The EE Pocket-lint Awards celebrate 20 categories ranging from best game and best smartwatch, to best camera and best smartphone – and the Shortlist has now been announced.
Each category has six shortlisted nominations, all of which have been reviewed or used by us in full over the last 12 months – and there are some excellent contenders across the board.
The Best Speaker category in the EE Pocket-lint Awards features nominees from the best-sounding on-the-go or at-home audio devices, with the nominees spanning multi-room speakers to Bluetooth speakers.
Only one can be our king of sound though. The shortlist nominations for Best Speaker 2022 are:
Audio Pro C10 MkIIDevialet ManiaJBL Flip 6Sonos FiveUltimateEars Wonderboom 3Marshall Emberton II
You can click on each of the products above to read our full reviews on each nomination, which will give you an idea as to why they have been nominated.
Below, though, you’ll find a quick verdict on each speaker to give you an idea of why it’s made our shortlist.
Audio Pro C10 MkII
Audio Pro’s attention to detail is second to none, and this makes for a really well-designed and classy speaker in the form of the C10 MkII – which doesn’t rip up the precedent of the original C10. Instead, it makes it more connected than ever while retaining its superb sound performance.
This is a speaker that won’t disrupt any hygge living space, fitting right in whether you keep its grille on or take it off, and we love both how it looks and how it sounds, which made it a shoo-in for this list.
Devialet Mania
Devialet’s speakers look like nothing else on the market, none more so than the space-age wonder that is the Mania. With Alexa on board, it can be a truly smart speaker, but the focus really has to be on its wonderful sound and incredible design.
Anyone who likes home tech that’s a little out of the ordinary will be instantly attracted to this stunning spherical design, and we can only hope that more speaker companies take inspiration and try some new shapes out, in its image.
JBL Flip 6
JBL’s portable speakers are some of our favourites on the market and have been for quite some time – the Flip 6 continues that legacy really impressively, with a speaker that blends portability and power just as you would hope.
This means you can absolutely sustain a party with just a single unit, and with some really nice rugged weatherproofing, you don’t have to worry if you’re out in the elements with it.
Sonos Five
A good Sonos system can transform any home into an audio palace, and the Five was updated in 2022 to play a starring role in any such setup. It’s a super-powerful, incredibly rich and full-featured speaker that can fill massive spaces without sacrificing any sophistication.
As part of a multi-room system, it’ll really shine, but even if it’s the only Sonos speaker you own you’ll be getting amazing sound that elevates whatever genre of music you care to throw at it. The smooth lines of its clean design make it really easy to incorporate, too.
UltimateEars Wonderboom 3
Not many speakers float – and that’s a fact. The Wonderboom 3 does much more than that though, with its crowning glory being amazing sound that’s way out of proportion with its diminutive sound. This is the perfect choice for a road trip, camping expedition or holiday, fitting into a small bag and packing real oomph.
Loud volumes are nice, but the key here is that the Wonderboom 3 genuinely sounds great, and the fact that it can do it in all elements is something we’ve come to rely on, making it an ideal choice for our Shortlist.
Marshall Emberton II
Marshall ploughs its own furrow with design language that is still harking back to classic rock – and we absolutely love it. The Emberton II is a brilliant little speaker (about the same footprint as your smartphone) that pumps out really great sound.
It keeps things simple and pairs really quickly, ideal for those who don’t want to faff around with unnecessary features, and has a full and rich sound that belies its small size.
How the Pocket-lint Awards judging works
The winner for the Best Speaker category is decided by the Pocket-lint team, along with a panel of expert judges from publications across the industry. Following the scoring process, the Best Speaker winner for 2022 will be announced at an in-person event on 30 November 2022 in Central London, along with the winners from the other 19 categories.
A Product of the Year winner will also be announced, chosen from the winners of the 20 categories and a winner of the EE Superfast Award, will also be revealed at the event. We will be announcing the results on the Pocket-lint Twitter handle as they unfold on the night, so keep an eye out there.