• Marshall unveils Acton IV and Stanmore IV speakers
• Redesigned bass port, repositioned cables and tweaked speaker array
• Sadly, there's no Woburn IV in sight yet

It's been four years since Marshall revamped its home speaker line-up, and so fourth-generation models of the Marshall Stanmore, Marshall Acton and Marshall Woburn are certainly due.

In the words of Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad, because the former amp company (which now seems to focus solely on consumer tech) has just unveiled the brand-new Acton IV and Stanmore IV speakers.

These two new speakers are on sale now, and because we're keen we've already got a Marshall Acton IV review hot off the press for you — ie. the slightly smaller and cheaper of the two. It costs $299.99 / £259.99 (AU$430), while the Stanmore IV is a little more expensive at $399.99 / £349.99 (about AU$700).

And what about the top-end member of the family, the Woburn? There doesn't seem to be a new-generation version of this model. Perhaps it was stuck in traffic on the M1?

(To explain that joke for those outside the UK, Stanmore and Acton are both boroughs in London, while Woburn is a town outside of it. The M1 is the freeway passing it, and congestion jokes are a stalwart part of British humor. Feel free to trot this one out down at the local bar/ watering hole; I don't need any credit).

Fourth-gen upgrades abound

The Acton and Stanmore IV both bring a few improvements over the third-gen models.

These include support for Auracast, upgraded tweeters for a sparkling high-end, a redesigned bass port for increased airflow, and cables which plug into the bottom of the speaker instead of the side.

This latter was an interesting move, and it was done to allow the speakers to be backed right up against the wall. In theory, then, they'll fit into a cabinet or cupboard much better.

Beyond that, you're largely getting a package that'll be familiar to Marshall fans, especially with the amp-esque design and style. They're both still compatible with the brand's control app, as well as the M-button for controls, and retain the various connection options including Bluetooth, RCA and aux.

In previous reviews of Marshall's home speakers, we praised the bass performance and audio detail (thanks to a previous bass port redesign), but wished they could stream music over Wi-Fi, or offered voice assistance. Sadly, these particular perks have not been added for the new models — but we can still hope that they might arrive with the Woburn, right?

Noble Osprey: Two-minute review

Ah, the Noble Osprey; see how the majestic raptor hovers over its prey, watching with beady eyes as the young trout — wait, what do you mean this isn’t the first few words of a David Attenborough narration? Oh. I’m glad you told me that now.

The Noble Osprey are, in fact, a new pair of true wireless earbuds from the premium audio brand Noble. They’re not cheap, relatively speaking (and this is a crowded market), but they do undercut some of the best earbuds on the market to have graced our testing process. They're also more wallet-friendly than other buds from the brand such as the Noble FoKus Amadeus and FoKus Rex5, making them a little more competitive than what’s come before.

Despite this cheaper price, the Osprey also share a few traits with their siblings. They have another distinct marbled look, this time in blue, and again a focus on high-quality audio, with a refined V-shaped sound profile and support for LDAC.

I really wanted to like the Osprey; I tested the FoKus Apollo over-ears which sounded fantastic, and love an earbud that’s focusing on refined, higher-resolution sound instead of an omnipresent thumping bass. But over the several weeks of testing, I repeatedly found myself opting for other buds over the Osprey, which isn’t a good sign.

Unlike the namesake birds, gliding unbothered in the sky, the Osprey are certainly susceptible to the force of gravity… that is to say, they just wouldn’t stay in my ears. I tested the various sizes and shapes of ear tips offered in the box, and even rotated and twisted the buds around uncomfortable angles to see if I could lodge them into my ear, but no cigar.

I don’t mean they wobbled when I went for a run; I could be sitting stock still and they’d slide (I hesitate to use the word 'yeeted', but there it is) straight out of my ears of their own accord. Even cooking or eating was a challenge with them in; they’d fall out so frequently I’d always just remove them — or replace them with a pair I wasn’t testing.

The problem was incessant and it sowed in me a reticence to use the buds. This sentiment colored my entire time with them. I don’t think I’ve ever used a set of earbuds that fit as poorly (well, a tip-toting pair at least; they draw with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4) as the Noble Osprey.

I'm only laboring the point because it is a real shame. There’s a lot to like in these buds. They look distinctive, offering some of the flair of wired, Shure-adjacent IEMs but without the wire. The case is lovely and small, and holds a fair amount of charge too.

And the audio quality from these Noble earpieces is also good (when you can keep them in), offering a V-shaped presentation but with delicate, sparkling trebles and a refined low-end that’s rich in detail. The use of dual drivers as well as LDAC and Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility ensures you’re getting that extra sonic oomph you’re paying for. I just wish the buds would stay in my ears so I could appreciate the sound quality more…

Noble Osprey review: Price and release date

• Announced on June 2, 2026, shipped later that month
• Selling for $199 / £199 / AU$292
• Undercuts Noble's other buds, AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro

Announced on the 2nd June, 2026, the Noble Osprey were shipped to early buyers by the end of the month.

They cost $199 / £199 / AU$292, so they’re priced just a hair below the AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, but in the same rough ‘premium wireless earbuds’ area that indicates these are top-tier buds.

Not highest-tier, I suppose, when you consider Noble’s other buds. The Rex5 cost $449 / £419 / AU$699, literally twice as much as the Osprey, so this bird-named pair of buds is still a very affordable model as far as Noble is concerned.

Noble Osprey review: Specs

Noble Osprey review: Features

• Minimum 5 hours listening, 7 hours without ANC
• Passable ANC, but struggles in wind
• App offers EQ, but not much more

The Noble Osprey are earbuds designed for audiophiles, and battery life is often a department that sees culls in favor of driving those various drivers (and powering the necessary antiphase tech for noise nixing). Case in point, the Osprey only last for five hours of listening when you've got ANC enabled.

That timespan extends to seven hours if you turn off ANC, which is a reasonable figure. The 35-hour battery life of the case is also reasonable too, and I've tested plenty of earbuds that don't offer that amount of extra juice.

Talking of the ANC, it's passable, but nothing to write home about — the Osprey won't be joining our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide any time soon. It stripped away the rumble of a bus and dampened the whirr of a nearby washing machine, but didn't offer the near-silence that many rivals do. They often struggled with wind too.

The Noble Osprey app offers a few useful features, including the ability to customize what the buds' touch controls do, turning off (or on) ANC, and toggling the Bluetooth tone switch.

The main tool, though, is the equalizer, offering a 10-band EQ or the choice between six presets. It's a rather effective EQ, letting you pull the music in various directions, and you can save various custom modes in addition to the presets.

If you don't think you'll use the equalizer, though, the app's not really worth downloading; it doesn't offer that much else, and there's a dearth of extra features that often crop up in consumer-grade earbuds.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Noble Osprey review: Design

• Svelte carry case
• Attractive blue marbled design
• Not designed to stick in the ear

You’ve read the introduction, you know that the Noble Osprey buds simply wouldn’t stay in my ears, no matter what I tried. And before the “why didn’t you…” of the comments section: trust me, I test buds for a living, this is not my first rodeo. It took very little motion to dislodge them from my ears: going on walks, sitting on a bumpy bus, moving about while cooking.

This was more than a minor annoyance; I basically couldn’t use them if I wasn’t sitting still at a desk, and even then the fit was unreliable. When they started to slip, they fell fast, tanking the audio quality and, if I tried to push them back into my ears, causing me to accidentally press the on-bud buttons.

Now and then I managed to lodge them in my ears in a way that, temporarily at least, kept them locked in position, and once or twice I managed to go on a walk with the buds. But this wasn’t reliable, caused my ears to ache, and still required me to adjust the fit almost constantly.

What’s the problem? They’re not the lightest buds I’ve ever tested, weighing 6.5g, but that shouldn’t be enough to hurt the fit. At a guess, it’s the top-heavy weighting of the buds themselves, though the lack of any friction in the tips (or perhaps a fin to help them lodge into ears) doesn’t help either.

Not only is it infuriating to constantly adjust the earbuds in your ear, it runs the risk of knocking the touch controls on each. It’s only a risk, though, and not a guarantee, because I found the controls quite unreliable to trigger.

The Osprey come in a lovely-looking azure charging case — azure until it gets scuffed up, which happened very quickly for me, making it look a little less lovely.

Said case is pretty small, with the buds nestled into it nicely, and it's light in weight, tipping the scales to 61g. I couldn’t find any information suggesting they’re IP rated, but the case certainly feels solid enough to protect the buds from a drop.

• Design score: 2.5/5

Noble Osprey: Sound quality

• 10mm + BA driver
• Refined V-shaped sound
• LDAC support

Putting aside fit issues (which are hard to put aside when they affect sound quality so frequently — but play nice!), the Noble Osprey sound really good.

Each bud has been kitted out with a 10mm dynamic driver, plus a balanced armature driver, and they combine to create a refined V-shaped sound.

Bass is cohesive and scooping, holding a distinct space in the mix without overriding higher-end frequencies. Treble is sharp and bright, giving vocals sparkle and adding energy to string or brass stings. And while the mids aren’t as prominent in the mix as, say, bass, they hold enough space that music doesn’t feel like there’s some void in the middle.

Songs like Don McCloskey’s First in Flight let the various higher-frequency instruments, and the dancing bassline, all sit separately without descending into one chaotic mush. Acoustic guitars and vocals don’t clash like they do in cheaper buds, like in Charlie Mars’ She Ain’t Coming Back, which retains detail and timbre.

Helping this detail is the Osprey’s support for LDAC, for an upgrade over SBC or AAC.

The dual drivers bring another benefit: audio spacing. There’s distinct placement and a broad soundstage present in music here. How to get it? Try Yi Nantiro’s Oasis, which sees the harp dance around your periphery, or the London Symphony Orchestra’s recent recording of Holst’s The Planets, in which you can basically point to where each section of the orchestra was seated during the live recording.

The Osprey get pretty loud too if you push them, only distorting when you’re at the highest few volume increments. I didn’t go anywhere near that loud for most of my listening, but I appreciate that you can listen at higher volumes without losing quality.

• Sound quality: 4.5/5

Noble Osprey review: Value

• Rather affordable compared to audiophile buds
• Expensive compared to consumer-grade ones
• Don't offer the complete package like same-priced rivals do

The Noble Osprey sit with a foot (or claw? Talon?) in two camps. On one side, they're affordable audiophile earbuds, designed for listeners who care about music quality above all else. On the other, they're premium models for the average consumer, who wants a more balanced overall package.

Unfortunately, while the Noble Osprey sound really good, I'm not sure they sound $200 good. The distinction between them and same-price Apple, Bose or Sony rivals isn't pronounced enough, when you consider that those buds tend to offer a more balanced design and wider feature set.

Sure, audiophiles who only consider audio quality might not want those other features, but it's still a high price. For the same cost as the Osprey, you can get other buds that work even better.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Noble Osprey?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Noble Osprey review: Also consider

Want to see what other earbuds your money can get you? Here are some alternatives for roughly the same price.

How I tested the Noble Osprey

• Tested for one month
• Paired with two different Android phones
• Used for various activities and tasks

I used the Noble Osprey for roughly a month before writing this review, and the writing process added at least a week more of testing time. I began by using the pre-attached ear tips, and cycled through various in-box options, before settling on the two-tiered tips you see in the pictures.

During that span, they were paired to two different Android smartphones: a Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, and a Realme 13 Pro Plus, both times with the app installed on the phone. Mostly, music listening was done with Spotify and Tidal, while Prime Video and Now were used for movies — and various games got a look-in, too. I also used them for some calls and voice notes.

Initially, I used the earbuds for a wide range of tasks, including going for walks around my area, commuting or travelling on various forms of public transport, and while doing activities around my house. Towards the end of the testing process, when the fit issue made other uses frustrating, I only used them while seated at a desk. I completely omitted several tasks that are part of my usual testing process, including gym trips and runs.

I've been reviewing tech for TechRadar since 2019, which has seen me use countless earbuds and audio products.

• First reviewed in July 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

• 'Galaxy Able' gets name-dropped in the Wearable app
• These are the oft-rumored first ever clip-style earbuds from the company
• Could launch later in July, alongside two new Galaxy smartwatches

We've been hearing rumors that Samsung is teeing up to release a novel kind of earbuds offering — or at least, the design was novel a few years ago. It's a form factor that's entirely new for the company (though not its sub-brands) and completely unlike the Galaxy Buds 4 series in shape and name. And now, it's all but confirmed.

As spotted by an eagle-eyed Twitter user, an update to Samsung's Galaxy Wearable app has spilled the beans on a slew of upcoming products.

This includes the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, two products which may not surprise you if you're gifted with numbers and know that 9 follows 8.

But slightly more interesting is word of the Galaxy Able (not Galaxy Buds Able, as we'd previously heard). This naming all but confirms what we'd already thought: Samsung has seen our list of the best open earbuds and wants in.

Galaxy Able? Next up Galaxy Cain?

The open earbuds market moves quickly; it has to, it's such a new product line that even flash-in-the-pan tech AI predates it. If you haven't heard of them, they're earbuds that let in surrounding sound, so you know what's going on around you.

When the form factor began a few years ago, we mainly saw sports hook-style options (they snake around the back of your ear), but nowadays most seem to be clip-style ones that, according to my partner, make you look like a pirate. I prefer '80s New Romantic', because they're like big ear cuffs, but you get the idea.

Anyway, they're big, with a lot of the heavy-hitters testing out the form factor. To name a few, there's the Shokz OpenDots One, Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Sony LinkBuds Clip, JBL Soundgear Clips, Huawei FreeClip 2, and many, many more. Brands big and small have released options.

That is, except Samsung (and, notably, Apple). The Android-friendlier firm tends to let the audio experimentation play out with its sub-brands, including JBL, Harmon and AKG, releasing only its main series of earbuds under its own moniker. So its decision to release clip style earbuds under its own name suggests the form factor is huge now.

Samsung's traditional earbuds (see the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro) offer great-sounding audio, though you often need a Samsung phone to make the most of them. But open-ears are a different kettle of fish, requiring different tuning and a hardy fit to account for the open style, so I'm curious to see if the brand manages to adapt its strengths to the format.

We're expecting Samsung to announce plenty of new products at some point in July, including the aforementioned watches as well as its next wave of folding phones. So we might be able to bring you a review of the Galaxy Able sooner, rather than later.