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Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I just tested this $199 portable music player, and it blew me away with audiophile sound
Listening to music with your phone on the go is one of life's great conveniences. It's capable of playing pretty good quality streams, and connects incredibly easily to your best wireless headphones so that you can listen to The Backstreet Boys on the bus without annoying fellow passengers. But it's not without its downsides. Phone storage is often limited, file conversion tools aren't always robust, and constant notifications can pull you out of the moment. That's why I also like to carry a DAP — a digital audio player — when I head out. A DAP eliminates distractions from calls and messages, letting me immerse myself in music. The internal components are usually higher quality, allowing for better audio performance and support for high-resolution tracks. Plus, they often have enough power to drive more demanding wired headphones. The catch? They're not cheap. My current go-to, the Fiio M15S, costs around $1,000. Enter the Fiio JM21. It's a DAP that doesn't cost the earth, only coming in at $199. It's packed with loads of excellent features that mean you don't need to worry about audio shortcomings on the go, while costing less than a second hand Nintendo Switch. I've been testing it for the last couple of months, and I've discovered it's a great device for the price. If you want a way to take hi-res music with you on the go so that you can listen to your favorite wired headphones on the train, the Fiio JM21 is a great inexpensive way. It's more powerful than you might expect, and boasts excellent sound quality. It even comes with a clear case in the box to keep it scratch free when you take it out and about. Alongside a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, the JM21 offers something special: a balanced connector. That might not mean much to most people — especially if you're using Bluetooth headphones — but for audio enthusiasts, it's a big deal. A balanced connector, specifically the 4.4mm type found here, is becoming increasingly common among wired headphones, and for good reason. Without diving too deep into the technical details, it separates the left and right audio channels and delivers them independently to each earcup. The result? Reduced distortion and, often, noticeably improved sound quality. It's a feature clearly aimed at audiophiles, and for anyone curious about getting into high-end wired audio, the JM21 makes for an excellent entry point. The JM21 evokes a time when phones and music players where seperate because they had to be. When you'd have an iPod in one pocket, and your phone in the other. It's like going back in time and seeing what an iPod touch might be capable of now, if Apple continued development of the idea. Everything is easy to use by virtue of a relatively un-molested version of Android. That means you can install all your favorite streaming apps, like Qobuz and Tidal, so that you can stream hi-res tracks without them taking up disc space. There are playback controls on the side so that you don't have to pull the device out of your pocket when you just want to play, pause or skip a track. There are plenty of small details that make it super simple to use — I really enjoy it. Despite it's focus on wired playback and hi-res music either from the internal storage (which can be expanded with micro-sd card slot) or streamed, there's some features so that you can jump straight in without an extra pair of headphones. There's a 5.0 Bluetooth connection, with support for LDAC and aptX of various guises. You can connect it to your laptop as a higher quality DAC so that you can play tunes to your headphones from there. You can even turn it into a Bluetooth reciever, so that you can play your music through a wireless source and listen on your favorite wired headphones. It's even Roon ready so that you can hook it up to a Roon system — it's a very modern device, despite its lower price than similar options. There are a couple of things holding the JM21 back from perfection. I understand that more power is required to run a balanced connector and the more powerful audio circuitry on board, but it would be nice to have more than 9 or so hours of use out the of the device. There are some lag problems when it comes to the Bluetooth and wireless connection (although WiFi streaming is totally fine) that takes a little off the lustre. But then the JM21 is only $199, making those problems a whole lot more palatable. Is the JM21 as good as my $1,000 daily driver DAP? No, but I'd be very worried if it was. If you're looking to get into hi-res audio or you want to step up your sound quality game, then the JM21 might just be the perfect stepping stone into audiophile-dom. Just be aware that's it's a very expensive slippery slope.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I've reviewed dozens of headphones and these are my 7 go-to tracks for finding the perfect pair
It's always a good day in the office when a new audio gear lands on my desk. Especially when they have a great sound profile and awesome noise cancellation. I know what I'm listening out for when I press play for the first time. My years with a guitar fixed across my lap, listening out for new chord progressions in the layers of my new favorite song that week have molded me perfectly for this job. I've also been told I have a somewhat eclectic taste. Just a glance at my Spotify and Qobuz accounts will tell you that I listen to everything from country to metal, pop to punk, so I have a pretty good gauge of the sound profiles I like for certain tunes… and the ones I don't. After testing some earbuds that I wouldn't use again (like the EarFun OpenJump) and headphones that I now use on a daily basis (the AKG N9 Hybrid headphones), I have become quite picky. Some headphones come with a customizable app, and as a self-proclaimed audio nerd, I love this feature. Other headphones will get you to do hearing tests and give you a personalized sound profile. But whatever you choose as the best headphones for you, you're going to need some great songs to test them with: enter this playlist. These are all songs I know very well and I use them to pick up on certain sounds in the songs. This is the song I always start with. Released only a year ago, this track has a feature in a fair few of my playlists and is incredibly catchy. It has a consistent riff that you can pick up throughout the hooks of the song, so this naturally became my main test. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. How clear can the riff be? Does it get lost behind the vocals? Does it drown out the rhythm guitar? Or does the sound profile completely balance the tune? This song particularly stood out when I tested the Edifier WH950NB headphones, but it took some fiddling with the in-app EQ settings. Such is the case with many headphones and ear buds, you need to figure out the right EQ for your hearing, but once you do the sound can be awesome. The Edifier WH950NB headphones aren't going to break the bank but still deliver awesome sound. They may not be able to support booming bass but the killer ANC capabilities make up for it. This is a primarily acoustic song with electric tones layered on top. It begins softly before building into an epic explosion of emotion and open D-tuning power chords (my favorite sounds a guitar can make). This song is chalk full of personality, so when earbuds can replicate each layer and harmony with ease I am super impressed. So while the Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds aren't my favorite earbuds I have tested, they enhanced Lizzie's voice and made it even more delicate, especially when using the Dolby Audio settings, making me feel like I was right there in the studio. The Custom EQ and Dolby Audio settings on the SOundcore Liberty 5 earbuds make you feel like you are in the studio with your favorite artist. And they are actually $20 cheaper than the Liberty 4. This is a song I will never skip — It's a banger. So if a pair of headphones ever make me want to skip it I'll know they are a firm no from me. The song is totally upbeat and is a great one to test the fit of headphones (do they fall off when I dance around). Thankfully I haven't encountered a harsh skip on these yet, but I have come pretty close. The EarFun OpenJump earbuds. I didn't get on with these at all but the fact they couldn't let me enjoy what is one of my favorite songs spoke volumes. I recently went to see Twenty One Pilots live, and anyone who has seen them in the flesh can attest to this: the bass shakes your bones. This is my favorite bass test as I think it's quite a harsh one. But it was actually a set of open ears that shocked me here. The Soundcore Aeroclip earbuds, while not built for bass, coped really well. I use these when I work out so I need some bass to keep me motivated and these carry brilliantly. Incredibly comfortable with impressive sound quality, the Soundcore Aeroclip open ear earbuds are secure for working out and let in ambient sound so you stay aware of your surroundings. This is the heaviest song I test with regularly because some headphones just aren't built to deal with metal. This fact was clearly pointed out by the LG xboom Buds which made the song sound muddy and actually managed to lose the drums completely. This is another of my favorites for bass testing. Charli XCX has been taking everything by storm since the Brat Summer of 2024. Not a pair of headphones but certainly an honourable mention is the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker which has a bassX button on the top to or course, enhance the booming bass. The Tribit Stormbox Lava Bluetooth speaker packs a bassy punch and won't break the bank either. You can use the app to customize sound profiles, but the built-in BassX setting is enough to get the ground shaking. This song exposed my favourite headphones I have tested: The AKG N9 Hybrid headphones. I will be yapping about these cans until the cows come home and for good reason; they elevate absolutely anything. These headphones complement this track extremely well creating a crisp and clear vocal profile. But I would love everything I listen to on these headphones. The AKG N9 Hybrids are my favorite headphones for every situation. The have 100 hours of battery and support and a sound profile to make your favorite tunes sound better than you've heard before. There are so many other songs I could talk about and this playlist is ever changing, but these are the best starting point for getting audio that suits me… and maybe you too.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 best classical arrangements for testing your headphones
I love classical music. I was raised on a diet of Mozart, Bach, and Mendelssohn. Giant orchestras that fill concert halls, pianists whose fingers dart across keys, brass sections that make your gut rumble. Classical music is huge — and I think it's a great way to test the best headphones. There's nothing like classical music to put a pair of headphones through a trial by fire. There's a lot going on, and it can be easy for finer details to get lost. The soundstage is generally super wide, given the physical width of an orchestra. There's plenty of depth, and instrument separation is important so that you can hear every part of the ensemble. But what classical music tracks and recordings do I use to test out the headphones that land on my testing table? From Holst to Stravinsky, let's find out. (Please note — not all of my favorite recordings are available on YouTube, so you can listen through Apple Music Classical with the links I've attached. Not that YouTube does any of these pieces of music justice anyway. Bon Appétit!) Qobuz is the testing streaming service that we use here at Tom's Guide. It features the best sound quality of any streaming service that we've tested, and it works out to be cheaper than Spotify if you pay for a year's subscription all at once. Part 1 of Bach's "Kyrie of the Mass in B minor" is a piece for orchestra, solo singer, and choir. The result is a moody, moving, and involving piece of classical music that can really put a pair of headphones to the test. I could write thousands of words about the piece itself, but instead, I'll just go over why it's so good for testing headphones. The most obvious and noticeable testing element is the multi-layered choir that sings the piece. It's a mixed gender choir, so a pair of headphones needs to be able to place each voice and their harmonies well enough that you can tell each section is composed of multiple individual voices. The orchestra needs to be similarly separated so that you can hear each instrument, from the strings to the woodwind. Depth is important too, as is dynamic range. It's a track that changes volume frequently, and covers the entirety of the hearable frequency range to reveal a pair of headphones' weaknesses. It's also a stunningly beautiful piece of music. Listen on Apple Music Classical Anyone who watched Fantasia as a kid (which I assume is almost everyone) is going to recognize "Night on Bald Mountain." It's the moment a mountain transforms into the devil, ushering souls into the underworld as the sky swirls and lava bubbles. The piece itself is a tour de force of late 19th-century orchestra, with incredible swells and changes in pitch and volume for even the most devilish of dancefloors. This particular piece is very good for showcasing dynamic range. There are quiet moments that counterpose the louder moments, giving them more impact. I need to be able to feel the change as well as hear it. The drums and crashing cymbals should be impactful and scary, the great horn swell unnerving. There's a lot to get wrong for a pair of headphones here, but when it gets it right, it's wonderful. I profess to a certain amount of devilry — and I can't get enough of Bald Mountain's orchestral might. Listen on Apple Music Classical Copeland's "Billy the Kid" feels like you're watching a movie. It's just a few lines of dialogue away from being a motion picture in and of itself — but that doesn't make it any less capable of telling a story. From the moment the "Allegro Molto" begins to the second it finishes, you're whisked away to the wild west, on the road with Billy the Kid and his gang of miscreants. That means there's all the more detail for a pair of headphones to get stuck into, but also a lot to trip them up. I want the string sections to feel effortlessly smooth, and the brass section needs to feel triumphant. There's delicacy needed here too, and the headphones have to be able to let me hear every part of each playful wind note. Once the 7:45 are up, I should be ready for the next piece, and the third leg of Billy's journey. Headphones that lack energy will make me want to switch over or give up. Listen on Apple Music Classical The deeply unnerving style of Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" is one of my favorite pieces of music. It moves and shifts like sand in a bowl, with plenty of short solos for a pair of headphones to relish. I love the sudden tonal shifts as the ballet continues, from calm and unsettling to big and brash. Headphones that can't keep up make the experience feel flat and boring. This is a recording that does well with a big soundstage. The orchestra is deep and wide, and in order to get the full effect, the headphones need to be able to give you great spatial imaging. I want instrument separation to be excellent as well — otherwise, the track feels like one bed orchestral mush as the instruments and the sections are squished together. Listen on Apple Music Classical What list of classical music would be complete without something from Beethoven on it? And yes, before you ask, I did have to put it number 5 on this list, because, you know. It's the fifth symphony. It's also excellent for testing out headphones. This particular recording of Beethoven's most famous work is great for testing soundstage and instrument separation as well. There's a lot going on in any one part of the symphony, and your headphones need to make sure that it's not being blended up by bad audio tuning or less-than-stellar hardware. It's a stunning symphony from start to finish, and only the best headphones can do it justice. Listen on Apple Music Classical
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I test headphones for a living — here's what you need to do before you buy a pair
Don't be fooled — the headphones I'm wearing in that image are some of the worst headphones I've ever used. They're proof that you need to do your research when buying new headphones. I test headphones every single day — it's my job. Yes, it's a real job. I absolutely adore finding the best headphones in a very oversaturated market. Equally, I cruelly love finding the worst headphones and rightfully warning people against buying them in my reviews. I come to you with this knowledge: this is everything I've learned from testing loads of headphones. I'll tell you exactly what you need to look for (and stay away from), and help you understand marketing jargon from real audio specifications. There are so many headphones on the market right now. You could even say... too many. I'll run through some features you'll need to think about now. That list doesn't include everything, but it's the main information you need to figure out. I'll use myself as an example. I need excellent audio quality. I'm not too fussed about call quality. ANC is a must for public transport. I will almost certainly not use headphones during workouts. I need customizable EQ, but don't care about game mode or spatial audio. I do have a hi-res streaming service (shoutout Qobuz), so I'd like it to come with a wired cable, but it also needs to be wireless. Budget? As low as possible. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That gives me a few options: realistically, the Bose QuietComfort headphones, Sony WH-MX10005, or the Soundcore Space One Pro. When I tested these headphones back in February, I couldn't believe my ears. Considering they're just $199 (cheap compared to others these days), the sound quality is excellent, and they have a range of premium features like personalized EQs, confident ANC, and a wired connection. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers, but sometimes promises aren't exactly followed through. Phrases like "8K sound", "Hi-res wireless audio" and capitalized phrases like "[brand name] Proprietary Cotton Pillow Cushions" are worthy of a raised eyebrow and a chin scratch. Don't be gullible — make sure specs and reviews corroborate these claims. There's little point in a manufacturer claiming its headphones have "SilentSoundAIMic" if the actual mics are just... the same as everyone else's. Companies may also claim things like "amazing 20Hz-20KHz frequency range". This is just the normal frequency range. If it's 5Hz-30KHz, that's more impressive (and very rare). Similarly, "dynamic driver" is the standard. More impressive is "magnetic planar driver", but even so, that doesn't guarantee good sound quality if the hardware itself doesn't match up. If you want higher-quality streams, you'll need to make sure headphones are compatible with the following Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, ALAC (Apple only), and the many variants of aptX. Even so, compatibility with these codecs doesn't guarantee good sound, which brings me onto my next point... A review is just one person's opinion. Therefore, you need to read a variety of reviews — but make sure they're from reputable publications. It's worth reading a bunch of that author's reviews to make sure they don't just praise every single piece of gear under their byline. I would read a minimum of five. Once you know exactly what you need (as we discussed in point 1), you know what to look for. Are you a massive bass lover? Make sure the reviewer discusses bass in the article. Do you need the headphones for work calls? Make sure the reviewer positively rates the microphones and call quality. Do you value comfort over all? Make sure the reviewer says the headphones are comfortable. The brand-new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have universal positive ratings. We gave them 4-stars, but I've seen reviews with 5-stars too. Another unanimously-lauded option is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, not to mention the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3. All of these headphones have two things in common: a big brand name and a plethora of fantastic reviews. While reviews aren't everything (everyone has different opinions), if you go into a review knowing exactly what you're looking for, they are the most helpful part of pre-purchase research. Even so, I think reading reviews is most important for budget gear. Because budget gear tends to have a lot of bold claims, as I discussed in the "Don't fall for good marketing" section above, I think checking out reviews for cheap headphones is the most important thing you can do. There are loads of affordable headphones with terrible sound quality — I know, I've reviewed enough of them. So if your budget is on the smaller side, I would read every single review humanly possible. There's more room for error here, as truly good budget gear can be hard to come by. I always recommend the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for epic headphones under $80. Hopefully now you can cut through the noise and figure out exactly which headphones will suit your needs. Remember: do your research, and don't fall for good marketing. Then you should be golden.
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I've tested loads of earbuds, but I always go back to my AirPods — here's why
I'm the kind of person who cannot stand low-quality audio gear. Other things, I can ignore. Bad vacuum cleaner? Well, looks like I'll just go over it with the broom. Bad hairdryer? Eh, it's fine, I like looking a bit disheveled anyway. Bad earbuds? Eugh. No. Absolutely not. That's why I'm adamant on only using the best earbuds money can buy. I don't mind spending $300 on earbuds, because I literally can't function without them. Yes, I know I'm dramatic. You try rawdogging a silent office for 8 hours a day. I test earbuds for a living, so I've tested a fair few pairs of buds by now. Even so, I just can't let go of my AirPods Pro 2. The thing is, I know that they're not the be-all and end-all great audio gear. But they're the one thing I can't quit. I'm figuratively addicted. If other audio brands want to pry my AirPods out of my cold, dead hands, this is what they'll need to do to kill my addiction. I just can't stop going back to the AirPods Pro 2. From the range of excellent, iconic features to the amazing comfort and incredible sound quality, they're just perfect for me. Nothing can beat them — yet. I'm up for the challenge, though. I have an iPhone 16 Pro, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air (my work laptop) and an iPad, so I'm kind of Apple's target audience for AirPods. While this point won't apply to Android or Windows users, for other Apple girlies like me, AirPods just have that ecosystem integration that other earbuds fail at. Recently, I tested the amazing Skullcandy x Bose Method 360 ANC earbuds. I loved almost everything about them: phenomenal sound quality, 2008-cool aesthetics and a super useful companion app. However, the one hurdle upon which they fell was multipoint integration. Even though I'd set up multipoint connection, when I switched from my iPhone to my MacBook Air, the earbuds struggled to follow along. I had to go into the Bluetooth tab on my laptop and manually select the earbuds. When I'm using my AirPods, that never happens. The Apple buds seamlessly integrate from my phone to my laptop. If I take a quick break from working and watch a YouTube video from my phone, my earbuds automatically stop playing from my laptop and shift to my phone, without me having to do anything. This isn't just a letdown with budget earbuds — the near-audiophile quality (well, as close to audiophile as you can get with wireless gear) Final ZE8000 MK2 ($349) earbuds struggled with this too. I wanted to make the switch to the Final earbuds. The sound difference between the ZE8000MK2s and the AirPods Pro 2 is monumental. Even with low-res Spotify streams (and especially with Qobuz streams) I was hearing sounds I've never heard in music before. But I just couldn't. Manually switching from laptop to phone is just too tedious. I still have the ZE8000MK2s and I listen to them about once a week just to feel something. Even so, they aren't my number one, and will never be, until Final sorts its integration out. I didn't think I had particularly dinky ears, but it turns out I do. Or, every earbuds other than AirPods are simply massive. I wear my AirPods Pro 2 with the "small" silicone ear tip, and they fit perfectly in my concha. When I tested the utterly mind-blowingly good AKG N5 Hybrid earbuds (£249, U.K. only right now), I was enamored with the sound quality. I thought these earbuds would help me jump ship from my AirPods — for the first few hours, anyway. The AKG N5 Hybrid earbuds have nuanced, balanced sound with personality and oomph. I thought, "Yeah, this is what I've been missing." But, as you can probably tell, it didn't work out. The earbuds are weirdly large and pulled on my cartilage piercings during wear. After a few hours, my ears were aching, so I had to admit it to myself: it's me and AirPods forevermore. As these earbuds are so good, though, I couldn't let them go. I gave them to my boyfriend and he absolutely adores them — so maybe if you have normal people ears, they'll be the clear AirPods destroyer. This one's a little controversial. Let me explain. There's one AirPods feature I never notice... until it's gone. And that's Personalized Volume. If you don't know what this is, it's when your AirPods automatically adjust the volume based on environmental surroundings. It's perfect for when you're wandering around town and a motorbike zooms past, or when you're reading a book and your roommate suddenly decides right now is smoothie time. Beats earbuds have this feature, too (of course they do, they're owned by Apple), but it's surprisingly rare in other branded earbuds. Sure, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have it, as do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. But it's absent on Bose, JBL and Sennheiser buds. They have auto-ANC, but not volume adjustment. As I said earlier, I don't notice this feature until it's gone. And then I really miss it. There are loads of other features I barely notice, but definitely use: IP54 rating (most buds are waterproof, but not dustproof), "Hey Siri" and Conversation Awareness. If other brands could do all of these things, with system integration, and comfort, and sound quality as good as (if not better) than my AirPods Pro 2? Then sure, I'll make the switch. I'll welcome it with open arms. While I know AirPods Pro 2 don't have the audiophile seal of approval (they're wireless buds, after all), for me, they're the perfect product. If you have mostly Android and Windows gear, you'll definitely be raising your eyebrow at me right now. But I've unfortunately got a bunch of Apple gear — so for me, nothing can beat the AirPods. Yet.
