The audio realm remains divided, with the convenience of streaming continuing to trump all over formats. That hasn’t stopped a steady progression of new devices aimed at adherents to old-school vinyl, CD and even cassette. In the world of speakers, bigger isn’t always better, but the most significant systems this year were about sculpture and form, not just their sonic signature. Read on to discover our ten favourite audio stories from 2024.
01. Brian Eno's Turntable II
Brian Eno with his Turntable II
Art or entertainment, or a mash-up of the two? Brian Eno’s Turntable II explored the realm of ambient light, with the newest version of the legendary producer, musician and artist’s on show at the Paul Stolper Gallery.
02. Revo SuperCD music system
The Revo SuperCD audio system
It might not have the raw artistry of an Eno deck, but Revo’s ultra-functional SuperCD system made up for it in terms of function and joined the CD player revival. A simple wooden box that contains multitudes, it was the most convenient all-in-one device we saw all year.
03. Ruark R610 music console
Ruark R610 music console
Ruark continues to forge a path as a purveyor of both high-quality craft and high-end sound. Its newest console, the R610, condensed its warm, familiar approach into a neat table-top or shelf-based system.
04. Goldmund Pulp speakers
Goldmund Pulp speakers
Designer Cécile Barani has paired with audio specialist Goldmund on several projects, including these compact Pulp speakers. We also admired her take on the Swiss manufacturer’s monumental Gaia speakers.
05. Nocs Monolith Aluminium speaker
Nocs Monolith Aluminium
Along with Transparent’s mighty Brutalist Speaker we had this architectural heavyweight, the Nocs Monolith Aluminium. For the music-loving minimalist.
06. Tom Fereday Cast Loudspeaker
Cast Speaker by Tom Fereday x Pitt & Giblin
Another foray into the art of extreme speaker design, industrial designer Tom Fereday paired with Tasmanian speaker maker Pitt & Giblin to create Cast, a mighty metal object that celebrates sound and material.
07. Fiio CP13 cassette player
FiiO CP13 Cassette Player
High quality cassette players, especially portable ones, are still thin on the ground – advocates of analogue tape reckon the second-hand and refurb market is a much better bet for true fidelity. Still, new Fiio’s CP13 showed there was still life in the 60-year-old cassette format.
08. Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker
Beats Pill in Matt Black
The Pill is mass-market sound design done well. We spoke to Apple’s Oliver Schusser about the speaker brand’s latest model.
09. Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 9000c music system
Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 9000c
B&O continued to bang the drum for sustainable tech design with devices like the Beoplay H100 headphones. It also delved into its archive to create the 9000c, a stacking CD system that’s been reborn for the modern age.
10. Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in Wintergreen
Finally, a recommendation for one of the year’s most dependable accessories, Google’s Pixel Buds. Now available in Pro 2 spec, they’re the in-ear choice for those who want to feel at one with their increasingly smart device.
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Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth IIFor the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
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Inside MAZE Design Basel the city's new design fairWith only 11 exhibitors and the backdrop of a Swiss Gothic Revival church, MAZE Design Basel is a new intimate art fair for those in the know
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A contemporary concrete and glass Belgian house is intertwined with its forested siteA new Belgian house, Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten’s Residence SAB, brings refined modernist design into a sylvan setting, cleverly threading a multilayered new home between existing trees
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Google I/O 2025 melded light-touch UI interactions with an enhanced AI-driven coreWe take stock of Google’s new AI offerings. Under a new Material 3 Expressive aesthetic that softens and smooths, AI arrives to take stock of you, your choices, desires, innermost thoughts and exactly what it is you want for dinner
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Microsoft vs Google: where is the battle for the ultimate AI assistant taking us?Tech editor Jonathan Bell reflects on Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, plus the state of the art in SEO, wayward algorithms, video generation and the never-ending quest for the definition of ‘good content’
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The new Google Pixel 9a is a competent companion on the pathway to the world of AIGoogle’s reputation for effective and efficient hardware is bolstered by the introduction of the new Pixel 9a, a mid-tier smartphone designed to endure
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The latest Atelier Edition speaker from Bang & Olufsen extols the joys of springBang & Olufsen’s Beosound Level Frosted Green is serene, green and sonically impressive
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Artist Lachlan Turczan and Google's 'Making the Invisible Visible' at Milan Design Week 2025All that is solid melts into air at Garage 21 in Milan as Google showcases a cutting-edge light installation alongside a display of its hardware evolution and process
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Tech Editor, Jonathan Bell, selects six new and notable Bluetooth speaker designs, big, small and illuminatingThese six wireless speakers signal new creative partnerships and innovative tech approaches in a variety of scales and styles
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Bang & Olufsen brings the noise with its second audio-visual collaboration with FerrariThe new Ferrari Edition collection of components from Bang & Olufsen includes speakers, a soundbar and a Beovision Theatre TV
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Lasting impressions: the latest Beoplay H100 headphones from B&O are for keepsBang & Olufsen’s head of design, Tiina Karjalainen Kierysch, talks us through the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100, headphones designed to last a lifetime
