When it comes to audio systems at CES, held January 6–9 in Las Vegas, we always hope to find new ways companies have found to make music feel bigger without making your life harder. Sometimes that means earbuds you pull out of your pocket to pull previously unheard details out of tracks. Sometimes that means a wireless headset that considers limited bandwidth a personal insult. Sometimes that means portable speakers that can outlast (and outlive) the wildest party. And sometimes it’s a quiet suite for people who still believe that two speakers and a sweet spot can prove goosebumps should always be on the features list. So here’s the second hit list, previewing products that make us want to stop, listen, and linger well beyond the sales pitch.
Open-ear earbuds used to be a compromise you made for safety—a workout pick that let you hear a beat and, more importantly, hear oncoming traffic. CES 2026 pushes the idea that this former fitness hack can now do way more than keep a playlist on pace. For instance, Cleer’s Arc 4 and Arc 4+ arrive as the first THX-certified open-ear true wireless earbuds, shaving weight and hook bulk while stacking on DBE 4.0 for actual low end, Bluetooth 5.4/Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless for a strong signal chain, and Dolby Audio (and Atmos + head tracking on 4+ … spatial trickery formerly only in over-ear cans). The Arc 5, teased for early 2026, adds THX Spatial Audio+ to the growing list of no compromises.
Shokz answers with OpenFit Pro and open-ear noise reduction—still offering spatial awareness, but able to tamp down some of the road chatter and café chaos. In addition, there’s Dolby Atmos optimization for compatible streaming services, big 11x22mm dual-diaphragm drivers for more bass, DirectPitch 3.0 for less leakage, and battery life that makes “charge anxiety” feel quaint.
JBL joins the pile-on with Sense Pro and Sense Lite, using OpenSound air-conduction to keep ear canals clear. The Pro is performance-brained, with 16.2mm drivers, Adaptive Bass Boost, a voice pickup sensor, Bluetooth 6.0, and 38 hours total battery. While Lite goes lighter, with 32 hours of life plus a sweat-conscious IP54 rating. As for Anker, the AeroFit 2 is a convertible open-ear/ANC earbud, which adjusts to reposition the nozzle and switch between awareness and a proper seal (sensors recalibrating EQ accordingly).
In the realm of full-sized headphones, ASUS announced the ROG Kithara flagship open-back planar magnetic gaming headphones (left, above), developed with HIFIMAN (a PopSci Audio Awards winner). With 100mm drivers, an 8Hz–55kHz frequency response, and a 3-in-1 cable with swappable 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm, and 6.3mm single-ended plugs, this is an audiophile headphone for gamers, not a gaming headphone for audiophiles. While German luxury brand Loewe showed off its Leo Bluetooth headphones (right, above), which features a 50mm Olefin Composite Elastomer driver, dual Class A/B and Class D amplification for pure audio/adaptive ANC modes, support for Bluetooth LC3plus 24-bit/96 kHz codec, Dolby Atmos, and multiple audio profiles, an ARM processor for smart features, such as voice control and real-time translation, and a modular design with high repairability/upgradeability. And beyerdynamic’s DJ 300 Pro X headphones feature a 45mm dynamic driver, but most interestingly, swappable earpads so you can decide between on-ear or over-ear monitoring.
Following in the footsteps of Marshall, among others, Fender Audio is debuting a series of Bluetooth speakers developed by Riffsound. But they look like way more than a logo on a lifestyle box. The ELIE (Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive) speakers look to strike a chord with those who play instruments and those who just want to hit play. The speakers—60W E6 or more beefy 120W E12 (shown to the left below)—bring built-in subs and an XLR/¼-inch combo jack for a mic or guitar, plus a weirdly pro trick: up to four sources at once—Bluetooth, wired, and two wireless accessory channels—mixed in real time. A Waves System-on-a-Chip and DSP promise to keep the mix composed even if the volume knob gets brave. And MIX headphones are looking to occupy some space in your gig bag (and your heart), with 40mm graphene drivers, ANC, an integrated USB-C transmitter for lossless, low-latency audio, plus up to 100 hours of battery.
If Fender is turning Bluetooth into a grab-and-go PA, LG is still aiming for a roaming club. PopSci’s party-speaker coverage has already called out LG’s xboom Bounce as a mini rager after LG’s CES 2025 introduced the xboom-by-will.i.am era (Stage 301, Bounce, Grab). CES 2026 doubles down with four new durable boxes: Rock, Mini, Blast, and Stage 501 (above, right). The hook is using AI for auto-EQ, lighting, and stamina, so bass and battery life won’t turn to mud when the party moves outside. And anything with an “AI Karaoke Master” mode has our attention.
CES isn’t the hi-fi show it once was, which is exactly why Klipsch and Onkyo showing up loud for their shared 80th birthdays feels extra special. Klipsch’s Arkansas origin story is all about chasing bigger, clearer, more alive … turning horn-loaded theory into a legendary sound. While Onkyo, born the same year as Klipsch but in Osaka, Japan, is all about sound harmony, the feel of fidelity.
The anniversary energy gets real as Klipsch debuts the refreshed The Fives II, Sevens II, and Nines II. The originals were already a PopSci favorite in powered-speaker land, and the new upgrades include bolting in an Onkyo-engineered electronics core with Dolby Atmos and Dirac Live calibration, plus DTS:X on the Nines II for format gluttons. There are also updated Reference Premiere models. Beyond the mainstage, Klipsch is teasing a three-model Atlas closed-to-semi-open headphone series, Auracast-ready portable/tabletop Bluetooth speakers, an outdoor-capable Flexus soundbar concept, and the brand’s “Project Apollo”—a bold new moonshot at high-performance towers. Onkyo’s “rebirth” (which began at CES 2025) flexes differently: Muse-series streaming integrated amps with that big color display/VU-meter swagger (see above), anniversary Creator speakers, and a peek at future THX/Dirac-powered theater brains. We love it when CES gives audio this much oxygen.
And it’s not just the show floor making room for two-channel. In the Cambridge suite, the British home audio designers are previewing the new L/R Series: three pairs of active stereo speakers built like modern components with old-school intent. All three have analog and digital inputs (including eARC and a Moving Magnet phono stage on the bigger models), making them perfect for that desktop/turntable listening station. The L/R X and L/R M bake in StreamMagic Gen 4 for hi-res Wi-Fi streaming and multi-room tricks, while L/R S keeps it simple with aptX HD Bluetooth for nearfield life. The flagship L/R X packs 800 watts, a new Torus tweeter, plus two five-inch woofers coupled to two six-inch force-cancelling radiators—basically bookshelf speakers with floorstander swagger. DynamEQ helps compensate for environmental conditions. And they’re all available in six rich finishes (a vivid orange on all three models shown above).
This is just a short list of audio gear that caught our eye as worth our ear. But the best part of CES is the demo you didn’t plan to duck into but feel drawn to … the weird concepts that sound preposterous then sound phenomenal. We’ll report back on what gets us into a new groove.
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