Here, we will look at What’s The Best tests and reviews audio products, including speakers, earphones, headphones and soundbars.
We are all about real-world testing and down-to-earth reviews at What’s The Best. Statistics and graphs are all good, but we want to let you, our readers, know what a product is like to experience, use and have with you daily.
This ethos carries across to our audio reviews and hands-on tests. We don’t go in for testing audio equipment with fancy frequency analysers - instead, we adopt the audio device into our lives and use them just as a regular customer would.
Here are our best-of audio lists:
How we test audio equipment
We keep it simple. If we are testing speakers, like the Sonos One, we set the speaker up in our room and use it. The same goes for earphones, earbuds and headphones - such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro - they replace our everyday set and get used for office work, commutes and gym sessions. We also make sure to download and use any companion apps on our smartphones and use them as required.
Occasionally, we might throw specific music through them to see how they handle more sonically challenging genres, like rock, bass-heavy, or classical music. Still, we are just using them as anyone else would.
As we use the products, we use our experience and expert ears to determine whether the product delivers on its promises. We have extensive experience with audio products from our personal lives and as professional reviewers, so we trust our inherent knowledge and our gut feeling. If something sounds good, we can tell and shout about it. Equally, when something under-delivers, we are disappointed and feel duty-bound to pass this knowledge on.
How long we test audio equipment
We have no hard-and-fast rule on how long we test a product, instead relying on our experience and knowledge to gauge when we have learnt all we need about a product. On average, this takes at least a few weeks, with other reviews running into the months.
We never unpack a product, take a few shots, plug them in for five minutes and write up our review. We like to allow the product to settle into our lives and reveal its strengths and weaknesses through prolonged testing.
How do we get audio equipment to review?
Our experts acquire speakers and earphones for testing in various ways. One method involves receiving sample items from brands or PR companies representing them. Alternatively, What’s The Best may purchase items for testing, or our experts may review personal purchases.
Some products are sent to us for a loan period, while others - particularly earphones for hygiene reasons - are ours to keep.
Regardless of how a product reaches our experts, we ensure the final review is sincere, reflecting their firsthand experience. Our evaluations are unbiased, offering praise when deserved and criticism when warranted.
At times, we may receive commission or other compensation through product links, which supports our passion for providing valuable product advice without compromising the integrity of our reviews.