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I’ve been testing gaming headsets for 14 years, and after 27 hours with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless, I can tell it’s the real deal

5:00 pm | June 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Grand Theft Auto, PC | Comments: Off

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: one-minute review

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless is a refresh of the company’s previous midrange gaming headset option, back to impress us all as a wireless iteration with tons of functionality that makes it battlestation-ready.

The thing is, there used to be a clear and immediate difference between the sound, feel, and design of gaming headsets. In 2025, though, establishing the hierarchy of available models isn’t as simple. Gaming headsets are a hotly contested space, and there’s very little difference in sound quality between these wireless, dual-connectivity $110 / £100 cans and anything priced within $50 / £50 from competitors like Razer, Logitech G, Corsair, or HyperX. That means its feature set needs to line up with your specific use case for this headset to make sense as your next purchase.

Some of its selling points are universal: great sound, easy setup, and 40 hours of battery life with rapid charging. Over the 30 hours or so I’ve spent using it (the 'X' variant designed with Xbox in mind, specifically), those promises have held true, and there’s no one who wouldn’t appreciate them.

Then it gets more specific. If you want a premium headset that you can easily switch between console and PC sources with, and you’re likely to use the companion app, this is a fantastic package. If you’re more of a minimalist who’ll likely only use it with one device and doesn’t care too much about tweaking settings, the price starts to look steeper, and the likes of Corsair’s meat-and-potatoes wired HS55 Surround headset might meet your needs and save you $40 in the process.

Bottom line: there are plenty of desirable features here and they’re bundled in with the signature comfort and crisp, breezy sound characteristic we’ve all come to expect – and love – from the Arctis range over the years. But the $110 / £100 pricing of these Arctis Nova 3s is a long way north of the wired Nova 3s, which are available for $75.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless. — (Image credit: Future)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: Price and availability

List price: $109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99
Much pricier than the wired Arctis Nova 3s, albeit with more features
Closest rival with similar specs is the Corsair HS80 RGB

The price of this lower-end 3-series of the Arctis range is creeping up, and while there are certainly enough additional bells and whistles to justify it, it does leave a bit of a gap between the $60 and $110 price points within the Arctis lineup.

Conversely, the Arctis Nova 5s and the discounted Nova 7s and 9s are all regularly going for between $120-$140 now, so it feels like it would have made more sense for the Nova 3X to offer a genuine low-budget option.

With this MSRP, the closest competitor that offers similar specs is Corsair’s HS80 RGB. Both are wireless gaming headsets with multi-device support, but on the specs sheet, it’s the SteelSeries that comes out most favorably, thanks to the Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity and fast charging.

The appearance and tactile feel might not yell ‘premium!’ at the top of its voice, but once you get those soft earcups over your ears and feel how lightweight this model is, it starts to make more sense.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: specs

Price	$109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99
Weight	267g / 0.57 lbs
Battery life	40 hours
Connection type	Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (USB-C receiver)
Compatibility	PC, Xbox Series X (Xbox version only), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: design and features

Typically comfortable design
You feel the benefit of those lightweight materials
Not the flashiest headset in the world

The ‘Nova’ part of this headset’s name delineates SteelSeries’ refresh of the Arctis line from its original ‘ski goggle headband’ ancestors that debuted in 2017 and gobbled up all the awards, ever.

That means the headband on this model runs underneath a hard plastic support band, popping into place via plastic press studs and suspending the weight of the heavier materials via the lateral tension of the elasticated band.

It’s a smart design that doesn’t look like it should work as well as it does, and it’s helped along by an extremely lightweight construction. On the scales (and the specs sheet), the new 3 Wireless weighs just 9.4oz / 267g. And thanks to that headband, it feels like even less than that.

Not much clamping force is needed to keep this firmly attached around your ears, so there’s a very different sensation than you’d find on the aviator-style HyperX Cloud or Razer Blackshark designs that hug your ears like suction cups.

That all contributes to a wonderful level of long-term wearing comfort, and also, one suspects, to the airy, crisp sound quality that Arctis cans always seem to produce.

In terms of physical controls, it’s a simple array, arranged on the rear-left earcup: a mic mute button, notched volume scroll wheel, power button with light ring, then a USB-C connection and the 3.5mm detachable mic input.

My only gripe with this array is that the plastic surrounding the mic connector doesn’t fit exactly with the shape of the female connection, but that’s really only an aesthetic quibble. Otherwise, all the controls look and feel really nicely built, and they’re sensibly laid out. The scroll wheel feels fantastic, in particular.

On to the visual design. It appears the gaming peripherals market has come full circle: after years of shoving RGB-laden tat with tribal designs all over it, it appears that all those collabs with pro players have paid off, and we’re getting simpler, cleaner designs now that don’t lean into the gamer aesthetic. For that, the Arctis line past and present deserves a pat on the elasticated headband.

However, I’m in the strange and unexpected position of wishing for a bit more edginess here. Not quite a tribal pattern, but… something to better distinguish it from productivity hardware and make me feel like the price is a no-brainer. Perhaps a mix of matte and gloss finishes might have helped.

One last point on the design: it’s too early to tell for this model, but I know through years of using numerous Arctis and Arctis Nova headsets that the headbands do slacken over time, and this affects the comfort level.

Fortunately, SteelSeries sells replacement headbands at a very reasonable price, so when this happens, it’s not a biggie to restore that factory-fresh feeling.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: performance

Crisp and distinctive audio
Switch between PC and console easily
Rapid charging is a lifesaver

Let’s talk about sound. At the start of this review, I mentioned that there’s not much in it between the huge range of gaming headsets you could go out and buy in 2025.

Ten years ago, when manufacturers were obsessed with packing the biggest drivers possible into their headsets and shaking your fillings loose with their bass response, there was a huge variance in audio characteristics. Now the difference between models and manufacturers is much subtler.

That said, there’s always been an ‘Arctis sound’. SteelSeries has always preferred a flatter EQ response for this range, with a crisper high end and a pleasant airiness that makes sound cues easier to identify in competitive games, and makes music and movies sound less soupy than historical gaming cans might have done.

That holds true to this Nova 3 Wireless. Part of it’s probably the cloth surface around the earcups, and the light clamping force. They create an almost open-backed headphone sensation, which I find very agreeable, but this is a matter of taste, not an empirical plus point.

EQ profile tweaking can be achieved – to an absurdly exhaustive degree, frankly – via the companion app on your phone. There are presets for tons of specific games already on there at release, but personally, I’d caution that this feature is way more about marketing than user experience. In reality, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Fortnite don’t really need distinct presets from each other.

It’s all gunfire and shouting at the end of the day. It’s added value, but unlikely to transform your experience of using this headset. So think carefully about this component and how it fits into the price before you take the leap.

On to more universal wins: I love the fast USB-C charging. The literature states nine hours of battery life from 15 minutes of charge time, and while it’s hard to measure how accurate that statement is during real-world use, based on my week of heavy use, it sounds roughly correct. I’ve certainly never had a session disrupted by battery level, and that’s the bottom line.

As for the mic, it sounds like there’s more compression and noise cancellation happening by default than you’d typically hear on a modern headset mic, and that means it’s prioritising clarity over a full-bodied, boom mic-style sound.

This is the correct priority placement for the vast majority of users, who need a mic to be heard over game audio by their team-mates, rather than to sound broadcast quality to their streaming audiences. If you do create content using a headset mic rather than a dedicated unit, this might not be ideal for you as it’ll require some parameter-fiddling to get a more rounded sound.

Finally, let’s tackle the biggie: multi-device connectivity via 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. The idea here is that ‘battlestation’-type gamers play on several devices in one area, switching between PC and console from one title to the next. Traditionally, using one headset for both can be a slight hassle due to varying connection standards and compatibility. The USB-C dongle here means you can just plug it into whichever device you want to use, and that’s the extent of the setup.

The Nova 3 Wireless’s dual connectivity means you can also stay connected to a gaming device plus your smartphone at the same time, and apply different presets for each via the mobile app so you don’t accidentally end up with Fortnite EQ on your TikTok videos.

Maybe this is a big deal for you. The presets don’t move the needle much for me, but dual-wireless is always a big plus, and it adds a lot to the pricing.

Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless?

Buy it if...

You play on several devices regularly
The USB dongle and dual wireless connectivity make this a great ‘battlestation’ headset which you can switch between devices with easily.

You’re forgetful about charging
Low charge bleeps the bane of your existence? You’ll appreciate the nine hours of use you get from 15 minutes plugged in.

You prefer clarity over booming bass response
The Arctis range has always had a pleasant sharp and crisp EQ response that keeps the low end subdued to give the other frequencies some space. The Nova 3 Wireless has that same characteristic.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not going to mess around with presets
The accompanying smartphone app gives you game-specific presets and plenty of tweakable parameters, but that’s not how everyone uses a gaming headset, so consider the value you’d get from it.

You only game on one device
If that USB-C dongle’s getting plugged into one console and one console only, you won’t get much benefit from the dual-wireless and multi-platform support.

You’re on a budget
Although this new model has far more functionality than the wired Nova 3, $110 / £100 can’t quite be considered an entry-level offering.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: Also consider

Is the Arctis Nova 3 Wireless leaving you cold? Consider these cable-free, multi-platform alternatives.

	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless	Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (gen 3)	PlayStation Pulse Elite
Price	$109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99	$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179	$149.99 / £129.99 / AU$239.95
Weight	267g / 0.57 lbs	0.66lbs / 301g	0.76lbs / 347g
Battery life	40 hours	80 hours	30 hours
Connection type	Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (USB-C receiver)	Wireless (USB-A dongle), wired (USB-C to USB-A)	Wireless (PlayStation Link via dongle), Wired (3.5mm audio jack), Bluetooth
Compatibility	PC, Xbox Series X (Xbox version only), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android	Xbox, Playstation, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android	PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portal, PC

Turtle Beach Stealth 600
Priced under the new Arctis lineup entrant (unless you live in Australia, sorry), these Stealth 600s pack a mighty battery life and similar multi-device compatibility into a cost-effective package. The comfort and sound levels aren’t quite as strong as SteelSeries’ model, but there’s not much in it.

For more information, check out our full Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (gen 3) review

PlayStation Pulse Elite
Obviously, Xbox players need not apply here, but for switching between PlayStation devices and PC, Sony’s wireless cans offer great comfort and audio quality for a surprisingly affordable price that’s not too far above the Nova 3X’s tag. Plus, they make you look like you’re in Star Trek.

For more information, check out our full PlayStation Pulse Elite review

How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless

25-30 hours spent testing across multiple devices
PC games and iPhone apps used throughout
Comfort and battery life evaluated via long-term usage and extended play sessions, audio via music and in-game sound

Over the course of a full week of testing, I spent time in MotoGP 25, Hitman 3, and Shadow Man Remastered on PC. The latter’s 25-year-old audio might not have pushed the 3X’s drivers to their limits, but the new engine audio capture in MotoGP 25 conveyed a lot of detail across the EQ spectrum, and the engine pops sounded particularly rousing. Meanwhile, in a stealth environment like Hitman, the strong surround landscape of this headset gave me plenty of precision about where guard dialogue lines and footsteps were coming from.

I also had the 3 Wireless connected to my iPhone 12 Pro Max via Bluetooth and used them to browse YouTube videos and listen to music on Spotify between PC game sessions. I had plenty of Discord chat on both devices, taking impressions from my mates about mic quality before recording audio directly into Ableton Live for a true analysis.

Finally, I did some A/B testing with my daily drivers, the Razer Blackshark V2 Pros, switching between headsets during the same game to hear the precise differences in audio characteristics from the same sound cues.

First reviewed June 2025

Marshall Heston 120: two-minute review

The Marshall Heston 120 Dolby Atmos soundbar is a product that aims to make a mark in a world of hulking black boxes. This amp-inspired, meter-long bar is powered by 11 active drivers and looks to offer room-swallowing bass output, a colorful spatial impression, and top-tier music replication. Still, it comes with a price-tag that’s far from small. So, is it worth taking the plunge on the Marshall Heston 120?

Well, if you’re looking for a one-box soundbar (ie, no subwoofer or rear speakers) that’s capable of phenomenal Dolby Atmos and DTS:X performance, the answer is almost certainly yes. You get really impressive expansiveness from the Marshall Heston 120, with side-firing drivers providing mind-boggling width and up-firing tweeters presenting lifelike verticality. Would a multi-box alternative whip up an even more fleshed-out cinematic experience? Possibly. But for a standalone soundbar, it’s hard to beat the Heston 120.

Whether you’re watching movies with Dolby Atmos or not, the Marshall Heston 120 delivers truly exceptional performance. You’ll hear crystal-clear speech from the center channel whether you’re in Movie or Voice mode and, most of all, get to experience shockingly shaking bass from the Heston’s dual rear-facing subwoofers. Seriously, the bass rumble alone puts the Marshall Heston 120 right up there with the best soundbars around.

But something that truly sets the Heston 120 apart from a vast sea of competitors is its class-leading performance for music – whether you’re listening to an Atmos or stereo mix. With spotless channel separation, delicious depth, a broad soundstage, and wonderful control right across all frequencies, the Marshall Heston 120 is a musical maestro as well as a movie marvel.

Of course, given its price and one-box status, the Heston 120’s obvious rival is the Sonos Arc Ultra, which is easily one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars that money can buy. The Marshall may not have a voice assistant or quite as much power as the Arc Ultra – but it does have HDMI passthrough (4K at 120Hz, too) and DTS support – a couple of factors that we really missed from the Arc Ultra.

And though the Arc Ultra is a rounded, clean-looking character, I have to say that the Heston 120 is a real work of art. Everything from its gold details, its amp-like aesthetic and its classy knurled metal dials truly screams premium. You should know that you might catch a few reflections on those tactile knobs when watching TV in low-lit spaces, depending on your angle – but still, they make for a unique, attractive addition.

Person pressing sound mode button on the Marshall Heston 120 — (Image credit: Future)

The Heston 120 is a standalone soundbar in the truest sense. There are no additional speakers – at least not yet, though the Heston Sub 200 is coming later this year. And you won’t even find a remote here – everything is controlled via the flashy new Marshall app, which lets you flick through four sound modes, calibrate the bar to your room’s shape and size, adjust volume, EQ… you name it. I love the pure simplicity of this – I don't want another remote laying around, personally.

You won’t find a display on the soundbar – everything you need to see is in that app – which may be more of a frustration for some. If you want to know whether the Heston 120 is playing Atmos, you'll need to check the app.

I’ll drill into the finer details below, but if you just want the lowdown, then the Marshall Heston 120 is frankly an exemplary soundbar that fuses Marshall’s musical heritage with top-drawer cinematic sound for the modern era. It’s built to last – Marshall will even sell parts if something goes wrong – it sounds amazing, and… well, just look at it!

Yes it’s expensive and you may well be able to find a strong multi-box option at a similar cost. But if you want to take your movie-watching or music-listening experiences to the next level, all via one expertly crafted hub, the Marshall Heston 120 is my choice.

Marshall Heston 120 on wooden table with Marshall app open on phone — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: price & release date

Priced at $999 / £899 / AU$1,799
Launched on 3 June 2025
Will also be available via select retailers from September 16, 2025

The Marshall Heston 120 released on 3rd June 2025 and is the very first soundbar Marshall has ever brought to market. It is, admittedly pretty pricey, coming in at $999 / £899 / AU$1,799. But even if it’s expensive, there are pricier all-in-one rivals. The Sonos Arc Ultra is £100 more for UK customers (the same in the US), while the Devialet Dione and Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 carry list prices of $2,399 / £1,990 / AU$3,999 and $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$1,795 respectively.

Of course, you can get multi-box soundbar systems for a similar price or less – even the wonderful Samsung HW-Q990D can be found for only a touch more than the Heston across many territories. But this is a true all-in-one option that doesn’t rely on separate speakers for a full-sounding cinematic experience, so they're different propositions in some ways.

Ports on the reverse side of the Marshall Heston 120 — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: Specs

Dimensions	43.3 x 5.7 x 3.0 inches / 1100 x 145 x 76mm
Speaker channels	5.1.2
Connections	HDMI eARC, HDMI IN (passthrough), RCA Stereo, RCA Mono (sub out), USB-C, Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X	Yes/Yes
Sub included	No
Rear speakers included	No

Marshall Heston 120 review: features

5.1.2 speaker configuration with 11 active drivers
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Feature-filled Marshall companion app replaces a remote

Although the Marshall Heston 120 makes use of a 5.1.2 channel setup, there are, in fact, 11 active drivers powering the soundbar. They all combine to deliver a maximum power output of 150W.

The top of the soundbar houses two midwoofers for lateral sound as well as two up-firing tweeters, with two side drivers also included to reflect sounds off walls for a wider spatial impression. In addition, there are three front-facing drivers for clear dialogue reproduction and dual rear-facing subwoofers that do the heavy-lifting in the low end. You’ll find four passive radiators installed on the reverse side of the soundbar too, which support the Heston’s whopping bass output.

Of course, there are no external speakers that come alongside the main bar itself – this is a true all-in-one offering from Marshall. There will be a separate sub released later in 2025, though, dubbed the Heston Sub 200.

Even still, the Heston 120 can create a wonderfully expansive sound thanks to its support for Dolby Atmos, as well as DTS:X – notably, that latter format is missing on the soundbar’s main rival, the Sonos Arc Ultra. I’ll drill more into the quality of Atmos effects in the ‘Performance’ section, but they’re impressive to say the least.

And whether you’re watching movies with DTS:X or tuning into your favorite Atmos mixes, there are so many ways to harness the power of your Heston 120. There’s an HDMI eARC for easily connecting the soundbar up to your TV, HDMI in for passthrough (and yes, it’s 4K at up to 144Hz), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as RCA – a nod to Marshall’s musical roots.

There’s even Auracast – a type of Bluetooth technology that enables you to tune into an audio broadcast transmitted from a phone, TV or similar device without any pairing.

Marshall has also integrated a whole host of music services into the Heston 120, ensuring seamless connectivity without long-winded pairing processes. At the moment, these include: Google Cast; Spotify Connect; Internet Radio; Tidal Connect; and Apple AirPlay 2. These can also be bound to preset buttons for easy access. And it’s worth noting that the soundbar supports hi-res files such as ALAC and FLAC, so you can get the best out of those music apps.

You can view all of the integrated services via Marshall’s revamped app, which has a whole bunch of features to sink your teeth into. A few nuggets include a five-band equalizer, AV sync to adjusts audio delay to sync up with video, and Room correction, which plays a range of sounds to optimize your soundbar for the space that you’re using it in.

There’s no remote included with the Heston 120, with the app acting as a full on replacement. It enables you to adjust volume, switch between the different sound modes, cycle through sources and view whether Atmos or DTS:X are in-use or not. Much of this can be done through the soundbar’s physical controls too, but we’ll get onto those later.

Features score: 5/5

Person holding out phone with Marshall app in front of the Marshall Heston 120 — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: performance

Earth-shaking bass output
Great Atmos with impressive width and verticality
Impeccable for music, especially stereo

So the Heston 120 gets the title of Marshall’s first ever soundbar, as the legendary audio brand takes its first step into the world of home cinema entertainment. No pressure then. From marketing alone, it’s clear that Marshall is confident in the Heston 120’s “rumbling” bass, “immersive” Dolby Atmos sound and “natural vocal clarity” – but can it live up to the hype?

Well, before I answer that, let’s go through the Heston 120’s key focal areas and see how it measures up. When I spoke to the audio engineers that worked on the Marshall Heston 120, I was told there were three focal points: Dolby Atmos for movies; Dolby Atmos music; and stereo music.

Let’s go big and start things off with Atmos for movies. I have to say, the Heston 120 performs incredibly well here. I started my testing by watching a 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Nosferatu – you know, the one where Pennywise plays the eponymous role. And even from the Universal Studios fanfare, I knew I was in for a treat, with booming bass filling our TV testing facility.

During a scene where Count Orlok confronts Ellen, the vampire’s haunting voice came through with incredible depth and haunting levels of detail, with each breathy detail and deep inhale coming through cleanly. Quaking sub-bass also rippled through part of the scene, perfectly capturing the picture’s tense, fear-inducing nature. Whether it was that giant sub-bass, frantic dialogue or piercing high-pitched screeches, the Heston was more than up to the task. I watched this film when it was first released and, honestly, the Heston had enough talent to make me feel as if I was back in the cinema.

But when I think about Atmos, I think, first and foremost about expansive, directional sound that really makes me feel part of the action. And I really want to give the Heston 120 some kudos there, because it performed very admirably indeed in that department.

When watching The Boy and the Heron, the soundbar effortlessly tracked elements such as the width of the heron’s flight path or the verticality of an arrow being fired into the sky. Similarly, when tuning into The Batman, the movement of bats flying towards me had me inching back in my seat – and the Heston gave me a genuine sense that they flew over my shoulder too.

Still, if you’re searching for the most complete surround sound on the market, you’re not going to get it from the Marshall Heston 120 – at least not right now. There are no rear speakers included to give you ultimate wraparound sound and, at the point of launch, there’s no separate sub to take low frequency output to yet another level – both things that would be ideal for those with larger living rooms especially. An option like the JBL Bar 1300X, for example, has a main soundbar with a sub and two rears, meaning you get an even more fleshed-out spatial impression.

Still, I’m here to judge the Heston 120 for what it is – not what it could be, and it really did impress me when it comes to Dolby Atmos effects, dialogue clarity and low-end punch. So, it only seems right to next tackle the area of Dolby Atmos music.

This format, I concede won’t be everyone’s favorite way to listen to tunes, but the Heston, as you’d expect, gets the best out of Atmos mixes. When blasting I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby by Barry White, I was astonished by the width of audio emitting from the Heston 120. Guitars sounded as if they were playing from the sides of the room, rather than from the bar itself, with funky drums dancing and keys dancing across the room.

That was paired with a controlled, balanced vocal performance playing from the center and a total lack of harshness or distortion, ensuring a really enjoyable and three-dimensional listening experience.

Despite all of that, I have to tell you that the absolute highlight of my time spent with the Marshall Heston 120, was listening to stereo music. That really isn’t to take away from the incredible Atmos effects – it’s just all too common for soundbars to miss the mark on musicality, but the Heston is truly class-leading.

When listening to Strange Meadow Lark by Dave Brubeck, the channel separation was phenomenal, drums subtly enter the left side, keys work their magic subtly on the right with punchy bass holding it down throughout the track without smothering the mix.

Again, with Affirmation by George Benson, every instrument was given plenty of breathing space. Each element – whether emotive strings, rhythmic percussion or smooth bass – was positioned beautifully. I genuinely sat for hours listening to albums in this format, I really couldn’t get enough.

I preferred stereo music on the Heston 120 over what the amazing Samsung HW-Q800D could offer – a soundbar that I’ve been happily using for almost half a year, so… it may be time for an upgrade.

Sound quality score: 5/5

Person twisting knob on the Marshall Heston 120 — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: design

Show-stopping amp-like aesthetic
Tactile dial controls with haptic feedback
Though these can catch reflections from TV

So, the Heston 120 has already wowed me with its fantastic feature-set and awesome audio, but there’s one aspect that’s even more appealing. And that is, of course, its gorgeous design, infused with Marshall’s amp-making heritage and finished off with eye-catching gold details.

When I spoke to Marshall at its Stockholm HQ, I was told that the Heston 120 was meant to stand alone in a sea of homogenous black bars. And yep, it definitely does that. Even the golden plate on top of the soundbar oozes class, with three knurled metal knobs positioned alongside well-sized preset and sound mode buttons.

LED lights around the knobs also indicate volume and EQ levels as well as source, which is a nice touch. There’s no display, which some may miss, but as I mentioned earlier, the app houses all the info you’ll need.

Let’s go back to those metal dials, though, because they really are a unique design choice for a soundbar. Firstly, I should emphasize that they’re a joy to use. They’re smooth and pleasing to turn, with haptic feedback included for a more interactive user experience.

But alas… they do bring a problem to the table. When watching movies in a low-lit or dark room, I found that they were illuminated by the TV and caught some reflections. This is nothing too invasive, of course, you’re not going to be blinded by Marshall’s knobs… but it can be a touch distracting.

It’s also worth noting that I had the Heston 120 positioned right under the TV, and the reflectivity will change depending on the gap between the dials at the screen, how far the soundbar is from the TV, and where you're sitting – and if you've wall-mounted them, that will also change things.

Speaking of a wall mount: you’re going to have to purchase that separately. You can grab one on Marshall’s website for $49 / £44 / AU$79 – a fair chunk less than the Sonos Arc Ultra’s mount, notably. I should also mention that the Marshall website is home to a bunch of replacement parts and an authorized repair service, just in case your Heston ever gets damaged.

Before we move on, it has to be said – the Heston is a chunky fella. It’s more than a meter long and weighs in at over 7kg. It will be well-suited under a TV sized 55-inches and up – just make sure your setup has plenty of room, or it may be a tight squeeze.

Design score: 4.5/5

Marshall Heston 120 on top of packaging — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: setup & usability

Super easy to install
Everything you need is in the Marshall app
Huge variety of connectivity options

When it comes to getting setup and ready to go, most modern soundbars are fairly straightforward, and the Marshall Heston 120 is no different. I simply plugged in my power cable and hooked the included HDMI cord from our testing TV into the eARC slot and I was done. Yep, really, that’s all you need to do.

Of course, if you want to truly optimize the Heston 120 for your living space, then it’s well-worth heading over to the Marshall app. One of the first things I did was make use of the Room Correction feature to make sure I was making the most of this stunning soundbar’s sonic talents.

And as we discussed earlier, the app has everything a user will need, from volume controls, source switching, sound mode selection and EQ adjustment. The lack of a remote, if anything, is most welcome for me. I really like the simplicity of an all-in-one digital hub.

One of the big wins the Heston gets over its rival, the Sonos Arc Ultra, is that it has an HDMI passthrough port. That’s incredibly useful if you’ve already used up all of your TV’s HDMI slots and it was one of the main reasons we didn’t rate the Arc Ultra higher than four stars in our review.

And just generally, there really are so many ways to connect the Heston 120. You get all those integrated music services like Spotify and Tidal Connect, plenty of ports, including HDMI, RCA and USB-C, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. The only thing that some may miss at the moment is some sort of voice-assistant support. That’s something you will get on the Arc Ultra, but honestly, it’s not a feature I typically make use of on a soundbar.

Setup & usability score: 5/5

Knobs on top of the Marshall Heston 120 — (Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 120 review: value

Comes at quite the cost
But is class-leading in musicality and offers awesome Atmos
You can get strong multi-box options at a similar price

Even though I’ve raved about the Heston 120 so far, it has to be said that it is a pricey piece of kit. At $999 / £899 / AU$1,799, it’s well and truly in the premium tier. It costs the same as its all-in-one rival, the Sonos Arc Ultra – that is if you’re in the US and Australia. The Heston is £100 cheaper for those of us in the UK, though.

Having said that, the Heston 120 is still priced competitively when you consider a rival like the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 comes in at $400 / £500 more. At the same time, though, you could get a highly competent surround sound system for a similar cost. The excellent Samsung HW-Q990D can regularly be found now for just over $1,200 / £1,000 and that comes with dual rear speakers and a separate sub – talk about value!

Again, though, as a single box, the Heston 120 really is up there with the best of the best. I’ve not heard better musicality from any soundbar before and as an all-in-one solution, the levels of bass and expansiveness are seriously impressive. That’s not to mention the fact that this model packs in essentially every feature and connectivity type that you’d hope to see. So yes – it’s pricey – but for good reason.

Value score: 4/5

Side profile of Marshall Heston 120

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Marshall Heston 120?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Tons of connectivity options, Atmos and DTS:X, great companion app.	5/5
Performance	Booming bass output, excellent Atmos effects, best-in-class musicality.	5/5
Design	Stunning looks, handy repairability options, dials can catch reflections.	4.5/5
Setup & usability	Easy setup, app is perfect control hub, tons of connectivity options.	5/5
Value	It’s pricey, but comes with a load of handy features and stellar sound.	4/5

Buy it if…

You want cinematic sound in a standalone soundbar
Marshall has packed 11 active drivers into the Heston 120, which work in harmony to output incredibly clear, delightfully deep and pleasingly expansive audio. If your living space wouldn’t really suit additional speakers or you simply want an all-in-one solution, it doesn’t get much better than this.

You want a true statement piece
Sound-wise, the Marshall Heston 120 is excellent, but its looks are what really sets it apart. With an amp-inspired aesthetic, premium gold details and wraparound speaker grille, it’s hard to find any other soundbar that comes close on beauty points.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the best surround-sound experience available
Yes, the Heston 120 conjures an impressive spatial impression given its a one-box offering. But the lack of rear channels or a separate sub mean that some will be left wanting more for the true surround sound experience. If you have a larger room or simply want the additional rumble and multi-dimensional effects, it might be worth considering an option like the Samsung Q990D below. Or if you’ve got the cash, potentially even a Sonos sound system, with the Arc Ultra at the center.

You’re on a budget
The Marshall Heston 120 is probably not the ideal option if you’re on a tighter budget. But don’t worry, there really are a lot of great budget-friendly options out there. I should know – I’ve personally test a large number of models in our guide to the best cheap soundbars. But if you want a personal recommendation, I really do rate the Sony HT-S2000, which has talents way beyond anything I’d expect from a standalone bar with its price-tag.

Marshall Heston 120 review: also consider

	Marshall Heston 120	Sonos Arc Ultra	Samsung HW-Q990D
Price	$999 / £899 / AU$1,799	$999 / £999 / AU$1,799	$1,799 / £1,699 / AU$1,995
Dimensions	43.3 x 5.7 x 3 inches / 1100 x 145 x 76mm	2.95 x 46.38 x 4.35 inches / 75 x 1178 x 110.6mm	Soundbar: 51.3 x 23.4 x 10.9 inches / 1309 x 595 x 277mm; Subwoofer: 8.6 x 16.2 x 16.1 inches / 220 x 413 x 410mm; Rear speakers: 5 x 7.9 x 5.5 inches / 129.5 x 201.3 x 140.4mm
Speaker channels	5.1.2	9.1.4	11.1.4
Connections	1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, RCA Stereo, RCA Mono (sub out), USB-C, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3	1x HDMI with eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	1x HDMI eARC, 2x HDMI 2.1 in, optical digital audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X	Yes/Yes	Yes/No	Yes/Yes
Sub included	No	No	Yes
Rear speakers included	No	No	Yes

Sonos Arc Ultra
The Sonos Arc Ultra is an outstanding one-box soundbar that is tough to beat when it comes down to pure performance. Thanks to its zealous bass, crystal-clear dialogue and convincing Dolby Atmos effects, we couldn’t get enough of the Arc Ultra during our time testing it. There’s no DTS:X support and the lack of HDMI passthrough is a shame, but if you’re not into the Heston’s amp-inspired design, this might be a better option for you. Read our full Sonos Arc Ultra review.

Samsung HW-Q990D
Thanks to a wave of price-cuts, you’ll now be able to regularly find 2024’s incredible Samsung Q990D for a similar cost to the Marshall Heston 120. And that’s pretty impressive, given it provides you with a main soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers for mind-blowing surround sound. With full-sounding spatial audio, phenomenal sonic detail and plenty of connectivity options, you simply can’t do better for the cost. Read our full Samsung HW-990D review.

How I tested the Marshall Heston 120

Tested across a week-long period
Used in our TV testing space at Future Labs
Both Dolby Atmos and stereo sound tested

When testing the Marshall Heston 120, I had it hooked up to the fantastic Panasonic MZ1500 TV via HDMI eARC. I also used Tidal Connect over Wi-Fi and Spotify over Bluetooth when tuning into my favorite tracks.

During testing, the soundbar was placed in front of the TV in our TV testing space at Future Labs. I tried viewing and listening to a vast array of content during an intensive testing period. This included a number of movies and TV shows and songs on our TechRadar testing playlist. For reference, I used the Panasonic DP-UB820 to view Dolby Atmos-enabled 4K UHD Blu-rays.

On top of that, I made extensive use of each listening mode: Movie; Music; Voice; and Night. I also dug into additional options on the Marshall app, ensuring each feature functioned as advertised.

I've tested tons of soundbars here at TechRadar – everything from ultra-cheap options like the Hisense HS214 through to pricier models like the Samsung HW-Q800D. I've also got plenty of experience testing other gear, including the best Bluetooth speakers and best headphones, which helped me to assess the caliber of the Heston 120's musicality.

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I tried will.i.am’s new speaker and it has a lot of Boom Boom, but not much Pow

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

LG xBoom Bounce: Two-minute review

Go to the LG website and you’ll see this Bluetooth speaker billed as the "LG xBoom Bounce by will.i.am". Recent marketing materials are rife with mentions of the Black Eyed Peas performer who, depending on where you look on LG's site, “crafted” the sound from the ground up, “fine-tuned” the sound of the Bounce after the fact or simply acted as... whatever an “Experiential Architect” is.

It’s a very loosely-defined partnership and I’ve no idea if the musician’s work really did involve engineering the Bounce’s sound or simply becoming a marketing figure, although a colleague at TechRadar did speak to the rapper, writer, actor, record producer and entrepreneur earlier this year on the collaboration. Anyway, the general gist is this: the LG xBoom Bounce is a new party speaker here to (hopefully) make you wanna Shake Ya Boom Boom – and thus, make its way into our best Bluetooth speakers roundup.

Its relative beefiness should have been clear from the name; LG’s busy line of xBoom speakers are all designed for room-filling sound, complete with hardy designs, high volumes and usually plenty of LED lights. The bounce was announced alongside the slightly-cheaper cylinder of the LG xBoom Grab and bigger, more expensive LG xBoom Stage 301.

I must admit that I’ve not been blown away by other xBoom devices I’ve used, and sadly the Bounce didn’t manage to change that.

The last xBoom I used was the petite Go XG2T, which is remarkable for its portability, a trait which is important for most Bluetooth speakers. Not in the Bounce, though, as it’s too big and heavy to slip in your bag and take to a picnic. It has an elastic carry band which loses form quickly, two unstable legs and a pet peeve of mine: no skip track button.

I can’t mark down the design too much though, with high-grade protections ensuring that the xBoom Bounce is safe from the hard knocks that could befall it when used in your garden (or forgotten in your garden after a few beers).

When it comes to features, LG’s nailed the basics with the LG xBoom Bounce: its battery life is pleasingly long and I’m always a fan of LED lights on speakers. However there’s not much extra if you download LG’s smart-home app (no, there’s no bespoke app), with a few of its potential features squandered.

For example there’s an on-speaker button which should, in theory, be used to quickly open a chosen playlist – however this doesn’t actually work alongside any streaming service, only with native content on your phone or LG’s own ambient songs.

The biggest issue with the Bounce is that its sound quality just doesn’t match rivals on the market. With Sonos and JBL both offering similar-priced alternatives, the bass-heavy but empty-sounding audio of the Bounce doesn’t cut it, no matter how loud it can go to impress fields of guests.

As a mid-range speaker in terms of price, LG’s rugged build quality, battery life and volume here may be enough to win over some users, including those who want a device specifically for outdoor activities and parties (and already own one or more for their home). But if you’re more of a one-and-done kind of speaker buyer, the xBoom Bounce is a lot harder to recommend.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Price and release date

Released in April 2025
Officially priced at $179.99 / £139 / AU$249

The LG xBoom Bounce by a leafy plant on a shelf. — (Image credit: Future)

The LG xBoom Bounce was released in April 2025 alongside another member of its family: the xBoom Grab.

You can buy the speaker for $169 / £169 (around AU$300, though it’s the only one of its family not to be on sale in Australia at the time of writing).

That cost puts the xBoom Bounce in the shark-infested waters of a highly competitive price range: the Sonos Roam 2 is only a touch pricier, while the JBL Flip 7 is a small amount more affordable, and you don’t have to pay that much more for a close rival in the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2.

These three options are all within the top five in our round-up of the best Bluetooth speakers, so LG is entering a tough crowd. More on these competitors below.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Specs

Weight:	1.32kg
Dimensions:	26.2 x 9.9 x 9.4 cm
Battery life (quoted):	30 hours
Connectivity:	Not specified
Drivers:	2x tweeter, 1x woofer
Aux in:	No
Charger port:	USB-C
Microphone:	Yes
Waterproof rating:	IP67

LG xBoom Bounce review: Features

Some set-up woes
30-hour battery life
Useful location calibration mode

The XBoom Bounce can be used alongside the LG ThinQ app. This is an everything-app for all LG products, and it’s quite a lengthy set-up process between creating an account, finding ‘speakers’ on the list and, in my case, repeatedly trying to get it to pair until it finally succeeded. I may have given up several attempts earlier if I wasn’t reviewing the Bounce (and you can use the device just fine without pairing it to the app anyway). Pairing to devices simply for listening was quick and painless, it’s just the app that’s the issue.

The ThinQ app may make sense if you have lots of other LG products (or if this speaker boasted wi-fi streaming support, which to be clear, it does not), but if you don’t it’s a bit of a faff. Honestly, it feels like a bloated set-up process and some of the features just don’t make sense – why am I being asked where the speaker is located when, by definition, it’s a portable one?

Using the app you can change the speaker’s volume, switch the lighting pattern on it, set up the MY button (more on this imminently) and set up a few other features like Auracast for daisy-chaining more speakers for multi-room audio, a turn-off timer and a small playlist of ambient background music called Healing Therapy. There’s also a calibration mode which works out the speaker’s location (after a brief test) and adjusts the sound quality, which is admittedly quite neat – until you move it.

Once you’ve set up the MY button, pressing it on the speaker auto-plays from a playlist you’ve selected. However you can only use this for audio files on your device, or the Healing Therapy playlist on the app – no Spotify, no Apple Music, no Tidal. In addition, it’s staggeringly hard to browse the Healing Therapy library to find sounds – go to the page in the app and you’ll be shown a single song, with the options to download it, as well as a list of your downloaded songs. The only way I figured out to see all Healing Therapy options is to literally download everything you’re presented with.

There are a few preset Sound Effects you can use to modify your sound: Standard, Bass Boost and Voice Enhance are all pretty obvious and there’s a custom option to bring up a six-band equalizer. The other option is AI Sound which balances audio based on your chosen genre.

I tested the speaker for about 10 hours before going through the set-up process and if I could turn back time, I probably wouldn’t bother with the app. The only thing I ended up needing it for is to turn on Bass Boost mode. I mentioned above that I had trouble connecting to the app; this was never an issue connecting the speaker to my phone via Bluetooth, which was flawless.

Let’s clear our minds with a really positive feature: the battery life. According to LG this can stretch to 30 hours and in my testing I saw no reason to doubt that figure (as long as you’re playing at 50% volume, which is a reasonable figure indoors). That figure trumps lots of the competition with many rivals hovering between the 10-15 hour mark. Charging is done via the USB-C port on the back and takes three hours.

Features score: 3.5/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Design

IP67 and military-grade protection
Heavy and long body
Wobbly legs and elastic strap

The LG xBoom Bounce is a big and heavy speaker – while all Bluetooth speakers are ostensibly portable, the heft of the Bounce means you probably won’t want to bring this to the park for a picnic or barbeque given that you’ll have to jettison half your food to fit it in your bag. At home I left it on the same shelf for the bulk of my testing, right by a wall outlet, completely offsetting any need for it to be wireless in the first place. The issue is, I don't think the audio is good enough for a dedicated indoor 'main' speaker… but again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

To be precise, the xBoom Bounce is 316.5mm long, 142.5mm tall and 136mm wide, taking a rough oval shape. It weighs 1.32kg which is heavy for a Bluetooth speaker like this – some other party speakers are a whole kilo lighter.

On top of the speaker are its two tweeters as well as buttons: power, volume up, volume down, pay/pause, Bluetooth pairing, multipoint and MY (the latter we’ll describe in the Features section). So far, so standard. The back of the speaker has a USB-C port for charging but no 3.5mm jack, so you can’t plug-and-play with your old iPod here.

A large feature on the back of the xBoom is the stretchy fabric band you can see in pictures. This has a little ‘pull’ to it so you can get your hand behind it to carry it, but its size and positioning means you can’t really use it to attach the Bounce to anything (not least of all because 1.4kg means this thing is prone to pulling over things you attach it to). The elastic also deformed pretty quickly in my testing, having a noticeable upward arc after just a few days of testing, and so I wasn't keen to rely on it as a way to transport the thing in case it snapped.

The front of the speaker has an LED strip which flickers to music, and you can choose the color or pattern through the app. It’s not a huge feature, but if you like having flashing LEDs to accompany your music, it’s a nice touch.

On the bottom of the xBoom are two circular ‘legs’ that it stands on, elevating the main body a touch off the ground. There’s probably a good reason for them but they resulted in the device wobbling an undue amount when on flat surfaces.

You'll probably realise I have mixed feelings on the xBoom Bounce’s design, but one undeniable boon is its protection. Not only does the Bounce have an IP67 rating against dust ingress and limited immersion in water, but also the military-grade MIL-STD-810H certification. This ensures it can withstand vibrations, impacts, spray from salt water, high temperatures and a few other fairly-specific types of assault. This is perhaps the first truly rugged Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever tested, and I’m always a fan of gadgets that are designed for longevity.

Design score: 3.5/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Sound quality

High max volume
Low-end focus
Songs often sound 'empty'

Let’s unpack what you’re getting with the Bounce: there are two tweeters and a woofer for 2.1 stereo audio.

The LG xBoom Bounce doesn’t lack for power, with a high maximum volume; I generally listened at volume 10 at home but it goes all the way up to 30, so this will be suitable for fairly large gatherings. But what LG offers in volume, it lacks in quality.

The focus of the sound is clearly in the low-end, with songs’ bass lines being the first thing you’ll notice when you put on any track. But then, as is the issue with most ‘bass overload’ cases, it means mid- and high-end instruments sound compressed. Here, these frequencies seem almost squeezed into an oddly dull ooze of ‘noise’, stripping counter harmonies and detail from songs in favor of the ever insatiable god: bass.

Even vocals were often muddied and nonspecific in songs I listened to, and there were times when I simply couldn’t make out the lyrics of lead or backing singers due to how low they were in the box.

Let’s take a listen: Phosphorescent’s New Birth in New England usually offers a rich mix of rhythmic instruments but listening on the Bounce, all I can hear is the bass, vocal and some assorted ‘soup’ of everything else. The next song on my playlist is Letter to Lady J by Dispatch which starts with acoustic guitar and vocals, but the latter sounds muted and the former quickly loses any form of strumming pattern and timbre. Changing playlists for some variety, Morgan Wallen’s Thought You Should Know was listened to – just the intro, three times, to try to list the instruments we’ve got here. Sadly, I simply couldn’t make them out and throughout the song, Wallen sounds like he’s frantically waving his hand to the mixing desk and pointing upwards to indicate ‘turn me up!’.

The effect of all of this is that music seems a lot less complex and nuanced, and therefore lacking a little bit of the ‘soul’ that comes from the interplay and cohesion of different instruments. It made rock and pop less enjoyable and classical almost impossible to appreciate; I most enjoyed using the speaker when it was for dance-focused tracks with instrumental simplicity. Which, of course, is what certain users will be looking for, so don't let me put you off if that's you.

A focus on the low-end and a high max volume make the LG xBoom Bounce suited as a party speaker, but it’s not for audiophiles, who’ll find a few things missing from their music.

Sound quality: 3/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Value

If you’re simply looking at the xBoom Bounce for a personal loudspeaker for your home, you can find other options at a similar (or cheaper) price that offer better sound quality.

For party speakers, the question is a bit different, as the Bounce matches most of its close rivals in terms of price. However you may be swayed by the various protections on offer, which could ensure that it keeps serving you for a lot longer than one of its alternatives.

In the grand scheme of things, you’re pretty much getting what you pay for though.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the LG xBoom Bounce?

LG xBoom Bounce speaker score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	A long battery life and equalizer offset an annoying app experience.	3.5/5
Design	It's not quite 'portable' but it's well-protected.	3.5/5
Sound quality	The high max volume and focus on low-end will please some, but it's not for audiophiles.	3/5
Value	You get what you pay for, and it'll last you longer than some rivals.	3.5/5

Buy it if…

You need field-filling sound
Need a speaker to play to your whole back garden or large living room? Shy of a full-stack party speaker this can be your go-to.

You need something well-protected
The IP67 is a nice touch but the military-grade protection is what I'm talking about here: you won't need to worry about a rain storm hitting your party (or an earthquake, flash flood or drought).

You need something that lasts a little longer
With 30 hours of juice in the tank, the LG xBoom Bounce lasts longer than lots of its competitors before needing to be charged.

Don’t buy it if…

You're an audiophile
I wasn't that impressed with the sound of the Bounce, so if you're hoping to truly appreciate the music you're listening to, this party speaker isn't the way to go.

You need something portable
This isn't the gym, you're not expected to carry heavy weights around with you everywhere you go.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Also consider

	LG xBoom Bounce	Tribit Stormbox Blast 2	JBL Flip 7
Weight:	1.32kg	8.7g	560g
Dimensions:	26.2 x 9.9 x 9.4 cm	47.6 x 25.9 x 19.3 cm	7 x 18.3 x 7.2 cm
Battery life (quoted):	30 hours	30 hours	16 hours
Connectivity:	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4
Drivers:	2x tweeter, 1x woofer	1x subwoofer, 2x drivers, 2x tweeters	1x driver, 1x tweeter
Aux-in:	No	Yes	No
Charger port:	USB-C	AC 100-240V	USB-C
Microphone:	Yes	No (mic ports)	No
Waterproof rating:	IP67	IP67	IP68

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2
For a small amount more than the LG, you can get the ultimate party speaker of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. This beast has a fantastic output, and even though it's a lot heavier than the LG, has a handle to let you deal with it.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review

JBL Flip 7
A smaller and cheaper option, the Flip 7 extends JBL's lead as monarchs of the portable party speaker realm. It sounds great, offers a range of features and, like the LG, is well-protected.
Read our full JBL Flip 7 review

How I tested the LG XBoom Bounce

I used the LG xBoom Bounce for two weeks in order to write this review, which is the standard testing period.

I used the Bounce alongside two separate Android smartphones, one a Realme and another a Moto, and did most of the testing split between two different rooms in my house. Most of the playback was music from Spotify and the ThinQ app but I watched a few videos, listened to spoken-word content and played a game with the speaker attached.

I've been writing tech reviews for TechRadar for over six years now, including speakers as well as other LG products.

First tested: June 2025

Read more on how we test at TechRadar.

I swapped my iPhone for the Honor 400, and it beats Apple’s handset in one key area

2:40 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Honor Phones Phones | Tags: AI, Google Pixel, UK | Comments: Off

Honor 400: Two-minute review

In the time that I’ve spent with the Honor 400, part of me is stunned to see just how far the mid-range market has come. Usually, when I test phones at this end of the scale, I anticipate there being one area that significantly holds the phone back from true greatness. This is understandable – there needs to be some reason to upgrade to the best phones like the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – but on the Honor 400, this caveat never really applied.

For starters, with an affordable price tag of £399.99 in the UK, the Honor 400 already undercuts a ton of mid-range contenders like the Pixel 9a, the Samsung Galaxy A56 and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which will make it a more tempting buy for those who are tied to a strict budget.

Diving into the phone itself, Honor spoils us with a number of features, the highlight being the 6.55-inch AMOLED display, which can reach a peak brightness of 5000 nits. I’ve tested a lot of phones in my time, but Honor just knows how to make a mid-range display that’s instantly eye-catching. It’s colorful, easy to use outdoors, and great for streaming films and TV shows.

The new 200MP main camera captures some great shots, especially when the sun is out, but the setup really comes into its own when paired with the Harcourt-inspired filters in the phone’s portrait mode. If you prefer taking pictures of friends and family rather than what you had for dinner, then you’ll appreciate what’s available here.

This amounts to a solid experience overall, but in some instances, it’s a slight downgrade compared to the phone’s predecessor. For instance, the Honor 200 has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display as well as an additional telephoto lens. The same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset has been carried over, so you won’t gain much where performance is concerned.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend the Honor 400 to owners of last year’s Honor mid-range. For those with a device that’s been out for four or five years, though, it’s hard to argue with the value proposition Honor has put together.

Honor 400 review: price and availability

Honor 400 review images — (Image credit: Future)

Starts at £399.99 in the UK
Released in May 2025

Situated as the middle child of the new Honor 400 series, the Honor 400 has a starting price of £399.99 for the 256GB model, but that price leaps up to £449 if you want the larger 512GB storage option.

At the time of writing, only UK pricing and availability have been confirmed, with the phone releasing in May 2025 both as a SIM-free device and from several UK networks.

Even though their naming conventions are easy to understand, the pricing within the Honor 400 range is a little confusing. At present, the Honor 400 Lite costs £249.99, just £150 less than the Honor 400, whereas the Honor 400 Pro asks for an extra £300 with an RRP of £699.99.

I can only hypothesize that the Honor 400’s entry-level price is a strategic move to make it more affordable than some of the established best mid-range phones, which tend to sit around £499.

Value score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: specs


Dimensions:	156.5mm x 74.6mm x 7.3mm
Weight:	184g
Display:	6.55-inch (2736 x 1264) up to 120Hz AMOLED
Chipset:	Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
RAM:	8GB
Storage:	256GB / 512GB
OS:	Android 15
Primary camera:	200MP (f/1.9, 1/1.4'', OIS) sensor
Ultra-wide camera:	12MP (f/2.2, FOV 112°) sensor
Front Camera:	50MP sensor
Battery:	5,330mAh
Charging:	66W wired
Colors:	Midnight Black, Meteor Silver, Desert Gold

Honor 400 review: design

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

Honor is definitely nipping at Apple’s heels
The design feels more confident than the Honor 200

The overall design of Honor’s mid-range phones has always felt a little off to my eyes. For example, the Honor 90 from a few years back had a wonderful Emerald Green option that made it stand out, but it was hampered by two distinct camera bumps that felt wildly out of place.

Things weren’t much better with last year’s Honor 200, which featured far too much negative space in its camera module, making the design feel like an afterthought compared to the rest of the device. Thankfully, Honor has finally hit a far more premium, if potentially dull, aesthetic.

As mentioned in the Honor 400 Lite review, it isn’t hard to see where Honor is drawing its inspiration from here. The flat edges around the device, alongside the vertically aligned cameras, give off a whiff of the iPhone 16, which is no bad thing when you consider that the Honor 400 is less than half the price of Apple’s £699/$699 handset.

It does feel premium in the hand, and even with a plastic chassis, I think people would be surprised to learn just how cheap the Honor 400 is at the checkout, based solely on its looks.

I do wish, however, that Honor could have kept some of its signature flair where the colors are concerned. The company has instead opted for safe black, silver and gold variations. Thankfully, there is an official IP rating this time around of IP65, so you won’t have to worry about dust particles or jets of water – always helpful over long-term use.

While it certainly won’t wow anyone, I feel that this is the most confident-looking mid-ranger that Honor has ever put out, and I have to admire it for that.

Design score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: display

It’s a smaller display at 6.55 inches
The curves have been swapped out for a flat panel

If there’s one area where this company has easily outpaced the mid-range competition, it’s in the quality of its displays, and the Honor 400 is no exception, although there is one tweak that might put off some folks from upgrading.

Starting with the good, this 6.55-inch AMOLED display is just drop-dead gorgeous to look at. It gets impressively bright at up to 5000 nits, and when using it outdoors against direct sunlight, I haven’t found myself squinting to make out what’s on the screen.

The crisp 2736 x 1264 resolution also makes the phone great for catching up on Netflix or whichever streaming service takes your fancy. Using the Honor 400 at the gym, I was quite immersed in a few episodes of Prime Video's Invincible while on the treadmill, with the phone doing the show’s vivid color palette justice.

If you don’t mind sacrificing a little more battery life, you can toggle Super Dynamic Display alongside Vivid Display, two modes that use AI to analyze what you're watching and respond with improved colors and realism in real time. I can’t say that I saw an immediate difference, but the screen already looked great, so I can’t really complain.

While the phone’s refresh rate can be set to 120Hz at all times, by default it’s placed in an adaptive mode that allows it to change depending on the task at hand, saving battery life in the process. Even though this has long been a feature among the best Android phones, it blows my mind that it’s now something we get as standard in the mid-range/budget market.

Making a return is all of Honor’s dimming and eye-health features. That sounds impressive on paper, with ‘3840Hz RiskFree Dimming’, but what does it actually mean? In practice, this tech limits the amount of refreshes that take place at a speed imperceptible to the human eye, reducing the risk of eye fatigue over time.

Of course, something like this is difficult to quantify. However, I will say that out of all the phones I’ve used, the Honor 400 is one of the few that doesn’t leave me with noticeable eye-strain if I do a quick bit of scrolling before bed, particularly if the fantastic ‘eBook mode’ is activated.

All of this amounts to a wonderful display, but if you currently own an Honor 90 or an Honor 200, it’s worth bearing in mind that both of those phones have a larger 6.7-inch display, so you are getting a slight downgrade where size is concerned. Personally, I don’t mind, particularly as it makes the Honor 400 easier to use one-handed, but it’s still something to consider.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Honor 400 review: cameras

Just like the display, the cameras have also been downgraded/upgraded
The new 200MP main sensor is the star of the show

There’s a definite pattern of give and take with the Honor 400. I’ve already mentioned the differences in the display tech, and unfortunately, it also extends to the new camera setup.

On paper, you’ve got a 200MP (f/1.9, 1/1.4'', OIS) main sensor, flanked by a 12MP (f/2.2, FOV 112°) ultrawide that also serves as a macro lens. That might sound fairly decent given the £399.99 price tag, but eagle-eyed readers might have already noticed that while the main sensor has had a bump from 50MP to 200MP, the phone is missing the additional 50MP telephoto lens from the Honor 200.

While it’s nice to have a dedicated telephoto lens, having the upgraded megapixel count on the main lens does open up more opportunities for cropping and zooming that don't completely wreck the quality of the photo.

Enjoying the wonderful sights of Surrey’s Box Hill, I was able to snap some fantastic shots that really did the trail justice, helped in large part by the brilliantly sunny weather. When I felt the need to crop in on certain photos for social media after the fact, I didn’t feel hard done by in the final results.

The same can be said for the ultra-wide shots, which, despite that 12MP ceiling, still packed an impressive degree of detail and color. In a pinch, that same ultra-wide lens can be used for macro shots if, like me, you enjoy getting the odd picture of fauna up close (although I can’t imagine using it for much else).

You’ve got 4x digital zoom for picking up subjects in the distance, but for something really far out, you can lean on Honor’s 30x AI Superzoom. Just like it operates on other Honor phones, this feature uses AI to recreate the picture you’ve taken. This means the end result isn’t technically a photo at all, but something AI has constructed from a real photo. As you might imagine, its success rate can be mixed, and there’s a general ‘watercolour’ look that plagues all of these images after the fact.

Speaking of AI, there’s an ‘image to video’ feature that lets you make short AI-driven animations out of shots you’ve taken. I’ll admit, one video it derived from a selfie felt so realistic that I didn’t like the idea of seeing what else it could do. Thankfully, these videos don’t go beyond five seconds, so there isn’t a huge use case for them.

When it comes to more traditional AI features in the phone’s editing suite, like AI cutout or AI outpainting (the latter of which extends the picture with generative AI), it all works rather well.

Last year, Honor made a big splash by partnering with photography studio Harcourt to add more pizazz to the portrait photography of the 200 series; now those signature Harcourt filters are back on the Honor 400, looking better than ever.

If you’re the type of person whose Instagram uploads are filled with model-style shots, you’ll appreciate what’s on offer here. Although there are just three Harcourt filters (Vibrant, Color and Classic), they all look great and pump out truly eye-catching shots.

While the 50MP selfie camera doesn’t utilize Harcourt’s prowess, it still managed to capture self-portraits that I was more than happy to share with the world, which doesn’t often happen. There’s a wonderfully soft bokeh here that pairs well with the camera’s autofocus.

The dedicated night mode also does a respectable job, so you should be in luck with most low-light situations if you do want to take a quick snap.

Camera score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: camera samples

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Honor 400 review photo samples — (Image credit: Future)

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Honor 400 review: performance

Same chipset as last year
Respectable performance in its price range

The best thing I can say about the Honor 400 from a performance perspective is just how little it’s been on my mind over the course of testing the device. Of course, I’m not saying that it exceeds the best iPhones – far from it – but even though it uses the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset as last year, it goes to show how far the mid-range market has come, where you can now expect solid day-to-day performance without breaking the bank.

In the time that I spent with the Honor 400, I didn't have an app fail to load or crash mid-use, and I could jump from one app to another without any significant delay. Even when using the phone as a hotspot to watch a video on my iPad, I could still scroll through Google Chrome on the Honor 400 without any noticeable slowdown.

When it came to games, the phone handled booting up a race in Asphalt Legends Unite and the game’s frenetic energy with ease. Graphics look bold and exciting on the display, and any visual stuttering was very brief and infrequent.

I found the performance within Call of Duty Mobile to be even better, so if you like to get in a few rounds of Nuketown on your lunch break, you won’t have any issues doing so here.

I will say that for both games (and at times when I was really pushing the device), I felt some heat radiating off the Honor 400. It was never enough to make holding the device uncomfortable, but it did give me pause to make sure that I didn’t overstretch the phone’s limitations.

I do, however, want to give a brief nod to the speakers, which performed surprisingly well in testing. I almost always anticipate a mono-speaker system at this end of the market, but there's a stereo set-up on the Honor 400, and it can get impressively loud and immersive when you're diving into a spot of gaming.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: software

Honor has gone all in on AI
MagicOS is better, but there’s still room for improvement

Just like almost every other company on the block right now, Honor has gone all-in on AI.

As with AI implementation on other devices, I found the overall experience to be a mixed bag. I don’t think the situation is quite as dire as what I’ve come across using Apple Intelligence on my iPhone 16 Plus, but there are definitely areas where Honor has plenty of room for improvement.

On the better side of that equation is Honor’s Magic Portal, which operates similarly to Google’s Circle to Search (which already exists on the Honor 400), only this time requiring that you highlight an object using your knuckle. I found the feature to be incredibly responsive, and once you’ve selected your desired image or piece of text, you can quickly share it to a list of apps that appear on the side, as chosen by AI. It’s genuinely a great example of AI being used intelligently, and I did find myself using it a few times to save text quickly.

Features like AI Subtitles and AI Translate have their moments, but there’s still work to be done. For the former, it can generate speech to text with decent speed and accuracy, but when I tried to get it to make subtitles from a YouTube video, the whole experience fell apart with nonsensical text. AI Translate fares a bit better with a quick response time for translations, but it doesn’t boast quite as many available languages as Live Translate on Galaxy AI-toting Samsung phones, so you’ll find a more robust experience elsewhere.

At the lower end of the scale, AI Suggestions pretty much does what it says on the tin by offering up quick access to apps it thinks you need at certain times of day, but this is a feature Apple’s had for years so I don’t understand why Honor has drawn so much attention to it here as if it’s something brand new. There’s also AI Deepfake Detection, although this only works with video calls and doesn’t let you know if you’re seeing a video or image online that’s fake, which is really where it should be targeted.

Product shots of the Honor 400 Pro — Magic Capsule on the Honor 400 Pro, which also features on the 400 (Image credit: Future)

All of this sits on top of MagicOS 9.0, Honor’s Android 15 overlay, which in itself is something of a head-scratcher. I will say that compared to when I last used MagicOS on the Honor 90, the operating system has come quite a long way, and it feels less cumbersome to use than I remember.

It’s not quite as slick as stock Android, which can be found on the best Pixel phones, but it does have a nice aesthetic. And as someone who mostly uses an iPhone, I did appreciate the nods to iOS, including Honor’s take on the Dynamic Island, which shows music playback at the top of the display, as well as the need to swipe down from different sections to access the notification tray or the control center (even if I did find myself in the latter a few times when it wasn’t my intention).

What holds MagicOS back is the unfortunate amount of bloatware that comes preinstalled on the Honor 400. When setting the phone up, I needed to get rid of several apps, including TikTok and Temu, not to mention Honor’s own-brand apps, which include the company’s Google Play Store competitor, the Honor App Market. It’s not a deal-breaker, by any means, but it doesn’t help the phone against fierce competition.

On a better note, the Honor 400 now comes with a promised six years of updates, providing official support until at least 2031. Compared to the paltry support that Honor provided for previous devices, this is a huge shift that makes the Honor 400 a better option as a phone to last you well into the future.

Software score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 review: battery life

Slightly larger 5,300mAh cell
Easily gets you through a full day of use comfortably

Despite its smaller stature, the Honor 400 features a slightly increased battery capacity compared to the Honor 200, jumping from 5,200mAh to 5,300mAh. Honor hasn't been too specific where longevity is concerned, other than claiming an “all-day battery life” for the phone, which, thankfully, is an assessment that’s more on the conservative side.

I put the Honor 400 through a heavy day of use, starting at 8:30am, getting just over four hours of screen time, including 40 minutes of Instagram and 25 minutes of Prime Video, alongside 33 minutes of Spotify in the background and 1 hour and 39 minutes of using the phone as a hotspot for my iPad. With all that in mind, the phone still had 30% left in the tank by 10:30pm, 14 hours later.

For my money, that’s more than enough to alleviate any major battery anxiety. You also toggle one of two power-saving modes, which halt a lot of background processing to extend the longevity as much as possible. On most days, however, I didn’t need to charge the Honor 400 until about halfway through the following day.

When you do need to top up, you won’t have to wait long as the Honor 400 boasts 66W fast charging, although there isn’t a compatible fast charger included in the box. When charging at a slightly slower 60W rate on an adapter I had to hand, it took about 30 minutes to get from 20% to 69%, and a total of 54 minutes to get back to a full tank.

Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging available, which does feel like a sticking point when that feature is creeping into the mid-range conversation.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Honor 400?

Honor 400 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design	It might not turn heads with its colorways but the Honor 400 has a confident look.	4 / 5
Display	The display is the true highlight here, just not for owners of last year’s phone.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Great everyday performance that’s difficult to fault.	4 / 5
Camera	The absent telephoto is missed, but everything else is solid.	4 / 5
Battery	More than enough to get you through an intensive day of use.	4 / 5
Software	MagicOS still has some way to go, as does Honor’s AI suite.	3 / 5
Value	Great cameras, a gorgeous display and tons of storage make this a winner.	5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a vibrant display
The Honor 400’s bright and colorful 6.55-inch AMOLED display has been the highlight of my time using the phone. It’s set a very high bar indeed.

You want more storage for less
The ability to get 256GB as standard (or 512GB for just an extra £50) makes the Honor 400 a bargain for those who store tons of files locally.

You want a great phone for portrait photography
Honor’s 200MP main camera takes some great shots, but it’s the Harcourt-infused filters that make it a winner for those who love to indulge in portrait photography.

Don't buy it if...

You have last year’s Honor 200
With the Honor 400 carrying the same chipset, a smaller screen and one less camera, it isn’t exactly a must-buy for last year’s adopters.

You want the best Android experience
Honor’s MagicOS still has a way to go before it can compete with slicker operating system overlays found on Samsung and OnePlus phones.

You value wireless charging
Even though you get fast wired charging here, the lack of wireless charging is noticeable given that it’s slowly becoming a feature at this end of the market.

Honor 400 review: also consider

If you're not completely sold on the Honor 400's set of features, then these alternatives might be a better fit.

Google Pixel 9a
Even though it costs a little more, Google’s latest mid-ranger offers up a far better software experience that’s as close to iOS as you’ll find among the Android crowd.

Read our full Google Pixel 9a review

Samsung Galaxy A56
For a more premium-feeling build, not to mention a much longer lifespan of software and security updates, the Galaxy A56 is arguably a better buy for those who don’t want to upgrade again for quite a while.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A56 review

How I tested the Honor 400

Tested over a single week
Used as the reviewer's main handset
Battery tested against intensive and typical days of use

For the purposes of this review, I used the Honor 400 as my main handset for a total of seven days as it carried my SIM card. Due to this being a pre-release model, certain features like Google Wallet wouldn't work with the device, so I relied on a paired TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro smartwatch for payments.

While the phone does feature 66W fast charging, I used a 65W adapter during the charging test, which automatically downgrades to 60W in the process. The phone I used prior to the Honor 400 was the iPhone 16 Plus, which served as a mental reference over the testing period.

First reviewed: May 2025

I tested Apple Reminders and found it a simple and easy to use app for Apple users

1:51 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Whether it’s a shopping list, a work activity, school schedules, or other crucial information, we frequently need to be reminded about things. Reminder apps make this simple for everyone.

Apple, the company behind the iPhone, iPad, and Mac PC lineups, offers an intuitive reminder app for device owners. You can use this app for free instead of paying for an alternative.

I tested the Apple Reminders app to help you decide if it’s the right companion to avoid forgetting crucial information. Read on to learn its core features, pros & cons, and how it fares against competitors.

Apple Reminders: Plans and pricing

The Reminders app is free for Apple device owners, which is a main benefit. You don’t have to pay extra to use it on your iPhone or iPad; it’s pre-installed, and you can use it immediately.

Compare this to paying $5 to $15 monthly for reminder apps. Apple Reminders saves you considerable money if you’re looking for a simple to-do list system.

Apple Reminders: Features

Apple Reminders is a versatile tool you can access from a web browser or mobile app. I enjoyed its simple flow and intuitiveness during my test. Creating a reminder is as simple as clicking the “+” button. Then, you can fill in the details of the reminder and choose the specific date and time.

Every reminder you create is added to a reminder list, enabling you to organize them into different categories. For instance, you can have separate reminder lists for work and personal activities.

Seamless syncing is a major benefit of using Apple Reminders. With your iCloud enabled, any reminder you create can automatically sync across all your devices. For example, you can create a reminder on your desktop and receive the alarm on your smartphone. This flexibility enables your reminders to follow you wherever you go, whether at home with your smartphone or at work with your PC.

You can easily delete or change the details of a previously created reminder. For example, you can change the date and time of your reminder or change the title altogether. Any change immediately syncs across all your iCloud-connected devices, so you shouldn’t worry about that.

A creative feature I like is the ability to set reminders for specific locations. For example, you can choose to be notified about something when you arrive at a particular location, such as a meeting reminder when you arrive at your workplace. Note that this feature requires location services to be enabled on your iPhone or iPad.

Another innovative feature is the ability to share your reminder lists with others. You can share reminder lists with other iCloud users, such as colleagues at your office or family members. Every user can create a new reminder or modify existing ones. Everyone will receive notifications about any updates to the reminder list. This feature fosters personal and work-related collaboration and keeps everyone on the same page.

Apple Reminders 2 — (Image credit: Apple)

We’re talking about an Apple product, so Siri integration is expected. You can set reminders by giving voice commands to Siri, e.g., “Hey Siri, remind me about [task] at [time] on [date].” Siri will immediately confirm your reminder, and you can view it in the Reminders app. This feature differentiates Apple Reminders from many competitors.

Apple Reminders also differentiates itself by enabling users to create ‘smart’ lists. You can receive suggestions when creating reminders, often based on previous reminders you’ve created. For instance, if you’ve previously created reminders for “weekly office stand-ups,” you’ll receive similar suggestions when adding new reminders.

You can filter your reminders by tags, time, date, location, and other factors. Reminders can be recurring, e.g., monthly at a specific date and time. Apple Reminders lets you effectively create to-do lists and keep track of crucial tasks.

Apple Reminders: Interface and in-use

Apple Reminders’ seamless interface stood out during my test. It’s one of the best-designed to-do list apps I’ve tested, and I don’t say that lightly. It has the typical modern, responsive interface you’ll find on Apple apps.

All elements are arranged neatly on one page. You can quickly add a reminder by clicking on the “+ New Reminder” button and filling in the details, including the title, notes, date, time, location, priority, and list under which you want the reminder to fall.

Apple Reminders 3 — (Image credit: Apple)

Likewise, you can easily add and differentiate a new list from other lists using a unique color. Then, you can share the list with other iCloud users by sending an invitation to their email addresses.

Apple Reminders is accessible from a web browser or mobile app. Both platforms have similar interfaces; the web interface is exactly like the mobile interface transposed onto a web browser. Thanks to the intuitive interface, I experienced no issues navigating Apple Reminders. An average user can easily understand it at first glance.

Apple Reminders: Customer Support

Apple provides detailed user guides about its Reminders app. You can also ask questions on the thriving Apple Community Support forum and get answers from other users or Apple staff. I didn’t experience issues in this criterion.

Apple Reminders: The Competition

I’d like to highlight Google Tasks as the main competitor. It’s a free to-do app with similar features to Apple Reminders and a user-friendly interface.

Although I preferred Apple Reminders’ seamless interface and collaborative features, Google Tasks offers an advantage. It’s compatible with iOS and Android, unlike Apple Reminders, which is compatible only with iOS. Hence, if you use an Android smartphone, Google Tasks is the preferred option.

Apple Reminders: Final Verdict

Apple Reminders is a simple, intuitive to-do list app I highly recommend. It lets you keep track of essential activities and plan your schedules effectively. The main drawback is the lack of an Android app, but it fulfills its purpose well.

We've compiled a list of the best todo list apps.

Acer Nitro 14 review: overpriced for the performance on offer

12:48 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, CPU, GPU, Razer Blade | Comments: Off

Acer Nitro 14: Two-minute review

The Acer Nitro 14 is the latest compact gaming laptop from the Taiwanese hardware company looking to bring a (largely) affordable solution to an otherwise premium form factor, with a couple of considerations made towards its design and hardware.

While the Acer Nitro 14 doesn't stand among the best thin and light gaming laptops or the best gaming laptops in general, it does offer solid performance, decent enough value for money, and a respectable battery life that makes it worth considering if you can find the machine discounted in 2025.

The main trade-off with a smaller machine as opposed to a more traditional 15-inch and 16-inch model is the choice of graphics cards inside this 14.5-inch gaming laptop. Armed with either an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 (even during the arrival of the newer RTX 50 series laptops), it's something of a harder sell in 2025 considering it's also more expensive than many different alternatives.

Turning to the performance, the Acer Nitro 14 largely achieves 60fps in 1080p gaming when using its RTX 4060 configuration (the model we received for review). Demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are solid, but factoring in the age of these games, it's not the most telling sign for the things to come in the future. The 8GB GDDR6 VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are (just barely) enough for now, but what does that mean for PC gaming in the next few years?

The Acer Nitro 14 compact gaming laptop photographed on a coral background. — (Image credit: Future)

Design-wise, the Acer Nitro 14 is solid but far from exciting. On the positive side of things, it has a sleek enough, primarily plastic frame and a bright RGB keyboard. However, getting your hands involved is where the cracks begin to show. The membrane keyboard is on the mushier side of things, and the trackpad is frankly poor. You'll be better off getting a wireless gaming keyboard and a proper mouse for navigation, and be sure to prop the rig up to aid airflow (it gets hot - more on that later).

The deck is somewhat stacked against the Acer Nitro 14. It's not a terrible gaming laptop by any means. However, it also doesn't excel in any particular way, meaning it's worth investing in another similarly priced (or cheaper) alternative instead.

Acer Nitro 14: Price & Availability

How much is it? Starting from $1,099 / £1,199
When is it available? It's available now
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US and the UK

One of the biggest deciding factors for considering the Acer Nitro 14 is its price point. The RTX 4050 variant (the weakest of the lot) is available for $1,099 / £1,199 in the US and the UK, respectively. Our review unit is the RTX 4060 model, which carries an MSRP of $1,249 and an RRP of £1,299. However, it's worth pointing out that this machine has enjoyed regular discounts in the two territories since its launch near the end of 2024, so you may get a better deal by shopping around.

Straight off the bat, we recommend going for the RTX 4060 version as opposed to the RTX 4050 variant, as the former will be much more capable of gaming in 1080p. With that said, $1,249 / £1,299 for an RTX 4060 laptop is on the pricier end of things, especially in 2025 when the RTX 50 series launch is imminent, with budget Blackwell devices on the horizon.

We then need to look at how the Acer Nitro 14 compares to other small-factor gaming laptops. It's worth noting that 14-inch models are (generally) pricier than their more standard 15-inch equivalents. The similarly priced competition includes the Asus TUF Gaming A14, Gigabyte 14 Aero OLED, and the HP Omen 14 Transcend, all of which can be picked up for around the same price with an RTX 4050 or 4060 configuration in 2025.

The Acer Nitro 14 is definitely on the budget end for a smaller laptop, and leagues cheaper than leading models like the Razer Blade 14. However, its otherwise-aggressive pricing is sure to weaken over time, because it's about to be replaced by more capable hardware, making purchasing it right now less than ideal unless you've found an aggressive discount.

Value: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Specs

Acer Nitro 14 Specs
	Acer Nitro 14 Base Config	Acer Nitro 14 Review Config
Price	$1,099 / £1,199	$1,249 / £1,299
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS	AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 6GB	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB
RAM	16GB LPDDR5	16GB LPDDR5
Storage	512GB Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD	1TB Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD
Display	14.5-inch IPS 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 120Hz @ 300 nits	14.5-inch IPS 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 120Hz @ 300 nits
Ports and Connectivity	USB Type-C x 1; USB 4 x 1; USB 3.2 x 2; HDMI 2.1 x 1; 3.5 mm jack x 1; Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3	USB Type-C x 1; USB 4 x 1; USB 3.2 x 2; HDMI 2.1 x 1; 3.5 mm jack x 1; Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	76Wh 4-cell (Claims up to 9 hours of playback)	76Wh 4-cell (Claims up to 9 hours of playback)
Dimensions	22.84 x 324.12 x 255.9 mm	22.84 x 324.12 x 255.9 mm
Weight	2kg / 4.4lbs	2kg / 4.4lbs

Two configurations of the Acer Nitro 14 are available in the US and UK; one features an RTX 4050 and the other has an RTX 4060 inside. The key difference between the two variants is the available VRAM of the mobile graphics processor, with the former having 6GB GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus and the latter having 8GB GDDR6 memory on a larger 128-bit bus. Depending on region, you'll have the choice of either the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS or the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor.

Outside of the GPUs on offer, the hardware inside of the Acer Nitro 14 is solid. Both Ryzen 8000 series processors are fast and responsive for gaming, productivity, and AI workloads, however, you are paying a premium on the smaller 14-inch form factor considering the lower-end graphics solution here.

It's very common to find much more capable RTX 4070 gaming laptops for around the same price (or cheaper), such as the Asus TUF Gaming A16, Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, Lenovo LOQ 15, and MSI Katana A15 AI in 2025. You'll note that these machines are all a touch larger, at either 15-inch or 16-inch, so be wary of the premium attached to going more compact.

Specs: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Design

Average build quality
Primarily plastic construction
Lacking trackpad and keyboard

The most immediate thing about the Acer Nitro 14's design is the size of the display itself. As its name denotes, it's a 14.5-inch gaming laptop, which is fairly lean in terms of weight; it's less than one inch thick and is 2kg / 4.4lbs in heft. It's far more the sleekest or slimmest gaming laptop in the form factor, for that kind of thing, you're better off looking at the Razer Blade 14 (0.7-inch thick at 1.84kg / 4.05lbs), but then you're going to pay double for a device of a similar spec.

Then we get to the style of the Acer Nitro 14, which is so-so. The manufacturer has prioritized function over form here with its primarily plastic construction and (fairly) dull IPS LCD display. While the 1200p resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio are nice additions, filling up the bezel, it's let down by a peak brightness of only 300 nits with no HDR to speak of. It's not entirely unexpected in a laptop of this range, but it is disappointing considering that games and media won't pop much on this panel. The 120Hz refresh rate is nice, and about what you'll top out of in certain lesser-demanding games; any higher would have been wasted on this lower-end rig.

While the keyboard looks particularly fetching with its multi-zone RGB lighting, actually using it is another story. It's spongey with a lacking tactile feel and one of the cheapest-feeling and acting trackpads that I've used in some time. While fit for purpose, they detract from the user experience. Instead, I would recommend pairing the PC with one of the best gaming keyboards and the best gaming mouse at the very least, but you'll likely also have a Bluetooth (or USB) gamepad, too.

Design: 2.5 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Performance

Achieves 60fps in 1080p
CPU is held back by the GPU
Gets loud and hot under load

The Acer Nitro 14 is a decent performer in 1080p for gaming and general computing applications. However, it's unlikely to blow you away with its just-respectable performance prowess. Starting with gaming, the laptop did fine in demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Total War: Warhammer 3, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with average framerates in ultra/high settings above the 60fps mark. This is due to the RTX 4060 and its 8GB GDDR6 VRAM; if you are thinking of going for the cheaper RTX 4050 variant (with 6GB GDDR6 memory), then you're unlikely to achieve 1080p and 60fps with the sliders maxed out.

The 120Hz display is more likely to be useful when dropping down the settings or playing less demanding PC games, though. That's because I observed 132fps in Total War: Warhammer 3 on Low (showing the process of CPU-bound games backed by the Ryzen 7 chip), and it was a similar story in Cyberpunk 2077 on Low (83fps). Despite still being visual showcases for hardware, the titles are older now, with the games being released a handful of years ago. You may struggle to achieve 60fps in 1080p in today's games in 2025.

Acer Nitro 14 Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Nitro 14 held up in our industry-standard tests conducted over the last few weeks.

Geekbench 6.2:
Single - 2,392
Multi - 11,736
Cinebench R24:
Single - 1,719Multi - 16,106
3DMark:
Fire Strike - 22,862
Time Spy - 9,557
Port Royal - 5,357
Speed Way - 2,347
PCMark10:
7,490
CrossMark:
Overall - 1,613
Productivity - 1,583
Creativity - 1,669
Responsiveness - 1,542
Red Dead Redemption 2:
1080p Low - 83fps
1080p Ultra - 64fps
Cyberpunk 2077:
1080p Low - 108fps
1080p Ultra - 64fps
1080p Psycho RT - 44fps
Total War: Warhammer 3:
1080p Low - 132fps
1080p Ultra - 71fps
Battery test: 1 hour 59 minutes

Synthetic benchmarks tell the story of the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS's prowess inside of the Acer Nitro 14. The processor has eight cores (16 threads) and a maximum boost clock of 5.1 GHz, which is how we can see the strong performance in the likes of Cinebench R24 and Geekbench 6. It's a Ryzen AI chip with its own NPU rated at 16 TOPS, so Microsoft Copilot comes pre-installed (even with a dedicated key on the board). Gamers are unlikely to get much use out of this, but the NPU should be respectable enough for AI workloads.

To get the most out of the RTX 4060 mobile graphics processor, I recommend using Nvidia DLSS's upscaling and Frame Generation technology where supported. It'll downscale the picture to 720p and then blow the image back up to 1080p, but it's likely going to be a difference between a playable framerate and a less-than-ideal one. This is evidenced by Cyberpunk 2077 struggling to hit 60fps with "Psycho" RT functionality enabled.

While the Acer Nitro 14 is far from the noisest or hottest gaming laptop I've tested, it certainly lets its presence be known. Acer has confidently backed its "Liquid Metal Thermal Grease" for the heatsink on the CPU to the motherboard, and while the core temperatures are about average, you'll still see upwards of 70° and 80° when moderately gaming (or doing other hardware-intensive tasks).

It's not a problem that's unique to the laptop, but it's more common in 14-inch models, given their more compact design. I recommend using a laptop riser or a dedicated cooling pad to ensure top performance, and never to use it in bed (or on any plush surface) that covers the rear fans.

Performance: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Battery Life

Acer claims up to nine hours
Windows estimated up to three hours
Around two hours of media playback and less for gaming

The battery life of the Acer Nitro 14 is nothing special, but it's far from the worst I've seen from a budget gaming laptop. The company claims around nine hours of general use, but you certainly won't see a lifeline like that either gaming or consuming media.

Windows estimated just under three hours when on battery power with the machine idle or lightly in use, with activities such as web browsing. Dimming the screen and enabling battery saving mode might get you to the claimed rates, but it seems situational. When on battery power, the laptop lasted just under two hours in our battery test with media playback and just under this when gaming.

It's disappointing, considering the compact size of the Acer Nitro 14 means you would probably want it in your bag to kill time when not working or at school. However, carrying around the bulky charger kind of kills that idea. Again, this isn't an issue unique to the laptop, as many gaming laptops struggle with their battery, but it also doesn't buck the trend either.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Nitro 14?

Acer Nitro 14 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The Acer Nitro 14 is on the pricier side, considering its hardware, but that's the premium for a more compact laptop.	3 / 5
Design	It's a laptop that puts function over form, with a chunky, plastic chassis. However, it's small enough for your bag.	2.5 / 5
Performance	Gaming in 1080p at 60fps is no problem in demanding games, but it will likely struggle to maintain this in the near future.	3 / 5
Battery Life	Middling battery life with around two hours of media playback and slightly less when gaming. You're going to need to keep its charger nearby (or rely on mains power) for extended use sessions.	3 / 5
Total	The Acer Nitro 14 is a solid gaming laptop that largely achieves what it sets out to do, but there are cheaper and better options out there that you should consider instead.	3 / 5

Buy it if...

A small gaming laptop is a must

If you're opposed to a 15-inch or 16-inch gaming laptop then the Acer Nitro 14 will get the job done. It just don't won't be very exciting.

You can find it discounted

At MSRP, the Acer Nitro 14 is a hard sell. However, with the right discount, it could be a great investment, especially with the arrival of the new RTX 50 series laptops.

Don't buy it if...

You can find an RTX 4070 laptop for less

The RTX 4060 inside of the Acer Nitro 14 is just about enough for today's games, but already shows signs of struggling. You could try and find a higher-end GPU in a laptop if you want more peace of mind, as many can be found for the same price during sale periods.

You need a laptop for work or school

The Acer Nitro 14's lacking battery life, mushy keyboard, poor trackpad, and dull screen make it a poor fit for productivity use, which is a shame given its otherwise excellent CPU.

Acer Nitro 14: Also Consider

Razer Blade 14 (2024)

The Razer Blade 14 (2024) doesn't come cheap. However, it's our number one pick for the best gaming laptop that money can buy. If you want leading performance in a sleek aluminum chassis, then it may be worth considering instead.

Read our full Razer Blade 14 review.

HP Omen Transcend 14

It's a touch pricier at MSRP but is frequently discounted in the US and the UK to near that of the Acer Nitro 14. HP's small gaming laptop features a vastly superior OLED display in a smaller and lighter package.

Read our full HP Omen Transcend 14 review.

How I tested the Acer Nitro 14

Tested for over a week
Industry-standard benchmarking
Used in real-world applications

I tested the Acer Nitro 14 over a week, benchmarking the machine with our suite of industry-standard synthetic benchmarks and gaming performance to see what it was capable of before deciding on my verdict.

I've been a hardware editor for over five years and a PC gamer for much longer. In my career, I've reviewed dozens of laptops over the years and have experience with all kinds of machines, of which I've weighed the Acer Nitro 14.

First reviewed April 2025

I spent a week testing the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and it’s a solid budget option for 4K streaming

10:07 pm | June 2, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Streaming Devices Televisions | Tags: TV | Comments: Off

Roku Streaming Stick Plus: Two-minute review

Roku TV interface shown on TV screen — The Roku TV interface is easy to navigate, but we experienced some lag when making selections during our testing (Image credit: Future)

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus has a lot to commend it. It’s very affordable, compact enough to take on the road, and power-efficient enough to run off a USB port on the back of a TV. Its only flaw, and it’s kind of a big one, is that there’s a little lag when navigating menus, possibly due to its older Wi-Fi standard. However, there are no performance issues once you get a show or movie streaming.

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is ideal for someone on a budget or who wants a streamer that can tuck behind a mounted TV. If performance is a top priority, though, the more expensive Roku Ultra (2024), which I think is among the best streaming devices available right now, is worth the upgrade.

When first unboxing the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, it’s almost surprising how small it is. Measuring just 3.7 x 0.80 x 0.45 inches, it’s dwarfed by the Roku Voice Remote it comes with.

Since it’s so small, it has just an HDMI male port on one end for plugging directly into a TV and a USB-C female port situated on the other end for power. There’s also a very small reset button on the same end as the USB-C port.

Interestingly, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus doesn’t come with a power supply. Instead, it only comes with a cable with a USB-A port on the other end. The idea is that this streaming stick is so efficient that it draws all the power it needs from the powered USB port on the back of a TV – a pretty cool concept as you don’t see any of the device when looking at the TV.

The Roku’s Voice Remote is not the company’s best remote – that belongs to the Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) that comes with the Roku Ultra (2024) streaming box and the Roku Pro Series TVs – but it ticks all the usual boxes. It feels nice the way Roku remotes do with their rounded back, and there are separate Play / Pause buttons instead of the wheel of inputs a lot of remotes have these days. There are App buttons for various streaming services and, most importantly, there’s the voice command button, which lets you talk into the remote.

Roku Streaming Stick Plus on table with accessories — The Roku Streaming Stick Plus comes with a USB cable and a remote with a voice control option (Image credit: Future)

Now, performance is where the Roku Streaming Stick Plus can suffer a little bit. Before I discuss that, I do want to say that once I got something started and was streaming in 4K, there were no issues such as stuttering or other artifacts.

When first getting past setup, I started browsing the apps, and there was a small lag moving from tile to tile or from menu entry to entry. Though that was the worst, I still noticed a very short delay. This could be because the Roku Streaming Stick Plus uses the somewhat dated Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) standard. Also, its processor could be underpowered.

As far as the Roku interface goes, it’s the same standard layout the company uses for all its streaming products. It’s a tile-first view, where you browse various apps instead of recommended content from those apps as you would with a Google or Alexa streaming device. (There is a small selection of suggestions at the top of the interface, however.)

The Roku ecosystem has plenty of free content, offering 500 different channels along with the Roku Channel. There’s even a general Sports tab in the menu.

If you want to use the Roku Streaming Stick Plus for streaming movies, be aware that it doesn’t support every feature. It can stream in 4K with HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic range, but it does not support Dolby Vision. On the smart home front, it supports Roku Smart Home, Apple HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home. Also worth mentioning is that it will pass through Dolby encoded audio and DTS digital surround.

Roku Streaming Stick Plus connected to TV HDMI and USB ports — The Roku Streaming Stick Plus can be fully powered by a TV's USB-A port (Image credit: Future)

Roku Streaming Stick Plus: Price and release date

$39.99 / £39.99 (about AU$70)
Released April 2025

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is affordably priced for a 4K streaming stick, selling for just $39.99 / £39.99 (about AU$70). Compare that to the Roku Ultra (2024), which goes for $99.99 (about £80 / AU$150).

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) is similar in a lot of ways, but uses the Alexa ecosystem and supports Dolby Vision. It’s also bigger despite having the same form factor. (When reviewing The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, I remember having to use the included dongle as the Fire TV Stick was too bulky to fit directly into my TV’s HDMI port.) Amazon’s streaming stick is priced much higher at $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$119, but it’s regularly discounted to around for the same price as the Roku Streaming Stick Plus.

If you want to go as cheap as possible, Roku also has the Roku Streaming Stick that only goes up to 1080p (HD) resolution, skipping out on 4K and HDR support. It’s a bit cheaper at $29.99 / £29.99, so if you have an older TV, it might be worth it to save the ten bucks.

Roku Streaming Stick Plus remote control held in hand — The Streaming Stick Plus's Voice Remote isn't as sophisticated as the one included with the Roku Ultra, but it gets the job done (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?

Roku Streaming Stick Plus
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	4K and HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Atmos support but no Dolby Vision	4 / 5
Performance	Lags just a bit when browsing, which makes it feel a little underpowered.	4 / 5
Design	Not only is it really small, but it can draw power from your TV, eliminating the need for a power cable.	4.5 / 5
Value	This streaming device might be Roku’s best value proposition, with its low price and 4K / HDR support.	4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want 4K on a budget
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is one of the cheapest ways to get streaming in 4K. Go any cheaper and you’ll be stuck with 1080p (HD) options.

You want to hide your streaming player
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus hides discreetly behind your TV, even drawing power from it, so you won’t even notice that it’s there.

You want to be in the Roku ecosystem
If you’ve used Roku devices before, you know the company’s ecosystem. This is a very affordable way to stay current with the Roku interface.

Don't buy it if...

You want the most robust streaming device
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is efficient, but it’s not the most powerful, using an older Wi-Fi standard. If you want the fastest Roku streamer, go with a Roku Ultra.

You don’t have a TV that supports 4K
If your TV is a little older and doesn’t support 4K, save a little money and get the entry-level model from Roku or one of its competitors.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) review: Also consider

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023)
If you have a whole host of Alexa smart home products and want to stick with first-party options, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) is almost as discreet as the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. It’s fast enough with Wi-Fi6E support, not to mention Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos support. It is very Prime-centric, however, showing ads for Prime content every time it’s on idle.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) review

Roku Ultra (2024)

The Roku Ultra (2024) is a bit more expensive and larger, so it can’t easily be tucked away behind the TV. But the Ultra is Roku’s best and most robust streaming device, and it supports just about every feature, including Dolby Vision, and comes with the company’s best remote.

Read more about the Roku Ultra (2024)

Roku Streaming Stick Plus on table — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Roku Streaming Stick Plus

Used regularly for a week
Tested with all sorts of apps
Tested the remote

I used the Roku Streaming Stick Plus regularly for a weekend, just enough to see everything it can do. I used it with free Roku content and popular third-party apps like Max. I also spent time testing the remote and its various functions.

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.

UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station review

The UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station is a wireless charging stand comprising a Qi base and upper Qi2 module that conveniently folds down into a compact charging cuboid. It offers the convenience and versatility, plus the bonus of a 5W USB-C output on the right-hand side of the base, meaning it could be upgraded to a 3-in-1 charger easily with the addition of an Apple Watch charging puck.

With a list price of $49.99 / £39.99, the UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station is available to purchase from the UGreen website or Amazon. This isn’t a bad price for a space-saving 2-in-1 wireless charger – especially one with the benefit of an additional output. But I’d still hold out paying full price, as offers can often be found from both retailers, with the price dropping to $43 / £19.99 at the time of writing.

As there’s no adapter included, and the USB-C to USB-C cable provided is a little on the short side at just 3.3ft / 1 meter long, the UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station proved a bit of a disappointment in the accessory department. It isn’t unusual not to get an adapter these days, even with some of the best wireless chargers, but when it comes to multi-device chargers, the chance of already having one to hand that’s powerful enough is a bit slimmer. In this charger’s case, UGreen recommends a wall adapter of at least 30W to ensure efficiency.

The 2-in-1 UGreen charger is folded out into a stand, the Qi earbud charging area can be seen on the surface of the base module, and the USB-C output is visible on the side. — (Image credit: Future)

At a size of 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.5 inches / 61 x 61 x 38mm when folded, and weighing 7.5oz / 213g, the Foldable Fast Charging Station was pleasingly compact and lightweight. I found the foldable design really satisfying, particularly how easy it was to fold the charger back into a little cuboid one-handed, which proved convenient whenever I needed to top up my ear buds, or when I wanted to tidy it out of the way.

The Foldable Fast Charging Station is only available in one colorway, a combination of black and graphite, but it has some nice touches like the metallic finish of the graphite-colored outer casing and the mirror finish on the hinged arm that connects the two charging modules. Able to angle the phone by up to 70 degrees, this hinged arm made this a useful phone stand, and its sturdy mechanisms did a great job of maintaining the angles I adjusted it to. The only slight downside to this is that it’s tricky to change the position when a phone is in situ, but that’s only a minor inconvenience.

UGreen promises 360-degree rotation when the phone is magnetically attached to the Qi2 charging pad, and I can confirm this to be the case. But while this made changing my phone’s orientation effortless, it also meant that the slightest nudge would leave my phone askew.

The 2-in-1 UGreen charger is folded down, the USB-C output can be seen on the side, and the USB-C power cable is plugged in at the back of the charger. — (Image credit: Future)

I didn’t encounter any problems with the overall stability of the 2-in-1 Charging Station when it was unfolded to a stand, but it did have a small case of the wobbles whenever the phone screen was touched. Fortunately, this shakiness stemmed from where the charging pad meets the hinged arm, not from an unstable base, but it’s something to be aware of if that’s likely to prove irritating.

Despite its compact size, I wouldn’t recommend using it as a travel charger. I found there was a bit of movement in one of the side panels as I was checking the build quality, and the Qi2 charging pad flexed a little upon pressing my finger on it, so I’d be wary of packing it in my luggage unless I could guarantee nothing could press against it.

The iPhone charging performance was good for the price, taking 125 minutes to charge our iPhone 13 Pro, which has a battery capacity of 2,600mAh. When it came to charging out Xiaomi 14, which has a battery capacity of 4,610mAh, it took 280 minutes.

The 2-in-1 UGreen charger folded out. — (Image credit: Future)

When it came to assessing the cosmetics at the end of testing, I was pleased to see the metallic plastic outer still seemed to look like new, even after weeks of being handled. It was a different story for the surface of the Qi2 charging pad, however, which was prone to showing fingerprints and ended up with several little scuff marks. The fingerprints could be cleaned off, at least, though they proved very stubborn to remove, leading me to resort to alcohol wipes.

If you can look past the jiggling issue and the easily marked Qi2 charging pad, you’ll find this is a great little charger that offers convenience and versatility in a satisfyingly small package. If you’re looking for something that’ll look fresher for longer, or want a charger with more or fewer charging modules, then I suggest taking a look at my selection of the best wireless chargers.

UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station review: Price & specs

Price	$49.99 / £39.99
Model	W702
Max power output	15W
Devices charged	2 wirelessly, 3 with USB-C
Connection	USB-C to USB-C
Charging tech	Qi2
Recommended input	30W
Weight	7.5oz / 213g
Dimensions	2.4 x 2.4 x 1.5 inches / 61 x 61 x 38mm

Should I buy the UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station?

Buy it if…

You want a charger that’s easy to pack away
As it’s so easy to fold this charger down into a compact cuboid, it would be a good option for anyone who doesn’t like things cluttering up their desktop.

You want the option to charge 3 devices at once
Thanks to the helpful 5W USB-C output in the base, the charger can be expanded to power three devices, while still maintaining a small footprint.

Don't buy it if…

You want a charger to take on the road
While it may be small enough to pack, it isn’t the most robust charger out there. If you want something to travel with, I’d opt for something designed for portability, like the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station 3-in-1 Foldable Pad.

You want a finish that’ll stay fresh long-term
While the majority of the outer materials stayed blemish-free, the Qi2 charging pad’s surface started showing little signs of wear after just a few weeks.

UGreen 2-in-1 Qi2 Magnetic Foldable Fast Charging Station review: Also consider

UGreen MagFlow 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Station
If you’re looking for a cheaper option and aren’t planning on tidying your charger away, then this UGreen stand might be worth considering. It’s not the fastest charger out there, but the adjustable charging module and compact circular base with built-in earbud charging make it a useful little charger for the price. If you’d like to find out more, take a look at my full UGreen MagFlow 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Station review.

I spent three weeks testing the Hisense C2 Ultra projector and was amazed at how consistently it served up scintillating visuals

8:43 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: TV | Comments: Off

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Two-minute review

The Hisense C2 Ultra is an impressive 4K projector that delivers sensational visuals, boasts impressive sound output and features a user-friendly operating system that provides access to the best streaming services. While it requires mains power, it’s small and light enough to be considered portable, which means not only can it be considered one of the best 4K projectors, but one of the best portable projectors too.

Key to the C2 Ultra’s success in projecting excellent images is its triple-laser projection system, which combines red, blue and green light sources. This system can not only go incredibly bright – Hisense says it’s rated for a peak brightness of 3000 ANSI lumens – but also covers a wide color spectrum, 110% of the BT.2020 color space, to be precise. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are all supported, and it's IMAX Enhanced.

The results are outstanding, with content appearing vibrant and punchy, and contrast levels are good too, giving images great depth. It’s not only in bright, colorful scenes where the C2 Ultra excels though, as it also serves up deep blacks and is more than capable where shadow detail is concerned. If you were ever of the notion that a projector still isn’t a genuinely viable alternative to a TV, particularly outside of home movie nights, then the Hisense C2 Ultra bucks that trend in a big way.

What took me most by surprise upon my first use of the C2 Ultra was the audio performance from the built-in 2.1 channel speaker system tuned by JBL. I had the unit set up in my spare bedroom on a stand, just to the right of the bed and my viewing position. When I was watching movies, the sound appeared to be coming from the opposite wall and not blasting straight in my ears as I had expected, resulting in a much more immersive experience. The speaker system can go loud while still retaining a good amount of detail. Dialog comes through clearly, while the subwoofer can go low, which helps a lot during high-octane scenes such as explosions or rumbling car engines.

A close-up of JBL and IMAX branding on the Hisense C2 Ultra projector. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

I think it’s a good-looking unit too and one that’s impeccably built. The main projector housing can not only be moved around a full 360º to suit your specific viewing position, but it can also move upwards to a maximum of 135º to project images onto higher surfaces.

The C2 Ultra’s Vidaa OS is by far the most accomplished projector operating system I’ve personally come across. Not only is it intuitive to use right out of the box, but it also provides access to virtually all of the main streaming apps you’re likely to want. Android-based projector systems can often fall foul of not offering such wide support and often require workarounds to get some of the more popular apps. Hisense’s OS also offers a number of picture adjustment settings to help you achieve the best overall image.

Finally, it’s a great option for gamers. Not only is it ‘Designed for Xbox’ certified, but it features a 240Hz gaming mode to help with particularly fast-paced gaming action.

Its list price may initially make you think it’s expensive, but considering its capabilities rival most TVs and the fact it can project an image up to 300 inches in size, then it suddenly presents itself as a certified bargain.

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Price & availability

Release date: October 2024 (March 2025 in Australia)
Price: $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499
Can already be found with discounts

The Hisense C2 Ultra was announced in October 2024 and went on sale in the US and UK at the same time, but didn’t arrive in Australia until March 2025. At launch, it was listed at $2,999.99 in the US, £2,499 in the UK and AU$4,499 in Australia.

However, it’s already received discounts worldwide, so you can now feasibly expect to pay around $2,499 / £2,299 / AU$3,999. I’ve also spotted select retailers offering the option of a free projector screen with the purchase of a shiny new C2 Ultra, should you wish to go down the ‘full’ home cinema route.

The C2 Ultra is more expensive than two of our favorite portable 4K projectors, the BenQ GP520 and Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K. However, the Hisense machine is objectively brighter than either of its competitors, offers greater gaming and HDR support and is more forgiving in where it’s positioned thanks to its gimbal design.

Value score: 4.5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Design & features

Semi-portable design
Excellent Vidaa OS software
Good selection of connections

The Hisense C2 Ultra is the replacement model to the C1, but you would only really know that based on the model number. Design-wise, the two projectors are worlds apart. Where the Hisense C1 was a boxy affair, the C2 Ultra is much sleeker with rounded corners and a circular base that plays home to the speaker system’s subwoofer.

The main projection unit is mounted onto a gimbal stand that allows you to move and tilt it in virtually any direction you wish. Hisense says it can tilt up to a 135º angle, but technically it can swing to a full 180º and still project an image. I can only assume the company doesn’t expect owners to want to look directly above them to view content, with the 135º angle being more comfortable.

The Hisense C2 Ultra angled at 180º and viewed from the side. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

It is a portable projector, although the term portable should be used loosely. Not only does the C2 Ultra rely solely on mains power to work (the cord integrates a power brick too), it is still quite a sizable unit. At least, it’s sizable when compared to truly portable lifestyle projectors such as the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro and Samsung The Freestyle, which both adopt a much smaller, cylindrical design that allows them to be slipped into a bag.

The main projector housing measures 9.7 x 7.1 x 9.7 inches (24.7 x 18.3 x 24.7 cm), but with the stand included, the total height increases to 11.3 inches (28.6cm). And coming in at a relatively lightweight 6.3kg, I can’t see many people having too much issue moving it around.

The whole unit is finished in a gun-metal gray color that shines pleasantly in the light. It features a number of ventilation panels on the front, sides and underside, while a large grille dominates the rear of the unit to help ensure everything remains cool when the projector is in use. The ventilation system certainly works as I noticed barely a murmur from the fans during use.

Sitting above the rear ventilation grille is a series of connections, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which supports an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and eARC for connecting to an external soundbar or home theater system. The other can be used to connect, say, a media streaming device. You’ll also find 2x USB-A 3.0 inputs, a 3.5mm audio out and a digital optical audio out, along with an Ethernet port for a more stable, wired internet connection. However, thanks to Wi-Fi 6E support, I never had any major issues streaming wirelessly.

A close-up image of the connections of the Hisense C2 Ultra. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

On the front is where the true magic happens. The projector lens is protected by a thin layer of what I presume to be glass, helping to prevent the lens itself getting covered in dust and debris. You will still, however, likely want to give this protective layer the occasional wipe to keep it clean – there’s no motorized cover as you’ll find on the likes of the Xgimi Aura 2.

There are also a few sensors to aid with autofocusing and to facilitate an eye-protection feature that will automatically switch the light off when it detects someone in front of it to prevent it shining into their eyes. It’s incredibly sensitive, which you may or may not think is a good thing. I ultimately left it turned off during my testing and made a conscious effort to not look into the light whenever I walked past it.

The Vidaa OS home screen of the Hisense C2 Ultra projected onto a wall. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

One of the standout features of the lens is its optical zoom capability, which promises to retain image quality if you zoom in or out – making the image smaller or larger – without needing to move the main unit. If you have the projector set up at a far distance opposite your projection surface, for example, which would naturally cause the image to be large, you can zoom in to decrease the size while not affecting the quality.

For the most part, I imagine the majority of owners will simply rely on the autofocus and auto-keystone adjustment settings (and potentially the manual adjustment settings) to get the best picture. I was projecting onto a white wall but, whenever I ran the auto keystone adjustment, the results were less than satisfactory. The image was totally skewed, meaning I had to go into the manual four-point adjustment settings to fix things up. I would like to believe that the same issue wouldn’t occur if you’re projecting onto a dedicated screen, but I didn’t have one to test this out.

Hisense’s Vidaa OS is used on the C2 Ultra, which I found to be exceptional. It was also a pleasant surprise, considering the company’s own, rather excellent PX3-Pro uses the Google TV OS instead. The home page is clearly laid out, albeit chock full of ads, and all the major streaming apps are supported, along with a plethora of others for those who wish to seek out less-mainstream content.

The built-in subwoofer of the Hisense C2 Ultra. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The Hisense C2 Ultra has impressive high dynamic range support, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and IMAX Enhanced. It also supports 3D images and audio, but you’ll need optional 3D eyewear to take advantage.

Full control of the C2 Ultra is done via the remote control. The previous C1 did have onboard buttons, but they’ve seemingly been dropped this time around. The remote is a good one, boasting a satisfying weight and premium feel. Buttons are clearly laid out, although I would have preferred the settings button to feature the more widely used cog icon, as opposed to what could be mistaken for a shopping list. It supports voice control and features quick keys for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and Disney+.

The remote control for the Hisense C2 Ultra being held in a hand. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Design & features score: 5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Picture & sound quality

Excellent color and brightness
Comprehensive HDR support and 240Hz mode for gamers
Superb sound output

The Hisense C2 Ultra produces fantastic images from its tri-color laser projection system that will not only give you a true home cinema experience, but which can comfortably rival many of the best TVs to make it your sole media viewing device.

Despite it claiming a peak brightness of 3,000 lumens, it naturally performs at its absolute best when the room is as dark as possible, but I found that even with some ambient light coming into my test room, I was still able to watch unaffected.

I even turned the overhead lights on to see how it fared, and while color and contrast took an obvious knock, the image was still bright enough for me to be able to watch. I wouldn’t expect many people to use the C2 Ultra in such bright conditions, but it’s good to know it is truly capable of holding its own against pesky light.

A scene from The Angry Birds Movie 2 projected onto a wall. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The C2 Ultra’s vast array of HDR support options makes recently released movies such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and even older, remastered movies such as Blade look fantastic in Dolby Vision, as well as TV shows such as Fallout in HDR10+. It will even support IMAX Enhanced content from Disney+, but I wasn’t able to test this since I don’t have a subscription – the price increases became too much to justify!

I was especially impressed with animated movies – the triple-laser system in combination with the C2 Ultra’s wide color support meant they were presented with outstanding color. I should note that the images included with this review don’t quite do the picture quality justice – you have to see it in reality to be impressed. The images are plagued by a peculiar pink hue that’s definitely not present in the image projected onto the wall.

The C2 Ultra supports screen sizes from 65 to 300 inches and I managed approximately an 80-inch image for my testing. The larger the image gets, the higher the likelihood of a drop in picture quality. This is where the optical zoom can come into play, allowing you to make easy adjustments rather than having to physically move the whole unit closer to the screen or rely on digital zoom, which can often not yield good results.

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A scene from Kong Skull Island projected onto a wall. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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A scene from Final Destination projected onto a wall — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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A scene from Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse projected onto a wall. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Gamers also have reasons to get excited about the C2 Ultra as it features a dedicated game mode to help lower input lag, and it can enable a 2K/240Hz mode for super-smooth gameplay. It’s also ‘Designed for Xbox’ – the world’s first mini projector to lay claim to the title, says Hisense – meaning it will automatically apply optimum settings regardless of game genre when it detects a signal from an Xbox console.

I don’t own an Xbox, so I couldn't test this, but I was able to enjoy smooth gameplay from my PS5, with the fast movements of Spider-Man 2 being handled with expert authority.

Audio performance is another highlight in the C2 Ultra’s repertoire. Its 2.1 channel JBL system kicks out a surprising amount of bass, vocal clarity and immersion, aided by the fact it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X 3D sound formats. If the content you’re watching is encoded with Dolby Atmos, then you won’t get a true reproduction, owing to the lack of physical channels, but the performance is better than what I’ve heard from many TVs. Just note, while I was certainly impressed with the overall performance considering the projector’s size, it’s not the widest soundstage, nor is there a genuine sense of height – compared to other projectors I’ve tested, however, it comes out on top.

Of course, owners wanting a more authentic home cinema experience will want to add a fully-fledged theater system or one of the best soundbars, but casual users should find little to fault.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 game being projected onto a wall — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Picture & sound quality score: 4.5/5

Hisense C2 Ultra review: Value

Versatile with placement
Pricey, but packed with features

The Hisense C2 Ultra isn’t the most affordable projector at $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499, but given the fact I’ve already seen it come down in price since launch, I think it makes for a compelling investment. It’s more affordable than Hisense’s own PX3-Pro, although that projector has the benefit of being an ultra-short throw model, potentially making it easier to place in your room.

However, given the C2 Ultra’s default, relatively short 0.9:1 throw ratio, you can get a decently large image from a short distance. Plus, the fact it has an optical zoom and a wealth of picture adjustment settings should make it easy for anyone to set up in their room.

Then factor in its comprehensive HDR support, truly stunning images, impressive audio delivery and an intuitive interface, and there’s no doubt that it’s not only a remarkable projector, but a worthy rival to TVs.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Hisense C2 Ultra?

Attribute	Notes	Rating
Design & features:	A good-looking package that’s brimming with useful features, connections and a great OS.	5/5
Picture & sound quality:	Bright, colorful images make it usable in virtually any lighting condition, and the built-in sound system is better than most TV speakers.	4.5/5
Value:	Not quite impulse-buy price, but ticks all the boxes where picture quality, features and versatility are concerned.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a moveable projector

OK, so truly portable is a bit of a stretch, but the C2 Ultra can be picked up and moved around wherever you want thanks to its compact build and wealth of automatic picture adjustment settings. It still needs mains power to work though.

You want an affordable alternative to a big-screen TV

TVs with screen sizes 80 inches and above can cost a significant chunk of change. The C2 Ultra can produce much bigger image sizes for about the same or even less money. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You watch movies and TV shows in brightly lit rooms

The Hisense C2 Ultra does fare well against overhead lights, but the fact remains, as with virtually all projectors, that it performs to its best ability in dimly lit rooms. View Deal

You want a truly portable projector

Going against my earlier point, if you want a projector you can take away on holiday or outside, you’ll want to look for one that’s smaller and/or can run on battery power.View Deal

Also consider

	Hisense C2 Ultra	BenQ GP520	LG CineBeam Q
Price:	$2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499	$1,499 / £1299 / AU$ 2,199	$1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,499
Screen sizes supported:	65-300 inches	50-180 inches	50-120 inches
Brightness (specified)	3,000 ANSI lumens	2,600 lumens	500 ANSI lumens
HDR support:	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG	HDR10+, HLG	HDR10, HLG
Display technology:	RGB laser DLP	LED DLP	RGB laser DLP
Resolution:	4K (3,840 x 2,160)	4K (3,840 x 2,160)	4K (3,840 x 2,160)
Connections	2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 2x USB-A, 1x S/PDIF, Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3	2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 1x USB-C (DP Out, DP In, 2x USB-A 1x 3.5mm	HDMI, USB-C (display, power)

BenQ GP520

It’s a similar size to the C2 Ultra, offers similar connectivity and supports 4K content, but its HDR support isn’t as vast and it can’t go as bright. But it is cheaper.

Read our full BenQ GP520 reviewView Deal

LG CineBeam Q

If you’re on a tighter budget but still want a portable 4K projector, the LG CineBeam Q is a fine choice. It does still require mains power like the C2 Ultra, but its smaller size makes trips out of the house a more viable option.

Read our full LG CineBeam Q reviewView Deal

How I tested the Hisense C2 Ultra

The Hisense C2 Ultra projector viewed from the front. — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Tested at home in a variety of real-world viewing conditions
Watched a variety of content including streaming and 4K Blu-ray

I tested the Hisense C2 Ultra at home in a variety of real-world conditions, which saw it being faced with in-room lighting, natural light coming into the room and with no light at all. It was tested against a bare white wall for the duration of the review period, with an 80-inch image being achieved. I also tested the optical zoom function to see if and how it affected image quality.

I watched a range of 4K HDR and HD content from built-in streaming services, as well as using the 4K Blu-ray player in the PS5.

First reviewed May 2025

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee makers I’ve ever used – and one of the most expensive

6:00 pm | June 1, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Coffee Machines Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: UK | Comments: Off

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: two-minute review

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a premium bean-to-cup espresso machine that’s a pleasure to use, brewing exceptionally well-balanced coffee and giving you a huge array of ways to enjoy it.

Once you’ve tailored your espresso to your liking, the Primadonna Aromatic presents you with an enormous menu of hot and cold drink options so you can enjoy it any way you like. You don’t need to worry about being blinded by choice, though, because the machine will ‘learn’ what drinks you enjoy and when, and will bump them to the front of the queue depending on the time of day.

The interface is thoughtfully designed, with a chatty tone, step-by-step instructions, and diagrams and animations to walk you through everything from brewing a macchiato to cleaning the brew unit.

Iced latte macchiato made using Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — (Image credit: Future)

For me, there are only two drawbacks. The first is the Primadonna Aromatic’s sheer size. I've tested some big coffee makers over the past few years, but this is definitely one of the largest.

Width isn’t much of an issue because the water tank can be removed from the front, making it possible to push the machine up against a wall and only move it out for occasional cleaning. The problem is the height. At 16in / 46.3cm this is a seriously tall appliance, and if you position it on a counter under a wall cabinet, you might struggle to open the bean hopper on top when it's time for a refill. Make sure you measure your space carefully before investing.

The second issue is the price. This is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines I’ve ever tested, but also one of the most expensive. In fact, only the Jura J10 is pricier. You’ll need a household of coffee lovers with varied tastes to get the most out of the Primadonna Aromatic.

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic coffee machine — (Image credit: Future)

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: price and availability

Costs £1,549.99 (about $2,100 / AU$3,300)
Launched in the UK in April 2025
Not yet available in the US (but likely to arrive soon)

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic launched in the UK in April 2025, priced at £1,549.99 (about $2,100 / AU$3,300). At the time of writing, it’s not yet available in the US, but I anticipate a wider release soon.

It’s one of the more expensive coffee machines in De’Longhi’s fully automatic series, sitting between the De’Longhi Primadonna Soul (which only brews hot beverages) and the top-end De’Longhi Maestosa (which has dual bean hoppers and a special milk carafe that can combine ingredients like cocoa powder).

The Primadonna Aromatic is definitely at the upper end of the price scale when it comes to home coffee makers. However, if you’re a fan of chilled espresso-based drinks, it’s a more affordable option than the Jura J10, which is also great for hot and cold drinks, but has an eye-watering price tag of £1,795 / AU$3,990 (about $2,300).

The Primadonna Aromatic is easily one of the best coffee makers I’ve tested this year, but there’s no avoiding the fact that its price will be beyond the budget of many coffee aficionados.

Value score: 4/5

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: specifications

Name	De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic
Type	Automatic bean-to-cup
Dimensions (W x H x D)	10.3 x 16 x 18.2in / 26.2 x 40.7 x 46.3cm
Weight	28.7lbs / 13kg
Water reservoir capacity	2.3 quarts / 2.2 liters
Milk frother	Automatic, hot and cold
Bars of pressure	19
User profiles	4

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: design

Very large, but stylish
Five-inch touchscreen and intuitive interface
Two-carafe system for hot and cold milk foam
Easy to clean with dishwasher-safe components

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a large but stylish espresso machine, with a brushed metal finish and black accents. Its most striking feature is a 5in color touchscreen that displays the menu options (there are 35 customizable hot and cold drinks to choose from), which is supplemented by four buttons: power, profile selection, hot drinks, and cold drinks.

The coffee dispenser on the front can be moved up and down to accommodate different-sized cups and has a magnetic cover that’s easy to remove when you want to clean the nozzles.

The Primadonna Aromatic comes with two milk carafes – one for hot milk and one for cold – that push into a connector on the left of the coffee dispenser. Each carafe has a dial on top that allows you to pick from three foam textures, from creamy to thick. Turning the dial all the way to the right will select cleaning mode, which you should run before returning the carafe to the fridge (the machine will remind you to do this if you forget).

Milk carafe connecting to Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — The two milk carafes push into a connector on the front of the machine, and can be stored in the fridge between use (Image credit: Future)

Both carafes have lids to keep the milk fresh while it’s refrigerated. When it’s time to give them a deep clean, they can be easily disassembled and cleaned in the top drawer of a dishwasher, or left to soak in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes and rinsed.

The water tank is also nicely designed. It has a generous 2.3 quart / 2.2 liter capacity, and unlike some others, it's large enough to get your hand inside when you want to clean and dry it. There’s also a lid with a funnel-shaped hole for mess-free filling, and the machine comes with a water hardness testing strip that helps you set it up correctly, plus a water filter that screws inside.

Water tank removed from Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — The large water tank slides into the machine from the front (Image credit: Future)

The Primadonna Aromatic will alert you when it’s time to replace the filter. New ones can be purchased directly from De’Longhi for £15.99 (about $20 / AU$35), but at the time of writing, they are discounted to £8.54 (about $10 / AU$20).

In addition to the main hopper, the Primadonna Aromatic has a chute you can use to add a scoop of pre-ground coffee when you want to drink something different from your usual beans. It’s a great feature that you’ll find on most De’Longhi machines, and is ideal if you want to switch to decaf in the afternoon.

Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker bean hopper — There's a large-capacity bean hopper on top, or you can use a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you want to switch to something different (Image credit: Future)

My only real issue with the Primadonna Aromatic’s design is its height. This mighty machine stands an imposing 16in / 407mm tall, which means there’s not much headroom between its lid and my wall cabinets. That usually wasn’t a problem, but it made refilling the bean hopper trickier than I’d like. I was just about able to remove the lid (which has a soft seal to keep your beans fresh) and slip scoops of coffee inside. It’s well worth measuring the space you have available to make sure this impressive machine will fit.

The good news is that you don’t need much room on the sides. The water tank is located on the right, but slides out from the front of the machine. If you position the Primadonna Aromatic right against a wall or cabinet (as I did), you’ll only need to move it out approximately once a month to clean the brew unit.

Design score: 5/5

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: performance

Produces well-extracted, balanced espresso
Hot and cold milk frothing both work very well
User profiles provide smart recommendations for multiple users

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Drinks menu on Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — The drinks you make more frequently at the current time of day will be displayed first in the menu (Image credit: Future)

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User profiles on Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — You'll be prompted to create profiles for everyone who'll be using the machine during setup (Image credit: Future)

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Heating notification on Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — All instructions and other text is written in a chatty style that makes the Primadonna Aromatica more pleasant to use (Image credit: Future)

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a joy to use, and manages to nail both the fundamentals and the details.

First (and most importantly), it can brew an excellent espresso. The machine’s standard settings appear to be configured for medium roast arabica beans, because it produced a delicious, sweet, well-rounded espresso first time using my preferred beans. If the taste isn’t quite to your liking, you can delve into the Bean Adapt tool, which is accessible via a link above the main drinks menu.

Just select the type of beans you’re using, either through the machine’s touchscreen or De’Longhi’s Coffee Link mobile app, and the machine will automatically adjust its brewing settings accordingly, including the grind size. If the resulting espresso doesn’t meet your expectations, you can tinker with the options manually to achieve the optimum extraction.

Once you’ve perfected your espresso, you can take your pick from a selection of hot and cold drinks.

Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker pouring espresso — (Image credit: Future)

One of the Primadonna Aromatic’s main selling points is its ability to ‘learn’ which drinks you like at different times of day. This excellent feature helps you avoid scrolling through the vast menu every time you want to make a beverage, and is great for households with more than one coffee drinker.

User profiles for coffee machines sometimes feel a bit superfluous (after all, who’s actually replacing all the beans in the hopper when they want to brew a drink for themselves?), but with the Primadonna Aromatic, profiles are an integral part of the experience. When you first set up the machine, you’ll be asked to provide names for all the people who’ll be using it, and given the option to set different-colored profile icons. I set one for myself, and a second for my husband. You can switch between these profiles at the press of a button, and the menu will rearrange itself with that person’s preferred drinks listed first for quick selection. I test new coffee machines every month for TechRadar, and this is the first time I’ve found user profiles in an espresso maker genuinely useful.

The LatteCrema hot milk frothing system is excellent and produces some of the best results I’ve seen from an automatic espresso machine. De’Longhi advises that you’ll get the best results with whole dairy milk or plant milk, and during my tests, I found that dairy and oat produced the thickest, most stable foam. Push the milk carafe into place, tilt the dispenser so the nozzle is positioned over your cup, turn the dial to the position described on the machine’s screen, and you’re ready to begin.

Latte macchiato made using Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — (Image credit: Future)

Another of the Primadonna Aromatic’s key features is its ability to make tasty cold-brewed drinks. These aren’t a tacked-on extra, and are given just as much prominence in the menu as hot beverages. There are even quick-access buttons beside the touchscreen that let you filter the drink menu by temperature.

The machine comes with a silicone ice cube tray, and after selecting a cold drink, you’ll be prompted to add a certain number of cubes to your cup or glass (at least six for an iced latte macchiato, for example). For milk-based drinks, you’ll then be asked to connect the cold carafe (the one with the white lid), which should be filled with either skimmed dairy milk or a plant-based alternative for the best results.

One of the biggest drawbacks of most automatic espresso machines is the cleanup, which sometimes takes so long that I think I’d be better off making my coffee manually. The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is different. It rinses itself automatically after brewing and prompts you to rinse the milk carafe, but both processes only take a couple of seconds and seem to require very little water. I tested the machine for several weeks and never noticed any change in the taste of my drinks, so this system clearly works.

When it’s time to give the machine a deep clean, the Primadonna Aromatic provides step-by-step instructions to help you disassemble and wash the coffee dispenser components, and remove and rinse the brew unit. I found a small build-up of coffee grounds in the hatch containing the brew unit, but these were easy to wipe up with a damp cloth.

I was a little nervous about cleaning the plastic milk carafe components in the dishwasher, but they came out sparkling. Washing by hand is fine too, but it's reassuring to know they've been cleaned at a high temperature to remove residue that might harbor bacteria.

Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic?

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: score card
Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	It's a brilliant machine, but there's no escaping the fact that the Primadonna Aromatic will be beyond the budget of many coffee lovers.	4/5
Design	Smart and stylish, with a super-intuitive interface and dishwasher-safe components to make maintenance a breeze.	5/5
Performance	Brews consistently well-balanced and tasty espresso. Both hot and cold milk foaming work well, and user profiles that 'learn' your preferences are extremely handy.	5/5

Buy it if

You enjoy cold drinks regularly

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic makes excellent iced espresso drinks, and its cold foam is particularly impressive. Use skimmed or plant-based milk for the best results.

You have a generous budget

This is one of the most expensive espresso machines I’ve tested. It’s a joy to use, but there’s no escaping the fact that it’s seriously pricey.

Don't buy it if

You have just a couple of favorite drinks

The Primadonna Aromatic learns your drink preferences, but if you only drink cappuccinos and double espressos (for example), most of this machine’s functions will be superfluous. There are over 30 drinks to choose from, and sticking with one or two would be a real shame.

You’re the only coffee drinker in your house

This machine’s smart user profiles are one of its best features, and if you don’t share your coffee machine with anyone else, you might be better off with a simpler machine that doesn’t offer such depth of customization.

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: also consider

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch

If you don't have the space or the budget for the Primadonna Aromatic, this compact semi-automatic machine from De'Longhi is well worth a look. It can automate the trickiest parts of making espresso-based drinks, or let you take control. It's much smaller than you'd expect, and very reasonably priced.

Read our full De'Longhi La Specialista Touch review

Jura J10

If money is no object and your coffee orders are so complicated they give baristas a headache, the J10 could be the espresso machine for you. Like the Primadonna Aromatic, it does an excellent job of brewing hot and cold (with only one milk carafe needed), and it can even infuse foam with a flavored syrup of your choice.

Read our full Jura J10 review

How I tested the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic

I used the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic for two weeks in place of my usual coffee machine, and brewed coffee using a blend of freshly roasted Brazilian and Colombian arabica beans. I set up a separate user profile for my partner to test the smart recommendations, and we both used the machine to brew a variety of hot and cold drinks throughout each day.

Coffee beans beside De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic coffee maker — (Image credit: Future)

I tested the hot milk frother with whole dairy milk and oat milk and used the cold milk frother with skimmed dairy milk and oat milk, as instructed by De'Longhi. All milk was bought fresh and used cold from the fridge.

First reviewed May 2025.

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