CES 2026 signals three audio trends: open‑ear earbuds, modular systems, spatial audio

CES 2026 showcased a clearer picture of where personal and home audio are headed, with ZDNET's Jada Jones highlighting three dominant trends: open‑ear earbuds, modular home‑theater components, and widespread adoption of spatial audio. The open‑ear earbud market is growing, the writer reported, with brands such as Shokz continuing to innovate — Shokz debuted the OpenFit Pro with noise‑reduction technology — and expectations that more heavy hitters will enter the space.

At CES the writer said someone told them open‑ear earbuds are already common in Asia, and companies are expected to focus more on microphone and sound quality, clip‑on designs, and AI‑powered noise filtering to tackle leakage and ambient interference. The writer also said they expect Bose to leverage its noise‑canceling expertise for a future Ultra Open Earbuds model, though that release "won't likely be for another year or two." On the home‑theater front, modular systems are gaining traction over boxed‑set approaches.

Sonos has long offered interoperable components, and CES showed Samsung and LG introducing standalone pieces that can be paired into larger systems — Samsung's Music Studio 7 can operate as a powerful single smart speaker or be combined into a system, and LG's Sound Suite includes a soundbar, two sizes of rear speakers, and a subwoofer with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect.

Key Topics

Tech, Open-ear Earbuds, Modular Home Theater, Dolby Atmos, Shokz, Sonos