Spring has certainly sprung here at Tech Reader. Well, it has in terms of reviews, at least. We’ve put over a dozen devices through their paces since my last roundup, which gives you a lot to catch up on over the weekend. Read on for the rundown of all the reviews you might’ve missed.
ASUS ZenBook A16
The Zenbook A16 is the lightest 16-inch ultraportable we’ve seen yet, and it’s surprisingly capable thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 chips.
- Surprisingly light
- Polished design
- Excellent OLED screen
- Tons of ports
- Big performance leap over X1 chips
- Potential Arm incompatibilities
- Doesn’t support all PC games
ASUS’ ZenBook A14 didn’t live up to our expectations last year, but now the company is back with a 16-inch machine and a shot at redemption: the A16. “Compatibility issues aside, the ZenBook A16 delivers just about everything I want in an ultraportable,” senior reporter Devindra Hardawar said. “It’s got a gorgeous OLED screen and all of the ports you need. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite chips also give it a much-needed power boost. And best of all, it’s one of the lightest and sleekest 16-inch Windows laptops I’ve come across.”
Apple AirPods Max 2
Apple/Tech Reader
The H2 chip delivers a host of new features, but it’s time for a comprehensive redesign on these pricey headphones.
- Comfortable
- Excellent sound quality
- Lots of new features
- Same design, again
- Expensive
- Only one hearing health feature
Until this year, Apple’s only updates to the AirPods Max were new colors and a USB-C port. The company finally gave its pricey over-ear headphones the powerful H2 chip, delivering a host of handy features from the AirPods Pro. “The H2 chip brings Apple’s over-ear headphones on par with the rest of the AirPods lineup, namely the AirPods Pro 3,” I said. “And since I don’t expect Apple to announce new earbuds this year, that parity should remain for a while.”
Sonos Play
Sonos / Tech Reader
The Play sounds great, has a wide and versatile feature set and won’t break the bank. It’s a welcome return to form for Sonos.
- Compact design
- Great sound quality for its size
- Features like line-in and Bluetooth grouping make it extremely versatile
- Long battery life
- Doesn’t come with a power adapter
- More colors would be welcome
Sonos badly needed a win. Thankfully, the company regained some of its mojo with a new portable speaker that offers the best of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the same device. “The latest Sonos speaker offers impressive sound quality, flexibility and portability, and it’s the kind of product that can help Sonos rebuild its reputation after its recent difficulties,” deputy editor Nathan Ingraham said.
LG Sound Suite
LG/Tech Reader
LG’s latest home theater system offers immersive sound and lots of options. It’s expensive though, and the marquee feature isn’t always easy to use.
- Detailed and expansive home theater audio
- Dolby FlexConnect is genuinely useful
- Great for music
- Easy to use as individual speakers
- Expensive
- Frustrating setup and connectivity
- Each item is sold separately
- Some configurations require LG TVs
After an impressive CES debut, LG’s Sound Suite was my most anticipated review of the year. Despite impressive sound quality and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, there are still some kinks to work out in both the setup and general use. “There’s no denying that LG has created a powerful and immersive living room experience with its Sound Suite lineup,” I said. “While I did experience some setup and software issues, those are things LG can iron out over time — Sound Suite is still brand new, after all.”
DJI Avata 360, Fender Audio, Nebula X1 Pro and more
The last few weeks have been pretty audio-heavy here at Tech Reader, including the first headphones and speakers from Fender Audio, two sets of headphones from JBL and the Roland Go: Mixer Studio. I also reviewed the first of Sony’s 2026 soundbars, the Bravia Theater Bar 5, and contributing reporter Steve Dent reviewed the Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro all-in-one projector.
Senior reporter Sam Rutherford really took one for the team and spent some time with the Robosen Soundwave Transformers robot. Lastly, Steve took flight with the DJI Avata 360 drone, which is a direct answer to Insta360’s Antigravity A1.
