Articles by Simon Cohen

The Sony Bravia 7 soundbar pictured underneath a TV on a wooden cabinet

I reviewed Sony's new mid-range Dolby Atmos soundar, and while I love some features, overall its one step forward and two steps back

By Simon Cohen Published 8 July 26

Sony’s midrange Dolby Atmos soundbar delivers clarity, power, and simplicity, but I found myself wishing for more.

A close up of the Bluesound Pulse Mini soundbar on a wooden surface

'I really love the way the Cinema Mini sounds': I tested Bluesound's latest small soundbar, and it's the best compact options for audio quality — but the price puts it in dangerous territory

By Simon Cohen Published 13 June 26

Recommended

Some small-footprint soundbars compromise on big, robust sound, but not the Pulse Cinema Mini.

Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds next to the Apple AirPods Pro 3, on a wooden table, in a versus-style format

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs AirPods Pro 3: can Sony's newest earbuds beat Apple's best? Our full verdict is in

By Simon Cohen Published 3 March 26

A new shape, superb sound quality, and some intriguing new features make the WF-1000XM6 a worthy contender for your iPhone’s audio — but can they better Apple's flagship buds?

The Sony WF-1000XM6 and WF-1000XM5 side by side in a comparison, on a light wood table

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5: are the new flagship earbuds worth it? I've found a clear winner

By Simon Cohen Published 19 February 26

A deep dive suggests that the older model remains an excellent choice for the budget-conscious

The KEF XIO is pricey but worth it if you want a Dolby Atmos soundbar that’s equally skilled at movies and music

By Simon Cohen Published 30 December 25

Recommended

KEF’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar impresses

From Dolby Atmos FlexConnect to Marshall and KEF getting into the game, 2025 was a great year for soundbars

By Simon Cohen Published 27 December 25

More players in the game, and way more options

3 Comments

WiiM Sound on a table, with wine glasses and a TV in the background

WiiM's first ever wireless speaker hits (almost) all the right notes

By Simon Cohen Published 25 December 25

Buy the Sound on WiiM, would you? I support you – although I'd always recommend reading this review first…

LG Sound Suite speaker system in living room with TV

LG’s 2026 TVs and soundbars get the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect treatment

By Simon Cohen Published 18 December 25

LG's Sound Suite speakers and soundbar will make setting up a Dolby Atmos home theater sound system easier than ever.

I tested the Sonos Arc Ultra and compared it to a top JBL Dolby Atmos soundbar – here’s the one I’d recommend you buy

By Simon Cohen Published 22 November 25

The Sonos Arc Ultra and JBL Bar 1000 MK2 are two of the best – and priciest – soundbars you can buy. But which one is better?

A selection of Sonos products and AI in music apps, to suggest the crossover (and rivalry)

Why Sonos can't afford to lose the Music Intelligence race

By Simon Cohen Published 8 November 25

Integrations like Alexa+ on Amazon Music could make the Sonos app obsolete – which means it might be too late for Sonos to fix its still-buggy app

2 Comments

JBL Bar 1000MK2 review: Big, bold sound in a supremely versatile package

By Simon Cohen Published 25 October 25

Recommended

The Bar 1000MK2 perfectly adapts to any TV room with powerful, immersive sound. It’s not for everyone, but if you appreciate its strengths, there’s no other soundbar like it.

Two images side by side, one showing the B&O Beo Grace, the other the Oddict Twig Pro. In both cases, the earbuds are worn by women, and the product resemblance is striking

Love the new B&O Beo Grace's aluminium design, but blanch at their four-figure price? These $49 earbuds are dead ringers

By Simon Cohen Published 25 October 25

Who says the latest in sleek Scandinavian fashion can’t be affordable, if you've got the good grace to go looking for it?

The Questyle QCC Dongle Pro with a smartphone to denote size, on a light wooden table

Questyle's tiny wireless transmitter is the Bluetooth audio upgrade your phone so desperately needs

By Simon Cohen Published 22 September 25

Recommended

With advanced codec support, this tiny plug-and-play device sends top-tier sound to your wireless headphones

5 Comments

Apple AirPods Pro 3 either worn by a man standing in front of a red-brick wall, or on a table with gray twine cover

As soon as I tried AirPods Pro 3, I knew I'd never reach for AirPods Pro 2 again

By Simon Cohen Published 19 September 25

A new shape means a better fit, and that might be the biggest reason enough to switch

Sonos products and WiiM products grouped together, to try to work out whether it's time to switch

Is it time to ditch Sonos for WiiM? How the two multi-room ecosystems compare – and whether you should switch

By Simon Cohen Published 15 September 25

Sonos’ software snafus have given WiiM a chance to win over customers with lower prices and better reliability… will you be one of them?

3 Comments

listerer using Dirac Live to EQ speakers

What is Dirac Live, and how do you get it?

By Simon Cohen Published 3 September 25

Just upgraded your audio system, but still not happy with how it sounds? The problem might be your room, not your gear.

A Honda Goldwing touring motorbike, emphasising the sound system onboard, with a driver in a bike helmet

By Simon Cohen Published 12 August 25

Harsh truth: even the best home hi-fi systems won't always put you in the sweet spot like a motorcycle does

A smartphone screen with a DAC in front of it, showing LDAC playing. The DAC is held in a hand, with headphones in the background

Tired of guessing how good music from your phone actually is? Meet the free Bluetooth Codec Changer app I can't live without

By Simon Cohen Published 10 August 25

Homescreen Heroes: if you're tired of messing around in your phone's settings to know the audio quality you're streaming over Bluetooth, you need this app

Qualcomm aptX branding, shown on portable hi-fi equipment packaging and a phone screen beside Bowers & Wilkins headphones

AptX unpacked: your guide to using Qualcomm’s Bluetooth codecs (and the devices that support them)

By Simon Cohen Published 21 July 25

Struggling to understand the difference between aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive? That's why we're here

Simon Cohen

Articles by: Simon Cohen

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