The Pocket-lint Awards have fun among the greatest gadgets the workforce at Pocket-lint has seen and reviewed during the last yr, spanning 21 classes from smartwatches and smartphones to laptops and headphones. Every class has six nominations, all of which have been totally reviewed by us prior to now yr.
The Finest Speaker class is all about acknowledging the best-sounding at-home or on-the-go audio gadgets and it has been a yr stuffed with some nice ones. The shortlisted nominees for Finest Speaker 2023 are:
You’ll be able to click on on the hyperlinks above to learn our full evaluate on every of those distinctive speaker nominations. We have additionally highlighted some quick verdicts beneath that can assist you perceive what we liked about them, what they did effectively and why they’ve been nominated for the Finest Speaker class within the Pocket-lint Awards 2023.
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
The Apple HomePod (2nd technology, 2023) is a superb-sounding speaker, simply like its predecessor was, and if it is sound high quality you are after, the HomePod (2nd technology) won’t allow you to down. It delivers a terrific steadiness with a formidable soundstage for quite a lot of tracks and genres.
It is also a lot smarter than the 2018 mannequin was (you not less than get radio this time round), including a spread of options that make it considerably extra helpful as a sensible speaker. Matter help helps to make HomeKit extra related within the good house market and in flip, HomePod. There are additionally a number of nice-to-have options blended in too, particularly – and importantly – for these embedded in Apple’s ecosystem.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5
Whether or not the Beosound A5 is a smart approach of spending north of $1099/£899 will very a lot rely on what you identify “wise” to be. For a lot of it will likely be a stretch too far, particularly when a few of its greatest competitors prices half the value.
Nevertheless, this is without doubt one of the greatest battery-powered speaker we have heard and it appears undoubtedly beautiful too, significantly within the end we examined. It is an actual step above the rest within the class.
JBL Cost 5 Wi-Fi
The JBL Cost 5 Wi-Fi may not rip up timber with a lot of new options, and the shortage of a battery life improve is a little bit of a bummer, however the basic truth is that it takes an excellent speaker and makes it higher.
Having all the advantages of portability, together with these of Wi-Fi connectivity, for below $200 makes it a extremely strong possibility for many who desire a new all-purpose speaker. It is as at house on the kitchen counter or on a tenting journey, which you’ll be able to’t say is true of that lots of its opponents.
Marshall Middleton
The Middleton is one other completely rock-solid speaker from Marshall, one that really weighs about as a lot as a rock, however sounds phenomenal to make up for it. Its weight signifies that it will not be excellent for each situation, however that is fantastic – there are smaller audio system out there. For many who do need its hefty, punchy sound, it is a nice beefy speaker.
It manages to retain sonic steadiness even at excessive volumes and makes it very easy to regulate issues on the fly, all whereas wanting like a little bit of traditional sound tools.
Sonos Period 100
The Sonos Period 100 is a brand new period – pun solely meant – for Sonos speakers. It takes the corporate’s wonderful entry-level speaker from 2017 and offers it a make-over, each internally and externally.
The Period 100’s new design offers the newborn Sonos a brand new lease of life, while including quite a lot of new options that make it much more interesting – like Bluetooth capabilities, new controls and line-in performance. Sure, it provides a number of kilos or {dollars} to the One‘s price ticket, and no it will possibly’t be paired with its predecessor, however should you’re contemplating coming into the Sonos platform, the Period 100 is an ideal place to begin.
Sonos Period 300
The Sonos Period 300 has a novel design. Some will find it irresistible, others may not be so positive, however you may’t deny it is completely different and we’ve got grown fairly keen on it. It isn’t nearly what it appears like although – the Period 300 sounds unimaginable.
It affords wonderful efficiency, a spread of nice options and a design that basically stands out. Positive, in case you are an Apple person, the HomePod might be a more sensible choice, however for these already invested within the Sonos system, or seeking to begin one with a bang, the Period 300 is a really improbable selection.
How the Pocket-lint Awards judging works
The winner for the Finest Speaker class is determined by the Pocket-lint workforce, together with a panel of professional judges from different publications throughout the trade. Following a vigorous scoring course of, the Finest Speaker winner for 2023 will likely be introduced at an in-person occasion on 9 November 2023, together with the winners from the opposite 20 classes.
A Product of the 12 months winner may even be introduced, chosen from the winners of the 21 classes and a winner of the New EE Superfast Award may even be revealed on the occasion. On the night time, we’ll announce the outcomes on the Pocket-lint Twitter handle as they unfold and there may even be a function detailing the winners as soon as the Awards are over too.
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