Q: In 2018 I took your advice and got the Cambridge Audio Air 100 speaker for $144.99. I'm so glad I did! I read your recent column about the Klipsch the One Plus. Intrigued, I went to their website and saw they also offer a bigger speaker, the Three Plus, for $399. Is that a worthwhile upgrade from my Air 100? Would there be another possible upgrade? My main source for music is Spotify from an iPad or Samsung S20 phone.
A: Both the Air 100 and the Three Plus are fine speakers, but your Air 100 is more analogous to the One Plus than to the Three Plus, which is a larger speaker.

The Air 100 dates to 2013, and the design and construction reflect the aesthetic of those times. The Three Plus (klipsch.com) looks and feels like fine furniture with its real walnut wood finish, luxurious grille cloth and aluminum volume dial. I would consider this an upgrade in itself.

Sonically, the midrange and treble are similarly excellent on both speakers, but the Klipsch excels with openness and dynamics, which produce a punchier overall presentation. It is warmer sounding and fills the room effortlessly, with fuller and deeper bass by virtue of the 5.25-inch woofer. It also has a wide range of adjustments via the Klipsch app to tune the sound to your taste, though it really does not need any tweaking.

If the Three Plus appeals to you; I suggest trying it yourself. Klipsch has free shipping and a 90-day return period, so you will have plenty of time to evaluate and decide if it is right for you. Besides, I am sure you have more than one room that can use beautiful music.

As for another possible upgrade, if you want a surefire and dramatic step up, that would be the Technics SC-C70MK2 (technics.com) for $1,099. It has a built-in CD player, high-resolution network streaming over Wi-Fi, Space Tune to match the sound to your room acoustics and is chock full of Technics' advanced amplifier and speaker technology.

It sounds like two very good floorstanding speakers driven by high-quality electronics. I was enthusiastic about the SC-C70 when I first heard it, and despite the price, it found a lot of fans in my audience who were thrilled with their purchase.

Heaphones recommendation

Q: I am considering noise-canceling headphones, but I'm specifically interested in a pair that are small and light so that I can use them when traveling. All of the ones I see pictured appear quite bulky. I would prefer to spend $200 or less if I can get something satisfying for that amount.
A: My favorite under $200 is still the Soundcore Space Q45 (soundcore.com) for $149.99. They are not bulky for a noise-canceling model, and besides the fine sound, the noise cancellation is extremely effective and eerily quiet. The $99 Soundcore Space One headphones are worth a look, too.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.