ASUS ZenBook A16, AirPods Max 2, Sonos Play and LG Sound Suite

Spring has actually sprung right here at Engadget. Nicely, it has by way of reviews, at the very least. We’ve put over a dozen gadgets by means of their paces since my final roundup, which supplies you numerous to compensate for over the weekend. Learn on for the rundown of all of the opinions you would possibly’ve missed.

ASUS ZenBook A16

ASUS’ ZenBook A14 didn’t reside as much as our expectations final yr, however now the corporate is again with a 16-inch machine and a shot at redemption: the A16. “Compatibility points apart, the ZenBook A16 delivers nearly the whole lot I need in an ultraportable,” senior reporter Devindra Hardawar mentioned. “It’s received a stunning OLED display and all the ports you want. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite chips additionally give it a much-needed energy increase. And better of all, it is one of many lightest and sleekest 16-inch Home windows laptops I’ve come throughout.”

Apple AirPods Max 2

Apple/Engadget

The H2 chip delivers a bunch of latest options, but it surely’s time for a complete redesign on these dear headphones.

Professionals

• Snug
• Wonderful sound high quality
• A lot of new options

Cons

• Similar design, once more
• Costly
• Just one listening to well being function

Till this yr, Apple’s solely updates to the AirPods Max have been new colours and a USB-C port. The corporate lastly gave its pricey over-ear headphones the highly effective H2 chip, delivering a bunch of helpful options from the AirPods Professional. “The H2 chip brings Apple’s over-ear headphones on par with the remainder of the AirPods lineup, particularly the AirPods Professional 3,” I mentioned. “And since I don’t anticipate Apple to announce new earbuds this yr, that parity ought to stay for some time.”

Sonos Play

Sonos / Engadget

The Play sounds nice, has a large and versatile function set and received’t break the financial institution. It’s a welcome return to type for Sonos.

Professionals

• Compact design
• Nice sound high quality for its measurement
• Options like line-in and Bluetooth grouping make it extraordinarily versatile
• Lengthy battery life

Cons

• Doesn’t include an influence adapter
• Extra colours can be welcome

Sonos badly wanted a win. Fortunately, the corporate regained a few of its mojo with a new portable speaker that provides one of the best of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the identical gadget. “The newest Sonos speaker presents spectacular sound high quality, flexibility and portability, and it’s the sort of product that may assist Sonos rebuild its popularity after its current difficulties,” deputy editor Nathan Ingraham mentioned.

LG Sound Suite

LG/Engadget

LG’s newest dwelling theater system presents immersive sound and plenty of choices. It’s costly although, and the marquee function isn’t all the time straightforward to make use of.

Professionals

• Detailed and expansive dwelling theater audio
• Dolby FlexConnect is genuinely helpful
• Nice for music
• Straightforward to make use of as particular person audio system

Cons

• Costly
• Irritating setup and connectivity
• Every merchandise is bought individually
• Some configurations require LG TVs

After a powerful CES debut, LG’s Sound Suite was my most anticipated overview of the yr. Regardless of spectacular sound high quality and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, there are nonetheless some kinks to work out in each the setup and common use. “There’s no denying that LG has created a strong and immersive front room expertise with its Sound Suite lineup,” I mentioned. “Whereas I did expertise some setup and software program points, these are issues LG can iron out over time — Sound Suite continues to be model new, in spite of everything.”

DJI Avata 360, Fender Audio, Nebula X1 Professional and extra

The previous couple of weeks have been fairly audio-heavy right here at Engadget, together with the primary headphones and speakers from Fender Audio, two sets of headphones from JBL and the Roland Go: Mixer Studio. I additionally reviewed the primary of Sony’s 2026 soundbars, the Bravia Theater Bar 5, and contributing reporter Steve Dent reviewed the Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro all-in-one projector.

Senior reporter Sam Rutherford actually took one for the crew and spent a while with the Robosen Soundwave Transformers robotic. Lastly, Steve took flight with the DJI Avata 360 drone, which is a direct reply to Insta360’s Antigravity A1.