BEST BUYS… Curated picks of third-party kit
DESKTOP SPEAKER Ruark MR1
£329.99 ruarkaudio.com
Winner of MF357’s head to head, the MR1 speaker set looks and sounds the business. The dome tweeter and longthrow woofer can handle a variety of audio styles with aplomb. You get a good variety of connectivity options, and we love the chunky function/volume dial too.
IN-EAR WIRLESS EARPHONES Sony WF-1000XM4
£250 sony.co.uk
The WF-1000XM4 are slightly smaller than their predecessor and the case is 40% smaller – and more ecofriendly. The true wireless earbuds have a good audio ability, support voice-assistant control and the Headphones Connect app provides lots of customisation and ease of use. As well as LDAC, the WF-1000XM4 are compatible with SBC and AAC codecs.
KEYBOARD (MAC/iOS) Logitech MX Keys For Mac £99.99 logitech.com
If you spend a lot of time at your desk, you’ll know how imperative the right keyboard is. The MX Keys is full size with spherically dished, smooth-touch keys. The keyboard can pair with up to three Mac or iOS devices, and you can switch between them without having to re-pair. Battery life is good and the backlight is cleverly triggered by a proximity sensor.
QHD DISPLAY
ViewSonic VP2768a ColorPro £379 viewsonic.com
If you’re looking for a screen for creative colour work, the 100% sRGB VP2768a ColorPro should be a definite contender. The frameless 27in 2K QHD display offers a 2560x1440 resolution, and a 14-bit 3D lookup table that generates 4.39 trillion colours. In terms of connectivity, there’s an integrated Gigabit Ethernet port, USBC, USB3.2 Gen 1, HDMI, and a DisplayPort.
PRINTER
Epson Workforce WF-110W £199.99 epson.co.uk
Epson’s Workforce WF-110W is supremely portable with an integrated rechargeable battery that has good longevity, plus there are flexible connectivity options and a nicely designed iOS app. The onboard screen and controls make setup and operation easy, and black-and-white print quality is excellent, with colour certainly acceptable.
WI-FI ROUTER
Zyxel Multy U WSR30 £199 zyxel.com/uk
Zyxel’s Multy U mesh router hits the sweet spot, offering great performance at a competitive price, making it ideal for homes and small offices. The AC2100 router offers up to 280Mbps with a range of 6,000sq ft, and the nodes are easy on the eye, too. The companion app comes with helpful speed tests and diagnostic tools, as well as parental controls.
STREAMING SOUNDBAR Sonos Beam
£449 sonos.com
The second-generation of this streaming soundbar features a five-speaker array for a deep, rich soundstage. You get Wi-Fi, Ethernet and HDMI eARC connectivity options, and Alexa and Google Assistant built in. Dolby Atmos is supported, and the digital signal processor simulates surround sound. The Sonos app is easy to use and you can also stream audio over AirPlay 2.
EXTERNAL SSD
OWC Envoy Pro SX SSD £345.99 (1TB) owcdigital.com
Our SSD top spot used to belong to OWC’s FX version of this drive, but this cheaper model is also a tough cookie that offers excellent read and write speeds. It’s IP67 rated so it’s crush-proof, dust-proof, and waterproof and is plenty zippy in the file transfer department. The SX SSD is limited to Thunderbolt/USB 4 but you can always use it with an adaptor.
MACBOOK BAG
Hex Technical backpack $149.95 (about £110) hexbrand.com
Looking for a bag that hits the sweet spot for generous storage and stylish looks? Look no further. The Hex Technical’s 17.5-litre capacity is made up of device-hugging padded pockets for a MacBook (up to 16in), iPad, power bank and more. The bag is waterproof and has a 1680D Cordura ballistic bottom so it’s also reassuringly rugged.