The annual consumer electronics show we like to abbreviate to CES 2026 is in full swing in Las Vegas, Nevada, and if you're ready to put it all on audio, stick with me.
Not to boast, but I know Sin City like the back of my hand (blame a previous life) and this annual shindig never disappoints for some of the most logic-defying and best earbuds we've ever seen, plus some of the weirdest and best headphones to hit the strip – and subsequently, the wider consumer market.
So what of 2026? Well, the heavy hitters are all out and betting big, from new romantic ear cuff-style open earbuds to on-ears that twist to become a portable speaker and plenty in between. Ready? Then strap in – we're going to Vegas, baby.
1. Shokz Openfit Pro
- Shokz' first ever active 'noise reduction' in open earbuds
- …and it's so good, I forgot they weren't traditional earbuds
Fans of sports-specific listening gear will need no further fanfare from me when it comes to Shokz products. But this is new, and by 'this' I mean the just-unveiled OpenFit Pro.
Why? Because they're the first ever Shokz open earbuds to feature a "synchronized dual-diaphragm driver and noise reduction". And for me, that 'noise reduction' part meant 'active noise cancellation, but in an open-ear design'. I know it shouldn't work, but it does.
Shokz points towards its unique new SuperBoost algorithm for "dynamic and distortion-free sound", plus a premium-feel "aerospace-grade aluminium PMI dome cap". I would point you towards a secure but still thoroughly open fit caused by this little nub on the headshell; it sort of nestles into and behind my cimba concha (one of the inner folds of the outer ear, above the concha proper), meaning they never slipped for me even when playing tennis.
Shokz OpenFit Pro are also ready for your Dolby Atmos content, with head-tracking tech – and during my initial testing I found it responsive and agile as I turned each ear towards the source device.
A flagship set of perks for a flagship price then? Indeed. At £219 (or around $295 or AU$440) they're not cheap, because the top spot in our buying guide is currently occupied by another Shokz product, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ with an MSRP of just $179.95 / £169 / AU$350. Are they worth the price hike? Watch this space…
2. Fender Mix
- Fender's first cans boast a 100-hr battery – a serious shredding session
- Is the aesthetic befitting of the iconic Stratocaster, though?
Behold! The first wireless headphones to bear the Fender name, called the Fender Mix (styled to 'MIX' in the company's marketing), due to go on sale at some point in the near future for a mid-range $299.
They use 40mm drivers and have most of the features we've come to demand from the best headphones: noise cancellation, spatial audio, 3.5mm connectivity, and the ability to listen via USB-C as well as 3.5mm.
The headline grabber is probably the official battery life, at 52 hours with ANC on or a whopping 100 hours off – and apparently you can keep listening even at 0% using a wired connection. Because with Fender, the jam never ends.
My issue here? Well, the Mix look very much like your standard Bluetooth headphones. And the Fender Stratocaster is not your average electric guitar. Meanwhile, Marshall's over-ears again maintain the firm's guitar-amp aesthetic, which does leave Fender's proposition looking slightly, well, beige in comparison… just me?
3. JBL Soundgear Clips
- JBL's first ever cuff-style open earbuds
- My pick of a rollout of 3 open earbuds from JBL (and a lot of products at CES)
If there was an award for the number of new product releases at CES, JBL would likely win – the company has unveiled three open earbuds models and an adjacent sports-specific set of buds in the earbuds space alone in Las Vegas!
My pick of the bunch? The JBL Soundgear Clips, and not just because I love a purple new romantic '90s-style ear cuff (although I must confess, I do).
A bit about them then? Of course: the all-new Soundgear Clips (pictured in my favorite purple, but other finishes include copper, blue, and white), are expected to cost a refreshingly affordable $149.95 at launch, and JBL is keen to point out its own air conduction solution powered by its proprietary OpenSound tech here, with an enhanced bass boost algorithm.
Up to 32 hours of playtime (earbuds: 8 hrs; case: 24 hrs) is the battery life claim, and the earbuds are IP54 water- and dust resistant. On-ear touch controls are also on the menu, and you'll be able to tweak what each push and hold does, using the JBL Headphones App.
4. TDM Neo
- Headphones that you twist to turn them into a Bluetooth speaker
- 200-hour battery life as headphones, 10 hours as speakers
This one sounds gimmicky, but having heard my colleague's thoughts after trying it at show, it actually is really charming and incredibly thoughtfully designed.
The TDM Neo appear to be regular on-ear wireless headphones, with an optional 3.5mm jack and on-ear controls. But if you twist their around, compressing the headband and turning them into a small round device, they instantly start playing your music out loud instead through their more powerful built-in outward-facing speakers.
They have four drivers in total (one facing in, one facing out per ear cup), and two separate amplifiers powering them. The speakers can run for 10 hours on a single charge, and because speakers use a lot more power than headphone drivers, this means an amazing 200 hours of headphone battery life. That's absolutely mind-blowing, and they're still not really any bigger than other headphones – though they lack active noise cancellation.
They've really thought through how this works, though. By default, they auto switch to playing from the speakers when you twist them, but you can change this so they pause instead. When you twist them, the headband's hinges magnetically lock together so you know you've made the change fully, and then these act as a flat stand to hold it upright when it's playing.
The TDM Neo is launching on Kickstarter in 2026, but the version my colleague tried was fully working, and apparently even sounded pretty good, with a lot of bass depth. And in case you're wondering, TDM stands for "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter", to evoke "a world where people live in the moment, empowering users to share what they are listening to the instant they step into a social setting." OK – although I do feel like I needed that explanation…
5. Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro
- When are open earbuds not open? When they can also become in-ears
- And that's not all! There are actually five modes to deploy
After the open earbuds explosion that was 2025, the noise-uncancelling open-fit earbuds market is expected to continue in 2026. However, I would’ve thought it’d take more than a week for a company to deal out an absolute blinder of a hand – but CES can be like that, you know?
What am I talking about? Well, unlike most pairs of open earbuds, the new Anker Souncore Aerofit 2 Pro aren’t actually open-ears – and yet they are. Sort-of.
These hybrid earbuds can actually click between two different modes (well, five actually, but they're all based on those two modes, physically-speaking). Want to hear what’s going on around you? Use them in open-ear mode. Want ANC? Jump over to in-ear mode and you can listen to your music with noise cancellation on.
And to be abundantly clear, yes, whichever mode you switch to will apparently dictate just how far into your ear the neck of the bud extends, ergo, shape-shifting earbuds!
Anker's Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro are slated for launch in February 2026, for a price between $150 and $200; Anker wouldn't be pushed on final pricing at the time of our pre-CES briefing. Basically, watch this space – we cannot wait to test them out.
6. Neurable x HyperX gaming headset prototype
- Neurable's formidable brain-hacking tech, but applied to a gaming headset
- Built to make you better at Valorant — and according to a colleague, they work
I've experienced Neurable's jaw-dropping work with mind-reading headphones before, having tried (and largely failed) to achieve a high focus state with the MW75 Neuro.
Since then, the company has released a new lighter and more affordable set called the MW75 Neuro LT, which offer a daily two-minute cognitive snapshot, but still with the same 12-channel dry EEG sensors invisibly squirrelled away, in the ear cushions.
And at CES 2026, the company has applied both its enviable hardware and software to a gaming headset, which my colleague just tried at the show (I'm not mildly upset that he wrote about them for our gaming arm whatsoever, honestly I'm not).
This time, Neurable has teamed up with HyperX to create the product, which is a different offering in that the tech focuses on two areas: improving your headspace before you play in order to level up performance, and monitoring activity during a gaming session to see if you're maintaining peak levels.
Neurable's results are also impressive. Apparently, pro-level eSports players improved their target-aiming accuracy by around 3% after using the headphones' 'Priming' process, while the average improvement across all players was approximately 1.5%. Additionally, the improvement in reaction time is a claimed 40 milliseconds on average, which is a few frames and actually quite a big deal.
It's a product that's a little too involved for me to do justice to in such a short roundup post. But know this: my colleague found the focus aid "pretty instantly addictive…"
7. Klipsch Atlas
- Klipsch's first over-ear headphones in a decade – and there are 3 pairs
- All very different models, including a 'semi open-back' flagship set
In what is for me the most hotly anticipated return to headphones at CES, Klipsch's Atlas Series not only commemorates the company's 80th year in business, but also marks 10 years since it last released a set of cans – namely the Heritage range, which was unveiled at CES a decade ago (yes, I also feel old now).
The Atlas lineup comprises three distinct and gorgeous-looking models as you can see above, all expected to be available in the US in Summer 2026.
Atlas HP-1, (on the right of the image above) are a wireless over-ear design with active noise-cancellation – Klipsch wants you to think "ultra-light weight, long-term wearability, and standout battery life". Klipsch's coaxial driver approach is at the helm here, with a "planned third-party feature compatibility for spatial audio and hearing compensation". Interesting…
Atlas HP-2 is described as a "closed-back hi-fi option tuned for class-leading bass response and immersive low-end impact, aimed squarely at a bass-forward enthusiast that desires visceral energy without sacrificing refinement." One for the drum and bass fans, then.
Lastly, Atlas HP-3 is the flagship set, with a "semi-open-back premium design for critical two-channel listening, that delivers a spacious, speaker-like presentation for audiophiles". Luxury is key here, and the elevated packaging concept even includes a dedicated headphone stand, so you can look at how beautiful they are when you're not wearing them.
Again, all models are expected to launch in the US in summer 2026, and while pricing isn't yet known, let's just say I wouldn't expect them to fall into our best budget headphones category…
TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!
➡️ Read our full guide to the best noise cancelling headphones
1. Best overall:
Sony WH-1000XM6
2. Best mid-range:
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
3. Best under $100/£100:
1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
4. Best under $60/£50:
Soundcore Q30
➡️ Read our full guide to the best open earbuds
1. Best overall:
Shokz OpenFit 2+
2. Best cheap around-ear design:
Huawei FreeArc
3. Best cheap clip design:
Shokz OpenDots One
4. Best high-end clip design:
Bose Ultra Open
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