Using an Amazon Alexa device as a Bluetooth speaker is a super-convenient way to broadcast those tunes, a podcast while cooking and cleaning, or any other audio content you want to listen to. But how do you do it? This article aims to connect you to Alexa, help you use it as an ordinary Bluetooth speaker, and show you how to optimize your experience.

For instance, speakers like the Echo Dot, Echo Show, and Echo Studio can stream audio directly from various sources, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. This way, you can listen to high-definition music and podcasts from whatever services you subscribe to.

Keep reading to learn how to get those party tunes blasting out of your existing Alexa device this holiday season. If you don't have a smart assistant, check out our guide to the best smart speakers.

Why would you want to use Alexa as a Bluetooth speaker?

Bluetooth is a type of wireless connectivity that gives you ultimate flexibility over where and how you place and use your device, removing the clutter of wires simultaneously. There are also voice control features, which means you can manage playback with just your voice. Try using commands like 'pause,' 'skip,' or 'volume up' to make everything much easier.

Alexa speakers also remember which devices have been connected previously, allowing you to switch between them easily. Again, This multi-device functionality makes things easier, especially if you live in a home with many gadgets. You can also get better sound quality with an Alexa speaker than with even the best smartphones.

How to use your Alexa as bluetooth speaker: step-by-step guide

How to use your Alexa as bluetooth speaker: Troubleshooting

Device Not Found: If your Alexa device doesn't appear in your Bluetooth settings, try restarting your phone and tablet.

Audio Quality Issues: To avoid lag or poor audio quality, ensure your devices are nearby and free of obstructions that could disrupt the Bluetooth signal.

Voice Commands Not Working: If Alexa doesn't respond to volume or playback commands, check the Alexa app for an update. You should also ensure the microphone isn't muted on your device so Alexa won't hear your requests.

How to use your Alexa as a bluetooth speaker: FAQs

Can I control the volume remotely?

There are several ways to control the volume of your Alexa device remotely. First, open the Alexa app on your phone, select your Alexa device, and adjust the volume. You can ask Alexa to turn up the volume if you're nearby or set it to 3. If you're part of a smart home system, you can use compatible apps or devices to control the volume as well.

Can I play the same music in different rooms?

You can create a multi-room music setup by opening the Alexa app and selecting all the devices you want to include.

Once your group is set up, you can easily play music throughout that group by using commands like, “Alexa, play music in [group name].” With this setup, you can simultaneously play music in multiple rooms, perfect for parties or listening to music around your home.

What happens when I want to disconnect?

You can disconnect by saying, "Alexa, disconnect," or do it manually through your Bluetooth settings. Once disconnected, Alexa will automatically reconnect to the last device it was connected to.

The 1MORE EVO Buds come in at a medium price point, with audio quality that far surpassed my expectations. My day-to-day earbuds are three times the price of these wireless earbuds, but having used them for a number of weeks, I'd happily stick to the 1MORE for the majority of my audio needs. 

With a sleek matte case that magnetically opens and closes, the earbuds themselves can be touch-operated and have a glossy exterior that looks just as good as expensive alternatives. 

My one downside to these headphones was that the noise-canceling could've been better, so if you want a pair of the best headphones to study or commute, maybe try elsewhere. 

1MORE EVO Buds: At a glance

You'll likely buy the 1MORE EVO Buds on Amazon. They retail for $170, or £160 in the UK, but you're likely to find them on sale if you shop during Black Friday or Prime Day. 

The buds charge with USB-C, and the brand claims that the battery lasts eight hours on a full charge, or five hours if you're using noise-canceling. 

The 1MORE EVO Buds come in a metal case that opens and closes from a top lid mechanism. This is magnetic, and easy to pop open using a thumb while on the go. The case feels nice and sturdy, and I enjoyed that the earbuds came with some pre-charge, which meant I could get straight to testing. 

As for the buds themselves, these were quite small and fitted comfortably in my ears. As with most earbuds, you can choose from a selection of plastic tips to find the right fit for you. 

1MORE EVO Buds: key specs

1MORE EVO Buds: Performance

I tested the 1MORE EVO Buds on my morning commute, which involves half an hour on London's (very noisy) Northern Line. Having noise-canceling headphones on this journey is a must if I want to catch a word of my morning podcast, and while these buds did a decent job, I didn't find that they outperformed my current favorite buds, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ. With that said, these are also a more expensive option when compared to the 1MORE, so it's a case of getting what you pay for when it comes to noise-cancelling. 

As for audio quality, I found that these buds punched well above their weight. Music was clear and accurate, and worked just as well on the moody pop tunes I usually listen to as it did with a smattering of Holst's Planet Suite. 

Controls are intuitive. You can pause and play music with a double tap, hold for a few seconds to switch between noise canceling modes, and triple tap to activate a voice assistant on your phone. You can also customise these using the 1MORE app, which paired seamlessly with the buds from first use. 

How does it compare?

Compare with a minimum of 2 other products. If we've reviewed, link out to them on TTR. If we've not reviewed, link out to an affiliated site where it's available to buy.

A more affordable alternative, the Beats Studio Buds wowed us with their colorful design and clarity. Although the battery life isn't nearly as good as the 1MORE EVO Buds, they could be a good option for those who are happy to charge regularly. 

Cheaper still, the Earfun Free Pro earbuds are the best value buds we've tested. Our reviewer rated the battery life more highly than the Beats, finding that the 32-hour battery life as claimed by Earfun was accurate. However, we prefer the look of the 1MORE EVO, and the buds feature a more sleek and compact design. 

1MORE EVO Buds: should you buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested the 1MORE EVO Buds

We tested the 1MORE EVO Buds for a number of weeks before writing this review. Our reviewer Millie considered everything from design and looks to ease of use and battery life. Millie uses earbuds on a daily basis, listening to everything from podcasts to feel-good playlists for her commute and morning walks. She was able to compare the 1MORE EVO Buds to her usual earbuds, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ, in terms of sound quality and battery life. 

See more about how we test.

When it comes to audio equipment and headphones, JLab doesn't need introducing. The JLab Go Air Pop are a reliable and versatile pair of earbuds that are on the cheap end of the spectrum yet don't compromise on build or audio quality, ideal if you're looking for every day earphones that won't set you back too much.

These earbuds come in a light portable case and in a variety of colorways to choose from, from teal to brick red and the classic slate or black. For the price (less than $25), the earbuds and case don't feel flimsy and can withstand frequent daily use, including during exercise and in the rain. 

If you're an audiophile looking for the highest quality earphones to listen to music, then these are definitely not the right choice for you. However, they're a great pair to take everywhere from the gym, to work, or just to listen to tunes and podcasts on the go. 

I tested these earbuds over the course of a few months to test their audio quality, ergonomics and comfort, ease of use, and of course, durability. I have been really impressed with their performance, so read on to find out if they're the right pair for you.

For other listening options, check out our guide to the best headphones, which contains a variety of models for all needs and budgets.

JLab Go Air Pop: Design

The JLab Go Air Pop come in a standard-looking charging earbud case that clicks open and shut and has space to store and charge the earbuds when not in use. The lid mechanism doesn't feel too flimsy the case is nice and light, great for slipping into your pocket before you go out. 

The case has a charging cable attached to it which neatly tucks underneath it when not in use. You can plug the case in to a USB port on a laptop, or directly into a plug. 

In terms of design, these earbuds also look pretty standard. They're very small, light and compact, and don't have the "wing" you can find on Airpods for example. The downside of not having this wing is that the earbuds controls are on the earbud themselves, which can be a bit fiddly when you're putting them in.

The earbuds also come with three different sizes of silicone inserts to adjust the fit as needed. As someone with really small ears, I often struggle to find earbuds that fit properly, and most importantly stay in while I exercise and walk about. I fitted the Air Pop earbuds with the largest silicone inserts and found them really comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time, and was pleased with how snuggly they fit. 

As I mentioned above, the JLab Go Air Pop come in a variety of colors: red, teal, lilac, black, slate or graphite. It's nice to have the option as these are regular-use, every day earbuds so you could match them up to your phone or accessories, for example.

JLab Go Air Pop: Setup and usability

The JLab Go Air Pop connect to your devices using Bluetooth 5.1, which is known to be a bit unreliable with Android devices. I am an Android user myself, and from the moment of connection onwards, I had very few issues with these earbuds. Apart from the occasional and very short dropoff in one earbud, the connection is strong and steady across a variety of devices, from laptops to phones. 

Setup is relatively easy, as you only have to make sure the earbuds are charged before you can connect to your devices. It took me all but 5 minutes from taking them out of the box to start listening to music. 

The earbuds are controlled by tapping them in various sequences, as follows:
• Single tap: volume up on right earbud, volume down on left earbud, or answer call
• Double tap: play/pause on right earbud, voice assistance on left earbud, hang up a phone call
• Press and hold: forward track on right earbud, backward track on left earbud, reject incoming call
• Triple tap: EQ preset change on either earbud

The small, compact design means it's easy to accidentally trigger those controls while putting the earbuds in or adjusting their position. The sensitivity of these touch controls is also not the most reliable - I found I sometimes had to tab multiple times until my content was paused, or that I accidentally paused content instead of putting the volume down.

JLab Go Air Pop: Audio quality

The JLab Go Air Pop's audio quality is just fine. It won't blow you out of the water, especially if you're an expert audiophile and used to high quality equipment, but for everyday use, it does the job perfectly well.

I used them for everything from listening to my favorite podcasts to pop music for workouts, or to make phone and video calls. These earbuds have three EQ options: Bass Boost, Balanced, and JLab Signature. The Bass Boost preset makes a big difference for music with large amounts of base, but I tended to keep the earbuds on "Balanced" for most uses. 

In terms of mic quality for audio calls, these earbuds are great for making calls in quiet places, but the mic is very sensitive to surrounding noise, so if you're around a bit of wind or in a busy place, the person you're calling might struggle to understand you. 

The other thing of note is that the JLab Go Air Pop don't have ANC per se, they rely on a tight fit to block out some of the surrounding noise. While I found this a good thing to ensure safety while walking after dark, if you're after a pair of earbuds with active noise cancellation, you'll want to look elsewhere.

JLab Go Air Pop: Battery life

The battery life is perhaps where these earbuds shine brightest. Having tested a range of wireless earphones, I always found battery life to be a bit underwhelming, and resented having to charge most pairs every day. 

But not with the JLab Go Air Pop - the brand claims these have an 8-hour battery life, but I found this to be closer to 12 hours of constant use. The case when fully charged adds another 24 hours, so even with regular use, you might find you only have to charge these earphones once every couple of days. 

You also have a bit of time between the low battery warning and the earbuds shutting down, which means you could put the case on to charge when you first hear it. 

For the price, the battery life is really impressive, and one of the best I've seen on wireless earbuds. 

JLab Go Air Pop: User reviews

At the time of writing, the JLab Go Air Pop scored 4.4 stars out of 5 on Amazon, from 21,653 ratings. Positive reviews praised the really good value for money, the battery life and comfort of these earbuds, with one user saying "Stop looking now if you want a pair of low budget earbuds. I had to return two pairs with decent Amazon reviews that cost around $10, which taught me that spending at least $20 is mandatory. I found multiple reputable websites that declared the JLab Go Air Pop to be the best budget earbuds, and these did not disappoint! The sound quality obviously won't challenge very expensive earbuds, but the audio quality is more than adequate for those among us who aren't audiophiles."

The few negative reviews highlight some issues coming out of the box, and some difficulties with the touch controls. One user also highlighted that "If you don't start playing music right away, or if you pause a song for a few minutes the earbuds will automatically turn off. Then the only way to get them to turn on is to put them back in the case and take them out. That's a problem if you leave the case at home or in the car. With other jlab earbuds you can press and hold for 3 to 5 seconds and they turn back on. Not with the go air pop earbuds though."

JLab Go Air Pop: Price and availability

With a base price of $24.88 on Amazon, there is no doubt that these earbuds are in the budget category. However, I found everything from the audio quality to the durability to be above average and really really impressive for the price. As an added bonus, there are frequent discounts on JLab earbuds, and they are currently 6% off at Amazon.

Should you buy the JLab Go Air Pop?

If you're after a cheap but durable pair of earbuds that can withstand most use cases, then I would recommend these in a heartbeat. While they're some of the cheapest headphones I've seen, I've been using them consistently for a couple of months with no issues at all.

However, if you're looking for something a bit fancier that will guarantee a better microphone, fantastic audio quality, and features like Active Noise Cancellation, then you could consider something like the Bowers & Wilkins PX wireless headphones.

Once seen as Apple’s more garish, bass-heavy counterparts after the company purchased the product line, Beats are every bit as impressive as the company’s AirPods lineup these days.

If you’ve been disappointed by Apple’s AirPods, AirPods Pro, or even AirPods Max while working out, then it may just be time to check out the Beats Fit Pro or the Powerbeats Pro. Each is built for your running, cycling, weight-lifting, CrossFit, and any other workout needs, but they inherit much of what makes Apple’s own lineup special; instant-pairing and switching, a charging case, and “true” wireless connectivity.

Still, which one is best, and worth your money? While the Beats Fit Pro are newer, the Powerbeats could be more comfortable, but only the former offers noise cancellation. Here’s our rundown of the Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro, but for more be sure to check out our Beats vs Bose comparison. 

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Design

As with many modern earbuds, there are two components to the Powerbeats Pro and Beats Fit Pro; the buds themselves, and the case to hold them.

Starting with the buds, each comes with a series of silicon ear tips for differing ear sizes, but that’s where the similarities end. The Beats Fit Pro have a small plastic (thin) on the side, with sensors on the other, while the Powerbeats Pro have a larger chassis that stretches into a hook that goes behind the user’s ears.

Neither is necessarily better than the other, but in testing, we did find the Powerbeats to be more comfortable when used as everyday earbuds over longer periods. Over time, that “fin” can become much more noticeable on the Fit Pro, although since all ears are different, your mileage may vary.

When it comes to the case, we have to hand it to the Fit Pro option. It’s drastically smaller, but also shorter in terms of overall height, too. The Powerbeats Case will fit in your pocket, but you’ll certainly notice it, whereas the Beats Fit Pro case is miniscule by comparison.

The case interior and exterior on the Powerbeats Pro are the same color, too, and we prefer the two-tone of the Beats Fit Pro case.

Winner: Tie

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Performance

If you’re working out and are looking for bass, then both the Powerbeats and the Beats Fit Pro will cater to the need for deep audio with plenty of oomph.

The Powerbeats, however, definitely harken back to the older, more bassy Beats headphones of yesteryear, while the Fit Pro give the highs plenty of attention, too. They’re much more balanced, akin to AirPods Pro rather than their predecessors from Beats.

There are another couple of factors that make the Beats Fit Pro an easy win in this category, too. One is the ANC we’ve mentioned multiple times in this article, which offers excellent cancelation of exterior noise while also offering transparency mode for moments when you need to hear what’s going on around you.

The Beats Fit Pro also support Apple’s Spatial Audio, which offers surround sound that matches head-tracking where supported. It’s not necessarily a huge boon for a workout, but if you want to kick back and watch a movie at the end of the day, it can offer a more cinematic experience.

Winner: Beats Fit Pro

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Battery life

When matched side by side, with the cases factored in, both the Beats Fit Pro and Powerbeats Pro offer a total of 24-hours of battery life.

The Beats Fit Pro will offer seven hours of playback before needing to be put in the charge, but that drops to six with the ANC on. On the other hand, the Powerbeats Pro offer 9 hours, presumably thanks to a larger battery given the increased space on offer.

Better yet, the Powerbeats Pro can offer an hour and a half of use after just five minutes of charging, meaning even with the battery depleted they’re still worth taking with you. The Beats Fit Pro, while still offering fast-charging, will add an hour when charged for five minutes.

Winner: Powerbeats Pro

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Connectivity

Both options here are running on Bluetooth, and while they work brilliantly with Apple tech from iPhones to Macs, they’re also just as capable on Android, Windows, or anything else that offers Bluetooth.

Naturally, to reap the benefits of instant device switching, quick pairing, and anything else afforded by the H1 chip, you’ll need to be using an Apple device.

Still, we’re giving the Beats Fit Pro the nod here thanks to the more forward-thinking charging port. It’s a USB-C port rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connection which is due to be phased out in the coming months.

Winner: Beats Fit Pro

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Value

The Powerbeats Pro are cheaper than the Beats Fit Pro, but whether they’re worth $149 to you will likely come down to how highly you prioritize the presence of Active Noise Cancelation.

If it’s not a biggie for you, the Powerbeats Pro are well worth  a look – and we’ve seen them drop to around the $100 mark with some steep discounts.

On the other hand, the $199 Beats Fit Pro certainly aren’t cheap, but the inclusion of ANC and the smaller form factor, plus the potential of Spatial Audio, mean they’re a great alternative to the AirPods Pro that’s actually cheaper than Apple’s option.

Winner: Tie

Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Which should you buy?

Looking for a no-nonsense pair of workout earbuds that’ll stay in your ears and offer solid audio? The Powerbeats Pro are a great option and offer better battery life than the Beats Fit Pro as well as better in-ear controls.

If you want even more tech packed into an unfathomably small space, though, then the Beats Fit Pro are the way to go. They’re more compact, offer noise canceling, and even charge via USB-C. They’re not as comfortable over long periods, but they’re our pick.

Winner: Beats Fit Pro

This head-to-head showdown between Beats and Bose isn't just about comparing two popular brands. It's about audio quality, comfort, battery life, noise cancellation, and more. We'll talk about the unique features of Beats and Bose to help you choose.

We've also scoured the market to bring you the key information for each brand across their headphone ranges. We've tested and reviewed many other headphones from different brands in our best headphones buying guide if none of the Beats and Bose headphones appeal to you.

Our goal is to help you find the perfect headphones, whether from Beats, Bose, or another brand. But for now, let's get started.

Beats vs Bose: Price & value

• Bose headphones offer superior sound and noise cancellation, ideal for audiophiles.
• Beats are more affordable with stylish designs but compromise on audio quality.

Bose headphones, like the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, are pricey. Because of their advanced noise-cancellation technology and sound quality, they're a good investment for audiophiles and frequent travelers. In the long term, users get excellent value for money because of the enhanced audio performance and comfort.

However, Beats headphones, like the Beats Studio3 Wireless, are usually cheaper than their Bose counterparts, so they appeal to younger people and people who prioritize style over functionality.

Although Beats headphones have trendy designs and good bass, they don't sound great compared to Bose. That said, many users appreciate Beats' aesthetic appeal and brand reputation as part of their identity and lifestyle.

Bose might be worth the investment if you want superior noise cancellation and clarity. Conversely, if you like stylish headphones with decent sound at a more accessible price point, Beats might be a better choice.

Beats vs Bose: Features & functions

• Beats headphones prioritize style and portability with great sound and Active Noise Cancellation
• Bose excels in comfort and audio clarity.

Starting with Beats, the Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones emphasize style and portability. With the Apple W1 chip, they're seamless with Apple devices and can do things like "Hey Siri." In addition, the headphones feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which blocks out external noise effectively. Some users might notice a slight hissing noise when no music is playing. On-ear controls allow quick adjustments to volume and tracks during use, making Beats ideal for genres like hip-hop and electronic music.

Conversely, like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, Bose headphones are all about comfort and noise-cancellation. You can fine-tune the noise-cancellation system based on your environment. Bose also excels at audio clarity, rendering vocals and mid-range sounds in great detail. Touch-sensitive controls make it easy to use, and voice assistant integration makes it even better.

With Bose headphones, you can talk easily without removing them because they have features like "Conversation Mode," which lowers playback volume and amplifies external sounds.

However, for those who consider headphones fashion accessories, the Beats offer a more vibrant aesthetic and various colors, which could be a big draw.

Beats vs Bose: Performance

• Bose headphones excel in noise cancellation and clarity, while providing comfort.
• Beats offer bass-heavy sound, but may cause discomfort for some due to fit issues.

Its noise-cancellation technology makes the Bose headphones stand out. They make a tranquil listening environment with their finely tuned ambient noise removal, which makes them great for travelers or people who need to concentrate in noisy environments. The sound quality is consistently clear and bold, especially in the mid-range, rendering vocals and instruments with impressive clarity. The bass is slightly subdued but easily adjustable, so users can customize their listening experience.

In contrast, Beats headphones, especially the Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear model, are well known for their bass-heavy sound signature, so they appeal to people who like hip-hop and electronic music. This one sounds more balanced than previous models, though sometimes it's a little muddled. Though audio quality is subjective, Beats delivers a satisfying experience for casual listeners who want vibrant bass.

With Bose headphones, you don't get ear fatigue after prolonged use due to their lightweight materials and ergonomic design. Even though Beats headphones are adjustable, some users may find the ear cups don't fit all ear sizes, making them uncomfortable.

Beats vs Bose: which is better?

Bose and Beats headphones offer distinct advantages, so your choice will ultimately depend on your preferences. With its superior sound quality, especially in the midrange, the Bose 700 headphones are designed for long-term comfort. A remarkable amount of external noise is blocked out with their industry-leading noise cancellation technology.

Alternatively, the Beats Studio3 headphones are more stylish and have an impressive battery life. They're also a little more affordable at retail price, although prices can fluctuate.

Do you think we're going to call it a tie? If not, here's the verdict: Bose wins. Both headphones aren't bad, but we think the Bose's audio quality is better. Beats headphones provide decent sound, but if you're spending $350 on headphones, you should expect more than "acceptable" sound. The Bose headphones aren't cheap, but we think it's worth it.

If you want to know what is Dolby Atmos, the likelihood is that you're already curious about getting the best audio setup you possibly can for your headphones and speakers. Essentially, Dolby Atmos is a ground-breaking 3D sound platform that can bring panoramic sound to audio devices, making your listening experience more immersive. 

When used in conjunction with the best Blu-Ray players and the best soundbars, Dolby Atmos is able to simulate a fully 3D audio environment. This means that dynamic sound can reach your ears from all around you, including from above. Whether you're listening to audio from movies, games or music, this means that you're having an enhanced experience with much more detail than would have previously been possible. 

This is just a small insight into what Dolby Atmos is, but we've explored how the system works and whether it's worth investing in below. 

What is Dolby Atmos? 

You might be interested to know that Dolby Atmos isn't actually a new technology. In fact, it was debuted in 2012 with the release of the Pixar movie Brave. It was immediately noted for its ability to create rich soundscapes that drew viewers deeper into the cinematic experience. 

Within a few years, Dolby Atmos technology was made available to home theater setups. This disrupted to traditional speaker setup of stereo, 5.1 and 7.1, as new height channels that recreated sounds on the vertical plane were added. This meant that sounds weren't just created at ear-level, they could be transmitted at various different heights for a more immersive experience. 

How does Dolby Atmos work? 

The vital addition of height channels differentiates a Dolby Atmos home setup from a standard 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system. To reproduce truly accurate surround sound, Dolby Atmos treats individual sounds as ‘objects’. 

These audio objects aren't tethered to fixed points within an environment. Instead, they can move around the space according to the relevant action on screen. For example, if you're watching a movie scene with a helicopter flying, ordinary 5.1 or 7.1 setups would mean that the aircraft could be heard flying from behind you, past you and in front of you. 

However, Dolby Atmos means that the helicopter – or rather the audio object that carries the sound of the helicopter – can rise or fall according to the relative height of the aircraft in relation to you and the Atmos AV receiver. This means that you could hear the helicopter hovering directly above you.

Dolby Atmos gives sound engineers in games, movies and other forms of entertainment incredible freedom to dedicate audio channels to specific objects that can be choreographed within a scene. Distant birdsong and conversations in a crowd, planes flying overhead, and explosions in action-packed sequences… With Dolby Atmos, all such individual elements can be manipulated to build the most immersive, detailed soundscapes.

Is Dolby Atmos good for music?

Many – including Dyaudio's Otto Jørgensen – believe that the 3D nature of Dolby Atmos makes music sound better, as voices and instruments aren't 'fighting to be heard' on the same horizontal plane.

"When engineers are mixing a track, everything is object orientated," Otto explains. "With stereo, they'd say 'this guitar goes in this speaker', or maybe 'partly in this speaker, partly in that speaker', working with each channel of the speakers. But with Dolby Atmos, you're not really considering the speakers – you're placing objects in space. 'I have a 3D space on my computer and I want the guitar to go here, and so I sit the guitar there'. A computer then figures out what speaker or speakers it needs to play that object in, in order for it to be 'heard' in that position. The sound might be coming out of four different speakers, in order to place the sound in the right place in the room."

"Essentially, in stereo you have the limitation that sounds will mask each other. If you have too much stuff overlapping, it becomes a wall of sound and you can't hear that detail. With Dolby Atmos, voices and instruments don't mask each other in the same way. That gives a scale and standard of sound that's a lot better throughout."

How to use Dolby Atmos at home 

Now you know what Dolby Atmos is, you’re probably wondering how you can enjoy this audio experience at home. Well the good news is, if you have an existing 5.1 or 7.1 (or more) surround sound system, you can modify your setup to be Dolby Atmos-enabled with just a few additions.

1. Upgrade your existing surround sound with a Dolby-Atmos AVR

The most important piece of equipment is a Dolby Atmos-enabled audio-visual receiver (AVR). With a little configuration, this device will detect how many speakers you have and use an Object Audio Renderer to relay audio objects through the most appropriate speaker.

Like a lot of home theater equipment, Dolby Atmos-enabled AVRs aren’t cheap, but you can pick up good models such as the Onkyo TX-SR494 AV Receiver or the Sony STRDH590 5.2 Channel Surround Sound Home Theater Receiver for about $350.

2. Invest in upward-firing speakers

The next pieces of equipment you’ll need to really get the most out of Dolby Atmos are upward-firing speakers. These speakers ‘bounce’ soundwaves off the ceiling to accurately represent sounds above the listener. Dolby recommends two of these upward-firing speakers in front and two behind the listener. Models such as the Sony SSCSE Dolby Atmos Enabled Speakers cost about $230.

3. Try a Dolby Atmos soundbar

Some of the best soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q90R are now Dolby Atmos-enabled too, enriching the experience further from wherever you’ve placed it.

4. Love gaming or music? Get a set of Dolby Atmos-compatible headphones

"Dolby Atmos has been designed with headphones in mind," says Otto Jørgensen. "Artists and engineers may be working on speakers when they are designing the sound, but it's being mixed down for playback on headphones, so you're hearing more 3D-like sound. That's what I think will drive Dolby Atmos to become an important sound standard. Headphones are such big business, and if you can improve the sound in headphones through Dolby Atmos, it's going to drive artists to embrace it."

For a pair of headphones that can deliver Dolby Atmos through their Spacial Audio technology, try Apple's AirPods Max headphones, current $449.99 at Amazon. 

It may require some investment to experience Dolby Atmos at home for yourself, but if having the best audio is important to you, then it provides arguably the most thrilling and authentic audio experience available right now.

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A pair of the best headphones is a must-have for song, podcast, or audiobook lovers, not forgetting the work video-callers, travelers, and gym-goers. And if you’re into your music (who isn't), they’re especially worth the investment. Why? From premium sound quality and noise-canceling technology to stylish designs and long-lasting battery life, they’ll improve your listening in more ways than one. 

Whether you’re on the go and need a set for your morning commute or are searching for a premium pair to improve your audio experience, there are several headphone types to choose from. Think over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds, and options to plug into one of the best smartphones. Depending on your preferences, these headphones are available in simple or more stylish designs. 

So, to help you find the best ones, we’ve tested a range of models available on the market, including options from big brands like Beats, Bose, and Sony and more affordable buys. In addition to listening out for the best headphones, we’re also in tune with other tech, like the best tablets or laptops to buy.

The best headphones we recommend

Top Ten Reviews is on a mission to review everything we feature in our buyer's guides. Still, while we work hard to make this a reality—or where this isn't possible—some of our guides still feature rankings based on our team's considerable expertise and research.

While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.

The best headphones overall

You want the full package? This is the full package. Bowers & Wilkins may not be a household name, but on the back of these headphones it deserves to be. These are the first wireless headphones with built-in noise-cancelling the company has produced, and it’s knocked the ball clean out of the park on its first swing. 

They may not look much, with a two-tone grey finish (soft gold is an optional extra) made from aluminum and ballistic nylon, they’re solid yet light, and exert a good amount of pressure when applied to your ears.

Wireless sound quality using the aptX HD codec is clean and clear, with a decent bass kick and the distinct feeling that the music is coming from in front of you. Noise-cancelling comes in two modes - Flight, which blocks out everything, and City, which should allow you to hear the honking of an oncoming taxi. 

Lifting an earcup off your ear pauses playback, and you can pause manually and adjust volume using the trio of buttons tucked behind the right earpiece. The PX doesn’t fold up particularly small, but can be made compact enough to slide into the provided carry pouch.

The best wireless earbuds

Beats Studio Buds are easily the best headphones that Beats has ever made, and they’re also some of the best noise-canceling earbuds you can find on the market. They have a super unique and stylish look, which is the result of ergonomics as much as styling. This attention to form factor means that they fit super well, which makes them ideal headphones for the gym or your morning run.

As for the actual sound quality? It’s sublime. Beats have typically been all about that bass, but the Beats Studio Buds have a much more rounded and balanced sound profile. The bass is still great, but it no longer drowns out everything else. On top of this, you get active noise canceling that will block out all that pesky background noise.

The battery life is a bit so-so, but you still get a decent amount of juice between the buds and the charging case, and they recharge super quickly when you do need a top-up. If you want fancy features like wireless charging, you’re out of luck though. These are minor complaints though, and the Beat Studio Buds are our favorite pair of headphones at the moment, especially with the aggressive price point they’re selling for.

• Read the full Beats Studio Buds review.

The best value wireless earbuds

Every now and then, a product drops from a relatively unknown company and blows the whole game wide open. That’s the case here, with the Earfun Free Pro wireless earbuds from Kickstarter success story Earfun.

These true wireless earbuds offer exceptional audio quality that rivals what you’d find in headphones that cost four or five times as much. You get great bass and treble, and respectable performance on the mids that leaves them with an impressively balanced sound profile.

The Earfun Free Pro earbuds also come with active noise cancelling technology and while they can’t keep up with the market leaders here, it’s still decent, especially for a pair of headphones this cheap. And that’s really the clincher for the Earfun Free Pro earbuds - the price. At $59.99, you’re simply not going to find a better pair of headphones at this cost. In fact, you could double or triple your budget and you’ll still struggle. These things offer ludicrous value, and the only real downside is that the touch controls take some getting used to. A price worth paying, we think.

• Read our Earfun Free Pro review.

The best noise-cancelling headphones

Bose is a company that really should know what it’s doing, and it shows. The noise-cancelling performance on offer here is second-to-none, and the sound quality isn’t bad either, although it doesn’t quite match our overall best headphones. 

It’s hard to dislike the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700s, despite their extremely long name. The new design over Bose’s previous model was worth the investment, as the seamless finish exudes a feeling of quality the more plasticky models can’t match. Touch controls are a great thing to add, making buttons feel positively 20th-century, and the use of the Bose logo as part of this gives insight into the level of thought that has gone into their manufacture.

While sound quality doesn’t match the heights of the B&Ws, it’s perfectly good in its own right, and when coupled to that remarkable noise-cancelling technology the headphones sound great. A comfortable favorite among commuters, these headphones won’t disappoint.

The best premium wireless earbuds

The rise of the true wireless earbud - that’s a pair that don’t rely on a cable between them like some wireless buds do - has been a remarkably fast one. They rely on duplication of technology, as each must house Bluetooth circuitry, mics, and its own battery, so they can tend toward the bulky, or have noticeable descending stems like the Apple Airpods.

Sony gets around this problem with intelligently shaped buds that sit in your ears like tiny Bluetooth headsets. Their noise-cancelling ability is good, and the overall sound quality, considering the drivers in earbuds are many times smaller than those in over-ear headphones, is remarkable. The small batteries are topped up using a charging case, which contains a larger battery you charge from the wall, and sound equalization functions are handled by a companion app on your phone.

These earbuds sit at the top-end of the price range that includes entries from Apple, Jabra, Beats and more. They need to stand out to justify that, and they do. You won’t find a better pair of true wireless earbuds out there. Their only drawback is a lack of waterproofing, making them unsuitable for use in the gym or while running. Apart from that, these are the best around.

The best headphones for Apple users

Apple AirPods Pro are probably the most famous earbuds in the world, alongside the normal AirPods, but are they deserving of that monstrous fame? The short answer is yes they are. When it comes to aesthetics and form factor, AirPods Pro are peerless thanks to their compact, stylish design, and on-earbud controls.

Apple AirPods Pro are no slouches when it comes to audio quality either, and we were thoroughly impressed by the balanced sound output and solid bass these things can kick out. They also feature decent noise cancellation, which you can customize, so you can drown out the rest of the world and just jam to your tunes.

The only real issue is that you’re paying a premium for that Apple badge and there are better headphones out there for cheaper, both in terms of sound quality and noise cancelling. But if it absolutely must be Apple, these are a fine choice.

The best budget earbuds

Not content to blow the big names out of the water in the smartphone space, OnePlus has dived into the best headphones brawl with the OnePlus Buds. As we’d expect from OnePlus, this is a stellar first effort with the OnePlus Buds offering great sound quality at an affordable price. They offer excellent sound quality at half the price of competitors like the Apple Airpods. They look slick too - we’re especially fond of the electric blue color.

OnePlus has also brought a staple feature from its phone range along - Warp Charge. This means that you can get ten hours of playtime from just ten minutes of charging. Topping out at 30 hours total charge including the case, the OnePlus Buds last for a long time too.

The only major gripe we have is the rigid plastic design. It apes the look and feel of Apple Airpods, but they’re a little bigger and as a result, they won’t fit everyone’s ears quite as well. Definitely try a pair before you buy, because they can fall out easily when you’re on the move if they don’t fit snuggly.

The best cheap sports earbuds

What’s going on here? Beats headphones listed as a budget option? Yeah, we’re as shocked as you are, but Beats Flex are the latest pair of earbuds from Apple’s stylish little subsidiary and they’re not only surprisingly affordable - they’re pretty damn good too.

Obviously they look great, these are Beats headphones. You don’t make it out off the production line without oozing style. Beats Flex are banded headphones connected by a flexible band, meaning they’re not truly wireless. The band means you can easily hang them around your neck when not in use though, and stop them falling to the floor if they fall out. This means they’re ideal workout earbuds.

The audio quality is pretty well rounded, with excellent bass output as you’d expect. The mids get a little lost at times, which results in some sounds getting muddled together into one, but the sound output is still great in this price range. And speaking of price, it’s also very reasonable… for a pair of Beats. Realistically you can find headphones this good for cheaper, but can you find headphones that sound and look this good for cheaper? Probably not.

The best fitness earbuds

Jabra’s entry into the fitness earbud sector packs in the features. You get water and dust resistance that should see you wash your earbuds under the tap without damaging them, along with decent sound and excellent noise-cancelling. 

They look great too, their unique shape making them instantly recognizable, and come with a nice range of different silicone tips to really lock them in place and block your ear canals - essential if noise-cancellation is to effectively remove all ambient noise. You get five hours of use out of the batteries, and the charging case will extend this by another 10 before it needs to be topped up. Watch out for the lid, though - it’s not the easiest to get along with.

While you can get better sound elsewhere, the quality the Jabras are capable of putting out is perfectly acceptable, especially if you’re using them while running. For everyday use, too, we’d find them perfectly acceptable, but we might be thinking about the Sonys.

The best cheap over-ear headphones

Another relatively unknown company, Treblab is also pushing the narrative that you can look outside the big audio names and still find great headphones with the Treblab Z2. These over-ear noise cancelling headphones are aimed squarely at the workout and gym enthusiast, with a lightweight, comfortable build and water resistance.

The build quality and materials are good, even if it doesn’t quite reach the same levels that you’d find in premium headphones, and you get good sound quality for the price too. The audio profile is balanced in favor of the highs, which means they’re best suited towards things like podcasts and YouTube videos, but you get respectable music performance too.

They also come with active noise cancellation - it’s not groundbreaking, but it does help drown out the background noise when you’re out at the gym or running down the street. Overall, the Treblab Z2 headphones aren’t flashy, but they are great value for money.

• Read our Treblab Z2 review.

How to choose the best headphones for you

While we know what to listen out for when it comes to the best headphones, there are a few key considerations to make before you buy. Not only will this help you sort the best from the rest, but also distinguish which type will work for you. 

Budget: While headphones may be considered an essential, they can vary in price, with cheaper models costing around $20 to premium buys in the hundreds. Figuring out your budget, and what you want to get out of your headphones will be the first step to finding the right set, at the right price. 

Type: Whether from big name tech brands or cheap online finds, headphone types are made with different audio needs in mind. There are large over-ear headphones, wired or wireless earbuds to choose from, and how you use your earphones will determine which style suits you best. For example, if you’re a commuter in need of something simple and small to put in your bag, bud earphones would work best. But if you require something stylish for when you’re out and about, then bigger over-ear headphones will look the part.

Features: Not second to style, but should be equally considered are the features the headphones offer. Do you require a portable pair since you can’t go a moment without music? Or a wired option for when you don’t have time to charge a wireless pair? Similarly, you may be looking for top specs like noise-cancelling quality to drown out background noise, or waterproof potential for those sweat-heavy workout sessions. 

Battery-life: Putting plug-in earphones aside, how long your wireless earbuds or over-earphones last is worth considering too. Earbuds tend to have a shorter lifespan but can be charged on the go, whereas headphones and headsets can last longer before needing to be docked and charged.  

If you're on the lookout for a reliable, entry-level pair of wireless earbuds, the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro should be on your radar. Launched in June 2022, they retail at $70 but are often on sale on Amazon or on the SoundPEATS website. As such, they're on the lower end of the price scale for wireless earbuds. 

The SoundPEATS Air3 Pro have three modes, including standout Active Noise Cancelation (ANC). For the price, the battery life and the sound quality are both very decent, so unless you're particularly picky about audio quality, chances are you'll be very satisfied with these earbuds. We had a few issues with the controls being hard to remember and accurately toggle, but overall, we feel confident recommending this model for most people.

We tested these earbuds alongside a variety of other models for a month, assessing their performance across different uses: professional calls, exercising, watching films, listening to music and podcasts. We took battery life, price, audio quality, ANC, ergonomics, design and features into account when we assessed them to make the best possible recommendation. 

If after reading this review, you are still unsure about choosing the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro, then check out our guide to the best headphones to find something more suitable for your needs. 

SoundPEATS Air3 Pro: Design

The SoundPEATS Air3 Pro look like fairly standard wireless earbuds: they come in matte black plastic with a SoundPEATS logo on the side of each earbud in a pleasant metallic purple color. The downside is they only come in this colorway, so anyone after a different color might be disappointed, but if you're not fussed, then the design is quite pleasing.

The buds come with three sizes of tips you can swap out to find the perfect fit for you. We found the smallest fit the best, and there is a large enough difference between the sizes of tips to ensure most people would find a good option. 

In terms of the design of the earbuds themselves, at first we found them a bit uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, but this could be because we have relatively small ear canals. After some adjusting, we had no issue at all wearing them for most of the day without having to take any breaks.

The case is small and rectangular, also made of black matte plastic, and has two slots inside to fit the earbuds. When you open the case, a small light flashes to indicate the battery level of the charging case - red for low, orange for medium, and green for high. There is a mini USB charging port on the bottom of the case. When it is charging, the light inside the case turns orange. 

You can control the earbuds by tapping the side of each one, on the SoundPEATS logo.

The controls break down as follows:
• Long press on the left earbud: change between ANC, normal mode, transparent mode
• Long press on the right earbud: next song
• Short press on the left earbud: volume down
• Short press on the right earbud: volume up
• Double tap on either earbud: pause/play

The controls definitely take some getting used to, as there's a lot to remember. Additionally, the surface you have to tap is relatively small, so adjustments can actually be quite hard to make. This is especially true if you are running or exercising, or if you're in a hurry or have your hands full. It's quite easy to accidentally double press on the earbuds and pause your music instead of adjusting the volume, for example.

SoundPEATS Air3 Pro: Performance

For the price, sound quality on the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro is really decent. We tried using them across a range of music genres and podcasts and films and found they fared well across the board. 

It helps that the SoundPEATS app enables you to choose between nine EQ presets, meaning you can adjust the sound exactly as you please. We recommend doing so and toggling between the different options as you set up the earbuds so you can find the perfect set up for your needs. 

We were very pleasantly surprised by the Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) mode on these earbuds. Turning it on really drowned out ambient noise, even in a noisy office or coffee shop, which really helped with concentration. 

Likewise, "pass through" or "transparent" mode made a big difference and allowed sound to come through over the music we were playing. This is a great feature for running and exercising outside, when being aware of your surroundings is beneficial.

The Bluetooth range on these earbuds is also impressive for their price point. We found we could leave our phone in one room and keep listening to content while roaming around our (albeit small) flat with ease, without the connection dropping off. However, go more than 10 meters away, and you'll start experiencing issues - a range that's fairly standard for wireless earbuds.

The one letdown performance-wise is the voice call quality, which is average at best. By all means, you can still get through professional calls just fine, even in noisy settings, but the sound quality is a bit tinny and not the clearest, according to the people who had to listen to us.  

SoundPEATS Air3 Pro: Battery life

SoundPEATS claims you can have up to 6 hours of single listening time with the Air3 Pro, which we found to be about right. Obviously, factors such as having ANC on or the sound turned on loud affected battery life, but we found you can get more than 5 hours of straight listening time on normal mode. 

With the charging case providing another 3 full charges for the earbuds, the total listening time extends to about 24 hours, which is excellent considering the price point. Our testing showed you can indeed get three charges before you have to recharge your case, so the total listening time does tally up to over 20 hours.

While the charging case doesn't offer fast or wireless charging, we found it reaches full charge in under an hour, which is pretty convenient and will ensure you rarely ever have to go without earbuds. 

SoundPEATS Air3 Pro: Price

• $69.99

The SoundPEATS Air3 Pro come in at the lower end of the wireless earbuds price scale. Considering they include several functions such as ANC and a Game Mode, as well as a decent battery life and reliable Bluetooth connection, the price is very reasonable. 

It's worth noting they're not the most design or extravagant product, but for the price, you get a solid piece of kit that feels sturdy and durable for under $70. These earbuds are available to buy from Amazon.com and the SoundPEATS website.

SoundPEATS Air3 Pro: User reviews

At the time of writing, the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro scored 4.1 stars out of 5 on Amazon.com, from 249 ratings. 

Positive reviews praised the Active Noise Cancellation and the battery life, especially considering the low price point, with one reviewer writing: "I really liked the noise cancelling feature. It's great for a low/mid tier earbud - completely blocked people's voices which was great for trying to get work done, but not so great for higher pitched frequencies - like doing dishes." 

The more negative reviews criticized the quality of the sound profile and the earbuds' controls, stating "I wish the button was a tactile push button instead of a touch button. It's easy to accidentally press it when adjusting the position or simply taking them out of the charging case. If the shaft was longer, this probably wouldn't be a problem."

Should you buy the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro?

If you're looking for a decent pair of wireless earbuds for cheap, then the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro are an excellent choice. As long as you're not expecting bells and whistles and the highest sound quality, these earbuds are a reliable and sound choice for exercise, professional and personal purposes. 

The Active Noise Cancellation is really quite impressive, and the battery life can keep up with most of a day of use thanks to the rechargeable case. For under $70, we think there's a lot to like here. 

The only qualms we and other users had were with the sound quality, which is obviously not comparable to high-end (and more expensive) earbuds, and the slightly counter intuitive controls. Apart from that, the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro are a great choice if you're looking for a no-frills, solid pair of earbuds on a budget.

How we tested the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro

Here at Top Ten Reviews, we feel strongly about giving consumers the best buying advice. As such, we test every product thoroughly in order to give an accurate opinion of its quality. 

We tested the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro over the course of a month, across a variety of scenarios and uses including exercising, professional calls, listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and music, as well as watching movies. 

Our testing took into account the earbuds' battery life, sound quality, Bluetooth range, price point, design and usability. All of these factors were taken into account while rating the earbuds. 

If you’ve spent any time around live music in the last few decades, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to identify a Marshall amp. The brand has been a favorite for live shows and studio sessions for a long time, and now its distinctive industrial design has been shrunk down into a quite frankly adorable, but ferocious, portable speaker.

The Marshall Emberton is a powerful speaker that offers excellent audio clarity as well as long-lasting battery life, while also being impressively well-made. It also looks great, sporting the instantly recognizable Marshall logo set against a speaker grille.

All of this combines to make it one of the best soundbars or Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now, and while it lacks any smart functionality or wired connectivity, it’s a long-lasting powerhouse that’s ideal for indoor our outdoor listening sessions.

Marshall Emberton: Design

If you were to take perspective out of the equation, the Marshall Emberton could be a head unit for a live band. It feels like it’s been hit by a shrink ray, and while it’s weighty enough to feel like it can be thrown in a bag, it’s not so heavy that you’d even know it was in there. That’s a tough balance to strike, but Marshall has managed it.

The Emberton comes in four colorways; our review unit is the rather fetching Cream variant, but you’ll also find Black, Black and Brass, and Forest as available options.

The outer shell is made of a silicone rubber which feels nice to the touch and makes it easier to pull out of the aforementioned backpack you can carry it in or hold in your hand.

The front is dominated by the trademark grille and the Marshall logo, while the back is much the same, sans logo. One side has a USB-C charging port, and the top lays out a connection button, battery charge meter, and a control nob that’s inside the chassis itself.

Not only does it look much better than the alternative (which we’d presume would be a variety of buttons), but it also allows for volume control and track skipping within one control.

Marshall Emberton: Features

As you can imagine from a modern-day Bluetooth speaker, the Emberton is easy to connect to your device of choice; just push the knob for a couple of seconds and connect on your phone’s Bluetooth menu (or laptop).

Sadly, there’s no wired connection, but Bluetooth technology has come so far we’d consider that a “nice to have” more than a “must-have” for many users. If you’ve got an AUX cable, though, you won’t be able to use it here.

When it comes to battery life, the Emberton can party a lot longer than you may expect given its size. It’ll pump out music for up to twenty hours, and when it does finally croak, you’re able to get five hours of playback by charging it via USB-C – although there’s no power brick in the box.

Marshall Emberton: Sound quality

Sure, this speaker looks great, but how good is the sound quality? Despite offering 360-degree sound (thanks to the aforementioned rear grille), it’s tough to consider it as being truly stereo because it’s all coming from such a small package.

That’s not to say it’s not punchy, though. In our experience, the Marshall Emberton was able to offer the satisfying crack of a snare beat on a rap song just as much attention as it did on the bass heavy drops of a metal track.

While some Bluetooth speakers can lean too heavily on bass or treble, the Emberton feels like it hits the sweet spot between the two – even a podcast didn’t sound overly distorted, and often you’ll find hosts’ voices come out a little higher or lower depending on which is preferred by the speaker.

As with any speaker, particularly one this small, you’re bound to hit some distortion if you crank things too loud, but keeping things at around 80% ensured everything just felt full, even when listening outside next to a busy barbecue.

Marshall Emberton: User reviews

The Marshall Emberton holds a five-star rating on Amazon, with reviewers noting how impressed they are by the sound produced from such a small device.

Others would have liked an AUX connection, while others were hoping for some kind of equalizer, but for the most part, it’s a very popular speaker.

Should you buy the Marshall Emberton?

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth speaker that offers great looks and a really robust soundstage, then the Marshall Emberton is a no-brainer. Whether you’re throwing the latest chart-topper or decades-old classics through it, it can do it all, and is one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy today. 

If this product isn't for you

The Marshall Emberton looks and sounds great, but it’s not a smart speaker. 

That means if you’re looking for Alexa or Google Assistant integration, you’ll find Amazon’s Echo Dot and Google’s Nest Mini for a lot less money, and gain that functionality. 

If you’re not fussed by either of those because you’re reliant on Siri, then Apple’s excellent HomePod is also an option – and it’s still significantly cheaper. Alternatively, Marshall's got its very own smart speaker with the Marshall Stanmore.

Keep in mind, though, that with any of these options you’ll be chained to a wall plug, and Wi-Fi.

The Jabra Stealth is one of the best Bluetooth headsets out there right now that your ear could have the honor of offering a home to. It'll fit comfortably while actually looking good thanks to a sleek design honed from the many decades of experience this earpiece specialist has to offer. There's decent ambient noise blocking making the 84 dB volume plenty in nearly all situations. Although an ability to adjust this on the ear might be of use, rather than having to use your phone. 

Call quality is fantastic thanks to the noise-canceling function, and the battery life, at a good six hours of talk time and ten days on standby, is more than enough for most people. Somehow, it still manages to weigh just eight grams, which makes for a comfortable all-day wearable headset. It would be nice if a wall adapter or car charger were included but since you can buy these separately it's not too much of a gripe. The price isn't the lowest, but you really do get what you pay for here with quality and comfort that sets the bar against all the competition. 

Jabra Stealth: Design

At just eight grams, the Jabra Stealth is one of the lightest Bluetooth headsets we've tested. The Stealth is very comfortable, is great for extended wear, and the fact that you can wear it on either ear is a big plus. This is supported by the inclusion of two ear hooks and six ear cushions that enable you to find the best fit, no matter your preferred wearing style. It fits snugly, much like the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless, but is more understated in design and form.

Testament to its design, aesthetic and build, the Jabra Stealth won an award a few years ago; an accolade that highlights both the appearance and intuitive nature of the design. On the downside, and unlike many others in the market, the Stealth does not come with a charging case, wall adapter or car charger, just a USB to micro USB cable.

It's a decent looking bit of kit, with a modern design and aesthetic so it won't look out of place, well, anywhere. The controls have plenty of space to sit and breathe while being readily accessible, and the design is intuitive to handle, interact with and wear.

Jabra Stealth: Features

Worked into the design are the Stealth's features, which are a streamlined affair. Present are a single power switch; a concealed micro-USB charging port; and two control buttons. The voice button is on the underside of the mic arm and the answer/end call button is right over the Jabra logo. There are no dedicated volume buttons, so volume will have to be adjusted from the phone, or other connected device, which is a shame. However, given the stripped-back nature of the buttons and features, this is acceptable.

When the Stealth is first turned on, it immediately enters pairing mode and it easily pairs with your phone and does it quickly. If your phone supports NFC pairing - Near Field Communication, which almost all modern smartphones do - you can pair by sliding the device and headset’s NFC zones against each other until they connect. When connected, the Stealth alerts you to incoming calls, and it works seamlessly with caller ID reading the caller’s name or number (if you have them in your contacts, naturally). It does not alert you to texts if you have your phone on vibrate, which is easy to forget about. However, The Jabra Assist companion app which you use alongside the Stealth can read out all your messages to you, offering more communication options. The app can also enable you to monitor your headset’s battery, adjust your message settings, help you find your device if lost, and can show you the manual if you need to revisit anything.

Because there are only two buttons, there’s a learning curve to answering and making calls. For example, you need to tap the call button to answer a call and double-tap to reject or end a call. This can be tricky to master but it's a usual side effect of a compact product and after a while of constant use, the interaction does become second nature. Elsewhere, the Stealth’s dedicated voice button lets you give voice commands, depending on the connected device, and it is compatible with both Apple's Siri and Google Now.

Jabra Stealth

The Stealth stands strong in the field of Bluetooth headsets, mainly because it has excellent audio and voice quality. This manifests itself during use: we had absolutely zero complaints in our hours of testing on the Stealth's call and playback. Listening to music, no sound ranges felt lacking - the overall quality was surprisingly solid and enjoyable for a one-ear headset - and voices came across clearly, crisply and easy-to-understand during calls.

The headset's volume is even incredibly deliberate and well-executed. According to the World Health Organization’s 2015 'Make Listening Safe' brochure, 85 decibels is the highest volume level considered to be safe for up to eight hours of extended listening - at max volume, the Stealth put out 84 decibels. Perfectly in tune with the guidance but also plenty loud enough. Team that with the crispness of audio and it's a great balance. A balance in audio is further accentuated by the earpiece being designed to help block ambient noise and direct the speaker’s sound. It isn't quite on a par with noise canceling in the Plantronics Voyager 5200, but it's very good. This enables you to comfortably listen to the Stealth at lower volumes and still hear everything around you - a good safety feature for the commute.

Utilizing this feature and setting the Stealth to a lower volume also helps conserve battery. The device handles up to six hours of talk time and 10 days on standby. We performed our tests over five consecutive days – using the Stealth for call and playback tests for about an hour a day, on a single charge. Once depleted, it takes about two hours to charge back to full which is very agreeable for a top-performing product in this field.

Should you buy the Jabra Stealth?

The Jabra Stealth is a superb Bluetooth headset that packs a lot of features into a compact and sleek form factor. There's a decent battery and more than decent audio quality, making this perfect for calls and even for all-day use. Everything is backed by a helpful app and you have the option to add accessories as needed – although more included like a car or wall charger would have been nice. Aside from not being able to adjust volume directly on the headset, this is a real all-around winner. 

If this product isn't for you

The other really big name in the Bluetooth headset world is Plantronics and the Plantronics Voyager 5200 model is one of the best it has to offer. The four-mic system makes for very clear calls with active noise cancellation, the reversible design is good for either ear, and call volume is well balanced. This may be a bit bulky for some but with features like moisture resistance, dynamic mute alert and smart sensors, this certainly offers a lot for the price.

If you want the full headphone experience as well as that Bluetooth headset functionality then a dual earbud setup could be ideal. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is designed for gaming, meaning it's built with a focus on clear and high-quality microphones for calls. It’s also made to be comfy for long periods of time and features a good-looking minimal design.

Synonymous with audio quality, Sennheiser has done it again with the Sennheiser Presence headset, which offers superb in-ear audio as well as excellent microphones for clear voice transmission. The look is great, fit is comfy and the battery life is one of the best out there. The catch? It's not cheap.

The best smart speakers combine all the best parts of music players with intelligent listening to make them even more useful. These speakers not only have microphones to hear your commands but they're also backed by AI-powered smart assistants.

That means you can ask your speaker what you want to listen to—and plenty more besides. From checking the weather to controlling your smart home, these smart speakers can do it all without you having to lift a finger.

From the super affordable Amazon Echo to the higher-end Sonos Move right through to the compact Google Nest Mini, there are lots of speaker options to suit everyone's needs. Yup, you no longer need to sacrifice premium audio quality to get a smart voice-controlled assistant in your favorite speaker spot in your home.

So, from being alerted by your video doorbell to unlocking your smart lock door, you can do it all from the comfort of your sofa. It's worth noting that while some speakers offer multiple voice assistants, most will let you choose between Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, or Microsoft Cortana. So it's worth considering which you use the most, like best, or which is more compatible with your needs. 

With that in mind, here are the best smart speakers available right now, organized with standout features so you can find the perfect model for you.

The best smart speakers we recommend

We at Top Ten Reviews are on a mission to review everything we feature in our buyer's guides, but while we work hard to make this a reality—or where this isn't possible—some of our guides still feature rankings based on our team's considerable expertise and research.

While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best central air conditioning unit features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.

The best smart speaker overall

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) smart speaker is the winner of our best smart speakers list thanks to its perfect balance of price, audio performance, and smart functionality. So, while it might not be the best-sounding or looking on this list, it does everything so well and in one well-priced package that it will serve the needs of most above and beyond what's expected.

This speaker is built to listen to you since it's all about getting that Alexa smart assistant into homes. As such, it comes packed with a six-microphone array that can hear voices from anywhere in the room. If you enable it, this can even pick up your voice specifically and tailor the results to suit what it has learned you may want. Expect Alexa to understand all your requests, even in noisy environments with other voices, music, white goods, and more, all trying to drown you out.

To continue with the smart assistant features, Alexa can control the smart home. So, this does more while you can ask Alexa to play music, check the weather, or convert a cooking weight for you. You can control your home's thermostat to get the temperature right, have the Echo alert you when your smart doorbell goes, or even easily add items to your digital shopping list. Plus, you get Zigbee and Sidewalk onboard for all your other smart gadgets that can be controlled directly from here.

The speaker itself is better than ever in this fourth-generation model. As such, you can expect a genuinely impressive balance of music with enough power and punch to fill a room without distortion, even at higher volumes.  

A super all-around smart speaker at a very fair price.

The best premium smart speaker

The Sonos Move is the most mobile speaker from the now world-renowned speaker company, which started the whole multiroom revolution. The Sonos Move is the company's first truly mobile speaker, as it packs in battery power to allow you to take it wherever it is needed, whether into various rooms or out into the yard for a barbecue party. The battery is good for 10 hours, and the speaker is IP56 rated for water and dust, so you don't even have to worry about rain or using this by the pool. Crucially, it does all that while keeping the high-quality audio and smart voice control standards we've expected from Sonos.

You have a six-microphone array listening to your command – which can be for Alexa or Google Assistant, as you can set up with the one you use most. There's WiFi connectivity and Apple AirPlay 2 support, but since you're likely to move this out of the WiFi range, there is Bluetooth connectivity. But the great part of this speaker is its audio smarts.

Take the Sonos Move out into a new space, and it will automatically detect it has been moved. It will also use its microphones to test how its audio output performs in that space. It will then adjust the audio to suit the space it is in. For example, playing this from the corner of a room will sound as good as outside in an open space, as it will intelligently adapt to suit.

The Class D amplifier and speaker setup create a perfectly balanced and powerful sound that's difficult to fault. You'll pay more for that Sonos name, but you'll hear why the second you start using this superb speaker. 

The smart speaker with the most iconic design

The Marshall Stanmore II Voice is a stunner; there's no denying it. With those classic guitar amp looks, this combines retro with modern to give a look that screams music fan when viewed from almost all angles. That's because this is designed by band-backing speaker specialist Marshall, who has decades of experience creating high-quality and reliable speakers. Making them smart – that part is new.

This speaker comes with Alexa as the onboard smart assistant, and she can be controlled using the dual microphone setup, which can pick up voice commands well. It is not the best, but it works well enough in most situations. Unlike some other speakers, this offers WiFi, Bluetooth, aux 3.5mm input, and RCA, making this perfect for most uses.

The reassuringly weighty 10-pound speaker packs a powerful 50W Class D amp for the sub and two 15W Class D amps for the tweeters, resulting in high-quality audio with lots of grunt. Everything is well-balanced; as you might expect from Marshall, the volume can go up without distortion. That makes this a viable day-to-day speaker and a unit that can be cranked up for a party. 

It's also worth noting that this speaker stands out as visually iconic with that Marshall design, and this continues into the audio performance. This is a Marshall-sounding speaker, making it ideal for guitar-based music, but thanks to a fine balance, it does well with all types of music.

The best value smart speaker

As the name suggests, the Google Home Max is the largest and most powerful speaker range that Google has to offer. As such, this model is ideal for anyone who wants the functionality of a Google Assistant speaker but with the extra audio performance of a stand-alone speaker. Crucially, this does that bridge-crossing feat while keeping the price down.

As such, this is one of the best value-for-money smart speakers you can buy. Use this as your day-to-day speaker and assistant, but reserve it for party-level output thanks to the dual 4.5-inch woofers. That means this speaker is powerful enough to work for most uses alone, but it can also be paired with another to create a stereo pair that is ideal for watching movies with immersive audio.

Google Assistant is easy to control thanks to dual microphones which are able to pick up your voice from across even a noisy room. That means you can control your music by voice and your smart home, including thermostats, door locks, and more. You can also use all those Google smarts to have it answer your questions, or you can even conduct web searches on whatever interests you. It's ideal if you're away from your phone and want a quick calculation or fact immediately. 

For connectivity, you're all set with WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm aux in, and USB-C, so you can charge a smartphone right from this mains-powered speaker, too. It's not the lightest at 11.7 pounds, but that's a weight reassuring of audio quality, and – since this isn't made to be that mobile – it's ideal for what you're getting, which is a very capable and reasonably priced speaker.

The best smart speaker for the bedroom

The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is a perfect smart speaker for a bedroom or office. Thanks to the funky digital display, it not only offers audio playback and listening but also at-a-glance time and data. This is a really beautifully designed piece of kit from Amazon that manages to cram in the features while keeping the price super low.

Of course, this isn't the best speaker on the list, but it still does a good job of playing music at a quality that can be enjoyed – just don't expect the bass or vast soundstage of a larger speaker. It listens very well, with far-field microphones that easily pick up your voice. That makes this a great way to control smart devices using your voice alone, as well as having access to the weather, conversions, shopping, and answers to any other question that might spring to mind.

The clock is a newer addition that adds at-a-glance time on the LED display, letting you do away with your bedside clock, for example. This is intelligent in terms of lighting, as it dulls at night so you aren't bothered by a bright light as you sleep—but it remains plenty clear enough to read the time should you need it. You can even tap to snooze the alarm, like a classic bedside clock offers.

So if you want a smart speaker with excellent listening ability, offers superb responses, delivers decent enough sound, and does it with a clock while staying on budget – this is an ideal option.

The best multi-room smart speaker

Sonos is where multiroom speakers began, and since the company started adding smart assistant controls, these are some seriously impressive speakers that justify their price and then some. You can expect very good audio performance from the Sonos One, one of the company's most popular speakers in its range. This is thanks to not one but two Class-D amps and a mid-range woofer that combine to offer balanced audio with enough bass and a wide enough soundstage to handle anything you throw at it.

Of course, being Sonos, it is also super compatible with multiroom speaker controls. Use the Sonos app to pair up other speakers, or play using Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple's AirPlay 2. This is smart enough to pop up on your network, meaning you can also control it from within your music player, like Spotify, sending it to this speaker alone or multiple speakers as you need.

This is a multiroom speaker first, but thanks to six far-field noise-cancelling microphones, it also works perfectly as a smart speaker. While those microphones create the best audio performance for the space the speaker detects it is in, they also listen to you. Speak a command, and the speaker will quickly respond as you need. That could be to play music, turn up your home heating, check the weather, and plenty more besides.

All that and the speaker looks stunning, with a minimal finish and sleek lines, enhancing any space lucky enough to find this living within.

The best smart speaker for Apple fans

The Apple HomePod is currently in its second generation and is now better than ever, both in terms of its sound and features. First and foremost, this is the speaker built by Apple for users of its products, meaning it works best with them. So, if you want Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, keep reading – this is Siri-powered only. It's also built to play best with Apple AirPlay 2 – but you also have Bluetooth for direct connectivity if you need it.

The audio performance is high-fidelity, which supports Apple Lossless, and you also get Spatial Audio for sound that fills any room this lives within. The system works with microphones to adjust and optimize that audio playback to suit the space in real-time, meaning it is one of the best audio performances you can get at this price. So, from listening to music to playing audio for a movie, this will pack plenty of punch to deliver an immersive experience. This supports Dolby Atmos for truly surround sound as you listen to your movies or shows.

The Siri smart assistant is also better than ever with the HomePod. Not only can you have it carry out commands like controlling your smart home thermostat, setting alarms, or playing music about the home, but it even has automation like detecting smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and will alert your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch right away.

The HomePod also looks amazing with that rounded mesh finish, available in black or white. Either way, it's housing a 4-inch excursion woofer, five horn-loaded tweeters, and room-sensing microphones. All that makes for stunning performance and, when paired in stereo with another unit, can make this the center of your home audio experience. 

The best smart speaker for hi-res audio

The Amazon Echo Studio is the best speaker in the Amazon range, offering the highest-quality audio by far. Of course, at its heart, this is still an Alexa smart assistant-controlled speaker, but it's also a premium-quality audio device. As such, you can buy this to get the best Alexa experience without losing out on all that a premium speaker brand can offer you.

This audio quality comes from features like support for High-Res playback with a built-in 24-bit DAC to create the ideal output no matter the input. You also have support for quality audio like FLAC files, digital audio performance from Dolby Atmos, and even Sony 360 Reality sound, plus plenty more. 

Whatever you play, it goes through a system powered by a massive 330W amplifier, which runs three two-inch midrange speakers, a one-inch tweeter, and a monster 5.25-inch woofer for serious bass power. All that means is that you get a super powerful audio output with the balance to deliver the right performance for whatever you're listening to. It will even use its array of seven far-field microphones to analyze the room and adapt its audio output to best suit the space. The bass may be a bit much for some listeners, but with the ability to play with presets, this can be perfected as needed.

Alexa onboard means you can control your smart home, get answers to questions, add items to your shopping list, receive doorbell alerts, and plenty more. It's even a Zigbee hub. You get a lot for the price of this very impressive smart speaker.

The best smart speaker on a budget

The Google Nest Mini is the company's mini speaker option, which allows you to get a voice-controlled Google Assistant smart speaker without spending too much. That makes this ideal if you want a smart assistant in any room you need without breaking the bank by buying full-on speaker performance, too. As such, this delivers enough audio quality for music playback but not enough for an audiophile to be happy. So, for most people, it will do the job fine; it offers a balanced performance and quite a bit of volume, just not the most bass. This version has had a decent bass performance upgrade over the previous generation.

This unit looks decent with its mesh upper and minimal puck shape, all with the multicoloured Google LEDs to help alert you to status changes. It's also wall-mountable, making it potentially an out-of-the-way option for any space. It's also more sustainable, says Google. You won't find a 3.5mm aux in, although with WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 plus Chromecast support, you likely won't find much of a need for it with a speaker of this size.

The Google Assistant works very well here thanks to three microphones that can pick up your voice even over music playing loud – something the older models sometimes struggled with. So, while that 40mm driver isn't the most powerful, this is a great point of interaction with your smart assistant. Pop a few of these about the home, and you can control the thermostat, unlock smart doors, close smart blinds, have instant answers to nearly any questions, and plenty more, all a voice command away.

The best premium smart speaker

The Audio Pro G10 is a second-generation version of the Swedish company's premium-built smart speaker. As such, you get all the design positives of this stunning smart speaker only now with the addition of Google Assistant to control everything.

The key factor with this device is that you get that stunning and high-quality, weighty Swedish design but without the high-price tag you might expect. Go beyond the plush material outer and the minimalist design – which doesn't scrimp on button controls – and you have some superb audio grunt too.

Inside, you'll find a room-filling powerful 52W Class D amp backed by two 4.5-inch passive radiators, a 1.25-inch balanced mode radiator tweeter, and a 3-inch long-throw woofer. All that combines to offer a balanced audio performance which creates a great soundstage, despite this not being a 360-degree speaker - in spite of that rounded shape. This won't falter on sound quality, even at full volume, which fills larger rooms, making this a viable party speaker option.

In terms of smarts, this can be controlled using your voice thanks to Google Assistant and some impressively accurate microphone pickups. It's also good to go for Apple AirPlay 2 and offers Chromecast support – making it easy to play from whatever service you currently use. You also have Bluetooth 4.2 which makes playing directly from a phone – ideal at house parties – a viable playback option too. And that covers you for FLAC, Apple Lossless, AAC, WMA and MP3 audio formats.

From design quality to looks to stunning sound – this does it all for a relatively low price.

How to choose the best smart speaker

There are plenty of factors to consider when buying a new smart speaker, but one of the most important is what you need it for. Is this to get voice-controlled access to your smart assistant anywhere in your home? If so, a smaller, more affordable device like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest Mini could serve you well. But if you want audio performance, you may consider going larger and spending a little more.

So, assuming you want decent audio performance, you may next want to think about which smart assistant you need. While some third-party brands now offer the choice of either Alexa or Google Assistant, some are one or the other. So think about which you use most, which works best with your smart-connected devices, and which integrates ideally with your phone.

Next up, you could think about what level of audio performance you need. Do you want to go high-end for Hi-res audio playback, or could you get by just fine with a basic but decent enough performance? In short, are you an audiophile or someone who needs decent audio without it being pro-level? If you're the former, the Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo Studio, or Sonos One could be for you. Otherwise, most other speakers on this list will more than support your performance needs.

Looks are, of course, another factor. While most smart speakers now look great, some are design-focused, like the iconic Marshall or Audio Pro units in this list. You will pay a premium for these, but you'll see that in the room and hear it in audio performance, too.

Other considerations include connectivity, price, portability, water-proofing, visual feedback, button controls, and microphone performance. 

What can smart speakers do?

Smart speakers do a lot. It’s kind of their thing. As the name suggests, they’re speakers first and foremost though. This means that they’re ideal for playing music throughout your house via music streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music.

Alongside this, smart speakers are also an amazing way to connect and control all of your other smart devices around your home. This can be anything from asking Alexa to turn the heating down on your smart thermostat through to asking Google Assistant to dim the lights via your smart lamps.

You can also ask your smart assistant all kinds of questions using your smart speaker. You can ask for anything from news and weather updates to random trivia questions. Smart assistants will even tell you jokes and play games with you too.

Which is the best AI voice assistant? 

There are basically three choices when it comes to AI voice assistants for your smart speaker - Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. At first glance, you might just think that it’s best to stick with what you know. So, if you’ve got an Apple iPhone then get an Apple smart speaker and if you have an Android phone, get a Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa device.

There is certainly some logic to that, and it’s true that devices usually play best with other devices in the same ecosystem, but that’s not the be all and end all when it comes to choosing the best smart speaker.

Some smart speakers are locked to the smart AI assistant that they’re built for, so if you choose based on the software, then you’re also limiting yourself when it comes to hardware. Amazon devices only support Alexa, Google devices only support Google devices, and you guessed it, Apple devices only support Siri. Third-party devices like the Sonos Move and Sonos One have more freedom though, letting you choose which AI assistant you want.

OK, but which one is the best? Well that depends on what you’re expecting it to do. When it comes to answering questions, Google Assistant is the clear winner. An industry analyst called Loup Ventures put all three AS assistants through their paces in a rigorous series of tests back in 2019 and found that Google Assistant answered 92.9% of 800 test questions correctly, and correctly understood the question 100% of the time. By comparison, Siri only answered correctly 83.1% of the time, while Alexa managed to give the correct answer just 79.8% of the time.

That doesn’t make it a clean sweep for Google Assistant though. If you’re looking for device compatibility, Amazon Alexa really can’t be beat - it works with just about everything. And if you’re looking to inject some humor and humanity into your AI assistant, then Siri is certainly the funniest and most naturally speaking of the bunch.

With their Treblab Z7 Pro headphones, the Miami-based company has refined the qualities that made the previous Treblab Z2 over-ear headphones such a competitive mid-range option when it comes to wireless headphones, creating a set of lightweight, comfortable cans that boast excellent audio quality and a near-seamless user experience.  

At nearly half the price of some of the biggest brands currently residing on our best headphones list, the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones pull off the difficult balancing act of providing a premium experience - including the tentpole features of many more expensive headphones such as ANC, touch control and ambient sound awareness - with a more affordable price tag. 

If you were a fan of the previous Treblab Z2 headphones then the experience might not be as dramatically improved as you might have hoped, but the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones do boast 10 more hours of battery life and a far sleeker design, while carrying over the comfort and impressive audio performance that made their forerunner such a compelling set of over ear headphones. 

While still not enough of a challenge to the likes of heavyweights such as Bowers & Wilkins PX wireless headphones or Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, there’s plenty to recommend the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones if it’s just a pair of quality, affordable wireless headphones that you’re looking for. 

Treblab Z7 Pro: Setup and usability

The packaging that the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones arrive in reflects the sleek, discreet style of the headphones themselves. A sturdy, dark satin gray box opens to reveal minimal contents, which includes the headphones contained in an equally sturdy yet lightweight black carry case, a 10” USB-C charging cable, a 51” 3.5mm audio cable, a quick start guide, and a clear and concise user manual. A longer 3.5mm audio cable would have been welcome, but it’s unlikely most users would be relying on connecting these headphones via cable too often, preferring wireless listening much of the time. 

The carry case has a netted pocket for storing the cables while the headphones themselves fit neatly into the case with a gentle swivel of the ear cups and the help of a velcro strap, with barely any distinguishable movement when carried in the case. Sure, it’s a little bulky to carry around but the case is a bonus and near-essential if you’re planning to take the headphones with you when traveling.

With nearly a full charge straight out of the box, we were able to set up the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones within minutes, aided by the quick and painless Bluetooth connection to an Android phone.

The Treblab Z7 Pro headphones touch controls are located beneath a thin skin of soft leather material on the right panel and were a breeze to control after a few minutes of getting a feel for them. Double-tap to pause or resume playback, swipe left or right to skip a track backward or forward, and swipe up or down to raise or lower volume. Removing the headphones from your ears automatically pauses playback, which is a very nice touch when you just need to hear a snatch of outside conversation. You can achieve the same effect even easier, though, by cupping a hand over the right panel. 

Treblab Z7 Pro: Design

• Sleek, stylish looks 
• Extremely comfortable memory foam 

The Treblab Z7 Pro headphones feel premium the moment you put them on thanks to a secure headband and perfectly sculpted ear cups lined with protein leather memory foam cushioning. After several hours of constant listening, this breathable material prevented our ears from getting too warm, and at just over 8 oz, the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones are as lightweight as you could wish for. All in all, these are some supremely comfortable headphones. 

Anyone who plans to take these headphones to the gym or outdoors will be pleased to know that they are IPX4 Water resistant and can hold up to splashes and sweaty workouts well. 

We vastly prefer the simplified design and muted style of the Treblab Z7 Pro over the Treblab Z2 headphones, which have a stark company logo emblazoned on its panels. This dark gray brushed look offers a more sophisticated and discreet appearance than their forerunner, something that appeals to those of us who prefer to wear our brands lightly. 

The cable sockets, LED indicator lights and control buttons are spaced well along the bottom of the panels, allowing for quick adjustments to power, ANC and Bluetooth. Hold the middle power button in and the headphones wake up, while a single press informs you of the headphones’ battery level.

Treblab Z7 Pro: Features and performance

• Responsive, intuitive touch controls 
• Well-balanced, rich sound 
• ANC is effective although not as absolute as more premium headphones 

When it comes to stereo audio quality, the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones don’t disappoint, producing clear, balanced sounds that are a pleasure to listen to. Trebles are sharp and clear while bass notes are rich and warm and pitched just right so that they don’t suffocate the surprisingly velvety mids produced by the Treblab Z7 Pro. To be sure, the quality on display is more satisfactory than it is mind-blowing, but the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones certainly do most music genres justice, and podcasts and audiobooks were especially smooth and silky to listen to. Pleasingly, there was minimal distortion at high volumes.

The Treblab Z7 Pro headphones employ what Treblab calls Hybrid Active Noise Canceling (ANC) to eliminate background noise with the aid of six auto-adjusting microphones. On the whole, the ANC on these headphones works well, and having tested them in packed subway carriages and busy, chattering marketplaces, I can confirm that they effectively screen out most erroneous background noise in a way that is at least an improvement on the Treblab Z2 headphones, although not fully up to par with a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones. 

Ambient Sound is another mode, selected with an additional press of the ANC button, which is meant to allow external sounds to be heard. It’s a feature that works but doesn’t impress very much, but I can see its use in a crowd of friends or colleagues, for example.

Unfortunately, the audio quality experienced when playing music through the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones doesn’t seem to extend to phone calls. Conversations via both cell networks and Wi-Fi were clear enough for the listener, although callers noted that the audio was thin and tinny at their end, somewhat diminishing the overall package offered by these headphones.

Treblab Z7 Pro: Battery life

• Battery life: 45 hours, 20 hours with ANC turned on
• Rapid 2.5-hour USB-C charging  

A battery life of over 45 hours is an impressive boast for any set of wireless headphones or earbuds, but after using the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones consistently for several days, it’s not one I’m inclined to doubt. Although having ANC switched on can more than halve that figure, 20 hours is still a very healthy battery life for similar over ear wireless headphones.  

When you do find you’re running low on juice, simply connect the USB-C cable to the headphones and a compatible charging port and you’re good to go in around 2.5 hours. 

Treblab Z7 Pro: Price

• Available in the US for $159.97
• 1-year warranty 

With premium over ear headphones from the top-performing brands selling for upwards of $300, the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones are positioned extremely well at just over $150. Very little about the Treblab Pro Z7 feels cheap or sub-standard, and the overall experience comfortably places these headphones in the mid-range of quality headphones. A 1-year warranty is also welcome, and users have reported good experiences communicating with customer services. 

Treblab Z7 Pro: User reviews

Treblab is a company that is quietly but noticeably winning new fans all the time, and while reviews on leading retailers are few, users have been generally positive about the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones. Most agree that the headphone’s light weight, comfort and stylish design make them a standout set of headphones, and many praised the audio quality.  

Others have detected the poorer quality experienced on voice calls  and conference calls, with one Amazon user declaring the mic was weak and inadequate for audio-conferencing calls.  

Should you buy the Treblab Z7 Pro?

The Treblab Z7 Pro over ear headphones offer great value at their mid-range price point, offering most of the high-end features and ease of use found on pricier headsets, and in a comfortable and stylish package you wouldn’t be ashamed to have straddling your head. Audio performance doesn’t quite reach the high notes you’d find with truly premium - and pricier - headphones, but for most users the experience is excellent with rich, textured, well-balanced sound and crisp, clear speech. 

Voice calls are disappointingly unreliable but serviceable - fine for a quick call, less so perhaps for an extended audio-conference. Fortunately, Treblab's claims of 40+ hours battery life seem accurate, making the Treblab Z7 Pro headphones a true marathon runner when it comes to battery life. 

If this product isn't for you

The Treblab Z7 Pro headphones offer remarkably good value, but if your budget can’t quite extend to the $159 asking price, and you don’t mind earbuds over headphones, then the Earfun Free Pro earbuds provide an exceptional audio experience for around $60.  

For a similarly cheap option, but one with a big name attached, the Beats Flex earbuds are ideal. They currently retail for around $65 and offer up to 12 hours of battery life, on-device controls, and are powered by Apple’s W1 chip for seamless integration with iPhones.  

If only the very best over-ear headphones will do, there is always our previous best overall headphones, the Bowers & Wilkins PX wireless headphones. One of the most deluxe headphones available, they’re a perfect balance of audio quality, comfort and style.  

Many of us have, at some time in our lives, dreamed about playing a musical instrument, and with the best online piano lessons you can make that a reality - as long as you want to play the piano. Other instruments are available and, hey, maybe something like guitar lessons are more your thing instead.

Running on your smartphone or tablet while you sit at the keyboard, a subscription to online piano lessons can work out much cheaper than using a traditional in-person teacher. It’s clever stuff, able to listen in on your playing and know when you’ve hit a wrong note, though it won’t tut like a real teacher would. 

It’s often best to work with a MIDI-compatible keyboard or electric piano rather than a traditional instrument when working through the online lessons, as these can often link directly to the tutorial via your phone. But if you’re stuck with the full-size grand in the drawing room, then there's bound to be a service that can cater to your needs. 

Buying a pack of lessons that encompasses more than one instrument can often bag you a discount. And if you find yourself getting really into it, you can start composing with music notation software too. And it’s not just music that benefits from online learning: we have a roundup of the differing platforms covering everything from business development to photography or even architecture. Now really is the time to expand your skills and get a new hobby!

1. Playground Sessions: Best online piano lessons overall 

This piano learning platform is backed up by some seriously impressive names. It was founded by music industry legend Quincy Jones, who has 28 Grammys to his name, and other famous musicians like Harry Connick Jr also make regular appearances on the platform in the guise of teachers. 

As mentioned above, this platform works with MIDI-compatible keyboards. Simply plug your smart device into your keyboard and the app can register you playing, then give you feedback on your progression. Unfortunately, this does mean that the platform isn’t suitable for anyone who only owns an acoustic piano. But we strongly recommend it for anyone with a MIDI keyboard, as it’s the closest you can get to having a tutor sit beside you and comment on your playing technique without forking out for in-person lessons. It’s the most comprehensive progression-tracking tool you’ll find on this list – and we like that as the tool measures your progress, you’ll find that you ‘level up’ and more courses become available.

Beyond that, we were also impressed with the approach of Playground Sessions, which feels immersive and practical. You start playing straight away, and it’s only after you’ve mastered certain fingering techniques that you’ll be encouraged to learn notation. You can also record and replay your lessons, which gives you the chance to analyze your own performance.

2. Simply Piano: Best piano lessons for total beginners

If you're looking to start piano lessons from new, and you're ok to learn on smart devices like iPads, Simply Piano is unbeatable. It makes learning fun, but still gives you a broad grounding of knowledge and actually helps you learn the piano properly. The reason we recommend it for beginners is because Simply Piano lets you learn at your own pace, and you can set your own goals for what you play, so there's no steep learning curve here.

Instead of pushing the hardcore music reading and notation at the start, Simply Piano just shows these things on screen while you're gently introduced to the act of playing a range of different songs. You can see for yourself with the 7-day free trial, which actually has an on-screen keyboard to give you a taste of how it could work, even if you don't yet own a MIDI keyboard (you will need one for the full version).

Combined with a really solid technical foundation that has no latency, and a wide range of backing tracks, and this is a perfect way to start your journey with the piano. It isn't quite as star-studded and thorough as Playground Sessions, but is less intimidating to start with.

3. Piano Marvel: Best value online piano lessons

Piano Marvel is great if you’re looking for the best low-cost online piano lessons. Lessons are split into small and manageable chunks which is great as learning piano can be overwhelming. You can use any MIDI-compatible keyboard to take the interactive piano lessons and track your progress through the lesson plan. There are rewards to keep you motivated and lessons are set up like games. 

The library of available songs includes titles from all genres including jazz, rock, and holiday titles, and you learn from playing songs you know and recognize. You don’t learn fingering positions in the first lesson, which feels counter-intuitive, but Piano Marvel is a great online piano service if you’re looking to try piano without spending too much. 

4. Flowkey: Best online piano lessons for younger pianists

Flowkey has a modern and easy-to-use interface that makes it easy to jump around and choose a lesson plan or song to learn. A quick assessment of your skill level at the beginning of the setup process is designed to give you a good starting point in the curriculum.

There are monthly and yearly subscription options, and you can try the software free for 30 days to make sure the lesson content and song list is right for you. The easy-to-use software interface looks the same whether you use a computer or tablet. This was the easiest and most modern-looking software interface of all the products we tested. It will seem familiar to someone who uses mobile applications for learning or playing games.

5. Yousician: A great app with a fun learning style

We get it - sometimes learning piano just isn't much fun, especially if you're trying to motivate yourself or a less enthusiastic student. Yousician stands out because it gamifies the learning process, letting you earn stars and rewards for playing every day. It also challenges you to unlock new tiers of lessons and content, so acts as a gentle challenge too.

There's loads to like here besides. The interface is clean and easy to use, the range of tracks available to play is pleasingly broad, and everything is colorful and well explained. The game-y style does mean that you don't really get the proper experience of learning notation from the start, and this only opens up at 'level three' so we think other apps, while less fun, give you a better grounding from the start.

It runs fine on most platforms, but we did notice some latency on the Apple version, and this kind of thing can really ruin an experience, as it completely throws out your timing. Overall, it's great, though. 

6. Piano With Willie: A good, solid series of lessons for adults

PianoWithWillie is available for purchase on a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription basis. It isn’t the most cost-effective online piano course, but there are thousands of lessons that help you learn a variety of music genres, including jazz, blues, gospel, latin, funk, rock and classical.

There are also lessons on how to improvise and arrange music, which are rare topics for online piano courses. One-on-one Skype lessons are available for people who still want the personal attention normally associated with face-to-face piano instruction.

We recommend this software more for adults than young children because of the lack of progress tracking. PianoWithWillie works better with self-motivated individuals who complete practice lessons without being prompted by the software. However, it does track your progress within each lesson and displays a percentage of completion before you start the next lesson.

7.  Music2Me: Best budget option for busy people 

Our favourite thing about this platform was the bite-size lessons. These can be as short as six minutes, which means that it’s easy to fit in a quick practice session before work or while attending childcare duties. 

Lessons are also presented clearly, with techniques demonstrated by video at the beginning of a lesson. These are then followed by simple animations, which highlight the keys you’re supposed to be hitting. 

The price is very reasonable. It’s currently $15 per month, or $120 for a 12-month subscription. And you can also get guitar lessons bundled into your package, if you’re keen on learning how to strum the instrument.

It’s certainly not the fanciest platform out there, as it doesn’t offer the direct feedback that you’ll find in Playground Sessions and Simply Piano. These clever apps can assess how many notes you’re hitting and missing, but this isn’t an option in Music2Me. It also has a bit of a dry voiceover, which might be a little lacking in enthusiasm for younger learners.

8. ArtistWorks: Piano with Christie Peery: Best for classical music

The Online Piano School with Christie Peery is the most comprehensive classical piano course on the web. There are hundreds of lessons for every experience level that you can take at your own pace using the ArtistWorks Video Exchange platform.

When you finish a section of lessons, submit a video and Christie personally reviews your video and gives you personalized feedback about how to improve. ArtistWorks, as the name suggests, puts its talent at the fore and lets you interact with skilled tutors, making this a great choice for those looking for a more traditional piano-learning experience.

The monthly price decreases with longer subscriptions, a 3-month subscription is $35 per month and the 12-month subscription is $23 per month. Before starting the lessons, purchase your own metronome, 88-key keyboard or piano and a video recording device to capture your practice sessions so you can submit them for feedback.

9. Skoove: A good all-round experience

Skoove is one of the big names in piano learning, but we weren't as impressed with it as many of the other apps in our list. While it has all the features you'd expect, it doesn't excel in any particular area, and we also found the interface a little lacking when compared to its rivals. 

The beginner course brings together a lot of different concepts into a basic series of lessons. While this aims to give you a broad knowledge of piano as quickly as possible, the flipside is that it feels incredibly scattershot, so you don't get change to ease into any particular concept.

While there are some excellent backing tracks on here, and the audio sounds fantastic, we took issue with the way you read the music on screen. It simply runs from left to right, emulating the experience of reading sheet music, and that means you don't know what's coming up when you reach the end of the stave. Realistic, perhaps, but we prefer the scrolling display seen in other apps.

The company has just launched its Android-friendly app, which you can test out for free for a limited time.

10.  Tonebase: Best online piano lessons for advanced players 

A relative newcomer to the world of online piano lessons, Tonebase is pitched at advanced players who want to improve their skills. It has lessons available for both guitar and piano, which are delivered through a series of videos and textbooks. The latter are surprisingly useful resources, while the videos are not quite as clear as a beginner may need. In fact, we’d really only recommend this platform for advanced players, as there’s plenty of complex theory that you’re expected to read, absorb and apply to your playing.

In addition to pre-recorded videos, you can also watch and participate in live lessons and workshops. You’ll find a lively ‘forum’ on the platform, where tutors host guided activities and community practice challenges. It’s a way to foster some sense of community, in an activity that can feel a little isolating. 

It’s priced at $29.95 per month, or $239 for an annual subscription, which is roughly in line with prices for other music-learning platforms. It’s a good option if you’re someone with a background in music, but perhaps not best suited to beginners and young children.

How we tested online piano lessons

Our testing process for online piano lessons started with evaluating how easily each product can be purchased, downloaded and installed. Once the software was downloaded on our testing computer, we looked for all available features and took note of how easy it was to switch between lessons and songs. 

After we were comfortable navigating the software or app, we started taking beginner lessons. Although we did take note of the advanced features on each platform, we mostly approached the courses as if we were complete novices to the instrument. We also tested how easy it was to use a MIDI keyboard when the software allowed for that.

How much do online piano lessons cost? 

This varies, but most of the online piano courses we reviewed require a monthly, semi-annual, annual or lifetime subscription. Lessons and courses can start from as little as $10 per month, but they can go up to $50 if you want a really comprehensive offering. 

That said, even the most expensive online piano lessons are cheaper than face-to-face instruction, and you can take them at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. With face-to-face lessons, you're likely to pay around $40 for an hour-long session, and you won't be able to click the refresh button on what you last learned in class.

Other helpful resources

If you're looking for a much cheaper alternative, then you might find some handy beginner courses on the best online learning platforms. In our experience, musical lessons on these platforms aren't quite as thorough as the options above, but if you've already got a subscription to something like Skillshare then it could be a good place to start. You may also be able to find some one-on-one help via the best online tutoring services, as platforms like Wyzant now have teachers across a broad range of disciplines.

Online versus in-person piano lessons

The main benefit of online lessons is that you can go at your own pace. There’s no disappointed teacher to greet you every week if you’ve neglected your practice. We also found that the online lessons were really easy to slot in around busy schedules, so if you’re someone who’s constantly working through a long list of chores, these in-home digital lessons could be ideal.

Of course, there are some drawbacks, too. The main one is that you don’t always have access to individualized feedback. So, if you’re misreading a piece of music, or your hand positioning needs some work, then you might feel the lack of an in-person tutor. 

Because of this, online lessons are usually best suited to beginners, who want to get a grasp of the instrument. However, some platforms are also suited to advanced players; this is especially the case if you’re someone who used to play piano regularly but has slipped out of practice. These platforms can help you brush up on techniques you’ve forgotten, and they usually cost a fraction of the price of in-person classes.

Important features of online piano lessons

MIDI compatibility

The best online piano software allows you to use a MIDI-compatible keyboard to track your progress in real time while you take lessons. The software can identify the specific notes you missed so that you can go back and practice the areas that are giving you the most trouble. Any keyboard that has a MIDI output or USB port is MIDI-compatible. WiFi and Bluetooth are also sometimes an option and will allow you to connect your piano wirelessly to a computer or tablet, if you decide to use a piano learning app.

Metronome and adjustable tempo

Learning the hardest parts of your favorite song can be easier if you slow it down. The best software titles allow you to adjust the tempo to help you work through those rough patches. Using a metronome while you practice will improve your ability to play songs at the tempo they were written, and it will also help you keep the tempo consistent throughout the song.

Song requests

Online piano software that allows you to request specific song titles adds value for someone who wants to buy a yearly or permanent subscription. Learning songs that are familiar and fun keeps you motivated.

Tools for educators

Piano lesson software can be used by teachers who want to build a hybrid curriculum for students who have a hard time making it to face-to-face lessons. Lesson software that has tools for educators can allow teachers to track students’ progress remotely and recommend lessons and songs to keep them motivated.

Online sheet music catalogs: A valuable tool 

The best piano learning programs we tested have huge libraries of sheet music you can use for practice. In some cases you can print out the music or download it to a tablet. However, if you want a song that isn’t included in your piano learning curriculum, you might find it at one of the best online sources for printable and downloadable sheet music:

MusicNotes

This online catalog contains more than 300,000 arrangements that span a wide variety of musical genres. Each song costs around $5 and can be printed using a desktop computer or mobile device. There are also iOS and Android apps that allow you to take the sheet music you purchase to a recital or piano lesson. The app also allows you to loop troublesome sections of an arrangement and mark up the score with notes to help you remember rhythm and key changes.

The Mutopia Project

Most of the sheet music selections in the Mutopia catalog are classical and baroque compositions, but they are all free to print, copy, distribute and perform because they are in the public domain. All arrangements can be downloaded in PDF or MIDI formats, and if you use LilyPond composition software to write and arrange music, you can download an editable LilyPond to alter the arrangement. There are more than 2,000 titles in this catalog, but only around 700 are specifically for piano.

Best metronomes for piano lessons

A metronome is an important practice tool for beginner and professional musicians alike. The best piano learning programs we tested have metronomes built into their interfaces. Even so, we recommend getting a separate metronome that has more features than the ones included in the software. Here are some of our favorite digital metronomes:

Soundbrenner pulse

This unique wearable metronome represents the best technological advancement in time keeping since the inception of digital metronomes. It is infinitely customizable and vibrates seven times stronger than a smartphone. The companion mobile app allows you to set the metronome to vibrate or flash, and you can create a setlist library with your favorite practice songs. You attach the silent, watch-like device to your arm, wrist or leg with the supplied strap and either tap the tempo into the wearable or set a tempo with the app. At $100, it's pricey, but it’s a worthy investment for someone with long-term practice goals.

Pro metronome app

Pro Metronome is free and works on iOS and Android devices. This easy-to-use app has a practice mode that gradually increases the tempo for a customizable length of time to help you work through a tricky phrase. There are 13 tone options, including the all-important cowbell, or you can set the app to flash on your phone. The upgraded version of the app costs $4 and includes a rhythm coach feature, sub-divisions and polyrhythms, but the free version has all the basic functionality you need to practice simple arrangements. 

The EarFun Free Pro 2 earpods compete with some of the best headphones out there right now, despite being far cheaper.

The price of these earpods sets them way apart from most of the competition. They're in another galaxy compared with a certain fruit-named company's offering. Yet these offer good battery life and audio quality with that all important active noise cancelling (ANC) onboard.

Of course these were never going to sound as good as something priced four times as much. But are they good enough? And that's the point because if they are good enough then you stand to save a serious amount of money and still have all the features you need in truly wireless earbuds. 

EarFun Free Pro 2 review: Design

Compact, sleek and solid – these are some of the ways we can describe this second generation of earpod which may not have been as possible with its predecessor – at least not on this level. The first gen was very similar and the good has stayed. That means compact ear buds with a rubberized edge to help them fit snug into your ears. You also get multiple tip options to make sure these fit all ear sizes.

The case is smaller now and remains lightweight. There is an LED on the front to indicate battery status and the buds themselves also use lights to show they're on, connected or connecting.

The case is USB-C chargeable meaning they can fast charge to full and this also means many people likely have a charger cable already lying around. The magnetized case lets you drop the buds in and they fit perfectly holding in place and automatically charging back up to full, ready for your next opening.

The buds use Bluetooth 5.2 meaning this gets you plenty of range away from your device while also keeping battery drain to an absolute minimum.

EarFun Free Pro 2 review: Features and performance

The active noise cancelling is the feature that makes this stand out for the price. Sure it's not as good as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or the Apple AirPods Pro, but the point here is that it's comparable. In the gym, on a train, in a plane or car this will cut out nearly all the background noise. It does so well enough for you to get lost in the audio and forget about the surroundings, and that's the point, right?

Battery life is excellent with up to 30 hours of use thanks to that case topping up the buds each time they go back in. Expect to get a good three or four hours on the buds alone, which is plenty for most situations except, perhaps long haul flights.

The EarFun Free Pro 2 buds are IPX5 waterproof with SweatShield tech, as it's called, which makes these perfect for the gym or running. The fit really is exceptional and you'll forget you have these in since they're also super comfortable. Certainly a lot more quality in the fit and feel than you'd expect for the price.

Touch controls make turning on ANC, turning it off or using ambient sound mode easy as a tap and hold of the left bud. Use these taps to control volume, skips tracks and answer or end calls too. This works well even with gloves on or with wet hands.

The microphone setup is impressive with six-mics built-in which are able to pick-up your voice for calls while cancelling out background noise for you and the person on the other end of the call. These worked well in most situations but there were a few occasions when we weren't so clear to the person on the other end.

The 6mm composite drivers aren't as good as the 10mm titanium versions in the pricer EarFun Air Pro 2 earpods. But on comparing the two it is difficult to hear much difference initially. That said, there is a difference to be heard. While bass is impressive on both, the top-end is less clear on these. The soundstage on the Pro is noticeably larger, giving a more dramatic feel to music – but not enough for most people to care about and especially not at this point. Unless you're an audiophile these will do the job well enough.

EarFun Free Pro 2: Release date and price

The EarFun Free Pro 2 are super affordable despite cramming in the features. Honestly, we struggle to see how more expensive earbuds can be justified.

The earpods are available to buy now and are priced at $79.99, down from an alleged $99.99, though when they were that much is unclear. At the time of publishing you can buy them directly from the manufacturer's website for that lower sub-$80 price.

These have been on Amazon but are out of stock at time of publishing. Worth checking back though as prices can drop here.

When buying from the manufacturer you get a 30-day money-back guarantee as well as an impressive 18-month warranty and expert support available to you.

EarFun Free Pro 2 review: Should you buy?

The EarFun Free Pro 2 get your ANC, decent battery, impressive microphones, IPX5 waterproofing and good audio quality, all for a super low price, relatively. Unless you're an audiophile or someone who needs the best call quality, you'll be hard pressed to find better.

The EarFun Air Pro 2 earpods are some of the best headphones out there right now.

The price is really affordable when you consider what you get for your money, from the sleek and attractive design to the high-quality audio and that active noise cancelling (ANC) onboard.

Yes, that name can't go by unmentioned. A certain fruit-based tech company does offer a similarly named pair of earpods. And yes, we do see these as an affordable alternative, offering most of the same features just at a far more affordable price.

So should you make a saving and go for these earpods or is it worth playing it safe and spending a bit more from a brand name you might know better?

EarFun Air Pro 2 review: Design

This generation of the EarPods are barely recognizable when compared to the last, and that's a good thing. The EarFun Air Pro 2 are more slender, sleek and minimal in design which combines to offer a better look when wearing them but also more comfort and portability. You get a selection of silicone earbuds so you can find the perfect fit for your ear. So light and comfortable are these, that you barely notice they're in. This fit also results in passive noise cancellation before you even turn on the six microphone powered 40dB ANC. 

Each earbud can be placed in the included charging case where it will magnetically pop into place with a really premium feel. Small LED lights on the EarPods and the case keep you in the know with how power and connectivity are progressing.

The EarPods are IPX5 water and sweat resistant. This means that using them while working out or running in the rain is worry-free as these will keep going totally unaffected by the wet. The 10mm titanium composite dynamic drivers offer premium quality audio in a very compact form. There is also in-ear detection tech, so remove these while listening to music and they will pause, then play again when you pop them back in.

The case itself is USB-C charged meaning it can be charged with any USB-C cable you may already have. It can also be charged wirelessly using a charging pad. Charge times are rapid with a 10-minute charge of the EarPods when depleted - good for an impressive two hours of playtime, but more on that below.

EarFun Air Pro 2 review: Features and performance

The EarFun Air Pro 2 features active noise cancelling, which is a big deal at this price point. The fact that this actually works really well is even more impressive. From train noise, to a background dryer or even the sound of music in the gym – this will reduce it all. 

For human voices, it's not so impressive when close up, which can be a good thing if someone is trying to get your attention. That said, it is enough that consistent talking fades into the background unnoticed. So these aren't going to compare to the likes of over ear options such as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but at this price and in this style, who would expect them to? The big comparison, to the Apple AirPods Pro, is what shows how great these are as that ANC is barely noticeably different between the two.

Audio quality is another major concern when buying these type of buds and at this price these are brilliant. In fact, at a higher price these would still be seen as above average in quality. They offer a clarity from the wide soundstage and multi-level instrumentality. For music, that means punchy and immersive audio, for streaming movies, it means all the levels of a scene are present while balancing clear vocals, and for calls it means clearly hearing the other person as if they were there with you. Although some calls did result in the other person saying they couldn't hear so clearly, but this was rare.

The downside? You guessed it, a lack of bass. Everyone jumps to complain about a lack of bass but this writer actually doesn't usually say that. So in this instance that means a lot. It's not bad, by any means, just perhaps lacking a little for some and without an EQ app to adjust this, it's set that way. This is not a major negative, just something that could be improved in future generations perhaps. 

Connectivity and charging are great, which is a welcome surprise as these more affordable earpods can sometimes perform worse than you'd expect. The Bluetooth 5.2 is quick to connect first time and auto-connects easily every time the earpods are taken out of their case. The only issue was that sometimes one would connect and the other wouldn't, so you have to replace them in the case and try again. If you don't have the case, say out on a run, this could be frustrating. 

Touch controls work well, with a left tap for volume down or right ear tap for volume up. Double tap to play and pause or triple tap either ear to skip track forwards or backwards – it just works and works well.

Charging is effortless thanks to the charging case. The EarPods themselves will go, in real world use, a good five hours with ANC on before going back in the case for a charge. EarFun says they can do up to seven hours, but it all depends on how you use them. These charge to full in an hour and the case itself tops up in two hours. 

The reality of these numbers is that you never really think about battery life, the pods just charge when you put them away, so you're good to go when you need them. The case itself rarely needs a charge (34 hours on a charge) and the LED light lets you know your battery level, with green for more than 30%, orange for less than 30 percent, red for under 10 percent, or flashing red for under 5%. We've not had any concerns about charging when using these earpods.

EarFun Air Pro 2: Release date and price

The EarFun Air Pro 2 follows in the footsteps of the original model and has made a huge jump forward from an already impressive set of buds. Despite this, and a totally new design, the price remains affordable.

The earpods are available to buy now and are priced at $79.99, apparently down from $99.99, but we've not actually seen them at that price so make sure you get them at the lower price. At the time of publishing you can buy them directly from the manufacturer's website for that lower sub-$80 price.

Following the link on their website to the Amazon buying option, at time of publishing, came up as unavailable. But since that link is on the company's own website expect it to be back up and running soon.

When buying from the manufacturer you get a 30-day money-back guarantee as well as an impressive 18-month warranty and expert support available to you.

EarFun Air Pro 2 review: Value

It's difficult to stress how good the EarFun Air Pro 2 earpods are for the money. They look, feel, sound and work like a far more expensive set of earbuds. They have a premium finish and a feel that you'd expect from a far-higher priced product.

The only issue could be how long they last. But since the company gives you an 18-month warranty, even that isn't really a worry. And that 30-day money-back guarantee means you can effectively try these before you decide if they're for you.

EarFun Air Pro 2 review: Should you buy?

If you want a pair of truly wireless earbuds that offer decent active noise cancelling, very good audio quality, impressive battery performance, a premium build and finish plus a worry-free guarantee – all without breaking the bank – you'll struggle to find a better option than the EarFun Air Pro 2 earbuds.

When you think of Beats, you’re likely thinking about the style and not the substance. The iconic logo, the striking colors, the flashy over-ear styling. Beyond their reputation for bringing literally all of the bass, Beats haven’t traditionally been known for their sound quality. That’s all about to change, though, because the Beats Studio Buds are easily the best sounding pair of Beats that we’ve ever tested. More than that, they’re some of the best headphones out there if you’re looking for stylish, noise-canceling earbuds.

None of that is to say that the Beats Studio Buds don’t look great though. While they come in a rather unassuming little charging case, the earbuds themselves look very unique, with a rather bulbous inner ear section and a raised ridge that displays the logo. The designers have obviously put a lot of thought into this design because the Beats Studio Buds are not only extremely comfortable to wear, but they’re super secure too, so there is very little chance of them falling out while you’re wearing them.

In fact, we’ve got very little to complain about after our time with the Beats Studio Buds. The active noise canceling tech is superb, they have a decent battery life and they sound great. The only minor quibble we have is the lack of volume controls on the earbuds themselves, but how often do people really use them?

Beats Studio Buds review: Design

• Stylish, unique design
• Three colors: Red, Black, or White
• Compact charging case

Beats Studio Buds are certainly a visually striking pair of earbuds thanks to their very unusual shape. They’re available in three colors: red, white, and black. We’ve always associated Beats with red, and flamboyant colors in general so we snagged a red pair and they look stunning, if a bit strange. The main body that fits into your ear is quite bulbous, with the soft tip of the earbud protruding at a seemingly odd angle. In practice though, they’re incredibly comfortable to wear and fit us like a dream. The large, rounded shape rests comfortably on your inner ear lobe and they just stay put, even when exercising.

The other distinctive part of the design is the raised ridge that faces outwards, proudly displaying the Beats logo. These raised ridges on each earbud are actually physical buttons, allowing you to pause music and skip tracks. A single press is play/pause, while a double press skips the track. Holding the button down switches between the three noise-canceling modes. Bizarrely, the controls are the same for both earbuds.

We love the look of these things. They might look a bit weird sitting on a table, but when you’re wearing them, Beats Studio Buds look fantastic. There is a downside to this unique look though. Due to the odd shape and limited space, there are no on-earbud volume controls. It’s a minor omission in our mind, but it might bother some people. During our briefing with Beats, the possibility of adding volume controls via a long-press of the buttons through a software update was suggested, but there are no guarantees.

The charging case for the Beats Studio Buds is remarkably understated for a Beats device, especially with the headphones themselves having such a radical design. It’s a compact, oval-shaped device with the Beats logo and a small LED light to indicate when it’s charging on the front, and a USB-C charging port on the bottom. It opens via a single hinge that feels a little flimsy if we’re honest, as it’s a wide lid and small hinge. There’s no danger of it snapping off, but it means the lid feels a little wobbly when closed. Inside the case, the buds fit snuggly into their assigned slots thanks to the power of magnets. There is also a button for synching Bluetooth connections.

Beats Studio Buds are IPX4 rated for both water and dust resistance, which means you’ll be able to use them out and about without worrying about the weather ruining your sweet new earbuds. This also makes them a great choice as a pair of workout earbuds too.

Beats Studio Buds review: Features and performance

• Active noise canceling
• Balanced sound profile
• One-touch pairing

As we alluded to in our intro, the Studio Buds sound nothing like you’d expect a pair of Beats headphones to sound, and that’s only a good thing. The bass has been reigned in significantly. That’s not to say the bass isn’t excellent though - it’s just no longer running the show. We wheeled out an old favorite, Fort Minor’s Remember the Name which has a punchy baseline, and the Beats Studio Buds brought it to life beautifully.

The real difference comes in the rest of the audio range. Again, we went back to Steely Dan’s Do It Again to test the treble, where the opening medley’s huge variety of instruments puts headphones to the test. We were impressed with the clarity of the sound profile, with no individual element being lost in the mix.

Beats Studio Buds also feature both active noise canceling and transparency modes - a first for Beats earbuds. We tested the ANC in a variety of locations, both in the house and out on the street and we were impressed with the performance. In fact, an alarm went off on my phone as I was writing the above sentence, and I didn’t hear a thing. We’ll call that a win for Beats. The transparency mode is basically the opposite of noise-canceling, using the exterior mics on the earbuds to bring more sound in. This is ideal when you’re in an environment where you need to be able to hear e.g. you’re working in the office and need to hear when the boss asks you where those TPS reports are.

You can also use the Beats Studio Buds for taking calls thanks to the 2 external voice microphones (alongside the 4 mics that are used for the noise-cancelling modes). We found call quality to be fine, but nothing special. It’s a nice feature to have though, if you don’t mind looking like you’re talking to yourself.

While we’d normally expect Beats headphones to play nice with Apple devices, given that Beats is owned by Apple, the development team has actually gone to efforts to make sure that Beats Studio Buds are seen as device agnostic, in their words. To this end, these earbuds aren’t using the H1 chip that you find in Airpods. Instead, it uses a proprietary chip, offering benefits to both Android and Apple users. Beats Studio Buds support one-touch pairing with Android and Apple devices. There are still some Apple-only benefits though, like compatibility with Apple Music Dolby Atmos and the Find My capability for iOS devices.

Beats Studio Buds review: Battery life

• 24 hours total battery life, or 15 hours total with ANC
• Fast Fuel charging
• No wireless charging

Battery life is where we find out the cost of that sweet sweet noise-canceling technology sadly. Without the ANC on, Beats Studio Buds can go for eight hours on a single charge, but turning the ANC on drops that down to five hours. You get another two full charges out of the charging case, for a total of 24 hours listening time without ANC, or 15 hours with ANC.

That’s not terrible as battery life goes, but it’s not amazing either. For comparison,  the Earfun Free Pro earbuds that we reviewed earlier this year last six hours per charge with the ANC on, and come with another three charges in the case on top of that.

There is no wireless charging either, which might put some people off. If you want wireless charging earbuds, you should check out the Apple Airpods Pro. At the same time, it’s worth noting that those will cost you nearly twice as much, for very similar sound quality. You can recharge your Beats Studio Buds using a USB-C cable. Thanks to the Fast Fuel charging tech, five minutes of charge will give you an hour of playtime - ideal for when you’re about to leave the house and realize the battery is drained.

Beats Studio Buds review: Price

• $149.99 / £129.99
• One year warranty

Beats Studio Buds cost $149.99 / £129.99 and can be purchased from the Beats store, Apple store, Amazon, and numerous other retailers. Inside the box you get the Beats Studio buds and charging case, 3 pairs of alternative ear tips, a USB-C charging cable, a quick start guide, and a warranty card. Beats Studio Buds come with a one year limited warranty in the US and UK.

As a nice added bonus, all Beats Studio Buds come with a free four-month trial for Apple Music, so you can put them to the test with Apple Music’s extensive library of music.

As a nice extra touch for eco-conscious buyers, the packaging for Beats Studio Buds is made from 92% plant-based material that is either sourced from recycled material, or sustainable forests.

Should you buy Beats Studio Buds?

Beats Studio Buds are an absolute triumph for Beats, finally letting the company shed its bass heavy, style over substance reputation by putting sound quality at the forefront of their design. That’s not to say the style has gone anywhere though - these are some of the freshest looking earbuds we’ve seen in sometime. Stack the active noise-canceling tech on top of that and Beats are on to a real winner here.

The only real downside to these headphones is the relatively lackluster battery life. It’s not bad and they’ll certainly last you a couple of days on a full charge with the case, but they’ll need charging more often than most, especially if you’re using the power hungry ANC mode.

There are a lot of myths around learning piano, most of which are based on what used to be the common, traditional experience of in-person lessons. This usually meant sitting beside a tutor, focusing learning on classical music and lots of boring exercises... and horror stories of having the piano lid put down on your fingers if you made a mistake. This is according to Mark Deeks, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the music industry – working as a musical director, pianist, arranger and teacher. Regardless of how easy it is to learn piano, this kind of experience is often counter-intuitive to learning.

Many of these experiences have put people off playing an instrument that they would have loved to play for decades. “I think it’s a crying shame. If someone wants to learn to play pop songs there’s not much point in making them play Chopin. You don’t need to play endless scales and spend hours learning Mozart if you don’t want to! If you want to play Bruno Mars songs to chill out after work then find some place where you can do that.” Deeks says. Indeed, last year's top piano tune was Imagine, by John Lennon. We quizzed him about how easy it is to learn the piano...

Is learning the piano easy compared to other instruments? 

“It may not be considered easier, but piano does have one huge advantage over a lot of other instruments – anyone can get a sound out of it!” says Mark, author of NOT Another Piano Book: How Everything That Stopped You Playing Like a Piano Legend So Far… Shouldn’t. 

Whereas beginners learning woodwind and brass instruments, for example, have to battle the technique needed to produce a sound when they first start, with the piano, you just need to hit it! Whereas string instrument beginners need to go through the process of learning how not to produce a scratchy, out-of-tune sound, piano comes ready to go with notes ready in tune (unless, of course, your piano needs tuning) so there is definitely an advantage – at least at the beginning – when it comes to learning piano.

From a technical point of view, piano has its benefits too, which could speed up the learning process. Mark explains: "There is also the advantage that piano is really easily laid out visually – in terms of being able to see all the notes. Unlike guitar, for example, each note only comes in one place on a piano".

How easy is it to learn online? 

There will be wildly different opinions on this, but learning piano online has huge advantages – both for tutors and learners – which is why Mark was doing it that way even before the pandemic. 

Technology affords new modes and methods. “I can show my students multiple camera angles of my hands, I can show them a software keyboard at the same time that has keys lighting up when I press the real piano to facilitate making it easier to see what I’m doing. Students can also pause and rewind my pre-recorded videos as many times as they like, and there are no expectations to be at a lesson at a certain day or time, plus of course there is no travelling.”

His students can ask questions and post videos for personalized feedback as many times as they want, so there is no need to wait a week or a fortnight for their next lesson with a teacher if they need help. 

“And by having a community of people all over the world who are learning just like you, where learning an instrument can sometimes be a solitary, lonely experience, now you feel part of something and that can be hugely beneficial for your motivation and enjoyment,” he adds. 

Keen to give it a try? Here is a selection of the best piano lessons online. 

Is it more difficult to learn piano as an adult? 

This is one of the biggest myths that Mark finds he has to battle. “You are not too old! I have clients playing in their 80s, having lots of enjoyment and engaging with a hobby that helps keep them agile both physically and mentally.” 

The idea that it’s harder to learn as an adult comes back to this notion people have that it is a hard instrument that takes many years to get good at and get pleasure from. Mark argues that the benefits of playing piano come from day one – regardless of whether you are any good at the actual playing or not – and it’s important to focus on that first and foremost.

“Playing piano is a great stress reliever – trust me, it is impossible to worry about the stresses and strains of life whilst you are trying to figure out what note or finger to use! I have clients telling me they sleep better, that it is their equivalent of meditation and that they feel their mental health has improved, all whilst still being complete beginners. Is it tricky to master? Maybe. But is it hard to feel the benefit of making a little piano part of your day? Absolutely not.”

What are the best ways to start learning piano?

All you need is 15 minutes a day. And a piano or keyboard. “You do not need to commit hours a day. In fact, as a beginner, I think that does more harm than good,” says mark. Attach 15 minutes of piano to something you know is going to happen – perhaps the time when you wake up, after you've brushed your teeth, after your morning coffee, on your lunch break, after you’ve put the kids to bed or just before you go to sleep. Whatever works for you. 

Then make sure what you’re playing is fun: if you want to learn your favorite pop songs, don’t hire or follow a teacher that teaches Bach. “There’s more than one way to do this – find the way that works for you and puts a smile on your face. Music is supposed to give your soul a lift, and your spare time is precious – use it wisely,” Mark concludes.

If you want to know more about Mark, his book, or his teaching then you can check out his personal website for more information.

Earfun is a relatively new company in the headphones space, but it’s already making huge waves by offering excellent audio quality at a fraction of the price of the big names like Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser. Now it's at it again with the Earfun Free Pro earbuds.

The Earfun Free Pro are a pair of true wireless noise-cancelling headphones, and on paper they seem too good to be true. Excellent sound quality, active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, 32 hour battery life, wireless charging, touch controls, and an IPX5 waterproof rating for just $59.99? 

OK, so what’s the catch? Does the devil get to claim my soul? Do they explode in your ears after a few hours? After several weeks testing out the Earfun Free Pro earbuds, we certainly haven’t been able to find the secret deal breaker here. The touch controls are a bit finicky, and the ANC is only OK, but the fact that it exists at all in a pair of $60 earbuds is staggering anyway. These are simply some of the best headphones we’ve ever seen. 

Earfun Free Pro review: Design 

• Premium design
• Lightweight with compact charging case

Styling is usually one of the first hurdles that budget headphones stumble at, but we think that the Earfun Free Pros look fantastic, and they come with a sleek carry case that’s one of the best we’ve seen since the AirPods Pro.

The Earfun Free Pro earbuds are a mixture of black and gunmetal grey, with a glossy black side panel that displays the Earfun logo. The earbuds themselves have soft, rubber tips that come in three different sizes. There is a small LED on top of each earbud that flashes blue or red depending on battery life. All in all, they look and feel like a premium product.

When you’re wearing the Earfun Free Pros, they actually go in upside down, with the bulk of the earbud pointing upwards.This feels strange at first, but they’re surprisingly stable in this position as they rest against the inside of your ear.

When not in use, the Earfun Free Pros pack neatly away into their carry case. It’s a little longer than most other carry cases, but at 2.6 x 1.0 x 1.2 inches it comfortably fits in your pocket when you’re out and about. The case is primarily gunmetal grey, with a gloss black top that displays the brand logo, just like the earbuds. There is a single LED on the front that changes color depending on battery life, and a micro USB port on the back for charging.

Earfun Free Pro review: Features and performance 

• Excellent sound quality
• ANC is good, but not industry leading
• Touch controls take some getting used to

This is where things start to get interesting. We were blown away by the sound quality that the EarFun Free Pro earbuds offer, especially for their price range. You get a punchy, warm bass that comes through wonderfully on tracks like Linkin Park’s Papercut and Muse’s Hysteria.

The treble is similarly impressive. Listening to Steely Dan’s Do It Again, you can comfortably pick out the medley of instruments that make up the opening minute of the track before those vocals kick in. The mids are probably the weak link in the chain for these earbuds, but they’re still more than serviceable across the board. We’ve compared these directly to our Apple Airpods and they blow them out of the water, for less than half the price.

Alongside the audio output, you also get a dual microphone set-up in each earbud, for a total of four microphones for use in phone calls. We tested this on several calls and the audio quality was largely excellent. The person we called said the sound they heard through was a little different, but perfectly clear and understandable.

Those microphones aren’t just for phone calls though (because honestly, who even uses their smartphone to make phone calls these days?). They’re also part of the EarFun Free Pro earbuds’ active noise cancelling (ANC)  technology. The mics pick up external sounds and then work to filter them out when you’re listening to music. 

This can be switched between ANC, ambient sound, and normal modes by triple tapping the left earbud. ANC will filter all external sounds, while ambient sound mode will attempt to just eliminate background noises (meaning you should still be able to hear someone talking to you). We tested this by listening to music next to various external noises, ranging from traffic and an extractor fan to our partner’s singing (truly a noise you’d want to exclude). 

The ANC performed reasonably well, blocking out almost all external noise when active with music playing in the house. Out on the street, performance dipped a bit and we could hear a little of the outside world, but it still greatly reduced the undesirable noise. The ambient mode functioned as a half-way house as intended, making it possible to hear direct noises while keeping background noise out. You couldn’t have a conversation like this, but it would make it possible for someone to get your attention.

On top of all that, there is a low latency mode for gamers, to help make sure your in-game sound lines up perfectly with the on-screen action.

Our only real complaint with the Earfun Free Pros is the touch controls. This might just be a personal gripe, but we’ve yet to find touch controlled earbuds that do anything but annoy us. You need to learn all the specific touch patterns to do the various things you want, and while it's pretty accurate at interpreting your commands, the main issue is that you accidentally pause your song or crank the volume up every time you need to readjust your earbuds.

Earfun Free Pro review: Battery life 

• Up to 32 hours battery life including case
• Wireless charging available, but not included

EarFun states that the Free Pro earbuds are good for six hours of battery life with noise cancellation turned on, and seven hours with it disabled. In addition to that, you get 25 hours of playtime from the charging case for up to 32 hours of total usage on a full charge. 

After testing the EarFun Free Pros extensively over a period of several weeks, we can confirm that numbers line up with our experience. We generally have our tunes a little louder than average, but we still consistently got around six hours per charge with noise cancelling turned on.

The charging case has an LED light on the front that activates when you open the case, letting you know how much juice is left in the case too. It starts green, then goes orange when you go below 30% charge, before changing to red when you go below 10%. You can recharge the case and earbuds using a micro-USB connection located on the back of the charging case or via a third-party wireless charging pad.

Earfun Free Pro review: Price 

• $59.99
• 18-month warranty

The EarFun Free Pro earbuds cost $59.99 and can be purchased from major online retailers including Amazon and Walmart. You can also purchase them directly from the MyEarFun website.

Some retailers are listing that the EarFun Free Pros have an MSRP of $79.99, showing the $59.99 price as a discounted rate, but our research into price history using CamelCamelCamel and other tools shows that they have never been priced higher than $60. 

Earfun Free Pro Earbuds come with an 18-month warranty, according to the EarFun website. There is also a 30-day money back guarantee, should you decide that you’re unhappy with your purchase.

Should you buy the Earfun Free Pro? 

Yes, yes you should. These are simply the best earbuds that we’ve tested so far. You can technically get better audio quality and active noise cancelling headphones elsewhere, but you’re going to be paying four or five times the cost of these to see any real improvements. 

They’re stylish and comfortable, they sound great and they have a long battery life. You really couldn’t ask for better than the EarFun Free Pro earbuds.

You probably haven’t heard of Treblab, but if you’re looking for a cheap pair of over ear headphones and don’t want to skimp on quality, then the Treblab Z2 headphones might be the answer to all your problems. In fact, we’re convinced that they’re some of the best headphones you can buy for under $100 right now.

Treblab is pitching the Z2s as a pair of workout headphones, and it’s certainly easy to see why. They’re lightweight, IPX4 waterproof, comfortable to wear and have an excellent battery life. But in truth, the Treblab Z2s are an excellent pair of headphones for anyone that’s hunting for a good pair of headphones that won’t break the bank.

Will these outcompete something like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700? No, of course not, but they also cost around a third as much. For the price, these are some seriously impressive headphones that are comfortable to wear and offer good audio quality and active noise cancellation. 

Treblab Z2 review: Design 

• Good looking, but not quite premium
• Comfortable to wear

When we first got our hands on the Treblab Z2s, we have to say that we were impressed with their design and feel. These headphones feel robust and well-built, without the cheap, tacky feeling that you usually find in budget headphones. The outer shell is a matte black hard plastic, with a fancy vinyl design on the outer edge of each earcup to give them a bit of visual flair. The ear cups and top of the headband are cushioned for added comfort. We found them very comfortable to wear, and easy to adjust to your head size.

There are controls on the underside of each ear cup, which means you don’t need to be messing around with your smartphone or music player if you’re working out, running, or even just cleaning up in the kitchen. The left earcup has the on/off switch for the active noise cancellation mode, while the right ear cup has three buttons for playing, pausing, and skipping tracks, along with volume controls. You can tap the forward and backward buttons to adjust volume, and hold them to skip a track.

The shape isn’t quite as sleek as you’d find on more premium models like the Bose QuietComfort QC35 II headphones that this reviewer is accustomed to using, with more harsh angles and chunky sections, but they’re still a decent looking pair of cans.

The Treblab Z2 headphones don’t fold up much beyond being able to rotate the cups, which lets them fit snugly inside the included case. The protective case is nice if you’re shoving them into your backpack for a trip, but it’s too bulky to be carrying around with you on a day-to-day basis though.

Treblab Z2 review review: Features and performance

• Decent, balanced sound for the cost
• ANC is a nice addition, but not mind blowing

It’s all very good that a pair of headphones looks nice, but they also need to sound good too. Fortunately, the Treblab Z2 headphones do sound good. You get a nice, balanced audio profile from them that maybe leans a bit in favor of the highs, which means you’ll get the best results from things like podcasts and YouTube videos, but they’re still great for music too.

The bass is decent, though maybe not quite as punchy as you’d like. It’ll do a reasonable job on those bass heavy tracks like Muse’s Hysteria or Rush’s YYZ, especially when you crank the volume. The mids can get a bit lost on some tracks, but overall, we’re impressed with what the Z2’s can do.

Impressively for a pair of headphones in this price range, the Treblab Z2 headphones also come with active noise cancelling technology. Now, we’ve had mixed results with the ANC in the Treblab Z2 headphones, and it’s certainly not as advanced as you might find in a pair of premium headphones. You do get a slight improvement in sound quality with it turned on, but it’s not going to completely block out background noise. 

We’ve used some premium noise cancelling headphones where you could be shouting at the wearer from the other side of the room and they wouldn’t hear you when music is playing - that isn’t the case here, but it’s still a nice little boost to audio quality in busy environments. You do get that kind of static, white noise sound when the ANC is on and music isn’t playing too, which can be noticeable during quiet sections of songs or gaps in speaking during podcasts.

Treblab Z2 review: Battery life

• 35 hour battery life
• Can’t operate when battery is drained, even when wired

According to Treblab, you can get up to 35 hours of playtime when it comes to battery life. That’s certainly nothing to be sniffed at, and after having used them for several weeks we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of that claim.

There is one downside to the Treblab Z2’s when it comes to battery life though - they won’t work at all when the battery is dead, even if they’re plugged in via a 3.5mm headphone jack. This isn’t a deal breaker, but there are plenty of wireless headphones out there that work just fine when plugged in, regardless of battery charge so it can be frustrating.

When your Treblab Z2s do finally run out of juice, you can recharge them via a micro-usb slot at the bottom of the right ear cup.

Treblab Z2 review: Price 

• $119.97 MSRP, but often cheaper
• One year warranty

The Treblab Z2 headphones technically have an MSRP of $119.97 and can be bought via Amazon, Walmart, and through the Treblab website itself. While that’s the MSRP, in reality they can usually be found at around $90 on most retailer websites.

While certainly not the cheapest headphones you can find, Treblab Z2 are probably the best over-ear headphones out there in terms of bang for your buck. You’re getting good audio quality, a robust and comfortable design, and excellent battery life.

You also get an official one year warranty when you purchase the Treblab Z2 headphones, so you’re covered in case yours develop a fault. There is also a 30-day returns policy should you be unhappy with your purchase.

Should you buy the Treblab Z2 headphones?

If you’re in the market for a cheap pair of over ear headphones, you’ll struggle to find better value for money elsewhere. The Treblab Z2 headphones are comfortable, well-built, and look great. The sound quality is about as good as it gets in this price range too, with a balanced audio profile and reasonable bass.

The active noise cancelling does an admirable job, even if it’s not quite as sophisticated as the technology you’ll find in premium headphones. It’s certainly good enough to drown out exterior noises when you’re blasting tunes during a workout at the gym.

Frankly, you're a fool if you don't take advantage of this Amazon Prime Day earbud deal. Prime Day ends in a few hours, but there are plenty of bargains to be had - and this one is perfect for commuters, music fans, or those that are fed up of tangled wires. Sony’s WF-1000XM3/S, one of the earbud types in our best headphones list, are now $148 down from $249.99 - a drop of over 40%. These miniature marvels are offer premium sound, as well as impressive noise cancellation and a handy case that allows for 24-hour battery life.

That’s not all, though - Amazon is also giving away a $20 gift card for free, making this one of our favorite Prime Day deals so far. Amazon is practically paying you to take these earbuds away. Well, maybe not quite, but it's still an excellent saving. If you need to know more about these buds, we have a full Sony WF-1000XM3/S review.

Sony’s entry in the wireless earbud market is one of the best, too. It offers option digital noise cancellation by picking up audio in your environment and filtering that out of what you hear. It also filters it out of your phone calls, too, so your calls sound better than ever. The WF-1000XM3/S are also compatible with Alexa, meaning you can ask the Amazon assistant questions on the fly, request a certain song, and more.

If you’re not the type to talk to a digital assistant in public (it’s OK, we get it), you can use touch controls to change track, make calls, and more, and there’s a handy ‘Quick Attention’ mode that turns the volume down and deactivates noise canceling with just a fingertip over the left earbud.

Music automatically pauses when you remove a bud and picks up where you left off, and putting both in the charging case will give you ninety minutes of playback after just ten minutes of charging - with 24-hour battery life in total before you need to charge the case, making them perfect to ‘grab and go’. There’s even an app you can install on your device to customize the audio.

These are perfect for pairing with any of the best smartphones, and they're handy for exercising, alongside any of the best smartwatches too.

Welcome to another headphone showdown as we set Apple Airpods vs Airpods Pro to see which is the best choice? Both Apple AirPods and the AirPods Pro are great options if you're looking for the best headphones – but is one better than the other?

This is an easy one, as the answer is simply yes. The AirPods Pro are better in terms of features and performance than the AirPods. But the difference in price is huge. So the real question should be, is it worth spending the extra on the Pro models over the AirPods?

This guide should help you decide between tApple AirPods and Airpods Pro. Apple Airpods were first released in 2016 and with a second gen refresh launched in 2019 and they're usually priced from $159. Apple AirPods Pro launched in 2019 and are priced from $249. For this comparison we're using the AirPods 2 (2019) versus the AirPods Pro (2019).

We’ve split this contest down into five distinct categories: comfort, noise-cancelling, audio quality, battery life, and style.

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Prime Day 2021

Before we get started, it's worth pointing out that it's currently Prime Day, which means there are deals for both the Airpods and Airpods Pro on Amazon for Amazon Prime subscribers. We've collected the best deals below, but you can also check out our Prime Day USA deals page for more offers.

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Comfort 

This is an area of big variation as the AirPods come with a plastic finish to the in-ear part which either fits you well or it doesn't. This is largely based on how large or small your ear holes are. Whereas the AirPods Pro feature silicon tips which not only are more comfortable but also help to passively cancel out noise. The tips come in a selection of sizes meaning you should be able to find a tight fit making this a great choice for anyone planning to run with them in.

For longer term wearing the harder finish of the Apple AirPods might become uncomfortable for some. That said if they're not a tight fit even that hardness may not be an issue. In fact the tighter fit of the Apple AirPods Pro might not feel as comfortable for some people.

The bottom line is that comfort is built around perception. But it's that silicone finish on the Apple AirPods Pro which can help shift that perception positively as they move less and aren't noticed as much, making them more comfortable in the long run. Apple even uses a pressure valve to release any build-up from that in-ear seal.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Noise-Cancelling 

This is a very easy category to pick a winner on since the Apple AirPods have no noise cancelling. The Apple AirPods Pro, on the other hand, feature not only the passive noise cancelling of those silicone buds which block out noise, but also active noise cancelling.

The Apple AirPods Pro use microphones to record the audio around the wearer and then play the opposite end of the sound spectrum, cancelling that audio out. So the wearer won't hear the drone of a fan in a room, for example. Crucially though this also works for the microphones used in calls, meaning the person on the other end should get a far clearer call with your voice heard but not the background sounds.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Audio Quality

The actual audio production of the two speaker systems might not be that different but the Pros also have the advantage of that noise cancellation microphone array. This is used to pick-up the environmental noises and adjust the audio accordingly. This is called the Adaptive EQ and it tunes the low and mid frequencies using a high dynamic range amplifier for a clearer sound and even better battery life.

The Apple AirPods Pro are also slightly better at producing a wider soundstage which gives a more realistic and immersive finish when listening to music. This is likely thanks to a longer frequency range and a bigger chamber for sound expansion.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Battery Life

Apple has made the AirPods to last 4.5 hours on a charge and the accompanying case keeps them recharged for a total of 24 hours of use. The AirPods Pro last slightly longer at five hours but also have a total 24 hours additional charge from the case.

The AirPods come with either a wired or wireless charging case whereas the AirPods Pro come with a case which is able to do both.

So while the AirPods Pro can go a little longer before retreating to their charging case, both headphones top out at that 24 hour high-end. But with more charging options the Pros have to take this round.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods vs Apple AirPods Pro: Style

The Apple AirPods are slightly longer than the Apple AirPods Pro and don't fill the ear canal quite as much. They don't have any rating for ruggedness whereas the Apple AirPods Pro are IPX4 rated meaning they can withstand sweat and water but aren't built for use in water sports, for example.

The Apple AirPods are slightly lighter at 1.41oz versus the 1.61oz of the Apple AirPods Pro. Not something you notice but we had to mention it.

While the AirPods are longer they can be used to make more of a fashion statement, if that's your thing. That said, the Pro model is recognisably different with slightly more of a metallic end finish, arguably making them looks more premium.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro

AirPods vs AirPods Pro: Should you buy the Apple AirPods or the AirPods Pro? 

As we said at the start it's a clear win for the Apple AirPods Pro, packing in active noise cancelling, a better fit, more rugged build, Adaptive EQ audio and top call quality and a slightly better battery life. But, the issue is that all those extras will cost you as the price is nearly $100 different and since the AirPods aren't cheap to start with that represents a big investment. 

So if it's money no object, or you can stretch to the top end, then the Apple AirPods Pro are the best option. But if you can live without active noise cancellation and find the fit comfortable enough then perhaps the Apple AirPods will give you all you need in a more affordable package.

Music2me is a simple, web-based music tutorial program designed to teach you the practical and theoretical skills required to learn the piano. 

The company, which is based in Germany, has hosted 45,000+ students online since it was launched in 2011. It has now expanded to English-speaking countries and the lessons are clever, concise and simple to follow. There are over 200 video tutorials per course, ranging from absolute beginner to advanced skills.

Music2Me is probably one of the best online piano courses for busy learners, as it breaks sessions down into manageable chunks. It’s also a reasonably priced option, with lessons starting at $10 a month.

However, it doesn’t quite pack in all of the best features available in some of the more expensive options. And it also doesn’t come with an app, so you can only find these piano lessons via the website

Music2Me review: Lessons and features

One of the biggest hesitations for adults wanting to learn an instrument is the assumption they won’t have time to invest in lessons and practice. But Music2Me is cleverly constructed with short, bite-sized tutorials, each lasting an average of six minutes. This means you can squeeze in a little practice between meetings or around household obligations relatively easily, making the program very appealing for those short on time.

Lessons are accessed online through the music2me.com website – there’s no app available for this platform, unfortunately. We tested out the beginner program, ‘first steps on the piano’, which consists of 35 videos to work through, offering advice on seating position, posture and hand placement. 

The first section of lessons took us through note values, teaching us how to combine and read whole notes, half notes and quarter notes. Following this, the second lesson focused on finger numbering and other notes on the keyboard. 

If we had one small complaint about the beginner course, it would be that this particular lesson order seems counterintuitive. We felt that finger numbering should come sooner in the lesson plan – it's the first thing taught by sites such as Playground Sessions, and it feels odd to start playing before you learn where to place your digits. On the flip side of that, it is great that you get to jump straight onto the keyboard and start making music (or rather, noise), which gets you off to an enjoyable start. 

The course incorporates some music theory, such as articulations, scales and note reading. Playing techniques are explained at the beginning of each video and then demonstrated with a clear, easy to follow graphic for the remainder of the tutorial. In our experience, the visuals were very simple to follow, with a large keyboard animation showing the tutor’s hands as well as the denoted key highlighted in colour, labelled with the correct note. 

There is a handy feature called ‘practice mode’, which, when selected, repeats the exercise until you are ready to move on. If you return to a lesson after a break, there is an option to jump to a specific chapter within the tutorial. Our strategy was to repeat some of the more difficult exercises until we felt confident enough to continue and the ‘repeat chapter’ option made this very easy to do, without the need to go back to the menu and scroll. 

On tutorial 14 of the beginner course, things start to become more fun with an opportunity to play a recognisable song – nothing fancy, just the sound of Big Ben’s Chimes. It’s a clever idea, allowing you to play a familiar set of notes with only a basic skill required. It came at just the right time to provide a renewed enthusiasm for learning.

Module two guides you through musical notation and how to use your new skills to become a confident piano player. The later, more difficult courses deal with more complicated playing techniques, incorporating popular songs and movie themes into the tutorials.

Music2Me review: Experience

This online piano course is visually clear, simple and easy to follow, but the voiceover is slightly boring. While we weren’t looking for anecdotes or jokes during lessons, the execution is very business-like. After a while it began feeling like a sat nav voiceover guiding us through the piano journey (“turn left for major and minor scales” etc). This made the experience a little tiresome, meaning younger children might lose interest quickly. 

However, if you’re an adult looking to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible, this course should tick a lot of boxes for the affordable price. We were pleased with our progress and estimate that by practicing three times a week, it would take an absolute beginner less than a year to play a recognisable song, reading from sheet music.

The platform doesn’t have all the features included in pricier options. There’s no app here, which would be a nice addition. It’s also lacking any MIDI-compatible features - so while you can assess your own progress manually, there isn’t an option to see how many correct and incorrect notes you’re hitting in a session. Other platforms, like Simply Piano, also have ‘listening’ features that can assess your accuracy by tapping into your in-built microphone, which was something we couldn’t find while testing Music2Me. 

Music2Me review: Pricing and Tech Support

To enrol in the piano school with Music2me, there is a monthly subscription of $15. Sign up for 12-months of access and the price is $120, making the cost a cool $10 a month, which is excellent value. There are broader, more sophisticated offerings out there, but if you have your own keyboard this course is ideal for beginners or those wishing to refresh their knowledge.

Guitar lessons are included for free during the trial and there is a discounted combo price if you sign up for both the guitar and piano courses. If you have one family member hoping to hit the ivories and the other set on strumming, it makes ridiculously good value for money.  

There is a Live Chat and an email method for contacting the team with any issues but the course is very straightforward, so it’s unlikely a user would encounter many issues. The team also welcomes feedback and contributions from users will serve to improve the platform in the future. At present, there is no app download for this course, which would be a good addition.  

Music2Me: Should you get a Music2Me subscription?

Younger children or teenagers might get bored easily with the monotone voiceovers and simple visuals, but the tutorials are ideal for an adult beginner who wants to learn without any unnecessary ‘bells and whistles’ (no pun intended). 

For someone with a busy day-to-day life, the short video tutorials make it easy to slip away for piano practice around family and work commitments. You can move at your own pace, dipping in and out when you have the time. 

For those on a budget, it’s a very inexpensive platform to learn the piano in a bite-sized, digestible way, without needing lots of spare time to master the skill. 

MusicIncite’s emuso Studio (emuso.buzz) is a music theory application designed for people who already know how to hold and play their instrument and want to broaden their understanding of how music works. The app doesn’t have a mobile version, but installers are available for both Mac and PC. Featuring practice tasks, lessons at both beginner and intermediate levels and chord and scale books for advanced users, the app allows you to place notes on a virtual keyboard, guitar or bass, cello, violin or viola. You can then move them around to visualise and listen to scales, intervals and chords and learn how to create your own finger positions for every combination of intervals possible. 

While not at the top, it sits among our list of the best guitar lessons online guide, and is great for anyone who self-taught guitar and wants more of the theory. 

Emuso Studio: Membership 

You get 30 days of free access to the emuso app if you sign up for an account, but you don’t need to put in any payment details to do this. If you like what you see, you can opt for one of three subscription types: monthly for $10 a month, six monthly at $50 billed twice a year, or an annual plan for $80. Read further into the subscriptions page and you may well find a voucher code for money off these plans, for instance at the time of writing the code MRKT20 enables a 20% discount. It’s also worth noting that any subscription to emuso also gives you free access to its companion app, Transcribe, which is a tool for practicing sections of music at various tempos without changing pitch. Find out more about that at www.seventhstring.com.  

Emuso Studio: Lessons and features

Emuso teaches you how music works rather than the names of the notes - at least initially - which is a novel idea that will certainly resonate with some people, most likely the self-taught up until this point (like this reviewer). For anyone stuck playing the blues pentatonic scale for improvisation, the possibilities for broadening your playing and understanding with emuso are near-limitless.

Lessons show you a clock face representing an octave, with the intervals clearly visible as notes around the clock. This is then mirrored on the virtual instrument and you can move notes around on it, playing them individually, in sequence (great for designing arpeggios) or as a chord. The lessons start with simple intervals like fifths, before examining major and minor intervals. These are turned into chords which are later given weights, or ‘expectations’ allowing you to use them to create moods and expectations within a chord sequence. 

The ‘Toolkit’ allows you to visualise chords and scales on a virtual representation of your instrument along with the clock and a pitch bar underneath, seeing and reading what the intervals and scale terms are. You can then change your fingering or even ask the program to create inversions (where chords are played in different patterns all the way up the neck or keyboard) for you. This can either be done with a single press of the comma or period key, or by using your mouse to drag a box around the intervals you’ve made and see the notes replicated at all the available points up the neck for as far as you wish to see. 

Then there’s the Rhythm-X sequencer, which allows you to set your melodies, chords, scales and arpeggios to a rhythm track and program a sequence of chords into a ‘snappet’ file, which can be saved and shared. This has the potential to be a strong compositional tool as well as for tuition, and plays notes through your speakers using internal or external MIDI. 

Finally, there’s a blog where more emuso examples can be discussed and played around with in the editor, and this is updated regularly.

Emuso Studio: Experience 

To begin with, emuso can be pretty intimidating. The app is not designed like iOS tuition apps where everything’s friendly, colourful and slick. Our top pick, Fender Play, is far more user friendly. The user interface here is very old-fashioned, with drop-down boxes and crowded windows (some that just don’t fit the screen if you’re in the wrong view) that unfortunately make it look about 20 years old. It’s more reminiscent of a PC-based DAW than a tuition app, though in fairness it is pitching itself as a tool as much as it is a suite for learning. Even so, the voiceover that talks you through the basics is friendly while rather matter-of-fact and everything has the air of ‘textbook’ about it, rather than a modern interactive experience.

It’s also very complicated, with advanced features mixed in with basic ones which makes it all appear bewildering for a long while. Still, if you enable the help button, you can learn what everything does if you take your time. Just click on an icon or a feature and a video downloads, explaining what it does and how to work it. 

After a while, the voiceovers are less frequent, and you’ll find yourself reading reams of text in lessons before placing notes yourself on the virtual instruments to pass tests. These lessons are all clearly worded but also a lot to digest, and progress is painfully slow to begin with. Early lessons cover important things that aren’t mentioned in their titles, so even if you think you know how to do something in the lesson’s title, it’s best to just power through the lot, starting at the beginning. 

Over time your progress becomes clear. It’s true, note names are not needed to learn how music works. The ability to place a root note, test stacked intervals and then transpose the resulting chord with the comma and period keys is excellent, and the Measuring Tool where you rotate the bezel of emuso’s Clock Measurer to find inversions within scales is arguably the most enlightening part of the whole package. Music suddenly makes so much more sense, which is clearly a triumph. 

As a final note, be aware we did experience some bugs and some audio lag between asking the app to synthesize a chord and hearing the result. At times this would slip from a blink of an eye to several seconds behind the instruction, so clearly something went wrong. However, restarting the app fixed the problem on PC (though you have to log in again), while it became clear that the M1 Macbook Pro is simply not properly supported. A fix is incoming according to the developer, but Intel-based Macs should work just fine, so use the trial to make sure it works with your hardware setup.

Emuso Studio: Technical support

Beyond that rather excellent built-in Help system, there’s an FAQ on the website, and a technical support service at https://emuso.buzz/support/ that got back to us very quickly and in a friendly, helpful manner when we hit the lag issues. Top marks for this aspect. 

Should you try Emuso Studio?

This honestly depends on your personal approach to learning. If a textbook turns you off, then so will emuso. But when you've used it for a week, and it tells you “Imaj, VI-, IVmaj, Vmaj has yielded countless tunes,” and you nod your head knowingly, it’s because you’ve actually learned about music. Emuso can teach you and enable you to work out all the chords from a scale, judge their weighting or flavor, and transpose them anywhere on your instrument That’s very useful for budding composers, or for teachers who already know the theory and wish to demonstrate it to their student - there's definitely space or emuso among music notation software lists too. But it can also feel impenetrable and frustrating, especially compared to mainstream tuition apps like Simply Piano. So while it’s not an instant recommendation for learning music theory, it’s certainly one worth trying, especially with its generous 28-day free trial offer. 

To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, we’ve searched the best audiobook services to find literature that pushes towards equality, and challenges gender bias, in fitting with this year’s theme: #ChooseToChallenge. Listening to female-written and female-centered books is a great way to get involved with celebrations this March 8. 

Sites like audible.com and audiobooks.com not only have great selections of women-focused books but also feature excellent podcasts like The Guilty Feminist. Both sites have free trial periods, so you can test-run the service before you sign up and choose which one is right for you. Celebrate International Women’s Day this March 8 with an audiobook, and educate yourself on women’s history, struggle, liberation, and joy.

 1. We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Adapted from her eloquent TEDx Talk of the same name, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 60-page manifesto on 21st-century feminism is an instructive and inclusive audiobook. Sparked with humor and stories from her native Nigeria and the U.S, Adichie brings the energy of her bestselling novels Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah to this essay on what it means to be a feminist. Adichie makes a rousing case for what it means to be angry at the ‘grave injustices’ that women still face everywhere. 

• Listen to We Should All Be Feminists on Audible or Kobo. 

 2. Becoming - Michelle Obama 

As the first African American to serve as First Lady, Michelle Obama made it her mission to make the White House a more inclusive place. Becoming is a memoir in which Obama recounts her early life and the experiences that inspired her to never stop championing opportunities for women. The book is divided into three sections, as the former First Lady recounts ‘Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More’ in her and her husband’s journey to the highest office in the country. Becoming is an uplifting and personal account of one of the most powerful women in the world. 

• Listen to Becoming on Audible. 

3. The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison 

Toni Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye, is an exploration of femininity at the intersection of the black experience, beauty standards, and poverty. Pecola, the 11-year-old protagonist, dreams of having blue eyes, a marker of white American standards of perfection. The Bluest Eye is an essential read for deconstructing the illusions of beauty and how they still undercut racism today. Morrison went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and is best known for her novel Beloved.

• Listen to The Bluest Eye on Audible

 4. A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf  

This essay, delivered by Woolf at Cambridge University in 1928, is still as relevant today as it was almost 100 years ago. Woolf dreamed of imagined and literal creative spaces for women where they would no longer be sidestepped by the patriarchy and uses enchanting metaphors and voices to make her point. Woolf recounts history and fiction in this essay to show how the male constructions of literature have historically left women outside of the frame and unable to contribute. Rather than being inferior writers, Woolf argues, women have never been allowed the material or social tools to create art for themselves.  

• Listen to A Room of One’s Own on Audible or Scribd

5. Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again: Women and Desire in the Age of Consent - Katherine Angel 

The #MeToo movement has shaped most of the contemporary conversation about feminism. From Hollywood to workplaces, discussions on consent have attempted to rewrite sexual guidelines for the modern age. Katherine Angel’s book takes an academic stance on the history of female desire and its relation to power and violence. A must-listen for understanding feminism in the current moment. 

• Listen to Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again on Audible or Google Play Store

 6. Women, Race and Class - Angela Davis 

Women, Race, and Class dives into the history of the abolitionist and women's suffrage movements, with a view to demonstrating how feminist movements have previously fallen short on their inclusion of women from marginalized backgrounds. Though it was written in 1981, Davis’ book still resounds with ongoing efforts to make feminism more intersectional, as, in order to liberate all women from oppression, there must be a recognition of stark historical mistreatment.  

• Listen to Women, Race and Class on Audible

7.  It’s About Bloody Time, Period. - Emma Barnett

In this audiobook, Emma Barnett tackles one of the most societally taboo topics and a process that’s an everyday part of many women’s lives. The course of this book attempts to unravel the stigma and shame surrounding feminine health and has a great title to match.

• Listen to It’s About Bloody Time, Period on Audible

 8. Circe - Madeline Miller  

Madeline Miller takes on Greek mythology in her retelling of the story of Circe. Get lost in this astounding story of women’s fight to be free, as Miller retells some of the most ancient stories of our society. By painting complex psychological portraits of traditional Greek heroes such as Odysseus and Achilles, Miller uncovers the humanity behind the myths and the solitary life of a goddess as she grapples with motherhood. 

• Listen to Circe on Audible or Downpour

9. Invisible Women - Caroline Criado Perez  

Caroline Criado Perez’s account of gender bias and the gender data gap is factually astounding. Using swathes of data to make her arguments, Perez uncovers how gender bias has shaped the world we live in; from the size of our phones to the drugs we’re prescribed. 

• Listen to Invisible Women on Audible or Audiobooks

 10. The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur 

Rupi Kaur is a poet known for her musings on feminism, self-love, conformity, and validation. The Sun and Her Flowers touches on all those themes and more and is an excellent, short listen with language that truly reflects the trappings of femininity.

• Listen to The Sun and Her Flowers on Scribd

Skoove is a desktop or mobile piano learning app which teaches you how to read standard notation (sheet music) and play piano. You’ll soon be using two hands to play bass notes, chords and melodies and the app lets you move at your own pace, so you don’t ever need to feel rushed. The experience isn't quite as precise as some other piano apps, however, and while it makes our list of the best online piano lessons, there are things that rivals - like Playground Sessions and Simply Piano - are more accomplished at.

Skoove: Membership

Skoove Premium is a subscription service, starting with one month’s subscription for $19.99. Three months costs $39.99 or an annual subscription costs $119.99. There is a free version but that gives you limited access to the course selection, while the premium tier also has the benefit of giving you access to advice from a real teacher. This is almost identical in terms of cost to all the other major piano learning platforms.

Skoove: Lessons and features 

You get 25 lessons for free, or over 400 if you take out a premium subscription. The app can run in-browser on a desktop machine, or via an app on a mobile device (the company has just launched its Android-friendly app, which is available for free for a limited time). 

The browser version doesn’t work in Safari, so you’ll need to download Google Chrome to use it on a Mac. The software supports MIDI or microphone support (so an acoustic piano is fine), with the additional bonus of a QWERTY keyboard option here if you are absolutely stuck for actual keys to play. 

Lessons comprise a hands-off listening section to familiarise yourself with the piece of music, then a chance for you to try playing it at your own pace. This is checked by the program so you can only progress after you’ve pushed the correct note, although it doesn’t measure duration nor penalise wrong notes, which isn’t ideal. After that you play without backing - and without a metronome which is a very odd design choice - before playing along with a full-band backing track. 

Skoove: Experience

The collection of introductory lessons could be described as either ‘scattershot’ or ‘bold’, and both would be accurate. In the first one and half hours with this program, you are shown how to play with one hand, two hands, in 4/4 time, 3/4 time, 6/8 time and not only with black notes (all of them - that’s six flats in the key signature) but you’re also asked to improvise. That’s a heck of a lot to take in (though you’re not really required to understand any of it, so don’t feel daunted), and while of course you can go slow if needs be, when it also tells you to play louder to be more rock and roll, it’s apparent that this app doesn’t tell you anything an actual piano teacher would tell you to do in the first lesson. 

Still, it is undeniably fun to play Queen’s We Will Rock You and Madness’s Our House in the first session, and the play-along backing tracks are nicely produced so it’s a strong start.

After that, the lessons slow down and become far more mundane, introducing you to notation, timing and giving you some extremely basic lessons before moving on pretty quickly to two-handed playing. It’s just not as well-paced as the likes of Simply Piano. This is also highlighted by the need to keep clicking to move to the next lesson instead of going there automatically. 

It’s also not always clear when you’ve mastered a particular lesson. It happily tells you how many minutes you spent on each exercise, but doesn’t tell you how much you got right, unlike Playground Sessions’ details breakdown. And when you actually play along with the band, you’ll have to be your own judge of whether you did it right or not - you can literally play anything you want and the program won’t bat an eyelid, which is obviously far from ideal. Even when you are being kept in check in the practice mode, note duration isn’t checked at all, so you can play every note with a tap, which isn’t going to teach you how to play properly. 

It’s also not ideal to have an app where the music doesn’t scroll across the screen - instead you read right-to-left like you would with real sheet music, although a playhead bar follows the beat as you go. This playhead doesn’t quite match up with the timing of the beats on the desktop version but it’s not too severe. What’s worse is the inability to see what’s next as the playhead reaches the end of the stave, whereupon you’re dropped into the next bar, blind. It’s far from ideal. It’s certainly not a disaster, but all of the small niggles add up to create an app that just isn’t as usable or intuitive as the competition.

Skoove: Support and User reviews

There’s a full FAQ section on the Skoove website or a contact form at https://www.skoove.com/en/contact - this promises a reply within 24 hours unless it’s a weekend.

In terms of user reviews, we found opinion to be mixed on the service. Some praised the "Good variety of songs, good piano sounds and good ease of use," but felt let down by the lack of "metronome and no pause during pages".

Should you try Skoove?

Skoove will certainly teach you to play piano, but it’s neither as fun as Yousician, as accessible as Simply Piano, or as exhaustive as Playground Sessions. While it’s aimed at adults and teenagers rather than children, children would certainly be able to use it if they had an adult guiding them through. While it’s not the most user-friendly app out there, it does do things a bit differently which is always good to see, and it’s certainly able to teach you how to play piano. So while it’s worth a try to see if you like its pace of learning, it’s not top of our recommendations if you want to learn piano from home. 

With 28 Grammys to his name - at the last count - Quincy Jones is something of a music industry legend. So when he co-creates an online piano tuition app like Playground Sessions, the world should probably take notice. Big-name pianists like Harry Connick, Jr are also featured, so right from the get-go, it’s evident that this app means business. Unlike other apps that simply teach the notes on the stave, Playground Sessions imparts both wisdom and passion with its introductory videos. And with a huge variety of well-known songs available to learn in both simplified and authentic incarnations and a bewilderingly comprehensive ‘Bootcamp’ lesson plan, everything here is meticulously crafted to teach you piano with authenticity and precision. No wonder it's our top pick of the best online piano lessons for several years in a row.

Playground Sessions: Membership

You can purchase a subscription to Playground Sessions in three separate ways – monthly, annually or a one-time payment for a lifetime plan. Playground Sessions accepts payments via debit and credit cards and PayPal, which is handy. A monthly subscription will cost you $17.99 per month, whereas an annual membership is $119.88, with the monthly cost working out at $9.99. A lifetime membership recently came down to $289.99 from $349.99. This is billed as a one-time payment and offers you all the perks of other membership types, so unless you’re really committed to learning piano we’d suggest going with a monthly membership to give you an idea of if you want to continue. 

Some sites such as Piano with Christie Peery offer perks to signing up to longer-term memberships, such as VIP bonus content when you buy an annual membership. Playground Sessions does this differently, offering no discrepancy (other than a price benefit in signing up longer-term) in perks for monthly or annual memberships. We like this, as it won’t make you feel penalized if you don’t go for the longer-term option, and all members are treated equally. 

Playground Sessions: Lessons and features 

Playground Sessions uses well-known music to teach you the basics of playing piano, so you stay invested. You learn by playing, which is the motto of Playground Sessions. The main learning is done in the Bootcamp, which teaches key skills intensively in Rookie, Intermediate and Advanced curriculums. There are also supplemental Courses available, plus the option to hone in on theory, playing, or improvisation skills here. 

Playground Sessions works with MIDI compatible keyboards – this is how you track your performance and how much you practice in real-time. Unlike Flowkey or Yousician, which work with acoustic models, you’ll have to own a MIDI keyboard to get started with Playground, which means absolute precision, with feedback to match. When you take a lesson, the correct notes you play will be marked in green and the wrong notes will be marked in red. After the lesson is complete, it will break your performance down into a percentage, and you will receive points for your performance. Playground Sessions keeps track of the points based on a level system, and as you earn points and hit certain point totals, you level up.

Unlike many other piano apps, which won’t give you hands-on experience until you’ve mastered the basics of posture and hand positioning, Playground Sessions lets you jump right in with mastering the 5-Finger Position in your second lesson. In the Rookie Tour Bootcamp, which will be the first port-of-call for any beginner, you’ll be challenged but also rewarded as you tailor BPM to a speed at which you feel comfortable. Notation is only raised once you’ve had a crack at using the 5-Finger Position. Harry Connick Jr. explains staff notation very thoroughly before you move onto a nine-part practice of this. The video tutorials are informative, and although you’re not given the opportunity to work one-on-one with a tutor like PianoWithWillie, it certainly feels like you build a relationship with the variety of teachers in the video lessons. One of the things we loved about Playground Sessions is the ease at which you can take your time and master the basics. The backing music allows you to clearly see where you’re going right and understand your role in the context of the wider song. If you’re someone who learns by doing, this is a great option for you - it makes everything you’re required to learn digestible by breaking it into small chunks.

Other features include ‘Courses’ which get unlocked over time as your playing becomes more advanced. Some of the courses available include a 30-day challenge where you’ll learn how to play specific, aspirational songs, as well as reading music, and octave scales. There’s a song store where you can learn to play specific songs, with a variety of movie soundtracks, pop tracks and theater pieces to choose from. There are also a host of classical songs available, for free. These are graded in difficulty and there are different skill levels for most songs, meaning they’re accessible for a variety of capabilities. You need to use song credits to buy these, and both annual and monthly memberships give you five credits free a month. If you want to buy any in addition to this it’ll cost you $1.99, and most but not all are available to print. These songs are largely available in melodies rather than accompaniment, which means you might find limited options if you’re looking to play piano and sing the melody, for example.

Playground Sessions: Experience 

While the quality is clearly there, newer apps are more user-friendly and pleasing on the eye, but Playground Sessions still has it where it counts. Our skills improved a lot in the time we spent reviewing it. For beginners it can be overwhelming to play two-handed, but Playground teaches you one hand at a time before you have a crack at combining what you’ve learned. You can adjust the speed if you’re finding the track a bit fast (or slow). If you’ve mastered all but one small section of the piece, you can easily highlight the section you want to focus on and repeat this until you feel comfortable, and the option to record yourself means you can sit back and scrutinize your progress.

There’s also the option to have a full backing track, a metronome and/or the specific notes playing alongside you, and you can choose to have the note or finger represented in each bar displayed above to help you if you’re not totally comfortable reading music. If you’re hoping to learn to read music before you get playing, this isn’t the site for you. Playground immerses you in the world of the piano, meaning you’ll learn these skills as you go.

Like Piano Marvel, Playground Sessions motivates you with awards and points which help you feel like you’re making progress. There’s even the incentive of free song credits when you win 15 stars. They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, and Playground Sessions displays how many hours you’ve spent learning on your dashboard, along with a list of all the classes you’ve completed and attempted. There’s also a Playground Sessions app available, meaning you can put your tablet on the music stand for a more dialed-back setup. 

Playground Sessions is designed for adults, and we’d say that if you’re not at least in your teens this isn’t the site for you due to the way the lessons are structured. That being said, there’s nothing to stop multiple members of the family getting involved with Playground.

Playground Sessions: Technical support 

Playground Sessions has an easily-accessed forum where you can consult past chats and raise your own. There’s an emphasis on creating a community here, which we liked, and you’ll also get helpful responses from moderators within the Playground team if you raise issues or questions. You can also call Monday-Friday, consult an FAQ page for specific queries or email customer support. 

Should you try Playground Sessions? 

Playground Sessions is still our top pick for online piano lessons, though you might want to try a more streamlined app like Simply Piano if you want a slightly less formal but similarly effective approach. Playground Sessions has an easy-to-use interface, which lets you tailor your learning to your own specific preferences, but it feels more like a textbook than an app. Nonetheless, the quality is obvious. We enjoyed the mix of Bootcamp, Courses and songs on offer which helps keep you interested and engaged as you learn. Playground Sessions is a great choice for immersing you in the world of piano without being too overwhelming. 

Many spent the majority of last year cooped up inside (and 2021 is looking much the same thus far), but that didn’t stop people from playing the piano. In its 2020 review Playground Sessions, our top pick of the best online piano lessons, revealed the songs that people turned to the most. These are the top three: 

1. Imagine - John Lennon
2. Attention - Charlie Puth
3. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Both “Imagine” and “Hallelujah” are accessible tunes for Rookie level pianists, and given how uplifting these tunes can be, it’s no surprise that they were a 2020 favorite. The (in)famous “Imagine” video that circulated in early 2020, packed with celebrities each singing a line of the tune, may have had something to do with the success of the John Lennon classic, but the real curve-ball here is Charlie Puth’s “Attention”. First released in 2018, the catchy tune may have been a next-step choice for those entering the “Advanced” levels of Playground Sessions. 

We reported in August that the online piano service had offered free lessons to Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” for new subscribers. This lead to the world’s largest online piano recital, with over 7,000 users taking part. It’s unsurprising that “You Raise Me Up” was another one of the most popular songs to learn on piano in 2020.

When we spoke to David Sides, Playground Sessions Co-Founder, in August, he told us that “it was the perfect song to teach the world as it's one of hope and inspiration, things that many around the world were longing for.”

Learning online is here to stay

With plenty seeking new hobbies, or looking for ways to continue to learn the piano virtually, people increasingly turned to music as a way of self-improvement in 2020. Playground Sessions recorded a substantial 328,678 hours spent on its smartphone app alone, meaning that all the time people sunk into their screentime in 2020 may not have been entirely unproductive. Of its vast song library, the Playground Sessions also recorded that 95% of its available songs were played last year, and a total of 1.5 billion notes were played correctly by users.  

David Sides told us “In general, there are many benefits to taking up an instrument - including health benefits and emotional benefits. Learning to play an instrument is especially valuable in times like these because it's great for relieving stress, great for bringing joy, and great at delivering a sense of achievement and productivity - all of which are things that help keep people positive during challenging times.” 

If you are tempted to take up the piano in 2021, check out our guide on how to learn piano online for some expert advice. You could also consider the best learn French software and apps to continue to learn online this year.  

If you want to host a virtual party to celebrate Easter, Passover or even just your birthday during the outbreak of coronavirus, you’re going to have to be pretty inventive. Having said that, social distancing and lockdown doesn’t mean you can’t mark these special holidays at all. We’ve rounded up the best ways to celebrate, get your family ‘together’ and make the most of these pretty strange times. 

So, with that in mind, the first thing to consider is how many people you want to celebrate with, are there children to entertain and how many different homes will you be connecting with? That will depend on which apps like Zoom, FaceTime or even Google Hangouts you choose to use. 

It’s then worth thinking about food because, let’s face it, what’s a celebration without some delicious food and wine to wash it down with? Just because you won’t be having friends and family over in person, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some tasty treats. Even better, with a great range of the best wine coolers in spring sales, there’s no excuse not to stock up on a few luxuries to kick off your celebrations. 

Finally, with so many of us stuck at home, it’s quite likely you’ve been wearing your sweats a bit more than you’d like to admit. Why not mix things up for your virtual celebration and dress up or introduce a fun theme? 

Whatever the celebration or holiday, find the best ways to mark the occasion with our handy hints and tips below.

 1. Get connected with your friends and family  

 As with all celebrations, you’re going to want some friends and family to join your celebration - even though you won’t be able to see them in person. Once you have your guest list you can consider which app is the best to host your virtual celebration on. If there’s just a small group of you, say four or less, then Whatsapp and FaceTime will do the job. 

If there’s quite a big group of you however, you’re going to need an app that allows a lot more of you to connect at one time. Zoom allows you to connect with up to 99 other people at one time, although it is worth bearing in mind the recent news of Zoom leaking user information. Tech guide Quaries recommends Bunch for big groups, or you can use Google Hangouts providing you have a Gmail account.  

2. Think about the food

Get all the cooking equipment you’ll need from the best stand mixers to whip up a delicious cake, to a trusty instant pot which is ideal when you’re cooking for the whole family. Of course, for Easter especially, you’ll need some chocolate and thankfully, there’s quite a few delicious offerings from Harry and David where you can order yourself the best gift basket for any occasion, or alternatively, you can treat someone else and get it delivered to their home.

 Just because you won’t be having anyone over in person for your celebration, doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to something scrumptious. If you’re looking for inspiration, America’s Test Kitchen has 50 free recipes you can take your pick from. You can also pick up some tips from the New York Times cooking shows, which feature guest appearances from the likes of Jamie Oliver. 

If you’ve only got some rather random ingredients in at home, then see what you can pull together and stick in a slow cooker or better still, cook along with your other virtual guests. Give each other ideas of what to make and you can even have a fun vote on whose meal looks the tastiest. 

3. Create some entertainment

 Whilst you’ll obviously want some time to catch up with friends and family, it’s worth thinking about a few ways to make your holiday celebration feel like a real party or get together. 

So if you’re full up on food, how about using Netflix Party which lets you enjoy movies with your friends and families while you’re in isolation? Add a touch of culture to your celebration with free opera via the Metropolitan Opera’s website, or simply have a good sing along to some great songs with a Spotify’s free month trial. 

If there’s children joining in with your virtual holiday celebration, then Disney Plus has a free seven-day trial, or keep the kids busy with an art competition where they can create some themed crafts - with a prize for the best creation.  

4. Make it a memorable occasion 

 It’s no secret that these are pretty strange times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate special holidays and birthdays without any fun. Why not theme your celebration? Ask all guests to dress up, decorate their homes, create a family quiz or simply have a good catch up. 

With Nikon offering free camera lessons throughout April, why not capture some impressive family photos during your celebration too?  

Other ideas for things to do during self-isolation

•  Stay happy at home: 40 FREE and fun things to do online right now 
•  How to deep clean your home while self-isolating: tips, secrets and hacks 

The best online piano lessons will help you stay on top of your practice, and keep you motivated to progress. Many also come with apps and features which let you download and learn popular songs. However, there are plenty of free piano apps which will boost your learning in addition to online piano lessons, such as piano practice tracking apps, audio recording apps and backing tracks. 

Software is a great and inexpensive way to learn how to play piano from the comfort of your own home, but foregoing one-to-one tuition can mean there's less holding you to account and motivating your practice sessions. Practice tracking apps will keep you on track for success, and audio recording apps let you listen back and improve on your playing skills. Many of our favorite piano apps are free and easy to use, and available to download on the best smartphones right now. We've got all the information you need to take your online lessons to the next level, right here.  

Practice tracking apps

One of the most important aspects of using software to learn an instrument is self-motivation. Because there isn’t a teacher sitting next to you, it is hard to keep track of how long you practice and what you practice outside the prescribed lesson plan. These apps have tools to track progress, record practice sessions and manage a practice routine.

Modacity

Modacity is a practice tracker, audio recorder, and note taking app with an organized and easy-to-use interface. It allows you to customize a practice plan and tracks your progress with statistical data and audio recordings which speed up or slow down to help you fine tune your lessons. There is a free version for iPads and iPhones, but the premium version includes a chat feature that allows you to send practice questions to professional musicians and get specialized feedback about how to overcome a troublesome topic.

Music Journal Pro

Music Journal Pro is available for Apple devices for less than $7. It has a practice timer for up to two hours, which continues to run even if you open a different app to text or make a phone call. Music Journal Pro creates bar graphs that show how many minutes you practice each song or scale. You export the graphs to email to your instructor or archive them in a different location. This app also has a metronome and tempo adjustment feature which allows you to slow a song down, and the app tracks the beats per minute (BPM), so you can set a goal and view your progress with the BPM chart.

Instrumentive - Music Practice Notes

Instrumentive is available on Google Play and lets you set practice targets and track whether or not you meet them. It also can record your playing, meaning you can listen back and check where you’re going wrong. The integrated metronome keeps you in time and you can even create playlists and for practice sessions. What’s more, the app is free and a popular choice for Android users, with reviews giving it 4.7/5 stars on the Play store. 

Backing tracks for piano 

Backing tracks are a fun and effective way to practice improvisation, ear training and scale theory. Most online services we tested don’t introduce improvisation and ear training techniques until the intermediate and advanced lessons. However, we recommend using backing tracks to improve rhythm while practicing scales you learn in beginner lessons.

MusiClock

MusiClock is available for iPhone and iPad for less than $9 and includes helpful tools for beginners and advanced players alike. The user interface is attractive and easy to use, and the app has a virtual keyboard for practicing scales on the go. The backing tracks sound great and include popular musical genres like pop, blues and jazz. There are eight different scales, including major, minor, blues and pentatonic, and the interface is a helpful aid for visualizing scale theory.

iReal Pro

The iReal Pro app is available for iOS, Android and Mac operating systems for less than $20. It comes with 50 accompaniment styles, but the 12 blues backing tracks are a $3 add-on for mobile devices. This app helps you create your own chord charts and upload them to the forum to share with other music students and professional players. iReal Pro doesn’t have many features for beginning piano students, but once you transition to intermediate and advanced lessons, improvisation practice is a crucial step to help improve your ear and give you the confidence to start playing with other musicians.

Wiki Loops

Wiki Loops is an online loop library which has an intuitive interface that allows you to filter a vast library of backing tracks by musical genre and choose which instruments are excluded and included in the track. Once you choose which instruments you want to play along with, you can further filter the results by tempo, meter and key. The website has a community board with tips about improvisation and ear training, and a forum with virtual open mic sessions that allow you to jam with other musicians.

Drum Loops by EUMLab

This app for iPad and iPhone has hundreds of drum loops that cover most musical genres. The user interface is easy to use and allows you to adjust the tempo and add your favorite grooves to a list for quick and easy access. You play the loops through the speaker on your mobile device or sync to a TV or speaker system via Bluetooth or Airplay. Drum Loops costs $1 and includes plenty of tracks for practicing improvisation and scales, or you can purchase expansion packs with additional drum loops in the genre of your preference for $1 each.

Virtual piano apps  

Many online piano platforms include a virtual piano, which allows you to take lessons without a keyboard or acoustic piano. The website virtualpiano.net will work perfectly if you're using a computer, but if you want to practice scales or melodies on the go, here are some virtual piano mobile apps. 

Virtuoso Piano Free 4

This virtual piano app is free and doesn’t display annoying ads like other free piano apps we reviewed. It is only available for iPhone and iPad, but it has eight different piano sounds sampled from actual instruments. Virtuoso Piano is compatible with piano learning programs, like Flowkey and Playground Sessions, that accept MIDI over Bluetooth and MIDI over Wi-Fi. The keyboard is velocity sensitive and has acoustic controls to change the sound of the instruments. This app also allows background playback, so you can play along to songs downloaded on your phone or tablet.

Perfect Piano

This virtual piano app is available for Android and iOS devices for free. It doesn’t sound as good as Virtuoso Piano, but it has an organ, synthesizer, Rhodes piano and string ensemble sounds. Perfect Piano supports multiplayer connections, so you can play piano with other players around the world and chat with them in the app. This app also has a recording function to export a MIDI or audio file. The waterfall display feature is helpful for improving rhythm and melody with accompanying visual info that simulates game-style learning. Perfect Piano shows how you can practice piano on the go in a fun video. Now we just need three iPhones...

Audio recording apps for piano

Many apps we tested have simple recording functions, but if you want to record your practice sessions on the go or layer multiple piano tracks, a multi-track recording app is the best option. These apps have a virtual piano and also record the sound coming from an acoustic piano or electronic keyboard using the microphone in your mobile device.

BandLab

This free app for Android and iOS devices lets you record an unlimited number of projects and save them on a secure cloud. There are more than 120 virtual instruments and more than 2,000 royalty-free loops to help improve your improvisation skills. There’s an easy-to-use collaboration feature that allows you to record a piano track and send it to other BandLab users who can then add other instruments like drums, guitar or other keyboard sounds.

GarageBand

GarageBand doesn’t have the unique collaboration features found in BandLab, but the virtual keyboard is much more responsive. This app is only available on Apple devices, but it allows you to record up to 32 tracks per session and has a great selection of virtual instruments, including acoustic pianos, synthesizers, organs and electric pianos. Once you record a piano track, you add the virtual session drummer to the recording and it analyzes the tempo and style of your piano part to create a customized drum track to accompany it.

Apps for sight reading & ear training  

Sight reading and ear training are important principles of music theory and a necessary part of any good piano learning curriculum. Many of the programs we tested incorporate both ear training and sight reading, but if you are looking for some supplementary resources, here are some good mobile apps.

Tenuto

Tenuto is a helpful ear training app from the developers of musictheory.net. It’s available for iPhone and iPad for less than $4 and has a user-friendly interface that includes a virtual keyboard to help you visualize chords. The exercises are available offline, so you can brush up on your ear training from a comfortable park bench or on the bus ride to work. The exercises are fully customizable to help you practice the key signatures and scales that are giving you the most trouble. Challenge Mode allows you to add a time limit to the lessons and motivates you to try to beat your previous high score.

Music tutor

Music Tutor is a free app for Android and iOS devices that improves your sight-reading skills with speed and accuracy drills. You can customize the range of notes you want to practice, and the app gives you instant feedback about accuracy and response time in one-, five- or 10-minute sessions. The exercises include notes up to four ledger lines above or below the staff for any of the clefs. You enter the notes by using the virtual keyboard or a connected MIDI controller, or by pressing the letter note values. Music Tutor also helps develop your ear training by playing the sound of the note, but you can turn that feature off if it becomes a distraction. 

Music notation apps

You don’t learn to notate or transcribe music until you get to intermediate and advanced curriculum. However, it is an important part of learning to play an instrument, and the sooner you learn it, the better. We tested and ranked the best music notation software for a home computer, but here are some easy-to-use mobile apps to help you get started writing and archiving your own piano sheet music.

Notion

Notion is our favorite music notation software for home computers, and it’s also available for iPhone and iPad for less than $15. The mobile app doesn’t have the same comprehensive selection of notation tools as the desktop version, but it is easy to use and perfectly suited for quickly jotting down ideas and short musical phrases. This app has the best-sounding playback engine of all the notation apps, so when you write a piano part, you can hear it played back on a Steinway grand piano. Notion has a virtual keyboard to help you input notes if you prefer that method to handwriting on a grand staff or using the drag-and-drop feature.

Notation pad

If you want a free notation app that works on Android devices, Notation Pad is the best option. It is also available free for iOS devices. The free version has all the tools to create simple compositions with the touch-friendly interface. The instrument packs cost extra, but you don’t need them for notating simple piano parts. This app also allows you to add lyrics to a piano composition, and it exports PDF or PNG files to share with your instructors and friends via email.

Piano Marvel is our top value pick for the best online piano lessons because it breaks down learning piano into simple, segmented lessons so you aren't overwhelmed by information. It’s a good choice for beginners and children, but note that there’s not a huge variety of music genres to choose from when picking songs to learn. So while it's good for starters, you'll likely look elsewhere if you need something more advanced.

Piano Marvel review: Membership

• Monthly or annual options 
• Great value

To gain access to all the lessons within Piano Marvel, you pay a monthly subscription or an annual fee. This is broken down into $15.99 per month or $110.99 per year, making it one of the best value sites we reviewed. Again, it's a little more limited than others, but perfect for beginners and kids.

Piano Marvel Review: Lessons & Features 

• Play right away
• MIDI-compatible options

One of the best ways to stay interested in playing piano is to start playing right away. Some introductory piano lessons are long and explain a lot of information to you before you even get to touch a piano key. Piano Marvel gets you playing the piano in the very first lesson, which teaches you what whole notes are, and how to play them.

You can use lessons either through a downloadable desktop icon or by launching the application via the Piano Marvel website. Either way, you will need to be connected to the internet to take advantage of all the features this software has to offer. This program also offers a library of songs that feature both classical pieces and modern music that you can download and learn.

The fact that these online piano lessons can track your progress via MIDI-compatibility is impressive. Once you plug your MIDI controller into your computer, you will be asked to configure it with the software, which just requires you to hit the lowest key on the keyboard followed by the highest key. Once your keyboard is configured you can start taking lessons and keeping track of your progress. If you're looking to learn without MIDI-compatibility, check out Piano with Christie Peery. 

These online piano lessons are broken up into 20 lessons per section, and there is usually a video tutorial above each lesson that summarizes the skills you'll be learning. There wasn't a teacher present within the first few lessons that we took, just narration and illustrations. If you want a more interactive experience, we would suggest PianoWithWillie. 

In the first section of lessons you learn about note values and how to combine and read whole notes, half notes and quarter notes. In the second lesson you learn about finger numbering and other notes on the keyboard. The finger numbering should come sooner in the lesson plan, it's the first thing taught by sites such as Playground Sessions. It is a bit counter-intuitive to start playing before you learn about finger placement.

The lessons within this piano software are broken up into two categories – method and technique. The method training is where you find all the lessons for theory, musical notation and learning different songs. The technique section focuses on different playing styles and teaches you how to play by ear as well as improving your sight-reading.

One of the newest features found in Piano Marvel is the Standard Assessment of Sight Reading (SASR). The SASR scores and tracks your ability to sight-read sheet music. Your score is compared with other users and your progress is tracked so you can see your improvement over time. We appreciate that Piano Marvel focuses on multiple facets of learning, including a heavy focus on playing by ear and sight-reading.

Piano Marvel review: Experience 

• Earn trophies to keep motivated 
• Learn well-known songs

The big motivational factor within this software is earning trophies. The lessons are set up like games, and when you play the correct notes they are highlighted in green – wrong notes are highlighted in red. At the end of a lesson your score is calculated into a percentage. An 80% and above gets a bronze trophy, 90 to 95% receives a silver trophy and 96% and above will earn you a gold trophy. Earning trophies is the student's motivation and encouragement. There's also a practice streak tracker, to keep you practising every day. 

As you make your way through the lessons, you will learn classic songs like "Hot Cross Buns" and "Old McDonald." You can also go to the song tab to learn other beginner songs, but there really aren't any popular (top 40) songs within the beginner realm. 

There are a wide variety of songs within the music library that you can download for free. Most of the free songs are classical songs that include video tutorials and sheet music. You can purchase popular songs for a small price. The songs within the library are from all genres including jazz, blues, classical, holiday, popular and rock and roll.

All of the lesson music needed to learn is provided right within the online piano software. If you scroll through the library and can't find a song that you want to learn, you can click on the Make a Request tab at the bottom of the screen. This will take you to the Piano Marvel website where you can request a song via the email forum. Piano Marvel is also connected to Facebook and Twitter so you can share your progress and lesson scores with your social media community.

This software can also be useful for educators. Teachers can keep track of their students' practice times and progress. This can be helpful for educators who are teaching large groups of students at once.

Piano Marvel review: Technical support

• Email forum 
• No live chat 

Piano Marvel offers multiple ways to get ahold of the technical support staff. You can call the company or use the email forum for any questions or concerns. However, there’s no live chat support options. You can also take a look at the FAQs section for solutions to common questions. 

Should you subscribe to Piano Marvel?

Piano Marvel is a powerful piano lesson tool for both students and educators. There are hundreds of lessons that break piano playing down into fun, learnable segments that don't overwhelm students. Our overall experience with the lessons was positive– although self-motivation seems to be a key factor in continuing these lessons, the game-like format keeps you trying and improving to achieve a gold trophy. It's also much less expensive than monthly lessons from a teacher, and you can learn at your own convenience. 

PianoWithWillie is an online piano program developed by Willie Myette, an accomplished pianist who studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. PianoWithWillie provides over 3,500 lessons for studio member students and covers a wide variety of playing styles, an essential for all of the best online piano lessons. The videos teach you at a steady pace and don't overwhelm you with information, but keep you invested in playing.

PianoWithWillie review: Membership

• Expensive but interactive
• Premier members get more

There are two types of memberships that you can purchase – studio and premier memberships. The studio membership is $39 a month with options to pay monthly, quarterly or annually. Annual membership costs $399. This is an expensive service, when Piano Marvel costs just $110.99 annually. 

That being said, PianoWithWillie definitely has a more personal touch which might justify the higher price. When you purchase a studio membership you get unlimited access to over 3,500 lessons, the online user community and downloadable MP3 and MIDI tracks with sheet music. Becoming a premier member has additional benefits. With a premier membership you have access to everything a studio member gets with additional check-ins and teacher feedback as well as monthly live training sessions with Willie via Skype.

PianoWithWillie review: Lessons and features 

• 30-Day Success Playbook
• MIDI-compatible

Great piano lessons feature real-time practice tracking tools so you can see how long you have practiced and track your progress. This requires you to connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer so you can interact with the software. These online piano lessons don't track your practice as well as Playground Sessions does. However, it does let you know how far along you are in a particular lesson – as it displays a percentage of completion before you click on a lesson.

If you become a premium member with PianoWithWillie you can have one-on-one Skype lessons with your instructor, but there doesn't seem to be a place that you can request a song or lesson anywhere on the website. When you purchase a membership, you also gain access to downloadable sheet music as well as jam tracks to accompany your playing.

For novice players, these online piano lessons provide what's called the 30-day Success Playbook. This is a booklet of downloadable content that covers the fundamentals of playing piano. Once you complete the playbook you can move on to other video lessons.

PianoWithWillie review: Experience 

• Not ideal for kids 
• Variety of playing styles covered

We took the first two lessons from the beginning courses. In the first courses, you won't be doing a ton of playing, but PianoWithWillie moves along the content at a good pace, where you don't get bored with the lessons, but you won't get lost in the information either. Is there's not a load of instant gratification, sites such as Flowkey might be better for kids. 

Willie encourages you to practice your lessons. He mentions that every lesson is a building block for the next, so it is important to practice the previous lessons so you can continue to grow as a player. This positive reinforcement is important to stay motivated and continue on with the lessons.

There is something for every style of piano and every skill level within PianoWithWillie's online lessons. These playing styles include jazz, blues, rock, Latin, gospel and funk. You can filter through the lessons by element, level genre, tonality and even key and time signatures, making it easy to find the exact lesson plans you want to learn. If you're looking to focus on classical piano, we recommend Piano with Christie Peery. 

One of the major benefits of taking piano lessons online from Willie is that it covers a wide variety of playing concepts as well. There are lesson plans dedicated to helping you improve your sight reading, song writing and musical theory.

PianoWithWillie review: Technical support  

• FAQ on every page
• Online community support

Members have access to an online community where you can ask questions about lessons and start discussions with the instructors and other students. You can also contact PianoWithWillie by phone or email if you have any questions concerning your lessons. There’s also a handy FAQ bubble at the bottom corner of every page. 

Should you subscribe to PianoWithWillie?

PianoWithWillie provides a structured lesson plan that is well balanced. The lessons are an appropriate length and have a good flow to them. Although there aren't tools to help keep track of your playing, there are lessons for every skill level and many different styles of playing. PianoWithWillie provides something for everyone. 

Artistworks: Piano with Christie Peery is a highly structured approach for you or your child to learn how to play piano. These online piano lessons cover all levels – from novice to highly advanced, so are good for a broad range of users. The way the best online piano lessons work is through teacher and student interactions. Christie Peery does this via online video submissions. When you are done with a lesson or a section of lessons, you can submit videos to Christie Peery for certification and for critique and feedback. This approach gives you the sense of classic, in-person lessons that other piano software we reviewed don't offer.

Piano with Christie Peery review: Membership 

• Membership is staggered - you get more if you pay more
• Expensive but interactive 

When you pay for a subscription to this online piano school, you pay for access to the video tutorials and some downloadable content, but this does not give you all the content that you will need for your online lessons. You will also need to purchase additional booklets of sheet music for the sections within the lessons. This can become pricey, especially when other online piano lessons provide everything you need after you subscribe.

Membership costs up-front will set you back $105 for three months, $179 for six and $279 for a full year. It’s up there in price, but (like PianoWithWillie) this is justified by a more personal and interactive approach. 

Piano with Christie Peery review: Lessons & features 

• Manual monitoring required 
• Classical piano only 

Since all of your piano instruction and critique is through video submissions, these online piano lessons don't keep track of your practice habits for you. You need to do this manually with the practice worksheet. For practice purposes, you will need to provide your own metronome and use an actual keyboard or piano, since there isn't MIDI-compatibility with these piano lessons.

Because the program is not MIDI compatible, you will need a video recorder or webcam and an acoustic piano or 88-key keyboard to complete the lessons. Although this may be a hindrance for some people, others may prefer the one-on-one interaction with a master teacher it provides. Sites such as Flowkey are a lot more straightforward, working on computer and tablet. 

You should also keep in mind that this is a classical online piano course. These teachings come from classical piano pieces, and modern music is not part of the lessons or curriculum.

Piano with Christie Peery review: Experience 

• You won't play straight away 
• Thorough emphasis on technique 

For our review, we went through the first couple of lessons to see the approach of each online lesson plan and the principles each instructor employs. If you start from the introductory fundamentals videos of Christie Peery's lessons, you won't be playing the piano at all. Much of the focus in these first videos is about keeping correct posture at the piano, hand and wrist posture, and creating good practicing habits. 

As a classically trained pianist, it is apparent that Christie Peery's teaching methods are highly structured. You don't strike a note on the piano until all of the fundamentals are correct first. You also never practice without your practice sheet on your piano, which is how you keep track of your practice time and habits. This makes sense to create good habits out of the gate, but it can also make a beginner piano player lose interest quickly by not actually playing the piano immediately. If you want to play right from the beginning, check out Playground Sessions or Piano Marvel. 

The beginner lessons are broken into four sections – fundamentals, muscular, practical and musical. The fundamentals focus on hand position, posture and materials. The muscular focuses on building strong and correct figure muscle memory and habits. The practical lesson focuses on theory and reading sheet music. The music section is when you put it all together to play songs.

When you practice, Christie Peery recommends that you don't set a timer to practice for an allotted amount of time. You practice until you accomplish a certain task or amount of tasks, and you mark it down on your practice sheet. This is another part of her lesson structure: practice is meant to accomplish something on the piano.

In the first muscular video, you learn all the keys on the keyboard from a downloadable worksheet called Bee and The Note Family. By lesson three in the muscular training, you learn how to properly number your fingers and you go through a downloadable worksheet exercise to help you learn your finger numbers. We looked for things, such as finger numbering, note values and keys on the keyboard, as important lessons that you should learn in the first couple of lessons from your piano lessons online. Christie Peery's online piano lessons tackle those key elements within the first few lessons.

Piano with Christie Peery review: Technical support 

• No social media
• Interaction with other students

The Peery online piano lessons do not have social media integration. However, the ArtistWorks website offers a lot of interaction with other students. You can view other students' videos, provide feedback and participate in discussions in the forums. 

Should you subscribe to Piano with Christie Peery?

Some students prefer teacher-to-student interaction when it comes to learning. ArtistWorks: Piano with Christie Peery allows for this interaction but without the need to travel or leave your house. These online lessons are highly structured and have a strict lesson plan with practice regimen to follow. If you want the classic lesson feel, and are willing to pay a little extra than you would for other online teaching, this is the choice for you.

Flowkey is designed to get you through the setup process as easily and quickly as possible so you can begin the piano playing immediately. It is available as an app for your favorite tablet, or as online software for your computer. You can try out the software for free, or purchase a monthly or yearly subscription if you like what you see. The free trial limits the number of songs and lessons you can use, but you have full access to browse the list of songs and lessons available to you if you choose to pay for the service. Because of its ease of use, and the free trial, Flowkey is one of the best online piano lessons apps available right now.

Flowkey review: Membership options

• Mid-priced option
• Free trial 

Flowkey has a price of $19 per month or $120 per year, which is about average for piano software. It’s not the cheapest site we reviewed, but it’s not significantly more expensive than Piano Marvel, our top pick for affordability. There’s also the option for a free trial, giving you the chance to see how you like Flowkey before you pay for a monthly or annual membership. Unless you definitely know you want Flowkey, we suggest using the trial before you buy, largely because it's great for beginners, but not as effective for advanced users, so you can quickly find out if it's the right level for you.

Flowkey review: Lessons and features

• Start at a place which works for you 
• Easy-use interface

You start the Flowkey setup process by answering a couple questions about whether you’ve played piano before and if you have access to a piano. After you answer those questions, the software is set up and you will be ready to start learning.

If you have an acoustic piano, this software uses the built-in microphone of your computer or tablet to listen to your playing and track your progress. In fact, this is the only software we tested that allows you to play an acoustic piano and have the software track your progress via the built-in microphone in your computer. Like Playground Sessions, the lessons are also MIDI-compatible, so you can use a MIDI keyboard to play along with the lessons and the software can track the input. We found that when we used a MIDI keyboard, the program tracked progress more efficiently than the microphone, but both input options worked well.

The user interface looks the same whether you're using a tablet or computer. It is easy to navigate and is made up of four sections: browse, search, my songs and courses. This is probably the easiest software to navigate on our list because there aren’t any confusing menus to navigate. All the section tabs are located on the main start-up page.

Flowkey review: Experience 

• Better for beginners 
• Learn a variety of songs 

When you begin the piano lessons, you can decide, based on your skill level, where to start. Flowkey keeps track of your progress through the lessons, so you can jump back and forth through the song list and lessons, and you won’t lose track of where you left off in a lesson or song. The lessons start with basic concepts like posture and hand position. Once you are in the proper playing position, you can transition into playing easy songs for the right hand, and then easy songs for the left hand. Flowkey will then move you into lessons that teach you to use both hands to make chords.

At the intermediate level, you begin by learning songs with four chords, as well as major chords, minor chords and accompaniment patterns. The advanced level lessons include helpful tips on improvisation, freestyle chord-playing and playing patterns with 7th and add9 chords. But, this might not be the best software option if you are an intermediate or advanced player looking for music theory lessons. There are only 11 lessons that pertain to reading sheet music, and the most advanced lesson culminates by having you sight read a fairly easy song, using both hands

Flowkey’s list of songs is well thought-out and includes choices from pop, classical, film and TV, Christmas, and video game music genres. Plus, you can search within those genres based on your skill level. If you're just interested in classical music, check out Piano with Christie Peery. Once you’ve chosen a song to learn, Flowkey has helpful learning modes to guide you on your way to learning an entire song. Slow mode will slow the song to 50% of the original tempo, and fast mode will play the song at 25% of the original tempo. You can also choose to focus on just the right hand or left hand parts, which is especially helpful if one hand is having a hard time keeping up with the other. Section looping allows you to concentrate on one portion of the song and practice it repeatedly until you feel comfortable.

Flowkey review: Technical support

• Chat box for easy assistance
• FAQ page 

You can contact Flowkey via email and it has a social media presence too. There’s also a chat box where you can easily start a conversation with someone from Flowkey’s customer service team. You could find yourself waiting a day to hear from them though, which is hardly a live chat option. There’s the option to search Flowkey’s FAQ page, which means you can get instant answers for some of the more common questions Flowkey faces. Overall, the customer service experience is a bare-bones, but will be good enough for most users.

Should you subscribe to Flowkey? 

Flowkey is a good online piano course, especially if you are interested in learning specific songs. It is easy to set up and navigate the user interface, which leaves more time for learning how to play your favorite song from the nicely fashioned list. However, if you are an intermediate to advanced player looking for help with sight reading or music theory, you may want to consider a different piano lesson software such as PianoWithWillie, our top pick for adults and advanced players.

Sonos has announced that it will stop updating the software of some of its oldest products in May, effectively meaning that they will no longer gain new features and security patches. Sonos has claimed that 92% of the products it has shipped are still in use today, which is an impressive statistic and a testament to the durability of these speakers and audio systems - Sonos does make some of the best smart speakers on the market. However, technology has advanced in ways which has stretched Sonos' oldest products "to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power."

Much of the technology which will stop receiving updates was launched well over ten years ago, before the iPhone, Spotify and most smart home technology was released. These products weren't designed to work with a lot of the newer technology on the market, from voice assistants to new streaming services.

Luckily for those affected, Sonos is making it easier to trade-in these products and will give you a 30% discount when you upgrade to a newer model. 

What Sonos devices are affected?

This update will only concern the 'legacy kit' products, all of which were discontinued at least five years ago. The models in question are as follows:

• Sonos Bridge
• Sonos Connect
• Sonos Connect:Amp
• Sonos CR200 wireless remote
• Sonos Play:5 (Gen 1)
• Sonos Zone Players (ZP90, ZP100, ZP120, etc)

What are your options? 

In the fast-paced world of technology, it's not uncommon to have to phase out old hardware to make room for advancements. We saw it recently with the death of Windows 7 and its subsequent free upgrade to Windows 10. All companies can do is help make this transition as easy and cheap as possible.

There's two things to do if your Sonos product is affected:

Firstly, you can continue to use it, knowing that without software updates it will become less and less capable of pairing with developing technologies and software. 

This might not be a problem for you if you don't use more modern streaming services. After all, these products are only out-of-date if your 'interconnected ecosystem' is still being regularly updated. 

Secondly, Sonos is giving you 30% credit for each legacy product you replace. Sonos's trade up program will recycle your old products and erase any personal information they once held to eliminate the environmental and security ramifications of this option. 

This announcement may leave you looking for the best wireless speakers or sound bars, but the offer of a 30% discount makes this transition a bit sweeter. This option gives you the change to get the shiny new Sonos Move speaker. 

After Blue Monday, the last thing you need getting you down is more disheartening headlines. Today in wholesome news, over half of Americans say "please" to their smart speaker, with 19% doing this frequently. This comes from a survey by Pew Research Centre amid the increasing integration of artificially intelligent virtual assistants into our homes. Pew also found that women are 8% more likely to be well-mannered toward their smart home devices than men. 

These findings may reflect efforts in households to teach children good manners. Smart Home helpers such as the Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa have been programmed to reward good manners in recent years. This is amid concerns that children who are rude or ungrateful to their virtual assistants could become ill-mannered to actual assistants, teachers or service workers. 

Pew's survey also found that one-quarter of Americans have a smart speaker at home. Combined that the findings that one-in-five Americans has a smart watch or fitness tracker, it seems that we're increasingly turning to smart technology to make our lives easier. If you're looking to make the most of this technology but have yet to make the plunge, we've reviewed the best smart speakers on the market to help you make your choice.

Amid these other findings, Pew discovered that over half of owners are concerned about the amount of data collected by these devices. If this is you, we suggest checking out some of the best VPN services to help you feel secure. 

It certainly seems like two children in Michigan will be having a very merry Christmas this year after Santa dropped off everything they wanted - and it was no coincidence. 

Veronica Estell was shocked, to say the least, when UPS left at least $400 worth of toys at her doorstep. She was met with piles and piles of boxes, without having an inkling as to what was inside of them. 

 The mom thought that the gifts had been sent over by a generous, and possibly over-zealous relative. After all, she does have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old at home.  But that's when were kids confessed to their crime: they were the ones who ordered themselves the gifts. How? Through Amazon's Alexa. 

By simply to the smart home assistant, the kids ordered themselves toys galore, including a Barbie Dreamhouse, dolls and PJ Masks figurines. 

Obviously, Veronica was none too pleased, but still has a lot to be thankful for this season. Amazon has agreed to refund her money, and she doesn't even have to return the toys! Now that's what we call a win-win. 

How to kid-proof your Amazon smart home device

Incidents like this one are actually shockingly common. While it might be a good idea year-round, it's especially crucial around the holiday season to either turn off or set a code to Voice Purchasing. 

To disable the feature, quite simply click the menu and select "Settings." Then, click on "Alexa Account," and then toggle "Purchase by Voice" off.

Alternatively you can also select a 4-digit code on the same page. 

Following the incident, Amazon strongly encourages users to enable Amazon mobile notifications, so they will be alerted to a purchase and can review the totals from their phone. 

Alexa can help you out this holiday season

Sure, Alexa can make packages and gifts arrive to your home as if by magic, but do you know what else she can do? Change the subject. 

Avoid holiday arguments with friends, family, and extended family by enabling this handy feature. When prompted, Alexa will ask a random questions that's sure to stop the bickering. 

Alexa is certainly something to be thankful for this holiday season. 

If you're looking to build a new PC, or modify one of the best home computers, then you will eventually come to consider the sound capabilities of your machine. The big question here becomes: sound card vs onboard audio. Do you need a dedicated card for sound, or are you fine to just run audio through your computer's motherboard? Sound cards aren't a big deal like they were in the 90s and early 00s PC scene, and they're now viewed as non-essential kit, unless you're using your computer primarily for audio manipulation or serious gaming.

The reality is that unless you are an extreme gamer, or are looking to get into the world of hardcore audio editing, sound cards are not going to be that much of an improvement over the audio from your motherboard. However, there are certain pros and cons to consider before you dismiss sound cards completely. Here they are.

What different types of PC audio are there?

Audio comes in two different formats: analog and digital. Computers are what we call digital systems, which means that they can only produce or manipulate sound in a digital format. The problem is that, in the real world, all audio is found or created in an analog format. All speakers produce analog signals; digital speakers, the ones we use for computers or home theater systems, are analog speakers that are able to convert the digital signal to the analog format. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is used for this process and is incorporated into many of the speakers we see from day to day. All motherboards have a chip called a codec (coder/decoder) that is able to covert digital signals to analog signals and vice-versa. You can find external DAC devices in some of the best headphones, especially if you look at specialist gaming versions.

Onboard audio - pros and cons

All motherboards on the market come with embedded sound cards, or onboard audio. The problem is that since motherboards need to be small enough to fit into your tower, they have limited space for the sound card. As such, onboard audio is not able to produce the same quality of audio as a dedicated sound card. Many of the features needed to produce clear, crisp sound simply can't be added to onboard sound cards.

One major advantage of using onboard audio is obviously the cost. Not only do you save money on the sound card, but you also save a lot of money on new speakers or an expensive headset. You will still be able to listen to the same music or play the same games as someone with a dedicated sound card, but you won't quite have the same level of sound quality.

If you own one of the best laptops, you won't have the option to add a sound card, so if you're looking to improve audio, we recommend a headset with an external DAC, like the Steelseries Arctis Pro.

Dedicated sound cards - pros and cons

Dedicated sound cards have a number of improved or added features, which in turn produce better sound quality all around. Features like higher signal-to-noise ratios, lower harmonic distortion, 24-bit sample rates, 192-kHz resolutions and of course additional APIs. These additional features are what truly make a dedicated sound card worth the time and money it costs to install them and set them up to work properly. One thing to keep in mind is that you will need a good set of speakers or a nice headset to truly hear the difference. The main downside? Most will never really need that extra audio fidelity.

Sound cards are not for everyone. Not only do you need to buy the sound card itself, but you also need additional equipment to get the most out of your new piece of hardware. However, there are a variety of price ranges and types of sound cards, which makes it easy to start simple and upgrade once you have a better understanding of how sound cards work. If you do decide to choose a sound card, the one you should consider is the Sound Blaster Z, which is an absolute monster available for a reasonable price.

Pianoforall is a step-by-step program providing the user with a solid foundation of chords and rhythms while progressing to playing by ear and sight reading. The method uses a combination of keyboard diagrams and musical notation, with media clips to emphasize each point. As you progress, the musical staff is shown for you to see what you have actually been playing. You will be amazed at how difficult it looks printed on paper! 

One of the big strengths here is that you'll jump straight into a number of modern, popular music styles, so it's great for anyone who maybe sees the piano as a stuffy instrument reserved for classical music.  It also throws you straight in at the deep-end, meaning you play along with popular tracks right away, instead of simple 'learning tunes', which makes it feel more fun to start with. While we like Pianoforall, and do agree that it's fun for beginners, it doesn't currently rank among our best online piano lessons. Our top pick for this is Playground Sessions. Here is our full review of Pianoforall.

Diagrams and musical staff layouts are in an easily decipherable format, helping you better visualize and understand notation. After you have learned to play songs using chords and improvisation, Shapes and Patterns are taught in note reading. Emphasis is placed on giving you the tools to learn each concept thoroughly before moving to the next step, ensuring a higher success rate than many of the lower rated Learn Piano Online Review programs we reviewed. This program offers a complex and detailed set of nine eBooks, plus over 200 video clips offered via different mediums.

One of the highlights of the Pianoforall method is the Speed Learning Book offering practical advice on how to stay focused and progress rapidly, a must for anyone learning piano online without personal supervision. Sight reading is inherent if you follow this course because you gain an excellent understanding of how to analyze a piece. You will learn to see music as simple mathematical equations that, once mastered, are easy to build into the more difficult concepts. 

The eBooks are some of the most technical and extensive products available online with writing that is clear and concise, but the video and audio quality are lacking compared to some of the other products reviewed. There are no additional online features to contact others working through this program either, which is a bit of an issue. Some providers offer 1-1 tuition or virtual feedback, but you're on your own with Pianoforall.

More Piano Software reviews
Playground Sessions review | Piano Marvel review | Flowkey review | PianoWithWillie review | Piano with Christie Peery review

You can either download the program from the website or have the software mailed to your home. The files are in PDF form so you can print out individual pages as needed or view from a computer. The audio and video clips are embedded next to the written examples making them instantly accessible. Because of the enormous size of the program, consider carefully what pages you print unless money for ink and paper is not an issue. One drawback is that complete music pieces are not used in the eBooks, but most are available on free music sites referenced in each chapter.  Periodic updates are emailed to purchasers that include the latest in buying a piano or MIDI keyboard, internet music sites, music book reviews, and more.

Many novices and advanced players alike want to learn contemporary music from popular artists, but few programs take you from the transition of learning chord fundamentals to actual examples of how to accomplish this task. Pianoforall does just that. One of the product’s strengths is teaching all musical genres, including classical music, which is left out in many of the chord method or ear playing programs available. The intricate and detailed examples are portrayed in written, audio, and video form making it easy to use and understand. If you want to learn to improvise and transpose while learning various styles of music plus understand the notation and theory behind it, this is your program!

Nook is the audiobook arm of Barnes and Noble, and it acts as a storefront for buying and downloading. There's no subscription fee to access all the titles - you just pay for what you want. While it's still a major player in audiobooks, Nook has lost ground to the membership services like Audible, and to on-device stores, like Apple Books and Google Play Books. As such, it has dropped from our list of the best audiobook services, even though it's a perfectly fine platform.

As we searched the site for the most popular books of 2019, we found that the average price for an audio book was cheaper than at of Apple Books, but slightly more than on Google Play Books – although Nook Audiobooks doesn’t carry nearly as many titles as the Apple or Google stores. We also discovered that if you buy at least one audio book a month, enrolling in membership at sites like Audiobooks.com or Audible saves you quite a lot of money per month.

The Nook Audiobooks’ app experience isn't as smooth as rivals either. The free app is available on both the App Store and Google Play store, and it houses your audio book library, but it’s not nearly as customizable as the ones from most of the membership services. The app is missing essential tools like variable playback speed, a feature that lets you control the narrator’s reading pace. It also doesn’t have a sleep timer in case you fall asleep while reading, so you may have to navigate back quite a way when you start listening again. You can jump from chapter to chapter in the app, but you can’t customize the skip-back feature’s time increment, something the best apps let you do.

The app has a slider you can drag to find your place in the book, which makes navigating somewhat easier. You can also shop in the Nook Audiobooks app so you don’t have to wait to pick another book after you finish one – this makes finding your next audio book easy.

Like the app, Nook Audiobooks’ website isn’t as versatile as some of the subscription services’ sites. You can sign in to your account and listen to your audio book on the web, but it doesn’t leave a bookmark so you can pick up where you left off on another device. If you want to listen on a smartphone or tablet after doing so on your home computer, you have to search for your place in the book again.

Nook Audiobooks doesn’t have direct customer support options over the phone or live chat. The FAQs page is very bare. There is an email contact form, but it’s only for if you run into trouble. When you search for more help, you’re eventually linked back to Barnes and Noble’s online store. You can search for customer support there, but the site should have direct support for its digital downloads store like many of the other sites we researched do.

Getting the best deal on an audiobook service depends on your listening habits. If you only listen to one book every three months or so, you might want to stick with Nook Audiobooks’ online shop, or just buy from Apple Books or Google Play Books. On the other hand, if you plan to listen to at least one book a month, you should check out membership plans.

Editor's Note: This review has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it no longer ranks as a top 10 product. The original review is below, but check out our current top 10 about Audio Converter Software here.

FXBear Audio Converter looks almost exactly like Audio Commander, which made into our top five in the audio converter software review. Unfortunately, FXBear isn’t completely similar to Audio Commander; in fact, it’s got fewer compatible formats, fewer features and worse tech support.

FXBear will convert the most common types of audio files, like MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG and even AAC. It converts 13 types of audio files in all, and we found during testing that the program often had problems with WAV files, which is troublesome because WAV is so common.

FXBear won’t be able to get audio from a CD or a video file. And besides an email support function, you won’t be able to get much information or help with FXBear either.

FXBear is serviceable, but not worth it when so many other programs do it better.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

NoteWorthy Composer is an affordable music notation software program that has all the features an average user will need to notate music. For the price, just about anyone can dabble in music composition. However, we would have liked to see additional features like guitar tabulation and automatic note placement.

This program is relatively easy for both novices and experts to use. The integrated virtual piano that appears at the bottom of the main screen makes it easy for anybody to start creating music as soon as the program is opened. You can enter notes using the mouse by pointing and clicking on the appropriate line. You can also use the computer keyboard to enter notes.

This program lets you enter an infinite number of notes in a measure, which can make for some interesting-sounding songs. Most notation software prevents you from entering notes that exceed a measure’s time signature. To some, especially experts, this can be a beneficial feature enabling them to break or bend the rules in the name of art and creativity. But this could be a hindrance to inexperienced composers, and some might find it annoying. There are many keyboard shortcuts associated with most of the features. We found experimenting with the notes and instruments to be entertaining and easy.

This program has an import wizard that helps you import MIDI files. The wizard helps you specify settings, such as chord size and note durations, before the file is imported. NoteWorthy only allows you to import and export MIDI files. You can print copies of the songs you create to start a collection of sheet music though, if you would like.

This program is solely for the purpose of sheet music notation. It doesn't let you import or export WAV files to make a complete studio recording. It also does not have the ability to notate percussion or guitar tablature like the best music notation software that we’ve reviewed.

The software offers keyboard shortcuts and symbol palettes to access the editing features. It is one of the cheaper products on the market; however, for a few extra bucks we would like to see additional features like a mixer and piano roll editor. These features are fairly common in other programs we tested and can be very useful.

NoteWorthy includes a built-in help manual, a FAQs section on the manufacturer’s website and an active member community. The developer also offers an email address you can use to send questions.

We found that NoteWorthy Composer takes some getting used to, and beginners unfamiliar with this type of software may have some difficulty finding the location of all the features and their corresponding shortcuts. However, the interface is nonthreatening and fun. For the price, this program is great for amateur songwriters and hobbyists.

There are several reasons you might be wondering how to soundproof a room on a budget. The most common of which is so that you can record live musical instruments and vocals without disturbing anyone in your home or your neighbors. And it works the other way too, as a properly soundproofed room stops outside noise from bleeding in during recording. 

Other people may choose to opt for a fully soundproofed room so that they can simply listen to the music they love at very loud volumes, as opposed to listening on the best headphones. Others still may think about soundproofing for their home cinema, filling the space with the best TVs and soundbars too. 

Also, when we say 'soundproofing', we mean sound reduction. That's because not even professional soundproofers can guarantee to 100% soundproof a room - vibrations always find their way in. To soundproof a room as much as possible, as you'd find in professional recording studios, you'd have to create 'dead air' so that no sound enters or exist. This can be achieved by hanging suspended ceilings and floating floors, which is very costly and over the top for most peoples' sound reduction needs. 

So, assuming that you aren't looking to build a fully soundproofed professional recording studio, and that you are instead wondering how to soundproof a room on a budget, we have some practical tips for you right here. Let's get started... 

How to soundproof a room on a budget: Items to use

Foam is a common material used to soundproof a room, and you can buy read-made kits containing the correct amount pf foam for the size of the room you're soundproofing. However, these kits can be expensive and aren't as easy to take down or pack away as the items listed below. This is something to keep in mind if the room you want to soundproof is part of a rented property. 

Working out exactly how sound is traveling into your room is vital to blocking it effectively. Common places for sound leaks usually include poorly sealed windows and doors, and thin stud walls.

Some of the more cheaper materials you can use to soundproof a room, and that are easy to take down and pack away if you need to move, include:

• Absorption pads on walls and floors
• Thick acoustic blankets
• Thick carpeting
• Thick rugs scattered around the room
• Heavy, lined drapes on top of blinds

How to soundproof a room on a budget: Top tips

Seal doors and windows
One of the first tips to soundproofing a room is to ensure that doors are properly and totally sealed, as sound can slip through the crevices beneath doorways. Installing a door sweep is relatively cheap and easy to do, and will stop sound from escaping and intruding from underneath the door.

For crevices around light fixtures or windows, acoustic sealant traps sound from escaping. Thick blinds and heavy drapes over the windows also help sound from escaping.

Lay thick carpet or rugs
Flooring is an important factor in sound travel. A hardwood or concrete floor induces sound travel and echo, so having thick carpet on the floor reduces the amount that sound bounces around in a room. Since it can be expensive to carpet an entire room, placing thick rugs on the floor also helps reduce sound travel.

Hang blankets on the walls
There are a handful of ways to prepare the walls in a room to dampen sound. One of the cheapest ways is to hang thick blankets or tapestries along your walls. Acoustic blankets are more specialist and something you'll see more of in recording studios.

If you have a preference about the room's appearance, try to hang aesthetically pleasing quilts or blankets to keep the room from becoming an eyesore. Have an old mattress hanging around? You could could stand it against one of the walls to dampen sound. This works well but it's a very unattractive solution.

Glue egg cartons to the walls
Cardboard egg cartons are a very basic, DIY version of sound-reflecting material, but filling an entire room with egg cartons is both time-consuming and, well, it doesn't work for sound reduction. How come? Due to their peculiar shape, egg boxes reduce sound echo in a room, and therefore lend themselves well to home cinemas. 

Staggered placement of a handful of them at a time, grouped together into small batches, will deflect sound waves off into different directions instead of bouncing back in the same place.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

Diamond Cut 8 costs more than the majority of the audio editors that we reviewed. But this is for good reason. Diamond Cut 8 is loaded with editing tools, effects and audio restoration tools. The audio editing prowess of DC8 cannot be denied.

DC8 is not aesthetically pleasing. It seems that much of the emphasis was focused on making powerful audio editing tools, so the final look of the product didn’t receive as much attention. However, if you can look past the surface, you'll discover the true power of this audio editor.

When you import audio into the audio editor, you get a number of different audio editing tools at your disposal. What sets DC8 apart from many other audio editing programs is its large list of presets found within mostly all of the editing tools. These presets allow you to quickly find a sound or sound parameters that you are looking for without finagling with the tool. The preset lists are large and extensive.

To test the audio restoration ability of each program, we used a noisy audio sample with exaggerated hiss, hum, cracks and pops interlaced with the voice on the audio. We used several of DC8's audio enhancement tools, such as the continuous noise filter, EZ clean filter and EZ enhancer, to remove the unwanted noise from the recording.

We had the most success with the continuous noise filter – specifically the sample noise feature found within the tool. You can select a part of your audio that has hiss, hum or any noise that you want removed. Once you sample the noise, you can run the filter to remove any occurrence of that noise throughout your audio sample. Using this tool we were able to remove most of the unwanted noise throughout the audio sample without compromising the vocals.

As we were running the audio restoration tests, we were pleased with the rendering time of the software. This professional audio editing software program renders quickly so you aren't waiting for your audio edits to be processed. We encountered long wait times with other audio editors we reviewed.

We tested file compatibility and conversion capabilities by importing a handful of different audio extensions into each audio editing program, and tried to export them to different audio formats. We were able to import the majority of audio files including WMA, WAV, MP3, FLAC and AIFF. However, DC8 was unable to import AAC, AU, MP4 and M4A files, file extensions that are mostly associated with Mac audio.

We ran the same type of test to extract audio data from video file formats. DC8 did not fare well compared to the best programs we reviewed, like Adobe Audition and WavePad. This audio editing program was unable to extract the audio from any of the video file formats we tested including M4V, MOV, MP4, MPG, DIVX, DV and WMV video file formats. DC8 does have the ability to extract audio data from certain video file formats, but not from the popular list of file format extensions we used for testing. DC8 also has the ability to extract the audio data from AVI video file formats.

If you are looking for additional information about DC8, the user forums on the Diamond Cut website are useful. They include many tips and tricks to help you master the program. You can contribute to the user forum once you create an account on the DC8 website.

Diamond Cut 8 has many tools to handle a number of audio editing jobs. The continuous noise filter (CNF) is one of the most effective noise removal tools we used within the program. Overall, DC8 came out strong in our audio restoration testing and we would recommend this program for any audio editing job.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been replaced by another product. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

You’ll be on your own if you choose NGWave Audio Editor. With an outdated website and no customer service, this is a good product with no safety net. That may or may not be an issue for you, but it's definitely something to consider.

We are not sure whether this product is even being updated on a regular basis anymore. We sent multiple inquiries to the customer service representatives and received no response. Again, though, NGWave Audio Editor is a good product, poor customer service notwithstanding. It has a very basic design, but it is easy to use and offers some unique tools to help aspiring musicians, such as a built-in metronome and tuner. The tuner works with several instruments and corrects pitch issues in vocal tracks. The application is also compatible with MIDI files.

This application can process edits quickly and has full crash recovery and session saving. It also utilizes a 32-bit unbounded floating-point data format. This helps prevent clipping. This NGWave audio editing software application is compatible with a variety of WAV formats, including AIFF, which is used by Apple products. With a codec, it can also work with MP3 files.

NGWave can record from almost any source, including your sound card or a line in, so it is easy to mix electronic drum and keyboard sounds with live vocals or guitars. The recording levels are fully adjustable from the main screen.

This application has a preview tool that will greatly increase your efficiency. Just like our top-rated audio editing software products, NGWave Audio Editor allows you to preview the changes you make before you apply them to the music file. This allows you to avoid making changes that can be a hassle to undo.

NGWave supports full 24-bit/192kHz signal processing and includes a 10-band graphic equalizer, an audio mixer, a frequency tuner, and unique echo, distortion and reverb effects.
This product does not include burning software. If you want that feature, you will have to install a different application to handle disc burning. You can record audio and insert it into your projects, but the preview quality can be inconsistent.

NGWave is easy to use and navigate. We are disappointed that the tool buttons do not have text titles to facilitate smoother navigation. Despite the lack of text titles, there are images on each button that will help you recognize and access the various tools you are need.

The customer service available on Next Generation Software’s website is all geared to Virtual DJ Studio. We were not able to get any kind of a response from customer service, even though we sent multiple emails. However, there is an extensive and searchable help feature in the application itself.

NGWave Audio Editor includes more advanced editing tools than our lower-rated products and is quick; however, it is only compatible with WAV-type files and requires a separate CD burning application. Also, you are on your own if you need customer support. NGWave will get the job done, but there are better products that can accomplish more with less confusion.

LearnPianoin30Days.com is a 30-day online piano lessons program instructed by singer and songwriter, Rachel James. You can become a member of these piano lessons online by purchasing a monthly subscription on the website. Once you become a member, you will have access to all of the training videos, audio files and printable sheet music that the website has to offer.

The first couple of lessons are an overview of the keyboard and playing practices. These first lesson videos within the 30-day program aren't of the highest video quality compared to other online lessons we reviewed. When the camera switches to show the instructor's hands on the keyboard, the lighting is dim and it becomes hard to see the left side of the keyboard.

The information within the first couple of videos covers many of the key concepts that we feel are important to succeed as a piano player, including numbering of the fingers, learning the musical alphabet and the notes and their corresponding keys. Lessons on theory, such as the staff, notes values and rests, come later on in days four, seven and eight in the lesson plan.

The video piano lessons are short – roughly ten minutes per lesson. This keeps you engaged and doesn't overwhelm you with too much information at once. The lessons are paced really well too. The flow of information keeps you progressing forward and wanting to continue on to the next lesson.

The most important factor is that these online piano lessons cover a wide variety of musical genres and have piano lessons for players of all skill levels. LearnPianoin30days.com also provides printable sheet music for a large library of songs covering all genres from jazz to pop.

Outside of the video tutorials and the printable sheet music, these online piano lessons don't offer many other features. These lessons are not MIDI compatible, so the service doesn’t track your practice time or progress like the best online piano lessons in our lineup.

The website could use some work. We tried to enter the piano forums through the main forum button and we continually got an error message page. You also can't reach support though the support button. The helpdesk button doesn't take you anywhere either. To contact the website, you need to click on the "Contact us" link at the bottom of the webpage. This will take you to the support options, which include a FAQs section and an email forum.

LearnPianoin30Days.com provides a good foundation for beginning users, but also offers advanced lessons for strong piano players. These lessons also provide sheet music for a large variety of songs. We liked the pace of the lessons and the information provided, although the video quality isn't as sharp as other piano lessons we reviewed. However, with some self-motivation, you could benefit from taking piano lessons from LearnPianoin30Days.com.

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If you need an inexpensive, basic Bluetooth headset, the Motorola Boom 2+ is a solid option. It’s a tiny, lightweight device with an IP54-rated coating to protect it against water and dust ingress, so you can make a call in the rain.

Volume

Many of the products we reviewed performed similarly, with few product flaws standing out. One very noticeable thing about the Boom 2+ is that its quieter than any of the other headsets we tested. To test the maximum volume levels, we played very loud audio clips through each headset and measured the decibel reading right up against the speaker. The Boom 2+ put out 68 decibels, while others could crank out up to 101 decibels. The World Health Organization recommends listening to music at no more than 85 decibels for extended periods of time. But the Boom’s measly 68 decibels output doesn’t live up to the device’s name. The Boom 2+ works well if you’re using your headset primarily in moderately quiet environments such as in an office or your car. If you need something with a little more oomph, we recommend the Jabra Stealth.

Call Performance

Aside from being quiet, the Boom 2+ has average audio and voice quality. It isn’t the best, but it works fine. The mic tends to pick up some ambient noise during calls in loud environments, but that’s also true of several other headsets we tested. One area where the Boom 2+ outperforms is battery life, as it has nine hours of talk time or eight days on standby. The only device we tested with longer talk time is the Sennheiser Presence, which is more expensive than the Boom 2+.

Design

The Motorola Bluetooth headset weighs in at nine grams. This isn’t the lightest headset we reviewed, but it is very small. It features a volume rocker and one call button directly over the speaker. These are easy to find and use while you’re wearing the headset. The Boom 2+ has a flappable mic that works as an on/off switch for the device and is a useful visual cue to remind you to shut it off when you’re not wearing it.

The Boom 2+ comes with two different ear gels styles, but they are relatively the same size. It also comes with an omni-directional ear hook for added security on either ear. Unlike some other products we tested, the Boom doesn’t come with a charging case, wall adapter or car charger, though it does include a USB to microUSB cable.

The Motorola Boom 2+ isn’t the best Bluetooth headset on the market, but its inexpensive cost, various wearing styles and simple functionality make it a great value if you’re looking for a basic Bluetooth headset.

The Jabra Motion is an around-the-ear-style Bluetooth headset. This style was hit or miss for our testers, some of whom didn’t mind the bulkier headset while others strongly preferred smaller products. At 18 grams, the Motion is the second heaviest product we tested, and it looks massive compared to most of its svelte competitors. Still, it’s more comfortable to wear than the Plantronics Voyager 5200, the other around-the-ear headset in our lineup. You can adjust the height of the earpiece, rotate the ear hook and swap between three sizes of ear cushions to customize your wearing experience.

Besides fit, many other things about the Motion were disappointing. The Jabra Motion gets its name from its internal motion sensor, which enables the Motion to answer calls by picking up the headset or take a power nap to conserve battery when you’re not wearing it. Unfortunately, these features worked inconsistently, particularly the answering feature, which didn’t work at all during our tests. Answering calls without the motion sensor is easy, you can pick up via the call button or voice command.

The most problematic issue with the Jabra Motion is that it sometimes fails to register when the paired phone receives a call. In several different instances during testing, we called the paired phone and received no indication that there was an incoming call. We checked to make sure the devices were paired correctly, played with settings and consulted the manual, but didn’t figure out the solution.

When the Motion did work, it worked well. Its audio quality was good, similar to the Plantronics Voyager 5200. It has a flip-down boom mic that also serves as the device’s on/off switch. The dual mic helps cancel out background noise, and there’s a small voice and mute button on the underside of the mic arm.

The headset features a call button over the speaker and a volume panel that runs across the back of the body. We found the call button placement inconvenient, as you can accidentally end calls while adjusting the earpiece. We did like that there is a dedicated volume control on the device, but we found the touch-sensitive panel a little odd. In addition to the volume control panel, the Motion has an automatic volume control that adjusts speaker volume depending on how fast you’re walking and the surrounding noise. You can also switch audio profiles in the Jabra Connect app.

Overall, the Jabra Motion is a decent headset, but we had more issues with it than any other product we tested. Its premium feature set offers much more than basic hands-free functionality, but we’re hesitant to recommend it, based on our experience.