Table of contents for March 2024 in Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to this headphone-tastic edition of Stuff. Choosing the right pair of ’phones can be a bit of a nightmare – do you choose one pair for everything, or will you end up with a couple that cater for various uses? Is fitness the priority? Do you need to consider if you can use them for gaming? Lots of questions – hopefully our cover feature will provide you with the answers you need. Although we’ve got a smartphone special next issue, some of 2024’s hottest phones have already broken cover: we’ve reviewed the entire Galaxy S24 lineup in this month’s First Test, and there’s also an in-depth look at a key alternative in the OnePlus 12. Our group test is an exciting one as we profile six electric…

from £2000 / asus.com If you want to look at both of this PC’s 14in screens at the same time, you’re going to need more eyes ● Dual be in my heart Asus is no stranger to laptops with dual screens, but its latest Zenbook Duo pushes the concept into uncharted territory. Where previous models had a much smaller second display squeezed in above the keyboard, this one has two 14in touchscreens with a 180° hinge to connect them together. You can use one of those OLEDs as a virtual keyboard if you want, but it also comes with a full-size Bluetooth QWERTY that you can attach over the top to make the whole thing look like a normal laptop. ● Dual find a way This Zenbook is pretty far…

FOSSIL’S SMARTWATCHES TO BECOME… WELL, FOSSILS Fossil has made its final smartwatch: the Google-powered Gen 6, which was launched in 2021, will not be succeeded. But the American fashion brand has promised to keep its existing range of smartwatches in Wear OS updates for “the next few years”, so there’s no need to panic just yet. TWINKLY DRAWS BACK THE PROGRAMMABLE CURTAIN Bored of your dull old drapes? Twinkly’s Matrix (£200) is a curtain of mappable LED lights that can be programmed via an app and controlled via Alexa and Google Home. It comes in two shapes: 3.3x3.3ft and 1.6x7.9ft. Just don’t rely on it to give you much privacy. PHILIPS CANS WILL KEEP RUNNING UNTIL YOU DROP Philips has launched a new pair of exercise-friendly headphones that you might…

Is it something to do with Dennis the Menace? That’s The Beano, although if you’re familiar with some of the comic’s lesser-known characters you might remember a strip about a trio of anthropomorphised germs called Ugly Jack Bacteria, Jeremy Germ and Iris the Virus. They lived inside a boy called Will, who was constantly getting sick because of the organisms’ antics, with only Auntie Biotic (geddit?) standing in their way. The Germs were last seen in The Beano in 2012, but if they were around today they might also have to contend with the BeamO (£220, withings.com) – an all-in-one disease detector and general DIY doctor’s assistant. I actually preferred The Dandy. Yeah, that figures, but we all know Dennis would’ve run rings around Desperate Dan. Anyway, if The Beano’s…

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POCKET PEEPERS The waterproof watchers Bushnell H2O 8x25 An affordable option for those who like to gaze across the waves, these budget binos don’t distort when wet. An IPX7 rating means they’re good in 1m of the drink for half an hour, while their aluminium build won’t drag you down – and strap lugs should stop them going overboard. £69 / bushnell.com The telescopic transformers Pentax VD 4x20 WP Even if you’re cheek to cheek, binoculars are hard to share. Distribute the view with these modular monoculars: in standard setup they work like classic binos, but split the set and you’ve got a pair of one-eyed watchers. Or combine the barrels in line for – ahoy there! – a single 16x scope. £255 / pentax.eu The dinky designers Swarovski CL…

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA EARBUDS One day, Bose is going to release a pair of true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds that don’t absolutely blow everyone away with their sound quality and ability to deal with all external sonic distractions. Today is not that day, though – because the QC Ultra Earbuds sound superb and cancel noise like you wouldn’t believe. At a glance, there’s not much to differentiate these buds from the QuietComfort II model they replaced. The finish is a little more upmarket, yes, with tiny adjustments to the way they fit. But broadly speaking, it’s business as usual. That’s true of the control options too: you still get some very reliable touch-surfaces along with one of the best control apps around, Bose Music. Once you start listening, though, it becomes…

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT HEADPHONES Meet the new boss – very similar indeed to the old boss. So much so, in fact, that aside from the smart new finishes you’d be pushed to tell the difference between these cans and the old QuietComfort 45 model… which is no bad thing. So what does your money get you? In short, everything you’d expect from a pair of Bose wireless headphones. They’re fairly light, very comfortable, built to last and constructed from reasonably upmarket materials (if plastic can ever truly be upmarket). They fold up small, and so can fit in a travel case that isn’t going to take up your entire hand baggage allowance; the physical controls are responsive and nicely laid out, and will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s used a…

MEZE AUDIO EMPYREAN II For the last dozen years or so, Meze Audio has been making high-achieving headphones that seem to pay no attention to what anyone else is doing. And the most high-achieving, pay-no-attentioning of the lot are these, the second gen of the Empyrean over-ears. There’s more to delivering ‘luxury’ headphones than using the most expensive materials available and rolling them in glitter, of course. Not every brand with high-end aspirations understands this, but Meze most definitely does. So not only do the Empyrean IIs make use of high-grade leather, CMC-milled aluminium, fibreglass-infused ABS and other such exoticism; not only do they arrive with a choice of earpads designed to offer both comfort and variation in sonic signature; and not only do you get to select between 10…

THE BASICS ◼ Have a heart Duolingo claims its hearts system stops people bingeing: you lose one on making an error, so be precise. Naturally, you can buy gems to increase your hearts count. Or go ‘pro’, which bins the hearts system and ads. You can invite up to five others to a paid plan – and they needn’t live with you. ◼ Be wary of leagues Duolingo uses gamification to keep you engaged. But its league system is based on XP, which may lead to grinding rather than meaningful usage and learning. If the leagues work for you, fine. But if you find yourself repeating quick review exercises to boost XP, ignore the leagues – bar the daily games, which can be fun as memory tests. ◼ Take it…

Volkswagen ID.4 What’s the story? VW’s electrification of its range has been surprisingly rapid, thanks to the brand choosing to adopt batteries and motors long before many of its rivals. The result is a neat EV lineup ranging from the Golf-sized ID.3 up to the ID.Buzz van. The ID.4 sits in the middle of the pack, offering plenty of room for drivers and passengers, wrapped up in a sort of quasi-crossover package that isn’t pure SUV, nor typical low-slung saloon fare. The interior is deliberately sparse, with even the gear selector committed to a stalk behind the steering wheel. From the moment you slide into the ID.4, you get the impression this is a functional object, rather than something designed to stir the emotions. That’s no bad thing, and there…

£180 / go.stuff.tv/Inzone ◼ The IPX4-rated Inzone Buds are sleek, glossy and very comfortable thanks to a range of eartips that let you get just the right fit. The touch controls can be customised using the Inzone Hub software. ◼ The only Bluetooth here is LE, so you’ll need to use the bundled USB-C dongle with any devices that don’t support it – such as your PS5. Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio standard is compatible, but you actually get more 360° audio functionality if you’re using them with a PC, which seems a bit odd. ◼ Audio is impressive across the frequency range. Mids and highs come off particularly well, and you get a wider, more detailed soundstage than many gaming buds can offer. And with the right games (shooters tend…

from £849 / go.stuff.tv/OnePlus12 DAY 01 The OnePlus 12 is a little more expensive than the OnePlus 11 it supersedes – but it does offer more for your cash. As well as major upgrades to the camera sensors, the 12 has 50W wireless charging. Plus there’s now full waterproofing and other premium upgrades such as Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, UFS 4.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 – the latter two for faster write speeds and data transfer. The design doesn’t deviate significantly from what we’ve seen in the OnePlus 10 and 11. There’s a similar circular camera housing to match the foldable OnePlus Open, complete with the now-expected Hasselblad branding. While it looks great, it’s iterative at best. But then, OnePlus isn’t unusual in that: everyone seems to be struggling…

1 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max from £1199 / go.stuff.tv/15ProMax This is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. The camera revisions are great, USB-C was long overdue but is fantastic now it’s here, and the action button is genuinely useful. It’s probably only worth upgrading from the 2022 equivalent if you’re desperate for the USB-C port, but there’s no denying this Max lives up to its name. Stuff says Just a solidly sensible advance, but the new camera smarts are an absolute joy ● NOW ADD THIS Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 This solid MagSafe charging dock lets you top up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. £140 / belkin.com ● TIPS & TRICKS ● Select Optimised Battery Charging to limit top-ups to 80%, keeping your battery in prime condition. ●…

1 Apple Watch SE from £219 / go.stuff.tv/WatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch. It tracks sleep and all the exercise you need, supports Apple Pay, works great with your iPhone and… what more do most people require? The user experience is broadly identical, and while the screen bezels are a bit larger than on the Series 9 it’s hard to tell them apart without getting right up close. Note also that your SE will now be carbon-neutral if you take it with a Sport Loop (unless you choose one of the fancy multicoloured options). Stuff says Offers most of the full Apple Watch experience for a whole lot less cash 2 Garmin Fenix 7 from £418 / go.stuff.tv/Fenix7 If your budget stretches, the impressive mix of rugged durability, serious…

1 Sony XR65X95L £1699 / go.stuff.tv/X95L With Sony’s track record, it would have been more of a shock if the X95L hadn’t been a stunner. But its bright and composed images, fine build quality and wide feature set mean only console gamers demanding OLED response times and a Dolby Vision game mode need to think twice; for everyone else, it’s got what you need and then some. Just be aware that it’s a chonky old set, and doesn’t come in anything smaller than 65in. Stuff says Bigger, brighter and better than before, Sony’s new Mini LED range is a winner ● NOW ADD THIS Sony HT-A9 Onboard mics and upfiring drivers help these four speakers pull off convincing Dolby Atmos audio. £1799 / sony.co.uk ● TIPS & TRICKS ● Other brands…

1 Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £110 / go.stuff.tv/Echo Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos One for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and considerably cheaper too. Stuff says An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever ● NOW ADD THIS Honeywell T6R This Zigbee-enabled thermostat is wireless so you can place it where it’s most convenient. £170 / screwfix.com ● TIPS & TRICKS ● The Echo’s built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. ● Pair a compatible…

I live in Shenzhen, the tech hub of China, and every inch of my home is precious to me. proper disposal of items and the consequences of waste, so I’ve embraced a minimalist style at home. I want my home to exude a natural and warm ambience, and prefer tech devices that seamlessly integrate into my daily life. I am open to cutting-edge tech, but it must be ‘natural’. I enjoy the first rays of sunlight streaming in when I open the curtains in the morning, as well as the occasional glimpse of the moonlight when I close the curtains at night. So I opt not to have automatic curtains in my room. But in my daughter’s room, where the window area is filled with toys and books, I chose…

The Galaxy S23 Ultra almost managed an entire year at the summit of Stuff’s top ten phones list. Its successor has similar ambitions… and is arguably even more deserving of that status. A titanium frame puts the Galaxy S24 Ultra on a par with Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max for swish materials. Its substantial 6.8in screen has been given the steamroller treatment, with some of the skinniest bezels you’ll find on any phone; this makes for better edge-to-edge S Pen use than the old model’s curved-edge panel. Corning’s Gorilla Armor glass is also as scratch-resistant as it gets at the moment, and the way it reduces reflections in bright light borders on witchcraft. The S24 Ultra is just a sliver thinner than the old handset and a little wider, but…

1 Zoomer The first digit in the rating of a pair of binoculars is the magnification factor, ranging from 4x to north of 20x. Obviously, the bigger this figure, the larger subjects will look. 2 Gloomer The second number is the size of the objective lens. Smaller lenses are handy for travel, while larger diameters of 40mm or more make it easier to see after dark. 3 Nearer Binos aren’t just for faraway sights. If you enjoy studying nature close up, pick a pair with a focus distance of 3m or less. This will let you see the features of nearby creatures clearly. 4 Clearer Clarity matters when you’re tracking animals. Extra-low dispersion (ED) glass eliminates colour fringing to give binos a sharper perspective and stronger contrast.…

SONY WF-C700N Sony has had the premium wireless in-ear market sewn up for a while now: its XM5s are just the latest in a long line of front-runners (see p85). But unlike quite a lot of its rivals, the company doesn’t ignore the less well-off among us – and with the WF-C700Ns, it might just have delivered the best pound-for-pound wireless ’phones it’s ever made. You’ll have to make one or two compromises, of course. There’s no hi-res support here, for example, and the battery life can be charitably described as ‘ordinary’. The fact that they don’t pause your music when you take them out of your ears is a bit weird too. But in the end it’s easy enough to live with all that – because where the C700Ns…

JABRA ELITE 8 ACTIVE Jabra has an impressive track record in making great-value fitness buds. The Jabra Elite 8 Actives follow the formula with good sound, a reliable fit, strong battery life and solid durability. The buds weigh just 5g each. That’s as light as it gets – and unlike a lot of wing-free in-ears that wiggle loose once your workout starts, they’re largely unshakeable. Their silicone coating actually grips better when it gets wet. Occasionally it might take a fiddle to get them locked in firmly, but there’s none of the tugging you find with bulkier buds. If you like your gym soundtracks loud, rich and bassy with plenty of energy, you get that here: the drivers offer deep, rich audio with a decent dose of subtlety. Customisation is…

ENCODE People who say coding is the most important language to learn and then give you a smug look need a slap. But it is useful, providing the tools to craft everything from websites to apps. Encode’s bite-sized exercises are perfect for fitting into your day. £free (IAP) / Android, iOS YOUSICIAN This one’s like Guitar Hero flipped around, using real instruments (or your voice) as input. It’s an effective way to learn guitar and piano (and not bad for singing techniques), and free if you’re happy with short daily bursts on a single instrument. £free (IAP) / Android, iOS KHAN ACADEMY This app’s claim you can use it to “learn anything, for free” is bold. But it really is a great way to dig into everything from history to…

1 Garmin Edge 1040 Solar £630 / go.stuff.tv/1040Solar Ideal for multi-day adventures and training camps, the Edge 1040 Solar harnesses the sun’s power for a massive 45hrs of riding time on one charge. It has all the mapping, navigation and training firepower you’ll ever need, including accuracy-boosting dual-band GPS, best-in-class route planning and detailed training insights via Garmin Connect. The screen could be brighter, but we love the custom ride profiles that make it easy to exploit all that performance data. Stuff says A do-it-all beast of a bike computer with unrivalled battery life, reliable GPS and useful training smarts 2 JLab JBuds Air Sport £70 / go.stuff.tv/AirSport The third-gen JBuds Air Sport seriously flex JLab’s value muscle: with a solid earhook fit, custom EQ, an ambient awareness mode plus rapid charging…

1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £1799 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable – and see also the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus version. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still 2 Sonos Arc £899 / go.stuff.tv/SonosArc Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers give a real sense of cinematic scale. See also the much more affordable Ray model. Stuff says Big-screen sound for your big-screen binges 3 Roku Streambar £106…

1 Fujifilm X-T5 £1699 / go.stuff.tv/XT5 Fujifilm’s most popular compact system camera gets a sensor upgrade while keeping up tradition everywhere else. This means you’re getting identical stills performance to the more modern X-H2, while retaining the old X-T4’s dials and compact dimensions – making the X-T5 the sweet spot of Fuji’s lineup, and a top all-rounder. The sensor is even better at low-light shooting than before, and the wide choice of lenses means everyone will find something to like. Stuff says Slick modern internals meet the manual controls loved by Fuji diehards ● NOW ADD THIS Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4 This versatile lens covers a bigger zoom range than most and adapts to pretty much any requirements. £699 / jessops.com ● TIPS & TRICKS ● It’s easy to set up…

£tba (concept) / honda.co.uk Is this the future for Honda? Could be. The 0 Series Saloon is one of two new concept vehicles unveiled at the CES expo in Vegas, the other being the van-like Space-Hub. Although Honda has been dabbling with EVs for a while now, this range will mark its transition to a fully electric lineup, starting with new models hitting the roads in 2026. Will it really look this wild? We’d like to think so, and Honda is pretty good at delivering finished cars that look very much like the prototype. The company hopes the 0 Series will address much that has been wrong with EVs up to now – notably, it’s working on better batteries that will result in lighter vehicles. It looks pretty big. It’s…

Galaxy S24 from £799 / go.stuff.tv/S24 What’s the story? Samsung has played things safe for the base S24 model. It gets a flatter frame, brighter screen (with skinnier bezels) and bigger battery, along with Exynos internals for the first time since the S22. On-device AI also makes an appearance, but camera hardware is unchanged from the outgoing model. Is it any good? The S24 looks every bit the top-tier handset, and feels it too thanks to a toughened aluminium body. The 50MP main snapper takes engaging photos, and the secondary sensors also put in a great showing (if no more so than last year). Samsung’s homegrown CPU provides excellent performance, almost matching the Ultra’s Snapdragon; its battery isn’t the biggest but can still eke out entire days away from the…

BOWERS & WILKINS PX7 S2E Bowers & Wilkins isn’t the only audio company that can’t leave well enough alone – but fortunately, when B&W decides to tinker with an already winning formula, the results tend to be worthwhile. Which leads us to these, the Px7 S2e wireless noise-cancelling headphones. There really wasn’t all that much wrong with the Px7 S2 cans (or the original Px7 model, for that matter). In every respect – audio, build quality, user interface – they justified their price premium over the mainstream heroes from Bose, Sennheiser, Sony and all the rest. But for this new ‘e’ model, there have been upgrades to the digital signal processing in an effort to extract even greater audio performance, as well as a few tweaks to the control app.…

FIIO FT3 There’s really only one thing that separates FiiO from the other brands that are trying to keep the ‘high-end hard-wired over-ear headphones’ flame burning. FiiO has developed the FT3 cans to compete hard – they’re thoroughly specced and properly built – and then made one major oversight. For some reason, FiiO has forgotten to attach an eye-watering price-tag. Instead, the FT3s are that rarest of hi-fi products: an authentic bargain. Ordinarily, components like 60mm dynamic drivers with beryllium-coated gaskets, diaphragms made from diamond-like carbon and aluminium voice-coils clad in ultra-fine copper mean you pay through the nose. And ordinarily, over-ear headphones that use monocrystalline copper cables developed by Furukawa cost an arm and a leg. And ordinarily, a blend of aluminium alloy for the earcups, protein leather for the…

ACER PREDATOR GALEA 365 First impressions of the Galea 365 headset are not strong. Bulky and disconcertingly flexible, these aren’t the kind of cans you’ll be showing off to your mates. However, while they might feel a tad cheap in your hands, these are some excellent-sounding gaming ’phones for the price. Understandably for a £70 headset, it’s wired, which saves you the need to juggle rechargeable batteries. It also has options for how you connect it, either USB or 3.5mm jack, so it’ll work with pretty much any console you can think of, even older ones. And however you listen, the Acer Predator Galea 365 punches above its weight. A wide soundstage from the 50mm neodymium drivers ensures you can hear things from every direction – that could be some…

Power Mac G4 Cube 2000 Aimed at creatives, this dazzling Mac appeared to float while discs popped up, as if it were a futuristic toaster. But it was overpriced. iMac G4 2002 The offspring of an LCD display and the Pixar lamp, this iMac melted hearts. But it ran out of road when the screen hit 20in, making its ‘head’ look oversized. Power Macintosh G3 1997 Trying to do for pro desktops what the iMac had for consumer Macs, this tower was fast, had handles, and proved Apple was back. Mac Pro 2019 Powerful. Expensive. Intel. Right computer, wrong time. But we’d have been remiss not to include a Mac that looks like a cheesegrater on (optional) wheels.…

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1 Sony WH-1000XM5 £271 / go.stuff.tv/WHXM5 Nobody was able to displace Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones from the top of this list for two years… yet the latest model manages to be even better. Key to the XM5s’ overall quality is the new carbon-fibre composite 30mm drivers: they bring even greater clarity than the previous generation, and the sound reproduction is beautifully precise. The simple fact is that these are the best noise-cancellers around by almost every measure. You really won’t regret buying them. Stuff says Sony keeps its grip on the top spot with an unrivalled combo of great sound, ANC and comfort 2 Sennheiser Momentum 4 £279 / go.stuff.tv/SM4 These are headphones that sound naturalistic, engaged and entirely musical, making every recording sound like an event. And they’ll last a startling 60hrs…