Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i What Hi-Fi?

It’s November 2015, which means this must be the December 2015 issue. And because it’s the December 2015 issue, it must be time to wave goodbye to 2015 – our annual Awards having been and gone – and face the future. The future starts on page 6, in fact, where Panasonic’s statement-of-intent curved 4K OLED TV points the way forward, in terms of technology if not in terms of price. And there’s more cutting-edge TV technology on page 67, where we bring you up to speed with High Dynamic Range TV – it’s coming your way, and it won’t be long now. But the future needn’t be modern, of course – brand new? You’re retro. So we’ve a thoroughly helpful guide to optimising your turntable on page 81 to help…

The Panasonic TX6 5CZ952B is the company’s first 4K OLED TV, and it looks so good that it may very well usher in the next phase in television. Yes, really. This is one of the best pictures we’ve seen. Christmas has come early. Or has it? We are, of course, obliged to consider other factors. Take the size: it is available only in 65in, although Panasonic’s label of ‘CZ950 Series’ suggests other sizes may follow. Then there’s the price tag. High-end flagship TVs have never been cheap, but £8000 puts it well out of reach of most. We should also mention that it’s curved, which won’t be for everyone. But we can worry about that later. Right now, we feel the need to effuse. After spending a weekend with this…

We’ve been fairly critical of Samsung’s smartphones in the past. Regardless of the impressive specs, their persistently plastic construction left us cold, especially when the iPhone looked so alluring. With the Samsung Galaxy S6 series this is no longer an issue. This year, Samsung has two flagship models, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. Essentially the same phone, the S6 Edge sports a more sculpted body and a screen with curved edges. A cut above the norm We love the S6 Edge, and we have high hopes for the ‘regular’ S6. But really, there is nothing regular about the S6. This is a great device and that much becomes apparent when you pick it up. Samsung has at last created something you can use in public without a…

Buying a television can be a minefield these days. Every few years, manufacturers come up with a whole bunch of new tech, most of which has a confusing acronym. UHD and 4K. HDCP. OLED. And those are just the first few that come to mind. A quick turn in any decent TV showroom is enough to baffle anyone less than fully clued up about all things audio visual. But forget all of those for a moment. We’re here to tell you all about HDR, what it is, and why it will make TVs look better than ever. Just turn the page. What is HDR? ‘HDR’ stands for High Dynamic Range, and it is the next big thing in TV world. The term originates in photography, and refers to a technique…

Record player Rega RP6/Exact £1000 Rarely was a cartridge (the Exact) so well matched to a deck. The pair’s detailed sound is perfect for the Rega’s organic character. CD player Naim CD5 si £1080 Enthusiasm and dynamic ability are the dominant traits here. They help make this Naim a great source for the Rega. Speakers Neat Motive SX3 £1045 Beautifully articulate and musical speakers that integrate seamlessly across the dynamic range. They’ll love working with the Rega. Total build £4025 For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com…

Spendor SP2/3R2 Stereo speakers £2795 For many it would be tempting to write off Spendor’s SP2/3R2 as some sort of throwback – a speaker for those with a love of retro rather than those who put performance first. That would be a mistake. Despite a design ancestry that dates back to the ’70s there’s much this dinosaur could teach its modern competition. At 55cm high, the SP2/3R2s are massive by current standards. They need plenty of space around them too, otherwise there’s a very real danger of the bass dominating the overall balance. But, once properly positioned, these speakers have a lovely, smooth tonal sound tinged with an appealing degree of warmth. This kind of presentation has fallen out of fashion over the years in favour of a leaner, more…

MOGWAI CENTRAL BELTERS Out now Starting with 1996 single Summer and (sort of) ending with Tell Everybody That I Love Them from (some versions of) 2014’s Rave Tapes, Mogwai are celebrating 20 years of a singular recording career in expansive style. Central Belters is a three-CD or six-LP retrospective, running in chronological order (except when it doesn’t) and taking in some non-album singles and rarities along with established favourites. As a means of documenting the evolution of a band that’s almost as notable for its single/ bloody-mindedness and its utterly random song titles (The Sun Smells Too Loud or Remurdered, for instance) as for its unarguable mastery of texture, dynamism and an off-kilter melody, Central Belters is pretty much ideal. A broad roster of instruments There’s a valid argument that…

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate PS4, Xbox One, PC Out now After the disastrously glitchy Assassin’s Creed Unity, Syndicate is a return to form for Ubisoft’s open-world stealth franchise. Set in Victorian London during the Industrial revolution, this ninth installment is a splendid mix of gang warfare and fiendish stalking. You’ll have fun with this one. Guitar Hero Live PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One Out now Guitar Hero Live takes a Blur-esque approach to comebacks. Its iconic plastic axe has been redesigned and there’s an enthralling new Guitar Hero TV mode where you play along to curated playlists. Sure this stuff doesn’t reinvent the rhythm-game genre, but GHL keeps the formula fresh enough. Halo 5: Guardians Xbox One Out now Microsoft’s sci-fi FPS franchise has been…

Welcome to the UK’s best guide to TVs, hi-fi, home cinema and mobile, with star ratings for more than 1500 products. Where other magazines rely on isolated writers reviewing in a range of locations, our star ratings are decided by an expert team of reviewers working together, in a state-of-the-art testing facility. Within this guide you’ll find all our favourite four- and five-star products – including Award-winners – to help you pick the best kit for your budget.…

VISION Brightness Many people have the brightness on their TVs set too high. The ‘THX’ symbol you see above has a drop shadow behind it: turn the brightness control down until you can’t see it. Tint Normally you’d need a pair of paper-thin specs to detect the tint. Instead you can use your device’s camera, leaving you able to correct the image without looking like an idiot. Contrast In general, your TV’s contrast will be set too high. To get it exactly right, turn it up until you see only a white screen, then back it off until you can differentiate the eight white boxes. Colour Colour set-up is another chance to use your device’s camera. The screen will be covered with a red filter and you’ll be able to…

Turntable The main part of the player that actually spins the record Tonearm The component that carries the cartridge across the record surface Cartridge Turns the information in the record groove into sound The shortlist Pro-Ject Essential II Awards 2015: Best turntable under £400 “The Essential II is a frill-free entry-level product that gets all the basics spot-on.” Rega RP3/Elys2 Awards 2015: Best turntable £400-£800 “It’s easy to set up and use as long as you don’t mind the manual speed change and sounds as musical as they come.” Clearaudio Concept Awards 2015: Best turntable £800+ “If you feel the need for an outstanding turntable, don’t think twice.” Also consider…

Integrated These amplifiers combine a preamp and power section in one box Power output A higher number usually means louder, depending on speakers Digital inputs Some amplifiers now have a DAC built in, which could be useful The shortlist Onkyo A-9010 Awards 2015: Best stereo amp under £300 “The A-9010’s breadth of ability means that you don’t need to stick with similarly priced partnering kit.” Cambridge CXA60 Awards 2015: Best stereo amp £300-£700 “It’s fluid, snappy and packed with enthusiasm. This is an amplifier that puts musical enjoyment high on its list of priorities.” Rega Elex-R Awards 2015: Best stereo amp £700-£1000 “With hi-fi this good, it’s easy for listening sessions to extend well in to the night.” Also consider…

For those of us that consider themselves a music lover, albeit to different degrees, we are part of a very fortunate generation. We now have access to an ever-growing wealth of recorded music of extraordinary range and depth, effectively accumulated over the last 60 years. With the introduction of the microgroove LP record in the early 1950's, playback quality took a quantum leap forward and this also coincided with a far higher standard of recording techniques. Although further improvements have been made over the years, this was a watershed time that first introduced hi-fi as a reality. We now have literally millions of recorded music tracks available to us in all genres and many different formats. One trend over recent years, however, has been to deliberately downgrade the quality in…

Android Offers great flexibility and innovation Apple iOS Fantastic ease of use; massive choice of quality apps Windows New kid on the block. Watch this space The shortlist Samsung Galaxy S6 Supertest 08.15 “Its sophistication and extraordinary multimedia capabilities make it a seriously tempting proposition.” Apple iPhone 6S Awards 2015: Best smartphone under 5.5in “…what Apple is so good at, and what is so clear in the 6S, is its attention to detail – adding good clever features and upgrades.” Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Awards 2015: Best smartphone above 5.5in “The overall premise of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is very simple – to bring a bigger screen to the Edge experience.” Also consider “The S6 Edge is a truly excellent handset that takes Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S phone range…

Speaker stands Atacama Moseco 6 £120 There’s probably a joke here about ‘standing’ out, but we’ll spare you that hilarity. If you’re after stylish, reasonably priced stands that make the most of your speakers, you need look no further than the Moseco 6s. Stands do more than just keep your speakers at ear level. They hold the speaker cabinet rigidly, so more of the unit’s movement is translated into sound, rather than wasted in cabinet movement. AV & hi-fi racks Atacama Evoque Eco 60-40 SE £525 After enjoying success with the Eco 6040, Atacama has modified it with the Special Edition. The SE now has longer legs, tuning counter-weights for dampening and grooves carved into each bamboo panel that direct vibrations downwards The result? A rack that enables hi-fi equipment…

Experience & heritage We’ve been hard at work helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home cinema for more than 37 years, and have getting on for 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts – so you can count on our expert opinions. Dedicated test facilities We test every product in the magazine or at whathifi.com against its peers in our bespoke £1m reviewing facilities. And we test every product as a team, so our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. We spot big trends first MP3 player tests before the iPod even existed? High-def video before it even had a name? That was us. We keep you in touch with big stories and future trends. Worldwide readership With seven international editions in…

1 Set-up is a breeze, and that gorgeous stand provides a solid, wobble-free base. You’ll need a wide rack to put it on though. 2 That Alcantara rear panel is a gorgeous indulgence. It hides the connections neatly and yet is likely to be out of sight. 3 We’re knocked out by the picture quality. OLED screens tend to excel with blacks, but this TV takes things to a new level. 4 If you’re wary of the whole curve thing, this TV could convert you. The picture is beautifully even across the entire screen. 5 The real test for a 4K screen is subtle colours – and the Panasonic passes with those colours flying. Only thing is, it’s £8k.…

When we last tested a product from Lars & Ivan, it was the funky-looking perspex BK2 1 iPod speakers. They also looked and sounded far more impressive than their £130 price tag, and subsequently won an Award (in 2007) for their efforts. Can the Lars & Ivan DAC Fire follow in those ancient footsteps? Available from its online store, the DAC Fire is a small, portable headphone amplifier and DAC that costs just under £80 and aims to unlock the sound quality of your digital files. Lacking drive or punch Armed with high-resolution files and a Spotify playlist, we plug the DAC Fire into a MacBook Pro and start listening. Compared with playing tunes straight from a laptop, the DAC Fire does add a touch more solidity to a song.…

There’s life in the iPod Touch yet. Just when you thought it might be swept under the carpet to join the discontinued iPod Classic, up pops another generation, this time the sixth. While a new iPhone appears annually, it has been three years since we saw the five-star fifth-gen Touch. Unlike the latest Nano and Shuffle music players it has been released alongside, the new model has been treated to more than just new colours. The sixth gen is the first to have a 128GB version (only available directly through Apple), so it can store more music and video files than ever before, helping to fill the void left by the death of the 160GB iPod Classic. Of course, there are lesser-equipped – and consequently more wallet-friendly – versions too:…

Television Samsung UE55JS8500 £1900 A stunningly detailed and immersive 4K screen that, like the Philips, is a product of elegant design. Blu-ray player Sony BDP-S 7200£180 This Award-winning disc-spinner is one of our favourite sources for its crisp, smooth and punchy pictures with Blu-rays and DVDs alike. Set-top Box Sky + 2TB £250 Now with built-in wi-fi, this is the box of choice if you want plenty of capacity, great catch-up services and quality sound and pictures. Total build £2930 For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com…

THE WINNER Apple iPhone 6S From £540 (free on contract) It was a close fight. We’re happy about that, because it shows how much Samsung has improved its smartphone performance in recent years. We’re very glad to see the Korean company finally put out a premium product that can worry the folks at Cupertino – in terms of appearance and build as well as performance. That said, the iPhone 6S still wins this one. Beyond the specs How does Apple do it? Logically, it makes no sense. On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S6 blows the iPhone 6S out of the water... sharper screen, high-res audio. It goes to show that specification is not all that matters. The iPhone 6S may have a smaller screen, but it is sharp enough. Its…

1 Whether it’s a rack, shelf or cabinet, make sure that your turntable’s support is rigid, level and, ideally, away from speakers 2 Use a spirit level to ensure your support and the deck’s platter are both level. The player’s adjustable feet will help with the latter 3 If you’re giving your turntable a specialist tone arm, you’ll need a suitable arm board to mount it on. Consult your dealer for options 4 An alignment gauge will help you to ensure your cartridge is properly positioned relative to the groove in the record 5 Calibrated tracking-weight scales (pivot-based if not electronic) will tell you how much downforce your cartridge is applying Record players are arguably the most temperamental of hi-fi components. Even the best are easily upset by inconsiderate positioning,…

Terminator: Genisys This exercise in barrel-scraping mixes a nonsensical time-paradox plot and a woefully miscast Kyle Reese in a nuclear firestorm of fail. Slow West The Western is reinvented again, this time with large handfuls of whimsy mixed with the grit. Charming and heartfelt – anything but slow. Ant-Man Heist comedy. A fun use of smaller superheroes, even if it’s not Marvel’s best. The CGI on Younger Michael Douglas is unnervingly accurate. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Guy Ritchie’s best film in years is a 60s TV show remake. We’ve not seen a great Cold War flick in a while; this one is as fun as it is achingly stylish.…

Movies (Cinema) The Good Dinosaur (23rd November) What if the dinosaurs survived? What if they met humans? These are very important questions. Pixar answers. Movies (Cinema) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (17th December) Hype levels approach critical mass. Whatever happens, it cannot be as bad as The Phantom Menace. Right? Music (Download,CD, vinyl) Pixies – Doolittle 25 (1st December) Bad: Doolittle is 25 years old. Good: you get to listen to Doolittle again, this time with loads of out-takes too. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) Smashing Pumpkins – Monuments To An Elegy (8th December) Will contain strong songs. Will also be overwhelmingly pleased with itself.…

Up to £500 Well-equipped and delivers convincing surround sound £500-£1000 There are gains in features, build quality and sonic performance £1000+ Real powerhouses that pack loads of features and cinema-style sound The shortlist Yamaha RX-V379 Awards 2015: Best home cinema amp under £350 “…the RX-V379 is a superb entry-level receiver that sees Yamaha putting all of its previous experience at this price to good use.” Denon AVR-X2200W Awards 2015: Best home cinema amp £350-£700 “For £500, the Denon X2200W will deliver an exciting, well-considered home cinema experience no matter what set-up you choose.” Yamaha RX-A850 Awards 2015: Best home cinema amp £700-£1000 “This is a nicely priced, sturdy and well-finished box with plenty of features and excellent performance.” Also consider…

The basics CD players are pretty simple things. They’ll respond well to decent equipment support and like to be placed on a level surface. The vast majority have digital outputs, so if you want to upgrade their performance (particularly applicable to an older player) an outboard DAC is an option. There’s occasionally a choice of analogue outputs. Standard RCAs are the norm, but some players – mostly at the higher end of the market – have a balanced XLR option. This can often sound better. Ensure your amplifier can accept a balanced signal before you buy, though. System matching The arrival of CDs took compatibility issues (for the most part) out of system matching, in an electrical sense at least. Turntables, or cartridges, need a lot of pampering if they’re…

DAB Digital radio signal that now offers coverage across most of the UK Internet Allows you to listen to thousands of radio stations from around the world The shortlist Pure Evoke D2 Awards 2015: Best radio under £100 “It sounds balanced and easy to listen to with a wide range of programming.” Roberts Stream 93i Awards 2015: Best radio £100-£200 “This Roberts is a really fine machine. It covers all bases for radios.” Revo Superconnect Awards 2015: Best radio £200+ “Not many radios we review manage to impress on so many fronts.” Also consider…

Bluetooth Universal wireless system that’s incorporated into most sources AirPlay Apple’s accepted wireless system; works over your home network The shortlist Audio Pro Addon T3 Awards 2015: Best wireless speaker £100-£200 “You’ll need double the cash if you want something to fit in your pencil case and sound this good.” B&WZeppelinWireless 12.15 First Test “The Zeppelin Wireless keeps the range’s legacy alive, combining a highly accomplished sound with greater functionality.” Naim Mu-so Awards 2015: Best wireless speaker £800+ “It looks stunning, and that powerful and subtle sound is as close as we’ve heard to hi-fi from an all-in-one unit such as this.” Also consider…

SOUTH Ashford, Kent SOUNDCRAFT HI-FI 40 High Street.t: 01233 624441www.soundcrafthifi.com Chelmsford RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 216 Moulsham Street.t: 01245 265245www.rayleighhifi.com Kingston-upon-Thames INFIDELITY 9 High Street,Hampton Wick.t: 020 8943 3530www.infidelity.co.uk Maidenhead AUDIO VENUE 36 Queen Street.t: 01628 633995www.audiovenue.com Norwich MARTINS HI-FI 85-91 Ber Street.t: 01603 627134www.martinshifi.co.uk Rayleigh RAYLEIGH HI-FI 44a High Street.t: 01268 779762www.rayleighhifi.com Southend-on-Sea RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 132/4 London Road.t: 01702 435255www.rayleighhifi.com LONDON Ealing AUDIO VENUE 27 Bond Street.t: 020 8567 8703www.audiovenue.com N1 GRAHAMS HI-FI 190a New North Road.t: 020 7226 5500www.grahams.co.uk SW11 ORANGES & LEMONS 61/63 Webbs Road.t: 020 7924 2040www.oandlhifi.co.uk SOUTH WEST Bath AUDIENCE 14 Broad Street.t: 01225 333310www.audience.org.uk Cinderford CERITECH AUDIO 1 Pavilion Business Park,Speculation Road.t: 01600 716362www.ceritech-audio.co.uk Exeter GULLIFORD HI-FI 97 Sidwell Street.t: 01392 491194www.gullifordhifi.co.uk MIDLANDS Banbury OVERTURE 3 Church Lane.t: 01295 272158www.overture.co.uk…

Many stands are hollow and can be filled with sand or other similar heavy materials. This is to increase mass and dampening and the sonic benefit is tighter bass – although too much of it can be counter-productive and end up deadening the sound The shortlist Custom Design FS104 Signature £200 “If you’re after stylish, reasonably priced stands that make the most of your speakers, you need look no further.” Q Acoustics Concept 20 speaker stands £200 “If you want your hi-fi set-up performing its best (and can spare the cash), these Q Acoustics stands are just the ticket.” Atacama Moseco 6 Awards 2015: Best speaker stands “We’re impressed with how weighty and dynamic these stands make our system sound.” Also consider…

Devialet Phantom Silver First test p16 “If I wore a hat I would doff it to Devialet’s innovation” Andrew Murphy Staff writer Philips Fidelio B5 Group test p52 “A shape-shifting soundbar that does stereo, surround and multi-room sound in style” Kashfia Kabir First Tests editor Spendor SP2/3R2 Temptation p88 “Retro speakers that make us question whether things have really got better” Ketan Bharadia International Technical editor Panasonic TX6 5CZ952B First test p6 “A thing of unadulterated beauty” Ced Yuen News editor Sonos Play:5 First test p22 “The Play:5 pushes the boundaries of the sound we expect from a one-box design” Verity Burns Multimedia editor B&W Zeppelin Wireless First test p12 “B&W’s iconic wireless speaker is back with a bang, and sounds better than ever before” Becky Roberts Staff writer…

When Google Chromecast first arrived on the scene a couple of years back, it landed right in the thick of the media streamer boom instigated by the likes of Roku, Sky, Amazon and Apple. It was (indeed still is) a time of streaming sticks and boxes galore. But in came Google pitching a different kind of beast, and quickly won the hearts of a streaming-savvy audience looking for simplicity, affordability and vast support. Instead of offering its own batch of on-demand content, the Chromecast simply ‘casts’ (ie streams) content from a smartphone, tablet or PC/laptop over wi-fi. Your device of choice acts purely as a remote control. A lesson in simplicity It couldn’t be easier to use. Go into any Cast-enabled app on your device (we’ll get to that later),…

Paon. That’s French for peacock. We aren’t certain they use the term peacocking in France, but, if they do, it could definitely be applied to Devialet. But when the insides of the Parisian company’s products are so radical, you expect the exterior to be its match. That has certainly been the case with the innovative hybrid amplifiers we’ve seen – the D Premier and 110, both awarded five stars – and remains so with their first wireless speakers, the Phantom and Silver Phantom. Severed droid head The Silver Phantom is identifiable by the silver domes of the side-firing bass drivers. It’s £300 dearer than its partner, but with a whopping internal power of 3000W and capable of outputting sound levels of 105dB (compared to a not inconsiderable 750W and 99dB…

If you’ve ever spent money on car audio, it’s likely you’ll have come across Kenwood during your research. The Japanese brand is well known for kitting out cars with everything from amplifiers and speakers to navigation systems. Go to Kenwood’s website and it has a random assortment of goodies under a home entertainment banner too: hi-fi systems, receivers, a trio of in-ears and, for those who don’t get on with buds, these, the KHKR900 on-ears. Making a statement You may be more likely to stumble upon them on JVC’s e-shop – the two companies merged back in 2008 to form what is now called JVCKenwood. It’s a good job they’re under a separate ‘Kenwood Headphones’ banner, because we doubt they’d catch your eye in among the copious number of colourful…

Apple’s slogan for the iPhone 6S is “the only thing that’s changed is everything”. We’re not sure that statement would hold up in court, but what certainly hasn’t changed is Apple’s way of making a great handset even better. Another thing that hasn’t changed is the appearance – the 6S looks nigh on identical to last year’s model. That means the same super-slim body, the same perfectly-curved edges and the same premium metallic frame. What you won’t see is what’s gone on underneath the surface. It’s now made from much stronger 7000 Series aluminium, also found in the Apple Watch, to prevent ‘bending’. There’s also reportedly hardier glass on the screen. Three previous colours are available – Space Grey, Silver and Gold – with the addition of ‘Rose Gold’ for…

Music streaming service Tidal from £10/month With CD-quality lossless music, HD video and an accessible £10 monthly fee, Tidal is a truly compelling streaming proposition Stereo headphones AKG Y50 £50 These Award-winning portable on-ear headphones are fantastic-sounding – and now exceptional value for money Wireless speaker B&W Zeppelin Wireless £500 Building on the beloved range’s sterling reputation, the Wireless is arguably the best Zeppelin yet Total build from £1100 For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com…

Jeans Team: Keine Melodien... 1, 2, 3, 4 Filthily analogue Germanic electro-pop with the most effortlessly rudimentary lyrical content since The 5, 6, 7, 8s’ Woo Hoo. Thin Lizzy: The Rocker Gloriously unreconstructed rock and, furthermore, roll from an inexplicably overlooked and underrated staple of 1970s Top Of The Pops. The War On Drugs: Burning Patient, quietly intense and glossy, Burning is the highlight of 2014’s Lost In The Dream. Led to TWOD signing a two-album deal with Atlantic Records. The Temptations: Love Can Be Anything Psychedelic soul was a thing for a while and, as was their wont, The Temptations absolutely nailed it. Nine minutes plus flies by.…

Full size Traditional cabinet design that’s big but can deliver a great sound Style Compact speakers that make a lot of sense in smaller living spaces Bipole/Dipole Surround speaker designs that give a more cohesive soundfield The shortlist Tannoy HTS-101 XP Awards 2015: Best style package under £1000 “It’s a fantastic-sounding package, as practical as ever and one of the best of its kind we’ve come across.” Monitor Audio Bronze B5 AV Awards 2015: Best traditional pack £1000-£2000 “Spend a couple of hours with the Bronze B5 AV and this might be the easiest way you’ve ever parted company with £1500.” KEF R100 5.1 Awards 2015: Best traditional package £2000+ “We’re struggling to find any fault with this system and that shows just how impressive this KEF speaker package really…

Digital-to-analogue converters take a digital data stream from their source (such as a computer or CD transport) and turns it into an analogue signal that your amplifier can work with. These devices have become more popular in recent years due to the emergence of computer-based audio The shortlist Oppo HA-2 Awards 2015: Best DAC under £400 “It’s the combination of dynamics, timing and detail, regardless of the genre to which you’re listening, that makes the Oppo so adept.” Chord Mojo Awards 2015: Best DAC £400-£800 “The Mojo offers a large slice of the Hugo’s performance for a fraction of the cost. Even at £399, we have to conclude it’s a bargain.” Chord Hugo Awards 2015: Best DAC £1200+ “There’s no doubt the Hugo is the best-sounding DAC and headphone amp…

Standmounters Usually smaller speakers that need to be put on a stand, not bookshelves Floorstanders Larger speakers that tend to go louder and deeper than standmounters Powered Have built-in amplifiers and need mains power to work The shortlist Q Acoustics 3020 Awards 2015: Best stereo speaker under £200 “[Partner them well] and you’ll get a quality of sound that’s well beyond the typical expectations of a sub-£300 speaker.” B&W 685 S2 Awards 2015: Best stereo speaker £400-£800 “They’re the speakers we’d use to get our friends into hi-fi, and we can’t think of a better reason to recommend the new B&W 685s.” ATC SCM 11 Awards 2015: Best stereo speaker up tp £1200+ “The new SCM11s are a drastic improvement over an already-talented performance, and they have the good looks…

Ear tips Most in-ears come with these. Experiment with size to get the best fit In-line remote Mostly for Apple devices, but Android-friendly units are increasing. Handy… The shortlist AKGY50 Awards 2015: Best portable on-ears up to £100 “Excelling in sound and style, the Y50s are a promising start for AKG’s latest range.” Philips M1MKII Awards 2015: Best portable on-ears £100-£200 “If you have just under £200 to spend on a pair of portable on-ear headphones, these make a fine case for themselves.” Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Awards 2015: Best portable on-ears £200-£300 “As far as premium portable headphones are concerned, the Momentum 2.0s tick all the boxes, and then some.” SoundMagic E10S Awards 2015: Best in-ears under £50 “The SoundMagic E10Ss punch well above their weight in terms of sound…

These access the music or video files you have stored on your network. Check for file compatibility and decent control apps that improve usability. The shortlist Pioneer N-50A Awards 2015: Best streamer up to £500 “The Pioneer N-50A is a success. If you’re in the market for a sensibly-priced network audio player, look no further.” Cambridge Audio CXN Awards 2015: Best streamer £500-£1000 “The functionality, design and ease of use are the best we’ve seen at this price, and the, punchy sound is sure to win people over.” Cyrus Stream Xa Awards 2015: Best streamer £1000-£1500 “The Cyrus Stream Xa’s compact design won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But its truly entrancing sound undoubtedly will.” Also consider…

Use your ears for cable management Fed up with hearing your footsteps and the rustle of your clothes through your earbuds? Try running the cable over the top of your ear before putting the earphone in. Some models won’t fit like this, but most will and many, such as the Shure SE425s, are designed to do so. That way you’ll significantly reduce the amount of noise carried up the cable. Don’t dismiss four-star kit In this buying guide we only include kit rated four stars or higher, but that doesn’t mean you should always go for the highest-rated option. Your specific needs, whether it’s the scale and dynamism required for classical music or the low-end control that DJs demand, might be served better by a four-star amp than a five-star…