The Trusted Reviews 2021 Awards is here and we’re celebrating the best products of the year in audio.
Our nominees run the gamut from true wireless earbuds, to full-sized headphones and wireless speakers of all types.
All of these products were tested within the last year, with the eventual winners decided by our team of experts, which includes TV and Audio editor Kob Monney.
Trusted Reviews Awards 2021 Audio shortlists
Here are all winners for the Audio awards at the Trusted Reviews Awards 2021.
The Best smart speaker award for 2021 goes to the Amazon Echo (4th Generation). With a brand new design, boosted audio and improved usability, the 4th Gen Echo is a step up over previous ones.
The other nominees were:
Apple HomePod Mini
Braun LE02
Google Nest Audio
Audio Pro G10
The Best wireless speaker award for 2021 goes to the Apple HomePod mini. Apple’s smallest wireless speaker is the best-sounding speaker at its price.
The other nominees were:
Q Acoustics Q Active 200
Edifier S2000MKIII
Edifier D12
Sony SRS-LSR200 Wireless Handy TV Speaker
The Best outdoor speaker award for 2021 goes to the Sonos Roam for its versatility, range of features and impressive sound quality indoors or out.
The other nominees were:
KitSound Diggit 55
LG XBOOM Go PL7
Bang and Olufsen Beolit 20
The Best headphones award for 2021 goes to the Philips Fidelio L3. No headphone in this shortlist received five-stars, but the Philips edges it with its warm, enjoyable sound and impressive noise cancellation for the price.
The other nominees were:
Apple AirPods Max
Shure Aonic 50
The Best true wireless award for 2021 goes to the Sony WF-1000XM4, a product that took true wireless earbuds to higher levels, delivering a fantastic all-round performance.
The other nominees were:
Jabra Elite 85t
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Grado GT220
B&W Pi7
The Best wireless headphones award for 2021 goes to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal. The Portal is an impressively specc’d and styled headphone, doubling up as a wireless headphone and gaming headset for Xbox consoles.
The other nominees were:
Cleer Enduro ANC
Urbanista Miami
Meters OV-1-B-Connect
The Best affordable true wireless award for 2021 goes to the Sennheiser CX 400BT for its excellent fit and impressively refined sound.
The other nominees were:
EarFun Air
Lypertek SoundFree S20
Back Bay Duet 50 Pro
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
Beats Studio Buds
The Best sports headphones award for 2021 goes to the Jaybird Vista 2. Solid sound, good design and reliable battery life make the Vista 2 an excellent pair of sports-ready earbuds.
The other nominees were:
Bang and Olufsen Beoplay E8 Sport
Aftershokz Aeropex
Back Bay Runner 60
Bose Sports Earbuds
The Best multi-room speaker award for 2021 goes to the Audio Pro G10. The Scandinavian brand continues to tweak its wireless speaker range, upgrading the smarts and boosting the sound, too.
The other nominees were:
Apple HomePod Mini
Braun LE02
Google Nest Audio
The Best turntable award for 2021 goes to the Rega Planar 1 (2021). This revision of an already excellent vinyl player serves to confirm Rega’s position as one of the best turntable makers.
The other nominees were:
Fluance RT80
Elipson Chroma 200 RIAA BT
What are the Trusted Reviews Awards 2021?
The Trusted Reviews Awards are a yearly celebration of the best products, companies and services in the world of tech, split into reader-voted and editor’s choice categories.
Our team of experts pick the best products from many categories, including mobile, TV/Audio, Cameras and more and celebrate the best of the best.
With the pandemic still taking place we’ve had to make a few changes to this year’s format and take the whole event online. You’ll be able to follow the awards as they’re announced across the week.
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Thoughts from the TV & audio editor
Again, the pandemic has affected the collaboration needed to create these products, but the audio market has risen to the challenge. The new Sony true wireless earbuds are showstoppers, the high quality of wireless speakers has been impressive and more traditional hi-fi, such as turntables, continue to be popular among the continuing interest in smart audio. There’s plenty of great work to celebrate with these winners.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
