June 2026 ertonline.co.uk


on adding more speakers and more on making immersive audio easier to experience. The emphasis is shifting towards intelligent room calibration, adaptable speaker placement and personalised sound profiles that remove much of the


complexity has The strategy worked. Consumers moved


from 32 inches to 55 inches, from 55 inches to 65 inches, and increasingly towards 75-inch and 85-inch displays. But there are limits. Eventually consumers reach a point where their living room simply cannot accommodate a larger screen. Once that ceiling is reached, manufacturers must find other reasons to justify an upgrade. The industry’s renewed focus on picture quality suggests it understands this challenge. Rather than simply competing on size, brands are returning to the fundamentals of image performance. Better contrast. Better colour. Better HDR. Better processing. For us, that is good news because picture quality remains one of the easiest premium features to demonstrate in-store.


Audio’s quiet revival


If television technology is entering a new phase, home audio may be experiencing something of a renaissance.


For years, soundbars have been one of the industry’s great success stories. They solved a problem consumers understood instantly: modern televisions looked fantastic but often sounded underwhelming. Today, however, the conversation is becoming


more sophisticated. Technologies such as Dolby Atmos have


transformed consumer expectations. Once regarded as a niche home cinema feature, immersive audio has become a mainstream selling point, appearing across everything from premium soundbars to wireless speakers and even earbuds. Yet the next stage of Atmos may prove even


more significant. Dolby’s latest developments, including Atmos FlexConnect and the emerging Dolby Atmos 2.0 ecosystem, are focused less


traditionally


associated with home cinema. There


always been


a practical challenge. Most consumers want immersive sound, but very few want the installation headaches associated with traditional surround-sound systems. This is why technologies such as Dolby Atmos FlexConnect are so interesting. Rather than asking consumers to arrange speakers in precise locations, the system adapts to the room. It simplifies installation and removes much of the friction that has historically limited adoption. This reflects a broader trend across consumer technology. Increasingly, successful products are not those that offer the most features. They are those that remove barriers. Convenience has become one of industry’s most valuable commodities.


the


The store experience matters more than ever


Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of current technology trends is what they mean for physical retail.


Much has been written about the challenges facing bricks-and-mortar retailers in the age of e-commerce. Price transparency remains a reality. Online competition remains intense. Yet many of the most exciting developments in consumer technology


are difficult to


appreciate through a product page. You cannot properly experience RGB Mini LED picture quality from a specification sheet. You cannot understand immersive Dolby Atmos audio from an online description. You cannot fully appreciate the latest home entertainment systems without seeing and hearing them for yourself. That


creates opportunities for retailers


prepared to invest in demonstrations, staff training and customer experience. In many ways, the latest generation of consumer technology is playing directly to the strengths of brick and mortar retailers.


Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review


Soundcore has never been shy about challenging the premium audio brands, and the new Liberty 5 Pro Max is arguably its most ambitious effort yet. The earbuds combine strong audio performance with an impressive list of AI- powered features. I must say the earbuds do have a rich, energetic sound signature, with powerful bass, detailed vocals and support for LDAC and Dolby Audio delivering an engaging listening experience across music, podcasts and video content. Where the Liberty 5 Pro Max really stands out, however, is its feature set. The AMOLED-equipped charging case doubles as a smart productivity tool, offering voice recording, transcription and AI-powered note-taking functionality. While these extras may not appeal to every customer, they help differentiate the product in an increasingly crowded market.


Call quality is another highlight, and it even holds the Guiness World Record as the “Highest speech quality score (G-MOS) for TWS earbuds (objective test). Having tested these earbuds for the past month, I can confirm they do exactly what they say on the tin. The noise cancellation is fantastic, I recently wore them on a busy noisy flight, and the only thing I could hear was the music I was listening to. While Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia was playing, the outside world simply faded away. Brilliant sound quality, exceptional noise cancelling.


37


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48