>
After a few years of uncertainty and only virtual conferences, CES 2023 returns the tech show to its full personal glory. It’s already treated us to a slew of tech announcements, including a look at some of this year’s best audio gadgets – and we’ve rounded up the best we’ve seen so far.
CES 2023 kicks off on Thursday, January 5, and the event will see the likes of LG, Sonos, Sony and others show off their latest audio technology. The delights they showcase will be vying for a spot on our list of the best headphones, best soundbars and best wireless earbuds when they launch later this year. By following the announcements as they happen, you can decide if they’re worth the wait, or if you’d rather grab last year’s model the right way.
With the show’s media previews in full swing, we’ve rounded up the most exciting audio tech announcements we’ve seen at CES 2023 so far – along with a sneak peek at what else to expect when the show gets into full swing.
Speakers and turntables
If you’re looking for ways to improve your home speaker or audio setup, CES 2023 is the place to get inspired, as we’ll be treated to a variety of sound systems throughout the show.
An example of this is the Halo Swing from Acer (above), a glowing wearable smart speaker that uses Google Assistant. We’ll have to listen to the performance of this device ourselves to properly judge it, but Acer’s promise of 360-degree audio and subwoofer-enhanced bassline is certainly enticing. It also comes with 10 hours of battery life and an IPX5 water resistance rating, meaning it should survive a light drizzle, even if you don’t want to get this thing too close to the pool.
If you already have a solid speaker setup, you might prefer gadgets like Amp Genius. It aims to make it much easier to sync any audio source to your favorite receiver, including Yamaha, Denon and Sonos devices. There’s always a slew of CES gadgets designed to solve pesky problems with your other devices, so follow the announcements and our coverage to see if 2023 is going to be the year your audio tech becomes hassle-free.
Elsewhere, in turntable land, JBL has announced its first Bluetooth turntable, delivering aptX wireless streaming so you can stream your vinyl to wireless speakers, soundbars or headphones in 24-bit Hi-Res Audio. The JBL SpinnerBT (above) looks rather chic with its black and orange color scheme and is one of the most affordable turntables of its kind, with a price tag of £399 / £375 (about AU$660). It will be available from the third quarter of 2023.
Sound bars
Upgrading your soundbar can deliver some major improvements to your home entertainment setup, and CES 2023 is already delivering several gadgets that could be just what you need.
LG announced it brand new SC9 and SE6 soundbar models which feature Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced audio that allow the soundbar’s multi-directional speakers to create an immersive soundstage.
In addition, LG boasts that 2023 will be more impressive than ever thanks to their new Triple Sound Technology; using AI and various speaker tricks, the soundbar can optimize its audio for the room it’s in and add virtual mid-layers that help you lose yourself in the action.
We’ll have to preview these soundbars ourselves to know if they live up to the hype, but we’re certainly excited about what LG has revealed.
With conferences from TCL, Samsung, Sony and several other home entertainment brands also scheduled, we’ll likely be introduced to several other speaker and soundbar options in the coming days, so be sure to check back for our thoughts and the latest news .
Headphones and earplugs
CES 2023 won’t just be home to booming speakers; earbuds and headphones are also likely to get their time in the spotlight at this year’s event.
JBL often comes to CES with several announcements in store and that was the case again in 2023. JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds, which have a touchscreen on their charging case and are an interesting but sonically flawed Airpods Pro rival, are now launching in the US for $249.95.
They’re also far from the only earbuds JBL has announced at CES. The mid-range Tune series has seen three new arrivals, all of which have different designs and will be available from June 2023 for $100.
The JBL Tune Buds are noise-canceling voiceless earbuds with 12 hours of playback time. If you prefer noise-canceling ANC earbuds with a stick design, there’s the new JBL Tune Beam. Alternatively, there are the JBL TuneFlex open earbuds with a stick design, which are suitable for the Apple Airpods 3.
If you’re on a budget and don’t mind missing out on noise-cancelling technology, there are also three new additions to the JBL Vibe series that will be available from February 2023. the JBL Vibe Buds, which promise eight hours of playback. The JBL Vibe Beam deliver sound insulation with a stick design, while the JBL Vive Flex are an equivalent for those who prefer open earplugs.
Sony is also likely to show off some new headphones or earbuds. Our money is on a new pair of LinkBuds wireless earbuds and perhaps the long-awaited Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds – with its high-end earbuds following last year’s Sony WH-1000XM5 premium headphones release.
With Razer in attendance, we might also see some new RGB-clad gaming headset announcements at CES 2023, but we’ll just have to wait and see what it and others have in store as this year’s conferences unfold.
- Check out our CES 2023 hub for all the latest from the show as it happens. We cover everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets, so stay with us for the big stories.