15 Cool New Gadgets to Keep on Your Radar

An entirely digital camera, the Fujifilm X Half is designed to mimic the experience of shooting on film, down to its manual film advance lever. It’s a fixed-lens camera with an 8.8 x 11.3mm sensor (essentially a 3:4 crop, like shooting half a frame of 135 film) with numerous built-in film modes, an image diptych feature (meaning you can combine two images into one side-by-side image), a video mode good for up to 1080/24 footage at up to 50Mbps and more. In the words of Richard Butler, who reviewed it over at our sister site DPR Review, it’s “objectively, a profoundly silly camera” — but that might be precisely what you’re looking for.

The Heston 120 is Marshall’s first-ever soundbar. It’s a standalone wireless 5.1.2-channel soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive sound technologies. It packs 11 total drivers — including up-firing and side-firing drivers — each powered by its own Class D amplifier. It supports music streaming over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. And, of course, Marshall gave it its signature rock ‘n’ roll flair, as the Heston 120 features knurled metal knobs, brass accents, and a wrapped leather trim — all of which are inspired by the brand’s iconic amps.

The Marantz AV 20 is part of the Japanese audio maker’s new series of reference-quality home theater separates. It’s a preamplifier and processor that’s designed to work in tandem with the brand’s AMP 20 power amp. The AV 20 handles everything except the amplification, and is packed with most of the modern technologies you’d want in an elite home theater system. Together, the system is designed as a middle ground between the Marantz Cinema 30 ($4,500), the brand’s all-in-one AV receiver, and its flagship AV 10 ($7,000) and AMP 10 ($7,000).

The Marantz AMP 20 is a power amplifier that’s designed to work with the company’s AV 20, a preamplifier and processor. Together, the home theater separates can deliver a 13.4-channel surround system that’s capable of delivering 200 watts per channel (for 12 channels). The AMP 20 is essentially a slight step-down from the company’s flagship AMP 10 ($7,000).

Cabasse’s La Sphere Evo is a super high-end wireless active speaker system. The “Evo” is essentially a smaller and more affordable version of the French audio maker’s La Sphere, as each loudspeaker is built around its proprietary tri-coaxial (TCA) driver system. As with most modern active speaker systems, the Evo supports a wide range of wireless streaming abilities and wired connections (including HDMI eARC).

The ELAC ConneX DCB61 is a powered desktop speaker system that, in a nutshell, is a bigger and better-sounding version of its popular ConneX DCB41 ($699). The system pairs one active and one passive speaker together — the active (or primary) speaker houses the amplification and wired connections for both. Like its smaller brethren, the ConneX DCB61 is highly versatile. You can use them as desktop speakers (via a USB connection), TV speakers (via HDMI ARC) or just stream audio from your smartphone (thanks to built-in Bluetooth). They also have a built-in phono preamp (switchable), allowing you to use them with a wide variety of turntables.

Walmart has begun selling the Onn 4K Plus, a Google TV streaming box designed for 4K TVs — it’s effectively designed as a replacement for your old Chromecast. Compared to the more entry-level Onn 4K model, the “Plus” model features a faster processor, support for Dolby Vision HDR, and uses USB-C as a power source (instead of micro-USB). Additionally, it comes with a voice remote. It also costs just $30, which is $10 more than the Onn 4K.

The Rode NTH-50 is the Australian audio maker’s most affordable pair of headphones. They are on-ear, closed-back headphones with custom 40mm drivers, designed for DJs, sound engineers, and audiophiles on a budget. They cost just $99.

The Miniot Wheel 3 is the third-generation vertical turntable from the small Dutch company. Like its predecessors, it flips conventional turntable wisdom on its head, as the tonearm is hidden on the inside and features an optical sensor (similar to a CD player) instead of a stylus. However, Wheel 3 differs from its predecessors in that it features a slimmed-down design and upgraded all-around components.

Twelve South’s PowerCord is an all-in-one charging solution for your USB-C devices. It’s a slim, braided USB-C charging cable with an integrated 30-watt power adapter that’s designed to charge your smartphone, camera, laptop, and other everyday electronics. It’s available in two lengths (4ft and 10ft) and two colors (Slate and White Dune).

The Makalu — named after the world’s fifth-highest mountain — is the biggest and most expensive speaker in the company’s elite Summit Series. It’s a 3-way floorstanding loudspeaker similar to the company’s Pumori, as it features near identical drivers, but the Makalu is a bigger and more powerful loudspeaker. It represents the pinnacle of what JBL can achieve in a loudspeaker.

The Pumori — named after Mount Pumori, which is nicknamed “Daughter of Everest” due to its location just eight kilometres west of the world’s highest peak — is a three-way floor-standing loudspeaker in the company’s elite Summit Series. Yet, it remains slightly smaller and more affordable than the Makalu. It features a three-way design and shares the same 8-inch midrange driver, but the Makali has a slightly larger woofer (12 inches versus the Pumori’s 10 inches). Like the other loudspeakers in the series, it features JBL’s proprietary driver and crossover technologies, and is housed in a gorgeous, meticulously crafted cabinet.

The Ama is the smallest loudspeaker in JBL’s Summit Series, which are the company’s most high-end loudspeakers. The Ama is a two-way stand-mounted loudspeaker that is named after Ama Dablam, a famous peak in the Himalayas. It features a nearly identical woofer and tweeter combo as in the Pumori (its larger sibling), but lacks a dedicated midrange driver. Each speaker features several of the brand’s proprietary driver and crossover technologies, is housed in a gorgeous handcrafted cabinet, and comes in two luxurious finishes: black or ebony veneer.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock is a high-end docking station designed for power users. It features 11 total ports, with the standouts including three Thunderbolt 5 ports, three USB-A ports, microSD and SD card slots, and a headphone jack. It supports 140 watts of passthrough power and, when connected to a Mac, can power two 6K external displays.

Nomad’s 100-watt Slim Power Adapter is a more powerful version of its previous 35-watt and 65-watt options. It features GaN technology, which enables a slim adapter to deliver sufficient power to charge the latest MacBook Pros. It features dual USB-C ports that, when used together, can deliver 70- and 30-watt power, allowing you to charge two devices simultaneously. And its folding prongs make for a more travel-friendly design.