Audio manufacturers continue to squeeze out as much technology into the smallest form factor possible not only compromising on sound actually managing to push boundaries further to deliver the best audio experience possible.

Headphones might deliver superior audio quality but lets be honest, they’re a pain in the arse when it comes to portability and more and more users are choosing to opt for a more subtle option.

From Active noise cancelling (ANC) to 3D audio, it may be difficult to find the best options for you especially if you’re on a budget, so we’ve singled out a few of our favourites right now to help you make your decision.

Sony WF-1000XM4

£189

Regarded as the industries go-to in-ear earbud due Sony’s track record in the noise cancelling space.

• Industry-leading noise cancelling thanks to an integrated V1 HD processor, a powerful new driver unit, and innovative noise-cancelling eartips with a more stable fit.
• High-quality sound and wireless listening pleasure with DSEE Extreme and LDAC

Buy Now

JBL Live Pro 2 TWS Noise Cancelling.

£130

Simple setup, incredible immersive sound with very good noise cancellation functionality packed into a sub £150 price point.

They also come in 4 very cool colours.

Buy Now

Oppo Enco Free 2 – Noise Cancelling

£89

For a sub £100 price point, the Enco Free 2 from Oppo are definitely worthy of a mention.

They are very comfortable and the performance of the ANC took us by surprise.

One to consider for those wanting a bargain!

Buy Now

Google Pixel Buds Pro

£179

Google’s latest buds deliver premium sound coupled with premium design.

The Buds come in a choice of 6 colourways but it’s the ability to switch between devices automatically that really drew us in for this addition.

• Premium Active Noise Cancellation adapts to you. Active Noise Cancellation uses Silent Seal to adapt to your ear and block outside sounds. It creates a quiet foundation so your music can shine.
• Small buds. Big sound. With custom 11 mm speaker drivers and Volume EQ, your premium wireless earbuds sound amazing at any volume.

Buy Now

Carmen Adkins

The post Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds 2022 appeared first on CRISP..

For our regular readers, you’ll know about our love affair with audio brand Sonos since its inception in 2002 by changing the way we listen to music domestically in our homes.

Their design, functionality and intuitive UI and UX within the Sonos app make all of their product line sync together and work in glorious acoustic harmony.

You see, the beauty about Sonos today vs yesterday is that there is now a Sonos for everyone. Big, small, cheap, expensive, speaker, soundbar. The product line has evolved so much since the OG Play:5 its as though Sonos have tried to fill every gap in their portfolio to cater to how people listen to music.

When we reviewed the Sonos Move back in 2019 it quickly became one of our favourite tech products of all time, and it still is. It was the best all-around speaker Sonos had created without compromising design or quality.

Whilst it is very portable, it’s perhaps not everyday portable, and here we have it…another gap in the portfolio that Sonos is missing. Perhaps the only two remaining SKU’s from the product line would be headphones (which we know are rumoured) and a truly ultra-portable speaker.

It’s the only thing Sonos haven’t created. Until now. Enter Sonos Roam.

In the Box

I’m not sure how we were expecting the Sonos to be packaged, perhaps we were so used to the older boxes Sonos comes packaged in that this one kind of came as surprise.

The Roam comes in a no-nonsense small brown box that actually suits the speaker itself. It’s not here to be all up in your face or create a statement, it’s here for a purpose.

In homage to all Sonos products, however, when you do open the Roam is still wrapped up nicely in the classic white Sonos slip sleeve.

The only other two parts to the packaging are a quick start guide and a USB C charger. All you really need to plug and play.

Design

Let’s get straight to the point here. We love the design of the Sonos Roam.

Small in stature at around 17cm in height, it really is a truly portable speaker in comparison to its older cousin the Sonos Move.

Everything about the design of the move is mirrored to how it might be used. Passed around a lot and probably within a group setting.

Its triangular Toblerone type design is very ergonomic and feels really comfortable in the hand. At 430g it doesn’t feel cheap and light either, quite the opposite in fact that you do worry about dropping it but it borrows anything from the Sonos Move it’s that this speaker can probably take a beating.

The Roam is also IP67 rating meaning it’s splash and dustproof basically making it ideal for the outdoors.

On the top of the speaker, you’d find all of your usual buttons found on recent Sonos speakers. Play/Pause, Volume Up/Down and Mic button to control any voice activation you may have set up. Unlike the more expensive house speakers, however, these buttons are not touch-sensitive but rather physical buttons that sit underneath a rubber seal.

Another part of the design we really like is the fact that Sonos has put rubber feet on the back of the speaker allowing you to position it both vertically or horizontally depending on where you’re using it.

Features and Setup

Just like all Sonos speakers, set up was an absolute breeze if you’re already a Sonos customer with an existing Sonos system.

Simply open up your Sonos app, add a new device and the app should find your speaker automatically. From there, it’s an absolute doddle and your speaker should be set up in around 2 mins. You may need to wait for a software update before you can start using it the first time around but this was also pretty quick.

After everything is set up you’ll that glorious Sonos Chime which means you’re good to go.

If you’re new to the app you follow the same directions except you’d just need to create a new Sonos account/system. Given that the Roam is part Wifi speaker, you can buy a pair of Roams to offer Stereo sound (Left and Right) and work together as a pair.

Just like the Sonos Move, the Roam actually doubles up as a Bluetooth speaker too. This along with its IP67 rating and drop-proof build make it one of the most complete portable speakers out there on the market today.

Apple users can rejoice too as it’s compatible with Airplay 2, meaning you can send your music from any of your Apple devices directly to your Sonos and you can even ask Siri to help with commands.

It seems that Sonos has taken no attempt at shortchanging their loyal fanbase either as the Roam also features Trueplay which is a trademark Sonos innovation whereby the speaker actually listens to its surroundings and automatically balances your music to give you the best listening experience, this was a feature we loved from the Sonos Move.

Sound

We mentioned earlier that this speaker is tiny in comparison to its cousins in the range but also it wasn’t light or cheap feeling.

Underneath the mesh good of the Roam, 2 Class-H digital amps are carefully tuned to the drivers, one tweeter and one mid-woofer. For something so small in size this speaker is packing a lot

In short, this thing can kick but somehow manages to sound extremely balanced at both the high and low end without any sound distortion at all.

You’re not going to get heavy bass undertones but we wouldn’t expect that from a speaker this size anyway as it would only compensate for something else.

We actually couldn’t believe how loud this speaker got from such a tiny unit. After listening in a group setting we never actually put it any louder than 50% and even then that was probably a little too loud if anything.

Price and Verdict

At £159 this might be the best portable speaker you can buy right now. Even if this was solely a Bluetooth speaker on its own we’d be jumping all over this.

It’s IP67 rating, incredible build, and incredibly balanced sound make this an absolute winner in our eyes.

The fact this the Roam has successfully managed to plug a gap in the market Sonos was missing makes this a valuable puzzle piece in the jigsaw that is domestic audio for Sonos.

While the Sonos Move was awesome in its portability, you could have only moved it inside your house, around the garden etc but the Roam has essentially extended that range.

It’s small enough to fit in a handbag but loud enough to set a scene and entertain, making this speaker ideal for the house, hotels rooms, swimming pools, parks or just travelling on the move in general.

The list goes on and on but we will certainly be getting a lot of use out of this little wonder of a speaker.

Specs

• Two class-H amplifiers
• One tweeter
• One custom racetrack mid-woofer
• Adjustable EQ settings include bass, treble, and loudness.
• Automatic Trueplay™
• IP67 (water and dust resistance)
• HxWxD (168x62x60)

SONOS Roam Portable Wireless Multi-room Speaker with Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa - Shadow Black, Black

£179.00  out of stock

BUY NOW

Currys.co.uk

as of April 12, 2026 5:32 pm

Max Boker

The post CRISP. Tech : Sonos Roam Review appeared first on CRISP..

1) How did you manage to bring the technology found in the Move to something so small with Roam? Are there any compromises vs. that earlier device?

Each speaker we create serves a different purpose and will fit different customers’ needs.

We built Roam to give customers a way to bring the Sonos experience with them wherever they go. It’s our smartest, most versatile, and affordable speaker to date, providing the opportunity for new customers to get started with Sonos, and is a perfect addition for existing customers looking to expand their system.

Roam is a carefully designed acoustic architecture that delivers rich, detailed sound with the clarity, depth, and fullness you’d expect from a larger speaker. Like Move, automatic Trueplay is available as well as Bluetooth capability and Wi-Fi.

We’ve developed a range of new technologies on Roam which we have submitted patent applications for filings covering Sound Swap, and experiences involving the simultaneous connection to WiFi and Bluetooth, and the ability to listen to a Bluetooth audio stream on other Sonos speakers throughout the home.

And like all Sonos products, Roam was tuned by industry leaders across music and film to ensure the speaker reproduces content exactly how the creator intended.

2) How big a part does customer feedback play in the product development cycle?

We’re always looking to our customers for insights on how they live and interact with Sonos products, it helps inform our thoughts on what new products or capabilities need to do.

Roam is a great example of meeting those expectations by delivering on the promise of what it means to be a fully fledged Sonos speaker that is truly ultraportable, whilst providing a magical experience at home, and on the go.

For existing Sonos owners, Roam adds flexibility and versatility with an essential form factor, with many new features like Sound Swap and Bluetooth.

3) What has creating this product in such unique circumstances been like? Have there been new processes or pipelines for iteration of a product where the form is so important?

Luckily, we started to work on Roam whilst we were still together in the offices.

We were able to trial out many different forms and weights, as well as many hand sizes as possible.

This informed our decision to pursue the triangular form and smaller size which is less than one pound, so Roam could be both beautiful, highly versatile (with two useful orientations, vertical when home and horizontal when on rough, uneven surfaces), and still be light and easy for anyone to take out with them.

When working from home became the new normal, Roam was in its later stages of development, but we still needed many eyes and ears on the product.

It was a challenge, but we had to make way more prototypes than ever before and shipping them to our team’s homes became essential. The end result shows how the team overcame those obstacles with greatness.

4) Is there any detail on why Roam isn’t able to be configured as surround speakers?

Both Roam and Move were designed to be portable speakers you can easily carry around your home, take outside or on the go – away from where your home theater set-up might be, which is typically stationary.

So in that scenario, stationary speakers, such as the One SL’s, Sonos One or the SYMFONISK range would be better options for home theater rears.

Roam doesn’t pair with Subs or Home Theater configurations. But you can of course group it with other players on the Sonos system, including your home theater configuration. 

And like all Sonos products, Roam was tuned by industry leaders across music and film to ensure the speaker reproduces content exactly how the creator intended.

5) Will ‘Sound Swap’ functionality be added to other Sonos devices via software update?

Unfortunately, we don’t share details on our future roadmap. But what I can tell you about Sound Swap is that it’s an all-new feature exclusive to Roam that makes it easy to move music from room-to-room and is particularly magical when taking advantage of the ultra-portability of Roam.

All you need to do is hold the play/pause button on Roam to move the music to the nearest speaker on your system. Roam does this by prompting the speakers in your system to emit an ultrasonic sound; Roam then detects the nearest player using its onboard microphones and moves the music in a matter of seconds.

6) Are you hoping the price point will enable Sonos to become available to more consumers, or as a compliment for those already in the ecosystem?

Roam is both a fantastic introduction and extension of Sonos. For new customers, it’s a taste of what it means to have a Sonos speaker: great sound, premium (and durable!) design, easy to use, all with the power of the Sonos system.

For existing Sonos owners, Roam adds flexibility and versatility with an essential form factor and with many new features like Sound Swap and Bluetooth and Wifi concurrency.

7) Where’s the first place you’re hoping to take your Roam once lockdown is over?!

How do you choose? I mean where aren’t I looking forward to going?! Roam is already making my solo spring bike rides so much more delightful. I can’t wait for all the fun we will have!

Carmen Adkins

The post CRISP. Talks: Sara Morris, Principal Product Manager On The Ultra-Portable Sonos Roam appeared first on CRISP..

The Sonos Roam delivers a diminutive connected speaker that packs a punch, both in sound quality and features.

Roam enables you to take the best of Sonos – best-in-class audio and connectivity to more than 100 streaming services – anywhere.

Weighing 430g and offering 10 hours of playback from a single charge, Roam seems geared to be a perfect portable companion.

Clever switching between wi-fi at home to Bluetooth 5.0 when mobile means that the Roam doesn’t miss a beat, and ‘Sound Swap’ enables it to seamlessly integrate into your Sonos ecosystem, making itself an addition to an existing speaker setup at the press of a button.

An eye-catching triangular matte design evokes premium stylings of other Sonos devices, also offering IP67 rated protection from bumps, splashes and scrapes.

Equally eye-catching is the price – just £159 for the Roam makes it by far the cheapest Sonos speaker to date.

“We built Roam to give customers a way to bring the Sonos experience with them wherever they go,” said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “It’s not only our smartest and most versatile speaker, it’s also our most affordable.

Roam provides the opportunity for millions of new customers to get started with Sonos, and is the right product at the right time as we begin to gather again with friends and family.”

With a focus on simplicity, streaming smarts and a sharp price point, Roam seems a keen move into the competitive portable speaker market…all that remains is to judge the aural experience.

Available in Shadow Black and Lunar White, we can all get our ears on it from April 20th at Sonos’ site and participating retailers, and on pre-order from today.

Max Boker

The post Sonos Roam Speaker Announced, Seamless Streaming On The Go appeared first on CRISP..

After nearly 8 years of staring at the same television, 2020’s need for in-home entertainment has consistently encouraged me to upgrade.

Eventually I did and went for a nice new 4K Smart TV. Immediately I was pleased with this decision.

It wasn’t until after I had given myself a moment to bask in the glory of true picture quality that I noticed the sound didn’t quite feel ‘right’. (Imagine driving a Ferrari for the first time and the engine sounds like it belongs in a Fiesta.)

I needed a soundbar. To get that true crisp and clean audio quality that can fill a room without breaking the bank, the K2 2.1 soundbar from UK-based Majority was the ideal answer.

Setup and Sound Quality

The difference in sound quality was instantly noticeable upon setup.

Compared to the TV’s base speakers, the K2 had fantastic audio clarity and depth of sound.

Dialogue was crisp and vibrant, with no noticeable distortion during high points like explosions or gunfire.

Whilst a soundbar can only offer so much of a surround sound feel, the K2’s speaker placement and strength does a good job of filling up a modest-sized living room with excellent quality sound. 

The K2 can really pump out some noise once it gets going, maxing out the volume will surely blow the roof off. I have not had to set it higher than 40% for a comfortable output, but the option to annoy the neighbours is there if you’re that way inclined.

The K2 boasts an HDMI ARC input, as well as optical for your TV Audio and RCA for older TVs. Majority were nice enough to provide the whole array of wires needed. 

There is also a small display on the face that clearly indicates what mode you are in, volume, bass adjustments, etc. If you’re someone that may find this distracting, it can be turned off as an option. I didn’t think much of it, but this turned out to be a useful feature.

Connectivity

The K2 includes a vast array of ports and connectivity options. Using Bluetooth connectivity, you can immerse yourself in a range of sounds and music straight to the speakers from your phone or Bluetooth device.

Alternatively, you have the option to connect your device via the AUX or USB ports and play music directly from a memory stick or MP3 player (remember those?)

The wireless connection between the 2.1 K2 soundbar and the free-standing sub-woofer gives you the opportunity to place it anywhere in your room, offering a surround sound ‘adjacent’ experience with just a separate power socket needed.

The sub-woofer looks good; however, the plastic has a scratchy feeling. The bass output isn’t going to give off any Marky Mark style ‘good vibrations,’ but it works.

Setup is easy and when turned on for the first time it automatically detects and pairs to the soundbar, so you do not have to do anything manually here. It is nice to have but its lack of oomph does sometimes beg the question, ‘is it even on?’

Remote & Radio

The easy-to-use remote allows for quick treble and bass adjustments whilst also being able to cycle through three equalizer pre-sets perfectly tuned to heighten music, movies, or dialogue.

All the remote buttons can be found on the side of the actual soundbar so no need to stress if you misplace it. 

One addition to the soundbar that seemed odd was the inclusion of an FM radio tuner. Do not get me wrong, I don’t believe radio is dead yet, but considering nearly any compatible device will have a radio option, the tuner on the soundbar registers as a negative due to the strong static output that can blast out the speakers as you are swapping between modes, and it is very jarring. 

Verdict

The Majority K2 doesn’t quite pack the punch of the more expensive soundbars, but it is one of the better soundbars you can get for under £100. It has a slick and stylish design that will fit into most setups simply fine. Although the subwoofer is a bit weak, the wireless pairing is great for placing it anywhere in your room.

The K2 is ideal for a first-time soundbar user or even to help upgrade a secondary TV. Setup is nice and easy, although you may have to deep dive into your TV settings to link up some on-demand services, a small effort that results in some brilliant virtual surround sound. 

On top of that Majority has pledged to plant a tree for every device it sells as part of its Majority Forest scheme.  So that’s nice too!

Review unit provided by Majority.

Byron Simpson

The post CRISP. Tech: Majority K2 2.1 Soundbar Review appeared first on CRISP..

Porsche Design x Acer

First up is word on an exciting collaboration with famed aesthetics house Porsche Design, which sees Acer’s technological know-how captured in a beautiful device with the Acer Book RS.

Touting an all-metal frame and an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor married to an NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU, the Acer Book RS is cutting edge hardware in a deceptively light 1.2kg body.

Carbon fibre stylings abound as is the Porsche Design way, the Acer Book RS also offers a 14-inch IPS touchscreen, an abundance of connectivity options including USB-C, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 3.2 Gen2), as well as impressive 17-hour battery life.

Fancy accessories come in the form of the travel pack, which offers a pouch made of ECCO PALERMO leather with magnetic clasps, a mouse which also sports carbon fiber, and a slick notebook sleeve.

Jerry Kao – co-COO of Acer was rather effusive, saying “…the Porsche Design Acer Book RS is a perfect blend of style and performance for urban mobile professionals. It brings together Acer’s expertise in technology and Porsche Design’s design prowess, resulting in a refined product that not only has timeless aesthetics, but also exceptional performance under the hood.”

UK-pricing starts at £1,899, rising slightly to £2,099 for the premium package including the travel pack.

Chromebooks

Acer’s flourishing relationship with Google continues in the standout Chromebook Spin 513, their first device powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c.

The eye-catching folding design affords an array of productivity options, whilst 4G support enables connectivity on the move.

Chrome OS is the light-touch, offline-ready option for those looking for a more affordable device in the Spin 513, whilst internals includes a Qualcomm Kyro 468 – a capable octo-core engine – and Adreno 618 for visuals.

Equally important is battery life, boasting 14 hours.

Available from January 2021, the Chromebook Spin 51§3 starts at just £399, making it a great option for school or the home office.

Halo Smart Speaker

A fresh arrival came in the form of Acer’s Halo Smart Speaker – an attractive addition to any environment.

Powered by Google Assistant, it performs the now-familiar selection of voice-activated tasks, but also boasts in being one of the only devices to currently support DTS audio.

Subtle on the surface, the Halo also comes equipped with an optional LED display which can display the weather or any manner of messages and news, as well as an RGB-laden base, enabling the option for colourful accompaniments to any notification.

This is one that is looking more likely to drop this side of Christmas, priced from just €119.

Monitors

Gaming monitors are set to explode in interest, especially with the incoming new generation of consoles set to send both display resolution and refresh rates sky-high.

Acer’s new Predator and Nitro gaming monitors seem up to the task, featuring up to 1440 resolution and overclocked 280Hz refresh rates and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility.

The XB253Q GW (pictured above) is a decently sized 24.5-inch effort, with an FHD (1920 x 1080) display, as well as RGB LightSense functionality, meaning the action on-screen syncs up to an array of ambient lights on the rear.

The flagship Predator X34 GS offers a massive 34-inch curved display and integrated 7-watt speakers, removing the need for separates.

The GW is priced from £399 and is set for a January ’21 launch, whilst the X34 is looking to cost a suitably top-end €1,099, and be here in December.

Check out the full range of new arrivals, including the Acer Swift 3x and revamped ConceptD laptops here.

Carmen Adkins

The post Acer Announces Flood Of Futuristic Laptops, Smart Speakers, Monitors At Annual Conference appeared first on CRISP..

Huawei’s first foray into premium speaker design is a noteworthy entrant for the relative newcomer. Find out more in our review below.

Design

 The sleek black finish on the cylindrically designed unit is exceptionally eye catching. Its glossy polycarbonate surface coupled with it’s two cut outs that display the subwoofers, and the splash and stain-proof mesh covering below look and feel as solid and well-made as you’d expect out of a premium Bluetooth speaker.

 The very top of the speaker displays 4 backlit touch-sensitive buttons and a colourful ring indicator to demonstrate volume control. You can also neatly cover the top of the speaker with your palm to pause and unpause with ease.

Perhaps the only drawback is a consequence of its functionality, its powered directly from your plug socket and sadly doesn’t have a battery to allow for maximum portability. The direct connection to your socket however does allow for more power to the speakers.

 The speaker also comes with a soft case to prevent scratches when in transit. The Sound X itself weighs around 3.5kg, again providing a solid well-made feel but perhaps on the heavier side if you consider throwing it into your backpack and carrying it regularly.

Technology and Sound

You’d imagine that Devialet had a heavy hand in developing and producing the overall sound output. In general, it provides fantastic mid-range sounds and a balanced bass offering (down to 40 hz).

It doesn’t pump extreme lows for fans of heavy bass but should offer most audiophiles who may be looking for a premium sound in the Bluetooth speakers category with excellent clarity, and a general sound that is very pleasing.

I tested the speaker in a variety of music genres but mostly enjoyed listening to the likes John Mayer and Hall and Oates on the Sound X as it demonstrates the acoustic sounds exceptionally well.

Hardware-wise, the speaker is loaded with two subwoofers, six tweeters, and a 360-degree output. You can also pair two speakers to offer more of a surrounding ambience.

It also recognises whether or not it’s been placed next to a wall and will adjust the sound accordingly. Devialet also used their expertise to develop added control when played at loud volumes, their “Push-Push Acoustic Design” technology is supposed to manage high volumes by limiting vibrations and distortion – this is especially effective despite the fact that two subwoofers are housed side by side. As well as that, Devialet’s Speaker Active Matching (SAM®) technology is also on offer – it recognises the sound and alters the output to best suit the listening experience. The Sound X also offers NFC connectivity for easy pairing.

Verdict

 Overall given its premium price, you’d expect at the very minimum a well-rounded speaker offering great sound quality and design, and thankfully you get that with the Huawei Sound X. For a Bluetooth speaker it definitely sounds top of the range, and in spite of not having smart features such as Alexa or Google Home, or a battery to offer portability, for a kitchen, or bedroom, or even a larger living room, one would imagine great satisfaction in hearing your favourite Spotify playlist on the Sound X.

 The price is high when comparing with others in the Bluetooth speaker market, the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus Bluetooth Speaker retails for £279.95, or the Apple HomePod is available for £199. However, both the look and sound supersedes its competition hands down, thus providing the best option if your budget allows.

HUAWEI Sound X

HUAWEI Sound X

€199.99

BUY NOW

Huawei.com

Dillon B

The post CRISP. Tech : Huawei Sound X Review appeared first on CRISP..

HDMI support means that Dolby Atmos is present and correct, and an aesthetic overhaul brings the Sonos Arc bang in line with stiff competition.

Does it have what it takes to overhaul your audio? Let’s find out.

Design

The Arc certainly fits into the current wave of sleek soundbars, offering a massive upgrade in the looks department. An elegant, yet imposing 45 inches in length, this all-over mesh does away with the material of former devices, coming in a fetching matte white or black finish.

Tipping the scales at a shade over 6kg, the heft of its form is immediately apparent, housing eleven speaker drivers all delivering a complimentary soundstage.

Bolstering optical with support for HDMI makes for a supremely painless set-up – connecting to wi-fi and plugging it into one of the eligible TV ports for the full-fat audio experience is all that’s required.

On that note, it does take up one of your HDMI ports with eARC support, so our LG for testing was fully booked with the Sonos, a PS4, an Xbox and a Sky Q box.

Touch controls are discreetly placed on the top of the device, making for easy access to the main volume buttons.

Features

Let’s get it out of the way – the improvement in sound is little short of a revelation. The dual upward-facing speakers lend a weight of all-encompassing audio which offers a night-and-day difference.

The spatial connection between front and rear (additional Sonos Play One speakers can still perform the latter) is really incredible, effortlessly filling a room with rich and bassy sound that puts you in the thick of the action.

The usual left-to-right panning is impressive as ever, enhanced by the length of the Arc – some 10 inches longer than the original Playbar and a good 20 more than the Beam – but it’s the vertical space where sounds cascade as though they’re overhead which delivered the ‘wow’ factor.

Fire up some encoded content from a Blu-ray or Disney+ (the opening sequences from Rise of Skywalker were a reference here) and immediately become impressed with how the sound seems to envelope the viewer, with laser blasts whizzing overhead and an altogether broadened aural experience.

Both as a solo soundbar and accompanied a suite of Sonos wireless efforts, the results are a clear step closer to the true home cinema experience for a fraction of the cost of a bespoke built-in arrangement.

The sound mix takes a while to calibrate – the Trueplay app is still your friend here for a room set up as it lacks the Sonos Move’s automatic tuning – as initially dialogue coming from the centre speakers had a tendency to be overshadowed by the cacophony of those surrounding it.

A tap of a (virtual) button in the app, however, can enable both the enhancement of vocals as well as soften the bass for those midnight movie marathons.

That’s not to say that the Arc can’t do delicate, sometimes it’s those moments in a game with an incredible sound mix like The Last of Us: Part II where the chirping of crickets or rain tumbling from a corrugated iron roof can almost shock in both their authenticity and directional presence in your physical space.

A revamped Sonos app does the honours for volume and settings selection – a sleeker affair but expect to find the finer tweaks still nested in slightly unintuitive menus.

One of the great positives in the Sonos range is its support for multiple streaming services and voice-activated assistants – the same goes when talking about the Arc. So everything from Deezer to TuneIn Radio in addition to the usual suspects are here for music, whilst support for both Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant makes it eminently customisable for your situation.

A great addition to the supported formats is Apple’s Airplay 2, meaning this can be seamlessly added to rival devices if required.

Price

An element which can’t be avoided is that the Sonos Arc remains priced firmly in premium territory, with the £799 price point acting as a strong indicator of the level this piece of kit is aimed at.

Adding a beefy Sonos Sub and a pair of Play:1 / One SL speakers can land just shy of £1,900, but with unrivalled ease of installation due to their wireless nature, and the streaming features above and beyond a dedicated home cinema does make this a versatile solution for those looking to leap headlong into a better audio arrangement.

The Beam is still a great option at £399, but lacks Dolby support and is only half the array of speakers…a great fit for the smaller home and display (Sonos suggests sub-49″ TVs), but lacking in the oomph the Arc delivers so capably.

Verdict

A surefire upgrade for those owners of 2013’s finest in the Playbar, the Sonos Arc is a kitted and capable device that delivers on the promise of elevating home cinema, music and gaming with the gold standard in Dolby Atmos support.

A few shortcomings in just having the single HDMI port and needing to be part of the Sonos family to truly make the most of its all-encompassing audio, it still fires on all cylinders as a truly impressive soundbar for the larger room.

It’s Sonos’ banner product with a price tag to match, but few come close to matching its versatility, AI smarts and all-around aural experience.

Max Boker

The post CRISP. Tech: Sonos Arc Review appeared first on CRISP..

The single most fun thing about gaming is really experiencing those all-time watershed moments you’d never witnessed before…

Rotating the analogue stick to send Bowser flying into the third dimension in Mario 64.

Travelling up the elevator whilst infiltrating Shadow Moses Island in Metal Gear Solid.

Being blown away by the sheer vastness of the open plains in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Truly experiencing wireless virtual reality on the Oculus Quest has surpassed all of them for me.

In just twelve months, Facebook’s feisty headset has enabled developers to deliver amazing, immersive, interactive vistas in which one feels they can truly inhabit…without the trailing cables.

The Oculus Quest does away with the wires, much of the expense (you don’t need a monster PC, or any PC at all for that matter) and general fiddling that VR normally entails, lowering the barrier to entry in a phenomenal way.

If you think you’ve already dabbled with virtual reality because you’ve used your mate’s Samsung Gear VR or invested in Google’s Daydream – you haven’t.

This is also better than Playstation VR. Objectively.

Not a slight against Samsung’s landmark device or Sony’s connected effort (Resident Evil 7 remains the pinnacle of survival horror, in VR exclusively on Playstation), but with greater freedom of movement, improved accuracy and room-scale tracking without the faff of additional cameras, the Quest pips it.

The combination of the fidelity of the visuals, the granularity of interaction via hand tracking through the Quest’s dual controllers, as well as supporting mobility in a 3D space makes Oculus Quest hands-down the best way to leap into virtual reality.

JACK IN

One great aspect of VR is that the learning curve is essentially zero – you pop on the headset, adjust for comfort, and immediately you’re transported into another world.

This is even better through the Quest’s 1440 x 1600 OLED displays for each eye – sharp enough to avoid that ‘screen door’ effect that blighted earlier low-resolution devices – and bringing you into the action even more vividly with a silky 72Hz refresh rate.

The games are also here too – many of the banner titles are present and correct, delivering much the same thrilling degree of immersion found on beefier headsets like HTC’s Vive and the Oculus Rift…without needing a PC rig or console to make it sing.

There is a degree of compromise – the Snapdragon 835 processor powering the Quest was the beating heart of smartphones a few flagships ago – any slight (yet tangible) reduction in visual fidelity is far outweighed by the comfort and freedom that wireless VR lends.

Another added depth of immersiveness – and admitted complexity – is its pair of touch controllers. More akin to what you’d find with the premium headsets, this pair of virtual mitts feature buttons, thumbsticks and analogue triggers that add console-level dexterity as opposed to being a passive observer.

Now jumping from game to game means that control methods are often slightly different, so it takes a while to get to grips (no pun intended) with prodding, poking and picking things up.

However, an interactive tutorial upon firing up the device for the first time walks through all of the features, functions and settings to both ensure the headset is nice and snug on your head, as well as what you’ll be doing with your hands.

The big question then – is VR masterpiece Half Life: Alyx available on the Quest? Well, not quite…

Due to its sheer heft it’s a game that is unlikely to make the journey across, but there are ways of turning the Quest into a fully-fledged PC VR headset with the ‘Oculus Link’ software – meaning that it – and more – can be played via a USB-C cable.

SOUND ALL AROUND

Another important aspect the Quest has covered is audio – the directional sounds enveloping you is an all-important element of VR, and it delivers out of the box.

Rather than needing to pop on a pair of headphones, the Quest has a pair of recessed holes within the headband itself, piping the sounds directly into your ears all without making your ears hotter than the sun.

If you do want to take things a little deeper, a 3.5mm headphone jack means that you can bring your own cans to the VR party.

PUMPING VIRTUAL IRON

Another unexpected benefit of the Quest’s nimble form factor is a spate of fitness apps have arrived to VR, allowing you to get buff on a beach in Maui or a neon-drenched cityscape all from the comfort of your living room.

Whether it’s fully hand-tracked pugilism in Creed: Rise to Glory or the rhythm game vibes of BoxVR, the unfettered nature of the Oculus Quest is truly a gamechanger in terms of getting a full-body workout.

If that sounds a bit strenuous, there are also more sedate services that can be found on the Quest – YouTube VR is available, while Netflix offers that big-screen experience that we’ve all been missing in lockdown, projecting movies and shows in your own private virtual cineplex.

A selection of other apps like Virtual Desktop (turning your PC into a native virtual world), Bigscreen VR (another cinema app, freer in terms of what you can watch) or Quill Theatre (a menagerie of wonderful immersive animated shorts) means that the Quest is equally effective for content consumption as it is in making you sweat.

FIVE MUST-PLAY TITLES

So, you’ve invested in the exciting world of Oculus Quest. What are the titles that really deliver that ‘wow’ factor off the bat? Here are some of our favourites.

Space Pirate Trainer:

The Super Mario Bros. of VR experiences, the arcadey shoot ’em up action is the perfect gateway game.

Starting off slowly, and slowly ramping up in both pace and variety of pyrotechnic weapons, Space Pirate Trainer is the original and best demonstration of truly immersive gameplay.

Superhot VR:

Basically the real John Wick game, Superhot enables an innovative time-slowing mechanic which places you in the thick of John Woo-levels of bullet ballet, interspersed with using your fists and surrounding objects to defeat faceless opponents.

SUPER. HOT.

Star Wars: Vader Immortal:

This narrative-driven VR trilogy nails the look and feel of the venerable Star Wars saga, with an original tale placing you in the shoes of a smuggler destined for greater things…

With a brief yet thrilling plot which takes some unexpected directions, Vader Immortal allows you to witness thrilling moments from an entirely new perspective…and yes, you can have a lightsaber duel with Vader himself in Episode III.

Beat Saber:

Continuing the lightsaber theme but with a dash of Guitar Hero, Beat Saber lets you swipe and slash to the groove of an ever-growing playlist of current hits and original music, really showcasing the ability to let your creative flailing shine now untethered on Oculus Quest.

Tetris Effect:

Tetris is still a thing, but you’ve never experienced it like this before. Helmed by the musical visionary behind some of the greatest marriages of music and gaming in the industry, Tetris Effect is the same block-breaking gameplay but set against an emotional – and at times breathtaking – journey across Earth and the cosmos.

I cried a bit, not ashamed to admit it.

VERDICT

The price for gaming nirvana? £399 for the 64GB model, or £499 for the 128GB version.

There’s a reason that in the 12 months since launch the Quest has been incredibly tough to get – flitting in and out of stock on their own Oculus Store and changing hands for crazy sums on the Amazon Marketplace.

It’s simply that impressive. Not quite as easy to plonk on your mum and wow her, but rather a fully-fledged, all-in-one virtual reality package that simply smashes all expectations of just how much fun and immersive it can be!

Whether a VR die-hard or a gaming newbie – simply try the Oculus Quest, and be forever changed.

Review unit and codes provided by Oculus.

Max Boker

The post CRISP. Tech: Oculus Quest Review appeared first on CRISP..

It’s not every day you start a review for the price, but in this case, we thought it’d be best as you’ll read the following word very differently.

The Hisense Roku TV we’re about to review is the 50″ R50B7120UK and its currently sitting on shelves for a price of £299. Yup, you read that correctly, A sub £300 4K 50-inch TV.

Hisense are not new to the TV game. The Chinese outfit has been manufacturing televisions for quite some (50th Anniversary this year). Some of you may even remember them from the Sponsorship of Euro 2016 and then in 2017/18 they became the official technology partner of Aston Villa

Recently, however,  the brand has started making a name for itself in Europe and in particular the UK.

The model we’re about to talk about is slightly different to others in the range in that its the first tv to launch in the UK with Roku as its operating system which we’ll touch upon shortly.

Design

When lifting this out the box, we were surprised to find just how light this TV is. Most TV’s these days can be single-handedly put together by one person. This 50″ screen is only 13.5 kgs so it was pretty easy to manoeuvre around the living room.

The first thing you’ll notice is the finish. Close up, it’s not the most premium finish in the world but it still definitely holds its own with the more premium TV’s in its spec range. We like the fact the black bezel disappears into the screen and from a-far it begins to look the part.

The bottom bezel has the Hisense logo and on the bottom right “Roku TV” is branded on. We’re probably nit-picking on detail here but we really wish Hisense pushed back on having this put on. It end’s up throwing the design off-symmetry creating design imbalance, however not a major make or break.

The cheapest feeling part of the TV are the feet. These felt very light and plasticky but they did the job. They sit slightly flared on the corners rather than a centre stand and the TV sits at around 65mm with them both on.

For some, this might be an issue but we think its perfect if you were to couple this with a soundbar.

Connectivity

On the back, you get everything you’d want from a TV in today’s world. Asking for 4 HDMI ports would have been pushing it but we were really happy with 2 USB ports.

• 3 x HDMI 2.0 (1 x ARC)
• 2 x USB 2.0
• Optical In
• 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Audio L/R output
• Composite AV
• RF tuner
• Ethernet Port

Roku TV

The little streaming stick from Roku has been a huge success in the US and UK and the Hisense Roku TV is the first of its kind to land in the UK using a full Roku OS (operating system).

Unlike the usual Tizen or Android operating systems you’ll see, the Roku one takes some getting used to.

In the beginning, you’ll hate but after a week you’ll quickly appreciate just how fluid and user friendly it is.

Like most TV’s, you’ll have access to most of the usual streaming apps you need to stay entertained. Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer et al are all there, the only one we struggled to find at the start was Youtube which we later found using the mobile app.

Any apps that are missing from the default list can be download right from the menu or from your phone via the Roku app which automatically installs it to your TV.

The mobile app also allows you to use your phone as a remote control and use voice search to search for content. “Private listening mode” is a good feature which allows you to divert the TV audio straight to your phone.

As for the TV apps themselves, Roku has access to 5000+ so upon the first setup, you might find yourself going down a rabbit role and adding channels like “Golf tips TV”.

The big tile format is very user friendly and we love the Picture in Picture feature to see your connected devices inside a smaller window. Another feature we liked is the ability to change the themes but the true winner here is the speed. This operating system is probably the fastest and most intuitive OS we’ve used and a joy to use.

The Remote

Luckily for this review, we have a non-Roku Hisense TV to compare it to. One of the biggest standouts on that TV was the remote control. It’s so heavy in comparison to other remotes that it adds that premium factor. If you’re an iPhone user you know exactly what we’re talking about compared to when you hold another device.

Onto the remote for a normal Roku Stick which we also use at CRISP. It’s wonderful, small, intuitive, feels great in the hand and really ergonomically designed. I mean it even has a Roku version of Levi’s tab on the bottom.

You’d imagine based on the above, you’ll be getting the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite. Roku TV feels very cheap. We would have loved for it to incorporate the side volume buttons you get on a Roku remote and its also missing the all-important voice command button which is a major selling point on Roku. Instead, you’d need to use your phone for this.

The Mobile app can also be used to control everything the physical remote can and more. You can get granular with your picture settings, add or remove channels or cast directly to your TV.

Sound and Picture

The sound on this TV whilst not exceptional is very very good. For its the price tag it’s extremely well rounded and delivers a very balanced audio experience regardless of what you’re watching on the TV. We kept ours in Normal presets the whole time and toggled in between that and theatre when needed.

It seemed to handle everything thrown at it from action scenes John Wick, Sports scenes from The Last Dance, Music from Spotify and even conversations via the Joe Rogan experience on Youtube. Nothing seemed to falter. At £299 you’d think you may need to supplement with a soundbar in case it sounded tinny, but that just wasn’t the case.

The Roku TV uses a Direct LED panel rather than an Edge-lit panel and this has it’s Pro’s and Con’s. Direct LED has even set of LED’s that are positioned behind the panel whereas edge-lit panels created a border use light guides to light the panel.

We found the TV delivered a very punchy and bright image and whilst deep blacks are usually compromised we didn’t think this budget TV did too badly at all but it didn’t deliver as the deepest of blacks in certain scenes.

The TV will automatically recognise HDR sources (it’ll flash up on the screen) and when it does you can tweak to the settings even more within the app remote to give you the best setting for your content.

Remember you’re not going to get OLED levels of brightness and quality here, but it sure can handle itself.

Verdict

At first, the Roku TV might not be for everyone. For most, it’s relatively new and unlike many other TV’s you’ve probably used in the UK.

Once you’ve got used to the user interface, You’ll be pleasantly surprised. We can whole-heartedly say that as of today, you probably won’t find a better TV than this for £299.

It ticks all of the boxes you’d want from a budget TV and even then, we’d say calling it a budget TV is doing it a slight disservice. This TV punches way above its weight for its price tag, so much so that we’ve had to label it a CRISP. Editors choice product for 2020.

Hisense Roku TV 50 Inch R50B7120UK 4K Smart LED TV with HDR

BUY NOW

Argos.co.uk

as of April 13, 2026 6:28 pm

Ella-Grace Figueroa

The post CRISP. TECH : Hisense Roku 4K TV Review (50″ R50B7120UK) appeared first on CRISP..