About
Tobias Asher reviews audio gear and smart-home products for The Review Bench. His background is audio engineering — he spent five years in studio production before moving into consumer tech writing. He covers headphones, speakers, soundbars, smart speakers, and the broader smart-home ecosystem.
Areas of expertise
- Headphones and speakers
- Smart-home ecosystems
- Audio measurement methodology
Bylines at
- Engadget (contributor)
- What Hi-Fi? (freelance)
- Sound on Sound (former)
Recent reviews
Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 review: still the comfort benchmark, finally with the codecs
After four months of daily use, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 are the most comfortable noise-cancelling headphones we've tested at this tier, with ANC that finally pulls level with Sony's WH-1000 line. Codec support is fixed. Sound profile is warmer than neutral. Earns an Editor's Pick at 8.6 with a small caveat for treble-sensitive listeners.
Eufy Doorbell 3 Pro review: local storage that mostly delivers, with a privacy footnote
After three months of testing on a working front porch, the Eufy Doorbell 3 Pro delivered reliable detection, sharp 4K image quality, and stable local-storage recording without recurring subscription fees. The 2023 cloud-leak revelations have left long-term reputational damage we still consider material. Earns 7.5 with explicit network-isolation guidance.
Sony WF-1000XM6 review: small, smart, and finally fitting properly
Across six weeks of daily use, the Sony WF-1000XM6 deliver class-leading transparency, ANC within a few dB of category leaders, and a fit that finally addresses the bulky-shell problem. Battery life under ANC is honest, codec support is best-in-class for Android. Touch controls are a regression.
Aqara M3 Hub review: Matter and Thread done well, with caveats
Across three months of running our smart-home test rig, the Aqara Hub M3 paired and managed Matter devices from five vendors reliably, served as a stable Thread Border Router, and recovered cleanly from a deliberate hard power cycle. The companion app's old-Aqara quirks remain. Earns 7.8 with caveats for users planning to use it primarily as a Zigbee bridge.
Sonos Arc Ultra review: better Atmos, same software trade-offs
After three months of daily use, the Sonos Arc Ultra is the best soundbar we've tested under $1,200, with materially better dialogue clarity and bass extension than the original Arc. The Sonos app's 2024 redesign continues to cause us setup grief. Earns 8.0 with the explicit caveat that the software experience is below the bar of competitors.
Reach Tobias via editorial@thereviewbench.com with the subject line "Attn: Tobias".