Stuff’s annual Gadget Awards are how we like to close out the year. The winners appear in print first (as it should be), before making the jump online. Audio is the first category of Stuff’s best tech seen in 2025 that we’ll be publishing. This early in the year, there’s still time to nab one of these before an inevitable success is announced and released. Heck, even by the end of 2026, you’ll still be pleased to plonk one of these on your shelf.
Keep an eye out for our other categories in the coming week, culminating in Stuff‘s Gadget of the Year. If you bought our print issue, you already know the answer. If you didn’t… well, stick around. We’ll tell you. Eventually.
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER OF THE YEAR
JBL FLIP 7
Here we go again. JBL holds Stuff’s Bluetooth speaker title seemingly indefinitely, and that’s because nothing else nails the trifecta quite like the Flip series: it’s affordable, durable, and portable. The 7th-gen model applies improvements where they matter most, making this already dominant speaker even harder to dethrone.
It weighs less than its predecessor, yet redesigned dome tweeters serve up bigger sound with much deeper bass. And in what sounds like a gimmick but genuinely works, real-time analysis via clever algorithms maximises volume without introducing distortion. Auracast connectivity is the standout addition, enabling audio sharing across unlimited compatible devices, while Bluetooth 5.4 ensures reliable streaming.
The JBL Flip 7 hits the sweet spot where proper performance meets sensible pricing.
R1 900 / jbl.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED
B&O Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) ● Ultimate Ears Miniroll
SHORTLISTED
Marshall Emberton III ● Marley Roots Solar
WIRELESS SPEAKER OF THE YEAR
BOWERS & WILKINS ZEPPELIN PRO
You always know what you’re getting into with Bowers and Wilkins. Sometimes it’s debt, but it’s also the best audio you can pour on your inexplicably thirsty ears. The Zeppelin Pro Edition is its iconic design with more smarts than ever before, with the five-speaker array – a 6in sub, plus dual mids, and tweeters – pumps out finely tuned audio, while extensive streaming support means you can slum among the Spotify masses for a while before returning to your blissful world of high-res audio.
It’s not a dinky little art piece either, dropping almost 7kg onto your shelf or desktop. Just think of it as the weight of all that amazing engineering making itself known.
R18 500 / istore.co.za
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Kanto Ren
SHORTLISTED
Sony ULT Tower 10
