2026 Reader voted Finest Gear – Replace 3! On this article we offer you a third standing replace on the 2026 Reader voted finest gear polls.
It’s already been over 5 months since we launched the 2026 Reader Voted Finest Gear polls. For these of you who do not know what I’m speaking about, take a look at the web page beneath the place we announce and clarify the Reader Awards.
2026 Reader voted Finest Gear – Replace 3
Anyway, it’s time for a 3rd replace. Let’s discover out what you to this point in 2026 discover to be the Finest / Your favorite Gear available on the market!
Like final yr we’ll manually take away fraudulous votes from the polls, so preserve it sincere please. One vote/consumer/IP!
Classes
There are 11 classes this yr and they’re the next:
- Headphones
- Common IEMs
- Customized IEMs
- TWS IEMs
- Transportable Gamers/DAPs
- DAC/AMP Combos – Together with Dongles
- Amplifiers (solely) – Tube or Strong State
- DAC (solely)
- Audio system
- Streamers
- Cables & Equipment
The Standing on Could 6
After having eliminated the fraudulous votes, these are the winners for now:
Headphones
- Audeze LCD-5 – 6.10%
- Focal Utopia 2022 – 5.49%
- Sennheiser HD 800 S – 4.88%
The LCD-5 and Utopia are nonetheless within the first two spots. The FiiO FT7 has dropped a spot on the record and the Sennheiser HD800 S now takes the third spot!
Common IEMs
- Sennheiser IE900 – 10.64%
- Sony IER-Z1R – 8.51%
- 64 Audio U12t – 6.38%
The #1 place nonetheless is for the Sennheiser IE 900 and it retains its lead. The Sony IER-Z1R continues to be in second place but it surely’s particularly the 64 Audio U12t that’s getting nearer rapidly.
Customized IEMs
- JH Audio Layla – 23.08%
- UM Multiverse Mentor – 15.38%%
- UM MEST MKII – 15.37%
I needed to delete a variety of fraudulous votes right here, and the model and unit – RH Acoustics RH6 – had been faraway from the record)
We now have a brand new CIEM within the lead! The JH Audio Layla is now first with 23.08% of the votes. The earlier no 1 – the UM Multiverse Mentor – now’s second with 15.38% of the votes (it had 20% earlier than). The MEST MKIII from UM continues to be in third place.
TWS IEM
- Sony WF-1000XM5 – 21.42%
- Apple Airpods Professional 3 – 21.42%
- Noble FoKus Rex5 – 19.05%
Fairly a little bit of adjustments right here! The Sony WF-1000XM5 takes over the first spot, coming from its second place. With 21.43% it’s now the brand new chief. Second are the Apple Airpods Professional 3 with 21.42% of the vote depend. The Noble Rex5 is new third with 19.05% of the votes. Something can nonetheless occur right here.
Transportable Gamers/DAPs
- iBasso DX340 – 17%
- AK SP3000 – 14%
- AK SP4000 – 11%
A virtually utterly new Prime 3 right here. The FiiO M21 and M27 have dropped sown the record and Astell&Kern is again! The DX340 nonetheless has 17%, the brand new SP3000 is available in with 14% and the SP4000 has 11%.
DAC/AMP – Dongles included
- Chord Electronics Mojo 2 – 11.72%
- Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 – 8.59%
- FiiO K17 – 4.69%
The highest two stays the identical on this class. The Mojo 2 continues to be main with 11.72% of the votes, rising its lead. The Hugo TT2 has 8.59%, coming from 6.25% of the votes. The Questyle M15 is out of the image for now and the FiiO K17 now occupies the third spot with 4.69% of the votes.
Amplifiers solely
- Feliks Audio ENVY – 21.05%
- Schiit Vali 3 – 8.77%
- ZMF Aegis – 7.02%
The Envy and Aegis are the survivors in comparison with final time and so they keep in the very same place with 21.05% (rising) and seven.02% (reducing). The Holo BLiss has mad room for the Schiit Vali 3 which is now second with 8.77% of the votes.
DAC solely
- LAiV Concord – 11.86%
- Chord TT2 – 10.17%
- Schiit Gungnir 2 – 8.47%
The identical 3 items as final time, and in the identical positions. Laiv went from 17.95% to 11.86% however stays within the lead. The TT2 elevated from 7.69% to 10.17%, whereas the Gugnir 2 drops from 10.26% to eight.47%. The Topping D900 is catching up quick!
Audio system
- KEF LS50 META – 31.03%
- Zu Audio DW6 – 10.34%
- EPOS ES-7N – 6.90%
First spot nonetheless goes to the world well-known KEF LS50 META. The second spot nonetheless is for Zu Audio and the brand new third place is for the EPOS ES-7N. It will for positive change over the subsequent months, particularly the 2nd and third spot are unstable.
Streamers
- Eversolo T8 – 24.39%
- Wiim Extremely – 14.63%
- FiiO R9 – 12.20%
No adjustments right here this time spherical and the highest 3 stays in place. The Eversolo T8 decreases nonetheless from 30% to 24.39%. The Wiim Extremely additionally loses a bit and has 14.63% (earlier than 16.67%). the FiiO R9 continues to be third, now with 12.20%, coming from 13.33%
Cables & Equipment
The votes for this class are nonetheless beneath fraude evaluation. Right here’s the highest 3 for now
- Impact Audio Signature Collection – 20%
- Nordost Heimdall 2 – 13.33%
- Lavricables Grand – 13.32%
The Impact Audio Signature Collection are strongly within the lead with 20% of the votes, however they misplaced fairly a little bit of votes (28.57%). The Nordost Heimdall 2 is in second, with 13.33%, whereas the ne third place is for the Lavricables Grand with 13.32%
Finish Phrases
Don’t neglect which you could nonetheless vote and take part in all of those polls. Should you don’t agree with the intermediate outcomes of the 2026 Reader voted Finest Gear – Replace 3, otherwise you need to see your favorite piece of substances within the outcomes, you realize what to do. Begin voting!
Full hyperlinks:
- Headphones
- Common IEMs
- Customized IEMs
- TWS IEMs
- Transportable Gamers/DAPs
- DAC/AMP Combos – Together with Dongles
- Amplifiers (solely) – Tube or Strong State
- DAC (solely)
- Audio system
- Streamers
- Cables & Equipment
