Beyond highlighting some of the standout product reviews we did in October, there are also some exclusive mini reviews below. And don’t miss our updated hands-on of the latest iPhone 14 Pro cases as well as some of the coolest Apple accessories available right now.
October Faves
Teenage Engineering PO-80 Record Factory
Teenage Engineering’s latest product is not explicitly a music teaching tool, but there’s a good chance you will learn a few things along the way while assembling and cutting your own vinyl records at home. The PO-80 Record Factory enables you to etch your own audio into 5-inch plastic discs and then play them back. Whether you consider this product a toy or not, it’s definitely as neat as it looks in pictures.
Buy at SFMOMA for $149.
Outer Wicker Furniture Collection
It can be tough to tell if premium, high-end products sold mostly online are worth their price. After going hands-on with Outer’s collection of wicker outdoor furniture, I can tell you it’s as impressive as it appears. Not only does it feature stain-resistant cushions and covers for each seat, but the wicker itself doesn’t squeak or feel cheap.
Buy at Outer from $6,950.
Solo Stove Mesa Firepit
Mesa is Solo Stove’s latest smokeless firepit in a small form factor. The tabletop firepit accepts wood pellets or small pieces of wood and is a piece of cake to light and maintain. It’s perfect for roasting marshmallows or creating a natural ambiance on an outdoor dining table. It worked great for flames, but it was also easy to empty and clean out.
Buy at Solo Stove from $119.99.
Mini Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins Px8
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 premium headphones are still fresh from their release earlier in 2022, but the company already has higher-end ones. The Px8 headphones feature a very similar appearance and design to the Px7 S2 but gain a few improvements, along with a much higher price tag.
Internally, the Px8 headphones use carbon cone drive units to help reduce distortion. The goal here is to provide a higher level of clarity. In a side-by-side listening test, out in the real world, with both pairs of headphones, I did notice some differences in sound quality, but it wasn’t drastic. I preferred the Px8 more, but the other model reproduces audio well, too.
The other main difference that does influence the sound a little bit is the use of napa leather trim. The material is more comfortable, but also provides more plushness so it feels like a Tiger Seal around the ears. In isolation, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 sound brilliant and are absolutely the height of premium consumer wireless headphones. If money isn’t a concern then there’s no reason not to splurge on this luxury. Otherwise, there are a lot cheaper ways to dip into wireless headphones, including the Px7 S2.
As a note, I tried the 007 Edition, which commemorates 60 years of James Bond. The special edition headphones include a midnight blue color and a few printed logos inside the earcups, but they are otherwise the same as the standard edition of the headphones.
Buy at Bower & Wilkins from $699.
Soundcore Liberty 4
At one time, the line of Liberty wireless earbuds from Soundcore was a second-rate product. They were trying to be AirPods for people who didn’t want AirPods, didn’t have an iPhone or didn’t want to spend the money. That time has passed, however, and the new Liberty 4 earbuds are able to stand on their own as a completely respectable audio product that iPhone or Android users might consider buying.
The notable feature highlights include support for 360-degree spatial audio and heart rate sensors embedded within the earbuds. Heart rate detection piqued my interest the most because of its potential impact on fitness. The requirement to use Soundcore’s app while exercising to monitor heart rate, however, meant the sensor was almost of no value to me. If the company begins to feed data into Apple Health or Google Fit, then the feature could become more meaningful in the future.
Regardless of any missteps from the headlining selling points, the Liberty 4 earbuds still sound great, are comfortable to wear and actively cancel noise around you, all for under $150. These join a very crowded market in the personal audio space, but they’re at least worth considering because they execute on the fundamentals really well.
Buy at Soundcore for $149.99.
It’s Complicated
Soundcore Sleep A10
The Liberty 4 earbuds aren’t the only new product that Soundcore released recently. The Sleep A10 are tiny Bluetooth earbuds meant for bedtime. In my testing, these weren’t able to overcome my sensitive ears throughout the night, but they are still the best I’ve tried. If you are comfortable sleeping with something in your ears, then these might be the all-natural sleep aid you’ve been waiting for.
Buy at Soundcore for $179.99.
Yale Assure Lock2
Yale’s newest smart lock, the Assure Lock2, improves over its previous version in a number of ways to make this one solid all the way around. In my testing, the lock worked great using Apple’s HomeKit platform, and it starts at a less expensive price than other premium products on the market. Unfortunately, the lock doesn’t support home key for iPhone, and parts of the unit may be a little bulky for some people.
Buy at Lowe’s from $158.98.
Don’t Miss
Right after the iPhone 14 Pro was released, I went hands on with over 50 different cases for it. I narrowed them down to a handful of solid options worth checking out. Since that time, I’ve tested additional cases and updated that list with further possibilities. There’s a good chance at least a few more will be added in the future, too. If you’re a gadget enthusiast always looking for a new clever product for your Apple device, I gathered up a bunch of neat ones. These include a wall charger that looks like a classic Mac.
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