Amazon Echo Studio (2025) and Amazon Echo Dot Max - Essentially Amazon's Best Yet

If there's one feature I've really appreciated about the Amazon Echo range of smart speakers over the years, it's the way they play so well together.

The ability to group several different Echoes, or assign them to the same room meant suddenly you didn't have to run cables all through the house to achieve a decent multi-room sound system.

Frustratingly, this is also the part of dealing with Alexa and its associated speakers that I've found to be the most glitchy. Nothing worse than going to the trouble of naming your speakers, linking them to whichever room they're in, creating groups etcetera, only for some of them not to respond when they're supposed to.

But in recent times, Amazon has obviously done a lot of work in this area and lately, my groups and rooms have been much more reliable.

Now, with the introduction of several new speakers with new chips in them late last year, Amazon has taken this interoperability to another level again.

First, the speakers. I reviewed the Echo Show 11 recently and was very impressed - both with its fabulous screen and overall sound quality. As part of the same launch, Amazon released a smaller, 8-inch version of the Show and two other new speakers, the Echo Dot Max and the Echo Studio.

The Dot Max isn't just a little bigger than the 5 generations of Dot that came before it, it now has a forward-facing control panel and includes a totally redesigned internal speaker architecture, including a high-excursion woofer capable of producing bass frequencies so warm, powerful and distortion-free, you'd think this speaker was four times the size.

If you're wondering if a single speaker, not much larger than a grapefruit, can full a room with rich, full-spectrum sound, the answer is, yes, most definitely. And as we've already established, you also have to option of teaming up with other Echoes or pairing with another Dot Max to create a stereo pair.

Meanwhile, the Echo Studio, although it looks pretty much identical - except bigger - is a whole other proposition. Confusingly, there's already been an Echo Studio back in 2019. The original was a fairly large, heavy cylinder with a slot at the bottom for the woofer to do its thing.

And do its thing it certainly did - while other Echoes at the time may have come up a little short in the lower frequency ranges, the Studio more than made up for that shortfall, working as a kind of powerhouse speaker and legitimate subwoofer all in one. Since then, I've usually ended up grouping any new Echo with the Studio to add a bit more oomph to my listening sessions.

So, despite not even adding a "2" to the name, the 2025 version of the Echo Studio falls roughly into the same category. In terms of sheer wattage, it may not quite match the technical output of the original but there's still a lot going on in there, including a new chip, three full-range drivers and a high-excursion woofer, all packed into a much more subtle and compact form factor.

The new Studio is about a lot more than brute force bass and volume to spare though. A bit like the performance of the Dot Max - and indeed the Echo Show 11 from last week's review - this is a true evolution in sound reproduction for the Echo range. Everything is somehow more precise - yet richer and warmer too.

Obviously both these speakers are adept at carrying out any spoken commands you have for Alexa and just as with the Echo Show 11, lights turn on pretty much instantly, weather forecasts are delivered right away and there's a wide choice of voices and wake words to choose from.

But by far, the new feature I was most excited about was Alexa Home Theatre; being able to pair these new speakers with a late model Fire TV device to create a genuine, immersive cinematic experience. I didn't know much about how this worked, other than I'd read you could now add up to five of the new speakers to your Fire TV, eliminating the need for a soundbar or similar setup.

I started with two Echo Studios for front left and right. To set up, all you have to do is bring up the audio settings on your Fire TV (in my case, a Fire TV Stick 4K Max) and Alexa Home Theatre is the first setting on the menu. Select it, and the TV automatically scans for any compatible Echoes on the same home network. Then it's simply a matter of checking which ones you want to add to the system. 

What I didn't know then is there are only certain viable configurations.

Once I selected my new Echo Studios, I wasn't surprised to see all my other, older Echoes greyed out. However, I wasn't expecting not to be able to add any Echo Dot Max speakers either. I thought they'd make the perfect rear surround option but for some reason, your fandangled new system has to consist entirely of identical speakers, which seems bizarre.

Even weirder still, the one exception is the Amazon Echo Sub - which actually dates right back to 2018. Inexplicably, you can add one of these to your multi-Studio setup, but not the new Dot Max.

Maybe this is something that will change in a future firmware update. I sure hope so. In the meantime, as I only had a couple of new Studios, I forged on, resigned to a slightly less 3D array.

Once you've added your speakers the next step is a short, automated calibration. Alexa plays a bunch of weird noises out of each speaker (including from your TV), using the available mics to get a feeling for your room and where the speakers are in it. It was at this point the whole process just stopped. Not freezing, exactly - but not continuing either.

I spent quite some time repeating the exercise - including all the weird noises - until eventually I tried teaming the two Studios up in a stereo pair before adding them to the Alexa Home Theatre. This, mysteriously, finally worked and sure enough, I now had control of the speakers with my Fire TV remote and they turned on and off in sync with my TV.

The result was... well... quite stunning actually. So good, in fact, I'm sure glad I didn't rush out and buy two (or even three) more Studios to complete my initial quadraphonic plan. Now it was finally up and running, the sound from these two small orbs compared extremely favourably with other wireless surround systems I've tried, usually made up of a soundbar, separate subwoofer and a pair of rear speakers.

Gunfights were loud and punchy, explosions and dancey soundtracks were big and bassy and dialouge managed to cut through it all. If you have some form of Fire TV, this is the audio upgrade you may have been waiting for.

Just make sure you don't try to mix up your speakers.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Echo Dot Max.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Echo Studio (2025).

Philips Hue Bridge Pro and Philips Play Hue Wall Washers - This Is Why Hue Still Rules

I've used a lot of different smart lighting over the years and the brand I invariably come back to is Philips Hue. Although Hue products carry a premium price tag, there's a reason.

They work.

Generally speaking, Hue is brighter, is better designed and is just... well... smarter.

A big part of the Philips Hue equation is the Bridge - the standalone connection hub you'll need if you want to install any Hue gizmo. Unlike most other smart lights, Hue lights don't all connect to your home Wi-Fi individually, instead, you connect the Bridge to your network and it controls the lights instead.

This means a lot less clutter on your router and a more reliable connection for all things Hue.

Now the Hue Bridge Pro takes that up a notch. Several notches actually. While the original Bridge had to be hardwired to your router via an ethernet cable, the revitalised Bridge Pro can connect wirelessly, meaning more flexibility around where you can set it up.

The Pro can also control up to 150 devices, as opposed to 50, offers expanded compatibility with Samsung SmartThings, Alexa, Apple Home and Google Assistant and has a new chip which means 5x times faster response times.

This all makes for quite the upgrade - but there is a catch. While you can swap all your existing devices and their associated settings over to the Bridge Pro from your old one, it takes a mysteriously long time. It's not complicated - you just sign into the Hue app on your phone and follow the instructions - it's just that it takes forever. Like, go away and do something else in the meantime forever. 

And it's the kind of process that doesn't really give you much of an indication of how far through it is... so you'll be tempted to give up, stop everything and start again. Not a good idea, unless you want to risk losing all your scenes and settings and having to add every device all over again from scratch. Trust me; you'll get there in the end. You just have to wait.

And the wait is worth it. Especially if you're running the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for TV backlighting like I am - that five-fold increase in response time is noticeable right away.

While we're talking synced backlighting, meet the Hue Play Wall Washer - part of the new generation of better - and brighter - Hue devices.

This solid but compact little unit is Hue's effort to make backlighting even more accessible, in a way combining the finely-tuned, flowing effects of the earlier Light Bar and Gradient Lightstrip with the full glow-power of some of Hue's other feature lights.

Essentially, with just one (but preferably two) Wall Washers, you can come close to achieving the same kind of total-wall coverage offered by the Bar/Lightstrip combo. How effective this is depends a little on the size of the TV you're trying to accent.

As you'll see in the video below, the wall washers do a surprisingly good job of beaming a lot further up the wall than you might think - within reason.

Given I already had quite an effective synced backlighting setup, I soon realised the best use of my new Wall Washers was to widen the effect even further. As they're quite subtle - and certainly very small, I've been able to set them up some distance away from each side of the telly to spread all the colours appearing on-screen even further along each wall.

Let me emphasise again just how engrossing it is to have what you're watching exploded beyond the borders of your screen - especially if things are being blown up, set on fire or suddenly plunged into water. Conversely, I find even sporting action is enhanced mightily when the green of the pitch is carried on up and along the walls. It'll help if you've got a bit of space - these wee power-houses tend to work better when positioned with a reasonable gap between them and the surface they're shining on.

Of course, there are many other ways to use the Hue Play Wall Washers. Domestic Manager has been particularly taken with my attempts to provide accent lighting from underneath some of her more spectacular pot plants. As you can imagine, the changing colours and shadows cast quite the spell.

Like all Hue lighting, the Wall Washers can be set to do certain things at certain times, even activating at sunset and turning off at sunrise - whenever that happens to be at your place.

As yet another feature upgrade on the Bridge Pro, Hue Motion Aware means you can now set your lights to activate when you enter the room - no other external motion sensor required, as long as you're running at least three Hue Lights in any specified space.

That's a lot of exciting new Hue going on - and thanks to the Bridge Pro, none of it is really putting any significant extra strain on my home network. You see? Totally worth it.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Philips Hue Bridge Pro.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer.

Amazon Echo Show 11 - Premium Hardware Waiting for the OS to Catch Up

According to AI (so definitely a fact probably) the Amazon Echo was the first widely sold commercial smart speaker when it was launched in 2014.

In fact, we humans had a monogamous relationship with Alexa for a whole two years before any of the other major tech brands caught up and brought out their own virtual-assistant-in-a-speaker. Two years is an eternity in tech. Quite a head-start.

Since then, the Echo range (and Alexa) has continued to evolve - bigger speakers, smaller speakers, attaching touch screens to speakers, even screens that swivel creepily to face you wherever you are in the room, screens that look like photo frames with speakers built in - even screens that have speakers built in but not very good ones...

Nobody has tried more variations of a smart speaker than Amazon has with the Echo.

Twelve years on, they might just about have it sorted.

From the front, the Echo Show 11 is all screen. But don't despair; that 1080p, high-density display is firmly fixed in place in front of a completely redesigned speaker containing stereo forward-facing drivers and a custom woofer that brings significant bass punch to the equation - an all-round, full frequency sonic party that has been missing from most Echo Shows of late.

I'll be reviewing the new Echo Studio in a few days time but for now, I probably haven't heard a speaker as convincingly room-filling as 2019's original Echo Studio until now. The Show 11 pumps out hefty bass while eliminating any noticeable distortion or vibration, even when playing at full volume.

Let's come back to the sound of things and what you can and can't stream shortly but first, the new 11-inch screen. It's bright, it's clear and you can see it from practically any angle (so no need for creepy rotation). The touch-screen responses are far superior to any previous Show - some of these earlier models reacted so slowly, I often pressed the wrong button a second time while I was waiting to get a reaction from the first. That's no longer an issue here. 

Maybe it's the screen? Maybe it's the processor. The AZ3 Pro is Amazon's latest and greatest and if that's what's speeding everything up, I tip my hat to the engineers. According to Amazon's own blogs, the AZ3 Pro accentuates all of the Echo Show 11's abilities, including filtering out background noise in order to detect whichever wake-word you've set, as you'll see me demonstrate in the video below.

As wireless IoT protocols like Matter, Thread and Zigbee become evermore universal, so does Alexa's ability to control more and more devices with a simple voice command or a few taps on a customised widget on the Echo Show 11's screen. Again, responses to these commands seem significantly accelerated - especially with requests for music from subscribed services or to show live feeds from CC security cameras.

I've been especially impressed by the improved interoperability with Apple Music, one of my preferred options. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be the same flexibility to add video streaming apps - if anything, this functionality seems to have taken a step backwards from a couple of years ago when you could literally pair an Amazon Fire TV remote with your Echo Show and use it like a smart TV. I guess people just weren't into using their Echo Shows as a smart TV?

I'm not sure if Omnisense is new to the Echo Show, or I just wasn't aware of it until now. Regardless, this is what allows the Show 11 to register when you've entered the room via the 13MP camera, the microphone array, ultrasound, accelerometer and even Wi-Fi radar and Wi-Fi CSI - don't worry; I don't know what those last two things are either. What's important is, the Echo Show 11 comes to life whenever you're around and goes back to sleep when you aren't.

Without me getting too carried away fiddling with home-screen settings etc., this iteration of the Show does a much better job of showing me what I want, when I want. Mostly, I just want it to display the pics I've uploaded to my Amazon Photos account but when I'm playing music, it's quite nice to see the album art and useful info like, I don't know, maybe the name of the song that's playing? Unlike some Shows before it, this one gets it.

Which all bodes well for the arrival of Alexa+.

Which hasn't arrived in New Zealand yet, by the way. Some North American users currently have early access to the new, subscription-only version of Alexa which purports to be more intuitive, has a better memory of previous interactions and is more integrated with tools like your email and calendar. No word yet on when we'll get to keep up with the Joneses.

And that's the impression I have using the Echo Show 11; it does pretty much everything I ask it to, more accurately, more intuitively and above all, faster than ever before - which makes me feel like there's definitely more to come.

Whatever that is, and more importantly, whether it's worth paying for, is something I'm keen to find out in the coming months.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Echo Show 11.

LG CordZero - The Lowdown

I'm not sure which came first; self-emptying robot vacuums, or stick vacuums with self emptying charging stations.

Either way, the less I have to be involved with the stuff I've vacuumed up, the better.

Now LG has a new addition that pretty much nails every feature.

The LG CordZero range of handstick vacuums comes in a variety of packages, some including an All-in-One auto emptying tower, others with the option of an additional Power Drive Mop head. The A9L Titan is the CordZero that has it all.

To start with, the vacuum itself is extremely well thought out, from the moulded, pistol-grip handle to the DUAL Floor Max nozzle. The controls are simple and easily within reach of your thumb so you don't have to hold a trigger down to keep the thing running.

LG's Smart Inverter Motor provides up to 220W of suction power, which might not mean much written down, but I've been shocked by the huge amount of dust, debris and hair the CordZero sucks up in a short space of time. In fact, the sheer efficacy of this vacuum means the 0.4 litre dust bin can fill up quicker than you might expect.

To help, as seems to be the trend with vacuums like these lately, LG has introduced what it calls KOMPRESSOR technology; its own take on a physical slide control that pushes the contents of the dust bin down with a sort of plunger. The three-step filter system is also very easy to remove and features washable filters.

As we move down the device, we come to the stick itself. This has one of the longest telescopic extensions I've used, which is great news for taller users as it will save you having to bend over so much while you clean.

The other advantage of such a long extension is it helps you reach further under couches, cabinets and other furniture. This low-down-and-dirty cleaning ability is perhaps my favourite feature of the CordZero - and it's enhanced even further by the low-profile DUAL Floor Max Nozzle. Not only is this motorised brush head low enough to fit under many items of furniture but it can swivel at right angles meaning you really can clean all the way under long sofas without having to move them. That's a big tick for me.

The DUAL Floor Max nozzle is effective on both hard and soft floors and has LED headlights to show you every speck of dust and every strand of hair. Speaking of which, LG hasn't even made a big deal about how tangle-free this head is and believe me, in my house, which is full of long-haired dog and even longer-haired women, a tangle-free brush head is definitely a big deal.

The A9L Titan CordZero also includes the Power Drive Mop head. This uses two spinning mop pads which are machine washable and simply velcro on and off. The easy-to-fill tank feeds a precisely controlled flow of water onto the pads while you mop and you can even vacuum debris through the front of the head, which also has LED headlights - it's a very effective design.

When you're finished vacuuming, the All-in-One Tower awaits to Auto Empty and recharge the CordZero. The tower is an example of the sort of unobtrusive, minimalist design that really appeals to me. Each side opens up to reveal storage cavities for other accessories like the crevice tool, 2-in-1 combination tool and the Power Drive Mini head, which is like a smaller version of the main brush head specifically for dealing with pet hair and the like on upholstery, beds and in cars. There are also small brackets that flip out on either side of the tower to hang the mop and brush heads on.

The top of the All-in-One Tower flips up to reveal a second 2300mAh lithium-ion battery charging up should you need to swap out during your clean. LG has been very conservative with its battery life claims on the spec sheet - just 20 minutes in normal mode with the DUAL Floor Max nozzle attached. That seems to be a modest understatement given I've been able to clean my large four-bedroom home without having to swap batteries at all.

Then we come to the Auto Empty process itself. Which also means we come to my only real criticism of an otherwise exemplary gadget. In theory, you just slot the CordZero into its corresponding receptacle and the All-in-One Tower takes over, autonomously opening the bottom lid of the dust bin, sucking out the contents and closing the lid again, before charging up for your next big clean.

However, with either the Power Drive Mop or DUAL Floor Max nozzle still attached, the Cord Zero is actually too long to easily slot into place. It's the weirdest thing. It's not impossible, but it does involve a fair amount of jiggling around, if not actually bending over to lift up the brush head so it doesn't hang down as you try to get the vacuum in the right position. If you don't line things up correctly, this is what happens when the Auto Empty process kicks in...

Far from ideal. Needless to say, I only made that mistake once. Now I either do the little jiggle or simply disconnect the head before I hang the CordZero up.

It's just such a glaring oversight on what is otherwise one of the best-designed floor cleaners I've ever used. The suction power and performance of the powered heads is outstanding. The bagless bin and washable mopping pads and filters mean the only consumable you'll regularly have to replace is the dust bag within the All-in-One Tower itself - and you get a spare one of those in the box. And the way you can tidily hide away all the accessories and charge the second battery within the attractive, charcoal-coloured tower is genius.

This is my first real interaction with an LG home cleaning device and I have to say, I'm more than impressed. For less than NZ$1,200.00, the CordZero really is the ultimate floor care solution.

    

Click here for more information on the LG CordZero A9L Titan auto emptying handstick.

JBL Bar 1000MK2 - True Wireless Home Theatre Comes of Age

I'm a sucker for an original idea.

Almost six years ago I stumbled across a home theatre system that almost restored my faith in modern hi-fi. By the mid 2010's we'd just about hit the peak of soundbar dominance; TVs had got very skinny but their speakers hadn't evolved as quickly as their picture quality, so if you wanted even half-decent sound to go with your high-def 4K image, you'd have to invest in something external.

Even then, JBL had some quality solutions - including a soundbar/subwoofer combo with a difference; detachable rear speakers. You connected them to charge, then you could put them... well, anywhere really. No strings (or wires) attached.

I liked the JBL concept. It did a decent job and was a step closer to the truly wireless world I've always imagined we'd be living in by now.

Sure, the detachable speakers looked a bit weird and when wall mounted, they drooped a bit when they were attached to each end of the soundbar, but a pretty cool idea nonetheless.

One of those gimmick concepts that never really caught on, I suppose.

The JBL Bar 1000MK2 takes that concept and runs with it - all the way to the finish line.

As opposed to 2018, today, wireless speaker systems are everywhere. Except for one thing; they're not really wireless. Or to be more precise; they're only HALF wireless. If I told my kids I used to run speaker cables under the carpet and across the ceiling to connect my speakers to my head unit, they'd look at me like I was crazy. Actually, first they'd probably ask what a head unit was, then just laugh at me.

And although most 2026 home theatres connect a soundbar or centre speaker with their surround speakers and subwoofers via Wi-Fi or some other dedicated wireless connection, all those speakers still need to be plugged into something; power.

That's fine if you have a wall outlet close to where you want a speaker. If not, you're basically back to early century me, running an extension cord between power-point and speaker as inconspicuously as possible.

Not with the JBL Bar 1000MK2 though. At least not for the two "rear" speakers, anyway.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. What are we actually dealing with here, home theatre-wise?

It's a 7.1.4 channel system pumping out a total of 960W - which should be more than enough for most homes. JBL does offer an even bigger system - a whopping 2470W bundle that will really test your neighbours' patience. For now, let's keep it civilised and stick to the Bar 1000MK2 - if you can call a system with a 9kg, 300W 10-inch subwoofer civilised. JBL doesn't usually skimp when it comes to bass and this is clearly no exception. I love it. I struggled to find somewhere to fit a sub this big, but I love it.

The main soundbar itself has my favourite feature; flatness. My TV sits on a relatively low stand and I've reviewed some soundbars that get so carried away with boring stuff like the number of drivers and sound quality, they're too tall and actually obscure the bottom of my screen.

At just 52mm high, the JBL Bar 1000MK2 fits easily under my telly and although it's jam-packed with all the speakers you need for convincing Dolby Atmos or DTS:X performance, it's not all that wide either - which leaves plenty of room for the two detachable speakers.

So about them. They're great. Really great. Each wireless speaker contains its own racetrack and up-firing full-range drivers and they don't have to be used as left and right surrounds. You can put them in a whole other room for a more-than-adequate stereo simulcast of whatever's playing on the main system, or put them in two separate rooms, instantly creating a genuine multi-zone sound system.

There's even the option to use the two detachables without the soundbar and sub for a more intimate listening experience that's less likely to keep other housemates awake.

These are settings that can be accessed via the JBL ONE app which makes setup easy - including a short calibration process that'll ensure your space makes the most of the 3D, 360-degree cinematic effects the Bar 1000MK2 can produce.

It also comes with its own remote, of course, so you can easily tweak things on the fly.

The other important thing to note about the detachable speakers is the design is much more robust and aesthetically pleasing than the somewhat clumsy connection offered by that early model in 2018. There are now subtle magnetic caps for both speakers and the soundbar to keep everything looking stylish and when the speakers are connected, it's now a good, firm fit - no more droop whatsoever for wall-mounted installations.

You won't have to detach and reattach nearly so often either. It's amazing how rechargeable battery life has improved over the last few years - I've found I can get almost a week's use from the Bar 1000MK2's detached speakers before having to put them back on to charge overnight.

Whether it's Multibeam, DTS:X or Dolby Atmos performance you're looking for, this system nails it. Surround and height effects are convincing, dialogue sounds clear over music and the bass rumble is... well, this is a JBL after all, so no complaints there... except maybe from the neighbours.

One day, perhaps the subwoofer will be rechargeable too and then we really would have a truly wireless system. In the meantime, if you'd rather not have to attach and detach speakers every few days, you have the option of powering them via an independent USB-C power source - although that's not included. There are also screw mounting holes if you choose to stick the speakers on the wall or on stands. Wall mounting hardware IS in the box.

Versatility is the key here and the Bar 1000MK2 is a system that really does allow you to use it the way you want - even down to the extra HDMI inputs and passthrough options on the back. At under NZ$1,700.00 it offers excellent performance for the price, even before you get to those totally wire-free rear speakers. Now JBL has perfected that concept, they're just the icing on an awesome audio cake.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Bar 1000MK2.

OPPO Enco X3s - Looks the Same. Sounds Extraordinary

2025 has been a weird year for earbuds.

For starters, I haven't actually reviewed that many. Usually, I'm up to my eyeballs, overwhelmed with screeds of tiny cases containing even tinier buds, desperately trying to find a way to differentiate one set from the next.

Not this year though. As far as I can tell I've only been sent five pairs to stuff in, on or over my ears. Which brings me to the other weird trend... Some of these buds have themselves been weird.

What's more, I've gone from being adamantly a sealed fit, all ANC, wireless charging zealot, to being quite open-minded about new form-factors and innovative design.

So when I was sent some fairly traditional-style buds to review, I suddenly had to change gear again. It was almost refreshing.

When I call the OPPO Enco X3s earbuds traditional, I don't mean they're not new, just that we've seen this kind of hybrid sealed-fit-with-a-stem form factor plenty of times now. The reason it's so popular is it provides good stability along with plenty of points of contact which helps with a comfortable fit.

The process of selecting the correct sized eartips had me a bit confused at first. Lately I've opted to go a size smaller in my left ear because that seems to result in a properly snug seal on both sides. However, the Enco X3s only comes with a choice of three different sizes (other brands have started providing at least five) and it turned out the Small was a bit TOO small.

This was backed up by the evidence of OPPO's own size test in the Hey Melody app you use to set these earbuds up with. Once I went Medium in both ears, the test confirmed I now had a good seal left and right and everything certainly felt more secure too.

The Enco X3s has an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance. Combine that with the snug fit and you've got a decent option for exercise.

During setup, you can also opt for the Hey Melody Golden Sound test. This is a two-step process that firstly scans your ear canal then guides you though an actual hearing test to figure out which frequency ranges need boosting to achieve your optimal personal listening experience. This only takes a couple of minutes and depending on your own circumstances, it can produce some pretty stark results.

With the Hey Melody app you can also tweak the EQ manually or select a preset one. Even more pleasingly, you can customise the controls to your preference; single, double and triple taps, along with log presses and stem swipes on either earbud can be used to play/pause, skip tracks, summon your voice assistant, adjust volume and toggle ANC settings. That's a lot of choice, which is how I like it.

You can even activate Game Mode using the onboard controls - opting for a low-lag connection - without having to select it in the app.

There's an option called Alive Audio which is OPPO's take on spatial audio or 360 audio or whatever anybody else calls it. Essentially, it's an effect that widens out the soundscape to give the impression the music is coming from all around you, rather than from the earbuds themselves. I've found this works better with some tracks than others.

On Buster Moe's "Im so Sick," the tight, pizzicato strings in the verses contrast brilliantly with the giant bass boost in the choruses. Alive Audio definitely adds a sense of space to this clever dynamic contrast.

But on the jangly guitar pop groove, "Entwined" by Sydney band Pocketwatch, the 360 effect just made everything sound muddy and blurry. Changing back to non-Alive Audio (Undead Audio? Zombie Audio?) fixed this up straight away. Listening to podcasts and other talk-based content is definitely more suited to the less-alive option too, otherwise the hosts all sound they recorded in an empty water tank.

I mentioned the bass just now and I'm going to mention it again because what OPPO has achieved here is frankly award-worthy. The richness and sheer power of the lower frequencies produced by the Enco X3s is something I've only ever heard from much larger woofers in over-ear headphones. The combination of a dedicated 11mm diaphragm woofer with a separate 6mm high-frequency unit means a fairly monotonous song like "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish really comes alive, from the highest highs to the lowest basement-dwelling lows.

You getting the impression I like the way these earbuds sound? Oh, daddy.

And that's before we cover off the four-step Active Noise Cancellation. It's very good - perhaps not quite the top of the noise-cancellation table but certainly at the party. And unusually you don't only get adaptive and transparency options, but also the choice to simply turn ANC off completely and leave it to the passive cancellation provided by the seal of the eartips. Choice is good.

Battery life is confusing. OPPO claims you can get up to 45 hours (including the charge in the case of course) but that's if you don't use ANC or listen to Hi-Res audio via the LHDC 5.0 codec. In my real-world testing, I got up over 5 playback hours on a single charge and I can confirm, the case itself takes a long time to go flat. Which is just as well, because it only charges via USB-C - not wirelessly.

That's usually a red line for me. I want all my gadgets to be as wireless as possible. What's the point of your earbuds being wireless if the case isn't? However, these ones sound so good, I'm prepared to make an exception.

Which has kind of been the story of my year; I keep thinking I won't like a gadget then it does something so crazy, or innovative or... or just really good - that it wins me over.

And that's what happened with the Enco X3s. The excellent sound quality - especially the best earbud bass I've ever heard - more than makes up for any frustration I have re: no wireless charging. ANC is excellent, battery life is good - the Bluetooth 5.4 connection is strong and reliable. They even made my ears feel symmetrical again.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the OPPO Enco X3s.

HONOR Watch 4 - Does What it Does Very Well

When HONOR launched itself to the New Zealand market recently, I was surprised and excited to learn it wasn't just trying one or two handsets to see how they go. No, in addition to two fantastic HONOR phones, we also got the CHOICE Earbuds Clip, the Pad 10 tablet and the Watch 4.

This gave me a chance to do a deep dive into the HONOR ecosystem, experiencing how well some of these devices work together for the first time.

In saying that, there's nothing stopping you pairing the HONOR accessories with your existing phone, so if you're considering a new smartwatch for 2026, I'm here to give you my first-hand experience.

There's no escaping which other popular smartwatch the HONOR Watch 4 looks like, with its rectangular face and rounded corners and yet the HONOR option is priced hundreds of dollars cheaper.

The Watch 4 is available in Black or Gold and while the bands are technically swappable, I found sliding the little lug across to remove and replace them was a bit fiddly for my fat fingers and what's more, I haven't managed to discover any alternative straps for sale - not locally, anyway.

Not to worry, the Watch 4 is attractive enough in its default configuration. The aluminium alloy casing on my black review unit has a pleasing matte metallic finish and both the watch and its durable silicone rubber strap are light and very comfortable - essential if you're planning to wear it overnight for sleep tracking.

In fact, there's another feature that makes the Watch 4 a leading contender if sleep tracking is a priority; battery life. This is not a watch you need to put on the charger every night. Or every second night. Depending on how you use it, you might get a whole week on a full charge. HONOR claims up to 14 days on its website but I think you'd have to disable a lot of the real-time monitoring and run it in power-saving mode to do that. Still, compared to many other watches that barely make it through a full day, I'm very impressed to be able to sail through several days and nights in a row.

The proprietary magnetic charging cradle is included in the box and juices the Watch 4 up pretty speedily - assuming you've plugged it into a reasonably powerful wall charger.

Once charged, you'll need to have downloaded the HONOR Health app to pair and set up the watch and here's the really good news; you can do that on either Android or iOS devices - vary rare to find a smartwatch that'll happily talk to both.

I say "talk to" - but there are limitations. While the Watch 4 does a fast and reliable job of receiving messages and notifications from any or all apps on your phone, it's a one-way arrangement. You can't reply to texts, emails or other messages - not even with a pre-programmed quick reply or emoji.

You also won't receive so-called "rich" notifications. Certain apps, like home security monitors for example, often give you the option of a thumbnail snapshot when one of your cameras notifies you of any movement. The Watch 4 will definitely show you the notification, but not the picture.

Which is a shame because the 1.75-inch AMOLED display is quite excellent, bright and clear in all lighting conditions, even outside in the sun. When working out, you get a lot of information on screen, set out simply but effectively. On a walk or run, GPS locks on in seconds, then you'll be shown your duration, pace and distance and what workout zone you're in; aerobic, anaerobic, etc.

The HONOR Health app helps you set parameters for your workouts, like optimal heart-rate range. I've found the low heart-rate notifications really motivate me to keep my pace up when out walking.

Once your workout is complete, you'll see a basic summary on the Watch 4 but if you want more details, you'll have to refer to the HONOR Health app. Same deal for stats like sleep tracking. Sleep and heart-rate aside, the Watch 4 also watches for stress, blood oxygen level and breathing patterns. This in turn, enables HONOR Health to calculate things like your VO2 max and your Fitness Age. I felt obliged to mention that last one because right now I'm showing 6 years younger than I actually am. Not-very-humble brag.

While you can take bluetooth calls on the Watch 4, there's no option to set up an addon eSim so you can keep connected even if you're out of range of your handset, although GPS still works so you're welcome to leave your phone at home when you're out for a ride, walk or run.

The Watch 4's greatest limitation is its OS - there's no facility to download any apps onto the watch other than those which are already pre-installed. Obviously you have versions of the usual suspects; stopwatch, countdown timer, camera remote, compass etc... But if you thought you might be able to pay with Google Wallet using NFC, think again.

Funnily enough, the Watch 4's greatest strength is also its OS. You have access to over 300 different faces and widgets like the media controller work quickly and consistently.

It also has a 5ATM waterproof rating, so it's safe to swim with and will definitely survive the shower.

If you're new to the world of smartwatches, or you don't have the desire to answer your emails on a 1.75-inch screen and you just want the notifications, then you could do much, much worse than the HONOR Watch 4. It's a reliable, useful, comfortable watch with genuinely impressive battery life. I fact, I've found it hard to take off. Then again, with such a good battery, I don't have to do that very often anyway.

    

Click here for more information on the HONOR Watch 4.