Tom Bedford

Tom Bedford

Contributor

Tom Bedford joined TechRadar in early 2019 as a staff writer, and left the team as deputy phones editor in late 2022 to work for entertainment site What To Watch. He continues to contribute on a freelance basis for several sections including phones, audio and fitness, as well as many other websites.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

He grew up in Bristol, UK, and has also lived in Norwich, UK, Salt Lake City, UT, and currently resides in London, UK.

Articles by: Tom Bedford

The Soundpeats Pop Clip2 on a wooden table.

I was ready to call these the best open earbuds ever, and they're incredibly cheap — but one recurring issue ruined it all

By Tom Bedford Published

The SoundPeats Pop Clip 2 sound and fit amazingly, but connection problems let them down.

iFi iDSD GR 2 plugged into music player and headphones

Have a playlist that's full of memories? Qobuz and iFi want to hear it for World Alzheimer's Month, and you could win an elite 5-star DAC

By Tom Bedford Published

Music streaming service Qobuz and hi-fi tech maker iFi have teamed up for World Alzheimer's Month with a competition.

Beats Culver City Campus

Apple's big AirPods 5 launch event might be over, but its most anticipated headphones may well arrive later this month

By Tom Bedford Published

Rumors point to the Beats 360 releasing later in September, thanks to a recent firmware update to the cans.

The Marantz MCR 60n on a wooden shelf, next to some headphones.

This elite mini hi-fi hub is perfect for limited shelf-space and smaller homes, but compact does not mean cheap

By Tom Bedford Published

The Marantz MCR 60n is a bijou hi-fi system that'll slip into any home, yet offers a range of handy features.

A basketball player with the JLab JBuds Mini ANC in their ear.

The highlight of JLab's IFA launch is super-cheap, super-small ANC earbuds with proprietary Apple tech to replace the AirTag on your keychain

By Tom Bedford Published

The JLab JBuds Mini ANC now officially sell in an Apple Find my flavor, in one of many IFA 2026 JLab reveals

The Baseus Bowie MC2 on a bronze table.

I just gave these outstanding open earbuds a glowing review and now they're back, but with an unexpected additional feature

By Tom Bedford Published

The Baseus Bowie MC2 NC build on some excellent open earbuds by adding noise cancellation, a rare feature for the form factor.

Belkin earbuds in orange held in a hand, with white and black options behind it, at IFA

One of our favorite power bank makers just unveiled super-cheap ANC earbuds — and after an early listen, we like 'em

By Tom Bedford Published

The new Belkin SoundForm Isolate and Dots buds offer ANC, some noteworthy features and tongue-twister names at a super-low price.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max cases, stacked atop each other.

My favorite earbuds of the year just got an open-ear makeover, as this top cheap headphone brand debuts 7 new models

By Tom Bedford Published

At IFA 2026, Anker's Soundcore unveiled 7 new audio products, including open earbuds which take features from my favorite pair of buds so far this year.

JBL's new Cove speaker on a kitchen counter

JBL wants you to bring its wireless speakers indoors, with three new wi-fi enabled home options that'll have you overlooking its portable Bluetooth set

By Tom Bedford Published

JBL's new Cove line of indoor speakers swap out its cheap-and-cheerful party speakers for feature-rich options.

The FiiO FG3 perched on a candle, with the Control app in the background.

The FiiO FG3 is a gaming headset aimed at audiophiles, but after several weeks, I'm not totally convinced

By Tom Bedford Published

The FiiO FG3 looks promising on paper, and works well for certain titles, but some weak areas let it down.

The Castle Tantagel and Walmer speakers, in a dramatic black room

I didn't know British speaker maker Castle, but its new 70s-inspired stereo speakers look really cool — and I'm intrigued by the unusual driver layout on one model

By Tom Bedford Published

Hi-fi company British Castle has four new loudspeakers, all inspired by English fortifications.

the beatles abbey road album cover

Which member of The Beatles are you? Tell us your tech choices in this personality quiz and find out

By Tom Bedford Published

A big fan of The Beatles? This 30-question tech personality quiz will determine which band member you're most like.

The Yamaha WXC-70A on a shelf.

Yamaha's new compact hi-fi streamers have all the wired and wireless hi-res connections you could want for a smart small stereo system — and one doubles as an amp too

By Tom Bedford Published

Yamaha has unveiled two new music devices, set to sell in November: a compact streamer and a streaming amp.

A row of Fiio Echo Nano on the left of the image, and two and Shanling Q2 on the rihgt.

iPod nostalgia is at an all-time high, so meet two new cheap, adorable tiny hi-res music players that invoke the best of the music-player era (bring your own white wired earbuds)

By Tom Bedford Published

Fiio and Shanling release iPod doppelgängers with perks Apple's music players didn't have, perfect for the wired headphones revival.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 in a suitcase, on top of various items.

I was ready to discount the stumpy Galaxy Z Fold 8, but a week-long vacation proved Samsung's new form factor is a winner

By Tom Bedford Published

After testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 on vacation, I've come to love its passport-shaped form factor.

The open cases for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 held next to each other, showing the tops of the earbuds poking out

Two new AirPods 5 models will launch alongside the iPhone 18, says reliable analyst — here's what I'd like to see Apple change to make them better value than AirPods 4

By Tom Bedford Published

A new report suggests the Apple AirPods 5 will launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, and an ANC-toting model will be along for the ride.

Dr. Dre and Eminem pose backstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

'I'm embracing it’: Dr Dre defends AI music and compares it to synths, despite most streaming services ousting slop from their libraries

By Tom Bedford Published

Dr. Dre has admitted he uses AI in his music producing, despite most music streaming services trying to ban the stuff.

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson pose for the cover of a Harry Potter movie

Are you a true Hogwarts alum or just a muggle pretending? Find out with this essential Harry Potter quiz

By Tom Bedford Published

A big fan of everything Harry Potter? Take this 30-question pop culture quiz on its games, movies, shows, books and more to prove it.

The Beats Studio Pro being worn

Beats leak reveals the name of its next headphones plus most of its specs — but there could be one disappointing omission

By Tom Bedford Published

Apparently, the headphones Beats teased at the 2026 World Cup will be called the Beats 360, implying spatial audio chops.

The gold model Technics SL-1200M7 55th anniversary limited edition on a gray background.

Technics' classic SL-1200 turntable is getting a 55th anniversary edition — and the big upgrade is 'lots of gold'

By Tom Bedford Published

The Technics SL-1200 is getting a 55th anniversary edition, with lots of gold being the main change over the base model.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 in open case

'These things aren't meant to take pictures.' As a fresh clip of camera-equipped AirPods leaks, people appear to have already made their minds up — whatever the experts say

By Tom Bedford Published

A leaked video, claimed to be from a late build of MacOS, shows how camera-toting AirPods would work, and it won't assuage your privacy fears.

Caucasian man wearing xiaomi fitness tracker with TR Fit List badge

No Apple Watch Ultra? No problem — here are 5 ways I use a budget fitness tracker to enhance my gym routine

By Tom Bedford Published

"All of the functions I need, I can use on my low-cost Xiaomi Smart Band 10, making a purchase like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 totally unnecessary."

Spotify Car Thing

Four years after its untimely demise, Spotify Car Thing is back, for free, and with absolutely no help from the streaming giant itself

By Tom Bedford Published

Spotify Car Thing was discontinued in 2022 and killed off in 2024, but fans have brought it back (in sort).

The Baseus Bowie MC2 on a bronze table.

I’ve been testing these cheap open earbuds for weeks, and they have me wondering why you’d spend more on expensive rivals from Shokz and Bose

By Tom Bedford Published

The Baseus Bowie MC2 undercut most rival open-style earbuds, but don't miss out on any major features.

The Kanto Audio Obi3 Gen 2 model on a wooden drawer.

Kanto's new budget-friendly turntable has a few smart features to make it easy for novices to use, and it's lovely and compact too

By Tom Bedford Published

Kanto Audio has unveiled the Obi3 Gen 2, a new affordable turntable that's designed with some entry-level considerations in mind.

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