CES 2022 brought us some really exciting audio products and innovations.
Anyone hoping for a relatively normal CES experience in 2022 was disappointed when Covid-19 forced many exhibitors to pull out of the Las Vegas tech expo at the last minute. Happily, though, we haven’t been disappointed by the audio products and technologies on display this year. CES is the place to find the weirdest and wackiest developments in the world of tech, not to mention the most important innovations. This year was no exception. It was the smaller audio brands that really stole the spotlight this year, however, with many of the larger audio companies having a more subdued presence than normal. We’ve seen everything from invisible headphones to Bluetooth speakers with never-ending battery lives, alongside the usual gamut of true wireless earbuds, soundbars, and record players – giving us a real taste of what we can expect from the coming year in audio. So, while CES 2022 may not have been the return to normal we were hoping for (and really, what does normal ever mean where CES is concerned?), it’s still been a bumper show for all things audio. Here are a few of our favorite products and technologies to come out of Vegas this year. There are always lots of headphones to see at CES. This year’s offering included some truly wacky technologies alongside conventional audiophile over-ears that’ll appeal to discerning listeners. Mark Levinson, the company best known for its high-end hi-fi gear, launched its first pair of headphones at the show. The Mark Levinson No.5909 are among the most high-spec cans we’ve seen, coming with 40mm beryllium drivers, hi-res audio support, active noise cancellation, and 34-hour battery life. They’re also the most expensive headphones we’ve seen at CES this year; they’ll set you back a cool $999 (about £750 / AU$1,400). Ouch. If that price is out of the question, we also saw some excellent Sony WH-1000XM4 rivals from Shure. The Shure AONIC 40 cost $249 / £215 (about AU$345). For that you get a stylish foldable design, ANC,40mm neodymium dynamic drivers, and adjustable EQ settings – and at $100 / £134 less than Sony’s flagship cans. However, our favorite pair of headphones from CES was a very different beast to the Mark Levinsons and Shures of the world. In fact, it’s not a pair of headphones at all. The Noveto N1 is a genuinely innovative device that’s effectively a pair of ‚invisible headphones.
