Boot it up and you’re met with its custom operating system, 3Dos. Like the console itself, it takes a strikingly minimalist approach, all precise white pixel text on a stark black background. The OS as a whole is still cooking—more on that later—but it’s already showing signs of being a game archivist’s dream. It builds a library of each cart you play, and displays information such as developer, publisher, the region version of the cart you’ve inserted, how many players it supports, and more. By default, there’s no art for the cart library, but you can add icons manually and it’ll match the image to the cart accordingly—my review unit had some included to showcase the feature, and you can expect community-led image libraries almost immediately at launch.
Looking Good for Their Age
I was skeptical of how well the Analogue3D would hold up when it comes to actually playing decades-old games, but that cynicism was instantly shattered. I spent over a week throwing more than a dozen games at it, a mix of US and UK carts, and it’s accurately identified and run every single one of them.
The only carts that threw up some issues were UK copies of 007: The World is Not Enough and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which initially refused to launch. In such cases, the Analogue3D presents a black screen, which is a bit disorienting as you’re left wondering if it’s stalled, crashed, or is just still loading. A quick pass of the cart cleaners and the old faithful trick of blowing on it sorted the problem though.
The lack of any region lock is a particular delight—for instance, Wave Race 64 suffered from slowdown on the PAL release, but I’ve been playing the NTSC version without issue, while also getting thoroughly engrossed in Ogre Battle 64, which never got a UK release at the time. It’s also nice, if a little strange, to play Star Fox 64, rather than the re-named Lylat Wars version I grew up with.
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.
Shop speakers from Readers’ Choice brands
$64.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $35
$134 at Amazon $179 Save $45
$268.99 at Amazon $299 Save $30.01
#Readers #Choice #Awards #headphone #speaker #brands">Readers’ Choice Awards 2026: The best headphone and speaker brands
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.”
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.
Zoph returned to OpenAI in mid-January after a stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Shortly after Zoph returned to OpenAI, the company said he would lead its push into enterprise — a significant role at OpenAI, since in recent months it had vowed to stop chasing so-called “side quests” and focus on key revenue drivers like enterprise and coding ahead of its planned IPO.
OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that Zoph will be departing. He posted a goodbye message in the company’s Slack channels. Zoph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zoph originally left OpenAI in the fall of 2024 for Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, but departed the role abruptly in January 2026 after reports of alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. Murati posted on X in January that Thinking Machines Lab had “parted ways” with Zoph and that he would be replaced as CTO.
Thinking Machines Lab has its own tensions with OpenAI. Murati briefly took over as CEO from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his November 2023 ouster, and during the recent OpenAI trial, Murati testified that she couldn’t trust everything Altman said. In September 2024, when Murati left OpenAI to start Thinking Machines Lab, a group of OpenAI employees followed shortly after. But three of them — including Zoph — all returned to OpenAI together this past January. Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, wrote on X at the time that she was “excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back” and that the decision had “been in the works for several weeks.”
Zoph returned to OpenAI in mid-January after a stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Shortly after Zoph returned to OpenAI, the company said he would lead its push into enterprise — a significant role at OpenAI, since in recent months it had vowed to stop chasing so-called “side quests” and focus on key revenue drivers like enterprise and coding ahead of its planned IPO.
OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that Zoph will be departing. He posted a goodbye message in the company’s Slack channels. Zoph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zoph originally left OpenAI in the fall of 2024 for Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, but departed the role abruptly in January 2026 after reports of alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. Murati posted on X in January that Thinking Machines Lab had “parted ways” with Zoph and that he would be replaced as CTO.
Thinking Machines Lab has its own tensions with OpenAI. Murati briefly took over as CEO from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his November 2023 ouster, and during the recent OpenAI trial, Murati testified that she couldn’t trust everything Altman said. In September 2024, when Murati left OpenAI to start Thinking Machines Lab, a group of OpenAI employees followed shortly after. But three of them — including Zoph — all returned to OpenAI together this past January. Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, wrote on X at the time that she was “excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back” and that the decision had “been in the works for several weeks.”
#Barret #Zoph #OpenAI #monthsAI,OpenAI,Report">Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months
Five months after returning to OpenAI, Barret Zoph — the company’s head of enterprise AI sales — has departed, The Verge has learned.
Zoph returned to OpenAI in mid-January after a stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Shortly after Zoph returned to OpenAI, the company said he would lead its push into enterprise — a significant role at OpenAI, since in recent months it had vowed to stop chasing so-called “side quests” and focus on key revenue drivers like enterprise and coding ahead of its planned IPO.
OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that Zoph will be departing. He posted a goodbye message in the company’s Slack channels. Zoph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zoph originally left OpenAI in the fall of 2024 for Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, but departed the role abruptly in January 2026 after reports of alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. Murati posted on X in January that Thinking Machines Lab had “parted ways” with Zoph and that he would be replaced as CTO.
Thinking Machines Lab has its own tensions with OpenAI. Murati briefly took over as CEO from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his November 2023 ouster, and during the recent OpenAI trial, Murati testified that she couldn’t trust everything Altman said. In September 2024, when Murati left OpenAI to start Thinking Machines Lab, a group of OpenAI employees followed shortly after. But three of them — including Zoph — all returned to OpenAI together this past January. Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, wrote on X at the time that she was “excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back” and that the decision had “been in the works for several weeks.”
#Barret #Zoph #OpenAI #monthsAI,OpenAI,Report
As India cut off access to messaging app Telegram for a week over concerns about exam-related fraud, users turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) and alternative messaging apps in unusually large numbers.
App intelligence firm Appfigures told TechCrunch that Tuesday, the day India announced the Telegram restriction, marked the biggest day for VPN app downloads in the country since at least the start of 2025. Downloads of major VPN apps rose 49% from a recent daily average of 139,000 to 208,000, the firm said.
Proton VPN and Turbo VPN recorded some of the largest increases. Downloads of Proton VPN on Apple’s App Store in India jumped 113%, while Turbo VPN downloads rose 85%. On Google Play, downloads of Proton VPN climbed 64% and Turbo VPN downloads increased 35%. NordVPN’s App Store downloads increased 41%, while ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play rose 31%.
The surge also pushed several VPN services up India’s app-store charts. Proton VPN climbed from 18th to 5th in Apple’s Utilities rankings between June 16 and June 18, while its Google Play ranking rose from 8th to 2nd in the Tools category, according to Appfigures.
The spike in VPN demand followed India’s decision to temporarily restrict Telegram until June 22 over concerns that fraudsters were using the platform to target candidates ahead of a re-test for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), the country’s largest entrance examination by applicant volume. The Indian government said the measure was needed to prevent the spread of fake exam papers and related scams. Telegram has challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific content rather than block the entire platform.
The response extended beyond app-store download data. Proton said daily registrations from India rose 120% above baseline levels on Wednesday, after hourly registrations had already spiked 150% on Tuesday evening following the Telegram restriction. The company described the increase as “extremely noteworthy” given its existing scale in the country.
Canadian VPN service provider Windscribe reported a similar trend. The company told TechCrunch that signups from India peaked roughly 100% above baseline levels, while first-time downloads of its iOS app in the country rose about 89%.
“The spike in India follows the same general trend we see in areas that ban specific apps, introduce age bans or verification requirements, or otherwise restrict internet access,” Rebecca Rosenberg, growth operations manager at Windscribe, said.
Image Credits:Windscribe
The trend was not limited to a handful of VPN providers. Sensor Tower told TechCrunch that downloads across the VPN app category in India rose 10% day-over-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the previous two weeks.
Users also appeared to be exploring alternatives to Telegram. Appfigures said downloads of Signal in India rose 72% on Apple’s App Store and 322% on Google Play following the restriction, while Viber’s App Store downloads increased 216%.
Telegram-linked messaging app iMe recorded one of the sharpest jumps. Its Google Play downloads rose from a recent daily average of about 827 to 50,900 on June 16, Appfigures said.
Yet the restriction did not immediately translate into lower Telegram usage. Sensor Tower said Telegram’s daily active users in India rose 17% on the day the measure was announced — the app’s largest day-over-day increase in the country since a widespread outage of Meta’s services in 2021.
Other data points also suggest heightened efforts to access Telegram following the restriction.
Cloudflare Radar Lead Lai Yi Ohlsen told TechCrunch that DNS requests for Telegram domains in India increased sharply over the two days after the measure was announced. The company cautioned that higher DNS traffic does not necessarily indicate successful access to the platform, and could reflect users repeatedly attempting to reach Telegram after it was blocked.
Image Credits:Cloudflare
Telegram pointed to its efforts to cooperate with authorities during hearings in the Delhi High Court this week. Its lawyers said the company had removed channels identified by authorities and questioned the need for a platform-wide restriction affecting what Telegram says are over 150 million users in India.
Government lawyers defended the measure as a temporary, event-linked response tied to the NEET re-test. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a permanent ban could raise proportionality concerns but argued the current restriction had a “logical nexus” to the objective being pursued.
After hearing arguments from Telegram and the government on Thursday, the Delhi High Court reserved its order and is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday.
The debate echoes questions raised elsewhere when governments restrict access to major online platforms. Sensor Tower said VPN downloads in the U.S. rose more than 40% week-over-week when TikTok was briefly removed from U.S. app stores in 2025, while Windscribe said it has observed similar patterns following restrictions in countries including Iran and Russia.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
As India cut off access to messaging app Telegram for a week over concerns about exam-related fraud, users turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) and alternative messaging apps in unusually large numbers.
App intelligence firm Appfigures told TechCrunch that Tuesday, the day India announced the Telegram restriction, marked the biggest day for VPN app downloads in the country since at least the start of 2025. Downloads of major VPN apps rose 49% from a recent daily average of 139,000 to 208,000, the firm said.
Proton VPN and Turbo VPN recorded some of the largest increases. Downloads of Proton VPN on Apple’s App Store in India jumped 113%, while Turbo VPN downloads rose 85%. On Google Play, downloads of Proton VPN climbed 64% and Turbo VPN downloads increased 35%. NordVPN’s App Store downloads increased 41%, while ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play rose 31%.
The surge also pushed several VPN services up India’s app-store charts. Proton VPN climbed from 18th to 5th in Apple’s Utilities rankings between June 16 and June 18, while its Google Play ranking rose from 8th to 2nd in the Tools category, according to Appfigures.
The spike in VPN demand followed India’s decision to temporarily restrict Telegram until June 22 over concerns that fraudsters were using the platform to target candidates ahead of a re-test for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), the country’s largest entrance examination by applicant volume. The Indian government said the measure was needed to prevent the spread of fake exam papers and related scams. Telegram has challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific content rather than block the entire platform.
The response extended beyond app-store download data. Proton said daily registrations from India rose 120% above baseline levels on Wednesday, after hourly registrations had already spiked 150% on Tuesday evening following the Telegram restriction. The company described the increase as “extremely noteworthy” given its existing scale in the country.
Canadian VPN service provider Windscribe reported a similar trend. The company told TechCrunch that signups from India peaked roughly 100% above baseline levels, while first-time downloads of its iOS app in the country rose about 89%.
“The spike in India follows the same general trend we see in areas that ban specific apps, introduce age bans or verification requirements, or otherwise restrict internet access,” Rebecca Rosenberg, growth operations manager at Windscribe, said.
Image Credits:Windscribe
The trend was not limited to a handful of VPN providers. Sensor Tower told TechCrunch that downloads across the VPN app category in India rose 10% day-over-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the previous two weeks.
Users also appeared to be exploring alternatives to Telegram. Appfigures said downloads of Signal in India rose 72% on Apple’s App Store and 322% on Google Play following the restriction, while Viber’s App Store downloads increased 216%.
Telegram-linked messaging app iMe recorded one of the sharpest jumps. Its Google Play downloads rose from a recent daily average of about 827 to 50,900 on June 16, Appfigures said.
Yet the restriction did not immediately translate into lower Telegram usage. Sensor Tower said Telegram’s daily active users in India rose 17% on the day the measure was announced — the app’s largest day-over-day increase in the country since a widespread outage of Meta’s services in 2021.
Other data points also suggest heightened efforts to access Telegram following the restriction.
Cloudflare Radar Lead Lai Yi Ohlsen told TechCrunch that DNS requests for Telegram domains in India increased sharply over the two days after the measure was announced. The company cautioned that higher DNS traffic does not necessarily indicate successful access to the platform, and could reflect users repeatedly attempting to reach Telegram after it was blocked.
Image Credits:Cloudflare
Telegram pointed to its efforts to cooperate with authorities during hearings in the Delhi High Court this week. Its lawyers said the company had removed channels identified by authorities and questioned the need for a platform-wide restriction affecting what Telegram says are over 150 million users in India.
Government lawyers defended the measure as a temporary, event-linked response tied to the NEET re-test. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a permanent ban could raise proportionality concerns but argued the current restriction had a “logical nexus” to the objective being pursued.
After hearing arguments from Telegram and the government on Thursday, the Delhi High Court reserved its order and is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday.
The debate echoes questions raised elsewhere when governments restrict access to major online platforms. Sensor Tower said VPN downloads in the U.S. rose more than 40% week-over-week when TikTok was briefly removed from U.S. app stores in 2025, while Windscribe said it has observed similar patterns following restrictions in countries including Iran and Russia.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
#Telegram #ban #India #sparks #rush #VPNs #rival #apps #TechCrunchExclusive,Telegram,Telegram ban,India ban">Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps | TechCrunch
As India cut off access to messaging app Telegram for a week over concerns about exam-related fraud, users turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) and alternative messaging apps in unusually large numbers.
App intelligence firm Appfigures told TechCrunch that Tuesday, the day India announced the Telegram restriction, marked the biggest day for VPN app downloads in the country since at least the start of 2025. Downloads of major VPN apps rose 49% from a recent daily average of 139,000 to 208,000, the firm said.
Proton VPN and Turbo VPN recorded some of the largest increases. Downloads of Proton VPN on Apple’s App Store in India jumped 113%, while Turbo VPN downloads rose 85%. On Google Play, downloads of Proton VPN climbed 64% and Turbo VPN downloads increased 35%. NordVPN’s App Store downloads increased 41%, while ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play rose 31%.
The surge also pushed several VPN services up India’s app-store charts. Proton VPN climbed from 18th to 5th in Apple’s Utilities rankings between June 16 and June 18, while its Google Play ranking rose from 8th to 2nd in the Tools category, according to Appfigures.
The spike in VPN demand followed India’s decision to temporarily restrict Telegram until June 22 over concerns that fraudsters were using the platform to target candidates ahead of a re-test for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), the country’s largest entrance examination by applicant volume. The Indian government said the measure was needed to prevent the spread of fake exam papers and related scams. Telegram has challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific content rather than block the entire platform.
The response extended beyond app-store download data. Proton said daily registrations from India rose 120% above baseline levels on Wednesday, after hourly registrations had already spiked 150% on Tuesday evening following the Telegram restriction. The company described the increase as “extremely noteworthy” given its existing scale in the country.
Canadian VPN service provider Windscribe reported a similar trend. The company told TechCrunch that signups from India peaked roughly 100% above baseline levels, while first-time downloads of its iOS app in the country rose about 89%.
“The spike in India follows the same general trend we see in areas that ban specific apps, introduce age bans or verification requirements, or otherwise restrict internet access,” Rebecca Rosenberg, growth operations manager at Windscribe, said.
Image Credits:Windscribe
The trend was not limited to a handful of VPN providers. Sensor Tower told TechCrunch that downloads across the VPN app category in India rose 10% day-over-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the previous two weeks.
Users also appeared to be exploring alternatives to Telegram. Appfigures said downloads of Signal in India rose 72% on Apple’s App Store and 322% on Google Play following the restriction, while Viber’s App Store downloads increased 216%.
Telegram-linked messaging app iMe recorded one of the sharpest jumps. Its Google Play downloads rose from a recent daily average of about 827 to 50,900 on June 16, Appfigures said.
Yet the restriction did not immediately translate into lower Telegram usage. Sensor Tower said Telegram’s daily active users in India rose 17% on the day the measure was announced — the app’s largest day-over-day increase in the country since a widespread outage of Meta’s services in 2021.
Other data points also suggest heightened efforts to access Telegram following the restriction.
Cloudflare Radar Lead Lai Yi Ohlsen told TechCrunch that DNS requests for Telegram domains in India increased sharply over the two days after the measure was announced. The company cautioned that higher DNS traffic does not necessarily indicate successful access to the platform, and could reflect users repeatedly attempting to reach Telegram after it was blocked.
Image Credits:Cloudflare
Telegram pointed to its efforts to cooperate with authorities during hearings in the Delhi High Court this week. Its lawyers said the company had removed channels identified by authorities and questioned the need for a platform-wide restriction affecting what Telegram says are over 150 million users in India.
Government lawyers defended the measure as a temporary, event-linked response tied to the NEET re-test. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a permanent ban could raise proportionality concerns but argued the current restriction had a “logical nexus” to the objective being pursued.
After hearing arguments from Telegram and the government on Thursday, the Delhi High Court reserved its order and is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday.
The debate echoes questions raised elsewhere when governments restrict access to major online platforms. Sensor Tower said VPN downloads in the U.S. rose more than 40% week-over-week when TikTok was briefly removed from U.S. app stores in 2025, while Windscribe said it has observed similar patterns following restrictions in countries including Iran and Russia.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Post Comment