We're in Las Vegas with two ears and a heart, on the search for the best in immersive open earbuds, portable Bluetooth speakers, powered stereo setups, and more. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. When it comes to audio systems at CES, held January 6-9 in Las Vegas, we always hope to find new ways companies have found to make music feel bigger without making your life harder. Sometimes that means earbuds you pull out of your pocket to pull previously unheard details out of tracks. Sometimes that means a wireless headset that considers limited bandwidth a personal insult.

It's been a big year for gaming. To help you shop for the gamer in your life, whether you, a family member or a friend, we've rounded up seven fantastic deals that make excellent gifts for gamers. This HCG1 Pro Gaming Headset is an excellent addition to any gaming setup. It's universally compatible with all of your favorite platforms, working seamlessly with your PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and any other device that allows a 3.5mm audio jack. Just as valuable, this pro gaming headset provides you with incredible audio and sound.

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Wireless TV headphones allow you to enjoy TV shows, movies, and video games without disturbing people around you. After spending dozens of hours researching the available options and testing 20 systems, we're confident that the Sennheiser RS 165 is the best one available today. It's easy to set up, sounds much better than the competition, and produces almost no latency between the audio and video (a major problem with many systems). The Sennheiser RS 165 is the best-sounding wireless TV headphone system we tested, and unlike with most of the competition, we didn't detect any noticeable delay between audio and the video we watched, making for the best experience. The lightweight headphones are comfortable to wear, easy to charge, and easy to add to most existing TVs or home theater setups. The rechargeable batteries last long enough to make it through several movies.

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Whether you're already one of the 20 percent of American adults who own a voice-controlled smart speaker or you're still on the fence about investing in an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device or an Apple HomePod, you might be wondering just how many of these intelligently attentive devices you'll need. A smart speaker can offer voice-controlled convenience throughout your home--but only if it can hear you. The number of speakers you should buy depends on what kind of home you live in, and where and when you'll need your voice assistant to hear you.

More and more people are wearing headphones as they go about their daily lives. These mainstays of personal audio have evolved over the years, becoming untethered by wires while improving their sound quality and adding new and useful features. The JBL Everest 710GA is a perfect case in point, promising exceptional sound quality and a host of features--including Google Assistant--all without cumbersome cables. The JBL Everest 710GA over-ear headphones use 40mm full-range drivers to reproduce frequencies from 10Hz to 22kHz with a maximum SPL (sound pressure level) of 111dB. The padded earcups and headband are designed for maximum comfort, and the earcups fold flat into the headband for storage in the included hard-shell case.

The term hearables refers to a hybrid technology which combines the advantages of wearable technology with the form factor and functionality of a headphone. The term hearables surfaced around April 2014, when Nick Hunn wrote about a new class of wearable devices that are worn as conventional headphones and has a $5 Billion market by 2018. Hearables are more than just smart-headphones that can play music or help consumers have a conversation over Bluetooth. Hearables have additional biometric, movement, or proximity sensors that can help the smart device gather context about the consumer's behavior. Also, they may have voice-enabled virtual assistants build into them, that can provide real-time insights to consumers.

Surface Headphones are Microsoft's high-price, premium noise-cancelling cans aimed squarely at toppling the current kings, Bose and Sony. Headphones seem like an odd choice for the Xbox, Office and Windows maker, but the are being produced by Microsoft's burgeoning consumer electronics arm responsible for its line of Surface computers and accessories. Microsoft has aimed right for the top of the tree in terms of wireless, noise cancelling headphones. The fit and finish of the Surface Headphones is every bit as good as Bose. The large, soft round ear cups encapsulate my ears with their oval openings, while the angle of the band and hinge points give plenty of flexibility, avoiding any obvious pressure points.

Alexa could soon be coming to a lot more devices, from smart watches to Bluetooth headphones. Amazon announced its new Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit today, in a move to expand the voice assistant to'on-the-go' devices. While Alexa has appeared on wearables before, the new kit aims to make the process much simpler, so Bluetooth devices built with it can connect right to Alexa through the smartphone app. Alexa could soon be coming to a lot more devices, from smart watches to Bluetooth headphones. Amazon announced its new Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit today, in a move to expand the voice assistant to'on-the-go' devices.

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Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners are complaining about a bug that prevents Google Assistant from working with Bluetooth headphones, Android Police first spotted. Users commenting on a Pixel User Community thread said that when they connect Bluetooth headphones to their devices and activate Google Assistant, it makes a sound that indicates it's listening but does not pick up their voices. "[...] every time that Google Assistant is summoned up and any bluetooth headset is connected, then Assistant will NOT detect audio neither from bluetooth headset nor from phone, said one user in the forum. "Assistant is not detecting audio when squeezed from lock screen with Bluetooth headset. Even when I set the assistant to detect the hot word and hear audio from wired and Bluetooth headsets." "In my case the issue occurs always and not only when the screen is locked and I squeeze to launch the Assistant.