Comiso Bluetooth speaker is excellent: I was drawn to the Comiso waterproof speaker by the attractive price and excellent reputation, racking up a 4.5 star rating with over 24,000 reviews on Amazon. It’s a cylinder-shaped speaker that resembles a tall soda can, sized so it can fit in the water bottle holder of a bicycle. It is well- balanced and lightweight, with simple controls on the top. At the regular price of $39.99 it sells for about half of a similarly sized quality Bluetooth speaker. This is with the caveat, of course, that it actually sounds good! I bought one out of curiosity, hoping it would be good enough to recommend.

The Comiso delivered the good sound I expected given its reputation. Everything was very clear and transparent, especially voices. In this sense it was one of the best small speakers I have tested, making it an excellent choice for listening to podcasts, the news, talk radio, internet radio or the satellite radio app. Older listeners are sure to appreciate this vocal clarity, and it makes the speaker a great choice for YouTube and streaming video watching, too.

Bass is easily controlled by adjusting the distance between the speaker and the surface behind it. I got the best results about 3 inches out from the wall. You can even pair two of them for stereo sound with wide separation, but I only had one speaker so I could not try this feature.

Full-featured headphones: When I wrote about Cambridge Audio’s Melomania P100 headphones last week I knew not everybody would want to spend $239, no matter how good they are. The EarFun Wave Life headphones are a solid budget buy for everyone else, and those who already own pricey headphones may find them perfect for the gym, for kids or to give as gifts.

The EarFun Wave Life headphones share key features with the Melomania P100 like active noise cancellation, Bluetooth and 60-hour battery life. They also support a direct USB-C to USB-C connection, a rarity in budget models. At $59.99 MSRP they don’t sound or feel like $239 headphones, but the sound is fine for everyday listening and is adjustable to your taste in the EarFun app. The combination of long battery life, noise cancellation and direct USB-C connection make them excellent airplane headphones when used with a portable device.

Q: I have not seen you write about cable vs. satellite television in a long time. I do remember that you favored satellite over cable, but I think I read that a long time ago. Do you still have a preference?

— E.H., Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

A: These days I don’t get many, if any questions about cable and satellite comparisons, which is why you have not seen it discussed in the column. I do get a lot of questions about cutting the cord and ditching cable or satellite, and most of those revolve around antennas and receiving local channels and combining it with streaming services. Three people in my immediate circle have done just that, and don’t seem to miss cable at all. I have subscribed to Dish uninterrupted since 1996, but I must admit that given the rising costs I have strongly considered cutting the cord myself. I need a cable or satellite feed to evaluate televisions, so for now it stays.

When I started writing the column in 2002, satellite had an edge over most cable providers. Digital satellite delivered resolution close to DVD quality. Cable, even digital cable, approximated the picture quality of VHS tape. Today, you get great picture quality from either cable or satellite. You can check J.D. Power for television service provider satisfaction based on region. Currently cable has the edge over satellite, and live TV streaming has the highest satisfaction of all. I definitely get a better picture watching “Chopped” streamed from Max than off my Dish Hopper, and streamed NFL games look better than the satellite box, too.

Q. I would like to replace the Panasonic plasma TV I purchased over 10 years ago with something bigger. Why are the new Panasonics hard to find in stores? I have been very happy with my TV and want to stay with the brand.

—J.D., Pittsburgh

A. Panasonic televisions returned to the U.S. market less than a year ago, and the retailer onboarding process takes time. I expect it will happen later this year. If you can order online, a fantastic opportunity has arrived. When you see the prices I don’t think you will care if you buy the TV in a store or not!

New 2025 models will be announced soon, and current high-end Panasonic Smart Televisions are now an impulse buy if you can snag one before they sell out. Starting with the Panasonic W95A Mini LED series, the 55-inch is $499.99 reduced from $1,299.99, the 65-inch is $599.99 from $1,799.99, the 75-inch is $799.99 from $2,299.99, and the 85-inch is $999.99 from $2,999.99. For OLED models the 55-inch Z85A is $899.99 from $1,599.99, and the 65-inch is $999.99 from $1,799.99. The top-of-the-line 65-inch Z95A OLED is $1,999.99 from $3,199.99. If these prices aren’t crazy enough, if you sign up for newsletters on the Panasonic website you get a coupon code to save another 10% when buying direct from Panasonic!