Last week was a busy one for new gear, and not just in one corner of the tech world. We saw a $99 tube buffer for audio tinkerers, a robot vacuum lineup that can literally lift itself over obstacles, new stereo amps with HDMI eARC, small streaming boxes for older hi-fi systems, a serious desktop DAC/amp, affordable open-ear earbuds, and a very bright 4K laser projector with an AI-powered gimbal.

That’s a pretty wide spread, but there’s a common thread running through most of it: these products are trying to make existing setups easier to live with. Not necessarily cheaper, not always simpler on paper, but more practical in real homes, on real desks, and in systems that already have a few pieces of gear in place.

Here’s what stood out.

Schiit Buf

The Schiit Buf is probably the smallest product here, but it might be one of the most interesting for people who like to tinker with their audio system.

At $99, Buf is a compact tube buffer designed to sit between two components you already own. It is not a DAC, headphone amp, preamp, or amplifier. Instead, it takes a line-level signal, runs it through a tube stage, and sends it along to the next device in your chain. You could place it between a DAC and integrated amplifier, a streamer and powered speakers, or a DAC and headphone amp.

The appeal is simple: you get to experiment with tube flavor without rebuilding your system around tubes. Schiit says Buf uses its Coherence topology and ships with an NOS 6N1P tube, while also supporting compatible tubes such as 6922, ECC88, and 6DJ8. It also has 0dB and 12dB gain settings, which gives it a bit more flexibility than a basic one-mode buffer. Read more.

Dreame L60 Series

Dreame’s new L60 Series is a four-model robot vacuum lineup, and this one is clearly about reducing the amount of babysitting a robot vacuum needs.

The range includes the L60 Pro Ultra, L60 Ultra, L60 Ultra PE, and L60 Ultra FE, with prices ranging from $999.99 to $1,399.99. The top L60 Pro Ultra gets the headline feature: Dreame’s ProLeap robotic legs, which are designed to help it cross obstacles up to 3.47 inches high. That could matter a lot in homes with raised thresholds, thick rugs, and awkward floor transitions.

The series also leans heavily on high suction numbers, hot-water mop cleaning, self-emptying docks, anti-tangle brush systems, edge-cleaning arms, and smarter obstacle detection. The L60 Pro Ultra and L60 Ultra are rated at 35,000Pa suction, while the PE and FE models step down to 30,000Pa.

What I like about this lineup is that it does not pretend all homes are the same. The Pro Ultra is the one for tricky layouts, while the lower-profile L60 Ultra may make more sense if your main issue is getting under furniture. Read more.

Musical Fidelity M5xi and M6xi

The new Musical Fidelity M5xi and M6xi integrated amplifiers feel like proper hi-fi amps updated for the way people actually use their living rooms now.

Both models add HDMI eARC, USB-C, optical, coaxial, MM/MC phono input, four RCA line inputs, home theater bypass, pre-out, line-out, RS-232 control, and a 5V/2A USB-A port for powering an external streamer. That last detail is small, but useful. Instead of adding another wall adapter behind your rack, you can power a small streamer directly from the amp.

The M5xi is rated at 160 watts per channel into 8 ohms, while the M6xi steps up to 220 watts per channel into 8 ohms and adds balanced XLR input. Pricing is $2,690 for the M5xi and $3,499 for the M6xi.

The big practical win is HDMI eARC. Plenty of people want to use good stereo speakers for TV, movies, YouTube, sports, and games without buying a full AV receiver or soundbar. These amps make that kind of setup easier. Read more.

Pro-Ject Stream Box E and Wireless Box E

Pro-Ject’s new Stream Box E and Wireless Box E are both aimed at older hi-fi systems that need a streaming upgrade.

The Stream Box E is the straightforward one. It is a compact network streamer running WiiM OS, with support for Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, dual-band Wi-Fi, RCA input and output, optical digital output, app control, and multi-room playback. It is priced at €179 / £159, with U.S. pricing still to be announced.

The Wireless Box E is more unusual. It mounts to the back of a passive speaker and effectively turns it into a wireless powered speaker, though each speaker still needs power. Each unit handles one speaker, so stereo requires two. Output is rated at 25 watts into 8 ohms or 50 watts into 4 ohms, and pricing is €229 / £199 per unit.

Neither product is trying to replace your system. That is the point. They are more like bridge devices for people who like their current gear but want modern streaming without a full overhaul. Read more.

Topping DX9 Discrete

The Topping DX9 Discrete is the most serious desktop audio launch in this roundup.

At $1,299, it is an all-in-one DAC, headphone amp, and preamp aimed at enthusiasts who want one box to handle a lot of jobs. The big technical hook is Topping’s own 1-bit PSRM DAC architecture, instead of a more common ESS or AKM chip-based design. It supports PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz, DSD512, USB, optical, coaxial, AES, HDMI I2S, Bluetooth with LDAC and aptX Adaptive, balanced XLR outputs, RCA outputs, and both balanced and single-ended headphone outputs.

It also has serious headphone power, with output rated up to around 7,000mW per channel into 32 ohms. That puts it in the zone for demanding planar magnetic headphones, while still offering enough flexibility for more sensitive gear. The built-in 10-band parametric EQ is another useful touch, especially because profiles can be stored on the device. Read more.

EarFun Clip 2

The EarFun Clip 2 is a $79.99 open-ear earbud that shows how quickly this category is moving down in price.

Instead of sitting inside your ear canal, the Clip 2 wraps around the outside of your ear, so you can hear music while staying aware of your surroundings. Each earbud weighs about 5.5 grams and uses a flexible C-Bridge design with a nickel-titanium frame and soft silicone contact points.

Feature-wise, it is surprisingly loaded for the price: 12mm titanium composite drivers, LDAC support, Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint connection, up to 11 hours of playback, 40 hours total with the case, IP55 dust and water resistance, wireless charging, AI call noise reduction, and real-time AI translation through the EarFun app. Read more.

JMGO N3 Ultimate

The JMGO N3 Ultimate ($2,399) is the big-screen entry this week, and its spec sheet is built around brightness and easier setup.

It is a 4K triple-laser projector rated at 5,800 ISO lumens, with JMGO’s MALC 5.0 triple-laser system, a claimed 20,000:1 contrast ratio, and 110 percent BT.2020 color coverage. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, Google TV, and projection sizes up to 300 inches.

The more interesting part, though, is the setup system. The N3 Ultimate uses optical zoom, lens shift, and an AI-powered gimbal, so it can physically adjust the image before relying too heavily on digital correction. For real rooms, that matters. Most projectors do not get placed in perfect positions, and too much digital keystone correction can affect sharpness and brightness. Read more.