WorkspaceGuide
How we test
The protocols, the rigs, the minimum test periods, and the arrangements that make our obvious failure modes harder. Read this before you trust a number on this site.
Guides
Buying advice, roundups, and how the testing works.
AudioGuide
The best noise-cancelling headphones
We measured isolation across the band on a fixed rig, then wore all fourteen pairs on the same commute for a fortnight each. Two are worth your money.
ComputingGuide
The best laptops for everyday work
We ran nine machines under sustained load for thirty minutes each and measured what was left. The winner loses every ten-second benchmark on this page.
AudioGuide
Ear tips are the cheapest upgrade in audio
Half the earbuds returned as 'weak bass' are nothing of the sort. They are the wrong size tip, and the fix costs less than a coffee.
ComputingGuide
Why we stopped recommending laptops on release day
Three of the last five machines we tested shipped with a firmware bug that was fixed within ten weeks. Waiting one quarter is the cheapest upgrade there is.
AudioGuide
Open-back or closed-back: choose by the room, not the graph
The most common headphone regret we hear has nothing to do with sound quality. It comes from buying the right headphone for the wrong room.
AudioGuide
How to stop your headphones dying after two years
Almost every pair we have retired failed in one of three places, and two of them are a ten-minute fix if the manufacturer sells the part.
AudioGuide
Noise cancellation, explained: what the number on the box is not telling you
Every manufacturer quotes a single decibel figure. It is always their best one, at the frequency they are best at, and it predicts almost nothing about a train.
KitchenGuide
The five-minute routine that fixes most bad espresso
Before you buy a better machine: four things that cost nothing and account for most of the difference between a sour shot and a good one.
FitnessGuide
How to tell when your running shoes are actually finished
Not by the tread, and not by the mileage on the box. There is a better test, and it takes about thirty seconds on a kitchen counter.
WorkspaceGuide
Monitor height is the cheapest ergonomic fix there is
A stack of books solves more neck pain than most chairs do. Here is the measurement to aim for and how to hit it for nothing.
KitchenGuide
The best espresso setup for a home kitchen
Six machines and five grinders, 900 shots, and one conclusion most buyers get backwards: spend the money on the grinder first.
The list
Know before you buy.
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