Man of Many’s Staff Favourites—7 December, 2025

Welcome to another instalment of Man of Many‘s Staff Favourites, where we showcase items, services, and experiences that have caught our eye throughout the week. We get the opportunity to try much of the cool, novel, and chic at Man of Many, but these don’t always end up as full reviews on the site.

So instead, we pull them together here in the hope we can help you find something new and exciting.

This week, we’ve got a new TV show for you to dig into, as well as a new smart speaker and earphones, a beautiful new guitar, a surprisingly cool blanket, and a few new drinks to try. It’s fun for everyone involved!

Amazon’s Echo Dot Max

Ben McKimm – Journalist

It feels like smart home tech has taken a back seat in recent years, so I was surprised to discover that Amazon has updated and upgraded its Alexa range. I’ve been testing the Echo Dot Max (AUD$199) for the last few weeks, and my primary goal for the device was to replace my portable Bluetooth speaker, which spends most of its time sitting on my desk.

This smart home speaker delivers excellent sound, featuring a 2.5-inch woofer and a 0.8-inch tweeter, and it’s been a great streaming partner for listening to podcasts in the morning and Sade at night. It supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, as well as Amazon Sidewalk and LE Audio.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have native Apple Music compatibility, but you can still stream over Bluetooth. Though using the speaker, I quickly realised that the best use case for the speakers would be in a stereo pair connected to your TV as satellite speakers. The Echo Studio, which has three 1.5-inch full-range drivers (two horizontal, one vertical) and a 3.75-inch woofer, would be a better choice for a standalone speaker, but you’re still getting a great speaker in the Echo Dot Max.

Favourite Article this Week: Shopify Data Reveals the Truth Behind Your Black Friday Spending Habits

Maybe Sammy and Greater Palm Springs’ Cocktail Collection

Marcus Hurley – Media Sales and Brand Partnerships

Summer. Need I say more? Just, yeah. Summer. TGIS. The sun is shining, and every day has a holiday vibe. The smell of the ocean, the smell of sunscreen. Can you tell I love summer? So, how on earth could you make Summer any better? 

Enter a brilliant collaboration between Maybe Sammy and Greater Palm Springs, bringing California cool to Sydney with the creation of a trio of limited-edition cocktails, designed to bring California dreamin’ to Sydney’s shores. 

And what’s better? If you head to Maybe Sammy, purchase, and enjoy one of the new trio of cocktails you will go into the running to win a trip to experience Greater Palm Springs for yourself and your lucky plus one. So, each sip of either the Palm Springs Paloma, Maybe Mai Tai or Desert Old Fashioned brings the summer vibes, while also bringing you closer to a trip of a lifetime in Palm Springs. 

To learn more, check out the link below.

Favourite Article this Week: Jonathan Bailey on Blockbusters, Budgie Smugglers, and OMEGA’s New ‘Banger’

DNA Distillery’s Plum Rakija

Rob Edwards – Branded Content Editor

Prior to meeting the small, Sydney-based team from DNA Distillery, I had never heard of rakija (pronounced ra-ki-ya). This fruit brandy, with origins in Southeastern Europe, had somehow managed to elude me for almost four decades, but has since become a staple on my spirits shelf. Now, I’m going to have to make a little extra room to accommodate the latest release: plum. The final pillar of DNA’s core rakija offering (alongside classic, gold, and pear variations), it’s made using Australian-grown fruit and double‑distilled in small batches.

Whether you use it to make mojitos, swap out the gin in your gin and tonic (highly recommended), or just sip it neat, DNA Distillery’s plum rakija adds a depth of flavour to proceedings that can’t be beat. I took a bottle to the family Christmas festivities last year, and it was such a hit that I plan to do the same in a few weeks. 

Favourite Article this Week: Samsung Launching Galaxy ‘TriFold’ Next Week–in Korea

Favourite Video this Week: Naughty, Gangster, Luxe… Lobster! The Rise of Big Sam Young

Rest’s Evercool Cooling Blanket

Dean Blake – Tech and Entertainment Writer

This is going to sound like a first-world problem, and I acknowledge that, but I’ve spent a lot of my life struggling to sleep because I’m either too hot or too cold. If I use a doona, like a normal human, I get too hot—but if I sleep without one I end up waking up cold. It’s a big issue, I know.

Well, I’ve recently been trying out the ‘Evercool’ Cooling Blanket by Rest, which has been made using moisture-wicked fabric and “advanced temperature-regulating technology” (whatever that means) to keep you cool while almost keeping you covered, and I have to say that it has actually worked. For the past few weeks, I substituted by regular doona for this blanket, and it’s actually made some of the hotter nights we’ve had here in Sydney recently no big deal.

Usually I’d wake up in a pool of sweat, but it seems like that’s just not going to be a thing this Summer. Best of all, it can simply be cleaned in the washing machine and tumble dried, making it easy to maintain. For my fellow hot sleepers out there, I’d recommend checking the Evercool Blanket out.

Favourite Article this Week: OMEGA x Swatch Mission to the Earthphase ‘Cold Moon’ Revealed

Favourite Video this Week: Venjent’s ‘Till Death We Do Art’

Gretsch’s Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic

Rob Edwards – Branded Content Editor

What happens when you combine one of the most beloved guitar brands in the world with the most iconic recording studio? You get the gorgeous Gretsch Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic. 

I’ve long wanted to add a Gretsch to my already excessive guitar collection, and this might just be the one that tips me over the edge. In addition to its stunning retro looks and what I’m sure is a generous serving of unmistakable Gretsch tone, this guitar features an onboard filter circuit inspired by the “Rumble Filter”, which was invented by Abbey Road engineers in the ‘50s. This allows players and engineers to easily roll off low-end frequencies, creating recording-ready tones straight from the guitar.

As a result, Abbey Road Studios has assigned the Studiomatic a new Recording Studio (RS) number RS 201, which is the first time it has been awarded to a musical instrument. All I can say is, if it’s good enough for Abbey Road, it’s good enough for me. 

Second Favourite Video this Week: Stranger Things Season 5 Cast Reveal What Life Before, During, and After the Series is Like

Nothing’s Ear (3)

Harry Parsons – Head of Branded Content

Having used the Nothing Headphone (1)’s for the past few months, I was extremely impressed with their design and audio quality. I thought the next viable step was to go all-in on their audio range and try the Nothing Ear (3). Our friends at Nothing were kind enough to provide a unit for me to test, and while it has only been a couple of weeks, the enamour from the headphones has easily transitioned to the earbuds.

They are obviously a lot smaller than the headphones; however, they still come with Nothing’s signature boomy sound, which honestly took me back. The bass is punchy, and the spatial audio provides an excellent ‘stadium’ soundscape. There is an option to turn bass enhancement on within the Nothing app, but honestly, this isn’t required. The levels are erring on the higher side with the balanced EQ, but if you are really into D&B or heavy electronic, the option is there for you.

The noise cancellation is okay. Travelling on the ferry with loud engines and walking through city traffic is certainly still present, just muted. This doesn’t affect the audio experience at all; however, it’s just not as noise-restricting as I would have thought.

The last component that blew me away was the personalised sound feature. My initial thoughts were that this would make very little difference, but how wrong I was! Running through a quick 3-minute test, each earphone plays varied frequencies to gauge the levels that each ear can accurately hear. After setting this up, there was a noticeable difference in levels; I was getting a balanced mix of lows, mids, and highs. It’s just another nifty feature that is elevating the audio experience.

I have had a few calls whilst wearing the Nothing Ear (3), and the feedback from the person down the line was a clear voice, even in some windy situations. An upgraded feature for the (3)s is the addition of the super mic placed in the case. This is an incredibly handy feature when you are in extremely noisy situations. It really turns calls from inaudible to an easy chat in situations where a call would normally be a real struggle.

Favourite Article this Week: How Husqvarna’s Fully Autonomous Lawn Robots Finally Made the Grass Greener on Every Side

Netflix’s ‘The Beast Within Me’

Scott Purcell – Co-Founder

Claire Daines (who was one of my first childhood crushes in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo and Juliet) returns in this Netflix thriller drama series, and I’ve been sinking my teeth into it. It’s the sort of eerie, creepy show that will keep you uncomfortably sitting on the edge of your seat, but unable to look away: Matthew Rhys does an absolutely incredible job of playing a sociopath who makes your skin crawl. 

So, for this week’s staff favourites, it comes as a strong recommendation to check it out this weekend. It seems that lots of streaming services have had a bit of a resurgence lately after a bit of a lull in the middle of the year with nothing to watch. So cheers to that!

Favourite Article this Week: Man of Many’s Christmas Gift Guides

Favourite Video this Week: 3 Science-Backed Longevity Strategies Every Man Needs (Beyond the Gym)

Kodiak 42L Hard Cooler

Alex Martinez – Media Sales and Brand Partnerships

Last week Man of Many had our Christmas Mix and Mingle, and whilst there was a lot going on, the hero of the night was my new 42L Kodiak Hard Cooler in a beautiful Khaki green. It is an absolute winner for anyone who values durability, performance, and clean, rugged design. It keeps drinks ice cold, thanks to its solid insulation and tight, reliable seal and latches that make a satisfying clip in sound.

The build quality feels premium and adventure-ready, with convenient handles and a built in bottle opener – one less thing to think about. Perfect. They come with a 5 year warranty and a range of great colours so if you don’t have your cooler sorted for the holiday period, now is your chance.

Favourite Article this Week: 4 New Ways Abode is Empowering Creatives with the Latest AI Tools