Speakers & Soundbars

Most portable speakers that sound great in a kitchen vanish into thin air on a patio. Here are the models — from $250 to $1,199 — with the real muscle to power a backyard crowd, and how to read the specs before you buy.

Your TV's gorgeous 4K picture deserves better than its tinny built-in speakers. Here are five soundbars under $300 that deliver real bass and clear dialogue with no flagship markup required.

A pool throws three separate hazards at a speaker — the dunk, the chemicals, and the fall onto concrete — and the "waterproof" label covers exactly one of them. Here is how to read the specs and which 2026 models actually survive all three.

Modern soundbars nail dialogue and detail, but deep bass is the one thing a slim cabinet can't fake. Here's when a subwoofer earns its place — and when it solves a problem you don't have.

Your phone, laptop, and tablet all want the same speaker — but most speakers only listen to one at a time. Here's how pairing, multipoint, and Auracast really work, and how to end the reconnect dance.

All three tech giants rebuilt their voice assistants around generative AI in 2026 — or tried to. Here's which smart speaker actually hears you across a noisy room and does what you meant.

Portable party speakers with built-in mics have pulled karaoke out of the bar and into the backyard. Here's what separates a singing machine from a shouting one, and which models are worth buying.

In a studio or one-bedroom, the right soundbar answers a different question than a home-theater rig. Here are the compact bars that fit the console, the volume, and the neighbors.