Earphones, headphones, speakers, and the stands and accessories that go with them.
iCentral Mobile, Aukey's official Singapore distributor, sent me the Aukey EP-N5 for a short review. These active noise-cancelling wireless earbuds aim to offer ANC at an affordable price, competing in Aukey's growing audio lineup.
iShopChangi's People's Choice Deals advertised the AirPods Pro at S$295, well below the S$379 RRP. Catching it was frustrating, though: the sale didn't drop at midnight, but at noon the next day, requiring constant refreshing.
Sudio finally entered the ANC earbuds space with the Sudio Ett. At S$239, just S$20 above the Sudio Fem, it becomes Sudio's priciest earbuds, justified by added active noise cancellation.
My brother and sister-in-law gifted me the Bose Companion 20 speakers for my birthday. Retailing for S$399, it bundles a wasteful five power cords when one suffices, but I love the separate control pod.
The Sudio Fem is Sudio's third wireless earbuds, after the Niva and Tolv, and its most expensive yet at S$219, in four colours. The code LESTERCHANFEM takes 15% off, down to S$186.15.
CraftoCatto makes bespoke industrial-contemporary handcrafted goods. One of its early products is the Stand By Me II headphone stand, pairing a concrete base with Australian-made copper pipes. It retails for S$149.90, joining my Just Mobile and Bluelounge stands.
My last gadget bought in Japan, the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds, picked up at Bic Camera Odaiba. Japan sells two versions: a cheaper domestic one with Japan-only warranty at around S$313, and an international version at S$325.
Apple refreshed the AirPods in March 2019, offering two versions: with Wireless Charging Case at S$299 or standard Charging Case at S$239, a S$60 premium for Qi wireless. I got the wireless version during Lazada's mid-year festival.
The Sudio Tolv wireless earbuds retail for S$189 with free DHL shipping, or S$160.65 using the code lesterchantolv. An upgrade of last June's Sudio Niva, the Tolv steps Bluetooth up from 4.2 to 5.0.
The Sonos Amp is now available in Singapore for S$1,099, via TC Acoustic or Musica Boutique. An upgrade to the Connect:Amp, it boosts power from 55 to 125 watts per channel and adds HDMI ARC and optical inputs.
It used to be cheaper to import a Sonos PLAY:1 or One from Amazon than buy it locally. That's changed: Singapore prices now match or beat Amazon, with a local warranty, via distributor TC Acoustic.
The Bowers & Wilkins PX Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones retail for S$589, in Space Grey and Soft Gold. They offer active noise cancellation using six microphones, four for ANC and two for calls.
Cambridge Audio is a British high-end audio maker founded in 1968 by tech graduates in Cambridge, England. The Yoyo is its entry into Bluetooth speakers, available in Small, Medium, and Large sizes. This review covers the Yoyo (S).
The Klipsch R5 is the brand's third wireless earphones, after the R6 and X12. Launched in Singapore on 10th October 2018, it retails for S$199 on the TC Acoustic Online Store, with a one-year warranty.
The Sudio Niva is Sudio's first foray into true wireless earbuds, retailing for S$165 in black or white, with a complimentary tote bag. Shipping to Singapore is free via DHL, and the code lesterchan15 takes 15% off.
Soul Electronics began with the Soul by Ludacris headphone line before evolving into a broader audio company. The Soul ST-XS is its second true wireless earbud product, after the Soul X-Shock, bringing compact wireless audio to Singapore.
The Amazon Echo Show was recently discounted 30% to US$159.99, down from US$229.99. Like most Amazon products, it doesn't ship to Singapore directly, so I used HopShopGo. It's the bigger sibling of the Echo Spot.
The Amazon Echo Spot was discounted to US$114.99 during Valentine's week, down from US$129.99. As usual, Echo products don't ship to Singapore directly. The Echo Spot is essentially an Echo Dot with a screen.
Bragi arguably made the first truly wireless earbuds with The Dash, a 2014 Kickstarter that raised US$3.4 million but shipped over a year late. This review covers its successor, The Dash Pro.
KEF is one of the UK's oldest Hi-Fi brands, founded by ex-BBC engineer Raymond Cooke, its name from Kent Engineering & Foundry. The Space One Wireless Headphones, a collaboration with Porsche Design, offers active noise cancellation, retailing for S$629.
The Liberty+ is a true wireless earbud from Zolo Audio, an Anker brand. It came from a hugely successful Kickstarter, raising US$2.8 million from 25,412 backers, helped by Anker's mentorship, before launching on 21st June 2017.
I bought the Sony XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones from Amazon for US$98 during Black Friday 2017, down from US$128. They qualified for free AmazonGlobal shipping above US$125. The same headphones cost S$269 in Singapore, 50% more expensive.