Honor of Kings Introduces Hero Devara and Launches HOK Plus 2.0 in India
Honor of Kings is increasing its reach in India through the release of HOK Plus 2.0. This update comes with various enhancements, including more rewards, improved gameplay, creator programs, and esports developments. Another feature of this update is a new character named Devara, who draws inspiration from Indian culture.
Honor of Kings is rolling out a ₹10 million reward program for its users in India with the launch of HOK Plus 2.0. Through “Play to Earn”, players will be motivated to play the game, create content, participate in campus activities, and socialize. Players will get the opportunity to participate in the Treasure Hunt game and stand a chance of winning smartphones and Amazon gift cards. Honor of Kings will give even greater rewards to players as part of its celebration on June 27.
Devara Debuts as Honor of Kings’ New India-Inspired Hero
HOK Plus 2.0 will introduce Devara, a hero inspired by India, in the game Honor of Kings. Devara battles at the Clash Lane and uses his lightning abilities when he is battling. He is able to deal massive damage and perform well from the front line. Honor of Kings has been inviting people to suggest Hindi lines for their heroes. Some of these lines have been selected and used in Devara’s voice lines, which were recorded by Sanket Mhatre.
The launch of Devara will be marked by a range of offline events in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. These will allow gamers to experience themed activities and engage with other players. The events aim to celebrate the hero’s debut and strengthen the game’s connection with its Indian player community.
HOK Studio Expands Support for Indian Content Creators
HOK Plus 2.0 introduces new opportunities for content creators through HOK Studio. The new creator policy rewards content creators for strong performance and regional rankings. Selected creators can move into the HOK Advanced Creator Program and receive exclusive benefits. The company has also partnered with Live Insaan to support community growth. Players will soon be able to join influencer-led teams in the HOK India Influencer Team Tournament.
Honor of Kings is also bringing new activities to campuses and gaming cafes across India. The campus program will cover 32 colleges in four cities between July and September. Students will have opportunities to compete, create content, and engage with the community. The game will also organize Devara-themed 1v1 challenges at selected gaming cafés. Participants can earn rewards and compete for cash prizes and smartphone giveaways.
Revenant XSpark has qualified to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games Esports Qualifiers. The team claimed its place by winning the NESC 2026 LAN Grand Finals held in Pune. The competition in Kuala Lumpur brings together top teams from across the region. Successful teams will secure spots at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Their qualification showcases the progress of India’s Honor of Kings esports ecosystem.
New Heroes, Gameplay Modes, and Quality-of-Life Improvements
There are new updates in Honor of Kings to enhance its gameplay through HOK Plus 2.0. The players can get familiar with Annette, Lorion, and Florentino in Arena of Valor. Users can discover Super Flow Brawl 2.0 and apply strategic thinking and gameplay mechanics in this mode. There are even certain events happening during the match to affect its flow.
June 27 marks the date of the Peak Day festival, where players in Honor of Kings will have various opportunities to get rewarded during the event. Participants in the event will be able to engage in specific activities, collaborations, and community events at the festival. There are limited-time vouchers and unique collectibles for the participants. The participants will have access to free heroes and bonuses at the festival.
#Honor #Kings #Introduces #Hero #Devara #Launches #HOK #IndiaHonor of Kings
Honor of Kings is increasing its reach in India through the release of HOK Plus 2.0. This update comes with various enhancements, including more rewards, improved gameplay, creator programs, and esports developments. Another feature of this update is a new character named Devara, who draws inspiration from Indian culture.
Honor of Kings is rolling out a ₹10 million reward program for its users in India with the launch of HOK Plus 2.0. Through “Play to Earn”, players will be motivated to play the game, create content, participate in campus activities, and socialize. Players will get the opportunity to participate in the Treasure Hunt game and stand a chance of winning smartphones and Amazon gift cards. Honor of Kings will give even greater rewards to players as part of its celebration on June 27.
Devara Debuts as Honor of Kings’ New India-Inspired Hero
HOK Plus 2.0 will introduce Devara, a hero inspired by India, in the game Honor of Kings. Devara battles at the Clash Lane and uses his lightning abilities when he is battling. He is able to deal massive damage and perform well from the front line. Honor of Kings has been inviting people to suggest Hindi lines for their heroes. Some of these lines have been selected and used in Devara’s voice lines, which were recorded by Sanket Mhatre.
The launch of Devara will be marked by a range of offline events in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. These will allow gamers to experience themed activities and engage with other players. The events aim to celebrate the hero’s debut and strengthen the game’s connection with its Indian player community.
HOK Studio Expands Support for Indian Content Creators
HOK Plus 2.0 introduces new opportunities for content creators through HOK Studio. The new creator policy rewards content creators for strong performance and regional rankings. Selected creators can move into the HOK Advanced Creator Program and receive exclusive benefits. The company has also partnered with Live Insaan to support community growth. Players will soon be able to join influencer-led teams in the HOK India Influencer Team Tournament.
Honor of Kings is also bringing new activities to campuses and gaming cafes across India. The campus program will cover 32 colleges in four cities between July and September. Students will have opportunities to compete, create content, and engage with the community. The game will also organize Devara-themed 1v1 challenges at selected gaming cafés. Participants can earn rewards and compete for cash prizes and smartphone giveaways.
Revenant XSpark has qualified to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games Esports Qualifiers. The team claimed its place by winning the NESC 2026 LAN Grand Finals held in Pune. The competition in Kuala Lumpur brings together top teams from across the region. Successful teams will secure spots at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Their qualification showcases the progress of India’s Honor of Kings esports ecosystem.
New Heroes, Gameplay Modes, and Quality-of-Life Improvements
There are new updates in Honor of Kings to enhance its gameplay through HOK Plus 2.0. The players can get familiar with Annette, Lorion, and Florentino in Arena of Valor. Users can discover Super Flow Brawl 2.0 and apply strategic thinking and gameplay mechanics in this mode. There are even certain events happening during the match to affect its flow.
June 27 marks the date of the Peak Day festival, where players in Honor of Kings will have various opportunities to get rewarded during the event. Participants in the event will be able to engage in specific activities, collaborations, and community events at the festival. There are limited-time vouchers and unique collectibles for the participants. The participants will have access to free heroes and bonuses at the festival.
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#Honor #Kings #Introduces #Hero #Devara #Launches #HOK #India
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
#Polymarket #Launches #Entertainment #Podcast #OddsGambling,Kalshi,Polymarket">Polymarket Launches Its First Entertainment Podcast: ‘What Are the Odds?’
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
Mashable Light Speed
We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
Mashable Light Speed
We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
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Table of Contents
The audio world is saturated with high-quality headphones, earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers. Arguably, it’s oversaturated. People also have very strong opinions about the best audio brands and products — us included.
We test audio gear all the time and get our hands on all the newest releases. And our experts are great resources to find the best headphones, earbuds, and speakers to buy. We test at home — not in a lab — to simulate real-life use. But our tech-obsessed readers often use their devices over the long term and can experience popular audio products at all their highs and lows.
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
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We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
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