LISTENING

Amp up your audio and let your music carry you away

1 CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1

Cambridge Audio’s true wireless bullet buds do exactly what they need to: offer spellbinding sound and comfortable styling in an ultracompact package, for a price that, at least next to strong competition from bigger names like Apple and Sony, seems very attractive indeed. A winner. $278, cambridgeaudio.com

2 RUARK MR1 MK2

What Ruark does with speakers is nothing short of witchcraft. This is a compact set, perfect for a bookshelf or a desk, but piping music through the MR1 Mk2 reveals it’s so much more: you get loud, rich, clear audio with real depth. Honestly, why go any bigger? $699, ruarkaudio.com

3 AIRPODS PRO

Apple’s best AirPods yet by a long chalk, and (thanks to their pressure equalisation, IPX4 rating and transparency-equipped ANC) the perfect partner for when you need either to block the world out completely or go for a big sweaty run and let a little sound in. $349, apple.com/au

4 AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5X

We’re well aware of the temptation to spend through the nose for a high-quality turntable, but there’s absolutely no need: the unassuming style (and price) of the Audio-Technica AT-LP5x does nothing to mask its wide, exciting sound. There’s USB output too, which is always helpful. $599, audio-technica.com

5 NAIM MU-SO 2ND GENERATION

One listen to Naim’s refined all-in-one audio solution and wireless speaker (developed in collaboration with the French sound scientists at Focal) is all it takes. This is an utterly spectacular creation, one that brings new life to sound and does an incredible amount in a compact shell. $2,295, naimaudio.com

6 LINN SERIES 3

As its price suggests, this is something very special. The Series 3 combines wide-ranging hi-res and streaming support, Linn’s design expertise and the company’s frequencydelaying Exakt audio tech to create the finest wireless speaker you’re ever likely to hear. $5,700, linn.co.uk

7 SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 3 WIRELESS

The ANC headphone market is a war zone right now, and every weapon Sony, Bose, B&W et al put out is better than the last. Winning the arms race right now? Sennheiser. These pack clarity and rhythm into a comfortable collapsible package that belongs on your ears. $620, sennheiser.com

8 ECHO STUDIO

Amazon’s highest-end Echo packs five speakers into its shell, with 3D audio and Atmos support along with the smart home and voice control features you’d expect from such a device. Good enough to best the ace Homepod? We’d say so. $329, amazon.com.au

9 TECHNICS SL-G700

Realistically there are few clamouring to add SACD playback facilities to their hi-fi, but as an added extra to just about the best audio streamer you can buy, we’d argue it’s not such a bad thing. Technics’ SL-G700 is as precise and powerful as it is visually understated. $tbc, technics.com

10 WHARFEDALE LINTON HERITAGE

If you want a massive, open-ended sound from your stereo, Wharfedale’s modern-engineered but classically-styled speakers are the way to go. They’re big (but not too big), with a huge amount of detail and real room-filling scale. $2,799, wharfedale.com.au