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AI voice clones created in minutes now sound so real that your ears may never trust another voice again
Gaming Gear

AI voice clones created in minutes now sound so real that your ears may never trust another voice again

by admin September 29, 2025



  • AI-generated voices now mimic humans so convincingly that detection is nearly impossible
  • Creating a convincing voice clone now takes minutes and minimal expertise
  • Some synthetic voices were actually rated more trustworthy than real human recordings

For years, many people assumed that AI-generated speech could always be identified by its slightly “fake” qualities.

New research from Queen Mary University of London challenges this assumption, showing current AI voice technology has reached a level where “voice clones” and deepfakes are nearly indistinguishable from real recordings.

In the study, participants compared human voices with two forms of synthetic audio: cloned voices designed to imitate real speakers and voices generated from an LLM system without specific counterparts.


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Beyond realism and into dominance

Listeners frequently struggled to distinguish between the two, suggesting the technology has entered a phase where human-like realism is no longer an aspiration, but a reality.

The research team investigated not only whether participants could distinguish between synthetic and real voices, but also how they perceived them.

Surprisingly, both types of AI-generated voices were evaluated as more dominant than human ones, and in some cases, they were judged more trustworthy.

Dr. Nadine Lavan, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Mary University of London, stressed how easily and cheaply her team created these voice clones.

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“AI-generated voices are all around us now, it was only a matter of time until AI technology began to produce naturalistic, human-sounding speech, the process required minimal expertise, only a few minutes of voice recordings, and almost no money,” she said.

She said that the ease of use shows how far the technology has advanced in a short time.

Such accessibility creates opportunities in fields such as education, communication, and accessibility, where bespoke synthetic voices could enhance engagement and reach.


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Just as AI writers raise questions about originality, copyright, and misuse, AI voice generation prompts debates over ownership of identity and consent.

If realistic audio can be created from just a short sample, the risks of unauthorized cloning become difficult to ignore.

As AI tools continue to expand in capability and accessibility, the challenge will be ensuring that benefits are realized without opening new avenues for deception.

Understanding how people respond to these voices is only the first step in addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications of a technology that is no longer futuristic, but firmly present.

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September 29, 2025 0 comments
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The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.
Product Reviews

Status Audio Pro X review: premium earbuds with seriously impressive sound

by admin September 27, 2025



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Status Audio Pro X: Two-minute review

American audio company Status Audio was hurt by the curse of poor timing with the release of its next-gen premium earbuds and challengers to our best earbuds buying guide. That’s because less than two months after the firm unveiled the Pro X, Apple finally released its latest buds, the AirPods Pro 3, which slightly undercut the underdogs’ latest release in terms of price.

I don’t think Status needs to worry much about competition from Apple, though, because the product distinguishes itself in a few key areas (and, of course, actually works equally as well for Android users).

For one, the Status Pro X has three audio drivers per bud, one more than the AirPods Pro and two more than most earbuds I test. This trio works together to deliver well-defined and high-quality audio that sounds fantastic, making these some of the best earbuds you can try.

The earbuds also look as good as they sound, with the ellipsoid design language carried between the buds and the case to make them look some of the classiest buds I’ve seen. It’s not all for show either as I found the fit reliable.

Status has nailed more of the basics with solid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), handy touch controls and wireless charging in the case.

The main let-down for me was the battery life, which basically scraped five hours if you’ve got ANC turned on. That’s pretty poor when you look at averages on the market, even for high-end buds, and rules them out for certain use cases.

In fact, the overall feature set is a little bit anemic, and there are a few common perks that aren’t available on the Pro X. It’s clear that the emphasis here is on the audio quality and design, not the handy extras that often justify a higher price.

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That’s the one department where the AirPods Pro 3 cleanly beat the Status Pro X; don’t expect any live translation or heart rate tracking here. But Status has Apple beat in the two other main areas, and that’s good enough for me.

Status Audio Pro X review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

  • Released in ‘batches’ every few months from July 2025
  • Costs $299 / £272 / AU$470
  • Pricier than big-name rivals

The first thing to know about the Pro X is that they’re not cheap gadgets; these are pricey buds that bump elbows with some top-notch rivals.

The official retail price for the Status Audio Pro X is $299 / £272 / AU$470, though it’s worth noting that you can pre-order them for $249 / £226 / AU$384. When I say ‘pre-order’, I don’t mean that the buds aren’t out, but (at the time of writing at least) Status is selling them in waves, with one every couple of months. For the purpose of this review I’m taking the RRP as the real price of the buds though.

That price means the buds cost more than the new AirPods Pro 3, which go for $249 / £219 / AU$429 and roughly match the option that tops our best earbuds list, the Technics EAH-AZ100, which go for $299 / £259 / AU$478.

In other words, I went into this review expecting great things.

One more thing: the Pro X’s predecessor, the excellent Status Between 3ANC, cost $249 (approx. £249 / AU$399).

Status Audio Pro X review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

12mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

Weight

5g (buds) 48g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IP55

Status Audio Pro X review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

  • Poor battery life
  • Decent noise cancellation
  • Fewer features than rivals

According to Status Audio, the Pro X will last for 8 hours of listening time, with the charging case extending it to 24 hours in total. That figure must be for listening with ANC turned off, because when it was enabled, I got a far shorter listening time: roughly four and a half to five hours. That’s not exactly a competitive stat as it falls below average by a considerable way.

A better feature is the noise cancellation which, while not best-in-class, was solid enough to plaster over annoying background noises. The Ambient mode is one of the better examples of pass-through sound I’ve used, with surrounding sounds fed into your headphones without sounding amplified at all.

You can toggle between these modes using the Status Hub app which also lets you customize the touch controls, choose between one of five equalizer presets (plus a custom mode with an eight-band EQ for the audiophiles), find the buds if you’ve lost them (with location tracking and audio cues), set up multi-point connection and toggle whether your voice is hidden by the ANC when you talk in the phone. Hidden in the app’s settings is a Dynamic EQ mode which boosts bass and treble when the volume is low – it’s turned off by default though.

There are a few features which you may expect at this price point that you’re not getting, including surround-sound audio (see ‘spatial audio’), toggle-able wearer detection, fit tests or the ability to change codec or music stream bitrate. The slender feature set is something we’ve knocked past Status buds for and while there are more here (the Between 3ANC didn’t let you change touch controls, for example, and GPS buds tracking is a great tool), I’d still like to see a little more to justify the price.

In terms of connection specs, the Pro X supports SBC, AAC and LDAC, at 24-bit/96 kHz. In my testing I didn’t have any connection issues between the buds and my phone.

Status Audio Pro X review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

  • Classy look for bud and case
  • Handy touch controls
  • Case supports wireless charging

The Status Audio Pro X are some of the more refined earbuds I’ve tested this year in terms of design. They’re stem-toting buds, although ‘stem’ feels like an odd choice of word for the ellipsoid pillars standing tall from the earbuds.

Despite the size of the stems, which made me worry about the reliability of the ear fit, the Pro X stayed in my ears without any shifting or issues. The touch controls worked well and were easy to use, thanks to the size of the sensor area so you don’t need any precision to pause or skip your music.

The buds have an IP55 rating against dust ingress and jets of water, so don’t submerge them in puddles or sinks if you want them to keep working.

Now onto the case; it’s a small oblong box that weighs about 48g (according to my kitchen scales, though I couldn’t find an official figure from Status Audio). It’s not too huge a case although I did notice it in my trouser pocket. I like how it shares obvious design DNA with the earbuds, though I do feel Status missed a trick by not copying the buds’ two-tone shading.

In a neat addition, the case supports wireless charging, so you don’t need to rely on its USB-C port if you don’t want to.

Something I need to mention is that, during testing, one of the earbud charging connectors in the case stopped working. I wrote this off as an anomalous error and Status were quick to replace the test unit with another one – which didn’t break – but I feel compelled to mention the issue after I discovered a Reddit post in which people shared stories of the same issue happening, albeit in past Status buds.

Status Audio Pro X review: Sound quality

  • 12mm driver + dual balanced armature drivers
  • Equalizer plus loads of presets
  • Max volume should be higher

(Image credit: Future)

Status is putting all its eggs in the ‘sound quality’ basket with the Pro X. The buds have not one, not two but three drivers: a 12mm dynamic driver and two Knowles balanced armature drivers, with the triumvirate designed to individually hit bass, middle and treble respectively.

This gambit pays off: the Pro X sound fantastic and you won’t find much better on the market in the wireless realm. By default the sound profile is neutral, but the aforementioned app presets let you pull oodles of treble or bass out of your tunes – once you work out what each means, due to the lack of a guide (take a guess which has more bass: Status Signature, Status Audiophile or Knowles Preferred? That’s right, there’s no way of knowing – and that’s the only information you’re given). Whatever your taste, you’ll be able to cater your listening to it.

Treble is distinct and sparkling, while bass is well-defined and mids remain clear and strong. The quality is high, and you can hear the inflection in vocals and the squeak of fingers on a guitar string. There isn’t as defined a soundstage as on some other high-end buds though, beyond the natural separation that you can perceive when the quality of lines is higher.

The Pro X don’t go quite as loud as I would’ve liked either; a few times when I was listening outdoors they didn’t reach the volume or oomph I’d have liked to combat noisy situations, despite the decent noise cancellation.

Status Audio Pro X review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

  • Let’s be clear, these are pricey buds
  • …but you can save money with pre-order

It’s always hard to defend the value proposition of top-end buds. After all, premium tech simply doesn’t give you value for money; you can buy decent buds for a third of the price that don’t drop the quality by a third – and the gains sonically here are absolutely worthy if you value them, but they’re incremental.

So Status goes a long way to justifying the Pro X’s price with the high-quality audio and premium design, but the question of whether they’re great value for money would be a lot easier to answer if the feature set was more fleshed out.

Should I buy the Status Audio Pro X?

(Image credit: Future)Swipe to scroll horizontallyStatus Pro X score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The unimpressive battery life and lack of super features hurts the buds

3/5

Design

These look great and fit into ears well.

4/5

Sound quality

The specs don’t lie, and three drivers makes the audio sound fantastic.

4.5/5

Value

Can you expect great value from premium tech? This is pretty good, though the feature set would sway the needle.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Status Audio Pro X review: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Status Pro X

Status Between 3ANC 

AirPods Pro 3

Technics EAH-AZ100

Drivers

12mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

10mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

Custom driver, custom amplifier

10mm driver

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

12 hours (buds) 17 hours (case)

Weight

5g (buds) 48g (case)

13.6g (buds)

5.5g (buds) 44g (case)

5.9g (buds) 42g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP55

IPX5

IP57

IPX4

How I tested the Status Audio Pro X

  • Tested for one month
  • Tested at home, in the office and on walks

As I mentioned earlier in this review, I tested two review samples of the Status Pro X due to one breaking, and it means the total testing period for the buds exceeded a month, longer than we usually give buds.

I paired the buds with my Android phone and used apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube and WhatsApp for various types of testing. I listened at home, on various types of public transport and on walks around my neighborhood.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar since early 2019 and have tested many different earbuds in that time.

  • First reviewed in September 2025

Status Audio Pro X: Price Comparison



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September 27, 2025 0 comments
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Earth' Sound Designer Explains That Xenomorph Baby Talk
Product Reviews

Earth’ Sound Designer Explains That Xenomorph Baby Talk

by admin September 26, 2025



While Alien: Earth fans nervously await FX’s confirmation that the Noah Hawley show will be returning for a second season—that cliffhanger finale made it seem pretty likely—there’s still plenty to ponder about season one. There are lots of big lingering questions around exactly how the superpowered hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler) was able to talk to Xenomorphs—and why these apex predators decided to obey her commands.

The people behind the show aren’t divulging any details just yet, but we do have a little more sense of how Alien: Earth approached those crucial communications.

We get a visceral demonstration of Wendy’s special connection with the Xenomorphs when we see her close encounter with something entirely new in the sci-fi franchise: a sort of toddler-age Xenomorph. We’ve seen eggs, facehuggers, chestbursters, and seven-foot monsters, but a cute li’l Xeno is unexplored territory. That’s right, we said cute—which is exactly how the show’s sound editor/designer, Lee Gilmore, also described it in a new interview with IGN.

“We wanted to make sure that when we see the baby Xeno, when he comes out for the first time and she’s talking to him, there’s almost a cute element to it,” explained Gilmore. “And it was great, because it kind of lulls the audience into… This is a cool little pet, you know. And then he totally rages out and slams himself against the window, and you realize, oh, this thing’s a killing machine.”

One of Gilmore’s biggest challenges for Alien: Earth was coming up with the language Wendy uses to talk to the aliens, no matter their size. It’s a clicking, whirring array of sounds, and the pint-sized guy got his own special adjustments. On the show, it’s totally convincing: these two are fully conversing.

“You had to find a balance between cute, chirpy things that signify that he’s still a baby, and then you slowly start integrating more aggressive sounds,” Gilmore said. “And when he’s full-grown, he has a much deeper body to him… We really were very specific in what kind of low elements we added to it. But once he’s like a full-grown adult Xeno, he’s got a lot more weight, a lot more body to him, his growls, and he’s seething.”

Read the full interview, which goes into a lot more detail about not just the Alien: Earth language but the creation of sci-fi languages in general, at IGN.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



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September 26, 2025 0 comments
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The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL is lit up in green, pink, blue, and orange.
Product Reviews

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review: a vividly colorful smart light with musical talent

by admin September 15, 2025



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review

The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL is a smart lamp and Bluetooth speaker combo that enables you to switch up the vibe in moments.

Available to purchase directly from the Govee website or at Amazon, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL has a list price of $179.99 / £169.99. While the price is certainly on the steep side, if you’re already a big Govee fan and want to save space by incorporating a speaker into your smart light setup, this would be a good way to go about it.

Having said that, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL already been subject to a $20 / £20 discount in the Govee Fall sale, which sweetens the deal a little. That’s despite the fact that it has only been available in the US for around 11 weeks, and less than a week in the UK, at the time of writing.

(Image credit: Future)

Being so used to the Govee Table Lamp 2, which I happen to have two of, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL looks a little on the chonky side. This is understandable, considering it’s packing a speaker and a 5,200mAh rechargeable battery, which can provide up to four and a half hours of playback if the volume and brightness are set to fifty percent.

  • Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL at Amazon for $179.99

There’s a notable difference between the US and UK models when it comes to the power cable. The connector is set at a 90-degree angle in both cases, as the power port is located on the bottom of the lamp, but the US uses a small DC connector, and the UK uses USB-C.

More importantly, the cable for the US model is moulded to a US plug, so you can just plug and play; but in the UK, a USB-C cable is all that’s included, so I needed to source an adapter with a minimum of 35W for it to run efficiently. The first adapter I had to hand turned out to be too low-powered, and the lamp was clearly unimpressed.

(Image credit: Future)

Getting the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL synced with the app and with the WiFi networks in the office and at home was a quick and simple process. There are two separate Bluetooth connections, one for the lamp itself and one for the speaker. I found this a little inconvenient at times, as it seemed I needed to reconnect the speaker in my phone’s Bluetooth settings whenever I’d been out of the room. But overall, it makes sense that it’s set up this way, as one may want to listen to music on their headphones while still enjoying the features of the lamp.

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(Image credit: Future)

There are two elements of the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL’s design that provide eye-catching lighting effects. These are the main body of the lamp, as you’d expect, but also the base, thanks to its clever reflective design. Both elements can be used independently or together, so you can have your lighting effects as stand-out or as subtle as you’d like.

The control panel on the top of the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL was simple to use, with a push power button and four touch buttons for the speakers’ volume controls, playing and pausing, and a button for cycling through nine customizable presets.

(Image credit: Future)

My favorite way to control the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL – and all the Govee products I’ve tested, actually – is by taking advantage of the voice control via my Echo Dot (5th Gen) or hopping onto the feature-packed Govee Home app.

If you’ve already read some of my other product reviews, such as the highly rated Govee Neon Rope Light 2, you’ll already have some idea of how fond I am of the Govee Home app.

Along with the run-of-the-mill power, brightness, and volume controls, it also boasts over 100 preset scenes, with themes ranging from the ocean to the universe. The Govee Home app offers opportunities to get creative with lighting effects, too, with a finger sketch feature that allows you to decorate the canvas with random colors or drawings before choosing a motion setting and speed, as well as an AI effect generator.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

One small niggle I have stems from the preset audio that plays by default when some of the scenes are selected. I found some of them to be somewhat irritating, especially if they caught me by surprise when cycling through the default presets using the onboard controls. Fortunately, they can be disabled in the app, but only one at a time, so I had to go through and turn them off for all of my favorite scenes that were afflicted.

(Image credit: Future)

The audio quality was as I expected from a JBL speaker, by which I mean it was a solid performer. The treble sounds clean, and I could hear a good level of definition in the high-pitched percussion in the background of Sunny Days by Kolter. The bass lacks some impact, but it still has a good weight to it and isn’t bad going, considering the price. Unless you happen to be an audiophile, you’ll probably be perfectly happy with the audio quality on offer here.

The Dynamic Music feature added some fun when listening to music, especially the Gridding and Ripple effects, and was enjoyed by everyone in my office. I did notice they can struggle to hit the right notes if the track has a lot of different elements, but it’s nonetheless a fun dynamic effect, especially when paired with bass-heavy tracks.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL offers eye-catching and day-brightening lighting effects and a satisfying-sounding speaker for the price. So, if you love the look of the Govee Table Lamp 2 and want a solid speaker to listen to tunes, podcasts, or audiobooks, then you’ll be happy wth the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL.

If you’re in the mood to check out more ambience-altering lighting, then why not take a look at our pick of the best smart lights?

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review: Price and specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$179.99 / £169.99

Model

H6020

Colors

Lamp Body: RGBICWW, Base: RGBIC

Lumens

600

Dimensions

6.1 x 6.1 x 10.1 inches / 18.9 x 18.9 x 34cm

Connectivity

2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

App

Yes

Control methods

Alexa, Google Home, Matter, IFTTT, Apple Watch, Razer

Speaker

Sound by JBL 2.5-inch 500cc full-range speaker

Additional features

Rechargeable battery

Should I buy the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL review: Also consider

How I tested the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL

  • I tested the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL for a couple of weeks
  • I tested the different features and customizable settings
  • I observed its performance as a smart light and as a speaker

I used the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL on my desk and next to my bed for a couple of weeks.

I followed the setup process on the Govee Home app and explored its features, testing how different scenes looked, and used the creative features to create my own.

I tested the audio quality by listening to different genres of music and bumping up the volume to assess the output at higher levels.

Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL: Price Comparison



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September 15, 2025 0 comments
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There is an absolute banger of a Feel Good Inc. remix made exclusively out of Stronghold Crusader sound effects, and it is now available on Spotify
Game Reviews

There is an absolute banger of a Feel Good Inc. remix made exclusively out of Stronghold Crusader sound effects, and it is now available on Spotify

by admin September 14, 2025


You’ll always find some sort of otherworldly artifact in your YouTube song mix if you let it run long enough.

I’m not sure how and why the algorithm decided to serve me up this recent banger from Egg Beatz that uses nothing but sound effects from Middle Age strategy game classic Stronghold Crusader to recreate Gorillaz’ legendary Feel Good Inc., but it almost makes up for the precipitous drop it has recently caused to many of my favorite creators’ view count.

(Almost.)

But back to the banger! While you’ll definitely get more out of the song if you have played any of the classic Stronghold games, you can appreciate the skill and effort on display even without any experience with the world of the Rat, the Snake, the Pig, and the Wolf.

Starting off with The Pig’s distorted, slowed-down laughter, and the Arabian Assassin unit’s classic voice line setting the tone, followed by a slow buildup of the ever-so-common “No change in the treasury, lord,” you just immediately know that you’re in good hands.

Then it goes on like this:

“Something is wrong with our hops, mylord

My master thinks we’re losing this war

Gird your loins, sharpen your steel

Failure is not an option, just keep your eyes peeled

I’ll be away from work for a fair while

No space in the stockpile

I heard a rumor, a message from your scribe

Bandits are operating near the castle, lordship.”

Again, all this is arranged to the tune of Feel Good Inc., and it works shockingly well.

The best part? This awesome arrangement is now also available on Spotify, courtesy of the team at Firefly Studios being good sports about such a truly transformative work. For my money, this has now surpassed the legendary Age of Empires 2 theme song remix with the unforgettable Wololo autotune.

Yeah, there are some great gems at the bottom of the internet if you are still willing to rep the classics.

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September 14, 2025 0 comments
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The Sonos Move 2 leaning at a 45-degree angle against the Edifier ES300 in front of a pink background.
Gaming Gear

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: my testing reveals which Wi-Fi speaker offers substantially better sound

by admin September 13, 2025



Not only does the Edifier ES300 sport deliciously retro-styled good looks, but it also offers great connectivity. You can play tunes via Bluetooth, hook up external sources via USB or a 3.5mm jack, or even stream hi-res audio at up to 24bit/96kHz. And with discreet lighting and a built-in battery, it’s a great companion for evening entertaining, even in the garden.

Pros

  • Gorgeous, retro-styled design
  • Capable of 24bit/96kHz hi-res audio
  • More affordable price

Cons

  • Less convincing sound, especially in the bass frequencies
  • Shorter (although decent) battery life
  • Missing some smart features

The Sonos Move 2 may be pricey, but it makes up for that in terms of awesome audio and razor-sharp features. It’s capable of punchy, dynamic sound with hefty bass, while retaining sufficient poise for lighter mixes. Meanwhile, excellent features like Automatic Trueplay room compensation and an epic battery life give it compelling utility.

Pros

  • Fulsome and detailed sound with loud volumes
  • Great battery life in real-world use
  • Premium-feeling build quality

Cons

  • A physical handle would be preferable
  • High price for the audio quality
  • Stereo sound isn’t very effective

The Edifier ES300 is an appealing retro-themed wireless speaker that definitely made a sizeable impression on me when I first received it. There’s something undeniably charming about its premium, old-school radio vibes, with its monochrome color palette and gold accents, and built-in lighting. While many audio products swing for this kind of aesthetic, far fewer successfully hit their target bang on.

However, there’s something else that struck me about it, something that gave me a little bit of gadget deja vu. The Edifier is a bulky Wi-Fi speaker – typically something you’d set and forget in an acoustic sweet spot in your living room, kitchen or bedroom – but, unusually, it also has a battery for listening on the go. This immediately reminded me of another entry in the annals of the best wireless speakers: the Sonos Move 2.

The original Move was considered a bit of an oddity on its release. It was a chonky boi, more at home on a shelf or counter than slung in a backpack and taken camping, and could be used as part of a multi-room speaker system. Yet, it had a built-in battery and IP56 ingress protection, meaning it could easily cope with the great outdoors if you had the means to transport it.


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But the Move definitely identified an ecological niche for itself and the Move 2 that followed it, a seriously smart speaker offering high-end audio and modern connectivity that could easily do double duty spinning tunes at a picnic or a pool party. And that’s a niche that Edifier has seized on with the ES300. So which of these portable Wi-Fi speakers thrives best in this space?

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: price and availability

The Edifier ES300 was first released on June 20, 2025, while the Sonos Move 2 was released back on September 20, 2023. The ES300 has a list price of $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$399, and the Sonos Move 2 has a list price of $449 / £449 / $799. However, deals exist on both: for example, at the time of writing, you can find the ES300 on Amazon UK for £247.76, while the Sonos Move 2 is available from $432.49 at Amazon US.

There are multiple variations of each speaker available. The Edifier ES300 is available in white and gold or black and gold colorways. Meanwhile, the Sonos Move 2 comes in three hues: black, white and ‘olive’ (which, at the risk of sounding pretentious, I’d describe more as artichoke).

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Edifier ES300

Sonos Move 2

Weight

8.2 lbs / 3.7kg

6.61 lbs / 3kg

Dimensions

10.9 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches / 277 x 165 x 165 mm

6.3 x 9.5 x 5 inches / 160 x 241 x 127mm

Battery life (quoted)

12 hours

24 hours

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi, USB, 3.5mm jack

Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB-C

Drivers

4-inch (116mm) mid-bass, 2x 1.25-inch (33mm) tweeter

2x angled tweeters, 1x midwoofer

Aux-in

Yes

Yes (via USB-C adapter)

Charger port

AC power cable

Sonos charging base or USB-C

Microphone

No

Yes

Waterproof rating

None

IP56

Today’s best Edifier ES300 deals

Today’s best Sonos Move 2 deals

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: features

Wireless speakers tend to sit at the bleeding edge when it comes to features, often rocking more innovative functionality than their wired or Bluetooth contemporaries. Neither the Edifier ES300 nor the Sonos Move 2 is an exception to this, although I found that one was appreciably smarter than the other.

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The ES300 features you’ll probably use most are its sound profiles and EQ settings. Edifier provides four preset profiles: Classic, Monitor, Game and Vocal. Some of these felt like odd choices to me. Neither Monitor nor Game really fit the vast majority of users; I’d have thought that including a Bass mode instead would’ve been a no-brainer. Fortunately, it has a six-band EQ that lets you tailor the sound a bit more to your liking, although many cheaper speakers offer a more granular nine-band EQ, such as the Tribit StormBox 2.

At first, the Sonos Move 2 may seem even more limited than this, its main adjustable EQ settings in the app only allowing you to adjust bass, treble and loudness. But its smartest feature is that, for the most part, you shouldn’t ever need to get your hands dirty massaging frequency bands to get better sound. That’s because its Automatic Trueplay algorithm regularly assesses the speaker’s surroundings, calibrating its audio output for the shape of the space it’s in. And it works astoundingly well; I never really felt the need to tinker with its output to rebalance the sound.

One feature that the ES300 has over the Move 2 is its built-in lighting modes. There are three patterns on offer: Static, Breathing and Water-flow (a rather grandiose term for lights that just cycle counter-clockwise). And you can also select between two colors: a cool white and a warmer yellow. While I’d argue this isn’t a radical departure in terms of features, I do find the overall effect pleasing, and I enjoyed it enough that I kept it on even when I wasn’t listening to music.


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Each device gives you a good variety of options for controlling it. The ES300 features some aesthetically pleasing touch-sensitive controls on its top surface, including two dials for setting its volume and the brightness of its built-in light, standard playback controls, and source selection. Meanwhile, the Edifier app provides further options, including configuring the Wi-Fi network, switching sources, setting up the stereo channel, EQ customization and light effect settings.

(Image credit: Future)

The Move 2 features controls on its top surface to handle play/pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, and group or ungroup products. Its app offers you the ability to control multiple features, including network settings, its Automatic Trueplay feature and toggling on loudness correction. You’ll also notice one setting here that you won’t see in the Edifier app: voice control. The Sonos offers you the option to control your speaker using either Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa, something sorely missing from its rival.

When it comes to connectivity, neither speaker exactly reinvents the wheel, but they both come with a good range of options. As you’d expect from a wireless speaker, they both offer Wi-Fi, while the ES300 provides Bluetooth 5.4 and the Move 2 has Bluetooth 5.3. Both devices allow you to play directly from streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal, or you can push out audio direct from your devices via AirPlay 2. In terms of physical ports, the Edifier has a USB port and 3.5mm input, while the Sonos rocks a USB-C port.

There is a slight difference in the audio resolution each device can muster. While the Sonos Move 2 is capable of lossless, CD-quality sound, the Edifier ES300 can stretch to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res sound from compatible sources. Naturally, this means you’ll need to either stream from an LDAC-compatible device, stream ALAC over AirPlay 2, hook up a service capable of hi-res audio like Tidal or plug directly into its 3.5mm jack.

As I remarked when I started this piece, perhaps the most notable feature of either of these Wi-Fi speakers is their built-in battery, something that’s still vanishingly rare in the market.

Both units have decent longevity. I played music continuously on the ES300 over AirPlay 2 at 50% volume with the light off for six hours – during that time, its battery only dropped down to 60%, meaning it could potentially last 15 hours total, significantly more than the 12 hours Edifier predicted. But the Move 2 still blew past this, lasting over 24 hours, meaning it will still be swinging long after its opponent is out for the count.

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: sound quality

Given its pricing and styling, it’s safe to say that I had certain expectations of the Edifier ES300 going into my testing. And yet my initial impression of its sound was honestly pretty lukewarm. It’s okay, but I feel like as you enter the mid-range of the Wi-Fi speaker market, you’re entitled to expect better than just okay. In comparison, the Sonos Move 2 is more expensive but sounds every bit the kind of speaker I’d expect for its price.

Admittedly, when I played Otomo by Bonobo on the Edifier, the woody-sounding percussion was really tightly expressed, while the tribal, choral vocals rose above everything clearly. But it’s when that bassline drops that the specifics of the ES300’s sound profile are laid bare. There’s enough upper bass that you can hear the bass swell – it’s not entirely AWOL, fortunately – but if you’re hoping for anything more tangible than this, you’re going to be left wanting.

Conversely, the Sonos Move 2 brings much more low-end guts to the same drop, giving the track a far more stable foundation. On occasion, it actually could sound a little overblown, with the sub sounding overly resonant and swamping the lower end of the mix. However, I soon discovered that this was an artifact of the speaker’s loudness correction – things sound a lot clearer with it off, although this does come at the cost of some bass presence at lower volumes.

I was a little more impressed with how the ES300 handles vocal-heavy mixes. Sticking on How Does It Feel by London Grammar, I was pleasantly surprised by the rich timbre of the vocals and how they rose above the rest of the mix. But when trying the same tune out on the Move 2, I could see how much I was missing out on – Hannah Reid’s honeyed vocals somehow felt even more rounded and held more gravitas, while the warmth to the track’s low-end and pump to its kick added some much-needed glue that held the mix together.

(Image credit: Future)

A personal pet peeve of mine is when speaker manufacturers pump up the treble to compensate for a lack of dynamism in the lower frequencies. The Edifier, fortunately, doesn’t fall into this trap. Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way is a great track for exposing an overly bright and glassy mix, and yet the ES300 manages to avoid those jangling guitars sounding too sharp. It does pull its punches a little too much compared to the Move 2, though, which gave the transients of the drums much crisper edges and enabled them to puncture through the mix without ever sounding over-exposed.

The Edifier ES300 can occasionally rally, though: at louder volumes, some of those truant frequencies start to labor a little harder. While I was listening to Reflection by Ben Böhmer & Wood, its swelling sub actually put in a proper shift, helping to support its thumping kick. The result wasn’t what I would call balanced, though – naturally, the mids are boosted too, so can be pretty intense – and the Move 2 shows it’s possible to still obtain impressive performance without needing to crank things up to 11.

Perhaps the only area where I felt the ES300 took a palpable lead over the Move 2 is in instrument separation. Listening to Claire de Lune by Kamasi Washington, it gave each element room to play, with the layered brass playfully dancing around the bass and piano.

Conversely, while Sonos’s speaker offered fuller, more cohesive sound, this occasionally felt like it came at the expense of more discrete expression of different instruments. This could well be the work of Move 2’s Automatic Trueplay algorithm, though, with it slightly compressing the dynamic range to prevent subtler elements getting lost in the space.

All told, I found the Move 2 offers far more consistent, authentic sound compared to the Edifier ES300. It seems capable of a wider frequency range, outdoing its rival at both the high and low end, giving far more depth and context to a range of genres. Yes, the latter rallies a little at higher volumes, but I’d expect a speaker at this kind of price point to be more consistent at different loudness levels.

Today’s best Edifier ES300 deals

Today’s best Sonos Move 2 deals

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: design

One area where the Edifier ES300 shines is in its design. In some ways, I feel that this is a speaker designed more to be seen than heard. Particularly in its white and gold colorway, it effortlessly nails that retro vibe so many speaker brands have aimed for and yet rarely hit.

Wrapping the ES300’s handcrafted wooden speaker case is a ‘leather-like’ coating in either cream or black. Despite being a crunchy veggie, I’m not always keen on this kind of leatherette finish – rather than feeling vintage, it often comes across as cheap and a bit tacky – but here it feels pleasingly tactile and premium. Woven from braided fabric, the speaker cover comes in either beige or black, while the plastic grille beneath is picked out in gold across both models. Cumulatively, this all helps the ES300 stand out in a market crowded with dull black boxes.

The Edifier’s built-in lighting is the cherry on top. Admittedly, the two hues and three lighting modes it offers aren’t exactly a scintillating aurora, but there’s no end of party speakers out there that can drench you in a cocktail of kaleidoscopic color, so in some ways the level of restraint shown here is a breath of fresh air. Wave a hand over the Edifier’s top surface and its buttons light up as well, albeit in a cold white tone – it surely wouldn’t have been hard to have this shift with the hue of its main light, but that’s a minor nitpick.

In comparison, the Sonos Move 2 defines itself more by its brains than its beauty. It’s an elliptical cylinder, with a gentle curve toward the base where it nestles into its cradle. This is also a nice touch, as rather than having to plug in a power cable to juice up its battery, you can simply plop it down in its little nest to recharge.

(Image credit: Future)

The bottom quarter and control panel on top of the Move 2 are made of matte plastic – this feels gorgeously smooth to the touch, with the olive/artichoke green coloration on the model I tested adding more visual interest than the plain black or white colorways. Meanwhile, the rest of the device is covered in a fine metal grille. Overall, it’s an attractive package, but it’s undeniably modern and gadgety compared to the more retro vibes the ES300 aims for.

For the most part, which device takes the lead for you is likely a matter of personal taste. However, one clear area in which Sonos unarguably leads is weatherproofing. While the Edifier has no protection against either splashes or dust ingress, the Move 2 offers IP56 protection, which should not only prevent grit and dust from interfering with its workings but can also withstand powerful water jets from any direction. So if you want a poolside companion, the Sonos is the undeniable champ.

Given that both speakers are designed to be semi-portable, their comparative bulk will be an important consideration. With the ES300 weighing in at 8.2 lbs (3.7kg) and the Move 2 at 6.61 lbs (3kg), neither of them is what I’d consider light, but they’re both movable enough that you won’t struggle carting them from room to room or out to the garden. Ultimately, though, the Sonos takes the edge for me in terms of maneuverability – it has a useful carry handle built into its back, which the Edifier lacks, making the former more convenient for moving as you drift from room to room.

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: value

There’s a pretty major caveat to everything I’ve said so far: price. While I’d argue the Edifier ES300 and Sonos Move 2 are both firmly mid-range speakers, there’s still a noticeable difference in their cost. The ES300 has a list price of $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$399, and the Sonos Move 2 has a list price of $449 / £449 / $799, meaning the latter costs a fair slice more. And this gap is only widened once you factor in sales prices on the ES300, which, at the time of writing, was discounted down to £247.76 at Amazon UK.

However, price doesn’t necessarily translate directly to value. And when you look at all of the extras you get with the Sonos Move 2, that price suddenly seems a lot more justified. Not only is the Move 2 crammed with smart features like Automatic Trueplay and voice-assistant support, it also offers superior sound with better-sculpted bass. While I do marginally give the Edifier ES300 the edge when it comes to looks, the Sonos is a bit more portable, and its IP56 rating makes it much more usable outdoors.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a wireless speaker with a built-in battery, you’re going to get a lot more mileage out of the Sonos Move 2. That extra $99.01 / £201.24 / AU$400 isn’t small change, but I do feel it’s worth saving for a little longer and making the investment in smarter features and more expressive, well-rounded sound.

(Image credit: Future)

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Move 2: verdict

Maybe I should have sprinkled some spoiler warnings throughout this versus piece, because I’ve probably already given away the ending. Despite an attractive design, the odd novel feature, and its capacity for hi-res audio, the Edifier ES300 just can’t quite KO the champ of portable Wi-Fi speakers.

Fundamentally, the Sonos Move 2 is smarter, with both its automatic audio-tuning and voice control running intellectual rings around the Edifier. Additionally, its sound covers a broader range of frequencies, offering crisper treble and whomping bass – it has a confidence that its rival can’t quite muster. Add in that IP56 ingress protection and lengthy 24-hour battery life, and you’ve got a set of specs that few mid-range wireless speakers can challenge.

Unless you’re head-over-heels in love with the ES300’s looks or you simply don’t have the extra dough to stump up for Sonos’s pricier speaker, the Move 2 is the one you’re gonna want to put your money on here.

Today’s best Edifier ES300 deals

Today’s best Sonos Move 2 deals

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September 13, 2025 0 comments
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It doesn't sound like we've heard the last from MachineGames' Wolfenstein series
Game Updates

It doesn’t sound like we’ve heard the last from MachineGames’ Wolfenstein series

by admin September 8, 2025


Indiana Jones and the Great Circle studio MachineGames may right now have its focus on the whip-wielding professor, but it hasn’t forgotten its Wolfenstein heritage. In fact, in the words of studio head Jerk Gustafsson, the team would like to work on a New Colossus sequel.

As part of a recent ‘The Making of Wolfenstein’ documentary by Noclip, Gustafsson said MachineGames had always pictured a trilogy of Wolfenstein games to wrap up the story of BJ, or to give him his proper title – Terror-Billy, the scourge of the Nazi empire.


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“That journey for BJ, even during those first weeks at id, when we mapped out New Order, we still had the plan for at least [BJ], what would happen in the second one and what would happen in the third one,” the developer said (thanks, PC Gamer).

“I think that’s important to say, because – at least I hope – we’re not done with Wolfenstein yet.

“We have a story to tell.”

Is this something you would hope to see realised? You can check out the full Noclip video about the making of Wolfenstein below.

The Making of Wolfenstein – Noclip. Watch on YouTube

As for the here and now of MachineGames, the studio has just released its Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLC, known as Order of Giants.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.



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Crime-solving sheep? It might sound like a Worms game spinoff but it’s actually an awesome novel with a bit of existential angst sprinkled in
Game Reviews

Crime-solving sheep? It might sound like a Worms game spinoff but it’s actually an awesome novel with a bit of existential angst sprinkled in

by admin September 7, 2025


Fun takes on genre fiction can be simply delightful. Fantasy but X, sci-fi but Y: pairings like this offer unique settings and rulesets for author and reader to get entangled in. So is the case with Three Bags Full, a crime story focusing on a flock of sheep who try to figure out who is responsible for the death of their shepherd.

Fluffy mysteries all around

In a sleepy Irish village, lonely shepherd George Glenn tends to a very unusual flock. From smartypants to philosophers, raging rams with mysterious pasts and cloud-loving thinkers, these are the perfect sheep to have if you want to figure out a human homicide.

With the first chapter, titled Othello Boldly Grazes Past, the story begins thus:

“‘He was healthy yesterday,’ said Maude. Her ears twitched nervously.

‘That doesn’t mean anything,’ pointed out Sir Ritchfield, the oldest ram in the flock. ‘He didn’t die of an illness. Spades are not an illness.’”

And with this astute observation, the story sets off in earnest.

Of course, the village is not as sleepy as it looks. Armed with a very limited understanding of human nature and psychology, the sheep embark on a hilarious adventure where they hop from misunderstanding to misunderstanding, still inadvertently pushing the plot along. Around them, the human cast tells a story of an almost Scandinavian crime-like slow burner of a saga with surprisingly high stakes considering the sleepy setting. As the sheep have no idea what is truly going on, the humans also can’t fathom (or expect) that the flock is an active participant in the events that transpire. It’s a comedy of errors, full of dramatic irony, and a delightful bit of fun.

It is also an impressive authorial tightrope walk, layering the story in a way where no one is working with full information until the very end, and it’s the reader who actually has the most of the cards throughout—though not enough to fully piece together what was going on until the very end.

Baa-nal? Not at all

That said, if you are looking for action in your fiction, you have come to the wrong place. (It is a book about sheep solving their shepherd’s murder, so what were you expecting?) But if you enjoy the classic “small town where everyone has secrets” setting, especially featuring the British countryside—think Broadchurch but fun—then this slow burn of a bleat comes highly, highly recommended.

Anthea Bell’s translation does a great job of maintaining the tone, despite the obvious differences in linguistic function between the original German prose and its English reimagining. The change of the original title—Glennkill, which is perhaps a bit too on the nose, even though it also refers to the name of the village where the story takes place—is an acceptable sacrifice, too, considering how it lines up better with the follow-up book’s variant on the theme.

Photo by Destructoid

Yes, if you want a second helping, you’re in luck: The book’s sequel, titled Big Bad Wool in English, has finally been translated this summer, sixteen years after the original. While it’s more on the thriller side of things rather than mystery, it is still advertised as “a sheep detective story,” so caveat emptor on that one. That one is on my to-read list right now, so expect me to revisit Miss Maple and co. at some point later in the year.

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DT 72 IE in a hand, showcasing the small driver housings
Product Reviews

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: excellent analytical sound for vocals and guitars, if not for bass heads

by admin August 30, 2025



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE: Two-minute review

Here’s a thing very few of the best wired earbuds offer, at least in the mass-produced consumer space: specialized tuning for each member of your band – yes, even the bass player. But that’s what Beyerdynamic did at the very start of the year, releasing not one but four sets of IEMs tuned just slightly differently, in a bid to give each of your musician friends what they need.

The set I have under review here is the DT 72 IE, “for guitarists and singers”. These IEMs boast a “subtly tuned bass” so as not to overwhelm during performance. The optimized frequency response here is also listed as between 200-500 Hz to compensate for the occlusion effect. This is a known issue wherein the perception one’s own voice is too loud, hollow, or even boomy due to the ear canal’s obstruction (with said IEMs, funnily enough) and the trapping of sonic vibrations within.

What of the rest of the range? DT 70 IE is billed as the set “for mixing and critical listening”. DT 71 IE is “for drummers and bassists” with a sound signature that Beyerdynamic says “enhances low frequencies while ensuring detailed reproduction of cymbals, percussion and bass guitar overtones”. DT 73 IE is the pair for the orchestral musician, pianist or keyboard player, with extra care taken on treble overtones (there’s a subtle boost from 5kHz upwards).

I think it’s fair to say that given the asking fee of whichever set you pick (which is $499, or anywhere from £431 to £479 in the UK, so around AU$900) these are IEMs for the successful musician – something emphasized by acclaimed jazz pianist, gospel artist and producer Cory Henry and Gina Miles (winner of The Voice Season 23) who both agreed to help showcase the new products in January of this year.

(Image credit: Future)

  • Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE at Sweetwater Sound for $579.99

Am I qualified to give these singer-specific buds a thorough appraisal? I’d say so. It’s been a while, granted, but I’ve performed in several big musicals, films, and a fair few gigs over the years, often with a trusty pair of cheap and cheerful Shure SE215 in (or hanging out of) my ears. Hey, I sang solo and covered leads, y’know…

The Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are not like my old Shure workhorses, though, reader. This is what I would have bought myself if I’d been making something other than a lowly performer’s wage, and/or had the promise of work engagements lasting for more than six months at a time. The latter is something not even the best of us regularly gets… and I was far from the best.

But let’s put the delicate topics of coin and talent to one side. The DT 72 IE are very well made. The case is fabric but pocketable and holds its shape – the 1.4m cable will not tangle, is near-silent and comes with a 3.5mm termination and 6.35 mm adapter. The headshells are beautifully small. Your accessories are also resoundingly high-end: alongside the five pairs of silicone ear tips, you also get three in Comply memory foam (which I’ll always go for, if they’re offered). You even get a spare set of earwax guards and detailed instructions on how to switch them out, if and when the need arises.

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You’ll need to shape the ear hooks yourself, but once you take a moment to get it right, I found them very comfortable and also hardly noticeable (from a visual perspective) once in my ear. So far, so successful.

What about for sound? I fired up my FiiO M23 and a few of my old audition standards. Now, I had no access to the pro mixer, mic or gain stages I used to enjoy, back in the day – so full disclosure: I couldn’t set any of that up. What follows is my analysis of the DT 72 IE as listening devices to analyze my own recorded vocals and also to record a quick demo – en route to a last-minute audition, say.

And, good grief, did I hear extra detail and even a bit of vib to be proud of in my own rendition of The Show Must Go On from 2018, sung as an aerialist/singer in a German Queen tribute show called We Are the Champions. All true, I promise.

It’s as if guitar riffs and my voice has been plucked from the soundstage and held above the mix in a surgical layering system, like items to be admired (or admonished) aside from all else. It’s exactly what your lead vocalist of axe man needs, to hone their craft and I wish I’d had them when performing every day. If I’d had the DT 72 IE, I might’ve realized I was just a touch flat when trying to reach “for waiting up there is the Heaviside layer” on that cruise ship gig…

Any drawbacks to the DT 72 IE sonically? This is an analytical listen, rather than an exciting one. From a listener’s perspective, things can feel just a little flat on occasion. This is because the bass injection has been pulled back and so, dynamically, tracks can feel just a touch uneventful. Beyerdynamic has expressed as much and offers another model for critical listening and/or mixing, but it’s still worth stating for those who want something to lay down tracks with and to listen purely for the pleasure of doing so.

Personally, I love them. If your favorite aspect of recorded music is the lead singer and/or the guitar solos, you may have found the set of IEMs for you. No, they’re not neutral – that’s the whole point.

(Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Price and release date

  • Released on January 23, 2025
  • Priced $499 / from £431 (around AU$900)

It’s important to state that the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are not unique – IEMs pitched squarely at vocalists exist (from companies such as Moondrop, 64 Audio and even Sennheiser) and the 64 Audio U12t, for example, costs four times as much as the Beyer product you’re reading about.

The Sennheiser IE 100 Pro, however, (a popular choice among the musicians I know) cost around a fifth of the DT 72 IE’s asking fee. So it really is a mixed bag…

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

Dynamic (closed)

Weight

3g per earpiece (without ear tip)

Frequency range

5Hz – 40kHz

Waterproof rating

None

Other features

No in-line mic, plenty of accessories

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

What these earbuds are designed for has been beautifully achieved – no more, no less

5/5

Sound quality

If picking out the vocal or guitar is what you need, they deliver. If you want to listen casually, too, they may not be for you – but that’s hardly fair

4.5/5

Design

Beautifully svelte earpieces and cable, only let down by the need to bend (and re-bend) the ear hooks yourself

4.5/5

Value

To call them ‘mid-range’ feels unfathomable, but the prices you can pay in this niche sector of the market are variable, to say the least

4/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Also consider

This particular product is a tad niche for TechRadar (we’re not a dedicated musician or performer site, as you’ll know) but personal experience has taught me that Shure’s 215 SE are often the entry-level option here, as are the Sennheiser IE 100 Pro – both of which are a lot cheaper than the model listed above.

Are they as good? No, that wouldn’t be fair given the dearth in price – and that’s the point I want make here: if you have the money, the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are very, very good for singers and guitarists.

(Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: How I tested

  • Tested across two weeks
  • Used at home, listening to my vocal recordings and regular testing tracks
  • Predominantly tested using my iPhone (and hi-res Flac files on my laptop)

I had to go back to 2018 (the last time I sang professionally, and the year before I became a full-time audio journalist) in the name of testing the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE.

I revisited a time when money was tight but professional fulfilment was plentiful. I had work! Lots of it – and I also had a post-grad degree to pay for. I listened to both my own vocals (even the ones recorded quickly as voice memos on my iPhone, to learn a tricksy harmony line in rehearsal) and then to everything from Melissa Etheridge to Ginuwine – both of whom I love for what they’ve given to music.

And know this: the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE were never uncomfortable and always enlightening during my testing.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: August 2025

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE: Price Comparison



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panasonci z95b showing image of leaf onscreen
Product Reviews

Panasonic Z95B review: a flagship OLED TV that combines refined pictures with powerful sound

by admin August 25, 2025



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Panasonic Z95B: Two-minute review

The Panasonic Z95B is the latest flagship TV to enter what is turning out to be a very competitive OLED TV market in 2025. Whereas some of those models – specifically those from Samsung and LG – are making a bet on high brightness to distinguish themselves among the best TVs, Panasonic is pushing accuracy with the Z95B, and the effort can be seen in its refined, natural, and finely detailed picture.

For the Panasonic Z95B, the company opted to use the same Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display found in the LG G5. This new panel tech has a ‘four-stack’ structure, with separate red and green OLED layers sandwiched between two blue layers, and it accounts for the Z95B’s rich color display and high brightness capability – I recorded brightness measurements as high as 2,107 nits, though brightness is considerably more limited in several of the TV’s picture presets such as Filmmaker Mode, which is a quirk I’ll dig into later in the review.

The Z95B’s predecessor, the Panasonic Z95A, distinguished itself as one of the best TVs for sound with its powerful 5.1.2-channel built-in speaker array. This same ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ system carries over to the Z95B, though Panasonic has made improvements to the speaker drivers, speaker layout, and woofer output. The result is one of the best built-in TV speaker systems you can buy, with sound that’s clear, powerful, and immersive enough that you could easily get away with not using an external soundbar.

Those speakers on the Z95B are concealed behind a gray mesh fabric that runs along the TV’s top, bottom, and sides, and gives it a solid, dignified appearance. A pedestal stand that swivels in either direction to accommodate a range of seating positions is a bonus, though the included, basic remote control seems at odds with the TV’s premium design.

Panasonic uses Amazon Fire TV as its smart TV system, and it’s a serviceable, but ad-driven platform that really would like you to be a Prime Video subscriber and devotee of other Amazon services and products. Fire TV’s Live TV portal is particularly friendly to users of the best indoor antennas, though, and the Z95B supports ATSC 3.0 broadcasts for viewers in the US.

Gaming is well supported on the Z95B, with 4K at 144Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, and variable refresh rate, including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, all accounted for. HDMI 2.1 ports supporting those features are limited to two, rather than the four HDMI 2.1 ports we look for on the best gaming TVs, but the Z95B’s powerful built-in speaker system makes that less of an issue than it normally would be.

Panasonic OLED TVs are typically priced higher than their Samsung and LG counterparts, particularly in the UK, but the Z95B was priced around the same as its competition at launch, and has already seen discounts. Given its impressive picture and sound quality, it’s one of 2025’s best OLED TVs, and a very good overall value among premium TVs.

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  • Panasonic Z95B 4K OLED TV at Amazon for $2,399.99

Panasonic Z95B review: Price and release date

The Fire TV Ambient Experience lets you choose images and artworks to display when the TV is in standby mode (Image credit: Future)

  • Release date: June 2025
  • 55-inch: $2,599 / £2,499
  • 65-inch: $3,399 / £2,999
  • 77-inch: $4,699 / £3,999

The Panasonic Z95B is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, with that last option an expansion on last year’s Z95A series, which was only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes. Prices for all Z95B series TVs have dropped since launch, with all screen sizes now selling for several hundred less in both the US and the UK.

At the reduced price, the Z95B series is now priced in line with its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. For example, the 65-inch Panasonic is now selling for around $3,000 in the US. In that same screen size, you’ll find both the LG G5 and the Sony Bravia 8 II priced around $3,000, and the Samsung S95F at $3,299.

Panasonic Z95B review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Screen type:

Primary Tandem RGB OLED

Refresh rate:

144Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

Fire TV

HDMI ports:

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 3.0 (US)

Panasonic Z95B review: Benchmark results

Panasonic Z95B review: Features

The Z95B’s four HDMI ports, including two inputs with 4K 144Hz support (Image credit: Future)

  • Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display
  • Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support
  • 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics speaker array

The Panasonic Z95B uses a new Primary RGB Tandem panel OLED display with a notably higher brightness capability than the Master OLED Ultimate panel with micro lens array tech used in its Panasonic Z95A predecessor. Panasonic additionally uses a ThermalFlow aerodynamic cooling system that helps to maximize peak brightness by improving airflow through the TV.

Panasonic has carried over the same HCX Pro AI Processor MK II from the Z95A to the Z95B. This advanced picture processor uses dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) to ensure accurate colors across a range of picture brightness levels and provides 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro features to improve detail and motion handling.

Panasonic models continue to be the only OLED TVs in the US to support both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats (Philips OLEDs in the UK have the same capability), and in the Z95B, that’s supplemented by Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive for automatic picture brightness adjustments across a range of lighting conditions. Picture presets include Filmmaker Mode and Panasonic’s True Cinema and True Game modes, along with Netflix and Prime Video Calibrated modes for automatic picture optimization when streaming from those services.

The Panasonic Z95A quickly earned a spot as the best option for built-in sound quality in multiple TechRadar best TVs lists, and the new Z95B also features a ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ built-in 5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system – this time with redesigned speaker drivers and speaker layout, and higher bass output. This differs from the built-in speaker arrays found on most other TVs in providing a dedicated center channel speaker, along with side-firing and upfiring speaker drivers for enhanced immersion.

As with picture settings, the Z95B features a wide range of sound settings. Key among these is Space Tune, for automatically tuning the TV’s sound output using the remote control’s built-in mic, and Sound Focus, which lets you adjust the directionality of the TV’s sound using beam-forming to accommodate off-center seating positions.

Panasonic switched to the Amazon Fire TV smart TV interface back in 2024, and Fire TV on the Z95B features optimized voice control features for content discovery and navigation, a hands-free control option, and an interface that can be personalized for multiple users. Live TV channels, including ones pulled in by the TV’s ATSC 3.0 tuner, can be integrated into the smart interface for browsing and also customized for a ‘personalized Live-TV Experience.’

Gaming features on the Z95B include a True Game mode with latency reduction, a Game sound mode, and a Game Board onscreen menu for making quick adjustments while gaming. Two of the TV’s four HDMI ports also support HDMI 2.1 features such as 4K 144Hz and VRR, including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync.

Panasonic Z95B review: Picture quality

Ambient Experience options include full-motion and AI-generated images plus information widgets (Image credit: Future)

  • High brightness capability for an OLED TV
  • Brightness is limited in Filmmaker and other picture modes
  • Rich color and excellent detail

The first thing to say about the Panasonic Z95B’s picture is that, while the TV is capable of high brightness, it’s not as bright as its premium OLED TV competition when its most accurate picture presets – Filmmaker Mode, True Cinema, and Cinema – are used and left at their default settings.

That’s because Panasonic is prioritizing picture accuracy over brightness here, and those modes limit peak brightness based on the maximum mastered brightness level of the source – typically 1,000 nits for most content.

Correspondingly, I measured Z95B’s peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode at 992 nits, while its fullscreen brightness in that mode was 347 nits. After bumping up the luminance level of my test pattern source, peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode jumped to 2,107 nits, and the TV’s EOTF (the equivalent gamma for HDR) also remained accurate at that brightness level.

Viewers not wanting to deal with any brightness limitations could instead opt for the Standard picture preset, which had a measured peak HDR brightness of 1,835 nits, and 327 nits fullscreen brightness. Panasonic also provides settings in the TV’s HDR submenu that let you manually set HDR tonemapping and luminance clipping levels, and these can be used to help optimize brightness. Needless to say, this is great news for tweakers, but a potential source of annoyance for others who don’t like to sift through menu settings.

As for other numbers, the Z95B’s coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces in Filmmaker Mode measured 99.9% and 79.1%, respectively – both impressive results. The average Delta-E value (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen, with a result lower than 3 being undetectable by the human eye) for color point accuracy was 2.6, and it was 3.2 for grayscale accuracy.

The Z95B has high peak brightness capability, but brightness is limited by default in specific picture modes, such as Filmmaker Mode (Image credit: Future)

For most of my Z95B evaluation, I viewed it in dimmed lighting, and such conditions allowed the Panasonic’s picture to fully shine. The set does use an anti-reflection screen, and while this works to a degree, I could still see mirror-like reflections from lamps and overhead lights, and picture contrast was also lessened with my room lights on.

After watching the recent movie Weapons in the theater, I was motivated to stream the director’s earlier movie, Barbarian (on Netflix in 4K), and the Z95B did an excellent job of displaying the deep black of the house’s basement and fleshing out shadows in the corridors of the creepy, dungeon-like space. For this movie, I used Netflix Calibrated Mode, which by default made it too dark, but the TV’s multiple black level adjustments allowed me to tweak the picture for a more balanced look.

Wild Robot was up next, and I streamed it in 4K with Dolby Vision using the TV’s Dolby Vision Dark preset – one that I’m happy to report turned off motion smoothing by default. The jungle and creatures in this animated movie were displayed with rich, vivid color. The picture also looked fantastically detailed and clean, with the textures in the computer-generated images giving the picture a near-3D quality.

I like to use the Netflix series Ripley in TV evaluations because of its sumptuous cinematography (by frequent Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Robert Elswit). The Z95B certainly did not disappoint here, displaying the wide range of fine gray tones in the black and white images of Italian villages and villas with an impressive level of subtlety.

Dolby Vision Dark mode proved to be a good match for Ripley, but in this case, when I switched to Netflix Calibrated mode, the picture retained both its subtle grayscale and contrast punch.

No Time to Die is one of my go-to reference 4K Blu-rays, and when I watched the scene where James Bond walks across a craggy hillside cemetery, the Z95B’s picture looked impressively solid, with only a minimal level of judder. I often find myself applying some level of motion adjustment to TVs after checking this scene, but the Z95B’s motion handling was good enough that I didn’t feel any need to.

  • Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Sound quality

The Z95B features a rear-mounted subwoofer with dual passive radiators (Image credit: Future)

  • 5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array
  • 360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics
  • Sound Focus feature adjusts for off-center seating

The Z95B features a built-in 5.1.2-channel, 160W speaker array, with the front-facing left, center, and right-channel speakers contained in a soundbar-like enclosure at the screen’s bottom. Along with these, there are newly designed line-array speakers positioned at the sides and top surface of the TV, along with a subwoofer and dual passive bass radiators located around the back.

This ‘360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics’ Dolby Atmos sound system is more elaborate than what you’ll find on most TVs, and its performance is good enough that you can easily use it in place of one of the best soundbars. Panasonic has also introduced enhanced two-channel and 5.1-channel upmixing on the Z95B which it says can “deliver immersive rear sound without rear speakers,” though the TV’s virtual processing comes short of delivering on that claim.

As with the picture, there are extensive sound presets on the Z95B, along with settings for customizing the sound. After using Space Tune, a feature that uses the remote control’s built-in mic to calibrate the TV’s sound output for your viewing environment, I found that many of the presets sounded too bright for my taste and opted for the User preset, which provides Sound Field and Bass Boost settings to customize the sound, along with an eight-band EQ adjustment.

Once adjusted, dialogue projected clearly and sounded natural, and even music sounded good, as I confirmed when watching Queens of the Stone Age Alive in the Catacombs, an acoustic performance by the band recorded in the catacombs beneath Paris. The sound effects in action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road had a high level of spatial precision, and the TV’s powerful speaker array delivered a strong impact on engine roars and crashes during the movie’s many vehicle chase scenes.

Another key Z95B feature is Sound Focus, which uses beam-forming processing to change the direction of the speaker output to accommodate off-center seating positions. You can choose Pinpoint, Area, Spot, or Ambient settings, each of which provides a different level of soundfield width. Testing this, I used the Pinpoint setting to aim the sound at the far end of my sofa, and the TV’s soundstage clearly shifted 30 degrees off from center.

  • Sound quality score: 5 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Design

Image 1 of 2

The Z95B’s swiveling pedestal stand(Image credit: Future)The mesh fabric grille covering the TV’s top- and side-mounted speakers(Image credit: Future)

  • Swiveling stand
  • Wide range of input and control ports
  • Flimsy remote control

With its two-inch depth, the Z95B, while slimmer than its Z95A predecessor, is still on the bulky side for an OLED TV. That girth is a necessity given the TV’s substantial built-in speakers, however, and the Z95B still manages to maintain a sleek look when viewed straight on.

An attractive dark gray fabric mesh covers both the front-facing and side- and top-firing speakers, and the TV’s sturdy aluminum pedestal stand can be swiveled – a useful feature to accommodate a range of viewing positions.

The Z95B’s extensive connections include four HDMI ports (with two HDMI 2.1) and both optical digital audio and a 3.5mm headphone output that can also be configured for connecting an external subwoofer. An ATSC 3.0 tuner connection can be used for viewing ‘NextGen’ digital TV broadcasts in the US, and there are also powered USB and Ethernet ports, and an IR blaster output.

Panasonic hasn’t changed the flimsy remote control that previously shipped with the Z95A for the Z95B. And while that’s disappointing given this TV’s premium price, it mostly does the job and features a built-in mic for Alexa voice commands.

There’s no input select button on the US remote for changing inputs – one of my pet peeves with TV remotes – but you can configure one of the controls to switch to a specific input on the TV, along with a range of other options such as selecting a specific streaming app.

Panasonic Z95B review: Smart TV and menus

Image 1 of 2

The main Fire TV home screen(Image credit: Future)The Live TV guide screen on Fire TV(Image credit: Future)

  • Amazon Fire TV smart TV platform
  • Live program grid with broadcast channels customization
  • Extensive array of picture and sound adjustments

Panasonic TVs use Amazon Fire TV for a smart TV system, and the version you’ll see on the Z95B is essentially the same as what’s found on Amazon’s own Fire TV lineup. The top half is occupied by ads, many for Amazon streaming and VOD offerings, while a horizontal bar cutting across the center contains input selection, My Stuff, search, and Live TV tabs, along with a customizable row of streaming apps and a gear icon for advanced menus.

The bottom section contains a grid of recommended program options culled from free TV and subscription apps, and if you scroll down, you’ll see a seemingly endless range of these, with everything from political news to the latest cooking videos.

Fire TV’s Live TV portal features a grid guide option that lets you browse channels grouped in a range of categories such as Antenna Channels, Sports, News by Fire TV, and more. Digital broadcast stations can be arranged into lists, with the option to favorite your regularly watched channels, and to hide ones like home shopping networks that you’d prefer to shut out.

Fire TV provides a greater range of customization for browsing both free broadcast and streamed TV channels than most other smart interfaces, so it’s a good option for antenna users.

The Fire TV Ambient Experience provides a wide assortment of still and motion images that can be displayed when the TV is in standby mode. (It can also be accessed at any time by pressing and holding the power on/off button on the remote.) Along with the supplied content library, you can access personal photos (you’ll first need to upload these using the Amazon Photos app on your phone).

You can also use Alexa voice commands to create AI-generated images for your Ambient Experience library, though, as I found when experimenting with this feature, political content is not permitted.

Panasonic provides a much wider range of picture and sound adjustment options in the setup menus than most other TVs. I hit the high points for sound in the Sound Quality section above, but the Z95B’s picture menus include an almost over-the-top array of advanced adjustments.

To list just a few, the Brightness menu has multiple advanced settings for configuring black levels, and there’s an HDR submenu that lets you set EOTF type, HDR tonemapping, and luminance clipping levels. For color, you can switch between Rec. 2020, DCI-P3, Adobe, and Rec. 709 color gamuts.

The reason for all these adjustments is that Panasonic’s OLED TVs are used in post-production facilities as reference monitors, but in the majority of instances, you’ll want to leave things set to Auto.

  • Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5

Panasonic Z95B review: Gaming

The Z95B’s Game Bar menu overlay (Image credit: Future)

  • Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support
  • FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync VRR
  • 12.7ms input lag is average

The Z95B’s gaming features include two HDMI ports with 4K at 144Hz, FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync VRR support, and Dolby Vision gaming. There’s a True Game picture and a Game sound mode, and Panasonic’s Game Board onscreen menu can be called up to make quick and easy adjustments to parameters like dark visibility, sound mode, and variable refresh rate.

Input lag measured with a Bodnar 4K meter was 12.7ms, which is an average level for a TV. The best gaming TVs can hit the 9ms range, but the Z95B’s input lag is minimal enough that the vast majority of gamers will find it more than acceptable.

Panasonic Z95B review: Value

The Z95B’s remote control is flimsy and lacks backlighting and an input select button (Image credit: Future)

  • Priced the same as top OLED competition
  • Built-in sound enhances value
  • Less extensive gaming features than competition

The Panasonic Z95B is currently priced on par with, or even less than, its premium OLED competition from LG, Samsung, and Sony. Choosing between this year’s top OLED TVs is tougher than ever, but I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with the Z95B’s picture, though the Samsung S95F and LG G5 may be better options for those wanting to view in bright rooms.

One thing that enhances the Z95B’s value is its powerful sound. For that reason, you could consider using this TV without a soundbar, though the built-in speakers aren’t necessarily a match for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar systems with separate rear-channel speakers and a subwoofer.

An argument could be made that the Z95B is a lesser gaming TV than the Samsung S95F and LG G5, both of which feature four HDMI 2.1 ports, lower input lag, and cloud-based gaming from apps including Xbox. But the Z95B’s lower HDMI 2.1 port count won’t be an issue if you’re using its built-in speakers, and as a Fire TV, there is Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming app, which features popular games like Fortnite.

Should I buy the Panasonic Z95B?

(Image credit: Future)Swipe to scroll horizontallyPanasonic Z95B

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A fine selection of features led by sound processing modes for room tuning and off-center seating accommodation

4.5 / 5

Picture quality

Capable of high brightness for an OLED, but many of the TV’s preset picture modes favor a more subtle, balanced, and accurate images

5 / 5

Sound quality

Powerful built-in 5.1.2-channel speakers distinguish the Z95B from other TVs and is good enough that a soundbar isn’t exactly needed

5 / 5

Design

A slightly bulky form factor due to its built-in speakers, but otherwise a sleek design with a swiveling pedestal stand. Remote control could use work

4 / 5

Smart TV and menus

Amazon Fire TV isn’t the best smart TV platform, but it does the job for streaming and Amazon subscribers and Alexa users will find it useful

4 / 5

Gaming

A good set of gaming features and solid overall gaming performance

4 / 5

Value

A very good value compared to other premium OLED TVs, and its value is enhanced by its excellent built-in sound

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Panasonic Z95B: Also consider…

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Panasonic Z95B

LG G5

Samsung S95F

Sony Bravia 8 II

List price (65-inch)

$3,399 / £2,999

$3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299

$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299

$3,499 / £2,999 / AU$4,999

Screen type

Primary Tandem RGB OLED

Primary Tandem RGB OLED

QD-OLED

QD-OLED

Refresh rate

144Hz

165Hz

165Hz

120Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HLG

Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

DolbyVision/HDR10/HLG

Smart TV

Fire TV

webOS

Tizen

Google TV

HDMI ports

4 (2 x HDMI 2.1)

4x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

How I tested the Panasonic Z95B

Measuring a 10% HDR white window pattern during testing (Image credit: Future)

  • I spent about 15 viewing hours in total, measuring and evaluating
  • Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
  • A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-the-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments. I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak and fullscreen light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources.

For the Panasonic Z95B, I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, along with 4K HDR shows streamed from HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+, and other services.



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