Spring has definitely sprung at Engadget. Well, at least that’s the case as far as reviews are concerned. Since my last roundup we’ve put over a dozen devices through their paces, giving you plenty to look forward to over the weekend. Read on for a list of all the reviews you may have missed.
Asus ZenBook A16
Asus
- amazingly light
- polished design
- best oled screen
- tons port
- Big performance leap compared to X1 chips
- possible branch incompatibilities
- Does not support all PC games
ASUS’s ZenBook A14 didn’t live up to our expectations last year, but now the company is back with a 16-inch machine and a shot at redemption: the A16. Senior journalist Devindra Hardawar said, “Compatibility issues aside, the ZenBook A16 offers everything I want in an ultraportable.” “It has a gorgeous OLED screen and all the ports you need. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon
apple airpods max 2
apple/engadget
The H2 chip offers many new features, but now it’s time for a comprehensive redesign on these expensive headphones.
- comfortable
- excellent sound quality
- lots of new features
- Same design, again
- expensive
- Only one hearing health facility
Until this year, the only updates to Apple’s AirPods Max were new colors and a USB-C port. The company finally gave its expensive over-ear headphones the powerful H2 chip, which offers many useful features from the AirPods Pro. “The H2 chip brings Apple’s over-ear headphones up to par with the rest of the AirPods lineup, namely the AirPods Pro 3,” I said. “And since I don’t expect Apple to announce new earbuds this year, this similarity should last for a while.”
sonos play
sonos/engadget
The Play looks great, has an extensive and versatile feature set and won’t break the bank. This is a welcome return to form for Sonos.
- compact design
- Great sound quality for its size
- Features like line-in and Bluetooth grouping make it extremely versatile
- long battery life
- Does not come with power adapter
- More colors would be welcomed
Sonos desperately needed a win. Thankfully, the company has regained some of its charm with a new portable speaker that offers the best of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in a single device. Deputy editor Nathan Ingraham said, “The latest Sonos speaker offers impressive sound quality, flexibility, and portability, and it’s the kind of product that could help Sonos rebuild its reputation after its recent difficulties.”
lg sound suite
lg/ngadget
LG’s latest home theater system offers great sound and lots of options. However it is expensive, and the Marquee feature is not always easy to use.
- Detailed and comprehensive home theater audio
- Dolby FlexConnect is really useful
- great for music
- Easy to use as a personal speaker
- expensive
- Disappointing setup and connectivity
- Each item is sold separately
- Some configurations require an LG TV
After an impressive CES debut, LG’s Sound Suite was my most anticipated review of the year. Despite the impressive sound quality and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, there are still some hiccups with both setup and general use. “It can’t be denied that LG has created a powerful and immersive living room experience with its Sound Suite lineup,” I said. “Although I experienced some setup and software issues, LG can overcome these things over time – the sound suite is still brand new.”
DJI Avata 360, Fender Audio, Nebula X1 Pro and more
The past few weeks at Engadget have been pretty audio-heavy, including the first headphones and speakers from Fender Audio, two sets of headphones from JBL and the Roland Go:Mixer Studio. I also reviewed the Bravia Theater Bar 5, the first of Sony’s 2026 soundbars, and contributing reporter Steve Dent reviewed the Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro all-in-one projector.
Senior journalist Sam Rutherford actually took one for the team and spent some time with the RoboSense Soundwave Transformers robot. Finally, Steve flew with the DJI Avata 360 drone, which is a direct answer to Insta360’s AntiGravity A1.
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