And in among the cases, chargers, drones and 3D printers, there was a smattering of audio products and accessories worthy of further investigation.
There were Audioengine powered desktop speakers and stylish Vifa wireless efforts, headphones that will fit anyone and headphones designed specifically for women, and handy accessories for your iPhone and for Sonos speakers. And more besides. Here's our pick of the highlights...
ACS universal fit in-ear monitors
ACS has partnered with Maroo Audio (more on them later) to deliver ‘universal fit’ in-ear monitors. Advanced Communication Systems (ACS) is a British company with plenty of pedigree in the pro audio market making industry-standard, custom-fit in-ear monitors, as used by BBC Radio, Depeche Mode and Kasabian, to name a few. Teaming up with Maroo Audio, it now plans to bring its experience from the pro world to more punters with a range of in-ears that boast a ‘universal fit’.
There are three earphone models: the ACS Evoke single-driver monitor, yours for £230, the ACS Evolve triple-driver, £400, and the ACS Encore five-driver earphones, £800. They all feature Linum cabling for better sound and durability, and of course promise that extra snug, noise-isolating fit. All three products are due on sale in Q2 2016. Find out more on the ACS website.
Audioengine HD6 powered speakers
We’ve been fans of Audioengine’s desktop speakers for some years now, so we were pleased to see the latest addition to the family on show; the flagship Audioengine HD6 powered speakers. They promise to play pretty much anything thanks to aptX Bluetooth connectivity alongside analogue and digital inputs. Available in satin black, cherry wood and walnut wood finishes, the Audioengine HD6 speakers are on sale now for £550.
Caeden headphones
A new name to us, the Caeden brand hails from New York and is set to bring its Linea range of stylish headphones to the UK later this year (Selfridges in July, to be more precise). Founded by engineers who have previously worked on audio products for Jawbone and Skullcandy, the brand should know a thing or two about marrying form and function. There are three models: the Caeden Linea No.2 in-ears, £50; the Caeden Linea No.1 on-ears, £100; and the Linea No.10 wireless headphones, £130. The in-ear and on-ear models come with an Apple mic and remote, while the wireless model promises a one-button universal remote. Available in a choice of gunmetal, gold and rose gold finishes, they’re already on sale in the US. You can expect a UK release from July.
MORE: Best headphones 2016
Flexson Sonos accessories
Flexson has a fresh line of Sonos accessories. There’s a new premium floor stand if you want to get your Play speakers off the ground, yours for £170, plus replacement cables should you find yours is too long or too short. On sale now, the 1m cable is £8 and the 3m cable is £13.
Leaf iBridge portable storage
The Leaf iBridge caught our eye as a handy pre-holiday purchase. Stuck with a full iPhone and unable to take photos? Plug this neat portable storage device straight into the Lightning connection to instantly free-up space. You can also store music and movies on the device, making it a convenient way to boost your iPhone memory. It’s on sale now, with the 16GB version currently on sale for £38. There’s a range of storage choices right up to 256GB.
Maroo Audio earphones for women
Maroo Audio wants to offer headphones “designed and engineered specifically for women's smaller ears” and has two ranges forthcoming, called GEM and ICE. Maroo explains: “Unlike other manufacturers that just add pretty colours and bedazzle their current lines of earphones, Maroo has engineered the new earphones specifically to fit women’s smaller ears. These noise-isolating earphones are designed with narrower, lightweight housings to fit smaller ear canals for longwearing comfort and safer listening levels.” You can try for yourself in Selfridges, where a range of Maroo earphones are on sale for £70.
Shark Proof liquid screen protection
Invisible liquid glass protection that you can wipe on any screen? It certainly sounds impressive. Hoping you’ll give up on more familiar screen protectors, Shark Proof is a DIY protection kit, which aims to imitate the sort of technology used to keep everything from airplane windscreens to satellites in tip-top condition. One £15 application promises up to two years of protection. Try for yourself, it’s on sale now.
Star Wars wireless speakers
We’re not sure how strong the force is with these wireless speakers, but there’s no denying their appeal for Star Wars geeks. We clocked these speakers last year when they were on Kickstarter and now they’re a reality. Both the Stormtrooper and C-3PO speakers are on sale now for £129 each.
Vifa wireless speakers
Danish brand Vifa had its full range of wireless speakers on display, including the Vifa Oslo, which we covered last month. The Vifa Oslo, Vifa Helsinki and Vifa Copenhagen all offer wireless Bluetooth connectvity and aim to benefit from 80+ years of audio heritage, many of which were spent making speakers for better known Scandinavian brands. The full range of smart Vifa speakers is on sale now, with prices from £329.
