The Best Speakers, Headphones & Audio Gear of CES 2023

Once again, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is proving to be a big showcase for all things audio. From fancy-new Dolby Atmos soundbars to funky-little portable speakers, gorgeous loudspeakers and incredibly expensive hi-fi components — it’s all there.

Below, we’ve rounded up the coolest new audio gear that’s been announced at CES 2023.

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Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors

Drop announced its first-ever set of computer speakers, the BMR1, and they’re pretty versatile. You can connect them to your computer via AUX or stream music to them over Bluetooth. You can even add an external subwoofer for improved bass. And they can be vertically (shown) or horizontally orientated, depending on how you want them to look on your desk.

Availability: preorder on January 31; expected to ship late February or early March
Price: $129

Victrola Stream Onyx

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Victrola has announced a follow-up to its Stream Carbon turntable that it released a few months. Like its predecessor, the Stream Onyx is a collaboration with Sonos — they are the only two turntables (so far) that are certified for Works With Sonos — and allows you to wirelessly stream your vinyl directly to your Sonos system. The difference is that the Stream Onyx is $200 cheaper than the $800 Stream Carbon. The reason for this is that the Stream Onyx is made with less premium materials. Instead of a mostly metal design, the Onyx is made mostly of thick plastic. It also has a slightly less high-end tonearm and cartridge.

Availability: preorder January 7; ships late February
Price: $599

Focal Vestia

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The high-end French audio company introduced a new gorgeous series of loudspeakers. There are five loudspeaker models in the new Vestia line, including a center channel ($699), a pair of bookshelf speakers ($599) and three pairs of floorstanding speakers (starting at $1,399). Each of these speakers feature the company’s M-shaped dome TAM tweeter, which was first featured in the car stereo systems.

Availability: Now
Price: $599 — $2,199

Poly Voyager Free 60+

The Poly Voyager Free 60+ is a unique pair of high-end wireless earbuds. They are one of the first (along with the JBL Tour Pro 2, below) to have charging case has a built-in touchscreen, which allows you to adjust volume, noise-cancellation and the battery status of each earbud along with the case. Additionally, you can connect the case to an older device that doesn’t support Bluetooth, such as an in-flight entertainment system, via its included 3.5mm to USB-C cable. They come with a Qi-wireless charging pad.

Availability: March 2023
Price: $350

Naim New Classic Range

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Naim announced the “New Classic” range which is made up of three gorgeous high-end audio components. There’s the NSC 222 streaming amplifier ($8,999), which is designed to integrate with all of Naim’s existing streaming products; the new NAP 250 power amplifier ($8,999) is the company’s most powerful NAP 250 ever, able to deliver 100-watts per channel; the NPX 300 ($8,999) is a power supply upgrade designed to partner with the NSC 222 and deliver cleaner power.

Availability: January 2023
Price: $8,999 (each)

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet

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Audio-Technica attached a boom microphone to its popular M50X wired headphones, turning them into a headset primed for gamers and streamers. The ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet comes in two models, one with a standard 3.5mm jack and one with a USB-A connection. US pricing and availability has yet to be announced, although they are expected to cost somewhere around $200.

Availability: TBD
Price: TBD

JBL Spinner BT

The JBL Spinner BT is a belt-driven turntable with a built-in moving-magnet phono preamp, which you can toggle on/off if you want to use external components. Other than its orange accents, what makes the Spinner BT unique is that it also supports Bluetooth aptX HD, meaning you can wirelessly stream vinyl to your wireless headphones or portable speakers.

Availability: third quarter of 2023
Price: $400

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is a pretty futuristic soundbar for PC gamers. It comes with integrated lights and support for the company’s Chroma RGB lighting system, so it can sync with your other Razer gaming accessories. It supports 3D immersive audio and, most interesting, has an integrated IR camera that tracks the listener’s head position and optimizes audio based on their location. The soundbar connects to your computer via USB-C and supports Bluetooth so you can stream music from a device when not gaming.

Availability: February 2023
Price: $400

Sennheiser IE 200

Sennheiser announced the IE 200, which are the most affordable in-ear headphones in the company’s well-lauded IE series. The IE 200 share a similar look and feel as the company’s higher-end options, which tops out at $1,500 with the IE 900, but they are targeted towards more budget-conscious hi-fi enthusiasts.

Availability: now (preorder); January 31, 2023 (ships)
Price: $150

Acer Halo Swing

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The Acer Halo Swing is a portable smart speaker that’s integrated with Google Assistant. You can think of it sort of like a smaller Sonos Move, as it supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, so you can listen to it around the house as a smart speaker or as a traditional Bluetooth speaker when out of Wi-Fi range. What really makes the Halo Swing unique is that it has a LED dot display (like an Echo Dot with Clock) that can show the time, data, weather and messages. It also has a RGB-lit base that can change colors depending on the music you’re listening to.

Availability: TBD
Price: $229

JBL Tour Pro 2

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The JBL Tour Pro 2 is another unique pair of wireless earbuds, mostly because of the 1.45-inch touchscreen that’s integrated in its charging case. This display will allow you to adjust the volume of your music, switch between tracks and switch between listening modes; it’ll also show you push notifications from your smartphone. The earbuds themselves are high-end. They boast active noise-cancellation and support for spatial audio.

Availability: Spring 2023
Price: $250

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JBL Pulse 5

The JBL Pulse 5 is the company’s newest ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker with an integrated LED that lights up and changes color with your music. Compared to its predecessor, the Pulse 4, the fifth-generation speaker has a smoother exterior and promises bigger, better sound.

Availability: Spring 2023
Price: $250

JBL Bar 1300X

JBL’s “Bar” line of soundbars first debuted in 2020 and they are unique because they have detachable rear satellite speakers, effectively allowing you to turn a front-firing soundbar into a truly immersive surround sound system. The company announced several refreshed and new versions of these soundbars for 2023, but the JBL Bar 1300X is definitely the standout. It’s a 11.1.4-channel system with 21-total drivers (including six upward-firing) and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Yes, it’s a beast.

Availability: February 19
Price: $1,700

Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus

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The Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus are high-end wireless earbuds that support active noise-cancellation and transparency modes. What really makes them unique, however, is that can actually work as hearing aids — although Sennheiser isn’t officially calling them that — as they have “advanced speech enhancement technology” to help isolate and amplify voices around you. These earbuds comes in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s announcement last August that it would allow adults with mild hearing issues to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription.

Availability: Now
Price: $850

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