Organizer
Gadget news
This Shark upright might not be the fanciest vacuum in town, but in terms of cleaning power I can’t fault it
2:30 am | November 16, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: | Comments: Off

Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002: two-minute review

Product info

This is the vacuum on review:

Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins Hair Pro Upright Vacuum AZ3002

Shark can be erratic with its naming, so check the product code to make sure you're buying the model you think you're buying. There are similar but slightly different models available in the UK and Australia (I tested a US vacuum).

The Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 is a corded upright vacuum that packs plenty of cleaning power. Although bulky and heavy compared to a stick vacuum, it has a modular design that means you can remove the bin and hold it in your hand, while you use the wand on a flexible hose to tackle cleaning tasks off the floor. In floor mode, it will propel itself forwards when switched on, making it easier to drive (although at times it did feel like it was running away from me).

I've been using this vacuum on-and-off for a little over a year, so I've had plenty of opportunity to try it out on different floor types and see how it copes with different cleaning challenges. I'd rate it amongst the best upright vacuums around. It sucks up large and fine debris with ease, and handles hair well, too. It comes with a range of tools that are useful for tackling detail work, and with the pod removed it's easy to slide the wand under furniture and clean thoroughly in tight corners and right up against baseboards.

The main floorhead is kitted out with headlamps to help you spot dirt and fluff in dark corners, as well as an odor-neutralizing puck to keep things smelling fresh. Underneath are two rollers that work in tandem to tackle different floor types – a softer roller helps polish hard floors, and a firm roller with rubber fins helps agitate carpet fibers.

It's not the most advanced Shark Upright, and lacks some of the special features of newer models like the Shark PowerDetect Upright – including an Auto mode, which I missed here. However, it's still an excellent all-rounder, and worthy of consideration if you're hunting for the best vacuum for your needs.

Shark Stratos Upright vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 review: price & availability

  • List price: $529.99
  • Launch date: Unknown
  • Availability: US

The Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 launched several years ago, and is available to buy in the US. There are similar models in the UK and Australia, but with slightly different product codes.

At list price, this vacuum costs $529.99 on the SharkNinja website. It's also available to buy via third party retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.

That price puts it in TechRadar's mid-range bracket for vacuums in general, but is rather expensive in the context of corded uprights. It's a high-quality vacuum cleaner that works really well and comes with plenty of accessories, so I think the price is justified. There are cheaper, still capable, uprights on the market if it's out of your budget, though.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 specs

Type:

Corded upright

Weight:

22.7 lbs / 10.3kg

Bin size:

1.5 qts / 1.4 L

Size (H x W x L):

46.5 x 11 x 12.2 in / 118.1 x 27.9x 31cm

Filter:

HEPA, felt and washable foam

Max suction:

Not provided

Modes:

Hard floor, Carpet/low pile, Thick carpet/area rug

Cord length:

25 ft / 7.62m

Flexible hose length:

3 ft / 0.9m

Product code:

AZ3002

Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 review: design

  • Modular design – can remove the motor section and hold in your hand
  • Floorhead for any floor type, and fitted with odor-neutralizing cartridge
  • Three suction levels to choose from but no auto mode

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 is the plethora of accessories. My review model came with a Crevice tool, Upholstery tool, and HairPro self-cleaning pet power brush for detail cleaning, plus an odor-neutralizer cartridge to slot into the floorhead. I found everything relatively easy to put together without needing to consult the manual.

As is almost always the case with upright vacuums, the Stratos AZ3002 is relatively bulky and heavy – especially compared to the best cordless stick vacuums on the market. However, here you can detach the pod that contains the dust cup and hold it in your hand while you use the wand on a flexible hose, which makes things like cleaning the stairs far easier.

This model is corded, so you'll need to deal with the relative inconvenience of having to unplug and re-plug as you clean. The cord is also shorter than I'd like, at just 25 ft / 7.62m.

Shark Stratos Upright vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

One design feature I like is the ability to choose from three suction levels: one for hard flooring, one for low-pile carpet and one for thick carpet. A lot of corded uprights just have one setting, but I appreciate that I can customize the cleaning based on floor type here.

However, it's not the most advanced of the Shark uprights – the Shark PowerDetect Upright has an Auto mode whereby it'll increase or decrease suction based on how much dirt is on the floor. This vacuum will also amp up power when the vacuum nears the edge of a room, and has a floorhead that's designed to be able to pick up chunky debris when it's pulled backwards over it. None of those features are included on the Stratos Upright.

Shark Stratos Upright vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

The main floorhead contains two motorized brushrolls that work in harmony to clean different flooring types. In the front is the soft roller, which picks up dust and helps polish hard floors. In the back is the PowerFins roller, which has rubbery fins to agitate carpet fibers, as well as helping to scoop up chunkier debris on hard floors.

One special feature which crops up on a number of the best Shark vacuums is an odor neutralizer cartridge. Here, it sits directly in the main floorhead, and can be rotated to raise or lower the intensity. I'm sensitive to some fragrances, but fortunately, on a low setting, the scent is not overpowering. It's a mild and clean fragrance. If you don't like this feature, the cartridge can be removed and won't affect the vacuum's actual performance.

The dustbin can hold 1.5 quarts / 1.4 liters of dust and debris at a time, which is far more than you'd fit into a cordless stick vacuum, but not as generous as you'll find on some upright models. However, it's nice and easy to empty: simply press the release button on the top of the pod and then push the level on the back to open the lid.

There are two types of filters in the vacuum: the HEPA filter, and the pre-motor filters (foam and felt filters), both of which will need cleaning semi-regularly and eventually replacing.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 review: performance

  • Great suction on both hard floors and carpet
  • Cleans under low furniture (sofas and beds)
  • Reaches into tight spaces and above floor places

I was impressed with the powerful suction of the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum. The company does not specifically list the suction power, but it's strong enough to easily remove debris on both hard floors and carpeted surfaces. While relatively weighty, it also propels itself forwards when turned on, which makes it easier to drive – although sometimes, when steering, it seems like the vacuum is almost going to topple over.

On hard floors, the brushroll is so strong that sometimes, during my tests with instant grits, a few specs would scatter or fly away. This did not happen on carpet, or with heavier types of debris – and I'm not deducting any points for the few scatters.

Throughout my time using the Stratos AZ3002, I never had any issues with hair getting tangled in the brushroll system. I don't have pets, but this vacuum pulled up my own short hairs with ease, and in general I think it'd make a good vacuum for pet hair – corded uprights like this one almost always have more suction than cordless stick vacuums, and I was certainly impressed with this model's cleaning power.

Shark Stratos Upright vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

To get a more objective view of the AZ3002's performance, I ran a series of suction tests. In my first test, I opened a packet of dry apple cider tea and scattered it on the floor. I chose the hard floor mode, and the Shark Stratos easily removed it in a single pass.

In the next test, I sprinkled some instant grits on the floor. Still in hard floor mode, the vacuum also removed most of the debris in a single pass. However, in the left side of the photo above, you can see that the vacuum also scattered some of the grits on the floor.

In the third test, I poured some of the instant grits along the edge of the floor to test how closely the Shark Stratos cleans there. The vacuum cleaner removed the vast majority of the grits when vacuuming sideways and those left were picked up when I vacuumed head-on.

On carpet, I performed the same tests with dry apple cider vinegar tea and instant grits. This time, I poured the tea and grits side by side. I switched the setting to carpet/low pile cleaning. The Shark Stratos made easy work of picking up both the tea and grits – one pass is all that was needed for both types of spillage.

I must admit that I don't always remember to switch modes when vacuuming, and I missed having an Auto mode where the vacuum cleaner would adjust itself automatically when going from one type of flooring to the other.

Shark Stratos Upright vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

One of my favorite features is the ability to remove the pod and use the vacuum cleaner almost like a stick vacuum. In this configuration, I found it easy to clean under my sideboard as well as under my sofa, and the floorhead was able to clean right up to the baseboards. Such thorough cleaning isn't always a given with an upright vacuum, and I appreciated it here. I also found the vacuum's headlights helped me spot dirt in dark spaces.

I also tried adding the Crevice tool to the end of the main wand. This setup was great for cleaning dust from the HVAC vent covers on the ceiling, as well as in tight spaces like under and on the side of the refrigerator. I found the Upholstery tool very effective for cleaning throw pillows and curtains, as well as any upholstered furniture. Finally, I used the Pet power brush to clean my carpeted stairs.

In all of these scenarios, the Shark Upright Stratos did an excellent job of removing dust and debris in just one forward motion (although I tended to go forward and backward when cleaning anyway).

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Top of the mid-range bracket, but sometimes discounted. Great features help justify the price.

4 / 5

Design

Bulky, but modular design makes it versatile and it comes with lots of detail tools. Lacks advanced features of other Shark uprights and cord is a bit short.

4 / 5

Performance

Strong suction on hard floors and carpet. Cleans under low furniture, and with attachments, it reaches into tight places and can be used on steps and upholstery.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You only plan to have one vacuum

The Shark Stratos Upright is equally effective on both carpet and hard floors, unlike some vacuum cleaners that do better on one or the other type of surface. With the attachments, you can also clean stairs, as well as upholstered items, and in tight places.

You worry about your hardwood floors

The soft roller head is gentle on hard floors so you don't have to worry about the vacuum cleaner being too rough and scratching the surface. As a bonus, the soft roller head also helps to buff the floors.

You don't like emptying the dust bin

The Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 has a large dustbin so you'll likely never have to stop in the middle of a cleaning session to empty it. The push button mechanism means you don't have to touch the bin's contents, either.

Don't buy it if...

You struggle with bulky or heavy appliances

All in, this vacuum cleaner weighs 22.7 lbs / 10.3kg. Even with the self-propulsion and fact you can remove and hold the bin pod, it's rather heavy. If you struggle with heavy appliances, a stick vacuum might be a better fit.

You want low-effort cleaning

There are three suction modes here, but you'll need to toggle them manually. More advanced Shark Uprights have an Auto mode that'll do it for you.

You need to vacuum a lot of stairs

While the pod is removable, making it easier to clean stairs, the cord and hose can only stretch so far. A cordless stick vacuum is a better option for stairs.

How I tested the Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002

I've had the Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002 for over a year, and used it on-and-off for months at a time in my two-bedroom home, which has a mix of carpet and hard floors.

For this review I used the Shark Stratos Upright as my primary vacuum cleaner for a couple of weeks, so I could determine cleaning effectiveness in the three modes. I also gauged how easy it was to maneuver the vacuum, and how easy it was to empty and maintain.

To measure performance more specifically, I conducted several tests on both hard floors and carpet, using dry tea and instant grits. I also tested how well the vacuum cleaner was able to clean up against baseboards, and how well it worked with the various attachments to clean stairs, upholstery, and in tight spaces.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

  • First reviewed November 2025
I’ve been testing digital photo frames for years, and I’ve just found my favorite design – Pexar’s innovative rear-lit stunner
11:30 pm | November 15, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home | Comments: Off

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame: review

The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame is an innovative photo frame built on the third-party Frameo platform. While its premium styling and large, glare-free display are undoubtedly a visual treat, the feature most likely to draw admiring comments from visitors to your home will be the rear-facing wall light, described by the manufacturer Lexar as the ‘world’s first’.

If you’ve read any of my past reviews of digital photo frames built on the Frameo platform, you’ll be familiar with how easy the app is to use. Adding users is a cinch. You simply tap ‘Add Friend’ on the frame, and it generates a code. Once you or your loved ones have downloaded the app, you can enter the code, and you’re good to go.

Sending photos to the frame has been improved since I last used the Frameo app. You can still select up to 10 photos to send at a time or upgrade to the Frameo+ app for $1.99 / £0.99 a month or $16.99 / £7.99 a year to unlock unlimited sends. Once you’ve selected which frame you want to send the photos to, you can add captions and adjust their alignment. In a marked improvement over earlier versions of the app, you can now manually select the positioning of images in both landscape and portrait orientation, ensuring your snaps are cropped exactly how you want them.

Once my snaps were loaded on it, I was generally impressed. It certainly gives some of the best digital photo frames a run for their money. From a decent viewing distance, my black-and-white shots of the Puente Romano in Córdoba look crisply detailed. Up close, though, it doesn’t always look quite as precise – that’s an inevitable side effect of that larger screen size, which gives it a pixel density of 141 PPI, rather than the staggering 212 PPI of the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame.

The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch featuring a photo of an ornate cathedral ceiling in landscape orientation on a side table in front of a pink wall.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Another area where it falls a little short of the excellent example set by its predecessor is color balance. One of the things that blew me away about the older Pexar frame was its impressively vibrant hues, but the Starlight looks more muted to me. Even compared to the screen of my iPhone 16 Pro – not a device notorious for its hyper-saturated colors – the Barbie pink of camellias or blazing gold of rhododendron blooms look more conservative and less exuberant. It’s not miles off the mark, but it’s just enough that photos look a little more subdued than I’d like.

Despite these slight missteps, the Pexar Starlight’s performance is still impressive, giving your photos plenty of pop. In a large part, this is thanks to the frame’s bright display and super-dynamic, contrasty pictures – even if the colors look a little duller from time to time, photographs I’ve uploaded still look bold and assertive, making for an impressive focal point in my living room.

Naturally, this is helped by the design of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame, which is flat out gorgeous. That 15.6-inch screen is bright and almost entirely glare-free – honestly, it’s so unperturbed by all the artificial light in my office that it’s like it’s subject to some kind of quantum tunnelling effect where the light just passes straight through it.

The rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch showing the power cable and stand, as well as its built-in lighting.

(Image credit: Future)

The frame is a bit of a stunner as well. Its wood grain finish is beautiful and feels delightfully tactile, while the bezels around the screen are nicely textured to mimic a proper mount. Admittedly, the plastic this is made from doesn’t feel quite as authentic as the paper-like effect on the Aura Aspen but the overall effect still gives it a more premium feel than the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame before it.

Given its name, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the biggest new feature of the Starlight is backlighting. I didn’t notice it a whole lot when viewing the frame stand-mounted or under bright light, but mounted on the wall or in the evening, it looks picture perfect. Honestly, it makes the frame a statement piece in its own right. I do wish there was an option to change the warmth of the backlight, though, as it can look a little cool for the kind of soft amber light I prefer after dark.

Ultimately, I feel like the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch is the difficult sequel to Pexar’s breakthrough album, the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame. It’s more ambitious, more innovative and yet it compromises on a few of the things that made its predecessor such a hit. It still features pretty highly on my list of favorite digital photo frames but for $159.99 / £149.99 you can snap up its stablemate instead.

A closeup of the front corner of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, showing the wood-grain frame and the power button.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: price & release date

  • Launched November 6, 2025
  • Retails for $349.99 / £349.99

Released on November 6, 2025, the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame is available in both the US and UK for a list price of $349.99 / £349.99.

While that’s not exactly cheap, it’s still reasonably priced. For example, the Aura Aspen costs $229 (around £175) for a smaller 11.8-inch display, though it does offer better pixel density and color reproduction. By contrast, the huge 27-inch Netgear Meural Canvas II will set you back a whopping $599.99 / £649.99 – for that spend, you get great features and better color, yet it has a much lower pixel density as a result of its bulk.

A closeup of the rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, focusing on its power button and rear light.

(Image credit: Future)

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: specs

Dimensions

7.1 x 10.2 x 1 inches (180 x 259 x 25mm)

Display size

15.6-inch

Resolution

1920 x 1080, 144 pixels per inch

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Touch Screen

Yes

Sound

Built-in speaker

Orientation

Portrait or landscape

Storage

64GB

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

A closeup of the front of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, showing the wood-grain frame and the local time and weather.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Should I buy the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The Frameo app is easier to use than ever, thanks to new settings for cropping your photos.

4/5

Design

The Pexar Starlight is stunningly designed, with a gorgeous wood-grain frame, textured white bezels and that classy backlight.

5/5

Performance

Impressively bright and glare-free, the Starlight offers crisp, contrasty images – it’s just a shame its colors can occasionally look a little more subdued than other frames.

4/5

Value

With an increased price and build quality, the Pexar has also lost some detail and color accuracy, which is a real shame. But it’s still not a bad frame for this kind of spend.

4/5

Buy it if…

You want a bright, expansive screen
Not only does the Pexar Starlight offer a generous 15.6-inch screen, it’s also pleasingly bright, looking bold and eye-catching even in bright daylight.

You want a truly gorgeous looking frame
With its wonderfully tactile wood-grain finish and textured mount, this frame looks very close to its analog counterparts. But add that innovative backlight and you’ve got something that almost no frame currently offers.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the absolute crispest photo frame you can get
While the Pexar Starlight looks reasonably sharp, its 141 PPI pixel density is dwarfed by that of some frames on the market, such as the 212 PPI Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame.

You’re looking for striking, true-to-life color
The Pexar Starlight handles earth tones well enough but it’s a bit of shrinking violet when it comes to primary and secondary colors, lacking the vibrancy of some rival digital photo frames.

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: also consider

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame

Aura Aspen

Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame

Dimensions

7.1 x 10.2 x 1 inches (180 x 259 x 25mm)

12.7 x 10.1 x 1.1 inches (323 x 257 x 28mm)

7.4 x 11.2 inches (18.9 x 28.4cm)

Display size

15.6-inch

11.8-inch

11-inch

Resolution

1920 x 1080, 144 pixels per inch

1600 x 1200, 170 pixels per inch

2000 x 1200, 212 pixels per inch

Aspect Ratio

16:9

4:3

5:3

Touch Screen

Yes

No

Yes

Sound

Built-in speaker

Built-in speaker

Built-in speaker

Orientation

Portrait or landscape

Portrait or landscape

Portrait or landscape

Storage

64GB

Unlimited cloud storage

32GB

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame
If you care most about performance over style, Pexar’s previous digital photo frame is the one to go for. Thanks to its huge 2000 x 1200 resolution display crammed into a 11-inch screen, this Pexar rocks a whopping 212 PPI pixel density and is also capable of truly glorious color, with pinks, reds and yellows positively glowing in my photos. Read my full Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame review for more.

Aura Aspen
Alternatively, the Aura Aspen offers a fantastic sweet spot between both form and function. Its build is exquisite – its bezels have a matte, textured-paper effect that feels like real mount, while its body and stand are satisfyingly sturdy. Meanwhile, it still has an impressive display, rocking a 170 PPI pixel density and some of the best color accuracy I’ve ever seen. Read my full Aura Aspen review.

The rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch showing a person's hands fitting its stand into the given slot.

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame

  • Tested over several weeks
  • Uploaded a range of color and monochrome photos
  • Have many years of experience working with photography

I spent several weeks testing the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame. To test out how easy it is to use, I first set up the frame and added several users to it. I then sent over a range of photos using the Frameo app, both individually and in large batches to see how easy the transfer process is, before tweaking the fit and alignment of each image.

I made sure I uploaded a significant variety of photos to test out how the frame’s display performed against different criteria. To test its resolution and contrast, I used a variety of black-and-white photographs, from mountains in the Scottish Highlands to Spanish architecture. When assessing its color performance, I used vibrant shots of blossoms, flowers and fireworks, comparing its color reproduction against the screen of my iPhone 16 Pro.

Not only have I tested over half a dozen of the best digital photo frames released over the last 18 months, I’m also a keen photographer, having snapped over 40,000 images on my Canon SLR and iPhone 16 Pro. On top of this, I spent over a decade working in print publishing, meaning that I have a keen eye for managing photography and assessing how it’s translated to another medium.

  • First reviewed: November 2025
  • Read more about how we test
I’ve been testing digital photo frames for years, and I’ve just found my favorite design – Pexar’s innovative rear-lit stunner
11:30 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home | Comments: Off

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame: review

The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame is an innovative photo frame built on the third-party Frameo platform. While its premium styling and large, glare-free display are undoubtedly a visual treat, the feature most likely to draw admiring comments from visitors to your home will be the rear-facing wall light, described by the manufacturer Lexar as the ‘world’s first’.

If you’ve read any of my past reviews of digital photo frames built on the Frameo platform, you’ll be familiar with how easy the app is to use. Adding users is a cinch. You simply tap ‘Add Friend’ on the frame, and it generates a code. Once you or your loved ones have downloaded the app, you can enter the code, and you’re good to go.

Sending photos to the frame has been improved since I last used the Frameo app. You can still select up to 10 photos to send at a time or upgrade to the Frameo+ app for $1.99 / £0.99 a month or $16.99 / £7.99 a year to unlock unlimited sends. Once you’ve selected which frame you want to send the photos to, you can add captions and adjust their alignment. In a marked improvement over earlier versions of the app, you can now manually select the positioning of images in both landscape and portrait orientation, ensuring your snaps are cropped exactly how you want them.

Once my snaps were loaded on it, I was generally impressed. It certainly gives some of the best digital photo frames a run for their money. From a decent viewing distance, my black-and-white shots of the Puente Romano in Córdoba look crisply detailed. Up close, though, it doesn’t always look quite as precise – that’s an inevitable side effect of that larger screen size, which gives it a pixel density of 141 PPI, rather than the staggering 212 PPI of the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame.

The Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch featuring a photo of an ornate cathedral ceiling in landscape orientation on a side table in front of a pink wall.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Another area where it falls a little short of the excellent example set by its predecessor is color balance. One of the things that blew me away about the older Pexar frame was its impressively vibrant hues, but the Starlight looks more muted to me. Even compared to the screen of my iPhone 16 Pro – not a device notorious for its hyper-saturated colors – the Barbie pink of camellias or blazing gold of rhododendron blooms look more conservative and less exuberant. It’s not miles off the mark, but it’s just enough that photos look a little more subdued than I’d like.

Despite these slight missteps, the Pexar Starlight’s performance is still impressive, giving your photos plenty of pop. In a large part, this is thanks to the frame’s bright display and super-dynamic, contrasty pictures – even if the colors look a little duller from time to time, photographs I’ve uploaded still look bold and assertive, making for an impressive focal point in my living room.

Naturally, this is helped by the design of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame, which is flat out gorgeous. That 15.6-inch screen is bright and almost entirely glare-free – honestly, it’s so unperturbed by all the artificial light in my office that it’s like it’s subject to some kind of quantum tunnelling effect where the light just passes straight through it.

The rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch showing the power cable and stand, as well as its built-in lighting.

(Image credit: Future)

The frame is a bit of a stunner as well. Its wood grain finish is beautiful and feels delightfully tactile, while the bezels around the screen are nicely textured to mimic a proper mount. Admittedly, the plastic this is made from doesn’t feel quite as authentic as the paper-like effect on the Aura Aspen but the overall effect still gives it a more premium feel than the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame before it.

Given its name, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the biggest new feature of the Starlight is backlighting. I didn’t notice it a whole lot when viewing the frame stand-mounted or under bright light, but mounted on the wall or in the evening, it looks picture perfect. Honestly, it makes the frame a statement piece in its own right. I do wish there was an option to change the warmth of the backlight, though, as it can look a little cool for the kind of soft amber light I prefer after dark.

Ultimately, I feel like the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch is the difficult sequel to Pexar’s breakthrough album, the Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame. It’s more ambitious, more innovative and yet it compromises on a few of the things that made its predecessor such a hit. It still features pretty highly on my list of favorite digital photo frames but for $159.99 / £149.99 you can snap up its stablemate instead.

A closeup of the front corner of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, showing the wood-grain frame and the power button.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: price & release date

  • Launched November 6, 2025
  • Retails for $349.99 / £349.99

Released on November 6, 2025, the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame is available in both the US and UK for a list price of $349.99 / £349.99.

While that’s not exactly cheap, it’s still reasonably priced. For example, the Aura Aspen costs $229 (around £175) for a smaller 11.8-inch display, though it does offer better pixel density and color reproduction. By contrast, the huge 27-inch Netgear Meural Canvas II will set you back a whopping $599.99 / £649.99 – for that spend, you get great features and better color, yet it has a much lower pixel density as a result of its bulk.

A closeup of the rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, focusing on its power button and rear light.

(Image credit: Future)

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: specs

Dimensions

7.1 x 10.2 x 1 inches (180 x 259 x 25mm)

Display size

15.6-inch

Resolution

1920 x 1080, 144 pixels per inch

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Touch Screen

Yes

Sound

Built-in speaker

Orientation

Portrait or landscape

Storage

64GB

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

A closeup of the front of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch, showing the wood-grain frame and the local time and weather.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)

Should I buy the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The Frameo app is easier to use than ever, thanks to new settings for cropping your photos.

4/5

Design

The Pexar Starlight is stunningly designed, with a gorgeous wood-grain frame, textured white bezels and that classy backlight.

5/5

Performance

Impressively bright and glare-free, the Starlight offers crisp, contrasty images – it’s just a shame its colors can occasionally look a little more subdued than other frames.

4/5

Value

With an increased price and build quality, the Pexar has also lost some detail and color accuracy, which is a real shame. But it’s still not a bad frame for this kind of spend.

4/5

Buy it if…

You want a bright, expansive screen
Not only does the Pexar Starlight offer a generous 15.6-inch screen, it’s also pleasingly bright, looking bold and eye-catching even in bright daylight.

You want a truly gorgeous looking frame
With its wonderfully tactile wood-grain finish and textured mount, this frame looks very close to its analog counterparts. But add that innovative backlight and you’ve got something that almost no frame currently offers.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the absolute crispest photo frame you can get
While the Pexar Starlight looks reasonably sharp, its 141 PPI pixel density is dwarfed by that of some frames on the market, such as the 212 PPI Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame.

You’re looking for striking, true-to-life color
The Pexar Starlight handles earth tones well enough but it’s a bit of shrinking violet when it comes to primary and secondary colors, lacking the vibrancy of some rival digital photo frames.

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame review: also consider

Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame

Aura Aspen

Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame

Dimensions

7.1 x 10.2 x 1 inches (180 x 259 x 25mm)

12.7 x 10.1 x 1.1 inches (323 x 257 x 28mm)

7.4 x 11.2 inches (18.9 x 28.4cm)

Display size

15.6-inch

11.8-inch

11-inch

Resolution

1920 x 1080, 144 pixels per inch

1600 x 1200, 170 pixels per inch

2000 x 1200, 212 pixels per inch

Aspect Ratio

16:9

4:3

5:3

Touch Screen

Yes

No

Yes

Sound

Built-in speaker

Built-in speaker

Built-in speaker

Orientation

Portrait or landscape

Portrait or landscape

Portrait or landscape

Storage

64GB

Unlimited cloud storage

32GB

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-A, USB-C

Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame
If you care most about performance over style, Pexar’s previous digital photo frame is the one to go for. Thanks to its huge 2000 x 1200 resolution display crammed into a 11-inch screen, this Pexar rocks a whopping 212 PPI pixel density and is also capable of truly glorious color, with pinks, reds and yellows positively glowing in my photos. Read my full Pexar 11-inch Digital Picture Frame review for more.

Aura Aspen
Alternatively, the Aura Aspen offers a fantastic sweet spot between both form and function. Its build is exquisite – its bezels have a matte, textured-paper effect that feels like real mount, while its body and stand are satisfyingly sturdy. Meanwhile, it still has an impressive display, rocking a 170 PPI pixel density and some of the best color accuracy I’ve ever seen. Read my full Aura Aspen review.

The rear of the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch showing a person's hands fitting its stand into the given slot.

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame

  • Tested over several weeks
  • Uploaded a range of color and monochrome photos
  • Have many years of experience working with photography

I spent several weeks testing the Pexar Starlight 15.6-inch digital photo frame. To test out how easy it is to use, I first set up the frame and added several users to it. I then sent over a range of photos using the Frameo app, both individually and in large batches to see how easy the transfer process is, before tweaking the fit and alignment of each image.

I made sure I uploaded a significant variety of photos to test out how the frame’s display performed against different criteria. To test its resolution and contrast, I used a variety of black-and-white photographs, from mountains in the Scottish Highlands to Spanish architecture. When assessing its color performance, I used vibrant shots of blossoms, flowers and fireworks, comparing its color reproduction against the screen of my iPhone 16 Pro.

Not only have I tested over half a dozen of the best digital photo frames released over the last 18 months, I’m also a keen photographer, having snapped over 40,000 images on my Canon SLR and iPhone 16 Pro. On top of this, I spent over a decade working in print publishing, meaning that I have a keen eye for managing photography and assessing how it’s translated to another medium.

  • First reviewed: November 2025
  • Read more about how we test
I spent a month testing the new Roku Pro Series (2025), and it’s a solid upgrade on an already high-value TV
3:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Roku Pro Series TV (2025): One-minute review

The original Roku Pro Series TV impressed me when I reviewed it in 2024, and I remain impressed with this updated version Roku released in 2025. The differences between the two, ultimately, are somewhat minor – you can’t really tell a difference at a glance, other than it having larger support feet – but the improvements in audio and picture quality make it worth it.

I actually appreciate that the Roku Pro Series (2025) is mostly the same in a lot of ways. Its shadowbox design might seem strangely thick for TVs these days, but it has benefits when it comes to wall-mounting and sound quality. The port selection is the same, though at least the HDMI ports that support a faster refresh rate are visibly marked this time around. The Pro Series (2025) comes with Roku’s best remote control as well.

Just like last year, I consider the Roku Pro Series to be among the best TVs in this price range. It’s certainly a step up from the still good Roku Plus Series. Now, it doesn’t have quite the brightness and deep contrast of really premium TVs, but it does support Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range, not to mention uses a mini-LED backlight with local dimming.

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Price and release date

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) remote control

The Roku Voice Remote Pro allows for hands-free voice support (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: June 2025
  • 55-inch: $899.99
  • 65-inch: $1,199.99
  • 75-inch: $1,699.99

The Roku Pro Series TV (2025) is a refresh of the Roku Pro Series TV (2024) I reviewed last year, with just a few (but welcome) upgrades. Even so, the Pro Series TVs are priced the same as last year's models at all screen sizes.

Launch prices for the Roku Pro Series TVs sit between the TCL QM6K and TCL QM7K, two other value-priced series of mini-LED TVs. They are also comparable to the launch prices for the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series TVs. All three of those TV lineups have seen discounts in 2025, and we expect to see the same for the Roku Pro Series (2025) as we head into the holiday shopping season.

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Specs

Screen type:

QLED with mini-LED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

Roku TV

HDMI ports:

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Benchmark results

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Features

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) inputs

Connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support (Image credit: Future)
  • Smart home support
  • Hands-free voice control
  • Roku Smart Picture Max

The feature-filled Roku Pro Series (2025) offers much of what you would expect from a TV these days, such as Apple AirPlay support and the ability to connect Bluetooth headphones and speakers. It also works with multiple smart home ecosystems such as Roku Smart Home, Apple HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home.

HDR support includes Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive. The TV’s Hands-free voice control, accessible through the remote, is also pretty nifty, especially since you just have to be in the remote’s vicinity and don’t have to press the microphone button for it to hear you.

One key upgrade from last year’s Roku Pro Series is the addition of Roku Smart Picture Max. This feature, like Dolby Vision, adjusts the picture quality on a scene-by-scene basis. It will also change picture modes as well as color, sharpness, and contrast on a scene-by-scene basis. That’s pretty cool, and, interestingly, one of those things you don’t really notice the benefits of until it’s turned off.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that you can set it to automatically turn on when powering up an external source, such as a gaming console or Blu-ray player.

  • Features Score: 4/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Picture quality

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) showing image of ceramic kettle

Adjusting the TV's settings to the Brightest option in the Picture setup menu will more than double its brightness to an impressive 1,700-1,800 nits (Image credit: Future)
  • Improved color accuracy with good brightness
  • Good contrast and motion handling
  • Very minor vignetting

Having tested several TVs in this budget price range, it’s hard to get too impressed with the results. And when I got the Roku Pro Series TV (2025), it felt like more of the same. But my main TV is last year’s version, and the performance is very similar.

The Pro Series (2025) TV’s Peak HDR brightness, measured on a white window pattern covering 10% of the screen, was 821 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 841 nits in Standard mode. And it hit 375 and 390 nits, respectively, in those same modes when we measured fullscreen brightness.

Those results were at the default settings for those picture modes, and would be considered average for a budget mini-LED TV. We ran a second round of measurements with the Brightest setting selected for each mode, however, and the peak HDR brightness results more than doubled to 1,752 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 1,818 nits in Standard mode. That’s a significant difference, and a big benefit when viewing in a room with bright lighting.

The TV’s color gamut coverage of 96.9% UHDA-P3 and 80.6 BT.2020 is also quite good, although we’ve seen similar results from mid-range mini-LED TVs such as the TCL QM8K. One improvement, revealed by our benchmarks, is the new Pro Series’ color accuracy: Last year’s model sat at 3.9, while this year’s is 2.6 (the closer to 0 the better).

In terms of actual viewing, the images that this screen produces are crisp and vibrant. Roku has worked to minimize blooming and it seems to have paid off as images looked clean and defined even with very strong contrast and color. And the TV does a good job with motion handling: While watching NFL games, I could clearly make out all the players and how they moved across the field.

The colors pop the way they should when watching something like Coco (a favorite animated movie for testing color). And the TV’s handling of high dynamic range allows for wide contrast levels, including being able to make out details in the shadows.

Now, I can’t say that the picture quality is any better than the TCL QM6K I recently reviewed, though it does have less vignetting at the corners than that TV. Of course, that’s to also say that the Roku Pro Series does suffer from very minor vignetting, although it’s so minor that I would have to point it out for most other people to notice it.

  • Picture quality score: 4/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Sound quality

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) rear panel subwoofer

Larger speaker chambers on the Pro Series (2025) allow for higher volume levels and a greater sense of spaciousness (Image credit: Future)
  • Good, soundbar-level audio
  • Lacks bass
  • Decent audio fine-tuning features

I’ve spent a bit of time not only listening to the audio from shows and movies but also plenty of music on this TV. Like the previous version, the Roku Pro Series TV (2025) has very good audio for a TV. It’s good enough that you probably won’t feel the need to get a soundbar unless you want surround sound, spatial audio, or a subwoofer. It’s as good as a basic soundbar, and that’s high praise for a TV.

The internal chambers for the speakers on the new Roku Pro Series are actually bigger than the previous version, allowing for a little higher volume and a greater sense of space to the sound. They’re also pushed out a little wider for a better soundstage. It’s not night and day, as last year’s version was very good, too, but I appreciate that Roku is constantly trying to improve the TV’s audio.

As far as the frequency range goes, there’s a lot of good and some bad. The high end is decent enough that I feel like I can hear plenty of detail whenever I’m listening to music, while the mid-range has a richness to it that not only gives music and background scores a fullness, but also helps highlight dialogue.

The low end, unfortunately, is very lacking, though this is far from a surprise. When I watched an action scene in a movie with lots of explosions (or anything where there’s a lot of bass), it felt a bit lacking since that low-end information is basically missing. Batman punching through an explosion in his Batmobile in The Batman just doesn’t hit the same when you don’t feel the 18-wheeler turn off or explode.

The soundstage does have good imaging, meaning I could clearly hear where the audio is intended to be (left or right, close or far away). It doesn’t quite have the width of an external home theater sound system, but, for something built into the back of a TV, it’s fairly impressive.

Lastly, I do want to mention that there are some solid audio-related settings available. For one, you can adjust its audio output based on whether it’s mounted against the wall or not. There are also treble and bass EQ sliders.

On top of that, there are various sound presets, including a dialog and night mode, both of which I feel are important. The former boosts where the human voice sits to make dialogue more intelligible (looking at you, Christopher Nolan) and the latter flattens the dynamic range so that there aren’t any unexpected loud or quiet parts when watching at night.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Design

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) support feet being installed

No tools are required to install the TV's support feet (Image credit: Future)
  • Shadowbox design allows for flush mounting
  • Cable management in the back with marked HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Remote has hands-free voice support

When I reviewed last year’s version of the Roku Pro Series TV, one of my favorite aspects was its shadowbox design. Since the 2025 version is virtually identical, the shadowbox design remains. Looking at its side profile, it’s thicker than most TVs these days. That might sound like it looks unwieldy, but it’s still an attractive TV.

More importantly, when hung, this shape sits flush against the wall the way a picture frame would, making for a more attractive installation. Compare that to most TVs that are tapered in the back and look like they’re hanging off the wall. It’s a design choice that I really appreciate.

From the front, you have very thin bezels around the TV except along the bottom, where it’s around half an inch in height, enough to showcase the Roku logo. The screen itself does have some reflectivity, but it’s not any worse than any other mid-range or budget TV I’ve seen.

Design-wise, the back of the TV is a little more interesting. First, the lower back is indented in such a way to allow you to run all the cables from the ports and power down the middle while still keeping the TV flush against the wall if mounted. Plus, there are strategically placed straps to keep the cables from sticking out.

As far as ports go, there are four HDMI connections, two of which are version 2.1 that allow 120Hz refresh rates from external sources such as a gaming console. And, unlike last year’s version, they’re marked. There are also USB-A and USB-C ports, LAN (for a wired Ethernet connection), optical digital audio out, and an antenna input. Besides the marked HDMI ports, I appreciated the extra USB so I could keep the charging cable for the remote plugged in.

Speaking of the remote, it’s the same second-gen Roku Voice Remote Pro that not only allows for hands-free voice support – you can talk to it with a wake word (“Hey Roku”) like you would an Amazon Echo – but has two reprogrammable buttons so you can have a shortcut for an app that you might open all the time that isn’t already on the remote.

  • Design score: 5/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Smart TV and menus

Roku Pro series TV main Roku interface

Roku has one of the cleanest and easiest to navigate smart TV interfaces on the market (Image credit: Future)
  • Tile interface layout
  • Plenty of free or Roku-specific content
  • Lots of picture settings available for fine-tuning

Smart TV interfaces generally come in two flavors: a grid of tiles and a banner plus mixed content. The former basically organizes the home screen around an arrangement of app tiles, and you navigate to the app you want. The latter generally has a rotating banner that highlights a specific movie or show, along with rows of different content including app tiles but also specific media from within your subscribed apps.

Roku uses the tile layout, and I like it. It’s a little less busy and has a cleaner look, though you do have to open the apps to browse. However, Roku does have some suggested content at the top now, as well as a “What to Watch” tab that showcases rows of specific media, including a “Continue Watching” row.

Like most smart TV makers, Roku offers free, ad-supported content. Of course, there’s the Roku Channel, but there’s now also the Howdy by Roku app that is paid for ad-free viewing, but is very low-priced. There’s also a Sports tab with some free content available.

As far as the actual TV settings go, I appreciate that all settings are integrated into the Roku OS, though that’s not unusual these days.

Even better is the fact that I can adjust settings for different inputs, even renaming them, as well as connect different Bluetooth devices like headphones. There are plenty of settings that one can play with for picture quality to adjust HDR (or turn it off entirely), different motion-related settings for sports, local dimming and micro contrast, and all sorts of color and color-temperature settings. You can do quite a bit of fine-tuning.

  • Smart TV & menus score: 5/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Gaming

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) showing a game image from Dead Island 2

An ultra-low 9.3ms input lag in Game mode results in smooth and responsive gaming (Image credit: Future)
  • 4K 120Hz support
  • Automatic switching to console input and gaming picture mode
  • No FPS counter

Roku has not forgotten about gamers with the Pro Series. There isn’t a special TV menu when in game mode like I see on some other TVs, but there is support for 4K 120Hz input on two of the TV’s HDMI ports.

When turning on a next-gen console, the TV can automatically switch to that input (a setting you have to enable). The TV will also automatically switch to Game mode, which adjusts the picture settings.

The things that make the Roku Pro Series TV (2025) good for gaming are mostly what make it good for other types of media. The TV does well with sports, so it’s no surprise that it can handle fast-moving objects on the screen, whether it’s playing a sports game like NBA 2K25 or a shooter. Even something like Dead Island 2, where you’re running around and trying to dodge zombies, requires good motion handling.

The TV’s good brightness, along with solid HDR and color, really helps games to pop. Measured input latency is also an ultra-low 9.3ms in Game mode, which results in highly responsive performance.

  • Gaming score: 4.5/5

Roku Pro Series (2025) review: Value

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) accessories on wood floor

The Roku Pro Series (2025) accessories kit (Image credit: Future)
  • Good price for what’s offered
  • Plenty of solid competition
  • Cheaper Plus series mini-LED model available

At around $1,200 for the 65-inch model I tested, the Roku Pro Series is affordably priced, although it faces stiff competition from other budget and mid-range mini-LED TVs.

For instance, the TCL QM6K is a stellar option for a mid-range TV and you can find it on sale for under $700 in the same size. The QM6K has great color and contrast, but just okay brightness and the audio is lacking.

Of course, if you like the idea of the Roku Pro but not the price, the newer version of the Roku Plus Series will get you most of the way there for a little less cash. Spending around $650 for the 65-inch version will get you a 4K mini-LED TV with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, though you’re not going to have the same audio quality, shadowbox design, or 4K 120Hz support.

The Roku Pro Series is a good value compared to the competition, though part of that is the improved audio as well as some of Roku’s unique design choices. It’s also what makes it a better value than the Roku Plus models.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Roku Pro Series (2025)?

Roku Pro Series TV (2025) showing image from Coco animated movie

(Image credit: Future)
Roku Pro Series (2025)

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Roku Smart Picture Max, smart home, and hands-free voice support are just some of what this TV has on offer

4.5/5

Picture quality

The color accuracy is improved over last year’s model. The overall picture quality is very good, though there is some minor vignetting

4/5

Sound quality

The audio quality is good enough to skip getting a soundbar, though there’s not much bass

4.5/5

Design

The shadowbox design might be bulky, but it is ideal for mounting the TV flush on the wall

5/5

Smart TV and menus

Navigating the interface and menus is straightforward

5/5

Gaming

Supports a high refresh rate, though there are limited gaming-related menu options

4/5

Value

Improves on last year’s model, while selling for the same price

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a TV that looks good on the wall
The shadowbox design allows this TV to look good when mounted, almost like a picture frame with a TV in it. If you plan on mounting your TV, this one sits flush against the wall and does a good job of hiding the cables in the back.

You don’t want to buy a soundbar
The audio quality is good enough that you won’t feel the need to get a soundbar. It does lack some low-end, but Roku sells wireless subwoofers that can pair with the TV.

Don't buy it if…

You want a next-level picture
The Roku Pro Series TV looks very good, but it’s not quite a premium TV. You’ll have to spend a bit more, but there’s still a level of image quality above this model.

You’re on a serious budget
This model punches above its weight, but if you’re on a budget, you’re better off sticking with the Roku Select or Plus Series, which are still pretty good TVs.

Also consider...

Roku Pro Series (2025)

TCL QM6K

Roku Plus Series

Hisense U75QG

Price (65-inch)

$1,199

$999

$649

$1,499

Screen type

mini-LED w/ QLED

mini-LED w/ QLED

mini-LED w/ QLED

mini-LED w/ QLED

Refresh rate

120Hz

Up to 144Hz

60Hz

Up to 165Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Smart TV

Roku TV

Google TV

Roku TV

Google TV

HDMI ports

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4

4 HDMI 2.1

TCL QM6K
The TCL QM6K is just as good a value and even a little cheaper than the Roku Pro Series TV, though it doesn’t have quite the audio quality or its unique shadowbox design. What it does have is a great picture quality with vibrant colors, good contrast, and minimal backlight blooming.

Read our full TCL QM6K review

Roku Plus Series
You’ll be locked to a 60Hz refresh rate and you won’t have the precision of the Pro Series, but the Roku Plus Series TVs are still an excellent value as they’re mini-LED TVs with full-array local dimming. It’s still as convenient as any other Roku device, though you won’t have the automatic picture switching, shadow box design, or updated remote of the Pro Series.

Read our full Roku Plus Series review

Hisense U75QG
Hisense's mid-range mini-LED TV is near the same price range as the Roku Pro Series, and it offers much higher picture brightness and better gaming features. Its design isn't as eye-catching as the Roku TV, however, and audio quality isn't as good.

Read our full Hisense U75QG review

How I tested the Roku Pro Series TV (2025)

Samsung QN900D showing test pattern

(Image credit: Future)
  • I used the Roku Pro Series TV (2025) for a month
  • Tested with both TV, movies, music, and games
  • Benchmark measurements conducted by Future US testing lab

I used the Roku Pro Series TV (2025) regularly for a month. I used it with TV, movies, music, and games. I tested the various features to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio as well as paying attention to the picture quality.

After spending some time with this TV, it’s my opinion that this TV is ideal for those who want a premium TV without the premium price tag as well as those who want to wall-mount a TV but hate how they look when mounted.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

Fluance’s chic powered bookshelf speakers offer impressively detailed, almost neutral sound – with very few drawbacks
1:30 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Fluance Ri71: Two-minute review

If you’ve looked into mid-range speakers from Fluance like the Fluance Ri71 powered speakers reviewed here, you’ll see people talk about how they’re good for the price. There have been plenty of caveats and plenty of hedging since, after all, the speakers are manufactured in Taiwan. Never mind that they’re designed in Canada or the fact that, regardless of where they’re from, they’re just good speakers.

Having reviewed these speakers, I can honestly say that the Fluance Ri71 sound great and not just for the price. Yes, they may not quite reach the heights of something from Dali or KEF, but they still have a fairly neutral, detailed sound that works for all genres. The price tag is an added bonus as they’re among the best stereo speakers out there for anyone not wanting to spend over $500.

I do wish there were also USB or USB-C port to connect to a computer and the placement of the volume wheel is not ideal. Though I like the look of a naked speaker (and therefore don’t count it as a negative), they don’t come with a grille for those who care. There’s really not much to complain about here.

Really, the Fluance Ri71 speakers are an easy recommendation for anyone looking for powered bookshelf speakers. And though there’s no spatial audio or surround sound, they work pretty well for TV, too.

Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speakers on a windowsill, with trees outside the window.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Price & release date

  • Released March, 2025
  • Priced $399.99 / £333.32 / AU$620 (approx.)

With a price tag of $399.99 / £333.32 / AU$620 (approx.), the Fluance Ri71 sits right in mid-range territory.

You can certainly find some powered bookshelf speakers for triple the price (and not necessarily triple the performance) – you can also spend quite a bit less. Fluance’s own Ai41 powered speakers come in at $249 (£255, AU$471), but those are smaller with less power and a less refined sound.

The Fluance Ri71 are available in the US and in the UK (via Amazon). Though Fluance maintains a presence on Amazon AUS (for Australia), the Ri71 don’t seem to be available Down Under at this time.

Fluance Ri71 review: Specs

Weight

6.4 kg (active speaker); 5 kg (passive speaker)

Dimensions

310 x 185 x 199 mm

Subwoofer

No (has sub out)

Frequency response

46 Hz - 30 kHz

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X enabled?

No

Maximum output

120 watts

Fluance Ri71 review: Features

  • Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD and AAC codecs capable of almost lossless streaming
  • Included HDMI is ARC-enabled for use with a TV
  • No spatial audio or Wi-Fi streaming

Powered bookshelf speakers such as the Fluance Ri7 bridge the gap between a traditional speaker setup and what people want out of a modern sound system. That means there are some great quality-of-life features on hand, while some things a casual listener might expect or hope for are just not here. So, neither spatial audio, surround sound nor Wi-Fi streaming are part of the package, but that’s generally the case with this type of speaker setup and not really a knock against them in my opinion.

What is on hand, however, is a decent amount of connectivity including Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD and AAC codecs for close-to lossless streaming. In the past, there’s been a noticeable difference in quality between Bluetooth audio and that sent through a wired signal because the latter doesn’t have to compress the sound. But that’s no longer the case. There’s a small difference but, in my opinion, it’s very hard to notice.

There’s also an HDMI port on hand, meaning these speakers can be used with a TV. The built-in offerings on most TVs generally suck, so having a good pair of speakers is always a welcome upgrade. And while they might not be as feature-filled as some of the best soundbars around the same price tag, they still offer a better stereo soundstage. And (usually) better sound. Since the HDMI connection is ARC-supported, you can control the volume with one remote.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Front panel of the Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker, placed on its back on a matt, on a wooden surface.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Sound quality

  • Decent low end without subwoofer
  • Impressively detailed high end
  • Immersive, if polite-sounding

While you shouldn’t rely too much on a speaker’s frequency range as a gauge of sound quality, the range of 46 Hz - 30 kHz does tell us a few things. At 46Hz, the low end is not all that low, but is comparable to other powered bookshelf speakers, with many having a higher cutoff.

The Fluance Ri71 also has bass ports at the bottom of the speaker cabinet to accentuate what it can reproduce. That means that, while you don’t quite have that very low rumble you might hear in electronic dance music or an action scene in a movie, you still get a well-balanced if slightly restrained bass response. Listening to anything with heavy 808 usage (that deep bass you hear in hip-hop and EDM) is going to lack a little oomph.

On the high end of that aforementioned range, 30kHz is pretty impressive, with that extended high end potentially coming from the AMT tweeters. Either way, that’s much better than the 20kHz range around which many speakers sit. Now, many of us probably can’t hear up to 30kHz but what this extended range, plus the fast response of those tweeters, mean is that there’s not only an immediacy to higher-end sound but a clarity to themtoo.

It’s almost as if someone pulled a blanket off the band I’m listening to and all of sudden I can hear intricacies of the ride and the sweetness of the strings. Or, if you prefer the more boring way of saying it, the music feels less compressed and less filtered.

The midrange feels a little pulled back, which makes everything sound more polite. It can make rock music sound just a little aggressive, for instance. Unfortunately, you can only boost or cut the high or low end.

As far as soundstage goes, the Fluance Ri71 sound good wherever you place them but really benefit from spending the time to actually adjust them to your ears. You’ll know it’s right when you can hear the “center channel” in the middle as if there were a speaker there.

They also do a good job with sound imaging. I feel that I have a solid grasp of where an aural element is in the mix beyond just left, right, and center, which makes the listening experience all the more immersive.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Fluance Ri71 speaker on a windowsill, with the 'power on' button illuminated green.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Design

  • New AMT tweeter is the most unique design choice here
  • Unusual placement of controls
  • No digital connectivity beyond HDMI

The Fluance Ri71 have a look and general design much like any other active bookshelf speakers. There are two of them standing at about 12 inches (310mm) in height. Each speaker cabinet is fairly rectangular in shape, though they do taper near the back.

And they come in the kind of “looks good in an office” colorways one would expect. Specifically, they’re available in white, walnut, and black. One thing I do appreciate is the fact that the white and black (reviewed here) still have noticeable wood grain. Of course, these are made of MDF wood, but that’s most bookshelf speakers these days for you.

As far as the actual drivers go, each speaker cabinet comes with a 5.25-inch (133.3 mm) woven glass fiber driver and an AMT (air motion transformer) tweeter, along with a long, thin bass port beneath to emphasize the low end. Besides any upgraded internal bracing, the AMT tweeter is the new star of the show. These tweeters are different than the regular tweeters insofar as they offer a faster response and more detail, though placement is a bit more precise.

Since these are powered bookshelf speakers with 120 watts coursing through them via a Class D amp, there are some on-unit controls on the right speaker. There’s a volume wheel on the back at the top, a strange place considering these dials are usually more accessible on the front. You can press the volume wheel to change inputs (an LED indicator on the front changes color depending on the input). Then, there’s a treble and bass wheel on the back along with the power and a Bluetooth pairing button.

Port-wise, I was disappointed to not see any digital connectivity such as USB or USB-C, since I do a lot of my listening through streaming services via my laptop, but it does at least have that aforementioned ARC-supported HDMI, allowing me to change the volume using the TV remote. There’s also the typical RCA inputs as well as a sub-out port.

Because of the placement of the various wheels, the remote is quite handy. Besides power and volume, you can change input, adjust the treble and bass, mute, and turn off the LED on the speaker.

  • Design score: 4/5

Rear panel of the Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker, placed facing upwards and showing hte ports and controls on the back, on a matt on a wooden surface.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Q Acoustics 3020c review: Setup and usability

  • Basically plug and play
  • Bluetooth will automatically look to pair
  • Placement is important, like any bookshelf speakers

Since the Fluance Ri71 are powered bookshelf speakers, they’re very easy to set up. The active speaker with all the ports goes on the right and the passive one goes on the left. Then you just have to connect the passive speaker to the active with the included speaker wire that’s helpfully color-coded red and white. The tips on each side are soldered solid so you don’t have to worry about little pieces of speaker wire splintering off.

While it would have been even more convenient for the tips to have banana plugs, you just have to insert the appropriate tip in the exposed hole and screw down the top. Keep the colors the same on both sides and it will take less than a minute to connect the two speakers. Then plug in the power cord and turn it on.

From there, you just need to plug in the desired source or connect via Bluetooth – pairing is simple as the speaker will automatically start the process if it’s not already done so – and you’re good to go.

Of course, remember that bookshelf speakers do require a little bit of finesse in their placement for the best sound, but that goes for all bookshelf speakers and is something I’ve covered in another article in greater detail. You want a précis? Basically, just have them an equal distance from each other, and you, with them pointed at you. You're welcome.

Black Fluance Ri71 bookshelf speakers on a windowsill, with supplied cables and remote control.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
  • Setup and usability score: 5/5

Fluance Ri71 review: Value

  • More than a few alternatives have USB
  • HDMI is a bit rarer on bookshelf speakers
  • Well-priced, but not a steal

Since the Fluance Ri71 are firmly in mid-range territory, you’ll probably end up comparing them to models from Q Acoustics, Audioengine, and Kanto. Take the Q Acoustics M20 HD for instance, which at $499 is a little pricier yet is considered one of the better affordable powered bookshelf speakers here at TechRadar. It has full, uncompressed sound and has the ability to flip which speaker is left or right. It also comes with a USB port, though lacks an HDMI.

A step up from that, at least financially, is the Kanto Ren, another excellent alternative. It goes for $599 / £599 / €719 and comes with all the connectivity one could want, whether it’s Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI, or USB-C. It also sounds great, with excellent clarity, though its bass can get a little flabby.

The point in comparing the Fluance Ri71 to these other speakers that these are excellent speakers and you’ll be happy with them, if you’re looking to stay under a certain price point. But the ones that are just a little pricier are justifiably so, even if it’s mostly on account of having a special feature or extra port. The Fluance Ri71 are a good price, but they’re not a steal.

Black Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker facing up and placed on its back on a windowsill.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
  • Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the Fluance Ri71?

Fluance Ri71 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

With HDMI ARC and Bluetooth aptx HD, there’s not much more one could ask for, outside of Wi-Fi streaming.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Neutral sound, plenty of detail and still a surprising amount of low-end, the Fluance Ri71 sound a treat.

4.5/5

Design

Awkward controls, and no USB connectivity; the AMT tweeter is a nice design upgrade.

4/5

Setup and usability

Despite the control placement, very easy, especially with the remote.

5/5

Value

Despite the connectivity quirks, a wonderful-sounding speaker for a reasonable price. Has competition at the price.

4/5

Buy them if...

You want detailed, almost neutral audio
The Fluance Ri71 have a clarity that feels almost polite, but is always a pleasure to listen to. These are the kind of speakers that make you feel like you can hear every detail.

You need HDMI
If you also want to use your bookshelf speakers for TV, having an HDMI port is critical, especially one that supports ARC, meaning you can use your TV remote to control the volume.

You want to stay under $500
Appropriately but well priced, the Fluance Ri71 don’t quite offer what more expensive speakers do, but they sound good enough that you won’t care. And you can put that extra cash back in your pocket.

Don't buy them if...

You need USB-C connectivity
If your main way of listening to music is connecting your laptop directly to powered speakers, then you’ll be disappointed having to use an old school RCA adapter. A lot of laptops don’t have an HDMI out (and some don’t even have an AUX port).

You want easy on-unit access to the volume
The volume wheel is awkwardly placed. That’s mostly a non-issue with the remote, but if you care or happen to lose all your remotes, you won’t like the fact that the volume wheel is at the back of the speaker.

Fluance Ri71 review: Also consider

Q Acoustics M20 HD
The Q Acoustics M20 HD are excellent bookshelf speakers at a slightly higher price point. They offer USB connectivity, but not HDMI. The left and right speaker configuration can also be reversed. They also have a detailed, uncompressed sound.
Read our full Q Acoustics M20 HD review

Kanto Ren
The Kanto Ren has it all in terms of connectivity – USB-C, HDMI, Bluetooth 5.3 – and it comes in interesting colors, though it will pick up every fingerprint. It’s lovely with a full, robust sound but the bass can get a little flabby.
Read our full Kanto Ren review

How I tested the Fluance Ri71

  • Used regularly for a few weeks
  • Listened to all sorts of audio
  • Used the various controls and ports

I used the Fluance Ri71 for a few weeks, listening to all sorts of genres of music like hip-hop, EDM, Top 40 pop, rock, and folk to get a better feel for these speakers. They were also tested with some TV shows and computer games. I tested the various controls and ports as well.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

First reviewed: November 2025

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

Fluance’s chic powered bookshelf speakers offer impressively detailed, almost neutral sound – with very few drawbacks
1:30 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Fluance Ri71: Two-minute review

If you’ve looked into mid-range speakers from Fluance like the Fluance Ri71 powered speakers reviewed here, you’ll see people talk about how they’re good for the price. There have been plenty of caveats and plenty of hedging since, after all, the speakers are manufactured in Taiwan. Never mind that they’re designed in Canada or the fact that, regardless of where they’re from, they’re just good speakers.

Having reviewed these speakers, I can honestly say that the Fluance Ri71 sound great and not just for the price. Yes, they may not quite reach the heights of something from Dali or KEF, but they still have a fairly neutral, detailed sound that works for all genres. The price tag is an added bonus as they’re among the best stereo speakers out there for anyone not wanting to spend over $500.

I do wish there were also USB or USB-C port to connect to a computer and the placement of the volume wheel is not ideal. Though I like the look of a naked speaker (and therefore don’t count it as a negative), they don’t come with a grille for those who care. There’s really not much to complain about here.

Really, the Fluance Ri71 speakers are an easy recommendation for anyone looking for powered bookshelf speakers. And though there’s no spatial audio or surround sound, they work pretty well for TV, too.

Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speakers on a windowsill, with trees outside the window.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Price & release date

  • Released March, 2025
  • Priced $399.99 / £333.32 / AU$620 (approx.)

With a price tag of $399.99 / £333.32 / AU$620 (approx.), the Fluance Ri71 sits right in mid-range territory.

You can certainly find some powered bookshelf speakers for triple the price (and not necessarily triple the performance) – you can also spend quite a bit less. Fluance’s own Ai41 powered speakers come in at $249 (£255, AU$471), but those are smaller with less power and a less refined sound.

The Fluance Ri71 are available in the US and in the UK (via Amazon). Though Fluance maintains a presence on Amazon AUS (for Australia), the Ri71 don’t seem to be available Down Under at this time.

Fluance Ri71 review: Specs

Weight

6.4 kg (active speaker); 5 kg (passive speaker)

Dimensions

310 x 185 x 199 mm

Subwoofer

No (has sub out)

Frequency response

46 Hz - 30 kHz

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X enabled?

No

Maximum output

120 watts

Fluance Ri71 review: Features

  • Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD and AAC codecs capable of almost lossless streaming
  • Included HDMI is ARC-enabled for use with a TV
  • No spatial audio or Wi-Fi streaming

Powered bookshelf speakers such as the Fluance Ri7 bridge the gap between a traditional speaker setup and what people want out of a modern sound system. That means there are some great quality-of-life features on hand, while some things a casual listener might expect or hope for are just not here. So, neither spatial audio, surround sound nor Wi-Fi streaming are part of the package, but that’s generally the case with this type of speaker setup and not really a knock against them in my opinion.

What is on hand, however, is a decent amount of connectivity including Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD and AAC codecs for close-to lossless streaming. In the past, there’s been a noticeable difference in quality between Bluetooth audio and that sent through a wired signal because the latter doesn’t have to compress the sound. But that’s no longer the case. There’s a small difference but, in my opinion, it’s very hard to notice.

There’s also an HDMI port on hand, meaning these speakers can be used with a TV. The built-in offerings on most TVs generally suck, so having a good pair of speakers is always a welcome upgrade. And while they might not be as feature-filled as some of the best soundbars around the same price tag, they still offer a better stereo soundstage. And (usually) better sound. Since the HDMI connection is ARC-supported, you can control the volume with one remote.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Front panel of the Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker, placed on its back on a matt, on a wooden surface.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Sound quality

  • Decent low end without subwoofer
  • Impressively detailed high end
  • Immersive, if polite-sounding

While you shouldn’t rely too much on a speaker’s frequency range as a gauge of sound quality, the range of 46 Hz - 30 kHz does tell us a few things. At 46Hz, the low end is not all that low, but is comparable to other powered bookshelf speakers, with many having a higher cutoff.

The Fluance Ri71 also has bass ports at the bottom of the speaker cabinet to accentuate what it can reproduce. That means that, while you don’t quite have that very low rumble you might hear in electronic dance music or an action scene in a movie, you still get a well-balanced if slightly restrained bass response. Listening to anything with heavy 808 usage (that deep bass you hear in hip-hop and EDM) is going to lack a little oomph.

On the high end of that aforementioned range, 30kHz is pretty impressive, with that extended high end potentially coming from the AMT tweeters. Either way, that’s much better than the 20kHz range around which many speakers sit. Now, many of us probably can’t hear up to 30kHz but what this extended range, plus the fast response of those tweeters, mean is that there’s not only an immediacy to higher-end sound but a clarity to themtoo.

It’s almost as if someone pulled a blanket off the band I’m listening to and all of sudden I can hear intricacies of the ride and the sweetness of the strings. Or, if you prefer the more boring way of saying it, the music feels less compressed and less filtered.

The midrange feels a little pulled back, which makes everything sound more polite. It can make rock music sound just a little aggressive, for instance. Unfortunately, you can only boost or cut the high or low end.

As far as soundstage goes, the Fluance Ri71 sound good wherever you place them but really benefit from spending the time to actually adjust them to your ears. You’ll know it’s right when you can hear the “center channel” in the middle as if there were a speaker there.

They also do a good job with sound imaging. I feel that I have a solid grasp of where an aural element is in the mix beyond just left, right, and center, which makes the listening experience all the more immersive.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Fluance Ri71 speaker on a windowsill, with the 'power on' button illuminated green.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Fluance Ri71 review: Design

  • New AMT tweeter is the most unique design choice here
  • Unusual placement of controls
  • No digital connectivity beyond HDMI

The Fluance Ri71 have a look and general design much like any other active bookshelf speakers. There are two of them standing at about 12 inches (310mm) in height. Each speaker cabinet is fairly rectangular in shape, though they do taper near the back.

And they come in the kind of “looks good in an office” colorways one would expect. Specifically, they’re available in white, walnut, and black. One thing I do appreciate is the fact that the white and black (reviewed here) still have noticeable wood grain. Of course, these are made of MDF wood, but that’s most bookshelf speakers these days for you.

As far as the actual drivers go, each speaker cabinet comes with a 5.25-inch (133.3 mm) woven glass fiber driver and an AMT (air motion transformer) tweeter, along with a long, thin bass port beneath to emphasize the low end. Besides any upgraded internal bracing, the AMT tweeter is the new star of the show. These tweeters are different than the regular tweeters insofar as they offer a faster response and more detail, though placement is a bit more precise.

Since these are powered bookshelf speakers with 120 watts coursing through them via a Class D amp, there are some on-unit controls on the right speaker. There’s a volume wheel on the back at the top, a strange place considering these dials are usually more accessible on the front. You can press the volume wheel to change inputs (an LED indicator on the front changes color depending on the input). Then, there’s a treble and bass wheel on the back along with the power and a Bluetooth pairing button.

Port-wise, I was disappointed to not see any digital connectivity such as USB or USB-C, since I do a lot of my listening through streaming services via my laptop, but it does at least have that aforementioned ARC-supported HDMI, allowing me to change the volume using the TV remote. There’s also the typical RCA inputs as well as a sub-out port.

Because of the placement of the various wheels, the remote is quite handy. Besides power and volume, you can change input, adjust the treble and bass, mute, and turn off the LED on the speaker.

  • Design score: 4/5

Rear panel of the Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker, placed facing upwards and showing hte ports and controls on the back, on a matt on a wooden surface.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Q Acoustics 3020c review: Setup and usability

  • Basically plug and play
  • Bluetooth will automatically look to pair
  • Placement is important, like any bookshelf speakers

Since the Fluance Ri71 are powered bookshelf speakers, they’re very easy to set up. The active speaker with all the ports goes on the right and the passive one goes on the left. Then you just have to connect the passive speaker to the active with the included speaker wire that’s helpfully color-coded red and white. The tips on each side are soldered solid so you don’t have to worry about little pieces of speaker wire splintering off.

While it would have been even more convenient for the tips to have banana plugs, you just have to insert the appropriate tip in the exposed hole and screw down the top. Keep the colors the same on both sides and it will take less than a minute to connect the two speakers. Then plug in the power cord and turn it on.

From there, you just need to plug in the desired source or connect via Bluetooth – pairing is simple as the speaker will automatically start the process if it’s not already done so – and you’re good to go.

Of course, remember that bookshelf speakers do require a little bit of finesse in their placement for the best sound, but that goes for all bookshelf speakers and is something I’ve covered in another article in greater detail. You want a précis? Basically, just have them an equal distance from each other, and you, with them pointed at you. You're welcome.

Black Fluance Ri71 bookshelf speakers on a windowsill, with supplied cables and remote control.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
  • Setup and usability score: 5/5

Fluance Ri71 review: Value

  • More than a few alternatives have USB
  • HDMI is a bit rarer on bookshelf speakers
  • Well-priced, but not a steal

Since the Fluance Ri71 are firmly in mid-range territory, you’ll probably end up comparing them to models from Q Acoustics, Audioengine, and Kanto. Take the Q Acoustics M20 HD for instance, which at $499 is a little pricier yet is considered one of the better affordable powered bookshelf speakers here at TechRadar. It has full, uncompressed sound and has the ability to flip which speaker is left or right. It also comes with a USB port, though lacks an HDMI.

A step up from that, at least financially, is the Kanto Ren, another excellent alternative. It goes for $599 / £599 / €719 and comes with all the connectivity one could want, whether it’s Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI, or USB-C. It also sounds great, with excellent clarity, though its bass can get a little flabby.

The point in comparing the Fluance Ri71 to these other speakers that these are excellent speakers and you’ll be happy with them, if you’re looking to stay under a certain price point. But the ones that are just a little pricier are justifiably so, even if it’s mostly on account of having a special feature or extra port. The Fluance Ri71 are a good price, but they’re not a steal.

Black Fluance Ri71 powered bookshelf speaker facing up and placed on its back on a windowsill.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
  • Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the Fluance Ri71?

Fluance Ri71 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

With HDMI ARC and Bluetooth aptx HD, there’s not much more one could ask for, outside of Wi-Fi streaming.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Neutral sound, plenty of detail and still a surprising amount of low-end, the Fluance Ri71 sound a treat.

4.5/5

Design

Awkward controls, and no USB connectivity; the AMT tweeter is a nice design upgrade.

4/5

Setup and usability

Despite the control placement, very easy, especially with the remote.

5/5

Value

Despite the connectivity quirks, a wonderful-sounding speaker for a reasonable price. Has competition at the price.

4/5

Buy them if...

You want detailed, almost neutral audio
The Fluance Ri71 have a clarity that feels almost polite, but is always a pleasure to listen to. These are the kind of speakers that make you feel like you can hear every detail.

You need HDMI
If you also want to use your bookshelf speakers for TV, having an HDMI port is critical, especially one that supports ARC, meaning you can use your TV remote to control the volume.

You want to stay under $500
Appropriately but well priced, the Fluance Ri71 don’t quite offer what more expensive speakers do, but they sound good enough that you won’t care. And you can put that extra cash back in your pocket.

Don't buy them if...

You need USB-C connectivity
If your main way of listening to music is connecting your laptop directly to powered speakers, then you’ll be disappointed having to use an old school RCA adapter. A lot of laptops don’t have an HDMI out (and some don’t even have an AUX port).

You want easy on-unit access to the volume
The volume wheel is awkwardly placed. That’s mostly a non-issue with the remote, but if you care or happen to lose all your remotes, you won’t like the fact that the volume wheel is at the back of the speaker.

Fluance Ri71 review: Also consider

Q Acoustics M20 HD
The Q Acoustics M20 HD are excellent bookshelf speakers at a slightly higher price point. They offer USB connectivity, but not HDMI. The left and right speaker configuration can also be reversed. They also have a detailed, uncompressed sound.
Read our full Q Acoustics M20 HD review

Kanto Ren
The Kanto Ren has it all in terms of connectivity – USB-C, HDMI, Bluetooth 5.3 – and it comes in interesting colors, though it will pick up every fingerprint. It’s lovely with a full, robust sound but the bass can get a little flabby.
Read our full Kanto Ren review

How I tested the Fluance Ri71

  • Used regularly for a few weeks
  • Listened to all sorts of audio
  • Used the various controls and ports

I used the Fluance Ri71 for a few weeks, listening to all sorts of genres of music like hip-hop, EDM, Top 40 pop, rock, and folk to get a better feel for these speakers. They were also tested with some TV shows and computer games. I tested the various controls and ports as well.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

First reviewed: November 2025

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

I tested the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 projector, and it has incredible performance and features for the price
1:19 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000: One minute review

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is the latest, and least expensive, member of Epson's LS series of projectors. At $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299, this entry-level dedicated home theater projector is notably cheaper than comparable options from JVC and Sony, yet still comes with a bevy of great features and performance to match.

Epson’s Pro Cinema LS9000 follows in the footsteps of the Epson LS12000 model that currently sits a the top of TechRadar’s Best Projectors list. The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 aims to continue this excellence, employing the same 15-element glass VRX lens structure, laser light engine, and 3LCD technology as the LS12000.

Similar to the step-up LS12000, the Pro Cinema LS9000 supports 4K 120Hz signals, has relatively low input lag for gaming, and is compatible with the HDR10+ high dynamic range format. Its motorized lens shift, zoom, and focus make setup adjustments easy, and out of the box in Natural picture mode, it delivers accurate colors and a crisp image.

Even with all the great inclusions, some missing features reflect the LS9000’s entry-level status. The most glaring is a lack of dynamic tone mapping, which is also missing from the other LS series projectors that were originally released a few years ago, but is starting to show up in some less expensive home theater models. With a rated 2,200 lumens brightness (white and color), it’s also best suited for a home theater room with decent ambient light control, as opposed to a multi-purpose living space with light streaming in through windows.

Still, the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 offers incredible performance for the price. It’s a solid projector that’s easy to set up, but still offers the ability to tweak and play with image settings that a new (or frugal) home projection enthusiast is sure to love.

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Price & release date

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 on table at angle

The LS9000's 2,200 lumens brightness spec is comparable to many other home theater projectors (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: July 2025
  • Price: $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 made its debut in July 2025 at the Audio Advice Live show in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the least expensive of Epson’s Pro Cinema laser projectors, coming in at $3,999 / £2,999 / AU$7,299. For comparison, the Home Cinema LS11000 retails for $4,499 (up from $3,999 when released) and the LS12000 now goes for $5,999 (up from $4,999 at release).

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Specs

Screen sizes supported:

50-300 inches

Brightness (specified):

2,200 Lumens

HDR support:

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

Optical technology:

3LCD laser diode

Smart TV:

N/A

Connections:

2x HDMI 2.1 (one with eARC), 2x USB-A (one 300mA for optical HDMI power, one 5V/2A for power and firmware), Mini USB (service), RJ45 (control), RS-232c, 3.5mm (12V trigger)

Dimensions (H x W x D):

7.6 x 20.5 x 17.6 inches (193 x 520‎ x 447mm)

Weight:

28 pounds (12.7kg)

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Design & features

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 rear panel ports and controls

The projector's connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support (Image credit: Future)
  • Motorized zoom, focus, and lens shift
  • 4K 120Hz support
  • Motorized lens cover

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 shares the same look as its bigger siblings, the Pro Cinema LS12000 and Home Cinema LS11000, and the high-lumen Epson QB1000 released in late 2024. The chassis is large and a bit heavy (the Sony Bravia Projector 7 weighs less, but the JVC DLA-NZ5 weighs a little more), but I find the design and its black color to look sleeker than its heft lets on. All connections are on the back panel alongside touch controls if the remote is misplaced.

The look is not where the similarities to the LS11000 and LS12000 end. Inside, the LS9000 uses the same VRX lens with a 15-element glass structure and has Epson’s 4K 3LCD design architecture with three 0.74-inch LCD panels.

As is the case with all Epson projectors, the LS9000 uses pixel-shifting technology to achieve a 4K resolution from 1080p chips. Some enthusiasts complain about this not being “True 4K” and as lesser than the use of native 4K chips, but the 4K image from the LS9000 (and every other Epson that uses pixel-shifting technology) is detailed and crisp, especially from a normal viewing distance. The chip also allows for a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The laser light source is specified for 2,200 lumens of both color (IDMS rated) and white (ISO rated) light output and has up to 20,000 hours of life in all modes. This is where the LS9000’s performance separates from the LS11000 and LS12000, which are rated at 2,500 and 2,700 lumens, respectively, and partially accounts for the difference in pricing. The blue laser diode array emits light through a fixed yellow phosphor (first released with the LS12000), as opposed to a phosphor wheel, to create white light, and the laser light source and fixed phosphor allow it to run silently.

The lower lumen output makes the LS9000 more suitable for a dark room – or at the very least, a light-controlled room — than the more expensive, higher light output projectors. But as I’ll discuss below, it still delivers enough brightness for daytime viewing.

There’s a generous +/- 24% horizontal and +/- 96% vertical powered lens shift on the LS9000, along with powered zoom (a ratio of 1-1.2) and focus that can be controlled from the remote to make setup adjustments easy. The projector’s throw ratio is 1.35-2.84:1. There’s also vertical and horizontal keystone correction (+/- 30 degrees), but with the amount of lens shift available, keystone correction likely won’t be necessary (and should always be avoided, if possible, as it can negatively affect the picture).

The LS9000 is compatible with an anamorphic lens kit (sold separately) and third-party options. A memory feature allows you to save image adjustments and lens positioning for different aspect ratio setups, and the lens is also protected by a motorized lens cover that opens and closes with the power cycle.

The LS9000 supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ high dynamic range, and has two HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K 120Hz. While that’s great news for gamers, the projector doesn’t support ALLM, so you’ll need to manually switch the image processing from Fine to Fast for the lowest input lag. HDMI2 also supports eARC, so if you decide to connect a streaming stick directly to the projector, you can send out audio including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, and DTS:X formats.

One thing missing from the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is dynamic HDR tone mapping. Instead, there’s an HDR Dynamic Range slider that allows you to manually adjust the brightness of the HDR image.

The projector’s remote is a bit chunky, but the keypad is backlit and has all the necessary buttons to make easy adjustments while viewing. There are dedicated buttons to call up features like Fine/Fast (for gaming), different lens memory positions, signal information, lens adjustment, and color modes.

  • Design & features score: 4.5/5

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Picture quality

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 remote control on wood surface

The LS900 has a sizeable, fully backlit remote control with numerous buttons to make adjustments directly, bypassing onscreen setup menus (Image credit: Future)
  • Accurate image in Natural picture mode
  • HDR10+ support
  • No dynamic tone mapping

The LS9000 has five different picture modes — Dynamic, Vivid, Bright Cinema, Cinema, and Natural — and they are the same for both standard and high dynamic range sources. Each mode produces a watchable image out of the box, although all of them have some degree of blue tint to the grayscale, with Natural being the most accurate choice for both SDR and HDR.

The default color temperature setting of 6500K is still slightly on the blue side, but switching it to 6000K causes the color temperature to be a little too red. If you choose to do a professional calibration, you can use two different picture modes – one for SDR and one for HDR – and save them with the Image Memory setting.

Out of the box SDR measurements in Natural picture mode had an average Delta E of 2.8, with some grayscale reaching above 4 because of the blue bias. A calibration can get all dE down below 2.1, with many under 1. UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage measured 90.25%, while BT.2020 came in at 66.86%.

Brightness in Dynamic mode with my unit was 2,062 lumens, but that’s still within the measurement tolerance of ISO lumens, and due to the positioning of my projector, the image was zoomed in a bit, which causes the brightness to come down. It’s enough brightness for a watchable image in a room with ambient light (even with Natural picture mode, which is visibly less bright than other modes), but there’s a loss of shadow detail due to the light reflecting on the screen.

Where the projector really excels is when the lights are off. Colors look accurate and inviting, detail in both SDR and HDR is sharp, and the projector exhibits great contrast and shadow detail with the Dynamic Contrast setting at High Speed. The contrast isn’t as impressive as on the LS12000, which I evaluated a few years ago, but for the price, the LS9000 does an excellent job.

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 on table with laser light on and center channel speaker visible below

The LS9000 excels for dark room viewing (Image credit: Future)

The HDR image does require some tweaking at times. Occasionally, bright highlights can cause some clipping — such as when the shark cage is lowered into the water in The Meg, and we can see the bright sun refracting through the ocean water. In this instance, I adjusted the dynamic range slider from its default of 8 to 10 (which slightly backs off the scene brightness).

Through most of my viewing, I played around with the slider, not just to address high brightness clipping, but also to see its effect on image depth. Generally, I found myself setting it between 8 and 10, with the Battle of Pelennor Fields in Return of the King at 8 and day scenes during Mad Max: Fury Road at a 9 for a bit more depth. None of the adjustments were life-altering, and I wouldn’t suggest changing the dynamic range slider mid-movie, but you’ll learn your preferences. This is where dynamic tone mapping is missed.

Home theater projectors have historically struggled to provide input lag low enough for gaming, but with two HDMI 2.1 ports that are capable of 4K 120Hz, the LS9000 is screaming to be used as a gaming projector. The Image Processing menu allows you to select a setting of Fine or Fast (which provides a lower input lag). With the Fast setting and a 4K 60Hz signal, the lag measured at 20ms (it’s 44ms with the Fine setting). Unfortunately, there’s no ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), so you’ll need to manually switch the setting when you game or watch content.

Input lag is low enough on the LS9000 to satisfy a non-competitive gamer (my son still enjoyed his time playing Minecraft). During my second playthough of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which relies on dodge and parry reactions during combat, I was able to still make it through combat without issue. Someone who regularly plays first-person shooter games will likely feel a difference between the LS9000 and one of the best gaming TVs, but for the vast majority of us, the Epson will deliver a great gaming experience.

  • Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 review: Value

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 mounted on ceiling

The LS9000's 1.35-2.84:1 throw ratio allows for installations at the rear of the viewing space (Image credit: Future)
  • Great performance for the price
  • Solid gaming projector
  • Missing an important home theater feature

The Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 is not only the least expensive model in the LS series, it’s one of the most affordable premium home theater projectors – the JVC DLA-NP5, which is a lamp-based model, retails for $6,000, as does the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, which came out three years ago.

Not only is the LS9000 brighter than both of those projectors, it also has a collection of features neither of them has, including a high-quality laser light engine, HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K/120Hz and eARC support, an excellent lens with motorized adjustments and lens cover, zoom and image memory, and 2,200 lumens of brightness.

There are still some compromises that must be made. Its biggest flaw is a lack of dynamic tone mapping, which we’re seeing in projectors half the price of the LS9000, like the Valerion VisionMaster Pro2. The LS9000 also doesn’t have 3D support, isn’t as bright as the step-up options from Epson, and is missing ALLM for gaming. But even so, the projector delivers a detailed picture with accurate color, which looks very engaging in a dark room. Also, the 20ms input lag time and 4K 120Hz support make gaming a joy on the big screen.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000?

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 on table at angle with lens cover closed

(Image credit: Future)
Epson Pro Cinema LS9000

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design and features

Motorized zoom, focus, and lens shift, along with 4K 120Hz and HDR10+ support

4.5/5

Picture quality

Accurate color in Natural mode, along with solid contrast, fine 4K picture detail, and low input lag for gaming

4.5/5

Value

A very good value compared to other 4K home theater projectors, most of which cost several thousands more

4/5

Buy it if...

You’re building your first serious home theater
If you’re making the jump from a basic projector to one truly designed for a 4K home theater, the LS9000 delivers an incredibly pleasing picture that rivals home theater offerings from JVC and Sony.View Deal

You also want a great gaming experience
It might not have ALLM, but the Pro Cinema LS9000 supports 4K 120Hz, and its input lag is low enough for all but the most competitive gamers.View Deal

You want HDR10+ support
Since the LS9000 doesn’t have dynamic tone mapping, watching HDR10+ content (with its dynamic metadata) will deliver the best dynamic content.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want dynamic HDR tone mapping
The LS9000, like its bigger siblings, doesn’t support dynamic tone mapping, instead relying on a manual dynamic range slider to adjust the HDR image.View Deal

You plan on watching with lots of ambient light
While 2,200 lumens is a good brightness spec, ambient light causes the image to look a bit washed out, which makes seeing shadow detail difficult.View Deal

Watching 3D movies is a priority
3D isn’t supported by the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 (or by the LS11000 and LS12000), so you’ll need to look elsewhere for your 3D fix.View Deal

Also consider

Comparison: projectors

Epson Pro Cinema LS9000

Epson Pro Cinema LS12000

JVC DLA-NZ700

Sony Bravia Projector 7

Price:

$3,999

$4,999

$8.999

$9,999

Screen sizes supported:

50-300 inches

50 to 130 inches

30 to 150 inches

90 to 130 inches

Brightness (specified):

2,200 lumens

2,500 lumens

2,300 lumens

2,200 lumens

HDR support

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

HDR10, HLG

Optical technology:

Laser 3LCD

Laser 3LCD

Laser D-ILA

Laser SXRD

Smart TV:

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Connections:

2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC)

2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC)

2x HDMI 2.0

2x HDMI 2.1

Epson LS12000

The LS12000 is the step-up model in Epson's Pro Cinema projector lineup. Rated for 2,700 lumens, it has a brighter picture than the LS9000 and also supports HDR10+ high dynamic range and a 4K 120Hz refresh rate for gaming. Other than brightness, the LS9000 and LS12000 are mostly similar when it comes to features and performance.

Read our Epson LS12000 review View Deal

JVC DLA-NZ700

The JVC DLA-N700 is a big jump up in price over the LS9000, and it lacks Epson's 4K 120Hz support. At a rated 2,300 lumens, brightness is about the same, but the JVC features a native 4K display chipset and sophisticated dynamic HDR tone mapping to augment its HDR10+ high dynamic range support.

Read our JVC DLA-NZ700 reviewView Deal

Sony Bravia Projector 7

Like the JVC DLA-N700, Sony's entry-level projector is a big step up in price over the Epson, costing around $10,000. Its brightness spec is the same 2.200 lumens and it lacks the Epson's HDR10+ support. What you are getting with the Sony is 4K 120Hz and ALLM support for gaming, along with a native 4K display. It also has dynamic HDR tone mapping and Sony’s XR Processor for projector, which improves detail and clarity of images blown up to a cinematic size.

Read our Sony Bravia Projector 7 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Epson Pro Cinema LS9000

  • Evaluated under various viewing conditions
  • Measured and calibrated with professional software and hardware
  • I am ISF-certified and have years of experience reviewing projectors

The Epson LS9000 laser projector was connected to my ceiling mount, approximately 11 feet from an Elite Screens CineTension 3 ISF-certified CineWhite screen. Using the Epson’s zoom and lens adjustment controls, the image was adjusted to fit the 100-inch diagonal screen.

I watched a wide range of content with both ambient light from the sun and ceiling lighting during the day and a dark, light-controlled environment at night. Movies and TV shows were streamed with an Apple TV 4K from the Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu apps. I also used a Kaleidescape Strato V for high-quality movie playback, along with 4K Blu-ray discs played on an Oppo UDP-203 disc player. Games were played on an Xbox Series X.

For objective measurement testing, I used an X-rite i1 Pro 3 spectrophotometer, Murideo Seven-G 8K pattern generator, Konica Minolta LS-100 luminance meter, and Calman calibration software by Portrait Displays. Input lag tests were made with a Leo Bodnar 4K lag tester.

I’ve been testing projectors and other displays for a couple of decades, and am an ISF Level III certified calibrator.

I tested these officially licensed earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 – are they really worth buying?
11:00 pm | November 13, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2: one-minute review

The PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 are a simple yet effective way to enjoy handheld gaming sessions in seclusion. These buds are licensed by Nintendo and aim to deliver dynamic sound, ergonomic comfort, and clear mic quality. And they largely deliver on that, though there are some notable flaws to uncover.

For wired buds that typically cost $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39, and regularly fall to a considerably lower cost, I wasn’t expecting all too much from the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2. And although they don't do anything special sonically speaking, they still have all the fundamental talents required for solid-sounding in-game experiences.

For instance, they offer up clear dialogue quality – something all of the best gaming earbuds should do. When playing through the spectacular Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, speech-heavy scenes never sounded muffled or obscured, even when the game's imposing orchestral soundtrack entered the fray.

You're not going to experience beautifully separated vocals or a wide open soundstage, but for the price, you still get the clean sound quality required to enjoy the best Nintendo Switch 2 games or beautiful in-game soundtracks.

Person holding right bud of PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

(Image credit: Future)

The convenient mic mute slider is very handy if you're making use of GameChat via Nintendo Switch Online. Simply flick it up and your pals won't be able to hear you whatsoever.

However, I would've liked the inbuilt mic to sound a bit better, as I could make out static in the background while using it. Don't get me wrong, my words were still easily discernible when performing a quality test – just don't expect above average mic performance.

Looks-wise these wired earbuds aren't all too flashy. They're black and red – much like the right Joy-Con 2 controller, and come with a handy carry case. The build quality of these buds is fairly average given that they're made of plastic, but that's fine considering their extremely budget-friendly cost. And in fairness, I still found them to be pretty comfortable, which isn't always the case for me when searching for the best wired earbuds.

So, at the end of it all, would I recommend the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2? Well, that would depend. I’ve seen these drop as low as £11 in the UK, so if you’re on a tight budget, they’d give you decent overall audio with equally decent comfort, as well as a tidy carry case. However, there are some notable drawbacks, like a flawed mic and a basic build.

If you’ve got a bit more cash to play with, I’d perhaps check out some more premium wired earbuds, or even a headset from our Nintendo Switch 2 accessories guide. But for low-cost buds that get the job done, these Nintendo-licensed in-ears are still worth a look.

Person holding PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 beside Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price and release date

  • Ultra-budget list price of $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39
  • And I've already spotted them going for even less
  • Launched in October 2025

These wired earbuds launched shortly after the Nintendo Switch 2 itself, and have a list price of $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39. However, I've already spotted them on sale for less in some territories, dipping as low as £11 in the UK. It should be noted that any 3.5mm, USB-C, or Bluetooth earbuds should work fine with your console – it's just the inclusion of a mute mic slider that makes these ideal for GameChat use. PowerA’s wired buds are available in a single Black and Red design – the same color scheme as the right Joy-Con 2 controller.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: specs

Drivers

8mm dynamic

Weight

0.7oz / 20g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: design and features

  • Simple yet fairly effective design
  • Convenient mic mute slider
  • Secure and relatively comfortable fit

Design-wise, these in-ears are basic. They’re black and red, which is on-brand for the Switch 2, and they have the console’s logo on the outside of each bud.

They’re made of plastic and, in honesty, feel pretty cheap – but then again, they are. You get a variety of different-sized ear tips to help find your ideal fit, as well as a drawstring bag to store the buds away – that’s a very nice inclusion considering their moderate price.

These earbuds are quite comfortable, although I did find they were a tad large in-ear. Still, I could keep them in for well over an hour without feeling fatigued, and they had a pretty secure fit – something that’s not always guaranteed with wired in-ears.

Thanks to their secure seal, you also get decent enough noise isolation – just don't expect the silence-inducing effects of active noise cancellation or the passive isolation that pricier foam ear tips provide.

The most significant feature on-board is the inbuilt mic and mute slider. This handy slider is what sets the buds apart from typical wired buds you may have laying around, and makes them ideal for GameChat use on Switch 2. The mic itself is functional but as you may expect at this price-point, nothing particularly special. More on that in the Performance section...

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 sitting on included carry case

(Image credit: Future)

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: performance

  • Decent audio with fairly clean dialogue
  • Mic performance could certainly be better
  • Solid overall quality given modest price-tag

Sonically speaking, I won’t pretend the PowerA Wired Earbuds are anything particularly special. But they get the basics right, with generally clear audio for private gaming sessions.

To find out if PowerA’s in-ears could compete with some of the best gaming earbuds best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, I made sure to test them out with a variety of games. I started with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, a title I’ve been absolutely glued to since its release.

This game is pretty dialogue-heavy, so I was glad to discover that speech was generally well-defined in the mix, ensuring I didn't need to rely on subtitles. When the grandiose orchestral soundtrack swooped through the backdrop, voices still remained clear – sure, it wasn’t as if they were elegantly separated out and thrust to the fore, but that’s something I’d expect from more premium buds.

I wanted to see how they’d cope with a more chaotic Nintendo Switch 2 title, so I switched over to Mario Kart World, and again, I was pretty satisfied with the audio on offer. In Free Roam mode, the hum of my vehicle’s engine was replicated with solid low-end power, and the high-pitched grind of my wheels while drifting didn’t sound tinny or uncontrolled.

Treble could get edgy at top volumes – something I also realized when listening to Phendrana Drifts on the Nintendo Music app. But if you’re listening at medium loudness or lower, that shouldn’t be all too apparent. More generally, soundtracks come through nicely using PowerA’s buds – the jazzy tunes featured in Mario Kart World were always enjoyable, with expressive sax in the mid-range sounding clean and never getting smothered by the fairly impactful bass.

Even if you’re not going to be wowed by a wide soundstage or incredible separation, PowerA’s wired buds perform well enough on the audio front. If you’re looking for a more premium listening experience or want exceptional wired earbuds for music, though, I’d suggest heading over to our best wired earbuds guide instead.

But how about mic performance? Well, this is where things get a little shaky. I used the Test Microphone function on my Switch 2, which allows you to make a brief recording, and the results were about as good as I’d expected. My voice was relatively clear, and every word was discernible. However, there was some noticeable sibilance, and there was obvious static in the background.

Don’t get me wrong: these won’t make you sound like you’re underwater as some cheap buds do, but mic quality is just acceptable. One benefit, though, is that there’s an in-line controller with a slider to disable or enable the mic, which is handy if you need to swiftly silence yourself while using GameChat.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 beside Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

In-line mic could be better, but they offer a useful mute slider and decent noise isolation.

3/5

Sound quality

Imperfect but generally clean audio for clear dialogue, footsteps, and sound effects.

3.5/5

Design

Basic look, relatively comfortable in-ear feel, convenient carry pouch.

3.5/5

Value

Low price, solid overall quality.

4/5

Buy them if...

You want good value buds for solo gaming sessions
If you want a steady pair of wired earbuds for private gaming sessions, these will certainly do the trick. Even though they do nothing special, you get generally clear audio and a secure in-ear fit, so you can enjoy in-game audio without splashing very much cash at all. The built-in mic and carry pouch also ensure you get plenty of bang for your buck.

You’re looking for a lightweight option to bring on the go
These earbuds only weigh 0.7oz / 20g, and can easily be stored away in the included carry pouch. I’ve kept that pouch in the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case when I’ve been out and about lately, and they’re a good backup option if my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones run out of battery life on the go.

Don't buy them if...

You’re expecting great mic quality
Although my voice sounded clear while using the in-line mic here, it was certainly flawed. You’ll notice some sibilance and background static, so for anyone seeking out top-class mic quality, you’ll need to seek a little more. I’d recommend the SteelSeries Tusq gaming headset, which we found to offer excellent mic quality.

You want top-tier audio
As you’d expect for less than $25 / £20 / AU$40, you’re not getting particularly impressive sound quality from PowerA’s Switch 2 earbuds. They supply clear overall sound, but you won’t get that deft separation, wide soundstage, or ultra-detailed listen that more talented models can supply.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2: also consider

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

Skullcandy Set USB-C

Turtle Beach Battle Buds

Price

$24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39

$31.99 / £29.99 (about AU$50)

$30 / £25 / AU$45

Drivers

8mm dynamic

9mm dynamic

10mm dynamic

Weight

20g

15g

23g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

IPX4

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm

USB-C

3.5mm

Skullcandy Set USB-C
These Skullcandy buds have a spot in our best wired earbuds buying guide thanks to their admirable audio output, comfortable in-ear fit, and sleek look. Their lack of volume controls shouldn’t matter for Switch 2 usage, and their USB-C connectivity means they can easily be used with most modern smartphones as well as your console.

Read our full Skullcandy Set USB-C review.

Turtle Beach Battle Buds
Over in our guide to the best gaming earbuds, the Turtle Beach Battle Buds hold the title of best budget choice. They’ve got a handy detachable mic, decent sound quality, and of course, are satisfyingly cheap.

Read our full Turtle Beach Battle Buds review.

How I tested the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

Person inserting PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 into Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for one week
  • Used in the office, while out and about, and at home
  • Tried with Switch 2 games and Nintendo Music app

I tested the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 over a week-long period, taking them out for on-the-go play, as well as using them on lunch breaks at the office, and when working from home.

To assess performance, I made sure to use them with a range of Switch 2 games, including Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and Mario Kart World. It also felt fitting to use them with the Nintendo Music app and spin a few classic soundtracks. When using the in-line mic, I ensured that I performed a test using the Switch 2’s built-in testing software.

More generally, I’ve been a Switch 2 owner from launch, and I’ve reviewed tons of gadgets here at TechRadar, where I’ve tested tons of audio gear and gaming accessories. I’ve reviewed everything from top-tier wired earbuds like the Sennheiser IE 600 through to cheap models like the JBL Tune 310C. And I’ve also tested a range of Nintendo Switch 2 cases, cameras, screen protectors, and software.

  • First reviewed: November 2025
  • Read more about how we test
I tested these officially licensed earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 – are they really worth buying?
11:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2: one-minute review

The PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 are a simple yet effective way to enjoy handheld gaming sessions in seclusion. These buds are licensed by Nintendo and aim to deliver dynamic sound, ergonomic comfort, and clear mic quality. And they largely deliver on that, though there are some notable flaws to uncover.

For wired buds that typically cost $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39, and regularly fall to a considerably lower cost, I wasn’t expecting all too much from the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2. And although they don't do anything special sonically speaking, they still have all the fundamental talents required for solid-sounding in-game experiences.

For instance, they offer up clear dialogue quality – something all of the best gaming earbuds should do. When playing through the spectacular Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, speech-heavy scenes never sounded muffled or obscured, even when the game's imposing orchestral soundtrack entered the fray.

You're not going to experience beautifully separated vocals or a wide open soundstage, but for the price, you still get the clean sound quality required to enjoy the best Nintendo Switch 2 games or beautiful in-game soundtracks.

Person holding right bud of PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

(Image credit: Future)

The convenient mic mute slider is very handy if you're making use of GameChat via Nintendo Switch Online. Simply flick it up and your pals won't be able to hear you whatsoever.

However, I would've liked the inbuilt mic to sound a bit better, as I could make out static in the background while using it. Don't get me wrong, my words were still easily discernible when performing a quality test – just don't expect above average mic performance.

Looks-wise these wired earbuds aren't all too flashy. They're black and red – much like the right Joy-Con 2 controller, and come with a handy carry case. The build quality of these buds is fairly average given that they're made of plastic, but that's fine considering their extremely budget-friendly cost. And in fairness, I still found them to be pretty comfortable, which isn't always the case for me when searching for the best wired earbuds.

So, at the end of it all, would I recommend the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2? Well, that would depend. I’ve seen these drop as low as £11 in the UK, so if you’re on a tight budget, they’d give you decent overall audio with equally decent comfort, as well as a tidy carry case. However, there are some notable drawbacks, like a flawed mic and a basic build.

If you’ve got a bit more cash to play with, I’d perhaps check out some more premium wired earbuds, or even a headset from our Nintendo Switch 2 accessories guide. But for low-cost buds that get the job done, these Nintendo-licensed in-ears are still worth a look.

Person holding PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 beside Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price and release date

  • Ultra-budget list price of $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39
  • And I've already spotted them going for even less
  • Launched in October 2025

These wired earbuds launched shortly after the Nintendo Switch 2 itself, and have a list price of $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39. However, I've already spotted them on sale for less in some territories, dipping as low as £11 in the UK. It should be noted that any 3.5mm, USB-C, or Bluetooth earbuds should work fine with your console – it's just the inclusion of a mute mic slider that makes these ideal for GameChat use. PowerA’s wired buds are available in a single Black and Red design – the same color scheme as the right Joy-Con 2 controller.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: specs

Drivers

8mm dynamic

Weight

0.7oz / 20g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: design and features

  • Simple yet fairly effective design
  • Convenient mic mute slider
  • Secure and relatively comfortable fit

Design-wise, these in-ears are basic. They’re black and red, which is on-brand for the Switch 2, and they have the console’s logo on the outside of each bud.

They’re made of plastic and, in honesty, feel pretty cheap – but then again, they are. You get a variety of different-sized ear tips to help find your ideal fit, as well as a drawstring bag to store the buds away – that’s a very nice inclusion considering their moderate price.

These earbuds are quite comfortable, although I did find they were a tad large in-ear. Still, I could keep them in for well over an hour without feeling fatigued, and they had a pretty secure fit – something that’s not always guaranteed with wired in-ears.

Thanks to their secure seal, you also get decent enough noise isolation – just don't expect the silence-inducing effects of active noise cancellation or the passive isolation that pricier foam ear tips provide.

The most significant feature on-board is the inbuilt mic and mute slider. This handy slider is what sets the buds apart from typical wired buds you may have laying around, and makes them ideal for GameChat use on Switch 2. The mic itself is functional but as you may expect at this price-point, nothing particularly special. More on that in the Performance section...

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 sitting on included carry case

(Image credit: Future)

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 review: performance

  • Decent audio with fairly clean dialogue
  • Mic performance could certainly be better
  • Solid overall quality given modest price-tag

Sonically speaking, I won’t pretend the PowerA Wired Earbuds are anything particularly special. But they get the basics right, with generally clear audio for private gaming sessions.

To find out if PowerA’s in-ears could compete with some of the best gaming earbuds best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, I made sure to test them out with a variety of games. I started with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, a title I’ve been absolutely glued to since its release.

This game is pretty dialogue-heavy, so I was glad to discover that speech was generally well-defined in the mix, ensuring I didn't need to rely on subtitles. When the grandiose orchestral soundtrack swooped through the backdrop, voices still remained clear – sure, it wasn’t as if they were elegantly separated out and thrust to the fore, but that’s something I’d expect from more premium buds.

I wanted to see how they’d cope with a more chaotic Nintendo Switch 2 title, so I switched over to Mario Kart World, and again, I was pretty satisfied with the audio on offer. In Free Roam mode, the hum of my vehicle’s engine was replicated with solid low-end power, and the high-pitched grind of my wheels while drifting didn’t sound tinny or uncontrolled.

Treble could get edgy at top volumes – something I also realized when listening to Phendrana Drifts on the Nintendo Music app. But if you’re listening at medium loudness or lower, that shouldn’t be all too apparent. More generally, soundtracks come through nicely using PowerA’s buds – the jazzy tunes featured in Mario Kart World were always enjoyable, with expressive sax in the mid-range sounding clean and never getting smothered by the fairly impactful bass.

Even if you’re not going to be wowed by a wide soundstage or incredible separation, PowerA’s wired buds perform well enough on the audio front. If you’re looking for a more premium listening experience or want exceptional wired earbuds for music, though, I’d suggest heading over to our best wired earbuds guide instead.

But how about mic performance? Well, this is where things get a little shaky. I used the Test Microphone function on my Switch 2, which allows you to make a brief recording, and the results were about as good as I’d expected. My voice was relatively clear, and every word was discernible. However, there was some noticeable sibilance, and there was obvious static in the background.

Don’t get me wrong: these won’t make you sound like you’re underwater as some cheap buds do, but mic quality is just acceptable. One benefit, though, is that there’s an in-line controller with a slider to disable or enable the mic, which is handy if you need to swiftly silence yourself while using GameChat.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 beside Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

In-line mic could be better, but they offer a useful mute slider and decent noise isolation.

3/5

Sound quality

Imperfect but generally clean audio for clear dialogue, footsteps, and sound effects.

3.5/5

Design

Basic look, relatively comfortable in-ear feel, convenient carry pouch.

3.5/5

Value

Low price, solid overall quality.

4/5

Buy them if...

You want good value buds for solo gaming sessions
If you want a steady pair of wired earbuds for private gaming sessions, these will certainly do the trick. Even though they do nothing special, you get generally clear audio and a secure in-ear fit, so you can enjoy in-game audio without splashing very much cash at all. The built-in mic and carry pouch also ensure you get plenty of bang for your buck.

You’re looking for a lightweight option to bring on the go
These earbuds only weigh 0.7oz / 20g, and can easily be stored away in the included carry pouch. I’ve kept that pouch in the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case when I’ve been out and about lately, and they’re a good backup option if my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones run out of battery life on the go.

Don't buy them if...

You’re expecting great mic quality
Although my voice sounded clear while using the in-line mic here, it was certainly flawed. You’ll notice some sibilance and background static, so for anyone seeking out top-class mic quality, you’ll need to seek a little more. I’d recommend the SteelSeries Tusq gaming headset, which we found to offer excellent mic quality.

You want top-tier audio
As you’d expect for less than $25 / £20 / AU$40, you’re not getting particularly impressive sound quality from PowerA’s Switch 2 earbuds. They supply clear overall sound, but you won’t get that deft separation, wide soundstage, or ultra-detailed listen that more talented models can supply.

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2: also consider

PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

Skullcandy Set USB-C

Turtle Beach Battle Buds

Price

$24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39

$31.99 / £29.99 (about AU$50)

$30 / £25 / AU$45

Drivers

8mm dynamic

9mm dynamic

10mm dynamic

Weight

20g

15g

23g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

IPX4

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm

USB-C

3.5mm

Skullcandy Set USB-C
These Skullcandy buds have a spot in our best wired earbuds buying guide thanks to their admirable audio output, comfortable in-ear fit, and sleek look. Their lack of volume controls shouldn’t matter for Switch 2 usage, and their USB-C connectivity means they can easily be used with most modern smartphones as well as your console.

Read our full Skullcandy Set USB-C review.

Turtle Beach Battle Buds
Over in our guide to the best gaming earbuds, the Turtle Beach Battle Buds hold the title of best budget choice. They’ve got a handy detachable mic, decent sound quality, and of course, are satisfyingly cheap.

Read our full Turtle Beach Battle Buds review.

How I tested the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2

Person inserting PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 into Switch 2 console with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on display

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for one week
  • Used in the office, while out and about, and at home
  • Tried with Switch 2 games and Nintendo Music app

I tested the PowerA Wired Earbuds for Nintendo Switch 2 over a week-long period, taking them out for on-the-go play, as well as using them on lunch breaks at the office, and when working from home.

To assess performance, I made sure to use them with a range of Switch 2 games, including Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and Mario Kart World. It also felt fitting to use them with the Nintendo Music app and spin a few classic soundtracks. When using the in-line mic, I ensured that I performed a test using the Switch 2’s built-in testing software.

More generally, I’ve been a Switch 2 owner from launch, and I’ve reviewed tons of gadgets here at TechRadar, where I’ve tested tons of audio gear and gaming accessories. I’ve reviewed everything from top-tier wired earbuds like the Sennheiser IE 600 through to cheap models like the JBL Tune 310C. And I’ve also tested a range of Nintendo Switch 2 cases, cameras, screen protectors, and software.

  • First reviewed: November 2025
  • Read more about how we test
I spent weeks testing the Hisense U65QF, and it has great picture quality for the price
8:24 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Hisense U65QF: Two-minute review

The Hisense U65QF TV joins a growing list of lower-cost mini-LED TVs that provide a striking step up in performance from doorbuster-style sub-$500 TVs.

The Hisense U65QF TV isn’t that different from other budget mini-LED TVs, such as the TCL QM6K or Roku Pro Series. Its benchmarks are mostly in line with the competition, and it also does a good job with sound – a factor I’m seeing addressed more and more in mid-range and budget examples of the best TVs.

One unique U65QF feature that sets it apart from most of its Google TV-using competition is its Fire TV interface and Alexa integration, which lets you use an Amazon Echo speaker to open apps like Netflix and perform other voice-activated tasks. Of course, if you’re not in the Alexa ecosystem, then this isn’t as big a selling point.

Overall, this is a good-performing TV that may win you over due to the simple fact that it typically sells at a lower price than its budget mini-LED TV competitors.

Hisense U65QF review: Price and release date

Hisense U65QF remote control on wooden surface

The U65QF's remote features most controls you'll need on its keypad, but lacks an input selection button (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: June 2025
  • 55-inch: $799.99
  • 65-inch: $999.99
  • 75-inch: $1,299.99
  • 85-inch: $1,999.99
  • 100-inch: $3,499.99

Pricing on the Hisense U65QF is about what I would expect for a budget mini-LED TV, with the 65-inch model listing for $999.99. Now, that is the TV’s MSRP, and it's already available at a discount at more than one online retailer.

The Hisense U65QF is only sold in the US, as other territories get a different U6 version that uses a different smart TV platform. If you’re outside of the US and reading this review, I would wager that most everything outside of the Smart TV section would still be pertinent to the Hisense U6.

Hisense U65QF review: Specs

Screen type:

QLED with mini-LED

Refresh rate:

Up to 144Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X

Smart TV:

Fire TV

HDMI ports:

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0

Hisense U65QF review: Benchmark results

Hisense U65QF review: Features

Hisense U65QF side and rear panel ports

The U65QF's connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support (Image credit: Future)
  • Comprehensive HDR support
  • Filmmaker Mode picture preset
  • Integration with Alexa ecosystem

The Hisense U65QF’s feature set is in line with other TVs at this price point. Its comprehensive gaming support includes the Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic range formats, along with Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X audio. It also has two HDMI 2.1 inputs with up to 144Hz high refresh support for gaming consoles and PCs.

The U65QF can automatically change inputs when a source is powered on, as well as switch the picture mode if enabled in the menu. Filmmaker Mode is an available picture preset – one that disables post-processing to show a movie as originally intended. There is also some AI implementation, such as AI upscaling, AI smooth motion, and an AI sports mode.

As a Fire TV, the U65QF supports hands-free voice interaction through Alexa, and it can be integrated into the Alexa ecosystem. While I don’t personally have an extensive Alexa ecosystem in my home, I was able to control the Hisense U65QF using an Amazon Echo speaker located in my kitchen.

Also on tap are Apple AirPlay, display mirroring, and Matter Casting, as well as an ambient mode if you want the TV to display artworks and other images when it's in standby mode.

  • Features Score: 4/5

Hisense U65QF review: Picture quality

Hisense U65QF showing underwater image with colorful fish

The U65QF has better-than-average picture brightness for a budget mini-LED TV (Image credit: Future)
  • Benchmarks in line with the competition
  • Good contrast and local dimming
  • Very minor vignetting

The Hisense U65QF’s picture compares well with most TVs in its price range. Brightness is impressive for a budget mini-LED TV, with the Hisense outperforming competitors such as the Roku Pro Series and TCL QM6K on that front. If you’re upgrading from a budget TV, you’ll probably be wowed by the picture's brightness and contrast.

Color gamut coverage is about what we expect from TVs at this price point. We measured 95.6% for UHDA-P3 and 71.2% for BT.2020. The U65QF’s 2.6 average color point accuracy (any score below 3 is undetectable by the human eye) is also very good for a budget TV.

Beyond benchmarks, pictures for the most part look great on the U65QF. Detail is impressive, and its local dimming delivers good contrast without much in the way of backlight blooming.

Action generally looked smooth – I watched scenes from Mission Impossible 7 to test, and I could easily make out what was happening on screen. Sports were also a pleasure to watch on this TV.

Similar to other TVs I’ve tested at this price point, there is some very minor vignetting in the screen’s corners, though it’s only really noticeable if you look for it.

  • Picture quality score: 4/5

Hisense U65QF review: Sound quality

Hisense U65QF rear panel showing subwoofer

The U65QF's built-in 2.1-channel speaker system includes a back-mounted subwoofer (Image credit: Future)
  • Good dialogue clarity
  • Decent bass
  • Dialog and leveling modes, five-band EQ

In my experience, most TVs have subpar sound quality, which is why I was surprised by the performance of the Hisense U65QF’s built-in speakers.

To test this, I watched sports (Eagles football, specifically), played video games, and watched movies like Mission Impossible 7. I also did some music-specific testing via YouTube. The first thing I noticed was that there was actually a decent amount of bass. It wasn’t the same as having an external subwoofer, but I still got a bit of that rumble when there were big explosions or action-packed movie scenes.

Dialogue sounded pretty clear as well, though a bit of harshness could be heard with music tracks.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that there’s a five-band EQ in the settings, which is always appreciated. There is a dialog mode that did a good job of boosting voices as well as a leveling mode that compresses the sound so the quiet parts are loud and the loud parts don’t jump up too much in volume – a good choice for watching at night.

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

Hisense U65QF review: Design

Hisense U65QF bezel close=up

The U65QF has an appealingly thin screen bezel for a budget TV (Image credit: Future)
  • Very thin bezel
  • Good amount of ports but placement not great for cable management
  • Remote has voice access for Alexa

While the Hisense U65QF doesn’t reinvent the wheel, its design is good considering the price.

The bezel is thin enough that one sees all picture when looking at the TV instead of a thick border around the screen. Turning the TV around, the surface is fairly smooth with mostly just the built-in subwoofer visible. All the ports except for power are located on the lower left side, with most accessible from the side and some from the back. This is a pretty typical placement, but it doesn’t allow for much in the way of cable management.

The port selection here is fairly solid. Along with the four HDMI ports (including two HDMI 2.1), the TV also has an optical digital audio output and USB and RF antenna connections.

The controls, on the other hand, consist of a single button for power that can also be used to change inputs. I do wish there was a little more here, like a find the remote button, but the single on-unit button is fairly standard for TVs these days.

All the real controls, of course, are on the remote, which is standard fare like most of the rest of the TV. Most necessary controls are here, with the exception of an input selection button. The main unique feature is the Alexa button, which works just like the usual hands-free button except that it uses Alexa specifically, meaning that you have access to your Alexa ecosystem through the remote.

  • Design score: 4/5

Hisense U65QF review: Smart TV and menus

Hisense U65QF Fire TV smart interface showing football game

The U65QF's Fire TV smart interface is serviceable, but features ads on the home screen (Image credit: Future)
  • Amazon Prime Video-centric with ads
  • Dynamic-looking interface with autoplay by default
  • Can’t fine-tune settings unless already watching

The Hisense U65QF’s Fire TV smart TV platform features a large banner cycling through various content at the top, a row with settings and input icons and app tiles that split the screen in half, followed by rows of suggested content. Its defining feature is that the suggested content leans towards the Amazon Prime Video library. Also, there are literal ads for products (I’m looking at a banner for Purina at the bottom of my screen as I type this).

Navigating the Fire TV interface is pretty intuitive. Really, my only gripe with it is that it defaults to autoplaying anything selected in the banner, though this can be turned off in settings.

Fire TV seems to have a few more content categories than I typically see with Smart TVs, which creates some clutter. The only really odd part of the interface is that you can’t access all the advanced settings (brightness, color, motion, clarity and so on) until you’re actively watching something.

For example, if you go into the settings menu from the homepage, you’re limited to just a few options like “Light Sense,” “Light Sense Shift,” “Backlight,” and “Local Dimming,” though you can at least adjust those per input.

  • Smart TV & menus score: 3.5/5

Hisense U65QF review: Gaming

Hisense U65QF showing game being played on screen

Gaming is smooth and responsive on the Hisense U65QF (Image credit: Future)
  • Two HDMI ports with 4K 144Hz support
  • Gameplay is smooth and clear
  • No game-specific settings

Gaming on the Hisense U65QF is a lot like gaming on other TVs in this price range. For starters, it supports a 4K resolution at up to 144Hz refresh rate through two of the HDMI ports, a necessity for next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5. There’s also HDR support that can be finetuned via the onscreen menu plus FreeSync Premium VRR.

With Dolby Vision enabled, the TV automatically changed its picture mode to “Game Mode” when the input switched to my PlayStation 5 console. Plus, it automatically changes the input to my console when powered up (I did have to turn that setting on in the menu).

When gaming, images look crisp thanks to the 4K resolution and smooth thanks to the TV’s high refresh rate. Its 13.2ms lag time isn’t the best we’ve seen, but it was barely perceptible when killing zombies in Dead Rising 2.

I tested this TV with fast-paced action such as Dead Rising 2 as well as more cinematic fare like Death Stranding. Both played well, with my only real complaint being that there’s no dedicated gaming settings menu.

  • Gaming score: 4/5

Hisense U65QF review: Value

Hisense U65QF included accessories on table

The U65QF's included accessories (Image credit: Future)
  • High MSRP, but it’s already discounted
  • Other mid-range QLED TVs have similar price points
  • Take advantage of Hisense’s regular sales

The MSRP for the 65-inch Hisense U65QF TV I tested may be $999, but it’s already available at some outlets for under $600, making it a great value.

The TCL QM6K has a similar MSRP and discount, but also lower screen brightness and not quite as good built-in speakers. If you’re willing to spend a few hundred dollars more, the Hisense U8QG has even better picture quality and a better design, and can be found in the $1,000-1,200 range.

The Roku Pro Series (2025) is another TV with a great picture and design and good built-in sound, and it’s priced roughly between the Hisense U65QF and U8QG.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Hisense U65QF angled in a room showing abstract image onscreen

(Image credit: Future)
Hisense U65QF

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Along with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR support, the U65QF features Alexa Ecosystem integration

4/5

Picture quality

Good overall picture quality for the price, with better than average brightness

4/5

Sound quality

Surprisingly good sound with clear dialogue and a decent amount of bass

4/5

Design

Thin bezel for an all-picture look, though the port placement makes cable management a bit tough

4/5

Smart TV and menus

The Fire TV OS is easy to use, though I wish advanced picture settings were accessible without playing content

3.5/5

Gaming

Gaming on this TV is a good experience thanks to Game Mode, though there’s no gaming-specific menu

4/5

Value

At MSRP, the price isn’t special, though it’s already getting big discounts

4.5/5

Should I buy the Hisense U65QF?

Buy it if...

You want great bang for your buck
The Hisense U65QF is already on sale, making it a very competitive option among budget mini-LED TVs.

You use Alexa
The TV’s Alexa integration is something you can really take advantage of if you’re already bought into the Alexa smart home ecosystem.

You want to skip the soundbar
The audio quality is good enough that if you want to skip a (cheap) soundbar in your setup, you probably won’t miss it.

Don't buy it if…

You want a clean, minimal look
If you have other devices to plug in, such as a console or soundbar, the cables are going to stick out the side. If you want a clean look, there are other TVs with better cable management, such as the Roku Pro Series.

You want a super-bright picture
The U65QF’s brightness is above average for a budget mini-LED TV, but step-up models such as the Hisense U8QG have more than twice as high peak brightness and also an anti-reflection screen for daytime viewing.

Also consider...

Hisense U65QF

TCL QM6K

Roku Pro Series

Hisense U8QG

Price (65-inch)

$999

$999

$1,199

$2,199 

Screen type

QLED w/ mini-LED

QLED w/ mini-LED

QLED w/ mini-LED

QLED w/ mini-LED

Refresh rate

Up to 144Hz

Up to 144Hz

120Hz

Up to 144Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Smart TV

Fire TV

Google TV

Roku

Google TV

HDMI ports

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

3x HDMI 2.1

TCL QM6K

The TCL QM6K is just as good value and sells for around the same price as the Hisense U65QF TV with discounts, though it doesn’t have quite the same peak brightness or audio quality. What it does have is a great picture quality with vibrant colors, good contrast, and a lack of blooming.

Read our full TCL QM6K review

Roku Pro Series
The Roku Pro Series falls into a similar-priced category. Its picture brightness is slightly lower than the Hisense, but it has Roku's wonderfully intuitive smart TV interface and a shadowbox design that not only allows for better sound but flat positioning when mounted.

Read our full Roku Pro Series review

Hisense U8QG

The Hisense U8QG is pricier and comes with a fantastically bright screen with low reflectivity. It also has a 4.1.2 sound system built in for those wanting to skip a soundbar, though its subwoofer has some limitations.

Read our full Hisense U8QG review

Samsung QN900D showing test pattern

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Hisense U65QF

  • I used the Hisense U65QF TV for a few weeks
  • Tested with TV, movies, music, and games
  • Benchmark measurements conducted by Future US testing lab

I used the Hisense U65QF TV regularly for a couple of weeks. I used it with TV, movies, music, and games. I tested the various features to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio as well as paying attention to the picture quality.

After spending some time with this TV, it’s my opinion that this TV is ideal for those who want a premium TV without the premium price tag, and for those locked into the Alexa ecosystem.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

« Previous Page — Next Page »