Speakers of every kind, from bookshelf to smart and portable models.
Replacing my six-year-old Bose Companion 20, I upgraded to the Edifier MR5 studio monitors on a roughly S$300 budget with no subwoofer. Chosen over the AudioEngine A2+ and Edifier M60, I grabbed it for S$261 during 11/11.
I'd long wanted the Google Nest Hub Max but balked at its US$229 price plus shipping. A Project KR flash sale on Lazada during the 2/2 event finally let me grab it for a reasonable S$255.60.
I bought the Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation) from Lazada's Project KR for S$99.99 during a flash sale, matching the US price before shipping. I chose Charcoal, since my earlier Google Home Hub was in Chalk.
I bought the Sonos One SL on Amazon Prime Day for S$259, down from its S$299 retail. As the mic-less true successor to the PLAY:1, its packaging feels a touch cheap.
I bought the Sonos Beam during Shopee's 5/5 sale for just S$509, well below its S$699 retail. It replaces my Samsung 2.1 soundbar, which came free with a Samsung TV I've found disappointing.
Since the Apple HomePod Mini isn't officially sold in Singapore, I bought mine from a Shopee shop, monmartechnology. Priced at S$155 in black or white, a CitiBank voucher brought it down to S$145.
The Sudio Femtio is the only speaker in Sudio's audio lineup, available in Silver, Black, and Anthracite. It retails for S$189, though the coupon code LESTER35 takes 35% off, bringing it down to S$122.85.
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.
I bought the Google Home Hub on Black Friday, when Google knocked US$50 off the US$149 retail price. Rather than risk the Google US Store, where my order likely wouldn't go through, I ordered from B&H instead.
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.
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 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.
Google's US Store makes it hard for non-US buyers, but the Google Home Mini's 40% discount to US$29, from US$49, was tempting. I've ordered from it without trouble, needing only a US VPN and US Google account.
The X-mini KAI X1 is the smallest speaker in X-mini's flagship KAI X series, launched June 2017 for immersive yet portable sound. It retails for S$69.90, with the larger X2 at S$99.99 and the largest X3 at S$129.90.
I finally jumped on the Google Home bandwagon. I skipped it last year at US$99 due to an immature ecosystem, but six months on it's improved, now supporting Logitech Harmony, iRobot, Sensibo, and more, with more accurate speech recognition.
During a Black Friday sale, the Sonos PLAY:1 dropped from US$199 to US$149. Since it doesn't ship to Singapore directly, I bought mine from Amazon and forwarded it via HopShopGo, which billed me for 3kg despite the 2.4kg weight.
I bought the Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation) the moment it launched on 20th October 2016, a must-have for any tech geek at US$49.99. With two Echos at home, I use them to control my water heater, lights, and TV.
The Pringles Party Speaker sits atop a Pringles can to amplify its acoustics. Powered by three AAA batteries (not included), several can be daisy-chained into a long chain of speakers. It comes in several quirky designs made for Pringles.
The JBL Flip 3 is a portable, splashproof Bluetooth 4.1 speaker retailing for S$179 in Singapore. Its durable splashproof fabric and rugged rubber let it shrug off rain and spills, and you can rinse it under a tap.
Two weeks ago I bought the Amazon Echo for US$179.99, shipped alongside an Amazon Fire TV Stick. I've used it daily since and love it. The Echo is a voice assistant, like Siri, Cortana, or Google Now.
I received the GoGear Splash n Dash Bluetooth Speaker as a door gift. It retails for S$49.90 at Mustafa and selected 7-Elevens, in four colours. With Bluetooth 4.0 and an IPX5 rating, it suits the bathroom.