spotify app after being restricted to artist pages since the platform’s inception. It means so much more than simply giving you the freedom to tell the world exactly who you are in flash form, but it gives you a whole new way of curating and a proper musical identity on Spotify.

Android Authority’s findings also reveal that you’ll be able to add and edit your bio, as well as have the option to choose who can view it in your profile — that’s if Spotify decides to release it, that is.

Messages and Listening Stats need some more TLC

I'll admit that this is pretty basic stuff — most social media platforms have always given you the freedom to curate your own identity through usernames and profile bios, but this could mark the beginning of a big transformation for one of the best music streaming services.

Spotify has always been dedicated to its social functions. You can share music to other platforms, and your algorithm is completely determined by your personal habits, but Spotify has yet to really hit the nail on the head with other social functions.

I’ve always wished for more profile customization tools in Spotify. In fact, it was one of the improvements I said I wanted in 2026 — think Musicboard, which lets you set banner images and profile photo borders to give your page a bit more personality. Though Spotify is nowhere at this stage yet, its username and bio tools are a small step forward, but there are other things the platform needs to tweak, too.

Spotify introduced the Messages tab in August 2025, allowing you to DM the people you follow and share music recommendations, which in hindsight is handy for some, but I find that this part of the interface still needs a lot of work. I’m still waiting for replies from friends whom I messaged weeks ago, so there must be a notification issue there.

In relation to Messages, Listening Stats also had an overdue glow-up, which now tells you exactly how many songs and artists you listen to in a week. It also allows you to compare your own stats to your friends’ and view them side-by-side, but Spotify is being funny about how it determines who your friends are.

Instead of automatically adding the accounts you follow to your ‘friends’, Spotify says you have to invite friends to chat in order to view their weekly stats, even though you can see what they are listening to in real time. I tried to do this as soon as I came across the Listening Stats update, but the person on the other end couldn't accept my invitation.

It’s got me thinking, is Spotify only doing this to get more subscribers to use the Messages function? Because given how my experience has panned out, that theory seems even more legitimate.

• New Beats headphones spotted in the wild, on soccer star Lamine Yamal
• They seem to show more interesting design changes than AirPods Max 2
• It's not the first celeb headphone leak we've seen recently, either

It's been a minute since we've seen new Beats over-ear headphones — actually two years since the Beats Solo 4 released (pictured above), and three since the Beats Studio Pro — but it looks like the Apple sub-brand is finally ready to adorn our ears.

New Beats headphones have been pictured in the wild, and they look like they could be the Beats Solo 5 given their lack of resemblance to the Studio Pro (although to me, they look a fair bit like the CMF Headphone Pro).

Where have they been pictured? In an odd place: on the head (and gracing the bag) of FC Barelona soccer player Lamine Yamal, in a series of Instagram pictures taken to celebrate his checking into the Spanish soccer team's training camp for the 2026 World Cup.

The new Beats headphones are given pride of place in some of the pictures; they're hard to miss. We can see them in enough detail to easily tell they're not the existing options from the company (and would you really put them around your bag like that, if a company hadn't specifically asked you to show them off?).

Handing headphones to celebrities seems to be the promotional strategy of choice these days. Shortly before the release of Sony 1000X The Collexion, British actor Damson Idris was thoroughly photographed wearing them on the streets of New York City, and it looked no less fabricated than Yamal's photoshoot.

Will endorsement from a soccer star really sell the Beats Solo 5 to audiophiles? I doubt it, but it doesn't matter; as Apple's cheaper headphone brand, Beats isn't aiming for audiophiles anyway.

A nice design change

We recently tested the Apple AirPods Max 2, which saw no design changes whatsoever from the original AirPods Max, originally released in 2020. So it's a six-year-old design, and once that looked a little dated even then.

People irked that Apple hadn't updated its looks will probably be happy that the new Beats headphones offer a more refined design than the older models. I guess that's what all of Apple's designers were beavering away on.

Judging by the pictures, the Beats Solo 5 (if that's what they are) have a more curvy design than the Solo 4, with no rigid plastic tiers and, by the looks of it, a mesh headband akin to the AirPods Max. I wasn't being hyperbolic when I compared them to the playful CMF headphones.

Now, non-sports fans might not know this, but Yamal isn't alone at the Spanish training camp in Chattanooga, or in the United States. There are actually a fair few footballers across 48 teams, and there's a good chance we'll see more of them tote these new Beats cans across the event.

If that's the case, then the World Cup could be the big pre-launch for the new Beats headphones, building awareness before they're officially shown off. It seems very likely, then, that we could see an official launch relatively soon.