Reviews

This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

SMBs that are worried about file-sharing security and privacy can rest easy with Tresorit. A great feature of this cloud service is its zero-knowledge policy, which delivers end-to-end AES-256 encryption, and the company never stores keys or passwords, so only account holders and users have access to their data.

Tresorit is good value, and it’s commendable that its prices haven’t increased for over four years, with the Business Plus plan on review holding steady at £12.83 per user per month when billed yearly. This is a good choice for SMBs: it takes all the features of the Standard plan and doubles cloud storage per user to 2TB, trebles the maximum single file size to 15GB and offers a 100 file-version history.

Along with file sharing, syncing, user and group management, and Outlook, Outlook 365 and Gmail integration, it enables custom portal branding and access audit logs. A choice of 12 global data center locations is also available for businesses concerned about data residency jurisdiction.

Deployment is swift. You use the Tresorit Admin Center to email invitations to your users and, when they click on the message link, they can create an account and choose a password. You don’t need to worry about users forgetting it as the Advanced Control feature includes password reset services.

Security policies provide extensive access controls (Image credit: Future)

Once users have downloaded the desktop app, it will create a personal “Tresor” – Tresorit’s name for a secure, encrypted folder. You can have an unlimited number of Tresors up to your storage limit, and the app also creates a quick-access Windows Explorer drive mapping or a macOS Finder favorites folder.

Users can share their Tresors with selected team members by choosing them from the desktop app contact list and setting manage, edit or view-only permissions. Two types of Tresors are supported: the entire contents of classic folders can be shared, while next-gen folders allow specific sub-folders within them to be shared.

Tresorit has brought next-gen features in line with classic folders as you can now create and email links to share their files and sub-folders. You can also use encrypted links to place files requested from external partners, including those without a Tresorit account, in next-gen folders.

Integration with third-party apps has also seen improvements. Tresorit now works directly with Microsoft Teams, and we used our Teams Admin console to decide which users could install the Tresorit add-in on their Teams desktop app. Once logged in, they were able to access and share selected Tresors with other Teams users, upload or download files and create file requests, all from their Teams app.

Tresorit offers great account management and monitoring (Image credit: Future)

Users can access the optional eSign digital signature service from both the Teams and Tresorit apps. Costing £45 per month for 100 signatures, you create an eSign request, select a PDF file and email it. Tresorit users can digitally sign the document with one click, while external users confirm their email address, enter the six-digit verification code provided and then sign the document.

Security features are extensive, with Admin Center policies controlling everything users are allowed to do. You can decide what types of devices they can access their account from, stop users from permanently deleting content, block their browsers from storing login details, use IP filtering to limit access from specific locations, enable single sign-on (SSO) and enforce two-factor authentication (2FA).

Tresorit doesn’t offer the same levels of integration with third-party apps as many rivals, but it rises to the top with its strict zero-knowledge encryption policy. Excellent value and ease of use make it a great choice for SMBs with cloud file-sharing security at the top of their agenda.

We've also ranked the best project management software.

This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

HP’s latest Spectre convertible is a pricey proposition – you could buy a decent laptop plus a separate tablet for the same cost. But if you’re looking for something that can fulfil both roles, this powerful, premium computer is a delight.

The two-in-one laptop design doesn’t compromise the aesthetics at all. Its deep blue chassis stands out tastefully from the swamp of monochrome laptops, while sliced-off corners give a pleasing minimalist aesthetic, as do the thin bezels around the display. In tablet mode, magnets hold the screen secure against the chassis, and despite the 14in screen it’s not too heavy to carry around at 1.4kg. My one reservation about the design is a lack of ports: you get one USB-A port on the right-hand side, two USB-C ports on the left – and that’s it.

The keyboard has a comfortable layout and I quickly found myself typing at full speed, enjoying the action as my fingers bounced positively from each keystroke to the next. The haptic touchpad simulates clicking by producing a vibration; I can take or leave this, but I definitely like its smooth texture.

A vibrant OLED screen and a superb keyboard give the Spectre a luxury feel (Image credit: Future)

The star of the design is the 14in, 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen. On paper it doesn’t appear all that exceptional: it covers 86% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average peak brightness of 366cd/m2. However, it delivers wonderfully vibrant colors, making games and videos look much richer, brighter and more solid than the numbers would suggest.

Tucked above the display sits a surprisingly good webcam. Excellent, in fact. Unusually, it offers an Ultra HD, 4K resolution, and image quality is a cut above most rival laptops: my cheeks looked rosy, my surroundings looked bright and colorful, and somehow the windows behind me weren’t blown out.

Audio performance is pleasing, too, thanks to a pair of top-firing speakers. I listened to “This Feels Like the End” by Nothing But Thieves and immediately got into the groove.

The opening percussion was thumping, vocals were crisp and loud and the guitar chords and riffs were bright and urgent.

Whether it’s in tent, laptop or tablet mode, the Spectre is a joy to use (Image credit: Future)

The basic Spectre x360 14 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £1,499 inc VAT, but I reviewed the premium model with a Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Unsurprisingly, this high-end hardware let me open dozens of Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos all at once, without the slightest stutter. In Geekbench, the Spectre scored a soaring 12,358, even outpacing the M3 MacBook Pro’s score of 11,968.

The one area of compromise is graphics performance. The HP Spectre x360 14 relies on an integrated Intel Arc GPU, and in the Civilization VI:

Gathering Storm benchmark, it averaged a merely acceptable 36fps at 1080p. In other words, it’s fine for casual titles, but hardcore gamers will demand something more capable.

A final strength is battery life. With a power-efficient processor and no separate GPU to drive, the Spectre x360 14 lasted 11hrs 1min of web surfing, longer than almost any Intel laptop we’ve previously tested – although the M3 MacBook Pro lasted a ridiculous 17hrs 16mins. Heat is well managed, too: after 15 minutes of video streaming, we measured a maximum temperature of 39°C on the underside of the chassis, which is on the warm side but easy to live with if you want to use the Spectre on your lap.

(Image credit: Future)

The new HP Spectre x360 14 is hard to fault. It’s a fast, beautifully designed laptop, with a sumptuous screen, excellent performance and battery life, and the convenience of tent and tablet mode. Gamers will want a more powerful graphics chip, but as a general-purpose productivity and entertainment companion, this laptop is a star that manages to justify its high price.

We also ranked the best gaming PCs.

This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

It’s tempting to ignore the diagrams on the Philips 49B2U6900CH box that say, categorically, “this is a two-person job”. So tempting, in fact, that I did ignore them, and was soon struggling to attach the gigantic 49in panel to the gratifyingly sturdy metal stand. At least I had the good sense to clear my desk beforehand, as I looked like a weightlifter huffing and puffing it into place.

But it’s office workers rather than weightlifters that Philips targets here, particularly those who currently have two or three 27in monitors littering their desk. The idea is to replace such anachronisms with a single screen, allowing you to split your windows across the 5,120 x 1,440 pixels (32:9). Windows Snap does a great job of this, but I found I worked best with my windows scattered around; I could then drag the required window front and center as required. If your job involves research, you’ll love having everything in view.

It’s even possible to multitask across two different computers, with a KVM that allows you to switch between sources simply by pressing Ctrl three times. At least one of those sources will need to be connected over USB-C, and with up to 100W of power delivery (on both upstream USB-C ports) this monitor makes an ideal docking station. It even includes a 1GbE port alongside the four USB-A ports and a USB-C downstream port. Sensibly, Philips places that USB-C port, a 3.5mm jack and two USB-A ports on the left-hand side of the monitor for easy access.

The huge 49in VA panel allows you to have multiple windows open at the same time (Image credit: Future)

You’ll also find a flip-out headphone stand here although, for once, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of a monitor’s integrated speakers; I was happy to listen to music while working on the Philips 49B2U6900CH. Although not bass-heavy tracks, as even this pair of 5W speakers sound hollow.

Philips includes a 5MP webcam, which pops up like a periscope when you need it.

It makes sense to keep it up all the time as it can also log you into Windows using facial recognition, plus it includes a “Busylight”. So, if it knows you’re on a video call, a red strip light runs across the top and side to alert colleagues. Or you can activate this yourself using a button on the bottom left. It’s a nice idea, but I hope the next iteration is more prominent.

I also hope that Philips improves the camera. Detail capture is spot on, and the auto-framing option (albeit a tad over-eager) works well, as does the fact that it can accommodate several people in view. However, its color balance needs work, as everything has a strange, hazy blue quality to it. Hopefully this will be fixed via a software update, but in the meantime I recommend using a webcam and a separate mic, as even at maximum pickup I found the built-in option too weak.

I have no such complaints about the panel’s image quality. This is a VA panel with a minor curvature, and it’s tuned for the sRGB color space rather than DCI-P3. There’s even an sRGB preset, which produces excellent whites. Color accuracy is fine for its intended office use, with an average Delta E of 1.13. Keeping to the default mode gives you more colors than sRGB mode, covering 79% of the DCI-3 space compared to 68%, and while whites lose some whiteness it’s still a great everyday choice.

Connections include a 1GbE port alongside four USB-A ports and USB-C (Image credit: Future)

Brightness goes all the way up to 500cd/m2, which is overkill in an office and also consumes more power. At a more sensible 200cd/m2(33% in Philips’ brightness setting) it consumed 44W, while pushing it to 100% eats 71W. Philips also offers a bunch of its SmartImage options, including Eco (125cd/m2, 37W) and EasyRead, which are worth exploring.

There’s a Movie mode, too, with Philips earning DisplayHDR 400 certification for this monitor. Films look good so long as you ignore the huge expanse of black to the left and right. It’s in driving and FPS games, though, where you truly enjoy the wide expanse, and even though it has a peak 75Hz refresh rate this monitor pays extra dividends after hours.

In fact, it delivers in all key areas. Image quality is strong, it’s extremely well suited to office life (note the 150mm of height adjustment), and there are useful features galore. My only real criticism of this monitor is its price.

We've also rated the best monitors for dual screen set-ups.

Working away at a standing desk in the office was once thought to be an odd practice, but standing desks are now believed to offer some health benefits, helping us to be less sedentary at our desk and reduce strain on our backs when working.

With current work from home practices still going strong (despite employers asking staff to return back to the office), more and more people are looking to outfit their personal work space or home offices with the best standing desks.

This is where FlexiSpot has come through with a range of standing desks with different desktop finishes, capable of lifting 100kg for the budget friendly E1 to 180kg for the flagship E9 and accessories to boot.

Today we are reviewing their flagship FlexiSpot E9B-UK which comes with a 140cm x 80cm white laminate desktop.

The desk was delivered in two packages with the FlexiSpot branding displayed proudly and model numbers. The desktop box was a little battered by the courier which left me somewhat worried about it knowing that laminate tops can be chipped or cracked if mal-handled. Point two note that the Standing Desk Frame box was very heavy and ideally you need two people for this job though I managed by myself.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Assembly

Starting with the Standing Desk Frame box and opening that I was greeted by ample packaging with all items wrapped or in soft closed cell foam. Lifting foam out revealed the two standing desk legs which were the main culprit of the heft. All other bits and bobs were in the small boxes you see tucked in between. Removing the second layer of foam brought me to the Standing Desk Frame which is the part that holds the legs and desktop all together, it is inside that where we find the control box, the brains of the desk effectively. Along with some rubberised, height adjustable feet pads.

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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Taking everything out of packaging and boxes shows all the components of the desk, which gives you an idea of how it’s put together. FlexiSpot provides two little hex keys to assemble the desk, whilst these are a welcome for those with no tools, I on the other hand was armed with a combi drill and an assortment of bits.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Assembling the desk was quick and easy, starting with screwing the desktop supports to the frame then the legs followed by the feet all upside down before (and make sure you have the space) opening the desktop box. The legs are what make this desk, they are made of a solid steel construction with a column front to back thickness of 95.6mm.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

On opening the desktop box, I was pleased to find that the desktop and fully intact with no damage to it. It appears that FlexiSpot knows how couriers sometimes treat boxes, especially one as heavy as this. I noted that FlexiSpot had placed hard plastic corner protectors. We have opted for the 140cm x 80cm desktop.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

There are already pre drilled holes on the underside of the desktop which line up to the screw holes of the standing desk frame and control panel. It is simply a matter of placing the frame on the desktop, locating the holes, screwing it together before flipping the entire desk over so that the desk is the right way up.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Operation

Once completed, the desk will be at its lowest setting, too low for my liking. Checking the control panel, we have the usual “up” and “down” buttons. Next to them is the “M” button which has two uses, lightly pressing on it will allow you to set a memory setting, pressing and holding it will lock the desk height preventing accident height adjustment.

Between the cluster of buttons is the height display. The cluster of buttons to the right are memorised heights of “1” and “2” as well as a memorised “standing” and “sitting” heights. These are adjusted by setting the height first, say 114, pressing the “M” button then the “standing” button. Thereafter every time you press the “Standing” button, the desk will raise itself to 114.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Lastly, at the end of the control panel is a USB-A port for charging various items, I don’t have any equipment to test the wattage of the port, but trying to charge the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga laptop didn’t work, which requires at least 65W. Plugging my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in showed it as fast charging, this leads me to believe that it is capable of 25W. It would have been nicer to see a USB-C port as that’s becoming the standard with at least 100W output, a missed opportunity.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

About the display, the numbers do actually mean height. At say 110, it means that the bottom of the desktop will be 110cm from the floor. The numbers tick up in centimetre with anything under 100 shown as 99.9cm, anything about 100 shown as whole centimetres. Minimum height is 68.5 and max height is 128cms.

Playing around with the desk on initial setup I was presented with an “E01” error, on reading the manual, it appears that this desk doesn’t like to be adjusted too often and it appears I “overworked” it. This despite the desk being empty. Switching off the desk at the mains and then switching it back on after a few minutes solved the issue, I haven’t seen the error since then for over two weeks of use.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: In use

After assembly, I loaded the desk with a very light load of a laptop, monitor and a few other bits and bobs. The desk performed flawlessly, silently, swiftly and most importantly, smoothly too. And it should do too as this desk has brushless motors which have better longevity, speed and weight capacity when compared to their brushed brethren.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Confidence gained, I loaded the desk with my main set up, whilst I knew that the desk would have no issue in lifting my 25Kg+ desktop PC, I decided not to place it on the desk for the sake of cable management. It did however have to lift and lower the Innocn 49Q1S monitor which we reviewed a few months back, this weighs in at a not heavy but bulky 12Kg as well as a few accessories.

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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

I set my sitting height at 74cm and standing height at 114cm, I found desk had no issue lifting the entire setup as shown with little to no wobble from the monitor. I have noted that the desk also has a collision detection system where if any part of the desk encounters resistance whilst going in either direction, the desk will stop and back off a few centimetres.

On to cable management. The cables for the desk such those that connect the legs and control panel to the central box in the frame are a little too long so had to be tucked away. Thankfully, FlexiSpot provides a little magnetic cover that hides those cables. For my desktop PCs cables I used a cable sleeve for the cables and then from there used lots of sticky cable tacks to hold them against the underside of the desktop neatly.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Price and availability

Lastly, the cost at time of writing the frame of the E9B-UK alone costs £499.99, our combination to white laminate desktop at 140 x 80cm brings this to £629.98. the most expensive combination coming in at £749.98 for a 180 x 80cm desktop made from Bamboo. And, that’s before we add any accessories such as a cable management tray, power plugs or drawers. If that’s too costly, then FlexiSpot also sells the E1 desk, with the same desktop colour finish and size it retails for £239.98 but with a lower load capacity and missing some features.

FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Final verdict

So, what’s the verdict of the FlexiSpot E9B-UK standing desk? Overall, a well-made, sturdy, smooth and hefty desk with a heavy load capacity. There's not much to dislike about this desk if you’re in the market for a standing desk then this should definitely be on your shortlist.

For more workplace essentials, we reviewed the best office chairs.

EAT C-Dur Concrete: two-minute review

‘EAT’ = ‘European Audio Team’. ‘C-Dur’ = ‘C-Major’ in German. ‘Concrete’ = ‘a blend of aggregates bound together by a hydraulic binder’. Put the three together and you’ve one of the most individual and dramatic-looking record players around, not to mention one of the more expensive.

The C-Dur Concrete has the technical foundations to back up the asking price, though. The turntable itself, its ‘C-Note’ aluminum/carbon fibre tonearm and its ‘Jo No.8’ high-output moving coil cartridge are all painstakingly engineered and work together harmoniously – and the result is a record player that, in the right system, is a pleasure to listen to in many respects.

It’s a staggeringly insightful device, for starters, even among the best turntables – no detail of a recording is too fine, too minor or too transient to elude it. It’s organized, too, able to describe a soundstage with complete confidence and make the spaces on it just as significant as the occurrences. Low-frequency control is absolute, so rhythmic expression is utterly convincing. And when it comes to big dynamic shifts, it is just as accomplished as it is with low-key harmonic variations.

A lack of outright scale undermines the C-Dur Concrete, though – it doesn’t sound especially big, and although it’s organized and controlled, the soundstage it generates is undeniably positioned between the speakers you’re listening to. And when you’re talking about this sort of money for a record player, this has to count as a fairly significant shortcoming.

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Price & release date

The EAT C-Dur Concrete is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs £6,499. That’s the price for the turntable and its bespoke C-Tone tonearm – if you want to add the (recommended) Jo No.8 high-output moving coil cartridge (which is how this review is conducted), that price rises to £8,098. That’s because the cartridge costs £1,999 when purchased separately, or £1,599 if purchased at the same time as the turntable.

In America you’ll have to fork out around $7,499 for the turntable, plus an additional $2,495 for the cartridge – a discounted price for the pair is likely to be available, but there was nothing confirmed at the time of writing. No pricing is available for Australia as yet, but a quick look at today’s exchange rates suggests something like AU$12,999 plus AU$3,999 for the cartridge will be in order.

Not cheap, is it (he said helpfully)? And yet you’ve a stack of choice when it comes to alternatives. None of them is made of concrete, admittedly, but models from brands as credible as Linn, Pro-Ject and Rega (to name just three) are all available at comparable money.

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Features

• 33.3, 45 and 78rpm
• 254mm aluminum/carbon tonearm
• High output moving coil cartridge

Undeniably, some of the ‘pull’ of the C-Dur Concrete is, well, the concrete that’s used in its construction. But this is no mere design exercise, this is a deadly series turntable with the feature-set to back up the giddy asking price.

For instance, the chunky (5.2kg) platter is internally damped with a thermoplastic elastomer that offers both density and stability. A 900g aluminum sub-platter gives the platter even more isolation from the motor. The bearing block adds another 1.8kg to the overall weight and uses a polished stainless steel spindle to support an inverted ceramic ball that functions as the main bearing. This pairs with a Teflon plate for even greater rotational stability.

The drive system, meanwhile, isolates the motor in a steel ring positioned in the concrete chassis itself, enhancing the platter’s chances of stable and uniform rotation. It also reduces resonance transfer (already extremely low, thanks again to all that concrete). The motor has two areas for connection to a drive belt – and the turntable is supplied with two different belts, both of anti-static polished rubber.

The first is relatively broad and flat, sits on the upper part of the motor and allows for 33.3 and 45rpm. The other is a ‘string’ shape and fits over the motor’s lower portion – this is the belt you fit if you want the platter to turn at 78rpm.

The pre-fitted C-Note tonearm is, at 254mm, longer than the norm, is made from aluminum and carbon fiber for maximum rigidity, and is internally damped with silicon grease for as much resonance rejection as is realistically possible. It’s a unipivot design, which ought to guarantee its cardan bearing is never overloaded – and the bearing itself is designed to offer minimum resistance and maximum stability.

The over-engineering of the tonearm makes a lot more sense when you get a look at the cartridge it’s designed to support. The Jo No.8 high-output moving coil cartridge features a nude Shibata stylus on a boron cantilever, with high-end copper windings (which is the sort of specification the asking price demands) – but it’s the 19.2 x 25.1 x 28.3mm (HxWxD) dimensions that are most immediately striking. ‘Oversized’ only begins to describe it.

So this is incredibly well-specced and thought-out when it comes to the functional features of being an impressive turntable – but it's very much just a core turntable, so don't expect any 'modern' features such as Bluetooth connectivity or USB output here.

• Features score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Sound quality

• Remarkable insight and detail retrieval
• Organized, controlled and yet dynamic presentation
• Sounds rather small-scale and confined

The ‘pros’ are more numerous than the ‘cons’ where the sound of the C-Dur Concrete is concerned – but the ‘cons’ are significant, so we may as well start there before moving on to the many ways in which this is a straightforwardly admirable player.

The sound of the C-Dur Concrete is on the small side. Everything that happens, happens within the confines of the outer edges of the speakers you’re listening to – and consequently it’s never easy to shake the idea of a ‘point source’ of sound.

The outer edges of the cabinets of your speaker define the outer edges of the soundstage the EAT can create – in this respect it sounds unlike any price-comparable alternative, and not in a good way. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big ensemble (such as that involved in Miles Davis’ Concierto de Aranjuez) or just a voice and a guitar (like Nick Drake’s Parasite); the presentation is organized and controlled, but undeniably confined.

Get beyond this not-insignificant shortcoming, though, and the C-Dur Concrete is an extremely adept and accomplished device. Its facility with detail retrieval is approaching staggering – there isn’t a fleeting occurrence in a recording that’s too minor or too deep in the mix to evade it. And having teased out all these fine details, the C-Dur has absolutely no problem putting them into convincing context. Even if it’s the most transient harmonic variation in the strum of an acoustic guitar, this EAT turntable lets you know all about it.

The soundstage the turntable creates is believable, and it somehow manages to give elbow-room to every element of a recording even though the stage itself is nowhere near as expansive as it could (and should) be. Its tonality is carefully neutral, which allows the inherent sound of a recording to be expressed without any overt interference. And it balances the frequency range carefully, giving no undue prominence to any area.

Low-frequency information is robust and substantial, and is controlled with such certainty that rhythmic expression (often held up as one of the most obvious strengths of the vinyl format) is entirely natural. Midrange expression, too, is accomplished – the voice during I Kicked a Boy by The Sundays is intimate, immediate and direct. And the top of the frequency range has bite and brilliance in fairly equal measure, so treble sounds shine without threatening to become edgy or glassy.

Everything hangs together in an unforced and convincing manner – there’s a genuine sensation of singularity and unity to the C-Dur Concrete’s presentation that makes me want to reach for the dreaded word ‘musical’. And the spaces and silences in recordings are not only given their due emphasis, they’re as dark and as quiet as from any turntable I’ve ever heard. This inky backdrop from which sounds occur is one of the most gratifying things about this whole EAT listening experience.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Design

• 170 x 496 x 396mm (HxWxD)
• 32kg in weight
• Supported on three conical, height-adjustable, damped aluminum feet

If it’s a little visual drama you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. EAT will sell you a version of the C-Dur built of MDF and finished in black or plum for quite a lot less money than this – but once you’ve seen (and touched) this concrete version, it’s hard to resist from a design standpoint.

At 170 x 496 x 396mm (HxWxD) it’s fairly big, although not too big to be accommodated by a standard equipment rack. At 32kg with its platter in place, it’s heavier than the heaviest turntable you’ve ever encountered – and all of that weight is supported on a trio of pointed aluminium feet.

They’re ideal for isolating the deck from external vibration, and can help in getting the turntable absolutely level, but they concentrate the whole 32kg on to three tiny points, which means that an extremely robust and hard-wearing shelf is in order if the C-Dur Concrete isn’t just going to drive itself into the surface it’s standing on.

The standard of build and finish is, as seems only reasonable when you consider the asking price, basically impeccable. Any tiny flaws in the concrete (each plinth is unique, of course) only add to the character, and the tonearm feels as good (and as expensive) as it looks. Even the cartridge body – which is polished chestnut – offers a bit of pizzazz.

• Design score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Usability & setup

• Automatic speed change
• Semi-balanced five-pin DIN to RCA cable
• Optional (and cost-option) power supply upgrade

As with a lot of turntables, there’s a degree of fairly fiddly set-up required to get the EAT C-Dur Concrete ready for action. Unlike quite a few turntables, though, once you’ve been through the set-up process then operating the EAT is quite a painless process.

As usual, the counterweight and anti-skate setting need to be attended to. After that, though, it’s simply a question of fitting your preferred drive belt (which, let’s be honest, is going to be the broader of the two that lets you listen to 33.3 or 45rpm discs), connecting the semi-balanced five-pin DIN end of the cable to the deck and its left/right RCAs to your (pre)amplifier at the other, and plugging in the power adapter. Speed change is facilitated by two of the big buttons on the plinth – the other is used for putting the turntable into ‘standby’.

It’s worth mentioning that both the cable and the power supply can be upgraded. A fully balanced cable is (inevitably) a cost option (£175, or £499 for the silver alternative if you’re feeling super-flush), and EAT will also sell you a linear power supply (£1,349 if purchased individually, a trifling £1,079 if you buy it at the same time as the turntable).

EAT is confident the C-Dur Concrete’s AC generator, which uses the DC current from the power supply, generates an almost entirely clean AC signal for the motor – but if you want to make it as noiseless as possible then the linear power supply is what you need.

• Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future) EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Value

• Requires add-ons to reach full potential
• Not a class-leading performer for the price
• But it's hard to argue with its physical impact

I almost wrote that it’s impossible to put a price on an aesthetic as striking and individual as this, but demonstrably it’s not. In the context of the sound it makes, the C-Dur Concrete is far from the last word in value for money (and becomes less so if you take the company up on its offer of an upgraded power supply), but that’s not the same as saying it doesn’t sound splendid in many ways.

And if you find yourself smitten by the looks, the areas in which it’s not a class-leading performer might be easier to overlook – but with my hardest ‘consumer advice’ head on, it’s hard to make a watertight case for this turntable representing authentic value.

• Value score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the EAT C-Dur Concrete? Buy it if…

You’re a fan of visual (as well as audio) excellence
Once you get up to this area of the market, there are a few turntables that offer a bit of visual drama – but none of them makes use of concrete…View Deal

You value sonic detail and insight above all else
Between them, the turntable, the C-Note tonearm and the Jo No.8 cartridge are capable of unearthing the finest of fine details and handing them over without fuss.View Deal

You have a system that justifies the outlay
Don’t imagine you’ll hear the C-Dur Concrete at its best unless its partnering amplification and speakers are equally capable (and, inevitably, equally pricey).View Deal

Don't buy it if…

You’re expecting appreciable scale of sound
For all its many talents, the C-Dur Concrete is far from the most expansive-sounding turntable around.View Deal

You don't like having to pay more to complete the set
Paying big money for a cartridge is fair enough, but at this price, the EAT really should come with its optimum connection incuded and power-cable options as standard.View Deal

Your shelves are of soft (or even soft-ish) wood
32kg balanced on three tiny pointy points will damage a soft-ish shelf almost immediately.View Deal

EAT C-Dur Concrete review: Also consider

Rega Planar 10
The more money you spend on a Rega turntable, the less it seems to buy you – but never doubt that it’s buying remarkable audio fidelity. The Planar 10 (£7,395 with RB3000 tonearm and Alpheta 3 cartridge) is entirely lacking when it comes to visual drama, but most certainly has it where sound quality is concerned. It’s an open, revealing, wide-screen listen with an absolute stack of pertinent observations to make about both your recordings and the vinyl on which they are pressed. Unless you want your record player to be interesting even when it’s not working, the Planar 10 absolutely demands your attention if this is your budget range.View Deal

How I tested EAT C-Dur Concrete

I listened to the C-Dur Concrete for well over a week, with a variety of music on vinyl in a variety of conditions. It was positioned on the top shelf of my Blok Stax 2G equipment rack (which is how I know the weight of the turntable can damage wooden shelves), and connected via its supplied semi-balanced cable to a Chord Huei phono stage, which it turn was connected to a Naim Uniti Star acting as a volume control and pre-amplifier.

The Naim was connected to a Cambridge Audio Edge W stereo power amplifier, which drove a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature loudspeakers on their bespoke FS-600 S3 stands.

• First reviewed: February 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The Yaber K3 is a budget smart projector that offers 1080p resolution, 1600 ANSI lumens brightness and built-in access to streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus. While it delivers good sound and a Google TV smart interface for cheap, its picture quality is inconsistent and there are several other issues with it as well.

A smart projector such as the Yaber K3 for $599 / £569 is a tempting prospect, especially when it can light up 40-200-inch screens. And while it’s not as well featured as the best projectors, built-in Wi-Fi and decent built-in speakers are hard to find at this price range. But some of the K3’s other main features such as its auto keystone correction and processing are sluggish and often frustrating to use. Gamers will also be better off looking elsewhere.

The K3’s picture quality is a very mixed bag. It displays natural colors and solid enough detail at times and puts in a decent showing with sports. But contrast is weak and black levels are washed out. The K3’s picture quality was never going to compete with the best 4K projectors, but even compared with some of the best portable projectors, such as the Samsung Freestyle Gen 2, the K3’s picture struggles.

Where the K3 excels is its sound, as the built-in JBL speakers are punchy and powerful, especially at this budget price range. While one of the best soundbars is still recommended, some won’t find the need to add one, especially for casual viewing.

Fundamentally, the Yaber K3 is for those who are looking for a smart projector at an affordable price for the occasional movie night. While it packs as much as it can into its budget-friendly frame, it’s not quite the bargain budget gem it could have been.

Yaber K3 projector review: Price & release date

The Yaber K3 has natural enough colors but they appear washed out in some instances (Image credit: Future)

• Price: $599 / £569 (roughly AU$942)
• First available: September 2024

The Yaber K3 is a 1080p smart projector that follows on from Yaber’s K2 series. The K3 is priced at $599 / £569 (roughly AU$942 with direct exchange), putting it at the budget end of the projector spectrum in direct competition with portable projectors such as the Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 (also a 1080p smart projector) which has a standard price of $749 / £649.

Since its release in September 2024, there have been some discounts on the Yaber K3, with prices falling to $499 / £465 during sales events. This is similar to the discounts the Samsung Freestyle receives, as it’s regularly priced at $549 / £499 during sales events.

Yaber K3 projector review: Specs Yaber K3 projector review: Design & features

• 1600 ANSI lumens
• Google TV smart interface
• Nice fabric grill but bulky elsewhere

The Yaber K3 offers access to smart features and streaming via Google TV at a budget price (Image credit: Future)

The Yaber K3’s fabric front grill gives it a slightly more premium appearance than its budget price would suggest, but elsewhere it appears a little plain and oddly bulky looking. It measures 11.4 x 12.7 x 6.1 inches (290 x 3232 x 154mm) and requires a mains power supply with no battery options. There’s also a noticeable amount of fan noise after extended viewing periods.

The K3 has a specified 1080p resolution and 1600 ANSI lumens brightness. It has a 1.2:1 throw ratio and fits screens from 40-200 inches. Auto and manual keystone adjustment and object detection count among its features, but I generally found that auto keystone was frustrating and often didn’t calibrate correctly to the Optoma 80-inch portable screen I was using for my tests. Manual keystone correction can only be done via the Yaber homepage and not while watching content – another aspect I found frustrating.

Despite its budget price, it uses Google TV as a smart TV interface. This provides access to some of the best streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus. For connections, it has two HDMI ports, one USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio output and Bluetooth wireless.

The K3 has a surprisingly robust built-in speaker system for such a budget projector, with dual 15W JBL speakers totaling 30W of power.

No gaming features are included on the K3. For those looking for a gaming projector, you’re better off with something like the BenQ X300G.

• Design & features: 3/5

Yaber K3 projector review: Picture & sound quality

The Yaber K3 displays details well on occasion, but textures and contrast are often inconsistent and unbalanced (Image credit: Future)

• Inconsistent picture quality
• Decent enough colors
• Surprisingly punchy sound

For my testing, I used an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0 gain matte white projection screen. I first began by taking brightness measurements using a colorimeter, and the K3 yielded results of 109 nits and 93 nits in Standard and Natural picture modes respectively, putting it above 4K portable projectors such as the LG CineBeam Q (which yielded 60 nits in Filmmaker Mode).

Moving on to critical viewing, I first looked at an HD stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus, focusing on the throne room fight scene. Colors were natural enough, but they lacked any sort of dynamic punch. Characters’ skin tones also appeared washed out, even in the most accurate Natural picture mode (though there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the various picture modes). The same was true for La La Land on Blu-ray, which showed natural colors but also inaccurate textures, although in some scenes details were more refined than I’d anticipated.

Next, I watched a Blu-ray of The Batman to test black levels and contrast. While mostly acceptable, I found some scenes difficult to watch due to limited brightness (namely the opening crime scene investigation) even in blacked-out viewing conditions. In brighter scenes, details were clear and accurate enough, but there was a gray wash over the screen and textures still appeared fuzzy.

One area where the K3 did well was with sports. Watching soccer matches in Sports mode, the action was smooth and accurate enough that the games were watchable, though it won’t beat more premium projectors.

While the K3’s picture is average, its built-in sound is surprisingly good. Equipped with a JBL speaker system totaling 30W of power, the K3's sound is punchy, detailed and clear. Watching the Batmobile chase sequence in The Batman, the sound of swerving cars was accurately presented, with a strong sense of direction. The rumble of the Batmobile’s engine had a hefty amount of bass and plenty of power, especially for small built-in projector speakers.

Even La La Land’s dynamic, jazzy score was presented with real clarity, with a good balance between the horns, strings and vocals throughout. While the JBL speaker’s soundstage is limited by its size, it’s still surprisingly effective for a built-in speaker at this price range.

• Picture and sound quality: 3/5

Yaber K3 projector review: Value

The Yaber K3's remote is cheap-feeling but has the buttons you need (Image credit: Future)

• Smart projector for a budget price
• Cheaper than most portable projectors
• Overall performance is frustrating

The $599 / £569 Yaber K3 is good value for those looking for an affordable projector that provides access to streaming services via the Google TV smart platform. It isn’t going to beat more premium projectors and may even struggle against some of the best portable projectors, but for those looking for a casual projector, the K3 is a budget-friendly option.

Unfortunately, shortcomings in the K3’s picture quality and some frustrations with setup such as keystone correction hold it back from being a budget gem. You’ll have to make some sacrifices, particularly with sound, on other portable projectors such as the Samsung Freestyle Gen 2, but the Freestyle is likely to give you a more consistent experience for a similar price.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Yaber K3 projector?

Black levels are one of the K3's weakest areas, with pictures appearing washed out at most times (Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want a smart projector for cheap
If you're looking for a projector with access to streaming services like Netflix but don't want to break the bank, the Yaber K3 ticks the boxes. View Deal

You want a projector with solid built-in sound
Yes, the K3's JBL speaker system isn't going to beat a soundbar, but at this price, it does a pretty good job.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want a consistent picture
Brightness and colors are OK on the K3, but its contrast, textures, detail and motion handling are all inconsistent, with not many ways to tweak or improve things.View Deal

You want a hassle-free setup
In my testing, I found both auto and manual keystone adjustments to be frustrating and time-consuming. View Deal

Also consider

Samsung Freestyle Gen 2
The Samsung Freestyle may not be as bright and its sound isn't as good as the Yaber K3s sound, but its interface is more responsive and its overall picture quality is superior. Although pricier normally, the Freestyle Gen 2 is frequently on sale. Read our full Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 projector review.

Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro
The MoGo 3 Pro is a budget, portable HD projector that's cheaper than the K3 and it offers HDR support and good picture quality. But the K3 takes the crown when it comes to sound. Read our full Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro review.

LG CineBeam Q
Pricier than the K3, the LG CineBeam Q offers 4K resolution in a compact, stylish portable design. Its interface is also more responsive. The K3 may have better sound, but it pales in comparison in all other areas. Read our full LG CineBeam Q review.

How I tested the Yaber K3 projector

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested with an Optoma 1.0 gain, matte white 80-inch screen
• Tested using Blu-ray, streaming sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software

To test the Yaber K3 projector, I first used high definition and standard definition sources including Blu-ray and streaming. I tested the K3's picture quality, analyzing color, contrast, black levels, detail and motion. I also evaluated its built-in JBL sound using the same reference scenes from movies and TV shows.

I used a colorimeter, test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements for brightness, contrast ratio and color and grayscale accuracy.

The projector was primarily tested in pitch-black conditions in our testing room at TechRadar and also in full ambient light settings to see how it handled brighter viewing environments.

• First reviewed: February 2025
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: One-minute review

The NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition is a brand-new variant of CRKD’s Neo S controller. Functionally, the controller is the exact same as the regular one, but this specific variant comes bundled with a 5-fret attachment designed for Fortnite Festival and other rhythm games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

The fret attachment slots into the bottom of the controller via the headphone jack, and from there it’s good to go. The obvious comparison is that of the Guitar Hero: On Tour series of games, which featured a similar attachment for the Nintendo DS. However, the issues that plagued that release over a decade and a half ago still persist here.

The fret buttons are small with very little spacing in comparison to a regular guitar controller, and holding the controller in the guitar form can become quite uncomfortable – especially with bigger hands. I’ve tested the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret for three months or so now and found it difficult to play for over a couple of hours.

The biggest issue is that there’s no good way to strum in guitar-led rhythm games. The default option is to tap the RB button, which is useless when you have to strum in quick succession; meanwhile, mapping it to the stick works slightly better, but it’s still no substitute. If you’re looking for a way to play rhythm games casually, then it’s more than serviceable. But anyone looking to seriously delve into the genre is better off looking for a more suitable controller like the PDP Riffmaster.

The controller features an Xbox layout and has Bluetooth connectivity, making it great for the PC. However, it doesn’t connect to Xbox consoles (although this is promised in a future update). It does connect to the Nintendo Switch – but it’s awkward to play due to the buttons being swapped around from the usual Nintendo layout.

(Image credit: Future) NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: Price and availability

• List price: $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95
• Available in the US via the CRKD website
• Available in the UK via Argos and Amazon

The NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition launched back in November 2024 and costs $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95 – making it $10 / £10 / AU$20 more expensive than the regular NEO S controller. However, it’s currently the only way to get the five-fret attachment for the controller. It’s compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, smart TVs, and mobile devices at the moment, with Xbox support promised to arrive later down the line.

NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: Specs NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: Design and features

• Guitar attachment designed for rhythm gaming
• Bespoke Fortnite Festival design inspired by the game
• Programmable back buttons and fret buttons

One of the Neo S controller’s main gimmicks is the litany of custom designs available, such as one inspired by the Nintendo Famicom color scheme, 90’s-style translucent variants, and collabs with the likes of Rocket League and Hellboy.

The Fortnite Festival edition is a purple variant with a wavy design that features different shades of purple, while the d-pad, shoulder, and back buttons are bright pink. Meanwhile, the back of the controller is a solid purple shell. It’s a lovely-looking controller until you notice the gaudy Fortnite Festival logo slap-bang in the middle. A more subtle Fortnite design or emblem would’ve been preferable.

This design isn’t extended to the guitar attachment, which is also just a solid purple – although the lighter pink does appear at the fringe of each button. When the attachment isn’t on the controller, it does feel a bit flimsy, like the plastic could snap very easily.

This doesn’t help when getting it onto the controller can feel quite fiddly. You need to pop it on at an angle before pushing the top into the ridges, but lining the bottom up can be a bit cumbersome. This attachment comes with a Velcro strap, which you pop in between the controller and guitar, making it easier to hold like a standard guitar neck.

(Image credit: Future)

The Guitar attachment features five buttons to emulate the classic Guitar Hero formula; these buttons are automatically mapped to the buttons used for each lane in Fortnite Festival.

The controller comes with three modes: one for Easy, Medium, and Hard modes in-game, another for Expert, and another for Pro mode (which is the one designed for guitar controllers). You can swap through all three of these modes by holding down all five frets, with the LED on the attachment changing color to represent another mode. You can also rebind these buttons to be used in regular games, although the position of them may not make this the most optimal.

Unfortunately, I found the NEO S Fortnite Festival Edition quite uncomfortable to hold after long sessions – more so than the discomfort of a regular guitar controller. However, it’s far more comfortable in wireless mode, as the USB-C port at the top of the controller gets in the way otherwise.

NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: Performance

• Solid battery life
• Easy to set up
• Custom button mapping requires using a mobile app

The NEO S works straight out of the box with a USB-C cable connection to PC, or by holding the CRKD button and left on the d-pad to enable Bluetooth connection for PC or mobile. For the Nintendo Switch, it’s as simple as holding the CRKD button while on the controller connect screen. The NEO S Fortnite Festival Edition’s battery life lasted around eight hours from my testing. I didn’t notice much difference in battery drain when using the guitar attachment.

The controller is fully remappable; however, if you’re looking to remap the buttons, you’ll need to do so in the CRKD app. This extends to the Guitar attachment too, which can be mapped to any button on the controller and works even outside of Fortnite Festival. However, there’s no way to actually select and enter a song in Fortnite Festival without using the regular controller.

(Image credit: Future)

The default mapping for the strum bar is the bumper buttons, which is fine for casual play, but the issues become apparent once you’re faced with fast-moving songs like Metallica’s Battery. While a strum bar would allow you to alternate directions for faster moments, tapping one button makes this tiresome, or near-impossible in some cases. You can remap the control stick to work as a strum bar, which feels like the ideal solution, however, I couldn’t get this to work in Fortnite, but it does work in fan games like Clone Hero.

CRKD was founded by former RedOctane staff – who created the original Guitar Hero controllers – meaning that these buttons feel in line with the original series (namely the DS Guitar Grip). However, if you want to play this style of music game seriously, I’d recommend investing in a proper guitar controller.

Should I buy the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want a way to play Fortnite Festival Pro Mode or other guitar games
At the end of the day this controller is made with this in mind. It works for playing these modes casually and allows players the chance to experience the classic genre without forking out a lot for a guitar controller.

You’re getting a NEO S and like Fortnite Festival
For only $10 / £10 / AU$20 more I don’t see much reason not to pick this version up compared to the regular NEO S if you have even a passing interest in Fortnite Festival. Considering this is the only way to get the guitar attachment currently, I’d say it’s worth the upgrade.

Don't buy it if...

You plan on playing guitar games seriously
While it’s definitely possible for someone to tear it up with the NEO S Fortnite Festival Edition, the setbacks make this hard. If you were playing the likes of Metallica or Slayer on Guitar Hero, I’d invest in a regular guitar controller.

You have big hands or fingers
The NEO S is quite snug as a controller and the guitar attachment follows that form. The buttons on the guitar attachment do the job, but are very small and don’t have much space between them, making it easy to double-fret.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the CKRD NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition? Here’s how it compares to the other Guitar Controller on the market and a more regular pad for reference.

PDP Riffmaster
This is a great alternative because the PDP Riffmaster is the only proper guitar controller on sale right now. PDP was responsible for the last batch of Rock Band 4 guitars, so these are almost exactly alike.

For more information, check out our full PDP Riffmaster review

GameSir Nova
If you’re looking for a good Nintendo Switch and PC controller with stats comparable to the NEO S at a cheaper price point then the GameSir Nova may be up your alley. However, this obviously doesn’t support the Fortnite Festival guitar controller addon, but you are still able to play the mode with a regular controller!

For more information, check out our full GameSir Nova review

How I tested the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition

• Tested for around 15-20 hours
• Used it to play Fortnite Festival and Clone Hero on PC
• Used it as a regular controller on Nintendo Switch

I’ve been using the NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition on PC and Nintendo Switch since mid-December 2024 (so just under two months). During this time I’ve played a bunch of Fortnite Festival, but my true love affair has been with Clone Hero. I tested the controller in a variety of different musical situations: acoustic tunes that rely on strumming patterns with multiple notes, thrash tunes that require a ton of fast-paced strumming, and songs with wailing guitar solos (yes, I did play Free Bird).

In my experience, it worked best in slower songs and songs with a lot of hammer-ons and pull-offs due to my issue with the strum bar. The highlight of this experience was playing a custom chart of the full Flood album by They Might Be Giants, which featured a lot of piano (among other instruments) charted to Guitar Hero’s clear notes, which didn’t require me to strum.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025

Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review

The Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 is a power bank designed for charging smartphones and other smaller devices multiple times, thanks to its 20,000mAh capacity.

As you might expect from a fairly simple power bank, the PowerCore Essential 20000 isn’t particularly striking in terms of its appearance. However, it does sport a nice texture on the front panel, and the overall build feels solid and premium – as is the case with many of Anker’s power banks.

While it’s quite thin and narrow, it’s also long and reasonably heavy, which compromises its portability somewhat compared to some of the best power banks. However, this is still a relatively easy power bank to travel with, and it reduces the dimensions that matter most.

The PowerCore Essential 20000 features a single power button, which feels as premium as the rest of the bank. It has four LED dots around the bottom to indicate the battery level. However, these are very dim, which makes them hard to see at certain angles and in certain lights, which is less than ideal if you want to quickly glance over to check the status.

There are four ports on the PowerCore Essential 20000, two of which are USB-A for charging your devices, with a power output of 15W each. You can also charge two devices at the same time, and there’s a trickle charging mode designed for safely replenishing small devices with low power draws, such as smartwatches and wireless earbuds. This can be activated by pressing the power button twice. However, when on, the fourth LED will remain green no matter what the battery level is, which is a shame.

I managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a from 50% to 100% in 90 minutes, which is a reasonable performance. It depleted the PowerCore Essential 20000 by a single bar, which means you should get a couple of full phone charges out of it. Replenishing the PowerCore Essential 20000 from two bars to full took about six hours, which is less impressive.

Ultimately, the PowerCore Essential 20000 doesn’t represent the best value when you consider its lackluster port selection, power, and features. It’s capacity does make it more practical than it otherwise would be, but there are better-priced alternatives out there.

(Image credit: Future) Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review: price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker PowerCore Essential 20000? Buy it if…

You want a thin power bank
Given its 20,000mAh capacity, the PowerCore Essential 20000 is surprisingly thin, which does help with portability.

You only want to charge small devices
The 15W output is enough for charging smartphones and smaller devices quickly, and the 20,000mAh capacity means it can do so multiple times.

Don't buy it if…

You want good port selection
Despite having four ports, only two can be used for charging devices, and they are both USB-A; the USB-C and micro USB ports can only be used for charging the bank itself.

You want to charge bigger devices
With only 15W of power, the PowerCore Essential 20000 can’t charge laptops and the like.

Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review: also consider

Juovi J2621
The Juovi J261 has the same capacity as the PowerCore Essential 20000, but much more power at 45W. It also has four ports that are all capable of charging devices, including two USB-C ports to keep up with the times. To top it all off, it’s cheaper too. However, it’s notably bigger in size than the PowerCore Essential 20000, which may deter those who like to travel light. Read our JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review.

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: one-minute review

If you can't get your hands on the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker could be the next best thing. It isn't as advanced as the Ninja machine, but can produce a smooth and creamy dessert once you get used to its quirks.

Preparing your ice cream is straightforward, and Cuisinart provides a good online recipe book to get you started. However, you have to keep a very close eye on the machine to ensure you stop it when your mix reaches the right temperature. Stop it too late and you'll have to wait for it to melt, or pull the churning mechanism out and scoop your ice cream out with a spoon. It's not the end of the world, but a timer would help avoid such issues arising.

The miniature hot plate for keeping sauces or melted chocolate warm is a nice touch and works well, but I'd argue that there's no need for three different topping containers – particularly since the design of their dispensing mechanism means most candies are too large.

It can be fun to use, but it would be difficult to justify spending on the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream maker unless you eat frozen desserts several times a week. It's reasonably priced and often available at a discount, but it takes up a lot of valuable space in your kitchen

Stop the machine when your ice cream reaches "Goldilocks" consistency, and it should pour out smoothly when you open the dispenser (Image credit: Future) Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: price and availability

• List price $179.95 / £200 / AU$249
• Sometimes available at a discount
• About half the price of Ninja Creami Swirl

The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker has a list price of $179.95 / £200 / AU$249. It's available direct from Cuisinart's online store, and from third-party retailers such as Amazon. It's sometimes available for a discount, and you'll find all today's best prices below.

For comparison, the Ninja Creami Swirl comes in at almost twice the price at $349. At the time of writing (February 2025), international prices and availability had yet to be announced.

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the ice cream maker attachment works in a similar way to the Cuisinart, using a frozen bowl and a rotary motor to churn your ingredients while they freeze, but it lacks a soft-serve dispenser. It retails for $99.99 / £149 / AU$209.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: design

• Bulky, not very attractive
• Excellent mini hotplate for sauces
• Topping dispensers aren't ideal

The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is a large appliance, and at 17.7 inches / 45cm, it only just fit beneath my kitchen wall cabinets. Its footprint is relatively small though (9.4 x 11 inches / 24 x 28cm), which is more compact than a lot of coffee makers. You might not want to keep it on the kitchen counter at all times, though; its white plastic chassis is functional and easy to clean, but not a thing of great beauty.

From a mechanical perspective, it's quite simple. There's a double-insulated bowl that you freeze ahead of time, which cools your ingredients to freeze them as they're churned. When your ice cream is ready, simply switch off the motor, open a tap on the bottom, and the finished dessert pours out in a smooth stream (provided you've judged the timings correctly).

You'll need to freeze the main bowl and chill your blended ingredients for at least four hours before making your ice cream (Image credit: Future)

There are three removable topping containers on the top right of the machine, which I initially loaded with candy. Unfortunately, I later realized that they were only capable of dispensing very small items such as sprinkles due to the size of the mechanism inside. Toppings such as M&Ms or nuts will be too large, which is a shame. All three toppings are dispensed through a single funnel, which propels them into your ice cream as it pours. During my tests this mostly worked well, but some sprinkles ended up overshooting.

The Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker also has a small hotplate on the left-hand side of the bowl, with a little saucepan that you can use to melt a sauce to pour over your finished ice cream.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: performance

Cuisinart's website has a good selection of simple recipes for the Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, all of which can be adapted to suit your tastes. I started with the fresh strawberry ice cream, which is a mix of double cream, milk, hulled strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar.

You need to keep the bowl upright while it freezes, but I found it fitted in my freezer's deepest drawer quite easily, and I was able to stuff it with small frozen items to make good use of the space until I was ready to use it.

You'll need to blend your mix (take a look at our roundup of the best blenders, if you've been thinking about upgrading) then chill the mix for at least four hours before you start churning.

Once your mix is cold, it's time to begin. The frozen bowl fits easily into place inside the machine, then the lid with the churning mechanism clips on top. Once it's all in place, you start the machine using the switch on the left; make sure the lever is pushed up into the "closed" position, and pour your mix through the L-shaped hole in the top. I forgot to check the lever on my first attempt, which was a messy mistake.

The mini hotplate is activated by turning the control dial all the way to the right, and during testing it worked very well. It provides gentle heat while your ice cream churns, and will melt a cube or two of chocolate by the time your dessert is ready.

I initially filled the topping dispensers with candy, but they're not actually suitable for anything larger than sprinkles (Image credit: Future)

Unlike the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker relies on gravity to dispense your ice cream, so it needs to be just the right consistency. If you allow the mix to chill too long, it will fail to flow through the dispenser, and eventually the churning mechanism will stop turning. This won't break the machine, but you'll need to wait for the ice cream to thaw a little before you can continue, or remove the lid and churning mechanism (which can be tricky if the ice cream has become stiff) and scoop out the dessert instead.

For best results, don't churn for longer than 20 minutes. If I wasn't sure that I'd achieved the right consistency, I found it helpful to turn off the machine, then use a spoon to scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl to assess its thickness. A programmable timer would be a good addition to avoid accidentally over-chilling the mix.

The topping dispenser has a tendency to overshoot your dessert (Image credit: Future)

I also found that the blades didn't quite reach all the way to the edge of the bowl, which created a layer of hardened ice cream that wouldn't dispense. This was difficult to remove with a spoon without thawing everything completely.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker Buy it if

You eat a lot of ice cream

Large single-use appliances such as this are tricky to justify unless you'll be using them frequently. If you're more of an occasional dessert fan, an attachment for your stand mixer may be a more economical choice.

You have kids

Custom ice creams with different toppings will definitely appeal to youngsters (or to your inner child).

Don't buy it if

You're easily distracted in the kitchen

This isn't the kind of appliance you can set and forget. You'll need to watch the consistency of your ice cream closely to make sure it's just right.

You have a small kitchen

This is a bulky machine that will take up a lot of room on your counter, or in a cupboard.

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: also consider

Ninja Creami Swirl

The hugely popular soft-serve ice cream maker isn't available outside the US at the time of writing, but it's definitely more advanced than the Cuisinart machine (particularly its dispenser).

KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, this freezable bowl and churning attachment will do basically the same job as the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, for less cash. You don't get the dispenser nozzle, though.

How I tested the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

I used the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker to prepare several recipes from Cuisinart's website, including soft-serve ice cream and sorbet. I tested the hotplate with different types of chocolate, and tried various sprinkles and candies in the topping dispensers.

For more details. see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed February 2025

Laifen Mini hair dryer: two-minute review

The Laifen Mini is a scaled-down, mini hair dryer that offers the kind of power and features you'd expect from a full-sized option. It has the same streamlined silhouette as the majority of the best hair dryers on the market these days – it has a minimalist barrel, with most of the weight in the handle – but the whole unit has been shrunk down to a more portable size. The fact it comes with a carry bag suggests Laifen has travel in mind here, but I'd happily consider it as a main hair dryer if I was short on space.

It's lightweight and comfortable to use, with the (new with this model) matte finish adding grip as well as bumping up this model's style credentials. In terms of modes, there's the standard temperature and windspeed options, but also a couple more advanced modes. One will cycle hot-to-cold every two seconds, and is designed to protect your scalp and also set your locks as you style, and the other is a child mode that uses lower pressure and is better for delicate hair.

Although neither were required for my own styling routine, they both work as advertised and offer a more specialized option for those who want them. In the auto-cycle mode, it took two and a half minutes to rough-dry my hair to 90 per cent dry – a little longer than my full-sized dryer, but still very acceptable and impressively efficient for a travel-sized option.

There are some potential downsides, though. The cord is short and the fact there's currently no compatible diffuser will frustrate curly haired customers. I also found the controls a point of irritation – you set the mode using a series of long or short button presses, and you'll need to memorize these because the only way to note the current mode is by watching the glowing ring on the dryer's barrel and remembering what each color sequence means. It certainly looks cool, but it isn't the most efficient way to convey information.

Those frustrations aside, this is a very strong addition to the Laifen lineup. It's also affordably priced for the features it brings, sitting in the mid-range bracket and delivering strong performance, versatility and a cool look for that price. That's the short version – read on for my full Laifen Mini hair dryer review.

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: price & availability

• List price: €129.99
• Available: Europe, UK (via EU site)
• Launched: September 2024

The Laifen Mini was unveiled at IFA in September 2024, and at time of writing is available to buy in the UK, other European territories, as well as South Africa. The UK situation is a little odd because it's only available to buy via the Laifen EU site and the price is listed in Euros, but Laifen has confirmed it's available for UK shoppers here, and you can specify that it come with a UK plug.

At time of writing, Laifen didn't have any information on if/when the Mini might be launched in the US or Australia – although when my teammate saw the dryer at IFA she was told the differences in voltage were a barrier to launching in the US.

At list price it costs €129.99 – roughly $135 / £107 / AU$213 – although it was reduced to €110.49 at the time of writing. This puts the Laifen Mini in the mid-range price bracket for hair dryers, and I think it's decent value for what it offers. It's a step up on basic in terms of features; it feels robust and good quality; and the design has a premium vibe.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Laifen Mini hair dryer specs Laifen Mini hair dryer review: design

• Stylish, small and lightweight build
• Comes with magnetic concentrator and carry bag
• Controlled via button and slider on handle; cord rather short

The Laifen Mini is a shrunk-down version of the brand's popular Laifen Swift hair dryer. Originally, that was part of a wave of new dryers with designs heavily inspired by the then-hot-new-thing, the Dyson Supersonic.

The new addition still has that streamlined shape with the weight in the handle and a minimal barrel. However, it now looks less like a knock-off and more of its own thing, and I'm a big fan of Laifen's styling. It's the first Laifen dryer to add a matte coating – this brings the double benefit of improving grip while also avoiding that cheap-looking shiny plastic look. It's available in four muted, pastel colors (arguably more on-trend than the tropical tones still favored by Dyson).

The Mini comes with a Concentrator and carry bag (Image credit: Future)

My review model is Glacier Blue (a grey-blue), but it's also available in Jungle Green (an olive-toned color), Coral Pink (really more baby pink) and Arctic White. It arrives with one styling attachment – a concentrator that snaps on and off magnetically. Other Laifen dryers have a compatible diffuser that can be purchased separately, but that isn't an option here.

To help with portability it comes bundled with a carry bag in either grey or brown (color chosen at random). It's just big enough for the dryer, cable and attachment to nestle inside, and is magnetic all the way along the top, making it super easy to open and close.

(Image credit: Future)

At 5.9ft / 1.8m, the cable is on the short side. That might be annoying if you're planning to use this as your main dryer, but it does make sense as a travel option. There's a rubbery cable tidy for when you want to pack the dryer in its bag.

For reference, most full-sized dryers have a cable that's around 8.5-10ft (2.5-3m) long. However, it's worth flagging that Laifen in general is stingy with its cables – the full-sized Swift has the same length cord as this Mini version.

Controls & modes

Controls are via two switches on the handle. There's a slider to turn the dryer on and move between the two different windspeed options, indicated by icons (0, I, II). The second button is used to set the mode.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's where things become a little confusing, because different modes require different press types:

• Long press: temperature cycling mode
• Two short presses: child mode
• Single short press: shift between low, medium and high temperature

A ring around the barrel will glow different colors to indicate temperature; but other than that, there's no way to determine which mode you're in.

When the dryer arrived, Laifen had added a wrapper to the handle with instructions printed on it, and I was grateful that I took a photo at the time for reference – because once it's gone, you'll need to rely on your memory to know what's going on.

The temperature control is described as "smart", but that just means there's a sensor inside to prevent overheating, which I'd hope wouldn't happen anyway. Like most modern dryers, bar the ultra-budget models, it releases ions as it dries, to discourage frizz.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: performance

• Good amount of power for a travel-sized dryer
• Controls are fiddly and require memorizing
• Lightweight and comfortable to hold and use

The Laifen Mini is comfortable to hold, with a well-balanced design and good grip thanks to the matte coating. It's lightweight enough for use over long periods, and packs a decent amount of power for a travel-sized dryer. I tested it out on my armpit-length, naturally wavy hair, and my drying times were slightly longer than when using my Dyson Supersonic Nural, but not unreasonably so.

While the dinky size and helpful carry bag make it perfect for taking on trips, I think this would also work as a main hair dryer for someone who's especially short on storage space. The power and functionality are similar to what you'd get with a full-sized dryer; the main compromise you're making is the length of the cord (bear this in mind if your power outlets aren't helpfully placed close to your mirrors).

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of attachments, the provided concentrator snaps on and off easily and feels secure in use. It's just a shame there's no compatible diffuser for curly haired customers.

Modes in use

Let's take a closer look at the operation. There are two windspeeds; most modern dryers offer three, although I think two will be fine for most people's needs.

You're also slightly more limited than usual on temperature options. Most dryers these days will come with three temperature options plus a separate cold shot button. Here, you just have a medium, hot or cold temperature mode. The band around the barrel will glow yellow, red or blue respectively in these modes.

I was fine with having to cycle through temperature setting to access the cold mode, although others may prefer the more usual approach of a separate, dedicated button. Laifen's approach is easier for prolonged cold setting use, because it doesn't require a button to be held down.

If you're styling your hair or are particularly concerned about scalp health, you can opt for a temperature cycling mode, in which the Mini will switch from hot to cold every two seconds. At the same time, the band will gradually transition from pink to red to purple to blue. The aim of this mode is to prevent your scalp from becoming too hot, and to set your style as you're drying.

It took around two and half minutes to get my hair to 90 per cent dry in this mode. In comparison, with the Dyson Supersonic Nural's "auto" mode it takes around two minutes. I didn't find the automatic temperature cycling that useful for my styling needs or routine, but I appreciate the option is there if you want it.

(Image credit: Future)

A new addition with the Laifen Mini is the child mode. This isn't a child lock, but rather a mode designed for drying children's hair.

Laifen states that in this mode the dryer "maintains the same airspeed as regular modes, but the wind pressure is reduced, making the air feel gentler on the skin". Activate child mode and the dryer will stay at either 38ºC at low speed, or 48ºC in high speed, and the ring will pulse yellow.

(Image credit: Future)

I appreciate that Laifen is offering up more than just your standard modes here. While they won't all be useful for everyone – and for my styling routine, I found myself mostly sticking to the high windspeed, high temperature option – I appreciate the options are there to cater to different customers' needs and priorities.

However, I do have a slight issue with the labelling – or lack thereof. I'm all for a minimalist design, but the only way to know which temperature mode you're in is to sit and watch the lights (and remember what they mean). Unless you have a great memory, switching modes will probably be a process of trial and error for some time.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Laifen Mini hair dryer? Buy it if...

You want a hair dryer for travel
The compact build and helpful carry pouch make this the perfect companion for weekends away – and it packs a good amount of power for its size, too. All of these qualities make it a good choice if you're short on dressing table space as well.

You want a dryer for children / delicate hair
Unusually, the Mini comes with a child mode that reduces the wind pressure for use on delicate hair and scalps.

You want a stylish and advanced dryer on a budget
This is one of the best-looking hair dryers I've seen, and while it isn't the techiest option on the market, it packs some cool added features for an affordable price.

Don't buy it if...

You value simplicity
The controls here aren't super clear, and not everyone will want temperature cycling or a child-friendly mode. If you'd prefer a simpler design with your standard temperature and windspeed sliders, there are plenty of options to choose from.

You're annoyed by a short cable
The cord here is short, so if your power outlets aren't ideally placed – or you like some freedom while you style – this isn't the best choice.

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: alternatives to consider

Dyson Supersonic Nural
It's significantly pricier and more hi-tech than the Laifen Mini, but if you want to push the boat out, the Supersonic Nural is the crème de la crème of hair dryers. This full-sized option comes with an extensive range of attachments, and boasts a Scalp Protect mode that senses how far it is from your head and raises or lowers temperature accordingly.

Read our full Dyson Supersonic Nural reviewView Deal

T3 Fit

The T3 fit is another lightweight, travel-friendly option. It's simpler than the Laifen Mini with fewer modes and (in my opinion) a much less stylish design. However, the cable is longer and there's a compatible diffuser if you want one.

Read our full T3 Fit reviewView Deal

How I tested the Laifen Mini hair dryer

I used the Laifen Mini as my main hair dryer for two weeks. For reference, I have armpit-length, naturally wavy hair. According to my hairdresser, the strands are fine but there are a lot of them. For this review, I tested all the different modes, recorded how long it took to rough-dry my hair from wet to 90 per cent dry in maximum windspeed and temperature mode, as well as in temperature cycling mode. I assessed how comfortable it was to use, and how straightforward the controls were. In all of these areas, I compared my experience with the Laifen Mini to other dryers including the Dyson Supersonic Nural (which I use as my everyday dryer) and more basic, cheaper models.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed February 2025

Jiga 27000mAh Power Bank review

The Jiga Power Bank is a capacious power bank with a 22.5W maximum output, designed to offer plenty of charges for your smaller devices.

It probably won’t win any awards for its looks, as it adopts a strictly utilitarian design. There are variants with orange and red front panels, but that’s the only flourish you get.

The build quality of the Jiga Power Bank seems good at least: the chassis feels reasonably sturdy and the power button functioned well during my time with it. However, it isn’t as thin or as light as the best power banks out there, although given its 27,000mAh capacity, this isn’t much of a surprise.

There are five small LEDs surrounding the power button: four to indicate battery level and a lightning symbol that turns green to indicate charging – a handy visual to reassure you that your device is definitely charging.

The Jiga Power Bank also has an integrated flashlight, which is quite bright, although it does require holding the power button a little too long to toggle, which diminishes its usefulness somewhat.

Unfortunately, the Jiga Power Bank doesn’t come with a USB-C-to-C cable, only a short USB-C-to-A cable, although the USB-A ports are the most powerful, delivering 22.5W each. The USB-C port is close behind with 20W, and thankfully three-way simultaneous charging is possible as well.

There’s also a Micro USB port, which is odd on two counts: it’s rather outdated now, and can only be used to charge the Jiga Power Bank itself, not to charge other devices. Still, if you’ve got any of those cables laying around, then it could prove a useful inclusion.

Charging my Google Pixel 7a from 50% to 100% using the USB-C port took just over an hour, which is a reasonable performance. The bank’s battery remained on four bars, which seems to suggest that Jiga’s claim of getting between three and five phone charges out of it holds true.

For under $30, the Jiga Power Bank represents good value considering its output and capacity. It undercuts the Juovi J2621, for instance, which has less capacity (20,000mAh), but it does have more power (45W).

Usually, power banks with high capacities tend to have high power outputs to match, which inevitably brings the cost up, so the Jiga Power Bank occupies a rather niche position for those who like to charge small and medium devices multiple times.

(Image credit: Future) Jiga 27000mAh Power Bank review: price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Jiga 27000mAh Power Bank? Buy it if…

You need to charge multiple times
With its 27,000mAh capacity, the Jiga Power Bank is ideal for regularly charging your devices.

You often find yourself in the dark
Thanks to the handy inbuilt flashlight, the Jiga Power Bank might be a good pick for those who need to use it at night.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best travel companion
Given it’s reasonably heavy and thick, the Jiga Power Bank might be too much for those who travel light, or who want to carry their bank in their pocket.

You have large devices to charge
The 22.5W output might not be enough to charge big ticket items, such as laptops and the like.

Jiga 27000mAh Power Bank review: also consider

Iniu B61
Another good value power bank, the B61 offers the same number of ports (minus the rather redundant Micro USB port) and power output, although less capacity (10,000mAh). However, unlike the Jiga Power Bank, it features a digital display for the battery readout, and it’s much thinner and lighter. It also looks better, if that’s important to you in a power bank. Read our Iniu B61 review.

Siemens EQ900 Plus: two-minute review

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines for those who enjoy a latte, cappuccino or macchiato thanks to its excellent milk-texturizing system. It brews a very good espresso, too; but for me, the milk frothing is definitely the standout feature, and easily compares with the results an experienced user can get with a manual steam wand – with none of the effort.

Another key selling point of the EQ900 Plus that differentiates it from most of the best coffee makers is the fact that it has two hoppers, which make it easy to switch between different beans or roasts on the fly, or change to decaf in the evening. Some other bean-to-cup coffee makers I've tested (models from KitchenAid, for example) have a chute that you use to insert a scoop of ground coffee when you want something different to what's in the hopper, but this system is more convenient. The only downside is that the hoppers aren't removeable, plus the extensive set of cleaning and maintenance programs don't include a function for emptying beans and grounds from the machine, which makes it tricky to purge the system.

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines around when it comes to milk texturizing (Image credit: Future)

The machine offers a system called "beanIdent" that lets you describe the beans you've loaded into each hopper (including type, roast, and blend) and then adjusts factors including water contact time and grind size to suit. It also encourages you to tinker to achieve the flavor you prefer. There are two customization modes (Comfort and Barista), with support for 10 user profiles.

You can even set your preferred drinks as "favorites", much like the favorites list in your web browser, which is welcome and something I'd like to see in more coffee machines. I appreciate not having to browse through a menu to find my carefully created custom cappuccino setting.

The EQ900 Plus encourages tinkering, and Barista mode offers full control over the brewing process (Image credit: Future)

The smart cleaning programs are another key selling point of the EQ900 Plus, and bring another point of difference over the standard EQ900. The Plus has a hatch above the milk tank where you insert two tablets – one for cleaning and one for descaling. You'll be prompted to do this when setting up the machine, and it means you can run a full cleaning cycle whenever the machine needs it without having to hunt around for the necessary supplies or remove the brew unit to add a tab.

One of the biggest problems I find with bean-to-cup coffee machines is that the time you save grinding beans and adjusting brew settings is offset by the time spent maintaining the machine, so this smart cleaning is a welcome feature. However, I'm not sure it justifies the price difference between the EQ900 and EQ900 Plus. At the time of writing, the EQ900 Plus is only available for the full list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300), whereas the standard EQ900 can be found for as little as £1,300 (about $1,600 / AU$2,600) on sale.

Siemens EQ900 Plus: price and availability

• List price £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300)
• Not widely available outside Europe
• Can be found more cheaply if you shop around

The Siemens EQ900 Plus launched in October 2023, and has a list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300) – although note that it isn’t widely available outside Europe. That puts it firmly at the top end of the price bracket for home bean-to-cup coffee makers, at about the same price as the Breville Oracle Touch (or Sage Oracle Touch, as it’s known in the UK).

The EQ900 Plus definitely feels like a premium machine with its stainless steel build, huge color touchscreen, smart cleaning, and advanced customization options. However, for a more affordable version consider the standard Siemens EQ900 (without the automatic maintenance system), which has a list price of £1,799 (about $2,300 / AU$3,600) and can be found for as little as £1,300 (about $1,600 / AU$2,600) if you shop around.

There's also a version of the EQ900 with a single hopper, priced at £1,599 (about $2,000 / AU$3,200), which may be preferable if you only enjoy one specific bean. Personally, I appreciate having the choice.

You'll find all of today's best prices for the Siemens EQ900 Plus below.

• Value score: 3/5

Siemens EQ900 Plus: specifications Siemens EQ900 Plus

• Premium brushed metal build
• Two bean hoppers
• Intensive self-cleaning system
• Cleverly designed milk system

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is a premium bean-to-cup coffee machine with a brushed stainless steel case and a huge 6.8-inch full-colour touchscreen. It’s the most impressive display I’ve seen on any coffee maker I’ve tested so far, and is even capable of displaying smooth animations (when you’re not using it to swipe through the drinks menu and tweak the various beverages to your liking).

At the top you’ll find two hoppers that you can fill with two different types of coffee beans. Some other coffee machines I’ve tested (the KitchenAid KF6 and KF8, for example) come with a chute to which you can add a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you fancy a change, but this twin-hopper system is even better. Some coffees (such as those with notes of caramel) are well suited to milk, while fruitier beans work better black – with this system you can choose the best one for your drink on the fly. You could also keep one hopper full of regular beans for the morning, and the other full of decaf for after lunch. A blue light will illuminate when one of the hoppers needs refilling.

Image 1 of 2

The machine has two bean hoppers so you can switch between different types and roasts on the fly (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

A blue light warns you when a bean hopper is empty (Image credit: Future)

The EQ900 Plus’s water tank is hidden on the left of the machine, and can be lifted out for filling using the integrated handle. It has a generous 2.3-liter capacity, and can be fitted with an optional filter to reduce limescale build-up to improve the taste of your coffee. Note that there’s no transparent panel, though, so you can't see the current water level at a glance.

Milk is stored in a smaller tank that sits on the right, just underneath containers for descaling and cleaning tablets. It’s unusual for a coffee machine to keep descaling and cleaning tablets on-board, but it makes sense and means you don’t have to hunt around for the packet when it’s time for regular maintenance. This is the EQ900 Plus's main point of difference with the standard EQ900.

Removing the water tank and side panel lets you access the brew unit for rinsing (Image credit: Future)

Most fully automatic espresso machines have a separate container for milk that sits beside the machine. Here, a tank slots into the side of the chassis, delivering a much neater design. The lid means you can also keep your milk in the fridge between uses.

The drip tray slides out easily for cleaning, with a removable grille at the front and a slim section at the back that makes pouring clean and convenient. Used coffee pucks are dispensed into a bin that sits in the drip tray and can be lifted out for easy emptying.

• Design score: 4/5

Siemens EQ900 Plus

• Eight coffee profiles, plus two milk and two hot water
• Coffee presets are easy to customize and save to your profile
• Excellent milk frothing
• Espresso is good, but crema not as stable as some

Some automatic coffee machines present customization as an optional extra, but it’s at the heart of the experience here. There are two control options, Barista and Comfort, depending on the degree to which you want to tweak your beverages; but all users are encouraged to tinker with their drinks to create something bespoke.

The EQ900 Plus offers two modes of operation: Comfort and Barista (Image credit: Future)

Barista mode offers the most control, allowing you to choose whether beans are taken from the left or right hopper, choose the correct cup size, and tweak the strength (1-9), grinding level (1-6), contact time (for instance, how long the water is in contact with the grounds), milk ratio, and brewing temperature. Comfort mode is simpler and designed for more casual coffee fans, only letting you set the aroma (mild, balanced, or distinctive), strength (light, normal, strong, or extra strong), and cup size.

Once you’ve created a custom drink (which is easy thanks to the sensitive touchscreen), you’ll be prompted to save it to a profile (the EQ900 Plus supports up to 10, so everyone in your household and their guests can create their own) and give it a name. Typing on the EQ900 is surprisingly easy; the screen is large enough to accommodate a full QWERTY keyboard, making the whole experience much less frustrating than it could be.

You can even choose a background color, so you can see at-a-glance whether your profile is the one selected, and save your most frequently made drinks to a favorites menu, accessible via a quick tap of the star button under the screen. Preset drink options include:

• Espresso
• Espresso doppio
• Caffe crema
• Caffe grande
• Caffe XL
• Cappuccino
• Latte macchiato
• White coffee
• Foamed milk
• Warm milk
• Hot water (enough for a cup of tea)
• Coffee pot (a larger amount of hot water for pour-over)

The crema wasn’t quite as thick as that created by the KitchenAid K6, which is a cheaper machine, and it didn’t last as long either, despite being brewed using the same beans (purchased fresh that day).

However, milk texturizing was impressive, with the Siemens EQ900 quickly turning whole dairy milk into a generous layer of long-lasting foam. A powerful jet of steam creates the perfect foundation for your cappuccino or latte macchiato.

You can slide the dispenser up and down easily, and unlike many bean-to-cup coffee makers, it’s easy to remove it for cleaning – just pull it towards you to detach it, then disassemble the components and wash them all with warm water and dish soap. Once done, push it back into place.

During testing, I found the water tank a little awkward to refit when filled to the maximum mark; you have to position the bottom of the tank, then align the top while also folding the handle down. The water tank and milk container are also tricky to clean and dry inside, since there’s very little space for your hand. The machine has a cleaning setting that removes all water from the interior, but you'll still need to thoroughly hand-dry the tanks before transporting or storing the machine.

You'll receive a warning when it's time to empty the drip tray, but not necessarily when the coffee grounds bin is full (Image credit: Future)

The machine notified when the drip tray was full, but didn’t push out an alert to inform me that the used coffee grounds required emptying. Most bean-to-cup machines deliver a warning after making about four drinks, but that wasn't the case here, and I ended up with some grounds stuck to the area above the drip tray when I pulled it out. It's a minor flaw, but a surprising one for a premium machine.

The beanIdent system is interesting, and lets the machine adjust its own settings to suit your two different beans so it can determine the optimum setting for each one. Once you've loaded the two hoppers, you tell the EQ900 Plus the type of bean you've chosen for each one (arabica or robusta), the roast (light or dark) and the blend, and it will set factors including grind size and water temperature automatically.

Of course, your preferences may be different from those of the engineers and experts at Siemens, so you can tweak these settings to suit your tastes. Nevertheless, they provide a very useful starting point.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Siemens EQ900 Plus Buy it if

You enjoy milky coffee drinks

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is the best bean-to-cup coffee machine I've tried to date for texturizing milk, producing a thick, silky, and stable foam every time.

You have a large household

The EQ900 Plus encourages you to tinker with settings to create your ideal drinks, and lets you save them to one of 10 user profiles, with quick access to your favorites at the tap of a button.

Don't buy it if

You're on a budget

The standard EQ900 is much better value if you don't mind losing the smart cleaning feature. It still offers the same excellent customization and milk texturizing.

You favor one particular coffee bean

The twin hoppers are excellent if you want to switch between two beans on the fly, but if you're loyal to one particularly type and roast, you won't get best use out of them.

Siemens EQ900 Plus: also consider

Not totally sure that the Siemens EQ900 Plus is the right coffee maker for you? Here are two other bean-to-cup machines to consider:

KitchenAid KF6

Its milk texturizing doesn't quite match that of the Siemens EQ900 Plus, but the KitchenAid KF8 is a more affordable machine and brews one of the most delicious espressos I've ever had, with thick and stable crema.

Read our full KitchenAid KF6 review

De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

This is our favorite manual bean-to-cup machine, and an excellent introduction to the world of espresso. It's cheaper than the KitchenAid KF6, too, making it excellent value.

Read our full De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review

How I tested the Siemens EQ900 Plus

I tested the Siemens EQ900 Plus using fresh coffee beans from local coffee shops Mokoko and Clifton Coffee (one in each hopper), and chilled whole milk. I used each of the machine’s preset drink options, experimenting with settings in Comfort and Barista mode, and creating a custom profile.

I also ran all of the machine’s basic and intensive cleaning programs, washed and dried the dispenser, milk tank and water tank, and ran the frost protection program to remove water from the machine's internal circuits. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate on TechRadar.

First reviewed February 2025

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) review

The Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) is a 10,000mAh MagSafe power bank with a slimmer-than-average profile. One of Anker’s most expensive MagSafe power banks at the time of writing, it’s available at a list price of $74.99 / £69.99 / $139.95 on the Anker website, and can also be purchased at Amazon.

When inspecting the build quality of the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim), it looked and felt sturdy. It has a metal frame around the edge and a liquid silicone covering over the charging area, which proved a little more grippy than other Anker MagSafe power banks I’ve tested. I always love to see a brand incorporate eco-conscious practices into its manufacturing, and Anker has done just that by using 75% recycled materials in the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim).

Using this power bank was a simple case of snapping the phone into place before pressing the small button on the lower right-hand side of the charger once to activate charging. I found the grip to be strong, so I didn’t have any concerns that the phone would fall off at any point.

The curved edges and the finish of the metal frame and matte back panel made it comfortable to hold. I was impressed with the material finish, as it didn’t show fingerprints or get scratched from regular use or after sliding around on my desk. The only scratch it sustained was during photography when it had an altercation with the corner of the small cement block it was sitting on, but it can’t be blamed for that.

(Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

I can say with confidence that the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) is the slimmest power bank I’ve tested, but not quite slim or light enough to be a game changer for me. It’s worth noting that I have smaller-than-average hands, however, so those with average or larger hands may find that the slimmer design does make a noticeable difference. The power bank felt warm as it charged an iPhone 13 Pro; Anker states that they regulate the charging surface to stay below 104 degrees Fahrenheit / 40 degrees Celsius, and it didn’t get uncomfortably warm (quite the opposite in fact, as I was testing it on a winter day in the UK), so this wasn’t a concern.

At 200g, the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) felt a little on the heavy side, despite being just 0.58 inches / 14.7mm deep. But when compared to other 10K power banks such as the Ugreen Uno Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 10000mAh 15W, which weighs 230g, and the 260g Iniu B43 MagSafe 10000mAh Compact Power Bank, I may have been expecting too much considering they’ve managed to pack a 10K capacity battery into such a small package. One thing I miss compared to other power banks I’ve tested is an integrated stand. That’s just my personal preference, however, and as its slim profile is the key feature, it wouldn’t have made sense for Anker to bulk it up just to fit in a stand.

(Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

I was very impressed with how quickly the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) recharged an iPhone 13 Pro, taking just one hour and fifty minutes to do so. This result makes it the fastest MagSafe power bank I’ve tested, and the second fastest out of the large number of MagSafe chargers I’ve tested, at just twelve minutes slower than the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station 3-in-1 Stand. When it comes to charging the power bank itself, Anker states that it can recharge fully in up to two and a half hours when using a 30W adapter. When the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) is fully charged, it’s stated to have the ability to recharge an iPhone 15 Pro 1.8 times.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim). The fast charging speeds, 10K battery capacity, and slimmer profile make it a great choice when traveling. The lack of a stand is a shame, but we can’t have it all, and given the choice I’d rather have the speedy charging. Personally, I found it to be a little on the heavy side, so if you prefer something lightweight I’d recommend looking at a lower-capacity 5,000mAh charger like the Ugreen 5000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank.

If the price tag on the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) is a little steep, or you’d like more features for your money, then there are plenty of other chargers at a range of price points to explore in our best power bank and best wireless charger guides.

(Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell) Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) review: Price & specs Should I buy the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim)? Buy it if…

You want a slim power bank that’ll recharge your phone more than once
While it may not be the slimmest power bank on the market, this power bank manages to squeeze a 10,000mAh battery into a satisfyingly slimline casing.

You want a quick charge when on the go
With the ability to charge an iPhone 13 Pro in just one hour and fifty minutes, this charger is proof that good things really do come in small packages.

Don't buy it if…

You want something lightweight
Despite the slim design, this power bank still felt pretty heavy, especially with an iPhone 13 Pro attached. I’d recommend looking at 5,000mAh batteries if a lighter weight is on your must-have list.

You want something with a stand
Many of us enjoy streaming content on our phones, which makes stands very convenient as we can sit back and relax without worrying about our phone batteries taking a nose dive. Presumably, to keep bulk to a minimum, Anker hasn’t included a stand on this power bank, making hands-free viewing a little tricky.

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) review: Also consider

Anker 621 Magnetic Battery
If you’ve not set your heart on a higher-capacity battery, the Anker 621 could prove the perfect alternative. At just 0.45 inches / 11.4mm thick, it’s even slimmer than the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim). Plus, as it’s a smaller-capacity battery, it weighs much less at just 4.5oz / 129g, making it satisfyingly lightweight and compact for little top-ups on short trips. If you'd like to learn more, check out the full Anker 621 Magnetic Battery review.

JBL Quantum Stream Talk: One-minute review

The real highlight of the JBL Quantum Stream Talk are its design and feature set, which punch above its budget-friendly price point.

It’s super compact and very stylish, with a robust stand that incorporates metal elements to look and feel premium. It’s incredibly easy to adjust and position too, thanks to a small, foam-footed base and a smart swivel mechanism that allows the microphone to be rotated by a full 360 degrees.

The prominent LED ring indicator is a smart inclusion and something that you wouldn’t necessarily expect at this price point, providing a convenient and easy way to check whether the microphone is muted and even adjust some basic settings on the fly.

That said, the recording quality is a let-down out of the box. Its default configuration sounds very jagged and does a poor job of cutting out background noise. Luckily, the compatible JBL Quantum Engine software gives you everything that you need for better recordings. With a few settings tweaked, namely the EQ profile and noise reduction level, it’s perfect for chatting with friends or dialing into meetings - but still not clear enough to rank among the best microphones for streaming.

If you're interested in picking up a streaming microphone on a budget, there are options out there that look and feel substantially worse, but sound noticeably better such as the AKG Ara. If you can wait for a sale, you can regularly find old favorites like the Blue Snowball for not that much more than the price of the JBL Quantum Stream Talk which offers far more bang for your buck.

(Image credit: Future) JBL Quantum Stream Talk: Price and availability

• Costs $49.95 / £39.99
• Available via Amazon and JBL
• Easy to find in the US and UK

The JBL Quantum Stream Talk is readily available from both Amazon and JBL in the US and UK. It costs $49.95 / £39.99, making this the cheapest entry in the JBL Quantum Stream line right now. At this price, it’s a good value option overall for general use, especially if you’re looking for a more affordable choice that doesn't take up a lot of space on your desk.

That said, those seeking a microphone for content creation would be better off waiting for a sale and spending a little more on something like the HyperX DuoCast - which routinely drops down to around the $60 / £40 mark and offers higher quality recordings.

JBL Quantum Stream Talk: Specs JBL Quantum Stream Talk: Design and features

• Stylish and compact
• Feels premium
• Good set of features

The JBL Quantum Stream Talk is very stylish for a microphone of its price. It’s compact, with a circular plastic base complete with a small foam ring to help keep it in place on your desk.

It has a simple stalk-like design, with a cylindrical metal column and a small plastic capsule connected by a ball joint that allows it to be rotated a full 360 degrees. Also joining the column and capsule is a short wire with an orange and black braided that introduces subtle splash of color.

At the end of the capsule is a translucent ring illuminated by an LED. This is a bright green by default, turning red when the microphone is muted. The option to dim or even turn off this light would be appreciated, but it’s not particularly intrusive either way.

On the base, you will find a gray JBL logo and an adjustment dial. It's a good size and can be used to adjust the monitoring headphone volume when you’re connected to a 3.5mm headphone jack on the rear. It can also be pressed down to quickly mute the microphone, or held for a few seconds to adjust the microphone gain - indicated by the mic’s LED turning purple. It’s all very intuitive and one of the biggest reasons to consider the JBL Quantum Stream Talk.

While the microphone itself is a single unit, there is a removable USB-C cable. This is a good 6ft length and feels high-quality, matching the orange and black aesthetic of the wire found on the mic.

While I very much like the integrated stand setup, you should bear in mind that this microphone cannot be mounted to a boom arm unlike other budget picks, so is not suitable if that’s your preferred setup.

(Image credit: Future) JBL Quantum Stream Talk: Performance

• Audio quality isn’t great out of the box
• Sounds much better when you tweak the EQ
• Noise reduction also helps

When you first plug the JBL Quantum Stream Talk into a computer, a popup automatically appears asking whether you would install the compatible JBL Quantum Engine Software - a convenient feature that saves you from having to dig around on a support website to find it. I would highly recommend installing it, as I found that tweaking the microphone’s settings is almost essential.

Out of the box, I was unimpressed with its performance - recordings sounded choppy with a flat, almost nasal quality to them. Booting up Discord for a quick call, background noise was very noticeable, as was any movement of the surface on which the mic was placed. This is a little strange, as the JBL Quantum Stream Talk uses a super-cardioid pickup pattern that should, in theory, really help it hone in on just your voice.

Still, you can achieve decent sound with the JBL Quantum Engine Software in hand. For me, the sweet spot was enabling the “Bright” EQ profile, which bumps up the level of almost every frequency, and turning up both the noise gate and noise reduction settings to medium. Listening back to recordings made with Audacity, my voice sounded a little sharp but otherwise more than ideal for casual chatting. With a few more tweaks, I am sure I could get it to sound even better.

(Image credit: JBL)

JBL notes that the microphone is compatible with the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch too. Plugging it into my PS5, it provided significantly better sound than the integrated microphone of the DualSense Wireless Controller but is not up to par with any of the mics on the best PS5 headsets. Still, the option to use this model with your console is appreciated and increases its utility somewhat.

That said, this is also marketed as a streaming microphone and I am hesitant to recommend it for that purpose. If you’re able to spend a little more, you can find models that sound better out of the box.

This is doubly true if you’re shopping over a sale period, where the likes of the iconic Blue Snowball routinely have their prices slashed to just $20 / £20 or so more. Still, if your budget really can’t extend beyond the $49.95 / £39.99 mark and you just need something quick, this should just about suffice until you’re able to upgrade.

Should I buy the JBL Quantum Stream Talk? Buy it if...

You want a small microphone
The JBL Quantum Stream Talk is a good option if you’re looking for something compact - its small size makes it easy to fit on your desk and it’s very stylish overall.

You want a good set of features
Its LED indicators, useful mute button, and decent set of options in the JBL Quantum Engine software all help the JBL Quantum Stream Talk punch above its modest price tag.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a content creator able to spend more
If you’re keen to get into streaming, then I would recommend spending a little bit more on a model that sounds better out of the box. Alternatively, wait for the sale and pick up a favorite like the Blue Snowball for cheap.

Also consider...

Want to weigh up your options? Here are two gaming microphones to consider alongside the JBL Quantum Stream Talk.

AKG Ara
The AKG Ara is a decent alternative at a similar price. It sounds better out of the box but lacks the gain control, looks worse, and feels cheaper in the hands.

For more information, check out our full AKG Ara review

HyperX DuoCast
The HyperX DuoCast is frequently available on sale for only slightly more than the JBL Quantum Stream Talk. This entry-level streamer mic offers better sound, two distinct polar patterns, and pleasant RGB lighting if you’re able to stretch the budget.

For more information, check out our full HyperX DuoCast review.

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the JBL Quantum Stream Talk

• Used for over a week
• Tried with PC and console
• Tested with calls and local recording

I used the JBL Quantum Stream Talk as my daily driver for over a week. During that time I tested it with both PC and console with a range of tasks including making calls to friends, recording audio files locally, and attending virtual meetings for work. I made sure to thoroughly test the compatible JBL Quantum Engine software, experimenting with its features to find the best setup.

Throughout my time with the microphone, I compared my experience with my hands-on testing of other models all across the price spectrum ranging from the likes of the Blue Snowball to the Blue Yeti and SteelSeries Alias.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2025.

Sony Bravia Projector 8: two-minute review

The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is the latest addition to the company’s lineup of native 4K projectors, all of which use the Z-Phosphor laser light source. This new beamer, along with the flagship Bravia Projector 9 (VPL-XW8100ES), adds several key features that bring the brand’s higher-end models in line with their chief competitors among the best 4K projectors, the JVC DLA-NZ800 and JVC DLA-NZ900.

Brightness for the Sony Projector 8 has been increased to 2,700 lumens and both models now use Sony’s professional-grade XR Processor. One of the key benefits is genuine dynamic tone mapping for a superior HDR experience.

The Projector 8 and 9 retain the same chassis and Advanced Crisp-Focus (ACF) lens, motorised lens controls and lens memories as the previous generation, but unlike the JVC projectors, they don’t support HDR10+ high dynamic range or 3D.

The Projector 8’s design is the same as previous generations, but the compact chassis remains well-built. The menu system is easy to navigate, installation is flexible, and the backlit remote control makes this beamer a pleasure to operate. The connectivity has been upgraded and now includes two HDMI 2.1 inputs, which means the Projector 8 accepts signals with higher frame rates up to 4K 120p – great news for next-generation console and high-end PC rig gamers.

The inclusion of 4K 120p isn’t the only good news for gamers, with the Projector 8 supporting ALLM. As a result, it automatically goes into the game mode when a console is detected, and the input lag is an incredibly low 10ms. All of this finally makes this beamer the ideal companion to the brand’s own PlayStation 5 game console, as well as other consoles and PC gaming rigs.

It’s not perfect of course. There’s no HDR10+ or 3D support, the colour gamut could go wider, the black levels dig a little deeper, and shadows retain more detail, but overall this high-end beamer delivers the big screen goods. In fact, its smooth motion, superior processing, fast responses, and improved HDR are sure to please even the most demanding cinephile or competitive gamer.

Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: price and release date

• First available: October 2024
• Price: £15,999 / $15,999 / around AU$21,170
  

The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is the new mid-range model in the brand’s line-up of home cinema projectors and is available now in a choice of matte black or white finishes. The Projector 8 currently retails for £15,999 in the UK or $15,999 in the US.

The Sony Projector 8 has a specified 2,700 lumens light output, and its laser light engine has a 20,000-hour lifespan (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: Specs

The Projector 8 is available with either a white or black casing (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: design

• Advanced Crisp-Focus (ACF) lens
• Motorised lens controls and memories
• Backlit remote control

The Sony Projector 8 looks identical to the brand’s previous generations, with the same angled design and centrally-mounted lens. There are air intake grilles at the front, exhaust vents at the rear, and some basic controls on the left-hand side as you face the lens.

The Projector 8 measures 460 x 210 x 517mm (WxHxD), and weighs in at 14kg. Sony offers a choice of matte black or matte white, and you can also choose between a stand or ceiling mount. The build quality is good, although it feels less substantial when compared to the JVC NZ800.

The Projector 8 uses the Advanced Crisp-Focus (ACF) 70mm lens introduced on earlier models, which is designed to resolve more detail. The lens controls are also motorised, making setup easier, and there are lens memories to create different aspect ratios if you use a 2.35:1 screen.

The connections are all located in a recess along the bottom left-hand side as you face the projector. Here you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 inputs, which is a welcome addition, along with an Ethernet port and RS-232C connector, a 12V trigger, an IR input jack, and a USB port for power.

The provided remote is the same large and backlit zapper included with previous generations of Sony beamers. The buttons are laid out sensibly, it’s comfortable to hold and use with one hand, and includes all the controls you’ll need to set up and operate the Projector 8.

• Design score: 5/5

Ports include 2 HDMI 2.1 connections with 4K 120Hz support for gaming (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: features

• Z-Phosphor laser light source
• Dynamic HDR Tone Mapping
• Support for 4K 120Hz high frame rate

The Sony Projector 8 uses the brand’s current 0.61-inch SXRD chip to deliver native 4K (3840 x 2160) images. The projector has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and thanks to the addition of the two HDMI 2.1 inputs it can now support higher frame rates up to 4K 120p.

The Projector 8 also uses a Z-Phosphor laser light source, with an increased claimed brightness of 2,700 lumens and a claimed lifespan of up to 20,000 hours. That basically means you could watch a film a day for the next ten years without worrying about the image dimming like a lamp or bulb.

The inclusion of wide dynamic range optics and Sony’s XR Triluminos Pro technology promises deeper blacks, more saturated colours and improved contrast ratios. Sony’s professional-grade XR Processor also promises advanced image processing and real-time optimisation of the picture.

Thanks to the addition of the XR Processor the Projector 8 has XR Clear Image processing for intelligent upscaling and noise reduction, along with improved HDR thanks to image cross-analysis, depth mapping and focal point recognition. There’s also XR Deep Black laser dimming and XR Dynamic Tone Mapping for optimised HDR10 based on analysis of the incoming signal.

There’s Motionflow frame interpolation for fast-paced sports action and a low-latency mode for gaming. In addition to the support for 4K 120p high frame-rate gaming, the Projector 8 also has ALLM (auto low latency mode) that puts it into game mode when a games console is detected.

• Features score: 4

The Sony's Reference picture mode proved very accurate out of the box (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: picture quality

• Bright and detailed pictures
• Impressive HDR tone mapping
• Very low input lag for gaming

The Sony Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) delivers awesome big-screen pictures thanks to its native 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and Advanced Crisp-Focused (ACF) 70mm lens. This results in detailed and distortion-free images, along with wider dynamic range optics. All of this means you’ll get pin-sharp resolution across the entire screen – no matter how big that screen is.

If you have a really large screen, there’s no need to worry, because this beamer has a Z-Phosphor laser light source that can reach an extremely bright 2,700 lumens. It also has a claimed lifespan of 20,000 hours, so you’ll never have to worry about changing a lamp, plus the laser itself delivers a consistent colour performance and doesn’t dim significantly over its long average lifespan.

The Reference picture mode proves very accurate out of the box, and the extensive calibration controls can be used to dial in a near-perfect picture. The black levels are not as good as the JVC NZ800, and I measured the Projector 8’s contrast ratio at 12,000:1. Sony only quotes a dynamic contrast ratio of infinity to one, but this is achieved by turning the laser off, which doesn’t represent mixed content.

The big selling point of a Sony projector is its image processing, and the XR Processor doesn’t disappoint. When watching a high quality 1080p source, you’ll be rewarded with an upscaled picture that makes full use of the projector’s more than eight million pixels, producing images that are expertly rendered so they appear clean, detailed and free of unwanted artefacts or noise.

Sony’s Reality Creation detail enhancement applies sharpening to any resolution, including 4K, but is so sophisticated that it achieves this without introducing distracting artefacts. Motion handling is class-leading, appearing fluid and free of judder or other issues, even without engaging Motionflow. Although for fast sports the frame interpolation feature can be beneficial.

The Projector 8 supports HDR10 and HLG, but not HDR10+. The addition of dynamic tone mapping is most welcome, performing frame-by-frame analysis of incoming HDR signals, and adjusting the tone mapping dynamically through pixel processing and the laser power. The results are impressive for a projector, bringing out details in the darkest and brightest parts of the picture.

While I was generally impressed by the picture quality, I do feel that to get the most out of this beamer you need to use all the processing. The Reference mode, which bypasses a lot of the processing, often appeared flat and lifeless, but when switched to Film 1 or Film 2 it was a different story. The images burst into life with detail, depth and colour that really add to SDR and HDR.

Watching Passengers reveals a detailed native 4K image with well rendered HDR and rich colours that retain plenty of depth. The same is true with the saturated primaries in The Greatest Showman, which the Projector 8 handles with skill. It’s only when watching a darker film like The Batman that the weaker blacks of the Projector 8 are laid bare, but at least the shadows are free of crush and the peak highlights don’t suffer from loss of detail or clipping.

The Projector 8 is a great choice for gamers thanks to its bright and detailed images, as well as its peerless motion handling. The performance with SDR is superb, while HDR gaming is exceptional due to the laser light source and HDR enhancements. The overall gaming experience is smooth and responsive thanks to a dedicated game mode that delivers an input lag of 18ms with 4K 60p, and just 10ms with 4K 120p. Both these latency measurements are lightning-fast for a projector, and better than many TVs.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

The Sony's fully backlit remote control makes it easy to adjust settings in a dark room and has all of the adjustments you'll need (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 8 review: value

• Priced to directly compete with superior JVC NZ800
• Expensive when compared to very similar JVC NZ700

The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is priced to compete directly with the JVC DLA-NZ800, which also costs £15,999/$15,999. However, the NZ800 does have the edge due to its all-glass lens, deeper blacks, superior dynamic tone mapping, and support for both HDR10+ and 3D.

The Projector will also face serious competition from JVC’s DLA-NZ700, which currently retails for £9,499/$8,999. The NZ700 isn’t as bright at 2,300 lumens, but it delivers better contrast and HDR tone mapping, and it supports HDR10+. However, the Sony still has the edge with gaming thanks to its lower input lag and support for 4K 120p compared to the JVC, which is limited to 4K 60p.

• Value score: 4/5

The Projector 8's surface controls (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Sony Bravia Projector 8?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want class-leading image processing
The XR Processor brings professional-grade processing to the Projector 8, ensuring superb upscaling, noise reduction, and dynamic HDR tone mapping for awesome big-screen images.

You want 4K 120p support

The HDMI 2.1 inputs allow the Projector 8 to support frame rates of up to 4K 120p, making this beamer a perfect choice for next-gen console owners or anyone using a high-end PC gaming rig.

You want superior motion handling
Motion handling is an area where Sony projectors have always been strong, and the Projector 8 is no exception. Whether it's films, sport or gaming the movement is smooth, clean and detailed.

Don’t buy it if… 

You want deep inky blacks
Sony’s SXRD LCoS display tech is better at delivering blacks than LCD or DLP, but it still can’t reach the inky depths of JVC’s D-ILA, which is also LCoS but remains the king of contrast.

You want support for HDR10+
The Projector 8 doesn’t support HDR10+, so if you want to benefit from the format’s dynamic metadata, which is very handy for beamers, you’ll need to look at models from Epson or JVC.

You want support for 3D
Sony has dropped 3D support with this generation, so if you’re a fan of the third dimension you’ll either have to look at a DLP projector with their poor blacks and rainbows or JVC’s NZ800.

Also consider...

Epson QB1000
The Epson QB1000 has higher brightness than the Sony and also costs less. The Sony has superior black levels and actual 4K imaging chips, however, and its gaming performance is better.

Read our full Epson QB1000 review

Epson LS12000
Epson's LS12000 has the same brightness as the Sony and costs less. It's also a great choice for gaming with 4K 120Hz support though the Sony has the added benefit of ultra-low input lag.

Read our full Epson LS12000 review

JVC DLA-NZ800
The JVC is priced the same as the Sony and has better black levels and HDR10+ and 3D support. It also has 4K 120Hz support for gaming but higher input lag than the Sony.

Read our full JVC DLA-NZ800 review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 8

• Measured with Calman calibration software
• Evaluated using SDR and HDR content
• Reviewed in a dedicated home cinema

As with all my TV and projector reviews I use a combination of subjective viewing and objective measurements against the industry standards. For projectors, I also do all my testing in a dedicated home cinema with a completely blacked-out environment and high-quality screen.

The subjective testing is based around watching a variety of familiar scenes, primarily sourced from 4K and 1080p Blu-rays, plus the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K disc. Any test scenes have been specifically chosen to evaluate a display’s black levels, contrast performance, colour accuracy, upscaling, image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone mapping.

For the objective testing, I measured the Projector 8’s brightness, greyscale and colour gamut in SDR, before doing the same in HDR. I also evaluated the accuracy of the HDR tone mapping, along with the colour gamut coverage for DCI-P3. To do this I used a pattern generator and colour meter combined with Portrait Display’s Calman calibration software. I measured the Projector 8’s input lag in milliseconds using a specialised Leo Bodnar tester.

First reviewed: February, 2025

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Atari 7800+: One-minute review

The Atari 7800+ is the latest attempt at a retro console from the iconic gaming brand. I was hopeful going into this one, as I was quite fond of the previous Atari 2600+ which I awarded four stars in my review. Unfortunately, I feel like the Atari 7800+ is a step down overall, offering little in the way of quality-of-life improvements and a genuinely terrible pack-in controller.

Now, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 2600+’s included CX40+ joystick, citing its stiffness as a major point of contention. I like the CX78+ even less; the option of wireless connectivity is nice, but a lack of a pause or reset button (these are only on the console itself) and its bizarre D-pad / analog stick hybrid make for a miserable play experience. And don’t go thinking you can just swap it out for a third-party controller; the lack of USB ports on the console means that this is strictly not an option.

On a more positive note the VIP Boxset I was sent for testing came with a handful of Atari 7800 games, and they all are good fun. That Atari charm is still in full effect here, with its limited graphical and audio capabilities still allowing for a fascinating and unique gaming experience. It’s a shame that each game takes a decent chunk of time to actually load, but once you’re in, there’s undoubtedly plenty of enjoyment to be had here.

Overall then, the Atari 7800+ is only really recommendable to serious Atari enthusiasts. With its use of physical cartridges (that would need to be bought separately), lack of quality modernities and no support for third-party controllers, it’s authentic to a fault. For some, that’ll be great news. But for a more approachable and affordable retro gaming experience, you might want to consider something like the Evercade VS or the handheld brilliance of the Super Pocket instead.

(Image credit: Future) Atari 7800+: Price and availability

• $129.99 / £99.99
• Includes the console and CX78+ gamepad
• Also includes Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest physical cartridge

The Atari 7800+ has been available since November 2024, and will cost you $129.99 / £99.99. You can buy it directly from Atari’s website, or at retailers including Amazon in the US and Argos across the pond in the UK. This is the same price that the Atari 2600+ launched at, and given the 7800+’s compatibility with 2600 game cartridges and controllers, it’s undoubtedly the one to choose today if you’re deciding between the two, though I do think the 2600+ is the more attractive unit from an aesthetics standpoint.

It’s a pretty expensive investment considering the console only ships with one controller and a single (relatively simple) game. But like devices such as the Evercade EXP and Evercade Alpha, you’ll likely want to buy it in the interest of building up a collection of games. On that note, Atari 7800 and 2600 cartridges can be purchased from the brand’s website for $29.99 / £24.99 a pop. These come with authentic cardboard packaging, adding to the overall value somewhat.

Atari 7800+: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Atari 7800+: Design and features

• Feels lightweight and hollow out of the box
• CX78+ controller is pretty terrible
• Thankfully very easy to set up

Let’s get the positives out the way first. The Atari 7800+ is incredibly easy to set up, and you will be gaming with it within moments of taking it out of the box. In said box, you’re getting the console itself, a CX78+ wireless controller (more on this thing in a moment), and a single game cartridge for Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest - a homebrew title from developer Robert DeCrescenzo. As an aside, I think it’s a wonderful thing that Atari is so prominently promoting members of its homebrew community here, but I’ll talk more about this in the performance section below.

The box has most of everything you’ll need to get the Atari 7800+ up and running on your TV or gaming monitor including a HDMI cable, a DB9 wireless dongle for the controller, and a USB-C cable for power. The console will work simply by plugging it into a USB port, but if you want to hook it up to the mains, you’ll need to source your own USB plug. Atari cites this omission as a means to cut down on e-waste, which is fair enough.

The console itself has little in the way of buttons or ports. The front houses two DB9 controller ports, while the rear has a single HDMI and USB-C port, as well as a switch to flip between 16:9 and 4:3 resolution. The top then has a large cartridge slot (which unfortunately doesn’t have a dust cover), and power, pause, select and reset buttons.

(Image credit: Future)

As I alluded to at the top, this is a pretty authentic package, albeit with the addition of a HDMI port for modern displays. I do wish Atari could’ve found some room for a standard USB port or two, to offer functionality for the best Xbox controllers or best PC controllers like we see on the Evercade VS and Evercade Alpha.

That’s largely because you’ll be relying on the pack-in CX78+ wireless controller for gameplay. In a word, this thing is awful. While appearing faithful to the original 7800 controller, its boxy shape doesn’t sit well in the hands and its D-pad / analog stick hybrid is beyond uncomfortable to play with. In fairness, its two face buttons are just fine, and it instantly paired to the console by holding down the pairing button for a second.

But there’s really not much else to say about the CX78+. It’s good that there’s one in the box, but it had me begging for third-party controller support.

One last gripe I have is with the cartridge slot. Cartridges never quite feel like they’re securely in place here. Yet simultaneously, you really have to jimmy the cartridges from side to side in order to dislodge them, which creates a rather uncomfortable squeaking sound as they come loose.

Atari 7800+: Performance

• Simple, but very charming game library
• Emulation is broadly excellent
• Games can take some time to boot

Now I get to talk about my favorite part of the Atari 7800+ experience - the games themselves. Like with the Atari 2600+, I found myself surprised at how well many of these games held up as well as how much fun I was having. Look, I’m old, but Atari was still before my time. Cut me some slack.

The pack-in game, Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest, is excellent. This is an Adventure Island-esque side-scrolling platformer with simple yet charming visuals and surprisingly moreish gameplay. You’ll run from left to right, dispatching enemies with a reliable projectile attack. Your health bar also acts like a timer, counting down as you progress, but thankfully it can be topped up with semi-plentiful health items. It’s good simple fun and has a decent level of challenge to it.

(Image credit: Future)

I was also a huge fan of Ninja Golf, which is exactly what it sounds like. Here, you whack your ball up a course, and you’ll then have to run towards it, eliminating enemy ninjas and wild creatures on the way. It again plays very well if you can get used to the CX78+ controller.

I also got to test out an impressive Rad Racer-like combat racing game in Fatal Run, as well as two relatively simpler experiences in Frenzy and Asteroids Deluxe. Overall, there’s a good amount of variety if you’re planning to shop around for extra cartridges on Atari’s website. I don’t personally own any old 2600 or 7800 cartridges myself, but Atari’s website claims the 7800+ has “near-perfect compatibility with original and third-party Atari games.”

It’s worth noting that each game did take a surprising amount of time to boot, often upwards of 10 seconds for games with more detailed visuals like Ninja Golf and Fatal Run. It’s also quite irksome that the CX78+ controller (likely for the sake of authenticity) doesn’t have a pause button - so you’ll need to rely on the one found on the console instead.

Should I buy the Atari 7800+? Buy it if...

You want an authentic retro gaming experience
With top emulation and a reliance on physical cartridges, the Atari 7800+ is a fine choice if you’re looking to kickstart a new game collection especially if you’re enthusiastic about some of the earliest games in our medium’s history.

You already own a good number of old Atari cartridges
The Atari 7800+ is broadly compatible with authentic 2600 and 7800 game cartridges. As a result, the 7800+ provides a good excuse to dust away those cobwebs and put your old collection to use once more.

Don't buy it if...

You haven’t the cash to spare
The console itself is already pretty pricey, but you’ll also need to buy more cartridges separately. This can add up to a pretty hefty investment overall.

You were hoping for more controller support
Having the option to use an Xbox Wireless Controller or similar would’ve been a serious boon here. Instead, you’ll be relying on Atari’s own controller, and it isn’t particularly good.View Deal

Also consider...

If the Atari 7800+ isn’t quite doing it for you, you might want to consider one of these other retro console devices.

Atari 2600+
The Atari 2600+ is the 7800+’s predecessor and technically less capable given its lack of 7800 cartridge support, but I’m a big fan of its authentic look from its dip switches to elements of a wood finish. If you prize aesthetics, this console is more attractive than its successor.

Read our full Atari 2600+ review

Evercade VS
It supports the entire Evercade cartridge library, is more affordable and features four USB ports for its own controller as well as third-party gamepad support. This one’s a real winner if you’re keen to have a more arcade-focused collection from developers including Capcom, Taito, Technos and more.

Read our full Evercade VS review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Atari 7800+

• Tested over the course of a week
• Played on a 24-inch AOC Gaming 24G2SP monitor
• A wide selection of games tested

I played the Atari 7800+ over the course of about a week, primarily with it hooked up to a smaller display to get the best results out of its simplistic visuals. My monitor of choice here was the AOC Gaming 24G2SP monitor, with games played via HDMI at 1080p resolution. Though I did make sure to test games back and forth between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.

Games tested included Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest, Fatal Run, Frenzy, Asteroids Deluxe and Ninja Golf. As I couldn’t play these games with a third-party controller, I had to make use of the pack-in CX78+ controller.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025

Hori Split Pad Pro: One-minute review

The Hori Split Pad Pro was easily one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers when it first launched in conjunction with Daemon X Machina over five years ago, offering a fantastic wired-only Joy-Con alternative that delivered superior comfort and performance at the cost of a few nice-to-have features like HD Rumble, motion controls, and wireless compatibility. It remains a decent option in 2025, especially given its relatively modest price point, but the rise of absolutely killer, feature-packed alternatives like the CRKD Nitro Deck or CRKD Nitro Deck+ mean it’s not quite the titan that it once was.

The full-size thumbsticks, larger face buttons, and massively improved shoulder buttons are among its biggest advantages still, especially compared to the standard Joy-Con controllers. It’s hard to overstate just how much this can improve some games, especially shooters like Borderlands 3 or Doom Eternal where the limited thumbstick motion and shallow triggers of the Joy-Con are a constant frustration. Even so, the absence of motion controls is a real shame in this regard, especially when most Nintendo Switch shooters now support them for more precise aiming, and makes it unsuitable for the likes of Splatoon 3 if that’s your preferred input method.

The D-pad of the Hori Split Pad Pro is a strong point too and perfect for precise platforming in games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It’s joined by some handy extras, like two remappable rear inputs and an optional turbo mode, though I don’t find myself reaching for either of these that often. All of this can be configured on the controllers themselves, which eliminates the need for any extra software.

There’s also the matter of the controller’s overall shape, which is significantly larger than that of the Joy-Con. Does this make your Nintendo Switch harder to stash in a bag? Absolutely, but I think this trade-off is worth it given the greater level of comfort that it brings. It makes the Nintendo Switch a joy to play over extended periods of time and can be a lifesaver if you're trying to game throughout a long journey.

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(Image credit: Future) Hori Split Pad Pro: Price and availability

• Plain models go for $49.99 / £39.99
• Licensed versions get expensive
• Accessory pack available for TV mode wired play

The plain black version of the Hori Split Pad Pro is easy to find for $49.99 / £39.99 at online retailers like Amazon in addition to Best Buy and Walmart in the US or Argos and Currys in the UK. There are also a plethora of licensed versions available, though these are generally more expensive. To give an example, the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom variant that I tested costs $59.99 / £53.99 at the time of writing, so only spring out for these editions if you’re willing to pay more for the aesthetic.

This price point puts the Hori Split Pad Pro in close competition with the $59.99 / £59.99 CRKD Nitro Deck, especially when you bear in mind that the latter is almost perpetually on sale for as low as $39.99 / £37.99. Having tested both extensively, I can say the CRKD Nitro Deck is definitively better thanks to a slightly more comfortable shape (though the Split Pad Pro is still comfy) and the addition of features like motion control and rumble. Still, the Hori Split Pad Pro is worth choosing if you prefer its smaller form factor - or want something that doesn’t need a mobile app to tweak.

You can also buy the Hori Split Pad Pro in a bundle that comes with a small attachment that goes in between the controllers for wired TV mode play and also enables PC compatibility. This comes in at $79.99 / £69.99 and is the only way to buy that attachment as it is not sold separately.

Hori Split Pad Pro: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Hori Split Pad Pro: Design and features

• Much more comfortable than the Joy-Con
• But light weight feels quite cheap
• Turbo mode, plus remappable buttons featured

Taking the Hori Split Pad Pro out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice is its light weight. These controllers come in at just 0.18 lbs / 80 g each - which is actually a little more than the standard Joy-Con but, because of the increased size, feels a lot less substantial in the hands. They come across as almost hollow, which isn’t the best first impression given the price. Thankfully, this is barely noticeable once you slot them into the Joy-Con rails, and they slide in seamlessly before securing in place with a reassuring click.

Hori has opted for an unusual, almost squashed look with the Split Pad Pro, giving the impression of a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that someone has accidentally sat on. The grips are tiny, lumpy protrusions on the corner of each side of the gamepad, which honestly looks pretty ridiculous. That said, the company must be on to something here as the Hori Split Pad Pro is seriously comfortable to hold.

The grips fit nicely in my palms and the chunky depth gives you loads to grasp on to. The shoulder buttons are a massive improvement over those found on the Joy-Con, coming in larger and with a much softer press to them. The triggers are also enhanced, with a bit of extra movement for a more satisfying pull. Likewise, the thumbsticks have a great range of motion, allowing for more precise inputs than the fiddly tiny ones on the Joy-Con - though they are unfortunately not Hall effect like those of the CRKD Nitro Deck. There’s also a proper D-pad, with a satisfying, spongy feel (not too dissimilar to that of the Nintendo 2DS) and a slight concave shape that’s pleasant on the thumb.

When it comes to features, you have a modest selection to choose from. Each side of the Split Pad Pro has its own rear input, which can be mapped by holding the tiny ‘Assign’ button on the front. This can only be achieved while your Nintendo Switch is powered on but, thankfully, does save your selection in between uses. There’s also a turbo button, which you can hold to simulate rapid button presses without ruining your thumb - handy if you play a lot of arcade shoot-’em up style games.

As I’ve previously mentioned, this is a wired controller that can only be used attached to the Switch. Unlike the Joy-Con, you also don’t get HD Rumble (or any vibration for that matter), gyroscope controls, an IR camera, or Amiibo support which is a shame but not too surprising in the realm of third-party controllers.

(Image credit: Future) Hori Split Pad Pro: Performance

• Very comfortable to use
• Perfect for shooters
• Outclassed by the CRKD Nitro Deck

There’s very little I can fault the Hori Split Pad Pro on in raw performance. It feels great in the hands and remains so over extended sessions. I often find my fingers become cramped after multiple hours with the Joy-Con and that’s not at all the case here.

The buttons and D-pad are perfectly responsive and a great size for those with larger hands too, further adding to the comfort factor. The larger thumbsticks don’t have a lot of resistance so are ideal for quick motion, whether that’s in 3D adventures like Super Mario Odyssey or fast-paced driving games such as Rocket League.

My only complaint with the buttons is the use of a very soft rubbery material for the start, select, home, ‘Assign’ and turbo buttons, which makes them fairly dull and slow to press. These aren’t buttons that you’re going to be using all the time, of course, but plastic would be a big improvement. Although I do miss the ability to tweak settings like thumbstick sensitivity, the fact that you don’t need an app to access the rear button assignment and turbo is refreshing and would make this a particularly good fit if you’re shopping for a child.

Unfortunately, the Hori Split Pad Pro suffers because of its relative age. The CRKD Nitro Deck and CRKD Nitro Deck+ have launched over the last couple of years and outclass it in almost every regard - be that the presence of motion control, rumble, two more rear inputs, a HDMI port, or Hall effect components. Having tested both extensively, I even found that the Nitro Deck is a tad more comfortable thanks to its increased heft and certainly has a more premium build. The one area where the Hori Split Pad Pro comes up on top is the fact that it is smaller and easier to remove, so slightly more portable overall.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Hori Split Pad Pro? Buy it if...

You want a simple Joy-Con alternative
If you want an easy-to-use handheld grip that doesn’t require an app to access any of its features, then the Hori Split Pad Pro is for you.

You love handheld play
The Hori Split Pad Pro is excellent for handheld play, offering a huge improvement over the Joy-Con controllers included with the Nintendo Switch.

You love the licensed designs
With designs inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and more, the Hori Split Pad Pro is definitely worth picking up if you’re a fan of the look.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want a wireless controller with all the features
If you want a controller with all of the features of the Joy-Con, you’re going to need to look elsewhere. The Hori Split Pad Pro can only be used in a wired capacity, and also lacks features like rumble, gyroscope controls, and Amiibo support.View Deal

The CRKD Nitro Deck is on sale
When it’s on sale, the CRKD Nitro Deck is practically the same price as the cheapest version of the Hori Split Pad Pro. It’s also noticeably better, with Hall effect components and a more premium build, plus loads of extra features.View Deal

Also consider...

Considering the Hori Split Pad Pro? These alternatives should also be on your radar.

CRKD Nitro Deck
The CRKD Nitro Deck is the closest equivalent to the Hori Split Pad Pro and offers a wider set of features, plus more remappable buttons, at a very similar price.

Read our full CRKD Nitro Deck review

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
If you want a fully-featured, wireless controller for your Nintendo Switch then you can never go wrong with the official option. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller feels great in the hands and has best-in-class battery life.

Read our full Nintendo Switch Pro Controller review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Hori Split Pad Pro

• Tested this unit for two weeks
• Tried with a huge a variety of Nintendo Switch games
• Compared to other Nintendo Switch accessories

Although Hori provided the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom edition for the purposes of this review, I have owned the black version of the Hori Split Pad Pro for years with it being my main Nintendo Switch controller between 2021 and 2023, at which point I upgraded to the CRKD Nitro Deck. I have spent literally hundreds of hours with it, testing all of its functions and playing a huge variety of Nintendo Switch games.

For this review, I compared my experience with the Hori Split Pad Pro to that with other Nintendo Switch controllers and accessories - namely the CRKD Nitro Deck.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025

Iniu B41 power bank: review

The Iniu B41 is a basic power bank with limited features, but a form factor that’s sure to please those who like to travel as light as possible. The power and battery indicator LED is in the shape of a paw – a design choice that’s not explained, but one I’m happy to go along with; if nothing else, it helps to liven up the monotony of the black colorway. Fortunately, the B41 caters to those who like a little more vibrancy, as it also comes in blue, orange, and red variants.

The matt rubberized finish does help to elevate its appearance, and the power button is integrated and seamless with the material, which adds to its sleekness. It feels premium too, although it’s maybe not quite on a par with some rivals. The overall build quality of the B41, though, is quite good. The joins are tight and secure, and there’s barely any flex to any of the panels.

It’s also very thin and light for a 10,000mAh battery, even when compared to the best power banks. This makes it one of the most pocket-friendly power banks I’ve ever used, so those who are constantly on the go will certainly welcome this aspect. Iniu even claims it’s the market’s thinnest 10K power bank.

As for port selection, the B41 features one USB-C port and two USB-A ports, a generous selection considering just how thin it is. Another nice touch is the inbuilt flashlight, which is quite bright considering its small size. It can be easily toggled with two quick presses of the power button.

It took about 90 minutes to charge my Google Pixel 7a from half to full capacity, which is a decent performance. Doing so depleted the battery by only one bar, which means you should be able to get a couple of full charges out of it. However, charging the B41 itself took about three hours from two to four bars, which isn’t a particularly impressive performance.

What’s more, with only 15W of power, this isn’t a bank for charging your larger devices, such as laptops. At a stretch it can charge some tablets, such as the iPad Mini, but Iniu states it will only manage 1.6 charges for this device. At least multiport charging is possible, though.

For about $20, the B41 is also good value, undercutting many of its rivals. However, Iniu also has its B61 power bank, which isn’t much more, yet offers 22.5W of power instead of 15W, as well as a screen displaying the battery readout. But while it’s thin, it’s not as thin as the B41. The B61 might be the better pick therefore, unless thinness is a top priority for you, in which case the B41 is preferable.

(Image credit: Future) Iniu B41 power bank review: price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Iniu B41 power bank? Buy it if…

You want to travel light
As one of the thinnest 10K power banks out there, the B41 is certainly easy to carry in your bag or pocket.

You want to save money
The B41 is something of a bargain, yet still offers enough performance for keeping your smaller devices topped up.

Don't buy it if…

You have big devices to charge
With only 15W of power, the B41 won’t cut the mustard for laptop or larger tablet charging.

You want more features
The integrated flashlight is a nice touch, but there’s no digital display, and there are 10K banks with more ports and even wireless charging.

Iniu B41 power bank review: Also consider

Iniu B61
Another well-priced offering from Iniu, the B61 is similarly light and offers the same port selection, although it has more power (22.5W). It’s slightly thicker, but not by much, yet it manages to fit in a digital display which provides a battery life readout. For many, this could be the better option. Read our Iniu B61 review.

Journey Glyde 4-in-1 travel charger review

It was love at first sight with the Journey Glyde. When I came across it, I was getting ready to embark on a four-week overseas holiday that involved road trips to different places. So I was rather excited that this MagSafe travel charger would not only work as a wireless stand for my iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch, but also work as a portable charger with a 10,000mAh capacity.

While I’m not a fan of the matte white top panel that has the charging pads for a phone and AirPods – it picks up scratches very easily – I love the sliding panel underneath that pops up the charging pad for the Apple Watch. The splotchy grey finish is interesting, and I’d have preferred something similar for the top panel as well. Its weight and bulk, however, were concerning.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While Journey lists the Glyde at 395g, it felt heavier in my hand and, weighing it myself, it tipped the scales at 411g. The extra 16g may not seem like much, but when you’re packing for an overseas trip, the grams quickly clock up. Its sliding design also makes it bulky for a travel charger.

Personally, I think it’s best to carry a smaller 20,000mAh portable charger instead, a capacity that pretty much every international airline allows in carry-on luggage. Most of these are smaller and lighter, so won’t eat away at your luggage allowance. I suppose if Journey increased the backup capacity on the Glyde to 20,000mAh, it would make the whole device even heavier.

For a long journey, 10,000mAh doesn’t sound like much but, in a pinch, it’s better than nothing at all. It was just enough to top up my Apple Watch SE 2 and my iPhone 13 Pro only once after use throughout the day. That would drain the Journey Glyde fully which, in my specific use case, wasn’t ideal as it would need time at the mains to top up. Otherwise it was just a bulky and heavy wireless charger. If I wasn’t going on multiple mini trips during my overseas holiday, I’d probably not have felt the need for more portable capacity than 10,000mAh, but that was exacerbated by the fact that, as a power bank, it was inefficient – something that a colleague proved through testing.

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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The Glyde does not support newer efficient fast-charging protocols like PPS, but does output 20W, so can still do reasonably fast top-ups.And while most power banks typically offer 15% less of their advertised capacity due to conversion losses, the Glyde gave 34% loss during testing. Even at an easy slow charge, the losses were 27% – way above what’s expected.

This means that of the 10,000 mAh capacity, only about 7,000mAh is available in normal use – enough to give a phone and a smartwatch a single charge, but not a good result considering the price. It’s much better to use wired charging on the go, as wireless charging is even less efficient, and you can expect around 50% of the rated capacity. On the plus side, it works fine as a charging stand, and can hit the 15W Qi charging rate when plugged in.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Journey Glyde: Price & specs Should I buy the Journey Glyde? Buy it if...

You want a good-looking travel charger

If you like tactile finishes, then you’ll love the Journey Glyde. The matte finish is lovely, and the white/grey color looks very minimalist. Most other travel chargers I’ve seen don’t look near as nice.

You want more than just a wireless charging stand

Not many travel chargers include a battery and can be used as a portable charger, which gives the Journey Glyde an edge over the competition. However, you will be paying more for this privilege.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to spend too much on a travel charger

The Journey Glyde might have its advantages when you’re traveling, but it doesn’t come cheap – and its value is diminished further by its lack of charging efficiency.

You won’t be spending much time in one place

If your travel plans mean that you won’t be able to keep the Journey Glyde plugged into the mains to top up the backup battery, it may not be worth your while at all as the 10,000mAh capacity drains quite quickly.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Also consider

There isn't much else out there to compare the Journey Glyde directly to, but there are travel chargers aplenty. Below are a couple of alternatives, although neither will get you a backup battery.

Mous MagSafe 3-in-1 portable charger

It won't charge your iPhone as quickly as the Journey Glyde either, but it is cheaper and is the size of a credit card.
Read our full Mous Compatible 3 In 1 Portable Charger review

ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set

For faster iPhone charging with a sturdier build, this premium 3-in-1 wireless charging set is a great choice. It's nowhere near as portable as the Mous charger, but it comes with a handy travel bag that holds all the components, plus the included 30W plug.

Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse: Two-minute review

The ClearStream Eclipse is a reversible design that gives you black and white color options (Image credit: Future)

The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse is a simple, yet powerful indoor antenna with an unobtrusive design. Like other examples of the best indoor TV antennas, its only function is to “pull” the stations you want at your particular location. Still, until you try a given model at yours it’s impossible to predict the results. That said, Antennas Direct makes it a bit easier with its free Antenna Point iOS/Android app, which uses your phone’s location data to display a map showing transmitter locations, and thus your aiming direction, and lists all their main and sub-channels sorted as Strong, Fair, or Weak (based purely on distance, with no considerations for elevation or obstructions, but it’s a start).

The Antennas Direct CleStream Eclipse’s packaging claims a “50-plus-mile range,” but remember that any antenna’s performance is largely dictated by its elevation and by the presence or absence of intervening hills or tall buildings. Note that this review also covers the amplified Eclipse: the same antenna is offered without the signal amplifier for about $15 less.

The Eclipse antenna is a flexible vinyl halo about 8 inches across, meant to be fixed to a smooth surface — typically, a windowpane or painted wall — using the supplied crescent of clear double-sided adhesive plastic. (Since my trials were strictly temporary, I used blue painter’s tape instead, and suggest others do likewise until they finalize their installation.) One side of the antenna is white, the other black, so decor-wise you can pick your poison.

Flip the antenna around for the white option (Image credit: Future)

A housing at the bottom about a half-inch thick — the antenna itself is not much more than a half-millimeter or so thick – provides a standard coaxial F-connector plus the supplied coax cables. ClearStream packs two: 3-foot and 12-foot lengths, intending the shorter one to connect the antenna to the included signal amplifier, and the longer one to the amp to your TV (other lengths are available at most hardware stores). The amp module, about the size of a pack of gum, has two F-connectors (antenna input and signal output), and a mini-USB port for power. A supplied 8-foot power cable supplies the juice, which can come from any open USB port on the TV or another component, or from the small wall charger packed with the Eclipse. (The amp supplied with my Eclipse sample looked slightly different than the one shown in ads, but is likely to be electrically identical.)

Before we report on the ClearStream Eclipse’s performance, it’s worth repeating: real-world reception is overwhelmingly affected by your location’s elevation, and by any obstructions, natural or man-made, that intervene between it and your desired stations’ transmitters. Our results reflect a semi-rural spot at about 700 feet above sea level, in a second-story window with a clear line-of-sight southeast, where a variety of signals emanate from the east, south, and southwest, at distances ranging from 17 miles to more than 75 miles. This is a pretty excellent site, so your mileage will vary.

With that caveat, in my trial the Eclipse pulled in 16 main signals, delivering a total of 61 main and sub-channels combined – impressive results. Of these, the most distant one (nearly 70 miles) was occasionally “blocky” enough to be only borderline usable, while the rest were solid, though this is likely to vary from day to day and even hour to hour as atmospheric conditions change.

The included amplifier module attaches to the antenna and to your TV's USB port for power. (Image credit: Future) Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse: Price and release date

• First available: June 2016
• Price: $49.99

With its very fine performance (especially on UHF-band signals), the ClearStream Eclipse Amplified is very fairly priced at $50, and it can regularly be found for less. Nonetheless, spending half to twice as much on a larger design incorporating VHF elements may deliver a few more fringe signals.

The antenna plus included accessories (Image credit: Future) Should you buy the Antennas Direct ClearSstream Eclipse? Buy it if...

You need fringe-suburban to edge-rural reception: The Eclipse managed to pull in signals from 17 to nearly 70 miles in our test setting.

You want an unobtrusive antenna: The Eclipse's surface-mount design lets it easily be hidden in a window or on a wall outside of view.

Don't buy it if...

You need to receive signals much beyond 50 miles: The Eclipse may not be able to pull in signals from long distances, especially if your home is in a low spot or obstructed by hills or buildings.

You need a VHF (channels 2-13) station at some distance: In this case, a larger indoor antenna with VHF elements may well do better.

Mohu Vibe review: Also consider

Mohu Arc
A slightly pricier antenna with a decor-friendly design. It lacks amplification, so is best suited for urban and suburban enviroments where stations are within a 40-mile radius.

Read our full Mohu Arc review

Mohu Vibe
The Vibe is another design-friendly option with good signal-pulling abilities, though its range comes up short compared to the Eclipse.

Read our full Mohu Vibe review

Winegard FlatWave Amped Pro TH-3000
A pricier amplified antenna that provides very good range at 60-plus miles, It also features a useful Bluetooth setup app to assist in installation. 

Read our full Winegard FlatWave Amped Pro TH-3000 review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse

• Tested at semi-rural location
• Compared with powerful "reference" antenna

I test indoor TV antennas at a semi-rural, hilltop location with good elevation and a clear line-of-sight over nearly 360 degrees to TV transmitters ranging from about 15 to about 70 miles. This testing environment gives me the ability to evaluate models catering to a full spectrum of indoor antenna needs.

For the testing process, I first place the antenna high up in a south-facing window and run the tuning process on a TV with an ATSC 3.0 “next-gen TV” tuner. I then record the number of carriers tuned, along with the total number of sub-channels. A powerful inside-the-attic rooftop-type antenna at the same location is also used as a reference for comparison.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025