ECOUSTICS

The Questyle M18i Max is a compact USB DAC and headphone amplifier designed to solve a familiar problem for listeners using a phone, tablet, or computer: how to get genuinely high-quality headphone performance without adding a traditional desktop stack. Questyle has built its reputation around current-mode amplification, a technology the company has used across its home and portable products for years, and the M18i Max brings that approach to a far more portable package.

Beats’ new 360 headphones are different from any Beats pair we’ve seen before. They’re designed around an adaptable core frame with easily swappable earcups and headband cushions in multiple colors and styles, along with features like much-improved noise canceling compared with the Studio Pro and IPX4 water resistance. Their $350 MSRP is the same as the 2023 Beats Studio Pro and considerably less than competing models from Bose, Sony, and others. But can they really be your everything headphones?

Epson Model LS5000 (2026) LS6000 (2026) LS7500 (2026) LS11000 (2022) Product Type Video Projector Video Projector Video Projector Video Projector Price $1,999.99 $2,199.99 $2,699.99 $3,999.99 Projection System Epson 3LCD Epson 3LCD Epson 3LCD Epson 3LCD Chip Design (Architecture) 3-chip 3-chip 3-chip 3-chip Light Source True Laser Diode Array True Laser Diode Array True Laser Diode Array Laser/Phosphor Projection Method Front, front-ceiling, rear, rear-ceiling Front, front-ceiling, rear,...

Wharfedale has spent much of 2026 demonstrating that it has no intention of living entirely on the considerable success of the Linton, Denton and the rest of its Heritage Series. We have already covered the Denton 1S, Heritage Centre, and substantially more ambitious Elysian R Series. Our recent Super Denton review also reinforced why Wharfedale remains one of our safer loudspeaker recommendations below $1,500. The latest expansion heads south. Very south.

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) arrive in the middle of an ANC arms race that has been going on for more than a decade. Bose and Sony have spent years battling for noise-cancelling supremacy, and almost every new flagship has pushed ANC performance to new heights. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the price tags. The original Bose QC1 sold for $299 when it was released. Today, the top-of-the-line QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are $449.

Kaleidescape made its name as a high-end media server and movie playback system for the ultra rich. Kaleidescape’s digital downloads of movies and TV shows are better than the best physical media in both video and audio quality. And its advanced user interface allows users to browse, search or sort even the most extensive collection of movies and shows with a few clicks of a button.

In late 2025, German pro audio brand Neumann expanded its Studio Monitor line with several DSP-powered subwoofers. For 2026, Neumann is following up with the KH 310 II and KH 350, two next-generation 3-way powered studio monitors that combine decades of acoustic expertise with a new DSP platform and improved integration.

Audiophiles have spent decades finding creative new ways to argue about digital files hiding inside vinyl production chains, so Capitol Records has kindly provided fresh material. Beck’s new Ride Lonesome arrived September 18 as his first album of entirely new material since 2019’s Hyperspace.

Sennheiser has spent decades building headphones for recording studios, broadcast facilities, and working musicians. Audiophiles might claim the brand as one of their own, but professional audio has always been central to Sennheiser’s identity, which makes the new HD 480 Pro Plus particularly interesting.

The weather was hot. These movies were not. In a season dominated by Odysseus and a certain friendly neighborhood insect-guy, several films landed loud, only to promptly fade away, and for good reason. What’s especially disappointing is the extent to which some very talented people and celebrated franchises have apparently lost their way over the past few months.