Important products aren’t always good or bad. Often, they fall somewhere in-between, all the while offering perspective on where a particular industry has found itself … and where it might be going.
This is the spirit driving the 12th annual GP100, Gear Patrol‘s mighty, end-of-year roundup collecting the year’s most relevant releases from tech, motoring, style and watches, outdoors and more.
Our team spent months filtering through thousands of new products, going hands-on whenever we could, to identify the innovations and updates that left the biggest marks on their respective industries. And no, not always to a better, let alone conclusive, end.
This year, we also decided to do something we’ve never done in more than a decade of publishing the GP100: rank our winners.
Admittedly, the process wasn’t scientific, or even always fair. That said, our editors were indeed guided by a few basic tenets, including novelty, popularity and impact on culture at large.
You might not agree with our selections. You definitely won’t agree with the order. But maybe, just maybe, you might agree with us on this: products have never been so dynamic, exciting and downright important to our lives.
Below, find our top hi-fi and audio releases, ranging from the new king of comfortable headphones to an old-school speaker, redesigned for the modern era. To see the winners from other categories, check out the full list.
6. A minimalist makeover of a stalwart hi-fi speaker
KlipschGP100 Winner
Klipsch x Ojas kO-R1 Loudspeaker
Specs
| Dimensions | 16.5" x 28.125" x 13.0" |
| Enclosure | 13-ply Grade A Baltic Birch Plywood |
| Transducers | K-28-E 12” Woofer; K-706 HF Driver |
| Weight | 52 lbs |
Though the brand’s name is widely recognized in the realm of hi-fi sound, Klipsch isn’t exactly known for innovation. Its most well-known speakers were first built some eight decades ago, and the current iterations aren’t that different from the first ones to roll off the manufacturing line.
So it was pretty surprising to hear that Klipsch reached out to self-proclaimed “DIYer” Devon Turnball of Ojas to work on a project together. After all, Turnball’s projects are as bizarre as they are coveted.
That said, the results speak for themselves (no pun intended). The collaborative Klipsch x Ojas kO-R1 loudspeaker is the perfect blend of old and new, hijacking its style from the Klipsch Heresy — a model that dates back to the late 1950s — while getting an internal renovation courtesy of Turnball.
The novel speaker eschews its tweeter, changing the original three-transducer design to a twin — specifically, a K-28-E 12” Woofer and K-706 HF Driver. “There are a lot of compression drivers that have more than enough high-frequency extension,” Turnball says of his minimalist approach.
The whole thing is housed inside a Baltic birch plywood case (assembled using butt joints) on a KS-12 stand, topped with an adjustable sandcast aluminum horn developed by Turnball using a 3D printer.
It also includes a five-step high-frequency gain attenuator to tune the speaker to its surroundings, as well as anti-vibration feet for audiophiles who prefer to use it without the stand.
5. Comfort kings, courtesy of Sonos
SonosGP100 Winner
Sonos Ace
Specs
| Battery Life | Up to 30 hours |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Weight | 0.71 pounds |
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$449 (22% off)
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$449 (22% off)
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Sonos tanked its year, and nearly its reputation, with a redesigned app that, to put it lightly, wasn’t well received.
On the hardware side, however, it was a different story. Sonos released several updated speakers and a new flagship soundbar, and, after years of rumors, it’s first-ever headphones.
The Sonos Ace are wireless noise-canceling headphones that probably weren’t what people expected — they lack Wi-Fi streaming capabilities and can’t be grouped with other Sonos multi-room speakers you have in your home. But this fact actually opens Ace to more people, not just Sonos speaker owners.
SonosFor anybody looking for noise-canceling headphones, the Sonos Ace are absolutely worth considering. Their sound and noise-canceling abilities are in the same bracket as the flagship Bose, Sony and Apple models. And at $450, they’re priced in that same high-end space as well.
What separates the Sonos Ace from the rest is its comfort. Sonos found the right blend of lightweight (plastic) and premium (metal and vegan leather) materials—plus super plush memory foam cushions—so the Ace looks good and is primed for long listening sessions.
If you do have a Sonos soundbar, the Ace do have a unique trick up their sleeves. You can use its volume slider button — which Sonos calls the “Content Key” — to switch audio from your soundbar to the headphones. It’s a quick way to continue watching TV without disturbing the rest of the house.
4. A streaming amplifier for budget-conscious audiophiles
WiiMGP100 Winner
WiiM Amp Pro
Specs
| DAC | Premium ESS Sabre ES9032QM2 DAC |
| Power | 60 watts per channel (8 ohm); 120 watts per channel (4 ohms) |
| Streaming | Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Cast, Bluetooth |
WiiM has taken the audio world by storm in recent years. The Chinese-based audio company first made waves with its music streamers. These brought high-resolution streaming to traditional hi-fi systems at an extremely affordable price, all the while filling a void left by the discontinued Chromecast Audio.
Then last year, the company announced the WiiM Amp, its first integrated streaming amplifier. It brought all the same wireless streaming capabilities and physical inputs — including an HDMI ARC port for TV connectivity — but added built-in amplification. The “just add speakers” hi-fi component was a Sonos Amp alternative for less than half the price.
This year’s WiiM Amp Pro is just as versatile and easy to use as the company’s Amp, but smart additions elevate it to a more audiophile-grade status.
WiiMThe WiiM Amp Pro features an upgraded DAC that supports higher-resolution audio (up to 32-bit/384kHz) and is integrated with Post-Filter Feedback (PFFB) technology, which promises cleaner sound with ultra-low distortion.
At $379, the WiiM Amp Pro is still very affordable for what is: the perfect hi-fi component for breathing new life into your old bookshelf speakers.
3. A new breed of wireless earbuds
BoseGP100 WINNER
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Specs
| Battery Life | Up to 7.5 hours (per earbud) |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Water & Sweat Resistance | IPX4 |
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$299 (23% off)
This was a big year for open-ear wireless earbuds as all the biggest players (including Apple, which is marketing its AirPods 4 as having an “open-ear design”) seemingly got in on the action. But Bose’s innovative new entries were the runaway standout.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds aren’t like most other open-ear wireless earbuds. Yes, they let in outside sounds so you can be aware of your surroundings while listening to music. But instead of having an ear-hook design (like the Nothing Ear Open), they have a unique silicone arm that clips to the outside of your ears, sort of like a pair of earrings.
BoseNot only does this design work — the Ultra Open Earbuds fit securely and are comfortable to wear — but Bose packed these earbuds with superb sound. They even use the company’s proprietary technology (called “OpenAudio”) that suppresses sound leakage, which is one of the biggest problems with open-ear wireless earbuds.
Additionally, Bose gave them a neat home theater feature (called “Personal Surround Sound”) that, when paired with Bose’s newest soundbars, allows them to function as rear-channel speakers in a private surround sound system. No other wireless earbuds, open-ear or otherwise, can do that.
2. The ultimate compact wireless active speaker set
KefGP100 WINNER
KEF LSX II LT
Specs
| Power | Up to 200 watts |
| Resolution | Up to 24-bit/384kHz |
| Connectivity (wireless and wired) | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming; HDMI eARC, Toslink optical, digital coaxial, USB |
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$999.99 (10% off)
Wireless active speaker systems are one of the most popular components in modern hi-fi. They combine all the traditional components of a stereo system into a pair of bookshelf speakers, so you have a super versatile plug-and-play system that supports both physical sources and wireless streaming.
For years, KEF has been the most prominent brand in wireless active speaker systems. Its LS50 Wireless II ($2,500) are the current gold standard, but the speakers are quite large and expensive. The good news is that the LSX II ($1,300) is a shrunk-down and more affordable hi-fi system … but it’s still far from cheap.
Enter the KEF LSX II LT ($1,000). The speaker system is nearly identical to the the LSX II in basically every way — size, power, sound quality and versatility — but with a select small tradeoffs that have enabled KEF to drop the price by a few hundred bucks. It’s the company’s most affordable wireless speaker system to date.
KEFAs far as those trade-offs, there are two main ones. The speakers are both individually amplified, but both amplifiers are built-in the primary speaker and thus the two speakers need to be always tethered together. And secondly, the LT speakers lack an analog AUX input aren’t the best for a turntable.
But if you’re looking to hook these active speakers to a TV (via HDMI ARC) or computer (via USB-C), or stream high-resolution audio over Wi-Fi, they’re probably the best bang-for-your-buck all-in-one hi-fi systems you can buy.
1. The future of fitness-focused wireless earbuds
SennheiserGP100 WINNER
Sennheiser Momentum Sport
Specs
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours (per earbud) |
| Water-resistance | IP55 (earbuds); IP54 (case) |
| Sensors | In-ear heart rate and body temperature sensors |
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$329.95 (30% off)
When it comes to wireless earbuds, Sennheiser has been one of the best in the business for years. Its Momentum line — headlined by the flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 ($300) — packs immersive sound and top-notch active noise cancellation, albeit demanding a premium price, too.
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are the company’s fitness-focused wireless earbuds that adopt the same elite level of sound and ANC as their Momentum brethren, but have a more durable build and a design — thanks to the integrated earwings — better suited for an active lifestyle.
SennheiserMost significantly, Sennheiser has integrated the Momentum Sport with health sensors for heart-rate tracking and body temperature monitoring — features that very few other wireless earbuds have. You can check these stats on the company’s Smart Control app or Polar Flow. If you use a third-party app like Strava and Training Peaks, the earbuds can also automatically send over your workout data.
Given the price and advanced fitness sensors, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport are best reserved for serious athletes. But they’re one of the standout wireless earbuds of the year because they offer a glimpse into the future of fitness wearables.
You’ve reached the end of this portion of the GP100, a countdown of the year’s most significant releases. Check out the collection page to see what else made the list or browse last year’s winners.